5 Chapter one, 2016, school start: 1 (2/2)

'What?'

Trousers too short, white socks in cheap loafers, shirt too tight, and yet the sleeves were too long. Even the school blazer seemed to disagree with him. A pair of glasses were firmly planted beneath hair that seemed to be glued to his head. He hadn't managed to get his tie correct either. No matter if he had wanted to get it right or deliberately wanted to have it the cool style – it just hung badly around his neck crowning the overall picture.

'Geek squad just got a new member.'

Despite all this his hunched back couldn't entirely hide how tall he was, way taller than Ryu. And there was something strange with his hair as well, an oddly off-black shine. Why would a geek dye his hair, and who in this universe would dye it almost black? Hadn't she seen him somewhere before?

The shadow passed, stumbled clumsily over his own feet, regained balance and shuffled towards the gates. 'He won't have an easy time making friends. But there's something familiar…'

”...Noriko!”

'Eh?'

”Noriko, teachers want a word with me. Could you help me out?”

”Help you out? Idiot, stupid! You deserve getting your face chewed off. Idiot! Stupid!”

The sakura continued its absence of blooming, Ryu got his arse handed to him by the teachers and Wakayama Noriko turned on her feet and left the school-yard.