Chapter 9: New School; Hectic First Day (2:1) (1/2)

It's early morning, and I had woken up way earlier than I needed to. I've already put on my school uniform and wait for Ayumi to be done with her preparations. I think about the last few days and everything that has happened up until now. I recall I died in a previous life of mine, but I don't remember how I died or what my life was like for that matter. Strangely, I remember stuff from my past life though, such as movies I have seen, as well as places I have been to. They don't appear clearly, but there is this sense of familiarity there.

Then I am reborn, or more precisely, take over some guy's body that goes by the name Haruka Kasugano. Apparently, he is me and I am him. It's a bit too complicated, but there isn't much I can do about it. I, like any sane person, started examining my new body in the mirror, where I spotted a weird tri-colored glow coming from my chest. Now that I think about it, Juno said that it was the amalgamation of one's powers. What use does it have? Will I be able to do something like the silver-haired guy in the ”vision”, as Juno calls it, did?

”Brother Yu!”, my thoughts are interrupted by a cheerful shout, as a small, violet figure rushes towards me.

”Ta-dah! I've prepared you lunch for today!”, she says as she hands me a lunch box wrapped in a red bandage, with a little box for eating utensils at the top of it.

Amused by her ever so cheerful antics, I ask her,

”What's the menu for today?”

She flashes a wide smile as she exclaims with her hands in the air,

”Omurice!”

Again. Well, I don't mind it. She is trying her best for me, and that's what matters. I reach out my arm, lightly pat her head and tell her,

”We should get going now. You don't want to be late for your first day of school now, do you?”

She lets out a cheerful ”Um!” as she heads back in to grab her school bag. Once she has brought it, I lock the door to our apartment, and we take the elevator to the bottom floor. As we move out of the gateway, Ayumi starts waving at the two security guards standing there cheerfully, shouting ”Good Morning!” to them.

”Hey Ayumi,” I call out to her once we've some distance away from the building.

”Hm?”, she lightly responds as she looks my way.

”Remember what I told you about yesterday?” , I ask her as I observe her face for any reactions.

”You mean, the piggyback!? Are you really going to do it?!”, excitement practically bursts out from her, as she inquires in an expectant tone.

”Of course”, I gave her a simple reply.

I lower myself on one knee and extend my left arm out to her. She understands what I mean, and hands over her school bag, she then climbs onto my back. Once I'm sure she is on my back properly, I hold her legs tightly as I instruct her,

”Hold on to my neck very tightly. I will now run super fast.”

She does as I say, and locks her arms around my neck with enough strength that would probably choke an ordinary human. Once I'm sure she has secured herself to me, I dash into a sprint.

”Uwaaaa!!!”, she screams, surprised by the sudden movement and speed.

As I continue to run, I realize that my earlier lack of speed wasn't a hallucination. My current top speed should be about 20% of what I was capable of, back at the Rift. Nevertheless, it's still way more than what any ordinary athletic human is able to achieve.

It doesn't take us long to arrive at our destination. I let Ayumi down and adjusted her uniform and hair, meanwhile, she spoke of how amazing I am. Extra points of cuteness for her efforts to mimic me ”running like a superhero”.

I accompany her to her school building, and once I'm sure that nothing's wrong, I head over to mine. Once I reach the building, I visit the school principal. Once everything is in order, I leave the principal's office, only to be greeted by a camera pointed at my face by a certain grey-haired girl,

”Welcome to our school.”, she says in a cool tone, the only tone I've heard her speak in.

I follow her and the weirdo, whose name is Joijiro Takajo, to our classroom. Apparently, the three of us are in the same class. On the way there, I let my curiosity get the better of me and ask,

”So, does everyone in this school have a special ability of some sort?”

There is no reply for a short while, but then Nao says,

”Not exactly. There are students who have yet to awaken their powers yet who also transfer here.”

Surprised by her answer, I inquired further, ”They transfer just because of that?”

Nao nods as we climb a staircase and says in her usual tone, ”Long ago, people who had awakened special abilities became guinea pigs for neuroscientists.”

”If you get caught once, your life is basically over.”, she adds.

Doubtful of the claim she just made, I state,

”Isn't that just an exaggerated story?”

Nao stops walking for a brief moment and says,

”I was speaking of my brother.”, before continuing.

She then gives me a brief summary of past events. A certain individual came up with the current system of finding ability wielders and transferring them to specialized schools. Although it was too late for her brother by then. She also informs me of the duties of the student council members and their missions. Basically, it's finding special ability wielders who misuse their powers and either protect them or threaten them to never use their power again.

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”I'm Yu Otosaka, and I've transferred here from Hinomori Highschool. Nice to meet you all.” , I introduce myself while smiling lightly in front of the class.

”So handsome!” , I hear one of the girls exclaim. Well yes, there is no denying it, I am handsome.

I don't pay much attention to her and focus on the two that were with me in the morning. Nao's seat is at the frontmost seat in the left row, right beside the window. The weir- *cough*, Joijiro's seat is at the very back of the class in the right row. I also notice that the only empty seat is the one in front of Joijiro.

What puzzles me is that I see Nao playing with her camera, yet no one says anything about it as if it were completely normal.

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Classes are over, and it's lunchtime now. I grab the lunch box Ayumi made for me, and take a look at the contents inside it. I see an Omurice with ”Congratulations!!” written on it using a sauce.

Before I can start eating, Joijiro appears beside me and says,

”Oh, you have a lunch box. I thought we could go to the cafeteria together.”

I take a look at the Omurice and then at his pitiful face. I let out a sigh, and close the lid of the lunch box, then I say,

”Let's go then.”

Joijiro pauses then asks me,