The day following the tumultuous events of the previous night dawned with an unsettling calm.
"Luckily for you, my connections within Kaido Nurturing High School pulled some strings. You're in!" Mayumi exclaimed, her voice a blend of relief and triumph as she enveloped me in a tight embrace.
I feigned annoyance, gently pushing her away. "Yeah, I know. Let go." I scratched the back of my neck, a nervous habit resurfacing. "Before your daughter gets out of the bathroom, let's revisit last night. Any news on that businessman they were trying to silence?" I asked, crossing my arms, a knot of anticipation tightening in my chest.
Mayumi's face fell, her earlier enthusiasm replaced by a shadow of disappointment. "I haven't gotten any leads from my contacts in law enforcement. I even called in some favors to assist the PSB backups in tracking down those men in black and that Elixir." She sighed, a hint of helplessness in her voice. "I'm sorry, but it seems like, at this point..."
"Yeah, he might not have made it. And the men in black and the Elixir are still out there." I said, the words laced with a chilling resignation. My fists clenched involuntarily, nails digging into my palms.
"Do you recall anything that might help us identify the men in black?" Mayumi asked, her eyes filled with a determined resolve.
"As I remember, they wore distinctive badges on the upper left corner of their suits. Each badge bore the symbol of a bird—an Owl, a Rooster, an Eagle. It seemed like those were their codenames, a way for them to recognize each other. That's all I know, besides the fact that they were clad in identical black suits." I said, my memory sharp and unwavering.
Mayumi's lips curved into a wry smile. "You still have that towering ego of yours, huh?"
"And my ego tells me that I won't rest until I find them and make them pay." I said, my voice hardening, my jaw tightening with suppressed rage.
"Calm down." Mayumi placed a hand on my arm, her touch grounding. "We'll find out who they are. Just have faith, and trust." Her smile was reassuring, a beacon in the encroaching darkness.
"Yeah." I averted my gaze, scratching my neck again, the weight of the unknown pressing down on me.
The bathroom door creaked open, and Reiko emerged, her presence filling the room with a quiet grace.
"It's your turn to shower, Reika! Have you eaten already? You woke up a bit later." Reiko asked, her voice laced with a gentle concern.
"Yeah, I've had my fill! Sorry to worry you. I might as well go and take a shower." I said calmly, forcing a lightness into my tone as I grabbed my towel and headed for the bathroom.
Wow, she really is something... Reika is so calm and mature. I wonder how she became like that? I want to be like her too!
"Go on and hurry, Sweetie! You should get dressed and arrange everything you need for school today. That way, you can relax and wait for the sleeping beauty!" Mayumi said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, followed by a playful giggle.
"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Reiko replied, matching her mother's tone, before hurrying back to their room.
Those two might have forgotten that I'm here and can hear them... whatever...
I released a sigh, the tension of the morning slowly seeping out of me as I stepped into the warm bath.
"Warm baths aren't bad at all, huh?" I muttered to myself, the heat enveloping my skin. "I got used to too many cold baths back when I was still in my original body. But now, I just can't handle the cold."
Outside of the bathroom, Mayumi overheard my words, a soft smile gracing her lips.
It's only her first day in her new life, but she's already adapting and getting used to it, slowly but surely. Rei, you really are extraordinary until now.
Emerging from the bathroom, I was already dressed in my uniform, the crisp fabric a stark contrast to the lingering warmth on my skin.
"You're already changed? Wow! That was faster than I expected." Reiko exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Yeah, old habits die hard." I said, my voice flat, as I began drying my hair with the hair dryer.
"You mean, this was your daily routine back in your village? You bring your clothes into the bathroom so you can change immediately after, right?" Reiko asked, her brow furrowed in thought as she gently applied sunscreen to her face.
"Uhm, yeah! You caught on quickly, way to go!" I said, feigning enthusiasm, relieved that she was too naive to suspect my slip-up.
Mayumi released a silent sigh of relief.
"Everything ready?" I asked Reiko, my voice calm and serious.
"Yeah, we can leave now!" Reiko replied, her voice laced with urgency.
"What's with the sudden change of tone?" I asked, tilting my head, my thumb stroking my chin.
"Oh, you noticed? Well, we're almost late! Luckily, KNHS is just a bit closer in this neighborhood!" Reiko said, her enthusiasm tinged with panic.
"Oh, shit! Let's go before the shit hits the fan!" I said, injecting a false urgency into my voice.
I couldn't care less, though...
Still a bad actress, but luckily my daughter's buying it...
"Yeah, take good care of each other, you two! You may leave now, make sure you didn't leave anything behind!" Mayumi called out, waving goodbye as we headed for the door.
"Yeah, goodbye!" The two of us burst out of the house and immediately started our trek to school.
Ten minutes of breathless running later, we finally arrived at the school.
"You're surprisingly fast. I didn't expect you to keep up with me." Reiko said, her voice punctuated by gasps for air as she continued to run.
"That's my line, though! Anyways, based on your running form, speed, and stamina... were you in track and field before?" I asked, a cold smirk playing on my lips, confident in my assessment.
"You caught on fast! Yes, back in grade school, I was part of the track and field club and participated in various races. But when I got to middle school, I stopped because I became immersed in the world of detectives and aspired to be Hercule Poirot!" Reiko said, her confidence unwavering even as she ran. "How about you? How are you so fast?"
"It's just my workout habit since I was a child—sprinting 10 kilometers a day!" I said, matching her pace effortlessly.
Well, this time, that was 98% the truth. It was part of cardiovascular training and speed and stamina building back when I was in the police academy, and a required build-up for incoming PSB rookies back when I was starting.
"Anyways, what section are you in? I'm in CLASS 1-A, what about you?" Reiko asked, her voice breathless as she sped up.
"I'm also in CLASS 1-A, lead the way!" I said authoritatively, matching her pace stride for stride.
"Oh, good grief! We're almost there. Luckily, you ended up in the same class as me!" Reiko said, a relieved chuckle escaping her lips.
As we approached the classroom door, we collided with a group of six people.
"Argh! Damn it!" I exclaimed, frustration surging through me as we both stumbled to the ground.
"Watch where you're going, you little snugs." The woman in the center of the group, who appeared to be their ringleader, said coldly.
I locked eyes with her, my gaze a mixture of cold indifference and simmering fury.
"You should be the one watching where you're going, you little brat." I said, my voice dangerously low, as I calmly stood up and leaned closer to her. "Let us through. Don't test my patience."
Reiko tugged on my sleeve, and I turned my attention to her, my impatience barely contained.
"What is it? Make it quick, Reiko. I'm not done with this cunt." I said, my voice a low growl, my fists clenched at my sides.
"Stop it, Reika! It's your first day, and you're already causing a commotion? You'll get sanctioned for this!" Reiko said, her voice a mix of worry and frustration.
"Reiko Kazumi is right. Don't you know who you're talking to?" One of the men in the group spoke mockingly.
"Stop it, Hiroki! Let me handle this. Besides, Kazumi said she's new, so it's natural she doesn't know us yet." The woman spoke, her voice smooth and elegant, but laced with arrogance. "Let me formally introduce us. We are the student council who leads this school. I am the president, Suzune Hanaoka. This is the Vice President, Hiroki Itou, this girl is the secretary, Yuri Mashiba, these twins are Miyuki (male) and Kikyu (female) Kuzuryu, the Treasurer and Auditor, and lastly, Ryuzaki Oomine, the leader of the Disciplinary Committee. The pleasure is ours." Suzune said, bowing her head slightly as a gesture of respect, though her eyes held a glint of disdain. "Reika Higashihama, the newbie."
"Seems like there's no need for further introductions. Let us through." I said authoritatively, crossing my arms, my gaze unwavering.
"You're still trying to fight even though you know who we are now, huh?" Ryuzaki said mockingly, a smirk twisting his lips.
"Come on, just forget about it! Let's not make things worse, Reika!" Reiko pleaded, but I ignored her.
"It's okay, let them through! We'll let it slide for now, newbie. I'll make sure you regret crossing and disrespecting me the next time we meet." Suzune said, her voice laced with threat, her eyes locking onto mine, cold and hard.
"I don't want my day ruined, so I'll make sure to avoid this part of the hallway from now on!" I retorted, my voice unwavering, refusing to back down.
"Let's just go! Come on, now! I'm sorry, student council, I'll talk to her about this!" Reiko said urgently, pulling me away from the scene.
"Wait, Reiko! Remember, you only have until the end of Club Recruitment Week... if you fail to recruit four people, your club will be abolished for good." Hiroki said coldly, adjusting his glasses.
"Understood, thank you!" Reiko said, her voice laced with forced confidence.
"Oh, about that! She only needs three members now. Yes, I'm an official member now... and I'll make sure she gets the three people she needs... and if you get in our way, then you are my enemies." I said, my voice cold and hard, looking each of them dead in the eyes.
"Are you threatening me, Reika Higashihama?" Suzune said, her voice dangerously low, her fists clenching subtly.
"If that's how you perceive it..." I said, a cold and arrogant smirk playing on my lips.
"Let's just go and leave!" Reiko dragged me away, running towards our classroom.
"Interesting. Let's see what you can really do, Reika Higashihama..." Suzune said, a sinister laugh escaping her lips as we disappeared down the hallway.
—TO BE CONTINUED—