By Sword and Cane

[Mirage_GSM]

I'm having a bit of trouble following your narrative.
Why on earth are there gondolas in Yamaku? Has the school been moved to Venice?
Or did they build a ski resort somewhere close by?

Maybe a bit more description of environment would be in order...

[Broomhead]

Ah sorry. That's probably a bit of a language oversight.

For my area, Gondola can refer to the Venician boats, yes, but it can also refer to a cable-operated car, such as a ski lift.

In my mind, Yamaku is fairly high up on the mountain, to the point where a reasonably paced walk to the convenience store (in 2007) would be 1 1/2 hours round trip, without time to pick up groceries. However, with recent railgun lift advances, cable cars can be very effective. Furthermore, some car goers may not want to drive up the windy road to get up to Yamaku, and thus ride the cablecar.

[Mirage_GSM]

Keep in mind that you are writing a literary work. If your setting is something your readers are unfamiliar with (e.g. SciFi) then they have to rely on your descriptions in the text to visualize what's going on.
This is especially true if your setting is based on something your readers ARE familiar with (e.g. Yamaku) any changes from the original have to be pointed out or you will confuse your readers.

That said Yamaku is told to be on top of a hill not a mountain. Hisao was able to walk down and back during lunch break and eat at the Shanghai, so one way is probably not more than 15 minutes.

[Broomhead]

Thank you for the advice. The next chapter will probably go into more detail, Takeshi is... interesting to write.

You know, I think the VN does say that the school is on a hill, come to think of it.
( I do seem to remember the act 1 shanghai trip resulted in a lost period though.)

[brythain]

Thank you for the advice. The next chapter will probably go into more detail, Takeshi is... interesting to write.

You know, I think the VN does say that the school is on a hill, come to think of it.
( I do seem to remember the act 1 shanghai trip resulted in a lost period though.)

Mirage_GSM is right: although Yamaku occupies a fictional coterminous space with Aoba Castle on Mount Aoba, Mount Aoba is actually a hill, with the castle on a plateau. However, since the VN isn't explicit about this, you can elevate the surroundings a bit; if a road has been carved down the gentle slope of Mt Aoba, 15 min or a short bus ride are both do-able. It'll bring you down near a post office and a fairly useful bit of the city.

[Possibly useful link]
[Picture of Sendai from Mount Aoba] - as you can see, it's not isolated at all, and you can indeed put in fictional gondolas for a short fun ride, I suppose.

[Mirage_GSM]

That's Sendai, however.
Yamaku is not located in Sendai, but in a small unnamed town from where Sendai is simply the next major city - and even this much is not strictly canon...

[brythain]

That's Sendai, however.
Yamaku is not located in Sendai, but in a small unnamed town from where Sendai is simply the next major city - and even this much is not strictly canon...

This one apologises. Headcanon shouldn't be mixed in with other headcanon. Leads to headaches.

[Broomhead]

This one apologises. Headcanon shouldn't be mixed in with other headcanon. Leads to headaches.

Headcanon is the path to the dark side. Headcanon leads to mistakes. Mistakes lead to explanations. Explanations result in embarrassing situations for you.

[Broomhead]

Takeshi - Prologue: Human - Chapter 2
As most of the students in Taro’s group began moving into the cafeteria, two were left behind. One of them, who looked much too young to be in the academy, was crouching over a section of algae lamp which was not glowing as much as the others. Unlike the fluorescent lamps of old, a dim section of algae could mean severe issues in the system, rather than just age.

He seemed to be poking it with the end of his clipboard, then muttering to himself. “Bioluminescent. The school is quite energy efficient. But what happened here?” His focus on the small lamp was so intense, he failed to notice a tall blonde girl a couple lamps over from him, sleeping on a piece of the lighting strip. She had a strange posture, as if she had fainted against the wall. Her hair was falling around her head like some sort of bridal veil, covering her features.

When he was satisfied with his analysis, muttering quietly to himself that it must be some sort of deficiency in the pressure of the pipes between each lamp, he began walking towards the fountain outside the classrooms. He had been separated from his group, and had not see them enter the cafeteria. He momentarily considered what the fountain was built for, whether it was a memorial or purely aesthetic.

The thoughts came to an abrupt end, however, due to the same girl who was sleeping on a lighting strip. He tripped over her as he walked out of the building, which woke her almost immediately. Rubbing her eyes, she looked at the boy sprawled over the tiled floor next to her.

“ I was sleeping…” Rubbing her green eyes, the girl seemed to be content with her newfound wakefulness, although she did not rise. Her eyes sharply focussed, however, when they met Takeshi’s face.

Takeshi got up almost immediately, “Apologies, I didn’t see you- Ah!” and then snapped his fingers triumphantly. “That’s why the lamp wasn’t fully operational. Could I convince you to move, please?” He began prodding her shoulder, much like he did the dim lamp. It would seem that such was his way of solving problems.

“Sure, I suppose you could. Or you could ask me what my name is, O’ lord of the school.” She seemed unaffected by the prodding, and even began to roll her neck over so she could get a better look at him. He had pleasant skin, which had not suffered much toil. His black hair had a few grey strands in it, but it only played into his fey-like beauty for her.

“Apologies, I have forgotten my manners, apparently. My name is Takeshi, pleased to meet you.” He extended the clipboard as if he intended for her to shake it rather than his hand.

She was still and quiet for a moment, then spoke up. “Good name. I’ll get off your precious lamp now, I suppose.” The girl rolled over, turning onto another section of lamp. In all honesty, she was not fully awake yet, and was attempting to shrug off her emotions.

“Ah, sorry. That won’t do. If you disrupt the sunlight in one section of an algae lamp, the rest suffer do to the fact that they tend to be light-gathering, and can’t carry said light much farther after receiving it. This is why all of the pipes have such high pressure systems inside them. Furthermore, leaning on the pipe-” A hand went up to block Takeshi’s mouth. The girl put a lazy finger up to her pale lips, and used the other hand to push herself up.

“I’d liked to be called Zel, thank you for asking.” Zel stroked out her blonde hair, short as it was, and began to look around the room, still using one hand to cover Takeshi’s mouth. “You’ve got a lot to say, don’t you? I’d guess that put you in classroom 4.” She began looking up the stairs, turning her head towards the stairs. She was pleased with herself for not blushing throughout the encounter.

At this point, Takeshi ducked out of her grip, and began to speak again. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask what your real name is.” With this, she froze up, seeming to consider her options like either could lead to death.

“Greh… Fine. My full name is Zeruda Luc Kato. Yes, my parents named me after a video game character. My mother was French, so she got to choose the middle name.” The girl turned towards Takeshi, watching his reaction to the information. He nodded, then turned to inspect the lamp. Apparently, he was worried it was damaged.

She began to ascend the stairs, but a small hand tugged on her back, almost knocking her off balance. “Do you know where the teachers are? I would like to meet mine before I learn from them.” Takeshi had followed her, and had one of his hands on her back. Zeruda turned around and looked at the boy who had bolted over to her before she could leave, then raised her eyes to a nurse coming into the room with a small blanket and a water bottle.

“Mrs. Kato, you should have let us know that you had not taken your medication this morning so we could keep an eye on you.” The nurse had straight, red hair, and was walking towards the pair with a disciplined smile on their face. When they reached Takeshi and Zeruda, they gave Zeruda the water then leaned against the wall. “So, I see you’ve made a friend. Or is he your little brother?” The nurse’s smile got a little more genuine and wide, obviously remembering their escapades with a sibling.

“I’m not related to her, I’m a second year student. I was asking her for directions to the teachers. She thinks I would be in 2-4, or something?” Takeshi shrugged, accepting the fact that Zeruda wouldn’t be able to give directions. The nurse, and Zeruda for that matter, seemed rather shocked that he was a second year. The nurse was slightly better at hiding his surprise, while Zeruda’s eyes shot fully open for the first time since she met Takeshi.

“Ah, you must be Mr. Degaro, then. I’m your nurse, and I just finished talking to your grandparents. I’m not sure which classes you have, to be honest, but I can find your group leader.” With this, the nurse put their arms over Zeruda and Takeshi’s shoulders and began gently pulling them into the office. “Let’s see, second year, no problems that require a specially trained teacher, you’d be in either Taro’s or Seiji’s groups.”

Takeshi perked up when he heard Taro and nodded. “Yes, my group leader’s name was Taro.” The nurse smiled at this, then pulled out a small, red phone from his pocket.

“He should have his phone on, I’ll call him from the office and ask where you can meet back with your group. He’s probably worried sick about you right now.” The nurse dialed Taro quickly, and put the phone up to his ear. It carried a lesser-known brand mark on the back, one that had been popular in the previous decade. The mark was in the shape of an eye, as the brand was meant specifically for the disabled. The reason it was popular was because it went without applications, making it a common phone to give one’s child.

Takeshi politely smiled, and sat down. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw that Zeruda had escaped from the nurse. Apparently, she did not care for whatever would happen should she stick around.

-Alucard Cerbes

[Mirage_GSM]

To be honest, I'm still having a bit of trouble following your story.

This has several reasons:
I already mentioned the unfamiliar setting, but there is also the fact that you have five protagonists and are switching perspectives constantly so we can't get familiar with one. I'll probably have to reread each character's parts once there are three or four of them out...

Also, you seem to try to be quite cryptic: For example in the beginning of the chapter you refer to Takeshi as "a student." We don't learn that this is Takeshi until a good quarter into the chapter.
You use the neutral "they" for the nurse a few times until you reveal his gender - for no discernible reason. His gender is not a secret from any of the present characters - you just keep it a secret from your readers which is mildly annoying.

[Broomhead]

Yeah, sorry about that. I was actually trying to keep the nurse's sex a neutral subject.

Yeah, I apologize for the perspective switching. Ill try to drop names earlier in that case.

[Broomhead]

Duria Route - Prologue: Ink - Chapter 2
Duria stacked some papers neatly on her table, quietly setting them aside afterwards. She was studying her previous movements as a student representative for 1-4, remembering her opponents and some of the tricky politics of school council. Earlier, a particular president had strained the relations of the council, causing most of the members to leave. However, the next year, a student took over and over populated the positions, causing the student council to lose coherence and effectively split into two groups which didn’t communicate. Ever since then, each class and only five clubs had one representative each.

She looked around the room with sharp eyes, taking in the light scent of algae from when a lamp had burst last year. The walls were painted a somewhat strange tan-yellow colour, most likely to match the rest of the school, while the roof faded into a green colour. The floor was covered in a similarly tan carpet, and the desks were only a few shades off from the walls. Several metal cabinets with various cords and labels sticking out of them were in the corner furthest from the door. They, along with the president’s desk, which she had been sitting at, formed a natural alcove which allowed only one entrance.

Of course, the papers she had been looking over were not only her own, but also the minutes which were taken at meetings the year before her as well. No doubt the third years would be powerful forces to bring around, and if she could convince them to back her, she would have a very secure route to the presidency. So she would try to glean their opinions from their votes which were recorded in their first and second years.

On the other hand, if she got the backing of the first years, representatives from their groups would be more energetic for her cause, perhaps leading to her influence being more spread out. She momentarily considered the polite curiosity she saw when closing the door to the room she was in. By the time she had succeeded in closing the door, she had lost several minutes. He looked like the type to be a very powerful voice among the first years, being polite, chipper, and-

“Oh, Duria. Get a hold of yourself. Let’s look at those papers.” She said, slightly shaking her head. Despite her eyes lingering on the door momentarily, she got up and began sorting the papers back into their original places. She did not wish to be accused of stealing on the first day of her campaign, so stealth in this matter was of utmost importance. Her red hair fell around her shoulders as she bent over to put the last couple of voting sheets back into their folders. She offhandedly chuckled as she imagined what someone would see if they actually ransacked the student council room. A couple of braille keyboards and touch interfaces, but the rest of it was paper and a couple of tablets with documents shared between them.

Paper had gone out of fashion in the last few years, mostly due to extensive campaigns against foresting. Despite algae lamps becoming the lighting source for most modern buildings, many were still worried about climate change. In some rumors, poorer towns of the Americas and some areas of Africa were turned into rainforests via large terraforming projects and automated irrigation canals. Duria doubted heavily that the Americas actually went through with this, but the rumors were often backed up with pictures taken a year apart from each other. Thus, electronic devices and a strange, sickly green leaf produced via algae pulp substituted paper in many homes.

Standing up straight as she rolled the drawer quietly back into it’s cabinet, she looked around the room. She could either stay and attempt to sneak out in the next leaving group of students and help the tour guide, or climb out the window into the garden and circle back to the entrance.

While deciding this, there was a sharp knock on the door. Being so rudely brought out of her contemplations, Duria startled rather noisily.

“Duria, I know you’re in there. Don’t worry, I just want to talk to you about your medications.” A kind voice, that of the strange senior nurse of Yamaku Academy was now slowly turning the handle on the door. Duria quickly checked to make sure the drawers were closed and locked, then relaxed against the desk.

The door creaked open, and the caretaker for Duria stepped through. “Your mother informed us of the new infection cream you have received. I have had mixed experiences with it before, so tell me if you feel any negative side-effects, alright?” Nurse Kanasu left only a sliver of light coming through the door for privacy, and leaned against the neighboring wall. Duria sighed, having hoped to avoid this conversation.

“Okay, fine. Nothing bad has happened yet, so we haven’t tested it out, but it was suggested by one of my mother’s friends in the make-up department.” Duria grimaced, remembering how her mother had come home with two other women, both with outlandishly coloured hair. One had even gone so far as to spike it completely back as if it was being sucked in by a fan.

Nurse Kanasu gave his usual smile that would lead into what most students could only interpret as a joke. “Well, try not to let them stick anything onto your face if you can avoid it.” he gave a characteristic wink, making a motion with his hand like he was jamming a rod into his eye. Duria turned her head to the side and sighed.

“I’ll be careful.” Duria walked towards the door, hoping to escape before the impromptu appointment with her nurse could escalate any further. “It was nice seeing you again!”

Kanasu’s foot held the door closed fairly firmly, denying Duria her freedom. His face changed to a slightly more serious position, the light in his eyes turning cold. “At the next possible chance, please visit my office so we can check your eye. I know you didn’t get it checked over the summer, and it still is in serious danger of being infected if the monocle is damaged. Good day.” With this, he slipped out the door himself, leaving Duria.

Duria looked around the room and sighed. Putting a hand up the her eye, she felt the glass of the monocle that earned her the nickname “Cyclops” among her friends. Behind the monocle, only an eyelid and the slimey tube which once housed an eye were left. Despite many reassurances that it would not happen, over the year by friends and family, her eye had been removed to prevent rot from spreading in her skull. She forced her chin up, opened the door to its full extent, then stepped out.

Looking around, she was sure no one had been aware of her presence in the student council room aside from Nurse Kanasu. He was not the sort to tell anyone either, tending to be rather secretive about any information which wasn’t his direct duty.

[Broomhead]

Norman Route - Prologue: Hemophobe - Chapter 2
Norman was sitting in a desk, along with the rest of his group, looking at a guide draw out the schedule and explain the clubs.

“Each club has at least two meetings a week, so taking more than three is tricky, not like many people want to anyways.” The third year , mentioning clubs which Norman either couldn’t join, like track and art, or didn’t want to join, such as the book club and newspaper club. There were also the clubs he heard which he held a passing interest in, such as science or history, but he had no wish to be bound into a schedule after his already long classes. He noticed, out the window, that people were gathering around the large fountain his group had passed by on their way to the classrooms.

The water had stopped flowing from the top, and the spout began to sink into the stone pool, which was also rapidly draining. The interesting piece was shaped into four outlets for the water, shaped like some alien flower, and spun slowly as water trickled out of it. This lead to two more levels, each rotating as well. As they had passed by it, the guide had told the group that every hour, the outlets on each level lined up, and the pool at the bottom lit up with green and a soft yellow. Lazily checking his wrist, he noticed that it was 11:58, almost time for this to happen.

By the time he looked out again, the fountain had completely receded into its pool, and a black metal sheet was extending over it. The guide stopped speaking suddenly, and Norman slowly looked over at him. The guide looked somewhat embarrassed, and was staring at the large clock behind him.

“We will have to continue this on our way down to lunch, which we are going to miss the first few minutes of. I apologize for the inconvenience.” The guide pushed back his black hair, looking around the room as students stretched and got up. One of them, having a robotic hand, was sliding the casing back on to one of his fingers. Another was rubbing her head where a zipper had left an imprint while she slept.

A student in the back got up and opened the door. The guide herded everyone out, seemingly nervous about losing track of time. Norman, having sat in the farthest seat from the door, exited just before the guide.

Having locked the classroom door, the guide moved down the stairs like a man chased by death itself. Norman set his pace rather slowly, letting himself fall slightly behind the group. As he eventually lost them, he looked out a hallway window. There were several students sitting around the stage and a man in a slightly dirty white coat standing on it. Taking out a sandwich, he opened the window and listened closely to the professor a story below him.

“After you explore your last building, I’m afraid you will have to split away from your new friends in your group and individually meet your nurses. They will be out here, and your group leader should have handed you a card with their name on it.” Norman smirked. He had not met anyone he would deem a friend in the group, let alone learn more than two names. The first was Zel, a girl which the tour guide, called Yoji, had worried himself for a full 5 minutes before calling the office and moving on with his tour.

Zel was nice, but seemed to have stayed up too late last night. Norman reflected on his presence in the school, looking down upon the crowd below him. For some, both in the crowd and in his tour group, their issues were obvious. Malformed or missing limbs which accidents had caused the nerves to be damaged beyond augmentation, students with canes which they used to guide themselves around the paths, and even the occasional student who had issues such as brittle bones, requiring extensive exo skeletons around their limbs to prevent damage or, for some lower income students, titanium crutches.

But, for some, like Norman himself, no-one could discern why they were attending a school made specially for the disabled. Some, like himself, had issues in the blood. Others wouldn’t tell him or chose it as a personality trait to brazenly display, such as the girl who introduced herself as a “Reformed Epileptic” when she shook Norman’s hand.

“Lunch will end in 20 minutes, please finish any meals and return to your group massing point to explore your last building.” The man wandered off the stage, his back slightly arched. Despite the fact that Norman was only half-listening to the man, he was sure that he wasn’t old enough to have spinal deterioration.

Despite modern technology, a large amount of death came from frailties in the human body itself. The elderly often went through a horrible malady if they reached an age over a hundred years. Medical technology could only tell them that the body as not built to live that long, leaving the patient to either pay large amounts for metal bones to be implemented in their body, or die a slow and disgraceful death as they rotted away in a bed.

Norman looked down at his sandwich, somewhat disheartened at his reflections. If that was what awaited the perfectly healthy humans that weren’t sent to this school, who could look for a brighter tomorrow? Silently pocketing his sandwich, Norman spotted where his group had sat down in a circle around Yoji, and began to walk down to join them for the tour of the dorms and meeting with the nurses.

-Alucard Cerbes

[Broomhead]

Excerpts From Nursing Meeting #625

“Computer, begin recording. Third all-hands Nursing meeting for the 2027-28 school year. Senior Nurse Kanasu. Are there any questions the staff would like to ask before we begin the meeting?”

“Not all at once now… really? No questions? Ah, finally. Enlighten us, Nurse Ueda.”

“What are the rules about moving around the campus when it’s in session? A student has requested I deliver his medication rather than going through the elected courier.”

“That’s a very good question. Our head of security, Mr. Kato, shall explain that for me.”

“Thank you, Kanasu. You are not allowed to enter the dorm building without reason or direct permission from a student or head of staff, such as Mutou, Aedric, Myself, or Kanasu. The Academic is open to you, but entering a class in session is not permitted without a request from the administration or teacher. As always, if there is a medical emergency, you are permitted to override these rules. The campus is open to you, but you must always be on call for one of your charges or a student in an emergency. Leaving the campus without a signed permit during your shift is only permissible in an emergency.”

“Thank you, Mr. Kato. I hope he doesn’t scare you, Nurse Ueda.”

“Not at all sir.”

“Moving along, we must… ah, Nurse Yusa. This is your second year here, what question has evaded you for so long?”

“Why has the physical training been implemented for us? We increased security last year due to the tourist intrusions, but you surely can’t expect us to repel intruders!”

“That is an absurd notion. We simply want to make sure you can protect yourself and the students in the event of an emergency, such as an earthquake or fire. It’d a shame if we lost our good reputation because a disaster occurred when we could have stopped it easily. Moving on- Mr. Kato?”

“Thank you, I can assure you Yusa, this is not personal defense training that is intended to repel intruders, me and the other security guards can deal with those. I am happy, however, to train anyone who is interested in that level of training.”

*A murmur is heard over the recording, and then a light tap upon the table.*

“Thank you, Mr. Kato. That will be all. As I was saying, you are all responsible for your charges, and I thank you for the time you gave each today so that they could get to know you and the school. You will also, however, be expected to treat other students if another nurse is indisposed at the moment, so we have prepared several texts on some of the more common ailments you’ll face around the school. You’ll also find that I, or any other senior nurse will be happy to help you learn to take care of- Senior Nurse Kasuga? Please, be my guest.”

“Nurse Yusa has a point though. Why are we starting this physical training this year? Is there a natural disaster threat we’ve received? Has the school gotten a grant we were not informed of? Surely the training costs more than simply hiring an extra security guard to watch the gates.”

“Ah… the heads of departments in the school, including myself and Mr. Kato, both think that this is a valuable program which will increase the safety and happiness of our students, even if the training is never needed. We have no reason to suspect that the threat of a disaster of any kind has increased since last year. Now, where was I? Ah yes, additional training is available to anyone who requests it. Several of our teaching staff will also be meeting with you to discuss support for students in their classes. In particular, the x6 classes will meet with each nurse corresponding to a student of theirs to discuss triggers and workarounds for their disabilities.

“Moving on to other matters, those of us who have students which require physical rehabilitation, listen up. All facilities are open 3 hours before and after school on monday, then the cleaners rotate through them on the following days, starting in the pool during Tuesday morning, and ending on the track during friday afternoon. Should an accident occur, please alert the cleaner drone through the nearest console, and it should arrive in roughly an hour. Through the same console, as some of you already know, purposely or not, you can alert nearby nurses of an emergency. Other alarms, such as those for fire and intruder may be found nearby the console, as red and black levers respectively.

“As those of you who are new to the school have no doubt noticed, we are almost entirely lit by A-Lamps, which are nearly unbreakable. However, should a lamp rupture, the system for that room needs to be cut off immediately so as to prevent contamination and depressurization of the system. There should be a small box next to any doorway which your ID card will unlock that will allow you to shut off either an individual pipe, a room, or a building. Shutting off the building should only be during a sonic event which may rupture the entire system, so please do not use it unless it is strictly necessary. The same box will allow you to return power to said system, but a different ID card must be used to put it in effect.”

-Alucard Cerbes, MirutoShima

[Broomhead]

Yaara Route - Chapter 3 - Act 1: Flurry

A bell rang out over class just as the students were packing up their bags, and most of them got up immediately. They crowded around the doorway, all trying to exit at the same time. One of them, a black-haired boy with glasses and a red jacket, was silently flipping through the textbook. Yaara looked at him and puffed some air out of her nose. Trying to finish the class in the first week I see.

Yaara closed her textbook, and rested her chin on the cover. The teacher, Mr. Tanakano sighed, and put his chin on his desk as well. He raised his eyebrows and a slow grin crept across his face.

“You know, Ms. Aesho, most scientists speculate that gravity wells only occur around objects of incredible mass. The books aren’t that heavy, last time I checked….” He let the words trail off, still grinning. Yaara angled her head up a bit to look him in the eye. His face was beginning to show the first signs of aging, and he was one of the few people who didn’t wear contacts. His brown eyes were complemented by a brown hat he always wore, but he otherwise kept to the dress code of the school. The white collar of his coat stuck up and jabbed into his nape. She looked somewhat bored, and part of her hair had lost its usual pristine form.

“I don’t understand most of this stuff you know. I can barely wrap my head around why they teach us half of this, and I haven’t made that many friend yet.” Yaara let the words trail off, rolling her face down onto her book. Some blue strands of hair fell around her head, and Mr. Tanakano stood up and walked over to her seat.

“All teachers come prepared for this, or, at least, I do.” Mr. Tanakano held out a couple of leaflets, like a magician performing his opening act in front of an audience. “Pick one. Everyone there will be focussed on one topic, and you’ll be able to make friends much faster.”

Yaara brought her head up to look at the back of the papers, then slowly reached out her good hand to pick one. “Why not talk to me about each of the clubs? If you support all of these, why don’t you advertise them?” She looked at the card she had chosen, the dance class. A bright orange body suit flashed across her mind, and the sting of regret. She looked at each of the cards, rudely reminded of how she was inducted into this school.

“Ah, the dance club. They meet on mondays and thursdays after class. If you hurry, you can probably catch one of the teachers who run it before they leave for the day.” Mr. Tanakano flicked his wrist to bring all the leaflets back into one pile, then lightly put them into his pocket. “You know, some of my best students were in the dance club. Said something about letting them relieve stress before my exams.” He chuckled, then walked over to the black-haired boy.

Yaara opened the leaflet, and a small card fell out. She looked around, and saw that the teacher hadn’t managed to get the boy out of his seat yet. Picking up the card, she read it quickly. Meet in room 0-3 for track meets. Every monday and every other wednesday.

Quietly pocketing the card, Yaara slid her book into her bag then stood up. Walking out of the room, she left the dance club leaflet in a plastic holster on the tan wall near the doorway. The halls had mostly cleared out, aside from a few stragglers and a couple of kids chatting in the hallways. Although, despite getting lost in the halls alone during her tour of Yamaku, they never felt completely empty. There was always a painting which had been produced by a student staring you down or a window over looking a vibrant campus.

One of the students in the hall, a particularly excited-looking girl, wheeled around to face Yaara when she heard footsteps. “Oh, hello! What’s your name?” Her face was lit up like a spotlight, and her words could’ve woken the dead.

“I’m Yaara. Nice to meet you. Do you need something?” The girl put her hand up to her face to a minute, looking confused. Then she used the other to pull out a leaflet like the one Yaara had just returned to Mr. Tanakano.

“I’m part of the science club, run by school director Mutou. I’d like you to take this leaflet and read about it, I’m sure you’d like to join.” The girl foisted the leaflet into Yaara’s hands, then stepped back. “There’ll be a free meal on our first meeting this tuesday, see you there!” Then scooted off. Apparently, the girl in a wheelchair could move faster than Yaara’s mind.

Moving on down the hall, Yaara debated throwing the leaflet away. She felt fairly sure the girl in a wheelchair would not only find out if she did not attend the meeting, but pester her about if she didn’t. On the other hand, she was already planning on joining the track club, and wanted to keep her free time open. She stopped in a stairwell and took a quick look at the papers.

Join the science club, one of the largest clubs on the Yamaku campus. Yaara cocked an eyebrow at the tagline, noting its fluorescent text. Having seen enough, she dropped the leaflet in a nearby trashcan and continued on her way to the dorms.