The two boys sprinted toward the bus that had just pulled up at their station, both of them grabbing onto a streetlamp to make a sharp turn before dashing for the doors.
"C'mon, we're almost there!" Leo shouted, seeing the bus doors starting to close.
"Hey, wait up!" he called to the driver, waving frantically. Thankfully, the driver noticed them and reopened the door just in time.
"Oh, thank God. Thanks, man. You're headed toward Aokusa, right?" Leo asked, catching his breath.
The bus driver gave a quick nod. Without wasting another second, Timeo pulled out his bus card and tapped it against the scanner. That was enough to let both of them board together.
Once on, the two hurried to the very back of the bus, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the other passengers.
"Man, I feel like I'm boutta puke... The hell was that?" Leo groaned, slumping back into the seat with a drained expression. Relief and exhaustion battled for control on his face.
"You gotta tell me—what happened back there? That was seriously Nishizawa from our school!"
Timeo sat calmly beside him, his gaze fixed outside the window as the bus finally pulled away from the station. He absently rubbed at his neck, checking for any lingering signs of injury.
"Whatever the hell I saw back there... you cuttin' your own damn neck... I thought you were a psycho," Leo continued, voice half incredulous, half shaken.
"Dude... are you even alive at this point?"
Timeo gave a small nod, composed and seemingly unharmed. Yet the memory of slicing his own neck spun endlessly in his mind like a ball refusing to settle. Somehow, even with that image burned into him, the sensation felt strangely neutral.
Leo leaned closer, his voice dropping lower.
"And what the hell was that monster behind you? Some kinda ghost or somethin'? Thing was scary as hell, dude."
Timeo adjusted the bag slung over his shoulder and shifted it to the side. Leaning his head against the window frame, he turned lazily toward his new friend.
"Who's Nishizawa anyway? Just some teacher from our school. That's all I remember," he said, tossing the question out like it was nothing.
The casual way Timeo said it made Leo grit his teeth in annoyance. Just hearing that name was enough to piss him off.
"That bastard's a real piece of work," Leo spat, his voice sharp and bitter. "Treats us like damn slaves. He's only famous 'cause of those stupid-ass dance lessons. Half the chicks at our school lose their freakin' minds tryin' to dance for him, dreamin' about bein' stars or whatever the hell. Guy's a big shot all over Japan 'cause he knows every dance style under the sun."
Leo leaned forward, jabbing a thumb toward nothing in particular, his words getting rougher.
"But the truth? He's a goddamn scumbag. Hides out under our school, actin' like some golden boy while he's doin' who-knows-what. Heard some dudes came home lookin' like they got jumped, and the girls..." He trailed off, his face darkening. "Probably got it even worse. Nobody talks about it, though."
"Some chicks even got pushed into learnin' freakin' strip dancing after school when the lessons hit," Leo spat, leaning back in his seat with a scowl.
"Don't even know if they're doin' it for fame or if they're gettin' forced into it. Either way, it's messed up. I swear, man, I wanna smash that bastard's skull in. Havin' a goddamn superstar teach at our school just makes everything worse. But nah, Aokusa's too busy suckin' up to their own damn reputation. 'Best school in Japan' my ass."
Timeo listened quietly, making sure not to miss a single word of what Leo was laying out. After a few seconds, he glanced over at him.
"Did Nishizawa look the same as he did... back then?" he asked calmly, genuine curiosity behind his tone.
Leo clicked his tongue and rubbed the back of his neck, flashing a frustrated glare as he thought back to when they were captured.
"Not exactly," he muttered. "Face was the same, sure. But the hair? Way different. And the dude usually don't walk around lookin' like some damn mob boss. He's just some plain-ass guy most days. Nothin' special. And that mask... the hell was up with that?"
Timeo rested his chin against his knuckles, falling into a pensive silence as he tried to piece everything together — the voice, the visions, the phantom called "Seigetsu," and those strange words about Eidolons.
"That voice... same one from the dream... And those Eidolon things. What's happening to me?" he wondered, narrowing his eyes at the blur of scenery rushing past the window.
But before he could dive any deeper into those thoughts, the bus jerked slightly, announcing their arrival at the stop nearest Aokusa High School. Without wasting a second, both boys scrambled off, rushing across the pavement toward the towering school gates.
As they cut across the courtyard, a pair of figures blocked their way. Standing tall and proper was the principal, hands behind his back and a stern look ready to fire. Beside him, smiling warmly — almost too warmly — was a familiar face.
Timeo stiffened.
It was Souta Nishizawa.
Leo immediately bristled at the sight, his body tensing up like he was ready to swing at him. Timeo threw a quick glance his way, sensing the rising storm.
"Well, well," the principal said sharply, adjusting his glasses. "Running late on the very first day. That doesn't exactly set a good impression, gentleman."
Before either of them could respond, Souta stepped forward with a bright, innocent grin.
"Woah, hey! Glad you guys made it safely! Crazy morning, huh? Must've missed the earlier buses," he said, voice easygoing, lighthearted, completely oblivious to any tension. He chuckled like an airhead, scratching the back of his head.
Leo's lip curled into a sneer. "Tch... actin' all friendly now, huh?" he muttered under his breath, loud enough for only Timeo to hear.
The principal ignored Leo's muttering and turned squarely toward Timeo with a heavy sigh. "Listen, Yamamoto," he began, voice lowering into that tone adults used when they were pretending to be patient.
"You seem like a decent enough kid, so let me give you some advice." He gestured to Leo without even looking at him. "Keep your distance from this one. Mr. Kobayashi here has a... reputation. He's been involved in several incidents. Fights, vandalism, rebellious behavior — all kinds of disruptions. I'd hate to see a promising transfer student like yourself dragged down by bad influences."
Leo snorted at the comment, crossing his arms and glaring hard at the principal like he wanted to punch a hole through the guy.
Meanwhile, Souta clapped his hands lightly, flashing a sunny, clueless smile. "Anyways! No worries, Principal. I'll help show these two around today. Y'know, make sure they don't get lost or anything!" he offered brightly, like he was just the nicest guy on Earth.
Timeo narrowed his eyes slightly, hiding the unease bubbling inside him. He knew what he'd seen. He knew this wasn't just some coincidence.
But for now... he played along.
"Yeah," Timeo muttered, forcing a neutral tone, "thanks."
Leo glanced sideways at him with a look that clearly said 'the hell are you thinkin'?', but he kept his mouth shut... for now.
"Oh, pardon me," Souta said with a sheepish chuckle, lightly tapping his forehead like he was scolding himself. "I thought I'd have more time to show you both around. Guess I lost track."
He straightened up, his tone turning a little more formal.
"I'll let Ms. Hana Fujisawa — your homeroom teacher — take care of the tour after classes. For now, head to the second floor, Room 2-C. No need to worry, I already contacted Ms. Fujisawa to inform her about our new transfer student getting a little lost. As for me, I need to prepare tomorrow's dance lessons."
Souta flashed a polite smile and gave a small bow.
"It was nice meeting you, Yamamoto Timeo."
With that, he turned on his heel and walked briskly toward the teacher's building, whistling softly to himself like everything was perfectly normal.
Timeo and Leo stood frozen for a moment, watching him leave. Timeo's brow furrowed slightly, his thoughts racing.
Leo leaned in closer and whispered, voice low and suspicious, "He doesn't remember...?"
Timeo flicked his gaze toward Leo, puzzled. The idea hit them both at once — Souta Nishizawa, the man they faced earlier in that terrifying encounter... looked at them now like complete strangers.
No tension. No recognition. No threat.
Just... a cheerful, brainless teacher.
Timeo's mind raced, the unease deepening. Was he pretending? Was he truly unaware?
And if he didn't remember... who — or what — had they actually fought back there?
Leo clicked his tongue in irritation, eyes narrowing at Souta's retreating figure. "Tch. Somethin' ain't right, dude," he muttered under his breath.
Timeo adjusted the strap of his bag and started moving toward the school building. "Let's just get to class first," he said calmly, though his voice was tight. "We'll figure it out later."
Leo gave a frustrated grunt but followed close behind, their footsteps quick against the tiled floor as they made their way toward the second floor.
"Meet me on the rooftop."
To be continued...