It was another clear day of the holidays as usual. Kanao, Kanabe, Mai, Kimada and Yahiko were walking in the park near by the Atom, talking about their school. Yahiko was a little behind. he seemed to be lost in his thoughts. Kanao noticed it and slowed down a bit for Yahiko to reach her. The others didn't noticed it and still talking about he Atom.
"This Atom is really amazing. It feels like heaven but with a salary of forty-five thousand Honor points every month." Mai said looking at the sky.
"Yeah, unless you loose all of them or fail in any test. Otherwise, it'll be like kicked pout from the heaven and straight to the hell." Kimada teased Mai. Mai's face became pale.
"Kimada, don't scare her. She's just enjoying it." Kanabe pat on Kimada's shoulder and smiled.
But Kanabe's reassuring couldn't change the fact that what Kimada said was true. If a single Electron either loose his every Hp or fail in any type of test or exam, he will definitely be expelled from the Atom and probably won't ever get admitted again.
"Gosh! Just because I'm weak in studies in this group, you always get to mock me, Ki. And don't you forget, you're not good in this ether." Mai smiled arrogantly.
"Huh? Say that again."
"What will you do? Punch me?"
"Okay, c'mon you guys. Stop it now." Kanabe tried to stop them.
Yahiko noticed that Kanao was smiling while talking with him. But he was as usual he happened to be.
"Hey, don't you get angry about the fact that you can't talk? I mean, it is hard to talk in code language and sign language. But it also might feel annoying to talk with someone who doesn't know either of them and you just have to write you words down. Don't you feel it as well?" Kanao asked looking at him.
She had a point. For someone who's so impatient that they couldn't help but feel upset about their lack of ability to speak and always use the sign language to communicate with people. But it was Yahiko she was talking about after all.
Yahiko was an introvert type of person. He's a person who doesn't even want to stick with that many people and probably always stay alone. His daily routine was to go to the Atom then after that he went to the library and then straight headed to his room. Though there were days like today he'd be walking with others, specially when Kanao was around.
He nodded in the negative to reply Kanao.
"I see. I wish you could talk for once, for me." she looked down.
"...I just wanna hear your voice for once." she blushed. Yahiko, grabbing her left hand, tapped fingers to reply her and as soon as Kanao realized her face flushed red.
There is no need for it. My voice probably wouldn't be that good."
Understanding what he said, Kanao became a little disappointed.
"...And yet, I have not got any reason to show my emotions."
"Well I'm still trying my best for your emotions."
"I am looking forward to it."
"Hey, you guys are slow." Kimada called the both. He noticed that Yahiko was holding Kanao's arm.
"...And why are you holding her arm?"
Kimada probably forgot that Yahiko was using morse code to talk with Kanao. This was one of his bad habits and it was also noted by Ms. Jigoro one day.
"He's probably using her arm to tap his fingers. You know, the morse code." Kanabe told him.
"They do seem to get along with each other," said Mai.
"...But Yahiko doesn't even seem to care about what he's doing. I mean, just look at him. He's nether smiling nor blushing and has a completely emotionless face."
"Well, we can't deny the fact that you're right." Kanabe said. By that moment, Kanao and Yahiko reached the others.
"He says that he never got any reason to do that." Kanabe remembered his sister's words when he asked Yahiko about his emotions and stuffs.
"You guys are enjoying the breaks, aren't ya?" Mai asked Kanao and Yahiko. Kanao's smile slowly fainted away.
"Well, to keep my mind fresh, I do have to enjoy these moments. But I'm not sure about Yahiko. He hasn't told me anything about that."
After all, it was Yahiko she was talking about. He never cared whether it's a holiday or not. He always followed his daily routine and sometimes would take a break. Kanao looked at Yahiko.
"Yahiko," said Kanao. "Aren't you having fun?"
Yahiko didn't seemed to care about Kanao's concern and didn't give a reaction as always. His emotionless poker face looked a little bit frightening this time that made Kanao's heart stop beating for a nanosecond but this short time fear was enough to let Kanao know her answer from Yahiko.
"Look who's here. Aren't they the Electrons of the S-Orbital."
The air had a sudden pressure when the group had a voice from behind. All of them looked who the person was the saw four Electrons. The one who spoke first was standing in front of the other three. His hair was green and long and his eyes were yellow colored. he had a devilish smile on his face. The other three were a boy with brown hair, a girl with sky blue hair and eyes and another girl with pink hair.
"And who are you supposed to be?" Kanao asked with a serious tone as if those people were nothing but a bunch of animals wondering around.
"Kanao, be nice with them, will ya?" Kanabe told her.
"...Well, I don't see any reason to be nice." Kanao gave a death stare to her brother.
"Yahiko, you do realize that you have a bad influence on her." Kimada whispered.
Kimada wasn't lying. Kanao spent more time with Yahiko than anybody else. And everyone knows Yahiko's nature. Whenever he commented anyone, he never cared whether it was rude of him or not. And this explained very fluently that why Kanao's nature had become like that. But now, that wasn't the case.
"He-he. I like that attitude of yours,"said the green haired boy. "Anyways, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shawn Shiraka. And these are my fellow companions."
He pointed his hand from the boy to the second girl.
"...meet Kiriya Kasoku, Lara Shimishika and finally Rikka Tadano. We are the Electrons of the D-Orbital."
"And are we really supposed to care about that?" Kanao snapped.
"You should. Oh, I haven't noticed your that you have a boyfriend, lady." Shawn noticed that Yahiko was holding Kanao's arm.
"No, he's not!" Kanao yelled.
Of course she liked him but this was still a secrete. Her face flushed red.
"...He can't talk so he uses the morse code to communicate."
"Oh, I heard about that once. I guess, he uses finger tapping, blinking to use the code."
Yahiko thought that he was going to get attention so he tapped on Kanao's arm.
"What? But why so sudden?" Kanao asked. Shawn noticed her voice towards Yahiko was gentle and sweet, not like when she spoke rudely to him.
"What did he say?" Kanabe asked.
"He said that he wants to leave now. He's going to his room."
By that time, Yahiko left the group without looking back for once. Shawn took a glaze at him and then focused on what he was gonna say before.
"I heard that two failures in your Orbital got suddenly passed." He said.
"Does it matter to you?" Kanao looked at him.
"Well if that sharp brainy comes in my way to get to the Nucleus, then yes. I also heard he was wearing a white-wooden mask."
"And so?"
"...Once I've encountered him, I'll make sure to bring him down. Plus, make sure you're ready."
"...Ready for what?"
A cute and sweet voice spoke suddenly. It was a cute blonde haired girl with caramel color eyes walked forward to them. As Shawn noticed her, he smiled and walked a step towards her.
"Well, if it isn't the Leader of the F-Orbital herself. Having a good day, Nika Saraki?"
"So, you're with the S-Orbital, Shawn. And aren't you Kanabe Kimamoto and Kanao Kimamoto." Nika looked at the twins.
"...I heard, you're twins. Both of you have red eyes and white hair." She went close to Kanao.
"-I heard there's a boy who sits next to you-"
"You mean Yahiko?"
"Ah, so he's called Yahiko. I heard that he can't talk. I really wanna meet that interesting boy. Where is he now?"
"Bad luck, Nika. He just left."
"Crap. I should have come sooner. By the way Shawn, what were you guys talking about before?" she turned to Shawn and asked.
"Well, we were talking about reaching to the Nucleus."
"...Ah, I see." Nika smiled. "-Then, you'll have problem to face us and the Electrons of the Nucleus."
Shawn laughed and put his hands on his pockets. "Sure it is. But before you, I'll be crushing someone else." He turned his eyes towards Kanao.
Kanao was sure Shawn wasn't only talking about her class because it was the lowest of all. Shawn somewhere in his mind had mentioned the boy with the mask.
"Then, good luck with that, Shawn. See ya later." Nika left the spot.
"Kanabe, guys, let's leave. We came here for Yahiko, so we don't have anything here to do."
The others also had felt uneasy to have Shawn around. So, the followed her without saying a word. Shawn glazed at them.
"What are you planning to do?" Lara asked.
"Something fun. But, I'll rest now. C'mon, let's go." Shawn smiled and looked at the sky as he said.
"Yahiko, do you have any idea about that masked boy?" Kanao asked while sitting on Yahiko's chair.
She was in Yahiko's room. Yahiko was reading a novel, borrowed from the library. Kanao after leaving the park straight headed to Yahiko's room. She had been thinking about the masked boy after Shawn had mentioned.
"No." Yahiko tapped his fingers on the book after closing it.
"I was thinking he might be useful for my goal to the Nucleus." she said. "...I need to talk with him but the problem is I don't know who he is." she sighed.
"Who knows?" Yahiko tapped once again.
"I heard there gonna be another special exam next week. The Atom said they have to take the test before the holiday ends. Plus they said, it'll be fun for the Electrons when they'll give the exam."
"I guess, it's gonna be fun."
"Well, your dead face doesn't say that." she mumbled but Yahiko heard it.
"Can't you ignore it"
"No! I can ignore anything but my goals and you." she realized what she said and her face turned red."-No, I mean-" before she could could cover her words Yahiko tapped his fingers on the book.
"Don't worry. I'm not like those idiots who fall in love when they hear half finished words only."
"Glad to hear it. But still, you are something that I can't ignore." Kanao leaned towards Yahiko a little.
"Thanks for the complement."
"Hey, can you figure out what the special test is about?" asked Kanao.
"Nope. They haven't said a thing."
"I guess it's something expected."
"Who knows?"
"The masked boy."
"No he won't."
Kanao wasn't expecting this from him.
"How do you know?"
"...Simple. The Atom is the only one to know these things, not the Electrons."
"If he trades Hp?
"-Not possible. Cause these things should be within the teachers not anyone outside the authority. Plus, the teachers wouldn't dare to do something like this for their own selfishness."
"You're quite an observer."
"Cause I pay attention to details and get time to think about these. A pros. of my disability."
And it was true. Yahiko couldn't talk so he might be the type of person to ponder on everything around. He's like he came he saw he thought. And it wouldn't be a big deal.
"Anyway why did you left so early? You wanted to grab something but you didn't."
"I got sleepy a little."
"But you didn't sleep. Whatever, I'm going to my room, bye."
Kanao stood up and left. Yahiko just waved his hand goodbye.
Kanao sat on her bed and started to ponder.
I guess, this school life ain't gonna be easy. Hard goal, crazy rivals and mute crush. Kanao sighed.
I wonder who's that boy with the mask. He's like a Masked Enigma. Whatever, I'll just sleep. Then she turned off the lights and laid down to sleep.
Under the starry night, the masked boy was walking near the riverside. He was talking with someone on the phone, someone with an old and deep voice.
"I told you, I'm not going to that place ever again." the boy said. His voice was calm but there was anger and denial mixed."...If I go, then either I'll be killed or you'll make me the master of the prisoners. And who gave you this number?"
"I looked everywhere, boy."
"Then it's her. Yarina got it out from abroad."
"You're right and it means you're still the project I was building."
"No, I just assumed that an old man ain't capable of to do something." the boy sighed.
"I'm you father, One! How dare you talk to me like that?" his father yelled.
"If you really were my father, then you would've called me by my name. If you really were my father, then neither you would've killed your wife nor would've make me a weapon and name it Project-001."
One's voice didn't have any emotion but was rather calm and clear. His father's started to breathe heavily on the phone.
"I-I didn't killed-" One cut the call.
"If they come here then I'll destroy them," said One in a calm but serious voice.