Shikari High's campus, located in the heart of the capital, combines modern architecture with rich greenery. The towering structures almost seemed to touch the sky, their sleek lines cutting through the sunlight. Complex designs adorned the buildings, and well-tended gardens surrounded the pathways, a tribute to the school's prestigious status.

Though this school appeared like any ordinary high school, it served as a training ground for students to harness their potential power. Think of it as a special military academy for young kids.

It also served as the Noye Agency Headquarters. Rather than earning diplomas, students earned their license, a certification for their mastery of their potential abilities.

Some might consider it "lucky" to get accepted into such a school. While entry to this school was primarily by invitation, Surata managed to enroll through-- unconventional means.

___

The morning after the kidnapping, Surata, with his injuries, arrived at school. Walking towards the entrance, trees blossomed alongside the pathway. The safety of the campus was a clear contrast to the danger he was in yesterday.

Surata was greeted with a huge, sculpted water fountain that centered the tremendous pathway and a noisy courtyard filled with lively students idling.

It was only his second day at this school, so he wanted to hurry before class started. Surata lifted his head, gazing at the tall buildings on campus. The Noye Agency used those buildings to shelter powerful Shikaris.

In front of the buildings was the school building, which was small in height, but vast in size. That building acted as a central hub for his school, where the students would go to take their classes. Shikaris from the Noye Agency would go to the school and work there,

Surata shuffled his way into his homeroom class, his steps slow and weighed down. Bruises clouded his skin and bandages, standing out like badges for his fight.

Surata stood at the doorway, lost, trying to find a path through the cluster of students. The class had not started for a couple of minutes.

Cramping his way through the students, he stumbled upon two classmates he had befriended on his first day.

Surata’s eyes bore the weight of his exhaustion. He helped himself into his chair, wincing as his sore body met the seat.

“Ow, ow, ow! Maybe I shouldn’t have trained that hard with Koroki. After the incident yesterday, my body was already sore!”

His friends noticed Surata’s appearance. They stopped their conversation and checked up on Surata.

His group of friends looked like him appearance-wise—ordinary. However, their personalities differed.

One was a reserved introvert, Ichiro. Despite his quietness, his intelligence carried him, and his perfect grades reflect that. However, he let his academic skills get the best of him, especially when it comes to romance.

He would try to take his shot on some of the most beautiful girls in the school, with most of them clearly out of his league. Even though his intelligence was there, his looks couldn’t match that as he constantly got rejected. With his short, black hair brushed back, exposing his forehead, his black-framed glass hid his lustful eyes that were gazing at the girls.

The other friend, Daiki, was the opposite. With average grades, his charm and energy caught the eyes of most of the girls in the school. In terms of his looks, he would fit into the school's beauty standard.

He had medium, straight brown hair with bangs in the front that avoided the center of his forehead. He had a joking and playful demeanor toward his two friends. The contrast between Surata’s friends was like how polar opposites were attracted. Surata, as average as he was, fit into the group perfectly as the middleman.

Daiki’s eyes widened, staring at Surata's bandaged face. "Dude, are you ok? I mean, there’s a rumor going around that you were kidnapped by the escapees."

“Yeah, I heard they were from the Akari country.” Ichiro quickly replied.

Surata secretly smacked his lips, "Damn. How fast does the news spread?” He didn’t want to ruin his built reputation, even though he didn’t have one.

His words stumbled out, his voice cracking like fragile glass. “Umm, yeah, I was. But I showed those guys they messed with the wrong person." Surata grinned with false confidence, hoping to gain some approval.

His friends exchanged swift glances at each other, raising their eyebrows. They reverted their confused eyes to Surata. "Um…What are you talking about? You didn't do anything. Someone else saved you and took those guys down."

“Apparently, they fought Shikaris with no Noye! Talk about pure skill.”

Surata’s efforts to gain part of his dignity back slowly vanished away. "Well, great! Thanks a lot, you stupid rumor! But, how did they find out about Koroki?"

The weight of his exhaustion sat deep into his body. Not knowing this, he didn't realize the gaze from everyone's eyes. The gossip spread like wildfire. He felt his face almost suffocating from embarrassment as the bell rang, saving him from further attention. Their homeroom teacher, Ms. Shirai, entered the classroom as the students sat down for class to start.

Her dazzling light complexion with dark brown eyes. Her slick, long hair that matched her eyes, followed her as she approached the front.

Before Ms. Shirai started her lesson, she had something to announce. "All right, class. Before class starts, we have a new student coming in."

The students' faces lit up with excitement. They began to gossip again, wondering who the new student was. Is it a boy? A girl? Are they cute?

Still recovering from his attack, Surata could barely find the enthusiasm to care about this student. He sat in his chair, hiding his face in his arms on his desk to rest.

“You can come on in!” Ms. Shirai shouted towards the door. As she introduced the new student, they walked into the room. Surata's ears could hear the door open and slight footsteps. Whispers ripple through the classroom, heads turning in unison towards the door. The girls were mesmerized by the student’s attractive appearance. The boys were wooed in surprise by the student’s abnormal pink hair and mysterious demeanor.

The classes' reactions couldn't help Surata identify the student. The new kid stood at the front and faced the class, unenergetic, scratching their head.

“My name is Koroki Aoi. It's nice to meet you."

"Huh?" Surata, puzzled, slowly lifted his head, his tiredness fading away. After Koroki introduced himself, he scouted around the classroom and noticed Surata lifting his head.

“There’s no way I heard that right.” Surata wiped his eyes, thinking he might be hallucinating. Getting a clearer view, he realized he wasn't seeing things. Their eyes locked at each other, widening as surprise overturned their expressions.

"What's he doing here?!" they thought to themselves in unison.

“Koroki, there’s an empty seat next to Surata. Go take your seat.” Ms. Shirai kindly instructed. Koroki strolled to his seat as Surata's eyes stayed locked on him.

"What are you doing here?" probed Surata.

Koroki sat down, replying, annoyed. "Blame your dad. He forced me to come here."

___

Yesterday…

Following the kidnapping, Koroki and Surata returned home. Once they arrived, they removed their shoes near the entrance and were confronted by Ishio. "Welcome back," Ishio greeted them with a heartfelt smile. Ishio noticed Surata's injuries. Surata, are you okay? It looks like Koroki helped out a bit."

"Yeah, I'm fine." Surata was covered with bruises and dry blood. Exhausted from dealing with the pain, Surata shrugged it off, relieved that he was safe at home. “Sorry about the dinner, Father. I’ll find something else to make.”

“It’s fine, son. We can always make it another day.”

Surata’s face grew in relief from his father’s understanding of what happened.

Realizing how much time had passed, Surata quickly ran to the kitchen to cook dinner.

Meanwhile, Koroki slumped on the couch, ready to watch more T.V. Just as he was about to relax, a voice distracted his pre-relaxation.

"Hey Koroki, I have some good news for you," Ishio exclaimed, smiling with his eyes closed.

"Huh? What is it?"

Ishio revealed a white envelope from his pocket. With a stamp on the top-right corner, it looked like ordinary mail. It could be free money, or it could be a bill! Koroki never really got any mail. For all his time living here, he never received a single letter from anyone.

Confused, Koroki grabbed the envelope and inspected it. He turned it over and back. The logo of an organization was printed on the front. It read:

Shikari High

To: Koroki Aoi

"Shikari High? What is this?" Koroki asked. The name was unfamiliar to him. It sounded like a school, but he didn’t even go to school, let alone this one. So why was he receiving this letter? It was probably meant for Surata, and they put the wrong first name.

“Open it,” Ishio suggested. Koroki tore the envelope, and inside was a letter. Koroki took the letter out and slowly read it.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"You'll be going to school with Surata now!" Ishio implied, with his voice chiming with excitement. Hoping his "excitement" would transfer to Koroki, Koroki was surprisedly stunned.

"School? Seriously?"

For someone who enjoyed the lazy lifestyle, going to school would completely ruin that. The thought of him waking up early and wasting his time going there only bothered him even more.

But he had an unwavering amount of respect for Ishio. It felt like a battle between his desire for freedom and the duty he owed to Ishio. He almost felt like throwing a tantrum, like a baby getting his toy taken from him.

"Ugh...Why do I have to go to school?" Koroki complained nonchalantly, whining like a brat.

"What do you mean? You have to get an education."

"…School really isn't my thing."

Ishio sighed. "All you do is sit on the couch and be lazy. You need to go learn and practice your Noye."

"I can just practice here tho'," Koroki suggested, trying to avoid attending school.

This wasn't going anywhere. Those two continued to argue for a while. Ishio's excitement faded as he tried to peacefully come to an agreement. Seeing Koroki's adverse reaction, Ishio gave Koroki a hard punch to the head.

The sound of Koroki’s face planting on the ground stopped the argument.

The silence lingered for a moment until Ishio let out another sigh, trying to cooperate. "Look, Koroki, I know you’re strong and can fight. But you have to go to school. Because you need to… get out and do something."

Ishio hesitated for a moment. He tried to convince Koroki in any way he could think of. Even though he got punched, he would not give up easily. They continued to argue back and forth, and it wasn't long until Koroki finally gave in.

“Alright, you win.” Koroki conceded, rubbing his head. Before ending their conversation, Koroki asks, "By the way, why Aoi? That’s not my last name."

"Well... because you're my son. So, you should have our family's last name."

"Alright, whatever." Koroki quickly replied, not giving it a second thought. He didn't tell Ishio how unhappy he was, but Ishio could tell by his sluggish facial expression.

"Try to make the most out of this Koroki. It will be fun!"

Koroki decided to stay silent, dreading that tomorrow would never come.

___

Back to the present day…

Right after Koroki's introduction, Ms. Shirai informed Koroki of his schedule.

“Koroki, I’m sure you were told beforehand. However, to remind you, most of your classes will be taught by me in this class.” Koroki needed the reminder as he had forgotten a lot about the school’s system. It was more of not caring than forgetting.

“I look forward to teaching you.” After informing him, Ms. Shirai started her lesson.

Since this was a school, the students were still required to get a standard education. Unfortunately, the boys' first class was math. It didn’t take long before Koroki got bored of school. He quickly rested his head on the desk and fell asleep.

Surata glanced at Koroki disgusted. “Class hasn’t started yet, and you already fell asleep?! You can’t be serious!”

Following math class was reading, and then science. The students continued their core subjects until they finished history class.

“Alright, class. Now it’s time for Noye's class.”

The energy of the students shifted as they were relieved to learn the basic subjects. As it was the first week of the new school year, Ms. Shirai decided to start with the basics for her first lesson.

"Let’s start with what Noye is. Noye is basically energy that’s created from emotions. To be more precise, our Noye specializes in focusing on one type of emotion. This can be represented by the colors you are giving when awakening it. Different colors are distinguished by controlling a specific type of emotion.”

The class slightly understood. Some grew curious and raised their hands, thinking of examples to better help them.

“Like the color blue for sadness?”

“How about red for anger?”

“Exactly, good job!” Ms. Shirai continued. “The longer you stay in fighting in that emotion and convert it to Noye, the stronger you may be. When you awaken your Noye, you will gain a unique ability. Since everyone has experienced some type of emotion, everyone should be able to awaken their Noye. However, there are exceptions.”

The class was interrupted in the middle of her lesson. The entrance door slid open, revealing a young feminine figure. Her presence seemed professional and reassuring. At first glance, she could be mistaken for a new student. But, with her navy-blue scrub, a stethoscope hanging from her neck, and a blonde ponytail, she appeared to be some sort of medical staff member.

"Apologies for the intrusion, Ms. Shirai," she said, respectfully.

"It's alright, Nurse Hapi. Do you need something?"

"Nurse Hapi?" Surata's interest piqued. "She probably wants to see his injuries after what happened yesterday."

The boys in the class stared at Nurse Hapi with butterflies in their stomachs. Her beauty was unmatched in the boys’ eyes.

Nurse Hapi slowly scanned the class with her ocean-blue eyes, winking and waving toward the boys, acknowledging the boys’ feelings. "Yes, I need to see Koro-"

Before she finished speaking, she saw a sleepy Koroki napping on his desk. She made a beeline to him, her steps light and meaningful. She approached him, staring at his overall appearance. Drool started slipping from Koroki's lips into his desk.

She attempted to wake him from his deep slumber. Usually, people tap or shake sleepy people a little, trying not to startle them as much as possible.

Keeping her composure, Nurse Hapi grabbed a heavy textbook from another student's desk and slammed Koroki on his head, sending him through his desk.

"What the hell?" Surata shouted internally. “What did Koroki do?”

Everyone in the class, including Surata, was paralyzed in fear like they had just witnessed a live murder. A sense of energy suddenly sparked in the students, almost like adrenaline. Some started to feel a little threatened, wondering if they would be on the receiving end of that if they slept in class.

Not only was Koroki still unresponsive, but he was also unconscious of the impact. Waking him up normally would have been easier. He could have got up and walked to where he had to go, but now he's still not responsive.

All the students can see the new kid lying on the broken desk, wondering if he is still breathing. Nurse Hapi's kind expression didn't change, as she knew that Koroki was still alive.

"I need Koroki to come to the nurse's office." Nurse Hapi smiled, keeping her professional attitude as she held Koroki by his legs.

Ms. Shirai approved Nurse Hapi’s request.

“Thank you.” Nurse Hapi exclaimed. “Enjoy class, kids!” She waved goodbye to the class and dragged Koroki's unconscious body out of the class like a dead body, leaving the class in awe as she left the class.

___

Several minutes later, Koroki slowly opened his eyes, regaining consciousness.

"Where the hell am I?"

He found himself lying down on a bed, with a beaming light shining down on him. He was confused, his thoughts trying to remember what happened before.

Before he was knocked unconscious, he had woken up from his nap because of the slam. As he remembered the slam, he sat up, rubbing his head from the bruised area.

He decided to scan the unknown room. There were beds lined up next to him. One side was open, while the other side was closed by a large curtain. He noticed heart monitors stationed behind him. Looking ahead at the cabinets and counter, he noticed a clipboard with a stethoscope on top of it.

Next to that, he saw Nurse Hapi enter the room. With the information he had, he must be in the nurse's room.

"Does everyone hit kids in this city?" Koroki asked, rubbing his bruised head.

"Ishio told me you're not one to listen to others." Nurse Hapi responded.

"So, you resorted to simply hitting me."

Nurse Hapi approached Koroki closely. "He says you have a hard head, so I wanted to test it out myself," she squinted her eyes, inspecting his head.

"And you are…?"

She stopped herself, quickly backing up, "Oh, sorry, forgot to introduce myself. I am Nurse Hapi. I am the school's doctor."

That doesn't make any sense. She looked too young to be a doctor—a couple of years older than Koroki. How was she the school's doctor, yet she called herself a nurse? Maybe she preferred the "Nurse" title instead.

Koroki sat there uninterested in thinking about it and ignored it.

She gradually lifted herself from her tippy toes as she inspected where she hit Koroki. "Wow. Looks like he's right since your skull isn't broken."

Koroki smacked his lips. "Stupid old man." The only thing Koroki could think about was Ishio's stupid smile.

"Koroki, the real reason you’re here is so I can check your Noye. You probably already know your Noye, so think of it like a physical."

Koroki looked confused. "Why do I have to be in the nurse's office for my Noye?"

"You were probably sleeping when Ms. Shirai was explaining Noye, so I’ll explain it. Noye correlates with emotion, but it also affects our blood flow. When you get angry, have you felt your heart racing?”

“Yeah?”

“Our blood flow can change speed depending on our emotions. When using your Noye, your body increases its heart rate and blood flow. Using Noye for long periods of time can permanently affect your body. That’s the exchange of gaining strength. Because of this, we must look at your blood flow to see your Noye."

Koroki sighed. "This is a waste of time. I already know my Noye."

"Yes, Koroki, you probably do. However, I need to scan your Noye to put it in our system," the nurse explained.

She opened nearby cabinets, struggling to find her equipment for the scan, "Alright, keep in mind that this will not hurt.

"Wait, how are you going to check? Where are your tools?"

Koroki’s body tensed up, worrying a little bit. Doctor's office. The mentioning of blood. Tools that are designed for blood use. Only one tool that comes to mind can do that-- needles.

With that in mind, Koroki’s body sweated as nervousness began forming in him. The thought of needles for him was more terrifying than Ishio or even death.

"Oh, my tool is right there," she replied, smiling at her left palm.

Koroki slowly looked at her left palm and saw a small device in her hand. He immediately calmed down since it wasn't anything sharp. However, Koroki noticed a marking on the device that matched her palm.

The marking carved out the kanji symbol:

救

Hapi explained, "I have a special type of Noye that doesn't have any offensive or defensive abilities. My ability is a supporting ability that allowed a young girl like me to become the school’s Noye doctor. This device allows me to store your Noye so I can put it into the system.”

Suddenly, the marking glowed lemon-yellow. Patterns of lines, shaped like motherboard traces, spread from her marking to her fingertips. Hapi added, "Oh, by the way, since I need to scan your body, I need you to take off your clothes. You can keep your underwear on, though."

"What?! I need to take off my clothes in front of you?"

"My ability allows me to suck a person's Noye from the surface. Think of it like a painless shot. My ability can't detect my own Noye. So, whatever my body detects will be put in the device.”

Nurse Hapi glanced at Koroki’s clothes. “Besides, your clothes probably have some residue from someone's Noye. For that reason, I need a clean scan.”

Koroki hesitated, blushing at the thought. “Huh? I have to strip?!”

“Don't worry, no one is watching beside me."

“…”

"Relax, I won't do anything weird to you.” Hurse Hapi pointed at a nearby table. “You can use one of these hospital gowns to cover up." Immediately after saying that, Nurse Hapi pulled the curtains around his bed for privacy.

"That's not the problem!" says Koroki in his head.

A young boy and a young woman were alone in a room. This boy was being told to strip off his clothes in the same room as this woman. He’s been locked away at home, only talking with Ishio and Surata. He hasn’t had much interaction with females, let alone pretty girls around his age.

If he got to know her better, she could be his type. Any perverted boy in this situation would think the exact thing Koroki was thinking.

After a while of overthinking the situation, Koroki complied.

Koroki hesitated for a moment. The longer he stalled, the worse it would be. So, he quickly removed his clothes, put on the gown, and laid on the bed.

"Alright, let's start." Nurse Hapi lowered the gown, exposing Koroki’s chest. She leans her head against his chest while softly resting her hand on his heart. She could feel Koroki’s heart pounding faster.

His fast heart rate might be related to his using his Noye. She slowly looked up at Koroki’s face and saw his blushing. Koroki quickly covered his flushed face with his forearm.

Confused by his expression, she looked away from Koroki's face and was surprised. "Well, that's a common spot for blood flow,” she commented, more to herself than to him.

"I shouldn't have come here," Koroki mumbled.

After a few minutes went by, Koroki received his scan.

Nurse Hapi gets off Koroki. "Surprising enough, this isn't the first time one of the students did this."

She placed her hand on the device and analyzed the results. "Mhmm? The scan seemed to have an error. Let's try it again."

She tried to do another scan. Afterward, Koroki quickly started to redress. She stared at his results with a concerned look, her expression completely changing.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything looks good." Without giving it a second thought, he trusted her words.

Once Koroki finished changing, he heard the school bell ringing outside the room. He quickly checked the clock on the wall.

The clock read:

11:13 AM.

Koroki vaguely remembered getting to homeroom around 8:00, so he had basically missed most of his classes by now. Koroki began to panic, quickly dressed, glancing at the clock. “What class am I missing right now?”

“Umm…” Nurse Hapi tried to remember the class schedule since everyone in his class followed the same schedule. “I think your gym class is about to start soon.”

“Crap! If I skip all my classes on my first day, Ishio is gonna kill me!” Koroki quickly picked up his belongings, stumbling over his words as he hurried to class, “Thanks!”

Nurse Hapi waved Koroki goodbye as he left the nurse's office. As he dashed out of the nurse's room, Nurse Hapi watched him leave, with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"You've got an interesting kid there, Ishio. I wonder how he will perform in the future."

___