Chapter 5: Chapter 4
Celestia couldn't shake off the sense of agitation that coursed through her veins as she settled onto the bench beside Han.
His cheerful demeanor grated against her mood, intensifying her irritation. She felt a surge of urgency to unravel the mysteries surrounding this enigmatic boy who seemed to know far more about her than he should.
Leaning forward slightly, she fixed him with a penetrating gaze, her eyes reflecting the turmoil within her.
"How did you know my name?" Her voice held a steely edge, betraying the intensity of her curiosity and determination to uncover the truth.
Han's dismissive gesture only fueled Celestia's frustration, her impatience mounting as she waited for him to divulge more information.
Their contrasting postures spoke volumes about their discomfort in each other's presence, the tension palpable in the air between them.
But Han seemed oblivious to her growing irritation, his easygoing demeanor contrasting sharply with Celestia's agitation. He seemed determined to maintain his relaxed facade, despite her obvious displeasure.
"Forget that for now and relax. The weather is great," he remarked cheerfully, his smile widening as he gestured to the sunny sky above. Celestia's scowl deepened at his attempt to deflect her questions, her irritation simmering beneath the surface.
Refusing to tolerate his evasive tactics any longer, Celestia made a move to leave, rising from the bench with the intention of putting some distance between herself and Han.
But before she could take a single step, his strong grip closed around her wrist, holding her in place.
The sudden contact sent a jolt of surprise through Celestia, her tattoo glowing faintly in response to his touch. She stared at him in shock, her eyes widening as she realized the significance of his actions.
"That's the reason why I know," Han murmured softly, his gaze holding hers with a warmth that belied his mysterious nature.
Despite her resistance, Celestia found herself sinking back down onto the bench beside him, her curiosity piqued by his cryptic words.
Celestia's muscles tensed under Han's touch, the unfamiliar sensation of gentleness contrasting sharply with the harsh grip she was accustomed to from Zerro. She couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as he examined the marking on her palm, her own gaze following his.
"You are the last weapon contractor and I've been looking for you, Celestia," he disclosed, his tone serious and intent.
Startled by this revelation, Celestia instinctively rose from her seat, putting distance between herself and Han. His sudden movement to stand mirrored her own, but she held up a hand, silently signaling for him to stay where he was.
"What do you want with me?" she asked cautiously, her narrowed eyes betraying her apprehension.
"To fulfill a contract between the two of us so we can become partners, but that's—" Han attempted to explain further, but Celestia cut him off before he could finish his sentence.
"I can't, I'm sorry," Celestia declared, her voice tinged with regret as she avoided Han's gaze, her fists clenched in frustration.
"You already—hey! Don't run off!" Han reacted swiftly, chasing after her as she attempted to leave. He stumbled to a halt when the sound of the bell echoed through the air, signaling the end of the break.
A muttered curse slipped from his lips as he realized he had missed his chance. With a resigned sigh, Han turned back towards the school office, knowing that he would likely face questions from the teachers for his absence.
"Han! Where did you go off to? I was worried," Mr. Hamlin, the science teacher, approached with a disapproving look, causing Han to grimace in acknowledgment of his mistake.
Han had to think quickly to come up with a believable excuse to avoid being scolded by the teacher. When called upon, he snapped out of his reverie and offered a sheepish apology.
"Sorry, sir…I got lost," he admitted, hoping it would suffice.
Surprisingly, the excuse seemed to work, and he was guided to the staff room where he was handed an envelope filled with papers containing various information.
"That has your schedule and everything else you need to help you settle into our school. If you need anything, just come by here," Mr. Hamlin informed him with a smile.
"Thank you, sir. I'll come by tomorrow before lessons start because I need to ask you a few questions. Is that okay?" Han asked politely, relieved to have avoided further scrutiny. With a nod of approval, he bid the teacher farewell and made his way out of the office.
------------------------------------------------
Whispered words floated through the room, their soft murmurs mingling with the low hum of conversation.
Celestia's irritation grew palpable as she felt the weight of those words settling on her shoulders like an unwelcome burden.
Glancing to her right, she caught sight of Han, the new student in her class, sporting a smile that seemed almost too bright for the dull confines of the classroom.
She had learned of Han's transfer into their school only yesterday, a tidbit of information gleaned from an encounter that left her feeling more unsettled than she cared to admit.
However, what she hadn't anticipated was Han's presence in her class, seemingly fixed on her as if he had been eagerly awaiting her arrival.
"Stop it," she muttered under her breath, her tone laced with frustration as she shot a glare in Han's direction.
Yet, despite her best efforts to convey her annoyance, he remained unfazed, his smile unwavering, as if he were impervious to her discontent.
Mr. Hamlin found himself momentarily lost in the dynamics unfolding before him, the interplay between Celestia and Han capturing his attention like a scene from a drama. As the whispers among the students escalated into a general murmur, he realized it was time to regain control of the classroom.
"Settle down class!" His voice cut through the chatter, commanding attention as he redirected the focus back to the lesson at hand. Yet, even as he resumed teaching, there lingered a nagging sense of intrigue that he couldn't shake.
As an adult, Mr. Hamlin chided himself for being drawn into such trivial matters. After all, he had a classroom to manage and a curriculum to deliver.
Yet, despite his efforts to refocus, there remained a lingering curiosity about the interaction between Celestia and Han that continued to nag at him, a small part of him unable to let go of the scene he had witnessed.
As Mr. Hamlin continued with the lesson, his mind wandered back to Celestia, a student who had always seemed to bear her burdens alone. Throughout the year, he had observed her isolation, the lack of interaction with her peers raising concerns that he was unable to address without her cooperation. Though he had seen hints of potential bullying, Celestia had never approached him or any other teacher with her concerns, leaving him feeling powerless to intervene.
It was a frustrating reality, one dictated by the boundaries of the contract he had signed upon joining the school. While he longed to reach out and offer support, he was bound by the rules that governed his role as an educator. Though he harbored doubts and reservations about these restrictions, he knew that challenging them could jeopardize his job security.
"Resolve these problems in the next five minutes and then we'll go through the answers," he instructed, attempting to refocus the class on their studies.
Meanwhile, Celestia's attention was diverted when a crumpled paper landed lightly on her desk. With a sense of trepidation, she unfolded it, her eyes scanning the single word scrawled on the paper.
'Hi! =)'
Not bothering to give it another glance, she flicked the paper away with her tiniest finger and continued her work.
'I have to tell you something important after school.'
Another paper had appeared on her book but the words written this time had taken her by interest. She snuck a glance at Han who had finally begun listening to their teacher, wonder glistening in her eyes.
The bell robbed her attention as it rang and her hand moved over to her left to grab her plain black bag, the strap of it soon being placed on to her shoulder.
"Stop following me."
Celestia's steps echoed softly against the tiled floor as she strode purposefully down the hallway, her mind focused solely on her destination. However, her determined stride faltered when she sensed a presence mimicking her movements from behind.
Turning sharply, she found Han trailing behind her, his expression hopeful but tinged with a hint of apprehension. His bottom lip jutted out in a slightly exaggerated pout, a feeble attempt to soften her resolve.
"I want to eat lunch with you," Han declared, his voice earnest but wavering with uncertainty. Despite his attempt at charm, Celestia remained unmoved, her features a mask of indifference.
"No. Get lost," she retorted curtly, her tone sharp and final as she resumed her brisk pace down the corridor. Han's shoulders slumped dejectedly as he watched her depart, his hopes of sharing lunch with Celestia dashed once again.
Han had no intention of listening to her and trailed behind, brightness still gleaming in his brown eyes. Anger, however, flashed in her own and she whipped her head back as she halted from any further movement.
"I told you to get lost." She mustered up the nastiest glare she could send him and Han's smile faltered, him feeling a fraction of confusion.
"Why are you pushing me away? I just want to hang out with you." His tone held peace but also cordiality.
Celestia's jaw tightened as she hesitated to speak but she soon gave in and spilled the reason behind her behaviour.
"Don't you get it? I'm hated by most of the students in this school. I'm not wanted and the same will happen to you if you stay by my side." She feared that his reaction would be one that was negative but as she focused on him once more, her eyes widened ever so slightly.
"I don't care really care what others will say about us. I just want to be your friend." He shrugged, his eyes closing as his kind smile stretched.
A spark of hope hit the female as she became aware of what he stated but it crumbled as soon as her eyes made contact with a familiar pair of crimson eyes, the owner of them standing behind Han's oblivious self. Han waited for a response but the one he received caused him to grow startled.
"H-Hey! Where are you going?" He asked, his hand reaching out to grab her wrist but she quickly avoided his touch.
It didn't take him long to notice the fear that coated her face as she glanced back a single time, this affecting his smile which vanished.
"Celestia!" He called in concern.
Lips twisting into a frown, he gave the view behind him a quick once over but saw no one before he headed to the cafeteria where he had no choice but to eat his lunch on his own.
------------------------------------------------
Afternoon classes had begun and Celestia entered her history class. Her feet halted in place as she detected her desk was missing.
"What's wrong, Celestia?" One of the many female students asked, faking concern.
Glancing at the girl who she recognised to be Liza Demilin, she caught the smirk that painted her lips. The blonde girl stepped up to Celestia and poked her shoulder in a tempting manner.
"Do you know why it's gone? It's because you don't belong here," She whispered as she leaned close enough for her to hear.
Celestia remained impassive, infuriating the shorter female. A harsh sound echoed throughout the room, bringing everyone's attention onto them. She ignored the stinging pain on her cheek and the fact that she had just gotten slapped as she gazed back at the older girl who was fuming.
"Say something, you stupid bitch," She hissed.
Celestia lifted her hand and Liza genuinely anticipated her next move. What she didn't expect was to stumble back with a simple push of a finger.
"You're too close." Celestia mumbled before spinning on her heels and striding out the classroom.
Celestia's hands were clenched as she walked through many hallways, trying to find an empty room for her to be alone in. She wanted to vent her anger out of something and she was sure no one would say anything if she destroyed a few old desks that were abandoned long ago.
'I've located some demons. Head North to the forest.'
Zerro used his power to telepathically send his message to her and if it wasn't for the fact that she hated him so much, she would have thanked him since she was in the perfect mood to kill a few demons.
-----------------------------------------------
"Welcome home, Celestia."
Regarding the one who called her, the black haired female recognised the elderly maid who approached her in a calm manner before she bowed in respect. Not bothering to greet back, Celestia walked past her and went towards the elegant set of stairs.
"How can she be so rude?" Two women witnessed the scene that occurred and whispered amongst themselves as they aimed a dirty look at her.
Celestia faltered her footsteps and flashed her cold eyes towards the pair who cringed under her stare. She let out a small scoff and resumed her way up to her room.
"Speak in that way again and you will both be fired," The wiser woman warned.
"Miss Astonia! She should not act in that way towards you. It was disrespectful." The maid criticised, the fellow worker next to her agreeing.
Astonia conducted them an indication that she was being serious through her sharp eyes and ordered for them to get back to their chores. Releasing a sigh, she stared at the stairs where the girl she knew for many years once stood.
"Why did you change so much?"
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone