Chapter 3: Like Ordinary High Schooler (2)
Waiting for a month and ten days is indeed not a long time. However, their hectic activities made the duration of that time drain quickly as if the previous days had only run once a blink of an eye every day.
December came. The cold wind began to blow all over the city. That afternoon, as usual, Taniguchi told a history lesson in grades 2-3 which was dominated by weakly lowered heads.
A rare sight was seen on the back row counter. Ken who usually never listens to Taniguchi's lessons is now sitting quietly in his chair. Ken himself didn't know why his eyes that afternoon felt so energized. Because he himself was confused, Ken had no other choice but to listen to the story of his homeroom teacher in a position held up his chin.
"In 1798, The Great Four groups got propaganda from an anonymous. Reportedly, the propaganda was spread by the hired ninjas from Higami, one of The Great Four of fire worshippers. However, the news was broken from some high-ranking officials of Jikai, the earth element overlord group, who said that the news was unwarranted and would further aggravate the situation if it was taken for granted immediately. Futen, an air elemental group that holds strong principles of peace and safety, tries to minimize the atmosphere and help the citizens to evacuate. Feeling pressured and threatened, the group of water elements worshippers, Suimi, began to strengthen the guard in his residency. Meanwhile, Higami remains tight-lipped and chooses to shut themself in their residency to reduce the rumors of circulating.
In August 1798, the residence of the Head of Jikai Administration was terriblely attacked by a group of fire and air element users. There was a violent explosion of fire, followed by a tornado that caused the blaze to grow in a short period of time and devoured the residence of the Chief of Jikai Administration and several houses of nearby residents for no more than half an hour.
In September 1798, Suimi's residency gate was destroyed by a strong wind. The security guards immediately focused the guard around the gate, while other attacks in the form of earthquakes and landslides again shocked the security guards who at that time could do little but evacuate the bodies of the victims buried in the rubble.
In October 1798, Chief Adviser of Futen was subjected to an impromptu attack in the form of arrow shots made of ice on his way to help the citizens evacuate. The ice arrow that came like a heavy rain made Chief Adviser of Futen forced to take refuge in a wooden hut in the middle of a wheat field. However, the field suddenly exploded. A huge fire devoured the wooden hut along with the field area.
And in November 1798, Higami residency area was hit by a stone rain that made many residents' houses were destroyed to pieces in a matter of seconds. Not finished until there yet, the large lake located not far from the center of the Higami residency showed unusual movements. The huge five-meter-high whirlpool made the residents who were in the surrounding area frightened and ran away. However, the water rolls had already swept them along with the ruins of the residents' houses that had previously been destroyed by the rain of stones."
Taniguchi raised his gaze from the book to his students. His gaze that were originally moving scanned then stopped at a point that made him wide-eyed. He hardly believed his own vision. He fixed the position of his glasses, and then squinted.
"Imai-kun, is there anything wrong?"
Imai Ken who was still sitting quietly with his eyes fully open, nodded. "Who was the first to spread the gossip that Higami spread propaganda, Sensei? Then, in the October attack, it seemed too strange that in those days users of the fire and water elements collaborated to destroy Futen."
Taniguchi dropped his jaw. He felt like he was dreaming. What is this all about? What happened to the one student who always sleeping or playing with his own world? Is he sick? Did he hit his head on something hard?
Or maybe the one who talks to him right now is not Imai Ken but the spirit of one of The Great Four chief who still doesn't accept his unreasonable death?
Apparently, it wasn't just Taniguchi who was surprised that all the eyes in class 2-3 at that time were watching Ken with an increduluos look. Ken's three friends who knew Ken's habit also turned their heads, staring at him who wore his yellow jacket with a strange and scared look.
"Sensei? Is my question too difficult?"
"... Aah," Taniguchi refocused on the book that almost fell out of his grasp. "Propagandists and rumors of 1798 until now is still not known for certain. Therefore in the book, it is written only as anonymous. All that was just known was that the figure was a mercenary ninja. Then ... for the fight against Futen in October 1798, many argued that it was not from an element user but rather a trick commonly used by no-man ninjas. There are also another opinions that says that it was indeed the act of users of the elements who betrayed and tried to destroy the balance that existed at that time."
As a good and professional teacher, Taniguchi continued his studies by reading an extended sentence from the textbook. Ken was still listening with focus.
"Ken, are you sick?"
"Don't push yourself, Ken. Come on, I'll take you to infirmary."
"I have your favorite mint-flavored gum, Ken. Want some?"
A sense of concern from his three good friends was only replied by Ken with a scowl while pointing his forefinger in front of his tightly pressed lips. "Sshh!"
The three of them were shocked, then stared at each other for a few minutes.
"Does Ken really sick?" asked Yasuhiro at Chikara and Kazuhiko who were both shrug their shoulders. Yasuhiro glanced at Ken with a worried look.
"I thought he hit something really hard on his head and then he had amnesia. That's why Ken suddenly became like that."
"Are you stupid?" Chikara hit Kazuhiko's back lightly with his fist. "Since when did Ken become that weak just because he hit his head? Anyway, your guess is too dramatic. There is nothing like that in reality!"
"Well ... so what do you think? Why did he suddenly become so diligent like that? Isn't it impossible—"
Kazuhiko's remarks came to a halt when he, Chikara, and Yasuhiro, for the second time, notice the next strangeness of Ken. Ken raised his hand, commenting on Taniguchi's lesson, which was not listened to by the three of them at all.
"That ending sounds odd, Sensei. Even if Higami's boss leader is really the mastermind behind it all, why did he finally choose to let Futen's leader and then let himself be killed? Even if he really planned to destroy The Great Four, he should have just killed Futen's leader with his own hands."
The whole class was filled with an awkward atmosphere. Ken's three best friends could no longer react. Until then the bell rang and Taniguchi somewhat nervously ended his learning session.
"Today we've done here," Taniguchi said, clearing his throat. He stared at his students, especially Ken, with a fixed look from behind his glasses. "For the next week, I want you to write an essay containing your respective views on the end of the 1798 war."
After saying that, Taniguchi left the classroom accompanied by the boisterous voices of the students of grades 2-3 who protesting against Ken. Because of him, Taniguchi gave the essay assignment, they thought. Ken looked at them with an innocent look, then apologized.
"Ken, are you sick? Come on, I'll take you to infirmary. Or do you want to just go straight home? Can you walk? Are you dizzy?"
Yasuhiro, who had been worried about Ken's change in attitude, immediately rushed towards him. Ken who didn't feel any pain at all or anything like that looked at Yasuhiro with a look of astonishment.
"Who's sick? I'm fine, really."
Yasuhiro obviously didn't believe it so he was busy tidying up Ken's things and putting them in his friend's backpack. Chikara and Kazuhiko also approached Ken's desk.
"Come on, if you can't walk, I'm ready to borrow you my shoulder."
Ken looked at Kazuhiko with a frown. "What are you guys talking about, anyway, seriously?"
Chikara who seemed to be getting upset and wanted to quickly, immediately helped Ken up in his way. But when his fingertips touched Ken's arm, he reflexively pulled his hand back. His eyes widened in astonishment.
Struck by wonder as well as curiosity, Chikara tries to touch Ken's body again. This time, he pointed his palm at Ken's forehead. Chikara suddenly pulled out his hand as fast as he can for the second time. His eyebrows are deeply wrinkled. He was even more astonished.
"Ken, you're body so hot," Chikara murmured. "I mean, like a thermos of boiling water."
Yasuhiro and Kazuhiko were shocked. The two of them somewhat frantically groped Ken's face with their palms. Both of them, just like Chikara, immediately pulled each other's hands when they felt the intense heat when they touched Ken's skin.
Ken looked even more confused.
"Hot?" Ken asked as he measured his own body temperature by sticking his palms on his forehead, neck, and cheeks. "I feel normal as usual though."
The three pale-faced boys without thinking, immediately led Ken to the infirmary. Ken actually still doesn't understand what his friends are talking about. But because they insist, Ken finally lets Kazuhiko pull up his jacket and take him all the way to infirmary.
"Really, nothing hurts? Head? Heart?"asked the short-haired doctor with her lazy eyes after examining Ken's body. Ken shook his head, tidying up his uniform and jacket. "Hm ... then there's only one possibility."
The four boys looked at the doctor with their curious eyes, waiting for her to finish tidying up the stethoscope and tidying up her personal belongings into the bag placed near her feet.
"It's a reaction from the energy in your body."
The four of them pulled their heads with their faces full of question marks. The doctor sighed, enduring annoyance while massaging the area around her forehead.
"You're now 17 years old, right? It was a natural reaction, nothing unusual, although the cases were a bit rare and I've only dealt with three cases during my time here. Well ... let's just say you're special."
The doctor noticed dissatisfied faces that asked for further explanations, especially on the faces of her patients. However, because her eyes and back felt very heavy, she only insisted on Ken to control his emotions so that the energy vortex in his body remains stable. Then, this biology teacher and infirmary doctor forced them out and asked them to go home immediately before it got dark.
***
When he got home, Ken didn't find anyone there. His sister may still be outside with her friends. It's common. His father may still be on his way home or is unluckily getting another curfew. It's common. Where did his mother go? His mother never went outside towards the evening. Ken also went out and tried to check the surroundings.
"Ken?"
Ken immediately turned to the source of the sound. However, it was not his mother but rather his older sister.
"Suzume! Mom's not home!" Ken demanded.
Imai Suzume muttered softly as she raised her hand, looking at her watch. It's already six o'clock in the evening.
"Have you called?"
Ken shook his head. Suzume click her tongue. The ponytail-haired woman took her smartphone from her sling bag and tried to call her mother. Suzume glanced at her brother when her phone call was connected.
"Ah, Mom? Where are you now? Ken just got home but he didn't see anyone at home."
After that, Suzume was more silent listening to her mother's words. Occasionally, her head nodded while muttering.
"Alright, alright. I'll tell Ken," Suzume said to her mother, then cut off the call session. She put her phone back in the bag while relaying her mother's message, "Ken, pick up Mom at the Enmaru Bakery. Hurry. Right now."
Ken rolled his eyes, but he still went to the place Suzume was referring to. It was getting darker and the cloudy sky above his head made Ken even more speed up his steps towards the bakery that was actually not too far from his house.
"I told you, he doesn't know anything!"
Ken braked and hid behind a street lamp post, five meters away from the Enmaru Bakery. His mother was there, apparently arguing with a man in a black suit. Ken was suspicious. He chose to hide for a few moments before approaching his mother.
"I believe you, but I doubt that he really doesn't know."
"What do you know?! I'm his mother!"
Ken was shocked to hear his mother's scream. However, he chose to stay hidden. Meanwhile over there, his mother and the man in the black suit seemed speechless. The man in his black suit then raised one hand and waved it softly as he stepped away from his mother. Ken came out of his hiding place after the man in the black suit was far enough away from them.
"Mom!"
The shoulder-length black-haired woman in her red cardigan turned her head and instantly put on an annoyed expression on her face. "It's late! Why didn't you come earlier?"
Ken took over the shopping bags from both hands of his mother. "So that you can get away from that man in the black suit ASAP?"
The woman was silent for a while, before finally sighing and muttering in response to her son's question. They both walked home with quick steps.
"You can be curious, but you still can't read the situation well," his mother commented. Ken turned his head and showed a face full of question marks. "I didn't want to spend more time with that person. You should have come over and approached me immediately so that I could quickly leave that person."
"Oh, sorry," Ken muttered softly. "Indeed, who is he? Mom's acquaintance?"
The woman beside him did not answer. Ken almost thought that his mother wanted to keep the matter a secret to Ken. However, Ken's guess was wrong because after a long time, her voice was heard again.
"Just old friend of mine."
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