Replay

3-4 Assume

A/N: I likely won't post next month because a) I've run out of prewritten chapters and b) the second half of the semester tends to be busier. 

But thank you to everyone continuing to support this story! I was certainly not anticipating this response when I initially began posting.

Now, here's the chapter.

"Holy shit, Takemichi. The balls," Makoto muttered.

"First Mikey and Draken, now this. Are the Mizo Middle 5 even a thing anymore?"

"We made that boy, Takuya! Even if he ditches us, we were his first. Ah, to see him going up in the world...oh shit, I think I'm actually crying a bit," Yamagishi whispered back as he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

Let's back up a few minutes in case I missed something because that's new.

I peered past the bookcase to peek at the sky, the azure tinged gold at the horizon, then checked the large analog clock above the front desk. 4:20...maybe it was a little early, but it was better not to risk it.

I closed my book on encryption ("Sorry," I whispered to the glaring student sitting across from me as the thick book slapped shut) and slipped it into my school bag before getting up from my seat and exiting the school library.

I hope Kazutora comes today... otherwise I've canceled Hayato's session for nothing.

Through each window, I watched the wispy clouds drift by as I walked down the hallway. The courtyard below was dotted with students heading for the front gate, a wave of dark heads flowing away from the main building. But of those standing still or traveling against the tide, I couldn't spot Kazutora's distinctive hair style.

While I normally would've tried to avoid trespassing on important canon events and contact with people who knew both my identities, Takemichi in this case, his reaction at the Toman meeting to Kazutora had been peculiar, and this was probably the best opportunity I'd get to confirm it. The time traveler didn't seem to know I was 'Blake' when we met then, so that was a bit of reassurance. I exhaled.

It'll be fine. I'm only doing a little recon.

I stepped out from the stairway on the floor of my classroom. There were still a few students passing through the hallway, enough that it wouldn't be too conspicuous if a single student waited beside the stairs. I leaned against the wall beside the stairs, which offered a full view of the entire floor.

A passing group of students dispersed, revealing a huddle of boys behind them at the doorway to my classroom. Takemichi's classroom, by extension.

"Hm?" I tried to walk at a relaxed pace as I approached the room. It was Takemichi's usual gang of friends, although I could now see it was just three of them without Takemichi and Atsushi, who were presumably behind the closed classroom door. I strained my ears and stalled my steps slightly as I passed by the three boys.

"—with Takemichi."

"I dunno, but Akkun looked pretty jumpy. Do you think it's got anything to do with Toman?"

"Eh, maybe. But anyway, how the hell did he get in? Man, I'm so jealous."

"Probably through Mikey, maybe."

They passed out of hearing. Atsushi hadn't revealed my secret yet, as far as I was aware. And of what I knew of him, I trusted he wouldn't. I picked my nails as I continued walking to the end of the hallway, waited ten seconds, then went back.

"—just study harder, dude. It ain't that hard."

"Shut up, Yamagishi. And you did worse than me last time, anyway."