Classroom of the Elite: Monster Academy

Vol. 2 Chapter 4.3 - Why? It is to...

Walking along the quiet corridors, the echoing footsteps became my companion once again. Only this time, we weren't alone.

Tap...Tap...

The rhythmic tapping of a cane alternating with my steps, created a melodic cadence that resonated through the empty corridor. The sharp, measured sound of the cane's contact with the floor was such a stark contrast to the soft thud of my own footsteps, that it added an eerie flow to the air.

And here in this long path, there was no need to guess where the sound was coming from, they had long since entered my sights.

Her lilac colored hair that reaches her neck, flowed gently with every step and she moved with a grace that radiated elegance and confidence. Despite her petite body, her presence filled the hall, as if she commanded the very air around her. It was a different vibe to Ichinose's vibrant yet overwhelming energy or Horikita's resolute yet austere attitude. This girl reminded me more of the headmaster.

As our distance closed, her violet gaze briefly met mine, piercing yet indifferent, as if she were looking through me, seeing not a person but a subject who she stood over. She nodded slightly as a greeting, to which I responded with a nod of my own. In that brief exchange however, I caught a flicker of amusement, perhaps even intrigue in her eyes, and her half-smile deepened subtly as we passed each other, marked by the soft sway of her lilac hair.

She continued onwards, to the office at the end of the corridor where I had just been. It was unusual for a student to visit the headmaster's office, and perhaps that was the source of her intrigue as it now became mine as well.

After a while, the sharp echo of her cane eased followed by the soft thud of the closing door, leaving me alone once again with my steps.

Reaching the end of the long path, I paused, my gaze dropping to the polished floor beneath me. Its reflective surface faintly mirrored the overhead lights, casting back a distorted version of the surroundings. Turning slowly, I looked back toward where the lilac haired girl had been. Of course, she was nowhere to be seen and the corridor stretched empty and quiet behind me as my mind echoed in wonder...

"That girl," I mused. It was something almost imperceptible, one that I only took notice after being near. "Her feet never once touched the floor."

◐◓❂◒◑

The administrative and the first-year's academic buildings are not far from each other. On their second floor, a bridge connects the two, facilitating ease of access to and fro. It was currently around 2:00 in the afternoon, and the sun was at its peak, casting a fierce, bright light over everything. When I looked beyond the window panes, the sight of the sun-scorched ground was enough to make me uncomfortable. I preferred not to walk beneath such heat so I opted for the shaded route and quickly made my way to the bridge.

While the architecture between the two buildings is quite similar, the interior of the academic building had more rooms. The ground floor houses our classrooms, and the second floor is dedicated to faculty and staff, primarily concentrated in the right wing. This leaves the left wing, where I currently am, mostly empty and quiet.

Or so I had thought...

"Kyaa!"

I did notice that someone was around the corner, but I didn't expect for them to move the exact moment I turned.

Looking down, I saw the girl that bumped into me sprawled on the floor. A camera and the glasses she wore had skidded a few feet away. Her pink hair had been tied in low twin pigtails but one side had come undone and now part of her hair lay loosely around her shoulders. I recognize this girl, I often see her sitting alone, hunched over her desk inside the classroom. She didn't leave much of an impression on me before...but, seeing her like this, she looks a bit different compared to how she usually presented herself.