𝖂𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖎𝖋 𝕲𝖊𝖙𝖔 𝕴𝖘 𝖄𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝕸𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗 (𝖝 𝕱𝖊𝖒 𝕽𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖗)

1-2: 𝔒𝔩𝔡, 𝔇𝔢𝔞𝔡 𝔒𝔫𝔦𝔤𝔦𝔯𝔦𝔰 (𝔓𝔞𝔯𝔱 2)

❤︎ 865 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜, 3.5 𝚖𝚒𝚗 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎

═══════════════

"Oh... didn't know someone else was here..." 

It was a velvety voice--a boy's.

"Oh... hey...! It's okay... I'll leave..." I responded.

Geto Suguru... a year above me. This guy... even before I joined the school, I'd heard of him from my parents. He is, arguably, one of the strongest sorcerers.

"It's chill. Just wasn't expecting it," he started unpacking his lunch as well, ten feet away, not looking at me. He had zaru soba and tea. "Usually it's just me up here."

Cold noodles for lunch? What a bizarre guy. "Uhm, yeah, cool. By the way, uh, my name is y/n..."

"Yeah, I know who you are." Still wasn't looking at me.

"... You know who I am?" I wanted to say that I knew who he was, too.

"It's one hell of a small school if you haven't noticed already. You're in the same class as Nanami and Haibara."

"You're really good with names."

No response, just eating his noodles.

I felt extremely awkward. Dammit. Should've left when I had the chance. Now, it'll just look like I'm running away from him. I sighed and opened up my book again while chewing on my god-awful onigiri.

"What's that?"

"Oh, ugh... just onigiri..." Please... please don't ask me if they were the discounted ones that aren't sold at the end of the day... please don't ask...pl–

"I meant the book."

"Oh..." I looked down at my book, the cover a deep green that matched his tea. "It's Letters to Milena, by Kafka..." Shit, I shouldn't have answered, now I've made myself appear a freak, a nerd, and a loser.

"Good book."

Good book...?

"People always go with The Trial or The Metamorphosis with Kafka but frankly, his personal letters are what make him a great writer. They're underrated."

I was speechless... What do I say now? Do I ask him why he likes Letters to Milena? Do I say "Oh-ho! Great minds think alike!"? Do I...

"It's cool that you read too!" Just as I worked up the courage to respond. The entrance to the rooftop was kicked open, muffling my words. Startled, I dropped my onigiri.

"Suguru!! I knew you were here again!" 

That white hair: Gojo Satoru. "Why do you keep running away from us during lunch??!!"

"It's because you're always too loud, Satoru. You hurt his ears." 

And Ieiri Shoko...

"Huh?! I hurt your ears?? IS THAT TRUE?" Gojo bent down and purposefully started yelling in Geto's ears. "Man, you gotta stop it with the zaru-soba-and-tea-for-lunch thing. What are you, fifty?"

"What are you, five?" Geto retorted. I saw a faint smile on his face. They must be close.

"HUH??!!"

They started bickering. I left with my book, leaving my dead onigiri for the birds. Those three...their glowing aura pained me.

How I wish I could glow, too. God, I hate sunny days.

Today is a sunny day as well, awfully and hurtfully so. I squint at the golden rays piercing through the windows of the hospital's hallway as I remain squatted. I inhale and exhale deeply: why do I have to think about my high school days right now? Out of all the moments, it has to be now...? When I've just found out my brother's dying because of my past poor choices? I tug my head in between my knees: I badly need a smoke.

Suddenly, my ears catch the news playing on the TV in the waiting area. "Geto Suguru, leader of the Group formerly known as The Time Vessel Association, or the Star Religious Group, attends the grand reopening of an orphanage in ____ City. The orphanage's renovation features a new courtyard, dorm, and library, all funded entirely by Geto's religious group."

Well, well. Look who it is, after killing your whole village in a heartbeat, you've now rebranded as a philanthropist? What bullshit. "And now, we turn to our local correspondent to interview Mr. Geto and to learn more about his philanthropy."

A familiar face pops up on the screen. His angular face with his thin lips that curve at the ends. His mocking, oblique black eyes, his silky flowing locks, his pale translucent skin. When was the last time I saw him in person? He's still lean, his muscular build peaking through his dark yukata. His golden kāṣāya gleams underneath the sun as he beams at the reporter.

I frown at the sight. What a clown he's become. His diplomatic smile, his draping costume, the shiny facade of the new orphanage. What bullshit.

I rub my temples and stand up, my head an anemic swirl. I press a palm into the chalky wall and close my eyes, his face remaining a persistence of vision. He still tucks his hair behind his ears in the same way...

"I truly believe in the power of our children, Mr. Reporter. Our children are our future and here in the group, we do whatever we can to nurture their powers, individuality, and uniqueness. I sincerely believe, deep in my heart, that they all have the ability to achieve whatever they set their heart out to."

I glance at the TV once more before entering again. "Dr. Nims, I will get you the money by the end of this week. I promise."

═══════════════

𝖂𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖎𝖋 𝕲𝖊𝖙𝖔 𝖎𝖘 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝕸𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗...

➴ Where you sign a contract and submit to Suguru with your mind, your spirit, your soul
         ...and your body

═══════════════

Author's note!

hi, this is mothboyikari  ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱₊˚⊹

i had a lot of fun starting this chapter. i was absolutely aware of the pitfalls of "toxic" tropes & S/M stories so made deliberate and conscious decisions when writing this piece ( ._. )""

so much so that i even did a comparative literary analysis between my title & 50 shades... (with help from chat gpt that is bc i never finished that series...)

btw, i will be updating 2 chapters every 10 days instead of 14 bc of how well the prelude alone did!

annnd, we reached no. 7 out of 54 in "getosuguruxreader" 3 days after the prelude was published! we also have almost 700 combined views between wattpad & webnovel! which means we are only around 300 combined views away from a commissioned cover art!!! woohoo thx 4 yall's support   ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

anyways, i hope yall liked this chapter...follow & vote for more updates to come...૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა ♡

that's all from me today. take care & b safe

with love & warmth,

mothboyikari

2024.06.21