Desire - H. Umemiya

Chapter 7. Stranger from Nowhere

'Realizing that someone you know is actually  a stranger is scary but... would that stop you?'

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"No!!!!!!!" Both shouted at the the same time that they had to look at each other before turning the other way.

To this Yuki chuckled.

"You're wrong, Shinomiya-kun. Kotoha right here is like a younger sister, we both grow up at the orphanage after all."

'Wait, why am I even explaining this?' Umemiya thought before facepalming. "I was even telling you about her a while ago, right? Back at school?" he added making a few gestures with his hands as if doing so would actually backed his statement.

"You just have met me, obviously that one was just a jest, even I would know that. But seriously Umemiya-san... you both look good together!" she added winking at Umemiya. Right now, she was having fun messing around with him that she couldn't notice anyone around them, well except the subject of her teasing.

Kotoha was on the dark about what they were talking about yet decided to just let it go. The flow of event showed her that it was just Yuki playing around Umemiya. She have not seen Umemiya this flabbergasted, though, she let out a chuckle.

 "I'll go back now, have fun Shinomiya-kun." she stated as she gave Yuki a smile.

This left just the four of them.

"You see, uh nevermind ... Let's just stop this. It seems like I will not be getting through you at all." Umemiya has given up striking through her formidable fortress of hoax ignorance. He then drag a seat and sat beside Suo.

"Anyways, how is being the Grade Captain going for you, Sakura?" this took the attention of the silent Sakura. He just took a glance at Umemiya and then shifted his gaze anywhere but Umemiya.

"...it's going well, I guess." he slowly replied. "The guys are good and... reliable, not that I am saying that subjectively, it just that..." but his face slowly reddened after as he fumbles with his own words.

"Oh... Thank you, Sakura-kun." Suo stated as he gave the guy a bright smile.

"Well, don't mind him, Shinomiya-san. He can be clumsy sometimes... but Sakura-san is undeniably strong." Nirei added as he can see the confusion in Yuki.

Yuki stared at Sakura and tilted her head as if checking if he really was, to this Sakura stood up and put on a stance as he held his hands up as if he was ready for a fight.

"Let's figh-!"He yelled but wasn't able to properly finish his declaration when Yuki sat straight and shifter her gaze to Suo.

"What's with the Bofurin and Grade Captains anyways?" she decided to ask. It is better to have that background check after all, rather than just staying in the dark.

"Don't tell me you don't know Shinomiya-san?!" Nirei stood up and asked in surprise. After all the owning of the role of informing her of the members of the Bofurin, here she is not even knowing the fundamentals of the fundamentals. He felt disappointed with his teaching, if it was considered one.

In fact, it was not just him who was surprise by that, but everyone in that table did. Sure, Bofurin may not be popular but moving to the town would probably give you a background. Afterall, anyone planning to live in Makochi would probably check about the reputation of the place first before moving (like Sakura but he also seems to be a failed case, since he didn't know things have changes a little bit in Furin) like if it is safe or something, and yet here you are living in a town without any knowledge on Bofurin, a group of students protecting the town, rather than clueless aren't you just reckless then?

Yuki's classmates were in deep thought as they remain still, staring at her.

"We-well... was I supposed to? I-is it a b-big deal or a mandatory knowledge?"

Now that they think about it... Do they even know anything about her except her name, her face and her personality? She had successfully blended in their class that getting to know her has totally slipped off their minds. It felt like she already became a part of them even before they even knew it, like a chameleon in camouflage, well, except for Sugushita and maybe Sakura - but in Sakura's words, he's just not interested. (though a part of him actually is, a part of him only).

Umemiya coughed to which got the other boys' attention. He, too, was surprised, not because of your zero knowledge on the group, he, along with the others, formed, but because of the fact you just moved into a place crawling with violent groups - which is why Bofurin was created in the first place to protect the town and its people from these groups.

He then stared at you with nothing in mind at all. He just felt at loss. 

"You're not joking, right?" Nirei asked again then proceeded to hammer in all the data he knew about Bofurin to Yuki when the latter nodded. "Bofurin is...." He started his BOFURIN 101 lecture.

The other three remained silent as they caught themselves looking at Yuki with eyes full of interest and with veins surging with thrilling intensity.

'Who are you, Shinomiya Yuki? The stranger that somehow appeared out of nowhere.'  Their eyes glinted with dangerous intensity as their minds wander to a maze of questions searching for possible answers.