The Story of the Seven

CHAPTER 1 - My House Burns Down

2 months ago, it happened.

My house burned down, and so did my dreams with it. It was a splendid sight, in a twisted sense. The blue and red flames illuminating the night sky, my house groaning as it burned, my dreams disappearing with the silvery smoke in the nightly sky.

Why did my dreams disappear, you ask? Well, you see, my family is very poor. They barely scrapped up the pennies to get me through high school, and they sacrificed their life savings to muster up the cash so I could go to college next year.

And in that kind of situation, our house burned down.

Our safe haven with precious memories – gone.

All our belongings – gone.

Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone.

Since we were too poor for insurance, even if we managed to repair this mess, we would most certainly be broke.

Goodbye, college.

Goodbye, future job.

Although I can go on and on of this incident, I think that this is enough with the cliché traumatic flashbacks.

We're going back to the present.

So anyways, ever since that incident, I got stuck in a damned "Emotional Recovery Ward."

Thank you, Universal Health Care Law for covering up the medical costs.

So the ward I'm in is a place where young teens who have traumatic experiences or mental disorders go to rest and recover.

And for the last two months, it's been awful. I feel like I'm confined in a prison. I can hear the steady tick-tock of the clock, and I can see the trees rustling outside the window. But I'm also in near complete isolation, near complete solitude.

"Phooooooo-"

I let out a sound like a deflating balloon. Aside from visits by medical personal or close relatives, I can only ease the anguish of passing time by losing myself in my own thoughts. Thankfully, though, this lifestyle is finally coming to a close.

Today, after 2 months, I am at last being moved to a more spacious room that houses two people – in other words, I guess I'm getting something along the lines of a roommate. I feel excited, as sharing a room with someone else will finally break the monotonous silence I have all but been accustomed to.

As I got escorted down the hall to my new room, I felt nervous.

Why am I getting so anxious at meeting a new person? Relax, Haruto, all you need to say is a basic introduction: Hi, I'm Haruto, age 16. I guess we're roommates, so please take care of me.

After walking through a couple of cold, white corridors, I finally arrive at a plain white door.

The nurse opened the door to my new room, and led me inside.

"Mr. Haruto, this way please."

I was immediately struck by the cool spring breeze. The room I was led to had a window on the far side, and plain white walls. There were also two beds in the room; on one bed laid a muscular-looking teenager (age 17?) in hospital clothes and a heavily bandaged arm; the other bed was empty.

"You two, please get along."

With that, the nurse left, leaving me with my new "roommate."

"Hi, I'm Gunpei Toukichi. Disciple of Squad Leader Ayamoto, District 12. Please refer to me as "Toukichi" as if we're childhood buddies from the Showa period."

Startled, I looked at the muscular guy.

Squad Leader? What's he talking about? Is he alright?

Forcing a smile, I replied,

"Hi, I'm Haruto p-p-p-please take care of me."

The muscular man (Toukichi) laughed at my stammering.

"No need to be so scared, I won't bite or anything. At least, most of the time."

This was my first meeting with Toukichi. Little did I know that this man would change my life forever.

But how did he change my life?

That's a story for later.

Let's stick with the current story for now.