The Hidden Thief

Chapter One: New Boy Blues

          Puddles splashed as students rushed their way to Shujin Academy. Raindrops bounced off of Akira's umbrella as he calmly made his way into the large building. He walked up the stone steps and closed his soaking umbrella. He noticed his friends Ryuji and Ann waiting for him inside by the doors.

          "Yo, Akira!" Ryuji calls out to him and waves his hand. Akira sees and walks over to the two.

          "Hello." He greets them politely. Ann gives him a friendly smile and Ryuji gives him a high five. "I'm surprised that you're here earlier today, Ryuji.." Akira says.

          "Well, ya know, it was raining and I wanted to get here before I got soaked.." Ryuji says with and awkward grin. Akira chuckles lightly at his friend before he begins to speak again. "Did you hear that we're getting a new transfer student? Everyone's been talking about it!" Akira tilts his head, not knowing about it before. "We're not sure what he looks like, but you'll never know if a stranger'll show up in your life!" Just then, a boy who Akira's never seen before, walked through the doors.

          "Speak of the devil.." Ann mutters quietly. The boy stops and looks around, giving the group a chance to look at him. Morgana pokes his head out of Akira's backpack to take a look as well.

He seemed a little taller than Akira, maybe about 5'10", and had a thin and slender looking waist. He had chestnut-orange hair, one side flowing down to cover part of his left eye. His ears were impaled with round, black piercings, and his chocolate-brown eyes seemed to give off and annoyed and uninterested expression. He grumbled something to himself before walking off.

          "I wasn't expecting that.." Akira says calmly.

          "Something seems off about him.. I can sense it.." Morgana says. Ryuji rolls his eyes a bit at the cat's response.

          "You think there's something off about everyone..." The blonde retorts. Morgana scoffs a bit before ducking back into the bag.

          "Well, you never know.. He may look cold on the outside, but he might be the biggest sweetheart on the inside~!" Ann exclaims. "I'm going to try and talk to him next time I see him." The school bell rings, and students scatter to their classes.

          "Let's worry about that later. We should get to class so we aren't late.." The group splits up, and they go to their classes.

          The day went by as normal, nothing seeming to be out of the ordinary. Akira and Ann didn't see the new boy in their class, so they assumed he wasn't in their home room. After the day ends, he walks out of the school and towards the train station. He got onto the train and he starts heading back home. During the ride, he felt his phone buzz. He pulled it out of his pocket, and saw that it was a message from the Phantom Thieves group chat.

Ryuji: Yo Makoto, Haru, did you guys see the new kid today?

Makoto: I saw him pass by the student council room a few times, but that's about it..

Haru: I did too. He's a third year, and he's in my class

Yusuke: What's this about a new kid?

Ryuji: There's a new transfer student at our school and he looks like a punky version of you

Futaba: Ooooooo Punk Inari? Give me all the details!!

Ryuji: Tall, skinny, nearish orange hair, pierced ears, brown eyes, always seems annoyed

Futaba: If you give me a name I can research him next Phantom Thieves meeting

Futaba: Haru, you said he was in your class right? What's his name?

Haru: Tristin Kuramoto

Futaba: Thanks! Mwhehehe

          The chat goes quiet, and Akira puts his phone away for the remainder of the train ride. Tristin Kuramoto, that was the new kid's name. He thought about him for a second, thinking about what he could be like, and who he was. He sighs a bit and leans his head against the window as he rides back to the cafe.

          Tristin trudges tiredly along the street, the setting sun glowing past the tall buildings of Tokyo. A bag of food and snacks hung from one of his hands. His cold breath was visible as he walked back to the place he calls "home." He turns a corner and walks into an abandoned alleyway, littered with a few pairs of clothes and lots of trash. He was always alone, the raccoons that occasionally scavenged the garbage cans for food were his only company.

He drops his school bag onto the ground and sets the food bag next to it. He sits down against the wall, and wraps his arms around himself. Winter was coming, and he knew the cold weather wouldn't be kind to him. Nothing was. Not since that day. Tristin remembers it vividly; Those people, the police, juvenile hall.. the anger and disappointment in his parent's voices echoed in the back of his mind. Out of every injury he's had in the past, nothing had hurt him more than when his parents wished every horrible thing possible to happen to him.

He was never the same person since then. Who was once a happy energetic kid, was now a cold, emotionless shell of what he once was. But Tristin didn't care. This was who he was now, and only a miracle could change that. He pushed those thoughts away, not wanting to think about them. He grabs an old sweatshirt as he begins to lay down on the cold floor. He lays his head on the sweatshirt as if it was a pillow, and begins to drift into sleep. Tomorrow was another day.