It Begins

(A/N: Is that a Power Stone I'm sensing? You should leave it here for safekeeping. Don't worry, I'll take good care of it.) 😀

Word Count: 1779

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~Lunch Break~

As the lunch bell resounded through the air, Reiji let out a tired sigh and deftly picked up his lunchbox, eager to indulge in a well-earned meal. The lecture was boring; while reviewing something already learned may be refreshing to some, others would say it's tiring.

Upon opening his lunch box, Reiji was greeted by a delicious aroma that wafted up to his nose. He smiled as he gazed at the neatly arranged food. Reiji was always meticulous in preparing his lunch, and he took pride in it.

"Awww, your lunch is so cute! Did you make it yourself, Reiji?" a sweet voice asked curiously. Turning his head to the right, he recognized her as the girl who helped him earlier in the hallway.

Nodding, Reiji replied, "Yeah, I made my lunch. Though it's a bit childish, huh? I used to make my siblings' lunches when our caretakers were busy, so I kind of did this out of habit."

While the majority of Reiji's lunch looked ordinary, his onigiri had a distinctive koala face shape, and his tamagoyaki had adorable panda faces peeking out of them.

The girl giggled and leaned closer to get a better look at the cute lunch creations. "Childish or not, it's absolutely adorable! I wish I had your talent for making such creative lunches."

Reiji chuckled, thanking her for the compliment. "By the way, I never properly introduced myself. Although you already know this, I'll say it again. I'm Reiji. Reiji Sukehiro. It's a pleasure to meet you..."

"Kaori," she finished with a slight smile. "I'm Kaori Shirisaki. It's also a pleasure meeting you, Reiji."

As they continued their conversation, Reiji noticed a boy approaching them. He was the epitome of an "ikemen" - with short, silky brown hair, piercing light blue eyes, and a slim build that concealed a surprisingly muscular frame. Reiji couldn't help but notice the subtle contractions of his muscles beneath his school uniform.

As the boy approached, he spoke up, "Kaori, we've been looking all over for you. We thought you might have gone to the cafeteria again if you forgot your lunch."

Kaori apologized, "I'm sorry about that, Kouki. I was actually talking to Reiji about our hobbies and such, and I wasn't paying attention. Hey, Reiji, why don't you join us?"

Reiji was taken aback. "Is that okay with you? I don't want to intrude on your group."

Kaori shook her head and assured him that it was fine and that they wanted to get to know him better. Agreeing with her request, Reiji stood up from his seat and grabbed his lunch. Feeling a piercing gaze on him, Reiji looked over and saw Kouki staring at him.

Annoyed by it, Reiji asked, "Is there a problem, Kouki?"

Kouki awkwardly laughed and scraped the back of his head, his gaze shifting towards Kaori who was grabbing her lunch. "No problem at all. Sorry if it creeped you out. It's just that you're new, and, well, I like to observe people before I get to know them," he explained, trying to justify his staring.

Reiji simply replied with an "Uh-huh," suspecting that Kouki was hiding some truth. However, he chose not to call him out on it. Turning towards Kaori, he asked, "Are you ready?"

Kaori nodded, "Yes, I'm ready. Let's go."

Reiji followed Kaori's lead as they walked towards a vacant table in the corner of the classroom. Kouki joined them, his earlier awkwardness replaced with a more relaxed demeanor.

As they settled down, Reiji couldn't help but notice that Kouki and Kaori seemed quite popular among their classmates, with several students greeting them as they passed by. It made him wonder how much influence they held within the class.

As he was thinking, two other students from the class approached their table. One was a girl with long black hair and red eyes, and the other was a boy with spiky brown hair and a serious expression.

The girl with long black hair and red eyes spoke first, "Hey, Kaori, Kouki," she greeted with a smile before turning her attention to Reiji. "And you must be the new transfer student. Hi, I'm Shizuku. Nice to meet you."

Reiji nodded in response, returning her smile. "Nice to meet you too, Shizuku."

Next, the boy with spiky hair introduced himself. "I'm Ryutarou Sakagami." He maintained his serious expression as he spoke. Unfazed by it, Reiji greeted him back with a smile and introduced himself to the two.

"I'm Reiji Sukehiro, the new transfer student. Nice to meet you both."

Reiji looked around the table, noticing that the atmosphere had become a bit awkward with Ryutarou's serious demeanor. Taking control of the conversation, Reiji decided to lighten the tense atmosphere.

"Do you do martial arts or any sports, Ryutarou? You have quite the physique," Reiji complimented, throwing him off guard.

Grinning in pride, he replied, "Of course, I do martial arts. Karate, to be exact."

Reiji raised an eyebrow in interest, "Karate? That's impressive. I've always wanted to try it myself. Maybe you can teach me some moves sometime."

Ryutarou's serious expression broke into a small smile. "Sure, I'd be happy to show you some basics."

As the conversation flowed smoothly, the atmosphere around the table had lightened considerably. Reiji learned a lot about his classmates: Kouki was gifted both academically and physically, Ryutarou practiced martial arts and was Kouki's best friend, and Kaori, Shizuku, and Kouki shared a past as childhood friends.

Kaori suddenly got up from her seat, catching the attention of the others at the table. "Excuse me, I'll be right back," she said with a smile before walking towards a boy who was sitting alone in the classroom.

Kouki watched her for a moment before getting up and following her. "Wait up, Kaori," he called out.

Reiji observed as the two approached a lone boy sitting in the front of the class. Curious, he turned towards Shizuku and Ryutarou and asked, "Who's the boy Kaori is walking to? And why is Kouki trying to intervene?"

"His name is Hajime Nagumo," Shizuku answered. "As far as I know, he's reclusive and pretty quiet. There isn't anything really special about him other than being referred to as an outcast."

Ryutarou nodded in agreement and added, "He spends all his time sleeping and doesn't do anything at all." He finished with a disdainful sigh.

Reiji furrowed his brows in confusion. "Why is Kouki trying to stop Kaori from socializing with him then?"

Shizuku shrugged. "I'm not really sure. Maybe Kouki knows something we don't. Or maybe he just doesn't want Kaori getting involved with someone like him."

Ryutarou nodded in agreement. "Kouki's always been protective of Kaori. He probably just wants to make sure she doesn't get hurt."

While the group chatted, Reiji couldn't help but ponder what set Hajime apart from the rest of the class. Hajime appeared to be generally disliked by his peers, although Shizuku didn't seem to hold any strong opinions about him - she was neutral.

However, it was unlikely that everyone felt the same way. He observed Kaori and Kouki approaching the solitary boy, curious about what would unfold.

"That's rare, Nagumo-kun. You're still in the classroom. Did you not bring lunch? If you'd like, you can have some of mine," Kaori kindly offered.

"Ah, thanks for the invitation, Shirasaki-san. But I've already finished eating my lunch, so why not eat with Amanogawa-kun instead?" Hajime showed Kaori the remnants of his packaged lunch as he made his response.

The rest of his classmates might have resented him for declining, but it was better than enduring a lunch break filled with discomfort. Beads of cold sweat trickled down Hajime's back as the pressure continued to mount, but he finally found his saviors in the form of Kouki, Ryutarou, and Reiji.

"Kaori, let's all eat lunch together. It seems that Nagumo needs some more sleep. And I won't allow anyone to eat Kaori's delicious handmade lunch while half-asleep!" Kouki flashed Kaori a dazzling smile as he delivered his pretentious line, but Kaori simply looked puzzled.

Being a bit slow or perhaps just an airhead, Kaori failed to grasp Kouki's handsome appeal. "Huh? Why do I need your permission to share my lunch, Kouki-kun?" Shizuku and Reiji couldn't help but snicker involuntarily at Kaori's earnest question.

Kouki laughed awkwardly, attempting to change the subject. However, the crucial point was that the four, now five, most famous individuals in school were now sitting together with Hajime, much to the displeasure of the rest of the class.

Then out of nowhere was a glowing silver circle engraved with various geometric patterns glowing in front of Reiji, at Hajime's feet.

The rest of the students all saw the strange circle as well. Everyone was frozen in place, staring at the weird glowing pattern that, for lack of a better word, looked just like a magic circle.

Reiji considered the situation, 'So this world is an Isekai.' Reiji thought, staying composed. Reiji wouldn't know what to expect of this new world; it could be more like Berserk or Akame Ga Kill, full of darkness and danger lurking around every corner or it could be a go-happy one like Konosuba or No Game No Life.

Knowing he needed more information before making any moves, Reiji decided to be cautious. Without knowing what's to come, he would have to react and respond, making quick plans for every situation that arises and using them to his advantage. With this in mind, he steeled himself mentally for what was to come.

The magic circle began to glow brighter and brighter until its light enveloped the entire classroom. The circle itself began expanding as well, and when it finally grew big enough to cover Hajime's feet, everyone finally became unfrozen and started screaming. Quickly grabbing his lunchbox, Reiji held onto it.

Aiko-sensei, who had remained in the classroom, yelled, "Everyone! Get out of the classroom!" at the same time the magic circle flared up in a brilliant explosion of light.

After a few seconds, or maybe a few minutes, the light finally began to fade, and color returned to the classroom. However, the room was now deserted. Some chairs were knocked over, half-eaten lunch boxes were sitting on desks, and chopsticks and plastic bottles were scattered across the room.

The classroom had everything still left in it except the people.

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Author's Words For The Chapter:

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