This is Yasu Choukichi.

Time for a change of gears.

[whirlwindhappa]

Phantom

[whirlwindhappa]

The wait was probably only a few minutes. Maybe ten at the most. It passed quickly enough inside the Nurse’s office, but out in the empty hallway, each minute seemed to drag on. The walls provided privacy, but an attentive ear could pick up on the murmur of the girl’s voice. Energetic, to be sure, bordering between frustration and amusement. It made the conversation taking place difficult to figure out…there was too much back and forth for a simple medical check up.

The door creaked open, but before his hallway encounter could step out, the nurse chimed in. “And go easy on him, alright?” in a clear voice, loud enough to be heard into the hallway. The girl was all smiles leaving, but closed the door by leaning back against it, letting out a small sigh. She rolled her eyes and pushed off the door, glancing around the hall. "Hey." Her eyes found Yasu, and the tanned girl flicked her head to the side to gesture down the hallway. Her mood seemed to change completely, as a goofy little smirk found its way onto her face. Her right hand came out from behind her back, holding two long slips of paper. Hall passes. "Up for a walk into town, stranger?"

[achangeofgears]

It didn't take long before the swirl of ebony hair returned, slightly stiffer this time around with the nurse's words swift on her tail. Apparently she'd faced a similar predicament to him, given her relief in response to the closed door, dispersing whatever anger or annoyance that had flared up.

She whirled on Yasu with a smile and an unnervingly cheeky posessing her steel eyes. "Hey."

"Hi."

She held both arms behind her back, but it didn't take long for the surprise to reveal itself. "Up for walk into town, stranger?"

Two hall passes. Yasu stepped up, clutching his left arm, to inspect them. "I, uh - no. I have stuff to do. Stranger."

She looked as stiff as Yasu sounded, clearly discomfited by the idea of having a new kid shunted onto her shoulders. He pulled back from the opportunity, lest her light-hearted words and sporty scent whisk him away. "You have other friends who can use that, right?"

[whirlwindhappa]

Phantom

[whirlwindhappa]

The girl outside had been leaning against the wall next to the door, legs crossed at the ankle as she calmly waited for her appointment with the head nurse. It was a mix of stumbling and cat like reflexes, avoiding the near collision from Yasu rushing out of the Nurse’s office. Her arms caught him, supporting him against her left shoulder until he managed to find his footing. 

She was wearing what must have been her gym clothes. The red trimmed white top matched with a non regulation pair of black shorts. There was a coolness to her bare skin, her long hair damp and carrying the faintest smell of chlorine. “Woah, easy there bucko!” She half yelped and half laughed out her words, skipping backwards a few steps to untangle from him. “Cold stethoscope or something?” The tanned girl blinked a few times, her eyes panning up and down at Yasu. Her face broke into a smirk of understanding, and she let out a soft “Heh…” while shaking her head side to side. “I get it. Hey, I’ll see you in a bit, right?” Standing up straight, she strolled passed Yasu, letting her shoulder brush against his before turning around at the door to face him again. “Try not to trip on anything else.” A small wink, and she brought up her hand as if to wave at him before closing the door behind her. …except there was empty space and bandage where that hand was supposed to be.

[achangeofgears]

Yasu wished it was just the nurse's orders that kept him rooted. It would be easy enough to brush the orders of an authority figure off - or at least dig for a loophole that landed him comfortably back on square one  He wished it were that simple, but not this time.

A sardonic smile pulled uncomfortably at his jaw. Outsmarted at last. He found a section of the wall that didn't bite at his back and settled for the duration of the girl's presumed check-up. The uniform and faint scent of changing room showers - or a swimming pool - marked her as a P.E. student, and a good one at that. She danced circles around his clumsy attempts at movement, with a cheeky ribbing to boot, and that hand... well. At least now the nurse's suggestion stood in clearer light.

Further, she "got it"; whether that was her understanding his apology or the nurse's intention in keeping here... Yasu wondered if he dared stay and find out.

What would it be, then? A friendly elder to guide him through his first few weeks? It seemed the most logical thing to do with a new student, but Yamaku had proved itself to be anything but conventional.

The smile faded with a sigh. Naught to do now but wait, unless the mood to risk another lecture from another doctor struck him. Adjusting his left sleeve, Yasu fixed his eye on the nurse's door label and waited.

[achangeofgears]

Shift || Yasu and Kento

[shakinglaughter-blog]

Spending just over a week over at Yamaku, Kento finally made himself comfortable overall. Maybe this school really was different compared to the old ones he’s been through. Lord knows how many times he’s transferred schools just because he was bullied to the point of emotional discourse. And since no one’s done that so far, it’s been an improvement.

The vending machines at the front lobby seemed to have better drinks than their cafeteria counterparts, so Kento decided to take the long route there instead of straight to the classrooms to quench his thirst right after breakfast. The life of a dorm resident wasn’t the best, but with a little patience, he’ll get used to it; he was starting to miss home cooked meals, though.

The drinks would have to wait, though. In the stream of incoming non-dorm students, he saw a lone figure struggling with his backpack. It probably isn’t his business to interfere with someone else’s luggage, but-, well there goes his bag. This calls for an immediate rush-over.

"H-here, le-let me help y-y-you with that." He bends down and scoops the backpack off the ground and hands it to the kid, but he recently notices the way the other’s right hand is constantly in his pocket. Oh shoot, I think I’m stepping on a landmine here. Quick! I better change the subject.

"Uhh, y-you look f-familiar. H-h-have I s-seen you bef-before?"

[achangeofgears]

Yasu lashed around, eyes wild and defensive, only to immediately regret such a violent action. The speaker held out his bag at arm's length and, perhaps startled by his reaction - or by positioning of his arms, if the flitting gaze was anything to go by - tried hastily to stutter and stumble his way into a conversation. He tried to soften. Relax. Breathe. Breathe...

Envisioning a balloon in his chest did little to help. Yasu took the bag gingerly from the student and smiled a wiry, stiff smile. "Thanks. I, uh, I've never seen you before in my life. I haven't seen anyone... anyone like us. Well, except in hospital."

He fidgeted and wrested the strap back onto his person, triple-checking its security before diverting his attention anywhere else. "Thanks again. Who are you?"

[achangeofgears]

Shift (Open)

The hallway swallowed him whole.

Yasu furrowed his brow. Of course. Lost on his first day. He reached clumsily into his over-sized blazer, diving deep into the breast pocket for a badly folded piece of paper. The whole act was made worse by his constant twisting of his upper body, in a desperate attempt to keep the backpack balanced awkwardly on his left shoulder attached to his person.

Eventually it relinquished, leaving its warm home to settle oddly in the palm of his hand. He wriggled it into unfolding, and checked it over.

Nope. With a heaved sigh he stuffed the timetable back with far less grace than he'd retrieved it, and made to set off.

Thwump.

By the time he registered the slippage of fabric it was too late. A frustrated cry caught in his throat, dispelled by a trembling fist nearly wrenching his hair from his scalp. He scrunched his eyes, blew his cheeks out. He thought back to the wheels of his parents' car, how quickly they'd left - and how sorely he wished them to reverse.