Life Will Change

Chapter 4: Encounter

Begin!

~Normal POV

4/10 - Sunday

Akira woke on Sunday morning aching all over. He'd tossed and turned all night with hardly any reprieve. Dreaming of that strange place called the Velvet Room had left him restless. Or was it a dream? He'd been told he was simply "experiencing it as one," but he wasn't sure how that could be possible. Part of him had hoped to wake up and find all his misfortune had been a horrible nightmare. To wake up in his bed back home with his parents nearby, and his friends texting him to come spend their Sunday together, but such was not the case. He was still in the attic he'd been dropped in the previous day... He groaned and sat up. Checking the time on his phone, it seemed Sojiro would probably be here soon. He quickly got out of bed and went to put on his school uniform and glasses.

Upon finishing, he heard a knock on the stair railing and Sojiro's voice calling, "Hey, kid, are you up?" Akira promptly went downstairs. If he was punctual, then maybe Sojiro might be a bit nicer.

"Morning." Sojiro greeted, gruffly. "I see you still haven't combed your hair."

"Good morning," Akira replied, opting to ignore the comment about his hair. He liked his appearance just the way it was. Plus, Sojiro had no right to judge someone else on their hair in Akira's mind.

Sojiro's appearance differed today, as he was wearing a white men's hat and a white suit jacket over his pink shirt. Akira guessed that this was his form of "business attire."

"Alright come on, if we move fast then I can still have time to open the shop today." He led the boy out the door. Waiting outside was a yellow car parked in front of the shop. Sojiro sighed and grumbled, "Men aren't usually allowed in my passenger seat..." Akira didn't question this odd practice. He obediently got inside and the two drove off.

~...

The ride was quiet at least. Sojiro didn't seem interested in idle conversation. Most of it had been the old man checking his watch impatiently while traffic impeded them. Meanwhile, Akira let his mind wander thinking about what Shujin might be like.

After finally getting out of traffic, they reached the school in the Aoyama district. Sojiro made it a point to remind Akira that the car ride was a one time deal; tomorrow he'd take the train like everyone else. Shujin Academy was stated to be one of the best schools around; but Akira couldn't help thinking it looked just like an ordinary school. It was about three floors and made up of multiple buildings attached via connecting hallways. As they made their way to the administrative office, Akira noticed a grassy courtyard in the center of the buildings with a few cherry blossom trees planted around. The inside looked about the same as any other school: Doors to classrooms, bulletin boards full of special notices; all things he was familiar with. It didn't look special to him.

"Now stay quiet and let me do the talking," Sojiro commanded. Akira barely noticed they'd reached the main office. He was too busy memorizing the hallway layout.

The old man knocked and they were let in by a young woman. "Ah, you're here Mr. Sakura. And you must be Mr. Kurusu?" Akira nodded, choosing to follow his guardian's advice.

In the office was a desk with a very heavy-set, bald, man in a tacky, brown, suit seated at it. The man greeted them and introduced himself. "I'm Principal Kobayakawa, I'll be in charge of making sure that you do what you're told while you're here." He handed a paper over for Sojiro to sign. "Just sign here and he starts tomorrow."

The principal addressed Akira. "This here is your new homeroom teacher." He gestured to the woman beside him. "She's to report directly to me if there's any issues."