Chapter Text
The mid-afternoon sun shone in brilliant rays through the classroom window. Golden light danced across the mostly-vacant rows of desks, bathing every visible surface in yellow. The classroom was silent, other than the occasional tick of the clock resounding through the stale air. A teacher sat at the desk in front of the class, a bored woman who regularly let her attention on the girls slip and cast her gaze to the clock before looking back at the room in front of her. Three girls sat in the classroom, spread out amongst the chairs as if they could not bear to be near each other at all. Each one wore the Blue Division uniform, a deep-cleavaged short sleeved blue shirt combined with a knee-length turquoise skirt.
A small-framed girl sat in the front row. Her face was unnaturally pale and framed by long bangs of black hair, curling gently below her chin. Her brown eyes were encircled by large round glasses. Embarrassed by the immodesty of the Blue Division uniform, she wore a black long-sleeved t-shirt and black tights beneath her uniform, determined to show off as little skin as possible. A keyring hung limply from her belt, several rusted keys perched upon it. A token from the School Mechanic’s Association, that held more values than anyone expected. She sat with her face buried in a sketchbook, her pencil performing wild motions as she drew. However, her drawings were hidden from any observer by her left hand, preventing any unwanted observations. A small clothing tag poked up from the neck of her shirt, framed by her black pigtails. On it, scrawled in black marker, was her name. Yui.
A row behind her sat a significantly more colourful figure. In contrast to the girl in the front row, her skin was bronze tanned and she embraced the uniform in all its revealing glory. The blue shirt hung open to about half way down her chest, and her skirt was shorter than regulation. A pink ribbon was neatly tied around her neck like a choker, and her blonde hair was pushed up into a messy bun which bounced as she moved. Her seat was pushed back from her desk, leaning precariously as she sat with her feet up resting on the table in front of her. The girl sat holding a compact makeup mirror in her right hand, admiring her face while her left hand idly spun a pencil. On the desk in front of her sat a closed workbook with her name written on the cover in glittery pink. Chika.
In the back row, isolated from the other two girls was a unique figure. She sat slumped over the desk, using her arms as a pillow. Her primarily-blue uniform was contrasted by the unauthorised accessories that she wore with it. Her lop-sided black bob was topped by a striking red beret, reminiscent of those worn by Spain’s Carlist movement. Theatrically draped across her shoulders was a crimson bomber jacket, the shiny material reflecting some of the mid-afternoon light. Her brown eyes were half-closed, observing the room in a state between light sleep and awake. The back of her jacket was adorned with a crudely graffitied logo of the School Marksmanship Association, a crossed rifle and artillery gun barrel surrounded by a wreath of leaves. The wreath was ringed with the text “Revivir la Escuela” - “Revive the School” - and her name. Yaeko.
The teacher sat at the front of the class loosened her tie slightly and leaned back to gaze at the clock. The three girls didn’t move and simply continued to live in their own world. The teacher eventually leaned forward again and let out a deep sigh. As if on cue, three sets of eyes lazily drifted over to her.
“Listen girls, I have an errand to run. If any of you dare to move a muscle , you’re gonna be back here with me tomorrow afternoon. Got it?” The teacher spoke with a tired and exasperated tone.
Chika enthusiastically raised her hand and waved it, speaking before anyone had time to get a word in.
“But miss! What if there’s a fire - or a flood? Or one of us gets ill or injured?” her high and bubbly voice deeply contrasted the teacher’s monotone statement.
The teacher put a palm to her face and gently massaged the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes as she did. Turning away from the class, she opened her mouth to speak.
“There’ll be none of that, miss Imai. I don’t want to hear a sound from this classroom. Especially not from you miss Katou.”
She shot her gaze directly over Yui and Chika, her eyes burrowing into Yaeko alone. After several seconds the teacher turned on her heel, pulled open the classroom door with a horrific screech and stepped out. Once the door was closed once more, Yaeko jumped to her feet and slammed her hand on the table, pointing at the door with her other hand.
“That’s why this school needs reform! The staff here don’t respect the wishes of the student body at all! They will not silence me!” Yaeko took on the tone of a natural orator, whipping up a frenzy in a crowd of onlookers
Yui continued to draw, unbothered by the ongoing events around her. In contrast, Chika lazily rolled her head back to look at Yaeko, her tanned skin glowing in the afternoon light as she did. Her bob dramatically bounced several times as her head came to rest.
“Wow, Yaeko. I knew you had a reputation around but like… sheesh! Calm down girl, it’s not that deep!” Chika sounded unimpressed, emphasising her boredom as she spoke.
Yaeko stormed through the grid of desks, her bomber jacket billowing out behind her with her long strides. Chika spun around in her chair to face the oncoming girl, crossing her legs casually as she did.
“Of course you wouldn’t understand, Chika, you’re an airhead just like the rest of your friends! We all know why you’re here. Gossiping in class again! Me? I’m being silenced for trying to improve the student experience!”
Chika scoffed in her face “Well that is just a lie, girl. If I wanted to, I could find so much dirt on you.”
At the front of the room, Yui finally put down her pencil softly. She stood up suddenly, spun around and tensed her body as if preparing to unleash a barrage of shouts, catching the attention of both Chika and Yaeko. However, she simply said a simple phrase in a quiet, soft tone.
“You’re both so loud. Will you be quiet for once?” Yui practically whispered.
Chika was taken so off guard by her speech that she almost tipped her chair over in surprise. Scrambling to steady herself, she chuckled loudly to herself drawing the eye of both Yaeko - who stood with her arms crossed impatiently - and Yui who was now hiding her face behind her hand. When Chika realised she had accidentally made Yui uncomfortable, she sprung out of her chair and instinctively reached out her hand towards her.
“Oh no! Sorry Yui, I wasn’t laughing at you - just myself!” Chika stumbled through her speech, trying to comfort Yui.
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Yui gently sighed and removed her hand from her face, “I’ve heard worse from others. Now. Why are you two here in detention?”
Yaeko sat down on the edge of an adjacent desk, letting her short legs swing as she sat there. In one swift motion, she removed the crimson beret from her head and held it to her chest, covering the open cleavage of her shirt.
“I was wrongfully punished for voicing my views! This school needs reform and it needs it now!”
Chika sighed as she tightened the pink ribbon around her neck. “You put up anti-faculty posters around the cafeteria square again didn’t you, Yaeko?”
“Yes…” Yaeko sounded dejected, as if her life’s work had just been called out.
Yui let out a small chuckle, her shoulders bouncing as she did. A hand covered by one of her long-black sleeves shot up to cover her mouth as she laughed. Chika looked at her and gave her a smile, starting to warm up to the previously cold girl.
“Now, Yui, what would a sweet little girl like you be doing here?”
“I skipped class yesterday.. To draw - this is going to seem really nerdy - tank engines…”
Within seconds, both Chika and Yaeko’s eyes lit up, staring at Yui. Yaeko jumped to her feet, simultaneously Chika shot out from behind her desk and sat on a chair closer to Yui. Both now seemed deeply interested in the conversation. Chika’s previously airheaded energy had been replaced in a whirlwind by a deeply attentive girl. Similarly, Yaeko had calmed down, turning to quiet focus rather than loud, flashy speeches.
“No. Way. A little cutie like you loves tanks? Me too! I’ve always wanted to see one up close! Maybe even crew one!” Chila burst out, her enthusiasm emphasised by rapid hand movements.
“What! An airhead like you appreciates tanks? A person like you wouldn’t understand the first thing about them!” Yaeko retorted, sterner than she should be.
Yui stifled a chuckle as she watched the two bicker. “Well, we all love tanks. Who would have guessed? We couldn’t be more different, after all…”
Chika threw her gaze towards the clock, her head lazily rolling over her shoulder. The sun reflected off the glass cover, blurring the numbers and hands. After several seconds of looking, she batted her eyelashes and turned back to the other two.
“It’s been like, ten minutes and teach isn’t back yet. How ‘bout we bounce? This place is so booooring.” Chika sighed out, deliberately emphasising the final words.
“You got somewhere to be, birdbrain?” Yaeko remarked.
“Well I was thinking that we could all hang out, but clearly you don’t want to.”
Chika reached into her purse and pulled out a pack of pink bubblegum, leisurely popping one of the small gumballs into her mouth. She chewed, staring down her nose at Yaeko before blowing a large, pink bubble. With a sudden bang, the bubble burst. This caused Yui to jump slightly, amusing both Yaeko and Chika.
“Well I think it’s a wonderful idea for us to hang out together! You all seem so cool… and I’d like to get to know you better!” Yui implored, looking between both the girls for their agreement.
With a silent nod from both Yaeko and Chika, the girls began preparing to leave. Yui carefully packed her sketchbook and pencils into her small, black backpack and placed it on the desk. Meanwhile, Chika simply pushed her workbook and stationary into her purse, not caring for neatness. Yaeko stood over them, having not brought any personal items with her at all. Once they were finished, they pulled open the door and stepped into the hallway. Chika led the group, her bouncy, confident stride motivating the others. The corridor was cool, a welcome respite from the bright, stuffy heat of the classroom. Their adventure was about to bring them to a corner of the school unknown to most students. However, Yui was more than aware of the secrets it held. One of her hands brushed against the keyring on her belt, and a very faint smile crossed her face.