My weather worn sneakers bounced off the dark wooden floor. The thumps bounced off the home's brightly red walls and echoed throughout the narrow hallways. The floors and countertops, I noticed, were polished to shine. Junko didn't say anything. She just lead me to a small but cozy room.

There was several kids plopped on a rather large couch. They were all slouched, eyes glued to a brightly colored screen. Junko walked over and turned off the television as soon as I entered the room.

"Hey get everyone else, we have a new member I'd like everyone to meet" she announced.

"Really!? We do!?" a very energetic girl leap up from her position from the couch "It's not that scrawny little kid is it?"

Feeling self conscious, I shuffled my feet until I was behind Junko. A devilish smile appeared on her face as she watched me hide myself from the other children.

"Yes it's a boy!" a half little boy half shark jumped up "He's going to be my best friend."

Another little boy crawled out from under the couch. Why he was under there was beyond me, but I didn't have time to ponder the thought after I saw what he was wearing. It was an outsider's black coat. I didn't know there could be little ones. I also didn't know they were in this house.

I backed away, a feeling of dread washing over my entire body.

"I thought you made me your best friend" the baby outsider grumbled.

"Not anymore" the shark boy replied "You're, like, really weird dude. I need a new best friend."

"How dare you betray me! I put a curse of a thousand needles onto you!" he screamed back at him.

Curse! I didn't know outsiders could cast spells. So many horrible things I have learned today! I dashed out of the room.

Not sure where I intended to go. It wasn't like I had the courage to go back in the garden. But the sight of the outsider had triggered an urge inside me to run. So when I reached the front door, I switch direction, sprinting into a the kitchen.

I was running blindly, when suddenly the solid objects around me splurged into large streaks of color. Like someone poured water on an oil painting. When the world turns back to normal all I can see is the very polished, very clean wooden floor.

"Hey watch where you're going" I heard someone hiss.

I felt my chest squeeze. I felt like I was in a nightmare where I couldn't move no matter how hard I tried.

"Oh you guys, he hasn't even been here for ten minutes and you've already scared the stuffing out of him" I felt someone support me from underneath my armpits. They lifted off the floor and back onto my feet "But I have to admit the face you're making is adorable."

Seeing who it was, I gripped onto the only safe person in the house, burying my face into her chest. Footsteps approached us behind and I knew all the children had gathered around us. I could feel their stares on my back.

"Looks like everyone is here" Junko commented. She let her long nails caress my back. "Everyone this is our newest member...um I actually never caught your name."

"Hajime" it came out muted by Junko's shirt.

"Oh geez I forgot you like to mumble. Anyway, this is Hajime guys"

I heard the chorus of a welcoming come from behind. I dared to leave the security of Junko's embrace and looked at my observers. Children of every size and color had their curious eyes fixated on me. They talked in a jumbled mess, some trying to talk to, some trying to talk to the person beside them. All of them not realizing that they couldn't be heard as a result. In that moment I realized that the cluster around me was indeed children.

Not shark people or outsiders or any kind of monsters. They were just kids. I felt silly for having run away in the first place. But there was anything I noticed, their eyes. Their sullen gazes lacked the enthusiasm or sparkle that most children had. Looking in their eyes was like looking into a mirror. Junko had said her friends were like me and I finally believed her.

Feeling as I did truly belong to the group, I stepped away from my fabric hiding spot.

"Are you a scaredy cat just like Mikan?" a very short girl asked with a bratty tone.

"I-I'm not a scaredy cat" I recognized the girl from earlier.

"I'm sorry" a hoarse voice came out of my own throat "I won't be scared anymore."

"You're too quiet Hajime" a loud voice boomed "You have to project your voice. Never be ashamed of your voice!"

"Geez you're loud, maybe you should be ashamed" the girl who called me scrawny complained.

There was so many kids. Enough to fill an entire classroom. Listen to all of them chatter at once was making my head hurt. It never got this loud at my old house.

"You okay Hajime?" Junko squeezed my shoulder "You not looking so great right."

Before I could reply she continued "I bet you're tired from such an adventurous day! Who wants to show Hajime to the boys' room?"

"Me" several of the boys called out. The boy with the loud voice grabbed me by the sleeve and started to drag me upstairs. The other boys followed behind intently.

"Don't worry Hajime there's no bedtime here" the shark boy proclaimed, his chest beaming with pride "We stay up all night and have the coolest sleepovers."

I could only nod in response. I was becoming uncomfortably aware that I was being dragged further and further away from Junko. But I had just said I wouldn't get scared anymore, so I followed along without complaint.

When we got to a door, one of the boys swung it open and revealed a bedroom.

Looking inside what would be my new room I was filled with disappointment in seeing how cramped it was. The room itself was very spacious but it was packed with beds. They lined the walls on either side, all singles with no bunkbeds.

As a result there wasn't much room to move around. It wasn't like my old room, where the sleeping space was small but the playing space was big enough for our train set and our board games. It looked like I'd have to give those up.

Not like I had anyone to play with anymore.

"Oh yeah, I forgot" the shark boy said "The only bed left is the one next to…"

"That weird kid" someone else finished for him.

That had my brain buzzing with worry. If there was a kid that these kids found weird, there must be something wrong with him. I decided that if he was dangerous, Junko would protect me.

"Anyway Hajime, here's where you sleep" I was directed to a bed right beside the corner bed. Judging by the boys' worried glancing at the bed tucked into the corner, I assumed that that was the weird kid's bed.

"So Hajime" someone nudged my shoulder "Are you really going to sleep? Or did you want to play some cool video games with us!"

My response was to ignore him and crawl under the covers. Almost immediately I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

TheRoseShadow21: Thank you I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hoped I made all the kiddos cute enough lol.

DreadAngelus: Most of the class is here. I decided to leave out Chiaki and Mitarari, but everyone else is with Junko (the best place for a child). As for mind screws, well hopefully you'll like what I have planned.