Chapter 1

Ryuichi Okazaki sat hunched over his desk with both hands clutching his head, one of them pressing his cell phone to his ear. He winced as though in pain as the voice on the other end kept talking—pleading, rather.

"The baby is due in May," his mother told him. "Please, your sister needs all the help we can give."

"I know, Mom," he sighed, feeling like he had worn out those words near the start of their conversation. "I'll help out."

"Thank you. You're such a good brother."

They exchanged "I love yous", Ryuichi's a little more robotic than he intended. When he hung up the phone, he set it down on his desk while he ran his fingers through his silvery-gray hair.

Ryuichi began to piece together his handgun-shaped Evoker before returning it to the holster hanging in his closet. For three years now, he occupied the manager's room on the first floor of the Iwatodai dormitory, and it was quite possibly the best thing to ever happen to him. Now, with his sister's baby on the way, it seemed more like a hindrance, where he anticipated that he would have to travel so far to his parents' house and then back a number of times a week.

He checked the clock on his desk. It was fifteen minutes until midnight, and it was his turn to observe their newest addition to the dorm: a first-year student named Yukari Takeba. Rubbing sleepiness out of his watery blue eyes, he took along the holster with his Evoker and his harness with his two katana—one short, the other standard—and headed up to the command room on the fourth floor.

Mitsuru Kirijo was already seated in front of the bank of consoles against the left wall. Her long, wine-red hair fell about her shoulders in loose waves, and a curtain of bangs obscured her left eye. She sat high in the chair, staring up at the different screens with her arms crossed in front of her chest, as if passing judgment over the sleeping Yukari with a critical eye. After getting to know Mitsuru for the past few years, he knew that she was not passing judgment of any sort. That was simply the way her face was, obscuring the sympathy Mitsuru had for the girl that she expressed to him since her arrival.

"So, what do you think of her?" he asked Mitsuru as he took a seat next to her.

"I've noticed that she seems to avoid me," Mitsuru replied without looking his way. Her expression didn't change, but her voice didn't match the intensity of her stare.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that. She might just be shy; that's all."

"Shy? She seems quite comfortable around you."

"Well, you can be a little intimidating at first."

"Hm." It looked to him like she wasn't too happy with his honesty, but at least she appeared to consider it. "Seeing as even someone as skittish as you warmed up to me, perhaps you're right that she might eventually be less wary of me."

The door to the command room opened, and in walked a middle-aged man, Shuji Ikutsuki, in his brown suit and black turtleneck. His long, brown, wavy hair sometimes let Ryuichi's imagination stray to the idea that he could be part of a metal band, but his goofy smile, small glasses, and bad puns never let that image stick.

"Good evening, Mr. Chairman," Mitsuru greeted Ikutsuki. "You made it just in time."

Ryuichi noticed that Ikutsuki looked oddly sweaty and somewhat flustered as the man sat down. "I'll say," Ikutsuki said as he sank onto the sofa. "The chain for my bike kept slipping off, so I had to walk it about nine blocks. I guess you could say it was really 'off the chain'!"

"That's not what that phrase means," Ryuichi grumbled as a fellow second-year student entered the room.

Akihiko Sanada was slightly taller than Ryuichi and built with lean muscles. He, too, had silvery-gray hair, but wore it much shorter. He wore a red sweater vest over his school uniform, carrying his black Gekkoukan High School blazer over his shoulder. His silver Evoker glinted in the holster on his waist.

"I'm heading out," he announced in his low, rusty voice. "Mitsuru, you coming?"

"I think I'll stay and watch Takeba," she said to him. "Ryuichi, you may go with him in my stead."

"I think I'll stay, too." Ryuichi stared up at the sleeping Yukari. "It's my turn, after all."

Akihiko cocked his head to the side. "What, your ankle still botherin' you?"

Ryuichi flexed his left foot to test his ankle. "It's still kinda stiff, so I'll just keep off it for now."

As Akihiko closed the door behind him, Mitsuru asked, "Shouldn't you be using crutches?"

"It's fine. I can walk on it, so I don't need them."

"I still think you should have a doctor look at it."

Ryuichi shook his head. "They'd only tell me to wrap it up, ice it, and keep off of it, so I'm keeping off it now."

He could only see her thinned lip beneath her long bangs. "Weren't you just telling me before that I should go with Akihiko?" he teased.

"That was before I knew your ankle was still causing you problems," she said, almost indignantly.

She started to say something else when the lights went out. Seconds later, the screens on the consoles lit back up again, and soon yellowish moonlight came filtering into the room. The Dark Hour had struck for the night.

"Vitals are stable," Mitsuru reported as she checked the readings on one of the screens.

Ryuichi was impressed to see Yukari still fast asleep. "She didn't transmogrify?"

"Shocking, right?" Ikutsuki went to pour himself a cup of tea. "She's a normal girl, but she's also got the potential."

It was Yukari's second night at the dorm, but it was the first time Ryuichi got to see for himself that she had the "potential" that he and his dorm mates possessed.

"And, you guys watched me sleep like this, too?" he asked the others, knowing he was not going to like the answer.

"We did," confirmed Mitsuru. "You had one moment where you woke up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet but couldn't get the light to work. You were quite frustrated, and the next morning, you never complained about any power outages or faulty wiring."

"Really?" He tried to recall his first few days at the dorm back in middle school. "Wouldn't I remember something like that?"

"Memory loss is one of the symptoms," she explained.

Ikutsuki pushed his glasses higher up on his face. "Her vitals are changing."

The machine began to beep rapidly to indicate her quickened heart rate. "Stress levels on the rise," Mitsuru said.

Ryuichi watched the face on the screen twist up. "It looks like she's just having a nightmare."

"D-Dad," they all heard Yukari utter in her sleep.

Somehow, her tiny cry filled Ryuichi with compassion. She had been quiet when she first arrived at the dorm, but in school, he noticed that she was bright, bubbly, and quite popular among guys and girls. To see her cry in her sleep made him wonder if it was more than just a nightmare she was having.

They observed her throughout the rest of the Dark Hour before heading off to bed. The next morning while Ryuichi cooked breakfast, Yukari came downstairs still blinking sleep out of her eyes, but managed a tired smile.

"Good morning," he greeted her warmly. "I hope you're hungry."

She sat down at the bar seating in front of him. "Ryuichi-senpai, you can cook?" she asked in amazement.

"Simple things, mostly." He threw some eggs into a pan. He then slid a fresh pancake onto the small stack he had growing on a plate.

"Wow. I'll bet you're popular with the girls," she teased, and her face lit up when he set the plate of pancakes down in front of her. "Are those—?"

"Chocolate chips." He relished in her gleeful gasp as he placed a bottle of syrup and some butter next to her plate. "If you give me a few more minutes, I'll have eggs and sausages ready for you, too.

"And by the way, I don't cook like this all the time, so don't get used to it."

Yukari had a relieved smile on her face. "Whew! I don't know if I'd be able to stop myself if you did!"

Mitsuru's maid, Kikuno Saikawa, arrived with Mitsuru's breakfast just as they were finishing up their meal. As thanks for breakfast, Yukari helped Ryuichi wash the dishes while she chattered on about school. She liked to talk a lot, Ryuichi learned as he listened to her tell him all about her friends. He laughed when she did an impression of a boy in her class who liked to crack obnoxious, perverted jokes. The moment Mitsuru appeared in the dining room, Yukari choked on her words and murmured a wary greeting to her.

"G'morning," Ryuichi said to her from the sink.

"Good morning," Mitsuru greeted them both. "Takeba, are you adjusting to the dorm?"

Yukari jumped when she was addressed. "Um, yeah. I was able to sleep a lot easier last night."

"I'm glad. If you need anything, feel free to ask me or anyone else at the dorm."

After the brief exchange, Yukari quickly finished washing the dishes and left Ryuichi to dry them while she hurried off to school, muttering something about having early archery practice.

"Give her time," Kikuno said to Mitsuru. "I'm sure she's still trying to adjust to her new home."

"She seemed pretty adjusted during breakfast," Ryuichi muttered under his breath. Jokingly he added: "Did you do something to her in a past life or something, Ojou-sama?"

Mitsuru's eyes tensed up as she took her seat at the dining table. "There's no need to call me that."

"Kikuno-san does, and since you're my boss, shouldn't I do the same?"

He knew she hated it, but whenever an employee of the Kirijo Group was around, he was more inclined to address Mitsuru more respectfully so as not to get into trouble, despite all the times that Mitsuru told him otherwise.

She spread her napkin across her lap with delicate yet purposeful hands. "Be that as it may, you don't have to be so formal around Kikuno. Anyone else, I would understand."

While she ate breakfast, Ryuichi stopped by his room to get his blazer and his school bag. He was originally supposed to have a room on the second floor where the boys' dorms are, but due to a burst water pipe that flooded the second floor when he first moved in, he was given the old manager's room as a temporary placement. The allure of having his own private bathroom and toilet and being far away from Akihiko's constant battering of his punching bags convinced him that he should stay right where he was.

Someone knocked on his door. "Ryuichi-san, do you have any laundry that needs to be washed?" called Kikuno.

"Yeah. One sec." He went to open his door to let the maid in. He offered to carry his hamper upstairs to the washing machines on the fifth floor.

"I'll have to get used to it anyway," he told her, despite her offer to take it for him. She eventually agreed to it, saying that she would be able to retrieve Mitsuru's laundry on the way upstairs, as well.

"So," Ryuichi began to say as they headed up to the laundry room, "you're really not going to help us out here anymore?"

"I will still come by, but only to serve Mitsuru Ojou-sama," Kikuno replied. "You will still see me around to bring her meals and perform a few other tasks, but for the most part, you and the others will have to take it upon yourselves to keep the dorm clean."

"Aw, what? You expect the four of us to clean this whole place ourselves?"

"Of course. And don't forget that you will have to start helping me with cleaning Mitsuru Ojou-sama's room at least once a week."

Ryuichi frowned. "I thought I was just gonna be in charge of making her tea and snacks."

Kikuno's smile shone brighter. "In all technicality, yes, but don't forget that you are also in charge of vacuuming her room."

"Ah, the one thing she's letting me do," he sighed. "What's the point, though? Why don't you just vacuum it and I'll take care of the tasty stuff?"

She unlocked Mitsuru's bedroom door. "Don't forget that everyone on the Kirijo maid staff is well-versed in combat and cleaning," she reminded him, and slipped inside the room. "Think of it like training."

"Training. Right. And I guess that means I'm a maid, too?" he asked himself aloud.

"You're a butler, Ryuichi-san," he heard Kikuno call from within.

He made a face. "At least say it like that half-giant guy from those wizard books," he muttered.

Up on the fifth floor, he loaded his own laundry into one of the three large machines while Kikuno took care of Mitsuru's. Once the machines were running, they headed back downstairs, still discussing the other expectations of his new job as Mitsuru's butler. While cleaning the dorm was supposed to be a shared task between the residents, Kikuno was more than happy to share some of her cleaning techniques for stubborn messes in the bathroom and the kitchen.

"And remember: nothing too decadent for tea time," Kikuno said when they returned to the lounge. Ryuichi was already planning to make a monster of a chocolate cake for Mitsuru, figuring a little decadence never hurt anyone.

When they reached the kitchen, Mitsuru was finishing up her breakfast. She placed her napkin on the table and stood, appearing taller than she actually was (high heeled boots or not) with the poise of modest prestige, pausing to adjust the red bow of her uniform. She never bothered to wear the uniform jacket, no matter how cold the weather became, and in the middle of February with the city skirting the ocean, the late winter's chill sometimes forced the students to wear additional coats and scarves, even when it went against the dress code.

Mitsuru and Ryuichi separated again, heading to their respective rooms. Ryuichi hurriedly brushed his teeth and finished with mouthwash, making sure that every bit of bad breakfast breath was eliminated. He took a quick glance in his mirror to make sure his uniform was immaculate—straightening his silk, red necktie even though it was already perfect, and making sure his black vest kept it in place before he threw on his black uniform blazer. He adjusted the collar of his charcoal gray dress shirt, giving it a small tug for relief before meeting Mitsuru at the front door.

When Ryuichi opened the front door for her, he was greeted by a freezing wind that pierced through his uniform with icy needles. While he shivered, Mitsuru walked right through the cold without so much as a wince. Her knee-high, high-heeled boots clicked across the pavement as they went on their way towards the train station.

"I'm thinking about introducing Takeba to SEES," Mitsuru said as they reached the first crosswalk.

He looked at her in amazement. "Already? It's only her third day. Don't you wanna at least give her a chance to settle in?"

He almost couldn't hear her when a car roared past. "The sooner we recruit her, the sooner we will have a full team to work with."

"Yeah, but she doesn't strike me as the combat type," he replied uneasily.

"You might be right, but remember that we thought the same of you when you first joined," Mitsuru pointed out. "You turned out to be more reliable than Akihiko."

That remark got him grinning. "Ah, so you think Yukari-chan might be more reliable than Akihiko someday?"

She didn't return his smile. "She hasn't given me reason to think otherwise yet."

As they continued onward to the train station, Ryuichi remembered that he still had to inform Mitsuru about his sister's predicament. He looked around to see men and women in suits, and fellow Gekkoukan students all around them. It would have to wait until he could speak to her privately.

Ryuichi never got tired of the train ride from Iwatodai to Tatsumi Port Island. The artificial island floated atop the ocean, giving the passengers a view of the water shimmering in the morning light. He always preferred standing on the train, just so he could see the view. The short, five-minute ride was never long enough, ending in the droves of businessmen and women heading left towards the business district while the students went straight ahead to Gekkoukan High School.

He carried a bit of pride for his school. Known for being among the top schools in the nation, Gekkoukan was a vast campus made up of different divisions for elementary, middle, and high school students. It was more like a tiny university, where some students from the different age divisions lived in the dorms on campus. Beyond the school gate to the high school was a vast yard split by rows of trees planted around the stone walkway. To the left of the school's entrance was a small, white gazebo where some students would eat their lunches.

Just inside the entrance were rows of shoe lockers. Ryuichi and Mitsuru split for a moment to change their shoes, then joined up again to head up to their classroom on the second floor. Black and white tiles made up the school floor, and thick columns of what looked like real marble adorned the entryway. Past the school lockers was a small store where a woman sold snacks and other goods to students. She already had a short line forming of those who had not had a chance to have breakfast yet, waiting for her to set up shop. Towards the rear of the foyer were two pedestals bearing a scepter and broadsword with the inscription "Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection" engraved on a small plaque—The Kirijo family motto.

"Good morning, Mitsuru-san!" a girl greeted as they passed.

"Good morning," Mitsuru replied. She was cordial, but some nearby first-year students seemed to stiffen from her presence alone.

"G'mornin', Captain!" one of the members of the kendo team called to Ryuichi. "Hey, I saw Miyamoto already training in the dojo this morning!"

"The first-year?" Ryuichi searched his mind for the boy's face. "If you're not careful, he'll pass you up."

"No way! I ain't gonna let that happen!"

As they headed to their classroom, the greetings from students became more frequent, particularly for Mitsuru. Most of the students who greeted her were from their class, members of the student council, or on the fencing team, most of whom were familiar with her. Even the seniors respected and admired her, with some having the same respectful fear of her as the underclassmen did.

In the classroom, the desks were arranged in six rows. Each row was partnered with another, with space between the pairs for a wide walkway from the front of the room to the rear. Mitsuru sat at the front of the middle column, left row, and Ryuichi sat right behind her. It had always been the same arrangement for many years now, and he could never figure out how it worked out that way. He had spent most of his school years staring at the back of her head, where the gentle curls of her hair were probably more familiar to him than her face.

"Captain?" One of the girls from the fencing team nervously approached Mitsuru and held out a white box tied up in a red ribbon. "H-Happy Valentine's Day!"

The girl sparked a flood of other students—all girls—to swamp Mitsuru. Ryuichi nearly fell out of his seat trying to survive the torrent of admirers, eager cries, and goodies. He could barely hear Mitsuru amid the squall.

"I appreciate that you all took the time to prepare something for me, but I will have to decline all of them," Mitsuru called over them.

The students chorused their disappointment and began asking her why, as she had done the same thing each year since elementary school.

"It is simply too much. I would hate for all your efforts to go to waste, and so I have to be fair to everyone by declining all your chocolates."

Incredibly, all the students obeyed her. They gradually filtered out of the room, dejected as they dragged their feet. Ryuichi raised his eyebrows in awe at one girl holding a particularly large box that likely held a cake inside.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just tell them you don't like chocolate?" he asked Mitsuru.

"If I did that, then they would only find alternative presents to give me," she answered coolly, as if she hadn't just dispelled a terrifying storm of girls.

As it was Saturday, school only lasted until one in the afternoon. By then, Ryuichi found himself with some of his own chocolate from girls in the Orchestra Club and one from the girls' kendo team. They were just friends offering him obligatory chocolate, mostly store-bought, but he was happy all the same to receive something at all.

"And don't forget me on White Day!" some of the girls joked after presenting him with their gifts.

"You don't mind store bought chocolate, do you?" he joked right back, and he got some who were not happy with his response while one actually called out, "It better not come from the clearance section!"

As he put away the gifts into his bag, Mitsuru finished packing her things and got up from her desk. "I have to stop by the Student Council Room for a moment; it won't take long."

Ryuichi followed her across the hall to the Student Council Room. While she looked through some files, Ryuichi opened one of the small boxes he received to see little chocolates inside with colorful decorations on them. He tried one, tasting more salt than cocoa.

"Is it not to your liking?" Mitsuru asked him without glancing up from the folder.

"I think she mistook salt for sugar." Not wanting to waste the treat, he popped the rest of the piece into his mouth and closed up the box, regretting doing so when the salty flavor made his face twist. "I think I'll save these for later."

He heard Mitsuru turn a page. "So, have you thought about what I said earlier?"

"About Yukari-chan? I was just gonna go along with whatever you decided."

They agreed that they would call Yukari up to the fourth floor room that night before the Dark Hour. When Ryuichi saw Yukari down by the shoe lockers chatting happily with some friends, he immediately felt guilty for what they were about to do. His own life was never the same when he was recruited into SEES, and soon, she would experience the same changes.