Chapter 3: The Promise

Chapter 3: Chapter 3: The Promise

Mataguchi’s monologue, POV

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September 1st, 2025. Monday

Summer vacation has ended with the second semester beginning.

7:47 AM.

Students filled the walkways leading toward the campus gates.

Cameras disguised as lights were active while students noticed immediately but casually avoid staring into.

"You’re up early" a familiar voice spoke out to me, i sat at my desk in the far corner of the window row.

The air inside Lecture Hall of class 3-F did not circulate but weighted. Unlike the standard classrooms of other high-schools, the wing was designed with tiered oak benches that rose toward a towering, reinforced concrete ceiling. The architectural geometry was intentional, shifting the focus downward to the massive, slate-grey blackboard monitor that stretched across the lower wall.

At the podium stood a girl named ’Sakurai Fulgo’

I didn’t pay any attention to her from the beginning, the atmosphere was lively and active with other students forming some groups while they had conversations about different topics, but more than that I didn’t want to have anyone’s attention. It’s exhausting.

"Hello.." she repeated, this time a bit louder but I paid no mind. Her pink long hair waving slightly by the low breeze and her blue eyes completely glued to me.

"Forget it Sakurai, his always like that in class" some female students walked in inserting theirselves into the conversation well it wasn’t actually much of one.

The female student who had just walked in was called ’Momoe George’ and the other two were called ’Kikyo’ and ’Kumi’ last names ’Sanji’

It seems the other one wasn’t with them

"Come" Momoe added, she walked closer to Sakurai bringing out her smartphone, her ears having multiple earrings. her brown eyes were directed at me for a second.

"Hey, check out a pic I took of Mataguchi-San"

"Ehh?! ..wait.. " Sakurai stuttered in confusion, obviously Momoe was looking for a reaction from me, funny how that’s not enough. My expression remained blank and null. She wasn’t lying either.

"What’s wrong?" Momoe added her voice sounding nonchalant which in turn made Sakurai flustered more.

"No, i-i-i-i ah..Well I uh..I mean"

This was becoming unbearable to see so I decided to put an end to it, the teasing. anymore and I will start getting the wrong idea on things.

"Fulgo-San.." I muttered, their eyes shifted to me who to them had on a expressionless face. I have been told my eyes were dark, completely black and devoid of warmth, lifeless to some point or or called it a poker face as a tease. To me the colour on my eyes where just a reflection of my hair.

"I think you are bothering her" I added.

"I was just making things clear if you can’t take a hint" Momoe replied.

"Well I’m done with her, cause I finally got you to look at me"

"How is student counseling treating you?" Momoe leans closer to me, I could smell sweet like fragrance from her, her breathe.

How can she be this casual with me? Does she think I can’t make any moves on her? Wait, does she just get bother cause she looks at me like some lazy virgin? ℴ

I don’t care

I shifted my eyes away from Momoe to Sakurai, she seemed a bit surprised that I actually spoke as she immediately tries to avoid eye contact from me.

"You were calling right?" I questioned. Momoe withdrawn from coming closing, standing next with her little group.

"R-Right, I wanted-" I intersected before she could finish.

"I’m sorry I have somewhere to be, we can talk another time. Maybe after I’m done"

"..oh..okay, it wasn’t that serious anyways" Sakurai replied, her tone drastically lowering. Her eyes were faced downwards. It’s not like I’m avoiding her or anything, I actually had somewhere else I should be, staying her long would just get in the way of it.

Humans are the type to have unnecessary emotional affections or attractions they can’t control. Even behind their masks, It’s just a normal reaction

"Trying to run now?, you haven’t replied any of my texts. I was starting to think you were avoiding me on purpose" Momoe quickly uttered.

I took out my smartphone from underneath my table out, the light emanating on my face, the time was already 8:30 AM.

"No I wasn’t, I just found it insufficient to multitask both you and my personal projects" I said standing up.

Momoe sighed before adding "Mataguchi.." she paused but they Kikyo and Kumi who had been silently watching us spoke up.

"Well it doesn’t matter right" Kikyo added

"You can always just text her about the situation beforehand" Kumi suggested.

"Right, I guess" I deadpan. My eyes shifted to Sakurai who seemed shocked by our conversation, she tries to hide her confused and uncomfortable state while I walked passed her.

"I’ll catch up to you guys later"

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On the hallway leading through the classes I walked phone at hand as I clicked on the tikok icon, that brought me to a black load screen for a second before the a video popped. It was a edit of a new benz model, the edit was fast paced with a funk song I couldn’t recognise, maybe it’s a new one? Well I wasn’t that interested to I just scrolled passed.

The hallways was still filled with student talking, class wouldn’t start utill 10:00 AM

"She would be searching for me soon"

I stopped swiping the screen on the tikok app, and went the message notification tabe, a video was recently added under the name ’Kaori-San’

I guess that’s why she wasn’t with the them just now

I swapped of the application, minimising it, while I reached the upstairs leading to the floor above.

After a short time walking I reached the a huge door.

I opened it, hearing the sudden sound of the sliding entrance door echoed softly through the room.

The heavy mahogany door glided open with a smooth, hydraulic hiss that felt entirely too heavy for a high school building.

​i stepped across the threshold, But as the door clicked shut behind me, sealing out the ambient noise of the corridor, the tension in the room didn’t radiate from the massive executive desk at the far end.

​The President’s chair was empty. As soon as I began to walk forward I heard a sudden ring, it was a phone call from the phone ID ’Kahori-San’

This wasn’t the same as the one I had checked on, there names sound the same but where different. The other was ’Kaori’ while the one calling me currently was named ’Kahori’ . I had known she was going to call soon it but this seemed to soon than later.

"..."

"..."

I let it rang for some time before answering while I walked to a wide window to the far side of the room, there I sat on a chair placed next to it.

"Hello, Kahori-San" I answered.

"Uh hello Mataguchi-kun" she replied, her voice soft and sweet while it was transmitted through the receiver.

"I take it, you’ve decided on a answer then?" I questioned my voice calm and unchanging.

"Yeah, you see about that....is it okay if we meet up soon. I would like to talk to you about other things in private"

Private? Like a thing? I’m overthinking things.

"If that’s okay with you sure" I responded.

"R-Right, I’ll see you then" she added before cutting the call. My eyes shifted to the window, down I could see the student just coming in and out the school building entrance down below. From my seat, i could see the football field below, where sports activities were already in motion. I watched closely as the players in the field struggled to pass their opposition.

The sudden sound of the sliding entrance door echoed softly through the room.

The student stepped across the threshold unannounced, her breathing slightly shallow from the sudden breach of protocol. But as the door clicked shut behind her, sealing out the ambient noise of the corridor.

Instead, the her eyes were drawn toward the massive, floor-to-ceiling windows lining the left wall where I sat immediately as if she could knew where I would be in the room.

To anyone i was draped over a low-profile, minimalist leather chair placed right against the glass. I had one of my leg casually crossed over the other, a stark, loose contrast to the rigid, geometric discipline of the rest of the room.

A black wide monitor that nearly covered the wall was placed behind the president’s chair, the position was a bit near the celling so other could see the full screen display.

The empty presidential desk sat in the deeper shadows of the office, a dark fortress of polished wood devoid of a single stray paper or pen. It looked less like a workspace and more like a monument to an absent deity. But sitting by the window, I effectively bypassed the desk’s artificial authority. I had positioned mself in the only part of the room touched by natural light, using the glass as a backdrop that forced anyone entering to look directly into the glare to see my face.

"Prez."

I gently shifted my gaze toward the doorway. The person I was actually waiting for had arrived, I didn’t want to keep her waiting. Though I think her request is a bit over the top.

The girl stood there, around the same age, though i appeared slightly younger than her. Her long white hair rested around her neck, and her purple eyes carried a mix of determination and nervousness. She wore the Karafuguru High uniform, though instead of the jacket, she had an oversized purple sweater left unzipped. Her shirt was slightly shorter than usual, and her socks stretched up to her thighs.

"You.."

"You left all the paperwork for me to handle, remember? ...and you promised to help me get in touch with Oota when next he shows up," she said in protest, though her voice carried a hint of nervousness as she pointed to me

I shifted my eyes back toward the window. My left arm rested against my cheek. She then dropped her hands.

It’s not like I didn’t want to help her but the condition and time I was to work on was totally against me. What am I? Sherlock helmes? Patrick Jane?

Below, Oota could be seen walking and speaking with a few students. They laughed as they walked passed by, though on the other hand Oota smiled while listening to the jokes his friend where saying.

"Hey, Prez... I’m-"

"Shiwogata-san," i interrupted calmly. My eyes didn’t deviate to Shiwogata’s line of sight, it remained on the window.

"...."

The room became silent, while the only sounds heard were the distant echos of student from others classroom.

" As promised, i will try to help. Tho I’m not sure how much i could be of help but I’ll try talking with him"

I continued looking through the window as i spoke.

"Right, sure... but don’t call me that. Call me Shion, not my surname... I mean, we are all close friends," Shion said steping closer. My heart didn’t skipped a beat obviously I still remained unfazed. Wait? Isn’t this the time where i should be flustered?.

This was a side of her I had see for a long time now, since he first appeared.

"I wasn’t expecting anything miraculously to happen over our break.."

"And just so you know... you sound like a creep talking like that." She pointed her index finger at me again for the second time, this time her confidence was visible.

Is pointing now a new trend?

Should I try it?

"Sure, sure... whatever works for you."

For a brief second, my eyes shifted toward Shion without actually turning my head. No matter how I think about it, I talk like a lit with this girl around.

Then they returned to the window.

"Well, I guess that’s all I have to say" she muttered about to leave. It seemed as though she had something on her mind but didn’t want to let it out now.

"Are you leaving already?" I asked,

"What?..it’s not like I’m a member of this club. Some of my friends should be arriving soon, I wanted to catch up to them before lessons starts" Shion replied. Not stopping but then she came to an halt.

Yeah she’s thinking something stupid now, I know she’s smart but sometimes as part of her persona she just jumps to conclusions I can’t or wasn’t expecting.

"Are you implying that you wanted me to start longer with you" she turns back slowly, as if trying to make an impression or something.

I swear all the girls in this school all have one side of them that gets me thinking, how does their brains even work?

A misunderstanding..

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"Just because something isn’t a lie does not mean that it isn’t deceptive. A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction."

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