｢Chapter 2: Cuddles and Curry」
...............
Opening his eyes, Jason was faced with Rei, who was crying while shaking him. Barely awake, he rubbed his eyes and looked at Rei, who kept pulling on his shirt.
"You need to pee?" Jason asked simply, to which Rei nodded her head repeatedly. Jason then picked her up and dropped her in the bathroom.
Just as he was about to leave to wait for her, she grabbed him and shook her head before pointing at the toilet, which was obviously too tall for her to reach.
With no other choice, Jason helped Rei use the restroom. Flushing the toilet, Jason picked Rei up in his arms and walked out.
"If you needed help, how did you manage yesterday?" Rei just shook her head in response and buried her face deeper into Jason's neck.
Laying Rei back in bed, Jason looked at the time on his alarm clock. Staring back at him was the time: 5:40 a.m.
"Wake up, Ken." Jason shook Oscar gently, but he was still as still as a log. "Oh well, I guess I'll just have to eat the extra spicy chips he's saved for the weekend."
"Okay, okay, I'm up," Oscar sprung to life, getting out of bed and stretching. "So, I vacuum and you cook?"
"No, I cook, you get Kai ready, then you vacuum," Jason said, to which Oscar nodded without complaining and went to wake up Rei as Jason entered the kitchen.
Soon enough, they were all done and ready to go out. As usual, Jason was checking all their bags before leaving.
"we're going out now, dumpling. Are you ready?" Jason said, kneeling to meet Rei's line of sight.
Standing there, Rei shook her head before looking down. She wore a cute rabbit binie, a pink hoodie which was unzipped, a black top, and black baggy trousers that matched her Jordans.
Jason had also tended to her hair, styling it in a waterfall half-up hairstyle.
"Hmm, but we need to go out though," Jason said, making Rei shake her head while gripping her clothes. "You'll be a good girl and go out with us, right?"
Rei just nodded and made grabby hands to be carried. Picking her up, Jason and Oscar set off for the main school building.
...............
Getting to his class, Oscar separated from them.
"Kai, we're going to the principal's office."
Rei just nodded and rested her head on Jason's shoulder, playing with his collar.
Although Rei was registered in the school, they had yet to assign her a class, and that's why they were headed there now.
Standing in front of the school principal, Jason was obviously nervous, while Rei was totally oblivious to the situation.
"Principal Black, I'm here for Rei's student ID," Jason barely managed to say. The principal, although old, was a powerful retired army general and greatly respected.
"Keitaro Jason Kizuki, am I right?" Principal Black said in a stern yet gentle voice. Jason replied with a short "Yes."
"Let Reikai down and bring her here."
Jason lowered Rei as she immediately clung to him. Holding her hand, Jason walked closer to the principal, stopping right at his desk.
"Place her hand on the measuring stone, then we'll know where to place her."
Following his instruction, Jason led Rei's hand to the transparent orb sitting at the center of the table.
Upon touching it, the orb glowed slightly and began changing color. It turned black and blue, almost like the two colors were fighting. Looking closer, a white speck could be seen in the center with cyan swirling around it.
Seeing the orb's result, Principal Black seemed to make up his mind.
"She'll be in Class 1'A with your younger brother. Although her ability is strong, she lacks the knowledge and control to manage it." Saying this, Principal Black handed Jason a glass card with Reikai's information.
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「NAME: 麗世 (Reikai) Alessia Kizuki
AGE: 6
CLASS: 1'A
ABILITY: Ice, (Shadow??, Light??, ???)
SPECIES: Human」
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"Wait here for a moment while I call her class teacher," the principal's words broke Jason from his daze.
Responding to the call, the teacher arrived quickly. He was a tall man, standing at 6'6", with dark brown hair and soft caramel skin.
"I'm here at your request, Principal Black," the teacher said in a polite tone.
"Yes. I'd like to inform you of your new student, Reikai Alessia Kizuki," the principal said shortly. "I trust you'll take good care of her. She's a very special student."
"Yes, sir," the teacher said quickly, gulping at the principal's ominous tone.
"Now that that's settled, Reikai should follow Sergeant Leo, while you see yourself to your classroom," the principal said with a smile. "And don't worry about being late-I've already informed your teacher of this matter."
After thanking him, Jason walked out of the office with Rei following right behind. However, when it was time to separate, Rei refused to leave Jason's side.
"Hey, Kai, you need to leave with him."
Upon hearing the word 'leave', Rei immediately clung to Jason's leg and began shaking her head in refusal.
"C'mon, Kai. You know you have to," Jason said as he knelt to face her. "Don't worry, Kai. He's just taking you to Oscar. You'd like to spend some time with him, right?"
After some thinking, Rei agreed, nodded her head, and walked to Leo, although she refused to hold his hand when he offered it.
With a sigh of relief, Jason watched them walk off, though Rei kept looking back, her eyes welling with tears each time.
After the two disappeared from sight, Jason made his way back to his class in silence. The look Rei gave him hit him hard.
...............
Meanwhile, with Rei, she was idly following Leo, ignoring his attempts at small talk, gestures, and questions.
Finally arriving at the classroom, the reality hit her hard. She was about to walk into a room full of strangers, all on her own.
Rei began to tremble slightly as she walked through the door.
To anyone else, it wouldn't be a big deal. But for a normal six-year-old, walking into a room full of teenagers ten years older was a death sentence.
Leo led her to the center of the class. Seeing their teacher walk in, the students immediately went silent.
"Class greet" said a girl with black hair and blue eyes, standing up in a salute.
"Good day Sergeant, we give our attention" the class said following suit in a stance.
"Good morning, class, you can sit. I hope you all studied hard for your test today," Leo said calmly.
The students responded with a loud and cheerful "Yes!"
"Miss Sarah is absent today, so I'll be taking over the tests."
All the students of the first year were fond of Leo. Being the youngest teacher, he had a stronger connection with them-and was also a favorite among the girls.
Looking around, Rei immediately spotted Oscar sitting at the back of the class. Though she wanted to wave, she lacked the courage.
"Before the test, we have a very special student joining us today," Leo said with enthusiasm. "This is Reikai Alessia Kizuki. You might already know her brother in this class, Kenji Oscar Kizuki."
At this, all the students turned from Oscar to Rei, looking for any resemblance.
Gasps and whispers quickly followed. The noise drowned out everything for Rei, who began to hyperventilate, her chest tightening.
"If you're all done staring, Alessia, go sit next to Oscar at the back."
Leo's voice snapped her out of it. With her head down, Rei made her way to Oscar's table. Without saying much, Oscar helped her sit beside him-right next to the window.
After settling in, Rei hugged Oscar's side with an unreadable expression. She pouted and rubbed her face against him, surprising the students watching.
"Are you okay? I saw you panicking up there," Oscar said softly. Rei nodded, a sullen look still on her face.
"You're so brave, princess "
Unbothered by his clingy tone, Rei blushed lightly, avoiding eye contact as she nodded.
"How about we meet Jason during lunch?" Oscar asked gently.
Without hesitation, Rei nodded, then clapped her hands in excitement.
Smiling, Oscar placed Rei on his lap and brushed her hair with his fingers while waiting for the test sheets to be handed out.
They weren't exactly "sheets" but glass slabs embedded with high-tech features.
Seeing Oscar act so soft in public was almost unbelievable. Yet here he was, whispering compliments to Rei while holding her.
When Oscar received his test sheet, Rei made grabby hands, clearly wanting one too.
"You want one too?" the girl handing out sheets asked, amazed by Rei's shy nod. "I-i'm not s-supposed to, *sigh* Okay then... h-here you go."
Taking the sheet, Rei seemed thrilled and began scribbling in the answer slots.
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There was only one question on the screen:
(1.) State humanity's history on abilities starting from the 2061 world blackout. Do well to fill in the important details.
This was the most basic history of modern human civilization.
Their world was a futuristic one-composed of different colonies living peacefully on multiple planets-something people of the past could only dream of.
And it all began with the 2061 world blackout...
On New Year's Day, 2061, Earth experienced a global blackout due to a solar flare breaking through its gravitational field.
The incident caused worldwide panic as days passed with Earth enduring extremely harsh weather conditions and natural disasters.
Soon, it was decided by the Union of World Leaders (UWL) that humanity would have to start afresh on a different planet.
After much discussion and a mountain of paperwork, it was agreed that all children aged 1-5 would be taken-alongside robots programmed with knowledge of various cultures-onto a spaceship called Æ HOMẞAFE, with the purpose of rebuilding humanity elsewhere.
However, things didn't go as planned. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) discovered that the solar system was losing its balance and core functions.
In desperation, the boarding process was rushed with only a few days left before launch.
Not long after HOMẞAFE departed, Earth's core imploded, destroying the planet, its moon, and a portion of Jupiter with it.
Thanks to their advanced technology, HOMẞAFE safely left the Milky Way Galaxy and arrived in the Andromeda Galaxy-the closest galaxy to Earth-in just seven months.
Upon arrival, HOMẞAFE landed on PA-104-N2, one of the few planets in the Andromeda Galaxy capable of sustaining human life, with environmental conditions similar to Earth.
Soon after landing, the passengers were met by the Salvians-gentle, humanoid creatures with amphibian-like features, including a second lung for breathing underwater.
With help from the robots and the knowledge stored on HOMẞAFE, PA-104-N2-called Andromew by the Salvians-evolved into a thriving world, progressing without harming its environment.
Fast forward 35 years later, in the year 2096 (or NC-0036), a revolutionary invention called "The Collision" was created.
Though it appeared to be a small cube, "The Collision" held highly reactive elements capable of creating entire planets by mimicking the Big Bang when released into small amounts of soil.
The first few experiments, conducted on the edge of the galaxy, led to unstable planets that either self-destructed or suffered extreme weather conditions.
But on the fifth attempt, success was achieved-a perfectly stable planet.
The planet was named Laurixa (lo-ri-x-a), meaning "new start" in the Salvian language. Soon, all humans on Andromew relocated to Laurixa.
As years passed, humanity advanced rapidly-both in population and technology-until the next major event in NC-0098, when humans began developing abilities.
These powers allowed them to control and manipulate elements. The cause was later traced to the unlocking of a dormant section of the human brain.
To support this evolution, the educational system was restructured to help children unlock their abilities at an early age.
Soon, new galaxies were explored, and their residents became allies of humanity.
There were the Aldants in the Pinwheel Galaxy, and the Fraxyls in the Eagle Nova. While each group remained in their respective galaxies, they maintained strong diplomatic ties with humanity.
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With a loud tick, the test timer rang, signaling the end of the exam.
"Time's up," Leo announced. The screen showing the question turned off automatically.
"Ally, why don't you collect the tests and place them on Miss Sarah's desk?"
Immediately, Leo and the girl named Ally stepped out. As soon as they left, the entire class erupted into chatter, most of it about how unfairly short the test had been.
...............
Three periods later, the bell rang signalling the start of lunch. Once the bell rung, the teacher in the class left.
"Hey, Os!"
A girl with short dark brown hair, big brown eyes, and a petite build stood in front of Oscar, her eyes gleaming.
"Can I hold your sister, pleeeeease?"
"No."
Oscar didn't even glance at her. His focus was entirely on the small girl on his lap, who was munching on a pre-packed sandwich, completely unaware of the world around her.
The sandwich was too big for her, and her chubby cheeks puffed out as she tried to bite through it.
After a few bites, Rei seemed tired of eating and turned around. Kneeling on Oscar's lap, she offered the sandwich to him.
Seeing him eat the rest, Rei smiled brightly and clapped her hands.
"Oh my gosh, she's sooooo cute and precious!"
'Liz'-or Elizabeth-squealed in excitement, drawing the attention of several other girls.
Hearing the noise, Rei covered her ears and winced. The sight made the girls coo even more.
Unable to resist, Liz reached out to poke Rei's cheek-only to be dodged.
Finally looking up, Rei saw how many people were crowded around her.
Suddenly, she gripped Oscar's shirt tightly. Her eyes filled with tears-and then the waterworks began.
She backed up, still holding onto Oscar's shirt as if her life depended on it.
"Kai, calm down." Oscar gently patted her back with a sigh. "Why are you crying, princess?"
Rei shook her head and buried her face into Oscar's chest. While patting her gently, Oscar signaled the girls to back off.
When Rei finally calmed down, she clung to Oscar like a little koala before pointing at the classroom door.
"You... wanna go out?" Oscar asked. Rei nodded.
"To see Jason?"
Rei nodded even more eagerly.
Guess we all know who's the favorite, Oscar thought with a pout as he helped her up.
...............
*Tap*
*Tap*
*Tap*
Jason's fingers tapped repeatedly on his desk as he anxiously glanced at the time. Just one more minute until he could see her again.
As his anxiety peaked, the lunch bell rang, signaling the end of class.
The moment the teacher left, Jason grabbed his lunch and stored it in his storage ring before heading out.
"Hey, what's the rush?"
A boy asked, casually sitting on Jason's desk with a sly smile. He had bright red hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and freckles.
"Hello to you too, Aaron," Jason said sarcastically as he walked past toward the door.
"Jeez, at least wait for me!" Aaron called, jumping down to catch up.
"So, what happened to Oscar this time?" he asked. "I haven't seen you this worked up in forever."
"Nothing happened to Oscar," Jason replied calmly. "It's her I'm worried about."
"Who's 'her'?" Aaron asked, but Jason ignored him and picked up his pace.
Emerging onto the school field, they crossed the wide expanse dotted with only a few trees.
Rounding a corner, they spotted Oscar and Rei sitting under a cherry blossom tree.
Rei was perched on Oscar's lap, pointing excitedly at the falling petals. Spotting them, Oscar waved at Jason with a smile.
As Jason and Aaron approached, Rei beamed and reached for Jason.
"How've you been, dumpling?" Jason asked as he picked her up and spun her around, making her giggle softly.
"Hey, Os. Hope she wasn't too much trouble," Jason said, giving Oscar a quick head pat. Oscar's face turned red with embarrassment as he shook his head.
"Wait a minute... who's that?" Aaron's voice cut through the happy mood.
"She's our little sister," Jason said, hugging Rei close. She giggled.
"See? Isn't she the cutest?"
"Yeah, but where exactly did she come from?" Aaron asked suspiciously.
"I've known you guys for four years. There's no way you've had a younger sister I didn't know about."
Rei, hearing his tone, got scared. She wiggled out of Jason's arms and ran to hide behind Oscar.
"Calm down, Ron. You're scaring her," Oscar scolded as he held Rei protectively. "We'll explain later. For now, let's just eat."
They all agreed and sat down to lunch.
Jason, Oscar, and Rei had traditional bento meals (tempura, makizushi, tamagoyaki, onigiri), while Aaron had spaghetti and meatballs.
"Itadakimasu."
And with that, they all dug in.
Rei sat on Jason's lap while they ate. Her meal was small, and she finished quickly.
After eating, she crawled into Oscar's lap and snuggled into his arms.
"Umm... I think there's something seriously wrong with her," Aaron said bluntly.
"Really, Aaron? That's just mean," Jason replied, while Oscar glared at him.
"No, no, I didn't mean it like that! I'm serious. She doesn't look too we-"
*Bleeegh*
Before he could finish, Rei suddenly turned and threw up on Aaron, who just happened to be sitting beside her.
...............