It had been a few minutes since he lied his way out. Issei walked down a crowded corridor, lost in nostalgia and lost on his way. The smell of gossip wafting through the walls, the echoes of dragging feet through the large halls, and the faint remnants of chalk and cheap colognes glided over the skin.
"What was my class again…?"
He looked around to search for clues. As if the stairs would sense his confusion, or the doors would sprout mouths to answer him. When no one answered, Issei was forced to make a choice.
He locked onto the blonde boy leaning against the rails, entertaining a flock of girls with an easy smile. He was a devil. Which meant he had to be one of the familiars of either of the two devil princesses.
As he continued to watch the band of smitten girls shooting their shots, the blonde caught his stare. Their eyes locked, and his face hardened. Issei watched the devil politely pull himself away from them and approach him, a single question playing in his head. Did he have such a scary face?
The blonde extended his hand, a formality, and asked with a practised smile, "I haven't seen you around. Are you a new student?"
Issei stared at the extended hand and then at the index finger twitching of the other hand by his side. And for a small moment, he had the itch to play the villain and see how the blonde would react. He imagined throwing his head back and mimicking the villain's laugh, and delivering some corny dialogue like, 'Hahaha, I see you have seen through my disguise. Saves me the trouble of carrying on with the unbearable mask." But thankfully, it was just an intrusive thought.
"Yes, it's my first day at Kuoh High," He said, clasping the extended hand. The pretty boy squeezed his hand, testing, probing. Issei smiled at that, "Actually, I am kinda lost. Do you know what my class is…?"
"The first day…?" The pretty boy let go of Issei's hand and began to walk ahead, gesturing Issei to follow him, "Sure, I can help you. Just tell me what your grade….Wait!" He snapped his head back, "You meant, where your grade is, right?"
"…No." Issei looked away, "I meant what- actually, where as well."
"…You're joking."
"Unfortunately, not. Recently, I've had a car accident in which I lost all my memories," Issei lied without skipping a beat.
Pretty boy's mouth opened, his clear blue eyes screaming 'Bullshit', but he closed it without saying anything. Maybe he thought Issei was pulling his leg. He really wasn't. He had no idea whether Azazel had thrown him into the second grade or the third grade or heck…the first grade. It was that troll they were talking about.
"You didn't meet the president at the gates? She should've had someone inform you, right?" He asked finally, beginning to walk. But this time, his pace had quickened.
"About that, uhh….I kinda snooped in." Issei scratched his cheeks, following him. He got a blank look, to which he could only point at his clothes, and hope he understood.
They walked some yards. He noticed that the blonde was taking him down a less populated path. "By the way, where are we going?"
"The administration office. They would know all the details."
Liar, Issei thought. He was taking him away from the bystanders, fearing an altercation. He couldn't really blame the guy. If someone said they snooped into his backyard, called themselves a gardener, and had no proof to show for it, then he'd be suspicious as well.
Guess there's nothing he could do now. Issei thought, slightly irked with himself. He exhaled, so much for skipping the interrogation.
To add to the insult, Ddriag's grinding voice rang in his mind. [That's what you get for snooping around, you little rat.] The damn lizard sounded awfully delighted by his poor start. Issei imagined the fat dragon lazing on his chest, his proud snout puffing in smugness.
'Why, ya' mum's made of cheese?'
[WHOSE-!!!] Issei tuned out of the rest of it. The innocent dragon was about to rage for the next hour. So easy. He smiled faintly. His partner was still green in the refined art of ragebaiting.
"Is something funny?"
He snapped out of his thoughts when his tour guide finally stopped after he'd pulled him away from the buildings and the main fields, towards a desolate clearing in the woods.
He didn't hide his smile as he looked around, "I don't suppose this is the administrative office you were talking about."
"Why did you lie back there?" Pretty boy turned around, finally letting the smile melt into a frown. He let go of the restraints on his demonic power and crossed his arms. It was around the level of a low-class devil, bordering the middle class.
Cute. But not very smart if his first instinct towards danger was to confront it, instead of informing his group.
"I didn't. But before we do that, can I at least know your name?" Issei asked, not expecting an answer.
"Kiba."Surprisingly, he got one, "Let me ask again: who are you? And why are you pretending to be a newcomer?" Kiba appeared calm on the surface, but there was a wariness in his posture. The way his knees loosened; the way his fingers twitched by his side, as if curling around something.
Invisible weapons? Issei wondered. It wasn't intentional, at least he didn't think so. But he was definitely on edge. Not wanting to walk on the edge any longer than necessary, Issei hurriedly raised his arms. "Chill, Chill! I really am a student! Swear to Go-…my mum. Swear on my mum!"
"Then, how do you not know your grade?"
"Yeah, that…can't we skip that part? It's embarrassing."
"That's fine. There's no one around us."
Issei rolled his eyes, thinking he might be a knight piece. "…Listen, the one who put in the recommendation letter here was my uncle. And that guy…he is a troll. I don't trust him."
"…Are you really telling the truth?"
Though he asked it, Kiba had already relaxed noticeably. Did he seriously buy his words? Just like that?
Issei deadpanned, "What d'ya think, Sherlock?"
"I think you're telling the truth." He smiled. Retracting his demonic energy, Kiba closed the distance he'd made till now and offered his hand again, "Sorry for the interrogation. It must have felt bad on your first day, right? By the way, what's your name?"
"Issei," Issei said, shaking his hand for the second time in the last ten or so minutes.
"Wait, you're Issei!" He suddenly exclaimed, mouth falling open in an O. "Why didn't you say that earlier?"
His grip tightened again, for the second time in the last ten or so minutes- and this time it wasn't testing.
"ow, ow, Ow, OW!"
"Oh, sorry, sorry!" Kiba quickly let go, leaving Issei wincing, "Never mind… he might be a Rook."
"What was that?"
"Nothing," Issei grumbled, rubbing his hand, "What was that reaction anyway? Do you know me?"
Kiba nodded. "Yes. Your name was on the files." He took a step closer, leaning to look into his eyes, "Now that I see it. New addition, strange, almost inhumane eyes, and short height- Yes, you're definitely Issei."
Dissed the blonde guy casually.
'Wh-Who are you calling short height, ya' brat!'
[HAHAHAHAHA]
Issei swallowed his pride and decided to pretend he didn't hear the final part. He coughed, "Didn't you say my eyes were the reason you decided to pull me away?"
It was Kiba's turn to look embarrassed, "A-Ah, yes…but you see, it's a new session. New faces are a common sight these days."
"…I just slipped from your mind, didn't I?"
"…Yes." Kiba looked down.
"Well, whatever…" Issei shrugged, "At least I made a friend this way."
"Friend?" Kiba looked back up, surprised.
"What, you don't wanna?"
He turned around and began walking away.
"N-No. I would like it." Kiba followed immediately after. "Oh, about your class- we're in the same class."
"Sweet." Issei grinned over his shoulder. "Hope to get along, my dear friend."
* * *
…That was the only good thing, or something resembling it, that happened to Issei on his first day.
The rest of the day couldn't get any worse. The teachers taught like they were paid to attend, rather than teach. The students bickered and gossiped like middle-aged housewives.
And during the recess break, the one time he tried to shake off the terrible boredom and tried to take a quick nap, this fat, neckless asshole thought it would be hilarious to steal a spare pair of undies from the kendo girl's backpack and frame him for it.
By the time the day was about to end, Issei sat with his cheek swollen and his reputation ruined.
"Hey, think on the bright side, at least you gained a new moniker." The fat bastard said, his arm casually resting around Issei's shoulder.
"Not to mention, everyone in the school knows you by now." His partner- yes partner, because obviously- the lanky shithead quivered, holding back his laugh.
Issei gave the two of them a blank stare. He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it. It was his fault. His curiosity led him to approach these two hellspawn. These two, with distinct Eastern European facial features mixed with the typical Japanese phenotype, stood out almost immediately in this homogeneous class.
But as they say, Curiosity kills the cat. In his case, it killed his chances of getting the cat.
Some time later, the final bell rang, and Issei stood up. He shrugged off the two of them and left his seat, "Go die in a ditch, you two."
"Hey, Issei! Come on, dude-!"
He ignored them. On his way, Kiba joined him, looking apologetic ever since he returned from recess, "Sorry, Issei…"
*Sigh*