"Ding dong—" The fourth period bell rang, releasing the pent-up energy of the school. Students pulled out their ticulously prepared bento boxes, and a gaggle of girls imdiately flocked around i.
i opened a large lunchbox, overflowing with enough food for several people. This was her habit; she always asked the family chef to prepare extra so she could share with her classmates.
They, in turn, were never shy about accepting. So even brought only minimal rice and side dishes, relying on i to fill the gap. She didn’t mind.
Thus, a lunchti ritual had ford: a group of girls chattering around i and her abundant bento. i herself preferred to eat in quiet, mostly listening to their conversations.
Today, however, the conversation turned to her. "Hey, i, do you know that transfer student from the next class?"
"Hmm?" i, nibbling on a korokke, shook her head. "No."
"Oh, I saw you being so nice to her, I thought you knew each other! As expected, our i is just a kind and beautiful soul, always ready to help."
i frowned. Was it her imagination, or did these girls harbor so hostility towards Kiana?
"Is there sothing wrong with her?"
"Plenty!" one girl exclaid dramatically. "That girl’s a notorious troublemaker! Skipping class, raiding bird nests, pranking teachers—that’s just the basics. She can’t pass a single test. Poor Mr. Katsuki, ever since she arrived, his class average has dropped by several points!"
"Yeah, and I heard... just heard, okay... that she doesn’t have parents! Last ti Mr. Katsuki tried to contact her guardians... well... apparently she’s renting a tiny apartnt by herself, living alone. How did soone like that even get into Chiba Academy?"
"And i, don’t be fooled by her sprained ankle. That girl’s sly, she’d do anything to skip class. Maybe she did it on purpose!"
i’s frown deepened, until, at the last comnt, she chuckled. How ridiculous. Their logic was absurd. If Kiana had faked the injury to skip class, why co to school at all? A phone call would suffice. Not to ntion that stubborn girl’s refusal to explain herself even while being punished.
i sighed internally and shook her head. Monts like these highlighted the sheer cluelessness of the people around her.
That white-haired girl, though clumsy and foolish, seed genuinely straightforward.
Thankfully, as the Raiden heiress, the infamous Thunder Queen, she didn’t need to indulge them. She abruptly closed her bento box and, under the surprised gazes of her classmates, walked out—their words had soured her appetite.
As she exited through the back door, she bumped into Kiana.
"Hey! i... uh, Lady Raiden!" Kiana greeted her cheerfully, oblivious to the gossip.
"Where are you going?"
"Ah... hahaha..." Kiana rubbed her head sheepishly. "I overslept and forgot my lunch. Heading to the cafeteria."
i eyed her ankle. "Can your foot handle it?"
"Of course! It’s not far, and I’ve had worse... uh..."
"Consider yourself lucky. I have extra. Let’s eat together."
Before Kiana could refuse, i took her hand and led her into an empty activity room.
"Whoa! Is this the Raiden heiress’s bento? Korokke, fried chicken wings, mashed potatoes, roast chicken leg, char siu... all my favorites!"
"Eat your fill then." i pushed the bento towards Kiana, handing her chopsticks.
"Eh? Don’t you need so?"
"No." i declined politely, thinking, There’s enough for three people. She can’t possibly finish it all.
...
Five minutes later, Kiana slumped back, rubbing her distended belly. i stared at the empty bento box, lost in thought.
"Um... Kiana, do you always eat this much?"
"Ah... ahahaha, sorry i, it’s just... it’s been so long since I had sothing this delicious, I couldn’t help myself."
i propped her head on her hand, staring silently at Kiana. How could soone eat so much and stay so... not round?
"Oh, right! i, I see lots of clubs doing morning practice. Aren’t you in any?"
"No." i shook her head readily. Before Kiana could ask, she explained proudly, "The only club that remotely interests is the Kendo Club. Unfortunately, I’ve already achieved nkyo kaiden in Hokushin Ittō-ryū. I have no interest in playing children’s gas. I’d rather sleep in." (Translator’s note: nkyo kaiden signifies complete mastery of a Japanese martial art.)
"Hee hee! I agree with you there, i... Uh, what does nkyo kaiden an?"
i raised an eyebrow, casually asking as she packed up the lunchbox, "How long have you been in the Far East? Anyone familiar with Far Eastern culture should understand the weight of nkyo kaiden."
"Ahahaha... I haven’t been here long!"
"Where are you from then? Your features seem European."
"I don’t know..." Kiana fiddled with her braid. "As far back as I can rember, I lived with my stinky old dad in a place that’s covered in snow most of the year. Three years ago, he suddenly left, and I ended up wandering to the Far East."
"Clatter!" i’s chopsticks fell to the floor. She calmly picked them up and placed them back in their case.
But she couldn’t help but ask, "Your father... abandoned you?"
"Huh? No, no! My stinky old dad... he must have sothing important to do. Besides, he sends money every month. That’s not abandonnt, right?"
"You..." i rubbed her temples, speechless.
"Oh, right, right! i, didn’t your class already have history?"
"Yes, why?"
"Well... I left in a hurry this morning and didn’t check my bag... I left my history textbook at ho... so..." Kiana trailed off, looking at i expectantly.
i chuckled. "You’re not as stubborn as you seem. Co on, let’s get the book from my classroom."
They walked down the hallway, Kiana limping slowly with the crutch. i matched her pace.
Passing students and teachers stared. The two of them—one the aloof, high-achieving Thunder Queen, the other... well, if i followed gossip more, she’d know Kiana was also infamous, though not in a good way.
Such a contrasting pair walking side by side was certainly a surprising sight.
i, accustod to such attention, easily ignored it. Kiana, however, was more playful, making faces at the onlookers, each one unique.
Reaching i’s classroom, i gestured for Kiana to wait outside and retrieved the history textbook from her desk.
"Here. Return it before you leave."
Kiana took the book with a smile, using her left foot and the crutch to attempt a stylish turn towards her own classroom.
"Thud!"
"Ouch!"
i facepald.
...
The teacher’s voice entered her left ear and exited her right. Business as usual for Kiana. Usually, just staying awake was a huge favor to the teacher, but this ti, having asked i for the textbook, sleeping felt disrespectful.
But why borrow the textbook at all? She could have faked it with another book, or gone ho during lunch to get it. Or just... not cared. Worst case scenario, she’d stand outside again.
Reflecting on why she’d asked the Raiden heiress for a book seed pointless now.
She flipped open the textbook to the relevant Chapter: Current Political Landscape of the Far East.
The title sparked her interest. It wasn’t that she hated studying. If the topic piqued her interest, she could focus.
She didn’t care about the Far East, per se. She cared about Schicksal.
She didn’t need her stinky old dad to tell her; a quick internet search would reveal the Kaslana family as one of Schicksal’s three founding houses. How could she not be interested?
"Huh? i took notes... wait, not notes, her own thoughts?" Kiana traced the handwritten words in the margins.
"The current political landscape of the Far East is dictated by geography and history. For Shenzhou, the Far East is undeniably part of its cultural sphere, but separated by the sea, Shenzhou’s land power couldn’t project effectively. This reduced military pressure allowed the Far East to waver in its tributary status, and so, when Shenzhou and Schicksal signed the demarcation agreent, the Far East wasn’t included under Shenzhou’s jurisdiction.
For Schicksal, while Siberia is nominally a buffer zone, five centuries of eastward expansion makes it practically Schicksal territory. Moreover, Schicksal co-develops Southeast Asia with Shenzhou and controls Australia.
As for Anti-Entropy, born from Schicksal’s Arican branch, while only a few decades old, it has established itself in the Aricas and continues to infiltrate other regions. This creates a peculiar dynamic: the North Pacific is the only point where Schicksal, Shenzhou, and Anti-Entropy intersect, and the Far East archipelago is the largest landmass in this area.
Therefore, the Far East serves as the ultimate buffer zone, unconquered by any of the three factions. Long influenced by Shenzhou and never colonized by Schicksal, it’s unlikely to fully align with Schicksal, which is unacceptable to Shenzhou. Schicksal and Anti-Entropy both have branches here. While Shenzhou doesn’t have a formal branch, its mainland is close.
*Under such conditions, the three factions maintain a delicate balance... or peace, perhaps due to mutual deterrence between Schicksal’s Far East branch, Anti-Entropy’s Far East branch, and Shenzhou’s Mount Taixuan.*"
Kiana rubbed her chin, nodding as she read. She didn’t grasp everything, but it cented her impression of i’s intelligence. Also...
"So, I’ve stumbled upon a good place by accident? Since I can access Schicksal, Anti... uh, how do you read that? ...and Shenzhou forces here, finding my stinky old dad should be easier!"
She rubbed her nonexistent beard like a detective, feeling incredibly lucky.
But... how to approach these factions? She couldn’t exactly shout, "I’m Kiana Kaslana!"
"Plus, I don’t know their stance on the Kaslanas..." Kiana was often lazy about thinking, but not stupid. She flipped through the textbook, searching for any ntion of the Kaslana family, but this general textbook offered little beyond what she could find online.
After ten minutes of searching, she gave up.
Thirty seconds later, the final bell rang. As the history teacher packed up and left, Kiana jumped onto her desk, raising her arms. "Yay! School’s out!"
A sharp pain shot through her ankle, sending her tumbling to the floor.
"Is she an idiot?"
"’Is she?’ Isn’t she famous for being one?" Nearby classmates whispered.
i, standing at the doorway, covered her face with her hands. She desperately wanted to deny any association with this girl, but her textbook...
"Your ankle was almost healed, and now you’ve twisted it again. I don’t know if you’re just clumsy or incredibly unlucky."
By the ti i had re-bandaged Kiana’s ankle and helped her out of the building, the school was bathed in the crimson hues of dusk. Flocks of birds flew overhead, and club activities filled the air with noise, yet the atmosphere felt strangely desolate.
Having missed the rush, they were the only two on the path to the school gate.
Kiana brushed off i’s concern with a carefree smile. "No big deal! This is nothing! I’ll be fine by tomorrow!"
"You..." i looked at Kiana’s grin, her intended reprimand fading away.
"Right, i, this crutch..."
"Just return it to the infirmary when you’re healed."
"Oh, okay."
The gate was only a short distance away. Kiana spotted the black car from that morning, parked obnoxiously at the entrance.
"Well... i, see you! Thanks for everything today!" To avoid any awkwardness, Kiana waved goodbye before even reaching the gate.
i watched her hopping away, a smile spreading across her face. She called i... just i...
But as her gaze shifted to her family’s car, a slight frown creased her brow.
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