Chapter 80 ~ Ashford Academy
<span style="font-weight:400">Kallen Stadtfeld stood at the main entrance of the academy building, waiting in silence demurely and attracting the awed and lovestruck gazes of the many boys who walked past her.
<span style="font-weight:400">There was a graceful elegance to her that pulled onto the heartstring of the young male teenagers. She looked almost like a delicate flower atop a tall cliff; beautiful, sacred, yet untouchable.
<span style="font-weight:400">Few had the courage to walk up to her and start a conversation in fear of tainting her or breaking the delicate tranquility around her.
<span style="font-weight:400">And so, to their safety, they didn’t bother the crimson-haired girl who was inwardly seething.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">Why… Why in the world do I, Zero’s right hand, have to wait for some transfer students in this children’s yground?!?!?!</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Milly Ashford… The “tyrannical” president of the student council, had asked her to wait on the new transfer students that will being today and lead them to their ss, which was coincidentally the same as her’s.
<span style="font-weight:400">She forced such a troublesome job onto her with a brilliant smile that Kallen still hadn’t forgotten.
<span style="font-weight:400">Why did she have to do it?! Why couldn’t any other staff or teacher from the academy do it?!
<span style="font-weight:400">And to that, Milly answered with a bright tone.
<span style="font-weight:400">“This will be your first task as a member of the student council~! So do your best!!!”
<span style="font-weight:400">She wanted to reject it using her “frailty” as an excuse. Although it was a pain to act like a frail, demure girl all the time, at least it was a useful excuse, especially for moments like this.
<span style="font-weight:400">But before she could and suggested if Lelouch or Suzaku, the two “healthier” men, or even Shirley could take her ce, they were all unfortunately unavable…
<span style="font-weight:400">Suzaku would be absent for his military duties, while Lelouch apparently had some other business to take care of. And Shirley had morning swimming practice.
<span style="font-weight:400">Thus, it all fell onto her to do it, and she couldn’t even begin to describe how annoyed she was to be dragged into such a farce.
<span style="font-weight:400">She had just discovered that her mother… Her real mother was using “Refrain”, a highly illegal and dangerous drug that corroded the mind for a momentary bliss of reliving their happiest memories.
<span style="font-weight:400">She and the ck knights raided apound that stored and distributed these drugs to the Japanese people, who sought it in their lowest times. And her mother was included in the many victims they found there.
<span style="font-weight:400">She was admitted to the hospital and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
<span style="font-weight:400">It had only been a week, perhaps a bit over a week, since that happened. And now the ck knights were also preparing for another operation soon.
<span style="font-weight:400">But instead of helping with the preparation, here she was going to school and wasting her time waiting for some stuck-up Britannians toe to school.
<span style="font-weight:400">How could she not be angry?!
<span style="font-weight:400">It took her everything she had to not burst into rage and shout out profanities at the children around her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hey hey, did you see that car entering the academy?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah, I saw it! Wasn’t that a ck Lamborghini Sian? You could only get that car from the maind! Whoever it was must’ve imported it!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Damn, I’m so envious! They must’vee from a rich family!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No shit! If they coulde to school in that, you can just imagine how rich they are!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kallen overheard the conversation between the two guys excitedly shared as they walked past her, and her mood became even worse.
<span style="font-weight:400">There had never been any “Lamborghini” entering the school premise before. If there was, it would’ve been a massive news in the entire academy, just like it’s bing now.
<span style="font-weight:400">And anyone could easily connect the dots…
<span style="font-weight:400">The one riding that car might be one of the transfer students she was waiting for, and the fact made her stomach twist in even more indignation.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">Great… It’s even worse than a stuck up Britannian… It’s a spoiled, stuck up, Britannian brat who could only brag about their mommy and daddy’s riches…</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">She clenched her hands resting in front of her slightly, digging her nails into her skin, as she pursed her lips.
<span style="font-weight:400">To onlookers, she would’ve looked like she was tired from standing there, waiting in silence withoutining about her duty, and elicited their pity,passion, and admiration.
<span style="font-weight:400">But in reality, Kallen was ready to simply walk away and give some excuse to Millyter about why she didn’t wait for the transfer student.
<span style="font-weight:400">When suddenly, she heard gasps of shock and awe from around her, bringing her out of her daze.
<span style="font-weight:400">She looked up, and a crowd she hadn’t realized before had suddenly appeared in the courtyard of the prestigious Ashford Academy.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">…That must be the asshole. I was toote… Damnit!</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">She cursed herself for being too slow in her retreat, and she was now forced to handle the obnoxious spoiled Britannian brat from some rich family; abination that she hated the most in the world.
<span style="font-weight:400">Kallen resigned herself to her fate and kept her eyes forward. She was ready to act as tly as possible and steeled her heart for her uing tribtion so she won’t rip the brat’s face apart or break some bones.
<span style="font-weight:400">But as the crowd split to make way for the “brat”, her eyes widened in pure surprise as her pale pink lips parted in a tiny gasp.
<span style="font-weight:400">Coming from the midst of the crowd, dressed in the Ashford Academy’s jet-ck and gold-trimmed uniform, she saw the most handsome man she had ever seen in her entire life…
<span style="font-weight:400">A perfectly beautiful expression, entuated by his kind, polite smile. A tall, athletic figure that perfectly bnced strength and elegance. And charisma that separated him from others but not alienate.
<span style="font-weight:400">He was… perfect. Almost too perfect. Such a thing should’ve made her ufortable. She knew all too well that things that looked perfect would’ve had a hideous side to them hidden behind it.
<span style="font-weight:400">Yet, she didn’t feel an ounce of unpleasant feelings from him. And before she knew it, she was staring at him, entranced.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hm?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“!!!”
<span style="font-weight:400">She snapped out of her daze when she met his gaze. And out of habit, she took a step back and put her hands to her side, ready to defend herself just in case.
<span style="font-weight:400">She knew how beautiful she was, and based on her past experience, many yboys would try their luck on her, especially since she looked frail and defenseless when she acted as Kallen Stadtfelt.
<span style="font-weight:400">And the more handsome they are, the more confident and obnoxious they would be.
<span style="font-weight:400">Someone this handsome… and extremely rich to boot. He must be in the belief that everything in the world was his own, including girls.
<span style="font-weight:400">But instead of the lustful, possessive gaze she’d often receive from males, she saw surprise and confusion in his eyes.
<span style="font-weight:400">He even tilted his head in confusion, as if wondering why she’d suddenly act like a deer in headlights.
<span style="font-weight:400">He approached her, and with a calm, pleasant smile, he began.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It is nice to meet you. Are you perhaps… a member of the student council? I was told that someone from the student council would be here to help me and lead me to my ss.
<span style="font-weight:400">His deep, smooth, enchanting voice dazed her for a moment. But she quickly recovered and nodded.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Y-Yes, I am. My name is Kallen Stadtfelt.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see. My name is Alexander Kyrielight. I will be attending the Ashford Academy from today onwards. It is a pleasure to be your acquaintance, Miss Stadtfelt.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ah, the pleasure is mine. And likewise…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kallen tried her best topose herself. But it proved to be much more difficult to do that with him right in front of her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“U-Uhm, I’m sorry, but we still have to wait for another transfer student toe. Would that be alright?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course. Please don’t mind it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...Thank you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kallen looked at the man before her weirdly.
<span style="font-weight:400">Normally… This kind of entitled rich kid would barely be able to tolerate being made to wait.
<span style="font-weight:400">But Alexander was… weirdly patient about it. Was he just trying to act or show off in front of her to elevate her impression of him?
<i><span style="font-weight:400">…This is not a regr rich brat. I need to be careful and not associate with him too much.</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">She stepped slightly away from him and prepared herself to seal off her heart from any sort of advancement from him, no matter how subtle.
<span style="font-weight:400">But… they simply stood in silence.
<span style="font-weight:400">Where guys would try and make some conversations so they could be closer to her, he simply stood there in silence.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">…This guy’s definitely strange. Is he an introvert?</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">She turned her head slightly, trying to steal a nce at him. But when her eyes fell onto his face, he realized that she was ncing at him, and turned towards her.
<span style="font-weight:400">Then, he simply smiled and nodded his head slightly before looking away, creating even more questions in her mind.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">…Strange.</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Kallen decided not to mind the strange handsome transfer student and kept to herself.
<span style="font-weight:400">And soon, she saw a ck-haired young man, dressed in the academy’s uniform, approaching her.
<span style="font-weight:400">He had quite a subtle charm to him, but after being exposed to “Alexander”, she had begun considering any other males to be the same without even realizing it.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You must be the member of the student council I was told to find. It’s a pleasure. My name is Silver Taurus. The new student who will be transferring as of today.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Tatsuya bowed his head towards Kallen, and she reciprocated with a demure, graceful bow she was forced to learn as part of her etiquette lesson from her Britannian step-mother.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s a pleasure. My name is Kallen Stadtfeld. And indeed, I’m here on behalf of the student council to lead you to your ssroom.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thank you very much, Miss Stadtfeld. And I assume you are also another transfer student?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Tatsuya turned towards Yuuji, his face stoic, not giving any signs of their rtionship.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Indeed. Alexander Kyrielight. A pleasure to meet you, Mister Taurus.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Please. Just Silver is fine.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Very well. Then please call me simply by Alex.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Certainly.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Yuuji then turned towards Kallen.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Shall we go now, Miss Stadtfeld?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kallen held herself from flinching when “Alexander” called her by her Britannian name, and nodded.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course. This way.”
<span style="font-weight:400">--------------------------------X--------------------------------
<span style="font-weight:400">Yuuji and Tatsuya followed Kallen through the halls of the Ashford Academy towards their ss.
<span style="font-weight:400">And as they did, Yuuji couldn’t help but think back on the transfer process he experienced.
<span style="font-weight:400">It has been… very strange.
<span style="font-weight:400">Both he and Tatsuya received an email from the academy, telling them that all of their papers and transfer procedure had beenpleted, and that they could immediately start going to ss the day of their transfer.
<span style="font-weight:400">Given how thorough the group chat has been with their integration into this world, Yuuji and Tatsuya didn’t really questioned it.
<span style="font-weight:400">What confused them was the fact that in the email, they were told that they will be lead to their ss by a member of the student council…
<span style="font-weight:400">They couldn’t believe what they read the first time they went through the email.
<span style="font-weight:400">Yuuji thought they’d be going to the principal''s office or the administration and be led by their homeroom teacher. But instead, they’re led by another student…
<span style="font-weight:400">Was this anime logic? It’s true that sometimes, transfer students are lead by a member of the student councils in anime because the author either wanted to introduce the student council members, who’ll be pertinent to the story, or simply didn’t want to to write about a school staff that would appear once for this purpose and never to be seen again.
<span style="font-weight:400">But experiencing it in reality was very weird…
<span style="font-weight:400">And what’s even more surprising is that the one leading them was Kallen Stadtfelt, or Kozuki Karen.
<span style="font-weight:400">They didn’t expect to meet her the first thing in the morning.
<span style="font-weight:400">Seeing the taciturn girl walking in front of him, Yuuji also couldn’t help but think of her weirdly.
<span style="font-weight:400">Yes. In her Kallen Stadtfelt persona, she was a quiet, demure, frail, yet extremely intelligent girl who’s well known for her beauty.
<span style="font-weight:400">But… For some reason, she seemed to be strangely on guard with him.
<span style="font-weight:400">Considering her background, perhaps it was because he was a “Britannian” and the inherent suspicion she had developed from the numerous encounters and experiences she had with the Britannians in the past.
<span style="font-weight:400">But she didn’t seem that on guard with Tatsuya, even though he was supposed to be “Britannian” on paper as well.
<span style="font-weight:400">Was she specifically on guard towards him? What did he do to piss her off? He just came into this worldst night! This was the first time he had met her! Even in the memories he received from the group chat, he couldn’t recall ever upsetting her in any way.
<span style="font-weight:400">Even with his genius level intelligence and lightning fast through processing, he couldn’t figure out what he did that upsetted her.
<span style="font-weight:400">Was this one of <i><span style="font-weight:400">those</i><span style="font-weight:400"> moments? When a girl simply got upset at you without any reason and you just have to ept it?
<span style="font-weight:400">He had learned about it from Mira, his sisters, his aunt, and Aika. And he was told that the best way to handle it was to simply leave her alone for a while and keep being kind to her and it will resolve itself. So he was going to do it.
<span style="font-weight:400">But still… what could he have done…? Was it even something he did?
<span style="font-weight:400">Yuuji shook his head. And soon, they arrived in front of their ss where a male teacher, presumably their homeroom teacher, had been waiting for them.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sir Ashley, I’ve brought with me the transfer students.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ah, yes. Thank you very much for your hard work, Miss Stadtfelt. Pleasee in and take your seat. You may also go to the nurse’s office to rest if you wish. You must be very tired.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I am fine Sir Ashley. Thank you very much. Then, I shall be inside.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kallen bowed towards the teacher and entered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well then, wee to Ashford Academy. I’ve read about you from the forms you’ve submitted. I’m d to have brilliant students such as yourselves here in the academy. And, handsomeds that you are, I’m sure you will fit in just fine.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thank you very much, professor.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sir Ashley would be fine. I’m still too young to be a professor. Hahahaha!”
<span style="font-weight:400">The brown haired man, seemingly about 27-28 year-old man with a chubbiness and rotund figure,ughed at his own… words.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well then, I’ll be entering first. Come in when I call you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">““Yes.””
<span style="font-weight:400">--------------------------------X--------------------------------
<span style="font-weight:400">Sitting quietly at his desk, Lelouch put his elbow on his table and rested his head against his hand.
<span style="font-weight:400">His eyes were closed, and to each and every one of his ssmates and friends, he was asleep.
<span style="font-weight:400">But in reality, he was anything but asleep. His mind was filled with the operation the ck Knights will be undergoing in Narita as well as his ns for Shirley’s father.
<span style="font-weight:400">Thanks to his [Foresight] ability, which allows him to see the future results of his decisions, and his [Mind of the World], he was able to create a far better n than the one “he” made in the anime.
<span style="font-weight:400">Yuuji, Tatsuya, and Satoru’s existence in his world now had also made it easier for him. Even without their geass or their abilities, simply having several other people who knew of his secret and who he could trust, would be a tremendous help for him.
<span style="font-weight:400">Today would be their first time meeting. And although he wouldn’t show it, he was actually fairly excited.
<span style="font-weight:400">It… truly has been a while since he had “friends” he could be truthful towards and trust. Ever since that tragic “day”, trust was a luxury he couldn’t afford.
<span style="font-weight:400">The sound of the door opening and the voice of his homeroom teacher awakened him from his “rest”.
<span style="font-weight:400">It wouldn’t, normally, but Sir Ashely’s arrival today would signal Yuuji and Tatsuya’s, or rather, Alexander and Silver’s as well. So, he woke up to see his friends for the first time.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Alright. Please settle down, everyone. We will be weing two new transfer students to our ss today.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The students all scampered back to their seats the moment their home room teacher entered. But as soon as he announced that they’ll be having two new transfer students, gasps and whispers immediately filled the ssroom once more.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Eh?! C-Could it be…?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Is it the rumored rich transfer student who came here in a sports car?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Eh?! Are we really going to have him in our ss?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I heard he’s super handsome!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh my God~ I’m so excited!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Voices of excitement, surprise, and anticipation filled the ss until their teacher knocked on the board to get their attention.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Settle down. I know you’re excited, but stop with the ruckus. I’ll be letting them in now.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The entire ss immediately went silent, waiting in bated anticipation.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Good. Now please wee our two new transfer students who’ll be joining us in this ss starting from today.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The door opened, and the entire ss immediately burst into gasps, shrieks, and shock as two young men entered the ss.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh my God! It’s really him!!!”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I-I can’t believe it…! We got to be in the same ss?!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“H-He’s even more handsome than I could imagine!”
<span style="font-weight:400">The girls all burst into excitement, while the guys sat in their seats, shocked.
<span style="font-weight:400">And this time, it took a while for their teacher to make his ss quiet down.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hah… Alright, please introduce yourselves.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Yuuji nodded, and with an elegant bow, he introduced himself.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It is a pleasure to meet everyone. My name is Alexander Kyrielight. I hope to make your acquaintance.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Simrly, Tatsuya also introduced himself.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It is a pleasure to meet everyone. My name is Silver Taurus. I shall be in your care.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The girls all cheered and pped their hands, moreso for the fact that they got a new eye candy and one super handsome <i><span style="font-weight:400">and</i><span style="font-weight:400"> rich guy than their introductions.
<span style="font-weight:400">And as they did, no one realized the gaze Yuuji, Tatsuya, and Lelouch shared with each other.
<span style="font-weight:400">There was no change in their expression, and their gazes were subtle. But, there was an unmistakable connection that was established through their gaze. A connection that could only be created through time, or immense mutual trust.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">Wee to this world, Yuuji, Tatsuya.</i>
<i><span style="font-weight:400">Thank you. Please show us aroundter. We haven’t got the time to explore much, having only arrivedst night.</i>
<i><span style="font-weight:400">Of course.</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Yuuji’s lips curled into a small smile, which sent the girls even more excited. But they’re soon given the permission to go to their seats.
<span style="font-weight:400">And their first day in Ashford Academy officially started.