Breaking the Shackles of the Past (Ren Tao) (ON HIATUS)

☯ Chapter Two: Rumors ☯

I was greeted by sunshine when I stepped out the door the next morning, school bag in hand.

The weather had warmed up considerably in the last few weeks, paving the way for the summer that was just on the horizon. I wasn't looking forward to it. I preferred the moderate temperatures of spring and fall and the unparalleled views of the cherry blossoms and bright colored leaves brought on by the changing seasons.

If only cherry blossom season hadn't already come and passed. I would have been tempted to take a detour on the way to school. It wasn't like I didn't have time.

Like every time I walked outside, I had the distinct feeling of someone watching me and paused on the porch to look around. Unlike last night, I couldn't linger long. The front door gave a loud creak from behind me as the person on the other side opened it. I swiftly moved onto the sidewalk and began to head toward school as fast as I could, my gaze focused on what was ahead of me.

It was a short stroll to my school. Two buildings were located on the property; the one on the left was the High School division, and the other on the right was the Junior High. To further distinguish between the students, the uniforms of the two schools were starkly different. While mine was styled like a blue sailor suit, the girls in junior high had to sport white-colored buttoned-up shirts with green skirts. The boys in high school donned a blue military-style uniform, while their younger counterparts only had to wear white-colored buttoned-up shirts with green slacks.

Dozens of students had already arrived before me. Some were walking to their respective buildings to get a head start, and others were huddled together as they talked animatedly with each other. I stepped through the school gate, intending to head to the building on the left.

"Oyamada!" a boy called out from my right.

That one word was enough to make me come to a screeching halt. Dread consumed me as I turned my attention to the two boys and girl approaching an incredibly short boy with sandy-brown hair.

My thoughts went back to last night while I stared at his uniform.

"Of course," I muttered with a frown as I fought off a curse that threatened to come from my lips.

I should have realized we attended the same school when I saw Manta yesterday. It's a miracle we haven't bumped into each other before now... I'll have to make sure to keep a sharp lookout for him, so I can evade him. I can't risk another encounter between us. My mother would never forgive me. It was already a stretch to speak with him last night. I wasn't going to push my luck.

Knowing I should hurry before he caught sight of me, I took another step forward then froze once again as my stomach plummeted. The familiar sensation of a shaman's presence came rushing through me and made all the muscles in my body tense. I didn't have to search for the source. I knew who had caused it the moment I saw the brown-haired boy from last night at the corner of my eye. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as he strolled past me, the wind blowing back the long bangs framing his face.

What in the hell is he doing here?

I stared at him with horror, my eyes taking in his form as he grew more and more distant. He was wearing the same thing from the night before. However, just like with Manta, I hadn't realized what his clothes had meant until now. It was the uniform for the junior high division, the very same one that Manta had on.

No.

Someone bumped into my stiff form hard enough I fell to the ground, taking me by surprise in my distressed state. Shrill laughter rang out while I pushed myself onto my hands and knees, my mind still racing from the boy's unexpected appearance but now also feeling annoyed. When I looked at the offender with a glare, an unsurprising group of females was smirking back at me as they headed for the high school building. Choosing to ignore it, I looked away and picked up my bag as I stood. They were the least of my problems right now. A shaman had just transferred to my school.