Re:Write

"Takumi. Takumi! For Chrissake, Takumi-kun, at least look like you're paying attention in class!"

The teacher stood over Akashi Takumi's desk, frowning at him as he stared blankly out the window. Turning his full on the teacher, he smiled apologetically, charmingly.

"Sorry, sensei. My attention was on the beautiful weather outside."

What beautiful weather? thought the teacher. Rain dripped down the window, making mud out of the grassy lawn in the courtyard. She shrugged to herself. Akashi Takumi wasn't really a normal student, even in a school like this. You had to be REALLY strange to stick out in a school that trained its students to be mercenaries and spies.

"Well, enjoy the weather after class is over, Takumi,"

She said briskly and swept back to the front of the classroom to resume her lecture. Akashi promptly went back to staring out the window. He murmured,

"Rewrite."

The damp leaves on the tree outside quivered, then they changed. Not in a very noticeable way, but if anyone was paying enough attention, they would have noticed the leaves rearrange themselves on different branches. Perfect. The slow ticking of the clock drew his attention; only two minutes left in class. Although rewriting time itself wasn't possible with his power, he could…help the clock along a bit. This would be tricky, though. He'd have to rewrite the clocks in the whole school and then remember to write them back to normal after school. A challenge. He smiled to himself and opened up the "program" of the world. Complex "code" and various symbols and characters hovered next to his classmates, objects, and littered the air. Akashi focused on the clock system embedded in the wall. A few numbers changed here, a little extra "code" insert there, and he blinked, shutting off the Rewrite.

The clock's minute hand suddenly landed on the thirty minute mark and the bell rang, dismissing class.

No one noticed the shift in time that Akashi had created. Students packed their bags and filed out, heading to their next classes. Akashi pushed up his glasses into his dark, black hair and shuffled his papers. A boy with white hair, probably bleached, loomed over him.

" I finally found you. Takumi, Akashi. Age 17, second year at the Shinsen Academy. Specializing in Combative Assault and Assassination. Low scores on your written tests, but you're to top of your class at practical examinations and hands-on experience. Right~<3?"

Akashi looked up, replying in a bored tone,

"right. Way to dig up the obvious. You in the Inquiry department? Wait, who're you again?'

The white-haired kid crossed his arms and stuck out his tongue in a somewhat childish manner. Akashi noted a cross-shaped scar that marked the boy's left cheek. Or maybe it was a tattoo.

"You're so mean, Aki-chan. I transferred into your class today. I'm Hakuaki Shinoku, in the Inquiry and Assassination Departments. But I guess you didn’t hear cause' you were busy Rewriting…"

In an instant, Akashi held a box knife against Hakuaki's pulmonary vein. Even the slightest application of pressure would cause a fatal cut. Behind his glasses, the dark-haired boy's red eyes were cold and lethal. He threatened,

"how do you know about Rewrite?"

"You sure live up to your reputation, Aki-chan."

Hakuaki smiled coolly.

"But if you don't take that knife away, you won't get any info out of me. And it looks like it's just about time for combat training, so I'll see you there~"

Akashi lowered the knife, but continued to glare as the mysterious white-haired boy smiled and left the classroom. This was dangerous. Rewrite was supposed to be undetectable. Unless of course he did something stupid like turn a bush bright pink in front of a bunch of people. But there was no way he could have seen the Rewrite itself. The numbers and symbols and rearrangements that Akashi made to them; only HE could see them. Or maybe not. The last thing he needed-- besides getting killed of course-- was for some random classmate off all people to rat him out about Rewrite. And he really didn’t' need to be tied to a certain fire ten years ago.

"Everyone is armed and ready? Very well then. Let's start with a little tournament today since we have a new student. Come up here and introduce yourself."

Akashi's attention was snapped back to the teacher in the spacious gym. Oh. Right. Combat training. His favorite class. The white-haired kid walked up to stand next to the teacher and threw a charming smile at the class.

"Hi~! I'm Hakuaki Shinoku, and I'm in Inquiry and Assassination. I'm a second year, but let's get along, kay'~?"

Girls whispered and giggled nervously. Boys waited expectantly to assess this new kid. Akashi glared, perhaps trying to bore a hole through him if possible. The gym teacher blew his whistle and unrolled a large sheet of paper with an elimination tourney drawn up on it.

"First, we'll have Shinoku-kun and…Terada-kun. Draw your weapons. In this battle, you may inflict injuries, but no fatalities. To win, your opponent must either concede defeat or you must get them in a position in which they would die in a real mission. Ready? Commence."

As soon as the he blew the whistle to start, Hakuaki drew a wicked-looking katana from the sheath hidden under his shirt on his back, while his opponent pulled out a small handgun and several poison darts. Terada rushed him, trying to get a good position to place a shot that would draw a checkmate, but Hakuaki was quicker, dashing and swinging low, slicing the enemy's leg lightly. Distracted by the light flow of blood, Terada hesitated and Hakuaki twisted up behind him, sword pointed at the center of his chest.

"Don't leave openings for your opponents in battle, kay'?~<3"

Hakuaki smiled mischievously as the whistle blew, marking his victory. He's not bad, Akashi mused as the boy resheathed his sword. But…Not good enough. I need to keep my spot on top as the best.

Dull, easy matches rolled on. Akashi was used to winning easily, and at last it came down to him and Hakuaki. The white-haired, blue-eyed boy drew his katana as the whistle blew and made a slice at Akashi's arm…

…which was blocked by what seemed to be a metal ruler. Akashi flipped the ruler and made a swipe at his opponent with a box cutter, but Hakuaki ducked under it and leapt away. He laughed,

"Oh. My. God. You fight with school stationary?! I like you already! <3"

His last words were cut off as a spinning kick was planted in his chest.

"Oh, so you know martial arts too~ How interesting~"

Hakuaki panted, a little winded from the blow. Akashi said nothing and threw a few long, pointy sticks at him. Pens. Hakuaki ducked and they embedded themselves in the wall behind him, sinking in a few good inches.

"Hyuu~ how cool~ But not as cool as me<3"

Hakuaki ducked and rolled under the flashing blade, the various office supplies flying out of Akashi's sleeves and pockets, and had his sword at the bespectacled boy's neck.

"I win, Aki-chan~"

"Really? Check your head, Shinoku."

In a stalemate, Akashi had cocked his gun against Hakuaki's head just as the sword glinted against his neck, among all the office supplies clattering to the floor.

"You're not half-bad, Aki-chan. You didn't even use Rewrite."

Akashi glared daggers at him, wishing he'd quit mentioning Rewrite out in the open. The teacher clapped, clearly impressed.

"Well done you two. Well now, you'd best be off to dinner now. Class dismissed."

"Hey, hey, Aki-chan, let's eat dinner together!"

Hakuaki pranced up to him and smiled kind of stupidly. Akashi shrugged him off and intoned,

"Hell no. I'm going back to my dorm room."

"Oh, then I'll come with~"

"No! You've got your own room with some other poor soul, right?"

"Actually, that poor soul is YOU. You're my roomie. I requested it~<3"

"WWHAAATTTT?!"

Akashi whirled on him, furious.

"Why?! Why are you so obsessed with…with…FOLLOWING me?!"


Hakuaki smiled pleasantly.

"Cause' you're my target. I'm going to kill you, Aki-chan~"