The Seating Arrangement

The three girls went to school on time. It was a beautiful, sunny morning. The birds were chirping. The crickets jumped from bush to bush. The school itself looked like very nice and clean. It seemed like an average high school for Jack and Yune. But Mary thought of it as high-class. She had never seen a school like this except for the rich. She remembered her education to be small and cramped. Not fit for somebody like herself. But this school, she felt like she belonged.

Hades dropped down three book bags to the three from the sky and each one landed in the arms. Their was another note. "All your notebooks and pens are here. I did not steal them."

The book bags also had names written on them, but they looked to be scratched out.

Yune shook her head in disappointment.

Jack decided to check the bag if everything was there.

Mary took one of the pens and started to scratch out the name on her bag even further. Then, she proceeded to write her own name on it.

The three of them walked into the school together, but haven't really spoken since leaving the house. None of them felt like they needed to be friends with one another. Just that they were all allies under the situation.

"Let's meet up on the roof at lunch. Try not to attract too much attention, you two," Yune said to Jack and Mary.

"I'll try not to," Jack replied.

Mary just shrugged and walked away.

Yune, Jack, and Mary went off to their homerooms and thus began their first school day as guardians of darkness.

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The bell rang and Yune walked into her homeroom carefully carrying the backpack behind her. It was the first day of school, and she just wanted to sit by herself. She looked towards the seat in the far corner of the room next to the window. She felt a strange pull coming from that table as she became attracted towards it. Maybe, this is where I usually sit, she thought. As she was about to walk towards the seat, another kid just sat there. A look of disbelief fell on Yune. She didn't know why, but she felt that that seat belonged to her. That disbelief turned to frustration, but she calmed herself down. Yune took a good look at the kid. He looked like an average guy. Medium height. Didn't look physically impressive nor did he look skinny or fat. Just average. He had short black hair. There was nothing remarkable about him. Yet, this generic-looking guy sat in Yune's seat.

Calm down, she thought to herself, it's only a seat. I'll just sit in the middle somewhere and next time, I'll sit there. Yune took a random seat, but it didn't feel right. Her mind only wandered to that seat in the back next to the window. And so, started the classes. And every other class after, that guy would always take that seat in the back.

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The bell rang and Jack walked into her homeroom carrying a book bag casually. Her tall and athletic demeanor attracted the attention of the school boys, but she just ignored them.

Then, she looked at the seat in the back next to the window. A pull attracted her towards it, but another generic guy took the seat. Jack went up to the guy and asked, "Hey, can I sit there?"

But the guy's head seemed to be off somewhere else.

Jack uttered in disbelief, "Alright. Nevermind. No big deal. I'll just sit somewhere else." And she sat somewhere in the front. But even so, she still wanted that seat. Next time, she thought, next time I'll just be faster. But every class after, the guy seemingly always takes that seat.

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Mary strutted into the room carrying her bag haphazardly. She scouted the room and had an urge to sit in the back next to the window. Now, anybody could see what was coming, but Mary didn't. She blinked and some generic guy just appeared in that seat.

She rubbed her eyes thinking she was hallucinating, but no matter how much she rubbed, that guy was there. She rubbed her eyes 12 times before she could accept that some guy would appear and take the seat that she wanted.

She went up to the guy and gave a small cough. The guy looked at her in confusion.

"Huh?" he muttered.

"Yes, hi. That seems to be my seat your ass is on. So, please kindly get off," Mary said trying to maintain a kind smile. A brief silence entered the room.

The homeroom teacher heard her remark and she was sentenced to detention after-school. Then, he made her sit in the seat in the back two aisles away from the seat she wanted. Throughout that class, she gave a crazy and angry look at the guy, but he didn't seem to notice. The ones in between them were very disturbed. And in every class after, that guy would take the same seat that she wanted. And during every class, she would give him the same look while everybody else sweated in fear while trying to mind their own business.

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When lunch came, the three met up on their way to the roof of the school. The rooftop door was locked, but Mary transformed only her arm and with her index finger, clawed off the lock with ease. They strolled right through onto the school roof. It was a wired fence on the edges of the roof, but otherwise, it was very plain.

They all sighed and sat down.

Mary looked in her bag and took out a sandwich that Hades must have made or took.

Yune and Jack proceeded to do the same. They all took a bite. It was tuna with cheese. Nothing too special, but was a good meal for the three.

There was only the sound of chewing among the three. Below them, they heard the other students walking around and talking with each other. Boys and girls played on the fields in the back. Some sat alone on their phone or eating their lunch.

Jack wanted to break the silence between them and made a loud sigh.

"I don't know about your days, but some guy has started to irk me," Jack said trying to make conversation.

"That's strange. Some guy has been bothering me, too," Yune mentioned and then took another bite.

"Strange? A guy who I would have thought a low-born peasant stole what was mine," Mary said.

Jack nodded and said, "Seems like somebody in each of our classes is bothering us. Although, I wouldn't call the dude that I saw a bully or anything. Just... well... I don't know."

Yune kept quiet and kept eating.

Mary quickly munched on her food, and suddenly as if she remembered her manners, she grabbed a napkin and wiped away the crumbs from her face. Then, she jumped up and shouted, "Maybe, we ought to do something. I got after-school detention because of his small head!"

"Keep it down. I'm sure that - you got detention?" Yune asked.

"Yeah. This guy was sitting in where I usually sit," Mary said and the other two were surprised at her remark. They too had the same problem with their guy. Mary continued, "I don't plan on letting this go. Him and his boring-ass black hair."

Jack interrupted, "Wait. So, you're telling me that some guy was sitting in your seat. I felt the same thing. It felt like I usually sit in the back corner next to the window, but this guy who's straight-up from some generic Japanese cartoon just takes it."

"That's very peculiar. I don't think this can be a coincidence. I had the same thing happen to me. Some boring guy with black hair decided to sit where I felt most comfortable sitting. In the back corner next to the window," Yune pointed out.

"Huh? So, you're both telling me that the same guy appeared in all three of our classrooms and took the same exact seat," Mary exclaimed.

Yune rubbed her chin and pondered. "Maybe, this is the work of some kind of Night Demon."

"A Night Demon that steals a seat. That doesn't make any sense," Jack said.

Mary nodded her head in agreement with Jack.

"Well, it's unlikely that three people with the same average features would show up to take the same exact seats that we all wanted. This must be due to some dark magic. There's no other possible explanation," Mary said trying to act and sound smart.

Jack shook her head and said, "I think there are probably other explanation, but let's entertain that idea. So what if they are some kind of Night Demon. We're no longer Light Guardians. What are we supposed to do?"

Yune stood up. She took a couple of deep breaths and replied, "We might not be Light Guardians anymore, but that owl said that we were free to do as we please. And since we still have powers, even if they weren't granted by beings of light, we can still use them for good. So, let's try to do some good."

Jack smiled. "That sounds good. I don't remember much about myself, but I feel like I've done everything because I believed it was the right thing to do. And I believe we should help people. If those guys are Night Demons in disguise, we should try to stop it before it hurts an innocent bystander."

Jack took a couple of steps forward and looked up at the clear blue sky. Birds flew overhead. The sound of regular traffic going by. The gentle wind struck her face and her hair danced in the wind. It soothed her.

While Jack was preoccupied, Mary asked, "So... how do we proceed?"

Yune thought for a moment and said, "Well, first we have to confirm that they are, in fact, Night Demons."

Jack looked back down to Mary and Yune. With conviction, she said, "You're right. And I think I have an idea."

"You do? I thought you were just muscle," Mary said.

"I do. And I'm not just muscle. It will have to be done quickly. I need some paper and a pen."

Mary took out some pieces of paper and a pen for Jack. And Jack began to get to work while the other two watched in anticipation.