Chapter 563 ( Hajime )

"Come on, Cloud-san, it's time to go to class" - said a black-haired young man of slightly below average height - "Your mother told me not to let you get away this time."

"You don't have to yell, Hajime" - muttered Cloud as he grabbed his head to shake off the pain.

It had been 11 years since Cloud had arrived in this world, and one could say that his stay had been memorable.

"Oh, I'm sorry, it's just that if I don't, you'll never get out of your bed, Cloud-san" - Hajime replied as he snorted in annoyance - "I don't know how I'm still your friend."

"Because we've known each other since we were kids, not to mention that I've saved your ass countless times" - Cloud replied while rolling his eyes at him.

"True" - smiled Hajime innocently - "But I've saved you too, Cloud".

"Yeah, that's why we're friends, now beat it, I want to sleep" - muttered Cloud as he turned around and prepared to go back to rest, but to his bad luck, Hajime didn't come alone this time.

"Cloud-kun, you should get up now" - said a pretty girl with jet black hair.

"Oh, you let her in" - Cloud muttered as he gave the smiling boy a glance, then looked at the girl - "It's not polite to enter the room of a person of the opposite sex, Kaori."

"I asked Rika-chan for permission" - Kaori replied innocently.

Cloud shot a bored look at the girl, more so when he noticed how Rika was watching everything from the doorway.

Cloud wasn't lying down because he was lazy, but because he was indeed tired.

He had been training late into the night because despite not remembering it, he knew that something dangerous would happen shortly.

This was a thought that had been haunting him for years, a reminder that he didn't have to miss his target.

"Why do you always look tired, Cloud-kun?" - Kaori asked with a frown.

"Because he keep training too late" - Rika replied as she folded her arms - "That's one of the many flaws this idiot has."

"Tch" - Cloud clicked his tongue in annoyance, but didn't fight back.

Rika found this amusing, more so when the blond was taking on a very different persona than his true self, possibly because he was now human again.

"Training?" - Kaori asked more curiously.

"Yes, he wants to follow in his father's footsteps and become a soldier" Rika replied as she shook her head, though she had to admit it was a good alibi for his actions.

"Oh, I guess that explains why he's in such a good shape" - Kaori said as she looked at the blond.

"Yeah, especially his abs" - Rika replied.

"Yeah, his abs" - Kaori repeated unconsciously, only to blush when she saw what she had done - "W- I didn't mean that! It's not like I accidentally saw it when he took off his shirt during one of his workouts! What am I saying!"

"Oh, I got it all on tape, girl" - smiled Rika as she looked at poor Kaori who was on the verge of tears - "Relax, it was just a joke, I don't have such bad taste as to keep my friends' conversations."

"Thank god" - muttered Kaori as she looked with annoyance at her friend - "That wasn't a good joke"

"It was" - Rika replied with an even bigger grin.

"Ugh, don't tell Shizuku-chan or she won't let me live in peace" - muttered Kaori under her breath.

"No promises" - replied Rika, who was obviously enjoying her new chance to live her childhood.

"Fine, I'll invite you to that place you like so much" - growled Kaori with a frown.

"We have a deal" - nodded Rika as she motioned for them to leave the blond's room, after all, he still had to get dressed.

Cloud shook his head before getting dressed because it was obvious that Hajime and Kaori wouldn't leave him alone now that they knew he was awake.

* * * * *

"I should have let them into your room earlier, Cloud," Shuri said as she looked at the young blond.

Cloud clicked his tongue as he sat down at the table so he could eat his breakfast.

"Don't worry about the grumpy guy, have a seat and help yourselves" - smiled Shuri as Kaori and Hajime nodded.

Hajime came to breakfast every day because his parents were very busy for the past few months, while Kaori came because as the class representative, she couldn't allow Cloud to keep coming late and missing some of his classes, or at least that was the excuse she had given herself.

"Well, I guess I'll go ahead, I still have to go to the gun club" - Rika said as she quietly walked away.

Cloud gave her a glance before returning to his breakfast.

"I still don't understand how you two are so alike and yet so different" - Shuri sighed as she looked at the blond boy - "You both have this strange fondness for firearms, but you take it to another level."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" - Kaori asked with surprise because this was something new.

"What I'm trying to say, is that Cloud is a complete expert when it comes to weapons, he's even learned how to put them together" - replied Shuri with a frown - "That's been the only time he's asked us for something."

Hajime was surprised when he heard this because he didn't think the blond was such a big gun Otaku, though maybe this was what made them friends.

Hajime was a full-fledged Otaku thanks to his parents.

He enjoyed video games and anime, his favorites being the gun ones, that's why he more or less understood Cloud's attitude towards his hobby, but this was dangerous.

"Isn't that dangerous?" - Kaori asked with concern.

"Yes, however, he is an expert" - Shuri replied with a frown - "In fact, they both are. It's disturbing to see how he and Rika are so attuned to something so dangerous."

"Thanks for the food" - Cloud said before getting up and carrying his plate towards the kitchen.

"Huh?" - Hajime and Kaori looked at each other not knowing what to say, as they didn't expect the blond to finish so quickly.

"Thanks for the food!" - both exclaimed as they ate as fast as they could.

"Come on, don't be so fast" - muttered Shuri while sighing as she watched both go to the kitchen to leave their plates, then follow the blond - "That idiot, he should think a little more about others, and practice less with those things."

Shuri was worried about the way her adopted son was so distant to call him, more so when despite being quite popular with girls, he hasn't had any girlfriends in all these years.

* * *

"You should have eaten in peace, I still have some things to do before going to school" - Cloud said as he saw how Kaori and Hajime were trying to take a good breath after chasing after him.

"No, as class president, it's my duty to make sure you're not late" - Kaori replied as she played because she still had some food in her throat.

Cloud sighed because it was obvious that he couldn't push Kaori away, so he agreed to let her follow him - "Ok, you can come with me, but if something happens to you, it's not my problem."

"Where do you have to go?" - Hajime asked with a frown.

Cloud gave him a look, however he didn't say anything.

"You need to stop being this annoying, Cloud" - Hajime growled in annoyance.

Cloud continued moving forward until he surprisingly arrived at a video game store.

"Oh, it's you, Cloud-san, your order arrived a few minutes ago, you're lucky" - said the store owner as he handed him a package.

Cloud nodded weakly and left the place - "Ready, let's go".

"What was that?" - Hajime asked in surprise because Cloud wasn't one of those people who played a lot of video games.

Cloud looked at the boy he had known for years and handed him the package.

"Huh? Was that for me?" - Hajime asked in surprise.

"Of course, remember I don't play consoles that much" - Cloud replied as he shook his head.

Hajime smiled and opened the package, only to let out a shout of excitement - "How did you manage to get it!"

"I asked Ryu-san if he knew anyone, after that it was easy" - Cloud answered while shaking his head.

"What is it that has you so happy, Nagumo-kun?" - Kaori asked curiously.

"It's one of the few copies of [Final Fantasy 6]!" - Hajime exclaimed happily - "I've been looking for a physical copy of this game for years!"

"Happy birthday" - said Cloud as he nodded and started walking in the direction of the school.

"That boy, he seems all cold and distant, but with his friends he's nicer than he looks" - smiled Kaori as she signaled Hajime to hurry up or he would be late.

Hajime reacted to these words and ran off after the group, not knowing that soon the game would be the last reminder he would have of his best friend for a long time.

-

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