[ Hallways ]

Walking through the hallways during lunch time wasn't as pleasurable as he hoped.

He barely blended in, heads turning with some stares directed at his hair and eyes. Students even stopped their conversations when he passed by them.

It was a surprise, when suddenly the looks turned to someone behind him. Students whispered, and even dispersed, quickly walking away.

He had reached his destination, but ultimately turned around.

"Ah," he simply said.

Death.

He was about to turn back again, but she stopped him.

"So, how is it?" she asked.

Geoffrey realized there wasn't anyone remaining around them.

He deeply sighed, "Why are you trying to have me stand out?" 

"Why did you leave Jet with Emilia, back there?" she asked. "Answer my question, I'll answer yours."

"You already know," monotonously answered Geoffrey.

"Because you're a mere spectator?"

I'm no spectator.

Geoffrey internally sighed. 

"To some extent. It might prove difficult if you keep playing against me."

Death smiled.

"I'm not playing against you."

Geoffrey studied her expression, but nothing could be read from it. She was a complete mystery.

She took a few steps forward. 

"You already know why you stand out. I'm guessing you've figured it out the moment you entered your classroom."

She had no reason to deceive him, and even if she did, it didn't matter too much.

And she was right.

"Am I playing against you already?"

Her smile remained unfaltering. She stood tall, and with pride. 

 "You're playing against yourself. I owe you no more answers. Have a good day, Geoffrey."

She turned around, walking away with grace and a dark elegance.

Is she not here to stop me?

He turned again, looking through the window of the door he was standing in-front of.

Inside, busy kitchen workers ran around. Waiters came in and out, through the opposite side, carrying the orders of the students.

The cooks looked overwhelmed, and who wouldn't be? 

The sheer number of dish would make anyone panic, but the way the kitchen was divided made some sense. 

Stations had their specialty, and everything, despite the chaos, was running smoothly.

Without waiting any further, he entered.

—~~~—

Geoffrey was back in his classroom. 

The class had yet to fill up, some time remained on the clock before the lunch was over, most probably still eating in the cafeteria.

Peter, with a bunch of other students, sat together in the front, moving chairs from nearby desks to have everyone close.

He was animating the discussion pretty well, thought Geoffrey. 

The way he asked people questions was smart, always using open-ended questions and topics that usually related around positive things.

He made sure those who hadn't spoken yet got their turn, so that nobody felt left out, and the way he listened was excellent too.

Eye contact, nodding here and there, even mirroring some of their behaviors and words to emphasize they were heard.

There were a few other students around, one of them with deep-blue hair who remained at his desk for lunch break. 

He used his arms to block the light while his head rested on his desk, and it seemed to work: he was sound asleep.

He had slept through the morning as well, which got him quite a few stares, yet no comments were made. Even the teacher didn't seem to care.

Geoffrey internally sighed once more.

This class was a mess.

Peter's small group was the only redeeming factor.

That group he could anticipate. It made sense, and if anything, it should've had more students in it. 

They all took their own lives. That was no small thing, for most, extremely traumatic. Yet, the A class was filled with contradictions. 

Jet and that person sleeping weren't the only ones who behaved weirdly. The class was awfully calm and accepting for people who, hours ago, died.

"You're Geoffrey, right?" 

His absent gaze went from looking forward to a student approaching him.

He recognized him, Leo.

His introduction was short, beating even Geoffrey's. Leo only said his name, then thanked the class. If anything, he expected more people to be this way.

His black hair was awfully normal, something that stood out in a sea of people who wore different colors on their heads.

"Yes," answered Geoffrey.

A short and awkward moment filled the space between them, with only Leo suffering from it.

His gaze was jumping around, while he held his arm against his side. It looked as if he had a lot of things to say, yet didn't know how to just say them. 

Words were forming in his mind, that he simply couldn't express.

"You can sit there," said Geoffrey, pointing to the desk next to him.

"Isn't that someone else's seat?"

"When they arrive, you can let them have it back."

After careful consideration, Leo finally sat next to Geoffrey, the silence becoming even louder.

Minutes passed, with no words uttered, until the silence finally broke.

"How were the hot-dogs?" asked Leo.

"Pretty good, but still expensive. You tried them?"

"No..." replied Leo.

"Uhh, that's my seat."

Leo, as if electrocuted, jumped to his feet and awkwardly bowed a few times while rushing a few 'sorry' out.

"Ehh, it's not that big of a deal..." replied the student.

Walking back to his seat, Leo sat by himself once more.

"Geoffrey, right? I'm Rei."

Rei was normal. Awfully normal, even.

The way he talked and behaved was how Geoffrey wished he looked on the outside. A meticulous facade that blended in perfectly.

"Rei, that's an interesting name," said Geoffrey.

Rei chuckled, "My parents thought I would be a girl. People often-times expect one when they see my name before meeting me. Seeing the disappointment on people's faces is quite amusing, honestly. Since the name works for guys as well, my parents didn't overthink it too much."

Geoffrey nodded, in thought.

"Is Geoffrey a common name?" he asked.

"Not currently. My parents wanted a special name that would feel unique yet grandiose."

"Grandiose? Were they the type to have your future planned out before you were even born?"

"You could say that, yes."

Rei smiled, his face radiating like the sun piercing the clouds.

A friendly presence.

However, through Geoffrey's eyes, black smoke slightly escaped from Rei's mouth.

His smile was like a crescent moon during the darkest of nights.

"Nice to meet you, Rei."