Cards Of The Silent King-Chapter 16: Study Hall

Late afternoon sun poured through the classroom windows. It turned the dust motes into gold. The air smelled of chalk dust and old paper. The school was quiet. Most clubs had finished. The only sounds were the scratch of pens and the turning of pages.

Four desks pushed together. A square island in the sea of empty rows.

Kaito sat at the corner. Back to the wall. View of the door. His notebook was open. Neat handwriting. Solutions marked in black ink.

Ryota sat opposite him. He was chewing on the end of his pen. He looked desperate.

I do not understand. Why does X move? Who told X it could move? It was fine yesterday. It was a number. Now it is a variable. It is identity crisis.

Jin sat beside Ryota. He was reading a textbook. He did not look up. He reached out. He took Ryota’s notebook. He corrected a line with a red pen. He slid it back.

Ryota looked at the correction. He blinked.

Oh. Right. Obviously. I knew that. I was testing you.

Jin turned a page. He did not respond.

Hana sat beside Kaito. She had three highlighters lined up on the desk. Yellow. Pink. Blue. She was organizing her notes. She stopped. She looked at Kaito’s notebook.

Can I see.

Kaito pushed the notebook toward her.

Thanks. She slid it closer. She started copying the formulas. Her handwriting was looser than his. Faster. You write so small. How do you read this? It looks like code.

Practice.

Show off. She smiled. She did not look up. Ryota. Stop chewing the pen. You are going to ingest plastic. Then you will glow in the dark. Then Sato will fail you for being a hazard.

It is ergonomic. Ryota spat the pen out. He wiped it on his sleeve. Anyway. Group study is good. We are efficient. Jin is the brain. Kaito is the... answer key. I am the morale. Hana is the manager.

Accurate. Jin said.

See. Even Jin agrees. I am essential.

Hana finished copying. She closed the notebook. She slid it back to Kaito. Her fingers brushed his. Warm. Brief.

Done. Math is finished. History next?

Later. Kaito said.

Break. Ryota announced. He leaned back. He stretched his arms. His chair creaked. I need sugar. Anyone have candy? I think I have a mint. It might be old. It might be a fossil.

Hana opened her bag. She pulled out a pack of gum. She tossed it to Ryota. He caught it.

Saved. You are a lifesaver. I was facing starvation. Actual death.

You ate lunch. Jin noted.

Two hours ago. That is ancient history. My metabolism is high. It is a burden.

Kaito watched them. The sun was lower now. The light was orange. It stretched across the floor. It touched his shoes.

This is dangerous. Kuro’s voice was low. A whisper in the back of his mind. Comfort makes you slow.

Safe.

For now. The Hunger wakes. You sit here playing school.

Protecting.

By sitting.

Yes.

Kaito looked at his hand. It was relaxed on the desk. No grip on a card. No tension in the shoulder. For this hour, the city was not falling apart. The cracks were sealed. The entities were sleeping.

Hana capped her highlighter. She looked at Kaito.

You are quiet.

Thinking.

About math.

About nothing.

She studied him. Her eyes were soft. She knew he was lying. She did not call it out. She accepted the lie as a boundary.

Well. Think about dinner. You are coming to the festival next week. Right? The summer festival. By the shrine.

Kaito hesitated. Festivals meant crowds. Crowds meant variables. Variables meant risk.

Maybe.

Do not maybe. Yes or no. If you say no, I will be sad. If I am sad, Ryota will be sad. He cries easily.

I do not. Ryota protested. He was chewing the gum. Loudly. I am stoic. Like a rock.

You cried when your plant died. Jin said.

It was a succulent. It had potential.

Hana laughed. The sound filled the classroom. It bounced off the walls. It pushed away the shadows in the corners.

Kaito felt something in his chest loosen. The knot of worry. The weight of the count. The warning about Hunger.

Okay. Kaito said.

Okay yes. Hana pressed.

Yes.

Good. She smiled. It was bright. Victorious. I will save you a spot. Near the food stalls. Best view of the fireworks.

Fireworks. Kaito repeated.

Big ones. Loud. You will like them. They explode. Like your math problems.

Ryota laughed. Jin smiled slightly.

Kaito looked out the window. The sky was turning purple. The streetlights were flickering on below.

Fireworks are loud. Ember’s voice flickered. Sleepy. Warm. Like me. Can I see?

Later.

Promise.

Promise.

The bell rang. The sound echoed in the empty hallways. It signaled the end of the study session. The end of the day.

Ryota stood up. He gathered his things. He shoved books into his bag without folding the corners.

Freedom. I am going home. To sleep. For twelve hours. Do not call me. Do not text me. Unless it is an emergency. Or if you found a rare video game.

Jin stood up. He organized his bag. Perfectly aligned. He looked at Kaito.

Walk.

Alone.

Okay. Jin did not push. He knew why. Night was coming. The cracks opened wider in the dark.

Hana stood up. She stacked her highlighters. She put them in her pencil case. She looked at Kaito.

Walk to the gate.

Okay.

They walked out together. The hallway was dark. The lights were on timers. They flickered as they passed.

Ryota went left. Jin went right. Hana and Kaito went straight.

They reached the gate. The city noise rushed in. Cars. People. Life.

Hana stopped. She adjusted her bag strap.

See you tomorrow.

See you.

Do not skip breakfast.

Will not.

Good. She hesitated. She looked at his jacket. At the pocket where the cards rested. Be careful.

Kaito met her gaze. He knew she did not know the full truth. But she knew enough. She knew he walked into danger. She knew he came back tired.

Always.

She turned away. She walked toward the station. She merged into the crowd. She did not look back.

Kaito stood at the gate. He watched her go. He watched until she was safe. Until the crowd swallowed her.

She knows. Kuro said. Not everything. But enough.

Knows.

She is a target.

Protect.

You cannot protect everyone.

Her.

Kuro was silent. The Ace of Spades was cool against his ribs.

Kaito turned away from the gate. He walked into the Grey District. The streets were narrower here. The buildings were older. The shadows were deeper.

The sun was gone. The moon was rising. A sliver. White. Cold.

The study hall was over. The ordinary afternoon was done. The warmth was fading.

Now the work began.

He checked his pocket. The cards were ready. Fenrir was restless. Ember was awake. Kuro was watching.

He walked past the alley where he fought the Wanderer. It was sealed. Quiet.

He walked past the dumpling stall. It was closed. Shutters down. Kenji was safe inside.

He walked past the park. The swings were empty.

He reached his apartment. He climbed the stairs. He unlocked the door.

Inside, he did not turn on the light. He walked to the desk. He fanned the cards.

They glowed faintly in the dark. Fourteen lights. Fourteen souls.

He sat down. He opened the drawer. He took out a fresh notebook.

He wrote: Festival. Next week.

He closed the notebook. He put it away.

It was a promise. A variable. A risk.

He stood up. He took off his jacket. He hung it up.

He went to the window. He looked out at the city.

The lights were beautiful. They looked like stars fallen to earth.

They were fragile. They could go out.

He would not let them.

He touched the glass. It was cold.

Ready.

The cards hummed. A low vibration. Agreement.

Kaito turned away from the window. He went to the kitchen. He made coffee. Black. Strong.

He drank it standing up. He listened to the city.

Somewhere, a crack opened. Somewhere, a monster woke.

He finished the coffee. He put the cup in the sink.

He put on his jacket. He checked the pockets.

He opened the door. He stepped out into the night.

The study hall was over.

The war began again.