Just as we reached the entrance of the cafeteria, I sensed quite the tension in the hall, the cafeteria was a neutral area, at least that what it should have been .
A place where both the Weeds and Blooms can meet and who knows may even have a civilized conversation with each other, exchanging experience, smiles, on and on .
But due to the gap that this weird system have created between the two parties, the place which should have been neutral, become another battlefield between the two sides, it was weirdly enough, the most intense battlefield as well .
People from both sides were glaring at the other with ill intentions and repulsive stares, if even bt mistake a Weed happened to pass by a Bloom sitting on a table, the latter would take the initiative to ridicule the first, even if the weed was just passing by the table and nothing more .
Looking at these kind of unreserved and unmasked hatred between the two courses, I began cursing the one who put this system, then I was able to understand more clearly now the reason that using Magic in the school was forbidden .
These guys might kill each other if they had access to their magic, I had not the slightest doubt that maybe this rule was established after someone doing something terrible in the past, my opinion about this school had changed greatly after actually enrolling .
I already understood the layout of the school system, it was a Merit-based system, also had awareness about how was the relationship between the two courses, but that was all the information I got was able to tell me .
Only after experiencing for myself did I understand how severe was the situation and how this merit based system actually began to change into a hierarchy system, with both sides being at fault for this happening .
One side was bullying without caring for the consequences of their actions and the other side didn't push back the first, already accepting that they were inferior in their hearts, which led to this kind of situation, so I do believe that both sides are to be blamed .
This school gave quite the space of freedom to the students without obligating them to much, then put the students council on top of the pyramid then let nature take its course, leaving too many problems to appear, problems that the students council can't hope to solve alone .
As I finished contemplating on how this school shared a common gray moral area with the society outside, I couldn't help but be reminded of my own responsibilities as a Yotsuba Family member in this school .
The responsibilities that I seemed to have already failed, I got a detention on my very first day of school, it wasn't even an hour since I joined the school Entrance Ceremony and here I was already punished like that, I'm expecting to get an earful after my mother call in the evening to ask for an explanation .
~sigh~ .
" What was done, is done .
Juvia :
What did Ryuu-sama say ? .
" Nothing Juvi, I was just organizing my thoughts a little and this was blurted out, oh and can you at least stop calling me Master, it's getting more and more difficult to explain this to other people, tell you what the only titles you can use to refer to me are either San or Kun, I won't be replaying if you called me Master again, at least not at school, okay ? .
Our appearance here had already caught the attention of all the people in the room, it made the two fighting sides calm down, but it was beginning to make me the uncomfortable one here .
I got a tray and without waiting for Juvia to give me an answer or suggest getting the food for me, I took my turn in the row of students and after getting served the food, a problem appeared, in fact the problem was quite a huge one for me .
I was at loss of where to sit, first the place was filled with students, but this was not much of an issue, I was privileged enough to have the ability to choose where I wanted to sit, even if the table was already full, someone would willingly or unwillingly make a room for both me and Juvia .
As I was passing by the tables, no matter whether it was a student from Course 1 or Course 2, they would willingly give up his chair for me, I didn't want to keep seeing this happening, so I even went to the secluded area of the cafeteria and just my luck, a table that had only two guys sitting on it was available in my sight .
What made matter easier was the fact that an acquaintance was already sitting at that table so it make things a lot more easier, Tatsuya's face fell out slightly after seeing me coming towards him, seeing the slight shift in his expression made me almost laugh, he was a man that relayed on cautiousness to survive .
So me approaching his table all of a sudden while there were other table I can sit on was quite difficult to be called a coincidence, I was this Freshmen Representative, not to mention a Bloom, I was the most influential person in this year and everyone was willing to entertain me, yet I chose to go for a Weed and sharing a table with him .
If that not standing out too much, I really don't know what can be called standing out of place, so that was why he was reacting like that, I still paid his concerns or the concerns of other no mind .
Even Juvia was against doing something like this as it could be seen from hear not even moving an inch from her place, I watching this scene didn't know what to say or do with that girl, but going with my original plan, I approached the table and said :
" Hello, I'm Yotsuba Ryuu, mind if we share a table with you ? .
Yes, we do mind .
After I asked the question, the person who responded was neither of the two guys sitting on the table, but with a bang a girl put her tray forcefully on the table and responded like this .
Raising my head up, I saw that the girl was none other than the Red haired girl in the Hall before, it seem that they were quite friendly with Tatsuya before, so they really might have a say in the matters, after all they were friends .
I didn't understand why even though she seemed to be angry at me teasing her earlier, her face was still blushing, but I just interpreted as she just might not be comfortable in dealing with a guy like me, like most of the girls who were in this Hall .
" Oh, then I'm sorry for bothering all of you .
Wait, wait a second, we really don't mind, I don't know why did she came her stating her opinion on this, even though this has clearly nothing to do with her, please, please .
Just as I was about to concede defeat for the first time in my life, the guy with chestnut hair, green eyes and an athletic body who was sitting opposite to Tatsuya came to my rescue, saying this and asking me and Juvia to sit with them .
His response angered the girl and she directly pointed at Tatsuya and said :
Well I have a say since we agreed together with Tatsuya before, we are his friends, now who are you to tell me whether I have a say or not ? .
The guy that came to my rescue stood up from his seat and pointed at the girl with red hair while asking Tatsuya if what she said was indeed true, which the latter confirmed by nodding his head while squinting his eyes at me, the reason behind all this scene, then he finally sighed and said :
There's no need to create a scene, Erika, Leo is also my friend and we can all have lunch together, as long as you don't have a problem with that, Mizuki, Mizuki? .
His answer was enough for the two guys who were glaring daggers at one another to finally stand down, his asking for the opinion of a person that hadn't spoken at all since this situation started, it was the girl who he called Mizuki, the little bit short girl with a voluptuous body and was wearing glasses to dampen the ability of her golden amber like eyes .
Who was currently completely focused on one thing and that was me, but as Erika shook her body slightly after she wasn't able to hear Tatsuya calling her, she seemed to have finally woken up from her trance, she flushed red from embarrassment then she bowed her head and apologized for not reacting just now .
Tatsyua raised an eyebrow at this, but his face become normal almost a fraction of a second later, but I was still able to notice, the only one to notice, it seem that this girl had caught Tatsuya's attention, at least her eyes did, I'm now more curious than ever .
After Erika the girl with the red oranged hair saw this, her red browned eyes lit up and as if Mizuki flipped a switch in her, she couldn't help but tease Mizuki about it until the later became so flushed that she didn't respond and just took a seat and then buried her head under the table, frustrated and yelling that it wasn't like that .
What that wasn't like that, I had no clue, I was about to take my tray and find another place to sit in, but the rude Erika just now seemed to have become kind and considerate all of a sudden, I heard her say :
Since Tatsuya spoke, you can share a table with us, right Mizuki ? .
Mizuki from under the table, responded by raising her head up and gave a nod and a few hums indicating her approval, the girl was still quite embarrassed to even say anything at all .
Seeing that I was accepted into their group, I called Juvia over and she reluctant accepted to sit down with those guys, the reluctance came from the fact that she didn't want to be reprimanded later, but that wasn't what concerned Juvia .
After already accompanying me for over half a year, I already know what she was thinking of doing but now she wouldn't get a chance to do so, she wanted to feed me herself, but now that we will be in the accompany of other people and as I already discussed this with her, she simply can't, that's why she was reacting like this .
After setting down, I introduced myself to them and motioned for Juvia to do the same, the first to respond sarcastically saying that they all knew who I was .
For some reason I think that me winking at her a few hours ago did more damage than I thought, she seemed angry with me, but even though she was acting as nothing was going on with here, I saw her face flush every time she met my eyes .
After this sarcastic remark of hers, the guy next to me was the first to respond, introducing himself as Saijou Leonhard, but he said that he preferred to be called Leo, a nickname given to him by his grandfather he said .
I told him that it was nice to meet him and even though he was a little bit guarded when dealing with me after I introduced myself, I was able to still label him as a good person in my mind .
The nuisance Erika seemed to finally get acquainted with me, she said :
I'm Chiba Erika, you better be ready to be annoyed by me for the next 3 years for what you did in the morning .
Her tone was lively and her words left all the 4 people on the table completely baffled, I sensed Juvia beside me pulling my jacket, she seemed to be asking for an explanation, but how would I have an explanation on something that I have no clue about .
I wanted to ask her about what exactly did I do, but the girl named Mizuki rose up from her seat all of a sudden and with a shaky, but loud voice she introduced herself as Shibata Mizuki and she said that she was hoping that we become close friends .
Erika :
Oh, Mizuki, you are quite daring, you wanted him to become a close friend already, I'm rooting for you .
Mizuki :
Huh, what did I just, no, no, didn't misunderstand me Erika, it's not that I don't want to be acquainted with Ryuu-san, it's just, it's just .
" Shibata-san ? .
Mizuki :
Yes ? .
" I'm accepting your good intentions and completely understood what you were trying to say, so how about you set down first .
The girl only then had finally realized that the whole place was looking at her, she apologized first, then she returned to burying her head under the table .
I thought the scene looked quite funny, but I was afraid of her mistaken my laughter as me laughing at her, so I didn't dare to laugh, but Erika on the other hand was quite outspoken and directly burst out laughing and began teasing her even more, while thanking me for giving her the opportunity by kicking my leg from under the table .
" And you are ? .
I turned towards Tatsuya and asked about who he was, he then introduced himself as Shiba Tatsyua, he bowed his head slightly in greeting, he also faintly smiled and it was an actual genuine smile unlike the fake ones that pained my eyes all those months .
I said it was a pleasure and shook hands with him, Leo suddenly said :
You guys are meeting for the first time ? .
We both nodded and found his question strange, he then continued to say after shaking his head :
Maybe it's just my imagination, you seem quite familiar with each other, not to mention a bit similar in appearance .
The one who barked at Leo for saying that was no one but Erika, telling him that me and Tatsuya were nothing alike in term of appearance, our presence was similar, then who was right and who wasn't turned into yet another quarrel between the two .
Diffusing the situation, I asked Tatsuya if he had any relationship with Shiba Miyuki, he wasn't quite sure of what I was trying to do, but Erika was the one that responded and exposed the relationship between the two, I acted as I was surprised by this and as if giving Erika yet another assist, the girl said :
I can't help but wonder about how does it feel to be a big brother to such an overachiever and talented younger sister ? .
I too acted as if I was interested in hearing his response, I didn't even need to act, I was fully invested in knowing what he might say, he seemed not willing to say anything at first, but he seemed to have seen something or someone approaching and he said .
I don't have an answer for that, so how about you ask her how she feel instead ? .