Chapter 9 - Kiba: I Know Her!
"I admire people like you," Kiba said.
Realizing his tone might've been too serious, he flashed a gentle smile.
"By the way, I saw you lingering by the gate earlier. Something up?" Kiba asked, circling back.
"I'll be joining Kuoh Academy after summer vacation, so I figured I'd check out the school before," Roy shrugged lightly.
"But the guards won't let me in, so I was about to head out."
"Kuoh Academy stays closed to outsiders, even during holidays."
"Some students come for club activities, so only those with school IDs get in," Kiba explained with a smile.
"Guess I'll wait 'til term starts," Roy sighed.
Meeting Kiba was a pretty lucky.
He'd hoped to run into a main characters but hadn't counted on it.
This was pure chance.
Kiba glanced at his phone to check the time, then smiled.
"I've got some time. If you're up for it, I can show you around."
"Seriously?" Roy's eyes lit up.
"Thanks a ton!"
"No big deal. We'll be classmates soon enough," Kiba said warmly.
With Roy's agreement, Kiba spoke briefly to the guard, who nodded.
Roy signed in at the gate, received a visitor's pass, and followed Kiba into the Academy.
The campus was sprawling.
Beyond the modern facilities, an abandoned older section still fell within its grounds.
To an outsider, it just screamed wealth—the kind of private school with deep-pocketed backers.
Only those in the know would suspect its ties to the supernatural.
"It's exactly the school I pictured. Tons of facilities. You guys must have a blast here," Roy said after Kiba showed him most of the campus.
"Way more fun than back home."
"What's your school like?" Kiba asked.
"Focused on grades over everything. Extracurriculars take a backseat, so it's mostly textbooks all day," Roy said with a chuckle.
"I've heard you guys are exam machines," Kiba nodded.
"Your grades must be solid, Roy."
"Nah, it's just survival," Roy joked.
Thanks to inheriting this body's memories, high school knowledge he'd long forgotten was at his fingertips.
"Keep that up, and entrance exams will be a breeze," Kiba said.
"Here, lots of folks don't buckle down until their final year."
"By then, the pressure's brutal."
"Sounds rough," Roy said, smirking.
"With your grades, you'll fit right in."
"Kiba, you're the one who's got it made."
"Bet you're Kuoh's prince charming, huh? I saw a few girls eyeing you on the way," Roy teased.
"You're pulling my leg," Kiba said, his shy smile betraying a hint of embarrassment.
"By the way, Kuoh's got a lot of international students."
"Spotted a bunch just now," Roy remarked casually.
"Yeah," Kiba nodded.
"The school's board has overseas ties, so we get more foreign students."
"First time I've heard of one from the UK, though," Kiba added, curious.
"Kuoh's not exactly a famous school in Japan. Why pick it?"
"Well… it's because of someone," Roy said, spinning a prepared excuse.
"Someone?" Kiba's interest piqued.
"Yup," Roy nodded.
"I came to Japan on a whim, just traveling, planning to head back after a bit."
"And then?" Kiba leaned in.
"Saw a photo of a girl," Roy said, faking a bashful grin.
"Did some digging and found out she's at Kuoh Academy. So, I transferred."
"No way," Kiba said, surprised but not mocking.
Kiba admired Roy's guts to chase a crush across borders.
"Yeah, that's the deal. Only know her name—Souna Shitori. Supposedly a total stunner. That's about it," Roy said, sighing dramatically before perking up.
"But once I'm enrolled, I'll have plenty of chances to get to know her."
"Who'd you say?" Kiba's expression turned odd.
"Souna Shitori. You don't know her?" Roy said, playing dumb.
"A beauty like that's gotta be famous here. Not surprised you've heard of her."
"I do know her," Kiba said, at a loss for words.
Is president's charm so strong it's reached a foreigner?
"Really? What's she like at school?"
Roy asked, eyes gleaming with mock anticipation.
"Well…" Kiba hesitated, unsure how to respond.