Affection: Call of the King Chapter 1/ part2

Yosh! Here I am again. This part was a nightmare, I'll be honest. My head feel like imploding. I hate colloquial Japanese. And overly long sentences. Both of which this part was full of.

On another note, you probably noticed I changed the theme. I was never particularly happy with the previous one, so I finally got around to it. I also made some header's for the site from cover art from the novels. There's currently 3 in rotation, but I might add more in future. If anyone has any suggestions for the site, feel free to leave them in the comments.

Also, some might have gotten confused, so I'll say it here. In this novel I'm going by the western way of writing names, because most of the action happens in England, and there's a lot of foreign names. So in ‘Takahito Gamon' Takahito is the first name, and Gamon is the family name.

Anyways, sorry for blabbering so long, you can go read now~

~^.^~

If he became friends with someone in particular, troublesome things would happen like people would think it was unfair he was friends only with that person and be jealous,  the person would exhibit an ambiguous desire to monopolize, and there would be factional strife between the 'Takkun group' and 'Kizu-kun group'.

In elementary school he hadn't yet had a good understanding of such situations, so he had gone through quite enough bitter experiences.

Taking that as a lesson, in middle school, no matter the person, he kept an impartial attitude towards everyone without an exception.

The one and only exception was 'Michiru Kamiyama', and when he replied to people that Michiru was 'special because they were childhood friends', they consented with a 'is that so?'

Takahito also knew that there were people who in their hearts deemed them as 'mismatched'. For that reason Michiru had also been bullied, and had been especially advised that, "For the sake of your growth, you should make friends with more appropriate people."

It was needless assistance.

As far as Takahito knew, there was no other person as sincere and wise as Michiru.  To that extent to keep the balance, god had conferred to him an above average level of clumsiness…as Takahito thought. Kizuki was of the same opinion.

Nevertheless, high school had been relaxing because everyone wasn't picking quarrels to the degree they had in middle school. If he did not use social network services or enter any online circles, he could almost entirely stay outside the complications caused by human relations.

Concerning the after school events as well, since he had continued to use the excuse of 'his parents being strict about curfew', lately he had not been invited out as persistently as before.

"Taka, you won't take the off-campus mock exam anymore?"

Michiru brought up the already finished subject.

"I won't."

Judge things after he had tried experiencing them himself, that was Takahito's policy.

More than others, he also had a strong curiosity and conceit. It had been like that since a long time ago. As his dad had said, it had been like that since he was a baby.

For the sake of satisfying this curiosity, to at once see what sort of thing it was, he had tried to take the off-campus mock exam. In result, since he had learned that he was within the sphere of being able to get into the most highly-selective universities, and grasped that 'I see, it is this sort of thing', he did not plan to take the exam for a second time.

Aiming for even a little bit higher level university, his classmates became desperate, but Takahito felt little appeal in such a competition.

Or perhaps he should say, no matter what it was, he could not get engrosses in it. He could not get passionate. His curiosity was strong, however, once it was satisfied, it soon completely cooled down.

Ordinarily, he kept his grades within the top 3 in his year. When it came to physical exercise ability he played second fiddle to his older twin brother Kizuki, but it wasn't like he was inferior to humans.

But then, both of them did not put in serious effort. If they displayed hundred percent of the potential they possessed as werewolves, things would become troublesome.

He was the wolf that had gone extinct more than hundred years ago in Japan.

Born in the Jinguuji family that had such blood flowing in them, since he had become aware of his surroundings, he had placed suppressing his true strength as his top priority. As such he continued to hide his true self.

Because, if he did not do so, he could not live among humans.

For the sake of co-existence with humans, he could only do as such.

It had been driven into him since early childhood, and by the means of his acquired strength of control, at present there was nothing suspicious about him, and everything went by peacefully.

Moderately reading the situation, not letting extraordinary things loose, like this there were no accidents or troubles.

He had tranquillity and peace, and so a dull and monotone high school life.

In his moderate happiness, he had tedious days.

Days of hiding his true self, shutting down his wolf instincts, and bating his breath.

(How long will it continue…like this?)

It was a question he was very well acquainted with, but it had come to his mind without a warning.

Till the end of high school? Till he graduated from university? Then, after that?

He did not know, but it was clear he would continue to limit his werewolf self…

Into eternity.

(Crap.)

Realizing that there was a pattern to his mood falling when he got stuck on this pattern of thoughts, he shook his head in a fluster.

To break out of the spiral of unproductiveness, he spoke to Michiru who was next to him.

"As for Michiru, if it's mathematics and sciences, it's probably a given that you'll be within the top 5?"

"Well…I don't know."

Michiru spoke evasively with an ambiguous expression.

If there was someone who could beat him, it was only Michiru. However, for Michiru the difference in subjects he was strong in and those he was not was extreme, and because of that he did not stand out in the comprehensive rankings of test scores within the school. His level was that of just barely not falling out of the top 30. But if it was for different subjects, it was clear he would enter the top 5 of the whole country.

However, even though Takahito had invited him the previous time, Michiru had obstinately not taken the mock test. He probably did not want to make his projected grades public, and be conspicuous in a bad way.

His stance was similar to Takahito's, but the reason for it was different.

Michiru, who was weak to extreme pressure, was afraid of the school hanging its excessive hopes on him.

Because this academy had the tendency to treat its talented people, who produced results, be it in studies or sports, as 'advertising signs', you could not necessarily say it was an absurd fear.

The 'Meikou Academy' that Takahito, his twin older brother Kizuki and Michiru attended was the private high school with the richest history in the ward. Takahito's mom and his uncle Takao who was a year below his mom were also graduates of this high school. It was only extoled in praise for its literary and military arts (t/n: I think it means studies and sports in modern context), the rate of students advancing to famous universities was high, and there were also a lot of pupils actively engaged in inter high school sports.

The advanced school course and the sports course were separate, but the one the three people attended was the advanced school course. However, within that they belonged to the so called 'special promotion' class that consisted of the 30 people with the top grades.

Kizuki, who was another member of the special class, Takahito's older twin brother and also a childhood friend of Michiru's, would fly out of the classroom at the same time as the 5th period end of school bell rang, and would rush to the gymnasium.

It was because since the start of high school Kizuki had entered the basketball club. As was natural he was soon picked up as a regular, and although he was a first year became the immovable ace. However, he had not revealed all of his strength. At most maybe about a half of it.

When Kizuki had started his club activities, Takahito had asked him, "Why? Is there a point if you can't put out serious effort?"

In regards to that Kizuki's answer had been, "It's because it's fun to play basketball with everyone."

"Even though I can't show my full strength, I like exercising my body, and it's fun to engage in club activities with the others."

In such areas, despite them being twins, Takahito thought his and his older brother's personalities were considerably different.

Most likely, Kizuki had wanted to enter a sports club since a long time ago. However, since in middle school his ability to control himself had still been unstable, he had not received permission from their grandfather and grand uncle.

Just as he became a high-schooler and that ban was lifted, days filled with basketball had begun as if he had lost all restraint.

Michiru who had become unable to return home with Kizuki had looked lonely. Because in elementary and middle school there had always been the three of them together after school no matter where they made a stopover, that feeling was not impossible to understand.

That's why, so that Michiru wouldn't be lonely, Takahito made sure that at least the two of them could return home together.

Takahito too had the option of entering a club related to culture, and in practicality he had been solicited often, but he had refused them all. If he got involved in club activities, no matter what the time spent together with club members would increase, and the distance between them would shorten.

That would not be desirable. Takahito himself unlike Kizuki was not skilful in human relations.

If he approached someone, he would definitely suffer afterwards…

As far as he himself was concerned, if he had his other half Kizuki, and Michiru, it was enough.

(However, the fact that we are werewolves is a secret even for Michiru…)

It could not be helped. If the secret was revealed, he would lose his one and only close friend.

While he carefully thought about things like that, they had finally reached the entrance. Opening the cupboard for shoes, Takahito noticed a pink envelope placed on top of the loafers, and he knitted his brows intently.

He had thought that these days' love letters in cupboards were considered somewhat old-fashioned, but since he himself had not given out his email address to a great extent, this was probably the only way.

This sort of approach from girls had been incessant since elementary school times.

Despite him continuing to reject them, there were no pauses, and with his reputation of nobody having succeeded, and not having been swayed by anyone, he did not understand the mentality of these girls who wanted to turn him around.

He also could not comprehend the girls who wrote 'I really like Takkun!' despite not having spoken even once with him.

Among his classmates there were also jealous guys who said things like, "Isn't that nice, you're popular. As expected, looks are a great advantage. Just by remaining silent, they call you things like 'cool'."

He could not objectively evaluate own looks. The only thing he could say was that he did not really resemble either of his parents, but if he was forced to say something he would say he probably took after his grandfather. In contrast, he felt that Kizuki was made by adding up part of both of their parents. In other words, he and his twin did not resemble each other in either personality or appearance.

~^.^~

Ok, one more part left in 1st chapter. I'll try to get it out on Sunday, if all goes well~

Now, I'm gonna go get a hot cup of tea and do some drawing on Sai. I have a hot uke and a seme in dire need of some inking…muhaha

Till next time~

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Chapter end