FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The sound of engine starting is what I hear before we take off. I'm currently taking the school bus to my new school, St. Furancis Academy, a private school that's mainly for Catholic students but also taking in students from other religion or even those who don't have one. Despite being a private school, it's not really the place where you'd see rich people and such, which is the usual stereotype of private schools. It's just the closest, or rather the only school nearby and taking other schools would mean either taking the train or living in an apartment. I'd rather do neither, as it would take most of my energy. No, that's a lie. I just don't want another repeat of what happened back then.

Seated at the middle-left part of the school bus near the window, I wait patiently and think about my life there, meeting new faces, new Furs, a new environment. It scares me a bit. I don't like change, especially changing schools where I leave the few friends that I made there. But it's not like I want to. It's just that I... have to.

I furiously shake my head, partially successful at removing the thoughts running around in my head, and grab something from my shoulder bag. I'm looking for... ah, here are my earphones. I take out the phone from my pocket and plug the earphones in. Scrolling down my list of music, which consist of mostly Japanese songs, a few Pop songs that happened to be catchy for me, and some old 90's or 80's songs that I happened to like. I put on the earphones and decide to play it on shuffle. The songs starts to mix with the noise from the moving bus as I let my thoughts wander.

I lean and stare outside the window, imagining what my high school life will be. It'll probably just be another ordinary school life, to be honest. It even makes me wonder why I am worried to begin with. It's not like my life is going to suddenly shift with the next Fur that comes inside this bus... I really shouldn't say stuff like that because--

As if fate heard my call, the bus suddenly stops. Did I really just jinx myself? Hopefully not. I lean over a bit to see who came in. A black furred husky with a white gradient on his muzzle. He's around the same height as me, maybe a few centimeters taller, and is wearing the school uniform: a blue vest over a white button up polo accompanied with a white and blue tie, meaning he's the same year as me, and black slacks. Nothing seems out of the ordinary until you see that he is wearing a pair of what looks like... pilot goggles? Despite my greatest effort, I can't help but chuckle and look at him with a smile. He suddenly then looks at me and I immediately move away from his line of sight. Hopefully he didn't see me smiling at him. That would have been embarrassing.

I look up and follow the pair of ears that's from the Husky. I hold my breath and stare at the back of the seat in front, hoping he won't sit beside me. Damn, I'm jinxing it again. I hear the footsteps coming closer and closer until they come to a halt. I look to my right and there he is, smiling at me. Just great, unlucky on the first day. You torture me so, fate.

"Yo," he gjves me a lopsided smile with his paw raised to his shoulder. His light blue eyes making contact with my black eyes. I keep up a straight face as he sits down beside me. The bus starts to stir then slowly takes off.

"So, you're my new seatmate. Excited?" he asks with a wide smile. To be honest, he looks quite cute smiling like that with his goggles. Makes him look like a little kid.

"Yeah, sure," I reply to him with a flat tone, trying to hide a faint smile but failing. I'm not sure what I'm feeling, but excited is definitely not the word. It's more of a mixture of worry, anxiety, and stress that makes me feel uneasy. But still, his smile managed to make me feel a bit better. Though what does he mean by-- oof!

Before I can finish my thought, he suddenly scoots near me, placing his left paw on my lap and his right paw on the window, his tail wagging excitedly. "Don't worry, it'll be fine. That's how it always is on the first day. Anyways, it's cool isn't it?" he says, disregarding my grunt of pain and discomfort, and continues staring out the window. "I'll definitely reach it someday."

"Uh... please, get off," I shove him off and he complies, apologizing with yet another smile. I let out a sigh of relief and roll my eyes. Does he ever stop smiling? It's so annoying that it makes me want to smile as well. This guy, you can already feel the burst of energy radiating from him. The happy-go-lucky type, huh?)

I put away my earphone and stare out the window, watching the sky with him. The sky has always been beautiful, especially when it's painted with different figures by the clouds, but it feels different somehow. Somehow, it looks more beautiful, the vastness of the blue sky extending up to the heavens, it's... better to look at with someone, even though I don't know who this weirdo beside me is. Hmm... I retract what I said, it's actually not that bad of a day. For now, maybe.

We reach the school after a while and before the bus even stops, the Husky immediately stands up and dashes towards the door, sliding past as it opens. Gotta give it to him, he knows how to time it right. Staring in awe aside, I pick up my bag and get off the bus, preparing myself for what comes up ahead. Sigh. I'd at least thought we were gonna go together. It'd have lessen the stress a bit. Or it could've worsen it, maybe.

"1-B... 1-B..." I tour myself around the hall to find my room. I've been here before, but it was a long time ago. I do remember some bits about this place like how the first floor is where the first years and the cafeteria is, the second floor is where the second years and the library are, and the third floor is where the third years are. I forgot a lot like where the gym, the way to the outside court, and the faculty room are but I should be able to know once I take the time to walk and check the whole school ground. After a while, I stand in front of the door to 1-B.

"Honestly, I should've known it'd be here," I mutter to myself, slapping myself inside my head. It should have been an obvious pattern on where the room is with the door signs, but I keep getting my head up in the clouds. Sigh. What's wrong with me today? I can't seem to think straight. Shaking my head, I bring myself back down to earth. This is the door to my new classroom. A new school, a new life, and maybe some new friends. I just have to open this sliding door and my high school life will start.

I hold the handle firmly with my right paw. Mustering all the courage I have and letting in a deep breath, I try to open the door by sliding it to the right. Wrong direction to slide. Why am I so spaced out?! It slides to the left! I let out a frustrated sigh, but it immediately turned into a scream of surprise as my paws are dragged towards the other side, making me lose my balance. Halfway down my fall, I get bumped by someone but I managed to get unhurt by sliding from my arm to my back before I hit the floor. The Fur who bumped me isn't as fortunate as he falls down and hits his head on the floor. That has gotta hurt. Luckily his body isn't that hurt since I'm the one who took the impact for him, I think. Either way, he's unconscious for the time being.

"Oh good, you stopped him," a female Cat smiles and crouches beside me. The Tabby Cat is wearing the same uniform as ours, albeit for females. She is wearing the same blue vest over her white button up polo, the same white and blue tie (obviously, since she's in a first year room, our classroom), and dark blue skirt with a length I'm not sure of since she's crouching, but I believe the standard is a few centimeters above the knee.

She has a short, darker orange hair that complements well with her lighter orange fur, along with the darker orange stripes that go around her cheeks. She has orange eyes and her muzzle is white and goes down to her neck, though it's more of a very light orange than white now that I look at it more. It can definitely be mistaken as white at first glance.

"More like he stopped me from getting in," I reply with a grunt as I slowly lift up the unconscious Fox's body and carefully set him aside. The Cat just laughs it off.

"I tried to have a conversation with him but he just ran away from me. Emphasis on 'tried'. He just suddenly went up and dashed out as fast as lightning like woah!" she explains with some over-the-top paw gestures. "Anyways, can you help me get him to the nurse? He might miss the class orientation but oh well, these things kinda happen?" she finishes, unsure of herself. Well, this certainly isn't things that just kinda happen. She then picks him up and carries the Fox by the shoulder. "Well, aren't you gonna help me?

By reflex, call it a blessing and a curse, I help her. It's been instinctive for me to help when asked before I could even say no. Then it'll be harder to say no afterwards because of-- sigh... "I never agreed in the first place," I mutter then I realize her giving me a dissatisfying stare, "Hey, I was knocked down as well," I try to make a joke and she manages to smile at it.

"Well you're helping now and that's all that matters," she says mockingly while sticking her tongue out. "Besides, you wouldn't let a fragile lady carry someone all by herself now, would you?" she says with an intendedly annoying voice while fluttering her eyes sarcastically.

"I dunno, you were strong enough to carry a lone, unconscious Fox all by yourself without my help," I reply sarcastically, a sigh of relief escaping with the success of making a joke. I sounded like a jerk back there...

As we both carry the unconscious Fox around, a sudden realization comes to mind. "Do you know where the nurse's office is?" I ask the Cat beside me. She gives me with a questioning stare.

"I was just following you," she quietly responds. A moment of silence is broken when she suddenly says sorry a while later. I may have unintentionally given her an annoyed glare, a "habit" of mine when I get annoyed. Sigh. I'm really bad at talking to people.

"Let's ask around then, otherwise he'll wake up before we even reach it," I say and she nods back. I look around and see an older looking, silver furred Akita. Yes, he's also wearing the same uniform as us, so he's definitely a student. We walk near him, green Fox at paw (or rather carried), and I ask him, "Um, excuse me, do you know the way to the nurse's office?"

I don't know what to expect. He just stares at me with his emotionless eyes, as if it's devoid of any life. He's breathing, living, and very much standing but everything about the way he looks at me is like he has just died and came back to life the next day with no memory. A blank slate or a cemented wall or something like that. The very thought sends shivers up my spine. But all of those prove nothing when he suddenly raises his finger, making me flinch in the process of fear, then points to the right. I slowly turn my head and follow the direction of his finger and see a door with the sign "Nurse's Office". Huh, so it's in the first floor. I'll keep that in mind.

"Thanks for... telling us the way," I say, still a bit nervous and shaken. The Cat and I, along with the unconscious green Fox, go to the nurse's office, passing the silver Akita by. I honestly wasn't expecting a student like him in here, or maybe I just never take the time to notice these things in my small little world. Upon entering the room, a large Grizzly Bear, around a half taller than me wearing a nurse gown immediately stands up from her seat with a worried look in her eye.

"Oh my, what has happened here?" she asks, approaching us. "Is he okay? Is he feeling sick?" she says as she gently pats the forehead and neck of the green Fox.

"No, he accidentally bumped into me and hit his head on the floor. Luckily he isn't injured or anything," I inform her, and she lets out a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad it's not anything serious. Oh, are you alright? If he bumped into you--"

"I'm fine, no injuries," I cut her off, and she smiles back.

"Yes well, that doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful. Things like these happen, but to think it's on the first day. Oh, the poor dear may even miss the class orientation. I'll check up on him, you two go back to your classrooms now. Thank you for taking the time to help your friend," she says with a smile and carries the green Fox with ease. It's kind of expected of a bear to have great strength but it's still amazing how she's able to carry him like a feather. She then gently puts the green Fox on a spare bed, gently putting the back of her paw on the vulpine's forehead.

Now that I can look at him better, he's actually... well, small. No wonder he was light. He's probably around shoulder-length of me, excluding the ears. And he's green, a rare color to see for a Fox. In fact, I've never seen a green one before. The ones I've seen before were either blue, red, silver or white, but not green. But I think blue is a rare color, too... since I've yet to see another one aside from Mom and Dad... those thoughts aside, he's mostly green aside from the lower part of his muzzle which was white and extend down to his neck... I feel like there's a pattern here. Anyways, the one distinctive feature that I noticed from him, aside from his green color, is the dark green spot on his left cheek. You'd think he's blushing hut it

"Right, take care of him um, Miss--"

"Coral. Bernadette Coral. It's a pleasure to meet you, but you two should really get going," she says, shooing us away. She's a very nice Bear, and very thoughtful. I was expecting she'd scold us for sure, but she just smiles and helps him.

"You from 1-B too, then? You were trying to enter," she initiates a conversation as we walk back to our classroom. I nod in reply. "My name's Tabitha Melow from 1-B too, nice to meetcha," she says, dashing in front of me and stopping to extend her paw. "Hope we'll get along well!" she says with a smile.

"I'm Varu, Varu Foks, and same," I shake her paw gently, but she then grabs it with her other paw and shakes mine vigorously, making me feel like my arms gonna come off at any second. This Cat is damn strong.

When we reach the classroom, I find a familiar face. It's that Husky with the pilot goggles from before. I'm kinda amazed he's still wearing them. Those goggles just make him look like a weirdo, and I don't seem to be the only one thinking that. I can see a few fur glancing from time to time at the Husky who seems to be writing something and thus oblivious to his surrounding. Ignoring him, I try to find an empty seat and see two, one at the backmost near the window and the other one beside the Husky.

"Oh, the backmost seat is already taken. That green Fox, he sits there," Tabitha says as she waves her paw and goes back to her seat. I let out a sigh of defeat. I guess there's no other choice but to sit beside him. I walk towards my seat and put down my shoulder bag. Just realized that I still have my bag and was very lucky when I fell and didn't hit it. I guess that's one lucky thing today.

"Hey! I'd say 'I told ya' but I wasn't thinking we'd actually be seatmates," he says with a smile. Now that I think about it, he did say that I'm gonna be his new seatmate. That's both amazing and creepy in its own way. "Anyways, wasn't able to introduce myself back then, name's Riese Michael Fritz, sky enthusiast, pilot extraordinaire, and your classmate," he says with a wide and proud smile with some funny gestures from putting his left paw on his brows, piloting an imaginary plane, and pointing at me with a wink. With the way he's talking, it actually makes him look cute with those goggles on. Like a little kid.

"Varu Foks. Nice to meet you, Fri--"

"Call me Riese. No formalities needed. After all, we're friends, right?" he says, smiling widely like an innocent child.

"Since when?" I ask out of curiosity. Not that I mind having a friend like him, just that he's particularly not the type of friend I'd like to hang out with a lot. Too full of energy.

"Because we both love the sky, don't we?" he says. I look at him with a surprised yet confused look. Though I never said to him that I love the sky, well I do but how does he know that? I mean, for all he knows I could be staring at a plane passing by or at some cloud that formed into a shape of a cotton candy, though they already look like cotton candy to begin with, there was one that actually looked like cotton candy on a stick. "It's because of the eyes."

"The eyes?" I cock my head, puzzled in what he just said. Wait, did he just read my mind?

"Yep, the eyes tell what you feel. I saw the look in your eyes, and they were sparkling, shining like the blue sea reflecting the gentle rays of the sun. And the thing is, the sky is just one, big, ever-changing painting! As long as it's up there, it's part of the sky. The birds, the planes, and the clouds, they're all wonderful details that makes the sky so beautiful!"

"That's... very poetic," I hesitantly respond.

"Mhm, and since you're my friend, I'll give you a free ride to the endless horizon with my plane. It'll be so amazing!" he shouts, earning him a few confused stares from the other students. "Of course, that's when I'm older and that I can actually make my own plane. So for now, studying and all other school stuff shall be done first," he says with full confidence.

"O... kay...?" didn't think an airhead type from animes would come in real life. Are we living in the future now? Or maybe I've died without me knowing and I've been transported in a world where these types of people exist. And like before, his smile is still there, like it's . He then continues on with whatever he was doing, I think he's doodling something... a plane? And quite a nice doodle of it, in fact. I wait for the teacher while silently glancing back at what Riese was drawing from time to time. After a few minutes, the door opens and a Cougar comes inside.

The Cougar is wearing the usual teacher's uniform, a white long sleeved polo, black vest, black tie, and black pants. He also has a square-rimmed glasses, light reflecting on it so that we don't know what's really behind them. With a class record at paw, he walks towards the teacher's table and slams it down with much force that the sound echoes throughout the entire room, effectively silencing it. He then slams both his paws on the table with a very serious looking face with one of the eyes visible from behind the glasses. They were, to say the least, terrifying that even Riese stops whatever he was doing and his face didn't show his usual smile but a straight face.

The silence goes on for a few seconds until the teacher shows a hint of smile on his face and removes his glasses. His face then lightens up and a gentle smile is shown on his face, much different from what was there a few seconds before. "Good morrow class. May we have a fun school year ahead of us," he says, his voice not even showing the slightest hint of intimidation. It's a complete opposite from what he just did, his voice was soft and gentle like a caring father.

He proceeds to write his name on the board in cursive then faces towards us. "My name is Lindil Kelt, I'll be your class adviser for this year. It's always nice to meet new faces, doesn't it? New friends, new rivals, new enemies," that last bit caught me off guard, "ah, such is youth. Youth that I'll never get back. But enough of my complaining, how about we start the orientation? I'll start by calling names and you introduce yourselves. Okay first, Michelle Amitta."

The class orientation continues and everyone starts introducing themselves one by one. The only one not able to present themselves is Rue Krantz, who the teacher calls several times. After that, he suddenly gives an icebreaker. He tells us all to stand up and follow his lead."If you're happy and you know it, clap your paws!" *clap clap*. We watch him dumbfoundingly. "C'mon, you youthful ones should enjoy your life once in a while. It's something that will easily pass in a blink of an eye. Now follow my lead, and a one, and a two. If you're happy and you know it--" he stops, waiting for a response. The class goes silent until someone replies, cheerily to boot.

"Clap your paws!" *clap clap*. Every one of us looks towards the direction of the response. "He's right, we should definitely enjoy our life. Sir, continue!" Riese says with a dramatic pose that points towards Sir Kelt.

"That's the spirit! Everyone! Join!" the smiling Cougar says while holding a ruler like a conductor in an orchestra.

"If you're happy and you know it clap your paws!" *clap clap* "If you're happy and you know it, clap your paws!" *clap clap*

One by one, the students join in the singing, but in a less energetic way. No, that's wrong. Instead of "pumping" up the energy, the song is draining all of our energy away. After around two minutes of singing, the Cougar ends the icebreaker. "Now wasn't that fun? I'm sure all of you will talk about how a great teacher I am once I leave the room and am out of earshot." he says it so bluntly that I can't tell if he's being serious or sarcastic.

The class orientation continues, and the rest introduces themselves with as much energy that they can gather. Sir Kelt then gives a long talk about the rules and regulations of the school, his past, the other teachers, his past, how youth is a great thing, his past, and finally he ends the orientation. "Well, that's the orientation over with," everyone lets out a sigh of relief. "Does anyone have any question that they'd like to ask?" he asks. I see Riese raise his paw from the corner of my eyes. "Yes, Riese."

"Why'd you slam the desk?" he asks. I facepalm myself and look at him with a confused look. I can hear some murmurs and grunts from other students. They're probably thinking what I'm thinking, and that they also don't want to know about something like that. We clearly saw how unpredictable and surprisingly scary this teacher can be.

"The thing is, the other teachers said that I should give a 'strong impression' to my students, so I thought slamming my paws on the desk and acting like a dominant Fur is a strong enough impression. Or maybe I went a little overboard," he says with a straight face. I can't tell if he's joking or not, but that's... certainly not the reason that I thought it would be. "But please, don't think of me as a strict teacher. Despite my efforts of showing my dominance, I do love helping other students. So, if you have any problems, I can give you some advice," he gives us a gentle smile, and everyone knows that it's truly genuine. Maybe he's not that scary after all.

"I see... okay ~ !" he smiles and gives a thumbs up to Sir Kelt, who gives back another thumbs up. I may not be able to see myself, but I know that I have an are-you-kidding-me face on me. These two are like two peas in a pod, both are unreadable.

The school bell rings, signalling for the next period. "So, with everything wrapped up, I greet all of you another good morrow, hope that we'll have a fun school year, and bid you all adieu. Au revoir," he takes his class record and proceeds to leave the room. "Now, why are you just standing there?" I hear him from the outside followed by a sharp yelp. The back door swings open and a ball of green dashes towards the other side of the room. It was that green Fox.

"S-sorry..." he says, barely audible, and curls into a ball at the corner if the room. A few students look at him, some confused, the other with pity. I'm with the former.

"Well, as long as you introduce yourself to everyone and ask them about what we talked about, you'll be fine," Mr Kelt, who is at the back door, says before leaving.

"That Fox is really weird." "You know, he just suddenly bolted out of the classroom early this morning." "Does he have an illness or something?" "Why don't you try asking?" "Ugh, I'm not going near him!" "It's better to stay away from him." "I feel sorry for him."

I hear other student's whispers about the green Fox. Every part of me wants to tell them to shut up, but making a scene never goes well Instead, I just look over my shoulder and at the green Fox who slowly goes to his seat and starts to cry, his sniffs and sobs mixed with the chatter of the other students. Hopefully he's not hearing what they're whispering about.

"Hey," I call out to him and his immediate reaction is a slight jump fron his seat and a stiff, upward tail. He slowly turns his head towards me, revealing his red eyes, "um... I'll tell you the details later. My name's Varu Foks, by the way. It's nice to meet you," I nod at him, and he nods back, though barely noticeable. That isn't the reply I hoped to get. I wait for him to reply his name, but it doesn't look like it's happening anytime soon. "You can tell me later, then," I smile at him and return my attention to the door, waiting for the next teacher to arrive.

Time goes by rather quickly. The two periods starts off with the teachers introducing themselves then proceed with teaching. I listen intently to the teachers, taking down some important notes that are either written or said. But every so often, I take the time to glance behind me and check on the green Fox. He looks better than before, but his eyes are still a bit red and... I have never seen him smile, not even once. The other students smile and whisper to each other while class is going on, a very normal thing, but in the corner is a Fox who seems to just be a shadow, a nobody who doesn't exist. It's kind of sad.

The school bell rings and lunch break starts. Most students usually go to the canteen at lunch, but I always bring my own lunchbox and eat alone. At least, that's what I usually do. I see a Fur standing in front of me, and I have a pretty good feeling on who it already is.

"Hey!" the Husky says along with his usual smiles and goggles. He never took it off during class and the teacher never said a word about it. Is it that hard to notice at first glance? I mean, the black-ish goggles blend well with his fur, but the glass reflecting a bit of light should be noticeable.

"What is it?" I ask, trying to hide my slightly annoyed tone.

"What's wrong with eating with my best friend?" he says, grabbing a nearby chair and dragging it towards him. He sits down and put his lunch box down.

"Oh, we're best friends now, that escalated quickly," I say with an obviously sarcastic voice.

"I can list some reasons. One, we know each other's names. Two, we talked with each other. Three, we have some same likes. Four, because I said so," he smiles. I roll my eyes. "Hey, that's four reasons! That's definitely more than two," he says while he open his lunch box and inside is rice and curry. It looks delicious, the curry slightly coloring the rice in an orange hue, lots of finely cubed potato, carrots, and meat, and a few strips of bell pepper here and there.

"Wasn't expecting you to--"

"Bring a lunch box? Not everyone brings one, but at least I know I got some good food," he says, grinning from cheek to cheek. I can't help but chuckle at his joke. Reminds me of that time when the cafeteria lady in my middle school served something that barely resembles a meat loaf. It was the school's very first meat loaf dish and we didn't have a choice but to eat it because there's no other food available. It took all our willpower just scoop then eat it. At the end of the day, it was told that the some kids went to the cafeteria while the lady was away and messed with it. The next day, we had normal meat loaf. All's well that ends well.

"What are you having?" Riese asks. I snap out of my train of thought and look at my lunch box.

"Oh, uh... you don't really need to-- wah!" as I slowly open the lid of my lunch box, Riese forcefully takes the lid and peeks inside. He proceeds to look at me with a very annoying smug face. "Yeah, so I like Japanese food, so what?" I say, pouting and looking away with embarrassment, then he suddenly starts to laugh. "Wh-What's so funny?"

"There's nothing wrong with liking Japanese food," he says, still laughing a bit and slowly dying out. He then continues, wiping away a tear on his eye, "Anyways, did you make that?" he asks. I glare at him, deciding whether or not I shoukd tell him. He'll probably laugh at me when I do, but he'll also probably laugh when I don't. So, I decide to respond with a nod.

"That's cool, so we both make our own lunch," he smiles, "and yours look so delicious. How long did it take you to make this? And did you cut those sausages to make them look like octopuses?" he says, pointing at the small octo-sausages. I nod in reply. "Wow, you must be a great cook!" he says to me. I can't help but blush and be flustered at his remarks. He's a very straightforward Fur, and he always seem to speak his mind. It wasn't the first time I was complimented, sure, but when someone complements me it always feels good but embarrassing at the same time. He, Riese, sure is something.

"Uh so, you said that you'll let me ride your plane. And judging from those pilot goggles you keep wearing, then are you planning to be a plane pilot?" I ask him, trying to divert the topic from my lunch box.

"Yeah, I really wanna fly up in the sky, but since artificial wings aren't a thing, yet, then flying a plane is the next best thing." he says, his words almost rhyming.

"Right... artificial wings..."

"Mhm. Anyways, you like Japan?"

"Y-Yes, actually," at least it's not about my lunch box, "I'm studying Japanese at home with some apps and website that helped me a lot. I also study their art and culture, how they do thing and why, Yokais and gods, their mythologies, all those kinds of stuff. And I'm still not good at Japanese so don't expect me to talk like one."

"Aw, can't you show a little of your Japanese speaking? Please?" he says pleadingly with puppy dog eyes. I merely raise a brow and shake my head. "Boo, you're no fun," he lays his chin flat on the table.

"I already told you I'm not speaking Japanese," I say again as I take the spoon and fork placed inside the lunch box.

"You're not using chopsticks?" he asks, his muzzle still laid on the table.

"I... well, it's, I don't wanna grab anyone's attention by showing them I use chopsticks. I'd be labeled a weeb if I do," I say before I take a spoonful of rice and spearing an octo-sausage.

"I see," he says as he slowly lifts his head up, "but I know you're not a weeb, and that's what's great about you," he smiles at me. I almost choke and spit out what I'm chewing but managed to swallow it. I look at him, surprised and confused at what he just said. He just gives me a wider smile back and starts to eat. I let out a sigh and continue eating. He's really weird. Or maybe I'm weird too...

We both finish eating lunch, and as we close our lunch box, we both say in chorus, "Thank you for the meal," which genuinely surprises me and apparently him as well. I see a smile creep up on his face which makes me smile as well. Smiles are contagious. I put my lunch box away and check the time. 12:32, less than thirty minutes to inform him about the orientation. I think it's enough. I turn my head to check on him and apparently he's writing something. Did he also bring his own lunch? I wasn't able to notice.

"Um, hey," I call him and he immediately slams his notebook shut with both his body and tail stiff. A few seconds later, he starts shaking and slowly lifts his head up to look at me.

"Y-yes?" he replies in an almost unhearable voice.

"Do you wanna know the things the teacher talked about during orientation?" I ask, and he slowly opens his mouth as if he's about to say something but just closes it in the end. I notice him slowly sliding the notebook towards him and silently putting it under his desk. "I took notes, so--" as I reach for my notebook under my desk, Riese cuts me off.

"Wow, you take notes? It's such a hassle to take down notes," Riese says as he leans backwards with both his paws at the back of his head. Like in anime.

"Thank you for the unnecessary information," I reply to him sarcastically as I take the notebook under my desk and shows it to him, "I'll definitely take note of that."

I hear a small giggle and, judging from the direction, it's from the green Fox. I look at him, and I can see a faint smile on his face, the first smile I saw from him, but it instantly turned into a flustered look. "I'm sorry," he says, his voice a bit louder now. His voice is... high? Not girly high, but more like kiddy high, like his voice hasn't matured. Though, in all honesty he doesn't look mature and can still be mistakened as a child.

"It's no reason to say sorry, dude. I mean,we'e the comedic duo, he and I, so it's normal to laugh at us," Riese says with pride.

"Since when did we became the comedic duo?"

"We made him laugh. We obviously gained the title," he says, straightening himself and putting his paws on his hips as if it was an achievement.

"And what kind of logic is that?" I say to him before turning my attention back to still shaking Fox. "But what he said was true. You don't need to say sorry if you find something funny, unless you didn't mean to laugh."

"The logical kind of logic. Also, you agreed that we're funny, eh?" he says with a smirk and playfully pushes me.

"You're the clown here," I respond to him and he puffs his cheeks. He then decides to just shrug it off and goes back to his leaning back position. "By the way, just wanna clarify, your name is Rue Krantz, right?" The green Fox nods. "If you want, here are the notes that I took," I walk towards him and reach out my notebook to him, but he just stares at it, his mouth opening and closing like he's trying to talk but somehow can't.

"He's kind of weird, isn't he?" Riese says. Rue starts to tear up and sobs.

"Riese, it's rude to say that to someone," I snap at him. Though it makes me sound hypocritical saying that when I think he's weird, it's still rude to say that to him. He looks so sensitive and afraid, like a cornered baby fox.

"Oops, sorry, it kinda got out," he gives Rue an apologetic smile, "Sorry, Rue."

"I-It's... okay..." Rue manages to say. He then breathes in deeply, and opens his mouth, "I-I already... took notes. Th-thank you for offering t-to help," he stammers weakly, his voice slowly fading towards the end. He seems to be shaken, very shaken, like he's afraid of something. Is he afraid of me getting mad?

"Hey, that's good, then. Did Nurse Coral fill you in?" I ask but he just stares down to his desk. "Well, you don't need to answer. I'm just glad that you're not behind on these stuff," I smile at him but he just nods, not even looking at me in the eye. I turn around and go back to my seat.

"Think he'll be alright?" Riese asks with a worried look. I glance at the green Fox behind me and he has his face burried under his arms on the table. I try to think of a way to cheer him up, but nothing comes to mind. How am I supposed to, anyways? He's... very different.

"I hope so." I mutter to myself before turning to the door, waiting for the bell to ring.

The bell rings, signalling the end of lunch break and on with the next period. As usual, class continues, teachers introduce themselves, and I take down notes. And again, I take time to check on him. He looks alright. He's taking down notes and seems to be doing just fine.

"Foks! What are you looking at?" I turn around and get hit with a stick of chalk. "Don't go daydreaming on the first day of school," the history teacher, a Horse, says and some of the other students start laughing.

"Sorry, sir," I apologize to him. I guess there will always be a teacher I don't like in every school I go. The teacher scoffs then continues with his lesson. I let out a frustrated yet silent sigh and shrug it off. This will certainly be part of my history that I'll never like.

The fourth bell of the afternoon rings, signalling that it's 4PM and time for club orientation. Sir Kelt said that the clubs are what the school is proud of and that they insist that we join a club as soon as possible. He also said that there are events throughout the year and the students are divided into either year or club. It's a nice way of then in making us enjoy school. I wonder what events they'll have, it's kind of exciting to think about. Packing up my things, I hang my bag over my shoulder and ready myself. I already know which club I'm joining. The Book Lover's Club, since I love reading. I could join the Anime Otaku Club, but I'm not really into anime, just a casual watcher.

"What club are you joining," Riese puts his arms on my shoulder and leans on me. I can feel a vein pop and I can just smack him right now. This Fur needs to know personal space.

"I'm joining the Book Lover's Club. What about--" before I can finish, Riese cuts me off.

"Laaame," Riese says mockingly like a child as he lets go, "I'm joining the High Flyer's Club, which is much more fun," he says, pointing his thumb with his chest while his other paw are at his hips.

"And who're in the club?"

"Yours truly," he says with a bow, "is the club president."

"See ya," I walk past him and wave goodbye. As I continue walking, I feel someone tugging the back of my uniform. I look over my shoulder and see Riese with a face like that of a crying child, clutching on the back of my blue vest.

"Please! I need one member or it'll get closed, and it's got to be you," he begs.

"Go find another member, and why would it even need to be me?" I say as I try to walk away, but he doesn't seem to have any plans of letting go.

"PLEASE!"

"No, and you can't... make... me...!" I say as I struggle to let go of his grip on my uniform. I feel like it could rip off at anytime, but I made myself clear and I'm not gonna-- "What the!" I'm pulled back and two black arms wrap around my stomach. Is he... hugging me? "Riese, let go!" I struggle to break free, but he just shakes his head like a kid. I'm glad everyone already left the room otherwise this'll be very awkward and embarrassing, but damn it this is still very awkward! A person that I just met today is bear hugging me to join another club.

"No! I'm not letting go until you say yes," he says, sounding like a small child and hugs me tighter. He's... very persistant, but I'll show him that I'm persistant, too! I'm not going down without a fight! I do my best to struggle out. I'm not gonna join his club! I'm joining the Book Lover's Club, it's the club I wanted to join, and not this High Flyer's. I... I...! Then I realize... I'm weak. I'm too weak to break free from his very strong hold, and I see that I'm just flailing my paws around like a puppy trying to break free from its owner's grip or a child trying to get out from his dad's hug. I sigh in defeat as I stop struggling.

"Hey, you okay?" Riese asks from behind me.

"You're not planning of letting go, are you...?" I ask. I feel Riese shake his head. "Not until I join you club?" I feel him nod. I let out a chuckle. "Fine, you win. Now get off before anyone sees us," I say, defeated, but why am I smiling?

"Really? Promise?" his hug loosens and I look at him over my shoulder.

"Yeah, promise. Now let go and let's just get this over with," I say. Riese smiles widely and his eyes sparkle with joy like a little kid in an amusement park.

"YAY! Now let's go to the faculty office and make the club right now," he lets go of me and does a fist pump. I look at him, very confused at what he just said.

"Wait, what do you mean by 'make the club'? Didn't you say you're the president?"

"Don't sweat the details. C'mon, let's go!" he sayd with a smile before marching outside the room, his tail wagging happily. I just stand inside, dumbfounded by what he just said.

"Didn't you say you needed one more?" I ask him, following him in a faster pace to keep up. "According to Sir Kelt, you need five members to make a club. And you said that I'm the one left. Did you lie to me to get me to join your club?" Riese stops as soon as I ask the question. He then turns around to look at me with a smile.

"Then we'll recruit three more, and you can invite your Fox friend. Also, I didn't lie. I really meant it. I need you," he gives me a very wide smile like that from an innocent child getting a big present on his birthday. I stop where I stand and just look at him. I don't know why, but I don't feel angry anymore, like all my hatred towards him just washed away after seeing his smile. He then turns around and continues marching forward, his tail wagging more happily.

"This guy," I chuckle and let out a defeated sigh. Did I just let him get away because of his smile? I take a step forward with a smile.

"At least I can still read books there, right?"

We arrive at the faculty office, where we see only one teacher inside. The same Cougar that is the adviser of our class. We go inside and I take a quick look around. There are a couple of shrubbery at certain points in the room, giving a bit of green to the mostly light-gray interior. There are some tables that have neatly arranged piles of paper while some have them scattered all over. A mug, probably for coffee, is seen from almost each table, along with a desk light and a pencil stand for some. Aside from the messy tables, the room is quite organized.

"Sir, we'd like to make a club!" Riese exclaims with excitement. I watch as the Cougar gives him a stare that I'm not sure of because of the glasses covering his eyes. He then smiles and starts to laugh.

"Of course, and if it's not any trouble, let me do the paperwork. It's pretty boring here, especially if you have no club the attend to," he says calmly with a smile.

"You got it!" Riese says with a thumbs up and Sir Kelt also gives a thumbs up. I watch how things unfold and I can't believe how fast that went.

"But sir, don't we need to write down the names of the students making the club? And what do you mean you'll be doing the paperwork? Isn't it the student's work to do it themselves? And what about--"

"Now now, Varu, I do have one condition," Sir Kelt cuts me off. I slowly back away, embarrassed at my sudden outburst. "Yes, you are allowed to make the club, but I'm giving you until the end of the week to have a fifth member. If the clubs doesn't have five members until then, I will disband the club and you will not be allowed to recreate it ever again," he says the last part with an ominous voice. I gulp down the anxiety stuck in my throat. Is he... for real?

"Mhm, and you can count on us! We'll definitely have five member within the week," Riese says, saluting like a pilot. Sir Kelt lets out a small laugh.

"I'll be looking forward to it," he says, saluting back.

"You're actually letting him make it, huh?" I mutter to myself.

"Of course. There's only oh so many, and by many I mean around fourteen, clubs in the school. The more clubs, the merrier the school events will be. And besides, I wouldn't want to discourage such an enthusiastic student and high-spirited student. Not all clubs have rooms see, so we have a few spare ones for you. Your club room will be at the end of the hall on third floor, make sure not to forget. It has a faded sign on it, so you definitely can't miss it."

"Oh, you heard that? Haha..." I laugh nervously, a bit embarrassed that he heard me complain.

"Of course. There ears aren't just for show after all, and neither are fox ears," he says, pointing towards my ears. "And I do like the name. High Flyers--"

"It has a nice ring to it, right?" Riese says, cutting off or finishing the Cougar's sentence.

"Indeed, makes you keep your spirit fly high," Sir Kelt adds.

"Yep yep, that's why it's called High Flyers!"

"Flying high."

"Soaring through the sky," Riese finishes and they both laugh at the same time. I think that they either have their minds connected or that they're very close friend outside school. I think it can be both.

"Have fun with your new club," Sir Kelt says after we say goodbye and leave the room.

"Thanks, Sir Kelt," Riese says as he closes the door. "Okay, now let's go find some new members!" Riese marches off with his eyes closed. I then notice someone in front of Riese and try to stop him but I'm too late to do so. "Oof, who the hay," Riese rubs his nose gently and looks uo the towering Fur. It's that silver Akita that I met this morning, and he still has those eyes devoid of life that makes me shudder.

"Hey there stranger, wanna be a member? The High Flyers Club is recruiting!" Riese asks with no hesitation. The fur on the back of my neck stands on ends when the Akita looks at Riese, then towards me. I breath in deeply, trying to calm myself from the icy stare of the Akita. He then opens his mouth to say something but decides not to.

"It's okay if you're not--" before I can finish my sentence, I see him nod to Riese's response. "Wait, seriously?" I don't believe it. Riese just asks and he nods to join...? What?

"Awright! That's three down, and two more to go. This'll be easy!" he says, marching past the silver Akita with a wide smile and off he goes to his next destination, wherever that is. Instead of following him though, I decide to stay and look at the Akita. He's still staring at me with those emotionless eyes. I hesitate on soeaking, but I want to know if he's really okay with it.

"Are you really sure you want to join our club?" I ask after a few seconds of hesitation and he nods in response. I want to hear his words, I want to hear him say "yes" or something. Maybe his no is in a form of a nod.

"Ken," he suddenly says, stopping me from my train of thoughts. I tilt my head, slightly confused, then I get it. "Ken Aki is my name," he says, extending his paw towards me. In that moment, I look into his eyes and see not those usual emotionless eyes, but eyes that do have emotion. I don't know which emotion, but it's definitely there. Now, he looks less intimidating. Also, is he Japanese?

"Varu. Varu Foks. Nice to meet you, Aki," I extend my paw.

"Aki is my last name. Call me Ken," he says as I shake his paw.

"Right, Ken it is," I say, assuring to him that I'll use that name next time. "Anyways, I should probably go. I'll have to follow that guy," I say, leaning a bit to see past the Akita, "wherever he is... oh, and thanks for accepting the invitation, I guess?" I say, a bit unsure, and nod to him, "I'll be seeing you," I run past Ken, wondering where Riese went.

After recruiting Ken, the silver furred Akita, we didn't have much luck afterwards. But thinking about it now, the club... it certainly has some weird members at the moment. We have me, the I-was-living-a-normal-life-until-I-jinxed-myself Fur; Riese, the happy-go-lucky genki anime trope; and Ken, the towering silent type that can also be seen in a lot of anime. We should probably rename the club into "Anime Turned Real Club" because apparently anime is real. Well, slice of life anime I guess, not those fantasy ones.

The clock strikes five and the bell rings, signalling the end of club orientation. The students start to leave their club room or wherever they gathered and get back home. Some wait at the gate for their parents or whoever it is that will pick them up, the others just walk, and the others ride the school bus home. I can hear some of them talking about the club they joined, them thinking about what the future events will be, and some complaining about how start of school is always such a drag.

Riese and I walk out to the gate around fifteen minutes after five since he insisted that we continue to scout even after club hours. Of course, the result was fruitless, and not like a few more minutes would change anything.

"Damn, not even another one. Let's continue scouting tommorow, yeah?" he says, giving me a thumbs up.

"You can go scout by yourself. I had to look for you for thirty minutes since you couldn't sit still," I turn my back towards him and start walking forward. It's already a tiring day being with him, I don't want it to become days. Then all of a sudden, someone hugs me from the back, but this time they coil their legs around mine. "What are you-- people are going to...!" before I finish, I instantly check my surroundings. Luckily, no one was around, in front of me, anyways.

"Scout with me tomorrow."

"Alright, alright! Just get off of me before anyone sees," and with that, he gets off me and smiles like the annoying bastard he is.

"Thanks!"

"Damn it Riese, don't you know that we're at a school. Students don't normally cling to someone like that," I say, tidying my uniform a bit from Riese's attack.

"I have my reasons," he says, moving in front of me to show his smile.

"Just, just leave. Please."

"Alright alright, I'm going. Don't forget, tomorrow!" he says and leaves with his wide smile and the pair of pilot goggles. Once he's out of sight, I let out a loud sigh of relief. Finally, he's gone. Damn it, I feel very tired, but the school bus has already left by now. I look down on the gray sidewalk and just smile the annoyance off.

"I guess I'm walking", I mutter to myself. It's not really that far to be honest. It's only around two kilometers away, a bit far but it's passable walking distance. My middle school was farther since I have to take the train to get to and from there. I also have to be early lest I'll be late for school. As for today, I rode the school bus because a two-kilometer walk in the morning pretty much leaves me tired when I reach school, and it also gives me more time to do stuff in the house since the school bus arrives around 7:15 more or less. I did try walking to school in the morning before the school year started but it's not really a fun trip to walk alone.

I arrive home and groggily unlock the door with the key I placed beneath the potted plant. That's always where I put it. The first thing I notice upon opening the door is the pitch black darkness inside it. I take off my shoes, put them on the shoe rack, and put on my indoor slippers. With a few steps forward, I switch on the lights inside, illiminating the living room. Damn, I feel tired, but I can't rest now. I have chores to do. Sigh, why'd you have to drag me into this? But at least I made a few friends? I dunno.

"Mom, Dad, I'm home," I call to them. No response. Of course, why should there be anyone who'll respond. Dad is away for work at Japan and Mom is... no longer with us anymore. Damn it, I'n starting to get teary-eyed again. I told Dad I'll be fine in the house alone, think of it like I'm renting an apartment for my new school, but I'm not. Everytime I open the front door, I see the body of my mom, lifeless and cold, in front of me, laying on the floor like a doll. And to think that I just arrived back home smiling since my friends surprise treated me to a candy store, on my birthday. The timing is so humurous that death is probably still laughing at this plan of his up to this day.

"Varu, you're fifteen now. You're not a little kid anymore. It was two years ago and you still haven't gotten over her death? Pathetic," I chuckle at myself. I don't know if it's because I find it funny or I pity myself. I breath in deeply, taking in some dust and making me sneeze in the process. "Geez, I haven't cleaned for a while. After dinner, then." I say before I go upstairs and quickly change my clothes and put aside my bag.

I go to the kitchen and open the fridge, looking at what food I can prepare for tonight. Curry sounds good. I take one last look in the fridge and nod. Curry. I get the ingredients inside fridge and prepare them. I've been looking ay the ingredients and following the procedures for a long time that I don't really need to look at the recipe online anymore. Back then, I was always hesitant and double check but I don't bother to even check the recipe now. I put that recipe inside my mind, along with a lot of other dishes that I found and liked in the net.

I follow the procedure that I engraved in my mind, preparing the dish with ease that I wasn't able to do so when I first started cooking. I don't remember when I started, just that I did. One day, I just told myself that I had to learn. If I could remember, I'd probably commemorate that day. Ah, I almost forgot to cook rice. That could've been a disaster. The curry's done and I let it keep warm with a very low flame and occassional stirring while I wait for the rice to finish cooking. Done. I prepare a dish, a spoon, a fork, and a glass of water on the dinner table that's able to accomodate six persons.

I take a bite of the curry I made. Despite it being still warm, it instantly becomes cold when I put it in my mouth. The flavor, the texture, they all disappear, leaving a very bland taste. That's how it's been until he ate with me. In that moment, I actually enjoyed eating, tasting the juiciness of the sausage, the fluffiness of the omelette, and how they mixed well with the rice that left a lasting sensation in my mouth. I haven't had a meal like that for a long time. And that's how pathetic I am. Still crying about the things from the past.

"Why are you crying again?" I wipe away a tear rolling down my fur, "You're that pathetic, huh? Fifteen years old and you still can't learn to let go of these. Unbelievable." Haha, that's right. I've been living, if you can call it that, alone for more than a year now with a bit of Mom's savings and Dad's sent money. Dad left to work in Japan since he got promoted at that time, but sometimes I wish he never did. "Wow, that's selfish of you."

I finish eating and I wash the dishes afterwards. There's not a lot, so I manage to finish fast. Besides, I still have to clean the house up a bit. It's amazing how fast dust can accumulate. As I'm sweeping the floor, I notice my reflection in the mirror in the living room. I look up and see a blue Fox with a white muzzle extending down to the neck, and going through the stomach beneath my shirt, a bit of black hair between his pointy ears that he got from his dad's side, and black eyes showing solitude. He's currently wearing a red shirt and blue shorts, a very casual attire. Yep, that's me. Just another ordinary, normal blue Fox.

After a bit more cleaning, I decide it's time to hit the hay. I'm still feeling tired after today. Once in my room, I turn on the lights and see that everything is still the same. Same old bed with purple sheet, same old white curtains covering the blue window, same old brown desk with neatly stacked books for studying. The same depressing room I sleep in every night. I sigh as I let myself fall onto the bed, letting it swallow me. Sigh... I miss them.

I curl into a ball, hugging a pillow and remembering when he hugged me. That hug fekt like the hug when Mom and Dad used to playfully wrap their arms around me and not let me go until I've calmed down a bit. It's like the hug they gave me when I graduated elementary, or the time when I was feeling down and they try to comfort me. Riese's hugs may have been forceful and embarrassing, but I felt the same warmth that I got when my parents hugged me back then. To be honest, I wanted him to hug me a bit longer, but I also don't want anyone to see me getting hugged by someone in public, much more at school. Sigh. "Are you that weak?"

I hug the pillow more tightly, trying to hold in the tears. "They're not here. Mom's not here. Dad's not here. He's not here. Get over it." I put the pillow over my face while covering my ears. I don't want to listen. I don't want to listen to myself. I know that and it hurts, but it's true. It hurts, and it's cold. I don't like the cold. I don't...

"I... need you..." are the words I say before I slowly drift to sleep.