The following morning, Nathan, Ichigo, and Menchi had to be at Shujin Academy early in order to introduce themselves to the rest of the staff and get their schedules. Much to Ichigo and Menchi's annoyance, Nathan was not about to leave them be late their first day, so he woke them up early and dragged them out of the hostel.
'Seriously... these people don't think.' Nathan complained to himself while walking towards Shujin, which was just a couple blocks away from their temporary residence.
"So... what is your world like, Menchi-san?" Ichigo asked curiously. His own world was quite a mess if he went by what he had experienced in the past couple weeks. Even then, the only reason why he was able to remain calm was because time had stopped in his world, so he could remain at ease knowing Rukia's situation was not getting worse.
"Hmm... it's quite a dangerous place, Ichigo." Menchi started saying. "It's dangerous even for people like me, who can manipulate Nen... and even for those stronger than me."
That actually did pick Nathan's attention quite a lot. After all, he was just a regular human. He had never had any weird or supernatural encounters and, as excited as he still was at the prospect of supernatural and parapsychological powers, he couldn't help but feel like he was the least useful in the team.
"What exactly is this Nen you're talking about, Menchi?" Nathan asked, hopeful to get some information and maybe, just maybe, a way to use it himself. "Can anyone use it?"
"Nen is the life force that every living being possesses." Menchi explained superficially, not going into the detail and intricacies of it. "So technically, yes, anyone should be able to learn it... but it is very dependent on someone's talent and affinity for it."
'That wasn't a no.' Nathan thought to himself, a small flame burning in his heart. 'I'll make sure to ask Menchi to teach me about Nen later, when we have some free time.'
Unfortunately for Nathan, said free time would never come.
*
"Holloway-san, Horsdoeuvre-san," A male voice that made both of them feel extremely unpleasant said. "Good to see you both here on time."
They were currently talking to the headmaster of Shujin Academy, Kobayakawa. He was a small, fat, and slimy man with a disgusting fake smile plastered on his face. His acting was so bad that Nathan would have immediately told him to choose a different career if he wanted to be an actor.
"Here are your schedules for the week." He said, dropping his smile after noticing it had no effect on the foreigners, his tone becoming much less welcoming. "I hope you have a pleasant time in Shujin Academy."
Nathan and Menchi bowed, following Japanese custom, and immediately left the room. Once they had covered a good distance, Menchi couldn't help herself.
"God he is so repulsive." She muttered low enough so that only Nathan would hear her.
"Don't even mention it... I so wanted to dropkick him when he smiled." He added. They both looked at each other and started laughing, their mood not at all soured by interacting with a dislikeable character like Kobayakawa.
But, as destiny would have it, one bad encounter was not enough.
"Oooh, are you two the new teachers?" A man way taller than the average height worldwide approached them. "I'm Kamoshida, the star teacher of Shujin. If you two ever need help you can come and ask me, especially you, young lady."
Kamoshida's lecherous eyes couldn't be hidden, but the guy's ego was so big he didn't even think of hiding it, since in his mind there was no way he would be rejected. Thus, his clear attempt to flirt with Menchi was quite forward. Perhaps another woman would have fallen for it, or at least treat it as just an attempt at flirting. Unfortunately for Kamoshida, he had chosen Menchi as his target.
"No thank you, you disgusting egomaniac." Menchi said before grabbing Nathan's arm and walking away. As they passed Kamoshida, without caring if he heard or not, Menchi added one more comment. "Gosh, he was so disgusting. Who does he think he is?"
Kamoshida's face lit up in rage, both at being rejected and at being talked to in such a manner. That... was the kind of thing he wouldn't let slip. And while venting on adults is quite hard, he could definitely let off some steam during P.E... Maybe even put on a show to demonstrate what would happen to the students if the new entrees didn't respect him. After all, he was Kamoshida Suguru... and this school was his to rule.
*
Classes had officially begun, and Nathan and Menchi had to start working. Ichigo was in first year, so they wouldn't see him in the classroom until the following day, which was Wednesday, April thirteenth. (A/N: In the game, the first time Ryuji and Ren enter Kamoshida's palace is 04/11 Monday)
That day though, they would have classes with second years, which meant they would see Ren in their respective classes. In fact, right now it was time for Class 2-D's Drama lecture.
"Ok, everyone stand up and... greet." Is what Nathan heard as he got closer to the classroom and, once he entered...
"Good morning!" The entire classroom greeted in unison, slightly bowing to him.
"Ah, good morning everyone." Nathan answered, slightly caught off guard. As an American, it was almost impossible for him to get used to Japanese manners. "I'll have to get used to this, sorry if I don't answer appropriately."
The students were immediately surprised when they saw their new Drama teacher. They already knew they would be having Drama in the curriculum starting that year, but they had no information on the teacher that would dictate the subject. What they expected? Definitely not a young foreigner who looked like he could be a model. Many girls' eyes lit up upon seeing him, and many boys cursed.
"Wow... how old do you think he is?"
"Tsk, another Kamoshida, but even worse."
"He is so handsome."
Hearing all the comments about himself that Nathan was hearing, he quickly decided to nip probable questions in the bud and, not just that, but avoid possible scandals. Using his expertise as an actor, it wasn't hard for him to pretend to be very strict, even if he would only do it for a short moment.
"The name is Nathan, Nathan Holloway." He started. "Though I guess I should introduce myself as Holloway Nathan"
"That is H-O-L-L-O-W-A-Y if you don't know how to write it down." He continued his introduction. "I'm currently twenty one years old, I have worked as an actor before but I decided to become a Drama teacher since I had some... issues in the industry."
"Now, before we start the lesson, I'll allow for three questions." He stated, not really expecting the kids to be bold enough to ask deep or personal questions. "Raise your hands if you want to ask something, I'll pick three people at random."
Many hands immediately shot up, so Nathan selected one student without paying much attention. A not very tall girl with perfectly average characteristics. He would have her take part on the backstage action or as Villager A in a play.
"Do you go to the gym, Holloway-sensei?" The girl asked boldly, in spite of the clear blush covering her face.
"I do." Nathan answered shortly and concisely, not wanting to provide much information. The questions also served to show he was not willing to overshare information. He wasn't their friend, he was their teacher. "You, the blonde girl, you also raised your hand, right?"
"Ah, yes, I did, Holloway-sensei!" The girl, a beautiful mixed if Nathan's eyes were to be trusted, said in surprise. She hadn't expected that Nathan would remember who had raised their hands and hadn't expected to get picked either. "Do you... have any advice for aspiring actors and/or models?"
"The industry is quite cutthroat, miss." Nathan said, not sugarcoating his words. "The only things that can keep you alive inside it are connections or an incredible talent. As for advice... keep at it. Talent is cultivated or trained, like a plant or a muscle, if you will. It's not something you are strictly born with and can not acquire with time."
Seeing the hopeful look that appeared in her eyes, Nathan smiled slightly and moved on to the last student he would pick. He was quite surprised, since he hadn't intended to pick him at all.
"You, by the window, what is your question?" Nathan asked Ren, his fellow member of the MCG.
"Holloway-sensei, are you single?" Ren asked without an ounce of shame. "Many girls in the classroom want to know."
(A/N: Huh? NewGame+??? This guy already has Courage maxed!)
"I'm..." Nathan started talking and abruptly stopped, Alexis' image suddenly appearing in his mind. "I'm not."
"Ok, question time's over, let's get to class!" Nathan said, ignoring the disappointed sighs of the girls in the class and jumping straight back to teaching. "Tell me, what do you think acting is?"
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