*** Chapter One : Hijikata Toushiro ****

The tea in the cup was hot, threads of steam floating above. Silence weighted so heavily in the office room that the scent of tea was tempting to the stomach. Apparently, it was not thirst that overcame the teenage lad. It was more of the need to see the owner of that drink to hurriedly finish his drink before it turned cold. How annoying it was that Hijikata could be incrediby bothered about an unattended drink rather than the situation he was in now.

A click of tongue escaped him before looking away.

"Hijikata Toushiro-kun."

The neatly suited man behind the desk has finally spoken, lifting his gaze from the files in his hands to the boy in school uniform standing before him.

"What?" Hijikata drawls boredly.

"I expect good manners, young man. Is this how you talk to your principal?" The man leaned slightly back to fix his eyes widely on the lad.

"I responded, didn't I? What else did you want? And what kind of principal are you? What's with the sunglasses and that huge cape? Trying to be batman, huh?" Hijikata questions non-stop.

"I look cool like this," Principal Matsudaira finally interrupts. "And shut your trap, already. I don't need to entertain your curiosity. As you know, I need to call the middle school to check on my daughter, if she has reached her classroom safely."

"How the hell would I know that? This is my first day!" Hijikata becomes exasperated. "And I don't really care!"

The grey-haired man sighs and leans back on his chair, folding his arms. "Hijikata-kun. Today is my daughter's first day at middle school too."

"Like I care, old man!"

"Another stubborn brat again?" the principal groans, closing the file hardly that it nearly made Hijikata flinch. "Transfer students these days don't learn their manners properly. I don't really care what reason you have to enrol into my school but I cannot tolerate any misbehaviour. If you intend to finish your high school here in Sheyfields, you better brush up your manners and attitude."

Another click of tongue was all Hijikata did.

The principal narrows his eyes. "Listen, Hijikata-kun. I have seen your files and it is very disappointing. You have been blacklisted because of your horrible juvenile records. Any school like ours will not even consider accepting you. I am inclined to reject you the moment I read your files but because of Isao's family recommendation, I have no choice but to accept you. The least you can do to repay the gratitude is to learn being polite with your elders here."

"I get it. I understand already," Hijikata grumbles. "Can I go now?"

The fifteen-year-old lad tousled his dark green hair in a way to hold back his anger. He never imagined he would be lectured at such early in the morning. He knew who he was, a kid with past criminal offences too many that he would never expect going back to school ever again.

Now he was given a chance from an acquaintance named Isao Kondo. There was nothing he hoped for by joining a school as rich and prestigious as Sheyfields but he could not refuse someone who had helped him in the time of his need.

The principal continued to lecture Hijikata as long as all the warnings and precautions were conveyed. Hijikata was overloaded with information that he was certain he could not remember anything when he left the office.

There was one particular thing however, that somehow struck his curiosity and it stayed his memory.

"Stay a hundred miles away from the silver-haired boy."

Hijikata was dumbfounded. So there would be a boy with silver hair. Hijikata assumes there is only one boy who has silver hair in this school, since the principal identifies him by the colour of his hair, not name or anything else. All Hijikata could think of was that the silver lad must be the pride of the school. Smart, precious, award-winning, probably popular and good-looking. Hijikata would like have to glimpse of him if he could. He knew he would be a bad influence thus the warning but it would not hurt for a quick glance.

After all, Sheyfields is a school for rich spoiled kids from distinguished families. Having someone standing out must be something extraordinary, close to a prince of all riches in the town.

A smirk crept on Hijikata's face as he strolled down the corridor, carrying the bag on his shoulder.

"Silver-haired boy, where are you?"