A/N: I absolutely love the reviews. Once again, thanks so much. They are very much appreciated.

Disclaimer: I do not own AC.

Chapter 2: An Anomaly among Elites

"We still think of a powerful man as a born leader and a powerful woman as an anomaly."

- Margaret Atwood

When the raven-haired girl closed the double doors, a soft sigh escaped through her lips. For a while, she just stood there, holding onto the handle albeit lightly.

"You know, you could've sounded more earnest."

At the sound of Tao's voice, Saki straightened up and took several steps away from the doors. Tilting her head, she placed a finger over her ear where the comm device nestled. Her gaze glanced at both sides of the hallway for people and found no one.

She spoke freely. "Ah, really? I thought I was doing a fine job."

"If you mean by your monotonous explanation and a random burst of laughter at the worst time possible, yes, what a 'fine' performance indeed." His words were laced with sarcasm and annoyance but there was no real bite in his tone. "Normally, no orphan would laugh at the reminder of his or her parent's passing. I have no clue what you were thinking, Sa-chan."

A nonchalant shrug was her reply. She couldn't help it at the time. But, she had to admit it was her mistake.

"You must realize, too, he's cautious of us now – well, you."

"He already was, Tao. You listened to him."

"I mean more than before, although I doubt he has an actual clue what our purpose is. We'll be under his surveillance which limits most of your actions."

Saki let out a thoughtful hum. "What's done is done. I doubt stressing over it will do any good. Besides, I don't think even a talented actor or actress could've passed through his eyes that easily."

"Oh? How rare… I didn't think I would hear you compliment someone – least of all, a civilian."

The corner of her lips quirked upwards. "Do you honestly believe that?" Her gaze slightly narrowed. "He's no simple civilian."

Tao let out a bark of laughter. Saki privately wondered (this was not the first time she thought this) how he could alter his behavior so quickly. He sometimes acted like a female, more than her, with his mood-changing tendencies. "Yeah, I guessed that when I learned he extorted money from the government in exchange for assassination to be conducted in Class E. He's more of a devil, I say."

She blinked. The last line sparked a familiarity in her. An image of man with a hollow smile and blood-soaked shoes flashed before her eyes. "Maybe."

Amused, she finished, "But, what would that make us?"

"True, true. Honestly, I thought it was funny when he threatened you. The last person who tried that…"

She remained unfazed as Tao chuckled nervously, obviously reminiscing about a clueless thug who had no sense of danger. The poor fool didn't realize that he had already been sliced the second he finished his sentence.

"He's an odd one, though," mused Saki, leaning against the wall. Her arms were crossed over her bandaged chest. "The aura I felt from him was that of an assassin's. But there is no way he is one. Considering, you checked his background thoroughly without leaving anything out and found nothing that points him to being a killer. A politician, maybe, but no killer."

"…I don't know if you're pleased or disappointed."

Her eyes flickered. "Neither."

There was a pause. Saki sensed his hesitation before he spoke. "I know you're capable and all. But, try not to stand out. Just follow what the others are doing." The sound of him rustling his hair crackled through the comm. "I was undecided about this at the beginning because you're not the type to follow rules – much less able to act like an ordinary student for a long period. If I had a choice, I would prefer you not attending there."

"I know what I'm doing," she assured him.

"…When you say that, I guess I'll trust you. It's too late to back down anyways."

She pursed her lips. It was never about being late or early. The end justifies the means.

"I already had someone attached cameras around the mountain," he continued. "But, they are not close to the building. I didn't want that – well – thing and the agent to notice. Although I don't know about the bait, I do know that man – Karasuma – has eyes trained for this kind of stuffs. I'll keep you informed if something happens." If he comes…

"Alright," said Saki. In her mind, she confirmed, 'When he comes…'

The sound of footsteps drawing near drew her attention. Pulling away from the wall, she turned to the figure of a skinny man coming towards her direction. In a low voice, she said, "Looks like my escort has finally arrived. I'll talk to you later."

"'Kay, for now I'll sit back and enjoy the show."

She would have snorted if the man hadn't reached her sooner. His forehead was covered in sweat, and his plumped lips stretched into an apologetic smile. This was her teacher...? She wasn't impressed but stretched out her hand for him to shake out of courtesy.

"You must be Kobayashi-kun. I apologize for the delay," he greeted, taking her hand in his own. "I was out of the faculty's office when the chairman called for me. Thankfully, one of the teachers was able to reach me by phone."

She felt a tinge of disgust at the touch of his sweaty palm but didn't show it on her face. Detaching her hand, she discreetly wiped it on the back of her pants. "It's alright. I wasn't waiting long."

"Really? That's great. I'm Sato Eichi, by the way, the homeroom teacher of Class 3-A. I'll be taking you to your class. Follow me, please." He pointed his finger to the route he came from.

On their way to the classroom, Sato kept on talking on and on about how it was privilege for students to be going here. He praised the school for it's reputation, stating that it was well-known for being one of the top schools in all of Tokyo. She expertly ignored his rambling, keeping her pace a few feet behind him. In her mind, she was reviewing the blueprint of the main building.

The hallways were empty because classes were about to start any minute. There would normally be few students lingering around, not caring if they'll be tardy, but she found none. This observation gave Saki a small insight to how this place works. From what she gathered, Asano Gakuho was a man of principles. He was used to having control and didn't take lightly if someone tested it. With him as the board chairman, it was evident that he would undoubtedly make everyone subservient to him, whether they didn't realize it themselves. The 'Class E System' was a method to utilize his control of both faculty and students.

I feel somewhat sad for them... No freedom whatsoever.

The bell rang when they reached their destination.

Sato instructed her to wait for him to call her before heading inside. Although she knew that this was normally expected, she pondered why she couldn't just go in with him and introduce herself. There was no point standing outside.

"So weird," murmured Saki, tilting her head.

OOO

"My name is Kobayashi Saki. I recently moved from England. Nice to meet you."

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Asano Gakushu drummed his fingers against his desk, a small frown adoring his face. The whole scene was wrong. It was unexpected. No one heard about the transfer student, so everyone was taken aback (even him) when their teacher called him in. His classmates whispered behind him, voicing their surprise and opinion of the new arrival.

"Silence. Silence, everyone," commanded Sato, annoyance creeping into his voice.

The class calmed but some looked itching for answers.

He knew he was. How come his father didn't tell him about this? He tried to squash the frustration building inside him but was half-successful. The only indication of his foul mood was the gritting of his teeth and the edges of his lips tugging downwards.

"I know this is very sudden," stated the teacher, "however, I hope you will make him feel welcomed. He, like you, has a bright future in front of him. Kobayashi-kun transferred from another prestigious school in England. During the finals of last year, he was in the top 5. It is our gain that we acquired such student."

Gakushu raised an eyebrow, peering at the small figure, who was absentmindedly staring at the ceiling, through his indigo eyes. The boy looked as if his mind was somewhere else, almost distant. ...Was he truly that intelligent?

One classmate was unable to keep his silence, too curious not to ask. "Are you fully Japanese? I mean, your name obviously is but you have that foreigner's look."

Sato looked as if he was about to reprimand him but stopped. He too was curious of the answer as he stared at raven-haired boy.

Gakushu had noticed several features of Kobayashi Saki's face that didn't seem quite Asian. Though the boy's eyes were squinted, they also appeared round. His skin were fairer than the girls' in his class, and his cheeks weren't prominent as most were.

"I'm half-British," was his simple reply. He said it in a way that made the fact seem nothing too special. Kobayashi shifted his eyes towards the class though not on one individually. He looked as if he wanted to yawn.

There was this awkward silence after his indifferent response. His idiotic classmates had now noticed the transfer student's nonchalance and felt uncomfortable. Few girls shot him admiring looks, and some boys looked irked.

Sato smiled, a bit nervous. "Ah... you may go sit down at the back by the window. Miura-san, can you share your books with him?"

"H-hai!"

Because Gakushu sat at the front, he was unable to see the girl's expression. But, even without looking, he could already tell that her cheeks were flushed judging by her nervous reply. How pathetic...

Kobayashi started towards his seat, passing him. His unruly, black hair rustled at the movement.

For the first time since the boy's appearance, his disgruntlement fell. It was soon replaced by puzzlement. He looked over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing at his back.

How strange… Perhaps, he was the only one who took notice of it or cared. But, the manner the transfer student walked raised his scrutiny: soundless, no unnecessary movement, and graceful.

There was something off about Kobayashi Saki.

And, Gakushu had an inkling that his father knew something about him he didn't.

First Class 3-E… and now this.

It was too much of a coincidence.

.

.

.

Just what was he hiding?

OOO

The girl - Miura, was it? - fidgeted in her seat, her face pink. She clearly was unsettled by their close proximity. Their desks touched each other, the history book opened in the middle. There was only Sato's voice filling the classroom. He droned on about a past shogun, retainers, and their glory.

Saki's gaze shifted from the pages to the classmates sitting in front of her. They remained focus, all of their heads tilting downwards and facing their desks. The pencils gripped tightly in their hands moved across their notebooks, and the chalkboard was loaded with words as the teacher wrote and erased in a consistent manner.

Nobody dozed off. None appeared distracted - except for her seatmate. Instead, most looked determined.

Hmm... I see.

She rested her cheek on her hand, her dark fringes swaying across her forehead.

For the whole first period, there was no change.

How boring. All of them.

"A-Aren't you going to take notes?"

She glanced at Miura. The girl was writing in her notebook, her eyes frantically glancing between the page and the chalkboard. The teacher had wiped half of the board, and she was despondent. The girl, most likely, wasn't able to finish writing before it was erased.

"Nope," Saki answered. She turned towards the window, eyeing the blue sky.

Miura faltered. Her hand stopped moving.

"Why?"

She shrugged. "Because there is no point.

A frown touched Miura's lips. "...No point?"

"Yeah, no point."

OOO

The bell rang, announcing the end of the period. The teacher gathered his things and walked out. After he left, the students began to rise.

When most of the girls and boys turned to the direction of the back towards a certain area, they blinked at the sight of an empty seat.

"Where did he go?"

"When did he even leave?"

"Aww, I wanted to talk to him!"

Gakushu ignored the chatters and shot Ren, who came to his side, a look. "You're seated by the back door. Did you see him exit?"

Ren shook his head, looking a bit confused. He ran his hand through his locks. "No, I didn't. I didn't even hear him leave."

OOO

The board chairman was looking through some documents when he heard someone knock his door. Gathering the paper in a neat file, he stored them in a folder and put it away.

"Come in."

The doors opened, revealing a student. She looked nervous, glancing about his office like a frightened rabbit who found herself in a predator's domain. The girl took hesitant steps forward, playing with her fingers.

His facial features intentionally softened. He hoped the child wouldn't collapse out of nervous breakdown before they could even talk.

The girl naively relaxed at his expression, her face losing some of its redness. She couldn't quite meet his gaze, however. "I heard you asked for me?"

"Ah, yes," said Asano, smiling with his eyes closed. "I was hoping you could do me a favor.

It's about a certain transfer student…"

OOO

When Saki turned towards the exit, the chairman's voice made her pause.

"The pupils of this school are diligently preparing themselves for the future. They are going to be the future of our country. Although you just transferred, you're now a Kunugigaoka student. I will be expecting lot of things from you, Kobayashi-kun. Otherwise, I would be terribly disappointed."

His words rang with warning, cautioning her to tread carefully.

A small smile made its way across her face. It soon disappeared as her eyes hardened.

"I will keep that in mind."

There was nothing but silence in the room after the doors shut.

End Notes - What is your impression of Saki? In your mind, how do you see her? I would love to know. :)