The Genius Above Elites

Vol 1 Epilogue

Actually because we're this close, she looks pretty cool. Her hair is enhanced by the shade of the evening sun, shoulder length hair really fits her too. Those hair tails make her look like a dog of sorts, similar to a golden retriever.

"Hehe, it's nothing. Though it is gross to threaten a teacher you know that?"

"I wouldn't call what I did up here threatening. I don't want them to make a mountain out of a molehill so I wanted to have that chat with Chabashira-sensei in private. My plan didn't seem to work thanks to you and Ayanokouji though." She continued to eat her ramen as I spoke. Her crimson red eyes staring into my dark magenta ones before she broke out into laughter.

"what are you laughing about?"

"Nothing nothing! Let me introduce myself again since we never had the chance to properly do so prior to this moment."

She finishes her cup of ramen before hugging her knees as turning back at me.

"Masako, Kaneko Masako. Nice to meet you again Sugihara Daisuke." She holds out her hand as a gesture of greeting as I shake it with my free hand, holding the remaining cup ramen in my other as I smile at her.

Just like that I've made yet another friend, what's best is this one is a girl! I didn't think I'd have the courage to casually talk with a girl but Kaneko has this tomboyish vibe.

"You were listening to Maria Bishop's songs a few days ago, right?"

"You heard that? What of it?"

"Nothing, you were humming it out loud so it's no wonder I and a few others heard.." she brushes her hair away from her as she spoke.

I wasn't conscious of myself during that time so I must have hummed through hours of songs made by Maria Bishop. If I knew I wouldn't be surprised people would find this at least a little strange.

I scan her figure, mostly her belongings and spy a box with what seems to be cigarettes and a portable ashtray. So she smokes huh?

"I should say this because it's relevant, but smoking does shorten your life, blah, blah, blah..... It's bad for your health, yadda, yadda..."

"You don't say." Doesn't seem like she cares. Her health is none of my concern anyway.

"Second-hand smoke is dangerous ya know? If you're worried about your own health, yadda, yadda, then leave."

"....."

"Get lost." Amazing, her personality just took a giant 180! She was so sweet(?) a minute ago and now she's acting like a legitimate delinquent.

I don't want to disturb her, but I can't say I'm not interested in her. I have a bad habit of wanting to learn about what I find interesting. Going down from here might be the right call but I want to talk with her a little longer at least. Besides I have nothing else to do.

I don't like punks, so it's also in my nature to do the opposite of what they want me to do. I'm not easily fooled by cute girls though it is tempting to fuck off right now. 'Punk' is an outdated word at this point though, not many people use it.

However between the flashy looking hair and what seems to be a smoking habit, I'd say that's a fitting word for her.

"It's a pretty awful scene if you ask me, but I'll just overlook it. I ain't about to stop you or anything. I'm curious though, why do you smoke at all?" I have no interest in tobacco, and it's just a question I often posed to smokers.

I wonder what's so fun about those fumey things.

"What do you think the reason is? Because it's so cool? Or for stress relief?" Though I can hardly see how killing yourself is a stress relief.

"....yeah you got the money off my head. I'm showing off." She wants to smoke alone so she's not really showing off to anyone I bet.

"On TV, most smokers are either middle aged dudes stuck in a rut, or cool, gorgeous women right? That's why I smoke."

That was a very 90s-esque excuse. I doubt it's the real reason behind it but she doesn't seem to want to elaborate any further. At least she knows she shouldn't be smoking immediately after a meal.

"You'd probably be suspended if you keep up this act. There's security cameras around the place you know?"

"Shut up, it's none of your business. Besides I can dodge those cameras with my eyes closed anyway, besides I'd love to see a teacher shitting bricks after seeing me come back from suspension." She says that with a frustrated tone. Almost as if she's been suspended many times before and couldn't care less if she were suspended yet again. I don't think expulsion even bothers her at all.

I look at Kaneko once again as she's directing her gaze to the now orange sun. Her hair which flutters in the wind fits perfectly in this background. Her annoyed attitude is basically dispersed now, she's gone back to how she was before I talked about the cigarettes.

"Hey, have you heard of Golden Time?"

"You mean that holiday in May?"

"Not Golden Week, it's Time." I know I was joking.

"They talk about it on TV all the time. It's the time of day with the highest ratings.from seven o'clock at night till nine or ten, they say it's the best time to do something." I answer in place of my joke answer.

"This is my Golden Time. When the sun's starting to set and it's nearly nighttime. It's a brief, yet radiant moment... Anything and everything the light once touched would grow dark, a time where everything in the world would shine so bright for a few fleeting seconds."

The setting sun reflects on the school and makes the whole world around us to appear in a shining bright shade of gold. Similar to that one time I was with myself on the bench.

"Golden Time." A glimmer perfectly befitting that name is before us as we speak.

".....Those who die at this time would embark towards a shining, eternal moment. That's what a friend once told me. The golden colour sinks into eternity, this golden light must have shined on our land many times before. Maybe shining moments nearing an eternity are sealed inside?"

"You sure are romantic." I break the ice after she spoke. She turns towards me with slightly dagger like eyes, but you could tell she doesn't really mean it.

"You might as well call me delusional, then."

"You sure about that?"

"I'll kick you in the nuts if you do, though." Then I'm not doing it. But she sure is romantic, but she's speaking of the truth here.

Sentimental feelings like that are one of the few things I understood in this world. The sensation of sinking into an endless darkness and having no one to rely on.... I experienced that plenty in the past.

"......" Seeing something so wonderful has given my salvation many times. I understand that feeling well.

This is mine- no our, Golden Time. And finally, our real start at this school.