Page 62 of Pandion

“May I suggest the dorm service building, sir.” Matsutani-san set a keycard onto the desk along with a voucher. He then added two more vouchers as an afterthought. “As per the university policy, could your friends fill out these forms, please?” He gave tablets to Kagesawa and Yajima respectively. “We do not normally host outsiders on the premises. However, am I correct in assuming one of these gentlemen is your current link and the other is indeed also of the profession? Since you are here, we would be remiss to refuse asylum.”

Both Kagesawa and Yajima skimmed through the forms, neither too pleased about having to fill them. Harumine took the keycard and the vouchers, knowing exactly what they were for.

“You are correct, thank you,” he said. Despite it being a veiled insult, he could not afford turning them down.

After a bit of badgering, the forms were filled to the minimum satisfactory extent, and Harumine pulled his two bickering associates back outside.

“What a bunch of snooty shi—” Yajima shut up at the sight of Harumine’s face. That was the intention, though the execution had proven more effective than expected.

“They were gracious, all things considered.”

With the three of them marching in looking like absolute trash, it wouldn’t have surprised Harumine had they decided to escort them straight off the school grounds.

It was likely that Hase-sensei hadn’t any previous engagements but that Matsutani was giving the three of them the opportunity to freshen up before actually facing the man. The keycard was for the communal service building with the baths, pool and gym. The vouchers were for an express laundry service that provided a change of clothes while theirs were being washed.

The replacement set would be up to par with the expected standards while their current attires were not. Practically no students used the service here because they were either the kids of the filthy rich elite who wouldn’t be caught dead in such clothes or regular moderate income or scholarship students that washed their own clothes at the dorm. The service persisted as a symbol of luxury to pad the brochures with, alongside the onsen, the sports facilities and the hairdresser. Funny that it would come to actual use now.

The university campus gave Kagesawa bad vibes. The buildings were modern or immaculately maintained, and the environment objectively visually pleasing. There was plenty of greenery, and somehow the air seemed fresher and nicer on this side of the fence. However, it was much too pristine and exclusive to be actually welcoming.

Kagesawa felt acutely out of place. All of this wealth reminded him of the baggage he carried from a previous life, back when he’d still lived with his parents and back when not fitting in was a daily occurrence.

Satoru, on the other hand, looked right at home, no matter what he was wearing. He had that air about him that suggested he was capable of effortlessly adapting to any situation at any time. His confidence was triggering Kagesawa’s inferiority complex.

Kagesawa followed Satoru, trying to attract as little attention as possible, but he felt like he was sticking out like a sore thumb, regardless. What the hell was that gigantic glass structure high up in the air? Who had paid for that? What was it for? To symbolise something?

He was glad to enter the dorm service building even if it felt like trespassing. Out in the open, he kept expecting someone to stop him to throw him out. It seemed like that might still happenindoors, but thankfully the lobby of the service building was empty, and the shower rooms were private.

At the other end of the lobby, they located the laundry chute and a dispenser for the replacement clothes. Once they’d input their measurements, a hatch opened to reveal a perfectly pressed suit, accessories, shoes and a tagged bag for what was heading for the wash once they’d showered.

Kagesawa couldn’t recall if he’d ever been as nervous taking a shower, fearing he might break something or make a mess with everything around him so exorbitant and spotless. It also didn’t help to know Satoru was showering in the adjacent booth.

This is not the time, he reminded himself.

Luckily, he’d been dampening the link to spare Satoru from his frayed nerves since this all started, so it didn’t draw attention when he continued to do so now.

Kagesawa dried himself off and put on the suit. It was close enough to the correct size but not a great fit. A tailored suit had never made a difference in the past, but at least with this, there was something other than himself he could blame.

He brushed his hair and made an effort to tie it back a little more neatly than usual. Checking himself in the mirror, he suppressed the increasing sense of despair. He was never going to ‘clean up well’. It was no use to even try.

He untied the ponytail and gave up on the hair. Shouldn’t he have been immune to the shame by now? If he’d only had himself to worry about, he wouldn’t have been as nervous. The stakes were higher because he didn’t want to embarrass Satoru in front of his peers.

Satoru and Yajima were already waiting in the lobby by the time Kagesawa was done. Yajima looked casual, even in a suit. Satoru was wearing his as well as expected. He was of average build, so the suit was almost as if made for him. Perhaps hidingbehind the two of them, no one would pay attention to the strange third wheel. At least, so he hoped.

Ready?Satoru asked. Kagesawa nodded. He was as ready as he’d ever be.

It was with mixed feelings that Harumine observed Kagesawa trying to adjust to the suit and blend in. He shouldn’t have had to jump through these hoops to be accepted.

Harumine hadn’t thought much about the dress code before. For the first time, it felt like an unnecessary strain. He’d been dreaming about seeing Kagesawa straightened up, in a proper suit, but now he felt too guilty to enjoy it. What was the point of a suit if it didn’t give its wearer a boost of confidence? Kagesawa looked awkward and lost.

Thankfully, Hase-sensei was more laid back than most and would probably not mind minor discrepancies. If this could be presented as an intriguing scientific study instead of a personal favour, the chances were Hase-sensei would do his best to help, regardless of whether Kagesawa could sell himself as a worthy cause.

Chapter 24

Satoru knocked. A middle-aged man, possibly the assistant, answered the door, took one look at Satoru and let them in.

“Hase-sensei,” Satoru acknowledged the somewhat older man seated behind the desk. The assistant gathered some files off the table and left the room.

“Harumine-san.” Hase-sensei gestured for them to take a seat, but there were only two seats. Kagesawa moved aside. “What a wonderful surprise. This must be your new link?” The sensei turned to Yajima, who denied it with a chuckle.

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