Berserk Academy: After School of the Black Swordsman and the White Hawk - The Rooftop Monster and the Smiling Prince

"...Tch. You're so damn loud." Guts clicked his tongue softly, eyes still closed. The early May breeze stirred the collar of his faded black school jacket. The wind up on the rooftop, bouncing off the school walls, felt oddly lukewarm. Only the concrete pressing against his back was cold — bitingly so. This was the rooftop of the main building at Midland Academy, a private school. It sat atop a five-story white building in the heart of the academic city of Arklein. About eight hundred square meters in area. Beyond the fence, the roofs of student dorms and shopping streets stretched on endlessly. But nobody ever came up here. Ever since a fall accident three years ago, rooftop access had been officially prohibited. There was a rusted-open hole in one section of the fence, and Guts came and went through it. The lock had been broken from the start. Nobody bothered to fix it. Because nobody came here. *Today's peaceful too.* Guts cracked his eyes open. A blue sky filled his vision. A single cloud drifted slowly eastward. A bell chimed in the distance — a listless electronic tone marking the end of fourth period. Nobody would care that he wasn't in class anyway. No — some people did care. The disciplinary committee. They'd put Guts on some "persons of interest" list and hunted for him daily. Since enrolling, twelve conduct violations. Three suspensions, one expulsion warning. *Not like it matters anymore.* Guts sat up and leaned against the fence. His black school jacket hadn't been washed. He was still wearing the standard-issue one he'd bought at enrollment. The collar was frayed, the cuffs faded to a whitish gray. There was a small hole near his left shoulder. He couldn't remember when it had appeared. "...Guess I'll eat." What he pulled from his pocket was a hundred-and-twenty-yen bread from the school store. Curry bread. Lunch was always this, or a grilled fish set meal at the "Minato Diner" in the shopping district. He had no intention of spending money on anything else. Guts chewed the curry bread, staring blankly at the sky. He knew what they called him at this school. "The Monster of the Rooftop." That's right. That's what everyone called him. Walk into a classroom, and the chatter stops. Walk down a hallway, and the path clears. Meet someone's eyes, and they look away. Like they're looking at a beast. *Well. It's true.* Guts laughed self-mockingly. He'd never lost a fight. Since enrolling, about thirty of them. He'd won them all. Didn't matter how many opponents, or whether they had weapons. His body moved on its own. It wasn't that he couldn't feel pain. But faster than the pain, he could only think about taking the other guy down. He lived alone in a cheap apartment near Arklein Station. He'd grown up in a foster home. Never knew his parents' faces. Left the home at fifteen. Been alone ever since. *Not like I'm lonely or anything.* Guts shoved the curry bread into his mouth. *Being alone is easier.* If you don't trust anyone, you can't be betrayed. If you don't hope for anything, you can't be disappointed. The way to never get hurt is to have nothing from the start. That's how Guts had lived for seventeen years. He finished the curry bread and stuffed the wrapper into his pocket. The trash cans were only on the first floor. Too much hassle, so he always let them pile up in his pockets. He never did laundry, but he couldn't throw away trash. Even he thought he was a weird guy. "...Guess I'll sleep." He lay back down on the concrete. Hard. Cold. But he was used to it. He closed his eyes. The sound of wind. A distant bell. Someone's laughter. All sounds that had nothing to do with him. —That's when it happened. *Click.* Footsteps. Guts opened his eyes. Someone was coming up to the rooftop. The sound of feet on the metal steps of the emergency stairwell. Steady, measured, composed. *Disciplinary committee?* No. Wrong. Those guys were louder. They always came in pairs, coordinating over radios as they approached. These footsteps were one person. And there was no hesitation in them. Guts sat up and stared at the emergency exit. A creak. And then, he appeared. —White. The first thing that caught his eye was the color. A pure white uniform. Blazer, slacks, shirt — all unified in white. Not a single button out of place. The school emblem gleamed silver at his collar. The "Special Honors Uniform," permitted from the second year of high school. Worn only by those recognized as outstanding in grades, conduct, and extracurriculars — the mark of this school's elite. Only three students in the entire school wore it. And the most famous of them— "Found you." The young man smiled. His silver-white hair swayed gently in the wind. Shoulder-length, with a soft wave. Translucent blue eyes. A deep color that seemed to draw in whoever looked at them. He stood a hundred and eighty-two centimeters tall. Four centimeters taller than Guts. Perfect posture. Perfect smile. Perfect stance. "So this is where you were." Griffith. Student council president of Midland Academy. The charisma of the school, elected with a record-breaking ninety-four percent of the vote. Guts clicked his tongue. "...The hell do you want?" "I came to see you." Griffith said it and walked slowly toward Guts. "Don't come near me. This place is off-limits." "You're here too, aren't you?" "I don't give a damn about school rules." "And I'd break any rule to see you." Griffith said it without missing a beat. Guts furrowed his brow. *What the hell is this guy saying?* Griffith reached Guts's side and smoothly lowered himself to sit. Without a care for those expensive-looking white slacks on the concrete. "Hey. Don't blame me if those get dirty." "I don't mind. I'm just happy to sit next to you." Griffith kept smiling, his blue eyes fixed straight on Guts. Guts found himself looking away. *What is this feeling?* Like something inside him was being seen through. "...You got business with me or what?" "Even if I don't, I wanted to see you." "Don't say creepy shit like that." "Is that so? I was just being honest." Guts stood up. "I'm going to sleep. Don't bother me." "Go ahead and sleep. I'll be right here watching you." "Don't watch me!" Guts raised his voice. But Griffith's smile didn't waver. "I'll wait until you fall asleep." "You... what do you want?" "What do I want? I want to be your friend. Is that not allowed?" Friend. At that word, Guts couldn't help but laugh. "Ha. The student council president wants to be friends with the Monster of the Rooftop? You're joking." "I'm not joking." Griffith's voice dropped, just slightly. "You might think of yourself as a monster. But I don't see you that way." "Don't decide that on your own." "You're the one deciding on your own." Guts was at a loss for words. "You won't let anyone close. You won't open your heart to anyone. But that's not because you're weak. It's because you're too strong." "...What are you trying to say?" "You're afraid to trust someone. Because the person you trust might one day destroy you." Guts clenched his fist. *How far can this guy see?* "...You just keep saying whatever you want." "Say whatever I want, then. I want to know more about you." Griffith stood and faced Guts directly. His tall frame — a hundred and eighty-two centimeters. His gaze slightly above Guts's. Blue eyes captured black ones. "Become mine." Guts couldn't believe his ears. "...Huh?" "Become mine." Griffith repeated the same words, as if confessing love. "Are you out of your damn mind?!" "I'm not. I'm perfectly serious." "That makes no sense! I'm a guy! You're a guy too!" "Gender doesn't matter. What I want is you — your very existence." Guts held his head in his hands. *What the hell is this guy?!* "...Go home." "I won't. Until you become mine, I'll stay by your side." "Screw you! I don't belong to anyone!" "Even when you act tough like that, you're wonderful." Guts seriously considered punching him. But for some reason, his fist wouldn't move. Griffith's smile, his blue eyes — it felt like they were touching something deep inside Guts's heart. *Damn it...* Guts lay back down on the concrete, turning his back. "Do whatever you want. I'm sleeping." "Goodnight, Guts." Guts closed his eyes. But there was no way he could sleep. He could feel Griffith's gaze on his back. And that gaze was strangely warm. *Why... can't I drive him away?* Guts asked himself silently. No answer came. The next day, Griffith came to the rooftop again. "Hey, Guts. I'm happy to see you again today." "...You came back again." "Of course I did. You're going to become mine, after all." "I told you I won't!" Guts shouted. But Griffith only smiled as always and sat down beside him. "The wind feels nice today." "Like I care." "What do you do up here every day?" "Sleep." "That's all?" "That's all." "Aren't you lonely?" Guts went silent. He'd never even thought about whether he was lonely. "I enjoy talking with you." "I'm not enjoying this." "Is that so? But your face has softened, just a little." "You're imagining things!" Guts turned his face away. *What is this guy, really?* Griffith's words always went somewhere beyond what you'd expect. *Become mine.* That's not something a guy says to another guy. And yet Griffith said it like it was nothing. *Is it a desire to control? Or...* Guts couldn't understand it. But one thing was certain. Griffith's eyes weren't smiling. Behind those blue eyes, something else lurked. What it was, Guts didn't know yet. Day three. "Become mine." "Shut up! Get lost!" Day four. "Today I'd like to hear your answer." "You'll never get an answer. Ever." Day five. "I want to watch you sleep forever." "...I can't sleep with you doing that." Day six. "When I think of you, I can't sleep at night." "Sounds like a serious case of insomnia. Go to a hospital." Day seven. Guts didn't come to the rooftop. More precisely, he couldn't. "Hey, Guts! You're late again!" Morning homeroom. The homeroom teacher's voice echoed through the classroom. Guts sat down at his desk without a word. *Tch... overslept.* He hadn't been able to sleep the night before. Thinking about Griffith had kept him awake until dawn. *It's his fault.* Guts slumped over his desk. The classroom was buzzing. "Hey, Guts is actually in class." "So rare... did something happen?" "Don't look this way... if our eyes meet, who knows what he'll do." Whispers — quiet, but clearly audible. Guts ignored them. Same as always. "Hey, Guts. When's the last time you washed that jacket?" The teacher said, exasperated. "...Don't know." "Sigh... whatever. Just actually attend class today." Guts didn't answer. First period began, second period ended, and just as third period was about to start— *Slide.* The classroom door opened. "Excuse me." At that voice, every eye in the room turned to the door. White Special Honors Uniform. Silver hair. Blue eyes. "President Griffith...?" "Why is he in a second-year classroom?" "Wait, the Special Honors Uniform really is beautiful... white suits him..." Griffith scanned the room, spotted Guts, and smiled brightly. "Found you." Guts felt a chill run down his spine. *He came to the classroom?!* Griffith walked without hesitation to the seat next to Guts. "This seat's empty. Mind if I sit here?" "Yes, I mind." "I figured you'd say that. But I'm sitting anyway." Griffith sat down next to Guts as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "What about your own classroom?" "I'm the student council president. I'm specially permitted to be in any classroom." "That's abuse of power." "For you, I'd gladly abuse a power or two." The classroom erupted in murmurs. "Wait, what is that..." "The president, next to Guts..." "Wh

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Name: Berserk Academy: After School of the Black Swordsman and the White Hawk
Author: Novelia

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