"So what is that again? Zodiac?" Asked Shin listlessly. He put down his manga and laid down his head on the table.
"It's Zodiart. Seventeen years ago two scientists from OSTO (Over Space Technology Organization) found a mysterious device they later called Core Switch. They had a disagreement with their ideal that resulted in the destruction of their moon base and the death of one of the scientists, Utahoshi Rokuro." Explained Seiji to his master
Hearing the name, Shin's interest stirred as he sat up straight then looked at his attendant and asked Seiji "Utahoshi? isn't that..."
"Yes, the said scientist is our classmate, Utahoshi Kengo's father." Seiji nodded his head to confirm Shin's suspicion.
"The loner boy right?" Shin remembered a particular boy in his class that always avoided the rest of the class members except for one girl "So, what is the connection between those scientists with ... what it is called again? Zoid?"
"It's Zodiarts. The reason is, the other scientist was our school principal, Mitsuaki Gamou."
"That is something! So if this Mitsuaki Gamou wanted this device to himself for a selfish reason and this Utahoshi Rokuro prevented him from his goal, he needed to remove his fellow scientist. But why he just starting now? Why he need to wait seventeen years to start his ambition?"
Seiji also found it weird that the man never did anything big within the span of seventeen years. After pondered a little bit he then gave his opinion to Shin "Probably to gather a follower and spread his cause first"
"Good point." He nodded at Seiji's answer and then continue asked "Anything else about this Zo... Zombie things?"
"It's going far, it's not even close Master." Seiji sighed tiredly at his master's behavior and then explain slowly to him "It's Zodiarts. The only thing DC (Damage Control) knew is their abilities come from a power called cosmic energy. Their abilities differ between individuals but all of them have their abilities based on western constellations. Unfortunately, that is all we got from them"
"Is that so? Well... good work. Just update me if there anything new"
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One week later
As usual Seiji following one step behind Shin as they walked to their school. As they getting closer to the school more and more student wearing blue school blazer talks about their weekend with their friends. Seiji also reported some matters to his master while the person he talked to was thinking about last night's game session with his new online friends.
Beautiful morning as the students walking to their school broke by one female student. She ran to a small bridge ahead and stopping a boy that playing something with his hand. The boy looked surprised at the girl's behavior and he stopped playing with the thing in his hand.
The girl looked very nervous standing in front of the boy. After gathering the courage the girl confront the boy "Kengo-senpai!" said the girl as she pushed a letter to the boy she talked to" Please read this letter"
Watching the moment over at the bridge Shin put his hand over Seiji's shoulder and said "Wow, love letter this early in the morning! Is it the youth?"
The boy looked so annoyed at the girl's antics as he took the letter from the girl's hands and said coldly to the girl "Stop wasting my time" as he threw the letter to the river below.
The girl looked so devastated as her letter thrown by the boy. Tears slowly gather in the corner of her eyes. Ignoring the girl that closed to cry, the boy passed the girl.
Seeing the boy threw the girl's letter into the river slightly infuriated Shin a little bit. He was a troll, ruthless, and lazy person but never act ungentlemanly as to throw someone's hard work and effort under the bus. Then said with a slightly angry tone "that's not how you treat a girl. what a jerk little brat!"
"A jerk indeed," said Seiji calmly as he stopped Shin that wanted to reprimand the boy "It's not time yet to contact Utahoshi, Shin-sa ... Shin-kun"
Just after Seiji stop Shin from interfering a boy wearing a short gakuran (A Japanese school uniform, for reference, see Genji from Crows Zero) ran past them and stopped in front of the cold boy, Utahoshi Kengo.
"Hey! Who'd just throw away a love letter?!" The bad-looking boy yelled as he grabbed Kengo's collar. The boy looked a little bit weird as he wore black short gakuran and baggy pants like a delinquent student from old movies. He also styled his hair in a pompadour style. The boy jumped straight from old Yankee manga.
"She went to the trouble to giving it to you, at least read it! She poured her heart into that, so you're gonna damn well read it! Then you can her down if you don't like what she has to say! There's a little thing called courtesy!" The bad boy said as he glared at Kengo. And he looked behind him at the girl "Hold this"
After giving the girl his bag, he then did something so brave that it looked ridiculous.
"Seriously?" Shin said as he witnessed the boy's ridiculous moves.
"Oryaaaaaaaa!" yelled the boy as he jumped over the bridge rail to the river below. The bridge height is not that high, just slightly over three-meter high, but the sheer stupidity made the onlooker's jaws dropped.
The bad boy kept searching for the thrown letter as the girl he helped is looking worried over him. Kengo just smirked sarcastically and said "What an absolute idiot"
On the other hand, Shin that witness all that happen across the bridge laugh out loud and said "What an interesting fellow, hahaha. come on Sei-kun"
=====
The school bell chimes as the student slowly enter their respective class to begin their studies. In Shin class the student sat in their chair as the homeroom teacher, Sonoda Sarina-sensei entered the class.
"Good morning" Greet Sonoda-sensei to the class
"Good morning, sensei," said the students in the class uniformly.
"Do you enjoy your weekend? This year there will be a new classmate joining us in Class 2-B"
After Sonoda-sensei said that a tall good looking student wearing black short gakuran enter the class. With his still wet baggy pants he slowly approached the blackboard and write his name in big letters. The rest of the class frowning at the new student, wondering who the hell this weirdo is. Some girl was giggling at the weird student get up.
"My name is Kisaragi Gentarou, and my goal is to make friends with every last one of you," He said as he thumped his chest and pointed at every student in the class. He slowly walked to the empty chair as he greeted every student he passed "Nice to meet ya! Nice to meet ya!"
Hearing the name, Shin starred at Gentarou and then look over to where Seiji sat. Seiji nodded his head to Shun afterward to confirm Shin's question. The boy he saw at the bridge that now walked to the back of the class was one of the people that he needed to look for, the soon-to-be Kamen rider.
Gentarou suddenly looked at one particular girl as he found her familiar. After a second of thinking, he remembered why the girl looked familiar to him. He then approached the said girl then "Yuuki?!"
"Gen-chan?" After both of them confirming each other identity, both of them do some sort of unique handshake and talked about their reunion.
'As reported Kisaragi Gentarou was Jojima Yuuki's childhood friend' thought Shin looking at both banters. He was once again proud of his descendant at Damage Control who did their work precisely and efficiently.
"Are you two quite done? If you wouldn't mind taking your seat, Kisaragi-san" said Sonoda-sensei stopping the two conversations with her warm smile.
"Ah, just give me a moment, sensei" He looked at the teacher and smiled. He then walked toward the listless student at the back of the class. The boy looked back at him with an annoyed look on his face.
Gentarou then pulled a wet letter from his pocket reading at the name on the envelope and then slap it on Kengo's table " Utahoshi Kengo-san, I believe this is for you" while looking straight at Kengo seriously.
"You keep it for me, huh?" Kengo looked at Gentarou coldly as if he was looking at the most annoying thing in the world. He coldly said "What a pain... "
"Yeah, I can be quite a pain." He nodded the boy rude remark as he smiled proudly "That's what friends are for"
Shin chuckled at the boy words and thought 'What an interesting fellow indeed'