Chapter One
I
HAVE THE
KEY.
SHHHH.
OUR TEACHER
COULD BE HERE
AT ANY MOMENT.
HURRY!
DO YOU
HAVE IT OPEN
YET?
NO.
NOT YET.
SHUT UP.
OH
NO!
WE'LL HAVE
TO COME BACK
TOMORROW.
I HATE
THIS.
QUIET.
THIS ISN'T
OUR FAULT,
REMEMBER?
IT'S THE
NEW GIRL'S
FAULT.
HANA'S
THE REASON
BRITTANY ISN'T
OUR FRIEND
ANYMORE.
I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND
WHY BRITTANY
WOULDN'T PLAY
THAT LAST TRICK
ON HANA.
WHICH IS WHY WE'RE GOING
TO STEAL THE ANSWERS TO
TOMORROW'S TEST AND
PUT THEM IN HANA'S
BACKPACK.
ONCE HANA'S CAUGHT, BRITTANY
WILL DROP HER. SHE WOULD
NEVER BE A FRIEND WITH A
CHEATER LIKE HER.
YEAH. NOT
WITH A CHEATER
LIKE HER.
HOW WAS
SCHOOL TODAY,
HANA?
SCHOOL
WAS GOOD,
GRANDFATHER
JOU.
THANKS
FOR
ASKING.
I .
. HANA?
YES,
GRANDFATHER?
WHY IS THE TRAINING
DUMMY HERE AT
THE TABLE?
OH, THAT. I
THOUGHT YOU'D
WANT HIM HERE.
WHY?
YOU ALWAYS TELL ME
THAT PART OF TRAINING
IS LEARNING TO LOVE
YOUR ENEMIES.
SO I INVITED HIM
FOR AN AFTER-
SCHOOL TREAT.
HE DIDN'T
SAY NO.
YES,
MY DEAR. WE
MUST LOVE OUR
ENEMIES.
BUT WE
MUST ALSO BE
CAUTIOUS UNTIL WE
HAVE TURNED THESE
ENEMIES INTO
ALLIES.
THAT'S
NOT HELPING,
TOMO. IT'S
HEAVIER.
WHY WERE WE
ATTACKED,
GRANDFATHER?
CONTINUE
YOUR TRAINING,
HANA.
I WILL TRY
TO ANSWER YOUR
QUESTIONS.
GOOD,
HANA. VERY
GOOD.
WORKING
WITH THE STAFF IS
A LOT LIKE COLOR
GUARD.
I WISH I
DIDN'T HAVE
TO USE THE
SWORD.
WHY DID
YOU STOP YOUR
EXERCISES?
OH
VERY WELL.
I'LL TELL
YOU.
THINGS
AREN'T ALWAYS
WHAT THEY SEEM, HANA.
WE LIVE IN A PLACE-IN A
WORLD-THAT IS UNDER
ATTACK FROM BEINGS
OUTSIDE WHAT WE
CALL NORMAL
LIFE.
IT WASN'T
ALWAYS LIKE
THIS .
SO THOSE CREATURES
WE FOUGHT WERE FROM
WHAT? ANOTHER
REALM?!?
GRANDFATHER?
YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO SAY
ANYTHING IF I DON'T
ALSO TRAIN,
ARE YOU?
NOT
EVEN A
LITTLE?
ARE YOU
HAPPY NOW,
GRANDFATHER?
THIS WORLD IS NOT
ALWAYS ABOUT HAPPY
OR UNHAPPY,
HANA.
TRAINING
IS LIKE
READING AND
LEARNING.
KNOWLEDGE IS AS
NECESSARY FOR
FIGHTING EVIL AS IS
A GOOD ATTACK
WITH THE USE OF
A BO STAFF.
AS TO
THE CREATURES
WE FOUGHT, YES,
THEY ARE FROM
ANOTHER
REALM.
THEY WERE
LED BY A SCARRED
FOX-MAN CALLED
SURGAR.
(Continues.)
