Prologue
Vice-Headmaster Renana took a careful, long look at the file in front of her. It was so hard to believe that it was genuine and not some cruel prank. The fact that it was real made her blink her crimson eyes over and over and over again at the bold letters across the top of the paper she held: APPLICATION FOR POSITION OF TEACHER.
Again, Renana blinked. Applying as a teacher? Here, of all places? Sure, there were worse schools, but there were also far better ones in the Nexus. Students came from all over the Multiverse, from parallel worlds to pockets dimensions, looking for a good school. It was rare to find an exceptionally good student, let alone a someone willing enough to teach said student.
Still, she could not pass up an opportunity like this. Headmaster Batta had been pestering her for weeks, and now there was someone who was far more than capable for the job. It was like a miracle… or a curse, depending on how you looked at it.
Left hand still on the paper, Renana reached for the phone. Her right hand grabbed the receiver while the other right spun the dial. The phone rang into her pointed ear, and Renana tapped her three free hands, one right and two left, on the mahogany wood of her desk. She hoped he would pick up. Interdimensional phone lines were expensive, and she did not want to add to the school’s enormous bill with multiple calls.
At last, there was a slight jittery sound, and Renana quickly responded to it with restrained excitement. “Hello, Mr. Urakami? This is Vice-Headmaster Renana Lakshmi of Nexus High… Yes, this is about your recent application to our school… Oh no, it’s nothing like that… Your resume is very impressive… Well, Mr. Urakami, to put it simply: you have the job and-”
Renana pulled the screeching phone away from ear. When the horrible sound faded away, she put the phone back and continued, “Um, yes… you’ve stood out from the competition, as it were…” Renana’s eyes widened slightly when she heard the question. “… How many applied? Um, about one… yes, including yourself, Mr. Urakami, but I assure you, there’s no need to worry…”
Again, she stopped, and her eyes widened, but this time, it was with interest. She leaned back in her chair and commented, “… Oh really… Is that so? You’re ‘looking forward it’… ‘A great experience’... I see...”
Poor man. He has no idea what he’s getting himself into, Renana thought sadly as she listened intently to the voice on the other side.
Another question blipped Renana out of her thoughts. “When can you start?” she repeated, and her second left hand quickly flipped through her calendar. “Monday, the fifteenth. Just a couple weeks from now… You can come in earlier if you want. Just to get a feel for the school… Yes, well, I can assure, Mr. Urakami, your time here will be quite diverse.”
Before she hung up, Renana added with a coy smile on her blue lips, “And Mr. Urakami... welcome to Nexus High."
