School Story of Wandering Witches : Arche's Daily Life

It was a sunny afternoon… 

Actually, no, it was raining. Heavily. Like, "the gods accidentally knocked over a bucket" level of rain. 

And here I was, stuck inside a restaurant with Arthur. 

Oh, and we weren't alone. Sitting across from us were three girls—our classmates—casually enjoying their meals as if we weren't trapped in a potential flood scenario. 

Elaina, Saya, and Amnesia. 

I stared out the window, watching the downpour. With a dramatic sigh, I turned to Arthur. 

"It's raining, huh… You wanna make a break for it?" 

Arthur gave me a flat look. "We're not kids anymore, you know. We'll wait until it stops." 

"Huh… Really?" I squinted at him. "But back then, you were the happiest when I dragged you outside to play in the rain." 

Arthur scoffed. "Hey, wasn't that you? I always refused because I didn't wanna get sick!" 

"Liar!" I shot back immediately. 

Before Arthur could come up with an excuse, Amnesia, who had been quietly observing our exchange, suddenly spoke up. 

"That makes me curious." She rested her chin on her hand, staring at us with an interested look. 

Arthur and I blinked at her in unison. "Hm?" 

"How did you two first meet?" she asked. 

"Oh! That's interesting!" Saya suddenly exclaimed, her eyes gleaming.

"When I first entered this school, I heard rumors that you guys were delinquents!" 

"Yeah," Elaina added casually while sipping her coffee. "At the time, I didn't want to have anything to do with you guys." 

Her words pierced my heart like an arrow. Cruel… 

I clutched my chest dramatically. "…Such cold words… I might not recover from this…" 

Ignoring my very real pain, Arthur tilted his head, deep in thought. "Hm… My first meeting with Arche, huh?" 

Then, as if he had just remembered, his eyes widened. 

"Oh! We've known each other since we were babies. In fact, the day he was born!" Arthur declared confidently. 

Silence. 

Saya choked on her drink. "I-Impossible!" 

Arthur just smirked. "Possible. Alright, story time. Don't fall asleep, okay?" 

I cleared my throat and began. 

"My dad and Arthur's dad were good friends. On the day my mom gave birth to me, Arthur's parents came to see me." 

As I spoke, Arthur pulled out his phone and scrolled through his gallery.

After a moment, he grinned and turned the screen toward them. 

There it was—a picture of baby me and baby Arthur, lying side by side like brothers. 

The room went completely still. "Oh! So cute…" Amnesia muttered, her eyes sparkling. 

"…You guys are like twins, huh?" Elaina remarked, raising an eyebrow. 

"I never would've thought…" Saya murmured, staring at the photo in shock. 

"Then…" I continued, launching into the rest of the story. 

Because both of Arthur's parents were busy people, he and I ended up in the same kindergarten.

Which was perfect, because that meant I could take care of him.

Back then, Arthur was really shy—like, hide-behind-the-teacher-level shy. He didn't have many friends either, so as his bestest friend, it was my duty to help him!

One day, Arthur and I were drawing together. Even as a little kid, he was already good at it. Like, way too good for a five-year-old.

"Can I b'wor dis?" I asked, pointing at his drawing.

Arthur blinked. "Um… okay? But why…?"

I grinned slyly. Oh, he had no idea what was coming.

Grabbing a chair, I climbed up and shouted at the top of my lungs—

"GUYS!! LOOKIT!! ARTHUR'S DRAWIN'!! ISS SOOOO GOOD!!"

I waved the paper around like it was the treasure map to unlimited candy. Arthur's face turned tomato red as he scrambled to grab it back.

"Ahh—NOOO!! GIMME BACK!!"

From the present, Elaina sipped her coffee and muttered sarcastically, "You've been a pushover all along, huh?"

"Hey, on the bright side! When they saw how good Arthur's drawings were, more and more kids started talking to him!"

"They asked Arthur to teach them," I added, puffing out my chest.

Arthur scoffed. "Yeah? Well, I tried teaching you too, but no matter how many times I showed you, your drawings were still garbage."

I gasped in betrayal. "H-How dare—"

Arthur cut me off, smirking. "After kindergarten, we went to the same elementary school. That's when Arche's rebel phase started."

The Birth of an "Overpowered" Grade Schooler

When I was in elementary school, my dad started teaching me self-defense.

Cool, right?

…Yeah, except I was a dumb kid and used it however I wanted.

If I saw someone I didn't like? BAM. Instant regret for them.

If someone annoyed me? WHACK. Lesson learned.

Present-day Elaina, Saya, and Amnesia all muttered at the same time, "Barbaric…"

Ahem. Anyway.

Arthur, on the other hand, was different. Back in elementary school, he was kinda shy, and because everyone knew he came from a rich family, some nasty kids decided he'd make a good target.

One day, I saw it happen.

"Hey, Arthur, can I have some money?" one of the boys sneered.

"Yeah, don't be stingy. We're friends, right?" another one grinned.

Arthur clutched his wallet nervously. "B-But… I don't have any money left… I have to ask first…"

"Oh, you have to ask?" one of them mocked.

My blood boiled. "HEY, YOU ASSHOLE!" I shouted, marching over like a tiny war general.

The bullies turned, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh? Arche, what do you want?"

I pointed dramatically at them. "GET AWAY FROM ARTHUR, NOW!"

One of the older kids, a year ahead of us, scoffed. "Oh? You gonna play hero now?"

He took a step toward me—

So I immediately kicked him in the crotch.

HARD.

His eyes bulged. His soul left his body. As he collapsed to the ground, the others rushed to help—

Bad move.

Five minutes later, the "big bad bullies" were lying on the ground, whimpering. Some tried to crawl away.

They eventually ran off, crying. Arthur, still in shock, just stared at me. I turned to Arthur and sighed.

"You're really weak, huh?" I crossed my arms like a wise old master.

Arthur pouted. "I-I just don't like fighting…"

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, listen up. If they bother you again, just yell—" I cleared my throat and put on my best scary voice—

"HEY! ASSHOLE! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Arthur flinched. "T-That's too scary…"

"Fine, fine. You can use 'dickhead' instead," I said completely innocently.

Arthur blinked. "…What's that mean?"

I shrugged. "Dunno. I read it in a comic."

Present-day Saya choked on air. "YOU TAUGHT HIM BAD WORDS?!"

"Hey, don't blame me!" I defended myself. "I never checked the age restrictions on the comics I read!"

Elaina sighed, shaking her head. "Bad boys against other bad boys, huh…"

Meanwhile, Amnesia looked way too excited. "Then what happened next?" she asked eagerly.

Arthur, now looking very embarrassed, hid his face in his hands. I just grinned and continued the story.

The next day, the mothers of the bullies stormed into my house, looking furious.

They scolded us. Loudly.

Since Arthur's parents were always busy, only my parents were there to deal with them.

My dad bowed his head, apologizing over and over. My mom did the same.

But apparently, that wasn't enough for these women.

"You people!" one of the moms snapped. "Have you never taught your son any manners?!"

At that moment, something inside me snapped.

I crossed my arms, tilted my head, and deadpanned—

"Uh, do you not own a mirror, old lady?"

Silence.

The room got so quiet you could hear a mosquito blink.

I looked around dramatically. "We have so many mirrors in this house. Are you too dumb to use one?"

Arthur, sitting beside me, looked pale. My mom looked like she was about to pass out.

Meanwhile, the moms turned red with rage.

One of them pointed at me. "Y-You—!"

I cut her off.

"Besides, your sons started it first. They were bullying Arthur. I just made sure they stopped."

The mom's face twitched. "You little—!"

"Oh? Can't handle the truth?" I smirked. "You must have a huge ego. How do you even have friends?"

I gasped dramatically. "Wait—do you even have friends?"

Arthur's soul nearly left his body.

"BOY, JUST SHUT UP!" the woman screamed.

I scrunched my nose. "You should be the one to shut up. Your breath is disgusting. Do you even brush your teeth?"

"THAT'S IT!" the woman roared. "You attacked my son! I'm taking this to court!"

She jabbed a finger at me.

"You're going to jail!"

…Jail?

At the time, I had no idea how the law worked, but I sure as hell wasn't about to lose this battle.

I grinned.

"Cool! Does jail have ice cream?"

Just as things were getting intense, Arthur suddenly stood up.

"NO! DON'T!" he shouted dramatically.

Everyone turned to him.

"Arche didn't do anything wrong! It's my fault for not fighting back!" Arthur declared, his voice trembling.

The moms blinked in surprise. Arthur, fired up with courage, pointed at them.

"Your son tried to ask me for money! Even though I didn't have any! That's called… uh…" He struggled to remember the word.

Then, he pumped his fist in victory.

"THAT'S CALLED EXTORTION!"

The moms gasped.

Arthur, now fully in battle mode, took a deep breath and screamed—

"SO! LEAVE ME ALONE, DUCKHEAD!"

…

Duckhead?

Wait.

That wasn't the right insult.

But whatever, his spirit was there.

The room fell completely silent.

The lead angry mom just stood there, blinking. "...What?"

Even I had to pause. "Arthur, did you just say 'Duckhead'…?"

Arthur's face turned red. "SHUT UP! YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT!"

Before I could tease him further, my dad cleared his throat.

"Miss, I can check the CCTV near the school. If your son is caught asking Arthur for money…" he adjusted his glasses coolly.

"Then your son will be the real perpetrator."

The moms froze.

"…Tch."

With that, the defeated woman grabbed her son and stormed out of my house.

Victory.

Present-day me leaned back proudly. "And just like that, we won."

Elaina, Saya, and Amnesia just stared at me.

Elaina was the first to speak. "…Arche, you're a real troublemaker, huh?"

"I wanna know what happened after that!" Amnesia leaned in excitedly.

Saya crossed her arms. "I'm more curious about what kind of comics Arche was reading…"

I sighed dramatically. "Well, after that, no one ever dared to mess with us again."

I paused.

"…Even though my parents scolded me for hours." Hearing that they laughed.

"Even so," Arthur smiled, "we had a childhood full of adventures."

"Yeah," I nodded. "Getting lost in Kyoto, trying to farm, almost drowning, skipping school because we forgot our homework—"

"And so much more!" Arthur added enthusiastically.

…Even though none of that sounded remotely positive.

Elaina sighed. "Only the farming part sounds decent…"

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow. "At that time, we almost destroyed the entire farm, you know?"

Silence.

Saya, Elaina, and Amnesia just stared at us.

"You guys… really can't stay out of trouble, huh?"

I grinned. "That's what makes life fun."

Then, Saya leaned forward, eyes sharp.

"Speaking of trouble, I heard you two caused a BIG one in junior high school."

Arthur froze.

Amnesia's face paled. "Saya!" she hissed.

Saya blinked. "What? I'm just curious."

Amnesia turned to me with worry. "You don't have to answer…"

I sighed.

"It's fine," I said.

Amnesia still looked uneasy.

I looked at all of them. "You guys know that Arthur and I are a year older than you, right?"

They nodded.

"Well," I said, my voice quieter now.

"We were once fluent in middle school."

Silence.

Saya and Elaina's eyes widened.

"WHAT?! REALLY?!"

Elaina immediately turned to Arthur. "You too?!"

Arthur didn't answer right away.

I exhaled slowly. "Now… where do I start?"

It happened when we were in second grade of junior high school.

Arthur and I were chatting with one of the most beloved teachers in our school.

He was the kind of teacher everyone respected— friendly, cheerful, and always smiling.

Students often said, "He's the best gym teacher."

Even I admired him. While we were in the middle of our conversation, a female student happened to pass by.

The teacher noticed her. "Hey, you," he called out.

The girl hesitated but eventually approached. For now, let's just call her Student A.

Arthur and I watched them talk, but we didn't think much of it. They seemed close. There was nothing unusual.

After a few moments, I stretched my arms. "Alright, let's go, Arthur."

Arthur nodded. "Goodbye, sir," he said politely, bowing slightly before running after me.

That should've been the end of the day. But that afternoon… everything changed.

As we were about to head home, Arthur suddenly snapped his fingers.

"Ah! I forgot to return the basketball!"

I blinked. "Huh? You don't usually forget things like that."

Arthur scratched his head. "Maybe because I'm sleep-deprived. I've been studying hard to get into the best high school, remember?"

I sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Alright, let's return the basketballs."

We turned back toward the gym, cutting through the hallways bathed in the golden light of the setting sun.

As we reached the entrance, Arthur suddenly stopped. "Arche! I need to use the bathroom real quick!"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah! Don't take too long!"

Arthur waved and dashed off. I was left standing alone in the empty hallway.

As Arthur stepped into the dimly lit school bathroom, he heard a strange sound.

A faint rustling. Heavy breathing. Muffled words.

His brows furrowed. He wasn't the type to be nosy, but something about this felt off.

Then he saw it.

From beneath one of the stalls, four legs.

Two of them were small—a girl's legs.

The other two were clearly a man's.

Arthur felt his stomach drop.

"People really do dirty things in the bathroom, huh?" he muttered under his breath. His grip on the door tightened. "This can't be allowed!"

As the student council president, it was his duty to maintain order.

Without hesitation, he pushed open the stall door. "What are you doing?!"

And then, his breath caught in his throat.

Inside the stall, pressed against the wall, was Student A.

And standing over her… was the gym teacher. Arthur's body went cold.

The teacher's eyes snapped to him, his face twisting into rage.

"Bastard! Why haven't you gone home yet?!"

Arthur barely had time to process what was happening before the teacher lunged at him.

A fist collided with Arthur's face. Pain exploded in his cheek. His vision blurred. His mind went blank.

He staggered back, dazed.

Meanwhile, I was still waiting outside.

"Man, Arthur's taking forever," I mumbled, tapping my foot impatiently.

Something felt off.

I decided to check.

As I stepped into the bathroom, my entire body froze. Arthur was on the floor, blood dripping from his nose.

Standing over him was the gym teacher.

And in the corner, trembling—Student A.

My brain immediately put the pieces together.

The teacher. Student A.

Together.

In the bathroom.

…Ah. I see.

My hands clenched into fists.

This wasn't something I could ignore.

"Hey, you bastard!"

I didn't wait for him to react.

I lunged forward, my fist driving straight into his stomach.

The gym teacher gasped, doubling over in pain. His grip on Arthur loosened for just a second—more than enough for me.

With a sharp movement, I twisted his arm. A sickening crack filled the air.

"AAAGH!!" The teacher screamed, his knees trembling.

I wasn't done.

With one swift kick to his knee, his legs buckled. He collapsed, kneeling before me like the pathetic piece of trash he was.

"You son of a—"

"Shut the fuck up, dickhead."

My voice was cold.

I grabbed him by the collar and slammed him onto the bathroom floor.

His head cracked against the tiles.

I could hear him groan, but I didn't care.

Not anymore.

My fists came down on his face.

Once.

Twice.

Again.

And again.

Each punch was heavier than the last.

Blood splattered onto my knuckles. Onto the floor. Onto my uniform.

But I didn't stop.

This man—this disgusting excuse for a human being—was someone I once admired.

A teacher everyone respected.

Someone I had looked up to.

And yet...

He was worse than trash.

So why should I stop?

Why should I let him go?

Crack!

The sound of his nose breaking barely even registered in my ears.

By now, his face was unrecognizable.

I could feel my own breathing becoming ragged, my body shaking—not from exhaustion, but from pure, unfiltered rage.

And yet… I still wasn't done.

I raised my fist one more time—

"ARCH—!"

A voice.

The door burst open.

Teachers.

Staring at me.

Their eyes wide in horror as they saw me, covered in blood, standing over the crumpled body of their so-called 'respected' colleague.

The room fell into silence.

Only the sound of my own breathing and the teacher's weak groans remained.

And then, finally—I lowered my fist.

…This was the moment everything changed.

The Weight of a False Accusation

The principal's expression was cold. His gaze locked onto me, as if I were nothing more than a problem that needed to be erased.

"I've already told you the truth!" I snapped.

Arthur was beside me, his voice sharp with desperation.

"Sir, please! Arche is telling the truth! I saw it myself!"

The principal's eyes flicked toward Student A. I followed his gaze, feeling a strange unease settle in my stomach.

"...They lied," Student A finally spoke, her voice trembling. "He beat up the teacher because he was jealous."

Silence.

My breath hitched.

"...What?"

Did I hear that right?

Did she just—

A cold dread crawled up my spine.

I turned to her, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Jealous?! Are you kidding me?!"

My voice rose, raw and angry.

"You think I'd ruin my own life over you?! Come on, your face isn't even above average!" I snapped, my frustration boiling over.

"Only a blind person would be jealous of—"

"Enough, Arche," the principal cut in, his voice sharp.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms.

I was being framed.

The room suddenly felt smaller.

Tighter.

The walls closed in.

Then, the door swung open.

My parents entered.

For the first time since this nightmare started, I felt a flicker of hope.

They'll believe me.

They have to.

But—

SLAP.

The sharp sting burned across my cheek.

My own mother had just slapped me.

I froze.

She was crying. Her hands trembled.

"You... Idiot..." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

The room spun.

I couldn't speak.

Couldn't move.

All I could do was sit there.

"You sit down. Let us handle this," my father said, his tone void of warmth.

I slowly sat beside Arthur.

His hand gently rested on my shoulder, trying to calm me down.

But nothing felt real anymore.

I glanced at Student A—she wouldn't even meet my eyes.

She lied.

She chose to betray me.

And everyone believed her.

Back in the present, the restaurant was silent. The air was thick, suffocating. Elaina, Saya, and Amnesia all stared at me—stunned.

Then—

BAM!

Amnesia's hands slammed against the table. "That means you were slandered, right?! Why didn't your principal defend you?!"

Her voice was sharp, furious. I barely noticed the way people started turning to look at us.

"Amnesia, calm down," Arthur sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder.

I let out a small, bitter laugh.

"It's simple." I leaned back in my seat, my voice quiet. "Adults don't trust kids like us."

My parents kept arguing with the principal. They pleaded, debated, even tried to reason with him.

But the principal—a man who valued his ego above all else—refused to back down.

"There is no other choice but to remove your son from this school." His words cut through the air like a knife.

"He also has to repeat a grade at another school."

A final verdict.

Unchangeable.

My parents fell silent.

I could see it in their eyes—the moment they gave up.

They knew there was no winning against a system that had already decided my fate.

But then—

"I refuse!"

Arthur's voice echoed through the office.

Everyone turned to him, stunned.

"If you expel Arche from school, then you have to expel me too!" he shouted.

My body was weak, but I still managed to turn toward him.

He stood tall, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

The principal narrowed his eyes.

"Arthur, you have high grades. You are the student council president," he said slowly. "Are you really willing to give up on all of it?"

Arthur didn't hesitate.

"Yes! I do!"

And just like that—

We were expelled. Forced to repeat a grade at another school.

Back in the present—

Elaina leaned forward, frowning.

"Then... what did your parents say?"

I sighed, leaning back in my seat.

"Of course, they understood me."

Arthur and I had explained everything to them. And they believed us.

But my father had only shaken his head.

"You have to accept the risk, Arche."

Because even if I was right—

The way I did it was wrong.

My mother had pulled both me and Arthur into a hug. Her arms trembled.

"I'm sorry... I couldn't do anything..."

Arthur's parents?

They did nothing.

They treated it as if it wasn't their problem. As if their work was more important than their own son.

And in the end—

Arthur and I were transferred to a school for problem students.

We had to repeat second grade.

I let out a short, dry laugh.

"And that's how I got a criminal record in my teens."

Silence.

Elaina, Saya, and Amnesia all stared at me, processing everything.

It wasn't a funny story. But somehow, I still laughed. Because sometimes, that's all you can do.

"You've been through a lot," Amnesia murmured, her voice trembling.

Her eyes were glossy, filled with unshed tears.

I blinked.

Was she... crying for me?

Before I could say anything, Elaina leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand.

"Then, how did you even get into our school?" she asked, her sharp gaze locked onto me.

"With a record like that, shouldn't it have been difficult?"

I smirked. "Connections," I shrugged.

Arthur nodded beside me. "Our families pulled some strings," he added.

"They wanted us to have a shot at a good high school," I explained. "No matter how much of a 'troublemaker' I was."

Saya suddenly clapped her hands. "Ah! That reminds me!" she exclaimed, her tone shifting.

We all turned to her, curious.

"Do you guys remember the first time you met them?" she asked, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

A brief silence.

Then—

"Ah, I still remember!" Amnesia said, her face lighting up. She seemed relieved that Saya had changed the topic.

And honestly?

So was I.

The first day of high school.

The moment where students gathered around the bulletin board, eagerly searching for their class placements.

A fresh start. A new beginning. A chance to leave behind past reputations and—

"Hey, Arche and Arthur go to school here."

"You mean them?! I didn't think delinquents would be accepted here..."

"I've never met them before... what are they like?"

"From the stories, they should have scary faces and big bodies."

I twitched. What is this? Some kind of horror movie?

"Stories? Do they think we're urban legends?" I muttered under my breath, crossing my arms.

Arthur, ever the voice of reason, just sighed. "Never mind, let's not think about that," he said. "We should just check where our class is."

Right. Priorities.

We walked up to the board, weaving through the excited (and mildly terrified) students, until we found our names.

"Same class!"

Arthur and I immediately high-fived.

At least that was good news.

As I was basking in our small victory, I noticed a girl struggling to find her name among the sea of tiny letters.

She squinted, tiptoed, and even leaned in ridiculously close—yet, no luck.

I sighed.

"Want me to help you?" I asked.

The girl turned toward me, relief washing over her face.

"Ah! That would help!"

I nodded. "What's your name?"

"Elaina," she replied.

I scanned the board.

Ah, found it.

I pointed to her name and told her the class. She beamed.

"Thank you! You're very helpful. You're so great at reading those tiny names!"

I smirked, placing my hands on my hips.

"Like my parents used to say—eat lots of carrots!"

"Then what's your name?" Elaina asked, tilting her head slightly.

"My name is Arche, and this guy here is Arthur," I introduced us casually.

The moment those words left my mouth, it was as if time itself froze.

All eyes turned toward us.

Gasps. Whispers. Shocked expressions.

Students who had been chatting just a second ago were now staring at us like we had grown extra heads.

It was obvious. They finally connected the dots. We were the delinquent students they had been gossiping about.

Elaina blinked, seemingly unfazed by the sudden tension in the air.

"Oh? Are you the punks they were talking about?" she asked curiously.

I sighed, scratching the back of my head.

"Yeah, yeah, that's us. Geez, I didn't think we'd be this famous—haven't even stepped into the classroom yet," I said jokingly.

And just like that—

The crowd parted like the Red Sea.

Students took several steps away from me as if I carried a contagious disease.

I sighed again, this time in annoyance.

"Okay, well, at least now you have a clear path," I said, gesturing toward the board.

Arthur and I exchanged a glance.

"Alright, our job here is done. Bye-bye," I waved, and the two of us casually walked away, leaving behind a sea of terrified students.

"I first met Arthur when he helped me carry some documents," Amnesia said with a smile. "And through Arthur, I got to know Arche."

"Well, I met Arche first," Saya chimed in, arms crossed. "He was about to skip class when I caught him."

I let out a nervous chuckle. "You make it sound like I'm a professional at skipping school."

"You are a professional," Saya corrected.

We all laughed, our voices blending into the lively atmosphere of the restaurant.

The conversation flowed effortlessly, jumping from one nostalgic memory to another.

Old stories, embarrassing moments, stupid things we had done—everything felt so warm, so familiar.

As I listened to them talk and laugh, a quiet realization settled in my heart.

I'm happy to be here.

I'm happy to go to school with them.

I'm happy to be their friend.