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Gundham Tanaka was thrilled when he heard there would be another animal specialist attending Hope's Peak during his third year. Granted, he wasn't nearly as well educated on bugs as he was most mammals, but he loved to talk and learn about all living creatures, so he hoped he could get along well with his new peer - even if they turned out to be a mere mortal.
Gonta met Gundham only a day after he moved into Hope's Peak. Sonia had convinced Gundham that it would be nice to give the newcomers some time to settle down, so as excruciating as it was, he waited patiently until 7:30 am the day after the new freshmen appeared before he nearly banged down the new student's door with excitement. The door swing open, revealing a giant yet gentle looking boy, with askew glasses and a mane of hair falling down his back. From the appearance alone, Gundham knew this kid was much more powerful than a mere mortal, and began bouncing on the balls of his feet, nearly forgetting to introduce himself until the boy, looking more than a little confused, asked if he was ok.
Cue the usual dramatic Gundham introductory speech.
"Cool! Gonta's name is Gonta Gokuhara, and-" He cut himself off with a squeak, eyes fixated on Gundham's long scarf. Maga-Z had emerged from the safety of the fabric, clearly sensing the power radiating from this creature, and Gonta excitedly asked to pet him.
Cue yet another dramatic Gundham speech, this time on the great power of his almightly dark devas of destruction.
Gonta just smiled.
Gundham invited himself in, waiting for a sign of approval before he sat tentatively on the bed, noticing the soft green of the sheets as he relaxed onto them. Gonta had wasted no time decorating, as his room was filled with trailing plants and the odd flower, a box containing what appeared to be a caterpillar on his desk, and walls already littered with images of bugs that Gundham couldn't tell if they were drawings or photos.
Finally remembering the boy gazing in awe at his scarf, Gundham eased Maga-Z out of the garment, allowing the hamster to scurry over to the large outstretched palm of Gonta, who eased himself onto the bed beside the older boy, slow movements so as not to startle the deva before him. It proved further Gundham's initial trust for the boy to be correct.
"My devas do not trust a mortal often, and certainly not at the first meeting. You are a being of great power, and I assume this is how you gained your affinity with insects?" He proclaimed. Gonta looked a little confused, tilting his head to the side as locks of green-brown hair fell with the movement, before he blushed and asked what affinity meant. Gundham soon discovered he need not hold his act of authority with another dark being such as Gonta, and began to speak in a manner which, while still as dramatic, was easier for his new friend to understand.
The extent of the entomologist's powers were finally displayed when a moth fluttered into the room through the wide-open window. The light was on to make up for the still dawning sun, so one would expect the bug to fly straight to it, but as Gonta clicked his tongue, the creature fluttered over, coming to rest atop his nose. Gonta beamed, nose scrunching up in delight, and Gundham found his own mouth curving into a genuine smile too.
And then a wonderful thing happened.
Gonta started listing all the things he knew about the moth, which was apparently a Japanese silk moth, known to the entomologist's world as antheraea yamamai. It was incredibly common, but still a fascinating specimen, and Gonta talked for what must have been 10 minutes or more on just the wing structure. Never before had Gundham found himself so hyperfocused and entranced by someone, but the animated way his peer spoke about the many moths he'd encountered in his surprisingly eventful past, Gundham couldn't help but flap his hands excitedly, trying to keep them away from the moth so as not to startle them.
By the time Gonta was done, the corridor was filling with the noise of half-awake first years, and Gundham decided it was time to leave to let the boy meet his classmates, lest his dark princess scorn him for disrupting the natural order of school life. Before he went, the moth fluttered daintily onto his scarf, hovering by the now dormant Maga-Z, almost as though it was saying goodbye. One long farewell later, Gundham retreated to the third floor room in search of Sonia to tell her the wonderful news about this new friend and recount his wisdom, while Gonta sat happily alone with his bugs, deciding that leaving the forest for this big new school wasn't too bad after all. He was glad to finally make some bug-loving friends!