...
The day after checking up on the Abydos girls, Momoka sends me a commission. Seeing it's pretty easy, I could do it by myself, but I asked Aru if she wanted to help and split the profits. Fortunately, the commission wasn't interrupting me, too much.
I've been poring over documents from the Gematria lab. I returned there the day after we raided it to save Hoshino, without telling anyone, save Arona. I got some pretty juicy info. Not about Gematria, mind you, but about Kaiser and their dealings, as well as more info on Mystics. I allowed Rin to take a look at them, naturally. One paper did catch my eye, though...
They were researching something called Binah.
It appears to be a mechanical snake-whale thing out in the desert of Abydos. What this their 'treasure'? It's black with gold light emanating from it, and is covered in white plates. It should be noted that it has a halo.
Binah... the third Sephirot on the Tree of Kabbalah, the Tree of Life. The Sephirot located in the left part of the brain, linked to understanding and the archangel Tzaphkiel, also written as Zafkiel. Is there some connection?
It appears to be able to burrow through sand and fire a laser from it's mouth, capable of utter disintegration. Could this thing be why the sandstorms in Abydos got so wild back in the day?
Too many 'what-if's. Surprisingly, Rin knew of Binah, as well as a few other 'prophets', which don't have names. Though, they're probably named after other Sephirots.
Pushing all of that aside for now, I decide to go on that commission with Aru.
Fortunately, it was quite easy and not worth describing at all. We went, we did out job, we went back home. Simple.
When I got home, Mutsuki texted me.
I'm bored! Sensei, what are you doing right now?
Just got back from a job, about to continue working. What's up?
Yeah? Hmm, okay. Then I guess I shouldn't interrupt you.
All right! Work hard, Sensei!
Hmm... wonder what she's up to...
—————
My question is answered as Mutsuki runs into my office a few minutes later, shouting "I'm here!"
"Oh, Mutsuki." I say, swiveling my chair around to face her.
"So, Sensei, what do you want to do today?" She asks, grinning, while walking up to me.
"You just came to hang out, huh?" I ask, already knowing the answer.
"Of course not!" She denies. "I came to stand by my hardworking sensei, and help out as best I can! And what better way to help than by keeping you loose?"
"Loose?" I ask, slightly concerned.
"Yup! Let's play together, Sensei!" She says, moving closer to my face.
"Sorry, dummy." I flick her on the nose, causing her to reel back. "I've got too much crap to do to play."
"Don't worry. I can wait." She says, with a sense of finality.
"You sure?" I raise an eyebrow.
She nods and plops down on the couch. "I'll just stay here and behave myself until your work is done. How does that sound?"
I let out a small sigh. "If you say so."
"Thanks, Sensei!" She says, smiling once more.
I got back to work, doing more paperwork and the like, as Mutsuki and Arona conversed behind me. Their familiarity with each other caused me to pause, until I remember that my AI assistant was the one who guided Problem Solver to my gym a while back.
About an hour passes as I finally finish, I stretch my body. Swiveling around, I see Mutsuki staring at me.
"Huh? Are you finally done, Sensei?" She asks with a tilt of her head.
"Yup. So whaddya want?" I ask.
"Well~" She drawls out the word. "I brought something for us to play together!" She reaches into her large duffel bag, and pulls out a pair of some kind of toy. "See this? I had fun plans for us today using this bracelet."
Lemme guess, it's a pair of shock bracelets...
"I dunno 'bout this..." I say, worried about the bracelet for some reason. I really hate shit that zaps you.
"Come on, Sensei. I though we could have some fun together." She pouts. "Can we play?" She asks with a cute pout, while getting close to my face.
"The puppy eyes ain't gonna work, Mutsuki. But, y'know what? Fine." I shrug.
"Woohoo! Let's play, Sensei!" She cheers, stepping back.
"All right, all right." I say, trying to calm her. "So, what's the bracelet for, anyway?"
"It's a heart rate sensor." She explains with her trademarked impish grin. "You wear this on your wrist, and it will go 'zap' if our heartbeats go too high!"
I knew it was a shock bracelet!
"What kinda game could we play with this?" I ask.
The imp girl just giggles. "Good question, Sensei. The rules are simple, we'll take turns trying to embarrass one another."
"And whoever gets zapped first loses?" I ask.
"That's right, Sensei!" She grins. "And the loser, obviously, should grant the winner one wish."
"... I didn't agree to that, but why not?" I say, just going with the flow of this.
"That's the spirit! Here you go, Sensei." She hands me the bracelet. We each put them on our wrists. "The game starts now! Since this is your first time playing, you can make this first move. Consider it mercy for a beginner."
I feel like she's teasing me. "I don't want mercy, I want you to try your best to win, so go first." I challenge.
"Are you sure?" She says, drawling out the last word. I nod, causing her grin to somehow widen. "All right, then. Brace yourself." She says, moving closer to me.
Where's she going with this...?
My question is answered instantly as she plops down in my lap. I'm still sitting in my desk chair, so she literally sits on my lap. She's facing me with her legs spread to go around either side of my waist. She then pulls my head forward and moves her mouth close to me ear and whispers "You're so cute, Sensei."
Okay, I definitely did not expect her to be this damn bold.
Looking at the bracelet, I don't feel any zap. "Huh. Guess it wasn't enough."
"What?!" She looks genuinely surprised. "Did you cheat, Sensei?"
"Nope. You can even feel my heart if you want." I say.
"Well, then." She grins again before putting her hand on my chest to feel my heartbeat. Her smile drops. "Wow, it really isn't beating fast."
"Told you."
"Hmm." She humms, before placing her other hand on my chest. "Wow, you're really muscular, Sensei~" She rubs all over my chest, trying to excite me, as I notice something. My bracelet has a small, glowing green LED on it, signifying that it's turned on. Mutsuki's isn't glowing, though.
"Hmmm..." I hum, grabbing her hand.
"W-What are you doing, Sensei?" She looks a bit worried now.
"It's turned off."
"U-Uh..." She says nervously. "Well, since I've been caught, it's time for me to go!" She says, trying to get up quickly. Before she can, I grab her shirt and pull, causing her to jerk back into my lap. With my hand still around her wrist, I use my other hand to turn on her bracelet. "S-Sensei? What are you doing?" She says, nervous again.
"I didn't get my turn. How's that fair?" I ask.
"W-Well..."
"Were you seriously trying to trick your poor Sensei, Mu. Tsu. Ki. Chan~?" I ask with a lower tone of voice, as I move my face mere inches away from hers. Her face turns a vibrant crimson.
"Gah!" She shouts as her bracelet zaps her. Seeing an opportunity, she hops up quickly, grabbing her duffel bag and rushing out of the door. "You win this time, Sensei!" She shouts, as her voice fades out.
"Haha! Joshua: one, Mutsuki: zero!" I swivel my chair back around, laughing to myself. A minute later, she texted me back.
Don't think I'll go easy on you next time, Sensei!
Oh, I'm looking forward to it, Mutsuki-chan~
I also added a few hearts to the text. Almost immediately, Aru texted me.
Sensei, we got some feedback from that last request. The client was quite satisfied.
That's good to hear.
Heh. Good job.
Anyway, it's my job as a boss to reward my employees who achieve excellent results.
What do you think would be the best reward?
Aru then asked me to come meet here nearby to continue our conversation.
—————
"So, Sensei." Aru begins as we walk through the city together. "If I offered you a reward for your work, what would you want?"
"Money or food. Cash to be specific, gift cards are a damn scam." I say, seriously.
I mean come on! You pay for the card AND the money to put on it, then you can only use that money at the one place. Worst of all, it only lasts for a year, then that money's gone forever.
It's money without the freedom of money!
"Seriously? I could give you whatever you want, you know." She says.
"If you want to give someone a gift, always stick to food or money, you cannot go wrong." I say, emphasizing the 'cannot'. "But if you can't do that then how about a kiss on the cheek." I say, channeling my inner Mutsuki.
"A k-kiss... on the cheek?!" She shouts, her face red. "A-Absolutely not. Sure, our working relationship is good, but it's too early for us to go that far! Our first kiss should be at a romantic restaurant with a view of the night sky-" She beings to ramble, as I cut her off.
"I was just teasin' you. Calm down." I say, trying to placate her.
She huffs. "Try to take this seriously, Sensei. It should be a reward worthy of your performance. How else would I keep my little worker bees motivated?"
"Geez, you're always so stubborn with stuff like this." I say, chuckling.
She proudly chuckles. "If I want the best working for me, then I have to be the best boss. Every great leader knows that they have to take the initiative. My employees will be in awe of my excellent leadership!"
"Fair enough." I shrug. "If you're insisting, There IS something I want..."
"Hmm?" She looks worried slightly.
—————
"You wanted to try something from here?" The outlaw asks as we walk into a cafe.
"Yeah, even though I've been hearing about this place, I haven't gotten the time to stop by." I explain. It's near Schale, but things have just been too damn busy. "Besides, it's important you try some stuff, too."
"Wh-Why would that be important?" She stutters.
"Good employees deserve rewards, but good bosses deserve to know how good of a job they're doing, too." I reason.
"Well, if you say so." She relents. "You had better not change your mind and ask for something later, got it?"
We then spent a while at the cafe eating sweets and talking about this and that.
But, eventually, we bid each other farewell. As I left, I received a text from... Yuuka? Haven't heard from her in a while.
Seriously. Why can't the Trinity and Gehenna students take care of their equipment?
What's this about?
Look, I found some black market contraband. After investigating the source of the weapons, it looks like they came from Trinity and Gehenna.
I've seen guns and even tanks with their school tags being traded. I doubt the two academies are doing anything to manage their equipment.
They're big schools. Sometimes these things slip through the cracks.
We're nearly just as big of a school, and we never lose items like that!
Press X to doubt.
...What does that even mean? We really don't lose anything!
...
Well, except for the private products that the students modify and sell themselves.
Anyways, I have something to ask, so I'll be stopping by your office soon.
—————
I walked back to Schale and, sure enough, Yuuka came by right after.
"I heard something interesting, Sensei!" The treasurer says.
"Oh yeah?" I ask.
"Is it true that you recovered a ton of equipment after raiding those hoodlum's armory?" She asks.
"Which ones? The Helmet Gang or Kaiser?" I ask.
"Kaiser?!" She shouts. "Wait, that was you?!"
"And the Abydos girls, save for one, and a friend from Trinity and the Prefect Team, and another group."
"What?! You gathered all of those students to attack Kaiser?! Why?!" She shouts, getting into my face.
"They kidnapped one of my students. You don't seriously think someone would get away with doing shit like that, do you?" I ask.
"Of course not, you're..." She trails off, her face red as her body posture indicates her nervousness. "...very nice, and care a great deal about us. So, it makes sense."
"Anyways, what did ya come by for?"
"I was just coming by to check if any of that equipment was from Millennium." She explains.
"Some of it. Here." I hand her the inventory ledger.
"Let's see here... Two hundred gallons of tank fuel, six hundred pounds of TNT, point three caliber cartridges... Interesting, most of these measurement units are from Trinity Academy's old system." She says.
"Old system? So they used to use imperial in Trinity?" I ask.
"Imperial?"
"Yeah, everywhere in the world uses metric. You know, meter, kilometer, centimeter, and so on. The Unites States, for some reason, uses imperial, which measures things with feet, gallons, pounds, and stuff like that." I explain.
"Interesting. Still, the conversion shouldn't be too difficult." She says. "All it will take is a little mental math. I should be able to convert all of this in about thirty minutes."
"You sure you wanna do that? I mean, I'm pretty sure I remember the conversions, even if it's been a long while." I say.
"I don't see why not, it'll be faster this way."
I just sigh. "Go ahead, Yuuka."
Sure enough, after a half an hour, Yuuka gets up. "All done. Here." She says, handing me the inventory. "I've reorganized the inventory according to customary units. I rounded some of the units that couldn't be calculated exactly up or down, so make sure to read my footnotes."
"...You're nothing if not efficient." I say, surprised she got done with all this in a half hour.
"This was nothing." She shrugs me off. "I wouldn't be Millennium's treasurer if I couldn't handle something as simple as that."
"You sure are impressive, Yuuka. Thanks for this." I say, causing the poor girl to blush like mad.
"Well, uh. You're welcome, Sensei."
—————
Yuuka left a short while later. I started to get back to work, but was interrupted by a text from Shiroko. And a strange one at that.
Scrambled eggs, 500ml of milk, 3 tomato slices <- Breakfast
Stop by the market after tomorrow's morning run to buy what I need.
Shiroko? Why're you sending me reminders for yourself?
Oh.
Sorry about that, Sensei.
You've been using Momo Talk as a reminder?
Is it strange? I've just been using it because it's easy.
Oh, by the way...
I was gonna stop by the market tomorrow morning for some shopping. Um, if you don't mind, why don't we go together?
I don't see why not?
Okay. I'll see you then.
Well, guess I should finish the stuff up and start cooking dinner.
—————
The next morning, I waited for Shiroko along her jogging path. She appeared pretty quickly.
"Did I keep you waiting, Sensei?" She asks.
"Nah, I just got here." I wave her off.
"Oh, okay." She says quietly, as usual. "Meeting you away from school like this feels so different. It sort of reminds me of the first time we met." She points out, with a small smile.
I let out a mirthful chuckle. "It kinda does, yeah. Come to think of it, you were riding your bike that time. You really like exercising, huh?"
She merely nods. "Nothing beats working up a good sweat to start the day."
"I suppose I can't argue that." I say. "I usually work out in Schale's gym in the morning."
"...And taking a shower once I get to school, obviously." She adds quickly. "Hmm. Do you think you'd be up for joining me on my morning jog?"
"I've already done my workin' out for the day, so maybe next time."
"I can understand that. I need to do some shopping, anyway, so maybe next time." She says. "Actually, the market I'm heading to is right over there." She motions to the side. I don't know the Abydos district too well, so I've got no idea what's that way. "It's not that far, so let's run there." The wolf girl then breaks into a jog.
"Hey!" I shout, beginning to jog with her. "A bit more warning next time!"
—————
About an hour later, Shiroko had started to speed way up, causing me to struggle to catch up with her. I can jog for a while, but as for sprinting, I can't do that for a long time.
"Oi, Shiroko! What's the rush?" I shout. She finally snaps out of her trance, and stops to look at me.
"Was I running too fast?" I nod. "Sorry. People tell me I tend to get tunnel vision when I have a goal in mind."
"It's fine, but we've been jogging for an hour. You said the market was close by." I say, feeling the need to voice my concerns.
"Ah, we're about halfway there."
"...Halfway...?" I ask, slowly.
"It's just another hour of running." She says, like it's nothing. "I'll slow my pace a little, so focus on keeping up, Sensei." She then breaks into a jog, without warning, again.
"Hey!"
Tunnel vision usually isn't this severe...
—————
Another hour later, and we stop in front of a market. "Here we are, this is the market." She says, as I stop to catch my breath. "Sensei, are... you okay?"
"You said... it was... nearby... I figured... it'd be a... quick fifteen minute jog, not... two hours." I say, panting. "How far was this?" I ask, standing up.
"About... fifteen kilometers?" She says, unsure.
"Fif-?!" I choke out.
"It's just the right distance to stop at when on the way back from a morning run." What...? "I was going to go to a convenience store that's further away, but I chose somewhere close since you're with me." WHAT?!
"Let's... just go in."
I bought some groceries and walked back home, arriving in the afternoon.
Not how I planned to use my morning...
—————
As I plop down in my chair, exhausted, Shiroko texts me.
I was told that 15 kilometers isn't a light run.
Um. Sorry, I'll take that into consideration next time.
So long as you learn from your mistakes, it's fine.
Light run? What kind of crazy shit does she usually do?!
It doesn't matter, as Hoshino texts me.
Ugh, why do I have to wake up in the morning? My eyelids are so heavy. Help me, Sensei...
...Hoshino. It's the afternoon.
I wish I didn't have eyelids, like a fish. Hmm...
You wouldn't be able to sleep then, unless you already can sleep with your eyes open.
On a whim, I decide to go see her. I don't see why not, she said she needed help, after all.
—————
Entering the Foreclosure Task Force club room, I find no one.
"Hmm. Now if I was Hoshino, where would I be?" I ask to myself.
I then hear snoring in the next room.
"Asleep." I answer my own question.
I walk over to the next classroom, where I find Hoshino, sound asleep on a few desks pulled together into a makeshift bed.
Sighing, I walk over to her and shake her shoulder to wake her. It works, as her heterochromatic eyes flutter open.
"...H-Hmm?" Her eyes, upon focusing, shoot open, as she, too, shoots up. "Wh-Whoa! You scared me!"
"Sorry 'bout that." I say, with hands raised.
"Wait, Sensei? What are you doing here?" She asks, confused.
"You texted me, sayin' you needed help."
She awkwardly chuckles. "I must have sent it in my sleep or something. My bad."
"...I didn't think that was even possible." I say, a bit awestruck.
"Well, I managed to wake up and go to class, but I don't remember much after that... I guess I fell asleep here." She says, with a giggle. "This is so crazy." She drops her smile and looks right at me. "Still, you came because you were worried about me. I never thought I'd see the day. I'm moved."
"Okay, now you're messin' with me." I say, smugly. "This is the second time I've come because I was worried about you."
She looks away awkwardly. "Oh, right. I almost forgot about that fiasco."
I deadpan. "It's been like a week, Hoshino."
"Anyway,-" She says, changing the subject. "-now that you're here, why don't you join me on a treasure hunt, Sensei?"
"A... treasure hunt?" I ask, confused.
"Come on, it'll be fun!" She says, grabbing my hand, and leading me out of the classroom. "Let's go head for the weeds in the schoolyard!"
What?
I still don't know what her thought process was here, even after we spend three hours digging though the dirt. Hoshino, now covered in dust, bid me farewell, tuckered out once more.
I walked back to Schale and took a shower.
—————
A bit after my shower, I got yet another text. This one, from Hasumi. Huh, haven't heard from her since...
...Yeah, I'd fucked that up.
Sensei, I know this is a selfish request, but can we continue our consultation since we didn't finish last time?
Yes, of course.
Oh. Okay. Thank you.
I'll be waiting for you.
Fortunately, she wanted to meet in an hour. Plenty of time to rest.
—————
The place the winged girl wanted to meet was a cafe. She arrived not long after I did.
"You beat me here, Sensei." Hasumi points out.
I chuckle. "Looks that way."
"Hmm." She thinks for a moment. "Should we order first? Their milk tea is wonderful."
"Might as well."
We go to the counter and Hasumi makes her order. "Yes, I'll have a milk tea, and... um... what would you like, Sensei?"
"...Orange juice." I decide after a moment. Never been a fan of drinking coffee late in the day.
"Okay, then. One honey milk tea and one orange juice, please." She orders. "One butter pudding, one chocolate baumkuchen with a cheese tart..." A chocolate what now? "...a seasonal fruit tiramisu, an orange madeleine, and..." Okay, what is happening...? "...two chocolate croquembouche... and green tea crepes."
I can only stand there, dumbstruck by what I've just witnessed. That's, uh... a lot of sweets. Even the cashier looks surprised.
"Hmm. That should be enough." She says.
Not long after, we sit down and the... rather staggering amount of sweets are placed on our table.
"Eat up, Sensei." Hasumi says, happily.
"You certainly look happy." I point out.
She doesn't answer, as she's already started eating. She does catch herself, though. "D-Do I? Pardon me, where are my manners? I've always had a sweet tooth." She explains. "I may have joined the After-School Sweets Club had I not joined the Justice Task Force."
After-School Sweets Club? How many weird clubs are there?
"I always cherish the opportunity to have desserts... even when I eat them alone." She admits, before going right back to eating.
"I see." I say slowly. "Anyway, what did ya need my advice on?"
"Oh, yes... About that." She looks a bit nervous, as she averts her gaze from me. "It's about... my diet."
"Your... diet?" I ask.
"Yes. I keep gaining weight no matter how healthy my choices are." She says, a bit sad. "I decided to go on a diet, but I haven't made any progress. I can't fathom why it isn't working... You're who the students turn to for advice, Sensei. I thought you if anyone could get to the root of my problem."
"Hasumi..." I begin slowly. "...have you seriously not figured it out?"
"No. Do you have any ideas?" Is she just totally oblivious...? "Could it be genetic? Or is it my lifestyle...? Maybe I should exercise more." She says, worriedly, as she digs into her desert again.
She then stops, to see me with my eyebrow raised. "Hasumi. Is this the usual amount of sweets you order...?"
"Sometimes, I... You don't mean to say... this is the cause?" She asks slowly.
"You're still growing, so putting on weight isn't strange, but to keep gaining it, despite going on a diet means something's off. Somethin' like eating a bunch of sweets." I explain. "People on diets usually only eat them on cheat days, which are quite rare, mind you."
"I... see. There's no doubt. This is it." She admits to herself. "It's so obvious, but I never realized... I-I..." She looks as though her whole world has come crashing down. "...came to ask you why I'm not losing weight... while stuffing my face with desserts. This is so embarrassing..."
"Don't worry about it. Sometimes, we get too focused on things and miss little details like this. It's quite common." I reassure her. It doesn't look like it worked, as she still has a troubled expression. "You okay, Hasumi?"
Suddenly she shoots up from her seat. "I just remembered I have something important to do, Sensei! I have to go!"
"Hey, wait!" I call out to her, as she runs off. "...Seriously? Again?"
Sighing, I call out to an employee. "Excuse me, do you have any to-go bags?"
Might as well not let these snacks go to waste, she only ate half of them.
—————
As I walk home with the world illuminated by the setting sun, bag of sweets in hand, I receive a text from Hasumi once more.
Sensei.
Again, please forget... about today.
I hope you understand.
I unconsciously let out a sigh.
I don't think I will ever understand women.
—————
AN
Two lazy days for Sensei. Or perhaps, not so lazy, as he ran from here to there to spend time with his students.
Next, is another Down Time chapter, then I'll probably continue with some more story.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and look forward to the next!