...
A few days after returning to work, following the mess at the Hyakkiyako Cherry Blossom Festival, I woke up to see a text from Izuna.
I haven't been able to sleep lately because I'm so worried.
What about? Anything I can do to help?
I knew I could count on you!
You're always there when I need you!
...Wait, she speaks in third-person, but texts in first-person? What the hell, Izuna?
But it's okay. I already got it taken care of.
...Huh? You did?
Yes! My goal is to become a ninja!
So taking action is more important than sleeping!
I can do it! Nin nin!
No, sleep is VERY important.
Make sure to get enough rest, so you can do ninja stuff with all your energy.
Ah! That's a good point!
Chuckling at the ninja girl's antics, I get out of bed, and get ready for the day.
—————
I walk down the streets near Schale, going to do some errands while it's still early.
As I do, I see Izuna in the corner of my vision.
Ignoring it, I just keep walking.
—————
A few minutes later, I see her shuffling around, just beyond my vision.
That is, until she trips. "Wh-Whoa!"
Knowing she's trying to be sneaky, I ignore her.
I hear her gasp and scramble back to hiding.
I just chuckle to myself.
—————
After buying groceries, I take a shortcut through a suburban area.
Once more, I catch Izuna shuffling in the corner of my eye.
Out of nowhere, a stray cat meows at her.
"Sh-Shh! Bad kitty! Shhh!" She turns and shushes the cat. Ignoring all secrecy, I watch her interact with the cat.
"I'm gonna get caught if you meow at me like that!" She says quietly, as the cat just meows again. "Hmm. Maybe you can't understand me because you're a cat? I wonder if there's a ninja art for communicating with animals..." She asks herself, no longer being quiet.
She then moves closer to the cat and meows at it, to which it meows back.
"You really didn't get that?!" She shouts. "D-Darn it! That leaves me with no other choice! Izuna's emergency evasion technique!" She says, throwing something down. Is that a-
BOOM
A quiet explosion rings out as a plume of smoke erupts from the smoke bomb she threw on the ground. The sound scares the cat off. "Phew. I bet I won't get caught now!" She says, happily and loudly.
I stare at the proud Izuna, as I decide to mess with her by calling her. Sure enough, her phone begins to ring.
She shrieks. "Gah! My phone!" She takes it out from her pocket and fumbles with it. "H-How do I turn it off?!" After some fiddling, it turns off. "What is going on...?!" She trails off, annoyed and confused. She darts from the smoke behind a nearby bush, as the smoke fully dissipates. She sighs in relief. "That was close."
Out of all the possible hiding spots, she chose to hide behind a bush... right next to me.
"Nah. Your cover was blown way before that." I say with a grin.
She freezes and slowly turns to look at me. "A-Aruji-dono?! B-But, how?! How did you know I was there?!"
"I've been told I've got 'eagle eyes'." I say with a chuckle. "Always been good at picking people out of crowds and seeing from the corner of my vision. Plus..." I begin to admit, reluctantly. "You weren't exactly quiet."
"You saw right through Izuna's advanced tailing technique?" She asks, standing to her feet. "Are you...?' She walks closer to me. "Could you come from a long line of ninjas...?" She asks nervously, gulping.
"I don't think I've got any anestors from Asia at all, so no." I say, deadpan. Fairly sure I remember that ancestry test saying I was American/European.
Izuna's ears flop down. "Oh. I guess I was mistaken. What a shame..."
"Being a ninja and being observant aren't the same thing." I say, as I walk forward and pet her head a bit. She immediately smiles again. "There's the smile."
She shrugs off my hand and looks at me with a pout. I chuckle in response. "You disappointed?"
"Nope!" She says simply, smiling. "Izuna is a great enough ninja to protect you. So it's okay if Aruji-dono isn't a ninja!"
"Well, aren't you confident." I say with a smirk. "I'm plenty tough. Or did you forget me takin' down those Mouryo with a trash can?"
"Of course not! Aruji-dono is plenty strong, but... Izuna wants to be a stronger and better ninja so that she may protect him!" The fox girl says passionately.
I sigh. "Well, if you're gonna tail me, but a bit quieter and more hidden. And mute your phone."
"Ah! Yes, I see." She says with a smile. "Every word of wisdom is like a rare gem!"
My eyes widen at that sentence. "I wouldn't say wisdom..." I mutter.
"Izuna will have to write this all down! Where's Izuna's notebook?" She says, looking through her pockets.
"Why were you trailin' me anyway?" I ask, causing her rummaging to cease.
"Oh?" She looks back up at me. "Isn't it obvious? To protect you, Aruji-dono!"
"Protect... me...?" I ask slowly. Since when have people needed to protect me?
"Don't you remember when Izuna told you how worried she was?" She asks, causing me to remember her texts earlier. "I was actually worried for you, Aruji-dono!"
"...You've seen how tough I am. How could you be worried for me?" I ask, trying to comprehend her thought process.
"Izuna suddenly realized something." She says, seriously. "You're such an important person. Therefore, there HAS to be someone after you!"
"I promise you, there isn't." I lie, thinking about Gematria... and the bounty hunters.
"You shouldn't say that, Aruji-dono!" She protests. "You mustn't let your guard down! Have you never seen a historical drama? Drinking anything you're handed is dangerous. The moment you let your guard down is when the assassin's swoop in! It's inevitable!"
I stare at her for a second, a blank expression on my face. "I haven't let my guard down for the past five years, Izuna." I say, deadpan. "Besides, if I stared worrying about stuff like that all the time, I'd go crazy from paranoia. That goes for you too."
"W-Well..." She trails off.
I sigh and walk over to the ninja girl to pet her head once more. "But... thanks for worryin' about me." I say, causing her to blush. "But you don't have to be my bodyguard or anything, I'm tough." I say, removing my hand from her head. "And next time, ask if you wanna follow me. We can go somewhere together instead of you bein' bored, following me on errands."
"...Okay then." She says, a bit upset. "I... I'm sorry, Aruji-dono."
"I ain't mad, dummy." I say with a chuckle. Suddenly, her stomach growls. Izuna turns her head away with a blush.
"Oh. I haven't eaten anything since breakfast..." She says, as I look down at my watch. Sure enough, it's just before noon.
"Well..." I say, looking down at my bags of groceries and the like. "I was plannin' on cooking something for lunch, so how about we go back to Schale and I cook us both something?"
"R-Really?" She asks, surprised.
"I don't see why not." I say with a smile.
"All right, then. Let's go!" She says happily. "And you can count on Izuna to protect you on the way! But no more tailing. This time, Izuna will protect her lord front and center, like a proper ninja!" She says with a giggle.
I smile at her antics, motioning for her to follow, as we both walk back to Schale.
—————
Izuna and I ate lunch after I cooked it. She also met Arona and was surprised to see another 'ninja'. Her reasoning being that she's even more hidden than her.
After talking for a while more, she left a bit after noon. Not long after that, I received a text from Tsurugi.
Kyaaagjsl
Kyahahaha
Oh, pardon me.
If possible, could you lend me a hand, Sensei?
I hope you can help.
Of course. Whatever you need.
Th-Thank you!
Th-Th-Then... I'll meet you by the academy!
...Did she just stutter in her texts...?
Sighing, I grab my suit blazer and begin to walk to Trinity.
—————
I found the pale skinned girl walking around Trinity, where we agreed to meet.
"O-Oh. Hello, Sensei." She says nervously upon seeing me, a blush on her pale face.
"Hey, Tsurugi." I greet back.
"F-Fine weather we're having! S-So... um..." She stutters.
"Calm down, dummy." I say with a smile. "Just say what you want, no need to be nervous. Take a slow breath."
Her eyes widen. "O-Oh, okay." She then inhales and exhales slowly. "The reason I asked you here today is because..."
Tsurugi then explained the situation. Apparently, she needs to renew her photos for her documents.
"You... do know how to take a selfie, right?" I ask, slowly.
I-I guess not." She admits. "The concept of taking my own picture is so weird to me..."
"Well, nothin' wrong with that." I say.
"The last photo I took was for my student ID, and that ended with me destroying the building." She says, averting her eyes from mine. "I-I was hoping... that you could teach me, Sensei..."
"Of course, I'd be glad t' help. It's fairly simple." I say.
Her blush strengthens as a silly, yet strained grin appears on her face. "Th-Thank you!"
—————
As it gets a bit later in the day, I begin lecturing Tsurugi as we stand outside of a cafe. "Lighting is pretty important for photos of all kinds." I say, pointing to the afternoon sun. "Different lighting can create different moods, but for this occasion, any lighting is just fine, so long as it isn't to bright or dark."
"The lighting..." Tsurugi mumbles. "So I should face the sun."
"Nope." She turns back to me. "That'll make it so that you can't see your face in the picture. Best to stand with the sun behind you."
"Oh, alright then." She then holds her phone up and takes a picture of herself. "Is this okay?" She asks, showing me a picture of her with the sun behind her... and a crazed look on her face.
"Hmm... Perhaps with another with a softer expression." I recommend. "Or just stick with a simple smile."
"I get it." She says. "I can do that..."
She then takes a picture of herself... with a crazed grin.
"Don't force it. Just let it be natural." I say.
"Smile naturally..." She says to herself.
She then takes another picture of herself... with an even crazier grin.
"Hmm... How about thinkin' about something that makes you happy?" I ask.
"...Something that makes me happy...?" She asks, receiving a nod from me.
And so, she takes another picture of herself, grinning with her tongue out.
"Let's try something else." I say deadpan.
Tsurugi looks nervous once again. "S-Sorry. I just don't know how to act natural... I-I can't figure it out." She says, a bit sadly.
What to do...? I rack my brain to come up with something...
"...I've got an idea." I say, causing the pale girl's gaze to snap to me. "Sit down for a sec." She sits down in one of the cafe's chairs, then I stand behind her. "Now do as I say. Hold the phone in front of your face, then close your eyes." She lifts her arms up, phone in hand, then closes her eyes. "Now, think about nothing. Ignore your worries, your issues, your regrets, anything negative... Now, think of something important to you. Think of you, together with that, in a relaxing place. No problems, no worries." The pale girl's shoulders have loosened up considerably. "Now, open your eyes and take the photo." I say. As she opens them, she presses the camera button on her phone, taking a picture of her face.
Tsurugi lowers her phone, to get a better look at the photo.
Displayed on the screen is a picture of her face, a serene expression on her face, the very image of calm.
All in all, it looks like a wonderful picture.
Meanwhile, the real Tsurugi's face has an expression of joy and shock.
"Surprised it worked?" I ask.
She turns to look at me, and shakes her head. "No, I'm surprised this is me. I-I can't remember the last time I've looked this calm."
Oh. So that's why she was shocked.
"Well, there ya go." I say, patting her shoulder. "Should be a good picture."
She then stands up. "Th-Thank you, Sensei. Trying something like this... made me feel more mature. S-So, thank you for this."
I smile. "You're welcome, Tsurugi."
—————
Right after, she returned to the school to give them her picture. As for me, I left the district, noticing the sun beginning to set.
As I walk through the Trinity district, the buildings illuminated by the setting sun, I hear a feminine voice shout in shock, then the sound of many thuds. Looking over, I see a girl has tripped, dropping a large stack of books.
"You okay?" I ask, having walked over to her.
"Oh? Y-Yes, I'm all right." She says politely, beginning to pick up her books. On a whim, I start picking up the books as well. "Oh, you don't have to do that." She says.
"I wouldn't feel right if I just kept walkin' past you and not helped ya out." I say simply, standing to my feet with about half of the books in one hand. The girl stands too, holding the rest. "You sure you can carry all of these?" I ask.
"Of course I can. I wouldn't be able to call myself a member of Trinity's Library Committee if I couldn't carry a few books." She says, somewhat proudly.
"All right then." I say, placing my half of the books on the rest, creating a two-foot tall stack of books in her arms. "Why'd you trip, then?"
"A rock." She admits, shyly.
"Ah."
"Oh, where are my manners?" She asks herself. "My name is Endo Shimiko, a member of Trinity's Library Committee, it's nice to meet you." She says, politely.
This girl, Shimiko, has long, pale orange hair, tied in long twintails, held with grren ribbons. The end of the twintails, which reaches her legs, fades to pale yellow. Her sky blue eyes are framed by her grey, square glasses. She also has yellow... hair(?) poking out from where her ears should be. Could they be her ears...? Her uniform consists of a long sleeved, white top with a gold collar, cuffs and buttons, complete with a green colonial bow. The top is somewhat short, but her skirt covers the gap. It's a white skirt, with a gold stripe near the bottom. The top of the skirt, where it's held at her mid-waist, has two grey buttons on it, likely for suspenders. On her feet are black dress shoes and white socks of mismatched length, one of which ends just before her knee, while the other ends just past her knee, both complete with small green bows at the top of each sock. On her back is a grey backpack, its single strap slung over her shoulder, and under the other. Her halo is pale gold, consisting of two rings. The outer ring has two points on it at 10 o'clock ad 2 o'clock with a small, similarly colored diamond above both rings. Strapped to her backpack is a gold and black assault rifle.
"I'm Joshua, a teacher workin' for Schale. Please to meet you as well." I say politely. "You sure you're gonna be okay carrying that all the way to wherever you're goin'?" I ask.
She huffs and pouts cutely. "Of course!"
I hold my hands up in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. Just askin'." I say, causing her to giggle cutely. "I suppose I'll just let you get back to doing that. Good night, Shimiko." I say, walking away.
"G-Good night, Sensei!" She says.
Nice girl...
As I continue walking, I receive another text from Tsurugi.
"GAK?!" I choke a bit upon seeing the contents.
It's a simple picture of her, taking a selfie, but she has her other hand held just below her chin. She looks up at the camera with a blush on her face and upturned eyebrows, likely embarrassed at doing this. To top it all off, she's used a filter to give herself cat ears and whiskers.
Way too damn cute.
So, um... Sensei.
I took a picture with that hot touch-up app...
D-Do you think that it looks okay?
Of course. It looks hella cute.
Wh-Wha?! R-Really...?
Technology nowadays is amazing. I don't know if I can submit this to the academy, though...
A-Anyway, thank you for today, Sensei!
Anytime, Tsurugi.
Pocketing my phone, I continue home with a smile on my face.
Before I can get far though, Serika texts me.
Sensei, I've got another part-time job. See you there? This time it's something kind of special!
I mull it over for a moment.
Sure, why not.
Hope this doesn't end badly.
—————
I arrive at our agreed upon meeting place near Abydos, just after the sun has set. Serika's running late, though. A moment later, she runs up, gasping for breath.
"You okay?" I ask.
"Sorry... It's not... my fault." She says, returning to normal breathing. "My ramen house job made me stay overtime..."
"Fair enough, I suppose." I shrug.
"We're running behind. Let's hurry, Sensei!" She shouts, grabbing my hand and running.
Apparently, our job was to be nighttime security guards for a building. It's a pretty boring job, but at least we only have to guard the building's only entrance.
I also texted Arona saying I'd be back in the morning.
It was incredibly boring. No problems at all. Just us sitting there.
Early in the morning, before the sun starts to rise, we walk away from the building, pay in hand.
Serika sighs. "I'm exhausted. All-nighters are best left for Fridays, because then you have all weekend to recover. On the downside, you lose an entire weekend. Are you okay with that, Sensei? It doesn't bother me, but I could understand if you were too busy."
"Nah, it's fine. I ran on all-nighters a lot, even before coming to Kivotos." I wave her concern off.
"Are you sure? Isn't there something else you want to do this weekend?" She asks.
"I didn't even know today was Friday." I deadpan, causing her eyes to widen in slight surprise. "Besides, weekends are off days anyway. I usually just do whatever on those days, whether inside or out."
She chuckles. "I usually prefer going out and having fun." Her smile dies down as she sighs. "I can't wait to get home and shower."
"You do that, I'm gonna drown myself in coffee." I joke, causing us both to laugh.
"We did a good job tonight, Sensei." The cat girl praises. "See you next time! Bye-bye!" She says, walking off.
"Later, Serika!" I say, finally walking home.
Fuck, I need sleep.
I get paid pretty well by Schale, so I don't really need this money.
After I sleep, I think I'll donate the money to the Foreclosure Task Force again.
—————
AN
That's right, in Global, Izuna speaks in third-person, but her texts are in first-person. Weird, right?
Next time, another Down Time.
Edit: November 1, 2022: Added girls' weapon descriptions.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and look forward to the next!