...
The next day, I awoke to the sound of rather heavy rainfall outside. Seeing it was a bit early, I decided to go ahead and get breakfast ready.
I chatted with Arona while cooking. Soon, I was finished and went to go to wake the girls up.
I knocked on their door, which was opened bu a smiling Hifumi. "Morning, Sensei!" She chirped.
"Mornin'." I greet, seeing Hanako also awake, Koharu half-asleep and Azusa knocked out asleep. "Glad to see she finally went to bed."
"Finally?" Koharu asks.
"I think she's been pushing herself a bit too hard these past few days. We should let her sleep in a bit longer." Hanako suggests.
"Hmm... no..." Azusa mumbles in her sleep. "The cute creatures... So round a fluffy... I mustn't."
I chuckle at that.
"Someone sounds like they're having a good dream." Hanako says with a giggle.
"I'm happy for her, she needs the sleep." I smile. "Plus, it's best to sleep in on days like this." I add. I've always hated rainy days. Even when I was a kid, I tried to sleep through them.
crack BOOM
The sound of thunder rings out as lightning lights up the outside beyond the windows.
"Th-The sound of thunder might make it hard though." Hifumi says, having jumped from the sudden sound.
Hanako stills, eyes widening in sudden worry. "Uh-oh."
"What's wrong?" The tiny pinkette asks.
"The laundry I hung out to dry last night! I completely forgot about it!" Hanako cries, causing the other two girls to freeze.
"And that's why I prefer dryers." I deadpan. Clotheslines as nice, but sudden rain can fuck that all up.
Hanako wordlessly rushes past me and down the hall.
"This is bad." Hifumi says, worried, as she and Koharu rush after her.
"Hmm?" Azusa asks, eyes opening, before they settle on me. "Sensei?"
"Yo." I wave. "The girls left the clothes on the line outside and it's raining."
"Oh. That's bad." She blinks, standing up.
"You goin' to help?" I ask, earning a nod from the silverette.
—————
After I finished up readying breakfast, the girls returned inside, completely soaked and carrying bundled up, sopping wet clothes.
"Take 'em to my room and throw them in the wash in the back." I say. "Then... Your best bet would be shower then change into somethin' else. You girls can use mine if you need to."
"Thank you, Sensei." Azusa nods as the four girls go down the hall.
"And when you're done, get ready to eat. I got it all ready." I call out.
A few minutes later, I heard them start to bicker in the other room. I didn't really try to listen in, so I just heard something about 'underwear'.
"Not a good way to start the day, huh?" Arona asks, popping up on the Shittim Chest.
"Yeah... I just pray it doesn't get any worse."
Then, at that very instant, fate decided to shit in my mouth and call it a day.
""Ah."" Arona and I both say as the power goes off.
"Ahh! What happened?!" I hear Koharu shriek.
"Goddamn storm." I groan, before reaching into the tablet and pulling out three LED lanterns. "And you said I wouldn't need these."
My AI pal awkwardly giggles, rubbing the back of her head. "Yeah, well..."
I just huff and crack a smile, leaving one lantern on at the table while I bring the other two to the girls.
—————
With the power out, the washing machine didn't work, so their clothes would have to wait to get cleaned. The four girls did manage to take showers and they came down to eat dinner a bit later...
All wearing their swimsuits.
The power going out also activated the building's stupidly designed defenses as all but the gym, kitchen, lobby and dorms were locked shut. I mean, seriously! Who the fuck designed this stupid shit?!
The five of us just ate in relative silence, albeit with the occasional crack of thunder.
After eating, the girls decided to reconvene in the annex's gym instead of the classroom, which was locked as well. The five of us sat around a lantern on the gym floor.
"All right girls! It's time for the Make Up Work Club's first swimsuit symposium!" Hanako cheers.
"Why did it come to this...?" Koharu bemoans.
Azusa hums.
"A-Are you sure about this...? There must be another way..." Hifumi asks, shyly.
"I guess you're right. We could always have an underwear symposium instead." The busty girl suggests, earning a blush from the blonde and the other pinkette. "I wouldn't mind that at all~"
"It will be difficult to hold classes in these conditions." Azusa points out. "Not to mention all of the building's facilities have shut down due to the lightning. Our defenses are wide open."
"W-Well this kind of thing happens to old buildings during thunderstorms." Hifumi points out.
"Old buildings usually don't have all of their fucking doors lock when the power goes out." I deadpan.
"Who cares about that?!" Koharu cries. "Why are you all going along with this ridiculous symposium anyway?! I thought we agreed we can't have class if we don't have any clothes to wear! Shouldn't we just go back to the dorm and rest until the blackout passes?!"
"But what kind of camp would this be passed on the opportunity to make memories?" Hanako asks. "This is our chance to share the most intimate parts of ourselves. A sudden blackout, driving rain... The mood is perfect! We may as well indulge while we have the chance. You only live once~!"
"I-I'm not denying that making memories is part of any good camp..." Hifumi says.
"I see. So that's the purpose of a swimsuit symposium." Azusa says.
"No it isn't!" Koharu insists. "There's nothing educational about wearing swimsuits to class!"
"Now, now. There's no need to raise your voice, Koharu." Hanako chides. "Let's just go with the flow and have some fun while we can. Calling it a symposium was just to keep up appearances. We can talk about anything we want. Nothing is off limits~" She then gains a great big smile. "I've always wanted to do something like this. I've never been happier to have joined the Make Up Work Club."
I chuckle. "I can see that. You look a lot happier than any other time I've seen ya."
"I can sympathize. I too am happy to have joined the club." Azusa adds, smiling.
"You are?" The busty girl asks.
"Of course I am." The silverette says, serious. "I enjoy getting to study, eat, and even clean and do laundry with all of you. Not a single activity hasn't been enjoyable."
"Aw~ That's so sweet." Hanako coos.
"I've always thought swimsuits were merely meant for swimming, but now I'm learning all sorts of other useful applications for them." Azusa smiles.
"That sounds more like corruption than enjoyment..." Hifumi comments.
"But they're comfortable to move around in and breathable." The silverette argues. "I can understand why Hanako is so fond of hers."
"You've finally seen the light." Hanako smiles. "See? I told you, Koharu."
"Public indecency is still a crime punishable by death! That's all you need to know!" Koharu cries.
"I enjoy studying with you too, Koharu." Azusa smiles.
"Wh-Where's this coming from all of a sudden?!" Koharu shouts, face red. "Don't just blurt out embarrassing things like that!"
"That's even sweeter!" Hanako adds.
"W-Well, of course you should relish the opportunity to study with an elite like myself." The tiny girl says, prideful.
"I could never get a good read on you when we first met, but it's a relief to hear you've been enjoying yourself." Hifumi says, relieved.
"Of course." Azusa says with a bright smile. "And I'm especially grateful for how you've always taken care of me, Hifumi. Thank you."
The blonde gasps, before rushing over and glomping Azusa in a great big hug.. "Azusaaa! Give me a hug!"
"Hifumi. I can't breathe." Azusa pleads.
"Oh. S-Sorry." Hifumi apologizes, releasing the poor girl.
"And the same goes for you, Sensei." Azusa says, surprising me. "You've done so much for us in such a short time. Thank you."
I remain silent for a bit from Azusa's heartfelt words. "Alright. I've decided."
"Decided what?" Hanako asks.
"If anyone even thinks of hurting Azusa, I will commit violence." I declare.
My words earn a happy smile and/or laugh from all four girls.
—————
The Swimsuit Symposium continued for hours as we talked about little things, like this and that.
"I heard a rare Gold Maguro is on display at the Trinity aquarium right now." Hanako tells us.
"I saw it on a pamphlet!" Hifumi says, remembering. "That's the one they're calling the 'fantasy fish', right?"
"Oh? I might have to take Hoshino there after all this is done." I muse.
"Hoshino?" Hifumi asks.
"She really likes fish." I smile.
"Hopefully you can scrounge up enough to pay the admission." Hanako points out.
"Is it high?" I ask.
"Yeah." The busty girl nods. "Apparently, it was discovered at a nearby beach. I wanted to go see it for myself, but the admission fee is so high."
"The beach..." Azusa muses. "Now that you mention it, I've never been to a beach before."
"You've never been to the beach?!" Hifumi asks, shocked.
"Regrettably, no." Azusa says, averting her gaze.
"Then that can be another thing that can be done after all this." I say, earning a smile from the transfer student.
"I also heard that you can hear strange noises coming from that long-abandoned theme park." The taller pinkette says.
"Th-That can't be true! That's just an urban legend!" Koharu denies.
"I've only heard rumors myself, so I can't say for sure... but isn't that how all scary stories go?" Hanako muses.
"Yeah, and they're all made up!" Koharu cries, earning an awkward laugh from the blonde.
"Y'know, since we've got a moment, I hafta ask." I say. "Hanako, why do you like wearing your swimsuit so much?"
The busty girl hums in thought. "I don't know, honestly. I just prefer it, I suppose."
"Yeah, but most people find wearing one all the time odd, y'know? I figured it might've had some deeper meaning to ya." I shrug.
"Sorry to disappoint." Hanako smiles awkwardly. "I've just never found walking about campus or the district in a swimsuit to be strange at all. It's just my nature, I suppose."
"Of course it's strange! Do you not have a lick of common sense?!" The tiny pinkette cries.
"You know, that reminds me. I once heard from a Sister that somewhere in a lawless area of Kivotos is a gang that wears nothing but swimsuits and masks." Hanako says, earning a laugh from me, a confused look from Azusa, and a nervous one from Hifumi.
"Wh-Why would they only wear that?!" Koharu cries, red faced. "And you just said they're a gang, so that makes them criminals! Of course criminals have no problem committing public indecency!"
"It goes to show just how common wearing nothing but a swimsuit is." Hanako smiles, deviously. "Why don't you join me next time?"
"But I thought you said they wear masks too?" I point out, before the red faced Koharu can shout.
—————
"You need to start getting a better night's sleep, Azusa!" Hanako says, the topic eventually reaching this point after I offhandedly mentioned not needing much sleep due to being used to running on little rest.
"I know. I'm sorry for inconveniencing you all by oversleeping this morning." The silverette apologizes, lowering her head a bit. "That never happens in a place where I'm uncomfortable. Maybe I overslept because I no longer find that to be the case..."
"That doesn't change the fact you need to get more rest." Hanako chides. "You need to go on fewer of those late night patrols of yours!"
"You've been going on patrols?" Koharu asks Azusa, who stiffened a bit at Hanako's words.
"Yes. I've been keeping watch every night..." The transfer student says, averting her gaze from us.
"Hanako told me about that last night. She's been really worried about you, y'know?" I say, softly.
"She has?" Azusa blinks. "I... didn't realize. I'm sorry. To be honest, I use my patrols as an opportunity to do things like set traps and fortify our defenses."
"Traps?" Hanako asks.
"Defenses?" Hifumi asks.
"Why would you go to such lengths?" The busty girl asks.
"Don't worry. I only set them along the routes intruders would likely take. They shouldn't pose a threat to us as we go about our studies." Azusa reassures.
"Oh? And what about how Mari got blown up yesterday?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
"That's..." Azusa says, speechless, as though she didn't think of that.
"You should let us know about these things ahead of time." Hanako chides, stressing her point. "People will suspect you of wrongdoing if you go around doing things like that on your own."
"I... suppose you have a point. I'll be more careful from now on." Azusa says, relenting. "The last thing I want is to cause any harm to the club or Sensei."
"I don't get why people were callin' ya an 'ice queen', you're a sweet girl, Azusa." I say, eliciting a bright blush from the silver haired girl.
"H-Huh? Don't treat me like a child." Azusa grumbles. "Besides, that's now how I would describe myself."
"Well that's how I'm describing you." I argue.
Azusa remains silent for a moment, before sighing. "The truth is that everything is meaningless, and vanity is the way of the world." Then, in a quieter voice, she adds, "There will come a day where I betray everything I've ever known- all of you, my faith, and my own heart."
Geez, Azusa... What the hell does she mean by that? Is she a double agent, going against Arius?
Hanako looks at the Arius girl with a face of concern.
"Oh." Hifumi says as Koharu looks at Azusa confused.
And just then-
click
-the power comes back on, almost as though reality itself wants to change the subject of our discussion.
"Ah." I say.
"The power's back." The blonde realizes.
"It's about time." The taller pinkette smiles.
"Sounds like the rain stopped too." I point out, standing up and clicking off the lantern.
"He's right! Everything is clear outside!" The tiny pinkette says, looking through a window.
"We should restart the laundry and get to drying everything again." Hifumi suggests.
"I suppose this marks the end to the Make Up Work Club's Swimsuit Symposium. I look forward to the second." Azusa says, sincerely.
"There's not gonna be a second! This was the first and last!" Koharu shouts, red faced.
I don't bother to hold back my laughter.
—————
A few hours pass as the girls get back to washing the clothes. We decided to refrain from studying today, seeing as how it was late in the afternoon by the time the power came back on.
After eating dinner, the girls got their freshly washed and dried clothes out and got dressed.
Hanako, however, had a suggestion for us.
"We can't let this day go to waste!" The busty pinkette- the only one dressed in her uniform unlike the others, clad in their gym clothes- declares.
"Whaddya mean?" I ask, crossing my arms.
"Well, how about we just look at today as an unplanned vacation day. We even got to bond together buck naked like real sisters." Hanako says.
"That never happened! Stop revising history!" Koharu argues.
"But wouldn't it feel like a waste to go to bed so soon? Don't you just want to seize the night and go out with a bang?" The busty girl suggests.
"What do you have in mind?" Azusa asks.
"Isn't it obvious? What kind of camp would this be if we didn't try to sneak out at night at least once?" Hanako asks.
"You want to sneak out?" The blonde asks.
"Obviously. Let's leave the academy behind and go on a walk together!" Hanako declares.
"Aren't you supposed to plan these things in secret? Y'know, not when teachers are around?" I ask.
"Oh, but you're coming with us, Sensei." Hanako smiles. "Come on, there are plenty of places in the Trinity shopping district that are open late. Let's go grab some food and do a little shopping!"
I just sigh, relenting.
"Th-That would be a violation. I can't do that!" The tiny girl argues.
"You know the school rules better than I do, but I bet a bunch of students sneak out and go places they shouldn't." Hanako asks, smiling. "Isn't that right, Hifumi?"
The blonde awkwardly chuckles. "Wh-Who knows? Maybe..."
"Do I hafta mention the concert?" I ask.
"Concert?" Azusa asks.
"Hifumi skipped an exam to watch a surprise Peroro concert. It's why she's failing." I reveal.
"S-Sensei!" Hifumi shouts, indignant.
"Seriously? That's why you're failing?!" Koharu shouts, upset as well.
"There are Peroro concerts?" Azusa asks, extremely interested.
"Apparently." I shrug.
"B-B-But it was a special live show! I couldn't just miss it!" Hifumi argues, weakly. "A-And Koharu's right. We're in the middle of a mandatory boot camp. There could be dire consequences if we were caught sneaking out now."
"It's not like we'd go that far- it's still within the district." Hanako reassures. "We'll be back before you know it. So what do you say, Koharu? Doesn't it sound fun?"
"I-I mean, sure it does, but..." Koharu says, quietly.
"Come on! One little walk isn't going to kill you. Isn't that right, Sensei?" Hanako asks, smiling innocently.
I sigh. "Fuck it, I'm in. Let's go."
"You're fine with this?!" Koharu shouts.
"Yeah. Why not?" I ask.
"Y-You're a teacher! You're supposed to follow the rules too!" The tiny girl shouts.
"Sometimes you've just gotta say, 'Fuck the rules'. Lord knows I've said that thousands of times." I joke, grinning. "Besides, we've been stuck inside all day. We could all use some fresh air."
"I'm dressed and ready. Just give me the order on when to move." Azusa says, already dressed.
"You too, Azusa?!" Hifumi cries.
"You couldn't've waited until I was OUT of the room?" I deadpan.
"It's decided, then." The busty girl smiles. "Everyone hurry up, and take it off! The Make Up Work Club is going late-night streaking!"
"You said we were going on a walk! Keep your clothes on!" Koharu cries, her cat eyes showing up again. How DOES she do that...?
—————
A few minutes later, our group of five left the school's campus and began to stroll through the city- Hanako happily giggling all the while.
"Well... here we are." Hifumi says, still a bit tense.
"See? Isn't this fun?" Hanako asks. "There's nothing like the guilty pleasure of doing something you're not supposed to, mixed with the elation of doing it with others."
"Well said." I compliment.
"So this is what the district looks like at this hour." Azusa says, reveling in the lights of the city. "It's much more vibrant than I expected."
"That's right. A lot of store stay open twenty-four hours a day." Hanako explains.
"That bakery is still open? And that cafe too..." The silverette observes.
"A little further up the road is a Momo Friends merch store that's fully automated." Hifumi adds. "And across the street from that is a shop that only sells collectibles."
"Well, well. You sure know your way around the neighborhood." Hanako says, eliciting an awkward laugh from the blonde girl.
"That's our resident Peroro expert." I joke, earning a small blush and pout from Hifumi.
Koharu groans. "Why did I have to tag along? I'll be in for a world of hurt if Hasumi catches me out here."
"Really?" The busty girl asks. "She must be pretty strict with you newbies. I always thought she seemed like a kind girl."
"Th-That's because she is! Hasumi is kind, intelligent, strong, and carries herself with dignity and grace!" Koharu shouts. "Her temper is... just as peerless as her other aspects."
"You really look up to her, huh?" I ask the tiny girl, who meekly nods.
"I think I get it. She doesn't get mad often, but when she does..." Hanako trails off.
"Yeah. There was one time recently where she came back, absolutely enraged. She almost tore apart our club building's lobby." Koharu says.
"Goodness. What caused her to be so upset?" Hanako asks, surprised.
"She was returning from a meeting with Gehenna's leaders about the Eden Treaty when she suddenly and angrily declared she was going on a diet." Koharu explains.
"...H-Huh?" Hifumi asks, totally lost.
"I still don't understand, what exactly happened at Gehenna?" Hanako asks, awkwardly smiling.
"Apparently, Chairwoman Makoto insulted her weight one way or another." Koharu explains, awkwardly. "A Pandemonium Society member named Iroha tried to de-escalate the situation, but Hasumi had already destroyed the room in a fit of rage."
The other three girls blink in surprise.
So that's what happened... Seems like Nagisa didn't ask for her side of the story to see WHY she 'hates' Gehenna. I may be a tad upset.
"That girl loves her sweets, but she's really conscious about her weight." I explain, before shrugging. "Dunno why she's so self-conscious about it, she has a great figure." I say, causing Koharu to blush.
"I heard Hasumi hasn't been eating very well since that meeting went south." The tiny girl adds.
"No wonder she holds a grudge against Gehenna." Hanako says.
"Yeah... I oughta go and check on her sometime." I comment.
"Hasumi is a strong person, though! She's still keeping the vow she made, even after all she went through!" Koharu points out. "I'm sure she'll be alright."
"Look. There's another bakery here too." Azusa points out as we continue to walk.
"My sweet tooth is starting to get a craving after that story. Should we pop in and see what they have?" Hanako suggests.
"Don't see why not." I shrug.
"Oh, the special parfaits they have here are amazing! I didn't know they stayed open twenty-four hours a day..." Hifumi adds.
"Parfait?" The silverette asks. "That sounds perfect. Let's go."
With that the girls go in, with Koharu nervously muttering, "Oh... I hope nobody sees me here."
The five of us enter the nice-looking cafe and are greeted by a robot man. The place is rather empty, except for...
Is that Hasumi eating a parfait?
And are there two more next to her?
...So much for a diet.
"Welcome." He greets.
"Wow, we're really out in the middle of the night getting dessert. This is so exciting!" Hifumi says happily, Azusa humming and nodding in agreement.
Huh. Seems they don't notice her. I wonder how, Hasumi's wings oughta draw attention. Funnily enough, she doesn't seem to notice us either.
"Party of five? What can I get for you?" The man asks politely.
"Um... Do you still have that special parfait on the menu?" Hifumi asks.
"I'm sorry. We do, but we just sold the final three we had tonight to our last customer." He says, apologetic. My eyes drift to Hasumi. Seriously, girl...?
"Oh, that's too bad." Hifumi says, downtrodden.
"Beat to the punch." Azusa scoffs. "I wasn't expecting such fierce competition at this hour. How naive of me."
"Oh?" Everyone's heads swivel over to Hasumi, looking at me in surprise. "S-Sensei?"
"Finally noticed me, huh?" I smile.
"H-Hasumi?!" Koharu shrieks.
Even Hifumi and Azusa are surprised, the former showing it more than the latter.
"Those wouldn't happen to be parfaits you have there?" Hanako asks, eyeing the three cups.
"I..." The blackette nervously says, before regaining her composure. "I didn't expect to run into the Make Up Work Club and Sensei here."
"Uh-oh..." Koharu mutters, nervous.
"Fancy meeting you here, Hasumi." Hanako smiles sweetly. "I'm even more surprised to see you eating three parfaits. Aren't you on a diet?"
"Y-Yes. About that..." Hasumi shuffles nervously.
"Let me guess. You had a craving you just couldn't curb, so you came all the way here for some of your favorite desserts." The busty pinkette 'guesses'.
"N-No! I-I mean..." The busty blackette tries to deny.
But Hanako continues. "You gave in to your delectable desires and before you knew it, it was too late. There was no turning back."
"I can't say I blame ya. Those things look really good." I muse. I'll have to come back and get myself one.
...And one for Arona too.
"Sensei." Hasumi looks at me seriously. "I don't believe the Make Up Work Club is permitted to leave the school grounds during boot camp."
Koharu stiffens.
"Then... what about a secret for a secret?" I offer.
Hasumi hums, before nodding. "Very well." She says, with a small smile. "If you'll keep my secret, then I'll keep yours."
I nod in agreement as well.
"H-Hasumi..." Koharu says, lots of emotions going wild in her tiny body.
"How are your studies going, Koharu?" The JTF vice president asks.
"Well, um..." The former JTF member tries to speak.
"Her scores keep on'a goin' up." I grin, cutting Koharu's words off.
"That's right! Koharu will be passing in no time at this rate." Hifumi adds.
"You don't say?" Hasumi asks.
"Yup. I'm real proud of how hard these girls have been workin', especially Koharu." I smile, causing the tiny pinkette's blush to grow three times.
"That's good to hear. I told you that you could do it." The busty JTF member says to her kouhai.
Koharu giggles, a bright smile appearing on her face. "I wouldn't want to let you down, Hasumi."
"And I'm always rooting for you." Hasumi smiles back. "I look forward to you returning to the Justice Task Force soon and joining us on missions."
"It's a promise." Koharu says, happily.
The other three girls smile at the scene, even Azusa who looks... almost jealous...?
I can't help but smile as well. It's like watching two sisters bond.
The moment is sadly interrupted by Hasumi's phone beeping loudly. A rather strange beep too.
"Encrypted communication? At this hour?" Hasumi asks herself as she answers. "Excuse me for a moment, everyone. Yes, Ichika? What's going on?"
"We have a problem, Hasumi." The girl on the line, Ichika, says. I can hear it pretty easily. "What's your location?"
"A problem? Please explain." Hasumi says.
"Students presumed to be from Gehenna are trespassing near the academy." Hasumi's face gets a bit angry when Ichika mentions Gehenna. Guess what Makoto said really got to her. "They've opened fire and are attacking Trinity facilities."
"Is it the Gehenna Prefect Team?" The JTF VP asks, jumping to conclusions. "So, they've finally played their hand. Those Pandemonium Society scum!"
"Well, the thing is-" Ichika tries, but is interrupted.
"They must be trying to interfere with the Eden Treaty! What's the size of their forces? How many squadrons, and what facilities have they targeted?!" Hasumi rattles off. Looking to the side, my club members all look a bit awkward.
"Calm down." Ichika says, deadpan. "First of all, it's not the Prefect Team, and there are zero squadrons. There's only four of them."
"Just four...? And it's NOT the Prefect Team?" The blackette asks, caught off-guard.
"Yes. The attacked facility has been confirmed as... the nearby aquarium." Ichika explains. Are they after that rare fish?
"Why would they attack there?" Hasumi asks, confused.
"They've stolen the Gold Maguro, a rare fish that was on display, and are now on the run." Ichika explains.
"The Gold Maguro?" Hasumi asks, causing the girls to perk up.
"It's said to be a very expensive fish, so they may be aiming to sell it." Ichika explains. "We just confirmed this organization's identity, actually. The Gourmet Research Society, a terrorist group from Gehenna."
...Aren't they one of the groups who hung out with Arona when she first got her body?
"Their leader is Kurodate Haruna, someone considered very dangerous by Gehenna! Please hurry and give us your orders, Vice President!" Ichika says. "Please issue orders before President Tsurugi... takes matters into her own hands."
"Please do what you can to contain her for now. I'm... in the middle of a personal matter at the moment." Hasumi awkwardly says.
"I'm not sure that will be possible. You're the only one she listens to when she gets like this." Ichika points out. "Ah. President Tsurugi! Don't go yet! That's not a door- it's a wall!"
A crashing sound is then heard through the call.
"...She's gone. Let's mobilize." Ichika says with a sigh, ending the call.
Hasumi awkwardly pockets her phone after staring at it for a moment. Then, an explosion rings out.
"Oh? Sounds like they're close." I say.
"Within a kilometer, judging by the sound of the explosion." Azusa adds.
"You two aren't thinking what I think you are... are you?" Hifumi asks, cautious.
"What a coincidence. I had the same thought." Hasumi pipes up. "I know this is sudden, but your club's help would be appreciated."
"Sure." I smile. "We'll help and Schale will take the credit for it so the JTF doesn't get wrapped up in any political bullshit before the Treaty."
"I'm glad you realize the situation." Hasumi smiles. "Then I'm formally requesting the Make Up Work Club's assistance via Schale."
"You girls ready?" I ask the four club members, who all seem to be fine with it. "Then get ready to mobilize."
"Understood." Azusa nods, readying her gun.
"A-Are we really doing this?" Hifumi asks, nervous.
"If that's what you want, Sensei~" Hanako smiles.
"I'm going to fight alongside Hasumi...?" Koharu asks in a daze.
"If you're workin' with Schale, expect to work with lots of people you haven't worked with before." I say.
"I knew this day would come, even if it is sooner than expected." Hasumi says to the tiny girl.
"O-Okay! I'll do my best!" Koharu smiles.
"This is the first time we'll be fighting as a club under Sensei's command. Please use us as you see fit." Azusa says.
"That's even sweeter!" Hanako coos.
"Truth be told, I've been wantin' to see you girls in action." I admit. "Then let's get goin', everyone. Give me a run-down on what you can do as we move."
—————
Soon, we make it to a slightly destroyed area of the Trinity district. A large number of JTF members are fighting four girls, who also have... Is that Fuuka bound and gagged? Why...?
Arona briefly introduced me to them, describing their looks, so I can tell who's who.
Their leader, Haruna as I recall, has long silver hair and red eyes. She wears a white shirt and black skirt with a black military jacket over her shoulders, and a matching cap on her head. She has on dark leggings and high-heeled shoes. A single, bat-like wing pokes out from her back, and a black tail which fades to red coming from her skirt. She also has a black and red sniper rifle. Her halo is a fancy, red crosshair.
The blonde, as I recall, is Akari. Her blonde hair is long, framing her face and blue eyes with- admittedly, rather pretty- pink pupils. She wears a black military uniform and skirt as well. The skirt splits on one side, revealing another skirt underneath, as well as a garter belt holding her thigh-highs up. She, too, has on high heels. She has two grey horns coming from her head and carries a rather tricked out AR. Her halo is blue with six mis-aligned diamonds around it, plus a seventh pink one in the middle.
The girl with grey hair done in low, messy twintails is Izumi. She has golden eyes and ram-like horns on her head. She wears a grey and red uniform and boots. She carries a long machine gun. Her golden halo resembles a mouth biting down on a burger, funnily enough. She's carrying a large water-cooler on her back.
The short girl is Junko, who has bright red hair done in twintails, and pink eyes. She wears a black and red uniform that resembles Mutsuki's, right down to the boots. She has two dark red bat-like wings sprouting from her lower back and carries a black and red AR. Her halo is a magenta ring that's split in two with a diamond above, and a circle in the center.
They seem to be holding off pretty well against the JTF.
Time to change that.
"Koharu, toss that grenade of yours!" I shout as we arrive.
Koharu does as instructed and lobs the grenade right in the middle of the Gourmet girls, who look down at it, before being blown back.
"Azusa, Hasumi, watch our back." I say, eliciting a nod from them. "Everyone watch your shots, the fish is likely in the cooler."
The four Gehenna girls look at us with surprise, before readying themselves again. Haruna takes the back as the other three move up a bit.
"Hasumi take left, Azusa right." I order, and the two quickly move into positions. We all move into cover at various positions with the JTF girls covering our backs, making it so the Gourmet girls can't move too much, and are forced behind cover. Haruna makes the most of her rear position and picks off a few JTF members. Akari and Junko stick together while Izumi stays by her own, likely smart enough to know we won't focus our fire on her. Pulling my AR out of the Shittim Chest, I help fire at the Gourmet girls.
After a moment, Akari smiles deviously as parts on the side of her gun light up as she lifts it into the air and fires off a grenade right towards Hifumi and Koharu. I pop up to my feet and rush in front of them. Swinging by rifle around, I smack the grenade back, using my gun like a baseball bat. The explosive goes off against the cover Akari and Junko are behind, destroying a bit of it.
Fortunately, I notice something. The Gehenna girls are kinda crowded together.
Perfect.
"Hifumi, toss it behind 'em!" I shout.
"O-Okay!" The blonde Trinity girl says, tossing a disc which, upon hitting the ground, spawns a dancing hologram of Peroro.
"What is that?" Izumi asks, looking at the bird.
"It looks so stupid!" Junko says, laughing.
"Is it a bird?" Akari asks.
"It does look... rather edible." Haruna admits, wiping some drool from her mouth.
Huh... I knew she said it was distracting, but I didn't expect it to actually work.
"Hasumi, Azusa!" I shout. Hasumi's gun emits black smoke as she fires a round that smacks into Akari, downing her.
Azusa, however, spreads her wings out and causes her halo to shine a bit brighter. She then calmly says, "Vanitas vanitatum", before firing a shot at Haruna, which acts like a FUCKING DRILL... somehow, hitting her multiple times, before downing the Gourmet leader.
"What?! Why you!" Junko shouts, upset, before pulling out a matching gun and firing at us in a straight line, which narrowly missed Koharu, who ducks behind cover.
"Hanako!" I shout. The busty pinkette then aims her shots more precisely than before, taking down Junko.
Izumi looks around at her friends nervously. Suddenly, a new arrival, hidden in the shadows, smacks her in the back of the head, causing her to fall.
And drop the water cooler.
The new arrival picks up the container and makes a familiar sound. "Ue-heh. That was easy."
"Hoshino?" I blink, surprised at seeing the Abydos girl here. My first girlfriend in this world waves at me lazily.
"Do you know her, Sensei?" Azusa asks, aiming at Hoshino.
"Yeah, you can relax." I say, causing the silverette to lower her gun. I then hop over some rubble and walk over to her.
"Hey, Senseiiii!" My girlfriend calls out, happily.
"Hey, yourself." I smile back.
"I'm surprised to see you here, Hoshino." Hifumi says, walking up as well.
"Hey, Hifumi." Hoshino says. "Didn't I say I'd come by Trinity some time?"
"Y-You did, but..." The blonde awkwardly says.
"Oh? Who's this?" Hanako asks, looking to tease me. "Is she your secret lover, Sensei?"
"Wh-What?! Stop making things up, Hanako!" Koharu snaps at the busty girl.
"Actually she is." I say, causing the Trinity pinkettes to look at me in shock. I hold back a chuckle at Hanako's expression in particular. She and Koharu look like sisters with their faces matching like that.
"Hehe. Seems like you've had your hands full over here, Sensei." Hoshino smirks.
"Not anymore than I had over at Abydos." I smirk back, earning a small bark of laughter from the foreign pinkette.
"Abydos? Are you from there?" Azusa asks.
"Yup. Takanashi Hoshino, VP of our school's student council. Nice to meetcha." Hoshino introduces with a grin.
"Shirasu Azusa." The silverette introduces.
The heterochromatic-eyed girl looks over Azusa for a long moment. "Hmm..."
"Hmm?" Azusa asks. The other three girls look at the interaction in confusion.
"Hmm. You kinda remind me of when I was young." Hoshino eventually says, confusing the four girls further. "Don't worry, you'll find somethin' to make you smile some more."
Azusa blinks in confusion for a moment, before shaking her head. "No, I've already found something that."
"...I see. Good." Hoshino says, happy for the other girl. Seems they get each other.
"Back to more important matters." Hanako cuts in. "Is she really your girlfriend, Sensei?"
"Yup." I nod.
"One of them." Hoshino adds.
"One of them?!" Koharu shouts, red faced, as her cat eyes appear and all four of her wings flap. Hifumi sports a blush as well. Poor Azusa just looks confused.
"Oh, c'mon. There haven't been any human men in Kivotos in... well, I don't know how long, but long enough for them to be considered all but a myth." Hoshino begins, before looking at me. "Then, all of a sudden, one shows up. Not only that, but he becomes the first real teacher Kivotos has had in a long time. And THEN, it turns out he's a really sweet guy who doesn't mind helping people out, regardless of whether it's his job or not." She pauses to let out a small laugh. "I realized somewhere that I fell in love with him, but I figured other girls would be all over him, so I resigned myself to sharing." She reaches over and takes a hold of my hand, smiling up at me all the while. "Not that I mind."
Hifumi and Azusa blink in surprise at her explanation. Koharu's face is still red, but she's calm and understanding. As for Hanako...
"Huh. I never thought of that." The busty pinkette muses. "I mean, all the best-selling romance and erotic novels are centered around students falling in love with a human male that's a teacher. I shouldn't be too surprised."
"Wha?! I knew you were a pervert, Sensei! Harems are forbidden!" Koharu cries, red-faced.
"Harem? What is a harem?" Azusa asks, innocently.
"Harem is where one person is in a romantic relationship with multiple partners, usually a male having multiple female partners. There's also a reverse-harem, where a female has multiple male partners." I explain. "They're common tropes in certain types of manga."
Azusa scrunches her face a bit at my use of the word manga.
"Manga are basically books with images. I'll show ya some sometime." I add.
"I see. And you have one of these harems, Sensei?" The silverette asks.
"Yup." I nod. "I'm still a bit surprised about it, truth be told." I add, chuckling weakly.
"Eh, you've done a good job of it so far." Hoshino shrugs.
Hifumi's face is still red, unable to find words.
"Then that means there must still be spots open." Hanako muses. "Hear that Koharu, you can still join his harem if you want~"
"Wh-What?! Hell no! Why would I do that?!" Koharu shouts, her cat eyes coming back.
"Bwahahaha!" Hoshino lets out a hearty laugh. "She looks more like a cat than Serika!"
I let out a stifled laugh as well, before looking over to Hanako. "If anything, I'm saving a spot for you, Hanako."
"Eh?" The busty girl asks, caught off-guard.
I walk closer to her and cup the teasing girl's chin like in a romance manga. "I'd be glad to have you join."
"Eh... Wh..." The busty girl stammers, much to the shock of the other Trinity girls. Even Koharu has ignored her blushing from the reveal of my having a harem in favor of focusing on Hanako being on the recieving end of teasing for once. Then, the busty pinkette pushes herself away from me, her face beet red and smiling. "I knew you were fun, Sensei, but... I never realized how dangerous you were."
Hoshino laughs again. "You'd better be careful, or else he'll ensnare ya without you noticing."
Koharu is breathing heavily and staring at us with wide eyes and a red face. What's going through her head?
"Anyway, what are you doin' here this late?" I ask my girlfriend.
"Well, I had some business over here. While I was on my way back home, I saw an poster for the aquarium, and how they had some rare fish there." Hoshino explains. "When I went to see how much it'd cost to get in, the entrance blew up and I saw these idiots running off with the fish." She says, jutting her thumb over her shoulder at the downed Gourmet girls.
"Right place, right time, huh?" I ask with a knowing smirk.
"Something like that." Hoshino grins. She totally was keeping an eye on me. She then opens the container and, sure enough, the fish is inside- alive and unharmed. "Whoa! He's so cute!" She all but squeals.
Azusa, too, peers inside. "Hmm."
"Hm? Never seen a fish like this?" The Abydos girl asks.
The Arius girl shakes her head. "No. I've never seen a live fish before."
"Hueh?" Hoshino exclaims, taken aback. "Well, we'll have to change that, won't we, Sensei?"
"Yup. I'm sure there's plenty of aquariums around we can go to after all this is done." I say. Geez, how sheltered is Azusa? Well, at least I can count on her new friends to help show her the world.
"Sounds like a plan." Hoshino smiles.
"Ahem." Hasumi catches our attention. "If you all are done, we should-"
"Nooooo! The tuna!" Izumi cries, having gotten up, interrupting Hasumi. The other three Gourmet girls are back up too.
"Heh? Lookin' for this?" Hoshino teases, holding the water cooler out, having closed it.
"I was craving sashimi, but now tempura is on the menu." Haruna awkwardly says, confusing me. The hell does she mean by that?
"So what should we do now? Looks like we're surrounded." Akari says, casually.
"Scatter! It's every girl for herself!" Junko cries, running off.
"Good thinking- they can't catch all of us. Survival of the fittest it is!" Akari declares, running off.
"It comes down to luck now, but I don't mind spicing things up. So long!" Haruna says, running off.
"W-Wait! Don't just leave me here!" Izumi cries, trying to run off, but she trips and falls. "I swear, I'll get all three of you back for this if it's the last thing I do!" She declares, teary-eyed.
"Those pests! Split up and chase each of them!" Hasumi orders her men, er... women. "This is our district! There's nowhere to run!"
As the JTF members move out, Hoshino looks at me. "Sensei?"
"Yeah?"
"You gonna help them?"
"Nah, they've got this."
Izumi is still there, trying- and failing- to run off.
She gets arrested pretty quick.
—————
"Good work, everyone." Hasumi says, grateful. "We were able to get this situation under control thanks to your help."
One of the JTF members took the Gold Maguro back to the aquarium... after Hoshino got one last look at it. Turns out Tsurugi got Junko and Akari before anyone else. Haruna barely made it past a single block, funnily enough.
"Th-Thanks. I think we just got caught up in the heat of the moment." Hifumi says, awkwardly.
"It was a good learning experience to see how the Justice Task Force strategizes from up close." Azusa says. "As well as how Sensei fights."
"I know! I was surprised when he used his rifle like a bat to smack that grenade away!" Hifumi adds.
"I-I hope I was helpful." Koharu meekly says.
"Eh, from what I saw, you did pretty well, kiddo." Hoshino says, patting Koharu on the head.
"H-Hey! Watch the hat!" Koharu complains, the wings on her head fluttering a bit.
"So what's going to happen to those four girls?" Hanako asks.
"Normally, we would decide what to do with them." Hasumi explains. "But, given the circumstances we're in, we'll have no choice but to defer to Gehenna's Prefect Team."
"Figured that'd be the case." I muse.
"Actually, I have a favor to ask you regarding that matter." Hasumi says.
"Lemme guess, you want Schale to turn them over, not the JTF." I say.
"You catch on quick, Sensei. Indeed, it would lessen the political burden from both sides if Schale handed them over." The JTF VP explains.
"Can do." I nod.
"Thank you, Sensei. I'll step back then." Hasumi says.
As she says that, I hear a "Kyeeh" sound. Looking to the side, I see Tsurugi peeking out from behind a building. "Oh, hey, Tsurugi!"
"Kyaaaahk!" She shouts, hiding completely behind it.
"Hey, what are you hidin' for?" I ask, feigning ignorance.
Slowly, the JTF's president comes out from the building, nervously, her face red. "H-H-Hello there, Sensei."
Koharu blinks in surprise at seeing her president acting so shy.
"Long time, no see, Tsurugi. How've you been?" I ask, walking up to her.
"I-I've been fine, thanks." Tsurugi says. Poor girl is blushing up a storm.
"Oh-hoh! Looking to add another one, Sensei?" Hoshino teases.
"Oh, hush." I turn around and chide, before looking back at the JTF leader. "Be sure to text me anytime. We oughta hang out again."
"Y-Y-Yes! That would be gr-great!" Tsurugi blushes.
"Is this normal for her?" Hanako asks Hasumi, quietly.
"No. I have never seen Tsurugi act like this..." Hasumi says, before smiling. "Though, I'm happy for her."
—————
A bit later, the Make Up Work Club girls went back to the annex, tired. Hasumi and Tsurugi bid me farewell. As for Hoshino...
"So..." I say.
"So..." Hoshino echoes.
"So why were you really here?" I ask.
"Just keepin' an eye out for you." The pinkette says.
"I figured as much." I muse, smiling. "Though, I'm surprised you only got involved at the end of the fight."
"Ehehe~ This old lady has to look cool to her underclassmen every now and again, right?" She asks with a lazy grin.
I chuckle as well. "I suppose so."
We sit in silence for a moment.
"Hey, Hoshino?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
"For what?"
"Looking out for me like this. It feels... nice havin' someone do that."
"Ehehe, anytime, Josh."
"..."
"Oh, and one more thing."
"Whazzat?"
"No goodbye kiss?"
"Heh. Your wish is my command."
—————
The JTF girls got the Gourmet girls loaded in a truck after Hoshino left for Abydos. I was to ride with them to a bridge connecting Trinity and Gehenna, a meeting place where we'd hand them over to the Prefect Team.
Hopping into the truck, I found the Gourmet girls tied up, Fuuka sitting next to them untied.
"Hell-ooo." I greet, happily.
"Sensei!" Fuuka exclaims, rushing over and hugging me. "Thank you so much for saving me from these idiots."
I chuckle. "Anytime."
"Hmm... I thought you looked familiar." Haruna says as Fuuka breaks our hug. "You're the Sensei that little Arona mentioned."
"And you're the Gourmet Research Society that she mentioned." I say.
The silver haired girl pridefully smiles. "Indeed. I am the group's leader, Kurodate Haruna."
"Oh! Oh! I'm Shishidou Izumi!" The grey haired girl cheerfully says.
"And I'm Wanibuchi Akari." The blonde adds, nonchalant.
"And I-I'm Akashi Junko." The redhead says, the only one of her group worried about the situation they're in.
"Nice to meet y'all... despite the circumstances." I reply.
"The same to you, Sensei." Haruna politely says.
"So... why steal a fish?" I ask.
"These idiots have a history of eating 'gourmet' food. Going so far as to steal it." Fuuka explains, annoyed.
"Of course! Those fools at the aquarium would rather parade the fish around like a common animal instead of putting it to better use." Haruna scoffs.
"And I know lots of people were waitin' to see the fish. Especially the girl who knocked you out, Izumi." I point out. "She thinks fish are really cute."
"Cute? Fish?" Junko asks, confused.
"The pursuit of good food is fine and all, but it shouldn't be at the expense of others. Hell, food- even mediocre food- is best enjoyed with others." I lecture.
"That's..." Haruna begins.
"Come on. I get your club is centered around gourmet food, but lemme ask you this. What's better- eating gourmet food by yourself, or with your friends here?" I ask.
"Definitely with friends!" Izumi happily says.
"Seconded." Akari adds.
"I never thought of it that way." Junko says.
"The same goes for other stuff. You shouldn't help bolster your enjoyment of life at the expense of others' enjoyment of life." I say. "Only thing you'll do that way is make enemies."
The four gourmet girls are silenced, surprised by my words.
"I... I had never thought of it that way." Haruna admits, a bit downcast. "Good food is nice, but... Not everyone enjoys fish. Some prefer pork."
"Yeah. You get it." I say.
"I don't." Fuuka deadpans.
"Some prefer to see live fish instead of eating said fish." I explain.
"Ah." The Lunch Club girl says.
"One more thing, why bring Fuuka?" I ask.
"To expand her horizons, of course!" Haruna proudly says, before shrinking. "Though, I now realize I may have been forcing her to love fish, despite loving pork."
"Now you think you were wrong?!" Fuuka exclaims, upset.
"Indeed. You never showed any dislike towards us bringing you." The silverette says, calmly.
"I was showing my dislike the entire time! Then you gagged me to stop me from complaining!" Fuuka shouts back.
The Gourmet girls and Fuuka continue to bicker as we drive to the meeting spot. I just shake my head at their antics and sit down.
—————
Soon, our vehicle stops on a massive bridge, currently devoid of cars due to the time. Another vehicle then comes into sight, a six-wheeled grey and black car comes into view, before stopping in front of us. It has a black Gehenna logo on its side, and another white logo in the shape of a heart on the roof.
From the car steps out a new girl. She has short, white hair with small, black horns coming from within. She has striking yellow eyes and wears a blue and white nurse's uniform, along with a dark green holster on her side, currently holding her firearm. A matching green bag is in her hand. She also has on tall, brown, laced-up boots. Her halo is a grey-purple ring split in two, turning into arrows on either horizontal side. The inner ring has spikes within, almost forming an 'X'.
"I'm here. Where are the bodies?" She says, monotonous.
"Bodies?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
"Pardon me. I mean to say 'wounded'. I confuse the two sometimes." She corrects herself.
"Ah, I see." I say. Certainly not the strangest thing I've seen someone do.
She looks at a clipboard, pulled from her bag. "According to this, I'm here for four freshly wounded and one hostage." She pauses, eyeing me a bit. "You don't seem to be from the Justice Task Force. Just who are you?"
"And you don't look like you're from the Prefect Team." I shoot back. "Just who are you?"
"That's Joshua Sensei, advisor of Schale." A new voice explains. Stepping out from the car is...
"Hina?" I ask, surprised to see her.
"We meet again, Sensei." The short girl says with a small smile.
"You're acquainted, Head Prefect?" The short haired girl asks.
"You could put it that way, yes..." Hina says, not explaining anything. "Regardless, what are you doing here, Sensei?"
"I helped the JTF stop these girls. To lessen the political nonsense, Schale is handing them over, instead of the JTF." I explain.
"So that's it." Hina says, understanding. "We had the same thought. That's why, officially, the Medical Emergency Club will be the ones accepting the transfer of custody. I'm merely here to supervise."
"Sena. Himuro Sena, Medical Emergency Club president. It's nice to meet you, Sensei." The short haired girl says, a small smile on her face.
"And you as well, Sena." I greet back.
"If you ever have bodies- I mean, wounded- that need transporting, please let me know. We charge a flat rate." Sena adds, stoically.
"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks." I nod.
"The Medical Emergency Club is mostly removed from Gehenna's politics, hence why I asked them to do this job." Hina explains.
"I'm only interested in the deceased. I'll leave you to dirty your hands with politics." Sena scoffs.
"That's the smartest thing I've heard anyone say all month." I smile, agreeing with the latter part of her words.
"Again, they're only wounded, Sena. I doubt you've ever even seen a dead body in person." Hina deadpans.
"My mistake... but the same goes for you, Head Prefect." Sena shoots back. Death really isn't common here, thankfully.
That just means someone dying is even more of a terrible thing.
"Anyway, you have the Gourmet Research Society here, yes? Let's transfer them to the ambulance." The tiny girl says.
I nod and open the door to the JTF vehicle. "C'mon, girls."
Haruna steps out first, smiling. "Ah. It's so good to see you again, Hina." She says, not fazed by the shorter girl's glare.
Hina's glare withers as she sighs, exhausted. "Haruna... We can talk about this mess later."
"The Medical Emergency Club is here?" Akari asks. "I think I may have dislocated my elbow. Would you mind taking a look at it?"
"It ain't dislocated." I deadpan. I've seen a dislocated elbow before.
"Ugh..." Junko groans.
"Already?" Izumi says.
"Finally..." Fuuka says, relieved.
"You're the School Lunch Club president. I was wondering where you were." Hina blinks in surprise. "Since you've been gone, Juri has been... Well, I'll explain on the way."
"Juri? Oh, geez." Fuuka cringes.
"Bye bye, Sensei!" Izumi says, getting in the ambulance. Fuuka soon follows.
"Thanks for all the hospitality, Sensei." Haruna chirps. "I'll be sure to treat you to a delectable meal the next time you visit Gehenna."
"See you around." Akari chirps.
"Shut up and get in." Hina orders.
"Later." I say to the retreating Gourmet girls.
"Transfer complete. Ready to depart." Sena says, going to get into her car.
"Hold a moment." Hina orders, before staring at me intently.
"What?" I ask.
"Sensei? What are you doing at Trinity?" She asks.
"It's..." I sigh. "A long fuckin' story. Basically, I'm helpin' a group known as the Make Up Work Club pass their exams."
"So I've heard. Not much escapes us." Hina says.
"Oh? Y'all must have some good spies." I compliment.
"Something like that." She dismisses. "I'm more concerned about the timing of this job. Schale is meant to be a neutral organization. Why would you be spending so many days at Trinity at a time like this?"
I sigh. "It's a long story, like I said."
"If you don't want to tell me, you-"
"No, I want to tell you, but I know your schedule and how busy you are." I cut her off.
She looks back at the ambulance. "I have some time."
"Lemme simplify, then." I begin. "Nagisa, one of the Tea Party leaders made this club for me to figure out which one of the girls are a traitor to Trinity." Hina's eyes widen at that. "Problem is, none of them are traitors to Trinity, nor are they trying to impede the Treaty. Another leader, Mika, doesn't want the Treaty to go through so she can make peace with Arius academy, going so far as to secretly enroll one of the Make Up Work Club's members- who's from Arius- into Trinity so they can prove that they can get along. Not to mention she had the idea of Nagisa wanting to do bad shit using the Eden Treaty Organization's might. So Mika's sneaking around, doing God-knows-what and Nagisa's slowly going bat-shit insane from paranoia. To make matters worse, the girls have three chances to pass and if even a single one of 'em fails the third, they all get expelled." I finish, sighing deeply.
"...You're in a very tight spot, Sensei." Hina says, after a moment.
"It's a shit-show Hina." I correct. "This entire mess has done nothing but remind me of just how much I hate politics. Though... there have been some nice moments. The four girls are getting along swimmingly." I joke. "So there's that."
"This situation is rather complex. There's no way to know who is telling the truth and who is filling you with lies." She says.
"Perception is reality, or in this case, truth." I say.
"I'm not sure whether to call you cautious or optimistic." Hina says.
"Better to go with both." I lightly jest.
Hina shakes her head. "Are you sure it's okay for you to divulge this information to me?"
"You're one of the most trustworthy people I know, Hina." I say, serious, dropping my smile.
Her beautiful, purple eyes widen in shock. "There's that bad habit of yours again."
"I told you, I don't have a case of foot-in-mouth." I smirk. "And you need to stop that bad habit of shrugging off my compliments."
"Well, that's..." She sighs. "The Eden Treaty being a cover for a military alliance is an interesting perspective..."
"Then how do you see it?" I ask.
"As a peace treaty. Nothing more, nothing less." Hina says. "Nagisa alone wouldn't be able to control the ETO through the signing of the treaty. Makoto, the chair of the Pandemonium Society, will have the same authority as her. And the authority will be further divided among other members of the Tea Party and Pandemonium Society to ensure the ETO isn't abused by one person's will or lose sight of its original purpose. The latter is theoretically possible if they all conspired together. Though if it were that easy for them to cooperate, there wouldn't have been a need for the treaty to begin with. They would have worked on simply integrating the two academies. I also find it hard to believe that Makoto can get along with anyone."
"Heard about Hasumi, did ya?" I chuckle.
"Indeed. Though we don't know why she attacked Makoto like that." Hina says.
"Makoto said she was fat, Hasumi's sensitive about her weight." I explain, succinctly.
Hina blinks in surprise. "That makes sense."
"One thing I don't get. If Makoto's that annoying, why's she in favor of the treaty? Does she have an ulterior motive?" I ask.
"I don't think she's in favor of it at all... I was the one who pushed for Gehenna to agree to the Eden Treaty." She admits.
"Why?" I ask.
"That's a good question." She sighs. "Perhaps because I saw it as my opportunity to retire." My eyes widen at that. "Gehenna will be much more orderly under the ETO. It wouldn't be necessary for me to continue as I have."
"Hina." I say, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I told you, if you ever need help, come to me. I won't allow things to get too hard for ya."
She blinks in surprise, a blush on her face.
"We're still waiting, Head Prefect." Sena pipes up. "Have you said what you needed to?"
"Yes. I'll be right there." Hina says to her. "Best of luck, Sensei." She smiles a pretty smile.
"You as well, Hina. And keep what I said in mind." I say.
She nods and begins to leave, only to stop. "You'll keep the Make Up Work Club safe, won't you?"
"Do you even need to ask?" I retort with a smile.
"No. I suppose not." Hina says, a small smile on her face. "That's just the kind of teacher, no... the kind of man you are. Until we meet again."
And with that, Hina gets into the ambulance, which drives off, back towards Gehenna.
Staring at the slowly disappearing vehicle for a moment, I sigh. Turning around, I get back in the vehicle to see the JTF driver listening to music with earbuds in.
I shake her shoulder, causing her to jolt and look back at me. "A-Ah, are you ready, Sensei?"
"Yeah. Swing me over by the old annex, if you would." I ask.
"On it."
And with that, I ride back to Trinity.
Back to the lion's den.
—————
AN
Bit of a long chapter this time. I wanted to add in a few more scenes and the chapter's length got away from me. This is the first one to break 10k words. Don't expect many more.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next!