Additional AN
To those of you, particularly on Wattpad, PLEASE stop asking about which characters will join the harem and when. I will not answer those questions. Not now, not EVER.
I will not turn this into a DxD fanfic where the harem list is at the bottom. Fuck that. You wanna know who joins? Just wait for it. Asking about when a girl will join won't make it come any sooner.
—————
...
It filled me with sublime bliss as I took the 'Out on Work' sign down from my office in Schale. I stayed up for a long while on a video call with my girlfriends, before passing out.
That was fun.
—————
"""""SENSEI!""""" My five girlfriends say and/or shout as their faces appear on my computer monitor.
"Hell-ooo~" I chirp, chuckling. "You girls seems excited."
"What the hell happened in Trinity?! We got word of a coup being attempted before it was swept under the rug!" Yuuka all but shouts.
"The Intelligence Committee got the same message." Chinatsu adds.
"Geez... I knew it was a mess over there, but I didn't expect something like that." Hoshino muses.
"I take it Yuuka and Chinatsu told the rest of ya?" I ask.
"Nn." Shiroko nods. "I should've gone to Trinity with Hoshino that night."
"Eh, it wouldn't've mattered. The coup was still a week away." The pinkette points out.
"I-I was really worried! I'm glad you're safe, Sensei..." Haruka says.
I smile. "I'm glad y'all were worried about me, but rest assured, I'm fine." I say, hoping to calm the girls.
"What exactly happened over there? You explained some of it, but..." The bespectacled Gehenna student asks.
"Yeah, let me give y'all a run-down real quick." I say, ready to explain. "Save yer questions and comments for after, please."
And so, I explained the mess to them.
"I see... It was worse than I thought over there..." Hoshino says, heterochromatic eyes sharpening like knives. "I knew politics was always a mess, but this takes the damn cake."
Shiroko blinks. "I don't think I've seen you this angry, Hoshino... Not that I don't understand it."
"H-How scary...!" Haruka whines. "To think all of those people wanted to use Sensei..." Then, she gains a dangerous look.
"Haruka." I warn, causing the purplette to still.
"How dare they do such awful things!" Yuuka shouts, positively livid. "Try to use our boyfriend like that...!" She growls.
"I can't say whether I've ever liked Trinity or not, but this certainly has soured my goodwill towards them." Chinatsu adds, upset.
"Meh, I can't say I hold it against any of 'em." I say.
"What?! How can you say something like that?!" Yuuka shouts, enraged. "Two of their leaders tried to use Schale and you for their own gain! Not to mention threatening to expel four mostly innocent girls and starting a coup!"
"Because of the circumstances." I interrupt, calmly. "Mika's naivete caused to her reach out to Arius, only to be tricked and go down a spiral of depression, seeing herself as the villain. Nagisa was overwhelmed by her paranoia and concern for her friend, and Azusa... she just wanted to be happy."
The five girls stay silent for a long while, mulling over my words.
"I don't hate Nagisa or Mika. The former was willing to help me and Abydos out a while back, even if it WAS in exchange for a favor. And Mika, she's just a victim, as much as Azusa is." I continue. "I don't hate any of them, and I can only hope you don't either."
"...Y-You're really forgiving, Josh." Haruka says, a bright smile on her face.
"No, I'm not." I say, confusing her. "I'm just tired of hating and being distrustful of others."
"...Yeah, I get what you mean." Hoshino says, quietly. "I used to really- and I mean REALLY- hate adults, same for just about anyone that wasn't a part of Abydos." The pinkette admits. "Josh was the one who showed me that not every adult and person outside of our district was that bad- that there was someone out there that wasn't completely selfish and willing to use other for their own gain. I'm tired of hating and suspecting people too... It makes this old lady feel even older~" She whines, playfully.
"I get what you mean." Shiroko adds.
"I-I see..." Yuuka says, reeling.
"It's much easier to hate someone, but it seems like that isn't that much of a good thing." Chinatsu muses.
"I-I think I get it." Haruka says. "Bu-But I think it just means Josh is a kind person."
"Hmm. That much is certainly true." Yuuka nods, smiling.
"Indeed." Chinatsu echoes.
"Nn." Shiroko adds.
"Eyup!" Hoshino chirps.
I just let out a small chuckle. "I think you gals are the kind ones, always showing me so much love."
They all blush.
The rest of the video call was spent just chatting amongst ourselves.
—————
The next day, I did nothing but laze around with Arona, who I specifically told to ignore anything not important. It was the literal definition of a lazy day. Late in the evening was when Azusa texted me something... strange.
I've confirmed there's a risk of our messages being watched.
Let me get straight to the point.
Tomorrow at 18:00. Come to these MGRS coordinates.
She then sent some numbers, which I'm sure I could figure out... in the morning.
You must come alone.
If you understand, reply back with 'Yes'.
...What the hell is this about, Azusa? If you wanna hang out, just ask me.
Sensei, you dummy!
You have to speak in code!
They're gonna find out who you are if you say your name!
You mean like you just did?
...
I have made a grave error.
Look, I don't know who 'they' is, but 'Yes'.
You're so high-maintenance...
Hello, kettle, do you know that you're black?
...Forget it.
We'll talk tomorrow. Come to the meeting spot.
End of communication.
"...Good lord." I groan. "Arona, can you figure out MGRS coordinates?"
—————
The next morning, I got a text from Hanae, one of the cute nurses I met after that mess with Binah.
Are you scared of getting shots, Sensei?
No, there's other things to be scared of. Like snakes.
I won't deny that, but that's good! Most students are afraid of pointy needles.
The older students told me that skilled nurses know how to make shots painless. If shots really were painless, more people would be okay with the hospital...
It's the same thing as medicine: The nastier it is, the better it'll make you feel.
Oh, I never thought about it that way.
Still, I wonder how they can make shots painless?
No clue.
She then asked me to swing by Trinity later, not that I minded, Azusa's coordinates led to the district anyway. What surprised me more was the text I got from Koharu right after.
Sensei.
Do you have time? It's nothing serious, but...
I have something to ask you.
Just a teacher-to-student thing.
You don't need to specify. I'm coming by Trinity later anyway.
Oh...
Alright. I'll tell you where we should meet.
I assure you, it's really about my classes.
There's no other reason.
If you want to hang out, just ask, dummy.
She sent me a date and time right after.
I sigh unconsciously. I'm glad to finally be able to go back to spending quality time with my students instead of worrying about politics and all that shit. This whole Eden Treaty mess has been one downer after another, it made me realize just how good it was that I ended up here. I was always stressed, day in and day out, for the past five years, but these girls have really loosened me up.
Before anything else could happen, I got yet another text. One from... Hanako?
Sensei. It's Hanako.
Yo.
I think this is the first time I'm texting you like this.
Thank you for making yourself available.
I have something to ask you. Do you have a moment?
Of course. I'm going by Trinity later anyway.
Heehee. Thank you.
I'll be waiting for you, Sensei.
She then asked me to meet her by the fountain in front of Trinity. I do hope she isn't up to something.
—————
"So what's up?" I ask Hanae after arriving at the Remedial Knights' building.
"Ah, Sensei." The purplette smiles. "I've been thinking about how to give painless injections, like I spoke about before."
"Anything come to mind?" I ask.
"Well, I thought maybe to just practice." She explains. "If I practice dozens, maybe hundreds of times, I'd be as skilled as everyone else, wouldn't I?"
"Maybe. I'm sure you'll get better with practice, just like with everythin' else." I say, partially lying. I'm sure she'll get better, but I don't think shots can be painless, it's a needle going through your skin after all.
Hanae giggles cutely. "I want to get better at giving quick injections. For that... Sensei! I want you to be my practice partner for today!"
"You mean... you wanna jab me with needles?" I ask for clarification. "Besides, I don't need an injection."
"Don't worry about it. I've replaced the medicine with vitamins." She waves off my concern, dodging my question. "You'll become super healthy!"
"Unless you pump me full of too many vitamins." I deadpan.
"All you need to do is sit down and lend me your arm." She says, oddly serious about this.
I let out a relenting sigh. "Fine." I say, sitting down and holding out my right arm, rolling up my sleeve.
She looks sadly at my scars for a moment, before grabbing a needle. "I'll do my best not to hurt you!" She chirps. "Now, take a deep breath..." I inhale. "And here it comes... Huh? Is that a Peroro plush flying around?"
"Huh?" I turn to her and ask.
"Dropped your guard!" She shouts, moving quickly to jab the needle into my arm-
dink
-, but the sharp needle bounces off of my arm.
"H-Huh...?" Hanae blinks.
I groan. "Hanae, you can't trick people like that, you'll end up hurting them if you jab them too fast."
"But the nurse manual told me to make the injection while the patient is unaware." Hanae argues.
"Unaware as in 'Count down from three, but jab them on two'." I correct. "Making people jolt like that'll hurt them. It's dangerous to do that when they're not ready."
"Okay..." She days, downtrodden. "Now, shall we go for a second injection?"
"I hope you've got a stronger tipped needle, that one bounced off." I point out.
"I didn't miss?" She asks, wide eyed.
"It made a 'dink' sound and bounced off. Must be the scar tissue." I reason.
"Maybe... Oh, that's right! We have a a few diamond-tipped ones!" She says.
"Diamond-tipped...?" I blink. Why the fuck would they have something like that?
By the time I left, my arm was covered in pink band-aids.
—————
A bit later, I arrived at where Koharu asked to meet. It was a shopping mall. She asked for help with her studies... at a shopping mall.
"Koharu." I call out, causing the poor girl to jolt a bit.
"O-Oh, Sensei. I was waiting for you. Thank goodness you came on time." She says, calming down from the scare.
"I try to be punctual." I shrug. "But why're we at a mall if you needed study help?"
"Well, that's because...!" She argues, face red, before sighing. "I didn't come here to goof off. I know falling behind is why I ended up in the Make Up Work Club in the first place. That's the whole reason I'm turning to you for help. And that's your job as my teacher, isn't it?"
"...I'm proud of you, Koharu." I say, smiling.
"Wh-What?!" She cries, face red.
"When we met, you kept making excuses as to why you were failing, but you've owned up to your shortcomings and are trying to fix them. I'm proud of ya." I say, honestly.
"I... You..." She tries to speak. "...Thanks." She eventually says, quietly.
"Still, why a mall and not somewhere quieter like a classroom or a library?" I ask.
She blushes crimson, silent for a minute. "A-Absolutely not! No way! Never!"
I blink. "Huh?"
"Do you really think I would do something so gross?!" She shouts, confusing me further as her cat eyes reappear.. "I-I knew I did the right thing by calling you someplace crowded like downtown! I'm not like all the other girls! I've read all about it! In an empty classroom... On top of a desk... Even on a window sill! And that goes double for the library! I know what can go on between those shelves! I've read all about it, and I'm not going to fall for it!"
Is... Is she seriously...?
I groan, rubbing my temples. "Koharu, I'm not going to fuck someone I'm not even in a relationship with. I haven't even done that with my current girlfriends, so chill out."
"Y-You..." She blinks. "A-Ah... Not again!" She cries, running off.
Why did she...? Narrowing my eyes, I run after Koharu. She's quicker than she looks, but eventually I find her in a secluded spot within the mall.
"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" I hear the tiny girl curse. "Why again?!"
"Koharu?" I ask, causing her to jolt. "Are you alright?"
"Yes!" She shouts, before shrinking. "I mean, n-no..." She says, tears in her eyes.
"Koharu, what's wrong?" I ask, softly.
"I-I'm sorry, Sensei. It's just... I always mess things up!" She curses.
"How?" I ask.
"By saying something I don't mean! I always end up doing it and causing people to hate me!" She bemoans.
"So?" I ask.
"Huh?" She blinks her teary eyes.
"So? I know you well enough to know you aren't true to yourself sometimes, and that's fine. It's nothing to be embarrassed about." I say. "There's nothing wrong with being yourself." She averts her gaze from me. "C'mon, lets go and study."
"...O-Okay." She quietly agrees.
The two of us went into a small cafe within the mall and studied for a while. I was worried for a second, but I'm glad I managed to calm the poor girl down.
—————
Putting Koharu's worries aside, I go to Trinity academy to meet up with Hanako.
"Sensei! Over here, Sensei!" I hear Hanako shout. Looking over, I see her sitting on a part of the fountain with a book on her lap as she waves at me, her bare feet in the lowermost section of the water.
I walk over to her.
"Welcome, Sensei." She chirps. "Thanks for coming."
"Taking a little foot bath, huh?" I say, raising an eyebrow.
She nods. "It's nice and cool here. I love it. This is my super special place..." She trails off with a giggle. "What do you think, Sensei? Shall we undress here?" She asks in a husky tone.
"No." I say, brokering no argument. Never mind the public nudity thing, I'm still uneasy about showing others my chest.
She giggles happily. "When you get undressed in broad daylight like this, doesn't it make you a little... excited?" She asks with a teasing smile.
"Sorry, I'm not an exhibitionist." I say, smiling wryly.
"Hmm..." She hums, looking at me curiously. "It feels like you're thinking of something you shouldn't be."
"I could say the same to you." I retort, earning a giggle from the busty pinkette.
Hanako pulls her feet from the water, shaking the water off before slipping her socks and shoes back on and hopping down from the fountain. She walks up to me and giggles. "Don't you enjoy it, Sensei? Taking them off, I mean. I love it. Sometimes, I peel everything off and walk around campus, and whenever I do, I get this strange sensation... Like, is it okay for me to be to be like this in a public place? I feel like I'm committing some kind of taboo. I read in a book that it's good for you." I don't dare ask which one. "Do you want to try it, Sensei? Who knows, you might like it. You'll never know unless you try."
...Geez, this girl.
"I ain't a fan of being barefoot, Hanako." I deadpan. "I mean, I can deal with it, but I'm not exactly a fan. Though I have heard about it being good for ya."
Hanako nods. "I think they call it acupressure. It's supposed to be good for your health. It would be neat if it caught on at Trinity. Can you imagine all of the students walking around with nothing on?" She giggles happily. "Wouldn't that be something?"
I just shake my head and laugh at her antics. "Honestly, you couldn't be any more confusing about wanting people to go barefoot."
"Hm? No! I'm talking about going to school naked! N~A~K~E~D~!" She chirps, correcting me. "Taking off all of your clothes and *bleep* while *bleep* and *bleeep*."
Honestly...
She looks at me with a smile. "Oh, come on. I'm just kidding, Sensei. There's no way something like that would catch on at Trinity. But I'm sure it would be a lot of fun... Especially for a hot-blooded man such as yourself~" She teases.
She ain't wrong. Regardless, I sigh. "...Changing the subject, why DID you call me here?"
"...Oh, yes. That's right." She blinks. "I contacted you because I had a question about classes... and I was just having so much fun with you..."
I smile. "It's fine, Hanako." I've known the girl long enough to know this is just how she is.
"So, shall we go? I know a place that's perfect for studying." She suggests.
"If you wanted to hang out, you coulda asked." I say, knowing she has perfect grades and doesn't need to study.
"Oh, don't be like that." Hanako pouts. "You can teach me all kinds of things there... Come on, let's go!"
"Go where?" I ask, suspicious.
"Huh? Well, obviously, if it's for an after-school remedial class..." I don't like that smile of hers. "We should go to the dark gym storage that no one ever goes to! Look, I even borrowed the keys..." She says, pulling some keys from her pocket.
"No." I say.
"Bu-"
"No." I reaffirm.
"Oh, my. Then... do you want to do it here?" She asks, acting shy. "In the middle of the academy plaza, in broad daylight, surrounded by all these people? That might be a little hard on me... But maybe I could try it just this once..."
"Hanako, if you don't get serious about this, I really will fuck you right here." I warn.
"H-Huh?!" Hanako all but shrieks, face turning redder than Koharu's usually does.
My serious face turns to a smiling one. "Gotcha."
"Heh?" She asks, dumbly.
"You really haven't met someone willing to tease you back, have you?" I ask, dropping all pretenses.
"Unfortunately, no." She says, recovering from the shock of my statement. "B-But, it actually is this way." She says, pointing. "There's a public library near the main building, so there will be a lot of people around. There's no need to worry."
"A crowded library?" I ask. "You sure you don't wanna go to a classroom? Or somewhere a bit quieter?"
She titters from my tease. "No, this will be fine. Let's go!"
Sure enough, we went to the library to study.
...Although she only asked two questions and parted ways with me. That girl...
—————
As the sun lowers in the sky, I walk towards where Azusa wanted us to meet.
The Trinity district sure is lively. People- adults and students- walk all around, going here and there. It isn't like some cities I've been to, but there certainly are quite a few people out and about. As I walk, I see someone standing outside of a flower shop, staring at the various budding plants inside. What makes me notice her? The mask she's wearing. Not many people go outside wearing futuristic masks that cover their entire faces.
The Arius logo on her body armor also catches my eye.
The girl has pastel purple hair done in two large braids on either side of her head and draped around her shoulders, held with yellow bows. She wears a white hoodie with 'vanitas vanitatum. et omnia vanitas.' on its light blue collar, the hood draped over her head. Her mask is black with two breathers on either side of her mouth. She wears black body armor with the Arius logo on it over a short, white dress. Two long ribbons flow from the cuffs of her sleeves. She has on black, high heeled boots and white socks, a pistol strapped to her thigh. She carries a black SMG. Her halo is a white mess of 'X' shapes floating above her head.
Azusa mentioned her friends... This is Atsuko, right? From the silverette's description, I met Hiyori a while back when I bought her a magazine. Maybe I should say hi.
Opting to do just that, I walk up to the masked Arius student. "Yo."
She jolts, whipping her head over to look at me, likely wide-eyed behind her mask.
"You like the flowers, huh?" I ask.
She nods, before moving her hands. Sign language? However, she stops mid-way.
I smile. "It's fine. I know sign language."
"..."
"Ah, you're not supposed to talk to me, huh?"
A nod.
"Well, that's fine. It can be our secret."
Hesitantly, she begins moving her hands again.
"Yeah. Never been big on flowers myself, but I see the appeal."
"..."
"Nah. I do know someone who grows them."
"...?"
"A student of mine. She... technically goes to Gehenna, but her group isn't too well-liked over there for various reasons."
"...?"
"Just weeds."
"...?"
"Yeah, she didn't know weeds suck up nutrients from other flowers, so she just has weeds right now. I'm sure she'll have some pretty flowers soon enough."
"..."
"..."
"...?"
"Yeah, that's me. How is Hiyori doing, anyway?"
"..."
"Ah. Yeah, that sounds about right. We only met once, but I kinda get it."
"...?"
"She's doing well. I was actually on my way to hang out with her for a bit... I'm guessing you don't wanna come with."
A shake of the head is my answer.
"That's fine, I suppose." I say, a bit sadly.
"...?"
"Yeah, she told me a bit about you four. Certainly a lot more than she did during her interrogation."
"..." She tenses.
"Don't worry, I don't know any dark secrets or anything, Atsuko." I placate, causing the purplette to relax a bit. "She didn't say much about you girls to Trinity either."
"..."
"Actually... Hang on a sec."
"...?" She tilts her head as I enter the store.
"...?!" Atsuko jolts as I leave the building a moment later, holding out a yellow rose.
"I don't know much about the whole 'flower language' thing, but I know yellow roses are supposed to be for friends." I shrug. "I know we just met, but I wouldn't mind bein' friends with ya."
"...?"
"Azusa's friends are my friends."
Atsuko gingerly takes the flower from my grasp. "..."
"If you don't have anywhere to put it, you could always get it pressed."
"...?"
"It basically frames the flower. I remember a friend of mine had a monarch butterfly pressed in a frame on his wall for years. The thing never decomposed or anything. The same can be done with flowers."
"..."
"You're welcome, Atsuko." I smile.
"..."
"Busy, huh? Well, I won't keep ya."
"..."
"...I'll tell her."
And with that, the mysterious girl walks off, flower in hand. I smile as I watch her leave. From what Azusa told me about Arius and her friends, I hope they're doing okay.
...Maybe I should go and break 'em out. Wouldn't be the first time I've stormed a stronghold. Plus a lot of the students were either hurt or arrested during that mess with Mika, so they should be down quite a few people. Then again, they might be pretty indoctrinated, so there's that problem too...
Tossing that thought aside, I continue to walk down the street. I've still got time, but I should try to be a bit early.
—————
Arona managed to decipher the coordinates easily last night, so I had clear knowledge of where to go to meet with Azusa. Following them, I ended up on a busy street near the school itself. There, I found Azusa waiting for me. She perked up upon seeing me. "There you are, Sensei." She says with a small smile.
"Yo. Wasn't expecting to meet up here." I say.
"Hm? Were you expecting to meet somewhere more discreet? You should know that no such place exists in Trinity." Azusa says. "You could be wiretapped, followed, or monitored at any time when near this campus. It's one big viper's nest."
"And you should know that I'm good at rooting out spies and followers." I retort. "And wiretaps? Do I have to pat you down?"
Azusa blushes at that. "T-That's not necessary. The point is that it's best to operate out in the open with so many people around. No one will suspect a thing."
"Hide in plain sight, eh?" I ask, earning a nod from her.
"See? No one's looking at us, are they?" The silverette asks.
Looking around, I see someone looking right at her- a few students. "Oh? There's that cute transfer student!"
"But who's that adult she's with?" Another girl asks.
"Could that be the Sensei everyone's talking about...?" A third asks.
I look at Azusa with a deadpan look. She averts her gaze, unwilling to admit defeat. I just shrug, "Eh, you are pretty cute. It makes ya stand out."
She blushes, but remains steadfast. "I simply forgot to bring camouflage for us. We should have tried to blend into the crowd more... a least a little..." Assassin's Creed style? "But this doesn't make sense! Neither of us are wearing colors that make us stand out! Why can't the people at this academy mind their own business?!"
"You forget just how famous I am. Sometimes I do too. Make sure to see how many followers I have on Momo Talk." I deadpan. "And transfer students always get some attention."
Azusa's eyes look to the side, an idea forming in her head. "C-Come this way!"
We dart away from the busy street and end up at a park, the evening sun lighting the whole area orange.
"This spot should be fine." She says, stopping by a gazebo. "There should be no vantage points for snipers, and we're far enough away to avoid wire tapping and tracking."
"But there's plenty of shrubbery and trees for cover." I point out.
"I... hadn't considered that..." Azusa says, a bit upset.
"Anyway, you've gotta chill. You can't live your life always looking over your shoulder." I chide. "You're being too tense, Azusa."
She shakes her head. "No, I have to remain vigilant. If we let our guard down for even a second, then..."
I just deadpan, before an idea strikes me. I point at a bush, "Look! There's someone in a ghillie suit spying on us!"
Azusa growls, whirling around as she fires her gun into the innocent bush. After nothing comes out, she pauses, before turning and looking at me, her purple eyes blinking in confusion.
I just raise an eyebrow at her.
"Uh..." She says, realizing her error. "Th-That was simply the bush rustling in the wind, Sensei."
"I know." I say simply. "But you just proved my point. Keeping an eye out for threats is fine, but you can't live life looking over your shoulder twenty-four seven. Believe me, I know how tiring that shit is."
Azusa just pouts cutely at me, before sighing. "I get the message, Sensei. Still... aside from my friends, I simply can't bring myself to trust this place. It's a strange place filled with strange people living strange lifestyles... I can't help but keep my guard up."
"That's fair. I was like that when I first came to Kivotos." I say. "I've managed to relax a bit, thank god. Part of me didn't even realize how exhausting it was to be tensed up all the time until I just... stopped." She looks down, pondering my words. "Y'know, you never said why you wanted to meet me here."
"I want to adapt to life here." Azusa says. "Despite my time here, I still know next to nothing about this place."
"Wouldn't it be better to ask Hifumi or the others to give ya a tour?" I ask.
"I don't want another student. I need the perspective of an outsider!" She argues. "The other Trinity students are already familiar with this place. They're of no use. Familiarity leads to blind spots..."
"Ah, I understand. What may seem interesting to tourists, seems commonplace to the people who live there." I realize, before pausing, mulling over my next words. "Alright. Tell me when and we can go explore Trinity. Hell, we can go to other districts too, if ya want."
"Very well." She says, stoically. Despite that, there's a clear smile on her face. "I'll contact you again soon. Oh, and while we're communicating, you're to refer to me by my codename: Penguin. Yours is Duck."
I stare at her blankly. "Why Duck and Penguin...?"
"Don't think there's a special meaning behind them! They wouldn't be codenames if there was!" The silverette argues. "Just... wait for me to contact you."
I raise my hands in surrender. "Alright."
She nods. "Until we meet again, Sensei."
As she walks off, I notice her gait is more relaxed than before.
—————
That evening, Azusa texted me.
Duck, please respond. This is Penguin
I stifle a groan.
This is fuck.
I mean Duck.
Goddamn autocorrect.
Okay. Duck.
Our mission today is extremely confidential. You must be extra careful.
End of communication.
That's all. Penguin.
Shaking my head, I chuckle. Honestly...
—————
But the texts didn't stop, as the next morning I got one from both Momoi and Midori. What a coincidence. Doing the 'eeny, meeny, miney, moe' thing, I choose to read Momoi's first.
The world of retro games is limitless, Sensei!
But even in the retro game world, the most story heavy games would be dating sims!
Not visual novels?
Not in this case!
Today, I'm going to 'simulate' a dating sim!
I'll see you out on the street, Sensei!
Okay...?
I won't deny it... I'm confused. That aside, I open Midori's text.
Sensei! I have exciting news! It's crazy!
Huh? What is?
They made a sequel for a legendary, classic, masterpiece of a game!
I got the limited edition version!
Will you play it with me, Sensei?
Do ya need to ask? I'll swing by in a bit.
Though only for a while, your sister asked me to help her with something.
She did? What?
Something about a dating sim.
Ah, right. That.
A-Anyway, I'll see you soon!
Smiling, I pocket my phone and get back to what I was doing before.
—————
"Jesus fuck..." I breathe at seeing where Midori asked me to meet her. The place was so crowded, no one could even enter the place, so I just stood outside.
"Sensei!" The green twin calls out to me. "Please be careful! If you don't pay attention, you'll get lost!"
"What the fuck is going on?!" I shout. "This can't all just be for one game!"
"Don't think of this new release as just another game." She chides. "It's a true masterpiece that came out about ten years ago, and it famously received perfect scores from reviewers on prominent gaming sites! It's a new release in the Legend of Zinda series!"
...I think Nintendo's gonna sue someone... and considering their track record...
But Midori continues, "Gamers and collectors alike all have their eyes on the limited edition special bonus. We're like hunters after rare prey... No, I mean, warriors fighting our enemies!"
"Glad you reiterated, I was about to ask if this game was gonna go the way of the dodo and get hunted to extinction." I chuckle.
"The game will go on sale in one hour." She explains. "Since there aren't that many stores to visit, we must visit them strategically."
"...You're... surprisingly well-planned." I compliment, slightly in awe.
"Of course. I've been waiting ages for today!" She shouts. "We have no time to waste! Let's get this quest started!"
—————
I then follow Midori to a mall.
"I've chosen a hypermarket as our first destination." She explains. "It only makes sense to start there. Since it's the biggest store, it'll have the most copies. It'd be best if we could get it here!"
We near the store and... "Ah. Out of stock." I read off a sticker on the window.
"'All copies of the new Legend of Zinda scheduled to arrive today are already sold out.'" She reads off. "B-Beaten to the punch?! Are they really all sold out before even going on sale?!"
"Pre-orders." I guess calmly, noticing Midori's increasing worry. "Besides, you're in a rush, yeah? Let's go to the next spot."
She nods. "Let's run!"
Shrugging, I end up chasing Midori.
The next store? Sold out.
And the next.
And the next.
It was mid-afternoon by the time Midori's list of stores had run out.
"I can't believe it's out of stock everywhere..." She says between breaths.
"Then just get the regular edition." I suggest.
"No, I can't do that! I've been waiting so long for this day!" She argues. "I can't just give up like this. Let's go check one more place..."
—————
I followed Midori to another mall.
"This is our last chance. If it's not here..." She says, looking at the store. "Oh." Sure enough, there's a limited copy. Her eyes brighten as she smiles, pointing at it. "S-Sensei! It's here! The new limited edition Legend of Zinda!"
"Sure is." I smile, happy for her.
But before she can get it, another girl runs up to it.
"Oh..." Midori says, deflating. I look down at her. "Hmm... Well."
"You okay?" I ask.
"Yes. I've really been wanting to play it, but... But I want to give other people a chance to enjoy it!" She decides. "I'll be okay, Sensei."
The green twin smiles reassuringly, but she still has this upset look in her eyes all the way out of the store. We part ways, seeing as how it was time to meet up with Momoi.
Maybe I should...
—————
Coming to a footbridge overlooking a highway, I find Momoi there, waiting for me.
"Beep! Sensei, you're five minutes late! Favorability decrease!" She says as I approach.
"Huh?" I blink, looking down at my watch. "It's three right now."
"Eh?" She blinks, looking at my watch before looking at hers, which shows five past three. She then pulls out her phone, which shows three even. "Ehehe, guess I was wrong." She says, awkwardly. "A-Anyway, let me tell you why I asked you to come here." She says, changing the subject quickly. "I want to study retro dating sims with you, Sensei."
"You mentioned somethin' like that before." I muse.
She nods happily. "The Game Development Department has been talking about researching more genres of retro games, and we talked about making a prototype. One of the ideas we had was a simulation game where you date beautiful girls." I nod, understanding. "Dating sims and romance adventure games are mostly focused on their storylines, you know? Depending on which option you choose for a particular event in the game, your favorability changes, which affects the ending."
"Yeah, I know about that all too well." I say. "So long as you don't pull a Sparks Liner High, it'll be fine."
"Sparks... what?" Momoi asks, confused.
"A bad end from an old visual novel from back home." I explain. "If you don't get enough affection points with the main interest for that route, you're locked into a bad end, technically. The bad part is that you won't know you triggered it until about an hour of reading or so. It's the only bad end that unforgiving, the rest just happen quickly."
"Geez, that sounds like a mess." She grumbles.
"Fate/stay night was a mess of a visual novel. There were three endings, four if you count Sparks Liner High, and around forty or so bad ones." I reminisce. "It's been a long time since I played it, so don't expect me to remember much of anything about it."
Momoi chuckles at my words. "Then that means you understand how it works! Sensei's favorability is currently at zero. If you don't pick the right option, you can't watch the event cutscene or reach a happy ending! Now, Sensei-" She says, holding her hand out dramatically. "-, please help me out so we can make an authentic dating simulator!"
I chuckle. "Alright then."
Momoi's face lights up into a smile as she titters a bit. "Let's go, then!"
—————
I end up following Momoi to...
"An arcade?" I ask, looking down at her.
"That's right!" Momoi nods. "Here, you have your first choice to make! You've arrived at the arcade with the heroine. What do you want to do first?"
I scan the building. "How about... the claw machine?"
Momoi deadpans. "Boo. Favorability, negative five. The heroine wasn't very interested in the claw machine!"
"Oh? But I wanted to win you a gift." I raise an eyebrow.
She jolts, looking away. "Oh... really? Hmm, if you say so, Sensei... Well, I guess this could be an exception. Because it was so sweet that you wanted to win me a plush, I'll raise favorability by ten!" I chuckle at her. "Okay, let's go!"
We ended up playing some games for a while. I also won her a plush, which earned me twenty points. It kept going up and up as we had fun.
—————
"I'm hungry..." Momoi says after we left the arcade.
"Lunch is up next, yeah?" I ask, despite the fact that it's starting to get closer to evening.
"Yes! Correct!" The pink twin cheers. "Now, the heroine is hungry! What kind of food will you pick?"
"Huh..." I think. "Isn't it usually pasta or somethin'? That's usually the standard choice, yeah?"
"S-Standard choice...!" She says, flinching, which confuses me.
"You good?" I ask.
She flinches again, blushing. "I-It's nothing, Sensei! How did you know the standard choice? That's the correct option! Your favorability is now plus one hundred and fifty! Let's go!"
We end up at a small restaurant quickly. I notice a sign on the door before going in. "Huh? 'If you eat everything on the couple's menu within thirty minutes'-"
"-'your meal is entirely free'?!" Momoi finishes. "As a gamer, I can't turn this opportunity down, Sensei!" As a gamer...? "Challenge accepted!"
...We ended up taking on the challenge.
"I-It's delicious!" I smile at her enthusiasm as I continue to eat. Thankfully, I skipped lunch while running around with Midori, which also worked up an appetite.
"Mm." I hum in between bites. "Yeah, it's pretty good."
—————
By the time we left, the sun had began to set.
I patted my belly happily. "Phew! I'm stuffed..."
"Wow, we were together for a while, Sensei!" Momoi chirps.
"Looks like it." I muse.
"It was a lot of fun!" She adds.
"I'm happy for ya. So, what about the ending?" I ask.
"The ending... What are you talking about?" Momoi blinks.
"You said the ending depends on your favorability, remember?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Oh... Oh, right! I did say that!" She says quickly, before whispering, "I was having so much fun that I completely forgot..." She clears her throat with a blush. "With the favorability you earned today being, um... it's... the g-good ending!" She stutters, clapping for me. "C-Congratulations, Sensei! You succeeded in winning over the heroine!" She says, chuckling awkwardly, her blush strengthening.
"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. You had fun, that's what's important." I smile, playing along with her.
"Oh? Are you going to let it go just like that?" She challenges, before looking in over her head. "Y-You're an adult..."
"Yeah, but all the favorability stuff was based on what you liked, wasn't it?" I retort.
"Huh...?" She blinks.
"In other words-" I smirk teasingly. "-, the heroine I won over today is..."
She pauses, confused, before jolting with a blush on her face. "I-I'm sorry, Sensei. I need to head back!"
"Oh, wait, there's one more thing to finish a date." I 'remember'.
"E-Eh? What's that?" She asks, confused.
Smirking, I bend down and kiss Momoi on the cheek. "That." I say.
"A-wawawawawawawa...!" She stutters, her eyes wide, face crimson, and brain scrambled. "B-Bye-Bye!" She shouts, running away quickly.
I chuckle as I watch her go, shaking my head good-naturedly.
—————
A while later, I get a text from Momoi, bringing a smile to my face before I even read it.
I, uh... I had fun today, Sensei.
Glad to hear it.
We can't tell anyone about what we did today!
Especially not Midori!
Eh? Really?
Yes, really! It's embarrassing! It's a secret!
Even the kiss?
YES, EVEN THE KISS!
...I can't believe you did that.
I can't believe a peck on the cheek got you that flustered.
How're you gonna make a dating sim if something like that gets you all shy?
That's...!
...actually a good point.
Anyway, keep today a secret, okay?
Okay.
You'd better be telling the truth, Sensei!
I don't even bother to hold back my laughter. Leaning back into my office chair, I think about Midori and I's adventure as well as Momoi and I's. The green twin seemed kinda down after all that. Maybe I should do something to cheer her up.
"Arona, could you search Kivotos for any remaining Limited Editions of that new Legend of Zinda game?"
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AN
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next!