...
No matter how much time passes, nightmares still plague me, especially when I sleep alone. It's really fucking annoying, but since they usually happen around sunrise, the only problem that comes from them is waking up early since I can't fall back asleep.
That's the reason why I'm taking a stroll through the city despite the sun not even being visible yet, the sky a strange but calming blue-purple. I don't even particularly care where I'm headed, just going any which-way.
"Sensei?"
I blink, pausing my stroll as I turn and see Hasumi standing there. Huh, is the park I'm in at Trinity?
"Hasumi, hello." I smile.
"I didn't expect to see you here." The blackette smiles.
"Neither did I. I was just walking around. Are, uh... we in Trinity right now?" I ask.
Hasumi giggles at my question. "Yes, this park is on the edge of Trinity's district."
"Good to know." I walked pretty far, huh? "Anyway, what're you doin' here?"
"Probably the same as you." She smiles. "I wanted to make time to stop by the park... before getting around to today's club activities. What a pleasant surprise that I ran into you here."
"Somethin' got you stressed?" I ask, concerned.
"No, nothing in particular. I just needed some time for myself." She deflects. Guess the Treaty's still keeping everyone busy. How much longer was it, a few weeks? "This is the perfect time of day to be alone in the park. I can look up at the sky without a care in the world... and watch as the sky turns purple with the rising sun."
"Yeah, it's really pretty this time of day." I nod.
She smiles. "The sky is this color for only a few minutes each day. You have to savor it. I've never been much in the way of a conversationalist... but a sight like this speaks for itself, doesn't it?"
"Yeah." I agree.
"...I must sound like a whimsical old woman right now, don't I?" She asks, half-chuckling.
"Nah." She sounds nothing like Hoshino.
"Pardon me. It's a bad habit of mine." She says. "Brief though it may be, I'd like to share it with you."
I smile. "I can sit for a little while."
----------
After spending time with Hasumi for a little while, I decided to continue my walk. A bit later, I got a slightly worrying text from Hifumi.
Why are there so many people suffering in the world? I wish I knew a way to make everyone happy...
It always pains me that I can't do anything to help them.
Where's this coming from? You worried about something?
No, it's nothing...
...Well, I'm in the area, I suppose I should go and check on her... And maybe Mika too. That idiot had better let me in.
----------
She didn't let me in. I'm gonna come in anyways next time, I fucking swear. As I turn a corner in the hallways of Trinity, I jolt, nearly running into someone.
"Oh, Mashiro. Sorry 'bout that." I quickly apologize.
"Oh, Sensei. It's fine. It's good to see you again." The sniper smiles.
"Same." I nod, before noticing what she's carrying. "Whatcha got a sewing kit for?"
"Ah, well I tore my skirt on a mission earlier. I borrowed this from Hasumi so I could stitch it up." She explains.
Looking down, there's a big gash on the side of the skirt, almost making it resemble Hasumi's. "You don't have a spare?"
"No. Plus the seam might rip if I move too much... It will have to do until a new one arrives." The blackette says. "I would borrow one, but Hasumi's would never fit, and Tsurugi's are always covered in the blood of her enemies." Or the blood dribbling from her halo. "Getting replacement Justice Task Force uniforms can be a real pain, even within Trinity."
"Sound like a pain." I grimace.
Mashiro nods, before a thought strikes her. "Are you curious as to why our uniforms are black, whereas the regular students wear white?"
"Kinda." I admit with a shrug.
"It's so the blood we spill of our unrighteous enemies- like those from Gehenna- won't be noticeable on our uniforms." I had a hunch. "Again, take a good look at Tsurugi's uniform. I can slaughter my enemies without worry so long as I'm wearing this uniform."
I raise an eyebrow. Is she fucking with me?
"That... was supposed to be a joke. Did I push it too far?" She asks, cautiously.
"Jokes are supposed to be funny, Mashiro." I deadpan.
She hums. "I'm well aware that I have not been gifted with a sense of humor. People tend to be terrorized whenever I crack jokes. I wonder why that is."
"You looked pretty serious when telling that one. Maybe that's why." I theorize.
"That is one possibility." She smiles. "I should clarify that we do not wear black uniforms for fear of bloodstains."
"Of course. You'd wear red if that were the case." I joke, making sure to smile.
Thankfully, it gets a chuckle out of her.
The two of us went to an empty classroom and talked for a while as she sewed up her skirt.
...Mashiro has nice thighs. That's what I'll take away from this meeting.
----------
After going separate ways from the sniper, I sat out to find Hifumi, which wasn't too hard in the end. She, too, was in an empty classroom. As I entered, she sighed despondently.
"That was a long sigh." I comment.
"Wah?!" She jumps, whirling around to see me, a smile on my face. "S-Sensei! When did you get here?"
"Just now." I shrug. "I figured I'd come to check on ya."
"You were worried after that text, huh?" The blonde asks, earning a nod from me. "Sorry. I didn't mean to concern you..."
"It's fine. What's gotcha so worried?" I ask.
"Actually, it's not me I'm worried about. It's one of my friends..." She admits, slightly sad. "The thing is, my friends often come to me for advice. Maybe it's because I look so calm. One of them came to talk to me today, but there was nothing I could do for them... All I could do was repeat what they were saying. I added nothing... Maybe if I weren't so ordinary and had real talent, I could have helped them... I'd be so happy if I could just be there for them, It's been weighing on me a lot today." She laughs sardonically. "I'm pretty pathetic, aren't I?"
I sigh. "Beating yourself up like this is what's pathetic. I have no idea how you got the idea that you're ordinary or boring into your head, but your kindness clearly isn't ordinary. An ordinary person wouldn't be beating themselves up over something as simple as not being able to help a friend once."
"But... I wasn't able to do anything for them..." She weakly argues, slightly blushing from my praise.
"You listened to them, Hifumi." I say slowly. "You're giving them your support. They depend on you. So stop thinkin' you're useless."
She remains silent for a while, mulling over my words. "I have to stay positive so that I can cheer them up, don't I?"
I nod. "That'd be the best thing you can do for them."
Hifumi smiles brightly. "Thank you, Sensei. I feel a lot better now."
"I'm glad to hear it." I smile. "Sometimes people just need someone to talk to. Bottling shit up is never good." I know that all too well.
Hifumi nods in understanding. "So, Sensei, I'd like it if... you were that person for me. Because I depend on you too, Sensei!"
"Anytime."
----------
Upon leaving the academy, I got two texts at almost the same time. That happens a lot, huh? Anyway, the first was from Hifumi.
Thanks for listening to my concerns, Sensei. Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I feel a lot better.
Um... If it's okay with you, can I come again the next time I have a problem?
Like I said before, anytime.
Thank you, Sensei.
That girl is way too sweet. Speaking of sweet, I got a text from Kazusa as well. Haven't heard from her or her group since I met Ui, huh?
Hello, Sensei. This is Kyouyama Kazusa.
Um...
Are you busy right now? Let me know.
I'll be waiting for you. Thank you.
...Weirdly formal and informal message, Kazusa.
Yeah, well...
I feel like I have to be polite because you're a teacher.
Well you can be informal with me, I don't really mind it.
Okay, then.
Anyway, you replied, so I guess you have time?
Yup. I'm free.
Kazusa then sent me a location where we agreed to meet.
----------
Sure enough, it was a cafe in Trinity. I figured as much. Smiling and shaking my head, I walk inside and see the cat-eared girl waiting.
"Oh." She blinks upon noticing me. "Hi, Sensei. You got here pretty fast."
"I was close by." I shrug.
"I was worried you'd be busy today." Kazusa admits. "Well, I called you because... It's not a big deal, but I brought something I need help with..."
"Oh?" I blink.
"So, you see..." She trails off, before pulling a bunch of papers from her bag. I raise an eyebrow, expecting an answer. "They're practice questions. The make-up exam is right around the corner." Huh, never thought an exam would make me nostalgic. "I doubt it will be that hard, but I'm having a little trouble on a few things."
"You doing alright in classes?" I ask, curious.
Kazusa deadpans. "That's so straightforward. You're lucky I'm not sensitive."
I let out a bark of laughter. "Well I don't know what your grades usually are. I just wanted to make sure."
"I'm not exactly killing it grades-wise." She admits with a sigh. "I'm not the worst, but like... bottom twenty or thirty percent? Hence, why I need help."
"That's not so bad. Trinity's got a shit-ton of students, so..." I shrug.
"Well I pretty much never studied in middle school." She admits with a 'what can you do' tone.
"Passing middle school without studying? That just means you're at least fairly smart." I compliment.
She smiles, a faint blush on her face. "At least you don't think I'm dumb. I've actually improved a lot recently! I study before and after class. I swear! But, I don't know... It's just a lot to catch up on."
I smile.
"...What's with that face?" She furrows her brow. "If that's a look of pity, I'm gonna punch you."
"That's rather aggressive, but no, I was feelin' proud of you." I clarify. "I'm glad to see your hard work is paying off."
She blinks, blushing slightly again. "...Thanks. A-Anyway, I don't have time to chit-chat like this. Let's start reviewing. You can have one drink on me, since you're sacrificing your time today."
I raise my hands in surrender. "If you insist."
"Good." She smiles. "I'll go order. Can you look at my questions on this problem while I do? Oh, and I was confused on this topic..."
----------
I helped Kazusa study in the cafe for a while. I ended up buying us some snacks to help keep the brain sugar up and stuff.
Kazusa lets out a groan as she stretches in her seat, causing her hoodie to raise slightly, revealing a bit of her stomach. "We did it. That was the last one. Huh... Is this the difference of having a teacher? It was so much easier to get the concepts with you teaching me."
"I'm glad to hear I was a help." I smile, happy for her.
"I can't believe I got all these wrong now. It's kinda insane." The blackette grimaces.
"It's just hindsight." I say.
"I guess so." She nods. "Anyway, I've reviewed everything, so I shouldn't have a problem with the exam. You were a great teacher, so thank you."
"You're welcome. Be sure to tell me what you scored." I smile.
----------
Kazusa and I parted ways shortly after. Shortly after that, I got a text from Koharu.
Sensei...
Where are you?
You're not thinking about something weird again, are you?
In Trinity, and my thoughts are never normal.
...?
It doesn't matter.
Ugh... I just can't with you.
If I don't keep an eye on you...
You just...
I want to see you now.
I'll tell you where to meet. I'll be waiting for you there.
...Okay.
I am so confused.
----------
Funnily enough, I met Koharu outside of a cafe instead of inside one- the place has outdoor tables.
She jolts upon noticing me. "You can sit there and I'll stay across from you. H-Hands where I can see them."
"I'm not infected with anything, Koharu, but okay." I shrug, sitting down.
"W-Well... I already ordered drinks for us. You can just sit there, Sensei." The pinkette stutters. What's up with her?
"So, uh... Why'd you call me over?" I ask.
"Well, I... I get nervous when I can't see you." She admits, only further confusing me. "So I might as well... What I mean is, I have other things to do today. They aren't too time consuming... Bu-But that's no excuse to take my eyes off of you! It's my duty as a Justice Task Force member!"
"The hell do you think I get up to, Koharu...?" I grumble, a touch insulted. My attention is then drawn to the notebook on the table. She jolts violently as I take a look at it.
"Th-This is just... I mean... I, uh..." The small girl violently stammers.
"If you wanted help studying, you coulda just said so." I deadpan.
"Well, I..." She trails off, a touch embarrassed. She then sighs, "You're right. C-Can you help me, Sensei? I just... need help studying."
I smile. "Well, you're in luck. I already helped someone else study not too long ago, so I oughta be more of a help than normal."
Pink eyes blink in surprise. "Really? You'll help me?"
I nod.
"Th-Thank you. I didn't expect you to accept so readily." She admits.
"Where are you startin' from?" I ask.
"U-Um. It starts from here." She points out.
----------
Pretty much the same thing as earlier happens again, except I'm helping Koharu and not Kazusa- studying at a cafe with me buying some snacks. What an odd thing to happen today- twice, no less. Koharu had a lot more than Kazusa and struggled understanding the basics, but she sped along one she figured that out. Matter of fact, the sun began to set once we got about done.
"And that's the last one." Koharu says.
"Good work." I praise.
"Is it really over? How did I finish so quickly?" She asks herself, surprised. "I can hardly believe it."
"You were just havin' trouble with the basics. Once you got that down, the rest was easy." I explain.
"Sensei. This is... " She blushes, a cute smile on her face. "...Thank you, Sensei. I mean it."
"You're welcome, Koharu."
----------
The two of us stayed and talked for a while before I headed back home, the day drawing to a close. As I was cooking dinner for the girls, I got a text from Kazusa.
Sensei, did you get back safely?
I'm home. I'm in my room and gonna shower soon.
TMI.
Ah.
Haha...
Well, don't worry about it. I just wanted to tell you I'm home.
Thank you for so much today.
Anytime.
As I put my phone down, I got another text. This time, it was from Azusa.
...Huh. Kazusa and Azusa. How odd.
Welsh Corgi to Golden Retriever.
Oh, not this again.
Tomorrow is D-Day. You didn't forget, did you?
If you remember, reply back with "Yes".
Uh, no. The hell is D-Day?
...
I told you already.
This training is designed to help me adapt to life here.
Ah, right. We never really set a day for that, did we?
Well, sure, I'll help ya out tomorrow.
Welsh Corgi will be ready.
Good lord, Azusa... I can't keep track of these damn codenames when she keeps changing them like that.
----------
The next day began much like the last, I walked to Trinity- only this time I knew where I was going. I headed towards Azusa and I's meeting place- a street in Trinity's business district. I passed by a lot of shops and the like for a while before I found her- her long, silver hair really standing out in a crowd.
"You're right on time, Sensei. I've been waiting for you." Azusa greets with a small smile. "You're in charge of today's training session. I'm ready for whatever you decide to throw at me."
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. She's still overly serious about this.
Azusa continues, "So, what should I learn first? Tell me everything I need to know to adjust to life here."
Honestly... "First things first, we figure out what you want to do and do that."
"Come again...?" Purple eyes blink. "Do you... not have anything planned?"
"Nope." I shrug, popping the p.
"Did you really not prepare anything at all?" She deadpans, looking rather disappointed in me.
This time, I DO roll my eyes. "Best not to plan to meticulously, plans usually end up going wrong some kinda way."
"But, Sensei." She argues. "The world relies on structure. It would be nothing without planning. The same goes for operations and missions. You can't just do whatever you want without being prepared. You'll never accomplish anything, even in your daily life..."
"I didn't say I was against plans, just planning meticulously." I clarify. "Besides, you're comparing us spending time like this to a mission, when it ain't. This is us spending time together, just like how Trinity students would- simply enjoying a day together. Not planning anything out, simply going where the wind takes you... so to speak." I shrug. "What you need is a little dose of inefficiency, Azusa."
"Is that what you think?" The transfer student asks, still unsure. "Fine. What must I do to be less prepared?"
"Dunno." I shrug. "You can choose. Is there anywhere you want to go?"
Azusa blinks. "I-I'm supposed to follow your instructions. Isn't that the point of training? Why would I be the one to choose?"
"Because, as I said, when two people spend a day together, they don't just go where one of them wants to. It's only fair you choose as well." I explain.
Azusa remains silent in thought, "Well, in that case..."
I smile. "Don't overthink it either."
"Huh? But I need to make sure I'm making a wise decision..." She weakly argues.
"You don't need to be smart, be spontaneous." I chide, nearly throwing my arms in the air with how fed up I am. She really WAS pushed to be a fucking soldier, huh? "Do what you want to do, don't just do what others want you to. You ain't in that district anymore, you don't have to follow rules and orders all the time. The first step of learning how to have fun and relax is to have fun and relax."
"I... I don't... This is so confusing..." She bemoans.
"Jesus..." I mutter, rubbing my forehead.
Azusa remains silent for a long while, before uttering, "Dessert."
"Hm?" I question.
"I... want a snack, so would going to a dessert shop... work?" She slowly asks.
"I don't see why not." I smile, glad she's got something. I was nearly grasping at straws there. "Matter of fact, I went to a place nearby to help someone study yesterday." I explain, beginning to walk off.
"W-Wait! Sensei! I haven't made my final decision yet!" Azusa protests.
"And you won't if you keep overthinking it! Come on!" I shout back.
----------
And so, I led Azusa to the same place I met Kazusa at yesterday. Unfortunately, the girl was still very, VERY hesitant, so I just ordered a few things that looked good and sat down at a booth with her.
"You say you helped someone study here yesterday?" The silverette asks.
"Yeah. It's kinda funny, actually." I smile. "Today I'm here with Azusa, and yesterday I was with Kazusa."
Purple eyes blink. "Our names are... similar."
"That's why I said it was kinda funny." I nod.
Pretty quickly, the employees bring our snacks. Azusa looks around, unsure, before grabbing a pastry- specifically a bear claw. She cautiously bites into the pastry- glazed with icing and filled with strawberry stuff-, but her eyes blow open after a second.
"It's delicious! So sweet!" She cries, surprised. "These ingredients, this baking style...! It's sure to cause distribution and storage issues, but who cares?! It's so delicious!"
Azusa smiles brightly and her eyes sparkled as she savored each bite. Part of me was happy for her, but also horribly worried. It's like she's eating something sweet for the first time in her life...
I'm gonna beat that Beatrice cunt limb from limb one of these days.
----------
We ended up going to an arcade at the local mall next.
"Ugh. You have to be kidding me. I lost?!" Azusa all but shouts, looking more pissed than I've seen her. "This game must be rigged. Why would people play this trash?"
"Some are, but it's hard to tell sometimes." I explain. "Except claw machines, those are ALWAYS rigged."
Azusa grumbles. "In fact, playing games is a waste of time. What do you get out of it? It's completely pointless. I just can't stand it!"
I sigh. "Really? You're rage-quitting after one try?" I then smirk, deciding to lure her. "Didn't think you were the type to give up so easy."
The silverette pouts- an adorable sight to be sure- before turning back to the machine. "M-Move over! I just thought of a way to win!" Sure enough, she goes right back to it, more determined than ever. "This is it. I'm gonna destroy this guy!"
Huh... Her vocabulary became less stiff for a moment there. I don't hide my proud smile. She's really enjoying herself, huh?
It took a dozen and a half tokens for her to beat... the first stage. I almost had to drag her away to stop her from attempting the next one. Deny it she might, she looked over the moon once she won.
Afterwards, we went to other places within the massive mall in Trinity- a restaurant, a karaoke bar (which was a first for me), the movie theater, and other places. One thing was a constant at every single place we went: Azusa refuses and is super negative about the whole thing, then she gets super engrossed in whatever we were doing rather quickly, despite earlier protests. It was a bizarre thing to be sure.
Before we knew it, it was late in the afternoon.
----------
"We were so busy that I lost track of time." Azusa blinks, looking at her phone. "What now? Where should we go next? I don't know what to choose..."
I hum in thought, looking around the mall. Then, I spot the perfect place. "There."
"U-Um, okay. If you really want to." She agrees, once again wary of something new. Though, it ain't too new.
Azusa and I enter the shop, only for her to freeze in shock. "This...! This is...!"
"I'm shocked you never noticed the Momo Friends shop after passing by it so many times today." I smile.
Before I know it, she's running all around the shop, stars in her eyes and a big smile on her face. She looks like a kid. Then again... she IS a kid, isn't she? Once again, I feel a deep contempt for that Gematria bitch.
A bit later, Azusa ends up sitting down on a colorful bench, hugging a black stuffed toy that kinda resembles a demon with a skull mask.
"I've never seen so many cute plushes!" She cries happily. Her face is red, torn between happiness and embarrassment. "Th-This is so embarrassing..." She admits, her wings flapping once or twice every now and again as she hugs the plush tightly to her chest.
I smile, cause Azusa to narrow her eyes at me.
"You're going to tease me, aren't you? I know you too well by now." She accuses, her mouth hidden by the demon plushie's head. "Well... I'm used to it now. I don't mind it coming from you."
"You sure about that?" I tease, causing her to look away... right at the plush in her hand.
"Ugh! It's so cute!" She cries, practically strangling the thing.
I chuckle. "It's nowhere near as cute as you right now."
"?!" Azusa freezes, hiding her bright blush behind the plushie. Despite that, she looks at the plushie again before nuzzling it again. I wonder if she notices she's giggling right now? She halts doing that, opting to look at me with a strange look... What is she thinking? "I'll have to come back sometime."
Azusa then stands up, still holding the demon plushie. "Was this what you had in mind from the beginning? You were planning to bring me here all day, weren't you?"
"No, this was just a spur of the moment." I deny. "I only wanted to go in 'cause I thought you might enjoy it. It's no different from the other places we went."
"H-How can you be so..." She pauses, looking for the right word. "...carefree?"
"You'll miss all the little stuff if you stick to a plan too close." I say. "Ever hear the saying 'It's the journey, not the destination'? Enjoy the trip as it's often more fun that getting there."
"You're saying... that if everything had been planned today, I wouldn't have had as much fun as I did?" She asks.
I nod.
"...I'm finally starting to understand." Azusa says, before smiling. "Today's training was invaluable, Sensei."
"Glad to hear it." I smile back. I'm just glad she's loosened up a bit.
----------
Azusa and I spend a little while longer together before we parted ways, the sun beginning to set. As I walked back home, she texted me.
Golden Retriever.
This is Welsh Corgi.
What's up? Forget something?
...
Nah, I just felt like texting.
I stare at the text for a long while, before smiling and putting it back in my pocket. She's definitely a lot more relaxed now.
I'm happy for her.
----------
AN
This chapter was shorter than usual, but I felt like it didn't need to be that long.
Dammit, writing Azusa in the cafe made me want a bear claw.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next!