...
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
The next morning, Yuuka and I woke up to screaming again. Why...?
"Mmmm..." The purplette groans, sitting up. "Dammit, Koyuki." She says with gritted teeth and narrowed eyes.
"Muh." I grumble, getting up. "Lemme go check on her."
Okay, what is that idiot shouting about this time? At least it's morning and not the middle of the damn night.
Quickly, slipping on some clothes, I walk downstairs briskly. Once at the dining room, I find Koyuki on the ground, terrified with tears prickling at her eyes. What's got her so scared? It's Wakamo, standing over her with a red and black aura around her. Did Koyuki make her angry or something?
"What are you two doing?" I ask, a touch annoyed.
"Ah, don't mind me, Anata-sama. I was merely catching a sneaky rat." My masked girlfriend says. I can hear the grin behind her kitsune mask.
"A-And I told you! Se-Se-Sensei let me stay the night!" The pinkette argues, stuttering in fear.
Sighing, I grumble out the words, "Girls. No fighting in the building." I then turn to Wakamo. "And no threatening guests. This is a SAFE place."
The fox's posture relaxes, "Very well."
Koyuki sighs loudly in relief as she stands up shakily. "Well, now that I'm fine... I'MGOINGBACKTOMILLENNIUM,BYE!" She shouts out as she runs away as fast as her legs can carry her, breaking into a sprint as soon as she's standing upright.
...I think I see why C-and-C had so much trouble catching her. I don't think she tan that fast from Neru back on the boat.
I turn around as I hear a yawn, courtesy of Yuuka stepping down the stairs. "Was that Koyuki again?" She asks.
"She just ran off. Seems she found someone scarier than Neru." I joke.
"I doubt that's possi-" The purplette begins to argue, only to stop as her eyes land on Wakamo. "Never mind."
"So it seems you WERE that Yuuka." The blackette hums. "Part of me thought you were a different girl in our little group chat."
"And a part of me hoped you were a different Fox of Calamity." Yuuka snarks in deadpan. She then sighs, "I guess it doesn't matter. If Josh is close with you to the point of dating, you can't be all bad..."
Wakamo tilts her head at the sort-of compliment. I'm just glad she seems to be giving the fox the benefit of doubt.
"Just don't hurt him or cause him any problems, and we won't have any trouble." The treasurer finishes.
"You don't have to worry about that. I would NEVER cause my love any problems. Not ever." The blackette says, wholly resolute.
Yukka's eyes bore into the eyes of the kitsune mask for a long while. After a moment, she finds what she's looking for, nodding with a small huff.
I too exhale, letting out a small breath I didn't know I was holding. Wakamo is certainly the most... controversial addition to this harem of mine. Admittedly, I was pretty worried about her interacting with the others, knowing of how distrustful she is of people that aren't me.
Hoshino seems to be accepting of her, from what I saw of the two before my date with Wakamo. I dunno about Shiroko, given they didn't interact much, but I'm glad Yuuka seems to be neutral... kinda. I've checked in on the group chat a few times and while Wakamo doesn't talk much, she doesn't seem to have much problems in the way of animosity.
The most important thing is for my girls to get along with each other. Then again, knowing Kivotos, they'll just shoot at each other for a while to solve any conflict between them- just like most everyone else in this city.
"Well, I, for one, am glad to see my girls getting along." I smile, causing Yuuka to blink, and Wakamo to perk up- both in slight surprise.
"We HAVE been talking in the group chat, you know." The purplette points out.
"I know. I've checked in from time to time on the previous messages." I admit easily. "But it's one thing to talk over phone, and another to talk in person."
"I'm not at all surprised that I'm someone to be wary of." Wakamo shrugs. "It's admittedly surprising that someone is willing to give me a chance like you did, Anata-sama."
Yuuka blinks at the fox's address of me, "If anything, that's because Josh is vouching for you!" She quickly says, red faced.
"I am aware. And I suppose I am... thankful to him for that." The masked kitsune admits, much to my surprise. I know she's distrustful of others, but... has she been lonely?
"Well, enough of all this heavy talk. Who wants breakfast?"
They both perk up at that.
----------
The two of my girlfriends that joined me for breakfast absolutely loved it. Was that the first time I've cooked for Yuuka? Speaking of, said purplette was a good bit surprised when Wakamo took of her mask to eat.
"Huh. So there is someone normal under there."
Her comment caused the kitsune's eye to twitch, but garnered no other response. After we finished, Yuuka headed back to Millennium, whereas I got back to work- having done my usual morning workout before we ate. I've been skipping it on occasion, but ninety-five percent of mornings have had me thoroughly exhausted. Sometimes, I juts have too much work to put off- kinda like now.
...Or that would be the case, if I didn't get inundated with texts all of a sudden- as per usual. Thankfully, I'm not TOO busy, so let's see who's first... Izumi, huh?
Sensei! I read something incredible yesterday.
Oh?
Yeah! I was reading this athlete's autobiography, and there was a recipe for making ordinary food more delicious!
Really? How's that?
As a member of the Gourmet Research Society, I have to look into this!
I'll show you! Come by the track this afternoon!
I'll be there.
Five bucks says it's eating after working out. Becoming desperate for food and drink makes them more delicious. I should know how good food tastes after working out. Next is... Junko.
Ugh... Why must delicious food be so expensive...
I wish I could make money without having to work.
...Huh. Reminds me of that meme of the kid in the red t-shirt getting really angry. Once, I saw it with the caption 'Why the fuck everyone have to cost money?' underneath. That still earns a chuckle from me when I think about it.
I think everyone feels that way once, but life often doesn't give shortcuts. Part-time jobs might be open.
That's true, but...
Well, you may say that, but I take my part-time job seriously.
Oh? You already have one?
Of course I do!
Well I didn't know that.
Now you do!
What an energetic girl. Last message is from... Akari? Is Haruna gonna text me next?
When you eat ramen, do you eat the noodles or drink the soup first.
Noodles first.
So you care more about the noodles when it comes to ramen.
Yup. Usually I'm looking to eat solids. If I want liquid, I can just make soup instead.
That's a fair point. I prefer to start with the soup.
Huh. Never heard of someone going for the broth first.
The thick soup of a bowl of ramen is its essence, containing its true flavor.
When you add the pungent taste of crushed garlic... Ooh, I can't stand how good it is!
Yeah. Garlic's pretty good, huh?
I often make some garlic bread using French bread, topped with a spread of butter mixed with garlic powder. It's damn good after toasting it for a few moments.
Sitting down my phone, I get back to work. It's about time to do my regular inventory check. Maybe I can get one of the trio to help this time?
----------
Speaking of the trio, the three of them, Arona, Wakamo and I ate lunch together. Inspired by Akari's texts, I made garlic bread, along with some fettuccine alfredo. As it turns out, none of them had ever had said pasta before. I wonder if it even exists in Kivotos? Anyway, they all went back to doing this and that with full bellies.
I also made enough to have leftovers.
After lunch, I was surprised to see the garlic-loving blonde show up in my office, humming a happy tune.
"You seem chipper, Akari." I smile. "Something good happen?"
The blonde smiles, "Today's lunch was delicious. I tried a tasty new restaurant today, and it put me in a great mood."
"Funny enough, I took your words to heart and made some garlic bread and pasta for lunch." I say. A part of me is just glad I had a small amount of work to have a decent amount of time to cook and eat.
"Good. You ought to fill up for lunch if you want to stay focused for the whole afternoon." Akari says, nodding to herself. "I know some good places near Schale you can try if you don't have time to cook!"
"Thanks." I smile. Coming from a self-described gourmet, I'm sure some of them are pretty good. "I'm guessin' you ate ramen for lunch?"
"Eh? How did you know?" She blinks.
I deadpan, remembering our texts earlier.
"Ah." She blinks, remembering it too. "That's right, I had a bowl of ramen for lunch. There's this new ramen restaurant that just opened nearby."
I hum, "I remember seeing something about that."
Akari nods, "It says on the menu that ten servings of the jumbo ramen are free if you finish them within thirty minutes. I ate two bowls in a row, and they were great!" She can eat a lot, huh? "They served authentic tonkotsu ramen, with rich broth and plenty of toppings."
"I'm guessing it was pretty garlic-y." I say.
"Why's that?" She tilts her head in confusion.
"You smell more like garlic than my kitchen does." I deadpan.
She blinks and blushes, a touch embarrassed. "Wow... I brushed my teeth as hard as I could, but I guess the garlic scent really clings to me. Now that I think about it, there were three whole bulbs of garlic in the ramen and I ate it all... No wonder I smell like garlic."
I blink this time. "Three in one bowl?"
"Yes, though it was a jumbo-sized bowl." She confirms.
"That is WAY too much garlic to consume at once. One is bad, but six? I hope your stomach is fine after all that." I say, worried.
Akari shakes her head, "It's okay, Sensei. I can eat a lot of food."
"Not the point. Lots of garlic can cause digestive issues and heartburn." I clarify. "Don't go too overboard with that stuff."
The blonde gourmet pouts, "That's a fair concern... Hmm. I don't want to smell like garlic in front of you, but I don't want to eat tonkotsu ramen without garlic, either... Oh, what to do?"
"Why does it matter if you smell like garlic? The stuff ain't too bad." Unless you're a vampire, supposedly.
"But this is a serious issue for me!" Akari snaps, frowning. "I love eating all kinds of delicious foods, but I don't want you to remember me as that one student who smelled like garlic."
"I'm sure there are other things to remember you by, Akari." I deadpan.
However, she ignores me, "I need to come up with a solution."
After a while of thinking, she eventually gave up and left.
----------
As the lunch hour passed, I decided do something nice for the girls before I go and meet Izumi over at Gehenna. I walk towards a cafe not too far from Schale, desiring to buy sweets for the trio, Wakamo, and Arona. They've all been a big help, so they deserve something nice for their hard work, y'know?
I go inside the chain cafe- that has stores in a few districts-, only to be greeted by-
"Welcome to L'Oiseau Bleu!"
"Junko?" I blink as she, of all people, greets me. This is where she works?
"Sensei? What in the world are you doing here?" The redhead blinks, eyes slightly wide.
I resist the urge to snark. "Just picking up a treat for some friends as a reward for them workin' hard."
"Friends plural? From this pricey place?" She asks. "I guess that's the advantage of being an adult with a credit line." Schale work DOES pay well. "You don't know how good you have it. Adults can have dessert whenever they want!" Not over the past five years of being an adult.
I roll my eyes, "I take it you're working here?"
"Yup. Part-time." She nods. "I need it to fund my spending habits. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, not to mention all the snacks between meals... Why do high-quality ingredients have to be so expensive? How is a student supposed to feed herself?!"
"Buy cheaper ingredients." I deadpan. "Epicureanism is fine and all, but you don't have to stick with that ALL the time- Gourmet Research Society or no. Cheaper stuff can be just as good- what matters is how you cook it."
Junko blinks. "I suppose you have a point."
I nod. "You don't have to work TOO hard for good food."
"I'm not working too hard though." She points out. "It's not like I'm the one doing the baking. Besides, L'Oiseau Bleu lets its employees take the leftover sweets home." Some bakeries do that too. "So I get to eat sweets I'd never be able to afford for free. What more of a reason do I need to work here?"
I shake my head at her obvious, unabashed gluttony. "So, any recommendations?"
"Recommendations?" She blinks. "Let's see... The whole menu is good if you ask me, but my personal favorite is the Mont Blanc right in front of you." Sounds like it's in the right place for a cafe with a French name. "We don't sell many due to the price, but it's worth trying for the rich flavor of creamy chestnut paste in harmony with the crispy meringue! I was lucky to get a leftover for free... and it changed my life!"
I haven't had a Mont Blanc except for that one time in Paris... It was a real 'calm before the storm', needless to say. Might as well reminisce on that moment of calm, before my Parisian adventure was well and truly fucked. I look at the price, only to grimace. Well, it's still cheaper than that thing Yoshimi got the other day. One for each of us oughta be roughly the same price as both of those.
"Fuck it, six of 'em, please." I decide.
The redhead blinks at the number being ordered, but shrugs, "Great choice. You won't regret it!"
An idea comes to mind, "Actually, make it seven."
Behind the counter, she shrugs again, ringing up and bagging seven of them. Taking the bag, I pull one out and hand it to her. "Here. Keep workin' hard."
Junko blinks, her wings flapping once. "Really?"
I wordlessly nod.
"Th-Thanks..." She says, taking it, her face slightly red.
"Good luck, Junko." I say, leaving the store.
----------
The girls loved it, as did I. It was damn good Mont Blanc. After they happily ate their treat, I headed over to one of the tracks at Gehenna to meet with Izumi. I'm probably about to burn those calories from the Mont Blanc off, aren't I?
"Sensei! Over here!" The grayette loudly chirps, waving at me. She's wearing a different outfit: a white t-shirt with a red collar under a red and white tracksuit that's mostly unzipped- likely due to her large chest. Below she wears a pair of red bloomers, short, white socks, and black and white tennis shoes.
"Hi, Izumi." I smile, walking over to her. "So, what's your plan here?"
"Here, Sensei." She smiles, handing me the book. I'm not saying that dumb title. "This is the book I read yesterday. I found something truly amazing in it. After seeing the title, I knew I had to read the whole thing. So I consumed the book like I was in a trance."
I raise an eyebrow.
She takes the book back and flips to a page, "Let me read you a highlight of the book, Sensei! 'As a triathlete who does intensive exercise, I really like eating. While there's a myriad of delicacies in this world, there is one that I place above everything else. It's the tonkotsu cup ramen from Mitoshin'." Again with the tonkotsu?! " 'The taste of tonkotsu cup ramen always hits the spot after I return home from my daily exercise: running twenty kilometers, doing two hundred squats, and performing a hundred cartwheels'."
...What was with that last one?
She continues, " 'In a way, the flavor feels much richer than any other delicacy in the world'." She finishes, snapping the book shut. Drool beings to leak from her smile.
"Izumi?" I ask, as she goes quiet in thought. I see what she meant by trance.
"This... This it it, Sensei!" She declares, smiling brightly. "According to this book, the taste of tonkotsu cup ramen after doing the indicated workout must be a heavenly experience that no other food on earth can come close to!"
"I'm pretty sure they were exaggerating. ALL food tastes better after a hard workout." I argue.
Izumi huffs, "I prepared some tonkotsu cup ramen to see for myself! I got two, so you could have one too, Sensei. Don't worry, I didn't forget the strawberry jelly to top it off!"
I cringe, "Er, you can have the jelly."
Izumi shrugs before changing the subject, "To think that there might be a method to make food delicious without having to use expensive ingredients or complicated recipes... We owe it to ourselves to try, Sensei!"
I sigh, relenting, "Fine. Let's do it." I could always use another workout to stay in shape and all that.
The grayette beams, "All right! Let's get exercising, Sensei!"
----------
As it turns out, the athlete listed more than a few exercises. As such, Izumi and I spent the next two hours working hard.
Izumi sits down on a wooden, back-less bench, out of breath. "Hard work... feels good... You don't seem tired... Sensei."
"I work out every morning." I explain, sitting down next to her. "This is nothing compared to my usual workout."
She smiles for some reason.
"That's the end of it, yeah?" I ask.
She nods, turning over to the other side of the bench.
I raise an eyebrow, "Portable burners? Someone came prepared."
Izumi beams, "Of course! It's for my test." She then sits down two cups and opens them. "Now, pour hot water into the Mitoshin ramen..." She does so, pouring water from a kettle into the ramen. Then... Ugh. "Take some strawberry jam and mix it in..." She puts some into one of them. I hope she likes it. "And... now we wait three minutes!"
For the next three minutes, Izumi patiently watched the noodle cups, her anticipating growing with each second.
"Come on, come on..." She says, still watching the cups like a hawk.
beep beep
Her phone's timer goes off, causing her to jolt. "Okay, Sensei, it's done!" She chirps, grabbing both cups before handing one to me.
The noodles come with little chopsticks, which we both break apart and use to eat the noodles- hers tinted red. Or, perhaps tainted red.
As we eat, Izumi suddenly makes an odd sound. "Hey! Eeesh!"
"Hmm?" I hum, mouth full of noodles, before swallowing them down. "What is it?"
"...It's just average." She says, looking disappointed.
"Average?" I ask.
"The taste is simply average, Sensei." She says, calmly. I don't think I've seen her without being bubbly. "It tastes just like an ordinary tonkotsu cup ramen! I mean it's delicious! ...But not as much as I thought it'd be... I'm not trying to be dramatic, but..."
"I dunno." I hum, looking at my cup. "That workout got me pretty hungry, so these taste pretty good to me. Maybe you just need to try out a different workout?"
The grayette hums in thought. "Maybe... each person has their own exercise routine that makes the food taste better?"
I merely shrug.
"Maybe I just need to do more research. As a member of the Gourmet Research Society, I'll never stop studying delicious foods!" Izumi declares proudly. "...I'm not sure this is enough. Should I get more?"
"You've got my support." I smile.
"Yay!" She chirps.
We parted ways soon after. She really didn't understand food tastes better when hungry...? Then again, knowing about those crazy foods she thought up at the beach... I kinda worry about her grades.
----------
As I prepared to walk back home, I got a text from... Ako?
Sensei.
It's nothing serious, but...
Please let it actually be something serious this time.
I wouldn't be contacting you otherwise!
The security cameras.
That's...
The time you vented to me in the diner after saying it was 'urgent'.
Gah! What is this, Bully Ako Day?!
Did something happen?
Ah!
...Yeah, exactly.
It's not that something happened.
I just...
...Maybe I should check on Ako.
----------
Night had almost completely fallen by the time I reached the Prefect Team's HQ. Sure enough, I found her in a classroom, doing paperwork at a desk.
Her blue eyes blink as she sees me come in. "Oh, my, Sensei? What are you doing here?"
"You texted me." I say. "I was kinda worried, so..."
"A-Ah. Yes. I did contact you. Whoops." Ako says, sounding tired. Despite that, she forces a smile on her face, letting out a small, fake-sounding giggle, "Thank you for your concern, but nothing really happened. It was just an average day. Nothing special about it."
"Mm-hmm." I hum, not believing her. "What's with all the paperwork?"
"There was a huge backlog of documents that needed to be dealt with... If I, the administrator, don't take care of this, then it'll never get done." The bluette explains. "Such is my destiny as a perfect manager."
"So I take it you don't need any help then?" I ask.
Ako hums, "If I leave this to you, then my workload will probably increase." That's cold, Ako. "Oh, then could you take away this box for me?" She asks, pointing to a cardboard box on the floor. "I meant to throw it away, but I forgot about it."
"Sure. What's in it?" I ask.
"This is... Let's see here..." She hums, standing up and walking to the desk the box is on, opening it up. "A bunch of garbage disguised as paperwork sent by the Pandemonium Society. My slippers I can't use anymore since they were filled with sharp objects." Wait, what? "A pet leash that has, 'Perish, dog of the head prefect!' written on it."
"Oh my god, you ARE getting bullied." I say, honestly shocked. Maybe I oughta give this president of theirs a talking to.
"What? What do you mean...?" Ako blinks. "Perhaps that was their intention, but they're just venting their frustrations on me since I'm the face of the Prefect Team." That's a bad mindset, Ako. "Well, it doesn't matter anyway. I don't mind it at all. This is my role as the manager of the Prefect Team. I can handle whatever they dish out!" She says, smiling a strained smile.
"You've gotta manage your stress, Ako." I deadpan. "I'll go talk with their president and get them to stop if this keeps up."
"Huh?" The bluette blinks, sounding a touch upset. "I can't let that slide. Are you pretending to reassure me, but the secretly saying that I'm not managing my stress well? Me, who has not one single flaw when it comes to management?"
Did I touch a nerve by accident? The fuck?
"I've seen your workload. It wouldn't take much to break someone from the stress of that paperwork alone." I explain.
"How can you say such nonsense?" She asks, looking away. What, does she think that's a small amount of work? "O-Of course, I can't say I have zero stress, but... The president is always busy, the members are always causing trouble, and I'm here working late at night. There are times when I get angry because everything is so frustrating! But still..." She sighs. "I think I'm managing to do some self-care."
I raise an eyebrow.
"Well, maybe it's gotten a little worse recently." She admits, face flushed red with embarrassment. "Nothing much has changed aside from the upcoming Treaty signing, and that I've been meeting with you on occasion."
"I'd bet it's the former." I deadpan. She'd better not blame her stress on me, or I swear...
"Wait." She blinks. "Has my stress gotten worse because of you, Sensei?!"
"Oh, no. Don't you fucking blame me for this." I say, upset she'd insinuate that.
"Ah, it's all coming together! Looking back, it's clear my stress has somehow become even more severe since I met you!" She accuses.
"Ako." I say, warningly.
"You're always making me worry- you're a bit of an eyesore! You're annoying, and at times you fill me with rage! You're the one that keeps stressing me out!" She accuses, pointing at me.
I narrow my eyes.
"Yes, now I understand!" She continues to rant and rave. "The blackout, the broken elevator, the burnt croquette, the bread I put in the fridge that expired, all of it... It was all because of you, Sensei! No matter how you look at it, it's your fault!"
I inhale and exhale slowly, trying to calm myself. "It just sounds like you're taking your frustrations out on me."
"What?! What nonsense! I've never done that!"
"At the cafe." I remind, causing her to flinch. "Now who's the one speaking nonsense?"
She blinks, before smiling, "I just can't seem to get through to you."
Okay, I'm REALLY starting to get mad. Here I am, wanting to come and check on her because I'm worried about her, and she starts blaming her goddamn problems on me?!
"Fine." She huffs. "Then would you like to make a bet?" No. "The loser has to wear a leash and bark like a dog."
My eye twitches. I inhale slowly, then exhale slowly. Staring Ako right in the eyes, I say, "Okay. Let's do it."
Ako remains still for a moment. "...What?!"
"I accept the bet. Let's do it." I clarify. I'm feeling pretty upset right now, so fuck it.
"W-Wait... That's... If you suddenly accept..." She stammers. "I mean, even if we do bet... there's no way to confirm a winner or a loser in a scenario like this..."
Then why suggest the bet?! Fuck it, "Let's decide it with a coin flip, then."
"What?!" Ako shouts. "A coin flip?! You want to decide based on something so random? C-Can we do that? You're a teacher right? Are you sure this is okay?"
...What's with this personality shift? Felling a touch unsettled, and still a bit angry, I say, "Are you running away, Amau Ako?" Hook.
"Guh!" She flinches. Line. "Wh-Who's running away?! Fine! It's a bet! We'll flip a coin, and whoever loses has to wear a leash and bark like a dog!"
Sinker.
Ako pulls out a coin from her pocket. "Heads or tails! Call it, Sensei. If it lands on the opposite side, then I win! But I get to flip the coin! That makes it fair, right?"
I nod, "Heads."
"Fine. Then I'll bet tails." She huffs. Ako flicks the coin into the air, grabbing it as it falls, then slamming it down on her other forearm. "Are you ready? I'm checking the coin."
I cross my arms.
"H-HEADS?!" Ako shouts.
Ah. Sweet, sweet vindication.
"Uh, w-wait..." The bluette stammers, worried. "Sensei, l-let's talk about this." She asks with a nervous smile.
"Nope. Now, on your knees." I smile back.
"What?!" She shouts again. "W-Wait, Sensei? Are you serious?! Here?!"
I nod, still smiling widely.
"S-So... Uh... S-So... Uh... Wh-What if someone comes by?" She asks.
"I'll keep an eye out." Besides, I don't care about my reputation. It's been rock-bottom for five years, so...
"But, even if you do..." Ako says, still trying to weasel her way out.
My smile widens.
"Uh..." Her eyes widen.
Rolling my eyes, I grab the collar from the box and quickly snap it around her neck in one, swift motion.
"Eh? Se-Sensei...?" Ako asks, looking REALLY worried now.
I smile my widest, sweetest smile possible. "On. Your. Knees. A~ko-chan~."
Ako's face is instantly filled with a tidal wave of emotions, ranging from rage to embarrassment; regret to shyness. Her face goes beet fucking red, causing all rage to leave my body. This is what she gets for running her mouth. Pitifully, Ako bends down and stands on her knees.
"You're going too slow." I deadpan, pulling on the leash.
"Ah!" Ako shouts, being pulled forward by the neck. She throws her hands out to stop herself from faceplanting. Now pretty much on all fours, she looks up at me with tears and rage in her eyes. "Ugh... I can't believe this happened."
"Well, maybe if you didn't run your mouth..." I say in a sing-song voice.
Ako grits her teeth. "I will never forgive this humiliation!"
She isn't learning her lesson it seems. A devilish idea comes to mind, "Okay. What should I do next?" I hum to myself.
"Ah! Please, wait!" She cries. "Anymore than this is different than what we agreed on!"
"Too bad. I'm still angry at you." I deadpan, "Hmm... Maybe I should take you on a walk?"
"A-A-A walk?!" She shrieks, red faced. "How? Like this?"
"Yeah. It's not too late, I'm sure the dog park's still open." I smirk.
Ako growls- funnily enough, like a dog. "Th-That's definitely..."
"Ako." I say, losing all joking tone in my voice, causing her to flinch. I stand on one knee in front of her, pulling her closer to me via the red leash. She stares into my eyes with a variety of emotions. "I came by to check on you. I was worried about you. Then, what do you do? Start blaming me for this and that, for no apparent reason." She flinches again. "It really made me fucking angry, Ako. But more than that, it made me disappointed in you."
Then, her rage falters. She speaks up, teary-eyed, "S-Sorry... I meant to tease you a little, but it got out of hand..."
My features soften. Finally.
Ako looks away and back at me a few times, "H-How long do I have to be like this?"
"The bet was to bark, so..." I say.
Ako flinches again. "W-W-Wan... wan..."
"Good." I nod, taking the red collar off her.
Ako grumbles as she stands back up, "...So humiliating. I've never been treated like this by anyone!"
"Well, maybe you shouldn'ta made that bet." I chuckle out. "Still, I mighta gone a bit too far there. Sorry."
Ako's blue eyes blink in surprise before she smiles. "Well, fine. I shouldn't have been trying to blame everything on you... I guess I was just frustrated..." She sighs, "For some reason, I can never manage to hide my feelings when I'm with you."
"That's... nice of you to say." I say, slowly.
"Well, shall I say I feel a lot more relaxed..." She continues, before clearing her throat. "Anyway! Let's just call it even!"
I chuckle. "Fine by me. Just don't stress yourself out so much, Ako."
She nods, "Very well."
I smile, "I'll be goin' then."
Ako nods again, before sitting down at the desk with papers, seemingly eager to get back to work.
As I leave the classroom, I exhale. That was an... experience... Shaking my head, I continue walking, only to blink as I see someone ahead.
"Hey, Chinatsu!" I call out.
"S-Sensei?" The elf blinks. "What are you doing here so late?"
"Comin' to check on Ako. She seemed kinda stressed, so I was worried." I explain. "I hope you're doin' well in that regard."
Chinatsu smiles brightly, "Yes, though all of us are working a bit harder in preparation for the Eden Treaty's signing."
"Ah." I hum.
She blinks, "By the way, what's with the collar?"
I blink, raising my arm to find I'm still holding the thing. I let out a long sigh, "Ask Ako."
----------
After a little chat with my lovely medic girlfriend, I went back to Schale, only to get another text from Ako.
Sensei? Did you get back safely?
Yeah. Seems I forgot to sit the collar back down.
Oh. I see. I understand now.
I'll bring it back tomorrow.
Yes.
Oh.
No, it's fine. There's no need to complicate things.
Just keep it, Sensei.
Eh?
Thanks for your hard work today. I'll see you again next time, Sensei.
...
...
...Goddammit, Ako.
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The next morning was a morning like any other. I got up, did my workout, took a shower, got dressed, made and ate breakfast before walking downstairs to my offi-
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT SMELL?!" I shout, recoiling before using the top of my shirt to cover my mouth and nose. Did someone set off a stink bomb in here?! Couldn't be Mutsuki, she wouldn't be THAT mean to me,so who-?
"Welcome, Sensei! I've been waiting for you!" A girl chirps, sitting on a chair calmly, despite the horrendous stench permeating every bit of my office.
My eye twitches, "Akari...?" I ask, calmly.
"Yes, Sensei?" She asks, calmly.
"What is that smell...?"
"I looked up solutions on the internet yesterday, and apparently the human nose cannot distinguish a smell if it's exposed to a specific one for too long." She explains. "So, my solution is this: I'll bombard you with garlic smell, so much so that you won't smell anything odd when I'm nearby!"
My eye twitches.
"All right, now. I've made some food with plenty of garlic in it for you, Sensei." Akari smiles, gesturing to the many plates and bowls of food on the coffee table. "Garlic bread, garlic fried rice, garlic dumplings, garlic pickles... If we eat lots of garlic together, its scent will be nothing to us!"
My eye twitches. I calmly inhale slowly, only to cough from inhaling too much of the smell. Okay, now I'm upset.
"Wakamo!" I shout.
"Yes- OH GOOD LORD!" She shouts, grabbing her mask tightly as she comes downstairs.
"Please teach Akari why you shouldn't stink up someone's office." I say, calmly.
I can feel Wakamo's smile behind her mask.
Akari chuckles awkwardly, "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"
"Try not to break anything, Wakamo."
"No promises."
"EEP!" Akari squeaks, running out of my office, the Fox of Calamity hot on her heels.
I can only groan.
I think I'll stay away from that stuff for a while.
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AN
Remember, all things are good IN MODERATION.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next!