Seven years later.
Bangka Island, Indonesia.
There was a small village near the beach which are noisy in the early morning. Many sailors were already back and selling the fishes they got to feed their families in the fish market.
Between the bargaining aunties in the market, a black-haired woman appeared to be out of the norm. She was in her twenties and were using casual clothes as she went to a certain stall.
"Sir, is the fishes that I requested has been caught? I want to cook it this afternoon." The black-haired woman asked the stall owner softly in Indonesian.
The stall owner were a tan-skinned man who was sitting on the chair with his eyes closed. He doesn't seem to be worried about his catch getting stolen because the fishes were practically stored inside the ice box unopened. He slowly opened his eyes as he recognized her voice.
"Ah, it's actually you, Tiffany. Yes, the fish you ordered were in the ice box. It's the same usual price. Don't forget to return the box." He stood up and handed over the box to her.
Tiffany nodded politely and paid him directly with cash. She wasn't bothered by the weight of the box and walked away.
'Though woman.' The man murmured in his heart when he saw her silhouette from afar.
The Tiffany that he knows were a new teacher in the island. He never seen her smile even once from two years ago when she first arrived in Bangka.
He has heard of the rumors that she was accepted to teach here just because of the lack in working hands and she were half Indonesian half American.
But the students who are studying under her rebutted fiercely when they hears the rumors, to the point that they were going to fight their parents. In the end, she silenced them all by saying that she won't acknowledge them to be her students if they didn't stop. Or so he heard.
The man sighed as he continued to wait for the next person to order.
.....
Tiffany's house were situated on the remote side of the village. This place were chosen on consideration of her hobby in cultivating vegetables that needs a lot of space and no disturbance.
After Tiffany reached her home, a medium-sized black dog came to her view. It was wagging its tail and looking at her with anticipation.
Tiffany twisted her mouth before patting its head to calm it down.
"Oh, you're back teacher. I've watered the plants for you already so you don't have to do it again. As you promised, you have to share your mackerel chips [1] with me!" From her backyard appeared a teenage girl who smiled with a smug expression.
"Yes, yes. But you must clean yourself up if you didn't want to get a stomachache. Don't believe me? Look at how much of a mess you are now." Tiffany ruffled the girl's hair with her other hand as she pointed out her dirty hands and feet.
The teenage girl ran hastily to her home and shouted, "You're the best, teacher! If there are more works to do, you can call me again!"
"..." 'So you're fine with being told to work like a farmer just for some food? Aren't your parents tin bosses aka rich?'
Tiffany began to doubt the authenticity of her student's known origin in the island. But soon, her attention were attracted by the dog which was licking her knees.
"Don't be naughty Kontora, I'll take a walk with you in the evening later." Tiffany picked the dog and mumbled quietly. Kontora just stuck out its tongue innocently.
Tiffany has a habit to read-talking by herself from learning foreign languages in her past life. Added by mostly living alone in three years evolved this habit to talk normally to animals and plants as if they were people.
You guys don't need a long time to guess Tiffany's identity, right? She's Tiana.
Tiana was moved out to America by Freya seven years ago for some reasons. She wasn't allowed to say goodbye to the little brunette, much to her regret.
Sometimes she would dream of a child who draws on a drawing book with a red-rimmed eyes, and wake up in cold sweat.
Closing her eyes, Tiana remembered that night. The brunette's last warm hug and her mother's dark yet anxious face. It was like a nightmare, haunting her when she dazed off for a second.
Flashback.
Right after they reached their home, Freya clasped Tiana's hands and stared at her in anxiety.
"Tiana, we have to move out of Japan. We're not safe here, people are targeting us."
"Why?" Tiana asked, she tried to be calm as much as possible as to not influence her mother's emotions any further.
Freya just lowered her head, not answering her in a second before saying, "Sorry Tiana, mother can't tell you anything at the moment. The wall have ears everywhere. You're smart Tiana, mother knows that you understand what mother is talking about."
"But what about Tsuna? I have promised to-" Tiana's speech was interrupted by Freya.
"-We can't drag anyone in this problem! If they know even a piece of our situation, those people will investigate them! We can't!" Her grasp on her hands tightened, shaking.
Tiana froze, not used to seeing this sudden outburst from her mother. Her heart felt as cold as ice.
End of flashback.
Since seven years ago Tiana wasted her days in England by training nonstop. She would do anything to keep her mind on track.
Tiana admitted that she was a guilt-ridden person. Some mistakes could make her to be endlessly anxious.
Luckily, she had stopped dreaming about the child and started to split her activity into some parts beside training. One of these activities were gardening, because it helped her to cool her mind.
Before Tiana sinks deeper, Kontora licked her hands to wake her up. Worry evident in its eyes.
It had been together with Tiana the longest in the last seven years. Although it doesn't understand what's going on with Tiana, it still stayed by her side unhesitatingly.
"Ah... Kontora is really a good partner. I have decided to make a steak for you tonight!" Tiana hummed as her sound steps disappeared in the house.
.....
Having sent the promised snacks to her student's house, Tiana found out the real reason why her student wanted her snacks. There was a guest in her house.
"Psst, let me tell you a bit teacher. This guest is actually my father's client who came from Japan. My father kept it a secret because of our nation's past relationship." Said the little girl in a low voice. Tiana nodded understandingly.
"No wonder."
Indonesia and Japan's past relationship is not a really good topic to be talked about. You can find out about how ambitious the latter was in history books. Fortunately, their relationship weren't as soured as Indonesia's relationship with the Dutch.
"Then, I'll go back first." Tiana waves her hand and set off.
Unknown to her, the guest they were talking about was currently observing her with a slight interest from the second floor.
"Who are you looking at, sir?" The little girl's father asked cautiously to the blonde man in front of him. The interpreter translated his words.
The blonde man averted his gaze and said something to the interpreter on his side.
"He wants to know that lady's occupation."
The man smiled politely and answered carefully. "That lady is my daughter's teacher, Tiffany. She's also the one who made these snacks." The interpreter delivered his words to the blonde man precisely.
"So that's how it is. It had been seven years and she's grown up so quickly." The blonde man's expression turned a bit distant. There was a flash of reminiscence in his eyes.
'So this is her choice, huh.'
Now it was the man's turn to be surprised. He would've never thought that his client were acquaintanced with his daughter's apathetic teacher.
"You recognized her sir?"
The blonde man only shook his head. Not giving him any answer and instead paid his transaction price higher than usual.
"Thank you sir. Just take it as my gift for the information you gave me today. And if you can, please don't divulge this information to anyone else. I wouldn't want to lose my precious tin source to some prying hands after all." He grinned cheerfully as he went out, followed by the interpreter.
The man felt a chill on his back when he hear his words. He has never intended to do something like that but he clearly saw the warning in his client's last sentence.
"You have my word, sir. I won't tell anyone. My mouth is shut tighter than a locked door." His voice reverberated in the blonde man's ears.
As the two of them drive to the airport, the blonde man took out his phone and send a message.
To: Timothy
'Found the little girl in Bangka while making a transaction. She can control her abilities and now working as a teacher. She goes by name Tiffany and older face.'
P.S: Her cooking skills has improved. I've brought her snacks as a souvenir when I arrived in Sicily.
.....
One week later.
The quiet morning in 1-B class was broken by a shouting voice.
"Everyone... Teacher Tiffany were going to be transferred to Japan!" Shout a teenage boy as he panted on the door.
"...!?" Every single students immediately stand up.
The teenage boy explained himself, "I heard their conversation when I passed the principal office. I've informed the neighboring classes too."
A calmer student representative raised his hand and asked, "Where is she now? We have to prevent teacher from being transferred."
"I don't know. Maybe she already left to pack her things."
"Let's go then. We've got to be quick or it'll be too late." The calm student lead them to the school gate.
The same scenario also happened in the other classes.
———
[1]: Bangka snacks' specialty. They have various types. Search mackerel chips from Bangka in google and you'll know.