Today's April 15th. It already has been almost four weeks since school term began. I'm watching the radiant sun shine in all its glory over the beautiful verdant garden that makes part of the prestigious school that I started attending this year.
Hopefully today ends as a peaceful day and not as one of 'these' days.
I turn my head back into the classroom that I am in and find our teacher bending over to use the empty space on the blackboard between its very edges.
"… and following this theorem, then applying the following equation and this is how you solve this sort of problem. If I were any one of you, I would start taking notes right now. Y'all didn't heard from me but these will be covered on the mock-up tests next week…"
"Eh?! Tests already?!" The class shouts in unison. Some even slam their hands against their desks.
"Now, now I'm innocent here! I'm not the one who's handling the tests either! So, don't shoot the messenger kids! Tch! I knew I shouldn't have gone along with Shinjirou and one of his stupid games. Fuck! Can't believe he's making me tell you all this so I carry the brunt in his place! If you worry about the students then start doing shit yourself…Next time, I'm drinking him under table for sure!"
Looking annoyed by something, I see the teacher whispers to himself while trying to pacify my disgruntled classmates.
I begin to feel rather sleepy and light-headed while I see our teacher acting as if he was defusing a bomb while walking on eggshells.
It's getting harder and harder to properly focus on his lecture or the noise of multiple desks cluttering against the floor, their sounds fading away by the second as a yawn escapes my lips.
My consciousness begins to drift away as I rest my chin against my hand. I peer at the gorgeous patch of blue and black roses one last time and slowly close my eyes.
When I open my eyes again, I find myself in the living room of my house. Well, before the remodeling long time ago. While soaking in the nostalgia, I realized that I am experiencing what some would call a lucid dream and while I can see or feel, I cannot move my body as I wish. As if I am merely a spectator of my own memories.
I look at reflection of the hand mirror next to me and that I am in the body of my six-year-old-self, hugging a lady's knee while in utter admiration as she brushes and tinges my hair in a similar manner to hers.
Thinking back then that even the sun paled in comparison to her perfectly black hair with golden meshes that seemed to go almost all the way into her waist. I still remember promising myself that once I got older, that I would grow hair just as long and beautiful as hers.
As we wait for the tinting of my hair to take effect, so my blonde hair receives black meshes at the end. I decided to only take inspiration from hers and still keep the blonde color of my mother, having some originality to myself. I ended up having the reverse of what the lady has.
Sje starts telling a little about herself. Such as her everyday life, her successful business she started herself from the ground up, her friends and lastly, about her high school student life to me. Who was very nervous pressured, as one of my future dreams is enrolling in the same very same high school she once did and after graduating, try to become a successful businesswoman like her.
I was also very anxious about how famous and renowned it is, coupled with the many tales and unsavory rumors surrounding said school were overselling how great it is or maybe even being out my league. Especially since my father is the principal and my mother is a teacher/nurse there. Even back then, I already felt it would be incredibly hard to step out of their shadow because of it.
Attentively hearing every word, I had to say, the woman smiles as she gently pats my head and hugs me. Trying to dispel all of my worries and reassures me about these uneasy feelings coiling inside my being.
"…Ai! I promise that Merry High is an amazing school in every sense of the word! Everything of the woman that you see in front of you now is owed to all my time spent there and the people that maintains the school…"
I can't see my face but I can the eyes of little me sparkle, begging her to continues to talking me about her those days, since usually avoid talking much about it.
Realizing that I was staring at her with complete glee and adoration, waiting to hear any stories she felt inclined to tell until the evening came before we even had noticed.
The woman, noticing that she had lost track of time while talking on the topic of the school, scratches her cheek in embarrassment and continues:
"You see Ai; I was once nothing but a very troublesome delinquent back when I had first enrolled there and was admitted because of my family connections. I was even known as the black sheep of my family due to how much of a rebel I was. I had piercings all over my body and face. The meshes in my hair is the only reminder left of those times. I was pretty much an outcast on both ends, who thought she didn't need anyone, only pretending to be strong, when I never knew what strength even was in the first place…"
The woman holds her breath for a moment, thinking of how to share what the feelings that she wants to convey to me, in a way a small child like me could understand.
"…Everyone around thought that I was a lost cause and either gave upon or distanced themselves from me. They were scarred by the person I used to be back them, and looking back it now, I honestly can't blame anyone other than myself for that. As some sort of return, I gave up on people entirely. Trusting nobody other than myself and ended up associating with all the wrong kinds of people there were…"
The woman then then stops for another moment, peering at the setting sun outside the window. She then closes her eyes and proceeds to speak just like that. As if to relive the moments told inside said story while she told me.
"…That is, until I met certain teacher there. In one moment, he is chasing after me and many other problem students there, always scolding us for everything we did. In the other, he tries to sympathize or resonate with you at a personal level. No matter how much we insulted, pushed, humiliated or beaten him up, he outright refused to let go or give up on any of us. Seriously, the amount of times we were dragged/forced into so many stupid games and bets during lunch or after classes because of that idiot too… and yet, looking back at it now, I can't help but admit that those were one of the best and most precious, important times of my whole life. I wouldn't be even half the woman that I am now if it weren't for that man persistence in butting himself everyone's lives no matter what…"
She suddenly gets silent, smiles tenderly and opens her eyes. The first things she finds is the sunset that had finally faded away and brought the dark night in its place, ending the reminiscing of her teenage days.
Not going to lie, I felt a little jealous that there is someone out there that managed to impact my role model this deeply. Not only for taking a huge portion of her heart with it but, also because I wonder if I ever would find someone like that doing the same for me. To this day, I sometimes still ponder with such thoughts but that is neither here or there.
Realizing that she had spaced out for more than a minute without saying anything, the woman wakes from her trance, apologizes to little me. Who was still had eyes glued at her and was listening to her each and every word so far, with glittering in my eyes that could rival stars.
Hoping to hide her embarrassment, she clears her throat and rather bashfully ruffles my now fully colored Blonde and black hair.
"Ahem! Anyways, You'll understand what I mean when I say that school is something special once you get older and see it for yourself, Ai! Especially since your parents and family are between the ones responsible for restoring that school to its former glory! It was on the verge of closure until your grandfather came around and not only renewed that school but transformed a symbol of historic pride and tourism hotspot to all of Merry City with its breathtaking garden! I wonder if he is still kicking and living the mountain hermit lifestyle. I heard from your mother that he recently adopted a bear for a stepdaughter too…"
As she muttered that last part which couldn't hear due to how overexcited I was, the man in a butler suit, who was silently watching us from behind, while leaning against the wall had just ended a phone call, checked his watch, stepped forward and puts his hand over her shoulder.
"Master, the Moron- I mean, Belgrim-San is outside with our ride. You have a strategy meeting with your sister in two hours, a company meeting with some shareholders right after that and more than five hundred documents to sign at home. We must leave now if we wish to do everything at a fashionable manner and still in today's time." Said the butler curtly.
However, the most defining feature of his was not the butler suit or the gallant air surrounding him but the very realistic pair bunny ears that were hanging above his head. I remember once pulling on them and he went completely ballistic and full of slurs, his master had pin him down until he calmed down. Since then, I started to feel afraid of him and only recently I managed to overcome that fear.
"Oh my, it's this late already? Time really passes by fast when you are having fun…" She says that with a sad smile that didn't took her long to change it into a happy and energetic one in front of me.
"Well, I guess that's how being adult is all about! Today was fun, Aika-Chan! The next I have a vacant spot in my schedule, Il promise to come and visit again! Hopefully with a premium taco, since I know you like them so much!" She says while winking at me.
"That won't be happening for the next three months at best." The bunny-eared man told her while fixing his glasses.
"Eeehhhh… Then how am I going to refill my Ai love meter or play around?" The two of us sulks in union.
"You are a grown woman now, master. If you can take only having pictures of the man that supposedly saved you and stare at it for hours, then you can take some time away from Lady Ai! Now let's get going! We also have to go over the last draft you submitted while we make our way back to the office!"
"EH?! That's not fair! Playing the mature woman card now Usami! You meanie! I want to play to little Ai some more!"
"N-O-T G-O-I-N-G T-O H-A-P-P-E-N!"
Even as his master is pouting, the butler dragged her by the collar outside towards the limo that had just parked in front of my house. Looks the driver hit the lamppost while trying to reverse again. It's probably his hundredth time hitting the same lamppost every single time she visits.
"Bye-bye Lena-Nee-Sama! Thanks for playing with me today! Come back soon!" I wave both my hands at the window of her seat as the driver starts the engine. She kindly looks at me, smiles and proceeds to do the same.
The butler entered the front seat and seems to be bickering with the driver about the scratch left on the painting again. A tanned, very muscular and tall old man, who appear to be shirtless despite working as the chauffeur...
I was so excited that I completely ignored how those two are often at each other's throats and kept waving my hand at her even after they had turned around the corner of the street. You could still hear them insulting each other from afar.
To this day, I can remember word for word said by that person who once used to babysit me and the one that I admire the most in this world, followed by none other than my parents of course.
After she ended college, it became harder and harder for her to find some free time to see me and I couldn't see her that often anymore.
As she started her own fashion business and becoming the incredibly successful businesswoman that she is now. But it's fine by me. My feelings of respect and admiration for her only grew stronger.
We still get in contact each other from time to time and she still comes to visit whenever she has the time. (Although like her butler stated earlier, that is incredibly few and far between. Especially nowadays, as she apparently has plans to expand worldwide. Making her even busier than ever.)
I then began to remember hearing the many feats my parents also accomplished with the same school alongside the weight my family name carries around the city. I am incredibly proud of my parents and our family name. I also couldn't wait to get older and finally enrolled my first year in this legendary school but now...
My daydreaming is cut short as the bell in our school began to ring, signaling the end of today's class. I let out an exhausted sigh, and slumps over my desk, face-first with heavy bags under my eyes.
"Thank god, today is finally over! Now, if the class representative could do honors." The teacher points his finger at the girl who sits next to me. She closes the handbook on her hand and stands up.
"Yes, Sensei. Stand."
All the students rise from their chairs. Like if dragging a corpse, I take all of my willpower and force myself to stand up, proceeding to do the same as the rest.
"Bow. Sit. Dismissed."
With this, everyone starts to put away their textbooks and other materials. Some have already dashed out of the door and others begin to form their groups, making conversations.
Me? I'm so exhausted that my leg strength gives away the moment we were finally dismissed and I immediately collapse on top of my desk. Crashing my forehead against its wooden surface. Bringing the attention of the class representative sitting next to me.
"What's the matter Ai?" The girl who sits next to me asks in a mechanical like voice, while neatly putting away her textbooks into a bag, disinfecting her desk with deadly precision and then started cleaning her glasses with a handkerchief from her chest pocket. Bearing the initials S.T on it.
"It's rare of you to not pay attention to class. Also, you look horrible." She hands me an energy drink as she bluntly stated my present state is.
Still slumped over, I just turn my head at her direction, take the drink off her hands and answer:
"Ugh. Thanks…Couldn't sleep a wink last night… I barely had the energy to come here. My neck is stiff, back is sore and I can't even feel my legs. Not to mention that I am so sleepy that if I start walking, I could end up falling flat on my face and pass out right then and there."
My apologies. Amidst my drowsiness and everything that happened, I seemed to have forgotten to introduce myself.
Name's Tsunaboshi Aika. You might have noticed but my last name is usually reason of gossip whenever one hears it due to the heavy influence it carries all throughout the city.
It took me a while to get used to (especially with the bad kind of rumors surrounding my parents that I absolutely refuse believe a modicum of it) but I finally learned how to brush it off or see if people are only interested because of my name or myself after a couple of bad experiences while I had when I was younger. But you know what they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
"I see. That has been happening quite a lot with you lately. It used to be quite rare to find you sleeping in class even when we were still in middle school…" She inspects me while in a monotone voice.
The girl next to me is Amane Setsuna. My best friend. We know each other since we were five.
We first met in grade school and for better or for worse, we been stuck together ever since. For all intents and purposes… Setsuna is someone usually very quiet, unpredictable, bookworm, prefers to keep her distance from pretty much everyone, is a clean freak and hard to express her own feelings, almost like a robot.
To the point that our classmates from sixth grade thought she was mute and they were surprised when she spoke with them for their first time, asking to change seats with her so we could sit next to each other when they were rearranged by the end of the year.
Despite all this, she has improved a lot in these four last years. Especially after we passed Merry High's arduous entrance exams and we decided to make Setsuna more… 'human' for the lack of a better term. Mostly with the help of a rather annoying someone that teaches here. But I prefer not go in detail about him right now and pretend that person doesn't exist. Just picturing his stupid face is enough to give me a migraine and make my blood boil.
Setsuna only tends to show any sort of emotion or interests in things than involves me, our families, a mutual childhood friend of ours and that someone who I rather not name right now.
I am glad to know that she is comfortable enough with our friendship to tease me just so she can gauge my reactions. But I still think she should try act more like this and get along with other people as well. However, she doesn't seem too keen on the idea…
"I-I guess so hahaha…" I try to answer her guesses nonchalantly as I can. Got to tread carefully here, Setsuna is usually sharp about things.
Setsuna smirks at me but, still retains the robotic manner in her voice.
"Oh. Perhaps it related to our mutual childhood friend and your first love that still remains true to this very day, Koroogi Yozo-Senpai?"
Surprised by the suddenness of her question, I panicked and shook my head back and forth.
"Wh-w-what are you talking ab- ouch!"
Rattled, I tied to stand up too quickly and hit my knee against the desk.
"Geez, I already told you! I am just giving a helping hand with the part-time job Lena-San's sister has. Since she is too busy with college at the moment!"
I exclaim while rubbing my now skinned knee.
"I been hearing the same excuse from you by four years already. That's getting older than the teacher 's recessive hairline…" Setsuna answers while doubting my answer and hands me some antiseptic spray from her bag.
"I-It's not my fault if she keeps skipping classes, drowning her in homework to catch up or prioritizes her own hobbies! Besides, our job plays a pivotal role in keeping the peace for the city!"
"Which reminds me, you never told me what you actually do there. Just what kind of job is there that a middle-schooler could replace a college student and help in keeping the city secure anyways? Let alone that you have been doing it four years already. Besides, it's not like your family is strapped for cash anyways…"
I nervously laugh while putting my hands on the back of my head, trying to dismiss the topic.
"Ahaha… It's kinda hard to explain or put into words…"
Noticing that I'm dodging the topic, Setsuna tries to approach from another angle.
"How does Yozo-Senpai fit in there actually? I heard he had found a part-time job a little before you did so I always had assumed the reason you accepted the job was because he had something to do with it."
Hearing my best friend's accusation, I blush fervently and feel my face getting hotter.
"Wha-Geez! I keep telling you! My part-time job has nothing to do with Yozo-Senpai!"
After looking around to make sure that no could hear our conversation. I take a look around to make sure no one is close enough to hear us and quietly whispers at Setsuna.
"Besides, you already know that we don't find as much time to see each ever since he got that dream job of his and it had only worsened when he entered this school since he is one year older than us…"
A boy wearing a flashy pair of sunglasses suddenly popped his head up between the two of us, without neither of us taking notice of him getting closer.
"You girls talking about me behind my back or something?"
Recognizing the boy's voice and captivating smile, I jump back in surprise and fall off my chair.
"KYAAA!!! Yo-yo-Yozo-Senpai!? S-S-since when we-were you the-there?! Ne-ne-nevermind! G-G-good evening ahaha! Wha-wha-what brings you to our classroom today?!"
I immediately started blushing fervently and fumbling my every word. Even clumsily biting my own tongue in nervousness.
"Oh! Sorry for startling you, Aika! I just dropped by to return that military firearms guidebook I borrowed from Set-Chan last week! I was going to wait for you two on the hallway instead of coming in since it's a little unnerving for second-year enter a freshman's room but I swear to have heard my name in there somewhere. So I let curiosity get the better. Sorry for surprising you like that Aika, my bad."
"What's with that hearing? Are you a bat or something?" Playing the straight man, Setsuna slaps Yozo on the shoulder.
He flashes us an innocent and kind smile, puts the guidebook in his hand on top of Setsuna's desk and offers his now free hand to help me get up.
"Ah… N-no theirs is no problem..."
I feel myself getting redder from head to toe and try to hold back from moaning the moment our hands touched. Thankfully, he doesn't seem to have noticed that.
Now that he was sure I wasn't hurt anywhere. Yozo turned to his attention back at Setsuna.
"Anyways, thanks again Set-Chan! I learned a lot about semi-auto rifles! A shame I couldn't go through the entire thing in one week though…"
Yozo seemed very sad by the prospect and sighed before contining.
"…Despite practically eating, sleeping and showering with that book in hand, there's still so much to learn from it…Oh! but don't worry! I made sure to not let a single drop of water touch and ruin the pages! I've also made sure to wash my hands before reading every time!"
Looking a little tired of hearing him, Setsuna lets out a sigh of her own.
"I didn't need to know that last bit… Anyways, that book is from my father's collection. Back when he first served. If you want to keep it and read for a bit longer. I can tell him that I will give it back later this month. He probably won't mind since it's you… But I will only ask him if you stop calling me by that stupid nickname! There is only man in this world I allow in this world to call me that and that man is certainly not you Y-o-z-o Sen-pai!"
Setsuna couldn't help but raise her voice a little, as she started to pull Yozo's left cheek.
Hearing her proposal, Yozo-Senpai eyes immediately began to sparkle, like a child finding a new toy to play with. In complete disregard to how far his face was being stretched and distorted by Setsuna almost inhuman grip strength.
"Really? You mean it?! Deal! Thanks Set- Ahem! Setsuna-San! You're the best! I'm going to find a spot under the shade and read some more right away!"
Yozo began to pant like a creep and held the guide close to his chest. But, due to how popular and handsome he is even that still managed to rouse Aika and the female students still in the classroom.
"I also noticed there is some steps-by-step cleaning and dissemble of barrels on the next chapter. Just thinking about it makes anxious to see what comes next. Then again..."
He stretches his arms while letting a long yawn.
"…maybe Il take a nap first. I clocked out of work at 3 AM today and had a mountain of paperwork to deal with in the student council during lunch. I'm exhausted. See ya later girls!"
Yozo leaves the classroom in a dash, while waving at us. Many of the girls in our class swooned as Yozo innocently and gallantry exits the room. Not like I was better than any of them.
That handsome boy wearing that pair of shades is Koroogi Yozo, yet another childhood friend of mine and Setsuna's.
He used to be sort of the leader to all of the neighborhood kids back then and he is (unfortunately in one way or the other) a year older than us.
Currently, he is also one of the most popular students in this school due to his good looks, high grades and overwhelming charisma. I was immediately smitten the moment my eyes met his when we were still kids.
He is known to be a little eccentric due to his refusal of taking off his shades in the school grounds and breaking Merry's dressing code. Despite working as both the Student Council's Vice-President and the Disciplinary Committee. Then again, I'm the Student Council secretary and Setsuna is the treasurer, the current president is so meticulous and through with her work that other than very few paperwork to manage and sign, there is not much to do there, making it look like we are members in name only…
Anyways, Yozo-Senpai's second eccentricity of his is… let's just say, his 'Excitement' for firearms and anything related to it.
I had heard he had been like this long before we met. If this was either instigated by someone or he was born like that is still a mystery… But he is still cool in my eyes, the soot often clung to his face and even the smell gunpowder or something burning that is stuck into him is capable of making my heart skip a beat nonetheless.
"Ah…"
Disappointed that I lost my chance to make to make part of the conversation. I now had my hand in air and where he stood.
"…And There he goes. You were barely able to form a coherent sentence as usual. At least you two seems to be in the same wavelength. Both have clocked out work late and sleepy too. Are you certain neither of you are having a romantic escapade in the middle of the night?"
While teasing me, Setsuna shows a smug smile.
"I-It's not my fault! Ever since we haven't spoken much since he got that stupid job and entered high school ahead of us! I couldn't find much opportunities to talk with him again like we used to!"
"You say that but it's not like he changed or anything. He is still the same child from back then. Why you find someone like him attractive is beyond me…"
Listen to yourself too! You are starting to sound like that fat fu-"
"STOP RIGHT THERE! YOU PERVERTED PIGS!"
We are suddenly interrupted by a huge commotion outside. A bunch of students suddenly invaded our classroom and started hanging by the window. I notice that are even some sophomore and senior students in the mix.
"Shhh!"
Setsuna suddenly hushes me, pressing her index finger between my lips and starts sniffing outside the window. Her antenna-like hair strand also began to twitch.
Seems like she had caught the smell of something, or rather, someone. I can already guess who that someone is, judging by the uncharacteristic mannerism and sudden spark of energy ignited in her eyes…
My suspicions are proven to be correct. As a few moments later, we hear the commotion getting closer and closer to us. The voices becoming clearer and clearer as I can make out some yelling coupled the loud sound of footsteps outside.
" YOU ALL WON'T GET AWAY WITH JUST A BROKEN LEG OR CAMERA THIS TIME AROUND!!"
The both of us and the rest of our remaining classmates are now completely squashed against the windows. We see a horde of angry female students chasing three guys, led by a chubby-looking adult man, each carrying a pair of binoculars on their hands.
The older man and three other students looks back while still running and answers the angry horde in unison.
"NEVER! YOU MAY BREAK OUR BONES! BUT YOU WILL NEVER BREAK OUR SPIRITS! NOR OUR SCHOLON-"
I stop paying attention to what is going on below for a moment and noticed Setsuna's single hair strand immediately perked straight up the moment she heard one of the voices amongst those four.
"SHIT! THE WEST WING IS PACKED AND THE SOUTH ONE IS CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION! IT'S A DEAD END!" Another one of the three student's shouts in desperation.
Understanding what the commotion outside is all about without even having the need to check it out, even more tiredness seep into my body and mind, pressing my palm against my face.
"Just as I guessed! That moron must be up to no good, again! Fuck! He even seems to have strung even more idiots alongside him this time around! His stupidity is starting to infest others as well…"
A vein out of my forehead starts to twitch out of frustration as if it would pop at any moment.
"Great! Just what I needed to make this headache of mine worse! Well, I guess that at least beating that buffoon senseless will help shake off this drowsiness and relieve some bit of pent-up stress…"
I start to warm up by stretching my neck, arms and legs. Then I start cracking my knuckles, readying myself to join the girls below in their chase.
In the meantime, Setsuna had already taken a couple of steps away from the window to gain some distance, ran and literally leaped out of the classroom's window. Despite the fact that our classroom is located on the third floor...
She even performs some elegant backflips in midair before landing perfectly.
I then cling onto the window, preparing myself to do the same thing she just did. But I happen to hear what the three Boys panicking right below are saying, as they are now directly below my classroom.
They were getting desperate and asked the adult leading them for instructions. Now that they are closer, I happen to notice something rather peculiar about the three boys that I didn't realized before since they were far away. They were wearing a pantyhose over their heads like some sort of mask…
"Shit! We are cornered! What should we do now, Ero-Sensei?! I can't to die like this! I knew we should have hidden ourselves in a locker instead!"
The man they called "Ero-Sensei" mulls a bit over what to do and quickly reassures the three.
"Looks like there is no other choice! I'll stay behind and hold them off! They haven't saw your actual faces yet due to the perfect disguise that I devised for us! You guys escape to the east wing hallway over there and only then take your masks off! Once Y'all are there, disperse into the crowd! Art class over there is about to end in a few minutes and so is the theater club rehearsal. So the hallway is guaranteed to be packed soon and the everyone being none of the wiser at the culprits! Well, other than me at least!"
"But-but Sensei-" One of the student's attempts to speak but the teacher quickly cuts him off.
"Now is not the time for hesitation! You guys said were prepared to follow my orders to the letter when you asked me help you three see the forbidden Nirvana and peep at the girl's changing in that locker room! Now leave me behind and live to tell another day! You three are way too young to die before me! Now scram!"
Touched by his words, one of the boys starts crying and another sniffs his nose.
"Sensei!!"
The teacher then flashes a thumbs up, rather cocky smile, before rubbing his nose with his finger.
"Heh! I can take a beating or two, this isn't my first rodeo after all! Unlike me, you all have too much to do before truly calling yourselves a man! Bwahahaha!!"
The man now firmly stands before the entrance as he tries to strike a cool pose, a hearty laugh showing no fears and convince the three boys to make their escape, already with even more tears in their eyes. They run towards the entrance and began to wave their hands at their teacher.
"Waaah! Ero-Sensei! You are so cool! We will never forget you!"
Two of them bawls their eyes out as they proceed to abandon him.
"I will name my first child after you!"
The third one announces before catching up with the two.
Sensei looks behind him and shouts back at the three. Despite sounding somewhat annoyed, there is a beaming smile plastered in his face.
"Geez! Don't make it sound like I'm about to be die or something! Now go already!"
He shoos them away as the boys have finally disappeared into the building.
A few inches away, Setsuna now stood in front of the horde of angry girls to freeze them in their tracks as I jump out the window, making my entrance.
*Crasssshh!!!*
I land while shoving my fist against the ground, creating a small crater between the angry girls, the crowd, myself and the chubby man the boys called 'Ero-Sensei' earlier.
The mild shockwave and noise caused by my landing seems to have sent chills down everyone's spine. Especially the teacher.
The teacher starts sweating profusely, slowly turns around to see where the loud, cracking noise came from and stutters as he finds me standing inches away from in him, full of bloodlust and a scornful glare at him, like one would give, after stepping in dog shit at a sidewalk.
"S-Shit! M-May-Maybe I-I am going to die today after all…"
I silently approach the man while cracking my knuckles while his legs gives out of fear and he falls on his butt.
"H-H-How is it going, Aika-Chan? Ni-Nice weather today isn't it?"
I ignore his pathetic attempt at conversation and delay the inevitable. The closer I get, the more he seemed to genuinely feel his blood running cold. Not only him, the noisy crowd around us started to as well.
"I'm not even going to bother asking what happened. Seeing that binocular in your hands and your rather motivational 'speech' at those three idiots are all I needed to hear out of you!"
"Him and some boys were peeking at us from a tree outside and tried taking pictures!" One of the girls in the horde shouts behind us.
"Now that is a bold lie! They TRIED taking pictures! But, I stopped them from doing so! In fact, we fell off that tree and got caught because of that, thank you very much!"
"What about the rest of their allegations? Also, didn't you brought them over there in the first place?" I ask of this thrash of a human being while making sure there is nowhere left for him to run. Just seeing his face or hearing this man talk is enough to me make feel even more angrier and nauseated.
"Oh yeah! That! Yea, I'm guilty as charged about the rest. No way getting around that, Te-hee!" The "teacher" apologizes while sticking out his tongue mischievously and bopping his head. Like a child, after getting caught pulling a prank and not feeling sorry at all for it.
"I am warning you now because I am REALLY not in the mood to deal with your bullshit today, so I will be brief with you Pig. Your punishment today is going to be four times more than usual since you going to take the place of those three idiots you brought under your wing. Unless, you feel inclined give me their names in order to lessen your own punishment?"
Feeling rather appalled, the man outright refuses my offer.
"Never! I might be just a pig in some of you and some girl's eyes but I still have my pride! both as a teacher and as a man! I could never forgive myself if I snitched out those three in order to save myself! They have a long road ahead of them and this would ruin the rest of their school lives! Besides..."
"Yes?"
"...after trying so hard to look cool in their eyes, I can't just go back on my word now, can I? That would be a lame thing to do."
He ends that sentence with a daring smile.
I feel my anger flare into even greater heights and in a menacing tone. The air around us starts to become heavier as I answer:
"I see…Such a shame, that your road ends here then….as you seem to have preferred death instead. PREPARE YOURSELF PIG!!!"
I close the distance between me and him as the man hugs himself against the wall.
"GYAAAA!!!!!"
Shouts of full agony and pain are muffled by the sound of blows smacking against his plump and soft body, as multiple bones and joints sound like they were snapping apart.
The rather gruesome scene made most of the students in the crowd and the girls who had so much animosity earlier, instinctively look the other way. Some of the girls in the horde even felt bad about the fate befalling the teacher.,.
*Almost ten minutes of non-stop pummeling later. *
I swipe the sweat off my forehead and feeling rather revitalized, as if I was reborn and felt a bit of my stress fading away. The teacher's body is lightly twitching on the floor, his upper body literally jammed into the ground, looking like he was some sort of plant, leaving his legs hanging in the air.
As I turn around and start to walk away, the man suddenly got up, shakes the dust and dirt off his clothes.
Despite being looking completely battered and with a bit of blood dripping from his forehead. His face showing off a goofy smile mixed with a small sigh of relief, in complete contrast to how torn and ragged he looks.
"Phew, that scared me! I swear to have saw a light at the end of the tunnel! Your grandmother was silently judging me for a second there! Thank god that I'm drunk or else I would be dead by now! Bwahahaha!"
He then swipes the blood off his forehead with his sleeves and grins at me.
"I see that your fists still pack a pretty deadly force behind it Ai-Chan! That isn't very appropriate thing of a delicate girl of your age, Ai-Chan! People are going to become afraid of you again! It's not fair to take out all of your frustrations and post period temper on me! Bwahahah!!"
As the man cackles at me nosily, looking completely unfazed, despite how much I roughed him up seconds ago.
I then take notice that the man is now holding a bottle of cheap brandy that who knows where he had pulled it from and starts chugging nearly the whole bottle down as if its contents were made out water. I only realize it now, that his usual sickening smell of cigarettes also carried the strong stench of booze. His face becomes even more flushed as he gulps the bottle contents down his throat with relative ease.
I have no idea how he figured it out PART of the reason why I'm more volatile than usual today and knowing him, I am afraid to know the answer.
My patience gets thinner with each and every single word this man utters and the moment I noticed him holding that now empty, cheaply green glass bottle, my fists starts to tremble as my anger enters into yet another breaking point and my blood felt like it was boiling. I bit my teeth in anger, enough for me to feel the metallic taste of blood. My voice starts to get louder and a menacing aura envelops the area around me.
"Not only you mock me again and again… but you dare to bring that cursed alcohol to the school grounds again! Despite the many strict, constant warnings and punishments that I give you! Seems like I will have to teach your body what is going to happen every time you fuck around since your mind doesn't seem register it!
With a single stomp of my feet, the ground ruptured and caused mild tremors.
"Everyone run! The vice-president is going to snap again!
A large sound of footsteps can be heard surrounding us.
"Hm?"
My imposing figure becomes even larger and intimidating than before as the crowd around us quickly disperses, running away in fear…probably of me.
While I understand the reason why and it proves the point that this disgusting POS in front of me had made a minute ago. But I can't help it, my body isn't listening what my mind has to say as the rage start to overtake my body and thoughts.
Only, me, Setsuna and the Pig now remained in the courtyard.
Hearing my declaration full of murderous intent, the man stops chugging the last drop of his bottle for a moment and putting it away. His apparent fear from me is suddenly gone, now he glares back at me in kind.
"Oh? I'll have you that drinking is one of the few pleasures I still have in life other than money and women! If someone tries get between me and any of those, I won't go down without a fight! Even if that someone is you, Ai-Chan! You should know by now that I am strong equally as I am stupid and perverted! No amount of good sense or fair warnings will stop me from ever doing whatever the hell I want!"
The man now stands firm in his ground, taking a resolute stance against me. The nervousness, shaking and stuttering from earlier are completely gone. Even the wounds I inflicted him seemingly stopped hurting and bleeding almost on command.
I raise my fists and slowly began approaching him.
"HEY!!"
But we are interrupted by a woman's voice from further away and notice her rushing towards the three of us.
"Both of you stop fighting! Violence is never the answ- hyaa!
The woman clumsily trips over her own feet and fall down a few a couple meters away from us…but her fall is cushioned by the two comically massive "airbags" located in her chest area (Did she actually bounced off the floor for a second there?). Her face nearly disappeared as it sank inside that vast valley of softness and body fat.
Recognizing the woman's voice and figure from afar, the Ero-Sensei grimaced.
"Gweh! It's Mako! That's my cue to retreat! I had fun playing with both of you today, Aika-Chan and Set-Chan! But I guess we will have to leave my "spanking" for another day! Bwahahaha!"
Before I manage to respond or react, the man, laughing rather obnoxiously, performs a somersault from where he stood, jumping more than forty feet high, nimbly moves while in midair, hangs by one of the windowsill in one of the classrooms located on the fourth floor with only one hand, pulls his overweight body up and enters the room, vanishing into the building as I lose sight of him. His irritating laughter still echoing to the outside.
I guess sometimes pigs really can fly. That was my first thought after seeing the scene before me unfold.
"Ah…"
Setsuna tried and reach out her hand at him, but he was already gone by the time she ran towards him.
She looks genuinely disappointed by something but then immediately started spacing out while looking at the window the man had escaped to. I wish I didn't notice but I also saw that she was trying to hide her blushing face by looking at the floor while playing with her hair. A dripping a bit of drool from her mouth…
Despite his disgusting self, one can't help but feel impressed by the incredible physique that fat body of his hides. Guess he isn't our school's P.E teacher for nothing…