It was already past the evening by the time Aika and co. went outside the gate and returned to where they were.
Orange still covered a small portion of the sky as the other darkens more and more. Twinkling stars began to show themselves while the sun was almost done setting down for the day. In exchange, the bright full moon was rearing its head.
Aika and the other four were still in the Teacher's Office. Waiting for her uncle and bosses to return.
"…and then, while trying to find a way to escape my imprisonment. I had the awesome idea to mold a key for the locked door in front of me by using one of the hot bundles of candle wax from the chandelier hanging above since my hand were still bounded. I clumsily clung and grabbed one using my feet. Then, I shoved up it my…"
Bink was busy telling a story to Karasu and Nyamo while Aika completely ignored them and repeatedly looked at time on her phone. She was leaning against Yale's large and wooly body (yet shortened by Aika's shearing). Who was resting and yawning, not allowing anyone else other than Aika to approach. Much less touch him.
(Just what else was there for those three to talk about? It has been almost an hour…)
"… Anyways! I ended up having to resort in putting ice sticks on my nostrils and breathe through a mask for an entire month, until it completely healed up! That's the closest I've ever gotten to death! Hyahaha!"
"Nyahah! No way!"
" That's such a stupid way to die! We always had a hard time leaving even a single scratch against you in the past and THAT's how you almost kicked the bucket?"
"Can't kill stupid. I once heard this saying by one of the Valkyrie in the past and I think that it's very true!"
As soon Aika ended her thoughts and Bink with his story as the cat and raven rolled on the floor laughing. Out of thin air, a gate opened from behind them
"HONEY!! I'M HOOOMEEE!! HOW'S THE KIIDSS?" The first thing they hear is Ero-Sensei screaming at the top of his lungs.
"Sensei!"
The cat and raven Sacred Beasts plus the demon ran towards the teacher and high-fived each other. The way those four have already bonded with is nothing short of remarkable.
Even if taking Shinjirou charisma and friendliness into account. Aika was very surprised by the number of idiots increasing in number and rising her stress levels to its peak since yesterday.
"Finally! What took you so long Pig?!"
"Well…Let's just say that we had a long and nice talk about how adults can become scary when they are angered. Right?"
Shinji looked behind him as he answered. There was no intensity or hostility on his eyes or voice this time.
"Yes!" The two veterans answered him with a salute. Shinji then turned his head back at his niece.
"Anyways, I went and tried to call Yozo-Boy on the way here! I had hoped that inviting him would make your day and mood a bit better. Although, I admit being surprised that there was still signal from all the way there in the first place..."
"But of course! It might be an entirely different realm but Arcadia stills belongs in same the plane of existence as the rest." Agnicia explains it while checking the smoothness on the back of a cleanly sheared Yale.
"Never mind all that! What did Yozo-Senpai said?!"
"Well…" Shinjirou lets a disappointed sigh before continuing.
"…Turns out that, after helping Akira and the archery club. Yozo-Boy saw that the newest pair of shades he wanted and yet another collection of Air-Guns were on sale until Monday. He went and begged his boss for extra shifts so he could buy them first thing in the morning. I wonder just how many more pairs of sunglasses and weapons does he still needs. He already had a bunch hidden all over the school since the last time your father asked me to do a safety check on it..."
"Oh. That's a bit disappointing…"
"Yea, I'm kind of bummed out about it too! I mean, if I knew he was going be this tenacious and diligent about it, I would not have introduced him to this gig at the fireworks shop in the first place! He never has the time to hang out or play baseball with me and the neighborhood kids anymore! He was supposed to be our team pitcher too! I even wasted money I didn't had on T-shirts for the team!" Shinji pouts like a child as he complains.
"Wait a moment! You were the one set him up for a job?!"
"You mean you didn't know? His boss is actually the aunt of one your father subordinates! Once Yozo-Boy found out that I was acquainted with that place four years ago. He practically begged me every day to introduce him and set a part-time job application for it ages ago!"
"What?!"
Although, the contract states its part time on paper since he is still a student. She lets him to work how long and whenever he wants. She pays him by the hour plus commission of his sales. I told all that to Set-Chan ages ago! She told me that would tell you about it later that day!"
(Maybe I should consider working there on the weekends too. God knows how many cups of cheap instant ramen I have eaten in this month alone…)
"That's the first I heard of it! Damn it! Knowing her, she probably thought it would be funnier if I didn't know for a while to tease me, and then forgot about it! Next time I meet her; she is in for a world of pain!"
"Ah! Which reminds me! I haven't invited her yet!" Shinji then goes stand next to the window and picked up his cellphone.
While he is busy calling Setsuna. Aika turns her attention towards the three Sacred Beasts plus one demon huddled on the corner and points her finger at them.
"I just realized Agnici- Oh! That's right. We are outside now. Beatrice-San! What are we going exactly do about these four when my friend gets here?"
"No need to worry Ai-Chan! I might be an ally of you guys now but I been on the run for thousands of years already! Watch this! Hurhhhh! Lust Demon Hidden Technique! BINK'S FUNHOUSE! HOUSE OF MIRRORS!"
Slamming the top of his head against the cage's floor and forming a bridge with his body (while still bound by chains). Bink's face twists and turns as if he was constipated. The rubber-like material of his skin began to expand and writhes over and over until they cover up his entire body and making it look like he was encased by some sort of cocoon while its texture changed into some kind of glass at some point.
A few seconds later, the cocoon began to crack and shed as it slowly opens up. From inside the leftover husk, exits a middle aged man with green spiky hair and a goatee wearing a tracksuit glued to his skin.
"Tadah! I am not only masochist extraordinaire and a demon, but also a shapeshifter! Now we can just say I am an old drinking buddy of Sensei's!"
(So being a masochist comes first to you before either?) Karasu thought to himself.
(Since those are made with his scales, doesn't that mean that Bink is technically, always running around naked?)
Crow came to the realization of such terrifying thought and very much wished he could forget it. He decided to drop the subject and not mention it, sparing from scarring anyone else for life.
"Watch my best impression of Sensei!" Bink clears his throat and makes the funniest face he can, followed by a very serious one.
"Big bobbies hooray! Shit! I need a drink!"
"Nyahahahah! That sounds exactly like him!"
Nyamo and Karasu laughed again as they spit out juice they just got from the vending machine down a hallway.
"I remember reading past reports implying this ability of yours but it's the first time I'm seeing it up close! No wonder everyone had a hard time catching or even finding you for all these centuries!"
"You'll make me blush…" The squirmed a little, with his face reddened. Aika ignored what she just saw and asked her boss.
"That solves your problem but what about the others?"
"I casted an illusory spell on the cage itself while it was on my office. The rest should just retain their animal forms. Not like anyone without a minimal attunement with Mana could hear them anyways."
"That's reassuring…"
"Although, maybe I should have Yale on guard duty for us, just in case. It's always hard to take him out for a walk. He always attracts too much attention and explaining that I own such a large goat like him as a pet is such a pain. I even been stopped by the police once because of him…"
While Yale was looking apologetic about it. Beatrice was already trying to formulate a plan and place over where to hide him inconspicuously.
Bink was now playing with Nyamo, holding a foxtail on his hands.
Considering that although the bars now looked transparent, he is still caged. Nobody has any idea from where Bink pulled the toy from or how he took all the rest of the chains and handcuffs off. Almost like a magician would. That is, if he was into bondage and begged for pain every five minutes.
"So, are you free Set-Chan? Yes, right now! I'm so sorry for the suddenness… Hm? But of course I'll make a special batch for you with my forbidden seven spices! Really?! Then, see you soon Set-Chan!"
Ero-Sensei ends his call and faces back towards the group, grinning from ear to ear.
"She gave me the A-ok! Said she is on her way here as we speak!"
"The school is a little further away from everything else in the city since its located right next to the mountains. Maybe we should go down the hill and wait her-" Beatrice suggests it before being cut off by a strong gust of wind surging from the open window nearby invading the room.
"There's no need for that. Sorry, I'm took this long to get here Sensei! The name's Amane Setsuna. A friend of Ai and Sensei's. Nice to meet you all." Setsuna answers with a blank look on her face and flashes a V-Sign before a polite bow.
(That was fast! How did she got even got up here? This is the fourth floor…)
(How in the world did she managed to get behind us without even me noticing?)
Both Beatrice and Crow were surprised with schoolgirl sudden presence.
"Sorry for calling on such a short notice Set-Chan!"
"No problem Sensei! I wouldn't miss an opportunity to eat your cooking again for nothing in this world! Besides, it's best for me to lay low and be away from home for a while..."
"Don't tell me you and your father got into a fight again! It pains my poor heart to see something like that coming from such a good girl such as yourself! Parenting is very precious thing to have! I should know it! Since I also had a strained relationship with my old man until I became an adult too! Don't end up like me Set-Chan!"
"I'm sorry Sensei. As much I feel flattered for your compliment and would love to simply do as you ask. There is absolutely no way to convince me into agreeing with my Dad's bad joke of an idea. There is only one man in this world that I would ever consider call it Darling and Dad would definitely be against me and him. Maybe I should just confess and ask him to elope with me…"
"You say that every time and I still have no clue who in the world it could be! It's not like either you or Aika have that many male friends to begin with…"
Setsuna throws very obvious side glances at the teacher but the man in question is completely oblivious about it. Some would think that he is totally doing this on purpose. But, when it comes to matters involving himself, especially from heart variety. Shinji really is that incredibly dense.
"Pst! Care to explain to us what is going on here?" Bink whispers while poking Aika on the shoulder from behind. She sighed before answering him.
"Long story short. Her family, the Amane's owns a very renowned dojo. They have been around since the city's very beginnings. However, her family has been the decline for a while and now, there is nobody else to succeed her father's place other than some of his cousins or Setsuna herself. Her father says he can't entrust his dojo to his younger brother-in-law in good conscience and begs his daughter to take his place when it's his time to retire."
"Isn't that too much to ask out of a sixteen-year-old?"
"Not when you consider that she is not only a genius but also a prodigy in combat from young age. She already had bested her father in a match when she was only nine. Ever since then, she has been refusing her father every single day. Claiming she has no interest in inheriting or passing the Amane-Style forward. His second suggestion was getting her married to a proficient fighter and respectable man that he approved of. He tried to set up multiple arranged marriages for her in the past but…"
"Setsuna always sends both her father and candidates flying and then dumps them over the ocean! Every single time! Nyahaha!" Nyamo followed through Aika's explanation, laughing while vividly remembering the scenes in question.
"If the situation is really that bad and he is still doing for almost seven years now, I feel bad for him. He might be desperate but his persistence, even when getting struck by his own daughter is nothing short of admirable. Then again, the same can be said by how headstrong she is about all this." Crow comments while nodding to himself.
"Kinda sounds like Sensei's when you put it that way…" Karasu commented.
Shinji then cuts off and stands in front of the four. Looking for something else to talk about with Setsuna.
"Set-Chan, meet Aika's bosses and an old drinking buddy of mine! They are guest of honor for the party!"
"Beatrice Cruz. A pleasure."
"Crow. Nice to meet you."
"Calamity Bink! Pain is the game and Bink's my name!" Bink tried to imitate Ero-Sensei's whimsical and playful style, throwing a silly quip while offering Setsuna a handshake.
Leaving him hanging and ignoring him, Setsuna analyzes the college student duo from top to bottom.
"Hm. So the story about Ai having a part-time job is actually true after all… and they are so young to boot…"
"Err. We work on a project that helps the city security network…"
Agnicia didn't lied necessarily. Arcadia does have a security feedback that are installed all over the city, in similar manner to Shinji's own Peeping Network. Courtesy of the previous Valkyrie.
However, Setsuna was still skeptical about it all, to say the least.
"I've just met them today as well! It might be too presumptuous for me to assume but I can vouch for them! They been taking very good care of Ai-Chan while we weren't looking!"
"If Sensei says so. I'll leave it alone for now. But you…" She turned her head towards the green haired man next to the two and with enough force to crush his bones, Setsuna vice grips his hand.
Her facial expression was dark, menacing and with a hint of jealousy. Shinji didn't notice how much intense Setsuna was because he was standing behind her and heard her robotic voice as natural. She is already used in being a professional at keeping the good girl act in front of him.
"Hih!" Bink felt tingles all over his scales as his hand started making sounds in ways that it wasn't supposed to.
"I don't like your face. Who and what are you to Sensei? Even if taking into account that you both are drinking buddies, you better not be making Sensei waste his precious time on stupid things and show him the respect he deserves! Understoo?"
(What in the… His bones are incredibly thick and hard! It's definitely way harder than steel! Shit! I can't break or even bend them the way I want!) Although shocked by it, Setsuna didn't allowed her thoughts or surprise to show in her face.
Shinji steps in and gently pats Setsuna on the head.
"Now-now Set-Chan! Take it easy! Stupid stuff is all I ever tend to do nowadays when I'm not on the clock! He's just a friend who I share drinks with every so often!"
(Starting since yesterday that is. But you don't need to know about that! Hope you don't mind me lying to you just a little bit Set-Chan…)
"Hmpf! We should be on our way then. But if I ever catch you wasting Sensei's time, you better start to watch where you walk…" Setsuna finally let go of Bink's hand. She then fixes her glasses and makes her way towards the door ahead of everyone else.
Setsuna then whispers something while thinking to herself. Low enough that only Aika, who was right next to the door, was capable of hearing it.
"I haven't been in Sensei's apartment in years…This is bad. I'm drooling and my nose is bleeding already. Just imagining the heavy smell of nicotine and booze in his room…maybe I could even get the chance to swipe some of his dirty laundry as well…ahah..." Ending with a small whimpered moan. Setsuna exits the Teacher's Office while skipping with happiness.
(Yep. That settles it. Her father must definitely have dropped her on the head when she was a baby.) Aika declared in her mind with absolute certainty.
"Geez, That girl! She's still cute even when she pouts. But she really should stop suspecting everyone and have a little trust in people other than me or Aika! I'm not even that reliable to begin with! You alright there, Speedo? Sorry. Guess I should start calling you Tracksuit now huh? Bwahaha!"
Shinji laughs while slapping Bink hard in the back.
(I don't think trust is the issue here Pig. I don't know why or how you did but it's your fault that she became like this in the first place!) Aika looked at her uncle from behind with such scorn that it looked like it would burn a hole through his skull.
"…" Bink was still unresponsive. His eyes were glued at his swollen, disjointed hand that quickly regenerated before everything went back into place.
"Hello? Earth to Speedo! You still there?"
"…Sensei. Before we go, could you quickly tell me things that might push that girl's buttons? Maybe, also her address once I become a free demon again? Just for reference to me avoid it in the future, of course! Ahahaha…"
He tried to play coy but Bink's intentions were very crystal clear to everyone in the room.
"…" It was now everyone else's turn to be stunned into silence…
****
Forty minutes went by since Shinji and co. left the school and reached the city suburbs.
"…" Crow suddenly locked in place and started looking at the entrance of a building right next to him.
Beatrice and Shinji notices him falling behind and walks back to him.
"Found an enemy or something?"
"Hm? Oh! N-No! It's nothing!" As if getting out of a trance, Criw quickly picked up the pace and catches up with the rest of the group. Shinji tries to look and guess what he could have seen and smiled smugly.
(I see… Heh! I got you now Edgy…)
Even when in front of a huge crowd of bystanders, their banter was loud, hectic and charged full of innuendos and dirty jokes by Karasu and Shinji alike. Mostly by the latter.
"Can't that annoying bird of yours stop cawing already? It's hurting my ears!"
Because of a unique kind of magic that Beatrice have cast on those two just in case, Setsuna and any other passersby could only hear meows and croaks from the Sacred Beasts.
"Bleh! You wouldn't get the joke anyways! Stupid!" Karasu sticks out his tongue in response and dodges to the right as Setsuna throws her shoe at him.
"I didn't know you lived this close to me Sensei! Kinda surprised that we never have bumped into each other..." Crow comments as he ponders in deep thought.
"I sometimes sleep in the school. Saves me some time and money between commuting."
"It's even worse than I remember! Just how much debt and rent have you accumulated since last time?!" Aika asks her uncle, knowing fully that any answer would result in angering her further.
"Hahaha…"
Shinjirou just laughed and carefully measured what he could say. He knows that the question is quite a big landmine to answer in front of his niece.
"Let's just say that maybe more ten years of salary might be enough to cover nearly half of it and leave it at that. Haha… I'm already on my forties and might have a stable job. But, the grown-up world still manages to scare me … I guess my gambling doesn't help much either... hahaha..."
Shinji began to hunch over and laughs depressingly.
"On top of everything, you are gambling addict too Sensei?" Beatrice asked.
"It's not an addiction! It's a matter of principle! I have been gambling for the last twenty-five years and have yet to win anything even once! No matter how stacked the odds are in my favor! I still find a way to lose! I once lost a 99% chance ten times in a row! I telling ya! It's a family curse!"
"Are you sure they weren't just rigged against you somehow?"
"God, I wish they were! That would actually make me feel better about this! But there aren't many bold enough to try and trick me these days! Let alone succeed at it!"
"You sure about this Sensei?"
"I am! I have been trying my luck at the same place for fifteen years for so many times that I'm am famous over there as the 'Losing God'! The owner, his employees and even some customers feel so bad about it that they sometimes give away some low-tier stuff from the exchange booth to me and even some food! I was even given a special spot for me to play back there. It's so humiliating…" Shinji starts sniffling as he speaks.
(Out of everything you've done. THAT'S what embarrasses you?) Aika thinks to herself.
"There, There Sensei! As someone who lived for thousands years and haven't won many fights, I get how you feel." Bink starting patting him on the back.
"What did I said about getting close you retard?!"
"Yaaa!!"
Jealous, Setsuna snipes the shoe on her hand and hits perfectly on Bink's face as he starts moaning.
"Sensei. Are we close to your place yet? I'm rather curious to see where you live..." Agnicia asked while checking at her surroundings with a degree of familiarity. Probably looking for a place to put Yale on the lookout.
"It's the complex on that red building over there. The one facing the park square." He points at the large, rundown building down the street.
"Just as I thought!" Beatrice bump her fist in her palm upon confirmation of her suspicions about something.
"But this place is-" Crow's reply was cut off by a voice coming from the other side of the crosswalk.
"AH! ONII-CHAAAANN!" A little girl holding a stuffed bunny in her left hand shouts, as she charges towards the group and dives into Crow's arms, who is not only smiling back and hugging her back but also spun her in the air for a bit.
"AYUMU!!" This smile of his however, was way, way bigger than other two he gave earlier today.
"Ayumu! So you already done with today's check-up?" Crow gently strokes the little girl's hair while asking her. She nods at him energetically.
"Yeah! They said the blood test was great and even gave me candy for enduring the needles without crying too!"
"That's nice to hear!"
"Ahem!" Beatrice coughs forcefully, trying to catch their attention.
"Ah! Bea Onee-San! Birdie!" The little one dives into her supple chest while Karasu perches over her shoulder.
"What's up pipsqueak?" Karasu said so playfully. But much like Setsuna on the way here, all the little girl hears is caws.
(Ah…The things I would do to became an innocent kid like her again and make up for the lost time I wasted pushing everyone away… I could have gotten away with so much stuff that I can't now too!)
Shinji grew envious of the scene and began to nostalgically remember of his childhood.
"Long time no see! Ayumu-Chan! I see you haven't changed a bit since last time!" Bea gently ruffles the hair on the little girl's head.
She sulks and puckers her lips in return.
"Buh! You promised to visit us last week but you never showed up! Stupid!"
"I'm really sorry about that! I had a big test throw my way at the very last second and had to study non-stop during the weekend to make up for the lost credit! I promise to take you anywhere you want tomorrow to make up for it!"
"Really?! Yay! Then, I want to go to the zoo!" It didn't take long for her to forgive and forget why she was mad at her in the first place.
"I guess I should introduce you to everyone! Everyone! Meet the pride and joy of my life! My adorable little sister, Ayumu Midori!" Everyone was surprised to see that Crow's mood was elevated to even greater heights since she showed up. Even his rather somber speech pattern was mostly gone.
Ayumu felt a little embarrassed with her brother praises but still introduced herself with a radiant smile.
"Heheh! Nice to meet to you- AHH! SUCH A CUTE KITTY!" The scatterbrained little girl flung herself once again and hugged Nyamo in her arms.
"Nyahah! Guess she has good taste! She's so warm too..." Nyamo purred in her embrace, looking completely at ease in her arms.
"Hm?" Ayumu looked at the rest of the group and tilted her head to the side when she saw the chubby old man on the middle.
"Ah! Oji-Chan!"
"Nya!!" Ayumu then throws Nyamo away and dives into Shinji's also supple chest but for entirely different reasons.
"Urgh!" Setsuna's mood became instantly dark and angered as every strand of her hair began to stand on end.
Aika had to restrain her friend by the wrists. Just in case she let the anger and jealousy take over and ends up kicking the innocent child out of orbit or something.
Now realizing who the little girl actually was. Shinji pat her on the head and grinned at her obvious adorableness.
"Hey Sunny! It has been a while! You even grew a little bit taller since last time we seen each other!"
"Yea! I been doing headstands every day for five minutes like you told me!"
Shinji laughs a like before answering her.
"Geez! I already told you many times that I was joking about that! Guess I have to start watching and remembering what comes out of my mouth with you around! That is, if I'm ever sober enough to even do that…"
"Oji-Chan. What's a soda?"
"Not soda! Sober! But never mind about that! You're too young to learn about these things!"
"I take it you two know each other?" Bea asks inquisitively.
"I often helped her with homework and study. I also cooked dinner for her sometimes while she waited for her beloved Onii-Chan to come home! Given the fact she's your little sister, guess that means we are-"
"Yeah! Haha! Small world isn't it?"
"Hm?" The rest of the group was confused over what the two were talking about.
"In that case, guess I should reintroduce myself. Nice to meet you! I am Hiden Midori. Tenant of room 404! Thanks for always taking care of my little sister! There are no words enough to show how grateful I am! I only been to able work hard as I do because I didn't have to worry about her!" Crow then bows in front of Shinji in a more formal manner than the one he did when they met at the Teacher's Office.
"Tsunaboshi Shinjirou from room 304! Nice to meet you too! There is no need to thank me! Ayumu is a very good girl and barely gave me any trouble!"
Shinji couldn't help giggle a little bit before bowing back at Crow.
"I can't believe that the nice mister living below her that Ayumu sometimes talked about turned out to be you…There's way too many coincidences here…" Bea says while signaling Yale to hide himself in the alleyway nearby.
"Me neither! Which reminds me! Sunny! Me, Bea, your brother and everyone else here are going to throw a party back at my place! Care to join us? I'm making tacos and have a stack of pudding on the fridge with your name written on it!!"
"Really?! Can I?!" Ayumu turned her head back at her brother with puppy dog eyes, begging him for permission.
"Can't really say no with you making a face like that, now can I? But I bet you left the house during the morning with everything a mess again! Once you are done cleaning it, we'll meet you there!"
"Really?! Yay!" With Karasu still on her shoulders, Ayumu bolts towards the staircase like a hurricane. Crow looked deeply into Beatrice's eyes. She got the message and followed Ayumu to their place.
"You are coming with us too Bink!
"Eh? Why would I want to help with the cleaning of a child's roo-"
"I promise to use your head as a broom and body as dust cloth!"
"Why are you still doing down there then?! Let's go!" While still inside his invisible cage, Bink managed to run all the way to the top of the staircase above before anyone even noticed him there.
"Me too! I'm curious to see how Crow-San's room looks like Nya!" Nyamo followed the rest of the group inside.
In the meantime, Aika was busy trying to calm Setsuna and help her take deep breaths through a paper bag.
"Easy now. She is just a little kid! Even a pig like him has some boundaries."
"Ah…ah…you are right. There's no need dump her into the ocean like the others. I can take it..."
(Others?) Aika asked herself while Shinji looked back at Crow after Ayumu was gone
"Sunny is such a sweet little girl! Should I start labelling you sis-con alongside Edgy eh? Maybe also the one starts with a hard L?" Shinji had a shit-eating grim on his face while poking him in the arm.
"I have no idea what you are talking about.…" Crow rolled his eyes the other way as he spoke.
"By the way, why do you guys keep calling her a kid? She's is only a year younger than you two." Crow points at the girls as the paper bag on Setsuna's mouth immediately popped.
"Hm?...EEHHHH?!!!" All three of them were so caught by surprise that they didn't knew how to react at first.
"You are pulling our leg here right, Crow-San? There is no way that little girl is fifteen! She looks like an eight-year-old at best! Just how much underdeveloped can one be?!" Aika exclaim in a fluster.
"Yeah! Even Ai-Chan with her almost in the negatives flat chest at least developed somethi-" Aika buried his face into the ground before her uncle finished that sentence.
"Guess I should start considering renting that row boat again, pick up some rocks and buy some rope after all…" Setsuna murmured while dragging her feet upstairs. Aika returned to pinning her friend down again while Shinji managed to get his head out of the hole by himself.
"I agree! That doesn't make any sense! I have been helping that girl with her homework and studies for the last three years and the materials covered in it are from middle school at best!"
"That's…" Crow tried to answer him but something caught in his throat and he stopped. He lets out a somewhat tired sigh instead.
"…Before I explain that, Sensei. Mind sharing one?" Crow points his finger at Shinji's chest pocket.
"Oh! Um. Here." Shinji surprised to find that Crow also smokes. He pulls out a cig, presses his lighter against it and hands it over to Crow.
"Thanks." After taking a deep breath of it, Crow was prepared to talk about it.
"Okay. Where do I even start? Our parents, me and Ayumu got into a car accident when we were still little. I managed to get away with just a few scratches since I fell off the car partway but…our parents died while protecting her during the crash. She wounded her head badly and the mental shock of witnessing our parents dead right in front of her made Ayumu enter into some sort of coma for a quite some time…"
Crow stopped himself to take another whiff of his cig and leaned against the wall behind him.
Shinji noticed that his eyes were a little watery so he tried to give him as much time and space as he needed without alerting the other girls.
"…Thankfully, she woke up eventually. But her body stopped developing after that and her mind never fully matured, which is why she acts like that. Coupled that with the fact that her health became quite unpredictable to keep track of. She ended up being held back a few years' behind everyone a couple of times either due to low grades or bedridden, causing way too many absences. It's a bit embarrassing but it also took me well over a year till I was able to afford our education..."
"You don't have any relatives or you ever considered going into a public school?" Setsuna asked in sullen voice.
"Our grandmother might be our legal guardian but she does not live around these parts. Sooner or later, the fact that us two lived alone would come to light and get ourselves in serious trouble. Worst case scenario, Ayumu could end up in an orphanage y herself and me in a reformatory or something. I decided to abandon school for us, accept the fact being held back and take our chances from there…"
None of the three were prepared to hear something heavy like that from the get go, considering the casual they had while joking all the way here. They didn't even know how to react or respond.
"…"
Without saying anything, Shinji reached for his back pocket, picks up his wallet and hands his house keys and a single note to the two girls.
"Setsuna. You know where I keep most of my stuff. Do you mind readying everything back at my place ahead of us for a bit?"
"Absolutely." Knowing he only calls her by name when it's something serious, Setsuna immediately snapped back to reality and returned to her quiet and composed self while answering.
"Thanks. You too, Aika. I don't think I have anything for you girls to drink. There's probably only beer and sake there. Could you do us a favor and buy some juice or cola from somewhere nearby? Oh right! Some tortilla wraps would be nice too!"
"But this note is for a hundred-"
"No problem! In that case, just buy some extra snacks and split the rest of the change between yourselves. Consider it a late birthday present from me okay?"
Despite smiling and sounding gentle as he usually is, Shinji conveyed very clearly that he was not giving either of them a choice over the matter.
Setsuna prodded Aika sides with her elbow and shook her head. As if asking her to just do as he asked without resistance and leave them alone.
"Fine..." The two girls then split up and went their respective ways. Leaving the two of them alone.
Shinji joins Crow on leaning against the wall and lights up a smoke for himself.
"…You two don't have any relatives or legal guardians to help?"
"There is our grandmother. But like I said, she lives far away. On the outskirts of a faraway village."
"…and neither of you moved in with her after the accident?"
"No. Ayumu, she… didn't wanted to say goodbye to her memories and friends here so I begged our grandmother to let us keep living here and she accepted. Provided that I make the money to sustain ourselves here. The funeral, our hospital fees by the accident plus my sister constant check-ups and exams dried our family funds almost completely."
"So the reason you work yourself to the bone with so many part-time jobs is…"
"Yeah. I have pay for our food, college tuition, her expensive medicine and medical exams, her school admission, some pet food now and everything else down the line. Thankfully, the apartment is on our name and Bea's sister helps us out in case things gets dicey but tend to avoid letting it reach that point. I don't have to pay rent and saves us some money. Although, that doesn't help that much anymore. Since I usually don't stay on the same job for too more than a month…" Another tired sigh escape Crow's lips.
"Why is that?" Shinji asks after exhaling a long drag of smoke.
"I sometimes ask Karasu to transform into me via manipulating our shadows and help with multiple jobs. So we can make some extra work done on the side. I appreciate his help and he never once complained about it. But, he always ends up flirting on my bosses and coworkers while pretending to be me. I always end up dragged into heaps of trouble afterwards because of it."
Shinji gives a hearty laugh as he slaps Crow over the shoulder.
"Ha! Sorry! I can't picture how bad that is Pretty Boy! You also said something about a pet. In this dire of a financial situation?"
"She always had a way with animals and they tend to like her too. Ayumu rescued a baby cat while on her way home from school. He was sheltering himself from the huge storm that happened two months ago. I couldn't say no to her while she nursed him back to health. Both of us ended up getting attached to him and Kuro got stuck with us ever since."
"I see…Since when did you began working then?"
"If you mean legally employed, I started with the same age as the girls. But I have been doing gigs here and there since I was around eleven."
"She really is nice kid and you are a great brother! I thought it would be hard for me to mesh demon hunting and my actual job. But when compared to you, I'm starting to think that I have it easy!"
"That she is! I'm happy you also seem to think that way Sensei. To be completely honest, if weren't for us knowing each other better this morning and this same situation happened. I would find you someone creepy and suspicious and order you to stay the hell away from her. I probably would be trying to kill you by now too." Crow shows a light smile despite the somewhat veiled threat.
"C'mon! What do you think I look like? Some sort of criminal?" Shinji asks with a cocky smile.
"…" Crow looked at the Teacher's eyes without saying a word.
"Don't answer that! It was a joke! But, you are welcome to try anytime! Ai-Chan and many others before her did or are still trying to do exactly that and failed every time! Although, I'm the first to admit that my niece sometimes got me very close to it! Bwahaha!" Unfazed by Crow's tone, Ero-Sensei merely laughed at the implied threat.
"Heh. I can imagine! Considering you must have made so many enemies because of your past as-"
"As?" Shinji asks with a sudden harsh tone in his voice.
"N-Nothing! Never mind!" Crow takes the last long, whiff of his cigarette and throws at the garbage bin nearby. After a couple of minutes in solemn silence…
"Hey, Sensei?"
"Hm?"
"I understood most of your nicknames I give to people but, why do you call her 'Sunny'?"
"Oh, That? Most of the time I cooked for her, she asked to add eggs sunny side up no matter what I gave her to eat! She once even asked me to put an egg on top of popcorn or in a bowl of soup! It quite fits her brilliant and bubbly personality. Don't ya think so?"
"Haha! I guess it does! Our mother used to make that very often for us… Sensei, I'm truly grateful for your help behind the scenes. I always wanted to properly thank the person who helped me out with Ayumu. I only could work hard as I do because of his help. But because of constantly working, I never had the time to look for him…" Crow tried to bow again before Shinji. But this time, he stops Crow from doing it again.
"No need to thank me! To be completely honest, I sympathize with you. I… went through something similar in the past twice with both my mother and stepsister. They also had a very compromised health you see. So I can understand your pains..."
"Had?" Crow asks while lifting one of his eyebrows.
"Yeah. Sadly, neither of them are around anymore…"
"I see…"
Shinji throws his cig away and looks at his before turning back at Crow.
"…Your eyes and words also remind me of when I was younger. Mind if I give you some adult advice?"
"Of course not Sensei!"
"Then, be careful not to get yourself killed. Also from now on, you really should stop with the idea that you could even kill or die if it's for Sunny's sake. Unlike me, that sort of thing would never let Sunny become happy that way if that ever comes to happen..."
"…"
After yet another moment of silence. Shinjirou disrupt the quiet atmosphere and smack his cheeks.
"Alright! Enough with sappiness for today! If you wish to talk more about this sort of stuff another time, bring some sake with you and we'll see! Now then, let's eat some tacos! Bwahahaha!"
Shinji pumped his fists in to the air and then jumped four stories high, landing right in front of his apartment.
(I knew this already. But, despite trying so hard not to show it. Sensei really sounds like someone who went through a lot. Not that is much of a surprise to us. Considering all that had happened to him in the past with 'her' and the arson of…Ops! We promised him not talk or even think about all that anymore! Still, there is a lot of things that one could learn from observing him…)
"Oiii! Edgy! Drop blank and bad boy act that chick's find it so hot and get your ass over here or else I'll give your share to Birdie!" Shinji waves his hand at the while leaning over the third floor hallway.
"C-Coming!"
"That what's she said Bwahahahah!
(…That is, if one ever manages overlook his loudmouth, cesspool of dirty jokes and constantly causing trouble to others. No wonder Master wouldn't shut up about about him...)