"Woah~." I yawned and covered my mouth. "Along hour has passed."
It's been 4 days since the incident took place. The city is back to normal, people have started their activities as usual. There were no more Astral Beings appearing all over this city, they hid and disappeared just like that.
But until now, I haven't found the whereabouts of that little girl, the little girl I dreamed of being killed by the two men.
What was in my mind, just wanted to find the whereabouts of the little girl and help her. But one thing is for sure, again, a dream will slowly fade and be hard to remember.
I could only see one man, the one called Sakata. I believe, he is an Astral Being disguised as a man. But the other man, I don't recognize him. But even so, I felt like I had met him in a different dreamland.
In my different dreamland, I remember how pathetic Karin's face was at that time.
"Ah~ I can't remember well. It's just annoying, it makes my brain spin thinking about it. Actually… can I protect this world or not?"
Even though I'm a Huoltaja, but I'm not sure about the use of this power of mine. I can't shoot, that's something bad. All I could do was fight at close range, but it required strong courage, it was very dangerous for my life.
"Damn, damn, damn, damn… I haven't had time to study yet. I won't get that watch. Damn, damn, damn…"
Seeing Fujita who had been muttering earlier, I patted his shoulder.
"Relax, I haven't studied either."
Today is Rookie student's day. If you get a standard test score, you will be given the Wlynina watch. But if you don't, you won't get it and you have to take remedial after school.
The students did get the watch, judging by what would happen to the test scores. But it's just, the way to get it is different. They were forced to be remedial to also get the watch, just like students who were not remedial. In other words, all the Rookie students got the watch in two ways.
But Fujita, Fujita didn't realize that and kept pondering about not being able to get the watch.
"How is it, Akio-san? I won't get that watch. How about this?"
"I told you, you calm down."
"But..."
At least, I as his friend should make him not think too much about it. After all, Fujita had a good mentality, so he was brave enough to face Astral Being, and deserved to fight without the watch.
The function of the watch was just to disappear it couldn't help anything in battle. But what Fujita wanted was not that, but to peek at the bathing ladies. He bastard, perverted bastard. It was because Herman-sensei's words were what made Fujita excited to get the watch.
"Believe in yourself, Fujitora."
"Fujita, desu."
"I'm sure you can get it. And I'm also sure, if you get it later, I'll ruin it while you're sleeping."
"Oi! Why are you so mean to me? Aren't we friends?"
"Friend? Huh~ what's that? You left me just like that, making me faint from the trauma."
"Why are you bringing up that again? I already apologized."
"Tch." I turned my face to the side, meaning to joke with him.
I explained to Fujita that I was traumatized back then when I fainted in that basement. I lied to him, even though I fainted because I couldn't stand the pain at that time, and caused me to faint.
If I'm not like this, Fujita will keep running away from me because of Karin or Shiva's presence near me. He must be brave to face the girls because he doesn't have to be afraid of them.
And again, the girls had to apologize to me, Fujita, and Andre for making things tense when they were close to them. But right now, I haven't heard a single word of apology from those girls. In fact, why do girls always refuse to apologize when they're wrong? Why do men have to apologize? This world is strange.
"I'm sorry, Akio-san."
"Hahaha, I was just kidding."
"Ah, thank goodness, I thought you were mad at me."
Fujita knew that he was guilty of my lies. I shouldn't have played with him like that, but what can I do, I can't be honest with him about myself being Huoltaja.
After a while, Herman-sensei came into the classroom with a large black plastic bag and a large number of papers in his hand.
"Alright, we'll start the test now. You sit quietly because this test will take place during recess."
Doing this test takes 3 hours, so it's quite a long time to do it.
When the test papers were handed out, I sighed.
"Huff~ I'll accompany him remedial."
This was my plan, to vilify my grades so I could be remedial with Fujita. Although I'm not very smart and never went to school, I read quite a lot of books and learned what was needed since I was little. And besides, my solidarity is high towards my friends and other people, I will never betray nor run from reality. I'm just like an adult if you look around. Yare, yare~ I'm embarrassed.
***
TING! TANG! TING! TANG! TUNG!
"Okay, gather your papers forward."
Break time beeps, indicating the time to do this test is over.
"Huff~." I breathed a sigh of relief because I had managed to answer this test so carelessly.
This test question is not too difficult, even middle school children can answer it. Most of these test questions are about human life, from survival to the history of the emergence of Astral Being on the earth's surface. If I answered correctly, then my score was above standard.
"Yosh, I'm done." Fujita stood up excitedly then ran forward and handed Herman-sensei his test paper. "I'm done, so give me Wlynina watch now, Sensei!"
"Not yet, Tobi-san. I haven't corrected your rehearsal, so you'll have to be patient. You better rest there first!"
"Okay, I understand. Hooray." Fujita looked happy, he even smiled as he walked to his seat.
I realized it was immediately suspicious of him.
"Oi..."
"Why?"
"Can you do the test questions?"
"Of course. Even middle school kids will be able to do it."
"Seriously?!" I quickly grabbed my pencil and filled in the questions correctly. "Fujitora, you idiot!"
"Fujita, desu."
I panicked, that's clear. Fujita toyed with me, I'm sure he easily answered the test questions because his face looked happy, like he didn't have any burden. My plans for remedial with him failed.
When I just filled out some of the test questions, Herman-sensei was already beside me and taking my test paper.
"Samsudin-san, work time is over, you can't do it anymore!"
"B-But..."
Paying no heed to me, Herman-sensei turned around and walked forward.
"Oh... shit."
"Akio-san, don't tell me you can't do it?" said Fujita, looking mockingly at me.
"You're the cause, idiot!"
"I? Why me? You don't study, so you can't do it. Hahaha." He laughed in a tone that irritated me.
Since I can't be angry, I'm resigned to this and hope he gets his karma.
"Never mind, it's better to just go to the canteen. You are a bastard, Fujitora."
"Fujita, desu."
As I stood up, I suddenly heard a voice behind me.
"Oh no, I forgot to fill in my name."
Fujita and I saw Andre holding his head.
We both looked at him blankly, like we wanted to make fun of him but didn't dare.
"Let's just go to the cafeteria."
"Come on."
We both left him and let him calm down with his condition.
Along this hallway, so many students walked to the cafeteria and talked to other students. They already know their classmates, so it's easy to communicate with what's going on in their lives. But some students are still in the classroom and eat their lunch alone. Such people prefer to live alone rather than having to make friends with others.
I think this is natural for the community. Humans who are shy or who can't socialize will get used to living alone. Even if some tried to approach them, they would be less than happy because they were used to it. Actions for such people are better for being forced to just be friends, than for them to have to live alone in this world. And besides, AAT Squad has a group in its team, so it must be able to continue to be with other people to maintain good communication.
I've learned a lot about it, without even realizing it, I've been kind of clear about the school and the thoughts of the Rookie students here. Well, maybe because of my mature nature, it made me think ahead and know how to do things, except in the good of it that caused the two old couples to separate.
"Do you know? When the Astral Beings attacked the city, my onii-chan fought them fiercely."
"Heh?"
"Yes. He even killed 3 Astral Beings and protected Captain Sakamoto. Great right?"
"Woah, your onii-chan is great."
Fujitora is better.
Some of their conversations rang in my ears as I passed them. They seemed to be still talking about the Astral Beings that appeared 4 days ago. They must be surprised by that because they are not mentally ready to fight against it and hope that someone else will fight against these beings.
"I got important information." A student approached her friends with a worried face.
"Why?"
"Sakamoto-san doesn't have a girlfriend."
I almost fell when I heard that.
I thought they were talking about something important, but it turns out they're talking about Tanaka who doesn't have that girlfriend.
"Really?"
"Yes. But..."
"But?"
"Sakamoto is approaching an Elite Class woman at the moment. And the rumors are that that woman was someone the government protected from being killed by the Astral Beings."
"What do you mean?"
I stopped walking when I heard that. I tried to eavesdrop on their conversation from this close distance, 3 meters from the girls.
"Why, Akio-san?" Fujita asked, stopping too and turning towards me, but I snuggled into him.
"He said that woman was a Huoltaja."
DEG! DEG! My heart suddenly skipped a beat when I heard that.
"Really?"
"I'm not sure, but the rumors say so."
"Why, Akio-san?" Fujita approached me, and instantly I regained my senses.
"Nothing. Let's go to the cafeteria now."
That woman… also a Huoltaja like me? I need to meet her.