A/N:
2.4k words.
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Weeks passed, and her father, concerned for her safety, forbade her from leaving their family mansion. That day, she hadn't overheard the conversation between Minoru and his father, Shijo Makoto; thanks to the knockout effect of the juicy sleeping snacks.
Later on, Maki was informed about Minoru's wish. However, Maki was truly crazy by the fact that Minoru didn't seem to want to reach out to her or something.
Right now, she found herself incessantly complaining to her best friend, Kashiwagi Nagisa, about Minoru's behavior. As Maki walked through the corridor, annoyance etched on her face, little did she know that she was about to encounter the person she had been thinking about for the rest of her holiday!
"Maki-chan. D-Don't tell me that—" Maki cut off her friend Nagisa before she could speak.
"Silence, Nagisa—Hey you!" Maki said, brimming with enthusiasm.
Minoru's poker face twitched as she called him "you." Did she not know he was a teacher?
It was similar to Kaguya, who thought Maki was being rude. It's like she knows him—wait! That's it! Judging by her personality, Maki should never act like this. Then why? Kaguya narrowed her eyes a bit when Maki finally stopped an inch from Minoru.
"I said, what are you doing he—" Minoru simply showed her his teacher ID, "HUH!? Teacher? Is this a joke?"
"I'm not. And you're too close."
"AHH!" She stepped back hastily, "H-Hey! D-Don't misunderstand! It's not like I'm happy to see you again or something!"
"I don't think that way either," he smiled a bit, "Are you okay now? How's your injury?" He got straight to the point.
"Ah… yeah," Maki paused a bit and knew what he meant, "I-I'm okay now. Thanks…"
Minoru nodded, "Good then."
Flight 237. It was the airplane cruising from Paris to Tokyo, the very same flight that carried Minoru and the daughter from Shijo Corporation, Shijo Maki. Thanks to her family's influence, they managed to keep the lid on Minoru's presence on that plane, officially stating that Maki's bodyguard was handling everything.
Yet, Minoru thought this cover-up paled in comparison to the conspiracy he was entangled in.
Seeing his subtle smile, Maki's eyes widened, and she involuntarily gasped. "Like I said, d-don't mock me! I'm not heartbroken! UGH! How many times do I have to say that I'm perfectly fine?" Her face turned as red as a tomato, and with each frustrated stomp of her feet, the room seemed to echo with her exasperation.
"Okay, just calm down, alright."
Did she misunderstand something here? Minoru pondered, thinking he was asked because he understood the challenge of overcoming trauma in life-and-death situations. Yet, her reaction was more amusing than he had anticipated. He needn't worry about that.
"Hmmph! Don't underestimate me. I'm perfectly calm! Right, Nagisa?" Maki crossed her arms.
Nagisa, the girl with short, dark brown hair, visibly flinched under Minoru's gaze. "Err… I think, um, you're talking too fast and… furious? So, no…?"
"I'm NOT! And hey! I thought you were on my side, Nagisa!?" Maki felt betrayed.
Meanwhile, as the trio exchanged heated words, Kaguya observed in silence.
'Is this really Maki that I knew?'
Seeing their dynamic, it became evident that Minoru and Maki shared a close bond. Kaguya realized Shinomiya's information-gathering skills were lacking, unaware that Shijo Maki and Minoru already had a history.
'But what is this? I feel like I'm left behind and know nothing. Meanwhile, Maki is acting as if she's known him for a long time.'
A twinge of irritation twisted Kaguya's stomach, especially as she noticed Minoru's smile. It felt like a defeat!
Feeling a menacing gaze, Maki fixed her intense stare on Kaguya, and Maki was annoyed with her penetrating red eyes.
"Araaa~ it's been a while, Aunt Kaguya," Maki smirked.
Minoru thought, 'Interesting. Two daughters of the strongest family meet like this. Well, I don't care, but it'll be good for me to observe their personalities.'
This was the perfect time to gather information.
There are families called Zaibatsu that have been established since the Meiji era. And the strongest among them is Shinomiya. Shijo is actually the little brother of Shinomiya who shares the same lineage. If Shinomiya is likened to England, then Shijo is the United States. But, in reality, they hate each other and are currently engaged in an intense business battle. Maybe they sound more like the Manchester United and Manchester City of Japan.
Kaguya ignored Maki's provocation. "Sensei, I'm afraid it's almost time that we should start our meeting," Kaguya said, and Maki's mind raced.
'This player! Why is Kaguya with him? And what meeting?'
Maki couldn't ignore the unease with Kaguya's presence from the Shinomiya family, the source of her troubles.
Minoru sighed. The situation could spiral out of control, but the intrigue of observing their personalities further was too tempting. Kaguya remained calm, even after Maki's provocation. As he glanced at his surroundings, other students pretended not to pay attention, but their overly obvious acting betrayed their curiosity.
"You're right." He locked eyes with Maki. "...If there's nothing more to say."
"Wait," Maki said, turning away from Kaguya as she fumbled with her phone. "Gi-give me your contact." She pouted at him, upset that Minoru seemed eager to escape.
"Why? And is this the act when someone asks for a contact?"
Maki visibly wanted to burst, her expression screaming, "It's you who should correct that kind of behavior!"
"It's for school stuff! Y-Yeah. Argh! Stop it! Just s-scan my barcode."
Minoru's face looked like, "Ah?"
"I'm not using LINE." He said and Maki froze awkwardly, displaying her phone screen for nothing.
"Haha, you're a newspaper type of person. I almost forgot about that."
"Here's my email. And call me Sensei from now on."
With that, Minoru entered the room.
After Minoru's indifference, she grumbled inwardly.
'He's drawing a line. Ugh, not like I give a hoot about that player, but Dad's cool with it. Hold up!'
She shot back at Kaguya, who was eyeing her curiously. "What?" Maki narrowed her eyes.
"Hmm..." Kaguya hummed, a sly grin forming. "You two acquainted from before?"
"Hah? Do I have to spill the tea on that?"
Kaguya's smile widened like a crescent moon. "Well, I don't care..." though she totally did, "By the way, I've heard that Shijo Corporation is in the process of merging with a French Bank. It seems your overseas endeavors haven't met with any setbacks, hmm?"
"I'll take that as a compliment. Also, the Shinomiya ears are always something else."
Sidestepping Kaguya, Maki avoided getting too cozy with the Shinomiyas—still on guard. Kaguya, too, strolled toward the room, shooting an icy glare at the nosy eavesdroppers.
---
09:13 AM
Inside the student meeting room, the seats were arranged in a U shape. Minoru sat between Yor and Shizuka, with each member of the student council on their left and right. The brief meeting progressed smoothly, focusing on coordinating efforts for an upcoming event. The purpose of the meeting was to ensure seamless guidance for all Academy students, ranging from elementary to high school divisions. Additionally, parents of freshmen were expected to attend and accompany their children.
"I believe we don't have to worry about technical issues here since the student council did good work in the last few days. Good job."
Minoru said, shooting a glance at the Shuchi'in High student council, who all nodded in agreement. He then shifted his focus to the Shuchi'in Middle student council.
"Do any of you have questions?"
Riko hummed, a thoughtful expression on her face. "The three of us are still kinda confused about our roles. Enlighten me, S-sensei," Riko forced herself to call him sensei.
Minoru nodded, "You three will be stationed at the Shuchi'in main gate, ushering freshmen's family to the auditorium. Meanwhile, Team Shirogane will handle things inside. If something crops up that's beyond you, give the teacher in charge a heads-up, and either Briar-sensei or I will swoop in."
Riko, Kei, and Moeha nodded in understanding. But, predictably, Riko couldn't resist a protest, "Wait a minute! Isn't that too easy?"
Minoru sighed, "Confidence is good, Amanai."
"S-Shut up!" Riko blushed, hissing at him and crossing her arms.
Ignoring the outburst, Minoru turned to Shirogane and the others, throwing the question, "Any other thoughts?"
Chika eagerly raised her hand, "Sensei~~~ how about using radios for better communication?" she said cheerfully.
Minoru could somehow see flowers flying from her personality, as he mentally felt those flowers bouncing into his face.
Yor nodded, "We'll use the school's radios. Luckily, they're the easy-to-use earpiece type."
"Yeaaay~!" Chika exclaimed. "I've got an idea! What if we all had code names then?"
"No," Minoru shot down the suggestion. "It's just a waste of time, Fujiwara."
"Moooe~!" Chika pouted. "Even though I really enjoy your sandwiches, Yanagi-sensei is no fun at all. Yo!"
Kaguya was taken aback by that.
"Sandwiches?" Kaguya stared at Chika, confused.
"That's right, Kaguya-san~~~," Chika said cheerfully. "Kei-chan handed out sandwiches from Yanagi-sensei, and they're so good that I eat two!"
Kaguya's face darkened as she observed Chika's cheerful expression.
'A human-shaped cow, a manifestation of men's desires, surviving solely on the sustenance provided by others, with all nutrients directed straight to filling your chest rather than your brain, what a despicable being. I'll never forgive you, Fujiwara-san. If something unfortunate were to happen to you, I wouldn't lift a finger to rescue you either.'
Kaguya thought darkly, harboring a genuine desire to harm Chika. At least snag a sandwich for me, dammit! I want Minoru's sandwiches too! Guilty, dammit!
Miyuki sensed an underlying tension and looked at Kaguya. Her gaze conveyed that she didn't see Chika as human; more like an insect.
'She must think that Sensei's sandwiches are inferior in her taste. No doubt! I should be careful not to eat my bento in front of her later.'
Miyuki resolved, vowing not to let Kaguya catch a glimpse of his humble lunch.
"Ah, I think I remember something. Hah..." Shizuka let out a long sigh, "We might have a big problem with the Yakuza."
"Yakuza?" Kei looked puzzled.
"Oh... it must be Ichijo Raku," Miyuki recalled.
Shizuka nodded, "That's right. They always make a fuss EVERY morning with a large convoy just because they want to escort Ichijo Raku. What a bunch of bastards! I hate it every time they cause a huge mess! I know they just want to show off. Anyhow, I'm afraid they'll start a riot and create a traffic jam." Shizuka bangs the helpless table.
Riko jumped from her seat, "That's not cool at all! Don't worry, sensei! I'll make them know their place!" She clenched her fist with fire in her eyes.
"That's vital information. Thank you," Minoru said, regaining their attention. "One more thing. I expect teamwork from all of us here. I repeat, teamwork." He paused, "If something goes wrong, don't make a reckless move and call us, the teachers. I don't want to see any of you doing something dangerous for a silly reason."
Minoru spoke with a deep voice, and they could feel the gravity of his intention, not wanting the students to get hurt.
"Understand?"
The students said yes nervously as he asked, and then Minoru looked at Amanai.
"Amanai," Minoru said, doubted.
"W-What!? And stop looking at me as if I'm the source of all problems!"
"Anyway, don't do anything stupid with the Yakuza. If they act up, report it. Cool?"
Riko just sat there in silence, thinking, 'Haha, as if I would do that.' When she nodded with an obvious lie on her face, Kei and Moeha knew exactly what she would do next. Meanwhile, Yor and Shizuka wondered if she was actually his little sister, considering how she acted.
---
The meeting wrapped up, and Minoru gleaned some insights about Kaguya. Turns out, she's a super shy person, and her pride keeps her from speaking her mind. Minoru mulls this over as he watches Yor set up the radio frequency.
"Shirogane," Minoru calls out to the person with the long white hair.
"Y-Yes, Sensei!?" they stammer, clearly surprised.
Oops, he forgot there were two Shiroganes in the room.
"Ah, I mean, the little sister," he corrects himself, and Kei hurries over as her older brother starts sweating bullets.
'What does he want from Kei-chan? Don't tell me?'
Miyuki's pride as the older brother takes a hit.
The other students in the room share the same confusion. Why did he call her personally? What's going on? Is he hitting on her?
"Um..." Kei hums shyly, "Is there anything I can help with? Oh, and thanks for the sandwiches, Sensei. I'll remember your kindness." Kei avoids eye contact, still embarrassed about her loud stomach earlier.
"Ah~~! Thanks for the sandwiches, Sensei!" Chika chimes in.
"Umm... It's delicious, thank you. Next time I'll do the same," Moeha added, though it wasn't clear what she meant.
"It was good, but don't get carried away!" Riko warned, pointing her finger at Minoru.
"I also enjoyed the sandwiches, Sensei. I hope we're not bothering you," Miyuki adds.
"..."
Kaguya stares at the floor in silence, and everyone wonders what he's going to say to her. The vibes around them were also pretty cute.
'Darn it. It should have been me!'
Shizuka stands nearby, feeling jealous but confident that Minoru doesn't see middle school students as love interests, right?
"Don't think about it. Can I have my lunch box back?"
Minoru surprises everyone with his request. Seriously, this guy is having a romcom moment, but all he cares about is his lunch box?
'If I lose it, Ai will beat my poor ass.'
Minoru thinks, only to discover it belongs to his wife all along. A man with priorities, indeed.
"Ah, y-yes! Please wait." Kei rushes to grab his lunch box. "Actually, there's still one left. I thought Sensei should eat at least one."
Kaguya widens her eyes!
'There's one left! But, there's no way I can ask him. Tsk! Think, Shinomiya Kaguya! Think!'
She uses her brain to the limits, scheming on how to get the last sandwich without saying a word.
"How considerat—" Minoru pauses, sensing a glare from two o'clock.
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A/N:
Is not time to mention his family yet.
Question. Does anyone know Mem-cho's real name?