And so, after that big talk with Evangeline where I told her about what happened between me and Ema, we kept walking towards the school.
Evangeline tried to kept talking to me with a cheerful tone, to make me feel better and to distract my mind from intrusive thoughts.
Her behaviour was the mirror of what she was: a beautiful and sensitive girl with a really big heart who loved to help other people.
I felt really understood by her.
Speaking with Evangeline was like speaking with an angel.
"Soo, Mr. tutor, what are the plans for today?" She then asked during our walk.
"Ah. Right. Im still your tutor... So... uhm..." I replied nervously while scratching the back of my head.
So many things happened that I even forgot to write a schedule to help Evangeline.
"Soooo, Mr. Tutor?" Evangeline said with a teasing and playful tone of voice.
That probably was her way to cheer me up.
Then, with a sigh, I told her the truth.
"I'm sorry, Evangeline... So many things happened that-" I said, but Evangeline shutted me with her index finger.
"Shhhh~ I already knew that, so I asked Arai-Sensei to write a schedule with things to do. Isn't that great?" She said, with a lovely smile and a friendly tone of voice.
My eyes widened a little in surprise.
"R-Really?" I asked, with a little but embarassed voice.
Evangeline nodded in agreement.
"Exactly!" She said, while taking a folded piece of paper from her pocket and giving it to me.
I took it from her hands and opened it.
"Things to do to help Evangeline" That was the title.
I started to read it.
"Here is a small list of things to do in order to make Evangeline feel confortable in our school..."
While reading , I had a strange feeling that Mayumi added things that weren't related to school.
Evangeline kept looking at me with a friendly expression and a smile upon her face.
I continued reading the list:
1)Introduce her to the teachers.
2)Show her around the school.
3)Help her with any schoolwork or assignments.
4)Make sure she knows where the library and common areas are.
5)Take her to the student lounge for a break and some tea.
6)Spend some time after school to make her feel welcome.
7)Show her around the city to help her get familiar with new places.
I paused at the last item, feeling my face heat up slightly.
"Show her around the city to help her get familiar with new places" sounded more like a date than a school-related task.
I looked up at Evangeline, who was watching me intently.
"Looks like we have a busy day ahead," I said, trying to keep my tone light.
Evangeline's smile widened. "I'm in your hands, Fumihiro-Kun! Merci!" she said while bowing like a princess.
Without noticing, my lips curved into a smile.
Evangeline noticed that and her eyes started to sparkle with more intensity.
"Oh!! You smiled!" She said with a joyful tone.
After she said this, I felt embarassed and looked away.
"T-That's not true!" I said, with a flustered tone.
Then, I looked at her again and noticed that she had a teasing loon on her face.
"L-Let's go to school now. Geez." I said, while smiling again.
"Yes! Let's go, Monsieur Tutor!" She replied while clinging to my arm.
We kept walking like this until we reached the school gates.
With Evangeline by my side and a clear plan in hand, I felt more confident about facing the day.
Plus, her positivity was infectious. Too infectious.
You could say that Evangeline was literally a walking sphere of joy and happiness.
Feeling sad around her was strictly prohibited.
When we arrived, Evangeline let go off my arm and we started walking freely again.
She probably didn't want any kind of false rumour to spread.
"What a clever girl." I said in my mind.
As we walked into the school, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.
During our walk, I usually looked at her to make sure not to lose her.
Everytime I turned my head towards her, she smiled at me or blinked her eye.
She was too pure for this world.
"And we're here!" She said, after we reached the school corridors.
"Okay... according to the list... I should introduce you to the teachers, but... don't they already know you?" I asked, confused.
Evangeline nodded her head.
"Well, yes , but I think that we should do things properly, since we didn't do so many things together. So if we have to do something again, it's okay." She replied while rubbing her chin.
"Ooookay. Let's go then." I said after letting out a small sigh.
"Yeeyy!" Evangeline said. "Let's go, Fumi! Let's go!" She added while gently pushing me from my back.
"Geez..." I said with a sigh and a small smile.
I felt much better than this morning, like I regained my energy.
Yes, Ema was still the center of my thoughts, but Evangeline's joy was distracting me too much and it was like the pain was slowly put aside.
We headed to the teacher's lounge first.
As we walked through the halls, students whispered and glanced our way.
It was clear that Evangeline's presence was making an impact.
She seemed to notice but didn't let it bother her. Instead, she kept her focus on me and our mission for the day.
Inside the teacher's lounge, we found Arai-Sensei grading papers at a corner table.
She looked up and smiled as we approached.
"Good morning, Kai. I see you've found your schedule," she said with a wink.
"Yes, thank you for this, Arai-Sensei," I replied, feeling slightly more composed.
"Just doing my part to help," she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
After introductions and a brief chat with Arai-Sensei, we moved on to the next item on the list.
As we walked through the hallways, showing Evangeline the various classrooms and facilities, I began to relax.
Talking about the school and its routines brought a sense of normalcy back to my day.
When we reached the student lounge, Evangeline and I sat down with cups of tea.
She looked around, taking in the cozy atmosphere.
"This place is nice. I can see myself spending a lot of time here," she said, sipping her tea.
"Yeah, it's a good place to unwind," I agreed, feeling a sense of contentment.
Evangeline's eyes met mine, and for a moment, I felt a connection that went beyond mere words.
She had a way of making everything seem better, even in the midst of chaos.
"Thank you for today, Kai," she said softly. "I know things have been tough, but you're doing a great job."
I smiled, genuinely touched by her words. "Thanks, Evangeline. That means a lot."
As we continued our day, checking off items from the list, I realized that Evangeline's presence was a gift.
She brought a small glimpse of light into the darkest corners of my mind, and for that, I was grateful, even if it was for a short moment.
We spend the day doing other things that were on the list, like helping her with some homeworks and explaining her how our classes worked.
The teachers didn't say anything about the fact that me and Evangeline entered one hour later.
Strange.
Finally, the school day ended, and we approached the last item on the list.
My heart raced a bit as I turned to Evangeline.
I was feeling a little bit nervous, not knowing why.
Evangeline looked at me with a genuinely and lovingly expression.
She had a lot of fun with me today, and I must admit that it was the same for me.
But... I still kept thinking about Ema and what she was doing in my absence.
She didn't come at school today too... and despite the fun of today I was slightly worried.
"That's none of your business anymore, Fumihiro." I said to myself, trying to calm the intrusive thoughts.
Ema's life was not part of mine anymore , and worrying about her , especially worrying about someone who cheated wasn't a healthy thing to do...
"Well, it looks like the last thing on the list is to show you around the city," I said, trying to sound casual.
Evangeline's eyes sparkled with excitement. "That sounds wonderful! I can't wait to see more of this place!" She said.
I started to thik about some places where I could take her to have some fun ... but I also didn't want to take her where I used to go with Ema.
"Where are we going , Fu-mi-hi-ro-Kun?" Evangeline asked, while leaning closer to me.
"W-We... uhm... I don-" My voice got interrupted by a familar one.
"We can go all together to the Sakura Brew Haven-" The voice behind me said, while an arm wrapped around my neck in a chokehold.
It was Benjiro, who actually saw me and Evangeline.
"I cant breathe---!" I said, trying to break free.
"Uhm.... I think that's a good idea. I want to try their vanilla shake, and I think that Ayaka-San would be happy if we go." Suzuki added to the us.
Benjiro released me and I finally could breathe again.
"Hah-Hah-Hah" I kept taking rapid breaths to have some air inside me.
Then , after recovering, I looked at Evangeline.
She had a strange expression, like she didn't want to go there.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but it seemed like her smile disappeared for a second.
"Y-Yeah. I think that's a good idea." Evangeline said, with a forced smile.
"Oh. She clearly doesn't want to go..." I thought.
"Evangeline, is it okay for you to go there?" I asked, with a reassuring tone.
She nodded her head in agreement.
"Yes. It's not a problem. Let's go , all together!!" She said joyfully.
Her happiness returned.
"Yeah, let's go!" Benjiro said.
Suzuki smiled to me and said "Are you ready?".
I nodded my head.
"Yeah... let's go to meet Ayaka-San." I said with a sigh.
"GREAT! LET'S GOOO!" Benjiro shouted like he was a leader of a squad.
As we walked out of the school and into the bustling city streets, I couldn't help but feel a mix of nerves and curiosity.
"Is evangeline connected to Ayaka-San in some ways? I remember that the first time we met, she was going there... I have to investigate." I said to myself.
And so, after finally taking the decision to try Ayaka's special Vanilla shake, we started to walk towards her place...