Prologue
"..."
Silence thickend the air as her lime green gaze wandered between the two men in front of her, the polite smile still in place. They couldn't be serious, right? But the look in the shorter one's eyes didn't hint to any joke she could have missed. Soon enough Seiuchi* began to sweat from the heat and her sweater, at least that's what she told herself, though she knew the male's drilling stare was what made her nervous. Trying to avoid any further eye contact she turned her attention to the photo he handed to her, it was lightly soaked. The girl knew it was her turn to talk now "So... killing, huh?" She looked at the greenish knife in her other hand "With... toy weapons?" Great, Hase she scolded herself slow talking to build up the tension, smooth. "It's not exactly a toy weapon, Seiuchi-san. Those are tools especially prepared to defeat the target."
She glanced at the more familiar face in the room and noticed an undetectable nod. Her eyes went back to the other man. She crooked her head to the right. "I can imagine how that must sound to you, I myself wasn't less surprised by those news" As if his face knew what 'surprised' meant. "But nonetheless we can't let any opportunity slide, that could give us an advantage. Please use the upcoming summer break to let those information sink in and prepare to join the class when school starts." Around now the girl was sure that he didn't know how to blink. Why did he stare at her again, her back felt like a waterfall. And her smile slowly started to ache. As if reading her mind he bowed slightly "Please get to know your weapons and train your body to keep up with the class" he eyed her swiftly. He's calling me chubby. Hase's smile twitched.
"Well, if we are finished now, I would like to go over the more important paperwork with Seiuchi-san. I would like to take over from here on. I have an appointment I must take before the ending ceremony starts." the principal threw in, implying that he wanted the other one to leave. Please, leave. To her surprise he actually did as he was told and left quickly, maybe he himself didn't want to interact with the principal either. Closing the door behind him, Gakuho Asano turned to face her "His name was Karasuma. You should know the names of your teachers from now on, otherwise you could be considered as lazy or too uncommitted." He took his place behind the metal desk, Hase stood there on the other side of it. She laid down the items and started to massage her cheeks as the man rummaged through one of his drawers. "Already sore?" he asked without looking up. "Totally, but I guess that's the price you pay to seem committed and hard-working"
Seiuchi received a light chuckle.
A rather thick folder was handed to her. "A summary of the content you have missed so far. Make sure to catch up to it" he gave her a modest smile "Hase"
At the sound of her first name she gave him a more character fitting smirk. "Will do. Thanks, Asano-jisan**" She flicked through the notes, noticing the neat handwriting. The girl sighed "I mean it, thank you a lot" she lowered her head "I honestly didn't expect you to take me in again. I... I really screwed up over there, like really big." The nicknamed man laid his chin on his folded hands. He hid his mouth, eyes as stoic as ever. But if Asano would have been angry with her Hase would be able to tell. Sadly, she also couldn't detect any hint of understanding either. Just the analyzing pair of orbs she left behind last year. She avoided them.
"Was is really that surprising?" it didn't sound like a question at all. And he had a point, somewhere in the corner of her mind she would have been genuinely surprised if he would have rejected her. He still reads minds in his free time, I see she smiled inwardly. But that was just deep down, in one of the overshadowed corners of her mind. She could run her own school and would not take herself in again. Not with her grades and all the promises she knew she had broken, when she said that she would always give it her all. Because once she got what she wanted, her ticket to participate in a student exchange, all the resolutions she made were gone and overseas her grades fell like the leaves in autumn.
So the teenager spent her third middle school year alone in America, lazing around all day and staying up all night. Paid off well enough, she thought, because once she entered high school back in Japan, she had forgotten everything she had ever learned about japanese history, grammar or even the simplest manners. Adding her natural lack of understanding numbers and sciences she soon had to face what she did to herself with not doing anything... at all. Her dad was furious on the phone, to sugar-coat it and her mom had that typical mom-look in her eyes: disappointment and shame with a pinch of prepare-to-get-your-face-slapped-inwards. A big pinch. But in the end her mother, Seiuchi Misaki didn't let her down completely, and only due to her friendship with the principal she was able to get her daughter a second chance.
And that's the tale Seiuchi mused to herself how Hase the schemer came back to middle school, lock away your daughters, I'm back she thought flatly. "Are we done with our little recap then, or do you need another minute?" Gakuho Asano's deep voice reached her ears. And if we wouldn't know him since the beginning of time she wouldn't have noticed the hint of playfulness in it. His chair made the most unpleasant noise when he got up "In case you're still speculating over my reasons, it wasn't because of my fondness for your family" he started "As an acknowledged educator I may accuse myself for having an eye for hidden potential. And you, as rough as it is, have some." That was actually quite moving "Somewhere." Damn him. Hase didn't move an inch from her location yet, rather straining her neck to follow his figure "Cat's curiosity, but what makes you think so?"
She could barely make him out as he locked the door, her nape nearly snapping in half.
"Because you grew up close to me, that must have had an effect on you" Her face made a disappointed expression. Seems like I had forgotten about his lordliness as well she scowled. Before her back could actually kill her she turned around as well, seeing him peel of his jacket with inappropriate elegance. Carpet never seemed more interesting. "So if we now know that manipulating is one of your strong suits" he trailed of, leaving her with the bitter taste of her lies "We will focus on the more important things" Hase escaped a scared chuckle, she knew Asano good enough to predict bad events from his voice, like a freaking cat before a storm. He strolled over to his desk, the air cooling around him. "Kousaka-san, I'll have my appointment now, please don't pass on any calls for the next two hours." he said to someone while holding down a button on his phone, probably his secretary.
He made his way back to the front of the desk where Seiuchi was still waiting. With every step the man took in her direction she took two backwards. "So..." she started to hold her hands before her body, a weak smirk appearing on her face. "More important things you said?" He still had the same stoic eyes, but his smile, she was able to tell, terrified her. And it made her blood rush to her legs for a quicker escape. "That is what I said. As much as I enjoy your character, you won't make a living just by lying and twisting words the way you want them to sound. Unfortunately" the hell your smile finds it unfortunate "Education and demeanor are just as important" Soon enough her back hit the wall and she used the three limbs she could spare to create a defensive wall between her and Asano.
"Yeah! Yeah, education. Of course, demeanor!" Hase replied quicker than needed. Gakuho stopped shortly before her, making her shrink under his stare "My talk, Hase. And as your acquainted instructor I am quite willing to help you to accomplish it even in a lower-leveled class like the E-Class" And with that all the tension he was building up was gone in a flash. He smiled at her, a smile she didn't see in what feel like ages. It nearly reached his eyes. Like back in the days when the man would visit her mother and her with his own family. The weak smile she managed to hold vanished for and a genuinely surprised expression appeared on her face. He is actually going to help me? It couldn't be true. Even if she was told from every direction that Asano would never let anyone down if her mother asked for it, she couldn't believe that he had a soft spot. Seiuchi let her created wall down.
She was stupid like that.
It took him an one inch, an one centimeter big opening to get through, his fist making contact with her stomach. She didn't know when he had time to train, but the force he used was enough to lift her body up. Hase desperately had to grind her jaw together in order to not let out a painful shriek. Even on the verge of dying she still cared enough about him to prevent starting rumors about crying teenagers behind locked doors. Better appreciate it she wanted to spit out, but tried to not open her mouth more than necessary. She feared to puke. When Asano finally removed his hand she was left to fall onto her knees, arms wrapping around her torso, coughing. "You..." she gasped "said you can't make a living of schemes..."
The sting was still present when she attempted to glare at him. Seiuchi's eyes were teary.
"That was indeed what I said", the man squatted before her suffering figure "But it will not make things worse being able to lie with a smile" There it was again, cold eyes and the mouth forming a tight line. The teen really had been stupid. Slowly she caught her breath again, accepting the hand he held out. She wondered briefly how she looked, but Hase didn't think her normal short bed hair looked any different from the beaten up look she would have now. "Well then," he trailed of, rolling up his sleeves "why don't we start with 'training your body', like Karasuma-sensei told us" "Even more?!" she couldn't believe it. He just flashed her one of his o' so pretty smiles "To be accurate with you, Hase, we haven't even started yet" As if reading her face he added "You did not expect me to take you into middle school again without a little spanking, did you?" He cracked his knuckles "We shall start now"
"Kousaka-san, we're done in here. Did I miss any calls?" she heard him speak into his phone again as she maid her way out of the office, door closing behind her. Hase coated her head with her hood, trying to ignore the look the secretary gave her as she walked by. Why did he even have the phone when she was sitting directly before his office? The last two hours weren't as fun as Asano made them sound. She could still feel every hit he landed she wasn't quick enough to dodge. Every single one. Lucky her they finished the little 'training' earlier than expected, due to Seiuchi's nose starting to bleed from a unlucky tumble. When she finally exited the outer office, too she looked around. Empty hallways.
Is everyone still at their lessons? she asked herself entering one of the bathrooms to fetch a paper towel.
Ripping of a small chunk she plugged one of her nostrils with it, maybe it would stop the bleeding. Now what? The teenager could risk leaving now and running into other students or she could stay and wait for the ceremony to beginn and leave when everybody else was gone. She chose the second one and locked herself in one of the stalls, tossing her bag in the corner. The girl pulled out her phone out of her pants and unlocked it. The ceremony would beginn in a good half hour but she was finally able to rest a little, her body still aching. She absently stared at her cell phone as it darkend, reflecting her face on the pitch black display.
Hase nearly jumped at her own image.
Most of her makeup was gone, some poor remains of mascara and eye liner hid themselves in the wrinkles her eyebags formed, how long was she already running around like that. Hastily she unlocked her phone again, opening the front camera to make sure to remove all the smearing, revealing the naturally blueish shadows beneath it. Holding the device farther away she checked her hair. Still a mess she ran her hand through the light brown mop, not all that disappointed But I should probably get my roots fixed. She picked at the darker hairline.
Seiuchi closed her camera application again, already sick of her own appearance. There was still so much time to spare, but when she was caught in one of the hallways, as messy and bruised as she was, there was a high chance that a teacher would be called and the chairman would have to explain her state and the reason she was here. Hase absently went through her phone gallery. Naah she decided don't cause him trouble she smiled softly at a picture.
It was in a folder filled with old scans, a get-together her family had with Asano's. She didn't recall the exact date, but she wore pigtails, so maybe around a decade ago? Their families would often meet for dinners or even go on joint vacation trips. Her father had his arm wrapped around her mothers waist, both smiling softly. Next to her mother were Gakuho and his respective wife. He stood a lot closer to Misaki, an honest smile gracing his face (Great, so now she could tell the difference). A little grin made its way onto her face You always had the hots for her. There were also herself and Gakushu on the picture, but the younger one wouldn't seem as pleased as the others. He stood closer to his mom.
Her grin shrinked.
Come to think about it, they got divorced.
Her face had a frown. It was true that her mom and dad didn't see each other often. Her father Yahase was some kind of big shot assistant, so he would always have to stay by his boss' side. Her mom had a CEO position in an upcoming fashion brand and was very busy with meetings and designs. But just because her parents weren't permanently close to each other didn't make him believe he had a chance with her, did it? Then again, every time her mother would ask him or try to comfort him about the divorce he put the whole conversation on hold.
A jolt ran through Hase's body when the familiar phone rang made its way to her ears. Did she doze off? She looked down at her screen.
'Install now: Autonomously Thinking Fixed Artillery, mobile Unit'
What? A virus? she pondered a bit about the space it would take from her phone but still chose to install it. What would life be without risks? It took over two minutes to completely install onto her phone and she watched the loading bar a little scared. Did she make the wrong choice? Seiuchi's concerns were quick to be interrupted when her screen got dark.
Slowly a rather retro-ish looking sequence started, a gentle scene with a rather pretty girl on a meadow. "And so it came" the girl quietly heard her phone narrate "that a new friend would be welcomed into the class. Maybe a little excited, maybe nervous she would look forward to the time that laid ahead of her. What would the future bring to out new membe-" "I'm gonna delete this". The lilac-haired girl jumped into a close-up "How rude! And that after I wrote a whole opening for you!"
Hase gave her a bitter frown "Is this some kind of dating sim-virus?" "IT'S NOT" The close up ended and the encoded one took a step back "Let's try it again, shall we?" she smiled politely "My name is Autonomously Thinking Fixed Artillery, but please feel free to call me by my given name: Ritsu. Like you, I'm an active member of your future E-Class and Karasuma-sensei gave me your contact details. I hope we can get along good, even though I'm aware that it may won't be easy to be friendly towards an application I want us to-" "It's fine" Seiuchi interrupted her again, feeling a little proud that she could make a program pout. "So, you're not going to delete me, are you?"
She gave her a mocking grin "Sure, just don't delete my porn stack"
When Seiuchi came home that evening her mother was nearly dozing off on the couch. "How did it go?" she mumbled into a pillow. The teen didn't give a clear response, rather making an undefinable sound that could mean anything. She was relieved that her mom didn't look when she scooped up the empty plate she left on the coffee table. Conversation wasn't a big deal between them when her mother was still semi-angry at her and tired from work. She left her be and got her own food from the kitchen, looking forward to an all-nighter with soda and dry cereal.
Haa, summer break.
/ Tenses?! What are tenses?! I've got horrible grammar, forgive me !
Okay, so I really had a blast starting this one but in the end it took me around a week to finish the first chapter. Also, Hase got a little more self-insert than intended but I guess it just makes it easier to write her. This was a prologue so there weren't many character appearances but I'll give it my best shot to write some more.