CHAPTER 1

"Wow!" Alison said when she read my letter. "Japan! Perhaps you are too young for going there!"

"I'll be ok." I told her then smiling. "I'm the best on our year, what could happened to me? Grandpa said I could do it well."

"Promise to write back home from time to time!!" She shouted while the train left the station. "I'll be waiting for new about you!!"

Grandpa was also there. He had gone to say bye but his pride never allowed him to do such. He just gave me an extra bag while he told me to take care.

My task have been easy: Teaching on a Japanese High School called Hirakabe.

I should first contact with the headmaster and he would tell me about my work and how would I live there.

I had already search for some information about the man. He was a middle aged wizard who must be on his thirties or late thirties and who was married to a science-fiction writer. A good wizard who would be in charge of welcoming me. But my superior would be Takamachi-sensei, an old friend of my grandpa.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mahora School next stop!" The lady on the train loudspeakers said.

"That's my stop." I said reading about the place I should met Takamachi-sensei.

Lot of girls were there, and some were looking at me. I must say that as a witch I had specialised on transformations and fighting charms, even when I didn't need them always because I had also trained on body fighting.

So now I was looking as a well developed teenager girl even when my age was about 14 and my female forms were still just a bit developed and more developed than what was supposed on my age.

The girls just ran fast out of the train compartment and I took my time walking slowly out of it. I walked, I could have used my element to move in shadows but I felt like waking. Yes, definitively I thought that walking was a wonderful idea because it would make my mind wake up from the nap I took at the train.

When I finally reached the main doors I saw Takamachi-sensei smoking there and looking around looking for someone. Me, I supposed.

"Mr. Takamachi-sensei?" I called him.

"Oh, hi." He said looking at me. "Did you want anything, miss?"

"Konichiwa, I'm Isabelle Springfield." I said bowing my head slightly in respect for the greeting "I think you were waiting for me."

"Oh, sure." He said answering with another head bow. "I'm sorry. When I heard you were coming I expected you to be…"

"Different?" I asked smiling softly as he guided me through some streets. "I'm just trying to hide behind an elder appearance. I felt a bit weird travelling alone with my real appearance."

"Oh, sure." He said.

I had the weird sensation that he didn't knew how to react at my presence, so I began turning back into myself slowly while I fastened my belt for my shorts not to fall down as my hips went littler.

"Better if I look like this?" I asked him back looking as the 14 years old girl I was.

"Hey, you don't look too much different!" He said smiling now more relaxed. "It's as if you were the same but on your real age."

"In fact is the other way round." I said while we stopped at the next building. "In the other appearance is as if I was just a bit elder. Wow… this place is sure huge…"

"Do you like this?" He said smiling. "This is your new work place. Yet I'm still a bit… confused about why did the headmaster sent you here when there's a male wizard on training on an all girls' school and this is just the opposite."

"You mean…" I said gulping soundly as I went a bit nervous.

"Hirakabe High is an all male high school." Takamachi told me

"I hope you can find as home here." The headmaster told me smiling mildly as we shook hands cause he though we had finished our meeting. "About the room… you have nothing to be afraid of. I'm sure my son will be more than happy on the idea of having you up at his room while we can find you a proper one to stay at."

"Domo Arigato" I said trying to speak Japanese smiling in gratitude. "I'll do my best to take the task properly."

"Oh, no." The man told me. "It's me who is thanked on such a young Magister Magi being here."

"Nearly Magister Magi." I said smiling embarrassed. "It's still some months till I can be fully considered that."

"Now, if you want to leave your things at your room… I'm sure Takamachi will show you the way. Here are the key for the room and… the teacher identification. You should wear it all the time while you are on the school building."

"Thank you very much." I said bowing in respect. "I'll try not to forget."

"And another thing… while you are on lessons… I'd not wear other than myself if I were you. I know you feel safer when you are wearing your elder appearance, but the pupils you will have will give you problems if you wear that."

"Thanks. I'll try to do it too." I said bowing again.

Two hours later, I had left all my bags at the room and I was taken back to the high where Takamachi left me. He had promised me to present Negi-sensei too. It was funny. That name was too similar to the one grandpa used to tell me my dad was named: Nagi Springfield.

So now I was at my first lesson at the high. Ichibana-sensei was to introduce me to my new pupils so I opened the door and then...

BAM! ZAS! BING! PLOFF!

I ended up rolling to the teacher's desk with my hair white as a eraser hit my head fully, a bucket full of water fell over me, I slipped over a banana skin and I went sliding till I hit the desk with a bucket over my head.

I knew pupils used to say welcome with the classical jokes to their inexpert teachers, so I did nothing to avoid them. Anyway, now I was dirty and wet cause of the chalk dust and the water.

Immediately, the guys who had been laughing fell silent when they saw who had received the jokes.

I was about crying on rage when a pair of strong arms lifted me up till I was on my feet.

"I'm sorry, kiddo." The guy lifting me said. "That was supposed to be destined for the new teacher."

"Ah!" some guys said. "A little girl!"

In less than a second I was surrounded by some guys that looked surprised and curious to me.

That made me feel a bit uneasy as I tried to remove the wet dust from my hair.

"Everyone sit down!" My mate said shouting at them.

The guys ran to sit down and fell silent.

"I'll not tolerate that again!" The man said. "What a wild behaving! What will your new teacher think about you, you wild bunch of animals!"

"It's ok, sensei." I told him. "Nothing broken, see?"

"Is… is that kiddo the teacher?" A guy asked.

"Shut up!" The man said hitting the table with his fist. "From now on Miss Springfield will be your tutor and teacher! So I hope I get not a simple bad new from her, understood?!"

"Yes, mister." All answered at once.

"All yours, miss." The man said turning to me. "If anything goes wrong you know where to find me."

Then he left after having handed me a notebook with all the notes from the previous term and the photos of all the pupils with some useful notes about each one.

"Well…" I said. "What about introducing everyone? Ah, I see we have a volunteer."

"Is it true?" the guy asked. "Are you the new teacher?"

"Yes." I nodded. "My name is Isabelle Springfield and I'll be your new teacher. I come from England so… my best is English." I said smiling.

Then some guys began laughing.

"It's a joke, isn't it?" One said.

"C'mon." Another said. "How old are you? Ten?"

"In fact I'm… 15." I said remembering they were all 17 so deciding to raise a year.

"Oh, shut up!" The blond guy that first helped me said standing up to his mates. "Perhaps she is young, but she must be a genius or she would have never been sent here! Kyo Hitoshima, I'm the class delegate."

"Hitomi Kurogawa." His mate said.

Then one by one began telling me their names while I sat down on the teacher's desk that was a bit big for me so I decided to stay on my feet.

Finally I reached the one I most wanted to know his name.

"My name is Ayame; I'm the headmaster's son." A guy of the ones helping me said then.

He had short black hair spiky on his back with a lock of blue hair falling over his left eye casually.

"Ok, so… as you were the last one… ok, who can tell me what were you supposed to have now?"

"Maths!" the delegate told me smiling.

"Thanks, Kyo." I said memorising his name. "Ok, which page where you…"

Before I could end my question Kyo had placed his book on my table to show me where they were on the lessons.

I then began explaining them the lesson. Luckily for me I had studied till the last level of high school studies by my own and I graduated on the high school at distance.

At meal time I was a bit tired, but it was just my first day. It was supposed to be normal. I then went to the teacher's room and laid my things on the table a shark faced man told me was my new table.

"Ah, I thought I would find you here." Takamachi told me appearing. "I was wondering you would not know where to go for meal so I came to show you around."

"Thank you very much." I said smiling. "I was beginning to be a bit hungry."

"Well, pupils around here use to bring their meals or have it at the campus cantina." He explained me. "But as you are… well, cause of your age, I suppose you could go with pupils to the cantina. Just be sure to carry your teacher's identity card and you will get meal for free."

I had meal with him and some other wizard teachers on a restaurant next to the campus area so we were chatting freely about magic and all that. I had to tell them about my first day making them all laugh.

Anyway, the worst was to come that afternoon when I went to my room. I heard some guys shouting inside. I could identify them as Ayame, a calmed boy on the middle of the class and a guy who was shouting something about me and not wanting me on the same room.

I just sat down next to the door. Ayame went out but didn't noticed me covering my ears till he returned two minutes later carrying some cans on his hands.

"Hey, don't you get in?" He asked me.

"I don't want to disturb…" I muttered.

He just shrugged and went in the room. After some seconds I heard them stopping arguing and the silent guy came out of the room and saw me there. He then kneeled down in front of me.

"Isa-sensei." He called me. "Are you ok?"

"Yes, sorry." I said looking at him. "I was just resting a bit. By the way, you can call me just Isa. It's nicer…"

"Aya told me you were waiting out here." He said. "Sorry you heard the argument, but… well, Momo sometimes goes a bit narrow minded and we go on a row."

I then looked at him straight on his eyes.

"C'mon, let's get in." He said. "I'll cook you some tea. Oh, do you like tea?"

"Hum, yes." I nodded a bit shyly. "I used to drink tea on my home…"

"Oh, then I suppose you have not tested Japanese tea yet." He said a bit surprised, and then he smiled. "I'll cook my best for you then."

"Arigato!" I said happily then.

He was nice. I liked him because he was smily and warm.

"Heya, Isa-sensei is already here." He said for the other two. "I'm making some tea; do you want a bit too?"

"No, thanks." Aya just said raising his head from his book. "I'll help myself a bit of milk later."

The other guy just growled something and walked out of the room carrying a towel.

"Don't mind him." The nice one said then. "He will end up by accepting you have to stay here for some time. Green or white tea?"

"White?" I asked as I looked on my notebook.

Ichitaka was the name of the nice guy.

"Now you are here, would you mind explaining me again the problem 7.3, please?" Ayame told me.

"Oh, sure." I said a bit surprised on that.

I sat down and took a paper, I read the problem while I noted down numbers and data, then I began explaining him the problem. I had to explain it at least five times till he seemed to understand it fully. Meanwhile Ichitaka had cooked the tea and sat down on the table to begin doing his homework too.

"By the way." I asked a bit shy. "Do… do you know…"

"If we know what?" Ayame asked.

"Shower." I said. "Do you know where could I have a shower?"

"At the bathroom." Ichitaka told me. "At the end of the corridor are the building ones, so you could have a bath instead a shower."

"Shower will be ok." I muttered.

Ayame then made a noise with his tongue and rolled his eyes.

"Do you have a swimming suit?" He asked then. "Yes? Put it on and we met here on five minutes. Let's leave her alone for five minutes." He added for his friend.

Then they left. I had not taken a swimming suit, but I had no difficulties on getting one. I just needed shades and I could just make them appear from there.

In less than a minute I was wearing a black two pieces swimming suit under a wide t-shirt I had carried for when I turned into my elder form.

"I'm ready." I said opening the door.

"Hey! You are fast!" Ichitaka said then smiling.

"Ok, now… just wait for a pair of minutes and we will also change into swimming suit, right?" Ayame said getting in the room and closing the door behind him.

Those rooms looked as a full little flat to me. There were three beds on a little room, what looked as the living-room for all and the mini-kitchen where there was just a cooker, some cupboards and a microwave oven. I suspected there was also a little toilet, perhaps even a shower, but I hadn't checked it up yet.

When the two guys came out I was again sitting against the wall, I needed a shower, I always took at least one a day, and after such a long travel I really needed one to clean myself and also relax.

The guys were wearing their swimming suits and a t-shirt too. They guided me through the corridor to what looked as a bath area but then we heard voices in there.

"We will have to wait." Ayame said.

"Oh, yep." Ichitaka said. "I bet they have made a bath-meeting today."

"Bath-meeting or not we need the bath area." Ayame said before looking at me for some seconds.

"Isn't there any other shower?" I then asked.

"Ha ha, really?" One of the guys on my class said opening the door. "Oh, hi Aya, Ichi. Long we don't see you around here."

"Er, hi." Aya said hiding me from sight. "Yep, we were just chatting."

"Hey! Aya and Ichi!" another one said putting his head out of the doors. "Look who are there, guys!"

Immediately some guys came out of the bath area while Aya and Ichi seemed to make me sink in the wall.

I could not see what was going on, but what I saw made me go a bit red. Guys were there, wearing just towels as the came out to watch my mates.

"Were you coming in?" Someone asked them.

"No, no. We will wait till later and…" Ichi said.

If there was a perfect moment to use my powers was that one. But no! It was preferable to get caught than to do that risky thing!!

"Hey, cover what you don't want to be seen." Aya then said. "Our shower was broken and there's someone that needed to use the bath."

He then moved aside to reveal me.

"Oh!!" A guy said. "A girl?"

"What is she doing here?" Another one said.

"C'mon." The delegate said then. "If you want to keep on bathing wear a swimming suit!"

It was amazing, guys were nothing similar to girls. A girl would have reacted worse to the fact that I could see them naked if they didn't wear their towels.

"Wow!" Ichitaka said looking at me as I rubbed my hair to clean it spreading the shampoo at the hair. "She is so young that remembers me on a little sister!"

Then I tried to hold the soap and it flew away to the top of the window till it fell over the rack and the bottom of it.

Then I began jumping to get it with no success. And then some guys came and got it to begin pulling my leg acting as if they were going to hand it and then laughing at my height. Then Ayame sighed, went out of the water and caught it from the guys for me.

"Hey." Ayame said then handing me the soap piece. "If you need help just ask for it instead of trying to do it yourself when it's clear you can't."

"Arigato…" I said softly looking at him.

Then he put his hand on my head and made me turn my face as he looked away.

Suddenly he appeared me as a superhero; that guy that comes to help the heroine when she is in need. But that superhero seemed not to mind me too much.

I just walked back to the washing area to keep on cleaning myself before getting in the water, dirty as some guys were. Because I suspected that they didn't clean themselves before getting in the tube when I was not there.

"Hey, Isa-sama." Ichinoise asked me smiling softly as he appeared at my back wearing just his towel as if it was a skirt. "Need help to clean your back?"

He was one of the pupils under my care. Long black haired appearing to be a sex-symbol and a gang leader.

"Then perhaps you could clean mine." He added then.

"Oh, there's no need…" I muttered a bit pink while I smile.

"C'mon!" He said taking a stool to sit next to me. "I don't bite!"

"Domo arigato." I said handing him the soap, deciding to trust him.

Then I was surprised on the softness he used for rubbing the soap at my back and cleaning it from my hips to the shoulders.

So softly that I nearly fell asleep due to the big relax it brought me. Even if I wanted, I couldn't feel tense about it when I had spent half of my life being bathed by a guy; till I was about 9 years old and I learned how to do it myself.

My best friend was an elder boy who was killed by a powerful demon, so I had no shyness on bathing among guys wearing swimming suits.

"Here, you are done." Ichinose said handing me back the soap lying against my back. "Now all you have to do is to remove it with some water." He added then sitting back by my side. "Now… would you mind putting some soap at my back, please?"

"Hum, sure." I said standing up and taking the soap to begin rubbing his back with the soap. Then I noticed he had an area next to his shoulder a bit tense even for being tense cause of me. "What happened you here?"

"I got a little accident." He said. "Bad movement while playing around."

"Ok, then… just tell me if I hurt you a lot." I said putting more soap over the area to then begin massaging the area.

I had trained on massages and I was now able to make pain from minor diseases and sport accidents such as bad twists, spinners and sport pains in general, with just a massage. Of course, I also knew how to relax with massages and how to make people feel better. Touch was a great way of warming people up a bit and making them feel well.

After two minutes standing some rude comments among guys about me giving a massage to one of their mates, I ended the massage. He had been smiling mildly with his eyes closed while I massaged him. It was a usual effect they had to have.

"Try to keep it warm and it will go better for tomorrow." I told him cleaning the soap at my hands. "If it keeps hurting when you get to bed then try having an infusion made with… tile, mint and, perhaps a bit of sugar, but not too much or it will cause you pain again."

"How did you manage to…?" He asked. "It doesn't hurt hardly anything now!"

"And do not move it too fast, please." I told him when he tried to move it on a hard way.

I then threw another bucket of hot water over my head to remove the handmade by me balsam I put on my hair for it keeping shiny and soft.

As soon as I shook my hair it was clear the balsam had worked as used.

Then I walked to the pool and got in the hot water to swim a bit; it was really funny that place. I laughed when all my hair fell over my face after doing some flips at the water as if I was a mermaid.

The guys began laughing too, yet I was afraid they laughed at me instead that with me.

When we returned the bedroom, the guys told me where their rooms were. They had a simple bed and a double height one on a bedroom and there was a big space over the wardrobe.

"You can sleep at the sofa." The rude guy told me to be agreed by the rest.

"Ok." I said softly.

"I don't know if it's ok to allow a girl, less as young as her, to sleep on such conditions." Ichitaka said.

"Do you prefer to take her place?" the rude guy said. "No? Then shut up! Good night." He said dryly.

"Night." I said softly a bit surprised at his rudely acting.

Then Ichitaka helped me to make the sofa turn into a bed and to try to make the bed with some sheets a teacher sent to the room for me sleeping there.

Then he said good bye to me too and the place fell into silence.

I stayed a bit awaken, reviewing the notes my predecessor left for me at the student list for helping me meeting the pupils faster.

I was awaken for a long while, studying the list and comparing it with the notes about everyone. Till I fell asleep with the light on.

What I didn't saw was Ayame waking up and going out of his room to get some water, and then he saw me there, sleeping with the notebook open over my abdomen and sighed as he came to take it and close it.

Then he saw the list.

"I can't believe she is so silly to study this…" He muttered laying the book at the table next to the sofa.

Then he saw how I moved myself because I was not comfortable at the bed. He then took a cushion and put it at my arms to hug it before making the pillow try to go smoother with no success.

"I think perhaps we should change this." He said.

Despite of being son of a well known wizard and having a marks level of Normal-High he was still a magic learner so all he could do was a protection charm and really really basical charms.

"Sweet dreams…" He then whispered trying to sound as his mother, or what he still remembered of her.

She died when he was just seven, but his father stayed there.