A Friend's Return

Italy...

'Huuuummm~it's April now...' a young girl of fifteen mused as she looked out the window. She has long sky-blue hair parted from the left, deep blue eyes and very fair skin she was almost pale. She has a very slim, shapely but firm physique, and full, shapely breasts. The appearance of an asian girl but definitely the physique of someone who grew up in the west. She wore a moss-green cropped jacket, a form-fitting tank top and khaki jeans. On her feet are heeled boots. She was sitting by the windowsill, armed with a sniper rifle.

'What about April, Nagisa?' A handsome adult blonde man asked her. He has shaggy-spiky blonde hair with warm brown eyes, and wearing camo-green fur-lined jacket, black shirt and denim jeans. He was doing paperwork in his office.

'I wanna visit my dad at least once, after years of probably thinking I'm dead, you know?' said Nagisa. 'I came with you to get away from my mom after all and we let everyone think I went missing and stuff. I want to see how dad is doing so can I visit home for a month Dino?'

'Why not, but this could turn ugly.' Dino warned her. 'You're gone for years with an ambiguous fate at that. The only good thing is that we helped your father prove your mother was a nutcase and exposed the judge by subtly nudging the police but didn't exactly give you to him.'

'I have to disappear. The judge was a friend of hers from college and mom has good acting skills.' Nagisa scowled, armfolding. 'I had to do what I had to do or my life will be hell.'

'Well, going home won't be easy.' said Romario.

'I know. I'm only coming home to check on dad and old friends of mine.' said Nagisa. 'I hacked into the computers already all that's left is going home in person. I also have my concerns with this school they're going to.' she said, taking out her smartphone. 'It's a world where only numbers matter...or else. And they're going here!'

'A world where numbers only matter?' Dino blinked.

'Yes. To the point their lives are based on numbers. All year levels are graded with A-D. The smartest ones are in Class A and the dumbest ones in Class D. But come Senior Year, there's this Class E which is a rundown shack a mile up into the mountains behind the school. And they're in that class!' Nagisa fumed crossly. 'While I can understand Hiro-kun going there as it's his own fault for womanizing too much, Yuuma was caught having a part-time job! How on earth did Hiroto grow up a flirt?!' she groaned in dismay. 'He was a sweet boy as a kid!'

'Well, people change growing up.' Dino laughed. 'Why not check it out, eh?'

'Yeah, I intend to do that after checking on daddy.' Nagisa sighed. 'Since our training from hell is complete and our tutor-from-hell went back to Freelancing, I'd say our schedule's pretty healthy again.'

'No kidding, I am NOT going to miss that mallet.' Dino shuddered.

xxx

Japan, in Kunugigaoka City hours later...

Nagisa got off the taxicab with two blue stroller bags.

She was rich enough to afford a suite just for herself and gave a menu to the Front Desk lady on meals she wants and how she wanted it done until she checked out.

Upon dumping her stuff in her room, she left again to visit her father's workplace.

In the years she was gone, he distracted himself with work but had to visit a therapist to get over his grief of not finding his missing daughter who was gone. He had no idea if she was kidnapped, or ran away herself to avoid her 'hellish sentence'. He blamed the judge for being corrupt that his daughter is gone and he had a lot of choice words to say, but the damage was long done...as Nagisa intended.

The man faced an inquiry losing his job as Judge when evidence was stacked against him and there was clearer ways to prove Shiota Hiromi is a very unfit mother. It was known as the Shiota Scandal because of the case. She lost all rights to her daughter and husband's alimony money, and imprisoned for Child Abuse - Grooming Version and had to be under psychiatric treatment for her mentality for ten years. But she is never allowed to marry and have children or adopt any ever again, especially little girls. If she ever had any by some method, they will be immediately taken for their own good, denying her of her insane attempts of New Game Plus on her life.

This story, all of Kunugigaoka knew. It was their city's biggest scandal in its history. Police were stricter in checking all families since, asking children in school how their home lives are since in school, away from parental influence into scaring them.

Well, that kept their city safe inside homes too.

That was Nagisa's Legacy. Legacy to protect children from unhappy homes.

Her father, Kayama Shoji was living with stability with friends' support who kept him stable from the grief she caused. He was a tragic celebrity and her mother and her parents, famous in a bad way.

And now, in Nishigaki Enterprises where her father works as an employee that earns 450 grand a month, she came to his department.

'Excuse me...' Nagisa took a peek in.

'Yes, what can we do for you young lady?' her father's boss asked good-naturedly. 'Is it a family emergency?'

'Uhm...' Nagisa gulped nervously. 'Daddy! Your k-k' she blushed hard in embarrassment, '-kobato-chan's home!'

Silence as they heard a loud crash in a desk.

'Nagisa?!' a man yelped at her, wide-eyed.

Several pairs of eyes bulged wide, looking at Nagisa, then at the man, back and forth. What? The lost daughter has come home?!

'I'm home!'

That department saw the drama ensue, one of their own bawling his eyes out while nearly crushing the poor kid to death by hug. The boss had to give him three days off until this weans out. Well, the man's long-missing daughter has just come home and all, healthy and well but where has she been all this time, was up in the air.

xxx

'So kobato, where have you been?' Kayama asked his daughter as he took her out for a crepe in a cafe.

'Well, I was running...and an Italian Social Worker on vacation saw me and noted my distress so he ran after me. Asked me questions with his clumsy Japanese, so he called his friends over to ensure the police knows the truth by subtle nudgings as he put it while he hid me in his apartment before we flew to Italy in his home. I intended to make us an example...and for my legacy to take root...that police will always check on us kids to ensure we're still in good homes while kids who have bad home lives will be relocated for their own good. I hid in Italy in his house while under home tutor for years. His organization took care of me while living in an orphanage but made sure I was never adopted because I still have daddy. I was there to hide, not for adoption after all.'

'Oh...Italy huh? But why didn't you tell me?'

'The point was for not even you to know where I am to avoid a kangaroo court by that judge again, as well as to trigger further investigation and it worked.' Nagisa sighed. 'The last thing I want is you arranged to go to prison when you're not even a criminal, mom was. It was a gamble in my favor and we're both free of her now.'

'Oh, Nagisa...' Kayama choked out at his daughter's cunning plan which actually worked for them both. 'She only has ten years in there.'

'I know.'

'Since her parents will drag her home to Kanagawa to lay low after her release, we'll at least live a peaceful life here.' said Kayama. 'The key is keeping that you're here secret and still missing. My co-workers will be in on this for sure.' he said confidently but albeit in a shaky voice. 'I'm just glad I have you back, but what's your life now?'

'Humm I got school but it's vacation right now before I have to fly back.' said Nagisa. 'A sponsor's paying for me since because I'm in hiding my social worker can't ask you to pay my fees, but don't worry, you have no debt whatsoever to my sponsor so it's all cool.'

'EHHH?! And what school is this?!'

'It's a nice religious school kind to orphans in Rome, and ironically I'm not an orphan.' Nagisa snorted. 'It's a dorm school so I'm only at the orphanage for two months of vacation.'

'I see...so now it's vacation...huh?'

'Yup. But I might change my mind if I check out some places and stay here for a year.' said Nagisa. 'Its my last year of junior high school anyway~'

'Well I hope you get to stay for a year kobato.' Kayama smiled. 'It's been seven years, I thought of the worst when police never found you...' he stammered out.

'Sorry dad...but that was the plan or that judge will never be exposed for conspiracy with mom and that kangaroo court.'

As the parent and child talked some more, they had no idea they had a listener.

A boy with red hair in a black jacket lying on the grass behind them, separated by bushes, he was enjoying eavesdropping.

'So what are your plans for vacation?'

'Humm, I'll pay Kunugigaoka Gakuen a visit. I'm gonna give Hiro-chan a piece of my mind. He used to be a sweet kid, how did he end up a womanizing flirt?! Makes me wonder what sort of upbringing kids get in that school I'm almost afraid how Yuu-chan turned out other than part-timing!' Nagisa scowled.

'Oh dear, so you're here to check on those kids too...'

'Yeah.'

'I remember those names...not in a good way.'

'Yeah.'

'Don't worry, you can make any friends you want as long as they're not delinquents with bad vices and hobbies, or the so-called toxic friends. That woman is not in your way anymore with her delusional standards. I'm proud to say we live in reality, not in fantasy.'

'Yes daddy!'

'By the way, where are you staying?'

'Uhm, in Goldenbridge Hotel since I have no idea where you live.' Nagisa quipped.

'GOLDENBRIDGE?! That's the priciest hotel in this city! What kinda man is this sponsor?!' Kayama squawked out incredulously as in Italy, Dino sneezed. 'Y-you chose a cheap room, r-right?' he stammered nervously.

'I uh got a VIP suite, already paid for, for two days.' said Nagisa sheepishly.

'YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING MEEE?! A night there is almost my boss' salary in a month!' Kayama howled in freakout.

'He seems to think it's cheap because our rooms are so small, he has no idea how we Japanese think...'

xxx

In the vacation days Nagisa has with her father, sure she stayed two days in the hotel but in those two days, she personally delivers him lunch.

Then she moved into his house with permission, staying in his guest room in his apartment.

Breakfast is vegetable miso soup, a thick slice of bread with diced fried bacon bits and on top of it was a fluffy-looking egg it looked thick, and clearly out of a mold it was circular but at least, the yolk was understandably 'a bit messy'. And half a bowl of sauteed vegetables and a small plate with pickles.

'This egg looks kinda weird...' Kayama sweatdropped at the egg as Nagisa put their breakfast on the table.

'Oh, I beat it till it's a meringue for a thicker fluffy finish.' said Nagisa as she sat across him. 'That size is two organic eggs in one toast. I made a savory-sweet sauce last night to put on that toast if you like!' she put an orange sauce bottle on his side of the table.

'Heee...and this breakfast is kinda big...' Kayama eyed the breakfast. He wondered if he could finish it...and what's with the spicy-smelling tea?

'All the better to stay awake at work dad!'

'Any plans for today?'

'I'm gonna visit that school.' Nagisa chimed. 'I'll watch from afar to scope things out before I enroll. I talked to Romario-san and considering the situation and how things work in Japan, he'll be the one enrolling me as nobody can say no to Social Workers or be under lawful fire.' Kayama snorted, shaking his head.

'You know how laws work a little TOO well. And loopholes.'

'Of course, since it's the law itself that screwed us over, we have to know how to screw them back. I studied both Japanese and Italian rules and laws.' Nagisa grinned, all teeth and it was a scary one. 'I studied law as a kid under a tutor who knows how to screw with the laws to get the best we can get incase we encounter corrupt officials again.'

Kayama decided Italy made his only child very vindictive.

'So what's for bento?'

'Well, my special Pilaf Rice, with simmered fish, sauteed veggies and two soft-boiled eggs with soup in a nice lunch jar.' Nagisa chirped. 'By the way, the soup won't spill since I congealed it last night, it'll melt back into soup when you microwave it later.'

'Cool! How did you do it?!' Kayama gasped out.

'Well some ingredients congeal into jelly easily if cooled, thus convenient for travel...they can even be eaten as jelly if no microwave around. Perfect for traveling with a complete meal outside!' Nagisa beamed. 'I don't know what junk you eat for years, but that's a no in my book, OK?'

'Ahahaha, yes dear.' Kayama chuckled. Its really nice to have his daughter back that days aren't so lonely anymore. 'I used to eat konbini bentos...'

'Dad, that's disgusting!' Nagisa exclaimed, appalled. 'Labels say one thing but buyers will never know when were they actually made! Not to mention quality alone! That's it, healthy diet for one year!'

When Nagisa ranted about quality, he found out later his lunch was insanely delicious and his lunch caused quite a ruckus in his office for being TOO fragrant. The drool-worthy kind when he reheated it.

'Ah this? Kobato-chan made it! I had no idea she's this good since breakfast was standard normal fare!'

xxx

Kunugigaoka Gakuen...

Nagisa came in a stylish outfit. But still functional enough for murder given her occupation.

She entered the school grounds and its fancy places, exploring and taking photos. But she got wind of a school-wide assembly and thus decided to face her friends...publicly. Feeling a bit mischievous.

When the auditorium doors opened...

It was easy to spot her friends. They were in Class E and she has yet to see the place, having explored the whole main campus.

'Yuu-chan! Hiro-kun!' Nagisa called out cheerfully, causing puzzled expressions in the crowd as to who she was referring to, but she definitely attracted attention with her looks, physique and outfit. And those low-waist, form-fitting pants.

'Nagisa?!' from Class E, Maehara and Isogai yelped, wide-eyed as Nagisa joined the class and practically...smothered her friends into her chest, causing schoolwide masculine envy.

'Hallo! I'm home!'

'Where on earth have you been?! Seven years Nagisa, seven years!' Isogai exclaimed frantically.

'Yeah, you've been on Missing Posters for ages!' Maehara cried, and that tidbit caused classmates and teachers to freeze.

'Well I was living with a Social Worker who hid me until he and his co-workers triggered an investigation to expose that corrupt judge, yes?' Nagisa explained. 'Then I had to be in Italy until things cooled down a bit and you know how Journalists are for my own good~' Nagisa explained. 'When things cooled down I can finally go home.'

'Heee but you still worried the crap out of us, you could have at least sent letters!' Isogai pouted. 'Mom was worried about you too!'

'International Post is expensive, I can't~' said Nagisa sheepishly. '-by the way, can I see your classroom?' Nagisa asked. 'I explored the Main Campus and it took me a while to finish while everybody's gone, this school is stupidly huge and to think Japan has limited land issues! I heard it's a mile away from here?' at this, the guys got nervous. 'Isn't that kinda weird?'

'Erm...'

'Now now young miss,' said a round-headed unusual...man dressed like a costume scholar approaching her and put a hand on her shoulder. 'They'll be late for class, so talking can wait, yes?'

Nagisa noted he's too soft.

This guy ain't human. He felt WRONG.

'Humm OK~ but I'll pick up the boys after class OK? My treat at Silver Square~' Nagisa chirped out.

'Silver Square?!' Isogai yelped, wide-eyed.

'That place is expensive!' a girl cried.

'Now now miss, it's the guys who should treat, not a lady,' a smooth talker and a good-looking boy in a smooth brown mohawk approached her. 'Allow me for the honors?'

'Huh? I don't even know you.' Nagisa pointed out.

'Then we...'

'Unhand Nagi-chan this instant you octopus!' Nagisa found herself grabbed and lifted away in a comical fashion by her two friends. And they basically took her away.

'Wow, they're overprotective of that girl.' Kayano croaked out in amazement.

'Shiota Nagisa went missing and caused that infamous scandal years ago.' said Hazama. 'Leading to exposure of corrupted conspiracy in this city's Judicial Court. So she finally came home.'

'Uweee...so she's that girl...' Okano croaked out as they eyed their two classmates carrying off the baffled-looking bluenette.

'Yeah, I'd know, my parents won't stop talking about it and they're both police officers on her case.' said Kimura. 'I guess I gotta phone my parents about this to close this case. They'll talk to Shiota-san later for sure.'

xxx

'Karasuma, we need to talk.' said Irina Jelavic, a.k.a Bitch-sensei grimly, all high-strung.

'What is it, Irina-sensei? You sound like something very wrong happened.' Karasuma frowned.

'That girl IS what's wrong!' Bitch-sensei sputtered. 'She's a high-ranking Cosa Nostra member,' Karasuma's jaws dropped, '-directly under the tenth Cavallone Boss with five others!' she cried. 'She's so skilled she would have been recruited by the Varia, an elite Assassination Force if not for reasons I can't even know why with my resources.' she said curtly, folding her arms huffily under her ample bosom. 'If she's here, the Cavallone Family must have found out about the operation somehow, the Mafia will get involved for sure!'

'I see...while we could use another Assassin, we should determine if the Mafia pitched an interest.' Karasuma frowned thoughtfully. 'We need questions answered. Since your period is over, investigate the father if he's involved.' he instructed.

'Got it.' Bitch-sensei ran off.

'...mafia huh? Now how do I handle this...?'

xxx

'Mou, you guys are overprotective, I could have handled that guy~' Nagisa pouted as they were outside school.

'That guy is a worser womanizing flirt than I am! At least I keep girlfriends until they dump me! Him, he changes dates every other day!' Maehara cried. 'Dating that guy is a no-no! Heck, any guy but him!'

'Seriously?' Nagisa sweatdropped. 'Maa maa, I'm a big girl now. Italy's very good at stuff like this I know how to handle unwanted advances.' she explained with a smile. 'That country is the land of romance after all.'

'If you're sure...you're staying now, right?' Isogai asked her hopefully.

'Well for reasons I can't stay long, it depends on the situation.' Nagisa shrugged. 'By the way, about that teacher of yours...'

'Huh? Which one?' Isogai asked her.

'That scholar-cosplayer.'

Maehara and Isogai sweatdropped.

'What about him?' Isogai asked nervously.

'...he's not human, isn't he?'

'A-ahaha, what are you talking about?' Isogai stammered out nervously with a nervous laugh.

Nagisa smiled, but her smile didn't reach her eyes. 'When humans grip, you feel the muscle and bone of the fingers press against you...but he was squishy like an inflatable balloon.' she pointed out. 'At first I thought cosplay until that damning moment.' her two friends paled. 'Not to mention under those gloves, not even an obese person has big fingers.'

'...'

'Well, I know how journalists are so I won't say a word.' Nagisa promised. 'But I am curious as to how he ended up your teacher.'

'...we're not allowed to talk about it, sorry.' said Maehara glumly.

'So I have to find out on my own so you're not in trouble.' Nagisa chimed. 'It'll be cool, don't worry! Besides, having an alien as a teacher must be interesting!' she giggled. I can't wait to meet this guy for real tomorrow!' she said as she walked out. 'I'll meet you guys at the Silver Square OK? Ciao ciao!' and she skipped off.

'...'

'...we're screwed aren't we?' Maehara choked out.

'Yeah...we're screwed.' Isogai agreed.

'Indeed, we are screwed.' both boys jumped as Koro-sensei was behind them. 'It was my mistake to touch her. I thought she'd be just as gullible as your peers.'

'Well...Nagi-chan was the smart one. As in the social street smart.' Isogai sighed. 'Having a delusional mom must have made her sharp.'

'I'd like to hear about that.' said Koro-sensei. 'I think I'm the only one not in the know.'