The Plan

Part Seven


Onodera Haru did not talk to Paula McCoy often. Although she wanted to be her friend and they had spent a few moments together, they weren't yet at the stage where they could be considered good friends. Still, Onodera Haru really wanted to get along with Paula and made an effort to greet her every morning and make small talk.

Perhaps this was what prompted Paula to make her move. Or perhaps it was just the fact that Onodera Haru and her friend Fuu had been the closest people around. Having happily been going over the list of sweets that Black Tiger now owed her, Paula's reaction had been painfully slow, slow enough that it shamed her occupation as a professional hitman. But even then, she had been able to see the signs of the ceiling collapse and warn everyone in time.

"GET OUT! NOW! DON'T STOP, JUST MOVE! GET OUT OF YOUR SEATS!"

But perhaps we could say that Paula McCoy did have some sort of acknowledgement for Onodera Haru. That is because the split-second from the warning's end and the collapse of the ceiling was not enough time for Paula to assess the situation. Although she usually worked alone, even Paula knew that being a professional hitman also meant that you needed to minimize casualties on your allied side. However, Paula McCoy's instincts had not lead her to those closest to the ceiling's collapse. It had not targeted those who had moved slowly or those that were frail. Instead, she had automatically, reflexively, unconsciously grabbed Onodera Haru and Fuu's hand.

Even though they were not the closest to the collision area. Even though they would've likely just been hit by a few stray pieces of plaster. Even then, Paula McCoy snatched the two girls up and whirled away.

'WAHH!"

Never before had Onodera Haru felt her body move so quickly. In the blink of an eye, she moved from her desk to the front of the classroom. Her hand could barely keep hold on the love letter that she had been inspecting. As she came to a stop, an enormous crashing sound came from the classroom.

"Wha-!?"

The escaped students looked at the scene before them. A giant golden statue was standing in the front of the classroom, looking vaguely familiar except for the odd choice in the head area.

"What's going on?" said Haru, trying to look into the classroom like all of the other students. "Ah..."

And there he was. Ichijou Raku. Haru felt her worry and anxiety dispel in an instant. Of course. If this person was involved then it was likely just another one of those crazy events that happened daily around him.

"Ichijou-senpai is in the middle of something weird again," said Haru with an exasperated expression as black suits began pouring down from the ceiling.

"He gets involved with some incredible stuff, doesn't he, Haru?" said Fuu-chan, trying to peek over the shoulder of a tall student.

"No kidding," said Haru, sighing. "Anyways, thanks a lot Paula-sa-"

Haru felt her heart freeze over. Something was missing from her hands. She looked down and saw that the letter had disappeared.

"Well, I did save your life. Feel free to praise me more," said Paula, feeling extremely proud of herself. "And if you want, you could pay me back with some sweets late-"

Paula blinked. Wait a second...hadn't she been standing here just a second ago? Where was Onodera Haru?

"Oh no!" said Haru, running down the hall. Somehow, the love letter had come free from her grip and floated away. Paula McCoy couldn't help but feel impressed; to think that a normal girl could escape from her sight with such ease.

"Ah...Haru! Where are you going?" said Fuu-chan, realizing that Haru had vanished. She stepped back to look down the hall when, suddenly, something bumped into her and made her trip onto the floor.

"Let's go, Onodera!"

Ichijou Raku ran out of the room while carrying Tachibana Marika, with Onodera Kosaki right behind.


"Ojou, I apologize for being late."

Tsugumi sighed inwardly with relief that she had made it on time. Paula had kept her up even longer last night with her evergrowing list of sweets. Tsugumi had only woken up because Claude had messaged her to ask if any incidents had occurred while escorting Chitoge this morning.

"Please forgive me for leaving you unattended this morning, Ojou. I have no excuse."

"Tsugumi! I knew you'd make it!" said Chitoge, smiling. As the daughter of the Beehive Gang's leader, Chitoge had been watched and protected by guards since birth. Even though Tsugumi had been late this morning, Chitoge had believed that her best friend would arrive on time to help her.

"What!? The bodyguard!?" said the girl, her mouth wide open in shock. "What happened!? She was supposed to be incapacitated today!"

"I sent the cat video like you said, boss," said one of the black suits, pulling out his phone for confirmation. "I even used spoofing to put Ichijou Raku's name on the message."

"Let me see that," said the girl. She snatched the phone from the black suit and began perusing the message. "...You idiot! This doesn't say Ichijou Raku! This says Onodera Kosaki!"

"Oh."

"You useless moron! She'll only be a worrying wreck if it's from Ichijou Raku!" said the girl, throwing the phone at the black suit's head. Too far away to hear their conversation, Tsugumi and Chitoge watched with puzzled expressions.

"No matter," said the girl, taking a breath to calm herself down. "It's just a minor annoyance. Even with the bodyguard, they can't take all of us on!"

At those words, a white blur crashed into the classroom, showering glass fragments on the black suits. Dusting the glass from his impeccable white suit, the silver-haired man with sharp eyes hidden behind square frames stood in between Chitoge and the black suits.

"C-Claude!?"

"Claude-sama!"

"I have arrived, Ojou," said Claude, adjusting his glasses with a finger. "Please excuse me for the delay."

"WHAT!?" shouted the girl, her face looking like it was about to explode. "WHY IS HE HERE!?"

"I don't know! We sent two hundred of our reserve men to attack him at the convenience store, boss!" said a black suit, looking equally surprised.

"Hmph! As if those small fry could keep me from Ojou," said Claude. He turned and held a plastic bag up to Chitoge. "Incidentally Ojou, today's dinner will be Hamburg steak."

"Yay! I love Hamburg steak."

"I love Hamburg steak too!" said one of the black suits. The girl with the lab coat smacked him in the face.

"THIS DOESN'T CHANGE A THING!" roared the girl, her lip trembling. "Do you understand!? Nothing that you do will change the outcome in any way-"

The girl's jaw dropped as Chitoge, Claude, and Tsugumi instantly knocked out the group of black suits that had been tiptoeing around the walls to ambush them.

"Huh? Did you say something? I couldn't hear."

"Khhh...grrr," growled the girl, her eyes bulging with anger. "FINE! HAVE IT YOUR WAY! I didn't want to resort to this, but you leave me no choice! Black suit #459! Show them what you're made of!"

One of the black suits nodded and stepped forward. With a few quick movements, he quickly unbuttoned his jacket and shirt and cast them aside. Hidden underneath was an impossible body, massive and rippling with hard muscles. Just looking at that chiseled figure was enough to recognize the dozens of years that must've been spent building and polishing that body. The muscled man stepped forward and flexed, deep lines etched into every bulging rock in his skin.

"EWW! So gross!" said Chitoge, her face turning green.

"W-What a disgusting amount of muscle," said Tsugumi, putting a hand over her mouth. "Claude-sama, this man-"

"Hmph. Not bad," said Claude, looking approvingly at the man. "I am impressed. To think that someone of your caliber would appear here."

"Huh!?" said Chitoge, trying to cover her eyes.

"Very well. Allow me to share with you my own resolve!" said Claude. He stepped forward and whipped his own jacket and shirt off in an instance. An equally, if not more rugged body appeared, the muscles pulsing as Claude flexed. Chitoge and Tsugumi couldn't resist slapping their palms onto their faces.

"Hmph. You, small man," said the muscled henchman, flexing harder.

"What was that? Don't get cocky just because I gave you a little credit, you punk. You're still a thousand years too early to try and fight with the Beehive Gang," said Claude, his glasses flashing. The two muscular men stepped up to each other until their faces were just inches away.

"Claude..." said Chitoge, feeling a little nauseous.

"Ojou. Please leave this man to me. He is not worth scuffing your fingernails for," said Claude, a vein pulsing in his brow.

"Big talk. For wimpy nobody," said the muscled henchman, tilting his chin up.

"Alright, forget that guy, Tsugumi. Let's take care of the rest," said Chitoge, turning away from the repellent macho fight.

"Ojou, allow me to take care of the-"

"We're going to do this together, Tsugumi. That's final. Now, where's that annoying brat? I need to punch her face in!"

Chitoge walked around the muscled men and to the front of the classroom.

But there was nobody there.

"Ah..." said both Tsugumi and Chitoge.

"WAHAHAHA! IDIOTS! IDIOTS! YOU THINK I'D JUST STAND THERE WHILE YOU WERE ALL DISTRACTED!?"

The labcoat girl's voice could be heard echoing from the hall.


A/N: Grooovin' magic!