"Itona, did you… recalibrate my entire security system?"
"It was too easy to break into it, so I remade it entirely."
"That's… kind of cool, actually. Though, don't tell the kids about that, okay?"
"There's a lot of things you don't tell your family, isn't there?"
"Yeah, well, I'd like to see you tell them I'm the enemy of the government with a seven billion bounty on my head who was also tasked to kill her teacher before the end of the school year."
"… fair enough."
"That's what I thought."
It had been a week since Itona joined their classroom at last. There had been no other signs of Shiro, though Ame couldn't say if it was a good thing or a bad thing, and the boy had started to adjust to his new life. He was still a tad detached, but everyone was giving him time. He had also agreed to live with Ame and her family since he was broke and had nowhere else to go. Her grandmother had been overjoyed and the children were quick to warm up to the newcomer, the younger ones already calling him "Ito-nii" (his face when Jackie first called him that was priceless). All in all, it had been an eventful week, but they had somehow pulled through.
"All right, class. I'll see you tomorrow," announced Korosensei. "I finally got paid, so I'm heading out for some Shanghai crab! Yi, er, san, go!"
And as per usual, he left the class behind to go enjoy himself. Ame rolled her eyes at the familiar display. Couldn't he use the door like a normal person instead of going through the window?
… okay, I'm really not one to talk. Nevermind.
"Ugh, now that it's the second term, our work's getting a lot harder," sighed Maehara, leaning on his desk.
"Korosensei's really trying to get our grades up," replied Nagisa.
"That's nice and all, but I haven't picked up any girls in ages," groaned the flirt.
"Have you actually ever picked up a girl before?" snorted Ame, swinging her bag over her shoulder.
"Aa? I'll have you know that I'm quite popular with the ladies!" he assured, instantly regaining some energy.
"Of course. Then why don't you ask out one of the girls in the class?" she dared. "I mean, there's a lot of us around. Why not Kurahashi? Or Kanzaki?"
"Sorry, I'm not interested!" informed cheerfully Kurahashi as she passed by.
"Ah, well, me neither," admitted Kanzaki with an apologetic smile.
"You don't have to put it so bluntly," sweatdropped Maehara.
Ame simply snickered a little, before heading out. Before she could leave the class, though, she turned to her roommate.
"Hey, Itona!" she called, making him look up. "I have a training session with the girls, so you don't have to wait for me to go back home."
"I'll wait," he simply replied, reporting his attention on whatever he was working on. "I don't mind."
"Suit yourself," she simply shrugged.
On which she left the classroom with Rio and Fuwa. Having training sessions with the girls had gotten a little harder since they had a lot more work because of the second term, but they still somehow managed, and they always had a good time.
Sure, it's not the same as shopping with friends or going out to see a movie, but it's still fun!
So, happy to spend some time with her friends, she quickly went to get changed, chatting about some new moves she wanted to try out with the other two on the whole way.
"So, you're sticking around, Itona?" remarked Nagisa, coming to stand next to the boy. "What are you working on?"
"Just what it looks like: an RC tank," replied blankly the boy, not even looking up from his project.
"Why?"
"I had an all-day cram session with that octopus yesterday," shrugged Itona. "It stressed me out. He really ticked me off… so I'll use this to kill him."
"Still, I'm surprised," mused Maehara. "All of this tech… You made it yourself?"
"Ame provided me with some of the material, but I've learned basic electronics at my old man's shop," explained the boy.
"That's right, you live with her now, don't you?" recalled Yoshida. "How's that going?"
"There isn't any problem, if that's what you're asking. Ame is very accommodating, the children aren't too annoying, and their caretaker makes good food," he resumed. "And since neither I or Ame sleep much, she helps me catch up with schoolwork when she's not at her job."
"Wait!" All eyes turned to Okajima. "Isn't this, like, the perfect opportunity?"
"For what, Okajima-kun?" wondered Nagisa.
"To learn about Ame's secret job, of course!" replied the boy, pumping his fist in the air. "Always so mysterious and secretive… This could be our chance to finally get some answers!"
"Okajima-kun, Ame-san's been opening up to us little by little," however replied Isogai, frowning a little. "She'll tell us about it when she's ready to do so. We shouldn't use Itona-kun to pry into her personal life."
The other boy deflated at that. "Well, when you put it that way…"
"It's not like I could tell you guys much anyway," shrugged Itona, flipping over the tank to make some last measurements. "She came home late twice and always has many weapons on her person. I almost cut myself with the katana hidden under her pillow."
That's where she puts it!? Sweatdropped internally the rest of the students.
"Other than that, she didn't tell me anything," concluded the white-haired boy. "And I didn't ask."
"… Well, one way or another, this tank of yours could be a good idea for an assassination," then pointed out Isogai, bringing everyone back on subject. "Why don't we focus on that?"
The rest of the boys, who had gathered around in the meantime, all nodded in agreement.
.
.
"They're growing rather curious. Why haven't you told them yet?" asked Itona, not looking up from the manga he was reading.
Ame sighed at Itona's question. "It's not like I don't want to tell them… but it's complicated. Plus, I'm not the only one involved, you know that. It's not my secret to tell."
"But you told me," he pointed out.
She scowled a little at that. "That's because you read my messages while I was in the shower. Not telling you anything would have been more dangerous."
He nodded in understanding. "So you're not planning on telling them?"
"No," she replied, her tone unwavering. "Not if I can help it, at least. And you? Did you tell them yet?"
"About what?"
"About Korosensei's weakness."
Because, much to Ame's surprise and glee, Itona had kept his word and had answered all of her questions to the best of his abilities. Somehow, the conversation led to Korosensei and his weaknesses, and it's then that she learned about it: the biggest chink in Korosensei's armor, as of yet.
"I told them about his heart, yes," he confirmed. "Did you tell the girls?"
"During our training session. Anyway, you said you were heading early to school tomorrow, right? What for?"
"The other guys suggested we use my tank for an assassination attempt," he answered, putting down his manga. "Sugaya has it right now to paint it. We're running some tests early in the morning."
"Cool. Can I come with?"
"If you want to."
.
.
When they got to school the next day, it was around 6:30 in the morning. Ame stifled a yawn as they walked inside. Though, if that assassination attempt was enough motivation for the boys to wake up so early, then that probably meant it was a good plan. She didn't get why none of the girls had been made aware of it, though.
As soon as they entered the classroom, though, tension instantly filled the air.
"W- w- w- w- w- why did you bring her!?" exclaimed Okajima, mortified.
"Damn it!"
"Ugh, there goes our plan…"
"Guys, it's an assassination attempt, remember?" sighed Isogai.
"She asked if she could come. I didn't see why not," simply replied Itona.
"Is me being here a problem?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
Okajima slumped in defeat, tears streaming down his face. "N- no ma'am…"
Ame raised an eyebrow at that, unconvinced. "You were hoping to use Itona's tank to look under the girls' skirts, weren't you?"
"What?" Maehara let out a nervous chuckle. "No way!"
"Right… Well, I won't bother you guys then," she replied, going to sit at her desk. She settled down, closing her eyes once she was comfortable. "I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up if the building's on fire or something."
"You're… not going to stop us?" blinked Yoshida, surprised.
She let out a snort at that. "As if it'd work anyway."
The rest of the boys seemed rather offended at that, and they instantly started muttering between themselves. Shaking her head, Ame simply let herself drift to sleep. Had she known it was all a plot for those perverts to get their fill, she'd have stayed at home a little longer.
.
.
Ame groaned when something hard hit her head. Opening her eyes, she found Karma and Itona standing two desks ahead of her.
"Oh, you were right," mused the white-haired boy. He was holding an eraser in his hand. "Throwing stuff at her is the safest way to wake her up without getting maimed."
"Told ya so," smirked Karma.
"Ugh, is the building on fire?" she grunted, straightening up. "If not, then I'm going back to sleep."
"Itona and I are skipping," replied the red-haired boy. "You in?"
"… fine, but I'm using you as a pillow."
"Deal."
Knowing they wouldn't be able to leave once Korosensei showed up, Ame quickly grabbed her bag before joining the boys. She waved to Rio on her way out, and the blonde simply rolled her eyes. She had skipped class once or twice with Ame before, but she wasn't as carefree with that kind of stuff, so she rarely did so.
"Think you'll be back for the day?"
"Dunno," shrugged Ame. "Mind sharing your notes?"
"Mm. You owe me one, though."
"Of course."
Behind them, the boys were under heavy fire: the girls had apparently figured out their perverted plot and were now nagging the hell out of them. Chuckling at the sight, she waved goodbye to her friend before following the other two outside. It had been a while since she last skipped class, and she could only hope she'd be able to enjoy it before something went wrong again.
.
.
When Ame woke up again… she was back in the classroom. Utterly confused, she looked around, wondering if she was dreaming.
"Oh, Ame! You're finally awake!" greeted Rio with a grin. "Guess I won't have to share my notes with you after all, uh?"
"… what happened?"
"Korosensei showed up after you fell asleep and dragged us back to the classroom," answered Karma with a resigned smile. "Itona convinced him not to wake you up after telling him you didn't sleep last night."
"I see…"
"What? 'Justice'!? I totally thought it was 'Masayoshi!'"
At Kurahashi's exclamation, Ame reported her attention on the little group that had gathered around Kimura's desk. It was now lunchtime, if everyone mingling together was anything to go by, but she was more now interested in the ongoing conversation than going back to sleep.
"Everyone's generous enough to read it that way, yeah," sighed Kimura. "And I asked Korosensei to call me that, too."
"Sure made us nervous, hearing your name at the entrance ceremony," then pointed out Sugaya.
"Ugh, I hate the thought of another public execution come graduation," admitted the boy. "My parents are police officers who were so high on Justice that they named their son after it! And being my parents, they'd just smack me if I complained about it. They didn't think about how much a kid could get teased in school."
"That's parents for you," then remarked Hazama. "Me, with this face—I'm Kirara. Kirara! Do I look like a Kirara to you?"
"N- no…"
"My mom lives in her own little fantasy world, but if something happens that she doesn't like, she goes into screaming hysterics," pursued the scary girl. "That's the kind of stress-filled house I grew up in. No way was I going to grow into my adorable little name."
"You've sure got it rough, saddled with such weird names," mused Karma, going to join them.
"Ah! You're one to talk," snorted Ame.
"Me?" The boy quickly wrote his name on the board. "I rather like my name. Guess some kids inherit their folks' strange tastes. Though, what about you, Ame?"
"Me?" She thought it over for a moment. "Well, 'Naoki' is for 'honest' and my name's written with the character for 'rain'… My grandmother told me its because my parents met on a rainy day or something like that. I never really thought over its significance, though."
"Eh? That's so romantic!" gushed Kurahashi.
"More or less meaning 'honest as rain', uh…?" Karma grinned a little. "Don't know if the shoe fits, though."
"Whatever."
"I'm not satisfied with how I was named, either!"
All of the students jumped a little, startled by the sudden appearance of their teacher. At that point, though, they were all too used to him popping out of nowhere to really make a fuss about it.
"Uh? I thought you liked 'Korosensei'," pointed out Sugino. "Kayano named you that."
"I do like it," assured the octopus. "That's why I'm not satisfied. There are still two people who won't call me by that name. Karasuma-sensei just says 'Hey' or 'You there!', you know? We're not some middle-aged married couple!"
"But it's embarrassing for a full-grown adult to be like, 'Korosensei!', isn't it?" pointed out Kayano.
"Oh, I know!" then exclaimed Yada. "Why don't we call each other by code names instead?"
"Code names?" echoed Isogai.
"Yeah—we make new names for everyone," she explained. "Like those assassins we met on the island: they called each other by code names to hide their real ones. Don't you think it's kinda cool and assassin-y?"
"I see. Good idea!" praised Korosensei. "Then, here's what we're going to do: write down your suggestions. We'll call each other by the names I pull out of this box!"
"What box—" A green box suddenly appeared on the teacher's desk, making Ame sweatdrop. "Nevermind."
"Sounds fun, but do we have to think up names for everyone?" wondered Okano.
"I'll just write down whatever comes to mind," replied Muramatsu, already getting started.
Since everyone seemed to agree with the idea, all the students returned to their places and pulled out some papers to write down their suggestions. Ame was half-tempted to use her actual code name, if only to mess with her friends without them realizing it, but decided against it. After all, both Ritsu and Itona knew of it and its significance, and she'd only be leaving more clues to Karasuma and Irina. They were already suspicious enough as it was, so she'd rather not.
"All right… using real names is forbidden all day today!" announced Korosensei.
"… WHAT!?"
The teacher simply laughed at his students' flabbergasted faces.
.
.
"Baseball Geek, Baseball Geek! Any movement from the target?"
"Nothing yet, Lanky Artist! Da Densest is hiding in wait near a lone pine. Team President Poverty will come from behind, chase him into the swamp, and then Bipolar Sniper will fire on him."
Baseball Geek AKA Sugino.
Lanky Artist AKA Sugaya.
Da Densest AKA Karasuma-sensei.
President Poverty AKA Isogai.
Bipolar Sniper AKA Hayami.
Their mission was simple: find the target and take it down. What wasn't as simple was not only using everyone's code names but also getting a hold of said target.
"Shape up, you two! How can you let your target leave the scene!? Especially you, Womanizing Scumbag! Always hold your gun at firing height!"
Womanizing Scumbag AKA Maehara.
So Karasuma-sensei managed to give them the slip, uh? Ame was listening intently to the radio, trying to figure out their target's location by using her friends'. The code names have everyone confused—they're delaying our reaction time.
"Director Mushroom! Mistress Kanzaki! Fluffy Stag Beatle! He's headed your way!" warned the class president.
Director Mushroom AKA Mimura.
Mistress Kanzaki AKA Kanzaki.
Fluffy Stag Beatle AKA Kurahashi.
"Gah! He went another way!" exclaimed the orange-haired girl.
"Home Plate! Loofah! Picture-Book Graduate!"
"Right!"
Home Plate AKA Yoshida.
Loofah AKA Muramatsu.
Picture-Book Graduate AKA Itona.
Pseudo-Takaoka AKA Terasaka.
"Did you get him?" Ame asked.
"Almost! But he—"
"Scoring one hit on me doesn't mean you'll ever be able to land one hit on him!" exclaimed Karasuma. "Poison Specs! Forever Flat! If I can see where you're firing from, I can dodge your shots!"
Poison Specs AKA Okuda.
Forever Flat AKA Kayano.
"He- he saw us! Take over, Dignified Didact!"
"Okay! Come on, Evil Matchmaker and Gender!"
"Roger!"
Dignified Didact AKA Kataoka.
Evil Matchmaker AKA Rio.
Gender AKA Nagisa.
They've started firing. At that point, This-Manga-Is-Amazing! AKA Fuwa and Terminal Perv AKA Okajima are firing at him from behind, and Semi-Senioritis AKA Karma is blocking his escape route. Dating-Sim-Emo-Character AKA Chiba is lying in wait…
"Fire now!"
Chiba fired. At the last moment, though, Karasuma used some wood that was lying on the ground to block the shot and instantly spotted the sniper's location.
"Dating-Sim-Emo-Character!" he exclaimed. "Always assume your target is on guard!"
"Now, Badass Kunoichi!"
Grinning, Ame propelled herself at Karasuma. She had been hiding behind some rocks, carefully dissimulated, only awaiting the signal. The man's eyes widened. He had a feeling the crafty teen would be close around, but he hadn't thought she'd be that close. Jumping backward to avoid the rubber knives flying his way, he managed to grab her leg as she tried to kick his head. He instantly flipped her over and slammed her into the ground, immobilizing her in an instant.
"If you attack directly, expect to be trapped, Badass Kunoichi!" snapped Karasuma.
She simply grinned. "Who's the one trapped, Da Densest?"
His eyes widened as none other than Justice AKA Kimura dropped from the tree just behind him. Too busy immobilizing the girl, he failed to escape the shots in time. Ame could only grin as the shots finally hit the target.
We did it!
"Niryufufufu! So how did it feel, spending the day under code names?" wondered Korosensei.
"Kind of painful," answered all of the students as one.
"Really? I thought it was fun," grinned Ame.
"That's 'cause I gave you a really cool name!" protested Rio. "What was up with mine?"
"You're evil and you're a matchmaker," deadpanned her friend. "I found it suited you well."
"But- but 'Scrunchies and Boobs'!" protested Yada.
"Being called 'Amazing Ape' over and over…" groaned Okano.
"What does 'Box o' Moe' mean?" wondered Ritsu, confused.
"Probably exactly that," sweatdropped Hara. "But why did I get 'Kunugigaoka's Mom'?"
"Korosensei! Why was I the only one with my real name?" then asked Kimura.
"Because I knew what you'd be doing in physical education training today," replied the teacher. "I figured, with your mobility, you'd play quite a role. And given the awesome moves you pulled off, the name 'Justice' is a perfect fit."
"Well…"
"Just to reassure you, Kimura-kun, it should be relatively easy to put in for a name change," then added Korosensei. "Still, Kimura-kun. If you kill me, I bet this is how the world will see your name: 'Justice Indeed! A perfect name for the hero who saved Earth!', right? And, to be honest, there's no great meaning to the grand names our parents give us. What's meaningful is what we, so named, accomplish in our lives. Names don't make a person. They're merely left behind in our footsteps as we walk through life. How about cherishing that name for a while longer? At least… until the assassination's over with. Okay?"
After a moment, Kimura smiled back. "I think I will."
"Perfect! No, today's the day we used code names," then remarked Korosensei, changing the subject altogether. "Now to tell you mine! Please, call me this from now on: Prince of the Fateful Eternal Wind."
After a moment of stunned silence… the class rioted. Ame could only laugh as her friends started protesting vehemently against such a fancy name while firing at him. After a lot of yelling, it was decided that, for the rest of the day, their teacher would be called "The Octopus of the Idiotic Perverted Chicken".
… whatever that's supposed to mean, anyway.
.
.
"Ame, I'm heading out to get some of that nasty ramen," announced bluntly Itona. "You coming?"
"Nan, go and have some fun," replied the girl, shaking her head with her smile. "Though give me a call if you spend the night there. Don't want Obaa-san to worry too much and have a heart attack, you know?"
"Aa. I'll see you later."
"Bye-bye!"
The white-haired boy then left with his new friends.
"Eh, you're really acting like actual siblings. How cute," mused Karma.
"We are?" blinked Ame.
"Why'd you decide to take him in, Ame?" then wondered Rio, curious.
"I wanted some information, at first," admitted the girl. "It was for a rather selfish reason, really. But Itona's nice, and the kids and my grandmother like him. Frankly, he'll have a hard time if he tries to leave, now."
The others laughed a little at that. In the end, Itona was fitting in alright—and in more way than one.
.
.
"Naoki Ame. Although he's probably still waiting to tell you, I believe Saru has been training you to become the next leader of the Zodiac."
::
Ame's eyes flew open as she bolted upright, her heart racing like crazy. Gulping, she took a few seconds to force the ghost sight of blood away, though she could still hear the nightmarish gunshot ringing in her ears. Her mind was a crazy mess at the moment, merging memories she'd rather have forgotten: the blood on her hands, Takaoka's scratched-up face, Lovro's ominous prediction…
"Do you often suffer from nightmares?"
The girl snapped her eyes to the voice. There, in the corner, Itona was still very much awake, apparently working on some homework. Just like her, he didn't sleep all that much—probably an after-effect of having those tentacles messing with his brain for so long.
"I used to," she admitted with a sigh, running a hand through her hair. "I got used to it and they eventually stopped."
"But they've started again."
"Aa. What are you working on?"
She was more than obviously trying to change the subject, but Itona didn't mind. There were things he too would rather not talk about, after all.
"English," he answered. "Mind helping me out?"
She offered a small, grateful smile at that. "Of course. I'll go make some coffee. You want some?"
"Sure."
The girl then left the room without a sound. He was always impressed by her silent walking but, this time around, her footsteps seemed to have grown heavy.
Her lack of sleep is catching up to her, he easily understood.
It wasn't the first time she woke up in the middle of the night because of those nightmares. Adding to that, she went to sleep late and woke up early in the morning. And, of course, there were some nights she didn't sleep at all because of her job. All in all, he calculated she probably got three to four hours of sleep per night, if not less. She was managing now, taking naps in the middle of the day and whatnot, but he knew she wouldn't last very long if she kept up that up.
But she asked me not to tell anyone, he recalled. And I doubt she'll be able to regain a normal sleeping schedule without professional help…
His eyes wandered around the room until they landed on her phone, which was on her nightstand. After a moment of hesitation, he grabbed it. Easily cracking her code, he quickly went through her contacts and taped a message.
"Ame doesn't sleep anymore, barely a few hours a night. I suggest you do something about it before things really get out of hand."
- Itona
He sent it to the name he was most familiar with, "H", before putting away the phone.
Not too long after, he received a reply.
"Got it. Thanks, kid."
- H
Well.
Hopefully, things would get better for the girl from here on out.
.
.
Ame frowned at her phone. She had received an urgent summon early in the morning, meaning she probably wouldn't show up to class in time, if at all. There wasn't any info, though, which kind of worried her. Hana was the last person she expected to send such a cryptic message, after all.
Well, no matter. I'm here, so…
As soon as she stepped inside, she felt the danger. The air suddenly grew cold and a chill ran down her spine. Stiffening in place, she looked up to find a very angry redhead.
"H- Hana…?"
The woman shoved her phone in the girl's face. Confused and mildly terrified, the girl quickly read the message displayed on the screen… and understanding dawned on her.
That asshole—
"Why didn't ya tell us!?" snapped the woman. "Ya promised ya'd tell us if it started again!"
"I- I didn't think it was serious—"
"Not serious!? You're dead on yer fuckin' feet!" Ame gulped when realizing her friend really was angry. "And we all know how ya are when ya get like this! Ya sleep, what, two or three hours per night? Is that it?"
"I can manage—"
"Ya shouldn't! Last time ya pulled a stunt like that one, ya nearly got Samon killed!" Ame stiffened at the harsh, but true, accusation. "Ya want that ta happen again? Uh? Is that what ya want!?"
"N- no! Of course not!" protested the girl. "I- I just…"
Hana roughly poked her forehead. "Ya need ta lean on us a little more, kiddo. Don't ya trust us?"
"Of course I do! But- but I'm causing so much trouble for you guys already…" Ame lowered her head, somewhat ashamed. "I'm always asking for your help, always causing a mess… I don't want to be such a burden to you guys! Can't you understand that!?"
Hana's eyes widened at that. Then, the anger vanished as her gaze softened. Sighing heavily, she brought the girl into a hug.
"You're an idiot," she muttered. "As if we didn't get in trouble before ya got in..."
Ame let out a strangled laugh at that, hugging her back. She knew she could rely on her second family anytime for any reason, but she didn't want to abuse either. They were already helping her out so much! She could handle the nightmares just fine—
"WHERE THE HELL IS SHE!?"
Blood instantly drained from her face. She pulled away, horrified.
"You called him?" she asked, her voice but a whisper.
At that, Hana grinned, somewhat cruelly. "He's the expert. He'll fix you up in no time."
"No, no, he's going to skin me! He—"
"THERE YOU ARE YOU DAMN BRAT!"
"Crap! Have mercy!"
Before she could flee, a hand latched itself around her collar and harshly dragged her back, before lifting her until her feet no longer touched the floor. She gulped when her eyes met stormy, irate ones.
"Again?" seethed the man. "Again!?"
"I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" she cried out, struggling to free herself.
"Ah! That's what you said last time too!" snapped the man.
The man, known as Yagi, was young and tall, strongly built. Only twenty-seven-year-old, he was already an accomplished doctor, surgeon, and scientist. He was the official doctor of their little group and could patch up any wound. However, as talented as the white-haired man was, he thoroughly lacked bedside manners. He enjoyed literally knocking some sense into his patients and yelling at them for acting recklessly and giving him more job.
He was also the one who handled her case the last time she had an insomnia fit.
"Med room. Now," he growled, his golden eyes flashing dangerously.
"R- right…"
He put her back on the floor. Her head hanging low, she made her way to the med room, dragging her feet the whole time. Knowing the drill, she went to lay down on the bed while Yagi closed the door behind him. After what, he started looking through some drawers.
"I'm guessing you remember how it worked last time," drawled the men, pulling out a syringe.
"You're going to stab me repeatedly with a needle for three days until I've forcefully regained a normal sleeping schedule," she grunted, getting comfortable. "Did I get right?"
"This is a fast and effective method to cure your insomnia fit," he replied, grabbing two bottles of chemicals. "You'll have to take pills after that but, until then, you'll have to stay in this room. Two days under, a third to rest. And, needless to say, it's not going to be fun."
"Ugh, I know. Just get started already."
"Tche, don't tell me how to do my job, stupid brat," he replied, annoyed. He was carefully filling the syringe with the chemicals he had picked. "I could be cruel and make you go through the normal two-week-long program instead of the three-day one."
"Whatever. Can you ask Hana to warn the school in the meantime?" she then asked. "My friends will probably be worried sick if I go MIA for three whole days."
Yagi stopped his preparations at that, somewhat taken aback. He glanced at the teen, though she wasn't paying any attention to him, still trying to get comfortable on the medical bed.
So the brat made some friends after all, uh?
He had been gone for a long while, but could it have been that long? Last time he saw her, she really wouldn't have cared less about informing the school of her absence, and she only had one friend. He had been briefed about her current situation with the bounty on her head and also the fact that the creature who destroyed the moon was her teacher, but he hadn't expected her to change so much in the span of a few months.
He shook his head, focusing on the task at hands.
"Do I need to restrain you?"
"It'd be a good idea," she nodded.
He quickly tied her wrists and ankles to the bed. "Comfy?"
"Will you believe me if I say yes?" she deadpanned.
He snorted at that, quickly cleaning the area where he would "stab her with a needle", as she put it earlier. Once done, he grabbed the syringe.
"You ready?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"Never will be," she grunted, closing her eyes. "Don't forget to lock the door, 'kay?"
"Aa. Sweet dreams."
She snorted at the irony of it all, though her amusement soon faded to a wince of pain as he got to work. She already knew what to expect, and she could only hope the experience wasn't as bad as she recalled it to be.
Soon enough, darkness claimed her.
Unfortunately, it wouldn't last.
.
.
"She's what?"
"She's undergoing some treatment for her insomnia," repeated Itona, leaning back in his seat. "She'll be back in four days."
"I didn't know it had gotten this bad," frowned Rio.
"Maa, she'll be fine," replied Karma. "It's Ame we're talking about, after all."
The blonde could only agree, though she was still worried.
.
.
The treatment consisted of forcefully induced sleep, which would force her body to gain back a regular sleeping schedule. However, this kind of state only made dreams more vivid. So, those undergoing that treatment usually trashed around a lot and were unable to wake up on their own, hence why they had to be restrained.
It would last for two days. On the third day, Ame would be woken up. She'd eat something, then rest for the day. After what, she'd return home. Then, for a week, each morning and each evening, she'd take a pill that would help her keep up with her usual life. She'd be exhausted for a while, but the pills would also keep the nightmares at bay, so that was a plus.
It was a rough experience, but it worked. And, well, in their line of work, the Zodiac couldn't afford to go at it the regular way.
When Yagi went to finally wake Ame up, he was expecting a mess. And, as feared, the girl was incredibly pale, her wrists were red and bleeding, and she had bit her lips so hard it had also drawn blood. With a sigh, he injected the chemical meant to wake her without wasting any time. Knowing she'd open her eyes in a few minutes at most, he untied her wrists and ankles and started cleaning her wrists.
She only woke up once he was done bandaging them.
"Ame, do you recognize me?" he asked calmly.
"Ya… Yagi…"
"What day is it?"
"It's… ugh… I dunno… Too fuzzy…"
"It's fine. Don't stress your vocal cords. You've been screaming for a while," he replied, handing her a glass of water. "Drink everything."
He didn't need to ask. Her throat was so sore it burnt as if she had swallowed an entire glass of lava. So, gulping down the water as if her life depended on it, she then took a moment to settle down her thought. Things were still a little hazy, but she wasn't as lost anymore.
"I brought donuts," then announced Yagi, handing over a box. "Eat all of them and go back to sleep."
"I don't really feel like eating—"
"Eat."
"Yes sir," she paled.
While she did as told, she bit her lower lip. Her nightmares were still as vivid in her mind, made-up dialogues and actual words mixing and making it hard to distinguish her dreams from reality… but she knew it was real.
Me… Saru's successor?
"… Yagi?"
"What?"
"… nothing. Sorry. My head's—" She coughed a little, her throat burning up again. "S- sorry."
"Stop talking, stupid girl," he huffed. "There's more water on the nightstand. Drink, eat, and sleep. Don't get up or come out of this room until I give you the go, understood."
"Aa."
She couldn't ask. Even if she wanted to… she was scared of the answer.
So, she kept her mouth shut and simply enjoyed her donuts.
.
.
"Ame!"
The girl laughed as Rio brought her into a tight hug.
"Are you okay?" asked the blonde. "I was so worried! Itona said you were undergoing some sort of treatment for insomnia, but—"
"I'm fine, I'm fine," assured the girl, honest. "Things were hectic for a while, but I'm better now. Don't worry about it."
"Well, if you're sure… Anyway, Karma and I shared the task of taking notes for you, and Itona's going to help you catch up on the three days you missed, so…"
As her friend started ranting, Ame thought things over: she had avoided a serious crisis, but she was never short on problems and issues. She couldn't help but feel that things wouldn't go so smoothly for much longer… and it scared her.
But whatever happens, I'm not alone. She glanced back at Rio, offering the girl a smile. That's all that matters.