The morning sun shined through the windows of the branch campus' dorms. A certain Ash Carbide, the newest member of Class VII, causally walked down the mostly empty hallways, the other students and faculty already fanning out to do whatever it was they did on free days. He was already planning what he'd do for his upcoming night out in the capital.
Wonder how late I can hang out before ol' 'Stick-in-the-mud' Schwarzer homes in on me...*
His train of thought came to a halt with a strange sight: his mint-haired classmate saddled against a wall, peeking out from behind it through the slightly-open doors to the mess hall.
Most of him told him to just ignore her and be on his merry way, but sometimes his curiosity got the better of him. Now was one of those times, his feet quickly bring him behind the girl.
"Egret, what the he-"
A small hand quickly shot to his mouth, stopping his question with a shocked "blurgbg?" Musse turned her head towards him, moving a finger over her typical cheeky grin, before pointing towards the door. He understood her loud and clear: "shut up and look."
Rolling his eyes, he nevertheless complied, joining her in peeking through the slit in the doors. There, he saw his instructor, Schwarzer, talking with Herschel. They sat across from each other at a table, near the other exit from the dining hall. The two seemed to just be drinking tea, two small plates laying on a table.
Really Egret? What's so juicy about them drinking tea? Schwarzer loves that stuff, no wonder Herschel does too...*
His eyebrow raised, finally noticing the weird part: their clothes. Instead of her usual white uniform, Hershel was wearing a sleeveless green dress, trailing down to the floor and with yellow highlights along her waist. Schwarzer similarly shed his coat, opting for a slightly more casual blue dress shirt, sleeves rolled up to his upper arm.
"I didn't even know they HAD casual clothes." Ash couldn't help but whisper out. It really shouldn't be a surprise that someone wears clothes other than their work uniform... but these ARE the two largest sticks in the mud in all of Thors.
Rolling his eyes, he noticed the two were talking.
"...glad we could do this earlier," Towa said, taking a sip of her tea.
"Same! I'm surprised I managed to get my grading done early." Rean chuckled, rubbing the back of his head in a familiar (to Towa) gesture.
Ash toned out after that, the chat mostly devolving into small talk and chatter. Musse notice him pull back, shutting the door, and turned towards the blonde.
"Is it exciting?!" She practically squealed, hands grasped in front of her.
"What, them relaxing?" Ash once again rolled his eyes. "It's a bit weird yeah, but not super interesting. 'Whoo hoo! They're normal people sometimes!'"
"Not that!" Her eyes sparkled. "They're obviously heading out on a date soon!"
"Tch. Yeah, right." He scoffed. "Schwarzer wouldn't know a date even when he walking a girl home!"
"Instructor Rean's going on a date?" Another voice suddenly asked. The two turned their heads to the stares, revealing the rest of Class VII. Juna's head perked up, clearly interested in where the conversation was headed. Kurt's face contained the usual exasperation at his classmate's gossiping. And Altina... had her usual face, though her head was slightly tilted.
"Yes!" Musse turned her body, clapping her hands and shutting her eyes in glee. "They're all dressed up even! Our Instructor NEVER dresses up on campus!
"Man, you're looking way too deep onto this." The blonde's eyes rolled for the third time today, combined with a shrug of his shoulders. "He-"
"Musee, you shouldn't butt into his and Instructor Towa's relationship like that," Kurt responded, his palm lightly settling on his face. "It's beyond rude."
"The hell?!" Ash's eyes widened.
"You knew of the relationship?" Altina spoke up, her head tilt now directed at Kurt and Juna.
"Yeah... wait, when did YOU find out?" Juna blurted out.
"Since our third week."
"...that's basically when we found out!" She cried out.
"ANY-way..." the mint-haired girl interrupted. "...with their relationship now public among Class ViI, we can decide on how to follow them!"
"Musee..." Kurt said flatly.
"I mean, I *am* kinda curious now..."
"JUNA..."
"Aw, don't be like that, Kurt!" Musee whined, her grin remaining steady. "Aren't you curious how our stalwart instructor handles himself among the girl he loves most?"
"Yeah, Kurt!" Juna pumped her fist. "We always see the instructor as our leader and stuff. We don't know how he acts when not just being our instructor. We never get to see him just... relax. And what's a more perfect way to relax than a date?"
"And a perfect way to invade his privacy."
"With all due respect, if Instructor Rean wished to share a private moment with Instructor Towa, he would not dress up and presumably go to a public place."
"You too, Altina?!"
"I am curious how his reputation relating to women translates to an actual attempt at romance."
Kurt sighed, his arms falling limply to his side. He turned to Ash in desperation. *Surely, he at least wants no part of this...*
"...sorry man, the girls got me wonderin' too."
The Vander scion's palm met his face, and his sigh grew even louder. "I suppose that means I'm coming as well if at least to ensure you four don't go too far."
He caught movement in her peripherals, just past his hand. "...though if you want to follow them, we should probably start now." He gestured towards the dorm's exit, where the two instructors were pushing the doors open, clearly done with their morning tea.
The five teenagers quickly scrambled after them.
Rean hadn't felt so relaxed in months.
The date started as well as one could hope. A short tea break after breakfast, followed by a conversation-filled train ride to the capital. Rean had long learned that Towa could talk for hours about any topic that sparks her interest. (For example, she once spent an hour in an ARCUS call discussing the history of the Eastern District in Crossbell.)
And Rean simply couldn't get enough of it. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and listening to her pour her heart out over something she has so much knowledge and drive about was REALLY attractive.
The train ride was followed by a simple walk towards Mater Park. While it's not the first time they made this trek together, it WAS the first time they walked hand-in-hand.
Even before being coworkers, the two hardly flouted their relationship. Given Rean's status as a national hero, he was pretty afraid that Towa, if she was publicly seen as his "closest confidant," might be targeted by proxy. Whether it was fear of a vengeful Crossbell native, a scorned fan, or worse: the paparazzi, Rean thought it was best to avoid putting a spotlight on their relationship. At least until that spotlight dimmed.
By now though, that dimming had occurred, at least enough for the two to finally risk public affection. After almost 2 years of being the Ashen Chevalier and months of teaching at the branch campus, *some* of the attention has drifted away to other figures (like the main campus students). In addition, early preparations for the Emperor's Birthday festival left many in the capital too busy furnishing supplies to care about "celebrity" romance. Only a few passersby glanced their way, the two blending in among the other couples of Heimdallr.
That suited the two instructors just fine. Months of having to hide all (well, *most*) of their romantic gestures were taking its toll. Finally being able to walk hand in hand down the street, like a proper couple, even if it's just a simple thing, felt like a fresh breath of air.
The walk down the busy streets of Heimdallr soon gave way to more walking, this time around the quiet plants of Mater Park. They could hear a group of kids playing near the center, but they mostly had a little corner of the park to themselves.
Soon, the two were resting on an oakwood bench, relieving their feet from more walking. Towa let out a loud sigh, slinking into the backrest and staring at the bright blue sky.
Towa finally spoke up. "You know, despite just walking around a bunch, today's already been fun."
"I know, right?" Rean responded, shifting just a rege closer to the woman. "After months of keeping a secret, it's nice to let loose."
Towa raised an eyebrow, a slight grin gracing her lips.
"Uh, that sounded wrong." Rean let out a nervous chuckle. "What I meant was... it's nice to be openly in love."
That got a blush out of her. She bowed her head, a hint of a smile still visible from above. Rean echoed that smile.
He heard a rustle from a bush to their left. Rean shot his head towards it, narrowing his eyes. He eyed the bush, waiting for it to move again.
"Rean?" Towa asked, staring up with some concern.
That snapped Rean from his worry, bringing him back to earth with a nervous chuckle. "Oh, sorry. Thought I heard something." He said, turning back to his date. "Anyway, do you want to head out for lunch?
Towa nodded, standing up and flattening small creases in her dress. She reached over and gripped his hand again, and the two were off, out of their quiet corner and towards the busy streets again.
"There's a good Eastern place I passed by with Angie before, I think you'll love it..." their chatter quickly faded from the park.
--
"Damn it Juna! He almost found us!"
"Sorry, I tripped! And you almost yawned a bunch, you got no room to talk!"
"Not my fault these two are so sickeningly, boringly wholesome!"
"If you two are done, we should follow them before we lose track of them."
"Right, sorry!"
"Yeah, yeah..."
"Why did I come along to this..."*
Rean couldn't shake the feeling that they were being tailed.
His training in the Eight Leaves, One Blade school of sword fighting has sharpened his senses. When he's not completely distracted, he can usually tell when someone is hiding nearby. Even when he's not actively checking his surroundings, a stray broken branch or rustled bush can set his senses off.
He wasn't sure if he only noticed it in the park, or if the glimpse from earlier was the start. Either way, he felt the all-too-familiar presence of a small group trying their best not to be noticed.
He wondered what Towa would think if she saw him glance over his shoulder. If she did, she opted not to say anything. But she was too bright to not notice his (admittedly odd) actions.
Why does trouble follow me like a start cat? Of all the times to just have a quiet day...*
Still, no use complaining. If he was right, then it's better to nip this issue in the bud. And if he's wrong, all the better.
He leaned down towards Towa and began whispering in her ear...
"Why the heck is he going HERE?" Juna grumbled as Class VII tiptoed down another out-of-the-way alley. She wouldn't exactly call it 'sketchy,' but it was borderline. Not quite to the level of the shortcut between Crossbell center and the Entertainment district. Still, borderline.
"Maybe they are taking a shortcut," Altina replies, unphased by their surroundings.
The rest of her classmates stayed silent. Kurt, understandably, was just as annoyed as Juna (though likely for slightly different reasons. Ash was being Ash, his hands in his pockets as he walked. And Musee, as usual, was the most concerning: a small grin stuck to her face.
She knows something we don't, doesn't she?*
Juna shelved her ruminations for the time being though, as the couple turned a sharp corner to their right. *That* must *be a shortcut! No hesitation there!* Quickening their pace, the class sped toward the turn, waiting behind the corner for ten seconds, Juna took point in rounding the corner-
-and seeing an empty corridor, leading to a dead end.
"...huh?"
"Can't say I expected my students to be the ones trailing us." A voice rang out from behind the group. Juna's head swiveled behind herself, echoed by the rest of Class VII.
Their two instructors walked out from behind a corner, gazing at them unimpressed. Towa sported a stern look, directed particularly towards her mint-haired former student.
Reans arms were crossed, his eyes closed as he shook his head. He couldn't fully hide a grin though, as if their little take-out impressed him.
Man, they really look like mom and dad when they scolded me.*
Towa soon spoke up. "And what exactly brings five students to the deserted alleys of Heimdallr?"
"Hey, it's a free day!" Ash spoke out dismissively. "We don't need a chaperone just when visiting the capital! 'specially not two goodie two-shot with sticks up their-"
"Did you start following us at the park, or since Leeves?" Rean interrupted, cutting the blonde off.
"Since the dorms." Altina flatly answered, bringing a glare from Juna and Ash.
"Didn't notice you until Mater park. Impressive." Rean admitted, a small grin adorning his face. That brought a glare *his* way, this time from his fellow instructor. He simply shrugged, clearly unrepentant.
"A-anyway..." Towa segued with a sigh, "did you five want to spy on us during our date? When we clearly intended on being alone?" She asked pointedly.
Well, when you put it THAT way...* Juna thought, dipping her head down.
Admittedly, it WAS pretty rude to snoop on their alone time, like Kurt tried to say earlier. The two clearly weren't intending to reveal their relationship to Class VII (at least to her and Kurt, and likely Altina. She didn't even WANT to guess how Musee found out) so instructors or not, she probably should've just left them alone.
"I'm sorry, you two. I let my curiosity get the better of me." She bowed her head, ponytail flopping down the right side of her head.
(She caught glimpses of Rean interacting with Kurt. The student let out a sigh. Rean raised his eyebrow. Kurt responded with an exasperated shrug. Rean's eyes glimmered with understanding, and he pat him on the shoulder with a nod, before stepping away.)
"For what it's worth" Altina interjected, "it was interesting seeing you two so relaxed. You two were much less stressed together."
"Yes, exactly!" Musse finally spoke up. "You two make the perfect pair, the charming Chevalier and his hardworking life companion, pushing each other to new heights while still keeping each other grounded. It's practically storybook material!" She grinned wildly, eyes closed and hands clasped behind her back.
Towa still glanced at her, though her glare did soften significantly. "Don't think we don't know that you probably convinced everyone to do this." She followed it up with an amused sigh, shaking her head with a small smile. "Still, thank you. I can't be *too* upset at you being curious."
"Still sorry about all this. But congrats, anyway!" Juna offered up, followed up by a nod from Kurt and a shrug from Ash.
Rean smiled at his students. "You reminded me so much of my class." He said, his voice full of nostalgic reminiscence. He then coughed into his fist.
"Ahem. Anyway, I think we'd like to continue our date" he said, his hand shaking over and gripping Towa's, "so I'd appreciate it if you all head on back to Leeves... or at least somewhere else in Heimdallr."
"Yeah, fair enough," Juna answered. She motioned at Class VII with her arm. "C'mon guys! Let's head on back and give these guys some space. Her classmates responded with nods (and a giggle from Musse) and followed her out of the alley. They gave the instructors goodbyes and nods, before setting off down the alley they came from.
"...you have quite the class, don't you Rean?"
"Yeah." He squeezed her hand a little. "Quite the set of characters... but also the best."