The next few weeks pass in a blur, and although hanging out with Mai on your play dates is kind of fun, and holding her hand is nice, she's way too clingy, honestly. This is just practice! You need to focus on working out how to get together with Ten Man, something that always makes Mai mope. You're being considerate and she's whining about your attention being elsewhere. Tut tut.
Still, your true love has not so much as written you a letter, possibly because he forgot your name and also didn't think to contact Togo-sensei about it. You need to get out there, and claim Ten Man for yourself! You decide to first write him a letter, so that you can make sure he remembers your name. You also include your marriage resume, just in case he lost the last copy or something.
Dear Ten Man,
Your hands tremble with excitement as you contemplate just what to say to your love for the first time in weeks. Mai tries massaging you to help calm you down, which helps some, but she seems disappointed when you return to writing. What did she expect? She's so weird sometimes.
I love you I love you I love you so much my heart feels like it's going to burst from all my love, I want you to fuck me silly!
Okay, now that you've established what not to write, you need to try again. You take a deep breath, a new piece of paper, and start over again.
Dear Ten Man,
I hope you remember my last letter. If not, I was just a fan then, but now I'm an aspiring heroine! I really hope that you'll respond to this! We're supposed to start looking into potential mentors who can teach us the ropes, and I'd love to be mentored under you and become your sidekick! We met at the Hero Meet & Greet at Akitsuki!
I'd be a really good sidekick: I'm loyal, dedicated, and have a great power with amazing synergy with yours! You should totally pick me to be yours!
Before signing your name, you show Mai the letter. She pouts, but diligently reads it. "You should mention how lucky you are to be his only option. After all, he's not that popular yet." She says it in this dull monotone, as though she'd been beaten down by life and this was her last, desperate effort to reclaim her dignity.
"Thanks! You're such a great friend, Mai." She just looks vaguely guilty at that. You wonder what's eating her up? Anyway, you snap the paper back from her to keep writing.
Given you're not that popular (yet!) I'm sure you don't have many students asking for you to mentor them. I'm so lucky that your popularity has yet to pick up! Maybe I could help up it? A cute young girl could definitely be a charm point, you know!
Yours, Body, Mind, and Soul,
Ganko Kimura
P.S. My dorm number is 304 at Akitsuki Hero Academy, whenever you want to write me back! (Just in case you lose the envelope!)
You seal it, write down the address, and send it off, to wait excitedly for the return! Mai seems unhappy about the whole thing. You can still practice being girlfriends with her once you're together with Ten Man. Well, if he doesn't mind... if he does, you guess you'd have to stop. Guys like that, though, don't they? They think it's sexy? Well, who knows what goes through guys' heads! Not you. Any rational guy would be beating down your door once he knew your heart was beating for him, but it seems like all the ones you're interested in just don't reciprocate!
You receive your reply in less than a week, suggesting that Ten Man really paid close attention to you! Ah...
Dear Kimura-san,
That's you! He used your name, even! Ahh, he knows just how to meter out the affection to keep you always thirsty for more... what a man! You keep reading!
After consultation with my agent, he felt that it would be the best move for my career to try taking on a student like yourself as a sidekick.
Oh, thank you Agent-san! Making sure that Ten Man's heart and career aren't opposed - that's the goal of a good agent, isn't it? It is! It absolutely is!
As you are the only applicant, you were also the natural choice.
Destiny. Serendipity. Fate. Thank you, Kami-sama!
Please do not make this more awkward than it has to be.
From,
Ten Man
Ah... what's he mean by "more awkward than it has to be"? That's strange. You don't understand that. You offer it to Mai, to get her read, and she just gives you a long, slow look, before shrugging and handing it back with a "Who knows." Well, whatever. Maybe his agent said he should say it? Could it be some kind of legal thing?
Your internship starts in just thirteen days. You're buzzing with excess energy, and Mai flops on her bed, as though you had gotten all your energy by stealing it from her. That obviously isn't what actually happened, of course.
There's only one thing to do! Study, practice, train! If you're going to be your future husband's sidekick, you need to be the absolute perfect sidekick! Given that he's obviously nervous about your relationship (is he a virgin? Oh that would be so wonderful, taking one another's first time like that. Not that you'd be jealous if he wasn't!), you should show your professional chops! Your power is top gear, and your drive and dedication are second to none!
You slump back down in your chair, having stood up to monologue to yourself. (Mai was in the room so you didn't speak aloud. You only talk to yourself when you're alone, like a normal person.) Woof! You've gotten really energetic about Ten Man, when you think about it. Woof, but in an entirely different sense. The sex sense. Because he's so handsome.
No! Ten Man wants a pure romance, born of workplace love blossoming. Probably. Or he would have made a move by now. He could have asked for a naked photo and you would have gladly given it to him. Heck, he could have asked for Mai's naked photo and you would also have gladly given it to him too! She's sent you a couple (well, technically you can't see anything you couldn't if she was wearing a bikini, but she is naked), since you became her practice boyfriend. She's pretty good at it, you think. It's hard to tell, though. Well, you should probably ask her if she'd be willing to share pictures with Ten Man. Though first Ten Man would have to ask for it. And he definitely wouldn't want you taking creep shots, because he's such a wonderful person! But he hasn't asked for it, and probably won't, since he wants a pure romance.
Wait. What if he's hesitating because he's shy? Oh, that would be so cute! But, being chaste and firm is also sexy in its own way. It's amazing how no matter what Ten Man actually does, he can always be sexy. That's how you know he's the one!
Your head's such a jumble whenever Ten Man strides into it. You need to think! Not make a fool of yourself! Be like Keiko! Reforge yourself to absolutely and perfectly fit Ten Man's needs! Become the perfect sidekick!
You show up in your practice uniform to the site where Ten Man's meeting you - a public park - and stand, stock straight, waiting for him to arrive. A couple people comment as they pass, but that's not your concern! Your concern is the pursuit of justice!
Ten Man shows up ten minutes late, looking sour as he sees you. He must have been delayed, and be annoyed about it. You wish you could soothe him with your body, but he wanted professionalism!
"Right, let's get this over with. Your file said your working code name was..." he trails off. "Sorry, remind me?"
Right, your working code name, the thing you decided weeks ago in class. It'll probably be your official hero name one day, so you put work into it! Ghost Bride. It's a pairing name, it says you're with somebody, and it's not taken, unlike Ghost, Spectre, Yuki-Onna, and numerous similar names.
"Right, yeah." He thrums his fingers on his side for a few moments, expression pensive. "Well, first thing's first, rookie, patrols. They're most of what you do as a hero."
You nod, stoic, serious.
"Nothing to say?" He asks.
"Sir no sir!" Is your immediate reply.
"Right." He grimaces a bit. "Okay." He yawns, stretching a little. "Sorry. Long night for me and the misses," he adds, rubbing her neck. The misses? He's married? Well. That's okay! You just have to get the approval of his wife, and you can become his mistress! It's fine. There's lots of situations like that! You don't mind being the other woman! "You alright?" He asks.
"Sir, I'm ready to perform my duties, sir!"
"Good to hear. Patrol's dull as dishwater, so having somebody to talk to might be good."
Oh no. He wants you to talk to him. But you want to be professional. Adapt, Ganko! Pretend like you're just a friend or coworker, when he talks to you. "Okay, sir," you say, with a nod. "Shall we?" You pause. "Should I use my power to attach to you?"
He tilts his head. "Oh, right, the poltergeist thing. Ah. Don't worry about it. If there's a fight, use it. Otherwise, learn to walk."
"Yes, sir," you say, with a firm nod. You step alongside him as he walks through the park, pointing out things here and there to you. You memorize every detail, and find the entire affair incredibly stressful for some reason, and not just the difficulty of memorizing so many different things. It's like there's something you desperately need to know, but don't.
"So," he says, as you take a brief intermission at a cafe. You perk up. "I shouldn't really talk about my home life too much, but I bet you wouldn't mind talking about yours."
He wants to know about you? Your plans to be professional are unraveling before your very eyes! You wanted to prove your diligence and loyalty... no, wait! Maybe he recognized that, and that's why he's opening up to you like this. "I'm a heroine-in-training," you say, seriously. "I only really have one friend, Mai, and one love, that's you." Oh no, that was too forward, wasn't it? It just spilled out.
His expression looks awkward for a moment, and you worry you've ruined everything. Then he speaks. "Tell me about Mai," he says, leaning back a little in his chair. He's not completely turned off! If he wasn't interested, he definitely would have shot you down. Lucky!
"She's super cool," you explain. "She's smart, and pretty, but she's got this big problem."
"Oh?"
"There's this boy she likes, and she refuses to tell him she likes him!"
"Now that's an old saw," Ten Man says, taking a sip of tea from his cup. "Hot," he says, after a moment. "That's always the thing with girls, isn't it?"
"Hm?" Do girls do that more than guys? You didn't notice that in your studies of what guys like... but then it might not have come up, since that's a different thing. What if there was a guy who liked you but never hit on you because he was scared?! Well, probably that guy wasn't your true love, since he's sitting across from you.
"I mean making the first move, that tends to be the guy's job."
"Oh, right!" You say, nodding. It does, doesn't it? Is this his subtle way of signalling he wants to be the one to make the first move? Probably. "Say no more!"
His brow furrows, but before he can resolve whatever his confusion is, his phone buzzes, and he pulls it out of his sculpted skintight suit. "Yeah, hon," he says, with a tilt of his head into the phone. "I don't know why Katsuki told you that," he says, with a long-suffering sigh. "She's just a dumb kid. Don't make it a big drama thing." "Who gives a shit." "It doesn't matter to my career." He holds the bridge of his nose. "Look, she's right across from me. Do you want to talk to her?"
You perk up. Could this be his wife, the woman whose permission you should acquire before permanently becoming his live in mistress and concubine? Probably, by context clues. You're not that dumb.
"Nnngh," he groans out, rolling his eyes. "I'd better be able to end my patrol today, no matter what you say to the kid." "Promise?" "Triple promise or crows eat your eyes?" He hands the phone over to you, and you take it. "Wife," he says.
"This is Ganko, correct?" The voice on the other end of the line is clipped, serious. You fall back into professional mode on instinct.
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am."
"What are your intentions towards my husband?"
"I want to be his concubine. I promise, I won't come between you two!"
"Is that so?"
"Yes, ma'am," you say, hurriedly. There's a long moment's hesitation.
"A relationship with a student he's currently mentoring would be bad for my husband's career. I hope you understand that."
"Okay, ma'am! I'd never do anything to hurt Ten Man!" There's a little chuckle from the other end of the line. "What's the matter?"
"Do you know his name? Or mine, for that matter?"
"No, ma'am!"
"Very well. Put my husband back on the line."
You hand the phone back over, your heart pounding in your chest like a jackhammer. Holy crap that was scary! That lady has a natural terror aura, you swear!
"See? I told you." "Oh, come on." "I'm going to have to work with her for a while, you know what Katsuki said. Plus, it's cute." "Look, we can talk about this when I get home, I'm not doing it over the phone." "I'm not. I'm not. I'm going to hang up unless you give up." "Thank you." "Love you." "Bye." He hangs up, rolling his shoulders and standing. "Back to patrolling," he says, and you hop to your feet and march alongside him.
Patrols are really, incredibly boring. You don't see any criminals at all! Yawnfest! Ten Man mostly asks you about Mai and yourself. He's closed off about himself. Shyness? Anyway, when you get back to the dorms, your heart's aflutter with joy. You spent much of the day with Ten Man! Amazing! You're so lucky!
Mai's moping in bed again. "Bad day?" You ask. She mumbles and nods. "Is it related to the guy you like?"
"...yeah," she admits, quietly. Nailed it. You can read Mai so well.
"Do you want to talk about it?" You ask, politely. This is the kind of things boyfriends ask, right? It's so hard to pretend to be the boyfriend, Mai owes you big time for this!
"...no," she decides on. You grimace but let it go. Whatever! She's just moping. You are in a good mood, because you spent all day with Ten Man.
In fact. Happiness is infectious. Maybe you should talk to her about it!
You consider telling her about what happened today with Ten Man. You even got to talk to his wife, showing just how much he already trusts you! She sure is scary, though... Suddenly, a thought occurs to you, and you decide to speak before it leaves your head. "Mai, do you know anybody with experience in lezzo relationships?"
Mai jerks upright, her eyes on yours. "Wh-what? What?" She sputters out. "What do you mean?"
"You know. Girls' love."
"Wh-why? What have you heard?" She asks, afraid for some reason. Is she worried you think she's a lezzo? You know she's straight as an arrow! She's been pining after a guy for years, after all!
"Don't worry!" You reassure. "Nobody's spread any rumors about you or anything! It's super obvious you're not a lezzo, so don't be afraid that the guy you like will think that!" Her eye twitches in a strange way. "Anyway," you continue. "I talked to Ten Man, and he let me talk to his wife!"
"He's married?" Mai asks. She sounds hopeful, which is weird. Why would she hope for that? Well, you suppose married guys are more reliable.
"Yep! She's a little scary, but don't worry - I told her I wanted to be his concubine, and that I wouldn't come between their love, so it's all good!" You smile broadly. Mai collapses back onto the bed with a loud thump. "Anyway! I want to get along with her, and I heard that men like that kind of thing, so I was thinking, I could be her lover too. That'd make the relationship even smoother, right?"
Mai mumbles something noisily. You can't make it out.
"Anyway," you say. "Do you know anybody who could give me advice?"
"You're in a relationship with me right now!" Mai half-yells, rising back from bed.
"That's just pretend!" You say. She falls on the bed again. "I mean a real relationship!"
Mai grouses and mumbles to herself, before saying something. "Talk to Togo-sensei, I guess," she says.
"Thanks, Mai!" You say, giving her a salute before hopping into bed behind her. She squeaks, her cheeks growing hot, as you wrap your arms around her waist. "You'll make a really good girlfriend, I bet! That guy's super lucky!"
"Y-yeah," Mai stammers out. She's so shy about that guy! You wish he preferred pure girls, since Mai's super pure, by the way she constantly blushes and stammers over nothing. All you're doing is cuddling, and it's two girls!
You wind up 'taking her out' on a 'date' for dinner. It's just a fast food place, but she blushes when you pay. It's such a waste that the guy she likes doesn't like pure girls. Not that there's anything wrong with being impure, but Mai's so incredibly pure it's painful to watch sometimes! You feel kind of bad about it, like you're breaking something precious. Oh well! It's what she wants, and she's your friend, so you'll do it for her!