Chapter 43 – Counterfeit Excuse
The morning came rather quickly, or so it seemed to Kyouichi who had a feeling like he's only had about 1 hour of good sleep. He had a bit of a hard time recalling what day it was today and what books should he put in his backpack. It was already the 5th of Fuzuki (July) and it was already looking like one of his typical days in the village. After hasty preparations and light breakfast to start the day, he left the house together with the Saitou siblings and was on his way to school. Not long after that, he was already greeting his fellow outsiders in the hallway.
"Oi, good morning, Sayuri-san, Midori-san and you too Dan-san…" he greeted three familiar faces. As soon as they greeted him back, he felt a surprising smack on the shoulder and heard yet another familiar voice: "Whazzup, man~?" The voice belonged to none other than Kyouichi's acquaintance from Eientei, Asakura Soudai. The dark-haired young man was grinning at him with an almost mischievous expression. "Almost forgotten what this place looked like, eh?"
Kyouichi let out a light snort. "Yeah… It almost seems like I haven't been here for a long time. I wonder if anything changed during those days of our absence."
"It's good to sae you both back, guys, but you all need to work hard to catch up with the lessons." Midori informed them.
"Oh, Midori… Why so serious so early in the morning?" Kyouichi tried to tease the younger girl a bit.
"We're having a test tomorrow, so of course I'm serious." Midori maintained her tone and expression.
Soudai's and Kyouichi's reactions were identical. "Eeeeh~?!"
"A test? Tomorrow?!" Soudai repeated. "You can't be serious!"
"Ask Keine-sensei then." shrugged the short-haired girl, pretending to be indifferent.
"Geez… I guess she's not kidding." he commented as he beckoned at her.
This news didn't seem to have unsettled Kyouichi, though. "So what? I've only been absent for a week. I can catch up with that. Keine-sensei couldn't have given you too much to study in that time…" he speculated reasonably.
"Speak for yourself, Ishimaru!" Soudai exclaimed at him with a worried look. "YOU have been absent for a week. I have been absent for over two weeks! There's no way in hell I'll be ready for tomorrow's test!"
"Oh for crying out loud, people!" Kyouichi also raised his voice, addressing the words to every other outsider within earshot. "Why do you even make a fuss over some stupid test? We will all be back in Tokyo in three months anyway. What does it matter if you'll pass with flying colors or fail epically? It makes no difference. The only reason we still gather here is to coordinate our return journey. Nothing more; nothing less."
Midori clapped her hands in a mock applause with an unamused expression. "Bravo…" she saluted with a strong hint of irony in her voice. "Now I dare you to repeat those very words in front of Keine-sensei."
Kyouichi remained unfazed by her remark. In fact, he chuckled to it. "My conviction is stronger than a hakutaku headbutt…"
That comment managed to break Midori's serious mood and caused her to giggle heartily. "I've missed that humor of yours during the last week…"
"Hey, I'm glad to see you again too."
Midori smiled weakly. It was almost a bit sad smile that wasn't compatible with her usual energetic personality. "You're going to need that strong conviction and a bit of humor too, for I'm afraid things aren't going as well as we had planned…"
Kyouichi's smile gradually faded to a frown. "You're talking about our club, aren't you?"
A single nod from Midori was the answer.
"Oh, boy…" sighed the young man as he prepared himself mentally for some bad news. That's when Midori smirked again. "Don't worry. It's nothing tragic, just… a bit… inconvenient." she chose the word carefully. "I can tell you later. Now, let's get to the classroom already."
They made it all just in time before the teacher's arrival. The silver-haired half-youkai woman casually greeted the class, and without any further ado, she asked the class representative to collect homework from the students.
Kyouichi threw a puzzled glance at Soudai, then at Midori. "Well, of course I don't have it." he whispered to her.
"Then it's not me you should be talking to." she brushed him off rather bluntly.
"Um… excuse me, Keine-sensei." Soudai was the first to raise his hand. "I apologize for not having my homework as I was hospitalized in Eientei."
"Yes, me too…" Kyouichi also raised his hand.
Keine didn't look surprised or relieved to see two of her absent students back in the classroom. She just nonchalantly glanced over her list of students and scribbled something into it. "Ah, yes. Asakura-san and Ishimaru-san… Welcome back. You know that I never let any undone homework without some sort of punishment, don't you?"
"I think you didn't hear me well, sensei." Soudai spoke louder, as if a little angered. "I just said that we were recovering from some serious injuries in the House of Eternity. We were under a curfew… sort of. And we weren't visited by anyone that we know from school, so naturally we couldn't have even known about any homework."
"That's all true." admitted Keine with a nod. "Then may I see your excuses?"
"Uhh… Beg your pardon?" Soudai smiled dumbly.
"A written document signed by the doctor as a proof that you were in Eientei this whole time." the teacher elaborated.
Soudai opened his mouth, but no words came out. Of course neither he, nor Kyouichi had anything of that sort, since they basically ran away.
"This is a bummer." he whispered to his younger comrade.
However, young Ishimaru didn't give up on their defense. "Are you trying to tell us that we're lying?" he forwarded the question at the teacher.
"I would not dare make such an accusation, but such are the rules in this school." the teacher explained calmly. "Any absence of a student should be noted and excused by either a doctor or your caretaker, if the reason for absence was other than illness or injury. If I let you slip without an excuse, it would be very unfair to all of those students who had to present an excuse in the past."
"I… But… You must have been informed about our situation by someone. Even my classmates here know that we were both hospitalized there…" Kyouichi retorted, but he had a feeling that he was losing this argument.
"Yes, I was, but rules are rules. Now, do you have that excuse or not?"
"Duhh…" uttered the young outsider with a hopeless expression. He was desperately trying to brainstorm for any alternative that could serve as a proof that he and his friend have spent the recent days in Eientei. As he turned his face to Soudai he got a sudden idea.
"Hey, dude, do you still have that bill that says how much we owed for Eientei's services? That should be a good enough proof, since it was signed and it also has a date written on it."
Soudai's face immediately brightened up with hope, but faded to a frown in the very next instant. "No. We don't have that. Eirin never… uh… had the chance to give it to us."
"Damn…" Kyouichi whispered a curse.
"It's highly unlikely that Eirin-sensei wouldn't give you any document on the day of your discharge. Or have you possibly discarded your excuse by mistake?" she gave both students a suspicious look as she asked her question.
The outsiders exchanged their glances before they turned to their teacher again.
"Sorry, sensei, we don't have any…" Soudai was about to admit the truth together with his friend, but Kyouichi interrupted him.
"We don't have them here with us. Could we… uhh… bring them to you later?"
Soudai's surprised face was simply priceless. "Say what? Just what are you up to again, Ishimaru…?" he whispered quietly so only Kyouichi heard him.
"You've got time until noon." Keine was willing to give them a chance. "You'll find me in my office. Otherwise, I'll just give you some extra assignments, as I already said."
"We'll be there with our excuses." Kyouichi promised with a firm and convincing tone.
"Uhh… yeah, what he said." Soudai seconded, although with significantly less convincing voice. He still had no idea what plan his friend had and his uncertainty was apparent.
"Now, putting that little problem aside," Keine again spoke up, this time to all the students, "it's high time we started this lesson. Books, page 74. We're going to talk about religion and deities as the gods also reside in our little wonderland."
As the teacher began the lecture, Kyouichi was paying little to no attention. He was contemplating about what Midori said to him earlier. There was apparently some kind of problem going on in the Transfer Students' Club. So much could be expected, but it still wasn't pleasant to hear bad news right after recovering from an injury. Kyouichi had certainly thought that people would feel at least a bit of concern and compassion for him, but the reality differed from his expectations. Nobody seemed to care that much to see him or Soudai back in the village. When he gave it some thought, though, it was actually quite natural. Everyone had enough of their own problems to worry about.
He didn't even realize when the lesson ended. He was just shaken awake from his thoughts when the students began standing up and strolling about around the school corridors, as they always did during break. As he glanced into his notebook, he saw nothing but empty blue lines on a field of pure white paper. He didn't even take any notes today. But that didn't concern him at the moment. He turned back over to look at Midori, who was just switching her textbooks.
"So…" he tentatively spoke up to her, "What did I miss while I was gone?"
"Yeah, I'd like to know that too…" Soudai immediately pulled his chair towards them as he heard Kyouichi's question.
"We've had lessons about a youkai race called satori; we've had something to read about a place called the Nameless Hill and on our history lesson we learned about an event known as the Youkai Expansion Project…" Midori began naming the content of last week's lessons.
"I was more curious about the happenings in our club, Midori-san…" said Kyouichi. "Besides, I have already MET a real satori and I've read about the Youkai Expansion Project in the chronicle… So all that I have to catch up with is to learn something about that Silent Hill place…"
"Nameless Hill." Midori corrected him with a smirk. "It's supposedly somewhere south of this village and that big bamboo forest."
"Whatever." Kyouichi wasn't curious about geography lessons right now. "What was that bad news you wanted to tell me earlier?"
"Ah, that… Well, you see, when you were at our club's meeting the last time, we've had 18 active members, including you…"
"And?"
"Now this number is down to 13."
"Whoa!" Soudai exclaimed. "So five have died?"
Midori gave him a sidelong glance. "No, Asakura-san. They have left our club of their own free will."
"What made them change their minds?" wondered the club's president.
"Well," Midori's lips bent in a crooked smirk, "word has it that they have… found someone and have decided to stay here for good."
"Found someone?" Kyouichi repeated cluelessly.
"Yes, someone they've fallen in love with. At least such are the rumors. Love can make people act so irrationally…"
"Exactly what I've been trying to avoid this whole time." commented Kyouichi.
"Oh yeah?" Soudai seemed to have a different opinion. "Tell that to someone who'll believe you."
Kyouichi let out a weak chuckle. "It's true that I've met some girls that I've grown to like a lot, but… No. I have to stay neutral. Falling in love and staying here would probably be a decision I'd later be regretting for the rest of my life."
"I wish those five people who left us would think like you…" Midori sighed with contempt.
"Well, it's their choice and I accept it. I'm not going to try and convince them to change their decision."
"The saddest thing about it is that their relationships might not work out well and by the time they realize their mistake, we won't be here anymore." the club's vice-president commented.
"In any case, everyone already knows that Reimu can take people back to the outside world, so they can always attempt to return home individually."
"True." Midori admitted. "However, that's not all of the club's problems."
"Oh, great…" Kyouichi snorted. "What else?"
"The sudden decrease in the members' numbers has resulted in the decline of morale. In other words, the remaining members are starting to question the purpose of this club. Arguments have become more frequent and little progress is being made regarding our plan."
"I told you that we're not going to look for Yukari anymore." Kyouichi reminded her.
"I'm not talking about that old youkai. I meant our fund."
"What about our fund?" Soudai asked before Kyouichi.
"You, Asakura-san, are a part of the problem regarding our fund." Midori informed him.
"What did I do?" he asked defensively.
"You were absent two weeks, so all the members expect you to pay your due contribution. The same goes for you, Kyouichi, however you are only one week late…"
"Sure, I can pay up right tomorrow." he nodded agreeingly, since he had enough money saved up from his part-time job. "I don't know about Soudai, though…"
"Well… I still owe Ishimaru quite a bit, but I'll do my best to pay in the near future." promised the oldest of the three.
"Also…" Midori continued, "You all know Yuujin-san quite well, right?"
"Oh, that prick…" Soudai spoke without reserve. "I hope he's one of those five who left the club. But then again, who would be interested in him?"
"I'll have to disappoint you, Asakura-san."
"Just call me Soudai. Sheesh…"
"Well, then… Soudai…" Midori changed the way she addressed him. "As you know Yuujin too, he's having serious doubts as to where this club is coming to. He especially spoke about you, Kyouichi, that you are not a competent person for the status of the club's president. Of course I defended you and told him what I think about him…"
"I… uh… appreciate that, Midori." Kyouichi bowed thankfully, looking a bit surprised that she actually spoke in his favor during his absence.
"Don't mention it." the vice-president waved her hand. "I just hate it when people trash talk about someone who's not even there to defend himself. Besides, it was YOU he voted for."
"Well, I guess it's about time I took reins of our club under a tighter grip then." Kyouichi was thinking aloud.
"We don't want any dictatorship or tyranny, though." Soudai added jokingly.
"Right now, it seems our biggest concern is our financial situation." Midori knew exactly which way the wind blows.
"Why?" Kyouichi couldn't understand. "If all the members have been paying regularly, we shouldn't have any financial problems."
"That's what I thought too, but it seems that due to the recent forest fires, the prices of certain goods and commodities have gone up."
"That still shouldn't pose any problem. We have all calculated our fund to be sufficient to afford us everything we need and even leave us with some emergency reserve."
"Well, I guess you know what you're talking about." shrugged the short-haired girl. "But in any case, we'd have a much better idea about our financial standing if we knew exactly how big our expenses will be."
"Hmm… So we'll need to elaborate an accurate list of items that we'll be buying."
"I thought you already had that planned up in detail, prez…" remarked Soudai.
"No, Soudai, no I didn't." Kyouichi opposed him. "And even if I had, the situation has changed and now there's just 13 members, so our shopping list should also change accordingly."
"The chief secretary has a different opinion about the matter, though." Midori pointed out. "Nagahashi-san stated that we should still purchase the same amount of supplies as we would have if there were 18 people traveling… A certain reserve in case of emergency, he said."
"Still, I believe we will all be able to fulfill our goals and make our return journey as we have all agreed upon, on the first of Kannazuki." declared the president with firm belief in the club's success. "I'll try to work something out at home and we can devote the time of our tomorrow's meeting to elaborate our list of necessary supplies."
"As you say, Kyouichi." said Midori with an agreeing nod. "I hope that things will turn out for the better in the end… Oh! Which reminds me… Nagahashi-san had a very… interesting idea in case our financial situation worsened."
"Really? Like what? Rob a bank?" jested Kyouichi.
"Close." Midori smiled wryly. "Well, in essence, it's exactly like a robbery anyway… He spoke about taking a long-term loan, like a mortgage or that sort of thing, but we'd never pay back, since we'd already be back in the outside world."
"Ha!" Soudai expressed his approval with a wide grin. "That guy's a genius! Why didn't we think of this from the start and are working our assess off just so we could scrape together a handful of yen for our supplies?"
"For a whole list of reasons." explained the energetic tomboy. "The most obvious one is probably the fact that none of us outsiders have any permanent residence. The village council wouldn't be willing to offer any loan to someone who can simply decide to move from one household to another if they got the idea of never paying back. However, if at least one of us had some kind of immovable, that would be a different story…"
Just as Midori finished her sentence, Kyouichi was reminded of the old abandoned hunter's lodge standing alongside the western road just several hundred meters away from the farms and the Temple of Myouren. He heard that the village council wanted to raze it, since there were no people interested in buying it. Nobody could blame them, since it was in desolate condition, but that seemed like a perfect opportunity for the young outsider. Its price would probably not be very steep, and if he somehow arranged to make it his permanent residence, he could afford to ask the village hall for additional loans. All he had to show them would be a document about a regular income. In other words, he needed a full-time job. The idea seemed so good that his heart began to beat faster, just by thinking about it. An easy way to ensure the club's financial strength… That's what he thought about the old, falling-apart building on the outskirts of the Human Village. He was seriously contemplating about buying it.
"Thank you very much, Midori!" he bowed deeply to the surprised girl. "And Nagahashi-san too… I just got a splendid idea."
"Eh? What?" the vice-president was puzzled by Kyouichi's sudden change in behavior.
"Oh, Ishimaru and his ideas…" Soudai commented as he beckoned at him. "Speaking of which… I wonder what sort of idea you had in mind when you lied to Keine-sensei about our excuses from Eientei."
"Oh, that's right." Kyouichi returned back to reality. He took his backpack and searched its content, drawing out a piece of paper. "You still have Kaguya-sama's autograph, right?"
"Why yeah. And?"
"We're going to forge an excuse using that signature." he explained plainly.
Midori disapprovingly shook her head. "If you put the same amount of effort into studying that you put into cheating, you'd be a number one student…"
"Who cares about that?" Kyouichi laughed her off. "I'm just improvising, that's all…"
"You want me to devaluate my precious autograph from Kaguya-himesama?!" Soudai asked in disbelief. "No way!"
Kyouichi feigned indifference. "Oh well, suit yourself. It will be just you who's going to have to answer to the were-hakutaku for not having an excuse."
"But using the princess's signature…?" Soudai protested. "That's preposterous!"
"Why?" asked the younger outsider as he already began dipping his writing brush into a flask of ink, ready to make a fake document. "Kaguya is the head of Eientei after all. Her word is even greater than Eirin's, so I don't see a problem."
"That's not what I meant!" exclaimed his older friend. "This is my ultra-rare, one-of-a-kind, legendary autograph from princess Kaguya! I'll never meet her again and never get the chance to ask for another autograph if I defile this one. I… I can't bring myself to destroy a signature of such an extraordinary being…"
"You'll still have Cirno-chan's autograph…" Kyouichi said with utmost indifference in his voice.
"How can you even compare some fairy to a beautiful legendary lunar princess?!" Soudai burst out his question at him.
"Shhh~." he was hushed by Kyouichi who was already writing tiny kanji characters onto the piece of paper with Kaguya's autograph. "I need to concentrate, Soudai. It's got to look official…"
"Oh, I can't watch!" he moaned and looked away, as if the mere sight of the autograph's devaluation caused him pain. "It's not gonna work, Ishimaru, I'm telling you… Keine-sensei would never fall for some amateurish forgery like that. She must have already seen thousands of excuses from Eientei, whereas you haven't seen even one! And yet you think you can fool her with an improvised fake?"
"Well… yeah." affirmed the younger man bluntly as he painted the words as beautifully as he could. He had some skill from his part-time in Starlight Glyph, so the text that he was writing right now really invoked a sort of official-looking impression. It took him quite a few minutes to formulate the text of the "document". He paused many times to rethink his phrasing and expressions, so that the words would look believable. He tried to recall and copy the way in which the Moon princess spoke. It wasn't typically spoken modern-day Japanese. Her expressions and even syntax of her sentences was rather archaic, but still understandable. In such fashion, Kyouichi endeavored to write himself a fake excuse that would look just as if it was written by Kaguya-sama herself. Even Soudai shut up when he saw the finalized version of the forgery and was now silently staring at the piece of paper, intermittently switching his look from the text to its author and back.
"Ishimaru… You're starting to scare me. Perhaps even Keine-sensei won't see anything suspicious about it."
"That's what I'm hoping for…" said Kyouichi. "Kaguya-sama was working as a temporary nurse, so why not?"
As Soudai stared at the finished document, he suddenly changed his opinion. "Say… how about you made one for me as well?"
Kyouichi gave him a crooked smile. "For you, a special deal… 2500 yen."
Of course, his friend wasn't very agreeable. "Are you kidding me?! I already owe you over 10000! And I'm still without a job… Have mercy! Please…?"
"I wonder what made you change your mind all of a sudden." he remarked teasingly.
Soudai looked at him with a hopeless face. "Oh, come on! Don't be a smart-ass bastard, Ishimaru. I'm already in enough trouble as it is. I don't need any extra problems with Keine-sensei."
"So… Are you willing to sacrifice your precious autograph from Kaguya?"
Soudai clenched his fist as he had to resolve his inner dilemma. "Aaaaargh~! Damn it!" he shouted as he lightly smacked the desk. "Why does everything have to come with a price?"
"So is that a yes?" Kyouichi impatiently drummed his fingers over his desk, waiting for Soudai to hand over his autograph from the Moon princess.
"Damn this…" Soudai quietly cursed again as he was reluctantly reaching for the piece of paper with Kaguya's signature. One last stare, as if to say farewell to it, and he finally passed it to his friend.
His face looked determined, although a bit twisted with despair. "Get it over with… And quickly if possible, for I'm afraid my heart won't be able to take it…"
Kyouichi didn't wait too long before he took the paper out of his hands and began making a second forgery. "Do you really like Kaguya so much?" he asked while he was writing.
"This isn't just a matter of liking her." Soudai tried to explain his feeling. "I have never even imagined that I would have ended up in this place and meeting the people that I have met…"
"Yeah, you're not the only one." Kyouichi referred to not just himself, but every single outsider who made it to Gensokyo in its history.
Soudai continued. "And when we figured out that the nurse in Eientei was actually the Kaguya-hime from that old folktale, I just couldn't believe it… Then you asked her for an autograph and I thought to myself: "What a great idea!"."
"What are you guys talking about anyway?" Midori felt hopelessly lost in their conversation and none of the two gentlemen bothered to explain it to her.
"So now... when I thought I'd have some unique memento from my unbelievable experience…" Soudai went on, ignoring Midori's question, "I now sacrifice it just because I'm lazy to do some extra homework… I feel… somewhat… disappointed."
"Keep your chin up, Soudai." Kyouichi tried to console his friend. "It's not like your "memento" as you called it, is completely destroyed."
"I guess not…"
"And besides, we've got three whole moths ahead of us! We're sure to meet many interesting people here before we leave for good… The Tanabata festival is nigh. You said you're going too, right?"
"That I am." confirmed the older of the two young men.
"Me too!" Midori again tried to get their attention. She too had planned to visit the shrine on the 7th of Fuzuki. There were rumors that during the summer festival, almost two thirds of the village's populace went to the Hakurei Shrine to celebrate. Kyouichi could honestly not imagine so many people gathered there, but since it was more or less an old custom, it was most likely not a problem for the shrine yard to contain so many visitors. Midori had even bought herself a yukata for this special occasion. Only three days remained until the big event and many people around the village talked of nothing else recently.
"Oh, so you're going too, Midori-san?" Soudai looked at the club's vice-president.
"Of course I am." she pouted as she rested her hands on her hips. "What did you think? That you're the only two exclusive guests of the shrine?"
"No, of course not, Midori-san. We're both glad that you're coming with us, right Kyouichi?"
Kyouichi was just about to finish making a copy of the fake document. "Sure… I had even planned to visit you and Tanisake-san today and ask you if you were planning to celebrate the festival or not."
"Really?" she looked at him with a bit of doubt. "Aren't you just saying that to comfort me?"
"No." smiled the young long-haired man when he wrote the last word of Soudai's excuse. "It's the truth. I need to have a word with both you and the old man…"
"Well, I'm already here, so what you wanted to talk about?" wondered the curious girl.
"Every conversation is more pleasant over a cup of tea. Besides, the recess is almost over, so we don't have much time left to talk right now, Midori… Here you go, Soudai." he passed the excuse to his older friend. "I tried my best."
"Thanks man!" Soudai rejoiced as he received back his altered autograph card from Kaguya.
"Fine." shrugged the vice-president. "I'll tell Naota-san that you'll be coming for a visit today."
"Thank you, Midori." Kyouichi gave a thankful nod to her.
"No problem…" she mustered a light smile and returned to her desk.
"Say…" Soudai suddenly spoke up again. "It just occurred to me… Keine-sensei is most likely Mokou-san's friend, isn't she?"
"So?"
"And Mokou-san isn't on the best terms with Kaguya-hime…" continued the older outsider with slight concern in his voice.
Kyouichi raised his eyebrow at him. "And your point is…?"
"Well, I don't mean to sound like a paranoid pessimist, but what will Keine-sensei think when she sees this? She might despise Kaguya just as much as Mokou-san."
"Do I look like I give a damn about that?" asked the younger man dismissively.
"But…"
"Of course I can't predict what Keine-sensei's reaction will be. All I can do is hope that she'll believe it to be authentic… Fortunately, these papers are large enough to write in some text above the princess's signature. The fact that Keine-sensei hates Kaguya or not should not be a factor at all… I hope…"
"Well…" Soudai took a deep breath. "We'll see in a minute."
And just as he said that, Keine-sensei appeared in the classroom for the second time today to begin another lesson. Kyouichi had given Soudai a silent signal and they both stood up from their seats and stepped up to the teacher's desk with their forged excuses in their hands.
The were-hakutaku eyed them both with a curious expression. "What's this? I thought you said you didn't have your excuses with you…"
"We didn't, but we fetched them during the recess." Kyouichi quickly made up a lie.
"Did you?" she glanced at him with untrusting eyes. "You certainly got yourselves a move on… Please, go ahead. Show them to me."
Both outsiders exchanged their looks, and with their fingers crossed, they presented their forgeries to their teacher.
"Hmm…" hummed the half-youkai woman as she observed the documents lying in front of her. Both implied an unprecedented emergency situation and staff shortage in Eientei, due to which even Kaguya volunteered to apply whatever minimal knowledge and skills regarding medicine and treatment she had in order to help. That was what Keine had deduced from the formal and brief text and the title "temporary nurse" under Kaguya's signature. She nodded understandingly and again scribbled something into her class register. It seemed that she believed the documents to be genuine.
"Hmph…" she scoffed as she gave the papers a second glance. "That's so like her… To smear a huge signature all over an official document just to show everyone who's boss… Here, you can have these back... if you need to show them to your part-time employers." she said as she returned the papers. Soudai almost failed to hold back tears of joy as he was allowed to keep the princess's signature even when it was devaluated by Kyouichi's scribblings.
"Very well…" spoke the teacher again. "You are excused for not having your homework and to make things fair, you'll be writing the scheduled test on 11th of Fuzuki, which is next Monday. Now, unless you have anything else to tell me, you may return to your desks."
"No, that's all. Thank you very much, Keine-sensei." both outsiders bowed appreciatively.
A great burden just fell from their hearts as they now both had some time to catch up with their classmates on all the lessons that they've missed. With content smiles they took their seats, ignoring the cold gaze of Midori who didn't approve of their actions at all. What kept her quiet, however, was the fact that she knew that both of them were staying in Eientei for some time, but didn't have anything to prove it with.
The lessons went on like during any other day. This time even Kyouichi was taking notes properly. Even though he didn't consider studying Gensokyo and its various youkai to have any practical value for him, he at least changed his viewpoint and now saw it as a sort of pastime. Not for a moment was he willing to accept the idea that he would stay in Gensokyo permanently like some of his club members have decided to. He was more or less already envisioning himself back home, surrounded by the noises of the big city, reuniting with his family and all the people he cared for and returning to the lifestyle of a world which he was born into.
"I'm just on a three-month tour in a land of fantasy…" is what he always kept telling himself whenever he was in doubt of his future.
Now that the classes were over, the large group of outsiders referred to as "transfer students" was slowly dispersing, leaving only the regular students to stay for additional lessons. Soudai and Kyouichi were just packing their things up when Midori approached them.
"I just got an idea… How about you both stopped by for a visit today?"
Her invitation came as an unexpected surprise to Soudai. "What is this all of a sudden, Midori-san?"
"I just thought you two would be interested to copy my notes from the last week's lessons."
"What? Am I dreaming? Do my ears deceive me?" asked Soudai in jest. "Iwakami Midori, the prudent hard-working student is letting US copy her notes just like that? There has to be some kind of catch…"
"There's no catch. Just doing what a friend should be doing…" she said with a soft smile.
"That's… very commendable of you." replied Soudai, unable to change his surprised face.
"I'd also like to take this opportunity to fill you both in on the situation in our club in greater detail." Midori explained another intention behind her invitation. "In exchange, you guys could tell me what in the world happened to you for you to end up in Eientei."
"Then make a lot of tea and be prepared for long stories, because we have loads to tell you about our recent experiences…" Soudai gave a warning.
"I look forward to it then…" said Midori once she packed up her books. "See you in the afternoon."