Chapter 5: New Teacher in Town!
Kumuro sat neatly, showing off his manners. The students set their eyes on a new teacher (in training) near Nikaido. Some were having their hearts thumping quickly, admiring her pretty face. Others were whispering about her. The teacher stared back, smiling at them. Keima sat in his desk, wearing his gaming headgear and playing his PFP. Nikaido sighed, feeling impatient.
"Introduce yourself! We don't have much time!"
The Teacher nodded her head.
"My name is Jun Nagase."
The students applauded for her, making Nagese smile.
"The person I admire is Jumbo Tsurama!"
The students blinked at her. They whispered amongst each other, sharing concern together. Nikaido faced away from the students, tapping the board with her stick.
"Okay, I'll be doing the lessons for the first hour. You, stay at the back."
Nagese nodded as she strolled through the desks. Her eyes widened, noticing Keima with his PFP. When she reached the back, she turned around. Her eyes widened, noticing the students ignoring him and staring at Nikaido. She sighed, giving him a concerned look.
Nagese sat amongst a group of teachers, watching them chatter amongst each other. Her legs were crossed. Her arms rested on her lap. She waited for Nikaido to arrive. She saw Nikaido walking towards her, carrying a cup of coffee.
"You look worried. Did something frighten you?"
Nagase sighed.
"How come you let that boy play his video games?"
Nikaido blinked at her. She then chuckled.
"You're referring to Katsuragi, right?"
Nagese blinked back.
"Katsuragi-kun?"
Nikaido nodded her head.
"One thing you should know: don't mind him,"
Nagese opened her eyes widely.
"Why would you do that?"
Another teacher snorted at her.
"Well what can we do? He won't let go of things."
He snapped his pencil sitting inside his hand, thinking about the days that angered him.
"No matter what you do, he'll always find ways to play his games!"
Kodama stood up, staring at Nagese.
"If you're thinking that his grades will decrease that way, you're damn wrong!"
He clenched his fists, thinking about punching Keima in the face.
"I once asked him "What are you gonna do, ace all the tests?" Sadly, he did just that, and a lot more!"
He stormed away from the lounge, exiting the room. Nikaido crushed her pen into fragments.
"He even told me my classes were boring! I don't know what to do with that child!"
Nagese stared at the ceiling. Hmm... These aren't typical problem children...
Nagese strolled through the halls, travelling to her classroom. Jumbo Tsurama, please help me achieve my goals! As she strolled, through the door, her eyes opened widely. Keima sat at his desk, isolating himself from other children standing up in groups. His eyes were focused on his PFP. She took a deep breath, summoning all her courage, and strolled towards Keima. She slightly leaned forward, smiling at him.
"Playing games is fine, but..."
Keima lifted his head up, noticing Nagese standing near her.
"Wouldn't you rather play with your friends more?"
Keima pulled his earphone out of his left ear.
"Friends?"
His eyes glimmered, forcing Nagese's eyes to widen. She gasped, feeling scared. She turned away and left the classroom. Keima blinked at her escaping from him. Kumuro strolled towards him and placed his hand on Keima.
"Hey there, Keima buddy!"
Keima and Kumuro exited the school grounds, strolling through the streets. Keima stared at his PFP while thinking about Nagese. This teacher... Why is she afraid of me? Kumuro held his tickets tightly, smiling with joy. The thought of seeing Kanon again excited him. Keima turned his head, facing Kumuro.
"Do you know who the teacher is?"
Kumuro stopped moving.
"Which one? I thought you know all."
"The one who was sitting behind me the whole time."
Kumuro blinked at him. He laughed loudly, shrugging off the confusion.
"I can't believe you didn't pay attention!"
Keima frowned at him.
"Just tell me her name!"
Kumuro wiped the tears off his eyes.
"Okay okay... She's the teacher in training called Jun Nagese."
Keima placed his hand on his lips.
"Jun..."
"Man, you need to stop playing games in classrooms! You're becoming less perceptive around your surroundings!"
Keima turned his head, giving attention to his PFP. Suddenly, a mail icon appeared. His eyes widened. He moved the cursor around, opening his virtual mailbox. He scrolled through the message, reading the words. Hey there Capturing god! This is Shouch25! I loved your review about that awesome game, "Please help my friend!" There's also a game that I want you to try out: "Love Tears – First Edition". You can get that on Saturday at about 1pm. Keima gazed upon the virtual clock. Thursday, 3:42pm. Keima gritted his teeth.
"I can't wait for that long!"
Kumuro stared at the PFP screen.
"I heard that Love Tears got a 7."
Keima sat on the bench with Kumuro, exposing their bodies to Friday's mid-noon shine. Kumuro stared at his watch, waiting impatiently. Where's Amika? She promised me to help me with my banner for tomorrow. Amika strolled towards Kumuro, holding her hands on her back. Kumuro lifted his head and smiled at her.
"About time!"
He lifted himself off the bench, walking towards her.
"Let's go make that banner! Tommorow's gonna be awesome!"
Kumuro and Amika paced together at another direction, leaving Keima behind. Keima stared at the screen, watching an angry teacher frowning at him. He placed the PFP on the bench next to him, pulling out a notebook from his bag. He wrote "Labours of Love – This game is fruitless, and so deserves a 6" on a free line. He placed the notebook inside his bag and grabbed his PFP. He lifted himself off the bench, walking away from it.
"Where are you going to, Katsuragi-kun?"
His body froze, feeling his spine chill from the familiar voice.
"Classes aren't over yet!"
He slowly turned around, noticing Nagese's face. What... What th-? Nagese sighed, giving him a concerned look. He's about to skip classes... He must think that... School is really boring. She smiled at him and held out two wrapped pieces of bread.
"By the way, Katsuragi-kun, don't you want to have lunch with your teacher?"
His eyes widened, being caught by surprise. Wait... First reality gets a boy who wanted to be friends with me. Then he wanted me to help over-bearing girls from my class? Now he sent a teacher who seemed to care about me a lot? What has this world come to? He slowly turned away from her, muttering a few words.
"N...No... I'm fine..."
Nagese approached closer to him. I'm not gonna let this boy miss out his chance on having his life changed forever! I must do this for the sake of this boy!
"Are you sure? I just happened to bought two of em also!"
Keima sighed. Reality, screw you and your mind games! I'm gonna avoid this situation, and you're not gonna stop me this time!
"Well... It seemed that I caught a cold... So I'm gonna go home now..."
Nagese stood in front of him, placing her hands on his head.
"Cold?"
Keima blushed, feeling a lot more surprised. What... What have you done reality? Is this some kind of a joke, making that teacher motherly? She grabbed his shirt and dragged him towards a nearby bench.
"Well... You don't have a fever, so hang in there a bit longer!"
As she placed him onto a bench, she placed the bread in front of him. Keima stared at it, wondering if he should take it or not. He gently grabbed it off her, staring at it. She sat next to him, opening the packet and eating her bread. He faced away from her, feeling embarrassed. If you're planning to force me to talk to her, I won't fall for your simple tricks! You can't stop me reality! Nagese faced Keima and sighed. I thought he wouldn't talk to me right now. I'll just do the talking first... She pulled out her phone and slipped it in front of Keima's face. He opened his eyes, staring at a picture of a wrestler.
"This is Jumbo Tsurama, the strongest wrestler in history! If he's still alive, he would still beat the current world champions."
Keima firmly held her phone, studying the wrestlers face. A teacher who loves wrestling? Especially at this age? Seems like reality has a weird choice in picking someone to "punish" me. Nagese lifted her head up, smiling at the clear blue sky.
"Synthetic combat sports may pursue the power of reality... But what makes wrestling very inspiring is its pursuit of the idea of strength. It's so cool!"
Keima cocked his eyebrows.
"Ideals, eh?"
Nagese turned her head, smiling at him. Keima widened his eyes as he threw the phone on her hands. He stood up, trying to walk away from her.
"Katsuragi-kun."
Keima froze, feeling the huge chill on his back again.
"Talk to me anytime. I really want to help you."
What... What help? Keima stormed away, escaping from her.
Keima joyously skipped through the streets, feeling excited. Kumuro followed behind, holding his hands inside his pocket and feeling content. Keima's smile filled the street with people staring at him.
"Finally! I get to have my hands on that game!"
Keima stopped and turned around. His eyes widened, staring at the sign saying "Be back at 1pm". He knelt to the ground, crying.
"Why! Why did it have to be?"
Kumuro stood near him. He sighed.
"You're just gonna hide in there for one hour before you get your hands on it?"
Keima nodded his head. Kumuro walked away from him, leaving him behind. Feeling angry, Keima jumped off the ground, waving his fists at him.
"Hey! Where d'ya think you're going now?"
Kumuro stopped moving and sighed again.
"You forgot about it didn't you?"
Keima blinked at him.
"Forgot what?"
"Kanon's concert."
An image of Kanon appeared in Keima's mind, forcing him to blush. He retreated near the door, hiding his face from anyone.
"Um.… You go on ahead without me then. I'll be fine."
Kumuro continued walking through the streets. Keima sighed as he sat on the steps. After forgetting about her for a few days, she's still inside my mind. Why did she have to kiss me? He pulled out his PFP, hoping it could distract him from Kanon.
"Katsuragi-kun!"
The familiar voice formed chills on Keima's spine. He slowly lifted his head up, finding Nagese standing in front of him. She smiled at him whilst holding her purse. Poor kid. I didn't realise he would come here alone to buy some games. She leaned closer, forcing Keima to back himself against the door.
"Isn't it boring to sit there all day?"
Keima broke a sweat from his forehead. His hands trembled. She pulled her hand out, showing him no harm.
"How about you come with me. I can buy you something at a coffee shop nearby."
Keima sat at a table, holding his PFP in front of him. I don't get it. Why would any teacher do something like this? The customers around him chattered casually, passing time with their friends. Has reality lost his mind, making something very illogical and unrealistic? Keima picked up a mug full of hot chocolate while holding his PFP. He took a sip before placing it back down. Maybe reality wants to be funny by trying to contradict this event with his own world. Nagese placed her hands together, staring at Keima's glowing eyes. It's the same as yesterday. Maybe I can do something about it again.
Nagese smiled at him whilst pulling out her phone.
"I got another thing to show you!"
Keima's body stood still like a lifeless statue. His thumbs and fingers ignored her calls. If she only wanted my attention, there's no stopping me. I can do this all day! Nagese sighed. What should I do? I can't yank his PFP off him. Maybe… Just Maybe…
"I guess it's normal for kids to give attention to their toys. They're supposed to entertain them for a reasonable amount of years."
Keima cocked his eyebrows. What is she talking about? Screw it, I'm gonna ignore her right now. Nagese smiled again, feeling some reaction from Keima.
"But sometimes, there are other things in life that you need to attend to."
She placed her phone back inside her purse. She moved the purse onto her lap.
"Having friends is one thing you should give attention to. Perhaps… You could start looking for friends to share your interests in…"
Keima sighed. Why can't she shut up now? And what's this friend's thing she's talking about? She wants me to pay more attention to Kumuro?
"The friends I have are really annoying. I don't need any more to deal with."
Nagese blinked at her. She then chuckled at him.
"Do you mean those inside your games?"
Keima gritted his teeth. What kind of a teach assumes only that? Did she even listen to what I said? Suddenly, he widened his eyes, staring at the virtual clock. Saturday, 12:59pm. He lifted himself on the chair and ran out.
"Wait!"
Nagese hopped of her seat and moved out. She clutched her purse tightly. She emerged out of the café, only to find Keima disappeared. She placed her hands hands on her lips. I didn't mean to offend him. Nagese sighed. I'll help another time, when the time is right.
Kumuro strolled through the streets with Amika, chatting happily to each other. They held a huge banner on their hands. Kumuro placed a smile on his face, having Kanon's songs resonate inside his mind.
"Wow! It's almost as good as the first concert I've been to!"
Amika sighed.
"How come you didn't tell me that she's in our school?"
Kumuro turned his head facing her.
"You mean you didn't know?"
Amika shook his head.
"At my old school, no one had even told me any news about Kanon-chan."
Amika shrugged.
"Well, at least I should thank you for the tickets."
Kumuro scratched his head.
"Well… The tickets were actually designed for me and Keima buddy."
Amika blinked at him.
"Wh… Why? How was it also for that Otamegane?"
Kumuro hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Uh, well… Let's just say that… Kanon and Keima have been friends…"
Amika widened her eyes. Shrugging off the shocking twist, she laughed out loud.
"Nice try in fooling me. You'd probably say then that 'I have saved the tickets for me and Keima because we're buddies', but he refused, coz he preferred playing his games!"
Kumuro blinked at her. Amika widened her eyes again.
"Are you serious? How the hell is it logically possible that a lifeless Otaku gets to be friends with Japan's favourite idol?"
Kumuro shrugged.
"The important thing is that I get the tickets to see… Kanon…"
He tilted his head above and smiled. Amika blinked at him.
"Then… besides his allegiance to his games… Why did he refuse?"
Kumuro shrugged again.
"He didn't tell me his reasons. It's seemed as if he's too embarrassed to say."
Amika and Kumuro stopped moving, staring at Keima crying. He slammed his fists on the ground like a bad-tempered child.
"Damn that teacher! Why did it have to be sold out?"
Amika blinked at him. She released her hands from the banner and walked away from Kumuro.
"I'll see you later, Kumuro-sama."
Kumuro looked around, noticing a few people staring at Keima's tantrums.
Kumuro stood near Keima's room, hearing Keima crying inside. Mari stood near Keima, staring at the door.
"I thought he had grown up from that sort of tantrum…"
Kumuro turned around.
"When did he have those?"
Mari sighed.
"He had it around 8, and his last tantrum was at 16."
Kumuro scratched his head. Now that is sad… Kumuro turned around, facing the door.
"If it makes you feel any better, I can buy that game on Ebay."
Keima stopped crying momentarily.
"That'll take weeks for delivery! I can't wait that long!"
Keima continued crying. Kumuro whispered to himself.
"I guess big babies have reputations to uphold on internet sites…"
Kumuro sighed as he opened the door. He strolled through aisles of games, finding Keima crying on his gaming seat.
"So anyway, how come you didn't want to go to Kanon's concert? Aren't you still friends."
Keima stopped crying, having flashbacks of him with Kanon. Every single time… Keima sighed as he turned around.
"I'm… I'm still friends."
Keima blushed. Kumuro widened his eyes.
"You… Do you…"
Keima gritted his teeth, reading Kumuro's mind.
"No! It's not that!"
Kumuro moved closer to Keima.
"Dude, you're blushing. What other things you have to say for yourself?"
Keima clutched his hands.
"Listen, "Buddy"…"
His voice possessed the sheer anger of the dark gods.
"I do not have feelings towards 3D girls!"
Kumruo slowly nodded his head.
"If you want to talk about this another time, I'll be there."
Kumuro walked away from Keima. His head fume with rage.
"Stop getting the wrong impression!"
Keima stood away from other boys, playing his PFP with his sports uniform. Today, I'm gonna ignore that teacher. I don't care what you do reality. You made me miss out on that game! Nagese moved towards Keima, pushing the soccer ball forward. Awwh… Katsuragi-kun hasn't got anyone to play with?
"Katsuragi-kun!"
Keima gritted his teeth. Why won't she leave me alone! Nagese gently kicked the ball towards him.
"I'll be your opponent!"
The ball hugged against Keima's legs. Keima sighed. Fine. If you wanna play with me reality, you're playing by MY RULES! Keima kicked the ball up high, pushing it away from him and Nagese. The ball bounced onto Nikaido's head, grabbing Keima's attention. She picked the ball up, giving him a sinister smile. His eyes widened, witnessing Nikaido marching towards him. Oh… Shit… She kicked the ball, shooting it towards Keima's guts. He fell onto the ground, gasping for air. She charged towards him and kicked him repetitively.
"Shoot! Shoot!"
Nagese covered her mouth, feeling scared. What had become of my dear friend, bullying other students? She pulled Keima away from Nikaido, placing him behind her. She stretched her arms out, frowning at Nikaido.
"Why are you hurting this poor student?"
Nikaido blinked at her.
"You're not really aware of what he did to me, aren't you?"
Keima blinked at Nagese. Why do I have a motherly figure with me? Her eyes were focused upon Nikaido's face.
"I can't really believe that you're setting a poor example to this school! You should not use violence on my students anymore!"
Nikaido sighed.
"He's also my student you know…"
Keima grumbled inside the sick bay, feeling his injuring annoying him. This teacher is starting to get on my nerves… Kumuro rushed inside, holding a bouquet of roses and lilies.
"Keima buddy! Are you alright?"
Keima blinked at Kumuro.
"What's with the flowers?"
Kumuro placed the flowers next to Keima. He then hugged him tightly, making Keima gasp for air.
"Oh thank god you're alright!"
He released Keima and stepped away from him. Keima coughed and choke, regaining lost air.
"Is there anything I could do, Keima buddy?"
Keima groaned. Well at least this annoying shit is less annoying… Still…
"Maybe you could go fetch some of my games at home for me…"
Kumuro blinked at him.
"Is… Is this allowed?"
Keima nodded his head.
"I'm sure the teachers won't mind. I mean it's not like they're patrolling around."
Keima sighed.
"Plus… I only have one game to try… After that… I would be forced to play completed games…"
Kumuro stared at him. He then smiled.
"Give me the list of games that aren't completed and I'll do it!"
Keima pulled out a scrunched up note and placed it on Kumuro's hands. Kumuro turned around and whistled joyously. Keima grinned sinisterly. Once he gets into trouble and gets a detention, I'll be completely free from annoying people…
"Katsuragi-kun!"
Keima lowered his eyelids. Why did I spoke too soon when there was clearly one more thing to deal with? He turned his head, staring at Nagese. She held a PFP on her hands.
"Dya wanna fight me?"
Keima blinked at her. What is she up to this time? Is this where reality has gone too far and its experiments have gone horribly wrong? She pushed her hands forward, showing her PFP upside down.
"I'm actually a pretty big gamer!"
Keima rolled his eyes. It's upside down, idiot. She moved the PFP towards her, pushing a few buttons. She blinked at the PFP as she turned the sides around.
"Is this thing turning on?"
Keima sighed.
"The side…"
She pushed a button on the side, lighting the screen up. She turned her head facing Keima.
"Oh… My bad… Tha… Thanks for that…"
Keima gritted his teeth. Is she trying to get into my shoes? What kind of teacher does that anyway? She rapidly tapped the buttons on the PFP. Her face glowed with excitement.
"Wow! Games these days are amazing! It's so fun…"
Keima faced away from Nagese. How old is she really? 6? She lowered her PFP, looking at Keima.
"I can see why you got addicted… But there are things more important than games…"
Keima widened his eyes, striking an idea inside his head. Oh my god… Is that what it's really about?
"In the end… Games are made up… They can't replace reality… Maybe you shouldn't run away from reality, but instead just live with it."
She leaned towards him, smiling at Keima.
"I can help you with that… If you just-"
"No."
Nagese widened her eyes, feeling surprised.
"You thought I was doing… just that… all along…"
He turned around, frowning at him.
"Don't judge people by your own standards!"
She took a few steps backwards.
"But…"
Keima lowered his head, staring at the floor.
"I thought… You realised more than that…"
Nagese gasped at him.
"You're practically the-!"
Kumuro smacked him on the head, forcing him to lean forward.
"Dude! You're shouting at a teacher!"
He dragged Keima away from her, leaving the sick bay. He and Keima travelled to the top of a building. He placed Keima against the wall, frowning at him.
"Dude, what's up with you? You could get into trouble harassing the teacher that way!"
Keima sighed.
"I'm sorry… I got a bit upset..."
Kumuro blinked at Keima. Keima blinked back.
"Why did you come here anyway?"
Kumuro pulled out the note from his pocket.
"These are all the games you've completed."
The students sat at their room, chatting happily amongst each other. Keima's seat sat still, waiting for his master to arrive. Kumuro sat at his desk, listening to the conversations.
"I talked with Nagese-sensei on the phone yesterday. Pretty good right? After acting like I had something bothering me, I got it right away."
"Ya serious? That's the same thing I used to get her number."
"Wow. You too?"
"I got invited to do some jogging, after I said I had no stamina. At least I refused."
"I'm glad about that because I refused too."
"Dya think she would consult anyone?"
"Well she sure is pretty hot, that sensei… Maybe a bit too hot…"
Nagese entered the room, grabbing the student's attention.
"Good morning, good morning! Have you all been studying well?"
She turned her head towards a student.
"Mari-chan. I've watched that show last light. Was pretty good. How's your cat feeling now?"
She stared at Keima's desk, feeling bewildered.
"Has anyone seen Katsuragi-kun?"
Keima sighed, standing near Nikaido. I have no other choice. I know that annoying teacher will pester me more… So it's either her or the one that gives me hell all the time… Nikaido turned around, glaring at Keima.
"What is it you want?"
Keima's face changed, forming a concerned and saddened look.
"Sensei… I have some worries for a while now…"
He turned away from him, folding his arms around his body.
"I… I've been worried that the games I played will consume my mind… And so…"
Nikaido turned away from him, focusing on marking sheets.
"If you really wanna fool me, why don't you wear a clown suit and dance around the school grounds?"
Keima blinked at Nikaido.
"Now get out of my sight! You're contaminating this area!"
Keima scratched his head. Is she really a teacher?
"Kodama-sensei!"
Keima turned around, noticing Nagese standing near Kodama.
"You're being harsh to the students! Wouldn't that cause problems in their lives later on?"
Kodama laughed loudly.
"You always take things seriously! As if they're stupid enough to take these kinds of things seriously!"
"It's a teacher's job to make a good example to the students!"
Kodoma continued laughing.
"You may talk well! But you can't deliver with those crappy ideas!"
Nagese frowned at her.
"Why don't you go to lower schools and teach those kids your ideals? We teachers are supposed to show these kids here some reality!"
Nagese gritted her teeth. She turned away from Kodama, storming away from him. Nikaido turned her head, noticing Keima staring at Nagese.
Keima laid his head on the table, resting it near stacks of marked test sheets. He gasped for air, feeling tired.
"I'm… I'm done…"
Nikaido placed another stack of test sheets besides Keima.
"You're quite fast! You can do the C-Class as well."
Keima lifted his head up and frowned at her.
"Why do I have to do all of these tests? I didn't even ask for that!"
"You came here for the confiscated games, right? Do you have any other reason for that?"
Keima gritted his teeth.
"That's practically not it… Besides…"
Keima pulled out his PFP
"I got tons more anyway."
Nikaido smiled, licking her lips. She snatched his PFP from him.
"Yoink!"
Keima widened his eyes.
"Hey! That was my last PFP! Now I have to wait another week for another one!"
Nikaido chucked sinisterly.
"All the more reason to work for me now…"
The students stared at Nagese, making a nervous male student shudder in fear. Kumuro sighed, feeling sorry for what happened.
"I-it's okay. You don't have to…"
"Aren't you mortified that Kodama-sensei insulted you? Let's make him take back his words!"
"Look… I don't really care about it, so…"
Nagese glared at him.
"You should at least complain a little!"
The students approached her from behind, trying to calm her down.
"Nagese-sensei. He's being serious about it so… please stop."
"We don't want to make a huge problem out of something small…"
She turned around, shouting at students.
"Are you really okay with this? You want to be downgraded by others for the rest of your life?"
The students scratched their head.
"It's not that… It's just that…"
"This is the reality… It can't be helped…"
She gritted her teeth in rage. She pointed at the students, shouting with conviction.
"Are you all idiots? You think this is reality?"
The students widened their eyes, terrified of the monster. Nagese shook violently, feeling terrible. She walked away, leaving the class.
"So.. Sorry about it…"
Kumuro sighed again whilst listening to other people's conversation.
"Kodama may be a crappy teacher… But this teacher turned out much worse…"
"She's still in training, so she still has time to face reality before becoming a student."
"How does she expect us to keep up with her?"
"Let's call her 'Naga'-sensei from now on!"
Kumuro sat on the bench whilst playing his PFP. While I wait for Keima, I can get a chance to finish Big Little World today! It took me ages to get to the final level. Nagese sighed, walking through the school ground. Why do people have to walk away from me like this? I only want to help them achieve their best… But they keep pushing away from me… She lifted her head up, staring at Kumuro. Oh no! He's doing the same thing as Katsuragi-kun. I better stop him, and fast! She dashed towards him, grabbing his attention. He looked up, noticing Nagese snatching his PFP.
"What… What are you doing?"
Kumuro's voice trembled, like a whimpering dog. Nagese glared at him.
"I'm trying to save you!"
Kumuro blinked.
"From… From what?"
"Have you seen what Katsuragi-kun has been doing? Do you want to be like him? All alone? Trapped inside his own world?"
Kumuro shrugged from her.
"Wh… Why are you talking about my buddy like this?"
Nagase cocked her eyebrow.
"Buddy?"
Kumuro cried, moving his hands out towards his PFP.
"I swear I've been good these whole lessons! I've never played during classes! Please give me back my PFP. They were expensive you know!"
Nagese's eyes widened. Amika strolled towards him, smiling at Kumuro. Noticing his sad look, she turned her head to Nagese. Her eyes widened, detecting Kumuro's distress signals. She rushed towards him, trying to save Kumuro.
"Nagese-sensei! What are you doing?"
Nagese turned around and pointed at Kumuro.
"You see this kid! He's becoming like Katsuragi-kun!"
Amika shook her head.
"You got it all wrong! There's no way my Kumuro-sama's been acting like that Otamegane! He has been attending every class, he's been working hard, and he had helped students with help! Please give him back what that thing you're holding!"
Nagese gritted her teeth. She sighed as she placed Kumuro's PFP back onto his hands. She ran away from her students, drawing tears from her eyes. Amika watched Kumuro hugging his PFP.
"My PFP! I'll never let you out of my hands again!"
Amika sighed.
"Okay, maybe I was wrong to help Kumuro-sama…"
Keima fell on the floor, exhausted from a school day's job. Nikaido folded her arms, tapping her feet repeatedly. Keima slowly turned his head facing Nikaido.
"Am I… Am I done yet?"
She pulled a box full of games from her desk and dropped it on the ground. Keima peered inside the box, searching for his PFP. He formed a frown on his face.
"Where's my PFP?"
Nikaido smiled sinisterly.
"I did promise you to return your games. I didn't say anything about that machine of yours."
Keima groaned. She is a genuine sadistic person! I hate being blackmail! Keima stood up, recovering from his brief rest.
"Oh come on! Isn't this enough for you?"
Nikaido shook her head.
"IF you want that machine of yours back, you should promise me never to play games during class again."
Keima gritted his teeth. It was a mistake to come here in the first place! He turned around, facing away from Nikaido. He folded his arms. Suddenly, his eyes widened, noticing a picture of the basketball team. His eyes were focused on a picture of Nikaido and Nagese. Nikaido's smile faded, noticing what Keima was staring at.
"You seemed surprised that she used to come to this school."
Keima nodded his head.
"I hate to admit, but usually nothing surprises me."
He stared at the words "The Last Glory of Basketball."
Keima stared at the TV, holding the controllers. He sighed, thinking about Nagese. This feeling always reappears. What will I become with that? Will I ever be my normal god self again? Kumuro repeated tapped the controllers, having his ninja decapitating Keima's samurai's head. Kumuro placed the controller down and faced Keima.
"Keima buddy, is there something wrong?"
Keima turned his head.
"What dya mean?"
"You seemed to let me defeat you so easily. It's not exactly like you to go soft on your competitor."
Keima sighed.
"It's about that teacher."
Kumuro whimpered, traumatised by the past events.
"P-P-PFP…"
Keima cocked his eyebrow.
"Are you alright?"
Kumuro's voice trembled.
"Sh-sh-she tried to take my P-P-PFP away at lunch time…"
"She would really do that?"
"I don't know what happened, man. After that outburst she had-"
Keima blinked, feeling dazzled.
"What outburst?"
Kumuro sighed, calming himself down.
"Today, when you somehow weren't there, she wanted to help a student. He refused, but she still encouraged him. Then we all told her that he doesn't need help, and so she shouted at us."
Keima nodded his head.
"I now know what's going on: the teacher trying to know me, the offer of help from her, the outburst in class, the basketball team."
Kumruo scratched his head.
"Basketball team?"
Keima nodded again.
"She used to go to this school."
Suddenly, the door slammed open. Kirino growled angrily, glaring upon Kumuro like a bull seeing red. Keima and Kumuro turned around, wondering why she's here.
"I heard from someone's mom that you cried like a baby! And you didn't try to take your 'PFP' back?"
Kumuro whimpered.
"But mummy… The teacher was involved in this…"
Kirino lifted her son up, moving her face near his.
"Is this your best excuse?"
Kumuro stuttered, feeling powerless.
"You don't understand…"
"That's it! You and your wimpy friend are coming to the wrestling match tomorrow! Then after that, you're taking wrestling lessons!"
Kumuro cried loudly, drawing tears from his eyes.
"Jesus Christ! Stop making that stupid face of yours!"
Keima blinked at Kumuro and Kirino. Well at least my mum's not like this all the time…
Keima and Kumuro strolled behind Kirino. Kumuro whimpered, folding his arms onto his cardigan. Keima looked around, searching for Nagese. I'm guessing she could be in one of these events. The only question remains: what should I do? Keima gritted his teeth, feeling stupid. Why am I thinking about helping this teacher? Keima stopped moving, noticing two unoccupied seats. Kumuro whimpered, pouting his lips at Kirino.
"Mummy… Why aren't there three seats?"
Kirino smiled sinisterly.
"You're going to sit with me actually…"
Kirino handed a ticket over to Keima.
"In order for my son to man up, he needs no distractions! And this guy is one of them!"
Keima shrugged as he walked away. Kumuro reached his arms out.
"Come back, Keima buddy!"
Kirino pulled Kumuro away, confining him to his seat. Keima strolled through the aisle, staring at the tickets. Something seems rather odd with this ticket… But it looks genuine anyway… He found an unoccupied seat as he sat down. He stared at the ring, waiting for wrestlers to come inside.
"Section A8 No. 52… Um… I think you're in my seat."
A familiar voice called out. Keima turned around, finding Nagese behind him. She widened her eyes, being taken by surprised.
"Ka-Katsuragi-kun?"
Keima turned his head back, examining the ticket carefully.
"What a coincidence. I have the same seat."
Nagese walked towards him.
"Can I see that please?"
Keima pulled his ticket out.
"This is given to me by my friend's mum."
Nagese stared at the tickets, studying them carefully. These tickets are exactly the same… How could this be double-booked? They're such good seats… She lifted her head up and smiled at him.
"I'm gonna let you have it, Katsuragi-kun."
She walked away from him. Keima reached his hand out, grabbing her hand. He pulled her onto his lap. Wait. Why did I do this just then? Am I out of my mind? She widened her eyes, having her cheeks reddened.
"You know there won't be any room… I'll let you share seats with me."
Nagese turned around.
"Half… But… If someone sees this…"
The crowd roared loudly, cheering for the wrestlers on stage. Nagese and Keima stared at the wrestlers fighting each other. Both traded each other with blows. One of them pushed his opponent to the ground, bracing for his special move. As the game progresses, an announcer steps into the ring, holding his microphone out.
"And now… The moment you've been wwwaaaaiting for… The maaaaiiinnn event…"
Two huge wrestlers stepped into the ring, holding their arms out wide.
"The Katanaa vs the Chooki!"
The crowd roared, yelling out for their favourite wrestler. Nagese blushed, feeling uncomfortable. She turned her head around, finding Keima staring at her. She turned around, feeling embarrassed. Keima's cheeks slightly reddened.
"I never knew… that pro wrestling can get as exciting as some of the games I've played…"
Nagese turned her head back.
"Yeah… Pro wrestling isn't just about the ring… The ref… and the audience… They all help the game…"
Nagese leaned her head a bit closer.
"If everyone gets together…"
Keima glowed his eyes, feeling somewhat moved. She placed her hands on his head, frowning at him.
"Why don't you get it?"
Keima widened his eyes, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. She shook him rapidly, feeling unfulfilled.
"I'm so worried about you! Why haven't you responded to my efforts?"
Keima screamed, feeling dizzy. She turned his body around and hugged his head.
"I even bought that game for you! It was so expensive!"
She released him, letting him breathe.
"I…I can't do this alone… We have to do this all together…"
Keima sighed, feeling sorry.
"So that's why the basketball team fell apart…"
Nagese widened her eyes, feeling flabbergasted.
"You were the captain of the basketball team when it got suspended. Your generation ended it I assumed."
Nagese stood up from Keima's lap, frowning at him.
"How did you know about this? Where did you hear this from?"
Keima sighed.
"As I said, I only assumed of what happened. I can see history repeating itself, watching people getting crushed by your ideals…"
A tear dripped form Nagese's eyes.
"I only wanted to do this for the sake of others…"
"Are you sure? Or is this for your own needs?"
Nagese wiped a tear off her face.
"What dya mean! You don't even know about me!"
"Excuse me sir."
Nagese lifted her head, noticing a security guard standing behind Keima. Keima turned around, blinking at him.
"Dya mind if I see your ticket please?"
Keima held his ticket out.
"Umm… Sure?"
The guard snatched the ticket from Keima and studied it carefully. He glared at some of the odd imprints on the ticket.
"I'm afraid you have to come with me."
Keima blinked at him.
"Is there anything wrong?"
The guard glared at him.
"Don't try sweet talking, Mr. Counterfeit!"
The security guard grasped Keima arms. He screamed out, pleading his innocence to the security guard. Nagese covered her face, watching the guard dragging Keima out of his seat.
"I'm so sorry, Keima buddy!"
Keima walked alongside Kumuro, groaning from his crushed arm.
"I had never knew that my mum would go this far! Shame on her!"
Keima sighed.
"It's fine."
Kumuro sighed.
"Now I don't know what to do now that my mum could be in jail."
Keima turned his head.
"If you really need to, you can come over to my house."
Kumuro hugged him, squeezing his body.
"I'm glad we're buddies!"
Keima gasped for air, causing Kumuro to realise. He released Keima and scratched his head. Keima collapsed on the ground, coughing out. As Keima stood back up, they headed for their classroom.
"What! No way!"
Kumruo and Keima stopped moving, hearing the students inside moaning at them. Keima gazed through the window, finding Nagese holding a poster up.
"This is a great time to bond together! This marathon will help us get along well and work together as a team!"
"Let's not take this too serious."
"Besides, we have other things in life we need to do."
Nagese scrunched the poster up, frowning at them.
"You're all damn selfish!"
She ran away from the students, leaving the classroom. Keima sighed as he followed after her.
"Keima buddy. Where are you going?"
Kumuro followed after him.
Nagese strutted through the gym lockers, grunting about the students. Why does everyone have to be like this? Even when I wanted to help them? If only they are willing to cooperate with me… She turned around and opened the locker.
"I heard you got upset with the students."
She turned around, noticing Keima and Kumuro standing near the door.
"What are you doing here?"
Keima strolled towards Nagese.
"I could ask the same actually."
Nagese frowned at him.
"You really are a creepy kid! You're the one who made me screw up first!"
Kumuro gasped at Nagese. Keima stopped moving, gazing upon her burning eyes.
"Did I really?"
"You know… I've become an adult and studied a lot. I deserve to be the ideal teacher!"
Keima shrugged at her.
"You seemed to be the same in the past. You've never understood about me, about anyone."
He pointed at Kumuro.
"Even poor little Kumuro…"
She gritted her teeth in rage. She strolled past Keima and Kumuro, entering the gym room. Keima followed after her.
"Are you just forcing your ideals on people?"
Nagese stopped moving. Kumuro emerged out of the locker room, watching Keima's god-like eyes. Her eyes shed a few tears. She took a few steps forward.
"Then…"
Her voice caused Kumuro to shed a tear.
"Then… What should I do?"
Keima strolled towards her. Nagese tilted her head down.
"I… I can't do anything… but my best… even then…"
Keima placed his hands on her shoulder. Tears poured out of her eyes.
"What should I do?"
Keima grinned.
"It's actually easy…"
Keima turned her body around. Kumuro's eyes widened, feeling a different energy from him. He claimed to be the god of galge gaming… But… What's this feeling from him? Kumuro approached closer to Keima. How… How can he come up with something like this, without a lot of human interaction? Keima nodded his head.
"Just reinforce your beliefs. Then soon, no one will dare defy your motives."
Nagese stared at his eyes.
"You should always stand by your beliefs no matter the odds."
"That's… that's impossible…"
"Trust me… Then will begin to question your motives yes… But…"
Keima smile brightened.
"If you believe in yourself no matter how lonely you get, or how long you have to suffer, you can achieve your goals like Jumbo Tsurama!"
Keima pulled her hands away from her.
"You are a teacher after all…"
Keima strolled away from her.
"Come Kumuro, we better get back."
Kumuro nodded at him. Maybe he is a god after all… Kumuro followed after him. Suddenly, Keima and Kumuro stopped. They saw the students coming inside the gym.
"There she is!"
"We've been looking everywhere for you!"
"Why are Otamegane and his follower here?"
"Does it matter? We're here to say sorry!"
The students stared at Nagese, making her feel a bit relieved.
"We're sorry about this!"
"It's our fault we made you angry."
"Sensei, let's go back to class!"
Nagese blinked at her students. She then smiled, shrugging off the confusion.
Author's note: Sadly for me, I have nothing much to say about this chapter, except for this: I hope you enjoy this and the series!