(How's it going folks? I'm back with another chapter for you fans out there.)
It was one night at the girl's dorm inside the bathhouse. The place was practically empty save for Negi who was relaxing in the pool under the shade of the island palm trees, "So glad I decided to bathe early before anyone gets here. Figures Dustin would choose to bathe with the girls. I just sometimes can't understand him."
He then looked at the ring on his finger given to him by Evangeline that would act as a substitute for his staff when he's in close combat and not on the sides or at a long distance, 'With this I can use my magic and kung fu easier than before. Well I'll need all the help I can get with my magic.' He thought until he felt something swim up into his chest. He looked down seeing student number six Akira Okochi looking up at him.
The two stared at each other awkwardly before Akira shot up in embarrassment, while Negi shrieked in shock while waving his arms, "Akira, I'm so sorry I didn't know anyone else was in here…" He blushed as he stared at Akira.
Akira was confused until she looked down at herself seeing she was stark naked and the steam from the bath wasn't enough to cover much of her modesty. She blushed and smiled, followed by giving her teacher a playful noogie, "You naughty little boy!"
"I didn't see anything, I swear!" Negi shook his head while covering his eyes.
"I'm just teasing you, Negi-kun." Akira giggled as she sat down in the pool under the palm leaves like Negi.
The boy seeing she was in the water now relaxed and sat back down beside her, "So how long have you been here?" Negi asked.
"I just got here actually." She admitted.
"Oh?"
"I come here early to get a good practice swim, you know?"
"Don't you already get practice during your club activity?"
"Yeah, but I like doing it in privacy. Gives me a chance to think, plus the water in the baths are warmer and easier to swim around in. So what about you?" Akira asked.
"I've been here for twenty minutes now, I figured I'd get my bath in before the girls get down here." Negi explained.
"I can understand why." Akira joked.
"Dustin, however doesn't seem to have a problem with it." Negi added.
"Well he is more wildly than you are Negi-kun, no offense."
"None taken."
"I don't understand it though, both you and Dustin have already seen over half of the class here in the buff, and you still get flustered over it."
"Well I am still ten, and an English gentleman and all."
"Of course." She sighed.
"So Akira, might I ask you something?"
"Hmm?"
"What got you into becoming obsessed with swimming?"
Akira smiled, "Well, when I was a kid I saw a pack of dolphins swimming on TV. I was so entranced by it; I could only imagine the feeling of gliding through the water like they could. And the first time I swam for myself, I was so happy."
"Akira." Negi gasped seeing his student in a brighter light.
Soon the two were out of the bath and wrapped in towels preparing to pack it in, until they heard a crowd of talking coming from the exit. Negi looked scared, "Oh great, they're already here!"
The doors opened and the rest of the girls came walking in either wrapped in towels, or walking in the buff with Dustin up front, "Man, I love this place."
Akira suddenly noticed Negi was no longer next to her, and spotted him trying to sneak away behind some of the plants. Dustin seeing this spoke, "Yo, Negi! What're you doing hiding over there?"
Negi's eyes widened seeing his cover was blown. The girls seeing him started cheering that he would be joining them, "Actually, I just finished up, so I should be going." Negi said wanting to get away, until Asuna squinted her eyes.
"Hold on, you don't look like you've washed properly. Not your hair or your body." she crossed her arms.
"Of course I did!" Negi replied, "You don't think I haven't learned from previous experiences not to take care of my own hygiene?"
"Don't worry Negi-kun, if you need extra washing I can help you." Makie offered.
"And I can do Dustin-kun!" Yuna added.
"Save some of him for me." Haruna put in.
"That's hardly necessary," Negi waved his arms in protest, "Dustin, back me up here."
"Well, while I'd enjoy it, the idea of them piling on me might end up making me pass out from nosebleed overload." Dustin admitted.
"I'm afraid you two can't weasel out of this one." Haruna grinned.
"And why not?" Negi asked.
"Because we got these babies." Yuna said as she, Makie, and Haruna were holding a coupon each.
"What're those?" Negi asked fearing the worse.
Dustin squinted at the writing on the coupons reading, "From top to bottom: Negi/Dustin-kun Full Wash Coupon. One wash per coupon?"
"Who orchestrated this? Kazumi?" Negi looked at the reporter who shrugged her shoulders.
"Sorry, wished I thought of it sooner."
"Then who?" Dustin asked until the boys saw Konoka throw a bunch of them in the air.
"Come and get 'em!" she called as several girls rushed to grab a coupon to use.
"Konoka!" Negi cried in outrage.
"Hold on, I didn't agree to this!" Dustin added in equal outrage.
"Get 'em!" Haruna called as several of the girls dog piled the boys bringing them over to one of the Jacuzzi tubs and started scrubbing them like mad despite the boys attempts to wiggle free.
Akira only watched the two in awkwardness, while Nodoka and Yue sweat dropped at the duos misfortune. Through Negi's squirming the ring ended up slipping off his finger and flew off bouncing into a nearby wash pan.
Soon enough the girls were finished as the boys laid on the bathhouse floor looking all shiny after such a hard and long scrub.
Fumika poked Dustin-sensei, "Hey are you ok?"
Negi and Dustin sat up looking dazed as Dustin spoke, "I feel like I've been run over with a floor buffer."
"That was traumatizing." Negi trembled before getting up.
"Are you ok, Negi-kun?" Akira asked coming over.
"Oh yes, I'm alright." Negi chuckled as he lifted his arm up but looked at hid finger seeing something was missing. It was his magic ring from Evangeline.
"OH, NO!" Negi cried as he was frantically searching around the bath for his ring while Dustin and Akira watched in confusion.
The very next day during class Negi and Dustin were doing their typical lessons. Akira watched smiling at Negi, but still wasn't so sure why he was so frantic last night in the bath after his giant scrub.
Negi then noticed Evangeline glanced at him and he looked frantic thinking she suspected something and turned away continuing reading a passage. Akira noticed this and was once again concerned for her prof.
After class Negi and Dustin were walking through the halls, "You lost the ring Evangeline gave you?" Dustin asked.
"Yes, it must've slipped off my finger while the girls were washing me." Negi said in despair.
"Well, what're you going to do, if she finds out you lost it, she's gonna kill you."
"I know." Negi said not needing to hear the consequences out loud.
"Boya!"
Negi and Dustin spun seeing Evangeline and Chachamaru, "Oh Evangeline, Chachamaru, good afternoon." Negi greeted as Chachamaru bowed her head.
"Sorry to be nosey, but I notice you're not wearing the ring I gave you. Did something happen?" Eva asked.
Negi had to think fast, "What? No, nothing happened. I just felt no need to wear it since we're in class and all. Oh look at time, I better be going. See you later!" he bolted for it leaving them.
"He was sure in a hurry." Eva crossed her arms.
"Must be tea he drinks." Dustin covered for his pal.
Outside the school Negi walked all gloomily around campus not sure what he'll do about his missing ring. He walked right past the Mahora outdoor swimming pool, as several of the swimmers noticed him.
"Isn't that him?" one asked.
"Yes, one of the boy teachers!" another said as she took a picture with her cell phone.
Another looked over at Akira, "Hey Akira, isn't that your homeroom teacher, the English one?"
"Negi-sensei?" Akira asked as she looked over and noticed he looked worse off than before during class and last night, "Wonder what's wrong?"
Negi was then sitting by the statue outside school looking down, "If I don't find that ring, I can never face Evangeline ever again." He sighed until something was pressed against his cheek, "WHOA! COLD!" he jumped but looked up seeing Akira offering him a soda, "Oh Akira, it's you." He sighed in relief.
The girl smiled, "Wanna go for walk?" she offered.
Soon the two were walking around Mahora, each taking drinks of their soda, as Negi explained his situation, "So you see I lost an important ring Evangeline gave me in the bathhouse last night."
"A ring huh?" Akira asked, "Could this ring represent some special romantic relationship you have with Evangeline?' she asked.
Negi ended up spitting his soda out at her question, "NO! NO! It's not like that!" he calmed down, "This ring was something important to her, and if she finds out that I lost it… She'll kill me." He trembled as the image of an enraged Evangeline haunted his thoughts.
Akira was at first a little creeped wondering why it was so serious, but shook it off and patted the boys head, "Well don't you worry about a thing Negi-kun."
"Huh?"
"I'll help ya look for it." Akira offered.
"Really?" Negi gasped in joy.
"When it comes to searching around aquatic environment, I'm your gal." she smiled.
"Arigato." Negi smiled as Dustin and Zyphon arrived.
"Hey Negi, we're gonna help you look for your ring." Dustin said.
"Yes, we should be able to find it with my scanner." Zyphon said.
"That's great, and Akira will be helping as well." Negi said.
"Well what're we waiting for, let's go!" Dustin called.
So they hurried to the girl's dormitory bathhouse. When they arrived, Negi, Akira, and Dustin changed into swimwear and started searching all around the bathhouse.
"See anything?" Negi asked.
"Nothing over here," Dustin answered, "What's your scanner got Zyphon?"
"I'm afraid I'm not picking up any trace of the rings material." He sheepishly admitted.
"Well keep scanning, it's not like it got up and walked out of here." Dustin said.
"Why don't we check the pools, if we're lucky it hasn't been pulled into the filter," Akira said while Dustin motioned his hand across his throat at her claim. She noticed Negi was taking her thought too hard and was panicking, "No, no, I'm sure it didn't. It'll be fine." She calmed him down.
So the three were looking around in the pools and jacuzzi tubs constantly but ended up surfacing every chance they needed air. As Akira and Negi were looking around the one pool she surfaced and noted Negi looking red from the heat in the jacuzzi and pool.
"Oh, arigato Akira." Negi panted as Akira was fanning him down.
Soon it was nighttime and they still had no luck, "We've been at this for hours and we found nothing." Dustin sighed.
"That's it then, I'm doomed." Negi trembled.
"Don't give up hope," Akira began, "We'll just pick up tomorrow where we left off."
Zyphon's eyes blinked, "Wait a minute, I'm picking up the ring's material signature."
"Where's it coming from Zyphon?" Dustin asked.
"Right… behind us?" he asked himself as they looked seeing the other girls enter the bathhouse prepared to take their baths.
"Dustin-kun, Negi-kun, Akira, what're you three doing here and in swimsuits?" Yuna asked.
Zyphon whispered to them, "The ring is somewhere on Yuna's person."
Akira asked, "Say Yuna, you didn't happen to find a ring here in the bath last night did you?"
"A ring?" Yuna pondered and suddenly pulled out from her wash pan Negi's ring, "You must mean this, it somehow got into my wash pan last night."
"That's it!" Negi cried in joy.
Akira sighed in relief and turned to Dustin and Zyphon, "Mission accomplished."
"Oh thank goodness." Negi said reaching to take his ring back only for Yuna to move her arm away from Negi.
"It's yours Negi-kun?" the B-ball girl asked.
"Yes, and I'd like to have it back." Negi said as he tried to take it again, but every time he tried to go for it Yuna kept moving her arm all around making it impossible for Negi to take it.
"Yuna!" Negi whined as Yuna looked mischievous.
"Keep away!" Yuna called throwing the ring to Haruna.
Negi and Akira were in shock at what this was turning into, "Give me that!" Negi ran to Haruna to try and take it only for her to pass it to the cheerleaders who were tossing it around in a circle while Negi kept trying to take it from one of them with little to no effort.
"Master Dustin, shouldn't we help him?" Zyphon asked.
"Don't worry, I got a feeling everything will work out fine without us needing to join in." Dustin said glancing over at Akira whose fists were clenched and trembling.
Finally Sakurako tossed the ring to Kasuga who used her spirit energy enabling her to run fast. Negi frowned and channeled his magic to his feet attempting to catch up to her, but added more spirit energy to her feet and ran away from him.
The nun girls laughed hysterically at pranking Negi until Akira took off like a shot and grabbed Kasuga's arm and put a hand on the girls head. The nun in training looked at Akira who looked like she was in some kind of berserker mode.
Akira spoke to Kasuga in an enraged voice, "Now, are you going to give Negi-kun his ring back?"
"Y-Y-yes." Kasuga nodded in fright and ended up getting thrown into the pool for playing a trick on Negi.
Mana, Ku, Chao, and Kaede were surprised never seeing such a side to Akira. The swimmer girl wasn't even done yet as she grabbed Yuna and Haruna throwing them into the pool along with the cheerleaders for having been part of the prank as well. The other girls sweat dropped, but applauded on Akira's performance.
Dustin smiled, "What'd I tell ya, nothing to worry about."
"Of course." Zyphon replied.
"Akira, that was amazing." Negi applauded.
Akira hearing that snapped out of her berserk mode and looked sheepish, "Uh sorry, I don't normally lose myself like that," she laughed sheepishly before holding out the ring they were looking for, "Here you go Negi-kun."
"Arigato Akira!" Negi said taking his ring back.
After the commotion everyone was returning to their rooms while Negi walked Akira to her room, "Thanks for all you've done for me today Akira."
"It was my pleasure, have a goodnight Negi-kun." She replied.
"And you too." Negi said.
Before Akira went inside she looked back, "Say Negi-kun?"
"Hmm?"
"If you want, would you like to join me for a swim before the girls use the baths at night?" she offered.
Negi smiled, "I'd love that Akira." She then approached him and bent down to his level making him surprised.
"And Negi-kun, thanks for being such a great teacher." She leaned forward pecking his cheek making the boy blush.
She stood up and giggled before going back to her room. Negi felt the spot on his cheek where Akira kissed him and smiled before he walked back heading for Kaede's room.
When he got inside he pulled out his class roster and looked at Akira's name and image. Inspired he started writing, "There." He finished writing 'Very Kind' and 'Super Strong' around the image of the girl.
(And that's the chapter based off the actual manga chapter, only with dialogue this time. Don't miss next time where the boys and girls are whisked away to a paradise.)