Chapter 54 - Down Time XV
...
In the morning, I complete my usual workout by pressing a button on my phone, turning off my music, the volume having been cranked way up as usual.
"Geez, I still can't get over how strong you are, Sensei!" Arona praises from a nearby screen. "Pretty much everyone else in Kivotos would keel over doing that much exercise."
"Yeah well..." I start, wiping my brow with a towel. "I'm used to it, I suppose." I say, smiling, before my phone dings with a text.
"A text? Who's it from?" My AI pal inquires.
"Aru." I say, blinking. "Haven't heard from her in a while." I think out loud, before reading the text.
Sensei, did you hear?
There's a movie showing that people already say is a legendary masterpiece.
If you have time, why don't we go see it together?
A movie, huh?
Though, I suppose I COULD stand to tease her a bit.
Oho? You asking me out, Aru?
Wh-What are you talking about, Sensei?!
S-Stop kidding around!
Fine, fine. I'll meet you at the movie theater later.
I find myself chuckling at her reactions.
"So? What did she say?" Arona asks.
"She asked if I wanted to see a movie with her." I answer, pocketing my phone.
"Oh! Is it gonna be a date?" Arona asks.
"If she wants it to be." I answer, chuckling. "But before that, I'mma hop in the shower."
After hopping out of the shower, I got another two texts. One from Chinatsu. What a pleasant surprise.
The other is from Utaha, likely about our job.
Hello, Sensei. This is Chinatsu.
Do you have some free time? I have a favor to ask of you.
I've got plans for this afternoon, but nothing this morning.
What can I help ya with?
It's not that big of a deal. It's for work, Sensei, just a lot of paperwork.
But it's a bit too much for me... I just could really use an extra hand.
Consider me there already.
Okay.
...Huh?
Right now?
Might as well get it done, right? I'll be there soon.
As for the text from Utaha...
Sensei, our project is done.
Damn, you girls are fast!
I'll admit, it was a bit of a challenge, but you gave us more than enough funds for the project.
I think I'll swing by tomorrow morning and pick it up.
That's fine. Though we're done, we should run a few tests to make sure everything is in order.
We'll be waiting for you tomorrow, Sensei.
Phew, that's a weight off of my shoulders. Regardless of that, it's time to run over to Gehenna.
Quickly, I made it to the Prefect Team's HQ, where I promptly found Chinatsu, busy at a desk covered with stacks upon stacks of paperwork.
"I know you said it was a lot, but damn." I say, catching her attention.
"Oh, Sensei." Chinatsu says, looking up at me. "Thanks for accepting my request. Work will be much easier thanks to you."
"Anytime." I say, smiling, causing her to blush a bit.
"And, um... I don't keep the documents here." She corrects, surprising me. "All that paperwork can be cumbersome, so I don't do it here."
"So... all of this isn't...?"
"No, it isn't. This is actually about my usual workload." She explains, causing me to somehow be even more thankful I don't work here. "Come with me, Sensei."
"Lead the way." I say.
The elven girl then lead me to a lounge, mostly tidy with only some clutter here and there. Though the place wasn't really that messy, but it's clear that someone spends a lot of time in this room.
"I'm sorry the place is such a mess." Chinatsu aplogizes.
"Nah, this ain't messy. Cluttered, yes, but not messy." I correct. "And besides, don't worry about it. Believe me when I say I have trouble keeping Schale clean."
"Ahaha... Thank you for understanding. No one in the Prefect Team is willing to help me with the busy work, so I'm pretty much the only one who ever uses this space." She explains. "When I'm on standby or working late, I come here."
"I can see why. It's kinda... homey." I compliment.
"Erm, thank you." She says, averting her gaze with a blush on her face. "The cots come in handy more than once. I'd wager Schale is the same?"
"Yup." I say, popping the p. "I've slept in some pretty weird places before coming to work here, so it's not too bad."
"Well... I guess we both work too hard." She awkwardly says.
"Sounds like it." I agree.
"Anyway, the documents are right here." She says, picking up a large stack of papers, and, with a great thud, drops them onto a table.
"Good fucking God, why do you Prefect girls have so much paperwork to do...?" I ask, deadpan and in disbelief. "How many years of paperwork even IS this?"
"Well..." Chinatsu awkwardly begins. "Work piles up fast here. I suppose Schale is a little different. The Head Prefect already approved them, so we just have to organize them."
"Geez, Hina's got it roughest of all, huh?" I ask.
"Huh?" Chinatsu blinks her honey-gold eyes in surprise. "I knew you'd met the Head Prefect, but..." She trails off.
"Yeah, we've talked a few times. You know I had to force her to go to bed the other day?"
"Really?" Chinatsu blinks again.
"Yeah, she'd stayed up for multiple days working." I explain.
"...I suppose I should be thankful I'm not that busy." The elf girl admits.
"I agree with ya there." I say. "Though we've still got our work cut out for us."
"I'm sorry. Is it too much? I had no one else to ask." Chinatsu says, embarrassed.
"Nah, it's fine. You can rely on me anytime." My words elicit yet another blush from her. " 'Sides, I'm your Sensei, I've had tons of practice with this. We'll be done in no time flat." I say, flashing a grin.
"Hm... I thought you might say that." She says, still averting her gaze from me. "I mean, I knew you'd agree to help if I asked, but... I didn't want to be presumptuous. If I'd had any other option, I-" She stops short, shaking her head a bit. "Never mind. Thank you for your help, Sensei." She says with a serene smile.
And so, immediately, we started working on organizing the papers. We managed to finish at around lunch, likely due to my practice I get with this shit most days at Schale.
With both of us sat down on a white cot, Chinatsu slumps back, sighing. "It took a lot less time than I expected, but..."
"Yeah." I agree, my hand sore. "That was a lot."
Chinatsu looks me dead in the eye. "Trust me, this is nothing."
"I do not envy you, Chinatsu." I say, seriously, surprising her. "But if ya need help with this again-"
"Then I know who to ask." She finishes for me, giggling a bit. "Regardless, I don't think I would have finished this by tonight if it wasn't for you."
"Eh, don't worry about it." I say, honestly, before something catches my eye. This room is decorated with lots of stuff, but one thing's caught my eye. "Say, what's with that poster?"
"Huh?" She asks, bewildered by the change in topic. "Wh-What about them?" She asks, blushing fiercely. "You think they're weird, don't you?"
"Not really, I was just curious." I say, eliciting a sigh from her.
"I'm glad. You had me worried for a moment there." Chinatsu says, relieved. "Like I said, the lounge has kinda morphed over time. It's more like my home away from home now. Though... it may as well BE my home at this point." She admits. "Hm... I'm on what's basically my room... with Sensei." She says, her face becoming redder and redder with each word. "Just the two of us... alone... together..."
"You okay, Chinatsu?" I ask, a bit worried.
"Uh... Uhh..." She struggles to formulate words as she looks away from me, glancing back and forth as she holds a gloved hand over her chest... which I, oddly enough, notice is rather large. "You know... Now that I think about it... Uh... This situation is... it's a bit inappropriate."
"I, uh... I guess so." I agree, suddenly feeling my face warm up.
"This is... really awkward..." She all but mutters. "Though not because of you! I just mean... Ugh! I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude. I just... I just don't know what to say. OR what to do, for that matter."
"No, I get it." I say.
The elf girl sighs, before giggling. "Goodness... I don't know what's come over me. What is this feeling...?" She asks, more to herself. "Whenever I'm with you... I'm not myself. It's so difficult to explain!"
My eyes widen at her honest words.
"And... for so many reasons. I-I'm so sorry, Sensei." She apologizes quickly.
"No, it's fine." I reassure her.
"This normally doesn't happen to me, I-" She continues.
"Chinatsu." I say, stopping her and catching her full attention. "It's fine."
"Thank you... That actually makes me feel a lot better." She says, her blush fading a bit. She stares into my eyes for a long moment, before forcibly closing hers.
"...Chinatsu?" I ask, as she goes silent.
Her honey-gold eyes snap open as her blush reappears in full force. "I'm okay. Really. It's nothing." She says, her gaze darting all around again. "I see now... Yes, of course."
"...?" I stare at her, confused, though I think I know what's up.
"Thank you for today, Sensei." She says honestly, before looking very hesitant. "And, um..." In a moment of boldness for the girl, she leans over and kisses me on the cheek. "I'll see you later!" She shouts, all but sprinting out of the room.
Geez... That was really forward of you Chinatsu...
After sitting there for a long moment, bewildered, I get up and start to go to where Aru and I agreed to meet.
I ended up at our meeting place about twenty minutes early, but Aru was already sitting there. I hesitated with my approach, hearing her speaking to herself. "Heh heh, Sensei is going to be so impressed by me showing up first to play the escort."
I proceed to sneak up on the girl. "And how long've you been here?"
"Ack?!" Aru shrieks, leaping around to face me. "Sensei! D-Don't scare me like that!"
"Sorry." I apologize.
"Geez. Showing up like that out of nowhere really scared me." She reprimands.
"Well I had to do somethin', you had this really focused look on your face." I say, causing her to wilt a bit. "Still, I turned up early, but you're already here."
"Heh." Aru chuckles, regaining her composure. "I'm the boss. What kind of example would I be setting for my employees if I were lazy? A true leader takes the initiative by setting a good example." She says, proudly.
"That's certainly admirable." I praise.
"C'mon, y-you don't have to say it like that!" She deflects, looking away from me as her face reddens a bit. "I'm the one who asked you to see this movie with me." She says, holding out a flier to the movie, which I read off out-loud.
" 'War of Loyalty 3: Mafia vs Yakuza Field Day'?" I say, questioningly. Really, 'Field Day'?
"It's the newest War of Loyalty movie. It's a series that realistically depicts the criminal world." The redheaded girl explains. "This one's plot is said to be the main character defeating the heroes from the previous movie on Field Day to become the true leader. My thought is this film is going to help us learn more about leadership."
"Not a bad idea, Aru." I praise, earning another blush from the girl. "Though the way you're talking about it, you must be a big fan of the series."
"Hmph. Not at all." She attempts to deflect. "We'll see what you have to say after you've seen it." She says, before grabbing my hand with a smile on her face. "Come on, Sensei. Let's go inside."
And so, the two of us watched the movie, it's plot full of suspense and twists. Aru said she wasn't a fan, but I could practically see stars in her eyes as she watched the movie intently. Truth be told, I got a little too invested as well. It was a damn good movie.
Late in the afternoon, the two of us walk out of the movie theater, Aru happily gushing over the movie. "Sensei! Sensei! Wasn't the movie incredible?" She asks, excitedly.
"It was certainly a lot better than I'd expected." I admit.
"The nuance in the acting was phenomenal, and the plot was perfect!" She continues to gush. "Even I was surprised by the choice the hero made at the end."
"You mean that bit with the lemon juice?" I ask, getting a nod from the horned girl.
"And my heart was pounding when the karaage exploded. I didn't know WHAT to expect!" She all but squeals. "He stayed true and persevered no matter what was thrown at him. That's what I mean. Being a leader and a true outlaw aren't all that different."
"And don't forget the teamwork. He stuck with his pals until the end." I add, a part of me realizing I had that in common with the hero. I've crawled through hell, alone, but now I ain't alone anymore. I've got pals who'll stick with me.
"Yeah." Aru agrees with a nod. "Outlaws may not play by the rules, but they would never abandon a friend or comrade they had sworn an oath to. Everyone has their own idea of what leadership takes. I think real leadership takes perseverance and conviction. That's the kind of leader I want to be." She explains, finishing with a proud, happy smile.
"Like I said before, admirable." I praise. "I believe you'll be a damn good leader with those kinds of ideals."
"Huh?!" She shouts, freezing up.
"Though, I'd say you're already a great leader, Aru." I add.
"Seriously, Sensei..." She says, her face now burning a bright crimson. "How do you say these things with a straight face?"
"I prefer to be truthful, is all." I say, with a shrug.
"Well, I don't know if I agree with you just yet... but... it's strange." Aru says, wistful. "Just hearing you say that makes me feel like I can be." She lets out a soft chuckle as her smile comes back. "I still have a long way to go, but I can make that dream come true." She pauses to look up at me, a bright smile on her face. "And I'll do it with your help, Sensei!"
I say nothing, only smiling and nodding in agreement.
Aru and I talked for a while before we parted ways. While on my way back home, I got a text from Midori.
Do you have a moment, Sensei?
Sure, what's up?
It's just...
I have something I need to talk to you about.
Oh?
Yeah! Come by the club room if you can. I'll be waiting!
Oh well, home can wait. To Millennium it is!
I arrived at the Game Development Department's club room pretty quickly. Upon entering, I found Midori's face practically glued to her sketchbook.
"Midori?" I call out, to no avail.
"Hmm... This isn't working..." She mutters to herself, erasing a bunch of stuff on the paper with the eraser end of her pencil, before furiously sketching with the other end.
"Midori." I call out again.
"Hmm... This isn't it either..." She mutters to herself again.
"Oi." I call out once more.
"Hmm... None of these would work..."
Oh, fuck it. Walking over, I plop my open palm onto the green twin's head. "Can you hear?"
"HUH?!" She shrieks, jolting away from me, throwing her pencil to the side. "Sensei?! Wh-When did you get here?!" She shouts at me, her green eyes wide.
"About a minute ago." I say, nonchalant. "You said you wanted to talk, but... it looked like you were hyper-focused on somethin'."
"Oh, right. I texted you about that." Midori says, remembering. "I'm kinda in trouble."
"Trouble?" I ask, worried.
"We all started working on something for a new game, but I can't think of anything!" She says, frustrated.
"Okay, okay, calm down. So, whaddya need my advice on, exactly?" I ask.
"You know, in the Game Development Department, we don't know when or how we'll get to make a new game." She begins to explain. "So, I've been brainstorming all sorts of different ideas for a while."
"Hence the furious scribbling." I say.
"Can you think of anything?" She asks, almost begging.
"Well, what do you usually play?" I ask.
Midori tilts her head in confusion, but answers. "I usually play puzzle games and casual games, like Tetness and Poyoyopo."
I think someone's gonna get sued...
"Then... Maybe try a different genre? It could give ya a new perspective." I offer.
"Shifting my perspective..." She mutters, mulling it over. "I think that's a good idea! In that case... Can you accompany me through the process?" She asks, hesitantly.
"Heh, I don't see why not." I say, eliciting a big smile from the green twin.
In the end, Midori grabbed one of her sister's competitive games for the both of us to play. It seemed kinda like Mario Party or something.
At the time, I had absolutely no idea about just how bad of a decision that was.
I really should have, seeing as how it resembled fucking Mario Party.
"Ah! Again, I can't go anywhere because my path is blocked by a bomb!" Midori shouts, frustrated, as she dies again. "Ugh! Again!" She shouts, looking at me with a manic expression. "Let's play again, Sensei!"
"I don't know... You're lookin' a bit anxious there, Midori."
My concerns were wasted, as she dies again, instantly. "What? Why did I just die?! I planted that bomb! So why did it kill ME?! No, it's not over yet!" She declares.
Sighing, I get comfortable. This is gonna be a while...
Before either of us realized, the sun had set and night had arrived as the club room became darkened.
"Uh, Midori..." I say, cautious.
"You just won that round, Sensei!" She shouts, causing me to recoil. "I hope you're not the kind of rude grown-up who bails after winning a single round!"
"Midori, it's nighttime." I point out, deadpan.
"Huh...?" She asks, before looking around. "Oh, crap! It IS!" Midori looks back at me, a bit ashamed. "Sorry, Sensei. I got a bit too obsessed with this game."
"Eh, it's fine. Now I know to never play this game again, less everyone gets enraged beyond measure." I say.
"Ahaha! Don't say stuff like that while looking so serious!" Midori says, laughing. "Still, we should play something less competitive next time."
"Agreed." I say, with a nod.
As I walked back home through the Millennium district, my ears twitched hearing footsteps keeping the same distance from me. Multiple pairs of footsteps...
Sure enough...
"Stop right there!"
A pair of girls, each with a motorcycle helmet on her head blocks my path. Fuckin' Helmet Gang.
"You must be the Sensei they prattle on about." One says, smugly. "Heh, your little Schale club has been a real pain in the ass lately."
"Yeah. So why don't you spend some quality time with US for a change?" Another asks, confusing me. Are they coming on to me?
"We heard you give treats to all of the girls. Why not share with us...?" The first asks, blatantly trying to be seductive by pulling her uniform's collar down a bit. But before I can say anything...
"That's not happening." A pleasant female voice calls out. "Because you don't deserve it."
"Wh-Who goes there?!" One of the gangsters yells, both grabbing their weapons and tensing up.
A new form appears from the shadows of the night. "I am Sensei's- no... I am Master's dependable Maid." Akane, of all people, says.
"...What?" One of the gangsters says, dumbfounded, as both relax in confusion. A mistake on their part as-
BOOM
-Akane throws a bomb at them.
"Gah!" "Urgh..." The helmet-clad girls groan and fall down, their halos disappearing as they go unconscious.
Looking to the side, I see a proud Akane giggle. "Long time no see, Master."
"I had that covered, y'know." I say, deadpan. "But, uh, thanks."
"You're welcome. This, too, is a maid's duty." Akane says, satisfied with herself.
"Still, what're you doin' out here?" I ask, curious.
"Well, I am Akane: the Beautiful Maid of Mystery!" She declares. "I saw you while I was on a mission- I mean, a club activity- and followed you. I'm always happy to be of service." She says, smiling serenely.
"I see." I say, still a bit confused by this turn of events. "Well, seeing as how you wanna be helpful, would you mind helping your Master get home safely?"
"Oh?" Akane's eyes widen in surprise, before relaxing as she smiles once more. "I would be delighted to."
And so, the two of us walk back to Schale, talking about this and that.
After getting back home, I got a text from Yuuka.
Sensei, can I ask for a favor?
Sure, what's up?
Well, to keep a long story short, a club of ours is going on an important mission.
I'd like you to supervise them and make sure they don't accrue unnecessary costs.
Like last time...
I can practically hear the poor girl growl in that last line.
Sure, I'll keep an eye on them. When's their mission?
Three days from now, however, I'd like you to get debriefed along with them tomorrow.
That's fine, I was gonna swing by Millennium tomorrow anyway.
What for?
Just a gift for a friend. I'll come by your office tomorrow afternoon. That okay?
That would be fine.
I'll see you then, Sen-
I mean...
Boyfriend.
I let out a chuckle as I read that. I bet her face is super red now.
Then I'll see you tomorrow.
Girlfriend.
The next day, I woke up early and ate some breakfast, after doing my morning workout.
"So, Sensei. What's on the agenda today?" Arona asks, from a nearby screen.
"Well, I've got something special planned, but I need your help with it."
"M-My help?" Arona asks, her eyes wide in surprise.
"Yup. I've gotta go to Millennium and see the Engineering Club girls first, though." I say. "You ready to go?"
"Of course!" The AI girl chirps, a big smile on her face.
As I walk over to Millennium, I pause, seeing a girl sitting on a bench, panting and drenched in sweat.
The girl has long, black hair done up in a high ponytail with a purple scrunchie and has two purple, flower-shaped hairclips next to her purple eyes. She wears a white sports bra, decorated with purple flowers. On her legs are a pair of tight, black gym tights along with a purple belt and white tennis shoes. She also has on a green choker and a similarly-colored wristband on her right arm. Her halo is purple too, looking like a pentagram with a flower-shaped cut-out in the center.
She moves to chug her water bottle, clearly deprived of the precious fluid, before finding it empty. She all but pouts at this turn of events.
Suddenly, I remember that I've been carrying a water bottle in my pocket sometimes, like today. Shrugging to myself, I take out the water bottle and walk over to her.
"Hey." I call out, grabbing her attention as she looks up to me quickly. "Here." I say, holding out the bottle.
"Oh! Thank you." She says, before drinking from the unopened bottle.
"I saw ya go for your near-empty bottle, so I figured I'd give ya mine. I certainly wasn't using it." I explain, as she finishes drinking more than half of the bottle.
"I see..." She says, regaining her breath still. "Are you... Schale's Sensei?"
"That's me, Joshua Sensei. Nice to meetcha." I introduce.
"Otohana Sumire." She replies, smiling. "Nice to meet you too."
"You were sweating up a storm there, how hard were you working out?" I ask, curious.
"Oh, not too hard. I do this routine most days." Sumire says, waving off my concerns.
"Really? I do some sets in the morning, but you really seemed out of it." I say.
"Well... I suppose I have increased my regimen a bit." She admits, averting her gaze.
"Well, so long as you aren't pushing yourself TOO far, I guess it's fine." I say, smiling.
"What do you usually do to work out, Sensei?" She asks.
"Oh? Some bench presses, sit-ups, squats, a bit of running. Just the usual stuff." I explain. "I do some of each every morning to stay sharp."
Sumire smiles, happily. "It's nice to find someone who shares my interest in working out. I usually do something different each day, either outside or in Millennium's gym, but... the gym could be better." She explains.
"You should see Schale's gym, it's almost too big." I explain. "Matter of fact, swing by there anytime."
"Really?" She asks, her purple eyes widening in surprise.
"Of course." I say, smiling. "If Millennium's ain't up to snuff, feel free to use Schale's. I'm pretty much the only one who uses it, and even then, I only use it in the morning. Hmm... Maybe I should get Shiroko to come too, since she rides her bicycle for absurd distances." I think out loud.
"Shiroko?" Sumire asks.
"She goes to Abydos." I explain. "Though she rides her bike a little too much. She once got me to jog to the convenience store 'nearby', which was actually fifteen kilometers away."
"Really?" Sumire asks, holding back a laugh.
"Yeah, it wasn't until after I got back that she texted me, apologizing since she didn't know fifteen kilos was a long distance." I continue.
"Ahahaha!" Sumire's laugh escapes her, no longer being held back. "This is quite amusing."
"In hindsight, yeah, but in the moment? I ain't doing that again." I say, chuckling as well. "Maybe I should introduce you two."
"I think I'd like that." The black haired girl says, smiling.
"Well, I've held ya up for long enough. See ya later, Sumire." I say, starting to walk off.
"Goodbye, Sens- no, Trainer!" She calls out, making me halt for a moment, before chuckling to myself as I continue towards the school.
"Ah, Sensei." Utaha says, upon seeing me, a smile on her face. "Did you bring your friend?"
"Right here." I say, holding out the Shittim Chest.
"Good, sit it here." She says, as I sit the magical tablet on a mechanical pedestal, before turning it on to see Arona asleep. "This is her?" Utaha asks.
"Yup."
"...You were right. She IS cute." Utaha says, smiling.
"You know it." I say, agreeing, before I turn to the tablet. "Arona."
But Arona doesn't budge. "Mmm... Strawberry milk..."
Shaking my head with a smile, I poke Arona' cheek through the tablet's screen. "Aronaaaa." I drawl out her name.
"Huh...? Oh, Sensei!" Arona says as she wakes up, blinking a bit. "And, uh..."
"Shiraishi Utaha, head of the Engineering Club." The purple haired meister introduces. "Nice to finally meet you, Arona."
"Er, you too. Wait, 'finally'?" The AI girl asks.
"It's a part of the project I got Utaha to work on. Speaking of..." I trail off, looking at Utaha expectantly.
"It's over here." Utaha says, talking a white sheet off of what it's covering.
"Ah...!" Arona lets out a squeak in surprise as she sees what the cloth was covering. An accurate re-creation of herself, sitting on a chair, her eyes closed, appearing asleep. She's even wearing the same clothes, right down the the ribbon. Next to her is a recreation of her white umbrella-gun. "This is...?!" She attempts to speak, as her halo turns into the glitchy, light blue form it has when she's shocked.
"You know how you're stuck in there, and no-one, save me, can come in there? Well, I figured you deserve to come out, so I got the Engineering Club girls to make you a body. I explain. "Speaking of, where are the other two?" I ask Utaha.
"Busy... somewhere." The meister explains mysteriously.
"Anyway, seeing as how you can jump to other screens and the like, I figured you could jump to this body, which I got the girls to make as close to a human body as possible." I explain.
"Close to a human?" Arona asks, her brain still trying to process the information in front of her.
"Sensei wanted to make a way for you to truly experience the world outside of your tablet, so we pretty much made an android version of yourself." Utaha explains to the tiny OS girl. "The eyes are cameras, so you should be able to see out of them. Recreating the feeling of senses was tricky, but you should also be able to smell, taste and touch things like anyone else. The body can be charged with electricity, but also can be powered by nutrients, so you can eat and drink food to recharge yourself if need be."
Utaha then leans close to the tablet and whispers to the AI girl quietly, but not quietly enough for me to not hear. Not that I'm gonna say anything about it, especially with the topic of the quiet conversation.
"Also, by human, I mean human. You also have genitals." Arona's face burns a bright crimson as her eyes widen further somehow. Her halo also turns into it's heart form, showing she's clearly happy. "You should be able to feel everything, and I do mean everything. Unfortunately, we weren't able to make a way for this body to reproduce, so you'll have to live with that."
"Th-Th-That's okay, Utaha-san!" Arona screeches, her face looking like a tomato as her halo changes shape.
Utaha backs away from the tablet, smirking. "Also, we make the body a group of nanobots, which form the body's 'halo', and can change shape and color to match your own."
Arona stares at Utaha for a long moment, before looking at the body, still unable to process this all. She then looks back at me, eyes hopeful, as I smile and nod reassuringly.
"This dock for your tablet should let you connect to the body more easily, though from what Sensei's mentioned, you should be able to connect to it without." The purple haired girl adds. "So... go ahead."
Arona's shocked face finally changes, turning to one of determination, as she nods and her halo turns into its green form. She closes her eyes and the Shittim Chest's screen goes black as the machinery around it starts to hum softly. After a moment, the android Arona doesn't move, but the nanobots Utaha mentioned float up and rest above her head, forming the AI girl's standard blue halo.
After a long, tense moment, filled with anticipation... the physical Arona's eyes flutter open, slowly, but assuredly.
Arona takes a moment, looking around as us and the room, as she shifts slightly, her hand propping herself to sit more upright, before stopping. She looks down, eyes wide in surprise as she rubs her hand on the wooden chair she's sitting on. "This is... wood?" She asks herself, running her small hand across the grooves of the chair.
"Feels pretty neat, huh?" I ask, causing the short girl to pause and look up at me.
"Sensei." Arona says, smiling. She then pushes herself up to her feet, standing up.
"How do you feel? Uncomfortable at all?" Utaha asks.
"No, I feel... fine. As an AI, everything felt kind of... I dunno, artificial? At least, compared to this." Arona says, her mind still struggling to wrap around this all. "I... Sensei...!" She says, looking up at me, with a smile. "Thank you."
I smile in response. "I don't want thanks, I want a hug." I say, holding my arms out to the AI girl.
Arona softly gasps, whether in surprise or joy I don't know, before she quickly moves to me and hugs my waist tightly. "You... I can... I can actually FEEL you...!" The AI girl chokes out as my pants suddenly feel a bit wet. Arona tightens her grip around me, as though holding on for dear life.
Smiling, I reach down and pat the sobbing android's head comfortingly.
"Sorry..." Arona says, pulling away from me. "I just..."
"I know." I say, crouching down. Arona's eyes widen in surprise as I use my hand to wipe away her joyful tears. "You agreed with me a while back when I said 'no-one wants to be alone', so I know for a FACT that you'll never be alone again, Arona. I'm gonna make damn sure of it." I promise.
The AI girl then smiles a great big, bright smile as tears of joy no longer trickle out from her eyes, but flow freely instead. Arona then leaps forward at my crouching form and wraps her tiny arms around my neck, hugging me even tighter as she cries freely.
Utaha in the back just smiles at us, clearly content with herself from making this happen.
The android girl hugs me tightly, not willing to let go of this newfound joy.
I wrap my arms around her tiny body in response.
Arona didn't want me to be alone, so I sure as hell am gonna return the favor.
My dear friend...
After a few minutes Arona finally seemed to have calmed down.
"You okay, Arona?" I ask.
"Yes, I'm fine now, Sensei." Arona says, a bit embarrassed. "Sorry you had to see that."
"I told ya, it's fine." I say, smiling. I then turn over to Utaha. "Thanks again for this, Utaha, it really means a lot."
"No problem, Sensei. Things like this are why I joined the Engineering Club in the first place. I'm sure Kotori and Hibiki will be pleased as well." The purple haired meister says, proud of her work.
A thought occurs as I pause to look down at my watch.
"Hmm... How far can you be from the Shittim Chest, Arona?" I ask.
"Well... As long as this body has power, I should be fine, even on the other side of the planet, thanks to the Shittim Chest's power." Arona explains. "Why?"
" 'Cause I've got business with Yuuka this afternoon, or rather pretty soon." I say, gesturing to my watch. "I figure I oughta take this thing-" I continue, picking up the mystical tablet. "-just in case. So why don't you go and explore the city?"
"R-Really?!" Arona practically squeals. "You're fine with me going out?"
"I wouldn't have gotten that body made if I wasn't gonna let you use it." I say, like it's obvious, tucking the Chest in my coat's pocket. "Just don't stay out too late."
Arona beams at my words. "Alright then, Sensei!"
"Now go on, shoo!" I say, shooing her away with my arms. "Go and see the city. I'll be back home later."
"Okay. Bye, Sensei!" Arona says, beginning to skip away.
"Ah! Wait a moment!" Utaha says, causing Arona to stop and turn around. The purple haired girl picks up the recreated umbrella gun and tosses it to the AI girl in her newly made android body.
The tiny OS promptly catches the gun, nodding in thanks, before turning around and happily continuing on her way.
I hope she doesn't get roped into any shenanigans, but knowing Kivotos...
"Well, I should get back to work." Utaha says.
"Don't let me keep ya." I say, walking away. "Take care, Utaha."
"You too, Sensei."
AN
Some of you definitely guessed that Arona would be getting a body. Those of you who did certainly were right!
Next time, an Event! Maybe. I dunno.
As for what I've planned, I want to write two events before we get into Volume 3. After writing Chapters 1 and 2 of V3, I'm planning on writing an event or two, then going into Chapters 3 and 4 as I don't want to spend the next few months writing nothing but Volume 3. I need to break it up somehow, especially seeing as how that Volume is currently the LONGEST IN THE GAME.
So yes: 2 Events, then V3C1 and C2, an event or two, and finally V3C3 and C4.
Though, this isn't final. I might change up a few things here and there, Who knows?
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next!