"Welcome back, Sensei."

A familiar voice called.

He laid there, with his eyes closed, upon the flooded ground, feeling the water pool around his body, soaking him, yet not leaving him wet.

Contrary to what one may have thought, it wasn't actually very uncomfortable. The sun above had warmed the water, and it was strangely comforting. It was like being held in a warm embrace… not that he remembered how that felt particularly well. It had been a long time since he had been a child, after all.

With that thought, he opened his eyes to see a cerulean expanse, instead of his familiar white ceiling.

Ah. He was here again, as he'd thought.

What a shame. A mild tinge of regret passed through him.

…He didn't prepare any snacks this time.

At the corner of his vision, he saw the shadow of the one who had called him here. He knew that she, as usual, was gazing into the far distance of that endless, bounding sea that encompassed this platform.

"Hey, Arona. It's been a while."

He slowly placed his hands to the side, pushing himself up, feeling the water slide off his body and off his sleeping clothes as he did. It was a strange feeling, but one he had got used to after the first time.

He patted his plain t-shirt absentmindedly. Dry, except for his room shoes which still sat neatly in the water beneath. He turned to look at Arona, who too had turned upon hearing her name. She responded to his smile with an impassive stare.

She masterfully twirled her trusty white umbrella, before piercing the liquid beneath with a swift stroke, as if she were stabbing straight into the earth's core. The water splattered across the ruined platform, akin to tiny, random specks of glitter that one would add for beautification on a mediocre art project.

The wind blew softly, a hollow thrum felt by his senses so foreboding. He grimaced.

So she was angry. That wasn't something she did often. A shiver ran down his spine, a stark contrast to the warmth that had just encompassed him.

Well, they'd been through this song and dance before.

There was only one thing he could do.

"WHATEVER I DID, I AM SORRY!"

He prostrated, smashing his head onto the ground then and there before Arona, the water beneath splattering across the scene with that one swift motion.

"What are you doing… Sensei…"

Shua raised his hurting head, seeing Arona's deadpan expression with her blue halo sauntering overhead. She seemed rather disgruntled, most likely due to such a stupendous show he had put on.

"Oh great and mighty Arona, may I be forgiven for my transgressions against thee."

Arona shook her head in disappointment. Was she not placated by his display of subservience?

What else could he do?

"...I see. Well, if you wish to be forgiven…"

Arona paused, placing her index finger beneath her chin in thought.

"What can I do so that you may be appeased?"

"..."

A resounding silence pervaded the room. Arona hadn't replied as quickly as she usually did.

Hey, it worked before. Why not again? Shua grimaced.

"I'm not angry at you, Sensei." Arona finally muttered out, shaking her head. "I understand how much protecting your students means to you. Understanding them, helping them… even at the cost of yourself, that's what makes you who you are."

What a strange feeling he felt then and there. Was she even looking at him?

"It's fine." She waved it off. "Just… if you really wish to be forgiven…"

She tilted her head to the side, a dazzling smile finally coming through.

"Go take a walk."

Shua stared silently at her beaming face.

"...What?"

Tap…

Tap. Tap. Tap…

A rhythmic, breakbeat pattern emerged from his soles. Was anyone even keeping time under the bright sun; the gentle floral breeze that flowed past his ears amid the rigid lampposts and swaying trees? Shua thought not, as he sat alone on the park bench with his arms folded.

He really, really didn't want to be here, but Arona had kicked him out of Schale's residential quarters the instant he woke up, though thankfully bereft of the headache that had plagued him just earlier. The painkillers were doing their job, it seemed.

Fact of the matter was, he was here in the nearby park, with nothing to do. All he could do was take in the scenery of his surroundings, which honestly he had to admit, was pretty nice.

'Rabbit Park', the place was called. He wasn't quite sure why it was called such, when there were clearly no rabbits here. Just some scampering squirrels and wandering cats.

It also seemed like a campsite of some sort. He looked further out, squinting, seeing beige tents with some logo on it. He could somewhat make out the words "RABBIT" on the cloth in the distance, so perhaps the park management, whoever they were, provided some camping kits as well for prospecting campers.

Strange. He thought he would've known of such an arrangement, considering this was technically within his jurisdiction.

The sheer amount of equipment and firearms on racks that he could see displayed and clearly organized did leave him a little nostalgic.

Whilst they were maybe using park-provided camping kits, they were clearly experienced with stock-taking and organization, judging from how things were so neatly set up. Once again, he was reminded that this world was truly interesting in its own way. It seemed to be a group of three young girls… no, four.

He nearly missed one of them in his glance over, but they were talking avidly about something whilst sitting on small folding seats around a small campfire. They were most likely cooking lunch. He couldn't really make out their features beyond something white atop their heads.

That girl he nearly missed… wait a minute. Was she looking at him?

He barely could make it out, but she had now turned to look in his direction.

What the goodness? He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. What sharp instincts. Students really were terrifying. If only he had such special capabilities, maybe he could've avoided… whatever. His mind was wandering again.

He shook his head, deigning to wave at her and give her a thumbs up. It was to make it clear that he wasn't planning anything. She seemed to be shaking in panic, though. Maybe he was exacerbating the problem.

Well, he wouldn't stare for much longer. It made him feel like a creep.

Seriously, what would people think of him if he was just staring at some girls creepily from afar?

What would they even say?

"You seem pretty focused on those girls."

Yeah, that seemed just about–

"...Woah?!"

Shua turned on instinct, gazing upon who had interjected his thoughts on that moment.

White wisps of flames flowed right out of the cracks of a black matte material, formless yet clearly in the shape of a man. An ethereal form beneath the sunlight, dressed in a standard, no-nonsense suit.

"...Black Suit?"

"The one and only. Want a drink? It's some chai."

The man held out a cup that clearly came from a local coffee and tea shop, a second in his other hand, most likely for himself.

Shua nodded, grabbing the offered drink. The heat immediately warmed his hand.

Chai was his favorite, admittedly. How did he know?

"Thanks. What brings you here?"

Black Suit didn't reply, and simply took a seat right next to him on the bench, opening his own cup and sipping from it. Shua looked in mild bewilderment, though having seen him in a grocery shop before…this wasn't so out of the question.

"Ahh." Black Suit wiped his face where his mouth was with his sleeve, seemingly in delight. "This place's coffee really can't be matched."

Shua raised his eyebrow, taking a sip from his drink. The spices mixed with the tea had a superb scent and taste. "A coffee addict, are you?"

"Same can be said for you." It almost seemed like he was grinning. "There were plenty of coffee capsules in the bin at your office. Overflowing, even."

"I don't particularly like it, you know. I prefer tea. Good pick for me, by the way." Shua shook his head in exasperation. Guess he wasn't going to say why he was here. "The alternative was energy drinks, but those destroy my stomach."

"Agreed. They pack so much into those it's mildly off-putting." Black Suit raised his cup. "Coffee works out quite nicely for me. I don't mind tea, though."

Some strange hypotheses of Black Suit's physiology went through Shua's mind with that statement, but he deigned to ignore those intrusive thoughts.

"You're not really one for idle chatter, I'm pretty sure. Seriously, what brings you here?"

"Is it so unnatural for me to simply drop by?"

Shua gave a pointed stare in response. "Yes. Absolutely."

"Researchers need breaks, you know. There's no harm in shooting the breeze."

Black Suit took another sip. Shua couldn't help but feel like this situation was completely absurd.

Though, this honestly wasn't too bad. A small grin touched on the corners of his lips.

"I guess that's fine." Shua couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "I had the impression you folks at Gematria were all work and no play."

"Perhaps so." Black Suit paused to take another sip. "But someone taught me in the past that there's beauty and inspiration to be found in idle days."

"That someone's a dreamer if I've ever heard one." Shua sipped on his chai slowly. "I can't say I disagree, though."

A frown of sorts seemed to form on Black Suit's visage upon hearing those words. But he simply shook his head, the flames upon his face making a small smile.

"He really was."

"Ah…" Shua knew he had stepped on a metaphorical landmine. "I see. My condolences."

They sat there awkwardly, saying nothing to each other. Shua felt as if neither of them knew how to proceed.

An eternity passed. At least, it felt like it.

But finally, after that infinite, yet infinitesimal time, someone broke the silence.

"Have you ever wondered why it is that the sky is blue?"

Shua raised his eyebrow at the sudden question. Thankfully, he had an answer prepared for this one, considering his profession.

"It's due to how light scatters off the molecules in the air. Specifically, when light passes the particles in the air smaller than the wavelength of its radiation, it disperses in a fashion where we perceive it as blue. I'm fairly certain that this phenomenon is known as 'Rayleigh scattering'."

Shua took another sip of his tea to placate his throat after his lengthy explanation.

"That is correct, but that is not what I meant… though your world calls it 'Rayleigh scattering'? I presume it's named after the person who discovered it." Black Suit glanced at Shua, his question clearly posed.

"More or less…" Shua nodded in response, before continuing, "Are you asking why we perceive it as blue? Or are you asking why it had to be blue to our perception in the first place? That's just evolution at work, happenstance inculcated by circumstance."

"I was asking about your own perception." Black Suit shrugged, the small sound of fabric rustling being heard as he did. "In a way, everything looks to me in several shades of gray."

"...You view things in monochrome?" The bizarre, unanswered questions of Black Suit's physiology popped up in Shua's mind once more. "Damn. You're missing out."

"Hmph. Not quite what I mean." Black Suit raised his cup at Shua, seemingly almost offended. "But I see that you inherently view it as a combination of factors, of humans adapting amidst nature."

"Isn't that the reasoning behind many things?" Shua looked confusedly at Black Suit, not fully understanding his intent behind the question. "That's what plenty of answers boil down to. A culmination of factors both external and internal."

"I don't disagree. I just find it quite interesting that your answer differed so much." Black Suit sighed wistfully, a small wisp of white flame being released from the side of his mouth.

He stared up into the sky, pausing for a brief moment.

"There's no reason why it has to be."

"Hmm?" Shua made a sound of intrigue.

"Don't worry about it. You'll understand soon enough. Anyway, I shall take my leave," Black Suit stood up briskly, though not before stating, "Keep taking good care of the Princess. She's a handful, that one. Toodle-loo."

"...The Princess?" Shua looked confusedly at Black Suit, who was now walking away. "Hey?!"

Shua placed his cup on the bench, quickly stood up and ran towards Black Suit, but before he could catch up…

Shua blinked.

He was gone. Vanished into thin air.

"...What the hell…?"

Shua couldn't help but feel complete and utter confusion pervading his senses. What a strange situation in totality.

"He spouts something cryptic like that and just walks away… just like him, I guess." Shua scratched his head in annoyance. "I guess by Princess, he means Arisu. Guess he really did know."

He let out a sigh. The faint spicy tinge of the tea could be tasted with his breath, and with it…

"Guuuu…"

His stomach let out a wail of displeasure.

"Guess I might as well get some food…"

Patting his stomach, he decided then and there to head on over to Angel 24. There was probably something he could pick up to eat.

However…he then heard a sudden klaxon coming out of nowhere, jolting him into alertness.

"Beep-beep-beep! Danger! Danger!"

He quickly realized it was nothing but his phone's custom ringtone for a certain somebody. Shua relaxed himself, and rolled his eyes. Guess there was something else needing done, if she was calling.

Letting out a sigh to no one in particular, he pulled his phone out of his pocket, and answered it.

"Sensei…? No, you're not him. You're…"

Blue eyes stared at mismatched colors.

"Takanashi Hoshino, at your service." She stood up from the chair, her pink halo following her motions as if there were a slackened string connecting her head to it, much like a balloon.

A lackadaisical bow, one akin to a performer introducing an act. Her actions were plagued with a sick tinge of sarcasm.

If there was one thing that Hoshino knew, it was that she didn't particularly like this person, or the organization she belonged to.

"Nanagami Rin, of the GSC, I reckon?" Hoshino let out a smile, holding back the urge to mock the girl in front of her. "Fancy seeing you here."

Long black hair that seemed like silk, taciturn blue eyes that pierced through one's lies, glasses that beheld wisdom, and sharp elf ears that heard all. Her azure halo stood tall above her head, akin to a crown. She wore a white uniform that only belonged to only one organization.

This girl's reputation preceded her. The Vice President, now acting-General Student Council President who held the keys to Kivotos. Wittingly, or unwittingly. No one knew what happened to the original President, after all, and this girl…

Had the most to gain.

"Is Sensei out and about today?" Rin let out a sigh, unknowing of the thoughts that were going through Hoshino's mind. "Did he leave everything for you to do?"

Hoshino grinned.

"I wouldn't say he's out and about. Rather, I'd say he's currently indisposed." Hearing that, Rin's eyes widened, and her whole body tensed. Hoshino let out a shrug where she stood, her eyes going down to Rin's hands who were now inching towards her pistol. "Overreaction, much? I didn't even do anything."

"Then please explain to me why you are at his table, with him nowhere in sight? I don't see Arisu around either. I can only assume the worst when it comes to that man's safety." Rin gritted her teeth slightly, her hand still hovering over her holster. "His position is one many would love to supplant."

It really was. It hadn't really occurred to Hoshino much, but Sensei really was a powerful person in Kivotos, and with that status, he was a prime target. Considering his nature of being so helpful, down-to-Kivotos, and self-sacrificing, it was easy to forget.

"He's been forced to take a break. My junior and I kicked him out of the office because he decided to not sleep and eat properly for a week." Hoshino grinned, grasping the office chair by the headrest. "So, I'm taking over till he's fully rested. He's marked out everything with instructions."

Hoshino lifted up one of the papers from the desk, titled: "Please Read, o' Great Hoshino!" It was a document detailing things that Sensei wanted her to do and how to do them. Mostly outlining District of Utnapishtim developmental plans and building places for the not-so-fortunate to stay at, alongside setting up paths for these people to attain stable jobs.

The world was cruel to those without power or money, and it was admittedly heartening to see things come to play like this. Sensei really had a knack for this kind of thing, though it made her wonder just what kind of job he had prior to teaching.

Rin immediately walked over, and gently took the paper from Hoshino, glancing through it.

After a brief moment of reading, she let out a big sigh, placing it back down softly.

"Yeah, this is his handwriting, alright." She shook her head. "Besides, only he would detail such things so messily."

"You call this messy?" Hoshino raised an eyebrow, looking down at the admittedly neat handwriting and detailed step-by-step plans. "It seems pretty alright to me."

"Just the blatant lack of standardization. Numbers not in traditional kanji, mixing casual language with formal language…"

"Ah." Hoshino made a look of understanding, and slammed her fist into her palm. "You're a stickler for formality, huh."

Rin non-threateningly glared at her. Hoshino couldn't help but smile at that. Maybe she hadn't read into this girl properly. She seemed quite caring for Sensei considering her reaction to even the slightest threat to his health, even if she seemed rather stuck-up to the masses.

Her protectiveness just sprung up when she assumed the worst. How quaint.

Hoshino immediately knew then and there…

That there was no way that someone who clearly cared for the dummy that was Sensei to such an extent could be that bad of a person.

She really had been assuming the worst of people, just as she used to.

"If that's the case, may I take a look at what you've done so far?" Rin pushed up her glasses, her eyes focusing, almost as if she were assuming the worst of whatever Hoshino had done.

How rude. Hoshino quickly regretted thinking nice thoughts of the girl in front of her.

"Go ahead. It's this stack." Hoshino tapped the papers in question, a hollow thud being heard as she did. "I just file them the same way that I do Abydos's paperwork."

Which was to say, quite constructively. She wouldn't shirk the upkeep of the school so beloved to her that she technically ran, after all. And letting her cute little juniors handle the abyss that was paperwork? No way. It was better for her to bear the weight.

"Abydos's paperwork…" Rin's eyes widened as she was browsing through the documents, before turning to look at Hoshino. "Wait, you're that Takanashi Hoshino, Vice President of Abydos? You're so… different now."

An absentminded pause, but upon hearing that, Hoshino clicked her tongue. The sins of the past really came back to bite one's rear, didn't they?

"Is there any other girl named Takanashi Hoshino in Kivotos?" Hoshino tilted her head in questioning. "I'd like to meet them to discuss comfy sleeping tips."

"...Sleeping tips?" Rin seemed to mutter out the words, as if tasting them, before grimacing, looking back at the papers and browsing through them briskly. "Never mind. You've just never left Abydos in nearly 3 years now, so many people, including the GSC, think you've faded into obscurity."

"Oh, ye all of little faith. I've just settled down nicely where I am. I used to be a violent little rascal, anyway, and all that excess energy has been exerted." Hoshino pointed to herself lazily, before waving it off. "I'm just a 'lil old and decrepit granny now."

Rin shook her head in exasperation, the light from the outside reflected from her glasses, rendering her eyes unable to be seen. "I see. I'll keep that in mind. Please take care of Sensei, if you may. I… worry for him."

Yeah, there was no way that this girl was that bad of a person. Saying something like that so earnestly? Sensei really was a lucky guy.

"Goes without saying. The dummy doesn't know how to take it easy." Hoshino laughed, raising her arms behind her head. "Us old folks gotta stick together."

Rin let out a gentle smile on hearing that, her tenseness completely gone. "I'll forgive the slight. Well, despite my worries, everything seems to be in order." She placed the papers back on the stack. "Keep up the good work. I'll leave it to you to make sure Sensei takes holidays off, because he never does it even when mandated."

"Sure thing." Hoshino raised her hand, looking up at Rin. "Let's shake on it?"

To cement a bond, and for forgiveness for having misjudged her character. Hoshino couldn't believe she was trusting Rin so quickly despite her misgivings earlier on, but then again, with Sensei, things really could be that simple.

Rin seemed to be taken aback, what with the surprise that overtook her features. It soon went and then came an understanding smile, and she raised her own hand in response.

The two shook solidly on that promise.

"So… all this time, you were simply hiding in the locker? Yuzu."

Yuuka's exasperated expression was accentuated by her folded arms, her black ring-light of a halo spinning slowly in place, as if it were the manifestation of Yuuka's bewilderment.

It was a strange scene amid the messy, dimly lit cable-filled room of cabinets chock-full of games and retro consoles. Arisu somehow felt at home here, considering how many games there were on the shelves.

Perhaps at a better time, she could play some of the games here.

"Y-Yes…" The messy head of red hair seemed to shake in place, out of some kind of extreme nervousness. In terms of first impressions, Arisu wasn't quite sure what to make of Yuzu. Hiding in a locker? That seemed pretty suboptimal and uncomfortable.

Arisu stood behind Yuuka, staring at the three that lay knelt on the floor in some form of a subservient position. Somehow, Yuuka seemed to be scaring them just by standing there. Arisu couldn't particularly feel anything, but perhaps it was because whatever Yuuka was doing, none of it was directed towards her.

A strange tenseness, however, could clearly be felt amongst the other four that stood in the room.

On another note, Shiroko had been kicked out of the room by Yuuka and told to stand outside in silence. That eased the Game Development Department's fears to an extent, but they were clearly not out of the woods yet.

"S-She always says the locker is extremely comfortable!" The exuberant girl in pink, Momoi, quipped. "She likes it in there."

"Shush, Momoi." Yuuka gave her a glare that made her shrink away in fear. "I've only come to ask you one thing, Yuzu."

"...Y-y-yes?!" Yuzu stuttered, her whole body shaking as she did. "M-Miss Y-Y-Yuuka?!"

Yuuka stared at Yuzu in silence, before closing her eyes and sighing, placing her hand over her head. "This really wasn't the best way of going about it. I asked those two to help me find you, to talk about the status of the Game Development Department."

"Our status?" The taciturn girl in green, Midori, tilted her head to cover Yuzu's shaking face, as if trying to protect her from the perilous monster that was Yuuka. "What about it?"

"...Clubs are supposed to have four members, starting from this semester." Yuuka said, shaking her head. "You girls are a club of three as of this moment, so…"

"N-No way!?" Momoi flinched back in shock, almost hitting her head on the cabinet behind her. "We're going to be dismantled?!"

"...Dismantled isn't quite the right way of putting it, Momoi. It's 'disbanded'." Yuuka folded her arms once more, correcting Momoi's choice of words. "But considering what just happened…"

Yuuka trailed off mid-sentence. Arisu could tell that Yuuka was deep in thought, because the way she tapped her feet was similar to the way that Sensei did whenever he was thinking about something, usually about his lesson plans.

Was this an emulation on Sensei's part, or was it Yuuka taking after Sensei? Arisu suddenly found herself intrigued. Just how close was Yuuka with Sensei? It was a question that begged an answer. There was so much she didn't know about him and now Yuuka, after all.

"I'll delay the evaluation of your club's status." Yuuka finally broke the silence with some good news for the trio, bowing her head as she did. "You girls shouldn't have been treated like that by any measure, so consider this my failure, with this concession as my recompense."

"W-Wait, what?" Momoi widened her eyes in surprise. "You're letting us go?"

"Yes. Yes I am." Yuuka slowly raised her head, looking at the trio for a moment.

Shaking her head, she pulled out her cerulean phone from her jacket, before quickly dialing a number on it, putting it to her ear. She turned around. "I'll delay your evaluation till the middle point of this semester, so please find a fourth member by then. Alright then, come along, Arisu."

Arisu quickly nodded in affirmation, and followed Yuuka out of the room.

Upon leaving the room and into the corridor completely, a faint "Hurray" could be heard from within, though Arisu thought it better to just ignore it, as did Yuuka.

"Sensei?" Yuuka said, and turned to look at Shiroko, who was staring blankly at the blank wall outside of the room, completely still and silent.

Upon hearing those words, however, Shiroko widened her eyes and turned to look at Yuuka, and at the phone she was holding. Shiroko started shaking, though so little that it was pretty hard to see, but Arisu could see her tense shoulders jitter ever so slightly.

"Yeah, I'm doing okay. The request has been handled." Yuuka paused, wiggling her ears slightly while listening to the phone. "Why is your microphone so windy?"

A look of understanding formed on her face. "...Oh, you're in a park? Anyway, regarding the assignment…"

Shiroko gave a small pleading look to Yuuka, though considering how little her face usually moved, it was quite hard to discern.

Yuuka didn't seem to notice, and just pointedly kept staring back with a serious look on her face.

"She tied the girls up and tried to force information out of them." Yuuka sighed, her seriousness finally giving way to exasperation. "I won't deny its effectiveness, but that's just…"

Another pause amidst a rainbow of microexpressions.

"...She does that kind of thing quite often?" Yuuka gave a stunned look of horror to no one in particular. "...It's your fault for not telling her not to do that? Sensei… I swear…"

She gave a sigh, before a strangely kind smile formed slowly on her face.

"Alright, quit taking the blame for this. I'll work this one out."

With that, Yuuka hung up and pocketed her phone, before shaking her head at Shiroko. "Alright. Sensei has forgiven you for what you've done, but I haven't."

Shiroko did a small fistpump on hearing the news, much to Yuuka's annoyance. "For that, I'm going to ask you to help me with one other thing, and Sensei said to 'not do anything Ayane wouldn't normally do', whatever that means, for your next assignment."

Shiroko clicked her tongue, looking away. "...Got it."

"I hope you do. Sensei seemed pretty disappointed over the phone, and seemed to be considering where he went wrong." Yuuka paused, thinking over her words, before a small glint of mischief came to her eyes. "He's too kind for his own good. It would be prudent to not disappoint him and to trample on his goodwill, wouldn't it?"

Shiroko's facial expression did not change, but her whole body was at a standstill. The moment passed ever so quickly, much like the fleeting thoughts that Arisu knew Shiroko had flashing through her mind.

"...Mmm. It would." Shiroko briskly nodded.

"So don't do anything that would." Yuuka's blue eyes twinkled calculatingly. "Understood?"

"...I understand."

Upon saying that, Shiroko closed her eyes, a small frown framing her face. Her wolf ears flattened like a sad puppy.

Arisu knew that she was wallowing in shame. Was this her instincts talking? Instincts weren't exactly logical or sound to her processors, but she felt it deep within. It was a strange feeling. Maybe it was because to an extent, she knew just how Shiroko was feeling.

"...She's strangely easy to handle." Yuuka muttered softly under her breath, though Arisu heard it clearly due to her keen audio sensors. "Arisu, I know you're pretty new to this entire thing, but do please try and keep her in check."

"Got it, Yuuka…" Arisu couldn't help but look away, twiddling her thumbs. "I didn't quite know what to do since I hadn't read or done anything like this before…"

"...I see." Yuuka quickly came to a conclusion in her head, it seemed, as she snapped her fingers. "I'll ask Sensei for you to accompany me on things like this in the future, so you can learn a bit more on handling work and people."

"T-thanks." Arisu genuinely felt appreciation for Yuuka at this point. She was inexperienced in so many measures, and Sensei had his limits on just what he could impart to her with his limited time. So having this was quite beneficial for her. Her logic circuits thrummed in affirmation. "I'll try my best to learn."

"I've got faith that you can do it." Yuuka gave Arisu a determined look. "I've no doubts you can protect Sensei from misdoers, but there's still plenty for you to learn."

Arisu slowly raised her eyebrow. Where did this faith come from? She hadn't done anything to prove herself yet.

"I can see that you're confused. Worry not!" Yuuka said encouragingly, before softly patting Arisu on the shoulder.

An unfamiliar feeling boiled from within her. Was this what was called a kind gesture? Arisu couldn't help but feel this was strange, coming from someone who people seemed to fear here at Millennium, though she did have a rather small sample size.

Yuuka moved her hand away, giving her a thumbs up. "Tearing that rope apart already shows you have crazy strength anyway." She then shrugged her shoulders, grinning from ear to ear as she did. "Besides, Sensei believes in you, otherwise he wouldn't have taken you in."

Hearing that, Arisu's whole world stopped in its tracks.

A question rang out loud within the cessation of time.

"Was that truly the case?"

Arisu nervously thought to herself.

Was it not simply luck that brought her to Sensei, when he went into the Ruins alone, and that Schale could take her in without repercussion?

Wasn't it simply natural for a teacher to believe in their students?

No matter what, something felt wrong with the series of events that led her here, to become the second member of Schale.

Nothing seemed to click in her mind, figuratively and literally.

Though, luck? Really?

An unfathomable, illogical notion. Some of her internals felt like they were crackling in disgust.

"A rational mind plagued with irrational thoughts."

There was a small part of her that felt insecure. Within her, a schism expanded ever so slowly.

Did he really believe in her? Sensei had shown disappointment in her more than once in her actions, and she honestly couldn't tell what was going on in his head half the time.

But there was a phantom pain within. She could see it in his tired eyes.

"A hollow husk of a man was he."

They were lines from a book she had read secretly.

Somehow, she felt something within her ache at the thought.

That pain soon brought her back to reality.

She blinked once. Then twice.

Time hadn't passed much, and she had simply been staring at Yuuka's face in silence.

There were only her thoughts to fill in the gaps.

"Thanks, Yuuka." Breaking her silence, she unwittingly smiled in a way similar to how he would. "I'll do my best."

Yuuka gave a small smile back, and motioned for them to follow her. Shiroko and her quickly took heed.

Gazing back at the Game Development Department's clubroom, she couldn't help but feel disappointment in herself. She couldn't be a wallflower, not with the responsibility that she knew she had.

So then and there, upon that crucial yet fleeting moment, she made a promise to herself.

Do her best.

There was simply no other choice.