Four of the five BBs meet with Mitsuru, who tells them to attend counseling after school. The school has given them another chance, but they cannot participate in PE or any sporting clubs. School proceeds as normal when new teachers are hired, such as Nadeshin, who gives the boys a hard time. Then they meet Dr. Haruki, a familiar-looking counselor with braided brown hair, who wears glasses and has the same two facial marks. He tells them to join clubs if they want students to like them.
The weather for today is sunny and cloudy.
[April 16, Monday - week 3]
Four BBs access the director's office as soon as they arrive. They open the door and see Mitsuru eagerly waiting for them. He escorts the boys to the chairs in front of his desk.
"Good morning, boys! Have a seat," Mitsuru says.
They sit at his command. Though welcoming, the tension is stiff.
"I'm glad you're back, but there had to be changes for that. The obvious one is no more PE. Instead, you'll have your free period. How you'll spend is up to you as long as you don't get near the gym."
"No more PE for us, huh?" Seiya says.
"We did scare a lot of students. It's for the best," Shun adds.
"Second, there won't be sports festivals while you're here."
"Why? That wouldn't be to the students because of us," Shiryu says.
"I understand, but it's for student safety."
"Students must be so disappointed…" Hyoga mutters.
"We can't afford to get a liability lawsuit."
"What now, Mitsuru-san. Any ideas?" Seiya asks.
"The lack of sports festival affects students' morale and their trust towards you. You should see the school counselor after classes. He might tell you how to regain student trust."
"School... counselor?" Hyoga asks with a raised brow.
"Don't worry. He's a long-time staff member of the school. He knows who you are way before now, so there isn't anything that he wouldn't know. And I'm not referring to just the Galaxian Wars."
The BBs glance at each other.
"That's kind of weird," Seiya says.
"Anyway, how important is this sports festival?" Shiryu asks.
"It's vital, but most schools in Japan have sports festivals. The difference is this one has a unique reputation, and many students enroll just to participate in this one."
"That's even more disappointing," Shun says.
"Boys, I'll be busy for the rest of the day. You should attend class. Your homeroom teacher should be able to tell you more details if needed. Here's one advice: try not to get into trouble, okay."
Once they exit the office, they return to their classroom. Haruka is also present with the students, but the students display a less-than-impressed look, more like a mix of fear and resentment.
"Good morning, boys!" Haruka greets.
They remain standing at the door.
"You appear to have questions. Go to your seats."
The overwhelming tension in the classroom makes them forget to greet their teacher. Regardless, they head toward the back of the class to sit in their designated spots.
"Before we begin class, I have an announcement. New teachers are coming in, and one will teach in the afternoon. Why the sudden arrival, you ask? Many teachers walked out after that incident and didn't want to deal with a certain quartet of students. The teachers the school brought in are emergency hires. Normally when a teacher is absent for a day, students would self-study. But given the sudden situation, the school cannot go without teachers for too long. Even though these are emergency hires, please give them the same respect as if they're permanent."
Murmurs immediately rip across the classroom.
"Settle down. I understand your concerns. The school is still on the lookout for permanent teachers. But we must do with what we have for now. With that said, let's begin the class…"
"This is going to suck!" Seiya mentally mutters.
Once Haruka's class ends and the BBs eat their lunch, the afternoon class starts. A scrawny female teacher with a messy bun and glasses comes in, leaving many agape with open mouths.
"Good afternoon, class. I am Yamato Nadeshiko. I'll be teaching you Japanese poetry."
Students stand and bow to their teacher, except the BBs.
"You four! Why don't you bow to your teacher?"
"Do you we have to?" Seiya asks with a raised brow.
"I hate to say it, but your speech is very distracting. It's like using your tongue to speak," Hyoga says.
"And there's also your name. I expected aesthetic but not this…"
"Do you want to get sent to the director's office?"
The teacher adjusts her glasses and gives a closer look.
"I get it now. You're those celebrities people talk about."
"Yes, we are, Nadeshin," Seiya says with a snark.
"That's my nickname from college. How do you know?"
"Duh, I guessed? But it suits you better than your name."
Students chuckle mostly in silence. Nadeshin turns red.
"Hey! I'm proud of being a Japanese woman!"
"Sure, whatever, lady." Seiya shrugs.
Nadeshin hurls a chalk and hits him on the forehead. But this leaves him unimpressed and annoyed.
Shun calls out. "Seiya!"
Shiryu stands and bows. "Please forgive us. We didn't mean to offend. It's just we had recent unpleasant experiences, and we find it hard to trust anyone who doesn't understand us."
Nadeshin pauses. "Very well, let's continue with the class…"
Once students return to their seats, class continues. But Seiya ends up dozing the entire time. The school day ends, and students leave the room leaving the BBs by themselves.
"Finally! It's over! I cross my fingers for real teachers."
"Imagine hearing that awful speech for three years," Hyoga says.
"Now, now. We shouldn't be late to the counselor's office," Shiryu says.
"Where is the counselor's office?" Shun asks.
"If I'm not mistaken, it should be on the first floor."
"How do you know?" Seiya asks.
"School directory."
The BBs journey to the counselor's office and stand outside.
"Here we are, the counselor's office," Seiya says.
"The sign says it," Shun adds.
"I hope he is what Mitsuru says he is," Hyoga says."
"There's only one thing to find out. We must enter," Shiryu says.
They knock at first but realize they can open the door. Once they enter, they see a spacious office before them. The layout resembles Mitsuru's, but it has couches instead of chairs.
"He's not here," Seiya says.
"Haha! No, young Bronze Saint."
"Who said that?" Shiryu asks.
"Me, of course."
"Where are you?" Hyoga asks.
"I'm here."
"We can't see you," Shun says.
"Turn to your right."
They shift their attention toward the school counselor, who has a striking resemblance to Aries Mu. Except he has brown braided hair and wears eyeglasses too. His lab coat gives an authoritative touch.
"Have a seat. Let's get comfortable first."
The boys sit on the couch without a second thought.
"Thank you for coming. I'm Dr. Haruki."
"This is not a clinic," Hyoga says.
"Of course not. I'm a therapist."
"What's that?" Seiya asks, confused.
"I studied psychology."
The BBs remain staring, both confused and amazed.
"I listen to people's problems." He shrugs with sweat.
"I have a question: Are you from Jamir?" Seiya asks.
"Why do you ask?"
"Because of your facial marks."
"People keep asking me that..." Dr. Haruki sighs. "My ancestors are from Jamir, but my family and I were born and raised here in Japan. Don't ask how I got them. I was born with them. Anyway, that's not the topic. You're here because the director told you."
"Yes, he said something about restoring trust," Shun says.
"Right! And the solution is simple."
"Drop out of school?" Seiya asks expectantly.
"No! You'll attend clubs."
Dr. Haruki gives a handout to each of them.
"Here's a handout with a list of clubs available. Choose whichever you like. Don't pick sports, of course. But you don't need to decide right now. You can decide tomorrow." Dr. Haruki continues, "Remember this; I'll keep tabs on you. You need to start making progress in your school life. This is three years of school. Surely, you're aware Miss Kido will visit you every week. She reports to the director, who reports to me. If anything looks off, I will come to you right away. Because if any of you get expelled, all of you will get expelled. So be careful about what you do and try not to get into much trouble."
Some of the boys give each other stares.
"Wow! The stakes are high," Seiya says, scratching his head.
"They are! You can't afford to mess this one up."
"But going to clubs is just showing up," Hyoga says.
"That's not how it works. You can't just show up and claim yourself as part of the club. You must participate. Clubs are taken seriously to the point students list them when aiming for higher education."
"Higher education?" Seiya asks with a raised brow.
"Like colleges, universities, and so forth."
"We're not interested in getting more education."
"I never said about going to college. I'm making the point that clubs are taken seriously. Also, bouncing from club to club is frowned upon, so once you choose, you're expected to stay through high school."
"Wow! Talk about extreme commitment." Seiya's eyes widen.
"We're not that different. We're still Bronze Saints," Shiryu says.
"Fine, we'll attend clubs," Seiya says with eyes rolled up and sighs.
"For the sake of earning student trust, we must do this," Shun says.
"Find one club and stick to it. I say let the chips fall where they may," Hyoga adds.
"Good! Looks like we're clear," Dr. Haruki says with a wave gesture. "I wish you luck."
To be continued...