It was early in the morning. A thin layer of mist crawled through the empty streets, casting a tranquil if a bit murky atmosphere to the massive city of academies. Spring had just arrived, so the last dew of winter lingered around in the form of chilly airs which stood in opposition to the warm rays of daybreak.
Also, a week had passed ever since Hayase Yuuka participated in resolving the incident which had happened in the city outskirts. Time was an odd thing like that.
I don't know if I should be happy about that. The girl hailing from Millennium Science School was never a workaholic, but she was in a position of responsibility. It was her job as the treasurer of Seminar to calculate school's spending, evenly distribute club budget, and stay on the offensive to strike beneficial trades. It was all for the sake of her school and her fellow school mates. Of course, she also personally benefited from enriching everyone's life. And now I must give the after-mission invoice to the teacher…
Teacher. Sensei. A member of the faculty office, responsible for teaching classes, organizing homeroom, and acting as a surrogate guardian to students as long as it was within the school premise. Yuuka felt the term odd in her mind.
Educational system in Kivotos worked through paperwork hand-outs, manual notebooks, immersive audiovisual learning via Blu-ray Discs, and group works. Academical institutions in general had stopped utilizing faculty staff to function beyond the bare minimum, making the duty and responsibility of learning solely on the shoulders of all students. In this manner, the teaching position had all but rendered moot, though her school seldom invited Outsiders for special workshops or thesis presentation.
In any case, she was here, now. The building… didn't look like it had changed much. Good.
"From the entrance, past the reception lobby, into the right wing, and then walk past the convenience store… aha, this is it!"
Instead of heading upstairs, Yuuka headed down the residential quarter. The phone in her hand showed the pinkish red color scheme of the Momotalk application, a program mainly used for text-based communication on the internet.
"Good thing I texted him yesterday evening…" It would have taken her a lot of time she didn't want to waste, otherwise. Making a prior arrangement, gathering information, and then acting on accurate data truly was a time-saving method. It was also very cost-efficiency, which freed her up for other tasks. "Hello? Sensei, are you up?"
She pressed the doorbell and knocked on the door three times. As sixty seconds passed, Yuuka began to suspect that the adult had slept in. However, when she placed her hand on the doorknob, she had somehow managed to walk in…
D-did he not lock the door!?
Hurriedly, Yuuka entered. The outskirts might have been pacified by the shared efforts of Schale and GSC, but delinquents were still on the prowl. Furthermore, she had come to learn about the residential quarter of Schale office being publicly accessible. In other words, absolutely anyone could just waltz into the building! How could the adult be so careless about his personal safety?!
"Sensei!? Hey, are you there!?" Yuuka looked around the spacious room facing a long stripe of green lawn. There was a small television on a cupboard next to the windows, shelves and stand lining up the right side of the room, and there was a two-tiered sofa and cushions to the far left corner. When her gaze landed on the last part, however, a mountain of books poured from the upper tier of the sofa, causing an avalanche that buried a spiky patch of black hair. The sound and slight shudder running on the ground made the Millennium student flinch. "S-sensei? Sensei!? Are you okay…!?"
It took a full three minutes for her to dig out the adult from the mountain of books, yet the teacher remained unconscious; a huge bump on his forehead. Because of that, Yuuka had to run out of the room in search of a pack of ice cubes; something which she had no idea where to find as she had yet to learn everything about the floor layout. Where was the refrigerator, the kitchen, or the mess hall? The convenience store… opening hour was still 45 minutes away, no!
By the time she had found what she was looking for, it was well past the hour for her to avoid morning rush. Agh, this isn't what I wanted to do in the morning!
Vash couldn't remember anything. He swore to his last breath that he had seen a light in the darkness, a familiar landscape, a light green lawn and a big tree bearing red fruits, but other than that? Nothing, that was what.
Ow, my head… Why did he have an ice bag on his forehead, and why was he lying down on the sofa in a brightly lit modern room. Who was he? What was he? Why was he here and what had he been doing to deserve this? No… the joke's getting old at this point.
Looking to the side, there he saw a dark-haired girl going back and forth, tidying up the place by placing the many books he had brought from the database room into the shelves on the other end of the room. Occasionally, she stared long and hard at the book covers, murmuring about something he couldn't catch on. Vash groaned, slowly getting up while pressing the bag of ice against his throbbing temple.
"Oh! Sensei, you're finally awake!" The girl turned around, revealing a familiar face. A sharp countenance, minimum make-up, no-nonsense but also no less emotive. The girl named Hayase Yuuka stopped her task and crossed over the room. "Honestly, that's what you get for having a sloppy lifestyle! If you need rest, sleep in your bed! If you are done reading a book, put them away properly!"
Ow, her yelling somehow made the headache worse. He simply winced out of reflex, but that ended up drawing a concerned look on Yuuka's face. Vash couldn't help but to smile an awkward one because of it. He didn't mean to come off as unreliable… I guess that's what I get for letting my guard down, aye…?
It had once been his habits to wake up 3 hours before dawn. Training himself, polishing his techniques, meditating on his ideal, listening to radio news while cooking breakfast and preparing his equipment before resuming his journey. All of that had once been necessary to him. He couldn't afford to fall from sickness, he couldn't permit his skills to grow rusty, and he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't regularly reflect on his main reason for traveling around. Over the past hundred and fifty years, over the ten thousand miles and leagues he must traverse through, over the countless bullets spent and tears he had spilled—all to bridge a connection between his kin and humanity.
Those sweet, tough days were now far behind him.
Now he got to relax. He got to live out his own life. He got to settle down, have a stable job with proper insurances, and spend his days without major worries. He had finally allowed himself to rest easy. No wonder he ended up dropping more than a few things from his daily schedule…
"Sorry about that." Vash yawned, scratched the back of his head, and rotated his stiff shoulder in one smooth motion. Yet another crick to his left limb made him rub his chin with three fingers, but… I could always ask Arona later. "Guess I overslept…?"
"More like burying yourself six inches under a mountain of books." Yuuka placed both of her hands on her waist and huffed in annoyance. "I can't believe you've been trawling through every existing technical books all this time… did you even sleep, sensei?"
"Ehhh… what time is it?" Vash squinted at the digital clock next to the television. One, zero, forty and… huh. Wow. Now that was a first, even for him. "It's almost afternoon?"
"Yes! You knocked yourself out, completely and totally!"
Oof, definitely my bad. He had relaxed too much. He didn't even get to eat breakfast, and where was the Shittim Chest…? Right, I left it in the faculty office last night.
Arona must be really upset by now. He did remember telling her to give him a shout, but he must have slept through like nobody's business. Just as he was wondering what to do with this mess, a nice aroma wafted by his nose. Slowly, the man with hairs that stood on all ends looked up; Yuuka was there with a pastel blue mug offered to him.
"Ohhh… this looks good." Vash blinked. "Chocolate milk?"
"Chocolate oatmeal drink, to be more precise. It's a good mood booster, and hearty."
Vash smiled in gratitude as he accepted the gift. It was indeed hot, hale and tasty. The drink went down his throat and warmed his empty stomach, but he had to stop himself from shoveling it down in gusto because it was a bit hot for his tongue. After he was done with the light breakfast, however…
"Thanks, Yuuka. Looks like I' kept on getting myself indebted to you."
A slight pink dusted the girl's cheeks. Her stern behavior cracked just like that, Yuuka getting flustered right away because of his words. It was real cute how could a person be this expressive, but then again… Kivotos. It really was a godsent that Vash somehow landed here of all places, though a part of his mind still wished to go back if only to finish what he had started.
"H-hmpfh. As long as you understand…" A lull dawned. The dark-haired girl with a black, solid-looking ring hovering above her head then coughed into her fist. "S-so, shall we start our work?"
Right, if I remember correctly… "Invoice about the ammo and medicine supply used to retake Schale's office building, right? Hang on, lemme wash up first—why do you look at me like that?"
"Err… I think, others will appreciate you being a bit less crass when it comes to personal hygiene, sensei…"
Oh, right. Kivotos. Modern city with modern sensibilities. Order had prevailed here, and local common sense had long moved past from the laws of the jungle. With a high moral compass came an improvement of quality to livelihood. Well, even without all that, talking about personal hygiene in front of a teenage girl would be… Hrrm, it sure is difficult to live like a properly civilized person.
Well, it was still not a bad thing. He could adapt, just like always. Before that, though—
"Don't try to peek on me, kay?" Vash halted his steps and popped out his head from behind the partition separating his bedroom with the living room. He saw the girl flinching, looking terribly flabbergasted as blood rushed all the way up to the crown of her head. Did she just…? "Oh ho, you naughty bra—gweh!?"
"Stop wasting my time already, you degenerate teacher!"
Don't throw books, either!
It was close to lunchtime. Washing up, dressing himself in his work uniform, and putting on a show in front of the full-length mirror might have been a bit much, but making himself presentable was common decency.
That said, he had used the starter budget for Schale to fill up his wardrobe. Loose and baggy clothes for relaxation, a set of dark-colored pants with varying levels of saturation, and a good number of warm color schemes for his top. He had chosen cheap, easy to wash and quick to dry fabric, but above all else, he didn't have to worry too much if they got stained during work outing. The digital assistant inhabiting his smart tablet had complained that he was taking the fun out of the shopping, but what else could he do? That one brand was just way too affordable for his wallet.
"Huh… that's quite a chic selection." In the faculty office, Yuuka's voice chimed in.
"Really? I just picked the most comfortable stuff I want to wear." Vash slightly pulled at the neck of his beige-colored sweater. The ID card hanging from his neck rattled slightly as he tilted his head. He didn't need to wear the official coat provided by Rin as he wasn't going out until today's work quota was done, so in reality, his outfit was leaning on the plain side for now. "Well, what do you think?"
"Hmm, the red coat was so eye-catching that the contrast is giving me a difficult time to judge fairly. Your current clothes do impress a tidy, warm look, though rather non-formal for the occasion, sensei." Pressing two fingers on her chin, the girl pondered on as she scrutinized him from head to toes. "...but the slippers are totally out."
Vash blinked. "Come again?"
"Out. Nope. The outfit is fine, but the slippers is a big minus."
Vash glanced down at the fluffy white slippers he was wearing. The motive stamped on them was that of a wide-eyed bird with beaks opened wide to reveal his toes which were wrapped in ashen gray socks. The bird looked weird as all heck, sure, but the slippers were comfortable enough for homewear, and the office was right above his flat. Why would he make his own life harder by wearing shoes everywhere he went to, especially in his own home?
"It makes you hard to take seriously! Sensei, are you trying to teach or are you just hanging around in the infirmary with that getup!?"
"Aww, you're making me blush." Infirmary teacher is said to be the one with the least amount of work, nice!
"It's not a compliment…!" Yuuka shouted, her pigtails already looking like they could move on their own to take a stand against gravity. The black ring hovering above her head even started to spin fast like a top. At his laughter, the girl pinched the bridge of her nose, seemingly fed up and done with his antics. "Ugh…! I can't believe you!"
"Now, now. How about we get started on working?" Vash walked to his desk, where a sleekly designed computer waited along with two monitors and a white tablet. He first picked up the Shittim Chest, unlocking it and seeing into the virtual box inside. The sight of a half-destroyed classroom dyed in blue instilled a melancholic mood in him, but that wasn't his priority right now. Arona was… well, she was sleeping in. He would have woken her up if not for the fact that the girl in light blue was grinding her teeth, murmuring gibberish all the while like no one's business. "Hrm. Oh, well. Manual labor it is."
He had already gotten the primers, anyway. Better let the diligent girl sleep in. Plus… it wouldn't be so bad to take a screenshot or two. Oh yes, also a video recording.
Khe khe ke, into the secret folder this goes!
"...sensei?"
"Nothing, nothing." Vash gave a shake of head before setting down the tablet again. He then picked up a stack of papers lying next to the second monitor. After giving it a once-over, the man handed them over to Yuuka. "Here's the related papers to the invoice."
"O-ohh…? I didn't think you've already prepared it… but this looks quite thick?"
The dark-eyed girl accepted the stack of documents with both of her hands. The way her gaze moved back and forth between the paperwork and to him certainly showed her intense curiosity in full display. Well, at least she looked eager to read through them. It might be that Yuuka was used to dealing with paperwork, or maybe it had to do with the fact that she had wasted a lot of time and just wanted to get on with business already by this point. Either way, Vash welcomed the enthusiasm.
"Yeah, well. It included repair bills for the damage caused by the delinquents to the surrounding block." The teacher sat down in the wheeled office chair. He then bent down to press the power button of the desktop computer, patting the amazingly convenient case containing the assortment of engine and processing devices a respectful pat as its fan hummed to life. "There's not much business going around in the city outskirts, but I got the idea after helping clean up all the junk and dangerous stuff from the streets and stores."
"...eh? You did what, sensei?"
"Even if you're used to shootouts, business isn't the kind of thing that can run without a level of public safety and conveniences, after all." Vash leaned back in his chair. After the monitors switched on, he quickly operated the keyboard and mouse deftly, giving his priority to the wordy documents and spreadsheets he had painstakingly written for the last few days. "Well, compensation for the damaged merchandise will be the toughest part, I think. Gotta reach out to the responsible suppliers and distributors, but that's totally beyond me. I also haven't been able to explore much of the city beyond the nearby autonomous districts."
"...pardon?"
"I mean, can't just waltz into a school ground. Everyone gets real cagey already when all I did was just memorizing street addresses." Vash huffed, though he realized that his lips remained stuck in a gentle smile. It wasn't all bad, heh. "But hey, public order looks to be improving by days. That sort of caused the office's inbox to get more requests, but I got a bunch of gifts in turn. The townspeople sure are generous, huh?"
Though they're incredibly, well… Talking bipedal animals made his brain shutdown. Cats, dogs, polar bears, and so on. Not even Knives could have anticipated a city like Kivotos where all kind of sentient lifeforms could be found walking down the streets, shopping grocery or even playing arcade games. Like, damn… The sight alone made me want to punch myself for feeling miserable.
"I… I don't even know where to start." That clunky response made him glance out, and from the corner of his eyes, he saw Yuuka walking in an unsteady step to the desk across of his. The girl ended up letting out a deep sigh full of resignation as she took a seat with a blue mug in hand. A faint aroma of cocoa milk wafted in the air. "You're adapting to Kivotos scarily fast, sensei…"
"Hah ha. So it's that? You pick things up the longer you live. Anybody can do the same as long as they're committed to it."
"The commitment part is the hardest task, I do believe…" Yuuka groaned, all the while picking up papers, pen, and her phone to place on her desk. "And it looks like you've been doing your study when it comes to handling paperwork. Is this part of the reason why there were so many technical books downstairs, sensei?"
Oh, she noticed that? Vash had already recognized that Yuuka was a quick-thinker and capable in spite of her mood swings, but it seemed that was not everything. She looked what… 16 or so? Even though she was still a teenager at the cusp of her youth, there was no denying her life skills which must have been tempered by experience. Once upon a time, scholars and students were said to be respected simply for being well-educated, but Kivotos took it up by another notch.
"Sensei?" Yuuka's voice rang out.
"Hmm, yeah. Knowledge is important, after all. There's also a bunch of things I still don't understand, so I had to learn the ropes all the more so." Vash already felt his smile stretching wide, but that didn't matter. He was just happy to see a good thing. "I mean, I've been thrust into a teaching position. At the very least, I want us to be on the same page… or am I being conceited?"
"Uhh… no. Not at all! I mean…" Yuuka hurriedly shook her head. "I'm sort of, glad to know that you're putting the efforts in. And it shows, from these papers. A lot of the data are straight from field surveys, so it's rather messy and raw in nature, but there are profiles as well as inputs from the affected citizens… The details make it easier to visualize the whole picture. It's… very refreshing, honestly."
Well, now. Off to a good start, then. Vash didn't really know for sure how the intricate technicalities worked out around here. Sure, he could just apply the knowledge he had been cramming into his head for the past week, but using half-baked techniques had the risks of making a complicated mess in the long run. That would be bad and not at all helpful to his assistant. If it was just going down on the streets and taking direct interviews from the locals, though? That… that, he could do with confidence.
"At least the basic is there," Yuuka added. Gradually, her lips curved into a pleasant smile, a graceful complement to her professional attitude. "We can improve efficiency later, but for now, I'm going to start with streamlining the raw data. Sensei, make sure you pay attention as we go through the process, okay?"
"Aren't you a cheeky one?" The adult chuckled, feeling like the teacher and student roles had been reversed. That wasn't such a bad thing, however. He was a beginner in this line of work, and Yuuka was accommodating to his pace. Everyone started somewhere, and here was his starting line. "Sure. Please be kind to me, Yuuka."
"There are times for kindness, and times for strictness. It's all a delicate matter of balancing act, sensei."
And yet, you're smiling all the way. Vash had a good feeling about this. Here, in this academy city of Kivotos. Maybe he really could achieve his long-cherished wish for a cushy, retirement life. Away from all the soul-crushing bloodshed and despair. Away from the constant struggles for survival and ideals. Away from the cycle of fighting and running away. Yeap, I've got a good feeling about this teaching job.
A/N: Phew. That took a while to write. Unfortunately, I got sick last week, so there hasn't been much progress.