FILE 11 - A Busy Day, Part 1
Thursday, 10th February, 2023
4:30 AM, Jamiroquai Park
A boy was spotted jogging briskly through the park, his breath visible in the cool morning air as he moved with purpose, pausing occasionally to stretch and complete his exercises.
His name? Billie Jackson. Student of Class 6-E. One of the school's most hard-working students, must make everything right on time and assist Jaycol Brown, his dad in handling Jamiroquai High School.
As he was doing his exercise, a voice called out to him from a distance. A girl's voice so clear and familiar.
"Hey, Billie! You sure do wake up so early."
Billie, catching his breath, turned toward the sound. A smile tugged at his lips as he recognized the figure approaching. "Oh, thanks for the compliment." He replied, still slightly winded. "Didn't expect to see you here too, Nanari."
Nanari Hayashi, a classmate of Billie in Class 6-E. She grew up in a wealthy family that cherished her education. She always tries her hardest at every subject and idolizes Billie, albeit also having concerns for him.
"Oh, I just couldn't sleep. Plus it's close to Saturday." The girl walked toward Billie as she spoke, "You're always so studious, may I ask how you do it?"
"You see! There's something I'd love to do, and that is training every day!" Billie replied to her.
"It's not the answer I was looking for... What you like is nice and healthy but..." Nanari hesitantly said, "You ought to lessen the strain on yourself, Billie."
"Oh, come on, it's not that bad-" Billie started to say, dismissing her worries with a grin. But as he pushed himself into another stretch, a loud, sickening crack filled the air.
His eyes widened in surprise as a sharp agony surged through his lower back, bringing him to his knees. As he gasped, his face conveyed anguish. He realized too late that he had pushed himself too far. His back had finally given up from the intense workout he'd been subjecting himself to.
"BILLIE!" Nanari's scream pierced the air as she rushed toward his side and picked him up, with him screaming from the back pain, "AGH!"
Nanari quickly scanned the park, realizing that getting him home would be difficult but necessary. She took a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm.
"Alright," She said softly, trying to keep calm, placing her hand gently on his back, "we're going to take it slow. I'll help you stand, but you have to lean on me, okay? No sudden movements."
Billie gritted his teeth and nodded. "Okay… I'll try."
Nanari positioned herself beside Billie, slipping his arm around her shoulders while she wrapped her arm securely around his waist. She could feel the tension in his muscles as he tried to bear the pain. Slowly, with great effort, she helped him rise to his feet.
The journey home was agonizingly slow. With every step, Nanari could feel Billie's pain, his grip tightening around her shoulder as they moved. She took care to keep his back as straight as possible, guiding him gently along the park's path.
Billie, his face pale and wincing with every jolt, began to voice his regret, his voice thick with guilt, "I'm sorry, Nanari... If I hadn't pushed myself so hard... You wouldn't have to be doing this."
Nanari could sense the weight of his words and the depth of his frustration. She glanced at him, her eyes softening with empathy. "Billie," She said gently, her voice carrying warmth and reassurance. "It's not your fault. You were just trying to push yourself, to be better. I know you didn't mean for any of this to happen."
"But still," Billie insisted, his voice trembling with a mix of pain and self-reproach, "I'm the one who's causing you all this trouble. I should've known better."
Nanari shook her head, her expression earnest. "Look, everyone makes mistakes. What matters is that you're getting the help you need now. We'll get through this together, alright? Just focus on taking care of yourself. That's all that matters right now."
Billie's grip on her shoulder eased slightly, his eyes reflecting both gratitude and pain. "Thank you, Nanari. I don't know how I'd manage without you."
"Like I said, however, you ought to stop straining your body too much..." Nanari said, "The same goes for the hall and class monitor duty. You don't need to do so much..."
After what felt like an eternity, Nanari finally managed to get Billie back to his home. They reached the front door, only to be greeted with the unexpected problem of it being locked.
"Hey, Billie, do you have the key on you?" Nanari asked, her voice strained as she maintained her grip on Billie.
"It's in my pocket..." Billie responded weakly, his voice full of pain.
Nanari's heart sank as she realized she couldn't reach his pocket with her arms occupied. She glanced at Billie, her expression a mix of determination and frustration. "Billie, close your eyes."
"Why?" Billie asked, puzzled but noticing the urgency in Nanari's tone.
"Please, just do it!" Nanari insisted firmly.
"Alright..." Billie closed his eyes, sensing the seriousness of the situation.
Nanari took a deep breath, focusing her thoughts. "｢Ants Marching｣." She muttered under her breath.
A green aura enveloped her, its intense glow casting eerie shadows around her. From this aura emerged a pair of mechanical ants, their sleek, metallic bodies glinting with electrical wire antennas twitching as they moved. They scurried down her shoulder, each one darting toward Billie's pockets, their tiny legs working in tandem.
'Ants Marching', a Colony Stand, belonging to Nanari Hayashi. They manifest as ants that can fuse to create new parts. They also have antennas to relay information to their users. The maximum amount that Nanari can send out is seven.
Billie flinched as he felt a peculiar sensation, something crawling and tickling him. "What is this thing crawling on me?!" He squirmed, trying to brush away the invisible pests.
Nanari, keeping her voice calm and light, tried to distract him. "Oh, it's probably just a fly. Nothing to worry about."
The pair of ants look up to her, before their antennas transmit some sort of signal to her, as if telling her something.
The keys were not in Billie's pockets. Panic surged through her. "Sh#t!" She muttered under her breath, her composure cracking for a moment.
"What's going on?!" Billie's voice trembled with confusion and concern as he noticed Nanari's growing distress.
Nanari quickly gathered herself, forcing a calm expression despite the swirling storm of anxiety inside her. "The key isn't in your pocket. Do you remember where you might have-"
Suddenly, a memory flashed in Nanari's mind. She remembered how the keys must have fallen from Billie's pocket when he gripped her. They had to be back at the park.
"Dammit!" She looked at Billie as her thoughts linger in her, "Thankfully, my Ants Marching... is the best for this!"
Without hesitation, she sent out four more ants from her side, which swiftly crawled down Billie's shoulder. Billie squirmed uncomfortably, trying to ignore the tickling sensation. "Oh my! This fly must be huge, swat it away for me!
"Don't worry, Billie," Nanari replied calmly, "It's gone already."
The four additional ants quickly merged with the two already on the move. They fused in a fluid motion, forming a dark ooze as a pair of wings and a bee-like stinger emerged from the amalgamation. Now equipped with enhanced capabilities, the pair of ants took off, their wings buzzing as they flew out of sight in search of the lost keys.
Billie opened his eyes, startled by the soft buzzing sound. "Guess you did swat it away," He remarked, his curiosity piqued.
"You should rest, Billie," Nanari said gently. "I've already asked someone to retrieve the keys."
"Who?" Billie asked her but was soon distracted by their conversation. "By the way, what's your favorite sport?"
"Oh, it's basketball." Billie replied with a smile.
As they chatted, the ants continued their search. After a tense few minutes, the buzzing intensified, signaling that the ants had found the keys. Using their antennae, they sent a signal to Nanari. Soon, the keys were dropped neatly at her feet.
"Oh, hey, the key was here the whole time!" Nanari exclaimed as she picked it up. However, just then, Billie, still unaware of the full situation, reached out and swatted at one of the ants buzzing around her.
The tiny insect crumbled into dust upon impact, and Nanari's face went pale as her nose began to bleed profusely.
"Nanari!" Billie's eyes widened in alarm as he saw the blood. "Are you okay?"
"Oh, um…" Nanari stammered, trying to calm him. She turned her head slightly, attempting to mask her discomfort. As she did, the remaining ant, which had been hovering in the air, de-manifested. Its wings and stinger reformed into two separate ants before vanishing completely.
"It's nothing, Billie…" Nanari said softly, forcing a reassuring smile despite the pain and the blood dripping from her nose.
'Ants Marching' suffers from a significant weakness: when an ant is destroyed, Nanari experiences a nosebleed. The intensity of the bleeding increases if a fused ant is killed. If all seven ants are destroyed, Nanari risks falling into a coma, leaving her incapacitated until they can be resummoned. The downtime for an ant to be restored is 10 minutes.
She carefully opened the door, maneuvering him towards the sofa. She began to massage his aching back.
"Ahhh..." Billie sighed in relief. "Thanks for this, Nanari."
"Don't sweat it!" Nanari continued, her hands working their magic.
Just then, Jaycol Brown, Billie's dad, and the school principal were going down the stairs, struggling to keep his eyes open from the commotion. He squinted at the scene before him, clearly baffled. "Son?"
"Oh hey, Dad," Billie responded, trying to sound casual. "You should probably go back to sleep..."
Nanari and Billie exchanged sheepish glances.
Jaycol's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, his dad is the principal?!" Nanari thought, her internal panic rising, but she maintained her composure. "Nice to meet you... I'm Nanari Hayashi-"
Before she could finish, Jaycol interrupted, grinning widely. "Oh my! You've got yourself a girlfriend?!"
"I-I..." Nanari stammered, caught off guard and unsure of how to respond.
"No, Dad... She's just a friend..." Billie protested, his face turning red.
"I see," Jaycol said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he watched Nanari's attentive massage. "You're being cared for, how sweet. Looks like you don't need to go to school today."
"What?!" Billie's eyes widened in shock. Going to school was his lifeline, his duty to keep everything in check. "Dad..."
Jaycol chuckled. "You don't need to push yourself so hard, son. She seems like a keeper. Why don't you let her be my assistant today while you take it easy?"
Nanari's eyes widened in surprise. "Assistant?!" She thought, trying to hide her astonishment.
Billie groaned, sinking deeper into the sofa. "Seriously, Dad?"
Jaycol patted Billie on the shoulder before heading back upstairs. "Yep. Enjoy your break, kiddo."
Afterward, Nanari flushed profusely. Billie noticed and asked, "Are you okay, Nanari?"
"I'm fine..." She stuttered.
In reality, she was overwhelmed by the thought of stepping into Billie's shoes as Jaycol's assistant. The pressure was mounting, and she was struggling to keep her composure.
"Oh, don't worry..." Billie said, attempting to reassure her. "But you don't have to do it..." He tried to get up, wincing in pain. "Agh!"
Nanari gently guided him back down. "There, there... I can handle it, Billie."
"Hmmm..." Billie looked at her, "Okay fine, maybe I need a break... But don't be afraid to give me a call if you need help."
"I'll be fine!" Nanari flushed harder. "You should take this break, you deserve it."
Billie held back his chuckle and replied, "Alrighty then."
After massaging Billie, she went back to her house at 5:36 AM, preparing for school.
She slumped into her bed sheet, tired from what happened. She looked at her brother sleeping and all of her stress went away.
Stand Info:
『Stand Name』- Ants Marching
『Stand User』- Nanari Hayashi
Stats:
Power - E | Speed - B | Range - A
Durability - B | Precision - D | Potential - A
Nanari was now to be the right hand of Jaycol in handling the school just for today, but how would she do it and what challenges could await her?!
TO BE CONTINUED IN
FILE 12 - A Busy Day, Part 2