Answering Machine

"Hi daddy, this is…a recording I think. You're busy teaching, but I just wanted to say hi and I love you! Bye!"

"Daddy, when are you coming home? I'm hungry."

"Hey daddy, is school scary? What is school like? Is school scary? What if I don't like the teacher? Why can't you be my teacher daddy? Daddy, I don't want to go to school."

"Hey daddy, I thought about it. I guess you're right. We're supposed to go do hard things because they are hard and they help us grow, right? So I should go to school because it's a hard thing and it will help me grow. Sigh Can you give me a hug before I go to school?"

"Daddy, daddy! School was awesome! There's so many things to do and I even made a friend! Her name is Yukino and she's got these cool fox ears! I think it's super fluffy. I wanna go touch them."

"Hi Mr. Ao, we regret to inform you that your daughter was shot trying to harass another student. Thankfully it was a lower caliber handgun, so she was only out for a few minutes, but if you find a bruise on your daughter's forehead, that's why."

"Yukino shot me daddy. It hurt a super duper ooper lot! I don't get it. All I wanted to do was touch her fluffy ears. Why did she have to shoot me? Well if it's a fight she wants, then it's a fight she'll get."

"Hi Mr. Ao, we regret to inform you that your daughter is in detention for shooting another classmate. We would like to know if you gave your daughter the 12 gauge shotgun used in the firefight. Also we would request to meet with you personally to go over respecting personal boundaries."

"Mou, Yukino won't see things my way, dad? She's really a stupid idiot!"

"…I…told Yukino I was sorry. I…I was wrong. You think she would forgive me?"

"Hey dad, I got an invitation to join the General Student Council! Isn't that amazing! Imagine me, in those sleek white uniforms, a member of the most respected academy in Kivitos!"

"…hey dad…what if I don't want to go to the General Student Council? None of my friends will be there…and everyone will be depending on me there and if I even make one mistake then it's all over. And I'll have to worry about politics, factions, supporters, and so many other things! And who'd want to be friends with someone like me?"

"Hey dad, I just made my first friend here! This is Rinny! Say hi Rinny. (Do I have to?) Of course you do! Rinny, this is my dad. Isn't she the coolest?"

"Dad, why is paperwork so hard? You made it look so easy! And Rin makes it look so easy. *groans* I just want to go back to Abydos with everyone else. I hear Senpai got a cute new Kohai to dote on and they're preparing for the Oasis Festival. Is it wrong to want to go back?"

"Hey dad, what if I told you…that I'm being nominated for…Student Council President? That's ridiculous, right? I'm like, the literal worst person for the job. I should just turn it all down. But sometimes I wonder, what if I say yes?"

"So…I guess I took a page out of your book. I actually tried to put my 100% into something. I guess it worked. I know Shiatori City is kinda far, but if you could make it to my inauguration ceremony dad, I'd appreciate it. I'm going to become the next Student Council President."

"Why is this job so hard!? Ghenna and Trinity are at each other's teeth! Red Winter is always on the verge of another coup. Millennium is full of nerds with no social abilities. Hyakkiako's obsessed with this one cute little girl who makes haiku. And Shanhaijing just slurps noodles! Wah! Rinny is trying to help me, but she keeps me from running away. I want to go camping with Yukino! But Rinny says that the General Student Council President must maintain decorum. So I can't just hang out with anyone. What should I do dad?"

"Dad, something's up. Abydos isn't getting better and there's something deeper going on over there. I know you're retired and all, but if you could keep an eye on it, I'd appreciate it."

"Senpai is…daddy, senpai is gone. Abydos is falling and we don't even know how. Yukino is freaking out and is pulling out her girls from the academy. I feel so helpless. I want so badly to send aid and support to Abydos, but everywhere I look I find red tape and restrictions. I don't know what to do. What should I do dad?"

"Hey dad, I know it's been a while. Sorry. I took your advice. I sought counsel from other department heads. I met with Yukino and her girls and talked things through with them. I spent countless evenings with Rinny brainstorming. And we've got the solution. I'm putting together a special task force separate from Valkyrie. They'll be answering and working directly under me, with the authority to carry out operations throughout Kivotos. I'm calling it the Special Response Team. Which is where I need your help dad. Yukino and her girls will be starting up the academy, but what they need is a teacher who has the experience to train special forces. I know you're retired but if you could at least help them get things started, that would mean the world to me."

"Hey dad, just wanted to thank you for all your help. Yukino and her girls just put away one of the most dangerous criminals in Kivotos. With the Fox of Calamity behind bars, all of Kivotos can sleep safely. And they couldn't have done it without your training and guidance. Thanks so much dad! I'm glad that founding SRT was the right decision to make."

"I've finally had enough with this stupidity from Gehenna and Trinity. It's chaos this, cakeroll that! We're going to get them to finally make up. I'll force them to sit down in a room with me and they can't leave until they agree to a peace treaty! It's genius! I'll call it the Eden Peace Treaty because once they shut up, I'll finally enjoy paradise! Don't you think, dad?"

"Hey dad. Do you think I made the right choice? To abandon Abydos? To leave Senpai and her girls on their own? Yukino wants to give Senpai her justice. She thinks that Kaiser Corporation is behind everything. And honestly, part of me wants to believe her. Part of me wants to let her loose on Kaiser and dig up all their dirty secrets. I mean, we already exposed that they had illegal warheads in their factories. What more could we find? And yet, part of me is afraid to find out. Yukino found evidence linking Kaiser's corruption back to the General Student Council. Which means that even parts of the very organization I lead could be compromised. I'm scared, dad. What happens if I keep digging? I need your advice."

"Hey dad, so I made a choice. Yukino and I are going to keep digging. It's as you said. Justice is about preserving truth. We need to find the truth, even if it ends up dragging me and my office through the filth. I don't know what we'll find in this but even so, will you still be proud of me, dad? If I get fired from the General Student Council, if everyone hates me for what I'm about to do, if all of Kivotos descends into chaos because of my actions, will you still stay with me and hold me tight? I have a feeling you still would. Which is why I have no regrets with what I'm about to do."

"Dad, I don't have much time left. Something…big is going and I can't explain over the phone. This is bigger than Kaiser, it's bigger than a few academies, heck, it's bigger than the General Student Council. I fear we're in over our heads. But we're way too deep to get out and I fear the worst. I need people who I can trust implicitly to finish what we've started. And the only person who I fully trust with this is you dad. I'm creating a special extrajudicial club to operate autonomously outside the jurisdictions of the D.U. and the Academies. Basically like SRT but with a focus on temporarily recruiting students from within their own academies instead of outright recruitment. And I'm putting you as the head. You're a former teacher and your years of experience as a mercenary and trainer. And you're kind, supportive, and compassionate. Those two combined make you the perfect candidate for the job. So please dad, will you be Kivoto's Sensei for them, for me?"

Beep!

"You have zero unread messages. Do you wish to delete these messages?"

Sensei shook his head. "No, do not delete."

Beep!

A tear trailed down his wrinkled cheeks as he put the old machine away. "Haru…just…call one more time ok? Just one more time please? Let your old man know you're out there. Somehow."