The chatter filling the air differed somewhat, today. Lacking discussions on how to resolve massive debt while toeing the lines, bursts of simple talks instead scattered across scratching pen and fluttering pages. Shiroko pursed her lips, pondering over the problem she had been stuck at until now.
"Nn. So if you use this formula, and then move this variable here…" Black and blue pupils stared unblinking at the rows of numbers and symbols she had written on her notebook to solve the riddle. The tip of her pen rapped against one section before hovering over to another side, then going to the empty space to draw an answer. "Ooh. I got it."
"Yeap. That's how you do it for this question." Nonomi beamed from the next seat to hers, her classmate cheering and applauding her effort. "It can make your eyes go round and round, isn't it? The trick is to isolate this section before going over the others."
Shiroko tilted her head, comprehension slowly dawning on her. "Nn. Thanks, Nonomi. Your approach saves a lot of time. Hoshino-senpai is too much of an eccentric, so it's hard to follow her direction."
At the gasp of mock-disbelief from the head of the table, two pairs of eyes stared down at the light pink hair placidly. Hoshino's dejected groan was nothing short of silly-sounding, and the third-year flopped her head onto the table; the big cowlick on her head wilting like a dehydrated plant.
"Aww, the juniors are all bullying little ole me…" Hoshino weakly protested.
"That's what you get for going completely abstract in solving math problem." And the unexpected follow-up came from right behind her. The butt of a marker pinned between two fingers rapped against the back of Hoshino's head, forcing her to lift her head once again just to see a smug-looking adult. "Don't put your cheek on that notebook, by the way. You'll get the inks smeared on your face. Now, let's keep going, girls."
A chorus of varying energy replied back. However, none of them were unenthusiastic. It made Shiroko's lips to express an even wider smile than before.
Arithmetic for first period was truthfully unfortunate. Shiroko and the others had woken up not so well-rested, and whether or not it had to do with the incident last night? One could only wonder. Still, she managed to follow the lecture just fine, and the teacher had much fewer stutters than before. Of course, theories without practical application was useless to her, but Vash taught the class in a rather… unorthodox way.
Pop quizzes. Limited-time questions. He also presented a problem modeled after real-life cases where an application of mathematics formula could be applied to resolve them.
The last one tended to be incredibly specific and simplified to put better focus on the main lectures of the day. Still, Shiroko couldn't say she didn't like it. In her eyes, Vash's earnestness shone bright through his due diligence. As such, she felt exceedingly happier as a result. Why?
Because our school never had a faculty member, perhaps…
Abydos was impoverished, greatly sinking in debt, and with nothing to really show off beyond its name. Shiroko only heard a few things, like it being formerly a greater and bigger place than now, but she only knew the school ground and this clubroom. She didn't really know much about the world, had yet to live a proper life if at all, and she thought that she was still at the starting line compared to the rest.
It feels kind of lonely, and distant, at times… Her progress was slower than others, but it was okay. Though her memories dated back only to a year ago, she was now in a much better place. Far from the clutches of hunger, loneliness, and cold. I'm doing fine, and things will get better from now on.
It was okay. She had juniors she could dote on. She had a classmate she could exchange opinions with. She also had a senior to look up to and a teacher to learn under.
This school life of hers was becoming complete. Even with debts and violence to settle, her life was becoming fulfilled on its own. Maybe… just maybe—
"Sensei, do we… really need to learn ballistic and dynamic of firearm that deep?" Serika raised a hand. Her question drew Shiroko's mind back to the present time, perhaps finding that the math lesson had grown beyond her scope. "Not that I'm complaining. It's just… isn't it good enough if we keep it precise enough, like six out of ten?"
"It's best to have as many cards as you can have." Vash turned his back on the class, sliding horizontally to reach for a whiteboard eraser. "The more things you learn, the more things you can do. Knowledge, like gun, have the innate capability to even the field, and there's no hurting it if you can see the world more."
Was that truly the case? Shiroko tilted her head, absorbing the adult's words as a past recollection came to mind. Those violent outlaws, the bounties she and her friends had captured, the new enemies from yesterday. They all seemed to grasp complex knowledge to an extent, yet they chose to bully her school for paychecks.
"But," Shiroko rolled words away through her lips. A question formed, entirely revolving around that troubling fact. "Knowledge isn't all good, right?"
"Hmm, yeah. That's also true." The teacher continued to write on the freshly emptied area of the whiteboard. A distinct scent recognizable to be coming from recently purchased dry-erase markers permeated the air, yet Shiroko focused more on how he didn't necessarily deny her statement. "If you've ever heard of a phrase about medicine, dosage and poison, that's your horizon there. That's what I'd like to believe when it comes to it."
Makes sense as any… "Nn. Then, there's nothing wrong, then. None whatsoever."
Shiroko felt a half-lidded glare full of suspicions sent from across the joined table, but she decided to persistently look ahead. Yes, it wasn't like she was going to commit this lesson for anything criminal. Robbing banks required more efforts than mere tactical positioning and good judgment on the trigger… but wait, couldn't she also use math to unlock bank safes faster?
"...oof, why do I suddenly feel a chill on my back?" The teacher shuddered, rubbing his shoulders as he glanced around in discomfort.
Right… it might be better not to be blunt about it. She could spin a question about serial numbers and probability problem examples… The fact that they happened to match the latest model or one letter away from an actual bank safe were purely coincidental. With that mindset in mind, Shiroko pulled down the notepad hidden beneath the notebook, jotting down several ideas quickly before returning it back in place.
It'd be too obvious if she added notes like these in her regular notebook. As a matter of fact, she had gotten caught red-handed because of that, so—oh, come to think of it…?
The ashen-haired girl stared down at her upperclassman. Once again, the pink-haired girl had begun to doze off, face resting on folded arms. A quiet snore leaked out times and again, seemingly to indicate her sink into the land of dreams. The pillow she'd often take out for napping had been confiscated before class started in earnest, and the teacher occasionally passed by to knock on her head like ringing a doorbell. As a result, Hoshino would weakly grumble back to awareness, but something felt a bit different this time.
Hmm, what's that again? Serika was often the one who'd chew out Hoshino for being a slacker, but it was math period right now. The cat-eared junior was the most enthusiastic when following lessons that involved her specialty. Coincidences might have played parts in letting this situation come to form. I guess it's normal for her to stay unchecked like this, but…
"Nn. As expected." As the class progressed, Shiroko leaned forward to sneak a glance at the head of the table. On the notebook left open there, hardly anything about the lessons had been written down. "Senpai. Hoshino-senpai?"
Calling her out did not work. However, the eye-like pinkish halo did not seem to dim away, shrink, or fade into nothingness. Reaching to a conclusion, Shiroko picked up an eraser—
"Ow! Ah, wah!?" Hoshino yelped, suddenly getting up and glancing around in shock. Even though the eraser bounced off her head and soared to the ceiling, she didn't even seem to notice as it fell behind her. "Huh… what was that—"
"Yeah. Looks like senpai isn't paying attention."
A sound akin to a choked gurgle exited the top of Hoshino's lungs. Standing still like a deer caught in the headlights, all eyes now focused on her; that included the teacher's.
"Uhhh…" The blue and yellow eyes darted around, far too obviously doing their very best to search for an avenue to escape. "Aah… uhehe…? Guess I fell asleep again…?"
Shiroko raised an eyebrow. Even for an attempt on deflection, that was far too lousy, coming from Hoshino of all people. "Senpai, are you feeling unwell? Do you have a stomachache? A migraine? Is it peri—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Senpai, that's forbidden! Stopstopstop!"
Shiroko clamped her lips shut, unable to say something in the face of an incessant but increasingly panicked Serika. The dark-haired and twintailed girl screamed out gibberish words as her face turned extremely beet red. The way she flailed her arms around felt like a small animal's aggressive posture to intimidate a creature it had deemed to be superior to it; Shiroko couldn't help but feel somewhat flustered. She didn't know what to do when Serika was being this desperate—
"Ah… ehehe… guess I didn't get caught, after all—yeowch."
Vash snorted, drawing the manual book away from Hoshino's head. "No, you're caught completely red-handed, you brat. I'll give you extra homework if you want to be held back that badly."
"Eeeh!? No way~…!"
"Yes way. Now, sit back down, Hoshino."
"Uuuu… sensei is such a mean adult…"
...nn, looks like that's all I can get out.
Hoshino sat back down, the adult walked by her, and the short interruption to the class gradually died down. Order prevailed, the flow returning back to normal as if nothing had happened in the first place. It seemed Shiroko's worries turned to be an unfounded one, though maybe it couldn't be helped?
It's just a feeling I had, and my instinct is pretty sharp when it's about this stuff…
Not that she fully understood the principle behind it. Well, she might have been a tad bit insensitive, or overly insensitive? Jumping the gun like that must be a mis—
Nn, wait… Nonomi…? Shiroko didn't dare to presume things. She felt much better from deducing and calculating an answer based on empirical evidences instead of anything circumstantial. However, she still had a certain feeling. Her gut tended to be right at times, so she silently followed her classmate's blank gaze. There… it settled on a certain place in the clubroom. Hoshino-senpai, and… sensei?
She felt like she had seen that look before. Why now after all this time, though?
Koonkooon—the small anachronistic clock rang. Resting on the table with an unassuming look to it, the old brown wood forming its overall shape had started to fall apart from times and sands, while the silver pendulum rhythmically swung back-and-forth. Glancing at the vintage contraption he had found in the corner of the school warehouse, the clock hands pointed to a quarter-to-one.
"Hmh… guess break time is almost over, huh?" Vash's plain murmuring faded into the void, left unheard to all but one.
[Ah. That's a nice sound] a holographic projection then emerged, Arona's inquisitive blue eye gazing at the anachronistic clock before she turned around. [Sensei, have you had lunch yet, or are you still grading papers?]
Though smiling at leisure, Vash shrugged at his assistant's question and nudged with his chin the scattered papers on an empty desk nearby. He didn't feel alerted from Arona's sudden appearance, as he was the sole person occupying this empty classroom. It was located in the wing opposite to where the Foreclosure's clubroom was situated in; made for a good place as any to grade assignments without interruptions.
Well, it was also for his students' sake. Too much interferences and he'd be seen as a nosy guy; would rather not have that if possible.
Having noticed that he didn't have the leisure to grab lunch, Arona bitterly smiled, her eyebrow lowering in a slanted way. [You're so hard-working, sensei. But, it's also the first time I've seen you teaching.]
Vash raised an eyebrow. "What does that even mean?"
[Heh he~… I only knew as much as I heard. Don't worry about it!] Arona's smile was rather impish. It was likely that she was messing around with him, but her mood quickly swung into other extreme as she suddenly furrowed her eyebrows together. [Speaking of which! Sensei, you've been doing nothing but work and work without consulting me! I mean, you could've woken me up back when you got kidnapped, pun-pun!]
What does pun-pun even mean… Strange wording aside, Vash rubbed the space between his lips and nose. Come to think of it, he still wasn't using the technological facilities provided by the city for much. That included the Shittim Chest, meaning Arona as well by extension. He honestly couldn't help it since it was rare to live surrounded by high-tech marvels all the time. Still, I guess I've been giving this girl a cold shoulder, huh…?
"My bad, Arona." Vash put away the papers. Properly facing the digital assistant projected from the Shittim Chest, he smiled apologetically. "You've been lonely, huh?"
[W-well! Of course I am! I mean] Arona stammered. Suddenly looking flustered, her eyes darted around while red dyed her ears. As well, there was her halo chaotically shifting in color and shape—something which he had never seen even among the many students he had come across to. It made for a fascinating observation. [It's… it just feels like sensei is already doing everything by himself, so now I don't have anything important to do…]
...yep, she's lonely. He was definitely at fault, then. Vash moved his hand, reaching out to the crown of Arona's head—only for it to touch nothing. Ahh, right…
[Sensei?] The blue-haired child tilted her head.
"Oh, sorry. Sorry, sorry." Concealing his inner turmoil, Vash smiled. Free from worries, it was something he ended up doing due to so many reasons. He himself wouldn't even know where to begin with if he chose to chat about it. Too much of a hassle. "I'm a bit old-fashioned, so I tend to do things manually. Hands-on approach, you know?"
[Ohh… yeah, that's true enough.] Arona giggled, a little embarrassed as if she didn't think of that. Now he felt guilty. Did he just accidentally lure her away to reach a mistaken conclusion? [I heard your home is similar to Abydos, though?]
"Close, but no cigars." Vash paused, staring at the confused Arona. Did… did that phrase not exist here—no, wait. Of course it didn't. He had never seen any of the kids smoking here, so why would they even know that kind of phrase? Clearing his throat, the man tried his best to save some face. "Right, well. It's similar, but not the same."
How should I put it…? Though he had lived a very long and fulfilling life, that did not mean he was any better than anybody else. He was just a simple gunman, and that was all there was to it. The troves of wisdom he had gathered, the odd jobs he chose to do, and the techniques he had to master at some points. All of them are mere byproducts to my endless wandering…
"Let's just say that Abydos is still better off compared to my homeland."
[...is that even possible?]
Vash gravely nodded. Staring through the windows with an unblinking gaze, the sun-baked sports field had created a shimmering but extremely faint heat haze. Similar, but not at all the same, indeed.
"There's still green patches and water around. Gas, electricity, wind turbines, raw materials, never mind rainy weather and four seasons." The more he thought about it, the more he felt spoiled for choices. "Nothing is too tough to overcome, and nothing is stretched so thin you can only hope for a silver lining. The money problem is a real snag, but we're not at all backed to the corner."
In a way, Abydos was akin to an oasis. Though it might seem like the edge of civilization, it was still able to sustain itself. People didn't have to be extremely on guard over the person sitting next to them, and venturing into the wasteland was never something that had to be done for a chance to survive. Kivotos was a rich and blessed land, one that he was almost envious over.
[...sensei, what kind of place did you come from?]
"Heh… hard to picture, isn't it?" That was fine, though. He didn't want to delve too deeply into his memories. To look back and reflect on the past was fine by itself, but standing rooted in the present because of that was the wrong thing to do. It was much better to aim for a brighter future. "In any case, we're still not out of the fight."
Not yet. Not even close. The real fight had yet to begin, and he could already see some tangled threads beginning to unravel after the past few days. Aru's words helped out a great deal in assisting his investigation to comb for the right things.
Too bad that now is not the time for that. "Here you go, Arona. If you can help with the corrections, please look over these ones."
[Hmm? Oh, I see! Alright, then!] Arona took a seat to look over the papers set on the empty desk. [This is a piece of cake for super AI Arona!]
Vash smiled softly at that overwhelming display of confidence. Just where did it even come from? Well, she was an artificial intelligence entirely capable of exhibiting human emotions and thinking like a human. Checking over the calculations ought to be well within her area of expertise… surely.
"Right, right. You just need to look for wrong calculations or strange numbers."
[Aye aye, sir!] Shortly after, another giggle broke out. [Heh he… this feels new. I don't need to grade them, but I can point out mistakes for correction. Is this how it felt?]
She certainly sounded like she was having a lot of fun. The assignment papers came from three different grades, but Vash had a feeling that the only tough one would be a certain pink-haired girl's papers. That one in particular didn't even bother drawing up the standard formulas to write out the answers. Free-styled and free-wheeled, she marched to the beat of her own drums, although from what he had just seen earlier…
I probably have to check on her, Vash decided. Between sooner or later, the sooner was likely for the better. She was a third-year highschool student, yet her stature and physical strength felt utterly mismatched. Of course, he trusted his instincts when it came to delicate matters like someone's character, but Takanashi Hoshino was more or less an incredibly tough nut to case, a finely delicate flower to peel, and whatever else that could be attributed to a person of such character… Yeah, definitely gonna have to talk with her.
Maybe this weekend. He couldn't be sure just yet, and it was barely a day after she started to look a little dispirited. Considering the timing—rrringringring!—hm?
[Ababahh!? Oh… there's a mail!] Arona immediately stood off from her seat, blinking in and out of existence only to suddenly loom over the Shittim Chest. Soon after, she drew out a huge flat board shaped like an envelope out of the aether. [Sensei, look at this! A message, a mail! It's a mail and it's got the Sanctum Tower seal on it!]
"Sanctum tower…?" Oh no, please don't tell me—
[It's from Rin-san!]
…
...Vash looked up to the ceiling. It looked dusted, yellowed on some corners, and age had eaten at its surface. He then slowly looked down at the small pendulum clock, to the papers he still had yet to finish grading, and then back to Arona. Why was it that time quickly flew now that he had nothing to do? No, wait, never mind that…
"...what does it say?" The adult asked, no small amount of trepidation dripping down his voice into the tiny cracks on the dust-covered floor.
[We will have a talk after this—so it says!]
Vash felt his spirit wilting. Never mind the tightening work schedule. His superior seemed to have declared open season over his ass once this little excursion was over…
Time passed, and long before anybody noticed, it was already deep into the evening. To tell the truth, Okusora Ayane felt as if today had flown away like no other.
It felt as if only an hour had passed ever since she bade farewell to her friends and teacher at the school gate. Without part-time work to do, and no real task to accomplish in her capacity as the Foreclosure Taskforce's secretary, the girl had drawn a beeline straight to her home. Well, it was technically a student dormitory.
She herself couldn't afford a residence. Not only would that involve buying a plot of land and dealing with property tax, Ayane doubted the idea of managing household chores without tiring herself out halfway through. That would leave not even a decent amount of free time for her to work out a method to resolve her school's debt, never mind the terrifying thought of living by her lonesome. Well… living in a dormitory was not much different, what with the number of people currently attending Abydos, but the grounds she had to cover here were far better fitted in her comfort zone.
It feels odd to know that we still have several dormitory buildings that are part of the school's property, but perhaps it's a blessing-in-disguise.
Everyone had their own preferred lifestyle and comfort zone. Shiroko lived the farthest away from school, but her active daily habits allowed her to make full use of that troublesome distance. She would often inform the others to exercise with her, biking on the weekend and sharing pictures on Momotalk about places and stores she had personally visited. Sometimes, she posted food or miscellaneous things, too. The ashen-haired girl was older than her by a year, yet her outgoing lifestyle enabled her to discover new things everyday; Ayane felt a little jealous since she didn't have what it took to follow her senior's footsteps.
Well, what can you do, then? Smiling a tepid smile, the first-year student leaned back in her chair as she craned her stiff neck. Aah, I need to be careful about my posture.
Working on a homework uninterrupted like this was rare. Well—maybe not the right word for it. It was a refreshing and exhilarating nostalgia to her. Even though it hadn't been such a long time ever since her enrolment, Ayane found herself missing the taste of simply studying and putting her all in working on assignments. Furthermore, the problems she had to solve this time were designed after the lessons she had received earlier today. Carefully penning down the answer, she glanced at the textbook for a brief comparison.
Yes, this isn't anything like back then.
Having a teacher was already one thing, yet he had gone so far as imparting knowledge and providing a suitable challenge for her to overcome. Murmuring his name with no small amount of admiration, the dark-haired girl then propped her elbow on the study desk and rested her cheek on her hand. The dim yellow lighting provided by her desk lamp allowed her to concentrate without hurting her vision—and now she was about done with her homework.
Rrringringriiing—beep. Ayane reflexively glanced to the far side of her desk, catching her smartphone's jolt and automatic move to answer a sudden call this late. However, the girl already knew that only a select few were in her speed dial. Softly smiling, she greeted the enthusiastic voice coming from the other end of the phone call.
"Hey," Ayane said. "Good evening, Serika-chan. What's wrong?"
[Oh, yeah. Evening, there!] The faint sizzling sound in the background seemed to point that her classmate was cooking. Hopefully nothing too oily… [Just gotta let this hang on for a few minutes with a lid on… okay!]
And the sizzling noise grew subdued. Ayane tilted her head as a sudden silence dawned forth, though it also didn't last long.
[Right. So… Ayane, you doing alright with the homework?]
Ah, there's the usual Serika-chan. "Mmhm. I'm about done. Mostly."
[Nice! If you've got any question, feel free to ask! Math is my homefield.] Serika hummed, seemingly to think on something. [Guess the questions are actually decently made, then. I'm not always sure if everyone gets it.]
"Yeah, that's true…" Thoughts of the state of Abydos being three highschool grades mashed up in one space came to mind. Ayane then tutted, flipping around her mechanical pencil and tapping the butt of it against the desk. Sometimes, she herself ended up learning second-year lessons, and there were also times where she had nobody but herself to turn to, being forced to do self-study due to the absence of faculty staff. In a way, Vash's arrival was a great boon to have. "Do you think everyone's learning a lot from today's class?"
Looking to the side, she could see the moon hanging far and high in the night sky; a nice and clear weather. Tomorrow forecast would likely be clear as well.
[Shiroko-senpai is a mystery, but I'm sure Nonomi-senpai will do well. Let's just hope Hoshino-senpai isn't being a slacker again… it'd be a terrible waste, otherwise.]
A waste… is it? Her friend's wording implied a certain shift of direction—or perhaps mindset in this case. "Heh he. Serika-chan, are you seeing sensei in a different light?"
Serika sputtered. [W-what?! Where did that—ugh… Ayane-chan, not you too…]
"But isn't it a good thing? Vash-sensei has been nothing but helpful to us." Arara, guess she's being shy… well, good thing that it's only the two of us are here, then.
[He still sucks at teaching] Serika pouted. In any other circumstance, Ayane would have half the mind to chide her, but her friend's words lacked real heat in them. [...do I sound like a total weirdo, then?]
Ayane smiled. Softly, gently, and accepting. That vulnerable side her friend would show only in times and places where she did not have to be so hard with her responsibility as a student of Abydos… it was still something so precious and endearing.
"No," the glasses-wearing girl said. Though shaking her head did nothing as she was on a phone call, it didn't matter. "Not at all. It's just… I'm happy, Serika-chan. You know, things have started looking up as of recently, right?"
[Hah…? Where did that even come from…?] As a brief silence passed, a sigh could be heard from the other side. [Oh. Guess you've been worrying a lot, huh…? You're such a worrywart, Ayane-chan.]
Ayane twisted the corners of her lips downward a little. Getting found out like this was a bit embarrassing, but Ayane knew deep down. She and Serika had known each other the longest, their bonds having gone way back. How many years had it been…?
"It's not a big deal, though."
[No, no… not like that. It got pretty nerve-wracking at some points lately, so it must have felt way worse for you.] Serika sounded apologetic by now. In fact, she was most likely trying to find the right way to tackle the issue at hands. Somehow, Ayane felt a little sorry for this turn of event. This was supposed to be nothing but a casual chat before bedtime. [Sorry for making you constantly worried, Ayane-chan.]
"Heh he… I don't think there's any reason to be sorry about." And that was true. It was her most sincere feeling and thought about the matter.
[Yeah, well. That doesn't mean it's right to ignore your feeling like that. I mean…] As something clicked, the sizzling sound gradually quieted down. There was a lull in the moment, as a result. Perhaps not a profound one, but still noticeable enough for the two of them to absorb in the meantime. [Having anybody left out doesn't sit well to me. I bet senpai thinks the same. And the teach… well, he'd definitely do his own thing. That guy has too much energy not to try something.]
Isn't your treatment of sensei swinging between two extremes…?
[Anyway!] Serika cleared her throat. [It's not good if we leave things be for too long, so let's get back on track. Maybe in a couple days or three.]
"Right… thank you, Serika-chan." Ayane's smile warmed. Really, she felt spoiled for having such a good friend like her. "I do have a few things ready, but that can wait."
[Mhmm. Feel free to ring me up when you're ready. Whenever, however.] Serika's words brought to mind her smile. Carefree, confident, and cheerful. [We're all in this together, so let's do our best, Ayane-chan.]
"Un! Thank you, Serika-chan!"
Quietly. Like trickling sands in an hourglass, particles fluttered up and down, dancing beneath the moonshine. With none the wiser, even without permission or purpose, these dust particles continued to exist; playing a lone show without an audience.
And yet, it was only because the curtains had been kept drawn that the moonlight could enter the room. Time had passed, far too long for there to be no flimsy line separating the privacy and the outside world. In the opposite end, shrouded by the darkness of a narrow corridor, running water echoed emptily from the lavatory. Its door left ajar, a pair of slippers were haphazardly abandoned with one flipped upside down. From there, like a trail of cookie crumbs, there were a school bag, a shotgun, and a steel briefcase lying on the floor.
All of them roughly led to a giant lump on the single bed. A pinkish halo shaped like an eye stood out at one end of the bed, floating yet with a dim glow to it.
Past the layers of blanket, glaring white light illuminated a listless and blank gaze. On the screen of a phone, single beeping sounds popped one after another, the chat log scrolling away in a flurry.
[Hey! Listen up, y'all! We're gonna have a strategic meeting this weekend, okay?]
[Oh, my! To think Serika-chan is being so spirited all of a sudden!]
[Nn. That's a spirited invitation.]
[Shut up! Ayane-chan worked hard, so be grateful!]
[Nn. As expected of Ayane-chan.]
[By the way, where is she?]
[Hold on…]
A crisp, ear-tickling ping resounded. With a notice of "a new member has been invited by group chat leader," a series of responses followed. More impulsive and reactive noises than proper responses, they painted a picture the image of awestruck. A new message then appeared, paired by a profile picture as well as name foreign to the entire group chat members.
[Whew… didn't think messages can get this speedy nowadays.]
[Oh! Here it comes.]
[Wao! Sensei, welcome to our Momotalk chat group!]
[Since sensei has become our teacher-advisor, it'd be remiss if we don't include him in our social group.]
[Nn. Your choice is wise, Ayane.]
[Like that, we're gonna have easier time. Remember, okay? Strategic meeting in the next weekend, everyone!]
[Yay!]
[Ou!]
[Nn!]
[Alright, then. Everyone… huh, where's senpai?]
How much time had passed? When had the phone been left aside, illuminating the dark and narrow confine that bordered on suffocatingly warm?
[Senpai probably fell asleep…]
[Well, that's just like Hoshino-senpai…]
[Nn… guess she left the phone on, then.]
[I guess so…]
[…]
...yes, that was likely it.
That was all there was to it. Thinking otherwise would be too arrogant, anyway.
A/N: Can you hear it? That's the sound of me juggling between health, hobby, and responsibility as a taxpaying citizen. Anyway, I bought a new model kit to save my soul from boredom.
