The weekend passed in the blink of an eye, though those two days weren't monotonous. The girls had been texting Adam constantly, asking how he was doing and what his new apartment was like. Adam had shared some pictures of the place. Kiana immediately suggested having a party and a sleepover, but Bronya intervened, saying that his place was quite far
from St. Freya.
Edgar's food was delicious. Even though the robot cooked at the level of a professional chef, Adam couldn't help but feel nostalgic for the treats prepared by Mei.
"See you later, Edgar," Adam said, grabbing his keys as he walked toward the door. It would be strange to say goodbye to a robot as if it were a human companion, but Adam's life was more than a little bizarre.
"Have a nice day, sir."
Adam walked down the stairs and into the storage room. He lifted the door, pulling out the motorcycle that would take him to and from St. Freya from now on. It was a 2014 Kawasaki KLR650 New Edition. Adam had found a license in his name under the seat, as well as the necessary paperwork in case the police stopped him. Lance (Sirius) had thought of every detail.
Adam pulled the motorcycle out through the back of the apartment complex.
"Let's see what this baby can do," he said as he put on his helmet and started the engine.
A couple of minutes later, a poor homeless man sleeping in a back alley woke up in a start when he heard the roar of a motorcycle passing by on the main avenue.
"Fuck yeah!" Adam shouted excitedly, accelerating further. He maintained a high speed until he left the neighborhood behind, not wanting to draw the attention of any patrol cars once he approached the downtown. From there, Adam moved fluidly through the avenues and streets, enjoying the ride. Of course, since it was morning, there was traffic caused by people heading to their offices and schools; but it was more comfortable to ride a motorcycle than to be squashed like a canned sardine on the train.
After showing his ID to the bridge guard (yes, St. Freya had a Valkyrie guarding the bridge that connected the academy to Soukai City), Adam entered the academy grounds. His new motorcycle caught the attention of a few Valkyries, but most of them showed no surprise. Like him, there were other Valkyries who lived in the city and traveled by motorcycle, scooter, bicycle, or used a private bus that brought students between the bridge and the main entrance of the academy.
Adam parked his bike near the dorms, there was a parking lot for it. After securing the bike, he grabbed his stuff and walked towards the classroom buildings.
"Adam! Over here!"
He and the other students turned their heads to see who was shouting. Most of them turned their heads again and continued on their way when they saw that it was Kiana who had shouted, waving her arm. And she wasn't alone, beside her walked Mei and Bronya.
"Hey girls," Adam greeted, stopping to let them catch up.
"Good morning, Subject Adam."
"Adam-kun, good morning."
"You came," Kiana said, though there was a hint of relief in her voice. "For a moment there, I thought I was going to have to go to your apartment to get you."
"Come on, I said I was just moving to a new apartment, not another city." Adam rolled his eyes. "You're exaggerating, aren't you?"
"Hmmp!" Kiana pouted. "Who knows, maybe you could have overslept or pretended to be sick to get out of class."
He snorted. "Yeah, yeah, and draw Theresa's attention to me. No thanks, I don't want my neighbors to think badly of me if they see her visiting my apartment." A grimace formed on his face at the thought. "It would look really bad."
"Adam-kun!" Mei scolded. Someone snorted in amusement. "Kiana-chan!"
The two couldn't help but chuckle, causing the black-haired girl to roll her eyes at their childish nonsense.
"Good morning, Headmistress Theresa," Bronya greeted over their shoulders. "How are you today?"
Both Adam and Kiana turned pale and turned around sharply. The headmistress wasn't there, only other Valkyries walking towards the classrooms. Again the pair turned and looked at Bronya, who kept her typical poker face. Mei giggled at their frightened expressions.
"Bratnya!"
"Damnit, for a moment I thought she was there."
After a good scare, the group of youths continued their walk. Kiana and Bronya squabbled about her joke, while in front of them, Mei and Adam chatted about his new apartment.
"And it's not far from St. Freya?"
"A little, but I have a motorbike that lets me cut through part of the route," he replied. "I may have to get up a little earlier, but compared to traveling by train, it is much more comfortable and I don't have any problems with rush hour."
"You said your place is near the mountains, right?" Mei asked. He nodded. At his affirmation, her face showed some concern. "I did some research online. They say the place is somewhat dangerous after an economic crisis hit the city."
He hummed. "Well, there are a few gangsters and homeless people around, but I doubt they'll give me any trouble." He hoped so since Edgar the robot butler would deal with intruders in his new home. And in deadly fashion, he was sure of it.
"Still, be careful, Adam-kun," she didn't seem convinced by his words.
"Don't worry, I doubt they'll want to do anything. And if they do dare, well…" His eyes partially transformed. " There might be a new legend in the neighborhood, " he said playfully.
His eyes and voice surprised Mei for a second, but she quickly recovered. "Just… be careful, Adam-kun," she said with a sigh.
"I'll keep that in mind." His features returned to normal.
They continued on their way in silence, listening to Bronya and Kiana continue to argue until they reached the classroom.
Classes went by as usual, normal and boring. Nothing out of the ordinary, except for when Kiana fell asleep on her desk, followed by Himeko hitting her on the head with a folder to make her wake up.
After all classes had ended, the group headed back to the dorms. Along the way, Mei reminded Kiana about a report she had due while Bronya and Adam chatted about video games.
"Does Subject Adam have access to the network to play with Bronya?"
"Of course I do. Come on, where do you think I'm living? In a dumpster?" He asked Bronya, puzzled.
"Based on the information Subject Adam shared and comments online, the quality of Subject Adam's housing raised concerns for us," Bronya explained.
"I think you guys believe I can't distinguish between a dumpster and an apartment," he said with a snort. "Anyway, yeah, I have internet. We can play co-op online."
Adam and Bronya may not have shared the same taste in video game genres, but there was one they both enjoyed: Call of Homu. The game was silly and violent, but very entertaining. By the time Adam realized it, he was already hooked on it.
The two continued to chat about possible plays against a duo they had met. One was a cocky idiot who called himself GoldenCrown, always using traps to kill them, and the other was a bastard called Blue/SVRNG, a shitty camper who shot where you least expected. Both were a pain in the ass.
Upon reaching the dorms, Mei invited Adam to join them for dinner before he retired to his own apartment. Without hesitation, he agreed. When they opened the apartment's door, a voice called from inside.
"I'm glad you're here. I was just about to ask you all to come," Himeko said. Kiana was the first to enter, followed by Bronya, Mei, and finally Adam. Himeko was standing in the living room. And she wasn't alone, sitting on the beige couch of the living room was Sakura, with a green sports bag beside her. Like the girls, she was wearing the academy uniform, though without modifications like the others.
"Auntie Himeko?" Kiana asked, though her eyes were on Sakura. To be more specific, on the girl's animal ears.
"Don't call me that, brat. And it's rude to stare, Kiana."
"Professor Himeko," Bronya greeted, briefly glancing at the new presence in the apartment living room.
"Himeko-sensei?" Mei's eyes widened as she saw Sakura there. "Yae-san?"
"Good afternoon," Sakura stood up and bowed in the girls' direction. "Sorry to bother you." When the girl's eyes fell on Adam, her posture straightened further, and to everyone's surprise, she gave a longer, lowered bow to Adam. "Adam-dono, welcome back," she said, her voice carrying a heavy note of respect.
He looked at her in surprise at the way she greeted him. Memories of what happened days ago came back to him, making a brief awkward gesture on his face. "Hello, Sakura." She straightened up, though she kept her eyes downcast. The girls didn't comment on this, though they also looked at the girl strangely.
Noticing that the atmosphere had suddenly become awkward, Himeko cleared her throat to get their attention. "Ahem, as I was saying, it's good that you're here. Sakura was recently discharged from the hospital, and as I told you over the weekend, she'll be sharing the apartment with us from now on."
"Thank you very much for your generosity. I am sorry for the inconvenience I have caused you, Himeko-sensei," Sakura said, giving another bow, especially to the red-haired teacher.
"You don't have to, honey," Himeko said with a small smile. "Come on, introduce yourself."
Nodding, Sakura addressed the girls, "My name is Yae Sakura. Due to unusual circumstances, I have been placed in the care of Theresa-sama and Himeko-sensei. There are many things I do not know about the current world and the correct way to act in it. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience if my actions turn out to be incorrect or untimely."
"You don't have to be so cautious, Sakura," Himeko said. "No one will judge you if you make a few mistakes," she said gently, but when she turned to look at the girls, there was a menacing smile on her face. "Right, girls?" From the way she was staring—especially at Kiana—her words weren't a suggestion, they were an order.
"Yes, Auntie Himeko!"
"Da."
"Of course, sensei."
Adam felt a drop of sweat appear at the teacher's intimidating attitude. "Despite being a mess at times, Himeko knows how to keep the girls in line."
Seeing their reactions, Himeko stopped smiling menacingly. "Why don't you girls introduce yourselves?" She suggested.
Without waiting, Kiana was the first to do it. "Hello! My name is Kiana Kaslana. Future S-rank Valkyrie, and the best Valkyrie in all of St. Freya!" At her fervent introduction, Mei and Himeko exhaled in exasperation while Bronya and Adam just rolled their eyes. Sakura leaned back at the girl's unexpected exclamation.
"Then, it's nice to meet you, Kaslana-dono."
"Hehe," Kiana laughed smugly. "That's right, I'm the best- Aw!" She squealed as Himeko came over and slapped her on the head.
"Don't give Sakura any strange ideas," Himeko scolded. She turned to Sakura. "Ignore that last thing Kiana said." The pink-haired girl nodded awkwardly.
Bronya was next to introduce herself. "Good afternoon, Subject Sakura Yae. I am Bronya Zaychik. Nice to meet you," she said in her monotone voice. "If Subject Sakura Yae has any questions regarding technology, please feel free to contact Bronya."
Sakura looked at Bronya intrigued. The short girl's way of speaking seemed strange to her, but Sakura believed it was something new from this modern time that she would have to get used to.
"We've met before, but let me introduce myself again. I'm Mei Raiden. Like Kiana-chan and Bronya-chan, I'm a Valkyrie in training," she introduced herself to Sakura again with a warm smile on her face. "Don't hesitate to ask for help if you don't understand something, Yae-san."
"Thank you, Raiden-san," Sakura replied. Her eyes widened for a second, remembering something she had forgotten. "Raiden-san, there's something I couldn't tell you at the time."
Sakura took a couple of steps to the side, so as not to bump into the coffee table in the living room. To everyone's shock, she placed her knees on the laminated wood floor and proceeded to do the dogeza position in Mei's direction.
"Yae!?" She screamed.
"Uh… What's going on?" Kiana asked at a loss.
Bronya didn't comment but looked curiously at the girl on the floor.
Himeko didn't say anything, though she glanced at Adam for a second before turning her eyes back to the unexpected scene. For his part, Adam didn't say anything, having an idea of what was going to happen.
"Raiden-san, please forgive me for what happened in the village. If it weren't for my weakness and stupidity, your life wouldn't have been in danger," Sakura said from the ground. "Theresa-sama explained to me what happened while I was unconscious after that vile demon attacked me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me, even though it was my fault that you put yourself in grave danger."
The awkward moment Himeko had wanted to avoid came back with a vengeance. Kiana and Mei looked lost while the other occupants watched intently at what was happening. After what seemed like an eternity, Mei regained her composure and spoke again.
"Yae-san, please get up," she said. Sakura remained still on the floor for a few seconds until she obeyed Mei's words. Once she was on her feet, Mei spoke again. "Yae-san, you don't have to apologize. I don't blame you for what happened. In fact, I'm the one who needs to apologize for not helping out more when you and Adam-kun needed it." Both Adam and Himeko briefly glanced at the girl without saying a word. They both felt like they would have a talk with Mei after this.
"Raiden-san, I…" Sakura was at a loss. She didn't know how to respond to the brunette's gentle and honest answer.
"So, I hope we can get along well in the future, Yae-san," Mei finished with a smile. "By the way, you can call me by my first name." Sakura could only nod, still surprised by the girl's gentleness.
"Aahhh, Mei-senpai is so cool and gentle!" Kiana cried out, hugging her surprisingly.
"Kiana-chan!"
The awkward atmosphere changed to a typical one. Himeko rolled her eyes, though she was grateful for Kiana's intervention.
"The last thing Sakura needs is to be brooding and contemplating about what happened at the Stigmata," Himeko thought.
Sakura looked at Mei intrigued, surprised that she didn't blame her or complain about what had happened. Her eyes moved away from her and to Adam, who had an unsurprised expression on his face as Kiana hugged Mei. As if sensing her gaze, Adam turned in her direction. She quickly looked away.
"Subject Adam has failed to present himself," Bronya said.
Even though they had talked before, he didn't want to seem like a jerk, so he did it. "Alright. Hello again. I'm Adam Alighieri. I hope we get along in the future, Sakura."
"It will be so, Adam-dono," she replied respectfully.
"You know, you can call me by my name and without the suffix."
"I'm afraid that's not possible, Adam-dono," Sakura shook her head. "I'm already being too casual with you by saying your first name. It wouldn't be proper."
In response, Adam just sighed exasperatedly.
Seeing that the introductions were done, Mei stated she would begin preparing dinner. Sakura offered to help, much to Kiana's irritation, though Bronya distracted her with a round of video games. Even though the pinkette had offered her support, she spent most of her time watching Mei move around the modern kitchen, occasionally asking her how some gadgets worked. The black-haired girl gladly responded to Sakura's inquisitiveness.
While all of them were busy, Himeko pulled Adam out of the apartment. Specifically, to the rooftop of the apartment building.
"I hope you don't mention any of this to Teri," Himeko said with a lit cigarette in her mouth, passing a turned-off one to Adam. "She'll kill me if she finds out about this." She handed him a lighter.
"Don't worry. If anyone asks, I'll say I offered it to you, professor," he replied, lighting the stick of tobacco with ease. He handed the lighter back to her and she put it in the pocket of her red jacket.
The two spent the next few minutes in silence, enjoying the night breeze and the beautiful view of the still-on lights of the academy in the distance.
When Himeko had consumed half of her cigarette, she spoke again: "Sakura sure thinks highly of you. The girl didn't even call me that respectful when we talked in her hospital room."
A grimace formed on Adam's face. "Ugh… I understand where she's coming from, but damn, it feels so awkward to have someone close to my age refer to me in such a way."
Himeko chuckled, puffs of smoke coming from between her lips. "I don't understand why you see it as a bad thing. I doubt a girl would ever treat you like that," she said jokingly.
A large cloud of smoke came out of his nose as he snorted. "Sure, I've run into the occasional girl who's tried to show her gratitude after I've saved her life or gotten her out of a sticky situation. But in Sakura's case…" He shook his head. "For her to offer me her body as thanks for helping her beat down that damn Herrscher… Shit, that feels really fucked up." He took a deep drag of tobacco.
Himeko hummed. "I know I've said it before, but that speaks well of your character. Anyone else in your place would be thrilled to have a beautiful girl like Sakura at their beck and call."
"True, but considering her reason and circumstances, well, I'd have to be a fucking bastard to take advantage of her." He made a sour expression, remembering something similar from a while back. "I've had the displeasure of meeting people like that. Fucking bastards who deserved more than a bullet to the forehead."
Despite the dark comment, Himeko didn't react negatively, in fact, she nodded at his words. "I know what you mean. During my days as an active Valkyrie in the field, sometimes my squad would come across wretched bastards in poor regions, taking advantage of the weak and ruling as they pleased."
Again they both fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes.
"Boy, tell me, are you going to do something to get Sakura used to you?"
Adam pondered his question for a moment. "Yes. I'll try to get along with her. Maybe as time goes by, she'll warm up to me and stop adding that suffix to my name." His brow furrowed for a few seconds. "If she calls me that in class, I can't even imagine how the other girls at the academy will react."
Himeko laughed. "Well, knowing how gossip tends to be around here, they might even say that Sakura is your pleasure slave or something worse than what they already say about you and the other girls."
"There are rumors about me and the girls?!"
Himeko chuckled. "Let's see, there's the rumor that the girls are your harem. There are also rumors that you're in an arranged marriage with Mei, with Kiana being the third wheel. Another is that you're Mei's bodyguard and that you're her and the others' boy toy," she said in an amused tone.
Adam stared at her with a dumbfounded look as his cigarette dangled from his open mouth. She gave another laugh at his expression.
"Holy shit, what the hell is going through those girls' minds?!"
Himeko shrugged. "Only God knows. Even when I was a teenager, there weren't crazy rumors like this."
"{Well, your time at the academy is going to be more interesting.}"
"{Hahaha! The way those girls think, you better stay away from them. Who knows what they might do to you or ask of you if they catch you alone.}"
Adam shuddered. No. For his sanity, he would avoid thinking about it. Horny girls with crazy ideas were no laughing matter.
The beeping of his cell phone brought him out of his thoughts. He checked and saw that it was Bronya, informing him that dinner was ready. After replying that they would be there soon, Adam passed the message on to Himeko. They both put out their cigarettes in a pocket ashtray the red-haired teacher carried with her and headed back to her apartment.
Dinner was a lively affair. Kiana told Sakura about the wonders of fast food, the things that could be bought at a mall, as well as her exploits against the Honkai beasts. Mei and Bronya intervened more than once to keep Kiana from overwhelming the poor former miko.
Mei was more patient, explaining to Sakura how things worked in the apartment and the outside world. Bronya also offered advice, although at times she used vocabulary that was a bit complicated for the pink-haired girl.
Meanwhile, Himeko and Adam ate while watching the girls energetically try to bring Sakura up to date. They would occasionally make a comment, but the girls were the ones keeping the conversation going.
By the time Adam realized it, a couple of hours had already passed. He realized this when his smartphone rang. He pulled it out and saw that it was a text from Edgar, asking if he was going to sleep over or would be arriving later. He checked the time, it was almost eleven at night. This was his cue to leave.
"Well, it's time for me to go," Adam said, standing up from his seat. His action interrupted the girls' chatter.
"So early, Adam-kun?" Mei turned her head to look at the clock hanging on the wall in the living room and saw the time. "Oh my, it's really late."
"With that being said, it's also time for us all to retire to bed, girls," Himeko said. "There's school tomorrow and it'll be Sakura's first day," she nodded in the girl's direction. "You all need to get a good rest to help her tomorrow."
"Aww… And just when Bratnya and I were about to have a duel in Homu Fighter," Kiana complained.
The plates and other utensils were picked up and taken to the kitchen to be washed. Adam grabbed his backpack and said goodbye to everyone before leaving, thanking Mei for the delicious dinner.
Himeko decided to accompany him to where he had parked his motorcycle, letting out a whistle when she saw his vehicle.
"Not bad, kid," she said, circling the bike as she looked at it. "For a minute there I thought you might be bringing a bicycle or a piece of junk."
"Uh… Thanks," he said drily. He climbed into the vehicle, just as he placed his helmet on his head.
"Well, just to remind you, get to class on time, but in one piece and not with a ticket," she commented, taking one last look at the bike.
"Come on, what image do you have of me? I know when to be reckless and when not to be."
"Considering the piece you're handling, I think it's fair to say that, don't you?"
Adam rolled his eyes, though with an amused snort. "Will you be able to handle the girls alone?"
Himeko put a hand on her hip and looked at him unimpressed. "I am the teacher and caretaker of those girls, not the other way around, brat." Adam raised his hands in surrender.
"Okay, okay. Not another word."
"You better. And just so you know, I don't think we'll have any problems. Sakura seems to have a good head on her shoulders, and I get the feeling she's someone who puts her foot down when tempers flare." Himeko shook her head. "Anyway, I won't keep you any longer. Get back to your apartment safely, Adam."
"Thank you, Himeko. Good night," he nodded in her direction before lowering his helmet visor and starting the bike.
Himeko watched as Adam sped away on the motorcycle. When she saw him become a dot in the distance she walked back to the apartment.
"I didn't want to say it, but not having him here will make things a little more difficult for me."
The red-haired teacher knew that her pupils could be somewhat unruly. The first few weeks had been a bit difficult to adjust to their presences and personalities, but in the end, they had found a balance. That and Mei and Adam knew how to control Bronya and Kiana when those two's fights grew.
Usually, he was the one who kept the disputes from escalating, while Mei was the one who dampened the girls' fervor when it grew too much. Himeko smiled in amusement as she recalled the frightened expressions of her two pupils when Mei scolded them with her menacing smile.
Entering back into the apartment, Himeko saw Sakura sitting uncomfortably on the couch, watching Kiana and Bronya arguing, again, about something. Mei was in the kitchen, asking them to stop.
Himeko let out a tired sigh. Not even an hour had passed and the girls were already showing their true colors to the new resident.
As unruly as they could be, as much as she could no longer afford to get drunk freely in the solitude of her apartment; Himeko did not regret hosting the girls in her apartment.
"Girls…"
Although, she wished they weren't so loud.
Well, a bit short for my taste, but I hope you liked it.
As for the motorcycle model, I chose one according to the year in which the story is taking place as in the canon. I want to clarify that I am not an expert on motorcycles, so I hope no one feels offended by the model I chose.
Anyway, the next chapters will be somewhat calm, although I will include one or another touch of action.
See ya!