—April 8, 2012, Current day: Tuesday—
"I will repeat it only one last time: What is the next stages in the evolution of a caterpillar, Aki-kun?"
"Of course! The next stage is called Shikai, and the final evolution is called Bankai!"
Our Sensei was smiling, but I swear I could hear her blood pressure rising as she continued questioning Tomoya, who, by the way, was absolutely confident in his answer.
This madman always has the balls to bring up anime and manga references whenever our teachers call on him to speak up.
"I'm just kidding Sensei; it's 'chrysalis' and 'butterfly"
Tomoya smirked as Sensei 'accidentally' broke the chalk in half due to her boiling 'happiness'
"That's correct! Good job, Aki!"
*'Deep breath, Yumi. DEEP BREATH. You're a teacher, so you should be patient with your students, alright? He is still young and I want to strangl—'*
Sensei clapped lightly and continued the lesson, still in a 'good mood.' Tomoya immediately plopped down in his seat, while Daiki was in his dream world on my right side. Does this moron really think a notebook can fully cover his sleeping face? Well, it probably does work if he hasn't been scolded yet.
Satsuki was diligently listening to the class, Takeo was balancing a pencil on his nose, Ayane was creating an origami at her desk, clearly uninterested with the lesson, Rintaro was staring at the board with a blank face, while Masachika joined Daiki in exploring the world of dreams.
I was listening to sensei but felt something approaching my hand, I swiftly caught the shuriken shaped paper and stared at it for a moment before opening it.
[Why the silly face, dummy?]
This familiar handwriting—there's no one else in this classroom other than her who could possibly have this neat penmanship.
I turned my gaze to the left and saw my other seatmate staring out the window, clearly pretending to be oblivious to what she had just done. Well, her letter clearly roughly translates to 'I'm bored, entertain me' if we ever use our past interactions as my reference
Louise Fukuhara, a girl of half European and half Japanese descent, has always been my classmate and also my seatmate for as long as I can remember. She is what you might call anti-social—if I'm not beating around the bush, she doesn't interact with people that much, and I'm probably one of the rare cases where we unfortunately chat almost every day in class and outside of it.
Most people, especially boys, would consider me lucky. Well, yes, maybe I am lucky, but sometimes I don't feel that way. At times, I even see it as a sort of punishment from fate
She is also the only daughter of a high-ranking official in the police force, while her grandfather is a general in the JSDF. Both her dad and grandpa are super duper overprotective of her according to gramps.
I'm not even exaggerating when I say that the police and JSDF would literally rain bullets if any dangerous people even got a single strand of her hair.
So yeah, her family is like a flaming dragon that can easily eradicate you, and this girl is its tail daring you to step on it.
She was just staring outside, but man, she still looked like something out of a beautiful artwork crafted by a famous painter. Purple hair paired with alluring Magenta eyes. Finally, an atmosphere that could unintentionally entrance you if you are not careful.
I might sound like I'm really smitten with this girl, but trust me, I am absolutely not!!. Her beauty is nothing like her cunning personality.
I like to think I don't care that much about beauty—I'm not that shallow. Alright, I'm lying to myself. Maybe I do prefer beautiful women as my partner, but they need to be compatible with me and not complain about my hobbies, okay? I don't want to filter myself with alot of plastic waste, I don't want to add another damage to mama earth.
The best part about my circle is I can talk about any type of shit, and they won't label me as weird. Well, they're weirdos themselves, so there's that.
But I'm getting off topic here! I took my pencil and started writing my reply before folding it like a shuriken. I threw it back at her, on which she caught with the gap between her index and middle finger without looking.
Louise opened the paper. Amusement was written all over her flawless face as she read the content and its obvious sarcasm I wrote.
[I'm just as bored as you but gotta pretend to listen to not get called out]
I didn't have to wait for even half a second before the paper flew back to my desk like a bullet.
Damn, she is fast. However, I didn't waste a second and instantly wrote my next reply after reading her response to my chat.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
—Louise—[By the way, I almost forgot. Please give my regards to your dad; the macaron he baked was delicious (❀❛ ֊ ❛„)♡]
—Yukio—[I still haven't forgiven you for taking the half of my snack, but thanks, my dad will probably appreciate your compliment as usual with his annoying smirk]
—Louise—[Eh~~ You're not happy that a kind girl like me is taking her precious time to eat with you and fill your lonely heart? (ￗ﹏ￗ )]
—Yukio—[Are you even human? Holy cow, how can you write that fast? It's not even been 2 seconds. Also, if anyone needs their lonely heart filled, it's you, Ms. Anti-Social]
—Louise—[Stop that~~~I'm getting flustered by your floweryyy words right now. You must have been a natural ladies' man in your past life]
—Yukio—[I'm not complimenting you idiot!!]
—Louise—[Your way too easy to mess around Yu-Chan hehehe]
—Yukio—[I swear to God, Louise, you and my dad are no different when it comes to messing around with me]
—Louise—[Sounds like he is someone I can get along with the best~~]
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
'Yu-chan's parents huh~~' Louise thought to herself as she read the paper. She was already familiar with their faces given that every time there was a meeting or event at school, Mr. Kuboshi and Ms. Kuboshi were always present for him and his twin.
You couldn't even deny the fact that he was his father's spitting image because the Kuboshi siblings were the exact carbon copies of their father.
Funnily enough, I knew their mother firsthand due to my own mom. My mom said that she and Yukio's mother have some sort of slight history from their time at Seiren Academy. I don't know the details, but it probably wasn't great if Mama was grinning like that.
Meeting the son of the fearsome "Oni" of Tokyo while introducing herself as a potential daughter-in-law for a harmless joke would definitely cause quite a fuss.
This, in turn, would involve her silly father and grandfather. Just imagining it was already making her anticipation reach its peak.
Yukio didn't even realize his face was twitching while reading my replies.
He slowly tried to glance toward my desk and met my innocent smile as I rested my head on my right hand. Seeing my obvious teasing made him involuntarily let out a wry smile.
Haaa~~~ Why are you always giving me such cute responses, my prince charming? I'm just trying my best to suppress the urge to pinch your cheek right now, you know?
Meanwhile, Ayane was watching her brother and Louise's ongoing silent conversation at her desk while equipped with a smirk.
She started copying what they were doing and wrote a message on a page she had torn from her notebook, folded it, and precisely threw it onto Satsuki's desk, aiming for Sensei's blind spot where she couldn't see it
Satsuki stared at the paper on her desk with a puzzled expression before opening it. Her curious look was replaced with interest after reading the entire content of the note.
She glanced behind her, specifically towards Louise's and Yukio's places, and giggled to herself before writing a reply to Ayane.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
—Ayane—[The beauty and the dumb prince are at it again. Seriously, my idiot brother is no better than Daiki when it comes to signals huh?]
—Satsuki—[Dumb prince? Also, Like you are the one to talk Ayane-chan]
—Ayane—[Just leave me alone, Sat-chii~~ Anyway, I will bet my ass and even my PS3 that he will end up smooching her before he even graduates from middle school]
—Satsuki—[Well, I think it's already super obvious that Fukuhara-san is quite fond of Yu-chan, if we just ignore the everyday teasing she is doing to him that is]
—Ayane—[I hate to admit it, but he is handsome and charismatic. Of course, it's thanks to my flawless genes that he turned out looking as good as I do, only half though MUAHAHAHAHA!]
—Satsuki—[That's not how it works *Sigh*—But anyway, will a relationship between them even be possible without any complications? I mean, your father's family is a well-known Yakuza household, and her family is, you know...]
—Ayane—[Normal romance is boring anyway— their future is bound to have plenty of spice in it, and I'll be there to witness that wonderful trainwreck of a chicken curry being served at my table]
—Satsuki—[Are you really siblings?]
—Ayane—[Don't misunderstand, I love my brother~~So of course I'll be there to see his suffering(comedy), that's how we show our affection to each other UMU UMU]
—Satsuki—[You never change, however, lets continue this for later before Sensei take notice]
—Ayane—[Ehhh~~ dont be such a pooper, Satsuki~ just kidding, I'll just text you tonight]
—Satsuki—[As usual?]
—Ayane—[As usual~~]
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Not even realizing it, lunchtime entered the fray. Me and the gang took our bentos and sat nearby each other in the middle of Yumi-sensei announcing to us that she wouldn't be eating with us in the classroom due to something we didn't know.
While we were eating our food, Ayane contemplated herself, biting into the tendon in her chopstick, before finally sharing the thought that had been bothering her.
"Neh, Rintaro"
"Mhm? What is it, Ayane?"
"Cows and goats eat grass, right? So technically, beef is half vegan because their body contains both meat and grass."
"We just started eating, and you're already coming up with another contender for the stupidest words to ever come out of your mouth."
"Just ignore it, Rintaro. You'll only get infected by my sister's retard disease"
I shrugged at Rintaro while I let Daiki and Takeo took some of the tendon my dad had packed in my bento. I always ask for extra from him because I know these guys can't control themselves when it comes to my dad's cooking.
"Thanks for the blessing!!" Both of them then eagerly stuffed the food into their mouths. Their eyes shone as they let the tenderness of the tendon mercilessly invade their mouth. Its explosive flavor overwhelming their senses.
Seeing their satisfied reaction really puts a smile on my face. Mom's a good cook herself, but my dad's dishes just have that unique bite in it that even the greatest chefs can't simply replicate.
"Admit it, brother, you and Rintaro are just jealous that my wisdom knows no bounds. Don't worry, I understand—sometimes even I'm afraid of my own genius."
"Care for a fist on that head of yours? It might just shake up that damaged brain"
Her smirk didn't even faze me while I replied to her. Honestly, if I didn't have this level of patience, I wouldn't be able to endure living under the same roof with her every day.
After we finished our lunch, we started chatting and sharing random things to pass time. Takeo and Masachika even pulled out their PSPs to pass time.
Amidst all the noise, Rintaro suddenly remembered something and began rummaging through his bag.
"You guys want any dessert? My dad made some for us"
Rintaro took a plastic tub from his bag. Satsuki was already locked in like a falcon while staring at him opening the container. It is just a cake, so stop acting like it is the hunger games, girl.
"I haven't seen this flavor in your shop, Rin-chan, is this new?" Satsuki asked while scooping the cake with a spoon.
"Yup, my dad just made this earlier and made me bring some"
"Then—"
Everyone just stared at her slowly put the cake in her mouth. It was already an unspoken rule to let this capybara take the first bite when it comes to encountering new sweets. Her reaction was basically our spread sheet in determining whether it sucks, a mediocre, delicious, or heavenly.
"How is it?" Rintaro nervously asked due to Satsuki looking down while not ejecting the spoon from her mouth.
"Its—"
"Its???" Akane and Tomoya inquired while looking at her like an audience from a cooking show.
"Its so—"
"So?" Daiki and I pressed, staring at her with the gaze of a black CEO questioning a salaryman.
"IT'S SO GOOD!" Satsuki exclaimed, raising her head in delight, while Rintaro sighed in response.
We all immediately raised our weapons, piercing the rich chocolate cake and letting it melt on our defenseless tongues. Furthermore, the spongy texture, the mini chocolate chunks, and the raspberry filling blended perfectly with the tartness that transformed into a harmonious flavor. Holy hell, this was the perfect finale for that meal we ate earlier.
Silence surrounded us but it was the perfect view that showcased our contented pallet.
"Stair-papa is the real pro in creating godly cakes"
"Can you stop calling my dad like that, Ayane?"
"Well, can you blame me though?"
"....…..."
"See? I can't help it if I always see Uncle Kei falling asleep on the stairs of your house"
Ayane patted Rintaro on the back while nodding to herself. The guy just gave my sister an wry smile. However, Ayane simply retorted with a flying kiss and a wink.
"Oi, you suck on this MUAHAHAHAHA"
"Just let me play it at my own pace!!!!! Shoo shoo"
Takeo roughly pressed the buttons of his PSP while Masachika laughed beside him
"How is this demon so good at finding me?!! The spike in difficulty is no joke, does this guy have cheats?? How is tha—DON'T FOLLOW ME GUAAGHGGG" Takeo's eye visibly panicked, unlike Masachika, who was out of breath from laughing uncontrollably.
—YOU ARE DEAD, PLEASE PRESS (O) TO TRY AGAIN OR PRESS (△) TO RETURN ON THE MAIN MENU—
"What kind of trashy game did you made me play, Masachika?!"
"The best kind of all, my god that was such a— GUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"
"Stop laughing!!"
I let out a huge yawn while watching the two act like morons. I landed my head on the desk to take a short nap.Tomoya, unexpectedly, even joined beside me and also took one.
Many minutes passed, and lunch break was nearing its end. Satsuki attempted to wake up Yukio and Tomoya but was stopped by Ayane. Ayane shook her head at her, leaned in close to their ears, and whispered—
"Gainax Endings"
Both of them visibly shivered and rose like a dead man from a coffin.
Even though I was groggy, I looked at Ayane and shook her entire body while the bitch whistled as if nothing had happened.
"Go-od a-ftee-noon m-y de-ar b-rother."
"Do not open my Pandora's box with those two words!"
"I'm actually a demon, I'm actually a demon, I'm actually a demon,I'm actually a demon, I'm actually a demon, I'm actually a demon, I'm actually a demon, I'm actually a demon, I'm actually a demon, I'm actually a demon, I'm actually a demon, I'm actually a demon,I'm actually a demon, I'm actually a demon, I'm actually a demon, I'm actually a demon, I'm actually a demon, I'm actually a demon"
"Look what you did to Tomoya!"
I quickly gave a light hit on Tomoya's head when he started mumbling the ending line from a certain Gainax anime like a broken record.
His consciousness slowly returned as he looked around the classroom.
"No clapping people saying congratulations?" Tomoya gave me a smile that has given up on everything.
"Don't join the dark side, Tomoya!! Remember Spike's finger gun or even the finale of Code Geass!!"
Ignoring this stupid situation I am in for a moment. My remaining grogginess promptly flew away from my mind when the school bell started ringing. We all quickly arranged our desks and sat as we waited for Yumi-sensei to enter the class.
The afternoon classes passed without anything particularly good or bad happening—just the usual boring yapping from our Christmas cake teacher as she taught us social studies on the last period.
Yumi's ear twitched slightly while writing at the board. She turned around and looked me straight in the eye. Smiling at me with that annoyingly pretty face.
"Don't flatter me, Kuboshi-M~~"
"I'm not saying anything though. Also, don't call me Kuboshi-M, Yumi-sensei."
Damn, she is freaking sharp. Gramps, I think sensei has already reached the transcendent state you've been teaching us about. She can read our minds like a psychic without any speck of effort.
It seems like that being a single woman past your twenties gives you a passive instinctual radar to detect any forms of slander.
But using that urban legend as a basis, what if I stay pure until I'm in my thirties? I can already harness mana, but what if the legend is actually true? Will I become stronger in using magic like Grandma? Will I turn into the next Japanese Solomon?
But Solomon has a harem if I'm following what Grandma narrated to me while telling his story. The thing is, I enjoy harem shows, but I don't want any of that for myself.
I firmly believe that a harem isn't fun for a guy like me; I should only be loyal to one woman. Just looked at gramps. Despite being an overpowered fossil and a big name in Japan, he still maintained a monogamy relationship with my grandma, Eleanor.
But choosing to have a girlfriend or wife only after I reach my thirties will be a difficult goal. I also want to do that. I don't think my hand will be enough to calm my junior till I reach that point of time.
Meanwhile, while Yukio was lost in his thoughts, Daiki was drawing a stick figure of himself in a 1v1 match against a huge stickman on a wobbly sketch of something barely resembling a basketball court.
"Just you wait, world! I will show you how awesome I am!! Shishishishi!"
On the other side of the classroom, Rintaro was also lost in thought. The black-haired girl and the silver-haired girl he had saved from being chased by a dog last weekend couldn't leave his memory. It was fortunate that their places were nearby, so the small wound they had from falling was easily patched up.
'Crap, I can't erase that girl's smile from my mind.'
Seeing her joyfully eat his father's cake like a hungry squirrel made his heart race. The adorable expression she had while talking to his mom at the shop lingered in his thoughts. Am I tripping? Why am I expecting to meet her from now on? What is this sense of contentment on my chest?
"Sensei! What is the significance of cherry blossoms in Japan?"
"I'm glad you asked, Momoi~~ moo! I feel like you're the only one listening to me when the afternoon period starts."
Satsuki raised her hand and began asking multiple questions, to which Yumi-sensei delightfully responded.
'I want to poop'
Takeo leaned down to his desk like a philosopher, cursing the gods for making him feel this way at the wrong time. He wanted to go to the school bathroom but stopped himself. The vengeful spirit of Hanako might still be in there, just like the time when he peed late in the afternoon last year.
Eating all that tendon, having that cake, and drinking a lemon juice might have been a bad idea of a combo for a meal.
'Eureka Ao episode 1 will premiere this Sunday. Soda? Check. Potato chips? Check. Speaker for the upcoming opening song? Double Check. No schoolwork? Not checked.' Amidst Takeo's ongoing crisis, Tomoya wrote down his list of things to do this weekend.
Balancing his time between reading the Old Testament of Toaru, watching the upcoming animes, and reading Yona of the dawn. He raised the paper and smiled after completely finishing it.
'I want to eat taiyaki!!!' Ayane thought to herself while looking at her pencil.
Ayane's mind was filled with thoughts of taiyaki. Fish and red bean paste, fish and red bean, fish and red bean, fish and red bean, fish and red bean, fish and red bean, fish and red bean, fish and red bean, fish and red bean, fish and red bean, fish and red bean, fish and red bean, fish and red bean, fish and red bean, fish and red bean.
'FISH AND RED BEAN!!!!!' Ayane's thoughts couldn't erase the spiraling loop on her mind
'EVERYONE WILL BE EATING TAIYAKI!!!!!!' Whether they like it or not, they will eat taiyaki with her. 'Perfect timing, I'm in the mood to treat everyone right now'
In the middle of Yumi-sensei's class, Takeo shakily raised his hand. Furthermore, his face was flooding with sweat.
"S~en~sei"
"Hmmm? what is it Goda-kun— geheee what is with that look? Are you alright?!!"
"Toi~le~t bre~ak pl~~ease sen~sei"
"You should have asked earlier, Goda-kun! Hurry up before its too late!!"
Takeo didn't waste anytime and run like a bullet train. Was I imagining it or was he carrying around a cross?!!
"HUAAHHHHH MY FEAR FOR YOU CANNOT DEFEAT MY URGE TO TAKE A DUMP, BEGONE HANAKO!!!!!! BY THE POWER OF—!"
'What is that guy doing?'
Yukio mused when Takeo started shouting at the hallway while making his way towards the comfort room.
He still didn't forget that short haired girl he saw last time huh? We already told him that he must have been imagining it since neither Ayane nor I sensed any spiritual presence inside the campus, but he remained stubborn and refused to budge even a little.
—Meanwhile, at the bathroom—
SLAM
Takeo immediately sat at the toilet. Feeling the demon corrupting his stomach descend at the river below him. Smiling at the release he have been holding back inside the classroom, but still turning his head left and right without lowering his guard, finding any small signs of Hanako's figure.
"Gotta be careful, Hanako might still be here" Takeo muttered to himself.
After finishing his session, he flushed the toilet and started washing his hands at the faucet.
"Why isn't any soap coming out?"
Not feeling anything in his hand, Takeo repeatedly pressed the soap bottle.
"Here."
"Whoa, thanks!"
"You're welcome."
Feeling happy that someone beside him had given him soap that actually worked, he began humming while washing his hands. However, he suddenly froze, overwhelmed by a sense of déjà vu. Slowly, he turned his head and stared at the girl awkwardly smiling beside him—those deep red eyes that seemed to pierce right through his soul.
"GIHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"Why are you shouting?!!! I should be the one doing that right now!"
"GIHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"Now this is giving me a sense of déjà vu"
"HERPES ME!!! HANAKO IS HERE!!!"
"You're quite rude, you know? My name isn't Hanako, and I'm not a ghost, stupid. So stop waving that cross in front of me." The girl mused, watching the trembling Takeo.
"Also, why are you in the girls' bathroom?" the girl asked, pointing at the sign by the entrance, which made Takeo tilt his head in confusion.
"What do you mean girls' bathroom—Oh, you're right" Takeo blurted out after turning and noticing the obvious female sign at the entrance.
Speaking calmly, the girl managed to convince Takeo that she was a genuine bonified human and not an apparition from urban legends used to frighten children.
"See my eyes? This is just how I look, and just because I have short hair, it doesn't mean I'm Hanako."
She even touched his forehead with her index finger, and with the kind of person Takeo was, he immediately believed her.
After clearing up the misunderstanding, Takeo started to apologize, but the girl quickly stopped him. He then opened his mouth to explain how he ended up lost in the wrong section.
"Yaaahh~~ I'm sorry, my unstoppable urge to take a poop made me not notice my surroundings" Takeo apologized while scratching his head.
"Are you, you know, an idiot? No offense" the girl asked, raising an eyebrow to his genuine shock.
"How did you know?"
"You're not even denying it?!!!" The girl blurted out in surprise before continuing. "Anyway, my name is Kaihara Yoko. I'm a Class 6-2 student. Nice to meet you? Wait, who are you again?"
"Oh, sorry for forgetting that part Ahem ahem!! My name is Godu Takeo, a Class 6-1 student!" Takeo declared, placing both hands on his hips and nodding proudly to himself.
"Nice to meet you, Kaihara-san!!"
"So, you really were that boy I saw here last time, that explains the sense of déjà vu. "
"Last time?" Takeo asked
"I was that same girl you were calling Hanako when you were shouting about what you saw to that boy with glasses"
Yoko sighed and started to walk out of the bathroom, with Takeo following behind her.
"But then again, I'm so sorry for mistaking you for a ghost, Kaihara-san!!!"
"I said it's okay already, so stop bowing; it's quite embarrassing for me," Yoko said with a wry smile as Takeo began to bow repeatedly while apologizing.
"Just don't call me Hanako again, and don't get lost in the wrong bathroom, okay?"
"Don't worry, it won't happen!"
Takeo formed a fist with his right hand and hit his chest with a bang.
"See you late If we ever cross paths again in this journey of life Kaihara-san guahahha!"
Takeo turned around and started walking back toward his classroom while Yoko stared at his back.
"Well, he was quite unique, I guess?"
Smiling and shaking her head, Yoko began walking back to her classroom in the quiet hallway of the campus.
Afterword:
Serious Senpai: [You know, Author-san *munch* *munch*]
Author-san: [What is it?]
Serious Senpai: [Honestly? I think I'm already starting to like this place a lot better than my last one. No yandere omnipotent goddesses obsessing over their son, no shitty romance noob, no airhead deities, and certainly no main heroine who's been reduced to a mere side character.]
Serious Senpai: [Plus, you have a fridge stocked with endless drinks, a cabinet overflowing with snacks, and a computer and TV setup that can access anything from all dimensions. Being kidnapped isn't so bad after all *munch* *munch*]
Author-san: [As I said, I don't treat my sla— ahem, friends badly. So sit back and enjoy watching my characters live their lives.]
Serious Senpai: [*Sigh* So, being a slave has its perks? Just give me all these goodies instead of that mountain of romance sugar moments from my last series.]
Author-san: [Are you really the embodiment of seriousness?]
Serious Senpai: [A thousand chapters of abuse and sugar overload will change a individual, trust me. An omnipotent being like you can't possibly understand my suffering.]
Author Sensei: [I brought you here for shit snd giggles, but I'm starting to feel a bit sorry for you now, my "friend."]
Serious Senpai: [Yup, I'm just a former afterword slave who's been promoted to a royal afterword slave. It's quite the upgrade, don't you think?*Sob* *Munch* *Slurp*]