Prologue: Shalle Duty
In Kivotos, the Shalle Duty system brings students to Shalle's office to work alongside Mash Burnedead or chat one-on-one. Devised by Rin to help the newcomer sensei bond with students, it's fostered countless friendships. Today's duty falls to Yuuka Hayase, a second-year from Millennium Science School, expecting to rescue Mash from chaos.
Shalle Office
"Sensei, I'm coming in—" Yuuka began.
"Ababababababa!" Mash gurgled, buried under a mountain of papers, foaming at the mouth.
"Sensei!?" Yuuka shrieked.
"What happened!? And this paperwork!?" she demanded.
"Help… Yuuka-chan… help…" Mash wheezed, choking.
"You're coughing blood!?" Yuuka cried, rushing to his side.
She tended to Mash and gathered the scattered documents.
Moments Later
"So, recent events and distractions left your work piling up," Yuuka summarized.
"Yeah… spent too much time elsewhere," Mash admitted.
"And paperwork overwhelmed your brain," she added.
"Yup," Mash nodded.
"I'll help. Let's tackle it together," Yuuka offered.
"Really? Awesome!" Mash cheered.
"It's my duty today," she said.
"Oh, forgot," Mash grinned.
"Don't forget!" Yuuka scolded.
"Sorry… With Yuuka-chan here, let's do this!" Mash rallied.
Yuuka, adept at Seminar's accounting, blazed through her share, while Mash chipped away at his.
"This goes here, then—mimimimimi!" Mash babbled.
"You're glitching already!?" Yuuka exclaimed.
"Phew, my bad… Break time?" Mash suggested.
"It's been five minutes!" Yuuka snapped.
"Ugh," Mash groaned.
"How do you manage normally?" she asked.
"Five-minute work, then breaks," Mash confessed.
"Too short! Work an hour, or thirty minutes!" Yuuka ordered.
"It's tough," Mash whined.
"Working five minutes, then training and eating cream puffs? How'd you survive this long?" Yuuka sighed.
"Heh," Mash smirked.
"Not a compliment!" she retorted.
Despite her scolding, Mash pressed on. He loathed paperwork but knew it was his duty.
(Once I'm done, I'll help him out, Yuuka decided, speeding through her tasks.)
Minutes Later
"It's not shrinking," Mash groaned.
"It feels… bigger," Yuuka admitted. "Was it always this bad?"
The more they worked, the more the pile seemed to grow, leaving them stumped.
"Yuuka-chan," Mash said.
"Yes?" she replied.
"Let's play shiritori."
"What!?" Yuuka blinked.
"For a breather," Mash said.
"…Fair point. Let's do it," Yuuka agreed.
"Alright, I'll start…" Mash began.
Yuuka found shiritori childish but nostalgic, a game of linking words by their last syllable. She smiled, thinking even muscle-brained Mash had a cute side.
"From 'ri,' hamstring," Mash said.
"Where'd the 'ri' go!?" Yuuka laughed. "Okay, 'su'… Aquaculture."
"Fancy word," Mash noted. "Quadriceps."
Yuuka smirked, plotting to stump him with complex words. (I'll confuse him and win! Perfect plan!)
"Slicing," she said.
"Glutes," Mash countered.
"Annuity!" Yuuka shot back.
"Forearm," Mash replied.
"Agnatha!" Yuuka declared.
"Iliopsoas," Mash said.
"Terminus!" Yuuka shouted. "Wait, you're just saying muscle names!"
"No rule against it," Mash grinned.
"True, but—" Yuuka faltered, her plan crumbling. (He's picking muscles from the last word! I'm getting dizzy…)
"Here's the finisher: Erector Spinae!" Mash said, smug.
Yuuka snapped back, "Sensei, that ends with 'n'!"
"Oh," Mash blinked.
"You lose," Yuuka said.
"Got me," Mash admitted.
"You self-destructed!" she teased.
"Yuuka-chan's too sharp," Mash chuckled.
"I didn't do anything!" she protested.
"Game's over. Back to work?" Mash suggested.
"So carefree!" Yuuka groaned.
They resumed, Yuuka exhausted from retorts but diligent. She glanced at Mash—sharp eyes, swift hands.
(He's so chaotic, I never noticed… he's kinda handsome, she thought. Mash's chiseled features and lean physique stood out, often overshadowed by his antics.)
"Sensei," Yuuka said.
"Hm?" Mash replied.
"Back in your world… were you, like, popular?" she asked.
"Popular?" Mash echoed.
"You know, liked by others, especially romantically," Yuuka clarified.
"Nah. Never really talked or hung out with people," Mash said.
"No one?" Yuuka pressed.
"Just lived with my grandpa in the mountains," Mash explained.
"Your parents?" she asked.
"Gone. Grandpa's my only family," Mash said.
"Friends? Acquaintances?" Yuuka continued.
"None. That's why I'm happy here, with you and everyone," Mash smiled.
"Doesn't solving incidents and doing unfamiliar work… wear you out?" she asked.
"Not at all. I've got everyone," Mash said, fixing a mistake. "Oh, this was wrong."
Yuuka paused. (He's genuinely kind, she thought.)
"Yuuka-chan, about this…" Mash said.
"Ask away!" she replied.
"Thanks," Mash said.
(I worried he couldn't handle being sensei, but… no need for that, Yuuka realized.)
They worked through the night, finishing the pile. Afterward, they made and shared cream puffs, laughing together.
Days Later
"Sensei," Yuuka said.
"Yes?" Mash replied.
"What's this bill?" she demanded.
"Uh… training gear… a bit," Mash mumbled.
"Two hundred thousand!?" Yuuka yelled.
"Just some weights," Mash said.
"Sensei!" she roared.
Yuuka vowed to keep a closer eye on him.
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