August is already slipping away… feels kinda empty.
Mash Burnedead and the Path to Making Amends
"Phew… alright."
After his meeting with Nina and the others, Mash Burnedead was headed to his next destination: Mika.
She'd made it clear she had no intention of attending the hearing. Mash wasn't here as her teacher but as the guy who'd once stopped her in her tracks, determined to talk things out.
(Mika-san can be pretty stubborn, though… How do I convince her? Maybe bribe her with cream puffs, then get her talking about all sorts of stuff…)
Sure, cream puffs might only work on Mash himself or the dessert-obsessed students of Kivotos, but let's set that aside. Mash was just as stubborn as Mika—once he set his mind to something, he didn't back down.
This meant persuading Mika was bound to be a clash of wills, a battle destined to drag on.
But time didn't matter. Whether it took hours, days, or weeks, Mash was resolute. He'd sworn to save her, and nothing could shake that determination.
"…This is the place. Man, I'm kinda nervous… Just a light knock, light knock…"
Mash raised his fist to tap gently on the iron-barred door. But here's the thing:
Right now, Mash wasn't in teacher mode. He was in kid mode—his old, original self. So what happens when that Mash knocks on a door?
BAMMMM!!!
"EYYYYY?!"
"Whoops."
The door didn't just break—it was obliterated, iron bars and all, reduced to dust in an instant. Mika, who'd been lounging on her bed, shot up at the deafening crash, now cowering in the corner of the room, her legs giving out.
"Mash-kun! I've been meaning to ask, but do you have some kinda grudge against doors?!"
"No grudge, I swear… I just messed up the knock. Sorry."
"That's not 'messing up'! And, like, I keep asking, but did you really get Nagi-chan's permission for this?"
"Of course! I told her I wanted to see you, and she was like, 'OK.'"
"That's way too casual!!"
"C'mon, don't sweat the small stuff."
"It's not small!!"
As Mash picked up the shattered door fragments, he approached Mika. She'd had something she wanted to talk about when she saw him, but that thought had just been blown away—literally.
"Mika-san, you should go to the hearing."
"…Sorry, Mash-kun. I know you came all this way to convince me, but…"
"Let's go." step closer
"Uh, listen, I'm trying to say—"
"C'mon, Mika-san, let's go. And while we're at it, we can talk to Nagisa-san too."
"Hey, can you listen for a sec? Please? Whoa, too close, too close! You're coming on way strong today!"
"They say if you back down, you lose."
"You're supposed to back off in moments like this! Hey, don't grab both my hands—!"
"I'm not letting go until you say you'll go."
Mash gripped Mika's arms, ready to drag her to Nagisa if he had to. He wasn't holding back—his feet were planted so firmly the floor cracked beneath him.
"Ugh, enough!" snap
"Mika—whoa!"
"I said listen!"
Fed up, Mika grabbed Mash's arm in return, shifted her stance with perfect form, and threw him over her shoulder in a clean judo toss.
"Oof!"
"Huff… huff… Mash-kun, you're acting like the old you today! Seriously!"
"I came to convince you as a guy, not a teacher. Because you're—"
"Listen, Mash-kun! I'm—"
"I'm already planning to go to the hearing!!"
"You're… wait, you're going?"
"Yeah, and I wanted to talk about it, so can we just calm down and sit on this nice, soft bed?"
"…Got it."
After a bit of chaos, Mash and Mika settled down to talk one-on-one. In Mika's eyes, Mash wasn't a teacher right now—just a friend, a guy.
"I'm really sorry," Mash said, performing a perfect dogeza bow.
"You got all hyped up, so I'll let it slide… but seriously, stop destroying doors, okay?"
"…Of course."
"What was that pause? Are you saying you can't help but smash doors unless you're in teacher mode?"
"It's more like a habit…"
"Then break that habit already!!"
Mash, still in a flawless dogeza on the soft bed, faced Mika, who sat cross-legged like a princess. The usual heavy, serious air between them had dissolved, replaced by a light, almost comical vibe.
"By the way, you said you're going to the hearing. Why the change of heart? Nagisa-san told me you weren't planning to show up."
"Well… at first, I really didn't want to go. Nagi-chan thinks if I attend, everything will magically work out, but Trinity's not that simple.
The Tea Party's authority is in shambles. It's obvious compared to before. Didn't you see the protests? Sanctus faction kids keep showing up to cause trouble."
"I already chased them off."
"…Of course you did, Mash-kun. I'm kinda impressed. Back in the day, those kinds of stunts would've been shut down immediately. But now? Public opinion, politics—everything's a mess. The Tea Party doesn't have the power to control Trinity anymore. And it's my fault for causing that mess."
The Tea Party was a shadow of its former self. Trinity General School, a patchwork of factions, was beyond their control. Even with Nagisa acting as host, the chaos showed no signs of settling.
"If things are this bad, what do you think happens if Nagi-chan tries to protect me? It's not just her—Seia-chan's position in the Tea Party would be at risk too."
"Mika-san…"
"I don't want that to happen because of me. This is my price to pay."
"But that price—"
"—is something I already spilled to Seia-chan the other day."
"Huh?"
Mika had opened up to Seia about her feelings. Mash had taught her to rely on others, not to bottle things up. So, hesitantly, she'd turned to Seia for help. The result?
"FOX ATTACK!!"
"She hit me with a stainless steel tray! ⭐"
"That's… kinda intense. Is Seia-san like that?"
"She said, 'For someone like you, a smack's the fastest way!'"
(Sounds familiar…)
"I asked why a tray, and she was like, 'If I hit your head in the real world, my arm would break.' I didn't get the dream part, though."
(…) Mash touched his cheek.
"Anyway, after that, Seia-chan—still recovering from being sick—gave me a proper scolding."
Mika recalled the scene vividly: Seia, panting heavily, shouting at her despite her frail state.
"Did we ever once say we cared about our positions or that you're a burden?!
"B-But, Seia-chan…"
"You and Sensei—why do strong people always try to carry everything alone? Think about how we feel worrying about you!!"
"Uh, sorry…?"
"Sensei forgave you, and so do I. That's the end of it. So, Mika, stop blaming yourself… and fight."
"Seia… chan…"
"It's my fault too for not talking to you properly. We've all had enough sadness—don't you think, Mika?"
"Yeah!!"
The two had truly reconciled. If Mika had talked more with Seia, with Nagisa, if they'd all been open from the start, things might've been different. The entire Tea Party carried that regret.
And it was Mash who'd sparked that realization, pushing them to act.
"All that happened behind my back?"
"I haven't told Nagi-chan yet. She's been so busy, I haven't had the chance."
"I see."
"I think… I was running from my sins. If I wasn't forgiven, it'd all be over. The pain would end."
"…"
"But now? I know I have to carry my sins and make amends."
"Like I said—carry them with you."
"Making amends together… it's weird, right? You're not even involved."
"I'm here, so I'm involved."
"…That's so you, Sensei."
Mika stretched with a long "Mmm!" and turned to face Mash, reaching out to grip his hand tightly.
His hand was rough, masculine, but warm—reassuring in a way that felt safe.
"Hey, Mash-kun… which one are you right now?"
"Which one?"
"Teacher, or a kid like us?"
"The latter. Oh, and a guy friend."
"Hmmm… then—take this! ⭐" pounce!
"Whoa!"
Mika launched herself at Mash, tackling him onto the bed. Caught off guard, he couldn't react in time, and now she was sprawled on top of him.
"Hehe, always wanted to try that! ⭐"
"That's dangerous, you know!"
"It's fine, it's fine! You're tough, Mash-kun."
"Well, yeah, but—"
"It's not as soft as a blanket. Kinda rough and hard… but it feels safe. Warm, too. I could fall asleep like this…"
Lying on Mash, Mika pressed her ear to his chest, listening to his heartbeat. With a soft sigh and a smile, she spoke.
"You're going to save the Arius kids, right?"
"Yeah."
"No matter what happens, I'm on your side, Mash-kun."
"You said that last time too."
"Even if the whole world turns against you, even if everyone hates you—I'll protect you."
"…That's kinda embarrassing."
"Aw, you're blushing! So cute!!"
"Don't tease me…"
"I'm just saying, you're a guy too! ⭐"
"…Right, I'm a guy. So, Mika-san…"
Mash's expression turned serious as he looked at her.
"Don't do this with any other guys."
"Wha—Mash-kun, you idiot!!"
"Huh? Why're you mad all of a sudden?"
"I don't know!!"
"Uh, mood swings…?"
Mika buried her face in Mash's chest, hiding her flushed cheeks. Her wings fluttered wildly as she tried to mask her embarrassment.
(Did I make her mad?)
"Why does this kid have to go through so much?" Mika muttered.
"…?"
"Oh, nothing, don't worry about it!"
"…Wanna stay like this for a bit? (Gotta get her in a better mood…)"
"Yeah! Don't move, okay?"
"I'll do my best."
As Mash let her rest against him, Mika's thoughts drifted to something Seia had told her—a truth about Mash.
(Hey, God… what did Mash-kun do to deserve this?)
A boy despised by the gods, living in a stifling world without their blessings—that was the truth of Mash Burnedead.
Seia-san's getting a major power-up? That's Mash-kun power for ya!
I'm hoping we can save the Arius Squad by the end of the week, but that scene's gonna hit hard… for me!!
How's everyone doing with that stupid cat fight? I'm done with it… Seto-kun's way more fun. Even Little Sis, Little Bro, and Sensei were pissed! That cat's the worst!!
Next up, Seia-san's story, and then… the legendary scene! Stay tuned!
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[patreon.com/Greyhounds]