From the photos, it was hard to tell. But once I arrived on the scene by helicopter, I saw that the truck had crashed straight into the roadside guardrail.
The front bumper and hood were mangled beyond recognition, and some unknown part was still spewing black smoke. It looked like it could blow up at any second.
Yet these girls were standing nearby as if nothing had happened…
Ah, right, this is Kivotos. Never mind then.
I looked at the wrecked truck, my teeth aching at the sight.
"How did it end up like this?"
Mutsuki immediately pointed out the culprit. "Hehe∼ Aru-chan wanted to show off her driving skills to everyone, but she didn't see the road properly~ and crashed at full speed∼"
A completely unsurprising reason.
Aru began to defend herself. "That's totally because of the poor lighting! Hardly any street lamps in Abydos are even working!"
Kayoko cut her off mercilessly. "And yet you still refuse to wear your glasses? Unbelievable."
"T-that's…"
I quickly tried to smooth things over. "Alright, alright, it's late. Let's just hurry up and get all the luggage loaded first."
The luggage, all in big heavy bags, had already been unloaded and piled on the roadside. Together with everyone from Problem Solver 68, I helped cram the helicopter until it was packed full.
That was when we ran into a problem.
"No good, we're way over the weight limit…"
Schale's helicopter was only a light model, so its payload capacity wasn't that high. After accounting for five passengers, it could only carry about five hundred kilograms of cargo.
At those words, Haruka's face twisted with guilt and she began trembling all over.
"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! It's all my fault for having too much stuff! Just throw it all away! If that's not enough, then just leave me behind too!"
I confirmed again, Haruka's mental state was not normal.
Had she suffered some kind of trauma?
She kept babbling frantically. "I'll walk on my own to catch up with everyone… No, I don't mean to cling to anyone! Someone like me disappearing would be no problem at all… ah."
Unable to bear it, Aru flicked Haruka on the forehead.
"Haruka, what are you saying? We never abandon our comrades. That's the motto of Problem Solver 68!"
"A weird motto has been added again."
Kayoko said this, but she smiled as she did. The harsh, delinquent-like sharpness in her usual expression melted away into something warm and radiant.
It suddenly struck me that Kayoko must be a kindhearted girl beneath her cold exterior, and someone worth getting close to.
Mutsuki, still wearing her usual mischievous grin, said, "Then let's leave it to Aru-chan to decide what stays and what goes~"
"Hmph~ Leave it to me, the president!"
Under Aru's command, everyone began sorting the luggage again.
First to go: crates of bullets.
"Sensei will be the one supplying ammo for us in the future, after all~"
Next: cheap old furniture.
"We've used this stuff long enough anyway, time for a change!"
Then: a camping tent set.
"It holds a lot of memories… but honestly, memories of being broke and forced to sleep in a park aren't really worth keeping."
And finally: a worthless piece of calligraphy.
"Wait wait wait wait!" Aru quickly stopped Mutsuki. "That one's not allowed to be thrown away!"
"Ehh~ Aru-chan, you're awfully stubborn about this. Even if you become super famous, that calligraphy assignment with weird writing on it isn't going to be worth ten billion, you know."
Aru faltered. "Ughh…"
Haruka was about to spiral again, blurting frantic apologies. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry, then maybe we should..."
"Alright, we'll just leave this here for now. Sensei, with that much gone, we should be able to take off, right?"
Aru's reluctant but decisive attitude actually impressed me.
How to put it…
Even while being such an idiot, she could still make people willingly follow her. She must have some kind of special quality after all.
But…
I glanced at the "temporarily left behind" luggage and smiled.
"Perfect timing. Alright then, let's go."
The cabin door closed and the helicopter rose vertically.
Seated by the window, Aru looked down through the glass. Her expression froze.
At some point, the truck had caught fire. Flames spread to the neatly stacked luggage piled near its hood, and chain explosions erupted, turning the scene into a sea of fire.
"Ehh... how could this happen..."
As Aru cried out in dismay, my eyes met Mutsuki's. She cheekily winked at me.
A bratty student. I like it.
"By the way, where are you planning to go next?" I asked.
Kayoko thought it over. "We can't go back to our office, and our camping gear was tossed. Sensei, could you take us back to Gehenna?"
Aru immediately protested. "Hold on! If we go back to Gehenna, we'll get chewed out! And curfew's long past, the dorms are already locked."
"We don't have money for a hotel either. Unless we use that bag of cash."
Kayoko spoke calmly. "But Section Chief Kayoko says no to that. As cold-blooded outlaws, we can't just casually use money when we don't even know who it belongs to."
Aru had more principles than expected. Though that had nothing to do with being an outlaw.
"I could pay for it," I suggested.
The moment I said this, everyone froze.
For some reason, both Aru and Haruka let out strange screams at the same time.
Mutsuki narrowed her eyes. "Oh my~ You're planning to take four blooming young girls to a hotel? Sensei, I didn't know you were that type∼"
Kayoko stared at me. "Sensei, are you not afraid of rumors?"
I couldn't help but ask, "…Why are you assuming I'd be staying at the hotel with you?"
Ever heard of electronic transfers?
Kayoko replied flatly, "Unfortunately, since we're wanted criminals, our accounts have been frozen."
"Ugh… damn Public Safety Bureau… Does that mean the only option is sleeping on a park bench…"
"Haha∼ I don't mind~"
In that case, there was no other choice.
As I set the helicopter's course, I said, "Then you girls should come stay at Schale with me."
"…Eh?"
The Engineering Department had already finished renovating Schale's living quarters.
The reason I hadn't mentioned it until now was because I'd been a little reluctant to let others stay over.
"There are plenty of guest rooms, all with brand new bedding. The facilities are fully equipped, with bathrooms that supply hot water 24/7 and even a laundry room. At the very least, you could stay for the night."
Aru tried to uphold her villainous pride and refuse outright.
But then she remembered the bathroom, and her own dirt-streaked body and clothes. Looking awkward, she muttered, "Ah… then I guess we'll impose on you tonight. Just for tonight, okay."
An hour later.
I was sitting on the sofa watching TV when Aru, fresh out of the bath with steam still rising from her, walked over in clean clothes. Her cheeks were flushed bright red.
Nervously glancing around to make sure no one else was there, she cautiously sat beside me, leaned close, and pressed her soft lips near my ear.
I held my breath.
"Sensei," Aru whispered, "would it be alright if we imposed for a few more nights?"
"…?"
I felt ashamed for expecting something else.
And so I agreed to President Aru of Problem Solver 68's request to stay at Schale until they found a new office, adding another layer to our mutually beneficial business partnership. Truly worth celebrating.
Temporarily taking in cute, homeless students is just another duty of a Sensei!