Before Jahy could wrench herself free from the first girl's grasp, a second set of hands was already upon her.
It was too late to resist.
"Me next, me next!"
"And me! Wow, she's so soft! What amazing cheeks! I want to take her home!"
Surrounded by this sea of hands, Jahy's ability to fight back completely deserted her. As countless fingers pinched and prodded her cheeks, she flailed helplessly, her mind flashing back to the images she'd seen on Masao's computer.
'So that's it,' she realized with dawning horror. 'No wonder this seemed so familiar. This is exactly what I saw. I've fallen to the same fate. I have to get away, now… or else… I'll end up just like them!'
"Wah! L-Let… Let me go!" she cried, her voice muffled.
Just as Jahy was mustering the last of her strength, a stern voice cut through the giggling chaos.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing? Stop that, right now!"
The voice acted like a freeze-ray. The girls encircling Jahy instantly stilled. Seeing their teacher, they quickly adopted a chastised demeanor.
"Hiratsuka-sensei!"
It was Hiratsuka Shizuka. She'd been passing by, drawn by the commotion, and had arrived to find several students mobbing a small child. She stepped in immediately.
"Harassing a small child like this is inappropriate," she scolded, her voice firm. "You've probably terrified the poor thing. Move along, all of you."
"Yes, Hiratsuka-sensei," the girls chorused, bowing their heads in apology before quickly scattering.
Once they were gone, Hiratsuka turned to Jahy, her expression softening into one of concern.
"Are you okay? I apologize for their behavior; please don't take it to heart. They didn't mean any real harm."
Finally free, Jahy rubbed her sore, warm cheeks, a mixture of relief and grievance washing over her.
Touched by the teacher's kindness, she replied with an uncharacteristic meekness.
"I am fine. Thank you for your assistance in driving off those… those terrifying hooligans."
The ordeal had stripped away her usual cloak of arrogance, leaving behind nothing but raw vulnerability.
The sight made Hiratsuka's heart clench. 'So cute…'
Now she understood the girls' temporary insanity. Honestly, who could resist? Hiratsuka herself had to physically restrain her hands from reaching out to pinch those adorable, pinkened cheeks.
Fighting the impulse, she knelt on one knee.
"Little one, are you here looking for someone? My name is Hiratsuka Shizuka. I'm a teacher at this school. You can call me Hiratsuka-sensei, or…" she added with a slight, playful smile, "...Hiratsuka nee-san. If you need any help, just ask."
"Oh, Shizuka-chan," Jahy stated flatly.
There was absolutely no chance she would call a human "nee-san." And 'sensei' was even more unthinkable—not just anyone could be her teacher.
"Shi… Shizuka-chan…?"
Hearing the name, a muscle under Hiratsuka's eye started twitching. The last person who'd had the gall to call her that was Yukinoshita Haruno.
She wouldn't say she hated the nickname, but it filled her with a specific, familiar sense of exasperation.
'This kid… she couldn't be Haruno's daughter, could she? Their attitude is identical.' She mused, 'Ah, whatever. She's just a child. No point getting worked up.'
Oblivious to the teacher's internal monologue, Jahy pressed on, "I am here to find Tanaka Masao. Do you know his whereabouts?"
Her recent ambush had convinced Jahy that this school was a den of predators. For her own safety, she decided to abandon her independent exploration and go straight to Masao.
While he was also a potential threat, he had, so far, shown no intention of manhandling her.
"Tanaka Masao…" Hiratsuka repeated, rubbing her chin.
A week ago, the name would have meant nothing to her. But now, the image of a stout, dark-haired boy with glasses popped into her mind.
She'd only met him once, but she'd remember the one student who could withstand a full-force punch from her without flinching.
She looked Jahy up and down, her curiosity piqued.
"This Tanaka Masao you're looking for… is he a bit on the heavier side, with black hair and glasses?"
"Yes, that is him! You know him?" Jahy's face lit up.
She hadn't expected this random human to know him. It seemed the brute was more well-known than she'd assumed.
"So it is him," Hiratsuka murmured, unable to hide her surprise. She was struggling to connect the dots between this delicate, otherworldly-looking child and Masao.
"Forgive me for asking," she said, curiosity winning out, "but what's your relationship with him?"
"Our relationship…"
Jahy hesitated. In her grand design, Masao was destined to be her loyal servant, her minion. But that particular arrangement was still… pending.
After a moment's deliberation, she settled on a technically truthful answer.
"We are family, from the same house."
She was, after all, currently residing at the Tanaka residence, and the name she'd registered yesterday was Tanaka Jahy. It wasn't a lie.
"Family…" The word struck Hiratsuka as utterly baffling. She hesitated, biting back her wilder theories to avoid upsetting the girl.
"Come with me," she said instead, deciding to table the mystery for now. "I know where he is."
'He's almost certainly with Yukinoshita,' she thought, leading the strange child down the hallways.
—
A few minutes later, Hiratsuka led Jahy to a door marked "Service Club." Without ceremony, she shoved the door open.
"Masao! Are you here?"
The two occupants eating lunch inside looked up. Yukinoshita Yukino sighed, a familiar look of resignation on her face.
"Hiratsuka-sensei," she began, her voice like chilled honey. "I believe I have reminded you on numerous occasions. You are supposed to knock before entering."
Hiratsuka waved a dismissive hand. "Next time."
She turned her attention to Masao.
"Masao, you have a visitor. Says she's your…" She visibly strained to form the word. "...family."
Masao, who had already spotted the small figure trailing behind Shizuka, looked up from his lunch, his expression one of confusion.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Are you looking for me?"
Seeing Masao, Jahy felt the last of her tension dissolve.
In this strange and unpredictable world, he was the first person she had met and, for better or worse, the one she was most familiar with. He represented a small, stable point of security for her.
All the fear from the girls' assault melted away, and with it, her momentary vulnerability.
Jahy's signature arrogance returned in a glorious wave. She planted her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest, and declared to the room,
"Indeed. I found myself growing weary of the solitude of your dwelling, and have thus come to seek you out."
___
__
Show your support with Power Stones guys!
[email protected]/Raven_scroll (30+ Advance Chapters)