"Sorry, sorry."
Kenmei Isayama hurriedly opened the door. He saw a familiar face, but before he could even get a "hello" out—
Whoosh.
He heard the wind whistling in his ear. His body instinctively tensed to dodge and counterattack, but he realized just in time that this wasn't the war-torn Warhammer universe. He immediately suppressed his lethal instincts.
The attacker raised an eyebrow, noticing Kenmei's subtle reaction, but that didn't stop the pale fist—carrying enough speed to create a Doppler effect—from slamming hard into his gut.
Oof! Urgh...
With a pained groan, Kenmei Isayama, whose psychic power level was now high enough to be considered a threat by the Imperium of Man, was knocked to the ground.
"You're late!"
A melodious voice, laced with a hint of resentment, floated down to Kenmei as he knelt on one knee. Anyone hearing it would think he'd committed some unforgivable sin.
"This woman..."
Seeing Kenmei get back up, the beautiful figure didn't give him a second glance. In a crisp tone that brooked no refusal, she ordered:
"Get in the car!"
"I don't need—"
Kenmei instinctively tried to refuse. But when he locked eyes with those intimidating, beautiful reddish-brown pupils, the look clearly said, "Don't make me say it twice." All the defiance he'd mustered instantly evaporated.
Kenmei sighed and pointed to the open door behind him.
"Alright, I get it. Just let me grab a few things first."
Seeing her nod, Kenmei went back inside, quickly packed his bag, and came back out. When he emerged, the "fearsome" figure was no longer standing there.
Standing at his front door, holding his school bag again, Kenmei felt a strange sense of nostalgia.
He walked out to the street. Parked by the curb was a fiery beast, its classic Rosso Corsa paint gleaming under the sun. It was a Ferrari 812 GTS convertible. He walked over, opened the door like he'd done a thousand times before, and slid into the passenger seat.
"Asagi-nee."
Kenmei greeted the young woman in the driver's seat. She had exquisite features, wore sunglasses, and had her blonde hair tied up in a simple yet high-class ponytail that screamed elegance.
God had given her breathtakingly long legs, a face that sparked jealousy, and a figure to match.
"Call me Sensei."
Hearing his greeting, the ice queen frowned. The chill between her brows melted slightly, but her tone remained stiff.
Kenmei sighed for the third time since leaving the house. He was going to call her by her last name, but knowing he'd get glared at, he switched to her first name.
"Aiba... no, Asagi-sensei."
The frantic doorbell ringing earlier? That was this elegantly dressed lady right next to him, spamming the button like a maniac.
Asagi Aiba. An MIT grad with dual PhDs in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at just 27. The expensive supercar was proof of her wealthy background.
A genius like her should be in a top-tier lab pushing the boundaries of human technology. There was no reason for her path to cross with Kenmei's.
But against all odds, the prodigy Asagi Aiba decided to throw herself into education. She became a high school teacher—and the homeroom teacher for both Kenmei and Sakura.
Because of their unique family situation, Asagi-sensei had helped them a lot. She was close with Sakura, and in private, they called her "Asagi-nee"—Big Sister Asagi. She was like an older sister to both of them.
She had a cold face but a kind heart. Okay, and she could be a little violent when angry. That was also a fact.
At Sakura's funeral, Asagi-nee had cried harder than anyone.
Since Kenmei was in the wrong this time, getting punched in the gut was pretty much expected.
Asagi-nee was pissed. Otherwise, she wouldn't have made him call her "Sensei." She had a rule: titles only during work hours.
Which meant right now, their relationship was strictly professional: "Delinquent Student" and "Disciplinarian Teacher."
"Hmph. Put your seatbelt on."
After that command, the "aloof" Asagi-sensei didn't say another word.
Once she saw Kenmei buckle up, she hit the start button. VROOM! The mechanical beast with a V12 heart roared to life. She floored it, launching the car forward and leaving two thick tire marks on the pavement.
"This is exactly why!"
In the silent cabin, Kenmei stared out the windshield, gripping the handle for dear life as Asagi-nee wove through traffic with terrifying skill, overtaking cars at breakneck speeds.
Damn it, Kenmei would rather go fistfight a Bloodthirster.
"I hate riding in Asagi-nee's car..."
It wasn't until they turned onto a road crowded with students that the red supercar finally slowed down.
Watching Asagi-nee steer with one hand while her left hand unconsciously fiddled with her turquoise-blue earring...
Kenmei thought, Crap. He knew the lecture was coming.
"Kenmei Isayama. Do you think you're doing right by your sister, Sakura?"
Sure enough, Asagi-nee started with a nuclear option.
She didn't just use his full name; she brought Sakura into it immediately.
That first sentence silenced Kenmei. What could he say? "I've been skipping school to hunt for Cursed Energy to convert into points so I can level up my Psychic powers in a Warhammer simulation"?
Yeah, right. Next stop wouldn't be school; it would be the psych ward.
The serious and responsible Asagi Aiba would definitely U-turn and drag him to a doctor to check for brain damage.
Who would believe real life had cheat codes?
Kenmei's silence looked like a lack of remorse to Asagi Aiba. It made her furious. Her chest heaved, and the flush of anger spread from her neck to her face.
"Do you have any idea that you're on the verge of expulsion?"
Thinking about this brat's behavior, Asagi slammed her hand on the steering wheel, shaking the entire Ferrari.
"If I hadn't come to pick you up, were you planning on skipping again today?"
Kenmei had lost track of time dealing with Sakura. If he had taken his bike, he would have been late for sure.
Being late might seem like just another minor smudge on Kenmei's already spotted record.
But Asagi knew better. Because of Kenmei's reckless behavior, the school board was out of patience. Even with her pulling strings, the next piece of paper coming his way was likely an "Expulsion Notice."
He promised to come today. Asagi had vouched for him to the administration. And yet, he was late.
Forget everything else—his attitude was the problem.
That was why she couldn't let him be late today. Asagi had used every driving skill she had to carve a path through rush hour traffic just to get him here on time—and to squeeze in this lecture.
Speeding tickets? Asagi had her ways. Those didn't matter.
What mattered was Kenmei's future in this society.
If he got expelled with just a junior high education, what could he do?
Become a street thug? Or rely on his pretty face to be a gigolo for rich ladies?
"Skipping classes, leaving early, truancy... and now just not showing up at all. You..."
"What are you trying to do with your life?! Kenmei!"
---
(Author's Note: Regarding the teacher character, I initially thought about using Mafuyu Kirisu or Shizuka Hiratsuka, but I've seen them used too often and felt a bit of visual fatigue. Same with Haruno Yukinoshita. So, I created a new original character.)