65: Shinji's Return

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*****

A spacious office was adorned with an eclectic mix of decorations that reflected the owner's personality. A large wooden cabinet dominated the middle of the room, its intricate carvings hinting at its age and history. On the shelves inside, there are rows of leather-bound books and old-fashioned artifacts, which seemed to have been carefully curated over the years.

The desk in front of the cabinet had a large monitor and a comfortable chair. A few pens and notebooks are neatly arranged on the desk, along with a steaming cup of tea and a bottle of whiskey.

Two men occupied the room. One was dressed in a comfortable robe while the other was dressed in a striking suit that does little to conceal his bulging muscles.

The bulky man looked to be angry as he said, "I'm tired of always being treated as a bodyguard!"

The other man only sipped his tea, seeming tired of this conversation, which he already had plenty of times before.

"Yeah?" he replied in a jaded tone.

"Why did we have to hide as some pharmaceutical company or was it a research institute..?" the muscular man mentioned as he poured whiskey into a glass. "Why couldn't it have been a fighting ring? Or- or a... Just something that isn't boring!" he shouted, downing the whiskey.

The man in robes rolled his eyes and shook his head. "To remain inconspicuous to others. If 'we' had hidden as something that related to fighting, it would have caught too much attention."

"Tch, if only 'that day' hadn't happened." the muscular one remarked, before becoming silent.

The man in robes put down his tea as he recalled the incident. He simply sighed, 'It truly is regrettable. We lost many resources that day. Still, it opened out eyes. We were too careless... too open.'

'At least with this, we can continue our goal behind those flashy organizations like Frame...'

His eyes narrowed as a single thought was in his mind.

'All for the sake of Genesis.'

...

Meanwhile, at the World's Awakened Academy...

A teenager strode confidently towards a sprawling facility, his black hair billowing in the wind. He flashed a grin and exclaimed, "I'm back!" Towering behind him was a massive bird, adding to his impressive presence.

As the teen made his way inside, whispers erupted among the students nearby.

"See? He really wasn't expelled!"

"I wonder where he went..."

"Tch, that bastard came back, huh."

"Agh!! He looked at me! I must be dreaming!"

"Why'd he have to return."

Shinji savored the mix of reactions to his return, unfazed by the negative comments. He flipped the general location of where he heard them and quipped, "Every breath I take without your permission raises my self-esteem."

[A/N: Quoted from Rick Sanchez himself.]

As he strode towards the Headmaster's Office, with the way the other students were gushing over his return, he felt like a celebrity making their way down the red carpet.

However, he couldn't help but notice the unusual buzz of activity around the campus. "Weird...," Shinji thought, glancing around at the bustling crowds of students going about their business.

As he pushed open the door to the Headmaster's Office, a chubby man adorned in ornate robes greeted him warmly. The room was just as he had expected, lined with towering shelves of books, with a large table and chairs situated in the center.

"Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up," quipped Vice Headmaster Fjord.

"Hey, Vice Fjord," Shinji replied nonchalantly as he took a seat in front of the table.

Fjord let out a long sigh. "If you're going to address me, at least use my full title."

Shinji shrugged off the admonishment and settled back into his seat. "So, what's with all the students out and about?" he asked, curious about the unusual commotion on campus.

"A student challenged someone from the Top 10," Fjord answered, his expression turning stern as he shot a disapproving look towards Shinji. "We agreed on a four-month absence. Why did you take almost eight months to return?"

"Ehe... about that..." Shinji sweatdropped, before looking away, "I got busy."

[A/N: Man's quoting me now?]

Fjord smiled angrily as his veins bulged. "Got busy?!" he exclaimed, incredulous. "Never mind that, just take a look at your report card." He pushed the grade report towards Shinji, who was left speechless at the sea of red marks.

'Well, that's already tiring to look at.'

...

After enduring a few more minutes of exhausting conversation with the Vice Headmaster, Shinji made his way to the arena to witness the much-anticipated match.

As he stepped into the arena, he was immediately met with a wave of attention from the enthusiastic crowd. Shinji scanned the sea of faces, his eyes settling on the two students in the ring.

"Ah, so Cassy's up against someone," he observed, a wide grin spreading across his face.

******

How was the chapter?

Looks like his return wasn't very extravagant guys...

Also, sorry for the "late upload"... I wanted to post a chapter last last week, but some things got in the way.

I just recovered from a 4-flight jet lag. Actually wanted to start on a chap before the flights, but I got busy saying goodbye to some friends and family.

After a few days after arriving, I got sick too. Still hasn't disappeared, which sucks very much...

Anyway, we're here. Hope you enjoyed~

I won't be asking for stones for now...