30 Chapter 27: Persona

In the sprawling corridors of Shuchi'in High School, where high ceilings and gothic architecture lent a unique vibe to the surroundings, the atmosphere was unlike any other. The school's rich history, dating back to its founding, was evident in the aging building itself.

As they strolled through the sunlit corridor, the trio, dressed in pristine white uniforms, appeared unfazed by the school's grandeur. They were the middle school student council visiting the high school division of the academy.

"Neee~ I heard there's a rumor that Shuchi'in High has a new teacher."

The vice president, a girl with short pink hair tied up into twin pigtails cheerfully announced, though her two companions seemed less interested.

"Why do you always get this kind of information, Moeha?"

And the treasurer, a white-haired girl politely inquired, not wanting to brush off her best friend.

A mischievous glint in her eyes, "Ehehe~ Listen up, Kei-chan. I heard he's young, charismatic, handsome, and... what I find intriguing is that he's rumored to be a bit scary."

Kei sighed, well aware of Moeha's sadistic tendencies. 

"Oh~ that teacher is the one we're about to meet right now."

Kei's mind raced as she pieced together the puzzle. She rubbed her forehead and muttered, "Ahh... this might be why brother become more— haaah... idiot."

"Ah~ Kei-chan, you mean the student council president, Shirogane Miyuki?"

"Yeah."

Suddenly, the girl in the center picked up her pace, forcing the other two to stop as she spread her arms wide, blocking their way. 

"Guys!" Riko said, looking intently at the two and clenching her right fist. "Instead of gossiping about this new teacher, we should be more excited that we're making history at this school!"

Seeing the determination in her eyes, Kei and Moeha exchanged worried glances. Riko was a social butterfly, often awkward, and sometimes a bit clueless, which was why they always looked out for her.

Kei crossed her arms and said, "Riko, please ensure you don't do anything embarrassing."

"Huh!?" Riko retorted, then smiled confidently. "Have I ever done anything foolish? Don't worry, I'll remind you that I'm also the president of the student council."

Seeing her laugh like an idiot, Kei and Moeha exchanged glances. Undoubtedly, Riko was bound to do something silly.

Afterward, Riko proceeded toward the teacher's room with a carefree attitude.

'This is embarrassing.' 2x

Kei and Moeha stood at the entrance, observing their idiotic president as if to say, "I hope I never have to meet this person for the rest of my life." However, their attention soon shifted to a man who was eyeing Riko with a poker face before returning to his business.

Kei and Moeha exchanged glances, communicating through their eyes.

No way... is that him? The teacher?

I told you.

"Ah! You three must be from the student council, huh?"

Yor chimed in as she glanced at Riko, whose face beamed with pride, and then at Kei and Moeha.

"I'm so glad Sensei asked for our help!" Riko declared, her chest puffed out smugly.

"Behold! I am Amanai Riko, the student council president of Shuchi'in Middle School..."

Kei and Moeha exchanged embarrassed glances. Riko continued, her eyes closed, making numerous gestures as she seemed utterly absorbed in her speech.

"...As the president, I graciously accepted this honor of being part of this special event. Our will! Our hearts! We're giving it our all—"

"Yuzaki-san, you're a lucky man to have such a beautiful wife."

Someone chimed in, causing Riko's ears to twitch in irritation.

"Ahaha... Oh well, please, please stop. By the way, can you give me some advice for my unborn kid?"

Minoru smiled as Nasa sought his advice on baby names, "Sure, why not?"

Riko visibly blushed in embarrassment. She glanced at the silver-haired dude who was totally wrapped up in a convo with someone else, totally ignoring her. The reason was simple. When Riko had suddenly waltzed inside without care and launched into her out-of-place speech, Minoru was like, "Whatever," and went back to talking to Nasa.

"Hey! Listen to me!"

Minoru placed a wedding photo of Nasa and his wife on the table and glanced... back at Riko.

'Hahhh... That's the reaction I expected.'

She turned even redder as she clenched her fists.

Minoru sighed, "Meanwhile, I appreciate your excitement. When you waltz into the teacher's room like that and start a speech, it's common sense that no one will do that, except maybe an idiot."

Riko's face grew even redder, and to make matters worse, she could hear Kei and Moeha giggling on the side.

"W-WH-WHAT!? I'M NOT AN IDIOT! I'M STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT, AMANAI RIKO! AND WHO IS THIS COMMO—HMMMPH!"

Once again, she reacted comically and amusingly. Minoru thought of her as if she were an angry cat whose tail had been stepped on. But before she could say something that might escalate things, Kei and Moeha quickly covered her mouth.

"Please pardon our President... sensei." They both bowed, forcing Riko to bow as well. Minoru didn't mind it since they weren't his students.

"All right, there's still some time left before our brief meeting starts. You three can go to the student meeting room. I believe the others have already arrived."

"Understood, sensei." 2x

"Hmmmph! Hmmph hmmph hmmmph!" (Wait a minute! Who is this guy to tell us what to do?)

"Hushhh, President! P-Please, stop. You said we'd make history, right? Don't ruin it by picking a fight with Sensei."

Kei struggled to restrain her as she hadn't expected any of this when she came here.

"Hey, Kei-chan, should we just tie her up before she gets out of hand?"

Moeha chimed in, her innocent expression belying her sadistic nature.

"Hmmmph!" (Let go!)

Riko was all mixed up with embarrassment and confusion, she couldn't quite grasp the situation. She stole a glance at the man who seemed too young to be a teacher and was the source of her current predicament.

Shizuka couldn't help but giggle at the sight.

"Yanagi-sensei..."

"Yeah?"

When Shizuka addressed him as "sensei," Riko abruptly stopped her struggle, shocked to discover that the silver-haired man she had been pestering was, indeed, a teacher.

"From what I see, you seem to be bullying them."

Minoru let out a small sigh, "Do I look like a villain?" He narrowed his eyes slightly, making her heart race.

"Now that I think about it..." Shizuka gave him a good look. "You kinda give off that vibe, but it's not necessarily a bad thing, right?"

She shot a pleading gaze at Yor and Yuzaki, who reluctantly nodded, understanding her silent request for assistance.

'Crap... He's really attractive... darn it. What should I do?'

Shizuka's inner voice panicked.

"Alright, I get it! sigh, I'm sorry, okay?"

After Riko conceded, she decided not to press the matter any further. She shot Minoru an annoyed... pout, who in turn glanced back at the trio still present there.

"You can go," He said with an undertone that made the three of them flinch.

"A-Ah, yes," they stammered in unison.

However, as they tried to exit the room, a thunderous growl busted the silence, making things super awkward. Moeha's jaw dropped, while Riko shot Kei a quizzical look. Kei, blushing like mad, clutched her stomach, her eyes spinning in circles.

'Ugh! My stomach is growling so loudly! I can't help it because I haven't eaten anything, and I can smell something delicious in this room.'

"Kei? What's wrong?" 

"I just need to go—"

Kei began to make an excuse, but her embarrassment intensified as Minoru walked over to her group. Moeha blushed intensely in response to his intimidating presence.

"H-Hey! Don't come any closer!"

Riko comically adopted martial arts stances. Minoru didn't take her seriously, considering her a bit of an oddball.

"Here, it's sandwiches. Eat them."

The three were left dumbfounded as Minoru handed Kei a lunchbox. Kei attempted to decline, "S-Sensei, I'm not hungry, I just need to use the bathro—"

Her stomach growled so loudly it shut her up, and Minoru was like, "Whatever. Just be sure to share with everyone else."

Minoru didn't want her to get sick or pass out, 'No one will get in my way...' as she was part of the team, he wanted the day to go perfectly.

Kei thanked him with a slightly flushed face, watching Minoru walk away. The three of them eventually made their way to the students' meeting room.

'Moeha said he's a scary teacher, right? I think that's wrong...'

Kei couldn't help but wonder as she gripped the lunchbox in her hand. Moeha and Riko exchanged knowing glances, suspecting something had gone down with Kei. They were also curious about what kind of delicious-smelling food it was.

'He's a good man.'

Yor, Shizuka, and Yuzaki agreed, recognizing Minoru's kind-hearted nature hidden behind his somewhat usual cold exterior toward students.

Meanwhile, Yor and Shizuka had an idea when they saw Kei with the lunchbox, even though their cooking skills were terrible. But this whole scene didn't go unnoticed by Henry, Sae, and Secretary-chan, who were watching everything on the big screen.

'He's sacrificing his lunch and giving it to the students? What's more, he's protecting her feelings and not pushing her about why she lied. What a gentleman!'

When Henry got up and his fancy cane made that clacking sound on the floor, he nodded with an elegant dance, "Smart... Smart aaaaand elegant! Dammit, Yanagi..." Henry couldn't contain his admiration, and Secretary-chan wondered if he had forgotten to take his medicine.

"Sir, isn't it a bit overboard, watching him like th—"

"SILENCE!!! Elegance is tradition... Elegance is what makes the world beautiful. Only those with grace can occupy that position, and it should be someone of elegance!"

Henry gritted his teeth as he regretted many things, including his inability to do anything about the parasite named Murdoch Swan. He acknowledged Minoru's recent work, but he vowed to uncover Yanagi-sensei's true character and never repeat past mistakes.

"I'll tear off that mask of yours and see what kind of person you are, Yanagi-sensei."

Henry declared as he stared at the screen.

"Chabashira-sensei, let's proceed with our plan."

 Sae nodded in agreement, eager to see Minoru fail in this crucial event.

---

A/N:

Honestly, this ff started with just an idea after I began writing "John Wick: After The End" noted that I like John Wick franchise, and lastly... my naruto ff with the female lead as Hinata, "You Say I Have to Kill Kaguya?"

Then, since I enjoy James Bond movies with Daniel Craig as the actor, and the last movie also gave me an idea, and then... after I meditated in my closet, every morning. I came up with the plot for "Hitman x Family"

and with some Nick Fury's idea, "There was an idea. The idea about collecting anime into one story blah blah blah" well, yeah, that's the story.

at first, it was just a rough idea, and I didn't know if it was worth my time. I mean, if it's good, I might continue. Or do you guys think this story isn't worth continuing to write?