第20章: Who are you?
"Excuse me, but you must be in the wrong class?" one of the students said to the man who just entered the room. Erza was shocked to see Urahara going under cover as the new teacher, she squinted her eyes to examine him looking good wearing a suit and hair neatly done. "Your teacher is on leave for a short time. I'll be your sub for the time being.My name is Kinsuke Uyehara. We're going to have fun" he said with a wide grin and secretly winks at the red head who smirked in response and twitched on hearing his fake name thinking "Can't he find better name that does not sound like his real name?".
Urahara was at the faculty office browsing through the student files to get more information about the target. But came across Yuuta's file that caught his interest, so he called him for questioning. The boy entered the faculty office and went towards his teacher's table "You called for me sir" he greeted with a bow "Oh yes, I just want to check on my students' credentials, you're not from here?" He asked. "Yes sir, I'm migrated here" he confirmed. "I don't see much on your records, geulaeseo bumonim-eun hangug-eseo wass-eoyo?" (So your parents are from Korea?) He tried to check if what's on the file is correct.
"dangsin-eun haeoeeseo jalan salam-eul wihae ilbon-eoleul jalhabnida" (you speak Japanese so well for someone raised abroad) Yuuta smirked "jeoneun hangug-eseo jalassji man je ppulineun ilbon-igo bumonim-eun jega uli josang-ui bangbeob-eul baeugileul wonhaessseubnida." (I was raised in korea but my roots are Japanese and my parents wanted me to learn the ways of our ancestors) Urahara nods as he gave a doubtful smirk "geugeos-e daehae jalmosdoen geos-i issseubnikka?" (Is there anything wrong about that?) He asked sternly challenging the teacher.
"Alright, you're dismissed, thank you" the teacher concluded. They had a meeting about his suspicion about Yuuta and decided to go grab some drinks. That were drinking in an izakaya when her homeroom teacher noticed her and grabbed her by the ear. "Go, get away from here" she told her team. Urahara hid himself afraid that his cover as one the substituent teacher might get blown if he realizes that it's him, together with Kiba and Abarai, they ran away as her teacher scolds her for being a minor high school girl who is drinking alcohol with older men. He scolded her and said that he will place her on detention when she reaches school the next day if her guardian will not accompany her so he can talk to them and tell them of her behavior. When she finally got home she bumped into Yuuta who lives next door. "You smell alcohol, are you okay?" He asked with concern "yeah, I'm fine, just had some few drinks, why is there a problem?" she said "Erza" he said and she just hummed in return "To be honest, I..." he stutters and blushes "What?" she asked "Nothing. Never mind" he said while watching her open her door "What?" she asked again when she noticed "Go ahead inside" he stated "uhm, alright" she said and waived her hand "goodnight" he said quickly "goodnight, bye" she said with a bow before the both of them went inside their rooms. After a few seconds both opened their door and peaked at each other to find their eyes meet and blushed and slammed the door shut.
The next day, Erza heard a knock on her door "great, who can this be" she whispered as she move away from her room balcony putting the binoculars down as she was trying to spy on her target who lives across her place. "Who is it?" She asked thinking it could be Yuuta again. When she opened the door she was surprised to see Sōma who smiled at her and raised her hand that held a bag with beer and food before saying "Are you free?" Erza nodded before answering "Yeah, come in" she invited. Sōma started crying after a few shots and told her about her issues "A strong person is not the one who doesn't cry. A strong person is the one who cries and sheds tears for a moment, then gets up and fights again." She said trying to comfort her "It's easier said than done Erza" she answered "A flower can't choose the place where it blooms and a child can't choose the parents he's born to." Erza added "I'm terrible, aren't I?" Sōma said then starts sobbing so Erza went beside her and hugged her and pats her head as she cried out, after a while Sōma left for the night, Erza made a phone call to her lieutenant "I know where he is"
The next day, Urahara, Kiba, Abarai and Belserion went to the airport watching a tall muscular man with a scar on his chin, short white hair, long upward-curving eyebrows and red eyes in surveillance. They were positioned strategically in case of a commotion or if he tries to escape, Erza talked through the communication earpiece invented by Urahara "I see him, Jin Kariya on site" she whispered discretely. They approached the target but a group of arrancar came for him and ran away so they all ran after him and when they reached the basement parking area they fought while Kariya hides "Erza go after him we'll take on them" Kiba commanded as she followed. As kariya runs he was cornered by few números so he tried to run away the other direction to find Erza, he is now cornered between the group of números and Erza.
He is trapped and has no where to go but before loosing his hopes a man riding a big bike came in cutting the números passing between them stopping just right in front of Erza and turned back towards the números slashing them with his katana and looked at Kariya who nodded at him, using his motorcycle he hits the gas and produced smoke that blinded everyone, giving Kariya a chance to escape. Urahara, Kiba and Abarai came in time to block the rider's way out but managed to jump over them, Urahara started to chant "Senjū no hate, todokazaru yami no mite, utsurazaru ten no ite! Hikari wo otozu michi, hidane wo aoru kaze! Tsudoite madō na, waga yubi wo miyo! Kōdan, hasshin, kujō, tenkei, shippō, dairin, haīro no hōtō! Yumihiku kanata, kōkō toshite kiyu! Hadō #91. Senju Kōten Taihō"he then generated ten pink energy points and fires them all at the mystery rider making him fall on the ground.
He stood up quickly and rode his bike to run away as the shinigami runs after him, since they are using gigais and mortals are around they can't use hohō and shunpo to get to him. Erza found a watch on the floor, she picked it up and as she examines it her heart started to race, it was the same watch Yuuta was wearing when she was mending his injured ankle with the same exact crack. She quickly went back to her apartment and started knocking forcefully on Yuuta's door.
"Hey Yuuta open the door!!!" she shouted."You trying to break down my door?" Yuuta said from behind her which made her turn around to face him. "What's wrong? Do you need anything?" he asked calmly "Where have you been?" Erza asked with full authority "convenience store. why?" he said while closing the gap between them "I was hungry you know" showing her the bag of food he is carrying "were you home all day?" she asked in doubt which made him chuckle "what's got into you? you're all worked up" before Erza took his hands and asked "Where did your watch go?" Yuuta just looked at her and answered "I took it off in the shower.Why, are you going to get it fixed for me?" he teased as Erza stared at his eyes releasing his hand and turned around before saying "I'd be unhappy if you lost that watch. Make sure you hang on to it" and left.
Erza called out a meeting with the boys and found out with the use of Urahara's holographic computer that Yuuta is just posing as a student like Erza however, his goal remained unknown. At the PE class they are having martial arts after their teacher made a demonstration he called out "We are going to have a sparring practice, any volunteers?" no one answered so he scanned around and pointed his finger to one "Hey Yuuta, get up here" so he did and stood beside the teacher "and his opponent" he said trying to decide who when Erza came in the gym just in time raising her hand "Me, sensei" she removed her shoes getting ready as they turned around to face her. "Are you sure? I mean you're a girl and he's still a man" he warned her but she maintained a serious look and said "I can take him on" so the teacher went to Yuuta and whispered "remember she is a girl so go easy on her" and tapped his shoulder but he just nodded and smiled innocently "Alright, ready, begin" the teacher announced.
Erza filled with fury charged at him and grabbed the collar of his Karategi and slammed him on the floor, as soon as he hits the floor , Yuuta stood up and grabbed her the same way she did to him but she managed to counter fast and pinned him in the floor using her elbow while pouring all her weight to keep him down as she is on top of him their faces inches apart, he grabbed her collar to close the gap staring at her eyes "You're so good" he teased "who the hell are you?" she asked their eyes locked "What about you?" he answered grabbing her by the neck and throwing her on the floor as they both stood up panting not removing their eyes from each other and charged at the same time grabbing each other's uniform "I got your stupid broken watch!" she said before grabbing his arm turning around and throwing him to the floor but he managed to stop her and whispered to her ear "why do you have my watch?" which annoyed her "just fess up!" and she used her might to throw him off then he stood up and threw her to the ground. It was an even match as their exchanges continued until they were exhausted without noticing that they were alone in the gym and it's getting dark outside. they were lying on the floor side by side "I'm giving you twenty four hours to get out of here.When I see you again, I'll kill you" she said before standing up, grabbing her shoes, walking towards the door- leaving him lying on the ground.
He sighed as he sat up and stared at her back as she disappear from his view and lied down on the floor again staring at the ceiling faced palmed and let out a deep sigh of disappointment. "Erza..." was all he can say.