Hyoudou Isane POV:
Monday started oddly for me, though, in a good manner.
I woke up extremely refreshed, floaty even. Like I was walking on clouds. It felt like how Mom used to describe feeling after a particularly great body massage. So, naturally, I felt like it was going to be a great day for me, unstoppable even.
…
Was this how people who went to sleep early felt in the morning every day?
'Nah.' I shook my head in dismissal at the preposterous thought as I looked at the current zombie-like state of my mother. This state of mine must be because of love hormones or something.
'There are love hormones though, right?' I scratched my head as I tried to remember to no avail.
'Hmm, might as well ask Sensei later.'
…
However, I thought that I might have been too hyper, considering the constantly worried look Mom was giving me as I waved her goodbye and rushed out of our home.
As I almost dashed to school, all such mundane worries evaporated from my mind, as whatever brain cells I could cobble together at the moment just focused on one single task – remembering the event from the other day.
…
I'm sure the people who saw me were definitely creeped out by the loopy smile that threatened to split my face, but I didn't care! After all, I finally did it! I went on a date with a pretty girl!
'I did pretty well on the date if I do say so myself,' I thought as I allowed myself a mental self-pat on the back.
We went to play some games at the arcade, had a romantic (I hope) movie date, had dinner at a nice restaurant, even though it made a hefty dent in my savings, and then– ki– kiss–
Of course, the last remnants of my brain just had to choose to commit mutiny at that exact moment, and no matter how much I tried to focus, I just couldn't remember my first kiss.
Still, it had to have been awesome. Butterflies in the stomach kind. In fact, it must have been soul-shaking… considering I don't even remember how and when I got back home yesterday.
Heh~ I can't wait to see the jealous looks on the faces of the others.
…
'Please let this shitty day end already!'
Of course, not a single person in my class believed me when I told them about yesterday. Not a problem, I had thought smugly, after all, we did take some photographs yesterday… all thanks to the insistence of Yuuma-chan.
…Since I would never have the courage to ask to take photos together.
'It won't do if you have nothing to commemorate our first-ever date together, will it?' she had said.
Ah~ Yuuma-chan is honestly so cute, the ideal girlfriend.
And then… as is custom with my dumbass self, I screwed up. I apparently lost my phone somewhere yesterday.
And obviously, my non-believing class jumped on the first opportunity to put me down. One of them even went as far as telling the teachers that I was spreading false stories about a female student from another school.
Not that my image could actually become worse in school. Still, the disapproving stares hurt, and obviously, the teachers weren't paid enough to listen to my side of the story.
…
Of course, everything became worse at lunch, when it felt like a black hole had replaced my stomach. So much so that I felt terribly hungry even after finishing what was definitely a larger-than-normal bento, and by now felt like passing out.
Even the passing comments of 'Little Piggie', and the fact that I was 'Finally growing my own breasts because not even my mother would let me touch hers' could barely faze me.
Then there was him.
As the bell rang for the second-last time for the school day, my lips pursed, and my eyes kept involuntarily tracking Sensei as he took his leave, trying to solve the mystery dangling in front of me. The answer was just there, calling out to me, and I almost had it on the tip of my tongue. My breath quickened, my neurons fired almost as rapidly as they did when I was secretly playing one of my beloved eroge – and a scene that would show the glorious, glorious oppai was near, until…
Thunk.
'Wha–'
A meaty hand heavily landed on my upper back, almost causing me to faceplant on the desk.
My cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anger, and combined with the frustration that I had been bottling inside of me from the events earlier in the day, led me to end up yelling at the baldie who, to my misfortune, was one of the only two people who were the closest to a friend I had currently.
"What the hell is your problem, Matsuda?!"
…
The guy paused in surprise for a moment, blinked, and shrugged, then gave me a look as if I was somehow the one in the wrong.
"What are you saying, Hyoudou? This is just a friendly greeting, right? More importantly, though…"
A vile smile plastered upon his face, he said crudely. "You've been staring at the Biology teacher's ass for the entire period. Care to share anything?"
I opened my mouth in rebuttal, only to pause and realize… How does one explain to people that you maybe saw your teacher in your dream yesterday, without causing a misunderstanding? Especially in a situation like mine.
…
"Eep!" I let out a shriek and physically recoiled as my other friend rested his face on my school desk, and he asked, loudly and maliciously.
"Did you finally come to your senses and start batting for the correct team? Still… straight away aiming for the top-shelf goods, eh? Well, not that you have a chance in hell anyway. Ain't that right, oh glorious leader of the itty-bitty-titty committee?"
You can't punch him Isane. You already have a bad rep with… well everyone else.
Gritting my teeth, I thought of the only excuse that came to mind. "Put your ugly mug away, Motohama! Also, I told you all already that I went on a date with Yuuma-chan yesterday. I think I saw Sensei while on the date, and was trying to remember where."
"Ah yes, your mysterious girlfriend that you know nothing about other than her name."
"The same girl who asked you out first, and with whom you went on a date yesterday. Allegedly."
"The one who fell in love with you at first sight."
"Despite your beastly and despicable nature known throughout Kuoh? Isn't that right, Miss I peep at women changing?"
I felt like I would pop a nerve as the two perverts – the ones responsible for cementing my image in the school as a deviant, kept playing off each other's lines, and I ended up shouting.
"You both are worse than I am!"
I shouldn't have said that, I immediately realized as an awkward silence fell upon the class and I felt everyone else's judgemental gaze upon me, while my face stiffened in self-blame, until someone finally broke the silence as she clicked their tongue and said.
"Well, at least you are self-aware that you're all damn scumbags."
"We don't want to hear that from you, Aika/Kiryuu!!" Came the spontaneous, almost synchronized, reply out of the boys… causing the rest of the class to go back to whatever they were doing before, as if satisfied after watching a routine.
I just wanted the school to end. So that I could go back home, crawl into the sheets and cry.
"Tch. Unlike you three voyeuristic scum of the earth–"
"Oi!"
Ignoring the affronted exclamation of the duo, a bespectacled brunette girl with haid in twin braids approached my desk, looked down at me with smug superiority, and continued.
"I just quietly appreciate the beauty of the male human form, and spread the love and knowledge amongst my fellow students."
…
"That is just a fancy-schmancy way of saying that you measure the size of the junk of men, you perverted woman!" Motohama whisper-shouted, only for him to receive an unimpressed glare from the others.
"Like I said, male beauty." The girl snickered, then said dreamily. "By the way, nice choice Hyoudou." She gave a thumbs up to me. I just gave her a confused look.
"Sensei, I mean. Very beautiful… Wow, you look like you sucked a lemon. Heh, get it? Sucked? Okay, I'll shut up now." Perhaps noticing my bad mood, Kiryuu backed away from my seat rather quickly.
…
"Speaking of seeing him before… I too sometimes feel like I have seen him somewhere, outside of school… and maybe Kuoh in general." Motohama said as he stroked his chin.
Aika hummed, a strange look on her face. "Well… he was famous for a while, right? A child prodigy, the upcoming star of the medical field or something… well until his house burned down. The guy entirely disappeared off the grid after that, until he started at Kuoh. I think the entire school knows about that. You don't?"
"Tch. It's not like I'm planning to go into the medical field." Motohama grunted and said, only to choke and sputter as Aika nodded, then added.
"Yeah, the only place you're likely to go is the jail."
"Ah… if it's gossip, I know about a bit more," Motohama added, only to wave his hands and shake his head in denial as he quickly added. "Come on guys, not like that!" He pseudo-gagged in disgust. Then pointing at me, who by now had just quietly laid my head down, he added.
"I'm not like Isane! I just overheard some stuff when the teachers came to our place for their party once."
My hands clenched under the desk, and I bit my lips.
There is nothing wrong with me!
Of course, after that friendly ribbing, he trudged on with his explanation about how Sensei could really hold his alcohol. And about how Matsuda worked incredibly hard to ensure that he was there to see as, after downing an unhealthy amount of alcohol, Sensei finally capitulated under the insistence of the other teachers, and showed everyone a photo of his 'blonde wife with big bazongas' and the 'cute as a button, hime-miko loli daughter.'
Motohama of course, wailed 'damn Riajuu' and wept when he found out that no… Matsuda wasn't able to swipe off the photo.
At that point, I think I was really out of it… as even Matsuda's declaration of Sensei's wife's tits being probably bigger than Himejima-senpai's made me feel nothing.
Why is the teacher even taking that long? Damn it, why isn't there a fast-forward button to life?!
…
"Still, that wasn't what I was thinking of." Motohama shook his head. "It was more along the lines of… you know…"
"You think you saw our sensei in an AV?" A guy snickered as he asked jokingly from the side, only to pale as Motohama and Matsuda fell into deep thought for a few moments. By now, I was only barely listening and felt like falling asleep… maybe I wouldn't feel this constant sense of hunger then.
"Maybe a doujinshi?" Motohama pondered aloud.
…
"How ridiculous." Kiryuu finally shook her head and snorted, then started walking back towards her seat, only to jump in fright… which I might have done as well… as an excited Matsuda shouted.
I saw quite a few people prick up their ears while pretending to not listen… heh… the hypocrites, only for Matsuda to call out six numbers in rapid succession to what seemed like utter incomprehension of most of the class.
'Oh, I remember reading that one. Hebihana sensei's characters are really pretty.'
I saw many classmates take out their cellphones and enter the sacred numbers on a certain site… and the many faces of realization, and it took all it had in me to not snort in derision. Of course, the loudest reaction was from Motohama, who nearly screamed.
"I'm a heretic. To have forgotten the sacred text. I will read the series twice today, in penance." He pretend-sobbed.
What was surprising was that Aika seemed clueless until Matsuda took her phone from her for a while, then after opening the webpage, handed it back to her.
"What the… ooh." Her face flushed and suddenly Aika's entire attention was captured by the 'manga' on her phone.
"It's Hebihana sensei's finest work. A combination of plot and PLOT. Romance and eroticism. A tear-jerking story… in addition to the regular one," he said as he moved his fist lewdly as Motohama nodded frantically in agreement. Motohama then added.
"Also, as much as I prefer and admire the lithe form of lolis… there is no stopping the BIG FOXY MOMMY MILKERS!"
"Uooooh!!!" The duo howled in excitement at the declaration, just in time for the last teacher to enter the class, and they ended up being punished to stand and listen at the back of the class.
What was surprising, however, was the other person who accompanied the teacher. Looking in disgust at the duo was a student from 2-A, and a new member of the student council, Genshiro Saji.
"Hyoudou-kun."
"...I didn't do anything this time." I protested weakly.
Huffing, the teacher said with thinly hidden disdain, "I'm sure you didn't. But no, this time it's something else. Please follow Saji-kun, your mother is waiting for you in the PTA room."
…
My mind was in a haze as I woodenly followed Saji, my thoughts churning at very high speeds.
'I shouldn't be in trouble, right? Did mom find my cell phone… but no, why would she even come to give it to me, that too in the last period.'
'Was it because of what the others said to the teachers this morning… it can't be, right? They can't call Mom just for something so stupid, right?'
'Ah… I'm going to be sick.'
…
"Hey, you alright?"
"Bwuh?"
What the hell is Bwuh?! Also, say something to him… he's looking so intensely! Also, why is his damn skin so much better than mine even though he definitely doesn't seem like the type to use skincare?!
"Ah oh… I'm just really hungry…"
The truth is not any better, you damn dolt!
"Oh. Anyways, here we are. I'll be off then." Saying so, he started walking away.
Why did you even ask then?! I hope you die a virgin, you damned callous bastard!
"Excuse me–" my voice sounded sickly, as I announced myself while entering the room. Inside were two people, seated at the couches. Mom, and…
"Sensei… am I in trouble?"
I tried to sound sheepish, but couldn't stop the dread seeping into my voice. Sensei, though, upon seeing me, just stood up with a startle, and… holy shit he's fast.
"Did you not eat enough?"
Too close!
"Ah… uh… I ate quite a lot… more than usual, actually," I stammered. Staring for a moment more, Sensei nodded and hummed 'I see', then started walking back, and said something that made me heave a sigh of relief.
"And no… you're not in trouble."
Turning to Mom, while watching Sensei taking out a bottle from his bag from the corner of my eye, I asked. "Not to sound ungrateful Mom, since it did help a lot, but what's up with the extra bento?"
"Ah, um, Sensei asked me to, yesterday." Mom fidgeted and said something that made my brain short-circuit. My gaze went back and forth between Mom and Sensei, who was looking at me with a raised eyebrow.
Since when? Were they seeing each other behind my back?! But… but… isn't Sensei married? Divorce?! Or is he…
My thoughts spun chaotically, and I blurted out. "Cheating is bad, Sensei!"
Sighing, he walked near me, plonked the bottle lightly on my head, and said, "Get your mind out of the gutter, kid. Now, sit down and drink this. It'll help the hunger a lot."
The thought of finally getting out of feeling like my body will digest itself made me forget almost everything and rush to the sofa in record time.
Although, I didn't miss the obvious, though momentary, blush on Mom's face at my statement.
Plopping down, I popped the small lid open, and focused on drinking what was probably a protein shake–
Oh sweet-sweet nectar of the Gods, whatever this magical drink is, I want a lifetime supply!
I blushed as Mom gave me a doting, yet somehow fragile smile… then blinked in surprise as Sensei put a dustbin layered with black polythene near my feet. As I finished what felt like half of my drink, feeling infinitely better now, I asked.
"Um… thank you, Sensei. But… there is a reason you called Mom and me here, isn't it?"
He nodded and said a name that made me have butterflies in my stomach again. "It's about the girl who you went on a date with yesterday, Amano Yuuma, she called herself?"
Nodding rapidly, I almost vomited my words out, in the hopes that finally somebody would acknowledge that yesterday was real. "Yeah. Yeah! She– Yuuma-chan's great! My girlfriend! She's so cute! So pretty! Unlike me… But yeah, she's my girlfriend! We went on a date yesterday, and took lots of pictures! It was Yuuma-chan's idea again. But I lost my phone somewhere… sorry Mom, your daughter is a dumdum. Even though you're working so hard for the two of us… I'm always making trouble for you… But… but… Yuuma-chan is real! I swear! Those classmates of mine were falsely accusing me… I didn't… I–"
Mom suddenly embraced me tightly.
Ah, why are you crying Mom?
I'm really a shitty daughter… couldn't even tell Mom something properly.
I looked toward Sensei for help, who had a hesitant look upon his face, but still nodded and said, "Yes, the person you know as Amano Yuuma is real. You did in fact go on a date with her yesterday. And… I called you today regarding this matter."
…
"Ah. Am I in trouble because I'm dating in high school?" I asked with some trepidation.
My hand was suddenly clenched tightly by Mom, who then suddenly held my face and spoke chokingly. "Daughter… I'm here with you. I'll always be here with you, no matter what."
Mama, you're scaring me now. It's not like I'll be expelled from the school for this, right?
I looked toward Sensei, who had come closer and was looking at me with concern. He finally said. "I'm going to unseal your last memories of yesterday. I do not know whether this is the right option, but your seal is degrading already. Better be when you have someone around who cares about you."
I chuckled though I didn't feel like laughing. "Seal… what nonsense are you even saying, Sensei? We aren't in a shounen manga. Mama please, tell Sensei to tell me what punishment I'll have to receive. I'll do anything… as long as you don't make me break up with Yuuma-chan."
"Daughter…"
…
I suddenly couldn't hear Mother. My ears were ringing. As a matter of fact, I felt like I couldn't even breathe, as the memories that I had been so desperately trying to recall in the morning, suddenly came to me like an avalanche.
'Will you die for me, Isane?'
I think I heard somebody's scream.
Ah, it was mine.
'It was fun, the date. Almost like playing house with a doll. An incredibly ugly one though~'
Somebody puked quite violently.
Ah, it was me.
'Don't blame me. Blame God who gave you a Sacred Gear. And maybe blame him for that appearance as well~~'
I think I heard something made of glass shatter into pieces.
Ah, it was my heart.
…