Saigo no Bus

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Storyline set before RV's arrival. [+]
Invites only. [+]

It was nine minutes past midnight. The last bus arrives at 12:10. She wasn’t only looking at the time from the digital clock that hung before her; something of more importance captivated her eyes. Something she really didn’t expect.

It’s very funny how this 26 year-old sensei got into Central Town at this time of night. It’s just quite unusual for a teacher of her caliber to snoop around the academy instead of preparing lesson plans for the next semester. However, she couldn’t just do simply that in the face of an Alice Ban. She was never the rebellious type, but something as suspicious as this aroused her curiosity.

Everything is pretty much set. She’s sent a messenger dove both to Akihiko and Natsumi which carried a handwritten letter and an Alice powered microchip for each, designed to work in all computers it was put near. Her younger siblings may not recognize the importance of those chips for now -- even she herself isn’t sure as to why she even went to such feats just because of the Alice Ban -- but maybe someday it will prove to be very vital.

Woman’s intuition, perhaps?

So what are those microchips for, exactly? They are actually access to the hidden cameras she implanted in various regions of the academy, aside from the one she was holding right now, which looks a bit like a cellular phone with a big monitor on it. She has taken a lot of precaution (and a lot of time for thinking about this), even programming the cameras to stop broadcasting once detected or destroyed in any way, preventing anybody to detect the microchips outside the academy to which all the recorded information led. It pains her that she has to risk her family for a selfish whim, so she has to do everything she could to protect them anyway.

Yes, everything that she did today basically circled around putting hidden cameras all over the academy, just in case something unexpected happens, the cameras will be able to catch it. Of course she didn’t go to every corner of the academy to install them -- she had to use her supposedly repressed Alice. So ice humanoids roamed around the academy as inconspicuously as possible. Once the task is completed though, those ice creations will return to the water they once were. After all, Setsuna doesn’t really require an absolute line of sight to control her creations, just some way to monitor them. Like the cameras, for example.

That’s right, Hayashi Setsuna, the only teacher with Ice Control Alice, was the ‘culprit.’

The last ice humanoid has successfully installed the last hidden camera at the top of the Central Town’s fountain. Setsuna could finally breathe in relief, since her ‘work’ for the day is finally finished. What’s left for her to do is to board the last bus back to the academy premises, back to her room to rest and contemplate on various things, just as she does every night for the past few weeks. Sliding the camera monitor in the pocket of her off-white sleeveless blouse, Setsuna walked towards the waiting platform. She could read a blinking red ‘12:07’ from her position. Another sigh escaped her lips. She was three minutes early.

She then brushed her recently cut hair back with her fingers as she quietly waited for the bus. The silence was quite unnerving, but the crescent moon and the scattered dots of light across the night sky assured her nevertheless. A few moments later, she felt a slight brush of air on her shoulder, indicating that somebody has just arrived. A puzzled Setsuna refused to turn to look at who this person was; for some reason it didn’t occur to her that this person might be a student defying the academy’s set curfew. There was some sort of feeling of familiarity. Eventually she gave in to her confusion.

I’m just looking at the time, she told herself. Nothing else.

It was nine minutes past midnight. The last bus arrives at 12:10. She wasn’t just checking the time anymore.

[||D e c a y . . .]

"Ouch..."

He whispered slightly as he jerked his face, the corner of his lip was dabbed with a crimson liquid smudge. He opened his mouth, with his shaky hands he tried to wipe away the smudge, but it had already clotted to his skin. He sighed.

Well, he could get away with it, maybe. It was midnight and who would be out in the central town at midnight? Everything's closed, nothing to look at, really. Unless you're really desperate to go find a quiet place where no one roams. Since the north woods has been quite inhabitted lately.

Now, the students wouldn't be thinking of going into central town at night time, would they? It was smart of them-- the government officials to be dragging him there, then beating the heck out of the defenceless young man.

Why did they beat him up? Well, it might have been something he accidentally said, or the way Ken had acted previously. Or something along those lines that made them angry enough to suddenly kidnap him and started punching and or kicking him in the face and torso. Or maybe they're just hungry in that way, and wanted something to punch. Thus they used Kenzo as a punching bag.

Though he really wasn't aware of this. He was only asked, and he accepted such offers. He was not told that he was going to be their punching bags or an amusement toy-- a rat. Anyway, he couldn't see the point of sulking about it. Once he shines with his role, they'd respect him. Of course, he would be betraying them at the end though.

He lazily walked down the path away from the alleyway which they had dragged him into, and outside, to the usually-busy streets of Central Town. Well, it wouldn't be busy at this time, and it was normal. Stepping forth little by little, he finally made it to the bus station. Not even sure of the time anymore. He's been walking by intuition, relying on one eye which still had the contact to direct him to the way. But with one eye blurred, and the other one normal, it was confusing him; making him dizzy.

He lifted his left wrist up, trying to see what the time was, but-- heck, they even destroyed the watch. Not only was it cracked open, but the hands were all bent or snapped. Kenzo cursed under his breath, and slumped to the ground next to the platform, sitting cross legged, he burried his face to his palms, as if that would shake off all frustration. He sighed, then lifting his head, turning to the side of him, on the other side of the platform board-- there was a person.

"Excuse me, do you have the ti--" He stopped and blinked twice.

Not really remembering what he was saying before, he changed the question to:

"Se--janakute... Hayashi-sensei?"

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That scent. That voice. It was all familiar to Setsuna. She blinked for so many times that she’d already lost count before realizing that the one referring to her was slumping down on the ground.

Setsuna stared. Really hard. Despite the bloody and bruised appearance of the young man slumped before her, she simply stared. It was like she was in trance, for some reason. Funny enough, she felt something go mildly dokidoki. That was the first time in his 26 years of breathing in this earth that it happened. Well, spare the ones during her junior high years... and high school years… and college years…

“…Hayashi-sensei?”

As she heard her name being called, she was brought back to reality. She blinked, rubbed her eyes for too many times and even slapped her face -- softly, of course -- to get herself to function properly. Her auburn eyes widened (in disbelief, most probably).

“Ken…chan?” she blurted out without thinking.

Realizing what she had just said, Setsuna finally came back to her senses and rushed towards the injured young man. There was no time to make droopy eyes and daydreams and trances, someone hurt was just before her!

“Ken-chan! What the hell happened to you?” Setsuna didn’t even mind her language. She was shocked at the very least, and the last thing on her mind was the courtesy in her words. That’s okay though, anyway her actions and reflexes are as sharp as her tongue.

She flicked her left hand and water particles were drawn out from her skin as she used her free hand and her teeth to rip out a part in her frilly, long royal blue skirt. The clump of water became ice cubes that were suspended in mid air, and then grabbed it as soon as she successfully pulled out the necessary cloth from her skirt to make an ice bag.

To hell with that skirt. I can buy one later, she assured herself. But somewhere deep in her consciousness she was crying for that $200 skirt she bought for herself as a birthday present when she was still in the US. Well, it made a good ice bag anyway.

Setsuna damped the improvised ice bag on the bruises on Iwase-sensei’s face. “Hold this,” she told the younger male, her voice hinting command. She would then rip more cloth from her skirt to control Ken’s bleeding, and she’s willing to do it over and over again until the skirt is short enough to just reach to her knees -- it was originally hanging just above her ankle, actually. She sighed as she tied the cloth around the open wound in the man’s arm.

“Seriously Ken-chan, what were you just doing? How did you get all these?”

[||D e c a y . . .]

It's been months since that event happened. Though internal wounds do not heal so quickly. He felt an ache in his heart. It was strong enough to paralyze his external injuries and numb it for the moment. He couldn't move a muscle when the older woman treated his external wounds. Even though she was ripping her own skirt just to help him. He only moved his left arm-- the one that wasn't so badly injured to hold the self-made ice pack. He soon placed it down on the ground, his arm wasn't strong enough to even support the ice pack anymore. He forced it to hold the older teacher's wrist.

"It's okay... I'm okay..." He said. "Don't worry about me... Stop-- I've been like this for quite some time..."

He was sure that the injuries would heal soon. It's not like some thugs' violent assaults are going to kill him. Although it could happen, and there is a possibility, he was sure that he would never die from it. Besides, his injuries weren't so serious that the older woman had to rip up lengths off her skirt just to possibly help him.

The boy felt bad-- really bad. He shouldn't have worried her, especially when he cared about her, even though he did have his time when he avoided meeting the older teacher. He squeezed her hand slightly, and then letting his left hand drop down lifelessly.

The short term numbness to his external wounds came back. He kept himself from wincing; reacting to the pain. It wasn't so much, and he could bear it, as he did had an accident which led to many people's lives being lost. His right arm's wound did not stop bleeding however, it didn't bother him as much.

"So... I'm sure..."

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It was still a puzzle to her as to why she couldn’t recognize her younger colleague at first sight. Come to think of it, Setsuna hasn’t been seeing Ken lately. Perhaps it was work getting in the way, but every time she thinks she's had a glimpse of him, she gets the feeling that he wants to disappear, and then he does disappear. And now that she’s seen him again, a part of her was happy. A part of her was relieved. A part of her was worried.

And a part of her was anxious.

There was something she couldn’t quite put her finger on about Ken-chan at the moment. Something… different. Maybe it was the haircut? Setsuna just hopes it’s as simple as that.

She then noticed how weak her kouhai was that he couldn’t even raise the ice bag to his face. How rather insensitive. But as she reached for the temporary first aid item, she felt an icy sensation touch her wrists. It was Ken’s hand. At that her brown eyes accidentally met his gray ones and… her cheeks suddenly turned pinkish.

However she pulled her hand from the younger teacher’s grip and furrowed her eyebrows as if she was angry at something. She continued to rip parts of her skirt anyway, not heeding what Ken had just told her.

“Don’t say such stupid things. And I don’t settle for ‘it’s okay’ or ‘I’m okay’ because you’re clearly not,” she said in a rather firm voice as she continued to tend Ken’s injuries. Truly she was showing what it is to be born with the zodiac of Taurus – stubborn, persistent, and passionate.

And don’t look at me like that, she added mentally, sighing as she desperately avoided the younger man’s glances.

How time flies. It was already thirteen minutes past midnight, and yes, the last bus to the academy’s main premises just left. Did any of the two teachers even notice that?

[||D e c a y . . .]

The bus left without any of the teachers riding on it. The bus driver didn't even bother waiting for the two to get on either. It would have been so much better if the bus driver had waited, that way, there'd be no trouble trying to get him back to his dorm, where he had started to get to work before the thugs came in and dragged him out. Though, if they haven't dragged him out, he wouldn't have met her either.

Had fate set this all up for him?

Despite looking horrible, he was humiliated by appearing all-beat in front of Setsuna Hayashi. It's the boy's pride? He wouldn't have gotten such bad injuries if there was only one or two guys, both beating him. But this time, it was only one of them, the rest grabbed hold of him, making him stand still, even when he couldn't stand.

"Sensei... Please. It's not like I'd die..." He said.

If only another bus would come. He knew it was in the middle of the night, and only one bus would come by in the middle of the night; the last one. After that, it's either by foot, or a night stay at the central town.

"Anosa, sensei.. Do you remember the last thing I said on our previous meeting?"

Ken had obviously lied about the last remark on that day. It never left his mind, and whether that was a good thing or not, he doesn't even know. But what he had said was something he couldn't forget-- sort of like a sin, where it stays unless you reconciliate to them.

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“Sensei... Please. It's not like I'd die...”

It’s not like I’d die? How could he even say that in front of her, who’s been tending his wounds like crazy? Setsuna suddenly felt a surge of emotion in her body. Rage. As if she wanted to slap the younger teacher to his senses. She raised her hand, looking very upset, and then brought it down. Never in her life has she felt this strongly about anyone to the extent that she was about to burst, if her memory serves.

Setsuna sighed. “You’ve got a lot of guts saying that to me,” she whispered as she reached for the ice bag lying on the ground. It was an unfortunate sight. Hayashi-sensei was breaking down.

She continued tending Ken’s wounds anyway. Setsuna was a rational woman and found that such strong emotions were inappropriate. Although she’s only attended few classes on psychology during her college days, she knew very well that it was the young man’s pride that was talking big. Even so, she couldn’t help her feelings -- which even she herself can’t understand.

For a while, she remained silent. How could she forget about that day? Playing a joke on the teacher and, to some extent, even lying to her. Setsuna was quite fazed that day and didn’t understand what Ken actually meant with his last words and even the card that he gave her. To tell the truth, she’s still very confused about that to this day.

Images of the bouquet and the card that Ken sent that day flashed in Setsuna’s mind. It was pretty much the last thing he said on their previous meeting.

“What about it?” she said rather coldly, damping the improvised ice bag on the wound near Ken’s lips.

[||D e c a y . . .]

As soon as the teacher's hand was raised, Ken squinted his eyes, and looked away. He was prepared to be hit once more. Neither did he even try to stop her; the thinks he deserved it. That comment he made, it must have insulted her in some way. If hitting him was the only way to relieve her from the form of unintended insult, then he was willing to accept it. He heard her whisper, and opened his eyes once more.

"I'm sorry..." He said.

The younger teacher could only watch as the senpai treated his wounds using her alice and cloths. Iwase Ken, also known as Kenzo, wasn't a delinquent from his school days forward. Never had he gotten so badly beaten, apart from the road accident.

"I'm sorry..." The young man said once more. "I'm so sorry..."

That day, at the cafe, it was something quite hard to swallow for Kenzo. He had made a mistake by telling her a lie. That would explain why he's apologizing so much. He wasn't the one to be lying, usually. Just that time, for a strange reason, he told a lie. Perhaps he thought it would get it off her mind-- if he lied and told her it was all a joke.

"I'm sorry... I tried to give up, but I couldn't... Sensei... mou ichido ieru yo... Sensei no koto ga suki desu."

He winced at the stinging pain when the ice bag came in contact with the corner of his lips. He lost his cool and finally reacted to the pain? He wanted to wince from the start, but he couldn't.

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Ken’s apologies didn’t relieve the older teacher at all. Setsuna felt that he was sorry for all the wrong reasons. What she doesn’t understand is why she was being all emotional about all of these? Would she have been like this if it was Kurogane instead of Ken in front of her? And what about her talk about Akihiko? Feeling like this, it was as if she wasn’t keeping her word.

Setsuna herself wasn’t sure of the answer.

A smile tugged at the corner of the older woman’s lips. It was a faint, bittersweet smile. “That… that’s just delusional, Ken-chan.”

Shaking a bit, she ripped yet another part of her $200 worth skirt to use as a substitute for gauzes. Setsuna then stood up and moved to Ken’s right, where she still had more to tend., and the camera monitor she had slipped into her blouse pocket fell on the ground. Immediately she picked it up, acting as if nothing really happened. Another sigh escaped her lips.

“I think you’re simply mistaking my acts,” the older woman started, tying the piece of cloth over Ken’s open wound. “Perhaps I’ve been too kind, and that you’re confusing my actions into thinking you’re attracted to me.” Her trembling voice started to raise, making her fall short of breath. It was the after effect of using her Alice earlier -- although she only took a fairly small amount of water out of her (the amount of sweat she perspires during her trainings is greater, actually), the method of extraction was not natural to her body.

“I told you before… I only see you as a brother…”

Then, Setsuna, why are you crying?

Setsuna felt something warm streak down her face. She brought her hand up to her eyes and looked at it. There were tears.

She may not know exactly what she’s talking about, but one thing’s for sure: Hayashi-sensei has terribly missed the wounded young man before her.

[||D e c a y . . .]

A small sigh was let out from him. He needed it out. That was the second time, however, it wasn't as bad-- he knew it would come. He knew it would come again, but he couldn't keep the feelings inside him. He was a bit of a feminist, and was probably too soft and naive than other young mens of his age. Hence it was easy to order him around, since he'd always be glad to take on the job even if he doesn't want to.

"Stop it."

He said as he let out another sigh. His tended arm were lifted up to remove the bangs which were covering his eyes away from it. He pulled it back, revealing the young man's forehead. But that only lasted a few seconds, as soon as his hand was dropped back down again, the strands came to hide away his forehead once more, but it wasn't covering his eyes.

"You're crying..."

Attempting to pull away his currently-being-tended arm away from the older teacher's care. The numbed sensation was gone, and physical; both stinging and aching pain didn't let him move the arm as he willed.

Honestly, he had the urge to embrace the senpai of his, wrapping her around his arms. However, such acts shouldn't be performed without her permission, so the thought.

Had he always thought of such things, he was unusual indeed. He accepted the fact himself. His embracement may be worsening the current situation, where he had no idea of how his senpai may be feeling whilst he was under the pressure of a heavy atmosphere.

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Oh yeah, I'm back~ [+]

It was like she was hit with a giant rock on the head. She stopped as her kouhai insisted -- after all, his wounds have already been properly tended. Oddly enough, Setsuna couldn’t help but smile. Perhaps she has realized the shame she brought herself into. She was already an adult, for crying out loud, but she acted no more than a child.

The black haired teacher pushed herself away from Ken, although still sitting on the cemented ground. She turned around so that her back was facing Ken; so that he wouldn’t see her pathetic face. At that she wiped her eyes with the back of her bloodied palms (bloodied due to the wounds she tended). Despite all of what happened though she didn’t have any feeling of hatred towards herself. Not even regret.

“Sorry about that, Ken-chan,” she started with a low tone, “That was really uncalled for.”

The thought of walking away from that place occurred to her. That would probably be the best thing to do, but her conscience tells her not to. In spite of the embarrassment, the fact that Ken was injured still remains.

There was nothing to do for her but be silent.

[||D e c a y . . .]

A sudden struck hit his heart. Almost like it was a stab. Regreting what he had said before, the more he remembers it, the more he regretted it. That was childish of him. Not that he acts like an adult in the first place, but it made him feel bad.

The fact that he liked her means that he would respect her, but what he had done, or in this case, said, was not respecting her choice at all. He looked at her, about to aplogize again. She'd probably be sick of hearing it already.

"Sensei~" He said with a playfull tone, "Smile."

Ready with a grin, even though the night may be restricting the eyesight. Even so, the round streetlamps helped a bit. Even if it was dim, it would still be visible. And even though he was forcing himself to smile despite wanting to cry so much, he had the thought of it being the best thing to do.

"I'm sorry. I'll respect and take your word this time," He started again, "But I will still keep liking sensei. Until I the day I decide to let it go, and find someone better than you, even though I can't think of anyone right now. And one day, I'll be able to see sensei as a mere sister of mine."