Class 4-B

We got to Ikuka way too early thanks to my "performance art club" lie. The sun barely peeked over the horizon, casting long shadows across the quiet courtyard.

"My class is in 4-B, up on the second floor. There's..." I trailed off, frowning at the vacant campus. Where was everyone? The tennis club should've been practicing their serves by now, and the band kids always tortured everyone's eardrums with their early morning rehearsals.

Come to think of it, we hadn't seen a single reporter on our way here either. After yesterday's viral video, I'd expected to be ambushed by cameras and microphones the second I stepped outside.

The hallways echoed with our footsteps as we climbed to the second floor. No students gossiping by the windows. No teachers shuffling papers. Just silence.

I stopped in front of 4-B's door, bracing myself. Yesterday's fame probably meant I'd never have another peaceful moment in class again.

Taking a deep breath, I slid the door open-

And found just one person inside. A girl with black hair tied in a low ponytail sat by the window, completely absorbed in her book. The morning light caught her profile, making her look like something out of those artsy photos Mika was always posting from Tokyo.

I blinked. Had I somehow walked into the wrong classroom? But no, this was definitely 4-B.

"That's...weird," I muttered. "Usually half the class is here by now."

Sae strode to the back corner of the room, settling into a chair with perfect posture and crossing her legs. Her presence somehow made that corner feel ten degrees colder.

"You could sit closer, you know." I waved her toward the front.

She met my gaze but didn't budge. So much for our bonding moment earlier. I'd thought we'd reached some kind of understanding with that "ancient kaiju ritual" thing, but nope. Still the same old Balloon Lady.

I slumped into my usual desk, the quiet starting to get to me. Little Shit had been weirdly silent too. Twisting around, I found him fast asleep on my back, a tiny snore bubble growing and shrinking with each breath.

Can't blame him. Way too early for anyone to be up.

You know what? This wasn't so bad. No squealing coworkers showing me viral videos. No manager yelling about being late. No Gran Gran lecturing about my life choices. Just... peace.

I rested my chin on my hand, feeling the weight of my eyelids growing heavier. Maybe Little Shit had the right idea. It was way too early to be awake anyway.

As my thoughts grew fuzzy around the edges, I gave in and stuffed my head into my folded arms. The cool surface of the desk felt nice against my cheek.

Just five minutes wouldn't hurt...

***

A sharp pain jolted through my skull, yanking me from my peaceful nap.

"Ow! Oh, it's you."

I lifted my head to find Kurumi looming over me, her hand still raised from the karate chop. Her chestnut hair framed a pout.

"What do you mean 'it's you'? Why did you leave me on read?" Another chop landed on my head. "Do you know how worried I was?" Chop. "At least tell me you were ok!" Triple chop combo.

"Ugh, quit it already!!" I swatted at her hands, but she was too quick. "I was tired, alright?"

"Nya-hello little guy!" Kurumi's attention suddenly shifted to Little Shit, who had poked his head over my shoulder to investigate the commotion. Before I could stop her, she scooped him right off my back.

"Wait, don't-!" I shot up, already reaching for the fire extinguisher.

But instead of erupting, Little Shit chirped happily as Kurumi twirled him around. His mismatched eyes somehow looked even more unfocused than usual as he spun through the air.

"He's even cuter in person!" Kurumi squeezed Little Shit against her chest. "You're so lucky to have such a pet kaiju!"

"Yeah, real lucky." I rubbed my throbbing head.

Little Shit squeaked at me, but didn't struggle against Kurumi's cuddles. Traitor.

Glancing around the classroom, something felt off. By now, 4-B was usually buzzing with morning gossip and last-minute homework copying. But aside from Kurumi and the quiet girl reading in the corner, the room was empty.

The hallway, though... I squinted at the growing pile of heads peeking around the doorframe. Guess the viral video hadn't blown over after all.

"Oh, can he do any tricks?" Kurumi lifted Little Shit above her head. "Come on, show me your special move!"

My eyes went wide. "Wait, don't!"

Too late. Little Shit's eyes started spinning in opposite directions - his usual pre-tantrum warning sign.

Before I could react, Sae materialized from her corner like a ghost, snatching Little Shit mid-air. She cradled him with practiced ease, her fingers finding exact spots along his rocky hide that made him melt into a purring puddle.

Wait a second. How did she know exactly where to scratch? Even I hadn't figured out his off-switch yet. Come to think of it, she'd been weirdly knowledgeable about kaiju stuff from the start...

"EEEK!" Kurumi leaped backward, almost tripping over a desk. "It's Nickelwise!"

I rolled my eyes. "You've got to stop binge-watching horror movies at 3 AM."

"Lieutenant Sae Himuro." Sae's introduction cut through Kurumi's panic. She gave a slight bow, her ponytail sweeping forward elegantly. "Kaiju Quarantine Division."

Kurumi's fear evaporated instantly. Her eyes went wide as she took in Sae's sharp features and commanding presence. A blush crept across her cheeks.

"Oh. Oh wow. Hi, I'm... uh..." She tugged my sleeve frantically. "Ryūka!" she whispered way too loudly in my ear. "Since when did you land such a hottie? You have to tell me everything!"

"It's not like that!" I started, but Kurumi was already in full romance-fantasy mode.

"Is this why you ignored my messages?"

My face burned. "She's just here to monitor Little Shit!"

"Monitor, huh?" Kurumi waggled her eyebrows.

Sae returned Little Shit without a word, seemingly oblivious to our conversation. Little Shit crawled up my back, still purring from whatever magic spots she'd found. Before I could ask how she knew that trick, she glided back to her corner like a ghost returning to its haunting spot.

Kurumi opened her mouth, no doubt ready to unleash another barrage of questions about my supposed secret romance, when the pile of heads crowding our doorway scattered. Fujita-sensei, our homeroom teacher, pushed through, coffee can in hand, his tie hanging even looser than usual.

His tired eyes swept across the empty classroom before landing on us. "So it's just you three left, huh?"

The quiet girl in the corner finally looked up from her book. "Yes, sensei."

Fujita-sensei scratched his chin, eyes closed in thought. After a moment that felt longer than it should have, he dropped his hand.

"I'll be back," he said, turning on his heel and walking out without elaborating.

The door clicked shut behind him, but before I could process his abrupt departure, Kurumi's excited chatter started up again. Something about my supposed forbidden romance with Sae. I barely registered the words - I'd long since mastered the art of nodding at the right moments and letting her imagination run wild.

Instead, my thoughts lingered on Fujita-sensei. Or rather, his complete lack of reaction. He must have noticed Little Shit or Sae lurking in her usual corner. It was impossible to miss them. And yet, he hadn't so much as blinked.

Then again, when your morning commute involves dodging kaiju the size of buildings, maybe a baby kaiju and a military babysitter doesn't rate high on the weird scale anymore. For all I knew, he had a Grade C caterpillar kaiju living in his coffee can.

Little Shit squirmed against my back, probably picking up on my wandering thoughts. Or maybe he just wanted more belly rubs from his new favorite person.

The classroom door slid open again. Fujita-sensei shuffled in, coffee can still in hand, trailing a line of students behind him like lost ducklings. I recognized faces from other classes, other grades - all wearing the same confused expressions.

"Alright." Fujita-sensei planted himself at the front desk, surveying our sparse gathering.

There were so few of us left - barely enough students from all grades to fill half of 4-B.

He took a long sip of coffee, then let out a sigh. "This is what's left of Ikuka."

For a moment, no one spoke.

He set down his coffee with a quiet thud. "Let's begin class, shall we?"