(V3) Chapter 2: Be Normal, Please!

There was something I needed to address about how tough it is to babysit a high school girl at Komorebi High.

Not because she’s unruly, or spoiled, or anything you'd expect from a sitcom.

It’s because Komorebi High students are more concerned about other people's lives than themselves.

Yes, you heard it right. Ayase might have been babysitting me at my apartment, but when it comes to school, the situation's flipped.

Some days, it felt like I’d adopted a child prodigy who kept exposing herself in front of a crowd that wouldn’t stop gawking.

It's so difficult being in charge that I almost thought that I have assumed the role of her father.

The days went on with students falling not just for her looks, but the hints of her expertise in things beyond human reach. It was a war of laying low and keeping her 'human', but the more she showed her abilities, the more attention she got.

Some said she's a genius.

Some said she's a candidate for student council presidency.

Some…said she's better than Takamine-san, the ace of Komorebi High.

For me, as a man that promised her freedom to live life the way she wanted, that should never be a problem, right? What concerns me is the repercussions whether someone calls it too suspicious for our own good.

And maybe somebody will connect the dots. Someone will discover that she's a Sentinel and that would put us in a position we're not ready to face yet. In fact, I'm pretty keen that it will just lead into a chain of events that will probably separate me and Ayase for good.

That, I never wanted to happen.

"Ayase-chan, can you do this kanji once more?"

That voice yanked me out of my thoughts. I turned to Ayase, and three female classmates huddled around her.

Her small calligraphy brush swept against the bond paper with clean strokes, and the curious girls leaned over.

Their eyes widened at Ayase's paper, her handwriting flawless, like a printed font.

I glanced over, and two kanjis 鬱 (utsu) meaning 'melancholy' and 靈 (rei) meaning 'spirit' were on top of each other.

My proficiency in kanji is inferior but I think that those kanjis are really the hardest to write, let alone paint.

She finished a total of 53 strokes below five minutes.

"No way! How do you write like that? It’s like a computer printed it! You didn't even redo strokes!"

Ayase just smiled and handed the finished product. "I practice a lot. Just focus on concentration and determining the weight of your strokes."

"But I don't know how to control them," another girl giggled.

That only made Ayase smile a little more.

She presses one hand to her chest.

"Think of it as the extension of the heart. If the heart possesses no will, the brush will reflect that. You must love what you do, and pour your heart in it. They are not merely shapes or lines. Each one has a beginning, a journey, and an end."

The three girls were awestruck.

"Ohh! You're really an angel, Ayase-chan! I will always remember that!"

Ayase waves her hand softly as they said goodbye and went to their seats.

More classmates swarmed next to her, amazed by her craft.

"Seriously? I wanna see! Write something!"

“Yup, something cool! Like my name!”

"This is insane. Are you secretly a printer?!"

But I coughed loudly to interrupt.

"She mastered calligraphy lessons in the States, chill."

And with a collective nervous laugh, the crowd dispersed.

After the situation calmed down, I leaned on her.

"Can you write a little bit messier next time?"

She tucked a stray bang behind her ear.

"Why, Ishida-san?"

"Because they'll keep asking how you do it," I explained. "I get it that your skill is exceptional, but we have to blend in, right?"

She looked down, her cheeks lightly flushed.. "I'll keep that in mind, Ishida-san. I'm sorry."

But of course, it didn’t stop there.

There was a time that Yumi-sensei rapidly-fired through a history lecture. Akito, Saori and other students scrambled to jot down notes, but Ayase managed to write through every single thing without pressing any effort. She's just too much.

I nudged her shoulders and whispered, "You know normal students miss stuff, right?"

She nodded innocently, but argued, "But wouldn’t that be inefficient?"

"That’s the point!"

"I understand, Ishida-san."

"Maybe you can write down as much as you want, but don't write it like a movie script. Think of it like we're making a reviewer for the upcoming final exams."

And another. This time, it was harder to conceal her 'natural' talents.

It was a rough PE day below the midday sun that fried everyone beneath it. We were damp in sweat, but Ayase's still fresh and her clear skin had no blemishes from the heat.

She looked really fine.

So I dragged her along to a far corner, handing her a bottle of water. Sweat already trickled all over my face and body, but she remained seamless and beautiful as if we were in an airconditioned room all this time.

"Make yourself wet."

Her eyes widened at my words, gulped, and she averted away with her face turning red.

"...I-is it too early for that? I mean...I always do when you're around..."

Realizing what she meant, my heart dropped and I choked.

"WHAT DO YOU EVEN MEAN?!"

"Eh?"

“I mean you need to look like you’ve been sweating!” I waved a hand down my drenched shirt. “We’re in gym class, not a shampoo commercial!”

Her cheeks and ears remained crimson as she slowly reached for the bottle of mineral water.

"And try not to outrun everyone by a mile in the sprint race."

She nodded obediently.

And when the race started, everyone was shocked.

Not because of Ayase, but because of Takamine-san's speed. She remained parallel on the track, and everyone was left to dust of her elegance and poise.

"That was incredible! She might break a record!"

"Why the heck are we even fighting against her?"

"Takamine-san is merciless."

Admirers' praises came from every direction.

It wasn't long before the rest followed suit.

I tried not to look at Ayase but she kept shooting glances my way. And then she tripped and stumbled in the middle of the runners.

While she didn't get any bruises, I still came to rescue and picked her up.

"Nice recovery." I whispered, wiping the dust and dirt from her elbows.

"Did it look convincing, Ishida-san?"

I smiled, "More than convincing. Thank you for cooperating with me."

She averts away, but I grabbed her arm and pressed a handkerchief on her forehead.

"If there's physical activity, then there must be sweat."

She sent a questioning look straight to my eyes.

"And you're wiping them?”

I nodded. “Exactly. For authenticity.”

She giggled softly, a rare thing. “Understood, Ishida-san.”

The rest of the day blurred by.

And I hope tomorrow, she won't draw perfect notes anymore. And during art class, she will make a wonky smiley face instead of a hyper realistic sketch. And during lunch, she will stop correctly guessing other people's ailments like Akito's asthma just because she noticed the slight irregularity in his breathing.

But I can see that my school life has changed since Ayase came to Komorebi High.

I laughed a little more than usual. I finally had someone by my side on the way to school.

I woke up not to count days, but to make days count.

It was hard to pretend that we're normal, but I guess that's the beauty of being normal.

***

The sky had turned a soft orange by the time I exited the classroom. I wasn’t part of any cleaning duty this week, so it was safe to bail out this early.

Ayase won’t tag along though, as she was already taken away by Saori and her other group of female acquaintances.

Hangout? I don't know. It’s a school errand, so she was probably pulled to the club rooms to help them decorate.

She's so damn good at making paper cranes and paper flowers. And looking back to how she decorated our apartment to a princess castle, it's no surprise that she's being pulled in every corners of the school to help students in designing every little thing.

And that's how you get popular in the first week.

I wonder, how the hell the DART school guard didn’t detect her? Was it because AURA models don't emit radio signals just like other Sentinels do?

AURA models aren’t allowed to be in any place that has large social activity such as schools and concerts. They are limited to house confinement, caretaking and other medical purposes.

Such a huge gamble but if this is what it means to give Ayase the life she deserves, then so be it.

As I stepped into the hallway, the fading sunlight cast long shadows from the window panes. The distorted figures stretched across the floor, flickering as I walked.

Then—whispers.

A group of first-year students loitered near the stairwell, talking among themselves. The moment their eyes landed on me, their voices dropped, but not enough that I couldn’t hear them.

“Isn’t that the punk that beat up a third year student?”

“Yeah, I think that was the guy.”

“Shit, let’s get away here.”

My glances remained glued at them as they walked away.

I’m still wondering if my image in this school was that bad in order to be feared like this.

But I have no time to justify my acts, if they are only willing to scratch the surface, then so be it.

I sighed and turned toward the main corridor—

Bzzt.

I flinched when a thick vibration shook my jacket pocket.

I pulled out my phone, expecting a message from Ayase.

But the name flashing on the screen made my brows furrow.

Takamine-san.

A bad feeling settled in my stomach.

I answered. “Hello?”

Her response was instant, breathless.

“Rooftop. Now.”

Then the call cut.

A chill ran down my spine.

Something’s wrong.

I tightened my grip on my phone, heart pounding as a sharp sense of urgency overtook me.

Without hesitation, I turned on my heel and took off toward the stairs.

One thing in mind.

I need to get there—fast.