Important Thing

Shinji sat at the back corner of the classroom, covering his head as Chrono, Mai and Akira laughed at his mock test answers.

"Look at his answer for ‘Find the value of x’! ‘Many’! Hahaha!”

Chrono slammed the table.

"Chrono! ‘What happen in 1899?’”
"What’s his answer?”
"‘Earth getting older by a year.’ Ahaha!”

"Hooman… ‘What’s the most expensive mineral on earth? Mineral Water!’ HAHAH!”

Akira rolled in the air, crying. Shortly after, Habara walked into the classroom.

"I can hear you both from a block away! What’s so funny?!”

Mai showed him Shinji’s answer sheet. He sighed, adjusting his glasses.

"You guys should help him, not making fun of him! Anyway, ‘why hemoglobin appear red?’ Red Goblin!”

Habara joined the fun while Izumi stared from her seat.

"Im surrounded by idio-… Hm?”

A student knocked on the door.

"Aaa, sorry for interrupting! Is Takegawa Shinji here? The principal wants to see him!”

Izumi glanced at Shinji, still crouched in the corner.

"I- I will tell him!”

Chrono slid over to the student with Shinji’s answer sheet.

"Huh? ‘When Miraii Bridge was built?’ When the construction worker started their job! Hahahaha!”

The whole class couldn’t hold it any longer and started laughing too. Izumi sighed and shook her head.

Principal Office
Shinji stood in front of the desk along with Akira, floated beside him. The principal stared out the window, deep in his thought.

"Aaa, sir?”
"Oh? You already here? Why didn’t say anything?!”

Shinji broke the silence and the principal turned to him.

"Haa?! We been standing here for an hour! (Literally floating)”

The principal sat down and rummaged through a drawer.

"Im sorry sir, I thought you mad at m-”
"I AM!!!”

The principal slammed a piece of paper on the desk.

"Read that out loud!”

Shinji stepped forward.

"Please pay your outstanding bil-”
"Ma- my bad! Not that one! Here!”

The principal snatched it back and replaced it with the mock test report.

"So many red, no wonder he mad at you hooman! Hey look, teacher’s comment!”

Teacher’s comment:
Congratulations! You are the ‘best’ student ever existed in Miraii Highschool! You deserve an award!

"Sir, isnt this… Too much?”
"Is the mock test too much for you?”

Shinji fell silent, lowering his gaze.

"What is this?! What did you LEARN in your previous school?! What did you LEARN in this school?! Absolute NOTHING! Your highest score is 5%?! What is this? Supermarket discount?! You also didn’t take the exam SERIOUSLY!!!”

The principal exhaled deeply, leaning back.

"What you doing in your free time, Takegawa Shinji? Sleeping? Playing? Writing a novel, expect you can make a living from it?! Dream about saving the world? Who are you? Legendary Sword holder?!”

Akira glanced and Shinji shook his head.

"He is…”
"No sir…”
"Then you HAVE to study!”

The principal slammed the desk again.

"This is IMPORTANT! For your own goodness! Your own future! Sigh… Mid Year Exam is around the corner! Don’t make me regret my decision! You’re dismissed!”

Shinji took the report and walked out followed by Akira, trying to cheer him up. He walked past Luna, who was waiting outside and she glanced behind.

"Hm? My condolences… Mr. Principal!”
"Ah, Student Council Vice President! Come on in! About the Survival Game, right?”

4C Classroom
Class ended with the bell ringing and all students leaving their classroom.

"Hey, you heard?”
"Is it about Blacky Jacky?”
"Yes yes!”

Shinji slowly stood up and Mai approached.

"Shinji! I talked to Yuki and Habara, they agreed for study group, join us!”
"Sorry, Im busy!”

He walked to leave but Chrono blocked the door.

"You NOT getting away, buddy!”
"I have something IMPORTANT to do!”
"What’s more IMPORTANT than studying?”

Shinji clutched his duffel bag. Akira crossed her arm, floating beside him.

"Dont let them change your mind, hooman! Remember why we doing this!”

Hallway
Izumi checked her bag.

"What’s wrong, Izu?”
"Um… I think I left my crescent badge in class… You go first, imma catch up later!”

She ran back upstairs.

4C Classroom
Izumi returned, only to find Chrono guarding the door.

"Erm... Chrono?”
"Hm? Ma- ma bad!”

He stepped aside and she entered the classroom. She glanced around and grasped the situation.

"Wait, you guys… Forcing him?”
"Stay out of this, Izumi!”

Mai turned away but Izumi frowned and shook her head.

"No! Stop this immediately!”
"We just tryna help! Which side you on, Izumi?”
"This is not helping, Chrono! Find a better approach!”

Chrono nodded, dropped his bag and cracked his knuckles.

"Betoi aa tu! (True!) Let’s go Shinji! Me and you!”
"No, hey! That’s not what I meant! Mai, you’re the Assistant Monitor!”
"The bell already rang, so…”

Mai smirked and Akira closed her eyes, arms folded.

"Do it, hooman! You have my permission!”

Shinji dropped his bag, ready to throw hands.

"I will report this to prez!”

Izumi yelled but they ignored. Chrono and Shinji leapt forward, fists out.

"Bird!”
"Rock!”
"WATER!!!”

Shinji grabbed his duffel bag, casually walked past Chrono, kneeling on the floor.

"EZ!”

Akira floated smugly behind. Mai bonked Chrono’s head.

"How did you lose to him?!”
"He’s good… Ughh…”
"Eh? Ehhhhhhh?”

Izumi blinked in disbelief.

School’s Library
Yuki and Habara were playing Chess while waiting.

"This is booorrriiingggg!”
"What taking them so long?”

Habara adjusted his glasses.

"En passan-”

Amri Pastry - 22:40 PM
Akira in her Human Form carried empty boxes to the back door door while Shinji tossed them into the dumpster.

"And… That’s the last one, hooman!”
"Sankyuu Akira!”

The store owner returned with bags full of food.

"Ah, you guys already done! We should’ve closed half an hour ago, sorry bout that! Here take these, on me! I will do the closing, you two can go home now!”
"Hoo! Thank you so much, Uncle Amri! See you tomorrow!”

Akira grabbed the bags and they walked off in the opposite direction of their home.

Clock Tower
Chrono sat at the top of the tower, tracking Shinji through binoculars.

"Uih, member ada awek, tak habaq! (Bro got a gf but never tell!)”

(Always mind other people privacy, don’t be a stalker!)

Business Street
Akira stretched her arms while walking beside Shinji, lowered his gaze.

"Ahh! That was a lot of work!”
"Mhm… Study group… Sounds fun…”

He kicked a small rock along the way.

"Hummu hummu! What’s on your mind, hooman?”
"Should we… Cut my working hours? Our training too and focus on studying for now?”

She looked up as an airplane passed overhead.

"Hmm, how about this hooman, you join their study group, I will go to work! You work only on weekdays! This way, we still can keep the cash flow!”

She smiled at him and he gazed back.

"Yo- You sure? I should be the one paying yo-”
"The hell you talking about, hooman?!”

She spun, walking backward with her hands behind her.

"We in this together, Shinji!”

She closed her eyes and smiled then hit a streetlight pole.

Dark Narrow Alley
They stopped in front of the pitch black alley.

"I told you Akira, we should buy a flashlight!”
"Haa?! We don’t need a complimentary horror game flashlight!”
(Kubz Scouts YT reference)

Akira cast her magic, lighting up the path.

Clock Tower
Chrono scratched his head.

"Depa dok buat apa gelap gelap ni? (What they doing in the dark?)”

He watched them until they reached a dead end with three tents.

"Tuudiaihh! Shinji! I thought you were innocent!”

Dark Space
Shinji lit the candles with a match.

"Hey… You guys sleeping?”

Akira asked softly then suddenly three kids crawled out their tents. Two went for Akira while the youngest, wearing Shinji’s watch, hugged Shinji.

"You both late!”
"Sowwy! We got lots of work!”
"We brought food! Who’s hunggy?”

They raised their arms.

"Me me!”
"Thank you!”
"Wahhh!”

Akira glanced at him, smiling.

"How can I kill him… If he’s this kind…”

Clock Tower
Chrono lowered his binoculars and looked away. 

"So this is your ‘something important’ huh?”

He saluted from distance before quietly walked away.

End of Chapter 8…

Extra 008:
School’s Meeting Room
Ozeki sitting at the middle end, smashing a toy hammer, while Yuki at his front left and Luna at his front right. Several other Student Council Members sitting at the far side.

"The court now in session! Plaintiff, please start with your opening statement!”

Ozeki placed the toy hammer down and Yuki stood with a paper in her hand.

"Thank you your honour! We gather here today to voice out our disagreement regarding principal’s decision for the Survival Game to be set on our mid term holid-”
"Objection!”

Luna stood, slammed the table but Yuki retaliated.

"I object your objection! You not suppose to object during opening statement!”

However, Luna refused to back down.

"I object your objection for objecting my objection!”
"Your objection objected by my objection!”

They ended up barking at each other.

"Woof! Woof!”
"Woof! Woof! Woof!”
"Wooooffff!!!”
"Order! Order!”
"Cheese burg-”

THANK YOU FOR READING!!!