Chapter 7: Peace Offering

“I saw the cat up there!”

Ace pointed.

“No, I think I saw it the other way around!”

Ken insisted.

“So who are we going to follow?”

Nee-chee asked.

“Guys, make use of the PiLens!”

Nitsuji said.

PiLens: Pinpoint lenses, one of our gadgets, it can locate flexible objects and could give exact location never mind its speed.

“In the first place, the one we’re searching for is a lion, not a cat! Just how blurred your eyes are?”

I said.

“Lions are related to cats.”

The bastard explained. 

Heh, feeling smart, bastard?

“Please don’t fight!”

Shy exclaimed.

“That’s it! We lost the target!”

Nitsuji said.

We failed the mission.

***

“Haha! You finally failed a mission, Nitsuji! Applause for him!”

Hashimaru was teasing him.

“But searching for a lost lion? Seriously? We’re not zookeepers.”

Ace said.

“Okay, you guys are now dismissed. Go back to your classrooms!”

He’s the one who kidnapped us in the first place.

“Oh, Jen and Jairo?”

He called.

“What?”

We asked. 

“I want to talk to the two of you. The rest, scatter!”

He said.

I wanted to clobber him. What scatter? I wanted to scatter your hair too. 

“Eh? Jen and Jairo are staying?”

After they all left, Hashimaru looked so serious. 

“So, what are we going to talk about?”

I asked him.

“I received a very serious note from the agency. Someone is after your life, Jen.”

He said.

“After my life?”

I asked. Who? 

“Yes, it’s a kind of an association. I don’t know what’s going to happen but in the meantime. I want you to always stick with Jairo.”

HUH?

“No freaking way!”

I objected. 

“Jairo, you need to watch over her okay?”

Hashimaru turned to Jairo. Listen to me, old man! 

“It’s so much trouble. Let her deal with it.”

The bastard's face is telling me "It's a pain to look after a kid!" 

“HEY LISTEN TO ME!”

I tried to butt in. 

“I know you very well, Jairo. That’s why, I know you’ll do it.”

He smirked at him.

“I said I don’t want to! I’m going back to the university.”

Heh! He didn't agree at all. 

“Ah, about that lotus pad mission! Do you still remember it, Jen?”

Hashimaru talked to me about the lotus pad. 

“Yes, why?”

The reason why we switch bodies.

“I never mentioned this before, but that lotus pad has—!”

He was cut off when the bastard pummelled his table. He seemed so angry.

“OKAY! I’LL DO IT!”

Oh wow! How did you manage to control that wild animal? Hahaha. 

“Haha, so you actually consider second thoughts! The Jairo Kyuen actually listened to me! Seems like I already found out your weak spot. Haha!”

These two were talking like it’s only them around. Was there something that I need to know?

What’s happening? The bastard’s burning from rage.

“Hashimaru, it’s not like I need a bodyguard.”

I said.

“No, you need one!”

Hashimaru insisted. 

“Is the agency that wary of me?”

I asked him.

“Hmm, that’s not the case.”

Although he said that, I couldn’t still stop thinking about it. Well, let’s just forget about it.

When we arrived at the classroom...

“J... J... Jen.”

Shy called when she saw me. Why is she so tense?

“What? You seemed tense, Shy.”

I asked her.

I looked around the corners of the classroom and had found everyone staring at the newly posted bulletin board.

“What’s that?”

I asked Shy.

“Eh, umm, that’s...”

She couldn’t speak.

I asked Kraine, our top 3 honor student, about it.

“Hey, Kre? What’s that about?”

I asked. 

“Ah!”

Shy reacted. 

“That? It’s your picture...”

Kraine answered.

“... and Jairo doing something together.”

He added.

Eh?

EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?

That's my reaction. 

I looked at the picture and saw something terrifying. I thought it was only Joshua who saw us that time. HOW DARE THEY TOOK A PICTURE AND MAKE A SCENE OUT OF IT?

“J... Jen, so you’re here?”

Nee-chee asked.

“I... I... it’s just the damn work of the publication.”

He was very scared too. 

“It’s ok, Jen! No one believes that.”

Ken said.

“C... C... C... calm down, J... J... Jen.”

Shy said.

You calm down, Shy!

And as for me...

“Hahaha!”

I laughed.

“Eh?”

Everyone reacted.

“WHO’S THE SCALAWAG EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF THIS DAMN USELESS PUBLICATION? WEREN’T THEY SUPPOSED TO BE GIVING US WORTHY NEWS, NOT TRASHY TABLOIDS?!”

I was burning in rage. 

“C... C... calm down, Jen.”

Shy was so scared of me.

“HERE COMES THE DEVIL!”

Shinsui and Nee-chee said.

[PUBLICATION HEADLINE: GENESIS AND KYUEN OF CLASS SHINJUTSU GOING OUT! CONFIRMED!] 

“I WANT TO HAVE A WORD WITH HIM!”

By the way, I was referring to the editor-in-chief.

“NO, JEN! YOU’LL KILL THEM!”

Everyone was stopping me.

“Jairo, is that true? Are you going out with Jenivive?”

I saw the girls asking that question to the bastard.

He didn’t answer that, but he smiled.

*lightning strikes* ⚡

Everyone’s faces were like: SO IT WAS TRUE?

"Hey, Jairo! Stop confirming it! You're not helping at all!" 

Ace scolded him. 

“NO! CLEAR UP THIS MISUNDERSTANDING, YOU BASTARD!”

I yelled at him.

“It’s not like I want that to happen.”

He said.

“So fix this! You just smiled when they asked you and they took it as a yes!”

I explained.

“It’s not my problem anymore.”

He said.

He’s making me angry!

“Wasn’t that photo your fault? You jumped in me that time. You like me that much?”

WHAT THE—!

“So you two are going out huh? That’s good.”

Nitsuji, who just came back from the office, said.

I glared at him. He’s making fun of me.

“Shy, I saw your boyfriend outside the gate just a while ago!”

I said.

“Oh!”

Shy reacted.

Nitsuji was holding several documents that time and when I mentioned the BOYFRIEND part, the documents fell.

“I have a boyfriend?”

Shy asked herself.

Heh! Sorry for that one, Shy! I just want to see Nitsuji’s reaction that much.

“Oh, your documents’ fell. Why so shocked, Nitsuji?”

I teased Nitsuji and then he was glaring at me. Heh! That’s my revenge!

“So, what are we going to do about this?”

Ace asked.

“The rumors will probably fade as time pass by. Probably.”

Nee-chee said.

“You're not helping."

I glared at Nee-chee with my devil eyes. 

“She’s scary. Jen’s scary.”

What are you? A kid, Nee-chee?

On my way to the library.

“Where are you going?”

Asked the bastard.

“It’s none of your business!”

I said.

“Really?”

“You’re really annoying these days! Stop following me!”

I turned and yelled at him.

“It’s not like I want to follow you, I’m just doing my duties as an agent. I promised Hashimaru.”

He explained himself.

I got so irritated so I ran of as fast as I can.

“Hah hah hah!” 

I was out of air.

“Did I lose him?”

I think so? 

“Did you really think you can get away from me? I’m an outstanding athlete if I say so myself.”

The bastard popped in front of me.

What a monster!

I started to run again but this time, I stumbled on a rock and fell.

“Ouch.”

I scraped my knee.

“Why did you have to run?”

The bastard said.

“Shut up! I’m not listening to you!”

I was sitting on the ground. 

“I used to be on your body that’s why I know. Scrapes and cuts like this are already hurting you. What a WEAKLING!”

What a jerk! 

“DO YOU REALLY NEED TO EMPHASIZE THE ‘WEAKLING’?”

I asked angrily. 

“Can you stand?”

He offered his hand.

“Yeah.”

I stood up on my own. 

“You should at least count on someone. No one’s going to betray you. Come to trust once in a while.”

He said.

“Stop lecturing me.”

I said.

“Will it kill you if you call my name?”

He asked.

“You! Because of you, my favourite book fell in a pond.”

“I said sorry that time, right?”

“YEAH! I SAW YOUR INSENSITIVITIES THAT TIME!”

“Well then, let’s go. I’ll buy you that book again.”

He said. What was this bastard saying?

He grabbed my hand. 

“Wha—! Wait, I don’t need it!”

“I’m going to replace it. Why are you being so hard? You could buy all the books you want as a peace offering.”

Oh my gosh, rare opportunity! Since I’m so poor, I can’t my favourite books.

“Really? You’re going to buy me books? If it’s like that, then I’m obliged to do it.” 

I'm sparking all over. 

“So you have a weakness in books? Great discovery. I’ll let Nee-chee and Shinsui know about this.”

Ah, I forgot to mention this but the university has its own bookstore. It’s a very rare university, I tell you.

“Can I have this?”

I asked him.

“Yeah?”

He agreed. 

“Kya! Can I have this too?”

I was very excited. 

“Get all of the books you want.”

He ordered. 

“ROGER!”

I saluted. Haha. 

“Oh my god, that guy is so handsome!”

I heard some girls fawning over the bastard. 

“A high school student?”

I can hear you. 

“Let’s get his number!”

They’re talking about the bastard. Handsome? I can’t see that in him. The girls, even the adults, were already surrounding him. It’s a hassle to be popular. 

I looked at them while picking the books I want. Then as I looked at the bastard, he saw me looking at him and smiled. I obviously averted my eyes after that.

“What’s wrong with me?”

I asked myself.