The Dream Team

That was the most comfortable pillow Eiji had ever used. The softness of that thing made him reluctant to get up. Not to mention the pleasant soft sensation that rested against his cheek.

Is it a property of heaven?

The principal then groped for the 'pillow.' He had never slept with anything like that in his entire life, but at the same time, he felt some familiarity.

And when he opened his eyes, he found that his head rested on delicate human skin.

"Good morning, Mr. Sakazaki." The gentle greeting entered the principal's ear.

He widened his eyes and immediately got up.

"I-I'm sorry." The principal had difficulty speaking because he was too shocked that he had just slept on a woman's lap. "I didn't mean to do this. M-maybe I fell asleep, and my head fell."

A smile adorned Sienna's face, complemented by a slight blush. "It's okay, sir. I'm glad you can rest well."

The principal then looked out the window and found the morning sun.

"W-were you here all night?" He asked Sienna, noticing she was still wearing her uniform.

"Yeah." The assistant widened his smile. "But, it's okay, really."

"I am really, really sorry." The principal took a deep breath. "So…. How about your interview with them? What did they ask you?"

It's better to change the subject than to let this awkwardness.

"It's got a little longer than expected, sir." The assistant started to explain. "They ask every detail here, but their main question is about your hiring methods which they think are taking too long. They also question the candidates you choose."

Those are not unexpected things for Eiji. He already guessed that his way would raise many eyebrows. "Once again, I'm sorry. Because of me, you went through that. It must have been hard."

The assistant was still smiling. "I made it clear to them that if they don't believe in you, they don't believe in the Gods' choice. And how can they make all kinds of conclusions, even though the school year hasn't started yet."

"Thank you for sticking up for me." The principal rose from the couch with his hands in his pockets. "Well, that means we have to prove it to them."

"I'm sure we can do that." Sienna, still sitting on the couch, nodded. "By the way, you plan to summon the students today, right? You have to get ready, sir."

Eiji froze for a few moments, then gasped hard. With extraordinarily stiff movements like a rusty robot, he glanced at the papers still scattered on his desk. "Fuck."

"It's okay, sir," Sienna assured. "I don't think you need to make that speech."

"But I want to make a good impression on them." Eiji massaged his forehead, not sure he could finish it in such a short time.

"Haven't you made a good impression on our teachers and staff, sir?" The assistant continued. "Remember, have you ever put your words together before speaking to them? You've seen the results, haven't you? They all look comfortable here."

Eiji couldn't argue with that woman's words. Only one core thing differentiates the prospective students and the ones that Eiji summoned before. It's their origins. So, why use a different approach if the one he has used so far has been fairly successful?

There were some hiccups, but he managed to build a complete team in the end.

"I don't know how I would be without you, Sienna." The principal muttered.

"Eh?" Those words made Sienna caught off guard.

"Your defense in front of those messengers of god, the advice you gave just now, as well as everything you did for the sake of this school, those things really show who you are." The principal looked at the assistant again, flashing his widest smile. "You are the heart of this place."

Sienna placed her hand on her chest. Her eyes were filled with tears, but her smile remained. "I'm flattered, sir. Thank you. But we got to this point also because of you and the others."

"Sienna Bellucci." The principal extended his hand to his assistant. "Let's run this school as best we can."

Without hesitation at all, the assistant moved his hand to reach Eiji's hand.

***

"How about we have a party after this?" Rae, who was walking with all the staff and teachers down the hall, suggested. "This is something monumental. We should celebrate that."

"Well, we can do that." Eiji, leading the way, responded. "Maybe we could do a barbecue."

Doing things like barbeques together is something new for Eiji. He didn't have many friends in his previous life and was too lazy to socialize. But now, in a new environment and a different situation, he thinks about doing things he has never done before. Yes, just like becoming a principal is also something new for him.

Maybe he'll enjoy it.

Sienna rubbed her chin. "We still have quite a lot of meat stock, but I don't think it will be enough if we involve students."

"Then, let's do the party while they're asleep." Kyoko winked one eye. "I don't know what barbecue is." One of her doppelgangers walked out from her body and spoke. "But I can learn it from books, and I will prepare everything using my twins while one of me will be with you guys."

"I can help by sharing my knowledge." Vero joined in.

"Thank you, Vero, Kyoko." The principal smiled at them. "I really appreciate this. And I didn't expect you to be into something like this, Vero."

The female warrior looked away with her arms folded across her chest. "My parents often forced me to help when our big family made a barbecue."

"And you are still willing to volunteer to do this idea. I feel so….."

"I-I'm not doing this for you, sir." The female warrior interrupted Eiji's words with a blush starting to adorn her face. "I-I just want the fun party for all of you."

This tough woman seems to have that particular trait, a well-known trope in anime and manga.

Meanwhile, Jon shifted away from Aline, who looked at his body intensely, even though that skeleton janitor wore a uniform like the others.

"Ah, finally, I can be a teacher again," Anneth rejoiced as they entered the classroom. "I can't wait to see our students."

They all lined up in front of the class, with Eiji in the middle.

The principal put his tablet on the teacher's table. He felt more pressure than any summonings before. They're potential saviors of the world, after all.

"Excuse me, sir." Sienna raised her hand before Eiji could speak. "I want to say something to all of you before this starts."

"Go on, Sienna." The principal approved the assistant's request.

The red-haired woman looked at her co-workers in turn. Her signature warm smile graced her face. "After years of living in solitude, this moment has come. It's like a dream for me. It may sound strange because we haven't known each other for long, but I already consider all of you the most precious people to me."

Everyone smiled back at Sienna, the first staff of that school. Even Vero also did it, although it looked very subtle. Meanwhile, Jon uses the thumbs up.

"Well, then." Eiji opened his tablet's menu with more enthusiasm after Sienna's words. "Let's meet our students."

***

FIRST ARC: RECRUITMENTS – END