"Who are you calling Rin-chan?!"
Rin's face darkened, and the light reflecting off her glasses looked sharp.
"Sensei, as a mature adult and role model for all of Kivotos, please refrain from using such frivolous nicknames."
His attempt at switching to a more familiar tone had failed.
"Uh, got it, Rin."
"…Sigh. Let's get to the point. You said you wanted the General Student Council to assign you a personal bodyguard." Rin frowned slightly. "Why?"
Of course it was because of the overly friendly and chaotic Kivotos, where random shootings were normal and even hand grenades could be casually purchased at corner stores.
He diplomatically expressed his concerns about personal safety.
"No, I meant to remind you—Schale can recruit any student regardless of affiliation. Our investigation shows many students are interested in joining. If needed, you can hold an open recruitment."
That was a great idea—except that hosting a recruitment event would automatically notify the student on duty to schedule the activity. If there was no one on duty that day, it would shift to the next available day.
It was quite a user-friendly system. So he checked to see who had been on duty for Schale so far:
Turns out it was only Yuuka.
To avoid bothering Yuuka and still get reliable help, he had no choice but to seek assistance from the official General Student Council.
After making vague excuses about "personal reasons," Rin fell silent for a moment, then picked up her phone and made a call.
"Hello, Chief Shiranui? This is acting president Nanagami Rin. Schale's sensei urgently needs a personal bodyguard. Could you… yes, I know there's no precedent and that the Defense Office is strained, especially now… mm? I understand. I'll let him know. Alright, we'll send the necessary paperwork soon."
After hanging up, Rin looked at him again.
"The Defense Office Chief agreed to try arranging someone, but she wants to speak with you in person. If you're available, you can go now—Chief Shiranui is free."
"Thank you, Rin-chan!"
Rin gave a kind smile. "Who's Rin-chan, hmm? Now that this is settled, I suggest certain idle adults leave quickly and not interfere with others' work."
Since her expression was rather scary, he thanked her again and quickly left. Rin went back to her heavy workload.
He noticed she looked very tired, even had dark circles under her eyes. He wondered if she was getting any rest. Next time he visited, he'd bring her some health supplements.
Soon, he arrived on the Defense Office floor. A member was already waiting and led him to the chief's office.
"So you're the famous Schale sensei!"
As soon as he entered, a pink-haired girl with squinting eyes eagerly approached him, shook his hand, and introduced herself.
"I've heard so much about you. I'm Defense Office Chief Shiranui Kaya—just call me Kaya. Please sit down, I'll make some coffee. Blue Mountain okay?"
Before he could react, Kaya pulled him over and sat him down.
Her warm attitude was a bit overwhelming, and the only thought he had was how amazing her gloves felt—they must've been made of very high-quality material.
Kaya busied herself at the coffee machine and returned with two steaming cups, taking a seat across from him.
He sipped cautiously. The aroma was rich and slightly acidic. Even though he wasn't a coffee expert, he could tell it was high quality.
"How is it~? Enjoying Blue Mountain during lunch break is the ultimate pleasure~"
He nodded. He noticed the word "Superman" printed on her cup and wondered if she liked superhero comics.
"I understand why you came."
Kaya said regretfully, "As for assigning a personal bodyguard, I'm sorry. The General Student Council has no extra hands—we're busy looking for the missing president and managing the resulting chaos. But…"
She smiled, propped her right elbow on her left arm, and tapped her cheek with a finger.
"The Valkyrie Police Academy under the Defense Office might have someone suitable. I've already messaged the Public Security Director. Let's enjoy our coffee while we wait~"
Just then, her phone chimed.
"Oh, looks like there's a reply~ Let me see…"
She checked her phone, and her expression darkened. Her chest rose faintly, and she forced a smile.
"Sorry, things just got a bit complicated. Do you have time to accompany me to the Public Security Bureau?"
"Of course. Will this affect your afternoon work?"
"It's fine. My subordinates can handle the minor tasks." Kaya stood. "To me, your business is the top priority."
He felt touched. Kaya was truly a kind—cough—student.
To his surprise, she opted to walk to the destination.
"Sorry, sensei. The Student Council's resources are stretched thin. Even I can't use official cars for personal errands. The Public Security Bureau is only thirty minutes away. Please bear with it."
He thought again: Kaya really was a good kid.
As they walked, she taught him trivia about board games and coffee.
Halfway there, her breathing quickened. She glanced at the sun and playfully complained:
"Didn't expect the afternoon sun to be this harsh. Sensei~ I'm walking in the sun just to help you. You better treat me to something cold afterward~"
Wait—Kivotos students disliked sun exposure?
He paused, realizing this was a knowledge gap. None of the reference materials he'd studied had ever mentioned that.
"Wait here for a second."
They had just reached the shade of a building. He asked her to stay put and quickly ran into a convenience store. Moments later, he returned.
Pop.
He opened a long-handled umbrella and held it over her.
Kaya looked surprised. Her squinting eyes opened slightly, revealing light green irises and rectangular pupils like a goat's.
But the next moment, she smiled again and said softly:
"Sensei, thank you for your thoughtfulness."
He waved it off. "It's the least I could do."
For the rest of the walk, he held the umbrella for her.
He wasn't sure, but it felt like her steps became a bit lighter.