The Tea Party
Trinity General Academy's student council, wielding absolute authority. Unlike Gehenna's chaotic council, they fulfill their duties with respect, if not a touch of fear.
Today, they summoned Schale's Sensei—Mash Burnedead—for a request.
"Hey, Nagi-chan!" Mika called.
"…" Nagisa ignored her.
"Nagi-chaaan!"
"What, Mika-san?" Nagisa sighed.
At Trinity's Tea Party terrace, a grand table was adorned with pastries, teapots, scentless flowers, and a courtesy roll cake. Two students sat elegantly: Mika Misono, a bubbly third-year with pale pink hair, and Nagisa Kirifuji, the poised, intellectual student council president.
Mika lounged casually, while Nagisa sat tensely.
"Finally, you respond! Ignoring me hurts, you know?" Mika pouted.
"My apologies, but Sensei's coming soon. Show some decorum," Nagisa said.
"No need to be so uptight!"
"This meeting could decide Eden's fate. We must convince Sensei to cooperate."
"Will he, though?" Mika asked. "He's supposedly chummy with Gehenna kids."
Nagisa froze at "Gehenna," Mika's tone sharpening. Trinity and Gehenna's rivalry was infamous, and Mika's disdain was top-tier.
"Will a Sensei cozy with Gehenna really help us?" Mika pressed. "Or is he pretending to help while leaking Trinity's secrets to—"
"Mika-san," Nagisa cut in sharply. "That's enough."
Mika sulked, sipping tea. Nagisa, knowing her childhood friend's intensity, resolved to keep her in check.
"This report's nonsense," Mika said, swinging her legs. "Destroying tanks barehanded? Subduing Tsurugi? Fighting back-to-back with Gehenna's prefect? Ridiculous!"
"Indeed, the Justice Task Force's accounts lack credibility," Nagisa agreed.
"Right? Gehenna's info is garbage. And he's not even a halo-bearer, so he's harmless."
Both doubted Mash's rumors—until their assumptions were shattered.
"Sensei's late," Mika noted.
"Indeed…" Nagisa frowned.
"Excuse me!" a Trinity mob student interrupted. "A message from someone claiming to be Schale's Sensei."
"Finally!" Mika cheered.
"What's the message?" Nagisa asked.
"He's… currently fighting delinquents."
"What!?" Nagisa gasped.
"Is he okay? Should we help?" Mika asked.
"No need… I think," the mob student said, showing them a device.
From it came chaos: "Cream puff party! Cream puff party!" Screams, gurgles, and metal snapping filled the air.
"Wait! I'm sorry for ruining the cream puffs! I apologi—GURK!?"
"I stayed up all night making these for the Tea Party… I'm hurt."
"You're shoving them while saying that!?"
"How's he fine after explosions!? Don't come closer with those cream puffs!"
The screams and destruction stopped abruptly.
"What do we do?" the mob student asked.
"Nagi-chan, did we hear something we shouldn't have?" Mika whispered.
"It's your imagination," Nagisa said.
"So many screams!"
"Imagination."
"Stuffing sounds!?"
"IMAGINATION!"
"Not imagination!" Mika yelled.
Both slammed the table, sweating, hearts racing from the bizarre sounds.
"Nagi-chan, he's bad news!" Mika said.
"He's Schale's Sensei. We proceed as planned," Nagisa insisted.
"Are you sane!?"
"Protect me with your brute strength, dear friend."
"You only call me that when it suits you!" Mika snapped.
"Don't lecture me!" Nagisa retorted.
"You're just as bad!"
Their argument escalated, the mob student too intimidated to intervene.
"Sorry I'm late… What's this?" a voice said.
"You are…?" Nagisa asked.
"Schale's Sensei, Mash Burnedead," he said, holding a bag of cream puffs.
"Sensei!?" they gasped in unison.
"Hey," Mash said.
"Where were you?" Nagisa asked.
"Near Schale. Stopped a shootout."
"How long?" Mika asked.
"About 26 minutes."
"And now?"
"28 minutes."
"Two minutes from Schale to Trinity!?" they exclaimed.
"Ran," Mash said.
"Anyway…" He held up the cream puff bag and Schale's emblem. "Thanks for the invite. Mash Burnedead, Schale's Sensei."
Thus began Mash's unforgettable first meeting with the Tea Party.
After resetting, Nagisa and Mika faced Mash as Trinity's council.
"Hello, Sensei," Nagisa said. "First meeting, right? Could you… put away the cream puffs?"
"Don't like them?" Mash asked.
"No, it's not that…" Nagisa hesitated.
"Nagi-chan, these are amazing!" Mika said, munching.
"Mika-san, you're a Tea Party member—never mind. Sensei, we can't—"
"Glad you like them. I made them all night," Mash said.
"My apologies, I'll take them," Nagisa said, eating one. Delicious, she kept going, unable to complain.
"Eating with hands is improper…" Nagisa mumbled.
"No big deal for a casual talk," Mika said.
"But—"
"Forcing our customs on Sensei is nonsense, right?"
"Ugh," Nagisa relented, eating silently to regain dignity.
"Formally," Nagisa said, "I'm Nagisa Kirifuji, Tea Party host. This is Mika Misono, also Tea Party."
"Yo, Sensei!" Mika waved.
"Mash Burnedead, 16," Mash said.
"16!?" Nagisa gasped. "We're the Tea Party, Trinity's council—wait, Mika-san?"
Mika poked Mash's arms. "Nagi-chan, his muscles! Tank-hard, prime steak quality! Not 16-year-old muscles!"
"Mika-san!" Nagisa yelled, blushing.
Mash stayed unfazed.
"So these muscles caused those screams," Mika teased. "Scary, but cool."
"You heard?" Mash asked. "Some cream puffs for you two got crushed. I got mad."
"You… got mad?" Mika asked.
"Shoved cream puffs in their mouths," Mash said. "They passed out. Anger's bad, huh?"
"Choked them with cream puffs…?" Nagisa whispered.
"Let's not think about it," Mika said.
They moved to the main topic.
"You're the first outsider invited to a Tea Party," Nagisa said. "Even Trinity students rarely get this honor."
"Feels special," Mash said.
"Nagi-chan, that sounds smug!" Mika teased.
"No such intent—Mika-san!" Nagisa snapped.
"I'll behave… mostly," Mika said.
Nagisa coughed, facing Mash seriously. "We have a request."
"A request?" Mash asked.
"Yes, vital."
"Wow, Nagi-chan, straight to it?" Mika said. "No icebreakers? Weather talk? What'd you eat yesterday? Tea Party's about socializing!"
"Mika-san…" Nagisa's smile hid anger.
"Glaring won't help! This is about Tea Party etiquette!" Mika argued.
"Pursue that when you're host. I'm in charge," Nagisa said.
"Boo!" Mika pouted.
"Stop that."
"Hmph!"
"Don't hide behind Sensei!" Nagisa snapped. "Sorry, back to business."
"You're continuing?" Mash asked.
"Arguing before a guest isn't ideal," Nagisa admitted. "Let's shift topics, as Mika-san suggests."
"Muscle talk!" Mash said.
"Something else," Nagisa said.
"So, Tea Party runs Trinity's council, right? Nagisa-san's president?" Mash asked.
"Good save, Sensei!" Mika cheered.
"Yes, we're the presidents—plural," Nagisa said.
"Why only look at Sensei?" Mika whined.
Ignoring her, Nagisa explained. "Trinity's presidency is traditionally shared. Long ago, before Trinity united, faction leaders held a Tea Party to resolve conflicts."
"Sniff, you're ignoring me," Mika sulked.
"Pater, Filius, Sanctus—their representatives started the Tea Party, forging peace," Nagisa continued.
"Ten years as childhood friends, and you ignore me!" Mika wailed.
"Since then, the council's called Tea Party, with hosts rotating among factions—"
"You're really ignoring me! So mean!" Mika cried, turning to Mash. "Sensei, Nagi-chan's bullying me!"
"Enough!" Nagisa slammed the table, startling Mash. "I'm explaining! You keep interrupting! If you can't shut up, I'll stuff that mouth with roll cake and cream puffs!"
Mika hid behind Mash, who panicked. Nagisa calmed, sipping tea. "My apologies for my language, Sensei, Mika-san."
"It's fine," Mash said.
"Scary…" Mika whimpered.
Nagisa made her request. Mash was ready to accept anything… until:
"We want you to be an advisor for a club," Nagisa said.
"Advisor? I've handled clubs before!" Mash grinned.
"The Supplementary Lessons Club."
"Supplementary… Lessons?" Mash froze.
"Yes, teaching struggling students."
"Teach… study?" Mash's voice trembled.
"Yes, to save students facing expulsion. More like a homeroom teacher than an advisor."
"Expulsion…"
"Trinity prides itself on academic and martial excellence," Nagisa said. "Yet, at this critical time with the Eden Treaty, four students are failing."
"We're swamped with the treaty," Mika added. "No time or hands to help them. That's where you—Sensei?"
Study. Remedial. Expulsion. The words hit Mash's soul.
"ABA-BA-BA-BA!" Mash shook, sweating profusely, his composure crumbling.
"Sensei!?" Mika gasped.
"What's wrong!?" Nagisa asked.
"STUDY STUDY STUDY STUDY!" Mash chanted, like a broken machine.
"Eek!" Mika yelped.
"A study trauma this bad!?" Nagisa said.
"You're analyzing now!?" Mika shouted.
"Study… just memorizing is hard enough… teaching!?" Mash wailed.
BWEEEE! Mash fainted from the overwhelming trial.
---------------------------------------------
🚀 Want more?
📖 On Patreon you can read 20+ chapters ahead, plus there will be exclusive stories available only there.
💖 If you'd like to support me, check it out: patreon.com/Greyhounds
🔓 Patreon will always stay ahead of the public release — and some stories won't be published anywhere else.
✨ All support is completely optional — even if you don't join, I'm still grateful to have you here reading!