The Day After the First Eden Treaty Defense
The key members of Trinity's and Gehenna's student councils and disciplinary committees headed to Mash's hospital room. They needed to discuss future plans, but more than that, they were worried about him.
"Hina, you don't have to push yourself. Rest," Makoto said.
"My legs work fine. Arms are weak, though," Hina replied.
"That's not 'fine,'" Ako retorted.
"You two were told to stay put," Tsurugi added.
"So were you, Tsurugi-san," Sakurako pointed out.
"Why are you all moving like those injuries are nothing?" Sakurako asked, exasperated.
"Don't point it out, Sakurako-san," Nagisa sighed.
From Gehenna: Hina Sorasaki, Makoto Hanuma, Ako Amau. From Trinity: Nagisa Kirifuji, Sakurako Utazumi, Tsurugi Kenzaki. They approached Mash's room.
"Sensei's not himself. He'll break if this continues," Nagisa said.
"That's why we need to stop him," Hina replied.
"There it is," Ako said.
"Hope he's resting," Sakurako murmured.
"If he's being reckless and making Hina cry, I won't forgive him—even if he's Sensei! I'll collar him and keep him in the Disciplinary Committee!" Ako declared.
"Ako, stop," Hina said.
"Here we are—What!?" Nagisa gasped.
The group froze. The door to Mash's room was riddled with holes, practically in tatters. Tsurugi kicked it open, and they rushed in.
"Sensei! Are you—…huh?" Tsurugi blinked.
"What…?" Hina muttered.
"This is…" Makoto trailed off.
"W-W-What!?" Ako stammered.
"…" Sakurako was silent.
"Oh…" Nagisa whispered.
"Uh…?" Hina tilted her head.
On the bed, Mash slept soundly, sandwiched between Mika hugging him from behind and Azusa clinging to his front.
"Zzz…" Mash snored.
"Suu… suu…" Azusa breathed softly.
"Hehe~ Nagisa-chan~…" Mika mumbled in her sleep.
"What's going on here?" Nagisa asked, stunned.
"Mika-san behind, Azusa-san in front…?" Sakurako murmured.
"Wake up!" Ako yanked the blanket off, blushing faintly.
The cold woke Mika. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up. "Ugh, what? I was sleeping so well… Why's everyone here?"
"That's our line! What are you doing, Mika-san!?" Ako shouted.
"Keep it down! You'll wake Sensei—…Sensei?" Mika noticed Mash stirring.
"Mm…? Morning already…?" Mash mumbled.
"Sensei… cold…" Azusa murmured, snuggling closer.
"Uh… s-sorry…?" Mash said, instinctively warming Azusa with his body.
The room descended into chaos—everyone baffled, confused, or speechless. Tsurugi, regaining composure, grabbed Mika's shoulders.
"Mika Misono!" Tsurugi boomed.
"Wah!? What!?" Mika yelped.
"Take… good care of Sensei," Tsurugi said, tears welling up.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Mika protested.
"No need to explain. If Sensei chose you, it's fine," Tsurugi sniffed.
"I said wait!" Mika shouted.
Nagisa joined in. "Such shameless behavior in Trinity is unacceptable!"
"Shameless!? Nothing happened!" Mika retorted.
"Seduced that clueless Sensei? Impressive, Tea Party," Makoto sneered.
"I didn't seduce him! Hina, say something!" Mika pleaded.
"…Huh? What?" Hina blinked.
"You erased your memory in seconds!?" Mika gasped.
"It makes sense. This relationship was inevitable," Sakurako mused.
"Nothing's inevitable!" Mika cried.
Misunderstandings piled up. Mika desperately explained, but no one listened. She turned to Mash. "Sensei, say something!"
"Uh…" Mash hesitated.
"Mm… Sensei… what's wrong?" Azusa mumbled, waking up.
"Morning, Azusa-chan," Mash said.
"Why's Azusa-san here?" Ako asked.
"Well—" Mash started.
Azusa, still sleepy, leaned into Mash's chest. "…Sensei, you kept me up all night."
"!?" The room gasped.
"Azusa-chan, what?" Mash blinked.
"When you hugged me so tightly, I was shocked…" Azusa yawned. (She means when Mash cried and hugged her.)
"Azusa-chan!?" Mash yelped.
"Feeling human warmth… it was nice…" (Just hugging.)
"Nice!?" Everyone shouted.
"Azusa-chaaaan!" Mika wailed.
"…Chaos," Sakurako muttered.
Mika spent the next while clearing up the mess, only to be met with, "You don't have to lie," making her want to cry for a different reason.
"So, you were scared we'd die, so you pushed yourself that hard?" Nagisa asked.
"Y-Yeah…" Mash admitted, sitting seiza-style, avoiding eye contact.
"You thought if you suffered, we'd be safe?" Makoto pressed.
"Uh… yeah…" Mash mumbled.
"And that made Hina cry?" Ako added.
"Ugh…" Mash winced.
"It's… resolved, so let's move on," Mika interjected.
"As if!" Everyone shouted.
"Yeah…" Mika sighed.
Mash, overwhelmed with guilt, offered a sincere dogeza. Hina cried, Tsurugi trembled, staring at him. Mash wished he could punch his past self.
"When asked to choose between all or one, you chose both," Sakurako said.
"Yes," Mash nodded.
"But you didn't include yourself?" she asked.
"Honestly…" Mash hesitated.
"So, you want a real slap," Nagisa said, deadpan.
(Yikes, Nagisa's serious face… scary, Mash thought.)
"Sensei," Hina said softly, kneeling beside him. She touched his cheeks, meeting his gaze.
"How's this…?" she asked.
"…Warm," Mash replied.
"See? I won't disappear. I won't go cold. That's a promise," Hina said.
"A promise…" Mash echoed.
"Believe in us, Sensei. We won't let that happen," Hina said firmly.
"I… believe," Mash whispered.
He'd told his students he trusted them. Now, they said the same—they wouldn't die, not because of him, and he should trust their words.
"Your… my precious friends… wouldn't vanish so easily," Mash said.
"Exactly! You're such a worrywart, Sensei~⭐" Mika teased.
"I thought I could solve everything alone. Sorry," Mash admitted.
"Just get it. Trust us. Talk to us," Nagisa said.
"I'll always be on your side," Hina added.
"Thanks, everyone. I promise to rely on others from now on," Mash vowed.
He reflected, promising to lean on others. Then, immediately: "Can I ask for something? It's tough, but…"
"Of course," they replied.
Mash made a request to Nagisa and the others, then rested as they advised. Mika returned to her place, Azusa left to prepare.
(No more making them sad. Nonsense. I'm sorry… super sorry…) Mash thought, testing his body. The poison's numbness was nearly gone, his muscles healing.
(Pain's fading. My body's amazing… What even am I?) Mash wondered, slipping into bed for a nap. A knock came.
"Come in~" Mash called.
"Excuse me, Sensei…" Rin Nanagami, Federal Student Council's acting president and Mash's boss, entered, her face pale, lifeless.
"Rin-san? Why're you here?" Mash asked.
"Your injuries… No, I can see," Rin said, voice tight.
"It's been rough. Some Arius poison hit hard, but I'm healing," Mash said.
Rin approached, wincing at his condition. "Sensei… stop dealing with Arius."
"…Huh?" Mash blinked.
"And the Eden Treaty. Leave it to me," Rin said.
"Rin-san, why suddenly—"
"Just eat cream puffs like always. I'll handle everything," Rin insisted.
"Rin-san, you're acting strange. Calm down—"
"It's my fault!" Rin cried, her voice raw. "I relied on you too much, depended on you… that's why this happened."
"That's not true. This was my—"
"No! I… I leaned on you, Mash-kun, too much," Rin said, trembling.
"Leaned too much?" Mash asked.
"When the Council President vanished, we were swamped," Rin explained. The sudden loss of their leader left the Federal Student Council scrambling. Rin, as acting president, struggled with endless tasks and demands from academies, pushing her to her limits. Then Mash appeared.
"You improved Kivotos' safety, eased our burden," Rin said. "So I relied on you—no, depended on you."
Mash listened silently.
"You're strong, so I thought it was fine. You'd solve any case, it's your job as Sensei… I thought that," Rin admitted, ashamed. "And now, this is the result. I burdened you, a boy from another world, younger than me, with everything. I drove you to this!"
Rin regretted forgetting Mash was a kid like them, not just a Sensei. "Nagisa told me you think self-sacrifice is normal now."
Mash stayed quiet.
"That's my fault!" Rin cried.
"No, it's my assumptions and dumb actions," Mash countered.
"I made you feel that way," Rin said. "Please, Mash-kun, stop fighting Arius. Don't disappear… I can't lose another person I care about."
The President's disappearance had scarred Rin. Losing Mash, who called her a friend, was unbearable. She wept, pleading.
"I'm sorry, Rin-san, I can't back down," Mash said.
"For everyone's happy ending?" Rin asked.
"Yes," Mash nodded.
"Why isn't your happy ending included!?" Rin demanded.
"My happiness is everyone's smiles," Mash said.
"So you'd…!" Rin began.
"I thought I'd sacrifice myself," Mash interrupted. "But now? I think that's stupid."
Rin's tears slowed as Mash gently wiped them, removing her glasses. "In my world, I only knew one reliable adult—my grandpa. When I went to another world, I saw real adults and tried to be one. But that was wrong."
Mash showed his hands. "I decided to be a Sensei on the same level as my students—a kid. I forgot that."
"A kid's perspective…" Rin murmured.
"I assumed you relied on me because I'm Sensei. But you trusted me as a friend. I forgot that," Mash said. "Self-sacrifice? Done with it."
With his usual bright grin, Mash swore as a kid, not a Sensei: "No more thinking self-sacrifice is right. No more suffering. I'll fight, stay healthy, and show everyone my strength. My muscles will solve everything—that's my oath."
Rin chuckled. "Your muscles are incredible. This was an exception. Normally, you'd never lose."
"Exactly! So, Rin-san, stop blaming yourself. Be yourself—use me, rely on me. It feels right," Mash said, flexing.
Relieved, Rin smiled through tears, putting her glasses back on. "Mash… Sensei, give everyone a happy ending. Please."
"Got it! Cream puffs and muscle power, coming up!" Mash declared, puffing his chest.
Mash was back—his goofy, kid-like self, vowing to save everyone.
The next day, as Gehenna and Trinity held meetings, Mash devoured cream puffs in his room.
Gobble gobble! "Mmm, cream puffs hit different," Mash said.
"How's he eating like that after poison?" Ako asked, stunned.
"His scars are almost gone… except his right arm. How?" Sakurako wondered.
"I've seen many patients, but only Tsurugi matches Sensei's recovery," a medic said.
"I'm… curious. Can I examine him?" Serina asked, holding a scalpel.
"Blades don't work on me," Mash said.
"No blades?" Serina blinked, disappointed.
"I'm from a gag world," Mash grinned.
"That's meta, Sensei," Ako said.
"Cream puffs and training heal anything," Mash said, munching.
"Like some muscle-bound prisoner…" (Biscuit Oliva, Baki.)
"Your stomach's insane," Sakurako said.
"It'll shrink back, like rubber," Mash said.
"Now he's a pirate captain…" (Luffy, One Piece.) "This gag's a mess!" Ako laughed.
"Proof I'm back," Mash said, eating happily.
Done! Mash changed into training gear.
"No way!" Ako shouted.
"How'd you change!?" Sakurako gasped.
"You need rest!" Mine, the Relief Knights' leader, protested.
"Couldn't resist. I'll be back," Mash said.
"No you don't!" Mine said, raising her shield and gun.
Mash paused, then—"Hup!" He leapt from a seated position, grabbed the ceiling, and escaped.
"He jumped from sitting!?" Mine exclaimed.
"He's the one who fought Mika and Tsurugi…" Serina mused.
"This room's high up, right?" Ako asked.
"Landing sound means he's fine," Mine sighed.
Hanako's later scolding was another story.
(Running felt great. Protein's tasty. Fifty laps around Trinity… Training's fun.) Mash, after escaping, ran fifty laps around Trinity, ending at the gym. (Fought Mika here, wrecked it. Repairs were rough. Mika breaking wood with nails was a headache.)
The gym, once ruined in his battle with Mika, was nearly restored. Mash recalled her words, sparking his old mindset. Hearing noise, he peeked inside.
"Come eat!" "Thanks!" "This sweetness… hits deep." "I regret calling it childish." "So good!" "Sweet!"
Gehenna and Trinity students—background characters—ate cream puffs together, served by the Cream Puff Club and their robot manager.
"Manager, giving out free cream puffs? Amazing," a student said.
"After that mess, I thought everyone'd be down. Took a chance," the manager said.
"People who were arguing are now chatting over cream puffs," another said.
"Even Justice Task Force and Gehenna's Disciplinary Committee are eating together," a student noted.
"Cream puffs are magic…" "Manager showed up with free treats. Pure kindness. This was inevitable." "Never thought I'd see this." "Yeah."
After the treaty incident, tensions ran high. The robot manager appeared, handing out free cream puffs to lift spirits. The gloomy atmosphere vanished—perhaps the true Eden Treaty was already signed.
Mash crept closer, listening.
"Why do this, Manager?" a student asked.
"I'm a robot. No halo, no crazy strength like Sensei. Practically useless," he said.
"Useless?" "But even I can do something—like feed you all. And… Mash-sensei's just a kid. He's fighting so hard, so I, an adult, can't sit still."
(Manager…) Mash thought.
"Most adults here are rotten. So I gotta step up," the manager laughed, making more cream puffs. "Plenty left! Come get some!"
"Thanks!" the students cheered.
"Everyone's smiles… that's my pay. Let's keep making 'em!" "Yeah!"
Mash slipped away, eating a hidden cream puff, looking skyward. "The ramen guy, the manager… good adults. I didn't see it."
He'd sworn to trust students, but now: "I'll trust adults and kids."
Mash ran back, decided.
"Sensei… a moment?" Hanako asked.
"Eek!" Mash yelped.
Hanako's scolding stayed secret.
Notes: *1: Biscuit Oliva (Baki) *2: Luffy (One Piece) *3: Zeppeli (JoJo)
Asuna's Memo-Lobby Reaction: Brother: "I must protect her!" Sister: "…Big puppy?"
Both gave fresh reactions—love it! They want to see unowned students' memo-lobbies. I'll show them on my device. Who's next?
The gag vibe's back, but the second half gets serious with a satisfying punch. Stay tuned!
Sorry for the delay!!
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