Of course, Hoshino wasn't home and that was exactly why I came here.
I couldn't help it. There was no telling how Kaiser PMC's retaliation would unfold, and if we were going to save Hoshino, we couldn't risk having her belongings destroyed in the process.
Fortunately, her house was simple. Everything important was in her bedroom.
The biggest problem was a poster stuck to the wall as it turned out to be an old promotional poster for the Abydos Desert Festival.
It was so worn and torn that she had patched it together with tape. The adhesive was strong, and it took quite some effort to remove it without damaging it.
Once I carefully rolled it up and put it away, I let out a long breath.
For something that old to still be hanging on her wall, it must have meant a lot to her.
By then, Haruka had finished packing the rest.
There was a photo of Hoshino, hair short, standing beside a woman with a silly grin. Probably the former Student Council President of Abydos. I hadn't seen it before, which meant Hoshino must've hidden it during my previous visits.
So she'd been wary of me right from the start.
Then there was the blue whale pillow I'd given her, tucked neatly under her blanket. Thinking about how I'd picked it out just for her only made me more irritated.
Accepting a gift doesn't mean accepting me, huh?
I doubted it held any sentimental value for her, but since I bought it, I figured I might as well take it back. Call it "retrieval."
And then, there was the book [An illustrated encyclopedia of marine life] another gift from me.
Haruka was staring at the cover, fascinated but hesitant to open it.
"Want to look inside?" I asked.
"Ah… um… I-I don't know why, but… it kind of caught my eye…"
"Then I'll lend it to you."
"Eh? Ah? But if Hoshino finds out… won't she be mad?"
My tone came out harsher than I intended, probably because of all the resentment still bubbling inside me. "She wouldn't get mad over something like that. If you want to read it, go ahead."
"I understand… I'll be careful. I won't get it dirty…"
After packing everything up along with a few small items, Haruka and I returned safely to Abydos High.
Once everyone except Nonomi had regrouped, we stashed the heavier, less important belongings in the school's storage room before heading for Schale.
The trip was short. As evening fell, the helicopter landed on Schale's rooftop.
I led the group of girls down to the residential area. Even with Schale's spacious living quarters, cramming nine people into the lounge including me, felt a bit crowded.
At least there were enough guest rooms.
Who knew what went through the missing President's head when she had this place built, but Schale had more guest rooms than any sane person would ever need.
When Serika learned that Problem Solver 68 had already been living here for a few days, her reaction was explosive.
"What?! You perverted teacher! You let students live in your house?!"
"…Then why didn't you object earlier when I suggested everyone stay at Schale?"
"T-that's completely different!"
She kept arguing, something about "this being an emergency situation" and "not the same thing at all." It was honestly kind of funny.
Meanwhile, the other two members of the Foreclosure Task Force, Ayane and Shiroko, didn't react as strongly.
Ayane's face had gone bright red for some reason, and Mutsuki was teasing her about it.
Shiroko, on the other hand, was just watching me silently, her deep gaze… unsettling, to say the least.
Once Serika finally calmed down and dragged Ayane and Shiroko off to unpack, it was nearly dinner time.
I did a quick headcount. Going out to eat sounded like a hassle; ordering takeout seemed easier.
While everyone was debating what to eat, I got a Momotalk message from Nonomi.
Nonomi: Sensei!
Nonomi: I'm downstairs at Schale!
Nonomi: Please come help me!
Me: What happened?
But no reply came.
My heart sank. Could Kaiser PMC have tracked us all the way to D.U.? Were they attacking Nonomi?!
I rushed to the window, but couldn't see her from this angle. Quickly explaining the situation to the others that Nonomi was downstairs and in trouble, I led the group of armed girls down to the entrance in a hurry.
And there she was, Nonomi, caught in some kind of confrontation.
I froze for a second. She turned toward me when she heard our footsteps, eyes lighting up.
"Sensei! Perfect timing! I caught a suspicious person loitering around Schale!"
All I could think was: Kirino, when is the Public Safety Bureau going to fire you?
Yes, the one "harassing" Nonomi was none other than Nakatsukasa Kirino, whom I hadn't seen in a while.
Judging by her tone, she'd mistaken Nonomi for some kind of delinquent. Seriously... what kind of eyes did she have? How could anyone look at adorable Nonomi and think delinquent?
Then Kirino noticed the group of nearly a dozen girls standing behind me, all strangers to her, and all walking out from the residential area.
Her eyes went wide, her face flushed, and before I could even say a word, she stormed over and snapped a handcuff onto my wrist.
"Sensei! This is a criminal offense! You're coming with me to turn yourself in!"
One cuff on my left wrist, the other on hers.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sora from the convenience store peek out the door, her eyes wide in shock at the sight of me being handcuffed by the police.
Then, realizing I'd seen her, she quickly ducked back inside.
I raised my free hand to cover my face and sighed. What on earth possessed me to invite this idiot to Schale in the first place?
Oh, right... someone's "great idea."
Ogata Kanna! You set me up!
Fortunately, fool counters fool. Aru, who had plenty of experience dealing with this kind of nonsense, managed to clear things up in just a few sentences.
"Ahaha∼ So it was a misunderstanding~ I thought Sensei might've been doing something bad again~"
Kirino laughed nervously, fumbling for her key to unlock the cuffs.
Once freed, I flexed my wrists and asked, "So, Kirino... what brings you here today?"
"Oh, nothing serious. I was just off duty and walking around when I saw this girl looking all suspicious, glancing everywhere, so I followed her."
"H-how rude! I wasn't being suspicious! I just didn't know the way!"
"I-I'm sorry…"
Yeah, that was about what I expected from Kirino.
Still, this was actually convenient.
I'd been planning to look for her soon anyway. Saved me the trouble.
"Kirino, I need your help with something."
She blinked, clearly confused but eager to assist.
"Can you get me the private contact information for your captain, Ogata Kanna?"
"Eh?"
And that was the moment the plan to rescue Hoshino officially began.