Maya went completely pale, her cheeks as red as ever, quivering constantly.
"I...I... I... um... I... uh..." Maya stammered repeatedly, trying to get something out, but she couldn't utter so much as a single word to Sai.
"Time's ten o'clock, ya genius. Thought we'd swing by."
A familiar voice rang across the room.
Miss Bramble leaned lazily against the dojo's doorway, one boot crossed over the other as though she owned the very air around her.
Her long sand-brown coat fluttered lightly behind her, the sleeves rolled to her elbows and stained faintly with dust from whatever reckless journey she'd returned from this time. Beneath it sat a fitted white shirt tucked into dark leather utility trousers strapped with small pouches, notebooks, and oddly shaped gadgets no ordinary teacher should possess.
A pair of fingerless gloves hugged her hands. Her brown hair appeared more luscious and refined this time, tied back into a tight bun, while a compass-shaped pendant rested against her collarbone, swaying gently each time she moved and barely reaching the threshold of her breasts. Her knee-high combat boots were scratched and worn, telling stories of mountains climbed, ruins explored, and battles survived.
Despite the adventurous appearance, Miss Bramble still wore that same playful teacher's grin—the kind that usually meant trouble for everyone involved.
Sai looked on at her, his expression brimming with confusion and sarcasm.
Does she always dress like she just came back from fighting a dinosaur or...?!
Where the hell could she possibly be coming from today?
And she keeps changing hairstyles too.
Miss Bramble scoffed slightly, as though noticing his gaze and hearing his thoughts.
"I'd appreciate it if you'd quit eye-fucking me," she let out coldly, wearing a slightly annoyed expression.
"If I was 'eye fucking you' my eyes wouldn't have been on your boots but on your boobs, dumbass" sai retorted with a frown.
"Oh, is—that—so?" Miss Bramble replied.
Though she appeared unmoved by his statement, Sai couldn't help but suspect a hint of annoyance in her tone.
"Alright, you two, would you quit it with the argument?" Leah interrupted while stepping forward, casually placing her palm on her face to showcase her frustration.
"For crying out loud, you're both acting like children!"
"She started it," Sai pointed out bluntly, wearing an emotionless expression.
Leah gave him a gaping stare that spoke louder than any words ever could. Nobody had to tell him to shut the hell up for him to realize it.
Damn, her stare is scary. Kinda reminds me of my mom's.
Leah let out a calm breath of suppression before attempting to speak.
"Listen, Sai. Maya and I noticed you didn't show up to school today, so we decided to ask the authorities if you were alright. Frankly, even they didn't know anything about your disappearance, so they gave us your address and assigned a teacher to escort us."
She paused.
"And that teacher was Miss Bramble... apparently."
"Apparently?!" Bramble strained.
"You're a real meanie, Missy!" she whimpered.
Miss Bramble let out a huge, calm sigh.
"Out of all of us, nobody was more worried about ya than little Miss Maya over here. Twat was shaking and asking about ya throughout the entire day."
"Really?" Sai strained, his expression shifting slightly.
He turned his neck to face her.
"Wow, Maya. Thanks a lot, Sai said with a slightly more cheerful tone.
On hearing this, Maya's heart sank. It was as though something had defrosted inside her, but in a good way. Her cheeks turned bright red as her mouth opened nervously, her lips still quivering. The joy in her heart was so immense she felt she could burst at any moment.
"W-well... I... it's nothing really..."
"I-I-I..."
"She said you're welcome," Leah cut in sharply, her arms folded across her chest. Anything to save her friend from losing too much composure.
"Hmmmmm..." Maya whimpered nervously, shyly placing her hands over her face.
"But why? Why would you guys do this for me? I mean, we barely know each other," Sai asked bluntly.
"Well, it's only fair we look after our classmates. And even if I didn't want to, I'm pretty sure Maya wouldn't let me just waltz away like that," Leah pointed out.
"Plus..."
Her tone changed.
"We owe you one... for saving us."
Leah shrugged, her cheeks bright red as she looked down at her feet.
Maya shot Leah a ferocious glare from across the room, as though warning her to stay away from something that belonged to her.
Leah got the message immediately, her submissive stance momentarily disoriented by the intensity of the glare.
"Well, that's the haps for them. My reason is quite simple, actually," Miss Bramble cut in swiftly, her aura laced with defiance and composure as she maintained her stance against the doorway.
"I made you a promise. Said if you ever ran, I'd kill ya. So when these girls came pestering me about ya, I thought you'd bolted."
Miss Bramble paused before continuing.
"So when we got here, there you were, sleeping in like a tiny little princess. Guess yesterday's excitement really took a toll on ya."
A smug grin appeared on the side of her face.
"So why didn't you guys wake me up?"
"'Cause your Tier System said so. Aizen, was it?" Miss Bramble said, placing a finger against her chin as she recalled the name.
"His appearance was quite sudden. Almost attacked him when I saw him. But my gut told me he was with you, so I decided to keep my paws to myself."
"He said you'd need all the rest you could get because your body was a bit worn out."
She smirked.
"Then I suggested you'd need something soft to rest your head on. In that case, the only thing Maya could think of was her thighs—which, from the shape and dexterity of them, are probably the softest of the three of us."
Maya's cheeks glowed an even brighter peach-red as she did her best to hide her expression.
"Well, that's that. Your trial is coming up next week, and it'll be judged by the Tribunal of Magic. Yep, no execution for you without a trial. But I wouldn't celebrate too early if I were you."
She folded her arms.
"So buckle up. You're either gonna die or live through that day."
Maya wore a desperate look on her face. Her heart sank even further. All she could think about was Sai's well-being.
"It's alright. I'll make it through that day."
"You sound awfully confident there, buddy. You think you're gonna survive this?" Miss Bramble asked, squinting suspiciously.
"I don't just think. I calculate outcomes and provide results. This is just another obstacle to overcome."
Sai's dark eyes showed no emotion, emphasizing the sincerity behind his words.
"Even though it'll cost your life?"
"Gotta say, kid, I kinda expected ya to be more frantic about this whole thing. But it seems to me like you want to die."
Miss Bramble's arms remained folded as she stared at him suspiciously.
"Well, if I die, look at the bright side. Christmas comes early for anyone who hates a muggle like me. Hell, you'd be relieved of the stress of putting me down."
Sai tilted his head slightly.
"That's if... you actually can."
Miss Bramble's lips quivered angrily.
She unfolded her arms and began advancing toward Sai, her fists clenched as rage coursed through her body.
"What the hell do you mean I can't take ya on, ya stupid piece of shit?! Why, I oughta—"
"Okay!" Leah cut in immediately, dragging Miss Bramble by the collar of her sand-brown overcoat.
Miss Bramble squirmed frantically, flailing her arms through the air.
"Lemme at him! I'll show ya—!"
The scene was awkward and downright embarrassing, but Miss Bramble didn't seem to care in the slightest.
Sai watched the spectacle with no visible emotion.
"I oughta have your balls for this, mister!" Miss Bramble grunted as she continued struggling while being dragged toward the exit.
"Okay, that's enough. We'll see you tomorrow, Sai. Get well soon!"
Leah turned.
"You coming, Maya?"
"Y-yes!"
Maya got up almost immediately, her legs twitching slightly.
"B-bye," Maya muttered, giving Sai a small wave before dashing toward the door, her hands covering her face.
Serenity reigned once more in Sai's residence.
"She's a funny one. I'm gonna enjoy teasing her."
A crimson-blue holographic screen appeared before him, accompanied by a series of beeping sounds.
BIP. BOP.
Are you that oblivious to her feelings?
"Yes. Yes, I am," Sai replied casually.
You say that you will not be facing execution on the day of your trial.
Even though your probability of surviving it has dropped to approximately ten percent.
"Why do you say so?"
Sai's eyes narrowed.
"What are you planning, Sai...?"