Chapter Text
Rin seldom visits Schale in person.
Since pretty much all the communication between her and that adult are business-related, they'd only text and at most, call each other.
And at first, that's exactly what she wanted to do, but Sensei has been radio silent; nothing she sent gets a reply.
Rin adjusts her glasses one more time. Just can't seem to give me a break.
The automatic front gate of the building is supposed to have a electronic lock, and it requires a keycard to enter.
She walks past the gate like these security measures don't exist; because they don't.
Schale is open to every student, and apparently Sensei is taking that seriously.
Up the elevator and pass several corridors, the main office of Schale is right within view.
The Acting President of GSC puts up her business face and enters the said place; expecting the usual scene.
Stacks of papers and documents piling on the main desk, a couch doubles as a bed, a rifle rack and a gear closet and so on.
And the person she has been searching... or not. He's not here?
Rin places the files that was meant for the missing adult down on a vacant spot of the coffee table near the couch.
She pushes her glasses back up and browses across the room for clues.
He's an expert in escaping, evading and hiding, sure. But there's a catch.
Experts always know the most efficient and effective way of doing things in their field; it makes them to a degree, predictable.
And that's exactly why Rin can pin him down every time. She's convinced this time is no exception.
Her sapphire eyes have been trained to spot little traces and thus track down where or what he's up to.
And at the first few glances, she got some basic things:
No missing guns nor gears on the small armory corner he made, couch is messy but cold, and the coffee machine is off.
So he wasn't working, wasn't napping and wasn't out there hunting down random thugs.
No sounds of water, and there's no one in the bathroom, either.
Rin resorts to the main desk; usually there's something significant enough for her to work with.
Sure enough there's something: His tablet is right there. And next to it, an old, lightly worn letter.
The tablet she once handed to Sensei is off and Rin doesn't even bother try turning it on. The latter is what intrigues her.
It's written on a waterproof all-weather paper with a black fountain pen; in a language she doesn't know. Or maybe it's some sort of code?
There're only two words she recognizes and they're not even proper words: "2wo" and "1ne". The names of the receiver and the author respectively.
Who are they? Which one is Sensei? Perhaps it's something private and personal and Rin shouldn't investigate too far?
Speaking of whom. "Rin?"
"!..." She almost lets that gasp out audibly.
"Sensei. Sorry." She turns over to the source of the voice walking out of the bedroom. "Didn't see you when I got here, so-"
"-Eh. It's fine." He cuts her off. "I kinda just lay it out here."
The adult makes his way back to his ergonomic throne and picks up the letter.
"It's... from an old friend. Years ago. Dates before I come to this land."
In Rin's eyes, he was a huge X-factor when he first got here; she didn't know who he is, what he can do, and most crucially, why him?
He shows obvious unfamiliarity about paper works; he swears at his students; and he jumps into gunfights without a halo above his head.
If anything, he was more of a gun-toting brute than a tutor. Just thinking about it makes her stomach churn.
And yet over time, he changed. Or rather, Rin starting to see the part of who he really is.
He's adaptive, witty, and is able to find the critical break point whenever an issue presents itself. And he makes all that seem like a breeze.
The rough edges of his are gradually smoothened; the aggression settled, the fierceness calmed, the brutality tamed.
Now he's an indispensable part of GSC, of Kivotos even. And a force to be reckoned with, politically or physically.
And yet here he is, moping over a piece of paper from his long gone past.
It's an unprecedented sight. Rin swears internally she's seeing the silver eyes of his are dimming to gray.
Sensei stares into the cursive foreign words, as if he's trying to trace every stroke when it was being written.
Rin decides to not interrupt this moment. She knows how it feels like to miss a friend that is away and no signs of returning.
The adult breaks the short silence, seemingly have finished reading the letter for one last time.
"So what's the occasion? Don't tell me you're here just because." He's back as who she knows again.
So does she. "No. Like I said, I couldn't reach you through messages and phone calls. It's work."
"Rinny, I just had a sappy trip down the memory lane." He lies back into his chair.
"And you seem back, and ready for the reports you have postponed for days, right?"
"Rinny-"
"Right?"
"Yes."
"Good."
The Acting President of GSC marches towards the file stacks on the coffee table.
"And when we're done," She mellows down her tone. "Maybe you can introduce them to me?"
The adult blinks. "Heh. Sure." And smile coyly. "It's a long story, though."
"Let's get them done quick then." Rin returns an acknowledging look.
The afternoon of Schale today is just like any other ones, with a lovely assistant here to help.
And soon enough, there will be more than just that;
Coffee, stories, and perhaps new faces and reaction of the adult for Rin to discover.
Sounds good for me. She muses with a smile.