Work Text:
A man in brown coat opens the door and enters the room. The man is not the kind of normal human that can be seen anywhere. The man has black skin and doesn’t have a head. He does not possess eyes, a mouth, or ears, and yet, he can hear, talk, and see. The man carries a walking stick on his right hand and holds a greyscale picture of a man with a hat facing away from the camera.
The man in brown coat is none other than the member of Gematria known as Decalcomania, carrying with him the moving picture of a man known as Golconde. Decalcomania sits on a chair in the middle of the room and makes himself comfortable. He sits facing you, the readers, Sensei.
Golconde: It’s a pleasure to meet you again, Sensei.
Golconde: I believe it has been quite some time since we’ve met each other, or perhaps for you, it hasn’t even been long?
Golconde: Not to worry. I have no intention to try anything with your precious students.
Golconde: Rather, I’d like to share with you a what-if story for a decision you made.
Golconde: Or it could be said too, a decision that has been set in stone for you.
Decalcomania: But of course!
Golconde: If you recall, my esteemed colleague Black Suit once offered to handle Abydos’ debt in exchange for you giving up on the student Hoshino. He was offering to honor the original deal Hoshino made with him.
Golconde: You refused to accept the deal, or couldn’t accept it, depending on your interpretation. Have you ever wondered what it would have been like, had the choices that day been different?
Golconde: Why don’t we take a look at a parallel universe where you weren’t restricted to one choice by conscience and by design?
Golconde: Allow me to narrate.
-----
That day, when Black Suit offered the deal, you accepted it. Hoshino would effectively no longer be part of Abydos High School. In exchange, the entire debt of Abydos will be gone. Black Suit would also stop Kaiser from disturbing Abydos ever again. What you’re reading is the situation of Abydos after the deal took place.
Abydos, though having been abandoned by both its residents and students after the desertification, has bounced back from its sorry state. Black Suit kept his word. Kaiser has stopped harassing the school. The debt was gone. Abydos was free to rebuild itself. New students enrolled in the school and residents returned to the district.
With new students, the school was revitalized. They had more manpower and resources. Together with the residents of Abydos, both the new ones and the old ones, they conducted projects of rebuilding the district and fighting the ever-worsening desertification.
The remaining students of the Foreclosure Task Force took the role as acting student council of Abydos, though the club’s title faded, as they soon became the official student council of Abydos and the old name simply became a record of the school’s darkest times.
Peace and tranquility are now a part of the daily life. What we will observe as follow is an important event occurring exactly a year to the date after the deal had taken place. Sensei, or you, so to speak, had prepared a surprise for your students. But before we get to that, we shall see your students’ daily lives first.
-----
Within Abydos student council room
Abydos student A: Ayane-senpai! Are you free right now?
Ayane: Yes, I am. Is something the matter?
Abydos student B: We’ve finished the proposal for a reconstruction project! Please have a look!
Ayane: Let me see...
Ayane: This is meticulously planned. Well done!
Abydos student A: We finally got it right! Can we ask for the student council’s stamp of approval for this project?
Ayane: Unfortunately...
Abydos student A: What!? Why!? We did everything right this time, didn’t we!?
Ayane: There’s nothing wrong with the proposal.
Ayane: However, we already have a lot of ongoing projects. We don’t have the manpower and funds to take on another project for now.
Abydos student A: What!? Because of manpower and funds...
Abydos student B: Our school is too small compared to the likes of Gehenna and Trinity. How I envy them for having so many students and a large budget.
Abydos student B: We should totally try to force some of their students to join our school! That way, we’d get a boost to our student rosters.
Abydos student A: How can we achieve that? Bus hijacking?
Abydos student B: Oh! That’s a good idea! We should totally make a proposal on that!
Ayane: Both of you...
Abydos student A: Eek!
Abydos student B: We’re joking, we’re joking!
Abydos student A: Please don’t flip a table, Ayane-senpai...
Ayane: ...
Ayane: Ahaha...
Abydos student A: Ayane-senpai?
Abydos student B: Um, what’s funny?
Ayane: Oh, you both just reminded me of a senpai of mine that used to be part of Abydos.
Abydos student A: Has she already graduated?
Ayane: Hm, not quite.
Abydos student B: Huh? Did she drop out?
Ayane: Let’s get back to topic. This proposal is good enough, even though we don’t have the manpower and budget to implement it yet.
Ayane: I’ll keep it for now. When we have the manpower and funds for it, I’ll pass it to Shiroko-senpai and Nonomi-senpai.
Abydos student A: Thank you, Ayane-senpai!
Ayane: Anyway, I need to go to check the old warehouse we recently requisitioned from Kaiser. Could you please join me in inspecting it?
Abydos student A: Are we going to look for antique things to sell now?
Abydos student B: That’s rare. You usually handle this by yourself, senpai.
Ayane: Sensei said he had a surprise for us this afternoon, so I’d like to finish this as quickly as possible. Do you mind helping?
Abydos student A: You can count on us, senpai!
-----
Within Shiba Seki ramen shop
Serika: 4 ramen bowls. Please enjoy your meal.
Aru: Thank you! Itadakimasu!
Serika: You’ve been visiting so much lately. Has business been so well?
Aru: Of course! We wouldn’t be hard-boiled criminals if we couldn’t do business, would we?
Mutsuki: Ahaha, you try to sound cool, Aru-chan! But most of our recent jobs have been helping with Abydos’ reconstruction! It has nothing to do with outlaws!
Aru: Eh, Mutsuki!? There was no need to reveal that!
Kayoko: The same goes for Shiba Seki. You’ve managed to open the restaurant again.
Master Shiba: It’s partly due to your continual patronage. We could get a lot of revenue from your constant visits.
Serika: I just hope you won’t blow the restaurant up again.
Haruka: I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!
Kayoko: There, there Haruka. They already forgave us, remember?
Aru: Actually, business has been doing very well with the economic recovery of the Abydos district, hasn’t it? I see another part-timer besides Serika.
Master Shiba: That’s true. Ever since more shops opened nearby, I’ve got more influx of customers, enough that I can hire another part-timer.
Master Shiba: Why don’t you come out and say hello?
Abydos student C: H-hello...
Master Shiba: There’s no need to be shy. Problem Solver 68 are regulars here.
Mutsuki: Isn’t this okay? Her shy demeanor makes her look cuter!
Serika: It’s not exactly okay though. We need her to be more confident when speaking with customers.
Master Shiba: Come on, Serika. There’s no need to push her so much. She just began.
Serika: But she won’t be able to serve the customers if she’s this shy.
Mutsuki: It’s still better than your gullibility, isn’t it?
Serika: H-hey, I stopped being gullible since long ago!
Mutsuki: But you tried to attend a blatantly non-existent seminar lecture just a week ago!
Serika: H-how did you know that?
Kayoko: She made the fake flyer as a prank.
Serika: She did!?
Mutsuki: Kufufu! You fell for it!
Abydos student C: Ah, Master Shiba, we need to clock off soon. Sensei said they’ve got a surprise prepared for us this afternoon. We need to return to the campus.
Master Shiba: Is that so? Are you going to clock off too, Serika?
Serika: Sensei’s surprise isn’t that important, but I suppose I should go regardless.
Aru: Serika, here’s a word of advice. Don’t try to pretend. It’s obvious, you know?
Serika: Eh!?
Haruka: (Aru-sama is so cool, giving away a wise advice.)
Aru: (Wait, I just embarrassed her in front of her boss and Kouhai. I shouldn’t have said that!)
Abydos student C: Serika-senpai is..?
Serika: Y-you...
Master Shiba: You should hurry up and change, Serika. Otherwise, you’ll be late.
Serika: Ah, yes, I’m going to change now!
Kayoko: (Good job on the save, boss.)
Master Shiba: (You’re welcome.)
-----
Somewhere in the Trinity district
Nonomi: Thank you for helping me with shopping, Hifumi. It really helped a lot to have an extra pair of hands.
Hifumi: It’s okay, Nonomi. I’m happy to help.
Hifumi: I heard that the economy in Abydos has started to rise, but you still need to travel so far away for supplies such as these.
Nonomi: It’s alright. I’m used to it.
Nonomi: A large swath of Abydos district is still under control of Kaiser corporation, after all. We can’t start any reconstruction projects there, so our choices are still limited.
Hifumi: Haven’t you managed to retrieve some of the lands Kaiser originally took from Abydos?
Nonomi: We managed to buy some of the lands back, but Kaiser is stubbornly clinging to some of the lands.
Hifumi: What a mess. Nagisa-sama said that Kaiser’s influence in the Abydos district will be waning, but it doesn’t seem like it.
Nonomi: Right, Kaiser is still occupying most of Abydos district.
Nonomi: However, with the new residents and our new students, we’re determined to slowly chip away Kaiser’s grip on the district.
Hifumi: I wish I could help more rather than just watch. It sounds like you guys are having a hard time.
Nonomi: Oh no, helping this much is fine. We don’t want to get you involved in the politics concerning our school.
Nonomi: Besides, you’re now the president of your own club! How does it feel to be in charge of the Make-Up Work Club?
Hifumi: Ahaha... I don’t feel like a club president. I mostly only rely on Sensei and I don’t have any authority.
Nonomi: Still, you were chosen to be the club president. That means you were trusted to take responsibility, right?
Hifumi: Ahaha, that’s a bit...
Hifumi: (I don’t know how to tell her the club was initially meant to root out a spy, before it actually served its current purpose.)
Hifumi: A-anyway, you should be returning to Abydos soon. I heard Sensei has a surprise waiting for you.
Nonomi: That’s right, but even if we hurry up now, the train heading to Abydos district won’t arrive any faster. Let’s just take it slow.
Hifumi: Will you make it back in time?
Nonomi: I don’t know. That depends on if the train has a delay or not.
Hifumi: You’re quite relaxed. Is it of no problem if neither the vice president nor the president of the Abydos student council is in the school to receive Sensei’s surprise?
Nonomi: Don’t worry! Ayane and Serika can surely handle it.
Nonomi: Shiroko should also be returning immediately after her meeting. She doesn’t take the train, so she’ll be there on time regardless of train schedules.
Hifumi: Ah, that’s a relief.
Nonomi: Speaking of which, I have a gift for you for helping me today. Here it is!
Hifumi: Eh!? Isn’t this the limited-edition Peroro merch? This is very expensive and difficult to obtain! Is it really okay for me to take it?
Nonomi: It’s A-okay! Besides, it’s better for me to give the Peroro merch to you rather than have you go to the black market to obtain it.
Hifumi: Please don’t bring that up. I already promised myself to never go to the black market again.
Hifumi: Ah, I need to split off here. Thank you for the Peroro merch.
Nonomi: You’re welcome!
Hifumi: And good luck with turning your school into an idol school!
Nonomi: Thank you! Please look forward to it.
Hifumi: (Eh!? I was told it is an inside joke between Abydos students, but Nonomi seemed completely serious about it.)
-----
Gehenna Prefect Team meeting room
Ako: That concludes our meeting today. Thank you for your participation, president of the new Abydos student council, Sunaookami Shiroko.
Shiroko: Like I have said, that is too much of a mouthful. Calling me Shiroko is enough.
Ako: But that’s...
Hina: Let’s not argue, Ako. What matters is that this meeting has been a success.
Ako: Understood, head prefect.
Shiroko: You thanked me for your participation, but I should be the one to thank you for accepting our joint exercise proposal.
Hina: There’s no need to thank us. We had our own goals for this as well as a debt to repay.
Shiroko: I thought we already forgave you for that transgression.
Hina: That was our fault, so allow us to make amends for it.
Hina: Besides, we have our own agenda with this joint exercise. It’s nothing sinister, but we’re doing this for our own benefits too.
Shiroko: Nn, I see.
Shiroko: I must be going now. I hope our cooperation continues.
Ako: Iori, please escort President Shiroko out. Chinatsu should be ready with the car.
Iori: Understood!
...
Ako: Their threat level has increased despite Hoshino leaving Abydos.
Hina: Indeed, but with our cooperation, they’re our allies. We have no need to be overly cautious.
Ako: Are they going to grow and return to their former strength?
Hina: It’s unlikely with Kaiser still keeping most of their district. They won’t return to their former glory, but they won’t be at threat of closing.
Hina: They’ll probably stay at the level of Hyakkiyako or Red Winter.
Ako: Even if they go rob a bank or something?
Hina: Do you seriously think they would do it again?
-----
Gehenna school ground
Iori: I’m honestly surprised Abydos didn’t dissolve after the former vice president’s disappearance. You’re very tough.
Shiroko: Hoshino made the sacrifice so that the rest of the school can be free of debt. To dissolve is no different than wasting her sacrifice.
Shiroko: Besides, we had a great mentor to help us keep moving forward. Sensei has been by our side every step of the way.
Iori: And in the process, that lecher managed to make the head prefect even more jealous of Abydos.
Shiroko: What did you just say?
Iori: Nothing important.
Chinatsu: President Shiroko, we have prepared a car to bring you back to the Abydos district.
Shiroko: There’s no need for that. I prefer riding my bike back to Abydos.
Iori: Are you for real? Abydos is very far away.
Chinatsu: It would be advisable for you to take the ride. It’ll save you a lot of time.
Shiroko: No, that’s not necessary. It’s been a while since I did some exercise.
Chinatsu: She calls riding a bicycle from a district to another as exercise?
Iori: Well, it saves us the problem of bringing her back to Abydos, so who are we to complain?
Shiroko: Actually, I’ll take the car. I need to hurry back to Abydos. Sensei wants me to be there soon for a surprise.
Iori: Oh...
Chinatsu: Your mouth never fails, Iori.
-----
Somewhere in the Abydos desert
Black Suit: We meet again, Sensei.
Black Suit: You’re right on time. She’s that precious to you, isn’t she, Sensei?
Sensei: She’s precious to me and everyone in Abydos.
Black Suit: Even though most of the new students there don’t even recognize her?
Black Suit: I suppose it’s not important whether they recognize her. She has sacrificed herself to erase Abydos debt. That alone makes everyone there indebted to her.
Sensei: Where is she?
Black Suit: She’s in the other room. You can come out now, former vice president of Abydos student council.
Hoshino comes into the room. She looks battered and miserable. She has bags under her eyes and her movements are rigid.
But when Hoshino sees me, her gloomy face changed into a bright smile.
Hoshino: Uhe~ Sensei, long time no see.
Black Suit: Hoshino, you are hereby freed without conditions. You may do as you please.
Hoshino: Sensei, can I hug you?
Sensei: Of course.
Hoshino hugs me very tightly. Her grip around me is firm.
Sensei: Hoshino?
Hoshino: Sensei, please let me act spoiled just for today. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. I can finally leave.
I pat Hoshino’s head. The poor girl has gone through a lot in captivity.
Sensei: Black Suit, this is only half of our deal.
Black Suit: Ah, yes. I have not fulfilled the other part yet. However, I have a reason for that.
Black Suit: I was suggested by Golconde to fulfil the other half of the deal after the Eye of Horus is freed. I shall have a meeting later with Kaiser’s president tonight.
Black Suit: Do not worry, Sensei. I have no intention of going back on my word, not after what you have offered in return.
Sensei: Hoshino, let’s return to Abydos.
Hoshino: I haven’t seen how the school has been doing in a year. How has everyone fared?
Sensei: They’ve fared quite well.
Sensei: But they’ll fare even better with you.
Hoshino: I can’t wait to see them again!
-----
Within Abydos student council room
Shiroko: I’m back.
Ayane: Shiroko-senpai, we’ve been expecting you.
Serika: How did the meeting go?
Shiroko: Stunningly. They agreed to the proposal.
Nonomi: That’s wonderful! We’ll have an opportunity to learn from other school!
Shiroko: Where’s Sensei?
Ayane: He’s going to be late. He told us over Momotalk earlier.
Serika: How disappointing. He’s supposed to be the adult here.
Nonomi: We can’t blame him, can we? He’s got so many students to take care of.
Shiroko: We’ll have to wait for him to arrive then.
Shiroko: What are you doing, Serika?
Serika: I’m just cleaning these old things.
Nonomi: That’s our old ski masks of the Masked Swimsuit Gang.
Serika: Yeah. We wore them with Hoshino when we robbed that black market bank. They bring back memories, don’t they?
Ayane: They do. Seeing them again makes me feel nostalgic.
Nonomi: We’ve come a long way since then. Even though we lost Hoshino, we managed to restore Abydos.
Shiroko: Nn, we still have a long way to go. We should totally wear them again for a bank robbery.
Ayane: Shiroko-senpai?
Shiroko: We’d be able to speed up Abydos’ reconstruction with the money we get. Let’s hit that black market bank again.
Ayane: ...What would Hoshino say in this situation?
Shiroko: That we should have robbed the bank instead of having her sacrifice herself?
Ayane: ...
Nonomi: Let’s not get feisty, Ayane. In this situation, Hoshino-
Nonomi: Wait, is that Sensei at the school gate?
Serika: So he’s finally here! How awfully late of him!
Shiroko: It’s fine, Serika. It hasn’t been that late.
Ayane: I wonder if he experienced train delays like Nonomi-senpai did. It was awful, right senpai?
Ayane: Nonomi-senpai?
Serika: What’s the matter? Why did you freeze?
Nonomi: Sensei brought someone with him... It’s Hoshino-senpai.
Ayane: Hoshino-senpai!?
Serika: Are you serious!?
Ayane: Look, Shiroko-senpai is already gone!
-----
At Abydos school gate
Hoshino: Uhe~ The school has improved a lot. Ojisan can feel proud of her kouhais.
Hoshino: It feels great to see the school again. It feels unreal to be here now.
Sensei: Look, Shiroko is running towards us.
Hoshino: Oh?
Shiroko jumped and hugged Hoshino. Hoshino fell onto the ground, being unable to withstand the force with which Shiroko hugged her.
Hoshino: Don’t hug me too tightly, Shiroko. Ojisan’s back won’t be able to take it.
Shiroko: Nn, you finally came home. I won’t just let you go so easily.
Hoshino: Uhe~
From the distance, Ayane, Serika and Nonomi is rushing towards us. They too, had tears in their eyes.
Abydos student A: What’s the matter? Why are our senpais in such a rush?
Abydos student B: Who’s that Shiroko-senpai is hugging?
Abydos student C: Did Sensei bring her here?
-----
Within Kaiser HQ office
Black Suit: ...That is all I have to say.
Kaiser president: Do you realize what you’re trying to tell me now?
Black Suit: Oh yes, I do.
Kaiser president: You’re telling me to give up on the excavation after all we’ve done?
Black Suit: Why yes, indeed. I have made a deal with Sensei, and I intend to honour the deal. I won’t support your endeavours at Abydos anymore.
Kaiser president: We’ve invested too much in this. We’re not going to stop. We will continue our operations, with or without you.
Black Suit: Then I’m afraid I will have to do something about that.
Kaiser president: Are you in a position to say that?
Kaiser president: Soldiers!
Kaiser PMC soldier: Shall we execute him immediately?
Black Suit: Although there’s nothing I can do to prevent you from shooting me right now, I advise that you don’t.
Black Suit: I believe I do not need to elaborate why, do I?
Kaiser PMC soldier: Orders, sir?
Kaiser president: ...
Kaiser president: Let him go...
Black Suit: I’m glad you did not give in to irrationality.
Kaiser president: Get out of my sight.
-----
Outside of Kaiser HQ
Maestro: You’re finally out.
Black Suit: Ah, Maestro. Have you been waiting for me?
Maestro: My curiosity could not be contained, so I had to come and wait right here.
Maestro: More importantly, how did the talk with Kaiser go?
Black Suit: They reacted hostilely, as expected.
Black Suit: But that doesn’t matter. We’ll proceed as planned. Sensei’s offer is much more valuable.
Maestro: Sensei... What a cunning, yet magnificent man. He prepared a deal that we couldn’t refuse.
Black Suit: It’s a shame we still couldn’t recruit him into Gematria. We would have been able to do much more with him on our side.
Black Suit: Still, I respect his decision. We shan’t force him into Gematria.
Maestro: I’m thrilled to see what Sensei has to show next.
-----
At Hoshino’s home
Serika: We’re finally done!
Ayane: Whew, Hoshino-senpai’s home was really caked in dust.
Nonomi: It can’t be helped. It has been quite a while since someone inhabited her house.
Serika: I wonder if it would have been faster to have some of our kouhais help us.
Shiroko: We can’t do that. We agreed to do this ourselves, didn’t we?
Shiroko: We’re the most indebted to Hoshino-senpai.
Hoshino: Ojisan is done taking a bath. It feels great to take soak up in a bath of hot water in my own home after a long time.
Hoshino: Woah, you worked very quickly. The house is sparkling clean.
Nonomi: Yep! Everyone worked hard!
Serika: It was quite the hard work.
Hoshino: You should have let me Ojisan help you. We’d be able to clean the house faster that way.
Shiroko: No can do. You asked to be spoiled, so this is what we’ll do.
Hoshino: Wow, my kouhais are so hardworking.
Ayane: Ah, Sensei. You’re back!
Sensei: I brought some gifts.
Hoshino: For me?
Sensei: Here it is.
Hoshino: This is?
Nonomi: It’s an adorable whale pillow!
Shiroko: Isn’t this whale pillow your favourite pillow?
Hoshino: It is. It brings back so much memories.
Hoshino: Thank you so much, Sensei.
Hoshino: *yawn* Ojisan is suddenly feeling so tired.
Ayane: It’s already quite late. You should go to sleep, Hoshino-senpai.
Serika: We already prepared your bedroom. Please go ahead.
Hoshino: Are you sure? You’re done with cleaning, but it seems like there’s more that needs to be done.
Ayane: It’s okay. We’ll handle it.
Nonomi: Yep, yep! Please take your hard-earned comfortable sleep, Hoshino!
Hoshino: Uhe~ You’re all going to make Ojisan cry tears of happiness.
Hoshino: (Yume-senpai, are you seeing this?)
Hoshino: (Abydos is saved and the future looks bright. Isn’t it great?)
Hoshino: (Ah, I can picture you smile, but why is it a sombre smile?)
Hoshino: (Is it because of the self-sacrifice I made? Because of the pain I went through?)
Hoshino: (That’s okay. That sacrifice was very much worth it. Nothing could be more valuable than hope for a brighter future, right Yume-senpai?)
Hoshino: (Please don’t cry, Yume-senpai. We did our best. It has come to fruition. Our hopes and dreams, that is.)
-----
Golconde: So, how was it, Sensei? Was it a touching story?
Golconde: I’m sure for some of you, it was, but perhaps some others may find the story a boring one.
Golconde: Perhaps you’re asking, what was this deal I made with Gematria? What was this support Black Suit offered to Kaiser? What did Hoshino go through?
Golconde: I find it more interesting and better if I stay quiet about it. Perhaps your imagination could fill the gaps in the story. It is, after all, a story for you.
Decalcomania: But of course!
Golconde: This was quite the interesting story, one where sacrifice was made to pave the way forward.
Golconde: Am I trying to tell you that sacrifices are necessary? No, that’s contrary to what I wish to convey.
Golconde: I wish to tell you that stories with pains and suffering can still have good endings, take this one as an example.
Golconde: It’s a beautiful notion, isn’t it? That even through hardships, a happy ending can be achieved.
Decalcomania: But of course!
Golconde: My, look at the time. It looks like we have overextended our stay.
Golconde: I bid you goodbye, Sensei. I hope to meet you again soon, and perhaps we can share another story like this.
Decalcomania stands up with his walking stick and Golconde. He exits the room, leaving you, Sensei.