Mahou Sensei Negima! Fan Fiction ❯ Life In A Bottle ❯ A Moment Of Your Time, Please ( Chapter 12 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Serac 
A return, A retainer, and a loss of control. Granted, the third is an everyday thing.
Anime/Manga: Mahou Sensei Negima! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Comedy | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 02.21.2007 | Pages: 6 | Words: 7.0K | Visits: 211 | Status: Work In Progress
A return, A retainer, and a loss of control. Granted, the third is an everyday thing.
Anime/Manga: Mahou Sensei Negima! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Comedy | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 02.21.2007 | Pages: 6 | Words: 7.0K | Visits: 211 | Status: Work In Progress
-----Author’s note: This should probably have been done last chapter, but I was sloppy. Here are the people who were with Negi, and who were part of his week-long stay in Eva’s resort, as part of Chao’s plan:
1. Asuna, 2. Nodoka, 3. Yue, 4. Kaede, 5. Ku Fei, 6. Chisame, 7. Haruna, 8. Ayaka.
You’ll notice that the only differences are Konoka and Setsuna aren’t present, and Ayaka is. Reason being the first two mentioned girls are in Kyoto, and Ayaka is now Negi’s partner (Remember the pactio from the Dreamer?). Evangeline was there as well, but she’s still not talking after The Dreamer. Repercussions, people, repercussions. If you don’t get it right now, I’ll get around to explaining it sooner or later in the actual story, so no worries.
I do not own Negima!, but any other characters and ideas are my own. Enjoy.....-----
“He.....what?”
“Quit! Right before the festival, too.....”
Sakurako let out a depressed sigh, resting her elbows on her desk so she could prop her chin in her hands. Misa and Madoka were on either side of her as they prepared to begin yet another day of school, “We didn’t even find out until after the festival! Without Asakura around, it’s harder to keep up with the gossip.....”
“It sucks that she transferred, doesn’t it? I kind of always thought we’d all be friends forever,” Madoka admitted with a little grin, “You know.....doesn’t it just feel like that’s how it should be?”
Misa nodded, then looked to see how Ku Fei was handling the news of Connor’s permanent leave. It wasn’t all that long ago that she and her two best friends had been hiding behind some bushes, watching her try and confess to the guy at the World Tree plaza. She never did figure out how that had worked out, actually.....Oh, right, back to the Chinese girl! Having just figured out that she might not ever see Connor again, Misa assumed that Ku Fei would be rather upset. Imagine her shock when the girl she was watching simply smiled and shrugged, mumbling a good-riddance.
“Are you really that mad at him about the whole baby thing?” Sakurako couldn’t help but ask, “I mean, can you blame whoever she was for hopping into bed with him?”
“I blame him for lying,” Ku Fei stated, keeping to herself the fact that she was upset he had been sleeping with someone prior to coming to Mahora. He was a man, after all, so what did she expect?
“When he got here,” Sakurako broke into Ku Fei’s thoughts, “We all agreed that he wasn’t an adult, yet. It’s kind of weird to find out that he was really more adult than we thought, huh?”
Misa laughed a little, “We all said he wasn’t so we could date him! He looked kind of stupid wearing his headband thing with a brown suit, but other than that, God damn!”
“He not care what you think,” Ku Fei stated, remembering all too well how often the teacher would insist he didn’t do just that: Care. It was really too bad how things had turned out, because he had started to warm up to them all.
“He definitely was full of himself, wasn’t he?” Madoka agreed.
“I wish I had gotten full of himself,” Haruna interrupted, coming up from behind the four.
The aforementioned four whipped around to stare at her in surprise, and a little bit of discomfort. The manga artist was perverted to the degree that her joke may have held truth to it, so all they managed to do was gawk at her with wide open mouths.
“Come on, you opened the door, I just walked through it,” She stated casually, “It’s sad that he’s gone, because he was a great model for my work!”
“When did he ever model for you?” Misa ventured.
“Hm? Oh, he doesn’t know he modeled for me.”
“How does he not know?” The blonde cheerleader wondered aloud.
“.....I definitely didn’t follow him around and take pictures of him.”
“.....”
“.....Definitely not.”
-
Nodoka, infant in tow, marched her way into the classroom and set herself down in her chair. She was still rather flustered about how the other night had gone. It was in Eva’s resort (Which they had borrowed without consent) where she had shared a room with a rather insistent Negi. Since he had promised to be the best ‘dad’ for the baby that he could, he had been doing all in his power to be there for Nodoka and the girl. They had stayed up and talked for a long time, and even.....sort of.....picked out a name for the girl; Matsuro. Nodoka thought it fitting, and Negi didn’t ever need to know why she did.
But was that wrong? To be keeping secrets from the boy she loved, when he was being so good about everything? He was really upset at Connor, thinking the man had abandoned his own child and just up and left. Well, he did just up and leave, but he definitely didn’t abandon anyone. .....Anyone under the age of one, at any rate. The quiet girl looked over to find Ku Fei discussing the teacher with the cheerleaders and Haruna, wondering how she was feeling, having just found out that Connor had left Mahora permanently.
She sighed, looking down at the little girl in her arms. It had been four days since she had gotten her. Four for her, though one of the days wound up being a week long, thanks to a little trick by Chao. However the time panned out, she had grown quite accustomed to Matsuro, already. Not only was she well behaved, quiet, and damned near the cutest little thing (As babies often tend to be), but the little girl had brought her closer to Negi, as well. Closing her eyes as she leaned back in her chair, she remembered the previous night in the resort.....
Sitting on the edge of her huge rounded bed, Nodoka watched in girlish glee as Negi held the baby in his arms in a black leather chair a few yards ahead. She could see the love in his eyes, and it gave her goose bumps. Maybe it was the love that most people have for babies; they smile and hold them, sing to them and play with them. Or maybe it was something more than that? She liked to think that it was. In her head (Though she’d never say it out loud. .....Well, just yet, anyway) she believed that Negi loved the baby because it was a sort of symbol.
To Nodoka, the baby was the best symbol ever, save for one other. Since she couldn’t quite see Negi giving her a ring anytime soon (Not that it stopped her from fantasizing), this was a great replacement symbol. The little girl, to Nodoka, symbolized commitment. The two were committed to caring for the child together. It was almost like they were a.....
“Nodoka-san? Are you alright?” Negi asked lightly, still swaying back and forth just slightly.
The addressed girl quickly snapped back to attention, realizing that Negi was now looking at her, not the infant. Blushing, as she was quite prone to, Nodoka quickly replied, “O-Of course!”
Stopping himself from pointing out that she had been staring at him to spare her the embarrassment and to prevent a string of stammering, Negi simply nodded and returned his attention to the baby. That’s when it struck him, “With everything that’s been going on, I must have forgotten her name!” Negi took his turn to blush, looking back up at the librarian, “You’re not mad, are you?”
Rather than confiding that she could never be mad at him, Nodoka shook her head. She had been kicking around name ideas for the girl for awhile, now, but couldn’t seem to pick one that she really liked. None of them really seemed to fit, like she imagined they should.
“Ah, I’m glad,” Negi sighed, “Nodoka-san, do you.....do you think that it was for the best?”
“That what was for the best?”
“.....That Connor left? That she’s with us, now?”
Nodoka smiled weakly, “I think it was fate for her to be with us, Negi-sensei,” She replied truthfully.
Negi returned her smile, apparently pleased with her response. A few seconds passed before his smile went kind of awkward, “I still can’t remember her name!” He exclaimed, closing his eyes tight.
“It’s Matsuro,” Nodoka blurted out, clapping her hands together and smiling widely. She was blessed with luck that Negi should think he had forgotten the girl’s name. It made it all the easier to keep up the charade that Connor wasn’t the actual father. Hiding the fact that she didn’t know the baby’s real name was important, and she hoped she was believable.
“Matsuro? Y-yeah, of course that’s it! I feel dumb for forgetting,” Negi laughed. He needed Nodoka to think he actually remembered, now, or he was in deep trouble. He seriously didn’t want to upset her by forgetting something as important as the baby’s name. They were supposed to be taking care of it together, and he couldn’t even remember a name! Matsuro didn’t sound familiar at all! He hoped he was believable.
And, so, both sat there smiling awkwardly at the other, both hoping that the other believed what they said. Negi eventually spoke, “Matsuro.....means ‘fate’. It’s kind of pretty, and it goes well with what you said. I think she was meant to be with us, too,” He admitted sheepishly.
Nodoka would have spoken, but there weren’t any defibrillators around to her knowledge, and should her heart give out, she’d be in trouble. That being the case, she simply blushed her damned best and sat there, looking cute.
Negi rose to his feet, crossing the bage room to the bed. He slowly leaned over, at which point Nodoka started to tremble. She closed her eyes and puckered her lips, leaning forward just a little. Instead of receiving a kiss, she felt something be placed beside her. Opening one of her eyes, she found Matsuro asleep by her side.
“Do you have to go to the bathroom?” Negi asked, noticing the odd expression on Nodoka’s face. She was red and her mouth looked like it was worked up in deep concentration. Not to mention the slight trembling. Of the possible causes he guessed a weak seizure, sudden allergy attack, or a serious case of holding it in.
‘Oh, crap! What’s wrong with me thinking like that?’ Nodoka squeaked to herself, ‘I’m such a horn dog! Bad! Bad Nodoka!’ “N-No, I’m fine! Really!”
The baby started to cry at this point, much to the confusion of both. She had been fine just a second ago..... “Hey, it’s alright,” Negi whispered softly, reaching back down to pick her up. Nodoka had done much the same, and their hands touched, at which point both quickly pulled back, apologizing. Once he was sure that the path was safe and touching-student free, the young teacher reached back down.
As soon as he was touching her, Matsuro stopped crying. Now back in the boy’s arms, she was perfectly content to look up at him with her little eyes, tiny fists balled up at her chest, ‘It’s almost like Nodoka-san,’ Negi grinned at the thought, picturing Nodoka holding her clenched fists up to her chin when she was nervous. After a few seconds of rocking back and forth, he tried to put the girl back down, only to have her cry again as soon as his touch was gone.
“It’s ok, I’ll try,” Nodoka offered, picking the girl up. To her dismay, Matsuro did not slow her crying, despite the librarian’s most motherly of efforts. It was weird, this had never happened before!
“Sorry, Nodoka-san, I’ll be right back! You might not, but I do need to use the restroom!” And with those words, the boy hurried off to relieve himself.
As the moments passed by and Matsuro refused to relent her wailing, Nodoka couldn’t help but mumble, “I know, I want him to hold me, too. Lucky.....”
As soon as Negi came back, he stepped briskly up to Nodoka and reached for the baby, which the librarian was all too willing to relinquish. Again, as soon as he touched the girl, she stopped crying. To see if this was really the case, he pulled his hand back. Crying. Poked her with one of his fingers. Happy again. Retracted his finger. More crying. Put his hand on her stomach. Perfectly fine. Hand taken back. Crying resumes.
“That is the weirdest thing!” Negi admitted, scooping the offered child up, now completely silent.
“I-It certainly is.....” Nodoka replied meekly, a little disheartened that she had been unable to console the crying child, herself.
“I guess I’ll be staying in here tonight, then,” Negi stated simply, moving for his previous chair.
“Huh? Wh-What?”
“Well if she wants me, I definitely can’t leave her to cry, and keep you up, can I? It wouldn’t be right of me to take her away from her mom, either!”
“M-Mom?” She wasn’t sure how much she liked that. Sure, one day she wanted to be a mom, but was that day this day? And every day after? She wasn’t sure if she was ready for that kind of responsibility, whether it was fate or not. It was scary to think that someone was dependant upon her, that needed her to take care of them every day. She had thought of all of this before now, but hearing Negi call her ‘mom’ brought the question slamming back down on her conscience; Was she ready for this?
In a matter of minutes Nodoka found herself lying under the covers of the bed, Matsuro right beside her, and Negi on the opposite side of Matsuro, still making sure to touch the child to keep her silent. They were both quiet, and the librarian was pretty sure the people throughout the resort could hear her heart pounding in her chest. This would mean that Negi could definitely hear, which made her embarrassed and nervous as hell. The harder she tried to quiet it, the louder it seemed to get, which only made her more embarrassed. It was a vicious cycle she was trapped in, and one she didn’t appear likely to escape.
Several minutes passed before Negi said anything, and what he said surprised her, “Nodoka-san.....”
“Y-Yes?” She stammered.
“I’m.....I’m scared.”
She turned her surprised expression to look at Negi, who was only about two feet away from her. The boy returned her gaze, not afraid to hide the worry in his eyes. The two looked at each other for a few seconds until Nodoka realized he was waiting for her to say something back, “Of what?” She whispered, not capable of getting much more out.
“Of all of it. I’m scared for Chao-san, I’m scared about tomorrow, I’m scared that something bad might happen to someone I care about. .....I’m scared of this.....Of us and where we might be going. I’m scared most of all that I might not be able to hold it all together for everyone. What if I.....let you down?” He stopped talking, still looking at Nodoka as though she might have some sort of answer for his myriad of troubles.
She returned his gaze, unblinking and unsure of what to say. If he needed some sort of encouragement, he was coming to the wrong place. She was scared out of her mind about her future with the baby. It had all happened so fast, she felt as though she hadn’t really had much of a choice in the matter. If it had happened slower, and she had the time to really think about it, would she have done anything differently? That was when she realized something.
“Negi-sensei.....We’re all scared. None of us know how things are going to turn out, but.....but we still try our best, and do what we think is right. As long as we do that.....as long as you do that, you’ll never let anyone down. You could never let me down, anyway, Negi-sensei,” She paused for a second, and added the second part as a sort of afterthought, “A-And as far as we g-go, if it’s right, it’ll work. We just have to try.”
Not only did she feel proud of herself for her saying all of that with only minimal stuttering, but she felt that maybe she had said something right, because Negi gave her a small smile and rolled back over onto his back to look up at the ceiling through the darkness. Then something happened that brought Nodoka to the completion of her previous realization.
Negi reached over a little with his hand that had been on Matsuro to take a hold of Nodoka’s hand. The baby didn’t cry, as he half-expected her to, but was fast asleep, “I’m.....not as scared, anymore. I think that you’re right; It’ll work if it’s supposed to, if it’s right. It feels right. And as far as Chao goes.....I’ll do my best, like you said. I have something else to fight for, now, I think.”
“Wh-Wh-What?” Nodoka knew she must look like some kind of tomato, or an apple, or something.
“A new family,” Negi whispered, squeezing her hand a little.
She knew, then, that she was ready to do this. She’d be the mom for Matsuro not because of anything Serac said, but because it was right. This moment told her all she needed to know about what she felt. She didn’t need any other proof or incentive. She would love this baby for the rest of her life, and knew that Negi would, too. A baby really does change everything, after all.
They held hands all night, and Nodoka knew this because she hadn’t been able to fall asleep even for a second. A part of her wondered just what exactly Matsuro’s problem had been, then. Negi hadn’t been touching her while they held hands, yet the baby didn’t cry. She had hardly seen Negi since they had left the resort, but still no crying. It was funny.
It was at this point that Yuna and her steed, Akira, came bounding into the room. The basketball girl was riding Akira piggyback, waving a cowboy hat around above her head, cheering loudly and laughing the whole while, proclaiming her riches to the class. Akira was grinning, finding her friend’s display humorous, even though she was a part of it.
“Are you going to do that every morning, now?” Madoka asked through a smile, “We get it, you’re loaded.”
Sakurako flew across the room, jumping up on top of Akira behind Yuna, laughing, “Me too, me too!”
“Hey, wait, get off!” Yuna protested as Akira’s legs started to wobble under the newly added weight. A second later, the three girls were sprawled out on the floor.
“Sakurako, you’re too heavy.....” Akira groaned from beneath the cheerleader. Yuna rolled off, still laughing.
“Hey! Don’t call me fat! That’s mean,” The blonde hopped up, crossing her arms in indignation.
And then, someone came strolling through the door that rather surprised everyone. It was none other than Evangeline A.K. McDowell. They all gawked at her as she made her way to her desk, and sat down without a word. None of them had even seen the diminutive junior high student in over two weeks! Evangeline had spells of poor attendance, but this one had lasted a while! What made it even weirder was that she came unattended, Chachamaru nowhere to be found.
Once the original shock wore off, most everyone resumed what they had been doing.
And so, one by one (Or often group by group), the girls of 3-A filled up the classroom as the time for the class to begin drew ever closer. Among these people who came in groups was Ayaka Yukihiro and Asuna Kagurazaka. Much to the surprise of all, they came to class together, and appeared rather amiable.
“Hey, hey, what’s up with this lovefest?” Sakurako demanded of the two, who looked back at her incredulously.
“Lovefest?” Ayaka repeated, “I can assure you I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah. What are you, high?” Asuna, too, had a retort quick to answer.
“We know all about your little week long trip out of town with Negi-sensei,” Sakurako continued. Asuna and Ayaka both caught the nod meaning ‘Just go with it’ from Kaede, and knew to act as though they understood, “So what I want to know is, did something happen while you two were there?”
Haruna nodded sagely, “Indeed, something DID happen. I was there, after all.....”
“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!?” Asuna demanded, throwing her fists into the air.
“If ever I should so feel the need to resort to women, I can assure you it would not be with one who drags her knuckles,” Asuna let the comment slide, as she would rather be insulted than have people think she was a lesbian.
“Then why so buddy buddy?” The blonde cheerleader pressed for an answer. If the two should stop fighting, she’d stop winning meal tickets in bets!
“We’re not buddy buddy!” Asuna shouted, realizing that her arm was still linked jovially with Ayaka’s, at which point she quickly pulled it away.
The truth was, since Negi’s pactio with Ayaka and her ensuing involvement with the magic world, the blonde entrepreneur had stuck closely with Asuna to learn what was going on, and they had come to be better friends than they were. Don’t misunderstand, they were good friends before, only now it was starting to show, much to their displeasure. They’d just been called on it, and were now kind of flurried about it.
“Oh yeah?” Chizuru asked coyly, attacking them from behind. She lifted their school shirts up to reveal each one had on a rather cute shirt featuring the face of the other on underneath. Asuna blinked a couple of times, looking down at the Ayaka face on her shirt. The blonde had her hand up to her mouth and was laughing, a common sight.
Ayaka looked down at her own Asuna shirt, a little perplexed, “Where’s my Negi-sensei shirt?” She asked quietly.
“Your what?” Negi asked, entering the classroom.
“Nothing!” Ayaka jumped into her seat, Asuna quick to do the same.
The class, roster now full, rose to bow as class began. Well, it would have begun if Fuka hadn’t raised her hand to ask a question. Negi was so used to her just jumping up and down (Or on top of desks) that he was almost pleased to call on her. Once addressed, the pink-haired girl stood up and asked, “Tell us all about your trip to the rep’s island!”
Sakurako now cut in, “Yeah, why didn’t you take us this time, Negi-kun?”
Misa: “I wanted to take my boyfriend.....”
Makie: “I wanted to go swimming with you, Negi-kun!”
Yuna: “Ooh! That’s a good idea! I should buy my own island!”
Fumika: “Can we go now, since we didn’t get to?”
Zazie: “.....”
Natsumi: “I’ll bet Masa-kun would have liked it.....”
Chizuru: “I keep forgetting you have a boyfriend, Natsumi!”
Natsumi: “Chizunee, that’s mean.....”
Ako: “I wonder if Nagi-san likes beaches?”
Zazie: “....?”
Madoka: “Ooh, I’ll bet he’d like to go with you!”
Ako: “Y-You think? I did get a new swimsuit.....”
Zazie, at this point, realizes that the class has gone straight to hell, so does what any normal person would: Juggling random objects from the classroom.
Fuka: “I liked the food! And the swimming! And staying up all night!”
Fumika: “You like the food here, swimming here, and you DO stay up all night whenever you can, anyway!”
Fuka: “But it’s funner with Negi-sensei!”
Hakase: “‘Funner’ isn’t a word.”
Makie: “Everything’s funner with Negi-sensei!”
Chisame: “If you’re going to talk like stupid girls, at least do it right! Funner isn’t a word!”
Misora: “Aren’t they doing it right by talking wrong, then?”
Natsumi: “Funner isn’t a word? Boy, do I feel stupid.....”
Chizuru: “It’s a word if you think it is, Natsumi.....”
Natsumi, now being hugged by Chizuru: “Chizunee.....”
Chamo, being juggled by Zazie: “How the hell did I wind up in here!?”
Half the class: “Did Negi-sensei’s pet just talk?”
Zazie: “No.”
Half the class: “Did Zazie just talk!?”
Kaede: “Huh.”
Yue: “Yeah. Huh.”
Chisame: “God, I hate all of you so much.”
Yue: “That can’t be healthy.”
Chisame: “While I hate you less than others, you’d be smart to not talk to me so it stays that way.”
Yue: “Fair enough.”
Makie, who just produced a boom box which was now playing music: “You guys wanna see my new routine?”
Misa: “Yeah, do it!”
Satsuki: ‘I could be working on a new lunch menu, right now.....’
Akira: “I still can’t figure out what it is that’s different when you talk.”
Satsuki: ‘My parents couldn’t, either. Just try and ignore it.’
Ayaka: “Everyone! That’s enough! Negi-sensei’s trying to teach!”
Asuna: “Yeah, cut it out!”
Ayaka: “Thank you, Asuna, but I don’t need your input.”
Asuna: “Oh, what? Your words are worth more than mine?”
Ayaka: “Well I am, after all, the class president.”
Asuna: “Oh yeah? Prove it!”
Ayaka: “I will!”
Sakurako, having witnessed the start of a new battle between the pres and Asuna: “I put three on Ayaka!”
Madoka: “Guess they’re really the same, after all.”
Misa: “And here I thought they were the next Konoka and Setsuna.”
Makie, while dancing her routine: “Four on Asuna!”
Madoka: “What are you talking about, Misa?”
Misa: “You know. Like, lovers, and stuff.”
Zazie: “Ew.”
Yuna: “Wow, Zazie’s talkative today!”
Nodoka: “M-Maybe she’s not feeling well?”
Haruna: “Ooh, maybe she’s in love!”
Yue: “How did you get love out of two words? Should ‘ew’ even count as a word?”
Ako: “If you’re not feeling well, you should go to the nurses. I can take you, if you want.”
Zazie: “No.”
Chachamaru: “My scanners show no signs of love.”
Haruna: “You can read love signals!?”
Chachamaru: “I suppose that makes me akin to every other girl.”
Yuna: “Wow, was that a joke? From Chachamaru?”
Zazie: “Yes.”
Hakase: “The upgrades are coming along nicely. Soon, she’ll be seamless. No one will ever be able to tell she’s a robot at all once I give her skin an upgrade.”
Fuka: “Chachamaru’s a robot!?”
Fumika: “Scary!”
Chisame: “Oh my God, you’re so stupid!”
Fumika: “Y-You’re just cranky because you have a stick up your butt!”
Fuka: “No, she’s cranky because she doesn’t have a stick up her butt!”
Haruna: “Ooh, Chisame’s weird.....”
Chisame: “I AM NOT!”
Haruna: “We-e-e-ird.....”
Akira: “No, Fuka’s only nasty.....”
Negi, though he initially tried to get them to quiet down, was quick to give up. Sure, it had only been maybe twenty seconds since Fuka’s question, but the class was long gone and he knew it. Just to make sure he knew the class was done for, Asuna came sliding across his desk, Ayaka flying after her. The papers he had neatly stacked were sent flying up into the air, and he didn’t bother trying to catch any of them. Sure they had been arranged in a specific order for his own convenience, but it didn’t really matter. Fuka and Fumika were chasing each other around on top of the desks, and Zazie was now juggling what appeared to be flaming swords. Chisame was on her computer, doing something that no doubt had nothing to do with English. He noticed that the only attentive girls were Ku Fei and Evangeline, who were still in their seats and talking to no one.
Wait.....Evangeline? When did she show up? He hadn’t even seen her since before her tied battle with the headmaster! He had heard that she wasn’t talking, but had been somewhat preoccupied with his entire jumble of a life to get to her. Chachamaru hadn’t been particularly there for her, either. He hoped that she was alright.
As for Ku Fei, he knew why she wasn’t taking part in any of class 3-A’s rambunctiousness. Not only was she dealing with Connor’s absence, but she was still waiting to hear the verdict for her best friend, Chao. Negi now knew what was going on, but did he really want to tell her? No, he didn’t. The question was should he lie to her or not? Ku Fei had been there for him when she thought they would be fighting her, and she was a great friend of his. Not exactly the greatest student as the case often was, but she was important to him. He had to wonder was she important enough to him that he should lie to her to make her feel better, or tell her the truth which would hurt her? Being a well-thought gentleman definitely had its setbacks, sometimes.
Snapping him out of his pondering, Evangeline crossed the room and slapped an envelope on his desk, “I expect you to show. And dress up, I don’t want you to make me look bad,” She muttered nastily, moving for the door.
“E-Evangeline-san, class isn’t over yet!” Negi called after her.
“Don’t kid yourself. And it’s master, boya, master,” She replied casually, opening the door and walking right on out.
Before the sigh had escaped Negi’s lips, Ku Fei was in front of him. Though he was surprised to find her upon turning around, he didn’t need her to say anything to know what she wanted, “She’s not coming back,” He whispered. When it came time to speak, he found the truth was what came.
Ku Fei nodded a little, as though she had suspected this, “She ok, though?”
“Yeah, she’s alright,” Negi knew that since he still remembered her, Chao still existed somewhere, even if he didn’t know where. As far as her being alright, though.....well, when it came time to speak, he found that a lie was what came.
“I can’t see her?”
“No, she’s already gone.”
“Ok.....That good she alright. I glad. .....Negi-bouzu.....”
Knowing what she was going to ask, he simply nodded, “You won’t be missing anything.”
Ku Fei thanked him, and took her leave.
Standing there amidst his bustling class, Negi just sat behind his desk and grabbed the envelope Evangeline had left. He ripped it open as Ayaka slammed into the blackboard behind him, then was flung over him, Asuna shortly behind. His eyes skimmed the note for a few seconds before he got a little nervous. As he continued the note, he became very nervous, “Oh.....bollocks.....”
-
“Well.....I... ..will.....be.....damned.”
Ku Fei jumped a little at the sound of the voice behind her, bringing her arm up to her face to wipe away her tears before looking to see who it was. She was currently out on the fence on the roof, taking a break to feel sorry for herself. Sometimes everyone needs a good cry, and losing her best friend just after losing her crush and finding out he was a dirty liar was enough of an incentive to make her want a cry.
The person she found behind her was someone she’d never seen before. Actually, from looking at him, she guessed he shouldn’t even be there. Not only was he a boy in an all girl’s school, but he wasn’t wearing a uniform of any of the other nearby schools. Rather, the boy who matched her in size was wearing baggy cargo pants and a plain pine green t-shirt. Hanging from his neck was a necklace bearing a black cross. His green eyes glinted in the sunlight, flashing playfulness and fun.
“Such a pretty girl shouldn’t be crying, now,” The boy stated in a matter of fact tone, jumping up to grab the fence’s railing. He flipped up and managed to land on his bottom, now sitting beside her.
“I not crying,” Ku Fei replied, looking back out to the campus before her.
“Then that must be one nasty son of a bitch in your eye for them both to be leaking,” The brunette boy replied with a grin, admiring the pretty view in front of him as much as the pretty view beside him.
“It is,” She replied, unmoving.
“So what’s wrong?”
“Why you care?”
“Can’t stand to see a lady cry. Oh, sorry, I mean I can’t stand to see a lady with a bit in her eye. Speaking of, you’re not doing an awful lot of rubbing,” The boy pointed out, still smiling to himself as though everything were right with the world.
“Why you here?” Ku Fei asked sourly, turning to look at him, “This is girl’s school!”
“I got lost.”
“In girl’s school? So you come up to roof?”
The boy nodded, “I’ll say now, there are worse places to get lost.”
“What you even looking for?”
“A fight, actually. I’m here to lay down the law on this guy.....” The boy admitted, punching a fist into his open hand.
That was something Ku Fei could grasp. A plain old fight, thank God, “Who you going fight?”
“It’s this guy, you see. I hear he’s kind of small, and young, but he’s supposed to kick some serious ass in crunch time. So, stereo-typically enough of me, I’m here to prove I’m stronger.”
Ku Fei’s rubbed out the last of the tears in her eyes, glad to find a conversation simplistic enough that she could enjoy it, “That good! It good to fight to be stronger. .....But it sound like you want to fight Negi-bouzu.....”
“Who? No, the guy I’m here to fight is called Ku Fei. Know him?” The boy asked innocently, raising an eyebrow at the girl in question.
“I Ku Fei!” The girl shouted, hopping down from the fence back onto the rooftop.
“Nu-uh,” The boy countered, following suit.
“Yes huh!”
“Hell, this place has definitely got some damn good looking guys. I feel a homosexually charged match coming on!”
“I a girl! And I accept your challenge!” She squared into her fighting stance, and the boy did the same. She hoped the boy could put up a fight, because she needed something to help get her mind off of things.
“Alright, I’m not gay!” The boy announced proudly, having just won some sort of personal victory upon discovering Ku Fei was, indeed, a girl, and not a very attractive male, “For the time being, you may call me Koremitsu. Let’s do this!” He jumped forward, throwing a fist at the girl in a somewhat slovenly fashion.
Before he was sure what had happened, his attack had been countered, he had received a palm to the stomach, and he was lying face down on the ground, “Ow,” Koremitsu mumbled to the rooftop.
“What, that it? You all talk!” Ku Fei pouted, hanging her head in sorrow.
“Yep, guess you beat me,” The boy replied pleasantly, hopping back to his feet. Ku Fei jumped back, surprised at his quick recovery, “Then it’s settled! From this day forth, you shall be my Genji!”
“I be your what?”
Slightly taken aback, the boy tried to explain, “You know, in the book? Im Koremitsu, you’re Genji? I’m your attendant, you’re my master, kind of thing? Ah, whatever. Go change into something nicer and we’ll go see the town!”
“I thought you say I the master, so why you giving orders? I have school, still!” The girl protested her strange new acquaintance’s promptness.
“That wasn’t an order, just a suggestion you’re going to take. Besides, you’re up here trying to rub some crap out of your eye, not studying. A little bit of hooky will do you good. What do you say?”
Ku Fei stared hard at the boy for a few seconds, only to receive puppy dog eyes and a sly smile in return. With a sigh, she nodded.
“Awesome. Go get changed into something not school-ish and we’ll go do something. I’ll pick you up in half an hour, Sunshine,” Koremitsu laughed, opening the door to reenter the school.
“Wh-What you call me?” Ku Fei asked just before he closed the door.
“Hm? Genji, I believe. Pick you up in half an hour!” He closed the door, leaving a rather confused Ku Fei up on the rooftop. She would have sworn he called her Sunshine, but that was ridiculous. Only one person had ever called her that, and only God knew where he was. Geez, she couldn’t even stop thinking about him and his crap long enough to have a sort of conversation with a complete stranger! That she had a date with! Wait, what had just happened? How would that guy even know where to pick her up? Sighing, she decided to go get changed anyway.
-----Author’s other note: I hope you’re still on board with everything, readers. If you’re lost about something, just go ahead and ask and I’ll get to you in a reply. Some things are to be handled in the future, but if I’ve missed something in the now or you’re just curious, go ahead and ask about it. If it’s supposed to be that way, I’ll tell you.
Koremitsu refers to Ku Fei as ‘Genji’, and it’s a joke of his about a book called ‘The Tale Of Genji’. Genji is the lead character, and his faithful retainer is Koremitsu. Since his defeat by Ku Fei, he now desires to serve her, his Genji.
Oh, and to answer one question right now: Yes, the class thinks that Negi and his partners went to Ayaka’s island for a week and that’s where they were.
I’m forgetting something that I’ll remember after posting this, but oh well. Thanks for reading.....-----
1. Asuna, 2. Nodoka, 3. Yue, 4. Kaede, 5. Ku Fei, 6. Chisame, 7. Haruna, 8. Ayaka.
You’ll notice that the only differences are Konoka and Setsuna aren’t present, and Ayaka is. Reason being the first two mentioned girls are in Kyoto, and Ayaka is now Negi’s partner (Remember the pactio from the Dreamer?). Evangeline was there as well, but she’s still not talking after The Dreamer. Repercussions, people, repercussions. If you don’t get it right now, I’ll get around to explaining it sooner or later in the actual story, so no worries.
I do not own Negima!, but any other characters and ideas are my own. Enjoy.....-----
“He.....what?”
“Quit! Right before the festival, too.....”
Sakurako let out a depressed sigh, resting her elbows on her desk so she could prop her chin in her hands. Misa and Madoka were on either side of her as they prepared to begin yet another day of school, “We didn’t even find out until after the festival! Without Asakura around, it’s harder to keep up with the gossip.....”
“It sucks that she transferred, doesn’t it? I kind of always thought we’d all be friends forever,” Madoka admitted with a little grin, “You know.....doesn’t it just feel like that’s how it should be?”
Misa nodded, then looked to see how Ku Fei was handling the news of Connor’s permanent leave. It wasn’t all that long ago that she and her two best friends had been hiding behind some bushes, watching her try and confess to the guy at the World Tree plaza. She never did figure out how that had worked out, actually.....Oh, right, back to the Chinese girl! Having just figured out that she might not ever see Connor again, Misa assumed that Ku Fei would be rather upset. Imagine her shock when the girl she was watching simply smiled and shrugged, mumbling a good-riddance.
“Are you really that mad at him about the whole baby thing?” Sakurako couldn’t help but ask, “I mean, can you blame whoever she was for hopping into bed with him?”
“I blame him for lying,” Ku Fei stated, keeping to herself the fact that she was upset he had been sleeping with someone prior to coming to Mahora. He was a man, after all, so what did she expect?
“When he got here,” Sakurako broke into Ku Fei’s thoughts, “We all agreed that he wasn’t an adult, yet. It’s kind of weird to find out that he was really more adult than we thought, huh?”
Misa laughed a little, “We all said he wasn’t so we could date him! He looked kind of stupid wearing his headband thing with a brown suit, but other than that, God damn!”
“He not care what you think,” Ku Fei stated, remembering all too well how often the teacher would insist he didn’t do just that: Care. It was really too bad how things had turned out, because he had started to warm up to them all.
“He definitely was full of himself, wasn’t he?” Madoka agreed.
“I wish I had gotten full of himself,” Haruna interrupted, coming up from behind the four.
The aforementioned four whipped around to stare at her in surprise, and a little bit of discomfort. The manga artist was perverted to the degree that her joke may have held truth to it, so all they managed to do was gawk at her with wide open mouths.
“Come on, you opened the door, I just walked through it,” She stated casually, “It’s sad that he’s gone, because he was a great model for my work!”
“When did he ever model for you?” Misa ventured.
“Hm? Oh, he doesn’t know he modeled for me.”
“How does he not know?” The blonde cheerleader wondered aloud.
“.....I definitely didn’t follow him around and take pictures of him.”
“.....”
“.....Definitely not.”
-
Nodoka, infant in tow, marched her way into the classroom and set herself down in her chair. She was still rather flustered about how the other night had gone. It was in Eva’s resort (Which they had borrowed without consent) where she had shared a room with a rather insistent Negi. Since he had promised to be the best ‘dad’ for the baby that he could, he had been doing all in his power to be there for Nodoka and the girl. They had stayed up and talked for a long time, and even.....sort of.....picked out a name for the girl; Matsuro. Nodoka thought it fitting, and Negi didn’t ever need to know why she did.
But was that wrong? To be keeping secrets from the boy she loved, when he was being so good about everything? He was really upset at Connor, thinking the man had abandoned his own child and just up and left. Well, he did just up and leave, but he definitely didn’t abandon anyone. .....Anyone under the age of one, at any rate. The quiet girl looked over to find Ku Fei discussing the teacher with the cheerleaders and Haruna, wondering how she was feeling, having just found out that Connor had left Mahora permanently.
She sighed, looking down at the little girl in her arms. It had been four days since she had gotten her. Four for her, though one of the days wound up being a week long, thanks to a little trick by Chao. However the time panned out, she had grown quite accustomed to Matsuro, already. Not only was she well behaved, quiet, and damned near the cutest little thing (As babies often tend to be), but the little girl had brought her closer to Negi, as well. Closing her eyes as she leaned back in her chair, she remembered the previous night in the resort.....
Sitting on the edge of her huge rounded bed, Nodoka watched in girlish glee as Negi held the baby in his arms in a black leather chair a few yards ahead. She could see the love in his eyes, and it gave her goose bumps. Maybe it was the love that most people have for babies; they smile and hold them, sing to them and play with them. Or maybe it was something more than that? She liked to think that it was. In her head (Though she’d never say it out loud. .....Well, just yet, anyway) she believed that Negi loved the baby because it was a sort of symbol.
To Nodoka, the baby was the best symbol ever, save for one other. Since she couldn’t quite see Negi giving her a ring anytime soon (Not that it stopped her from fantasizing), this was a great replacement symbol. The little girl, to Nodoka, symbolized commitment. The two were committed to caring for the child together. It was almost like they were a.....
“Nodoka-san? Are you alright?” Negi asked lightly, still swaying back and forth just slightly.
The addressed girl quickly snapped back to attention, realizing that Negi was now looking at her, not the infant. Blushing, as she was quite prone to, Nodoka quickly replied, “O-Of course!”
Stopping himself from pointing out that she had been staring at him to spare her the embarrassment and to prevent a string of stammering, Negi simply nodded and returned his attention to the baby. That’s when it struck him, “With everything that’s been going on, I must have forgotten her name!” Negi took his turn to blush, looking back up at the librarian, “You’re not mad, are you?”
Rather than confiding that she could never be mad at him, Nodoka shook her head. She had been kicking around name ideas for the girl for awhile, now, but couldn’t seem to pick one that she really liked. None of them really seemed to fit, like she imagined they should.
“Ah, I’m glad,” Negi sighed, “Nodoka-san, do you.....do you think that it was for the best?”
“That what was for the best?”
“.....That Connor left? That she’s with us, now?”
Nodoka smiled weakly, “I think it was fate for her to be with us, Negi-sensei,” She replied truthfully.
Negi returned her smile, apparently pleased with her response. A few seconds passed before his smile went kind of awkward, “I still can’t remember her name!” He exclaimed, closing his eyes tight.
“It’s Matsuro,” Nodoka blurted out, clapping her hands together and smiling widely. She was blessed with luck that Negi should think he had forgotten the girl’s name. It made it all the easier to keep up the charade that Connor wasn’t the actual father. Hiding the fact that she didn’t know the baby’s real name was important, and she hoped she was believable.
“Matsuro? Y-yeah, of course that’s it! I feel dumb for forgetting,” Negi laughed. He needed Nodoka to think he actually remembered, now, or he was in deep trouble. He seriously didn’t want to upset her by forgetting something as important as the baby’s name. They were supposed to be taking care of it together, and he couldn’t even remember a name! Matsuro didn’t sound familiar at all! He hoped he was believable.
And, so, both sat there smiling awkwardly at the other, both hoping that the other believed what they said. Negi eventually spoke, “Matsuro.....means ‘fate’. It’s kind of pretty, and it goes well with what you said. I think she was meant to be with us, too,” He admitted sheepishly.
Nodoka would have spoken, but there weren’t any defibrillators around to her knowledge, and should her heart give out, she’d be in trouble. That being the case, she simply blushed her damned best and sat there, looking cute.
Negi rose to his feet, crossing the bage room to the bed. He slowly leaned over, at which point Nodoka started to tremble. She closed her eyes and puckered her lips, leaning forward just a little. Instead of receiving a kiss, she felt something be placed beside her. Opening one of her eyes, she found Matsuro asleep by her side.
“Do you have to go to the bathroom?” Negi asked, noticing the odd expression on Nodoka’s face. She was red and her mouth looked like it was worked up in deep concentration. Not to mention the slight trembling. Of the possible causes he guessed a weak seizure, sudden allergy attack, or a serious case of holding it in.
‘Oh, crap! What’s wrong with me thinking like that?’ Nodoka squeaked to herself, ‘I’m such a horn dog! Bad! Bad Nodoka!’ “N-No, I’m fine! Really!”
The baby started to cry at this point, much to the confusion of both. She had been fine just a second ago..... “Hey, it’s alright,” Negi whispered softly, reaching back down to pick her up. Nodoka had done much the same, and their hands touched, at which point both quickly pulled back, apologizing. Once he was sure that the path was safe and touching-student free, the young teacher reached back down.
As soon as he was touching her, Matsuro stopped crying. Now back in the boy’s arms, she was perfectly content to look up at him with her little eyes, tiny fists balled up at her chest, ‘It’s almost like Nodoka-san,’ Negi grinned at the thought, picturing Nodoka holding her clenched fists up to her chin when she was nervous. After a few seconds of rocking back and forth, he tried to put the girl back down, only to have her cry again as soon as his touch was gone.
“It’s ok, I’ll try,” Nodoka offered, picking the girl up. To her dismay, Matsuro did not slow her crying, despite the librarian’s most motherly of efforts. It was weird, this had never happened before!
“Sorry, Nodoka-san, I’ll be right back! You might not, but I do need to use the restroom!” And with those words, the boy hurried off to relieve himself.
As the moments passed by and Matsuro refused to relent her wailing, Nodoka couldn’t help but mumble, “I know, I want him to hold me, too. Lucky.....”
As soon as Negi came back, he stepped briskly up to Nodoka and reached for the baby, which the librarian was all too willing to relinquish. Again, as soon as he touched the girl, she stopped crying. To see if this was really the case, he pulled his hand back. Crying. Poked her with one of his fingers. Happy again. Retracted his finger. More crying. Put his hand on her stomach. Perfectly fine. Hand taken back. Crying resumes.
“That is the weirdest thing!” Negi admitted, scooping the offered child up, now completely silent.
“I-It certainly is.....” Nodoka replied meekly, a little disheartened that she had been unable to console the crying child, herself.
“I guess I’ll be staying in here tonight, then,” Negi stated simply, moving for his previous chair.
“Huh? Wh-What?”
“Well if she wants me, I definitely can’t leave her to cry, and keep you up, can I? It wouldn’t be right of me to take her away from her mom, either!”
“M-Mom?” She wasn’t sure how much she liked that. Sure, one day she wanted to be a mom, but was that day this day? And every day after? She wasn’t sure if she was ready for that kind of responsibility, whether it was fate or not. It was scary to think that someone was dependant upon her, that needed her to take care of them every day. She had thought of all of this before now, but hearing Negi call her ‘mom’ brought the question slamming back down on her conscience; Was she ready for this?
In a matter of minutes Nodoka found herself lying under the covers of the bed, Matsuro right beside her, and Negi on the opposite side of Matsuro, still making sure to touch the child to keep her silent. They were both quiet, and the librarian was pretty sure the people throughout the resort could hear her heart pounding in her chest. This would mean that Negi could definitely hear, which made her embarrassed and nervous as hell. The harder she tried to quiet it, the louder it seemed to get, which only made her more embarrassed. It was a vicious cycle she was trapped in, and one she didn’t appear likely to escape.
Several minutes passed before Negi said anything, and what he said surprised her, “Nodoka-san.....”
“Y-Yes?” She stammered.
“I’m.....I’m scared.”
She turned her surprised expression to look at Negi, who was only about two feet away from her. The boy returned her gaze, not afraid to hide the worry in his eyes. The two looked at each other for a few seconds until Nodoka realized he was waiting for her to say something back, “Of what?” She whispered, not capable of getting much more out.
“Of all of it. I’m scared for Chao-san, I’m scared about tomorrow, I’m scared that something bad might happen to someone I care about. .....I’m scared of this.....Of us and where we might be going. I’m scared most of all that I might not be able to hold it all together for everyone. What if I.....let you down?” He stopped talking, still looking at Nodoka as though she might have some sort of answer for his myriad of troubles.
She returned his gaze, unblinking and unsure of what to say. If he needed some sort of encouragement, he was coming to the wrong place. She was scared out of her mind about her future with the baby. It had all happened so fast, she felt as though she hadn’t really had much of a choice in the matter. If it had happened slower, and she had the time to really think about it, would she have done anything differently? That was when she realized something.
“Negi-sensei.....We’re all scared. None of us know how things are going to turn out, but.....but we still try our best, and do what we think is right. As long as we do that.....as long as you do that, you’ll never let anyone down. You could never let me down, anyway, Negi-sensei,” She paused for a second, and added the second part as a sort of afterthought, “A-And as far as we g-go, if it’s right, it’ll work. We just have to try.”
Not only did she feel proud of herself for her saying all of that with only minimal stuttering, but she felt that maybe she had said something right, because Negi gave her a small smile and rolled back over onto his back to look up at the ceiling through the darkness. Then something happened that brought Nodoka to the completion of her previous realization.
Negi reached over a little with his hand that had been on Matsuro to take a hold of Nodoka’s hand. The baby didn’t cry, as he half-expected her to, but was fast asleep, “I’m.....not as scared, anymore. I think that you’re right; It’ll work if it’s supposed to, if it’s right. It feels right. And as far as Chao goes.....I’ll do my best, like you said. I have something else to fight for, now, I think.”
“Wh-Wh-What?” Nodoka knew she must look like some kind of tomato, or an apple, or something.
“A new family,” Negi whispered, squeezing her hand a little.
She knew, then, that she was ready to do this. She’d be the mom for Matsuro not because of anything Serac said, but because it was right. This moment told her all she needed to know about what she felt. She didn’t need any other proof or incentive. She would love this baby for the rest of her life, and knew that Negi would, too. A baby really does change everything, after all.
They held hands all night, and Nodoka knew this because she hadn’t been able to fall asleep even for a second. A part of her wondered just what exactly Matsuro’s problem had been, then. Negi hadn’t been touching her while they held hands, yet the baby didn’t cry. She had hardly seen Negi since they had left the resort, but still no crying. It was funny.
It was at this point that Yuna and her steed, Akira, came bounding into the room. The basketball girl was riding Akira piggyback, waving a cowboy hat around above her head, cheering loudly and laughing the whole while, proclaiming her riches to the class. Akira was grinning, finding her friend’s display humorous, even though she was a part of it.
“Are you going to do that every morning, now?” Madoka asked through a smile, “We get it, you’re loaded.”
Sakurako flew across the room, jumping up on top of Akira behind Yuna, laughing, “Me too, me too!”
“Hey, wait, get off!” Yuna protested as Akira’s legs started to wobble under the newly added weight. A second later, the three girls were sprawled out on the floor.
“Sakurako, you’re too heavy.....” Akira groaned from beneath the cheerleader. Yuna rolled off, still laughing.
“Hey! Don’t call me fat! That’s mean,” The blonde hopped up, crossing her arms in indignation.
And then, someone came strolling through the door that rather surprised everyone. It was none other than Evangeline A.K. McDowell. They all gawked at her as she made her way to her desk, and sat down without a word. None of them had even seen the diminutive junior high student in over two weeks! Evangeline had spells of poor attendance, but this one had lasted a while! What made it even weirder was that she came unattended, Chachamaru nowhere to be found.
Once the original shock wore off, most everyone resumed what they had been doing.
And so, one by one (Or often group by group), the girls of 3-A filled up the classroom as the time for the class to begin drew ever closer. Among these people who came in groups was Ayaka Yukihiro and Asuna Kagurazaka. Much to the surprise of all, they came to class together, and appeared rather amiable.
“Hey, hey, what’s up with this lovefest?” Sakurako demanded of the two, who looked back at her incredulously.
“Lovefest?” Ayaka repeated, “I can assure you I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah. What are you, high?” Asuna, too, had a retort quick to answer.
“We know all about your little week long trip out of town with Negi-sensei,” Sakurako continued. Asuna and Ayaka both caught the nod meaning ‘Just go with it’ from Kaede, and knew to act as though they understood, “So what I want to know is, did something happen while you two were there?”
Haruna nodded sagely, “Indeed, something DID happen. I was there, after all.....”
“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!?” Asuna demanded, throwing her fists into the air.
“If ever I should so feel the need to resort to women, I can assure you it would not be with one who drags her knuckles,” Asuna let the comment slide, as she would rather be insulted than have people think she was a lesbian.
“Then why so buddy buddy?” The blonde cheerleader pressed for an answer. If the two should stop fighting, she’d stop winning meal tickets in bets!
“We’re not buddy buddy!” Asuna shouted, realizing that her arm was still linked jovially with Ayaka’s, at which point she quickly pulled it away.
The truth was, since Negi’s pactio with Ayaka and her ensuing involvement with the magic world, the blonde entrepreneur had stuck closely with Asuna to learn what was going on, and they had come to be better friends than they were. Don’t misunderstand, they were good friends before, only now it was starting to show, much to their displeasure. They’d just been called on it, and were now kind of flurried about it.
“Oh yeah?” Chizuru asked coyly, attacking them from behind. She lifted their school shirts up to reveal each one had on a rather cute shirt featuring the face of the other on underneath. Asuna blinked a couple of times, looking down at the Ayaka face on her shirt. The blonde had her hand up to her mouth and was laughing, a common sight.
Ayaka looked down at her own Asuna shirt, a little perplexed, “Where’s my Negi-sensei shirt?” She asked quietly.
“Your what?” Negi asked, entering the classroom.
“Nothing!” Ayaka jumped into her seat, Asuna quick to do the same.
The class, roster now full, rose to bow as class began. Well, it would have begun if Fuka hadn’t raised her hand to ask a question. Negi was so used to her just jumping up and down (Or on top of desks) that he was almost pleased to call on her. Once addressed, the pink-haired girl stood up and asked, “Tell us all about your trip to the rep’s island!”
Sakurako now cut in, “Yeah, why didn’t you take us this time, Negi-kun?”
Misa: “I wanted to take my boyfriend.....”
Makie: “I wanted to go swimming with you, Negi-kun!”
Yuna: “Ooh! That’s a good idea! I should buy my own island!”
Fumika: “Can we go now, since we didn’t get to?”
Zazie: “.....”
Natsumi: “I’ll bet Masa-kun would have liked it.....”
Chizuru: “I keep forgetting you have a boyfriend, Natsumi!”
Natsumi: “Chizunee, that’s mean.....”
Ako: “I wonder if Nagi-san likes beaches?”
Zazie: “....?”
Madoka: “Ooh, I’ll bet he’d like to go with you!”
Ako: “Y-You think? I did get a new swimsuit.....”
Zazie, at this point, realizes that the class has gone straight to hell, so does what any normal person would: Juggling random objects from the classroom.
Fuka: “I liked the food! And the swimming! And staying up all night!”
Fumika: “You like the food here, swimming here, and you DO stay up all night whenever you can, anyway!”
Fuka: “But it’s funner with Negi-sensei!”
Hakase: “‘Funner’ isn’t a word.”
Makie: “Everything’s funner with Negi-sensei!”
Chisame: “If you’re going to talk like stupid girls, at least do it right! Funner isn’t a word!”
Misora: “Aren’t they doing it right by talking wrong, then?”
Natsumi: “Funner isn’t a word? Boy, do I feel stupid.....”
Chizuru: “It’s a word if you think it is, Natsumi.....”
Natsumi, now being hugged by Chizuru: “Chizunee.....”
Chamo, being juggled by Zazie: “How the hell did I wind up in here!?”
Half the class: “Did Negi-sensei’s pet just talk?”
Zazie: “No.”
Half the class: “Did Zazie just talk!?”
Kaede: “Huh.”
Yue: “Yeah. Huh.”
Chisame: “God, I hate all of you so much.”
Yue: “That can’t be healthy.”
Chisame: “While I hate you less than others, you’d be smart to not talk to me so it stays that way.”
Yue: “Fair enough.”
Makie, who just produced a boom box which was now playing music: “You guys wanna see my new routine?”
Misa: “Yeah, do it!”
Satsuki: ‘I could be working on a new lunch menu, right now.....’
Akira: “I still can’t figure out what it is that’s different when you talk.”
Satsuki: ‘My parents couldn’t, either. Just try and ignore it.’
Ayaka: “Everyone! That’s enough! Negi-sensei’s trying to teach!”
Asuna: “Yeah, cut it out!”
Ayaka: “Thank you, Asuna, but I don’t need your input.”
Asuna: “Oh, what? Your words are worth more than mine?”
Ayaka: “Well I am, after all, the class president.”
Asuna: “Oh yeah? Prove it!”
Ayaka: “I will!”
Sakurako, having witnessed the start of a new battle between the pres and Asuna: “I put three on Ayaka!”
Madoka: “Guess they’re really the same, after all.”
Misa: “And here I thought they were the next Konoka and Setsuna.”
Makie, while dancing her routine: “Four on Asuna!”
Madoka: “What are you talking about, Misa?”
Misa: “You know. Like, lovers, and stuff.”
Zazie: “Ew.”
Yuna: “Wow, Zazie’s talkative today!”
Nodoka: “M-Maybe she’s not feeling well?”
Haruna: “Ooh, maybe she’s in love!”
Yue: “How did you get love out of two words? Should ‘ew’ even count as a word?”
Ako: “If you’re not feeling well, you should go to the nurses. I can take you, if you want.”
Zazie: “No.”
Chachamaru: “My scanners show no signs of love.”
Haruna: “You can read love signals!?”
Chachamaru: “I suppose that makes me akin to every other girl.”
Yuna: “Wow, was that a joke? From Chachamaru?”
Zazie: “Yes.”
Hakase: “The upgrades are coming along nicely. Soon, she’ll be seamless. No one will ever be able to tell she’s a robot at all once I give her skin an upgrade.”
Fuka: “Chachamaru’s a robot!?”
Fumika: “Scary!”
Chisame: “Oh my God, you’re so stupid!”
Fumika: “Y-You’re just cranky because you have a stick up your butt!”
Fuka: “No, she’s cranky because she doesn’t have a stick up her butt!”
Haruna: “Ooh, Chisame’s weird.....”
Chisame: “I AM NOT!”
Haruna: “We-e-e-ird.....”
Akira: “No, Fuka’s only nasty.....”
Negi, though he initially tried to get them to quiet down, was quick to give up. Sure, it had only been maybe twenty seconds since Fuka’s question, but the class was long gone and he knew it. Just to make sure he knew the class was done for, Asuna came sliding across his desk, Ayaka flying after her. The papers he had neatly stacked were sent flying up into the air, and he didn’t bother trying to catch any of them. Sure they had been arranged in a specific order for his own convenience, but it didn’t really matter. Fuka and Fumika were chasing each other around on top of the desks, and Zazie was now juggling what appeared to be flaming swords. Chisame was on her computer, doing something that no doubt had nothing to do with English. He noticed that the only attentive girls were Ku Fei and Evangeline, who were still in their seats and talking to no one.
Wait.....Evangeline? When did she show up? He hadn’t even seen her since before her tied battle with the headmaster! He had heard that she wasn’t talking, but had been somewhat preoccupied with his entire jumble of a life to get to her. Chachamaru hadn’t been particularly there for her, either. He hoped that she was alright.
As for Ku Fei, he knew why she wasn’t taking part in any of class 3-A’s rambunctiousness. Not only was she dealing with Connor’s absence, but she was still waiting to hear the verdict for her best friend, Chao. Negi now knew what was going on, but did he really want to tell her? No, he didn’t. The question was should he lie to her or not? Ku Fei had been there for him when she thought they would be fighting her, and she was a great friend of his. Not exactly the greatest student as the case often was, but she was important to him. He had to wonder was she important enough to him that he should lie to her to make her feel better, or tell her the truth which would hurt her? Being a well-thought gentleman definitely had its setbacks, sometimes.
Snapping him out of his pondering, Evangeline crossed the room and slapped an envelope on his desk, “I expect you to show. And dress up, I don’t want you to make me look bad,” She muttered nastily, moving for the door.
“E-Evangeline-san, class isn’t over yet!” Negi called after her.
“Don’t kid yourself. And it’s master, boya, master,” She replied casually, opening the door and walking right on out.
Before the sigh had escaped Negi’s lips, Ku Fei was in front of him. Though he was surprised to find her upon turning around, he didn’t need her to say anything to know what she wanted, “She’s not coming back,” He whispered. When it came time to speak, he found the truth was what came.
Ku Fei nodded a little, as though she had suspected this, “She ok, though?”
“Yeah, she’s alright,” Negi knew that since he still remembered her, Chao still existed somewhere, even if he didn’t know where. As far as her being alright, though.....well, when it came time to speak, he found that a lie was what came.
“I can’t see her?”
“No, she’s already gone.”
“Ok.....That good she alright. I glad. .....Negi-bouzu.....”
Knowing what she was going to ask, he simply nodded, “You won’t be missing anything.”
Ku Fei thanked him, and took her leave.
Standing there amidst his bustling class, Negi just sat behind his desk and grabbed the envelope Evangeline had left. He ripped it open as Ayaka slammed into the blackboard behind him, then was flung over him, Asuna shortly behind. His eyes skimmed the note for a few seconds before he got a little nervous. As he continued the note, he became very nervous, “Oh.....bollocks.....”
-
“Well.....I... ..will.....be.....damned.”
Ku Fei jumped a little at the sound of the voice behind her, bringing her arm up to her face to wipe away her tears before looking to see who it was. She was currently out on the fence on the roof, taking a break to feel sorry for herself. Sometimes everyone needs a good cry, and losing her best friend just after losing her crush and finding out he was a dirty liar was enough of an incentive to make her want a cry.
The person she found behind her was someone she’d never seen before. Actually, from looking at him, she guessed he shouldn’t even be there. Not only was he a boy in an all girl’s school, but he wasn’t wearing a uniform of any of the other nearby schools. Rather, the boy who matched her in size was wearing baggy cargo pants and a plain pine green t-shirt. Hanging from his neck was a necklace bearing a black cross. His green eyes glinted in the sunlight, flashing playfulness and fun.
“Such a pretty girl shouldn’t be crying, now,” The boy stated in a matter of fact tone, jumping up to grab the fence’s railing. He flipped up and managed to land on his bottom, now sitting beside her.
“I not crying,” Ku Fei replied, looking back out to the campus before her.
“Then that must be one nasty son of a bitch in your eye for them both to be leaking,” The brunette boy replied with a grin, admiring the pretty view in front of him as much as the pretty view beside him.
“It is,” She replied, unmoving.
“So what’s wrong?”
“Why you care?”
“Can’t stand to see a lady cry. Oh, sorry, I mean I can’t stand to see a lady with a bit in her eye. Speaking of, you’re not doing an awful lot of rubbing,” The boy pointed out, still smiling to himself as though everything were right with the world.
“Why you here?” Ku Fei asked sourly, turning to look at him, “This is girl’s school!”
“I got lost.”
“In girl’s school? So you come up to roof?”
The boy nodded, “I’ll say now, there are worse places to get lost.”
“What you even looking for?”
“A fight, actually. I’m here to lay down the law on this guy.....” The boy admitted, punching a fist into his open hand.
That was something Ku Fei could grasp. A plain old fight, thank God, “Who you going fight?”
“It’s this guy, you see. I hear he’s kind of small, and young, but he’s supposed to kick some serious ass in crunch time. So, stereo-typically enough of me, I’m here to prove I’m stronger.”
Ku Fei’s rubbed out the last of the tears in her eyes, glad to find a conversation simplistic enough that she could enjoy it, “That good! It good to fight to be stronger. .....But it sound like you want to fight Negi-bouzu.....”
“Who? No, the guy I’m here to fight is called Ku Fei. Know him?” The boy asked innocently, raising an eyebrow at the girl in question.
“I Ku Fei!” The girl shouted, hopping down from the fence back onto the rooftop.
“Nu-uh,” The boy countered, following suit.
“Yes huh!”
“Hell, this place has definitely got some damn good looking guys. I feel a homosexually charged match coming on!”
“I a girl! And I accept your challenge!” She squared into her fighting stance, and the boy did the same. She hoped the boy could put up a fight, because she needed something to help get her mind off of things.
“Alright, I’m not gay!” The boy announced proudly, having just won some sort of personal victory upon discovering Ku Fei was, indeed, a girl, and not a very attractive male, “For the time being, you may call me Koremitsu. Let’s do this!” He jumped forward, throwing a fist at the girl in a somewhat slovenly fashion.
Before he was sure what had happened, his attack had been countered, he had received a palm to the stomach, and he was lying face down on the ground, “Ow,” Koremitsu mumbled to the rooftop.
“What, that it? You all talk!” Ku Fei pouted, hanging her head in sorrow.
“Yep, guess you beat me,” The boy replied pleasantly, hopping back to his feet. Ku Fei jumped back, surprised at his quick recovery, “Then it’s settled! From this day forth, you shall be my Genji!”
“I be your what?”
Slightly taken aback, the boy tried to explain, “You know, in the book? Im Koremitsu, you’re Genji? I’m your attendant, you’re my master, kind of thing? Ah, whatever. Go change into something nicer and we’ll go see the town!”
“I thought you say I the master, so why you giving orders? I have school, still!” The girl protested her strange new acquaintance’s promptness.
“That wasn’t an order, just a suggestion you’re going to take. Besides, you’re up here trying to rub some crap out of your eye, not studying. A little bit of hooky will do you good. What do you say?”
Ku Fei stared hard at the boy for a few seconds, only to receive puppy dog eyes and a sly smile in return. With a sigh, she nodded.
“Awesome. Go get changed into something not school-ish and we’ll go do something. I’ll pick you up in half an hour, Sunshine,” Koremitsu laughed, opening the door to reenter the school.
“Wh-What you call me?” Ku Fei asked just before he closed the door.
“Hm? Genji, I believe. Pick you up in half an hour!” He closed the door, leaving a rather confused Ku Fei up on the rooftop. She would have sworn he called her Sunshine, but that was ridiculous. Only one person had ever called her that, and only God knew where he was. Geez, she couldn’t even stop thinking about him and his crap long enough to have a sort of conversation with a complete stranger! That she had a date with! Wait, what had just happened? How would that guy even know where to pick her up? Sighing, she decided to go get changed anyway.
-----Author’s other note: I hope you’re still on board with everything, readers. If you’re lost about something, just go ahead and ask and I’ll get to you in a reply. Some things are to be handled in the future, but if I’ve missed something in the now or you’re just curious, go ahead and ask about it. If it’s supposed to be that way, I’ll tell you.
Koremitsu refers to Ku Fei as ‘Genji’, and it’s a joke of his about a book called ‘The Tale Of Genji’. Genji is the lead character, and his faithful retainer is Koremitsu. Since his defeat by Ku Fei, he now desires to serve her, his Genji.
Oh, and to answer one question right now: Yes, the class thinks that Negi and his partners went to Ayaka’s island for a week and that’s where they were.
I’m forgetting something that I’ll remember after posting this, but oh well. Thanks for reading.....-----