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Since my date with Saeko, my life had only gotten more complicated.
Between training Hiroki, solidifying my alliances, and making sure Takashi didn't become a lovesick puppy for Rei, I barely had time to breathe. But, as if the universe wanted to keep me on my toes, my relationships with Kyoko Hayashi and Kanoko Mori were developing in ways I hadn't anticipated. And when I say 'developing,' I mean absolute chaos.
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(Flashback: The Trouble with Kyoko)
"Di Balla-kun! You missed my class again!"
That was how I was greeted as I entered the faculty lounge, a coffee cup in one hand and an amused smirk on my face.
Kyoko stood there, arms crossed, her red hair slightly disheveled, glasses sliding down her nose. She wasn't even trying to hide the exasperation in her tone. The woman had perfected the tired teacher who gave up on life look, but I could tell she still had some fight in her.
"Sensei, come on, let's be real here. I already know all the material you're teaching," I said, taking a sip of coffee.
Her eye twitched. "That is NOT the point!"
"Then what is?"
She opened her mouth, then paused, looking slightly uncomfortable. "You… you just can't keep skipping my class. You already have a reputation, Di Balla-kun. The last thing you need is for people to think you don't take school seriously."
I chuckled. "Kyoko-chan, if I took school seriously, I wouldn't be myself."
She sighed, rubbing her temples. "I swear, you are the most frustrating student I have ever had."
"Awww, does that mean I'm your favorite too?"
Her glare could melt steel. But I saw the faintest hint of pink on her cheeks.
Then, as if fate wanted to make my day even better, I heard another familiar voice.
"Oh? Flirting with the teacher now, Marco-kun?"
I turned, and there she was—Kanoko Mori.
Leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, her usual confident smirk on display. She was dressed casually, having finished training at the school's gym, her blonde-orange hair tied back. Her toned legs were peeking through her modified school skirt—shorter than regulations would allow, of course.
"I wouldn't call it flirting," I said. "More like… keeping my favorite sensei entertained."
"Hmph. Sounds like flirting to me." Kanoko walked closer, inspecting me like I was some kind of lab experiment. "So, you just make women a mess wherever you go, huh?"
I placed a hand over my chest. "You wound me, Mori-chan. I am a gentleman."
"You? A gentleman?" Kyoko snorted, shaking her head. "That'll be the day."
"Alright, alright, fine," I raised my hands in surrender. "To make it up to you, Kyoko-chan, how about I buy you dinner?"
Silence.
Kyoko and Kanoko both blinked at me in unison.
"Wait… what?" Kyoko adjusted her glasses.
Kanoko tilted her head, looking at me with a mix of amusement and disbelief. "Are you trying to take our dear sensei on a date?"
"I prefer to call it an educational bonding session," I said with a wink.
Kyoko groaned. "You are impossible."
Kanoko, however, burst out laughing.
"Alright, I like this idea. I think you should do it," she grinned. "Let's see if you can actually break the ice queen."
Kyoko's face turned completely red.
I just smirked. "Then it's settled. Kyoko-chan, pick a time and place."
She groaned again, but I could tell she wasn't entirely against it.
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(Flashback: Chaos with Kanoko)
A few days after my encounter with Kyoko, Kanoko decided she had nothing better to do than annoy the hell out of me.
It started with her barging into my training session with Hiroki.
"Oi, Aniki, I think your girlfriend is here to mess with you," Hiroki said, barely holding back his laughter.
"I'm not his girlfriend," Kanoko said immediately. "But he does owe me a favor."
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what exactly do I owe you?"
She grinned. "I need a sparring partner."
"Kanoko, you do judo. I do everything else. What exactly are we sparring in?"
She cracked her knuckles. "I throw you to the ground. You try not to die. Simple."
Hiroki lost it, laughing so hard he almost fell over. "Yo, Aniki, you're dead."
I sighed. "Fine. Let's do this."
(15 Minutes Later, Flat on My Back)
"Okay… ow."
Kanoko smirked, standing over me with her hands on her hips. "See? I win."
"You cheated."
"It's called using technique, dummy."
"Showing your boobs to me mid spar isn't a technique."
I groaned, rubbing my back. "This was a mistake."
She offered me a hand. "Come on, Di Balla, admit it. You had fun."
I took her hand, standing up. "Oh, I'm getting payback."
"Sure you are, tough guy."
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Later that night, as I was lying on my bed, I found myself thinking about how things had changed so fast.
From a military school in Brazil to here.
From training in controlled environments to planning for an actual apocalypse.
From having no real attachments… to forming bonds that felt real.
And, for the first time in a long time, I remembered something my father used to say to me before I left home.
"Never underestimate the power of who you keep by your side, Marco. In the end, survival isn't just about weapons and strength—it's about the people you choose to fight for."
Looking at my current life, at the chaos that was Kyoko, Kanoko, Saeko, Hiroki, and the rest, I started to wonder…
Was this what my father meant?
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