Aru refused to explain, but someone else was happy to do it for her.
"Haha, Sensei, you have to hear this! It's hilarious! Aru slipped, lost her balance, and slammed her face right into one of the mines!"
…Maybe that is funny by Kivotos standards, but given my circumstances, I couldn't really laugh.
After thinking for a while, I asked gently, "Should this be considered a workplace injury?"
Aru pressed her lips together and shook her head, pulling her coat up over her head. Her face was full of gloom, she clearly didn't want to talk.
Kayoko and Haruka scooted their stools aside to make room, and I sat down between them.
"So, how's the mine clearing around Abydos coming along?" I asked casually.
"We've finished more than half already," Kayoko replied. "There are still a few scattered areas, but we should be done by tomorrow."
"That fast? Good work, everyone. By the way, I picked out a few places for tonight's celebration dinner, take a look and tell me what you think."
Ah, my favorite part. Using official funds to dine extravagantly with the girls.
Heh. I can't wait to see Aoi's face when she sees the bill.
I sent the restaurant info through Momotalk to everyone from Abydos and Problem Solver 68, along with the ever-reliable Faust.
"Sensei."
Kayoko glanced through the list, and her eyebrows immediately furrowed. Her naturally sharp features made the expression even more intimidating.
"These restaurants are far too expensive. Please exercise a bit more restraint in your spending. Even for a celebration, this level of extravagance is excessive for students like us."
I noticed Haruka nodding frantically in agreement, while Mutsuki just stared at me with amused curiosity.
"She's right, Sensei. To receive a favor one cannot repay equally, that's one of the greatest taboos for an outlaw."
And then there was Aru with a serious expression, solemn tone… paired with that ridiculous frizzy hair. The more I looked, the harder it was to keep a straight face.
From the way all four of them were staring at me, I could tell they were genuinely serious about this.
I suppose it made sense though, unlike last time, their position had changed. Now that we were on more equal terms, Problem Solver 68 had begun to care about my wallet. Touching, really.
At that moment, more messages started pouring into my phone.
First came long, detailed admonishments from Serika, and a short but equally firm message from Ayane.
Hifumi: Ah… these restaurants are so expensive… um, I might not be able to afford it…
Misunderstanding. She thought it was going to be split evenly.
Nonomi: I'm fine with any of them∼ Since it's a celebration, I'll just use my gold card to pay~
Rich girl.
Hoshino: Hmm∼ tough choice. I want to go to all of them… Oh! I know! After tonight's party, let's visit the rest one by one, just the two of us.
I could practically hear her scheming.
Shiroko: Sensei, are you sure your wallet can handle this? If not, I can rob a bank for you. I already have a foolproof plan, it'll definitely succeed.
…Yeah. No comment.
I took a screenshot of Shiroko's message and forwarded it to the other four members of the Foreclosure Task Force. Whatever happened next was out of my hands.
By then, Captain Shiba had arrived with four steaming bowls of ramen himself.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, ladies. Sensei, yours will be out in just a moment."
He was about to turn away when—
"Boss~ can we get another bowl, please?"
"Hm? Of course."
At first, he looked puzzled by Mutsuki's request, but when he saw her glance at me with a mischievous smile, understanding dawned.
He returned with an empty bowl, chuckling about the beauty of youth, and placed it in front of me.
The moment it touched the table, Mutsuki cheerfully shoveled a large portion of noodles and toppings from her bowl into mine.
"Hehe~ we can't just let Sensei sit there watching us eat! Besides, this is a bit much for us girls, so don't hold back, okay?"
"I—I didn't even think about that…! I almost committed such a rude act! I'm so sorry!"
Haruka, who had just taken a sip of broth, suddenly panicked. She picked up her bowl as if to pour the whole thing into mine. I quickly stopped her, which only made her eyes well up with tears.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! How could someone like me even think of giving Sensei food I already touched! I should just die, right now if possible!"
"Stop, stop!"
I headpatted her head to calm her down, soothing her until that unnerving smile returned to her face.
"Well, if everyone's doing it, I'll share some too. I probably can't finish it anyway."
Kayoko kindly offered me some noodles as well, though she hadn't actually taken a single bite of her own portion yet.
Seeing this, Aru hastily tried to follow suit.
Then her hand slipped, spilling half her bowl onto the table. The broth trickled off the edge and onto the ground. Thankfully, no one else was splashed.
Except Aru herself.
Her white blouse now had several brownish stains.
"Eh?! Not again!"
After apologizing to Shiba, we switched to a clean table and resumed our meal. By the time my ramen arrived, I shared it with the others in turn. It was a noisy, chaotic, but heartwarming lunch.
Afterward, I was about to head back to the activity room to continue work when—
"Sensei, there's something I've been thinking about for a while. I think I should say it now."
Aru squinted slightly, her tone serious but tinged with melancholy. "Thank you so much for everything you've done for us. But… I think it's time we said goodbye."
"…Huh?"
Mutsuki quickly explained, "Aru-chan feels bad for imposing so long. She's planning to move us out of Schale."
"Oh… huh?" I blinked. Why would they suddenly want to leave when everything was fine?
Damn it, Aru! You're ruining my good thing! And you're taking everyone with you?!
"As true outlaws," Aru declared with a dramatic flair, "living under someone else's roof isn't a long-term plan. Maybe wandering the world is our true destiny."
Kayoko added, "And since the issue with Abydos and Kaiser Corporation has been settled for now, the president decided you probably don't need our personal protection anymore."
Aru flinched. "W-Wait! I told you not to bring that up!"
"Did you?" Kayoko said with a teasing smile. "I must have forgotten."
I couldn't help looking at Aru with surprise. So it wasn't just freeloading at Schale after all, she actually had such a considerate reason in mind.
No, I was being narrow-minded. This was exactly the kind of thing Aru would say.
"If that's your decision, I'll respect it," I said. "But Schale will always be open to you. If you ever need anything, you're welcome back anytime."
"Hehe~ same goes for you, Sensei. If you ever need our services, Problem Solver 68 will be there. We may be outlaws, but we never cheat our business partners. You'll get a special consultant discount, of course∼"
We exchanged a smile.
Then, the girl who dreamed of being the greatest outlaw in Kivotos, but who at heart was simply kind and earnest, turned around with as much swagger as her frizzy hair would allow.
"Well then, Sensei, this is goodbye! Everyone, let's move out!"
Aru took her first step forward.
No one followed.
Mutsuki tilted her head. "Aru-chan, aren't we still going to the party tonight?"
Aru froze mid-step.
Haruka spoke timidly, "U-um… Aru-sama… we're all listed as Schale's cleaning duty staff now… According to the schedule… it's our turn in a few days…"
Aru's shoulders trembled.
Kayoko sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Also, you're walking the wrong way… We still haven't finished the mine removal. Where exactly are you going?"
Aru was completely stiff.
I added the finishing blow. "And your personal belongings are still at Schale. Aren't you going to get them?"
Watching her back and her reddening ears, I could tell exactly what had happened. She'd tried to act like the cool, wandering outlaw from her imagination and completely forgotten everything else.
Yes. That's the Aru I know.
She turned around awkwardly. "Uh, right, I—I totally knew that! A-anyway, Sensei, please take care of us from now on too! Everyone, let's get back to work!"
Head lowered, she marched off toward Abydos.
Mutsuki and Haruka waved a quick goodbye and hurried after her, disappearing down the street.
I turned to Kayoko, who was still standing beside me. "You're not going with them?"
"Ah. Actually, Sensei, could I catch a ride on your helicopter? Unless you're heading somewhere else?"
"Of course," I said. I couldn't refuse such a small favor, though I still wondered why she hadn't reminded the others. Could it be… she wanted some time alone with me?
I understood. Kayoko must be...
With that thought in mind, I boarded the helicopter with her. We sat side by side as the engines roared to life.
As we rose into the sky, Kayoko suddenly leaned closer.
"Don't move," she said.
Then she reached out with slender, pale fingers and plucked a single white hair from my head.
Holding it up, she showed it to me. "Sensei, please take care of yourself. You're still young."
"…Yeah. I know."
Kayoko gazed at me for a moment, then pulled out her earphones and handed me one side.
"Want to listen together?"
"Sure."
And to my surprise, the crashing drums and harsh screams of death metal sounded… pretty good.