It was now halfway through April. Kai’s life continued in peace, as though the chaos of his first days as a second-year were just a fever dream. He played games with Jun, saw movies, shopped around at all the major otaku chains, and before he knew it, it was the day before Golden Week.
Right now, it was time to go to school. After getting off at Sakata Station, Kai caught a glimpse of Jun from behind. He figured that they must have been on the same train, just not the same car.
“’Sup.”
“Morning.”
They walked the rest of the way to school together and talked about nothing but yesterday’s quiz the whole time.
“Is it just me,” said Jun, “or did math get way harder once we started our second year? I get the feeling I’m not quite keeping up in class...”
“Oh me oh my, do you mean to imply that you were able to keep up last year?”
“Screw you, Kai. You’re getting friendly fired the next time we play Tanks.”
“Blue name alert! We got a team killer here!”
Kai responded to Jun’s teasing with a jab of his own before running away with a grin on his face.
“C’mon,” Jun begged, slumping her shoulders more genuinely than Kai expected. “Can’t you give me some actual help here?”
Asagi High School’s academic style valued personal freedom, so teachers didn’t nag about studying too often. But the school’s code of conduct touted that personal responsibility was what made freedom a virtue, so the penalties for poor grades were harsh. They’d have midterms right after their return from Golden Week, so Kai could understand Jun’s concern.
“But wouldn’t you be better off asking our actual math teacher for help instead of me?”
“Hmm... maybe for other subjects, but that teacher and I don’t really get along.”
“Oh... right.”
Kai realized he should have known better. Their math teacher was by no means a bad person, just... not a very forgiving one. Absolutely the straight-laced type. When she saw fashionistas like Jun, Reina, or Momoko, she tended to call them “hussies” as though they were her mortal enemies.
Asagi High School prided itself on... well, you know the drill. Its regulations on appearance were nothing if not lenient. You could color your hair whatever shade you liked, and even piercings were fine if they weren’t too flashy. Jun put effort into her appearance while staying within the rules, but when she tried to stand up for herself after being called a “hussy,” all she got in return was an “I don’t care.” Kai had to take Jun’s side on this one.
“Yeah, fair enough,” Kai conceded. “Maybe we could do a study session during Golden Week?”
“In between our gaming sessions!”
“It’d be an all-day event if we did both.”
“Thanks in advance for dinner!”
“Well, Mom would love to have company, so I guess it can work.”
“Yay, I’m excited! Hurray for beef!”
“So you’re already assuming we’re gonna spring for that...” Well, not that Kai could claim he didn’t want that for dinner, so he had to chuckle.
Jun gave him a big hug from behind out of gratitude. But given they were on their way to school and had the eyes of other students on them, she kept her embrace short, just enough to pass off as playing around. If they were too clingy in public, people might wonder if they were dating yet... or if they were just going at it like rabbits.
“Wanna come over tomorrow morning for it?”
“Totally!”
“If your parents are okay with it, you could even stay over. We’ve got my sister’s bed, since I hear she’s going on a trip with some friends from college.”
“Yay! Now it’s feeling like a training camp.”
Jun had sparkles in her eyes... until she tilted her head.
“But wait, Kai, what about your job? I thought you couldn’t get the whole week off.”
“One of my coworkers got dumped by her boyfriend. She told me she wanted to drown her sorrows in work, so I’ve suddenly got more free time. The next three days, for starters.”
“Sweet, so we’ve got a three-day gaming camp!”
“Study camp! Remember what you’re coming for!”
“Kiddiiiiing. But we are gaming, right? I promise you won’t take an acht-acht shot in your six!”
To show how harmless she was, Jun gave Kai another hug. A short one, of course. But this time, at this moment, his eyes met someone’s. And there was no turning back. There, at the school gates a hundred meters away, stood the teacher on that day’s entrance duty. A slender-faced gentleman whose beautiful looks could compete with Jun’s, gender difference or not.
Royalteach was looking right at them. With unusual zeal.
“Oh, it’s Broyalty,” said Jun.
“Uh, what?!”
Kai could have sworn he’d heard a shocking revelation in the pun that came from the mouth of the girl currently clinging to him.
“Crap... I think we got caught at a bad time.”
The next moment, Jun sheepishly distanced herself from Kai. He was breaking out in a cold sweat. A very bad feeling swelled in Kai’s stomach as a very bad memory flashed across his mind.
I have four brothers who are a lot older than me...
And every single one is the doting type...
That means having to listen to them nag, you know? Like about how I better not find a boyfriend or anything...
They’d definitely mistake you for a boyfriend. And then beat the crap out of you.
Wait, wait, wait, wait, Kai thought. There’s no way—there’s no way. It can’t be.
Kai hadn’t forgotten how Royalteach saved him from Matsuda’s gang. Nor did he forget how Royalteach stayed with him at the hospital, drove him home, understood his courage in not fighting back, promised that he’d be there when Kai needed him, and even shared a rousing conversation about the big three of shounen manga with him. It’d be an understatement to say that teachers as amazing as him didn’t come along every day.
So there’s no way Royalteach could be Jun’s brother!
Kai wiped the sweat from his brow.
I’m sure the fact that he’s staring daggers at me is just some misunderstanding!
Kai forced his rattling legs forward. And he fearfully asked Jun that fateful question.
“Is... he your brother?”
“Yup. My oldest one.”
“The terminal sister complex one?”
“Yup. Loves me more than anything in the world.”
RIP me. Kai gazed toward the heavens as the world unraveled around him.
“Hey, Ms. Purepure Miyakawa.”
“Dude. Fine, what is it, Mr. Ash Nakamura?”
“Whichever of your parents was on naming duty has some real questionable tastes.”
Crossing the Japanese kanji and the English pronunciation of “Prince” was just... a lot. Kai was shedding tears in his soul, but he made his spirit stay strong. He gradually, casually distanced himself from Jun and walked toward the school entrance as though he didn’t even know her. He strained to avoid eye contact with Royalteach, who stood with majesty before the gates. The other students greeted the gatekeeper with a smile as they passed, and he returned their salutations in kind.
“Mornin’, Royalteach!”
“Oh, morning.”
“Good morning, teacher.”
“Ah, morning.”
“How ya doin’, Teach?”
“Fine. I see you are as well.”
“Royalteach, listen, listen, listen!”
“Haha, sorry, it’ll have to wait.”
“Love you, Royalteach! ♥ ♥ ♥”
“And I love my wife.”
“Fine mornin’, ain’t it?”
“Sure is.”
“Goooood morning!”
“Morning.”
Much of the massive flow of students shouted their greetings heartily as they entered the gates. Kai’s mission: to blend into the crowd and make his way through!
“G-Good morning...”
“Naaaaakaaaaamuuuuuraaaaa.”
Eeek!
The sudden grip Kai felt on his shoulder made his heart stop. He nervously turned his head to find that Royalteach had snuck up behind him before he even noticed, horror-movie style. And his grip made it clear that he had no intention of letting go. He pulled up to Kai’s ears and whispered in a way that sent shivers down his spine.
“I saw you, Nakamuraaaaa.”
“T-Truly a model teacher, always watching out for your students.”
“Soooo... you’re friends with Jun, huuuuh?”
“Wh-Whoever could that be? I just happened to see a classmate whose name I don’t even know and had a wholesome conversation.”
“You have some nerve clinging to my little sister!”
“Teacher, please don’t pulverize my shoulders! It hurts. I give!”
“Whatever could you be referring to? Don’t you see the smile on your teacher’s face?”
“I dunno, but I see murder in those eyes!”
“Why yooooou, are you dating Jun?!”
“Oh no, he’s not gonna listen!”
Kai shrieked. Who would have thought that such a wonderfully understanding teacher would start seeing red the second it involved his sister? Terminal sister complexes were terrifying!
Kai searched his surroundings for anyone, anything that could save him, but to no avail. Royalteach was just (ostensibly) grabbing Kai’s shoulder. He was even (ostensibly) smiling. The most that any passing student would do in reaction was point and smile, as though marveling at how close the two were. Even in this massive crowd, Kai was all alone... such apathy made clear to him the dark side of our self-interested modern society.
“C’mon, Broyalty, I think that’s enough.”
“Oh, Jun!” Kai exclaimed, “You’re the only one I can count on!”
Kai’s best friend, unable to bear witness to such inhumanity, came to his aid. Kai’s loneliness vanished in a moment. It was then that Kai knew that modern society wasn’t a total wash after all.
“Jun,” Royalteach questioned, adopting the stern look of an overprotective brother. “Are you dating this guy?”
“No, not at all. He’s just a good friend.”
“Yeah, you heard her! Friend, got it?”
“Hmph. I find that hard to believe.”
“Oh please, Broyalty. What could possibly give you that idea?”
“Yeah, you heard her! You’re a teacher, so you should believe your students!”
“... You know, when I came to this school, I heard rumors that a school celebrity, Jun Miyakawa from class 2-1, had been cavorting with a boy she seemingly had her eye on. Many rumors, in fact. I could never believe that my little, innocent Jun could ever do such a thing, so I laughed it off as the sort of baseless gossip that kids often spread. But you, Nakamura... you betrayed me.”
“Excuse me, when and how did I betray you?!”
Kai desperately worked to convince him that it was a misunderstanding. But of course, Royalteach wouldn’t listen to a word of it. His eyebrows arched as far as they could go to convey his fearsome fury.
“I shall not acknowledge such cavorting!”
The shout was just like the one Matsuda bore the brunt of just a few days ago.
Even though we’re just friends?!