Archive of Our Own ^beta

"Ehehe, wouldn't it be great if some kind of miracle happened? And then people start to come towards the district an-"

"Miracles don't just happen, senpai!"

"E-Eh!?"

"Miracles aren't a thing! Face reality before you start believing in such fairytales!"

"B-But-"

"Why would anyone come back to the middle of the desert!? Stop dreaming already!" ... "Get yourself together already! You're the Student Council president, don't you realise the weight of the responsiblity you have!?

Hoshino opened her eyes in a sweat.

It's been years since that day. The day those final words were said towards the most important person in her life. The next day she disappeared. The next time she found her, it was only her shield in the middle of the desert. Those memories haunt her everyday. The only solace being her dreams of her time with her. Everyday, whenever she travels through Abydos District, everything constantly reminds Hoshino of her beloved upperclassman. The one she took for granted. Her shield, the Iron Horus, reminds her everyday. Her long hair, grown out as a reminder of the dreams.

"Uhee, everyone's here already?" Whenever she arrives in the school though, she doesn't let it show. Her adorable underclassmen would worry, after all. It was better to not worry them. "Does no one take naps? This old man never gets how you young ones have so much energy."

"There's so much to do in the day, I'm more surprised you don't have any energy at all ever." Serika sighed exasperatedly. "You need to be a bit more urgent, senpai." Serika was simply adorable. Definitely what Hoshino thought Yume would consider a total tsundere in personality. Hoshino, like the others, trusted her with their money as their financer. Now if only she would stop getting scammed so easily.

"Now now, Serika-chan, I'm sure she has her own reasons." Ayane laughed nervously. "You do need to get better sleep though, senpai. Constantly yawning and taking naps is a sign of sleep deprivation, which isn't healthy." Ayane was also precious. In their current group dynamis, she was the sensible one. The "Sane" one, as some would put it. Fitting for the secretary of their club.

"Nn." Shiroko nodded. "Senpai, get more sleep. We can do more together if you're awake more." Shiroko, who's been in Abydos for far longer than Serika and Ayane, was special to Hoshino. She didn't remind the third year of younger self, but finding and taking her in made Hoshino felt more like a senpai. More like the long past dream she was trying to imitate.

"I say it's fine to let her sleep when she wants." Nonomi giggled. She tapped her lap twice. "Come on, senpai. You can use my lap~" Nonomi. Sweet Nonomi. She had been there almost as long as Hoshino herself. She also knew that dream. Nonomi was the one who knew Hoshino's past the most.

"Uhe~, I'll gladly take that offer Nonomi-chan." Hoshino happily lied down on Nonomi's lap. Now that her face was under the table though, she let go of her expression, no longer as carefree or relaxed as just before. The blonde noticed this, and only frowned very slightly. Of course she knew. Nonomi was there for Hoshino after Yume's disappearance. She was there whenever Hoshino came back from her fruitless search, despair on her face.

Nonomi was the one who always tried her best to comfort Hoshino when she came back. She even joined Abydos to keep her company. The secret of Yume was something only those two knew. None of the other three in the Task Force had any idea of the facade they'd kept up for years.

Everyone relaxed in the clubroom as they did their self-studying. It was a typical day at Abydos High School. Arrive at school, study, have lunch break, study, then go home.

"Hey, did you all hear?" One thing that was different however was during lunch. All the students looked Ayane's way. "There's news about an outsider brought in by the missing General Student Council president."

"An outsider?" Shiroko echoed.

"How were they brought in if the president is missing?" Serika asked, skeptical.

"We don't know. But they're supposed to be a sensei." The other first year shrugged. "From what the posts say, they're a girl. They're apparently supposed to act as a Sensei and help any and every student in Kivotos." Her voice sounded more hopeful with every word. Everyone knew what she was thinking of.

"...Do you think they'll help?" The cat girl's eye brows lowered. "We've tried asking the General Student Council so many times already, we even tried asking nearby schools for help. But none of them ever answer. Do you think it'll be different this time?"

"Well...I don't know." Ayane's shoulders slumped, but they rose again. "But we don't know, maybe it'll be answered this time! We have to be hopeful!"

"I think we should do it!" Nonomi agreed, stroking Hoshino's hair. "I want to meet this sensei!"

"Nn. It's her job right?" Shiroko nodded.

"I don't know..." Serika crossed her arms, still unsure. "Senpai? What do you think?" She turned to Hoshino. The third year thought about it. This sensei was definitely an adult. Hoshino's experience with adults...weren't exactly good. The one adult she's talked to recently is cunning, manipulative, and is very persistent on trying to get her to sign a contract. If they ask this sensei for help, it could go a number of ways. They decide to help, and end up using her and her precous kouhai. Or, they don't help and it's the same as always. Of course there was a chance that this sensei was actually a good person, but Hoshino knew that most people have something to hide. Most people only do nice things if they have something to gain from it.

"...This old man will leave it up to you youngsters." Hoshino yawned. She couldn't really decide. It was one evil or a different evil. Ayane was trustworthy, she'll leave the decision up to her and then she'll see from there.

"Alright, I'll write a letter to them right away!" Ayane decided. "Serika, can you check the General Student Council website to see if there's a way to contact her?"

"On it." Serika pulled up her phone. "...Okay, sensei is the advisor of a 'Federal Investigation Club Schale,' and...this is her mail address." She held the screen up to Ayane.

"Great. Now to start on the letter." As the first years got to work, Hoshino decided to get some more sleep in. She stayed up very late last night patrolling the school. Nonomi simply let her, content with the third year in her lap.

A week passed since the letter was sent. It was a letter, so an immediate reply wasn't expected. But what told Hoshino that she shouldn't expect too much was the lack of an actual response in the first place.

"Do you think this sensei will actually come help?" Nonomi asked, playing with Hoshino's hair in her lap.

"Who knows." The third year yawned. "The letter's already sent. If we do get help, then it should have come a few days ago. Abydos isn't that far from Shiratori." The district that housed the General Student Council, Shiratori District, was only a few hours away. A letter shouldn't take so long to arrive. In Hoshino's mind, there was only one possibility. There was no help coming. She didn't want to destroy her underclassmen's hopes though.

"I think we just have to wait a bit. I just hope this sensei's a good person." Nonomi let out a quiet sigh. They continued staying in that spot, the classroom next to the clubroom. Relaxing.

"It finally happened! Shiroko-senpai brought a corpse!" Serika's voice was heard, panicking and shouting. "Where are the shovels!? We need to hide it immediately!"

"They're as lively as ever." The second year giggled.

"Shiroko-chan brought a corpse?" Hoshino snorted. "I wonder what it could be." Neither of them moved to investigate. It seemed like the usual antics the club got up to, so they continued relaxing. An hour later, however, that room's door slid open. "Hueh?" Hoshino rubbed her eyes open at the noise.

"Senpais! It's Sensei of Schale!" Serika informed them. "Quick! You have to meet her! She seems to know you two?"

"Really?" Nonomi's head tilted. How could this sensei know them? They haven't met many people at all. Curiosity had taken it's hold, so Hoshino groggily got up and followed Serika, with Nonomi behind her. "Who is she?"

"I don't know, but she seems a lot like Hoshino-senpai actually." Serika said. The third year rose a brow. When they got closer...

"So this is your clubroom?" The voice they faintly heard made Hoshino and Nonomi froze. "Heeh. It's a nice room. Do you know where the Student Council's office is?"

"It's being used as a storage closet." Shiroko's voice answered.

"Hm? Hoshino-senpai? Nonomi-senpai?" Serika looked back at the upperclassmen, confused at why they stopped. "What's wrong?" The expressions on their faces made her concerned. Her cat ears twitched.

"...Serika." Hoshino began. "What does this sensei look like?"

"E-Eh? Well... She has long cyan hair, down to her feet I think? And a big cowlick too." A bit caught off guard, the first year eventually answered. Nonomi and Hoshino looked at eachother. There was only one person they knew with that voice. But it couldn't be. She disappeared so long ago.

"Just like always, then. Heehee." That sentence from beyond the door made the two students' eyes widen.

"Nn? Like always? What do you mean, sensei?" That was what confirmed it for the two. The third and second year rushed towards the classroom, accidentally pushing past the first year. The door slid open.

"Oh, senpai! You're here!" Ayane greeted them. "Introduce yourself to sensei!" Hoshino and Nonomi could only stare at the person they saw before them. They didn't even respond to Ayane. "Senpais?"

"Senpai...? Is that you?"

"Eh?" Shiroko, Ayane, and Serika blinked at Hoshino's word.

"This isn't a joke, right?" Nonomi uttered in disbelief.

"Ehehe. It's been a while, Hoshino-chan, Nonomi-chan." The person grinned, scratching her cheek. The familiar long cyan hair, the big cowlick, the relaxed expression.

"Senpai, do you know eachother?" Serika asked the upperclassmen. The others were confused.

"...Yume-senpai." Nonomi glanced at Hoshino. She couldn't even imagine what could be going on in the third year's head right now. Her eyes watered, reflecting light, her lips quivered, her body shook. "...Let's leave them alone for now. I'll explain." The second year decided to lead the others out of the room.

"Hoshino-chan? Is something wrong?" Yume began to panic. She wasn't expecting Hoshino to start crying. "Oh no, did I do something wrong?"

"Why did you disappear all of a sudden?" The third year looked down. "I thought you died! I...I couldn't find you no matter how hard I searched, how far I travelled. Why!?"

"...A lot happened." Yume eventually responded. "It would take too long to explain it all right now." She looked back at Hoshino. "You've really changed, Hoshino-chan."

"And you haven't changed at all." Hoshino replied. "...I'm just glad you're back." She smiled. "There's so many things I want to tell you. Nonomi-chan too. You still have to meet your juniors as well."  There were many words she wanted to say. To talk about. Being able to talk to her beloved upperclassman again like this was a dream come true. A miracle, even. She kept on rambling on and on, unable to control herself. "I missed you so much."

"...I missed you too." The former student smiled. "...I'm home."

"Welcome home, Yume-senpai."