Our Stories

Mark And Promise [Sunaookami Shiroko]

Ah... another sunny day in Kivotos. The fresh morning air entered through the open window, along with rays of bright sunlight illuminating Schale's office. The birds were singing melodically as they flew freely in the sky. A perfectly peaceful day.

Although... there is one bit of a problem right now...

"Shiroko."

"What is it, Sensei?"

"I'm working here."

"I know."

"Then can you please stop... you know... clinging onto me?"

"Rejected. Just a few more minutes, Sensei."

You heaved a tired and defeated sigh as your fingers kept clicking away on the keyboard. Beside you, one of your many students sat. Her gray wolf ears were flapping energetically as they hit your left shoulder with light taps.

Sunaookami Shiroko, a student from the Abydos Academy. You've met her a few months prior, helping their institute with a not-so-small problem that involved the whole district and a foreign corporation, along with a puppet master behind it all.

But that... was a story that had already reached its conclusion, perhaps to be retold in another time.

"Does Sensei... hate it?" She stopped rubbing her head on your arm. You turned toward her, meeting her icy-blue eyes with a gaze of your own. "No... it's not that I hate it." You could feel your eyes soften up as you move your free arm to pat her head.

"Then it's fine." She proceeded to continue rubbing her hair against your arm. You let out another defeated sigh with a sweatdrop on your head.

You were a teacher in this city, and she was one of your students. Your relationship with her was much closer than with the others. It might not be a proper distance for a student and a teacher, but no one seemed to oppose it... for some reason.

Hey, maybe it's just how this strange world works, who knows? And besides, you weren't that old yet, only in your early twenties.

Alas, true to her words, a few minutes later, she checked her watch. The girl promptly stood up and packed her bag and assault rifle. "Well then, Sensei, see you soon." She bowed her head as she spoke in her usual monotone voice. Though she doesn't show much emotion, you knew that she was happy, for some reason.

"Mhm." You waved toward her with a small smile. "Ah, Shiroko, no doing surveillance on banks, okay?" You reminded her, causing her to flinch as her ears tensed up and she stopped on the spot. "Shiroko..."

"See you soon, Sensei." Instead of answering you, she quickly made herself scarce as she closed the door behind her. You let out a wry sigh as you got back to your menial tasks. No, you weren't worried about her going down the dark path of crime at all.

After all, you did promise to be there for her.

'But why does she always come here the first thing in the morning? And always rubbing her head against me...'