Blue Archive - M.O.T.H.E.R. (Volume 1)

17

Morning had come. Sensei had spent the night and early morning selecting potential candidates for the mission. Nodoka was startled to see Sensei looking so bad. With Arona's help, she sent him to take a shower and go to sleep for a while. When he woke up, in the office, he found the breakfast that the Red Winter student had prepared for him and the visit of the president of the Prefect Team of Gehenna, Sorasaki Hina.

''Sensei? H-how are you?''

''Hina... I'm fine... Where's Nodoka?...''

''Who?''

''I think you haven't seen her yet... She's a Red Winter girl with long, light pink hair, very cheerful, a little bit clumsy...''

''Sensei...''

''She likes to look at the stars...''

''Sensei...''

''And she loves to watch me...''

''Sensei...''

''I think and fear that she has a taste for voyeurism...''

''Sensei?''

''I'm afraid that if I don't educate her well she'll end up in the Federal Correction Bureau along with prisoners like Wakamo...''

''Sensei, sensei...''

''What am I saying? She's already 16 years old, it might be too late...''

''Sensei, I want to apologize...''

''Hina... You have nothing to apologize for... You weren't even aware...''

''I was negligent... My fault... I should...''

''You are not to blame for anything and Ako... Ako just made a series of mistakes...''

''Sensei, let me make it up to you... Let me do something to excuse Ako's mistake and my...''

''Hina, Hina... You don't have to do anything...'' He held her shoulders, ''I'm sorry for the way I behaved yesterday... I'm not angry with you and Ako... With her I am angry... But I don't want you to mistake my anger for hate or anything like that...'' He stroked her head, ''Okay?'' She nodded.

Sensei sat down to eat while Hina went to look at the board where he was assembling the squad for the mission. The board was divided into three. The right side said "Unit 1", the left side "Unit 2?" and at the bottom it said "Candidates". On Squad 1, in bracket, it had Nodoka and Hare's picture and on the Candidates side there were several pictures, among them glittered Hoshino, Azusa, Haruna, Aru, Asuna, Hifumi, Izuna, Mashiro, Karin.... She glanced around. She found her and Ako's picture on the table next to many others.

''I see you've been busy...''

''Ah, yes... I'm preparing for a mission...''

''Do you have no more candidates?''

''I think I've already put in candidates all those who seem to me to be suitable for the mission,'' sensei stopped to think about what he had said. Hina was looking at him with her photo in her hands. ''See...''

''I could help you...''

''And I don't doubt that you would, but in this mission I don't need brute force...''

''I don't have to destroy anything if you don't want to...''

''It's not just that... I need to be cautious...''

''I can be cautious...''

''But your weapon is too big... It limits your mobility...''

Hina's cheeks puffed out. She had been annoyed with every 'But' he had given her.

''Don't think it's that I don't want you to go...''

''Ako's picture is also on the table...''

''Yes, but it's not out of some kind of resentment...'' She was still frowning, ''it might even be dangerous...''

''In Kivotos there are many dangers and that has never prevented me from doing my duty...''

''You don't understand... I have a bad feeling about that place...'' Sensei was going from one side to another and Hina was following him.

''With your directions...''

''Hina, we talked about them knowing how to manipulate the halos and steal the energy that gives them life... Girls with enormous destructive power like you, Tsurugi, Neru... They could be a very interesting target...''

''But...''

''The conversation is over. You will not go.''

Those words stunned the prefect team president for a moment. Sensei went back to the board. He forgot that he was eating. She wouldn't leave things like that. She lunged and clung to him in a hug.

''I won't let go until you says you'll let me go.''

''What? Hina!''

He was trying to let go, but she was serious. She wouldn't let go.

''Hina, you're being unreasonable!''

''Neither are you!''

''You're not making any sense!''

He paced around the office, but he wouldn't let up. After all any of the girls in that city were stronger than he was. They seemed to be playing games. Tired, he fell to the floor and began to laugh. Hina's grip was still strong with her face against his torso.

''You're really behaving like a spoiled child...'' He said putting his hand on her head. ''It's okay... You can go to the mission.''

''Really?''

''Really...''

Nodoka entered the office happily announcing that she had won a double pass to a hotspring spa with the purchase she had made at the market. She found Hina and Senseion the floor. The girl was shocked and claimed that the one who should be lying there with him was her. For a while Nodoka tried to act the offended one and ignore him, but her plan didn't work. He was concentrating with Hina selecting the girls who would go on the mission.