High School DxD: The Illusion of Oppai

Chapter 6: Bargaining

'Like those before us, we strive for warmer seas, for calmer tides and for nicer dames. Alas, at the end of the day, the secret to wealth of one's pocket is wealth in one's own mind' Christopher Barnett - Dutch Privateer - 1743

Kyoto Elementary School

Issei couldn't help but laugh in spite of himself, as he hung upside-down from a windowsill on the second floor,  attached only by the leg of a swivel chair that had caught itself on the lip. He dared not move, as the tape lashing him into a seating position strained to hold his weight. A dazed look in his eyes and blood rushing to his head; all he could do was gaze at the pavement far below as he counted the seconds it would take for him to hit the ground.

------

Kyoto Elementary School - [One Hour Earlier]

If he could say one thing was for sure, Issei would say without a doubt that even though he hated the punishment of scrubbing endlessly, at least he got some peace and quiet. Yes, it seemed that spending all of his time cleaning also meant there was no time for socialising as well. Issei tightened his grip on the tattered threads of yarn that made up his cloth as he stared at a faded dark stain that refused to die quietly. After a few more futile attempts, he gave up altogether and slumped against the muggy damp walls of the greenhouse.

A huddle of distant voices broke Issei out of his thoughts as he peeled his eyes open in exhaustion. His eyes lazily followed, as a trio of girls strolled down the set of steps leading out the back of the campus building. Looking at his hand covered in the remnants of straw cloth and not having much else to do, he leveled his back with the wall as he edged his away around the greenhouse.

"Did you hear about her?" one of the girls prodded,

"Yeah, who hasn't? It was so damn funny! Oh my god!" the other snickered,

"No fair! I missed out 'cause I had to see a dentist," the shorter of the three complained,

"Although, you don't have to 'see' much to get the funny side of it." they laughed in unison.

Issei wondered what they meant, but his question was soon answered as his eyes traced the line of the trio's cruel gaze. Issei peered through the cracked stained glass of the greenhouse, his eyes drawn to a lonely clearing with a set of rusted swings lasting the test of time. The grass below lapped at the feet of the swing's flayed frame, nibbling on the structure like a teething pup. Maybe that's why - as Issei looked on - he was surprised to see a small girl sitting alone on the rickety old swingset, the occasional swing of her legs making it ache as it swayed in time with her movements.

"Eww... it's her."

Almost as if coming on cue the trio also noticed the girl adjoining the swing, huddled together, then fanned out with a whisper of laughter in their wake. Issei could only watch as trio slowly closed in. It was too far away for him to see their faces but he knew they were at least in 9th grade. He could never talk to them openly, that would be suicide, especially after what had happened only days before.

'Wait a minute... could I?'

Issei had an idea and with not much time to act he removed his cleaning belt - fitted with spray bottles, a torch and useless straw cloths - and shot up from behind his cover.

The swing stopped suddenly. The encroaching hands of the trio's ringleader lurched backward as the sudden lack of movement added an eerie sense of dread to the situation. Looking back to her comrades, who remained at a safe distance, she pressed on; her hand drawing closer to the shoulder of the girl on the swing.

"Yaaaaah!"

Everyone including the girl spun around to greet the source of the terrifying war cry, as Issei charged towards them; his cleaning gear jettisoned, half naked and wearing nothing but his trousers and his shirt wrapped around his forehead like a headband. Issei continued to flail his arms about as he danced circles around nearby trees, becoming miffed when his voice broke several times.