Will and Ability - 8

After that, I learned how to tie a hairband from Nonomi and spent time talking with the students of Abydos. As we were talking about various things, the topic of Abydos came up.

 

 

"Now that the most pressing issue, the Helmet Gang, has been resolved, we can finally relax, right?"

 

 

"That's right. Now we can finally focus on the really important things."

 

 

"Ahaha! It's all thanks to Sensei. Now we can focus on paying off our debt without any worries! Thank you, even if you go back, we won't forget your kindness, Sensei!"

 

 

"Paying off debt?"

 

 

Sensei heard an important word from Serika's words that he couldn't just let go. I already knew about Abydos' situation through the game, but this was the first time Sensei had heard about it from Serika.

 

 

I kept my mouth shut and watched the situation unfold.

 

 

"......Ah, oh no!"

 

 

"Th-That's......"

 

 

"W-Wait!! Don't say it, Ayane!"

 

 

"......!"

 

 

Serika realized her slip of the tongue too late, and she quickly stopped Ayane from saying something to Sensei.

 

 

"What's the big deal, Serika-chan? It's not like it's a secret or anything."

 

 

"Th-That doesn't mean we should go around telling everyone!"

 

 

"It's not like we committed a crime or anything. Besides, Sensei is an adult who helped us. The same goes for Line-chan."

 

 

"Hoshino-senpai is right, Serika. Sensei is someone we can trust."

 

 

"Th-That may be true, but even if he's a teacher, he's still an outsider!"

 

 

'An outsider...'

 

 

I focused on one word Serika said. No matter how much he worked for Abydos, he wasn't a student of Abydos, so there were bound to be limitations to his involvement in Abydos' affairs. That was true for both Sensei and me.

 

 

"It's not a problem that Sensei can solve, but he was the only adult who listened to us about this problem. If we think about it together, we might come up with a good solution. Or do you have a good solution, Serika-chan?"

 

 

"U-Ugh... Th-That may be so, but he's just an adult who suddenly barged in! Did adults ever care about our problems?! We always solved our problems ourselves! But now, some adults... I can't accept it!!"

 

 

"Serika-chan!?"

 

 

"I'll go after her."

 

 

In the end, Serika ran out of the room, and Ayane called out to Serika in surprise, but to no avail. And then I saw Nonomi chasing after Serika and going outside.

 

 

"......"

 

 

Hoshino stared heavily at the place where Serika had left.

 

 

"Well, to continue what we were talking about... our school is in debt to the bank. In a way, it's a common story. The only problem is that the debt is not just a small amount, but about... 900 million yen."

 

 

"...962.35 million yen. That's the amount that Abydos... no, our Foreclosure Task Force has to pay back. If we can't pay back this debt, the school will be taken over by the bank and will be closed down."

 

 

It was a story I already knew. It was a story I already knew because I had seen it in the game before. But experiencing it right here, right in front of my eyes, with my own two ears, the weight felt different even though I already knew.

 

 

It was a familiar weight that I had come to feel since I came here.

 

 

'Or maybe it's a weight I should get used to.'

 

 

I was secretly afraid of how much more weight I would come to know in the future.

 

 

'But I don't want to run away.'

 

 

I wondered why and thought about it carefully. And at that moment, the image of Sensei appeared in my eyes.

 

 

'......It's just a thought that comes to mind because I know the end.'

 

 

I knew that everything would eventually work out thanks to Sensei. Even if I wasn't there, Sensei would take care of everything. That's why I could think about facing the situation with peace of mind.

 

 

As my thoughts cleared up, the story started to reach my ears again.

 

 

"Now, with just our strength, it's hard enough to pay the monthly interest... Now we're running out of ammunition and supplies."

 

 

"The reason why Serika is so angry is that no one cared about our problems. Sensei was the only one who listened to us."

 

 

"...Well, that's the boring story. Since we were able to take care of the Helmet Gang thanks to Sensei, we can now focus more on paying off the debt. Even if you're appointed as the club's advisor, you don't have to worry about the debt. We're grateful that you listened to us."

 

 

"Yeah. Sensei has already been a great help to us. We can't trouble you any further."

 

 

Hoshino and Shiroko told Sensei that he didn't need to worry about the debt. I looked at Sensei and watched how he would answer.

 

 

"No, I won't abandon the Foreclosure Task Force and go back. I'm the advisor of the Foreclosure Task Force."

 

 

I smiled. It was a truly Sensei-like, wonderful answer that I had hoped for and longed for.

 

 

"Th-That means... A-Alright! Nice to have you with us, Sensei!"

 

 

"Oh, so Sensei is also a weirdo. To get involved in such a troublesome matter."

 

 

"I'm relieved... With Schale on our side, can we have hope now?"

 

 

"Yeah. It'll get better than it is now."

 

 

Yes, it will get better than it is now. It will definitely get better. With Sensei's help, the students of Abydos will overcome the hardships ahead.

 

 

But I didn't want to just leave everything to Sensei. I wanted to do what I could, what I wanted to do.

 

 

So I thought about what I could do, what I wanted to do.

 

 

'For now, I want to help Abydos and watch over what happens in Abydos. But what can I do?'

 

 

I thought about what I could do. But nothing came to mind. That's because everything I could do, Sensei and the students of Abydos could also do. And I was neither Sensei nor a student of Abydos.

 

 

So this could just be my selfishness. My desire to satisfy my own desires could be forcing Abydos to accept unnecessary help and taking away Sensei's job.

 

 

'What should I do......?'

 

 

I could just quietly leave everything to Sensei. No one would say anything even if I did nothing. I could just live my life as usual, just like I had always done.

 

 

'My life as usual......?'

 

 

At that moment, I recalled once again how I had lived my life until now. A life where I did nothing, where I didn't think about anything.

 

 

A life that was meaningless, soulless, and only continued because it hadn't been cut off.

 

 

'No.'

 

 

I didn't want to go back to that time. I wanted my life to have meaning. That's why I wanted to act.

 

 

I thought again about what I should do.

 

 

"......"

 

 

I smiled slightly and approached Hoshino. And I handed Hoshino my contact information and spoke.

 

 

"If there's anything I can help with later, please contact me."

 

 

I gave Hoshino the option to help Abydos. If she needed my help, Hoshino would call me, and if not, she wouldn't.

 

 

"Thank you, Line-chan. ......Um, Line-chan. Can I ask you one thing?"

 

 

"Yes, please ask me anything."

 

 

Then Hoshino thanked me, hesitated for a moment, and then carefully asked if she could ask me a question.

 

 

I was curious as to why Hoshino was being so careful, so I allowed her to ask.

 

 

"Why do you want to help us, Line-chan? We're not in a position to do anything for you, and we're even from different schools."

 

 

Hoshino's question made me think again.

 

 

"I wonder why..."

 

 

There were many reasons why I had acted the way I did so far. Because Sensei might have been in danger because of a variable like me, because of the guilt of having stood by and watched Abydos' downfall, because of a shallow sense of justice, because I was disappointed in myself.

 

 

But none of these were the decisive reasons why I would go this far to act for Abydos.

 

 

Sensei had arrived safely in Abydos and would no longer get lost. The downfall of Abydos was not something I alone had to bear the blame for. I had already shown my shallow sense of justice enough. I had already made up for my disappointment in myself in that battle.

 

 

These were no longer reasons for me to act for Abydos.

 

 

"......"

 

 

I took a quick look around the room. Various papers are attached to the whiteboard with magnets and various writings written on them, mugs, books, and writing instruments on the desk. Shiroko and Ayane were having a pleasant conversation with Sensei.

 

 

This room was filled with the warmth, affection, and passion of the Foreclosure Task Force. And at that moment, the clouds outside the window cleared, and the warm sunlight of Abydos came to me and began to shine on me.

 

 

"Maybe it's because the sun is so bright."

 

 

Because the youth of Abydos was dazzling, because the youth was beautiful, and because I wanted to enjoy the youth, I acted.

 

 

At some point, I might have been engrossed in this place and these people.

 

 

"Hehe, Line-chan is also a weirdo. Wow~ Is it Abydos' fate to only gather weirdos~"

 

 

"Hehe, maybe so."

 

 

Hoshino and I laughed at each other. And then Hoshino held out her right hand to me and spoke.

 

 

"Then Line-chan, please take care of us in the future."

 

 

"Yes, please take care of me."

 

 

I smiled happily and took Hoshino's hand. It was a soft handshake with the tips of our hands touching.

 

 

I would meet the students of Abydos again soon. I had a feeling that it would happen.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

I said goodbye to the rest of the students of Abydos, said goodbye to Sensei, and left Abydos. It was a shame that I couldn't say goodbye to Serika and Nonomi, but it was okay. I would be able to meet them again soon.

 

 

So I got on my motorcycle and looked at the scenery of Abydos as I went back the way I came. The land, illuminated by the setting sun, was sandy, but it was a warm land full of vitality.

 

 

When tomorrow came, the sun would rise again and shine brightly on this land again.

 

 

I turned my gaze back to the road and continued driving. Then, suddenly, I saw the sunset reflecting and sparkling in the sand at the edge of the road, so I stopped my motorcycle and approached it.

 

 

And there it was, a plastic bottle with a small amount of water that had spilled out and was left inside. It was the same plastic bottle that I had thrown onto the sand yesterday.

 

 

"Ah......"

 

 

I picked up the plastic bottle and held it with the opening facing down. Then the remaining water inside spilled out onto the ground, emptying the bottle.

 

 

But at that moment, I saw something else. On the sand, where the opening of the bottle had originally been facing, a sprout had grown.

 

 

The water I had thrown in anger yesterday had spilled onto the sand and sprouted a new life.

 

 

"......"

 

 

Even though I hadn't intended it, even though I had acted with malice, it had produced a shining green sprout.

 

 

I had many thoughts when I saw this. But one thing was certain, this was not a negative result.

 

 

I put the empty plastic bottle in my bag and took out another plastic bottle from inside. And I opened the lid and tilted the bottle over the place where the sprout was.

 

 

Then the sand, parched by the desert heat, became moist.

 

 

I closed the lid of the plastic bottle and put it back in my bag. And with a lighter bag, I got back on my motorcycle and headed back to Gehenna.

 

 

It would be night by the time I arrived in Gehenna. But if I turned on the lights in the room, it would be as bright as morning.