Problem Solver's Client and Sensei - 10

Over three weeks had passed since the escape, and Sensei was now staying at the Problem Solver 68. The biggest change was no longer having to sleep under the open sky, and enduring dust storms.

"Finally, staying in a bright place instead of the dark every day is much better..."

For Sensei, the most pressing issue was his physical condition. To say he wasn't doing well was an understatement. When the members of Problem Solver 68 saw his state, they couldn't hide their shock.

"What are all these injuries...?"

Even disregarding the two missing fingers, the condition of Sensei's right shoulder was severe. Although they had administered emergency treatment, the area where he had suffered both gunshot and stab wounds was inflamed and surrounded by a deep bruise. The wound wasn't healing properly, constantly oozing fluid.

"Bandages and ointment don't seem to be helping much. Time is cruel; back in the day, I could just spit on something like this and it would heal. Haha..."

"It's no time to laugh, Sensei...!"

When Aru said that Sensei just smiled at her.

"I've tried laughing, crying, getting angry, everything. But in the end, laughing is best. What's done is done, and we have to stay positive. It's not that big of a deal!"

He tried to lift his right arm to show he was fine, but his body wasn't cooperating. As he raised his arm, a searing pain shot through him.

"Ugh...!"

His face contorted in pain, and he lowered his arm. Aru's face went pale.

"J-Just rest! Don't do anything! Rest is most important! No, just lie down on the sofa!"

"It's not that bad, you don't need to worry so much."

Mutsuki stared at Sensei, her usual playful grin completely gone.

"How did it get this bad...? Were they all aiming to hurt you like this...?"

"Well, I'm lucky, all things considered. It wouldn't have been strange if I had died a long time ago. Somehow, I ended up meeting you all."

"We tried to kill you too, you know,"

"Don't think about it that way, Kayoko. It's not like that now, is it?"

Sensei smiled, but no one smiled back. His condition was far too serious for such lighthearted banter.

Realizing the atmosphere, Sensei stopped smiling and changed the subject.

"Well, for now... we've all introduced ourselves, right? You guys are pretty hardcore, so I think we'll get along."

"Uh..."

Aru looked troubled. While their goal of protecting Sensei was the same, Problem Solver 68 and Arius Squad found it difficult to communicate without him acting as an intermediary.

Just yesterday, it was...

"I'm Rikuachima Aru."

"I'm Jomae Saori."

And then, silence. There was nothing more to say.

Just a day ago, they were fighting tooth and nail, so the awkwardness was inevitable.

Moreover, the Arius Squad was responsible for causing an unprecedented incident. Even Problem Solver 68 couldn't help but feel a bit distant.

Still, introductions had been made, albeit awkwardly. Kayoko and Atsuko, Mutsuki and Hiyori managed to exchange names.

"...........Imashino Misaki."

"...........I, I'm Igusa Haruka..."

These two were the most awkward. The girl who had been the most unhinged in Problem Solver 68 just yesterday was now hanging her head, avoiding eye contact, which baffled the Arius Squad.

'Can someone's personality change this drastically? I doubt if she's the same girl from yesterday.'

'Bwaaaah...'

'She might be cute? Hehe.'

'..........'

Regardless of whether their personalities meshed or not, the nine students were now in the same boat—the "Protect Sensei" boat. If it capsized, Sensei would be thrown to the wolves.

Still, if their interests aligned, they could cooperate. Especially if it was under Sensei's guidance. Sensei rewrapped his bandaged body and stood up.

"Now that we're all together, it's quite a crowd. When I was running alone, I couldn't trust anyone, and it was lonely. But with you all here, I feel much more secure."

His words brought a glimmer of hope to the students' faces. Feeling guilty towards Sensei, his words of reliance lifted some of the burden from their hearts.

"But at the same time, I feel uneasy. In a way, I've just dragged you all into this to save myself. I know your intentions are sincere... but helping me is incredibly dangerous. Truly..."

The more he confirmed their willingness to help, the more anxiety grew in his heart. "What if something goes wrong?" was a question he couldn't shake. He had thought it would just be him dying, but now, dragging everyone else into it... the thought of such a tragic end was unbearable.

He genuinely wanted to resolve the issue so other students wouldn't face the same fate. But at the same time, he wanted to live. This conflict filled him with guilt.

If someone got seriously hurt because of him, could he accept it? Could he live with that? Such thoughts still lingered in his mind.

Saori's next words shattered his train of thought.

"Sensei."

"?"

"If we were in danger, would you turn a blind eye?"

Sensei's answer came without hesitation.

"No, absolutely not. How could I ignore you? If I did, I wouldn't deserve to be called Sensei anymore."

And as if she had been waiting for that response, Saori replied,

"We feel the same way, Sensei. Just as you wouldn't abandon us, we won't abandon you. It's as simple as that. You reached out to me, to us, when we were at our lowest. So, we're doing the same for you."

".........Saori."

"As I said before, the four of us have always felt the same way. Even if you try to push us away, we'll follow you to the end."

"So~ don't try to run away on your own, thinking you can handle everything, okay~?"

"There's nothing more to say. We'll help you."

"I-I will too..."

"Guys..."

Problem Solver 68 chimed in as well.

"We feel the same! We'll do everything we can!"

"E-Even if we have to fight everyone... I-I'll clear them all out!"

"How could we leave Sensei alone? Right, Kayoko-chan?"

"Yes, trust us."

"You guys..."

Suddenly, Wakamo appeared and hugged Sensei from behind.

"I'll always be by your side~? Whether it's a thorny path or the flames of hell, I'll be with you to the very end!"

Sensei's face went blank at the sudden, soft touch.

"Wakamo, Wakamo! Can you please stop hugging me like this?!"

"It's just a way to reaffirm the relationship between you and me, darling?"

"What relationship?!"

"You know exactly what I mean."

The serious atmosphere vanished instantly, replaced by a scene straight out of a sitcom. Sensei could almost hear comedic background music playing.

"A-Anyway, I get it, so let go for now!"

"So you get it... That means, finally, darling...!"

"Oh, please!"

Aru's eyes rolled back, and she stammered,

"S-Sensei? A-Are you two... in a relationship?"

"No! It's just her one-sided claims!"

(Squeeze)

"Anyway! Anyway! That's not important right now!"

"Bwaah... So you already have someone, but you're still trying to charm other girls... Adults are scary..."

"When did I ever?! Don't make baseless accusations, Hiyori!"

Sensei felt the cold stares of some of the students. He panicked and began to protest.

"No! No! We didn't gather here for this! Can we move on to the actual issue?"

"Sensei...? Are you avoiding the issue?"

"Avoiding? What are you talking about?! It's just not important!"

"Oh~ So relationships with girls aren't important?"

"Mutsuki, don't make me sound like a scumbag..."

"...........Hmph."

"This is driving me crazy."

The looks he received were anything but friendly. Sensei wanted to cry, but at that moment, the heavy atmosphere lightened, even if it was at his expense.

* * *

Sensei gathered the nine students and set up a whiteboard, starting the briefing. He explained the current situation and future plans.

"First, as you all know, my situation isn't good. There's a warrant for my arrest and an order to kill. All the students hate me. Kaiser PMC, other schools, Helmet Gang, everyone, regardless of age or gender, is after me."

"Basically, all of Kivotos is our enemy, except for the nine of us."

"You're right, Kayoko. But there are two fortunate things. First, they aren't completely halting their activities to hunt me down. While their hatred might vary, it's not extreme on average. If it were, I would have been caught and killed long ago."

"Sensei...? Them trying to kill you isn't extreme...?"

Sensei sadly nodded at Aru's words.

"For now, that's the case. It's the lesser of the worst evils, you could say. That's why we can still manage. Well, that's the first point."

Sensei cleared his throat and continued.

"Second, and this is the most important part. There's a way to restore the students' minds to their original state. If I'm recognized and harmed, they'll return to normal after a short time."

The mood turned heavy again at this. The method to break the curse of hating Sensei involved harming him, which was far from ideal. Moreover, they themselves had returned to normal this way, making it even more difficult.

"Is this... really the only way, Sensei?"

"For now, it's the only method I know. At least it works with minimal injury..."

"Sensei, that means you'll have to be stabbed hundreds of times to restore all the students. Your body won't last! Even now...!"

Misaki and Haruka lowered their heads at this. They had stabbed Sensei's right shoulder and left a scar on his cheek that might be permanent. The guilt surged as they remembered. Saori, especially, was deeply affected. She had been the one to break his fingers and shoot his shoulder, and the thought of his injuries increasingly tormented her.

"It can't be helped, Saori. There might be a better way, but for now, this is all we have..."

"Darling, I broke free from the curse on my own, didn't I? We could avoid harming your body."

"Are you suggesting headbutting 200 times?"

"Yes!"

Sensei could only force a laugh at Wakamo's words. Her concern made her suggestion even more bittersweet. While he was immensely grateful that she had broken the curse through such extreme means, he couldn't adopt her method. Could he call himself a teacher if he harmed a student to protect his own body?

"I appreciate your concern, but I won't use that method. No, I can't. And let's not bring it up again."

"But..."

"Wakamo."

At Sensei's earnest request, Wakamo reluctantly agreed.

"Yes... I understand..."

Sensei continued speaking.

"So, our approach will be to subdue the students, make them inflict a minimal injury on me, and restore their minds. That's the basic pattern."

"Then, we just need to catch them as we see them and restore their minds...? With nine of us, we should manage somehow...!"

"Yes, subduing one student shouldn't be a problem. But it's not something we can use freely. The situations where it's applicable are extremely limited."

"W-Why is that...?"

"First, this method only works if I make them recognize me directly. In other words, I have to reveal my identity. So, we can't use it in crowded places or the middle of the city, right? It would be like shouting, 'I'm here!' And Kivotos students aren't easily taken down with a single bullet. Subduing them will take time. So, we have to choose places where people don't go. No, places where no one goes. Even a single witness could ruin everything."

"But if we kidnap them from the city and drag them away, it will be noticeable. Then we have to wait in deserted places and catch them. But is there any point in setting traps where people don't go in the first place?"

"Right. That's the biggest problem. As Mutsuki said, unless the students come to us, this method isn't very useful."

Problem Solver 68 had actively searched for Sensei, and he had set a trap by chance, allowing him to catch them. But that was a special case, and there's no guarantee it will work again.

"If we could move freely, we could roam the city and take action. But honestly, it's difficult. Setting traps and planning is the safest and most reliable method. However, the biggest problem is that we can't choose who we catch."

Kayoko shook her head.

"Honestly, even after a year, I don't think it will work that way. Our relationship will be exposed first."

"You're right..."

Just then, Wakamo raised her hand.

"Wakamo? Do you have an idea?"

"Darling, I have a good idea."

"What is it?"

Wakamo's suggestion was simple and shocking.

"Why don't we just attack the General Student Council? If we can control that, half the problem is solved, right?"

Silence fell upon the group. Sensei immediately rejected the idea.

"Wakamo, that won't work. It's rejected for three reasons."

Sensei explained his reasoning.

"First, the current General Student Council isn't the defunct organization it used to be. The moment we attack, reinforcements from all schools will swarm in. Nine of us won't be able to handle it. Even if we add a few more, it's the same."

"Second, we don't have tanks, helicopters, or anything. Just guns and our bodies. We excel in guerrilla warfare, but that's it. We can't attempt anything with this."

"And this is the most important part. The General Student Council isn't a Nexus. Controlling it doesn't solve everything. Even if by some miracle we succeed, will the other schools listen? They don't seem to be listening anyway. Even if Rin clears up the misunderstanding about me, the curse won't disappear. Wouldn't they attack the General Student Council instead?"

Everyone nodded at Sensei's explanation.

".....I see. I wasn't thinking straight."

"No, it was the first thing I thought of too. Honestly, if we used you, the Shittim Chest, and the Adult Card, we might have some chance of success. But the disadvantages outweigh the advantages."

Mutsuki raised her hand next.

"Mutsuki, do you have an idea?"

"Hmm~ Building on that fox's idea, what if we just take control of the school leadership?"

"Huh?"

"If we control the leaders, the rest will follow, right? We can't catch everyone, but if we control the strongest, the others will follow, won't they? Kuhuhu..."

"That could work... If we can pull it off, it would be the most efficient... Hmm..."

"M-Mutsuki?! Can we even subdue the Head Prefect?!"

"Maybe Sensei can think of a way~?"

Sensei sadly shook his head.

"Mutsuki, I'm sorry. That's difficult too. Of course, if we were alone, even if it's Hina, nine of us could subdue her somehow. But that scenario is nonsensical."

"Hmm~ Honestly, the Head Prefect isn't as foolish as the Student Council President, she wouldn't be so careless."

"Right... Wait, is it okay to call your Student Council President foolish?"

Problem Solver 68 unanimously responded to Sensei's question.

"Honestly, in other schools, she would have been ousted long ago."

"I think the President would be a better choice..."

"Honestly, I can't say she's competent, Sensei..."

"I see. Well, just like any school, if she's alone, we can pour everything into subduing her, which would be a huge advantage. But I don't think such a situation will arise."

"Nothing is easy."

"Well, it won't be easy. But we have to try. If we can get even one school on our side, it would be a big help. Is there any way...?"

As Sensei continued to ponder, Mutsuki patted him on the back.

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out. We'll help you with all our might, so cheer up. And it's lunchtime, let's eat! Maybe we'll come up with something after eating!"

Sensei smiled.

"You're right. Mutsuki, let's eat and think about it."

"Okay, Aru-chan, are there any cup noodles left? Should we use those?"

"Uh... I feel like it's too pathetic to offer to Sensei..."

"What are you talking about? For me, cup noodles are like a feast now. I'll eat it gratefully!"

"Sensei... How much hardship did you endure...?"

Thus, Sensei's meeting with the students was temporarily suspended for lunch. Sensei was still deep in thought.

'What should I do... Is there another student who is roaming alone to capture me?'

* * *

Meanwhile, in a desolate place, a Helmet Gang member was being held by the collar by a girl.

".....You don't know?"

"I-I don't know! Why are you here?! We don't know anything!"

"........Fine. Then just take this."

Smack!

A massive shield smashed the Helmet Gang member's helmet. The member fell unconscious.

"......I thought trash would know each other, but I guess this method won't work."

More than ten Helmet Gang members lay unconscious around the girl. But her expression remained blank.

"I have to find him... I have to find that damn guy..."

The pink-haired girl with a bob cut moved on. Her steps seemed heavy.

"Don't worry, Yume-senpai. I'll find the one who made you like that and do the same to him."

The girl bit her lip, thinking of a certain someone. She spat out her hatred and anger towards that person.

"Sensei... I'll definitely kill you."

Takanashi Hoshino continued her search for the Sensei, even today.