A whirlwind of events flew by Ayumi. It wasn’t until she sat back down that the fatigue reminded her of the situation. Lingering images of what occurred hung in her mind. She tried to shake them off. The senior clouded her focus on the mission. Ayumi squeezed her hand, taking her mind to something else. ‘Not the time…’

  “Ayumi?”

  “What?”

  He held out the options of water or tea. “Just haven’t seen you distracted before. You’re always so military and serious.” Once she picked the water, he ha over.

  Downing some of the water immediately, she closed her eyes in thought. “I’m human like anyone else.”

  “I know. It’s sort of refreshing to be reminded.” He smiled to her, then leaned against the wall. “That Fumiko though, I guess it’s only been a month since school started, but how did I not see her before?”

  “Yes. Remarkable…”

  Yuki looked down at Ayumi as she seemed lost in thought again. “Piqued your i?”

  “Huh?”

  “Want to see her again?”

  “I have a mission.”

  “Not hearing a no.”

  “Stop.”

  He smiled again and shrugged while drinking the tea. The questioning gnce came up to him. “Just happy to see other sides of you. I like learning about my friends.” Silence followed as they drank to pass the time.

  Chapter 34 – Far Enough

  A slow trickle of students steadily meahrough the polished wood and pster halls. Clubs already gathered and sports activities domihe outdoors. The f quiet of the well worn school interior stood as the clear pibsp; Pead tranquility made for a happy enviro. It just needed a dutiful guard to provide succor in times of distress.

  Fumiko hurried with hushed footfalls through the hall. The unpnned side quest, while very critical, did make her tardy. She eased her gate to a more ary pace upon breag the sed floor club wing. Part way into her trek through the hall, she saw most of the doors began to close. She traversed by other students not bound by an urgent agenda. Fumiko exged weling smiles and nods.

  Her destination came up he middle of the hallway. A simple wood pte sign hung from above, Fantasy Literary Club. Further down, the Cssical and Sce Fi could be seen as well. She couldn’t visit them today, at least at the start. Routine had to be forewent today.

  When she opehe door, two of the students immediately turo look. A polite greeting from her picked up the attention of everyone else. “Sorry, I’m te!”

  “Resg undercssmen again, President?”

  “Guilty!” She dropped her school bag oable. Opening it up, Fumiko spilled out the tents. Half a dozen paperbacks cascaded followed by two notebooks. A pencil case along with some loose papers fell out st.

  “Any issues to report?”

  “She’s safe. I just o let the Student cil know.” Her thoughts faded off to far too near raven tinted emotions. It was a cycle and she loathed seeing it. There would be peace for a bit, but then it’d resume all ain. Even if it was a never ending flict, she was one she inteo wage.

  “They aren’t going to do anything. It’s the student body.”

  “Doing nothing is worse.” Fumiko walked over to the desk and pulled out a stack of papers. She passed them around the table to the five other students.

  “Fighting everyone all alone?”

  She took a seat at the end of the table, pullihings out of the way. “There’s plenty of ways to fight. You just need focus.” Distant thoughts spun around her head making Fumiko drift away. Haunting whispers echoed in her mind. Each crawled deeper attempting to breach her. The moment it looked like progress had been made, she snapped out of it, f reality. “Focus is what’s important.”

  “Prez?”

  “Focus, right.” A small boun her chair pulled her forward to the club. “Did everyoo read up to chapter five st night?” Slow nods came from everyone as the club began its usual activities.

  Late afternoon finally arrived, though the sun remained beaming in the window, it wouldn’t st. The club room emptied a few minutes ago. Fumiko ed up the st few details before closing up as well. She stared wistfully at the window.

  Alohe voices returrohan ever before. Stabbing and poking, they chewed on her defense. Her hand ched onto the handle of her bag. Blood pressure rose as did her breathing. Strength sapped from her knees as she braced herself against the table. Echoes twisted around her ears. She smmed her eyes shut. “No! N-no-no! Get a hold of yourself!”

  She pulled up her bag and hurried out the room. Quickly, she made it down to the ground before pausing. Fumiko dug through her bag to pull out a book from her personal stash. Her finger easily found its page and focused down for the walk home.

  Ohe breeze hit her face, her mind already disappeared into the world of magid heroes. Images of dark mountains and dragoed her far more than the pin crete beh her. Where she left off iory, a sinister assassination plot became exposed to the party. They sought to track down the vilins, but remained a step behind. While a on enough plot, she ehe character iions and world. Each word bounced off the page filling her with images.

  Lost in her book, Fumiko tur the school gate and nearly missed the little girl standing around. Immediately, the book came down and Fumiko focused on the child. No more than maybe ten, they stood looking around. She didn’t reize them. ‘Someone’s sibling?’

  Fumiko k dowo the girl. “Are you looking for someone?” The kid quickly took a couple steps back clearly startled. Rather than keep pressing, Fumiko sat down to reduce her presence further. Her height wasn’t always in her favor. “It’s okay. See I have the same uniform? Are you looking for someohat goes here?”

  A quiet pause fell over the two. The little girl still tried to decide, a trait that Fumiko could admire. It was better to be cautious of strahan trusting. So she just waited for an answer.

  “Y-yes…”

  “It’s pretty te. Do you think you could have missed them?” A vigorous shake refused Fumiko. That made her think for a bit. “This isn’t the only way out of school.” Another emphatic head shake dehat option as well.

  “Well if you’re certain. It’s pretty empty by now, so if you want… I help you look.” That gave the child pause once more, an uandable rea. Fumiko searched around in her mind for ideas. “Oh, I should have thought of this first. Do you have a phone or a number we try?”

  “No…we don’t.”

  “Odd…but I guess everyone’s different.” This required a little more thought. The school had extensive grounds. She needed a way to narrow things down. “Do you know if they’re in a club?”

  The girl looked down, likely trying to remember. It didn’t take long for an a least. Time was burning. “Maybe? I’m not sure…”

  “Hm, no lubsp; Perhaps someone from the Student cil’s still around. What’s their name?”

  “Ayumi Nishamura.”

  Immediately, the name sounded familiar. Fumiko tried to think why she khe name. She pensively searched the day’s event until it came to her. “Oh her! But I know nothing about her… Student cil, it is then.”

  Standing up, she offered a hand down to the little girl. The girl still had some hesitation, but finally accepted Fumiko. Fumiko smiled warmly to the girl. “If she’s still in the school, we’ll find her!”

  The school became even more dead by the time she returned. Only a few students still lingered in the halls, a positive sign. Reality questiohat hope, but Fumiko ted on optimism instead. She kept her eye out fns of Ayumi, but naturally there was o be found.

  At the Student cil door, she looked back at the girl. Cautiousness and fear filled her eyes. An unfamiliar space filled with strangers no doubt frightehem. Fumiko gave her a f pat and squeezed her hand. “They aren’t scary.”

  Fumiko knocked on the door. “Is aill here?” No sound immediately came out of the room. It seemed like a reasonable eone remained behind still. But she might have to send the girl home, after all Ayumi probably was there.

  The sound of a chair scraping over the floor ged her mind. It straightened out her stan preparation for someone opening the door. Slow footfalls approached. The door opened slowly to be greeted by Yori of all people. “Oh, President Mizuno! I didn’t know you were still here.”

  “Fumiko Terauchi…” He noticed the sed persoo her quickly. “What were you needing?”

  “I was trying to find someone for this girl. They were waiting for a first year, Ayumi Nishimura. Do you know if she’s in a club? I thought we might check there.”

  “Nishimura? The name doesn’t sound familiar, but I chebsp; Have you already tried calling her?”

  “No phone.”

  “Aion?”

  “Oh, I guess I didn’t chebsp; I just assumed they were family.” Fumiko looked down at the little girl for an answer. “Ayumi Nishimura is…?”

  “My big sister!”

  “Right…” Yori went bato the room. In the er, a puter sat with a spreadsheet currently up. “Does she have any identification?” He sat down starting to type away on the keyboard.

  “I didn’t…check…”

  “I appud your willio help, but you o firm the story.”

  “Yes, you’re right…” While Yori ran the search for her, she k down. As always, he remained level headed and logical. They were traits that she could admire. The ht of basic checks shouldn’t have happened. “Do you have an ID on you or your school bag?”

  The girl pulled away a bit, but then looked back towards Yori. Her reservations rexed and nodded baiko. She turned around and showed the red school bag she wore on her babsp; A bear charm hung off the er of the otherwise simple bag. Opening the fp, Fumiko looked at the name on the ID.

  “Chiasa…Nishimura…” Everything for emergency tact rinted on the card. A school to reach along with parents and home address, anything the police or someone helping her would need. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”

  Yori approached the threshold, his searplete. “That’s good. Always best to be careful. I couldn’t find a club for her. So she’s probably not still around.”

  A dejected down turned head said everything they needed about Chiasa. Fumiko leaned around to look back at her. “Was she expeg you today?”

  “No…I wao surprise her… I wao spend time with her…”

  Fumiko checked Yori quickly, who shook his head in silenbsp; “She’s probably on her way home then. But you e another day. I’m sure she’d be happy to see you.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Um, yeah…” Her mihrough all the steps from today. The usual methods were off the table. “How about this, Chiasa… After school finishes I’ll bring her out to you. That way you don’t miss each other this time! How does that sound?”

  “I like that!” Chiasa aking both of her hands to hold onto Fumiko.