"Sensei, are you alright?"
Hasumi's voice was calm yet firm as she watched over Sensei, who was still lying on Lina's bed.
For a moment, Sensei remained silent, staring at the ceiling as if something had just clicked in his mind.
Then—
He suddenly sat up.
"I'm fine, nothing to worry about."
He waved his hand dismissively, flashing a casual smile to reassure them.
Then, as if nothing had just happened, he continued,
"By the way, the control of the [Sanctum Tower] should have been transferred to the General Student Council. I wonder if they've received it by now?"
His words—
Left the room in confusion.
Yuuka furrowed her brows.
"Huh? How?"
Her voice was filled with doubt.
There was absolutely no connection between Sensei passing out and the General Student Council somehow gaining control of the Sanctum Tower.
"Ah, well..." Sensei hesitated for a moment before puffing out his chest slightly. "It's a bit complicated to explain, but let's just say—I managed to solve it!"
The way he spoke—
Like an adult boasting about fixing a child's toy—
Irritated Yuuka to no end.
Chinatsu, simply nodded.
"We'll just need to wait for the Acting President to arrive and confirm it."
She turned toward Hasumi.
"How long before she gets here?"
Hasumi checked the time, then answered.
"She should be here any minute now."
The room remained noisy with Yuuka, Hasumi, and Chinatsu surrounding Sensei, bombarding him with questions about the Sanctum Tower.
But on the other side of the room—
A much quieter exchange was happening.
Lina sat on a chair, slightly turned away from the group, her eyes gazing at the darkening sky outside the window.
For some reason—
She felt irritated.
She didn't know why exactly.
maybe—
She just didn't like that he was acting so casually after everything that happened.
Whatever the reason, she let out a small sigh and looked back out the window, trying to shake the feeling away.
Then—
A presence.
Someone quietly sat down beside her.
Lina immediately noticed.
She glanced to her side—
And saw—
Morizuki Suzumi.
The girl had an indifferent look, her expression as unreadable as ever.
In her hand, she held a plastic bottle of mineral water, gently rolling it between her fingers.
Lina blinked.
Why did she sit here?
Was she about to say something?
Or was she just... sitting?
Just as Lina was about to turn back to the window—
Suzumi spoke.
"Hello."
Her voice was soft yet steady.
"I didn't introduce myself earlier. My name is Morizuki Suzumi. You can call me Suzumi."
Lina hesitated for a second before replying.
"Um... hello, Suzumi. My name is Lina Astra... You can just call me Lina."
After that—
Silence.
A bit awkward.
Lina wasn't sure what to say next.
She wasn't great at casual conversations to begin with, and Suzumi wasn't exactly the chatty type either.
The seconds stretched on.
Neither spoke.
Lina tapped her fingers lightly against her knee, her mind racing for something—anything—to break the awkward silence.
But—
Suzumi, as if completely unbothered, simply continued rolling the water bottle in her hand.
It seemed like she was perfectly fine just sitting there.
Lina, on the other hand—
Was not.
----------------------------------------------------------
A few minutes later—
Knock, knock.
The sound of knocking echoed through the room.
The door slowly creaked open.
Everyone instinctively turned their heads toward the entrance.
A woman stepped inside, her sharp, composed gaze sweeping across the room before settling on the figure lying on the bed.
Rin.
The Acting President of the General Student Council.
Her expression remained unreadable at first—
But when her eyes locked onto Sensei, a subtle breath of relief escaped her lips.
She walked forward, stopping beside the bed.
After a moment of silence, she spoke.
"Sensei, I'm so glad you're okay."
Then—
Without hesitation—
She bowed.
A perfect 90-degree bow.
Her voice was firm, carrying the weight of sincerity.
"I sincerely apologize for allowing you to come into contact with such a dangerous object without providing you with any prior information. This was a failure on our part, and I take full responsibility."
Sensei blinked at her formal apology before waving a hand dismissively.
"It doesn't matter. In the end, it was my own fault. It has nothing to do with you, so there's no need to be so formal about it."
Then, as if casually bringing up the weather, he added—
"Oh, by the way, Rin-san, the authority to control the Sanctum Tower has already been transferred to you guys."
Rin—
Paused.
Her eyes widened slightly in confusion.
"...?"
She blinked a few times, as if processing what he just said.
Then—
Without another word, she pulled out her phone, stepping away as she quickly began dialing a number.
"Please wait a moment. I'll contact the relevant personnel for confirmation immediately."
Sensei simply nodded, watching as she moved to the side, already immersed in her call.
Meanwhile, the room fell into a brief silence.
Yuuka, Chinatsu, and Hasumi exchanged glances, while Sensei leaned back against the bed, seemingly relaxed despite everything that had happened.
Lina, still sitting near the window, let out a quiet sigh.
Suzumi, who hadn't moved from her spot beside Lina, calmly took a sip from her water bottle.
Then—
"...So? What's the result?"
Yuuka, unable to hold back her curiosity, crossed her arms and looked towards Rin, who was now finishing her call.
Rin lowered her phone, her sharp eyes scanning the group before landing on Sensei.
"Confirmed." She nodded. "The authority over the Sanctum Tower has successfully been transferred to the General Student Council."
Yuuka raised an eyebrow. "Wait... Just like that? No complications? No weird security issues?"
"None," Rin replied. "Everything seems to have gone smoothly. The system has accepted the transfer, and we now have full control."
For a moment, everyone processed the information.
Then—
"Phew! That's a relief!" Chinatsu smiled, placing a hand on her hip. "At least we don't have to worry about that anymore."
Hasumi nodded. "Yes, but we still don't understand why Sensei collapsed after using that device."
The attention in the room shifted back to Sensei.
He let out a small chuckle. "Ahaha... well, it's a long story."
Lina, still sitting off to the side, finally spoke up.
"Then make it short."
The room turned toward her.
Sensei blinked, a bit caught off guard. "Huh?"
Lina sighed, resting her chin on her hand. "If it's a long story, then explain it in a way we can understand quickly. Otherwise, you're just stalling."
Yuuka nod. " I agree with Lina." She folded her arms and leaned in slightly. "Sensei, spill it. What exactly happened when you touched that weird tablet?"
Sensei scratched his cheek, looking slightly troubled.
"...Well..."
He glanced at Rin.
The acting president adjusted her glasses and crossed her arms. "It's important for us to know, Sensei. If something similar happens again, we need to be prepared."
After a moment, Sensei let out a sigh.
"Alright, alright... I'll explain."
---------------------------------------------------------
Flashback – When Sensei Was Unconscious
When Sensei's vision went dark, the light stretched infinitely away, distorting and blurring until only abstract colors and discordant sounds remained.
His consciousness felt weightless yet tangible, as if it had been sucked into a vast, inescapable void. It was like being crushed flat, kneaded into a ball by invisible hands, then unraveled into thin, thread-like strands.
Spinning.
Stirring.
Tumbling.
In the endless darkness that seemed to dissolve his very sense of self, he suddenly became aware again—though he had no idea how much time had passed.
Then, slowly, piece by piece, his senses returned—like droplets of pigment sinking into a bottle of milk tea, gradually coloring his world again.
—Splash. Splash.
The rhythmic sound of waves crashing against the shore filled his ears, their steady beat almost melodic.
A soft breeze drifted past, carrying the crisp scent of salt and sea, brushing against his skin like a gentle whisper. The humidity clung to him, subtle yet unmistakable.
Sunlight—neither blinding nor dim—poured in through the window, scattering golden beams across the floor. A few rays kissed his face, bringing a warmth that was just right.
Slowly, Sensei opened his eyes.
A vast ocean stretched before him, shimmering under the light, endless and serene.
Marvel filled his expression as he took in the view.
"Is this... heaven?" he wondered. "A place where I can finally laze around after retirement?"
Wait... retirement?
"Hold on—I don't even have a job yet!"
His gaze remained locked on the endless blue horizon.
"...Or is this the place where I finally become a true salty fish?"
The vast ocean stretched endlessly before him.
A deep blue, shimmering under the soft golden sunlight. The waves rolled gently, whispering secrets as they met the shoreline.
Sensei blinked, his mind still hazy. The sensation of warmth, the scent of the salty breeze, the rhythmic sound of the waves—everything felt so real.
He slowly sat up, feeling the texture of fine sand beneath his fingertips. The grains slipped between his fingers as he clenched his hand.
"This is..." He murmured, still trying to process his surroundings.
Was this a dream? Or had he actually died and gone to some kind of peaceful afterlife?
He turned his head. Behind him was a small building, built right on the shore.
It looked... familiar.
Too familiar.
A strange sense of déjà vu washed over him, much stronger than before.
He stood up, brushing the sand off his clothes, and walked toward the building. Each step felt heavier as his mind raced with questions.
"Why do I know this place?" He whispered to himself.
His hand reached for the door handle.
The moment his fingers touched it—
BEEP.
A sharp electronic sound rang in his ears, shattering the peaceful scenery.
The sky flickered.
The ocean blurred.
The soft warmth of the sand turned cold.
Before he could react, his vision was engulfed in static—
And everything collapsed into darkness.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in an unusually spacious and bright classroom.
Why was it so spacious and bright? Did they run out of budget while building this place?
The entire wall and half of the ceiling on one side of the classroom were gone, as if they had been blown away by a missile. Desks and chairs were piled haphazardly in the corners, abandoned like forgotten relics.
But none of that mattered right now.
Because his attention was completely drawn to the presence in the middle of the classroom.
A small girl, barely more than a child, was sound asleep at a desk.
Her short, sky-blue hair barely reached the nape of her neck, with a single neatly braided pigtail resting on her shoulder. She had buried her face in her folded arms, making it impossible to tell if she was awake—
Until a soft, muffled gurgling sound reached his ears.
So she's alive. That was good news.
The girl was clearly enjoying her dream, as evidenced by the impressive amount of drool pooling beneath her cheek. It had completely soaked her sleeve and half her face, glistening in the sunlight.
Sensei stared at the scene in silence.
...Should he wake her up? Or get her a towel first?
wake her up then...
Approaching her desk, he hesitated for a moment before gently poking her cheek.
"Hey... wake up," he called softly.
The girl didn't react.
Another poke.
Still no response.
Sensei sighed, leaning in slightly. "Come on, you're gonna get dehydrated at this rate—"
Suddenly—
"Mmm... five more minutes..."
The girl swatted at him lazily, her voice muffled by her sleeve.
Sensei blinked. "...You're awake?"
"...No."
"You're talking."
"...No, I'm not."
to be cantinue.....
------------------------------
(Lina: can you stop cliffhanger?
Author: no
Lina:....)
(A/n: You can find the fic I mentioned in the last chapter on a website/app called FanqieNovel. Oh, and if you manage to create an account there, be sure to follow me and leave review on my fanfic!)