"A gas pipeline at Sakano Academy exploded, and they're saying the back mountain was nearly leveled."
"I was worried you might have been caught in the blast, Kawashima-sensei, so I had to come and check on you."
A gas pipeline explosion? Kawashima Toya's expression turned ironic. That sounds remarkably similar to the excuses they use in a certain 'peaceful' city like Fuyuki.
Toya let out a long yawn.
"I'm fine. You both can stop worrying."
"Go on and enjoy your time off. I'm going back to sleep."
He moved to close the door, intending to retreat to his bedroom. Using a True Name release of the Star-Holy Sword had drained him significantly, and he desperately needed rest to recover.
"Kawashima-sensei..." Katsura Kotonoha started to speak, but seeing the exhaustion etched into his features, she hesitated and lowered her gaze.
Saionji Sekai, however, wasn't ready to leave. She held up a bag of fruit.
"Sensei, we came all this way to see you. Are you really going to leave us standing in the hallway?"
Beside her, Kotonoha offered a small, shy nod, holding a similar bag of fresh fruit.
"If you two keep this up, the neighbors will think I'm at death's door," Toya grumbled. He stepped aside and gestured for them to enter.
Since Sekai was so insistent, he saw no harm in it. There wasn't much for them to see anyway.
Sekai scanned the apartment with curious eyes, her nose twitching.
"No strange smells... but why are you so worn out, Sensei?"
While Sekai walked in with her usual confidence, Kotonoha paused at the threshold, her face flushed as she whispered, "Excuse me for the intrusion."
Once inside, Kotonoha noticed how sparse the apartment was. For such a large space, it was strangely devoid of personal items or furniture.
Toya slumped onto the sofa and reached into one of the bags, pulling out an apple and taking a bite.
"The place is a bit bare, so I don't have much to offer. Feel free to help yourselves to the fruit you brought."
"Hey! That's hardly how a teacher should host guests," Sekai said, looking at him in disbelief. "We don't need a return gift, but shouldn't you at least offer to buy us lunch?"
Kotonoha lowered her head, murmuring, "Oh, I really don't need anything."
Toya gestured toward the empty living room.
"Look around. Do you see a kitchen with actual supplies? Where exactly am I supposed to cook for you?"
"Is it even normal for a place this big to be so empty?" Sekai asked, puzzled.
"It's normal enough," Toya countered. "I'm single. A man's room only looks suspicious if there's too much specialized equipment in it."
Single... Kotonoha's face turned a shade redder at the casual confirmation of his status.
Toya decided there was no point in being vague anymore. He nodded. "Besides, as Sekai-san knows, I only came here for the Shiki."
"Last night, I found their nest and cleared them out. My work here is finished, so I'm preparing to move on."
"Move on?" A flash of panic crossed Sekai's eyes. "Was Sensei really only here for the monsters?"
Beside her, Kotonoha didn't care about monsters; she only felt a sharp pang of disappointment.
He's leaving? But we just met... My sister finally gave me the courage to try...
Toya took another bite of the apple. "Everything is settled. It's time for me to go."
He looked at the bags of fruit.
"I appreciate the gesture, but you should take those back. I've already eaten one, and I'll be leaving Sakano Academy within the next day or so. Don't let expensive fruit go to waste."
He knew that in this country, such high-quality fruit could cost an office worker half a day's wages.
"So soon?" Sekai's voice was strained. She tried to appear composed, but her eyes betrayed her. "Don't you want to stay and see the sights for a while?"
Toya shook his head. "No. The problem at the academy has been resolved. There's no reason to stay."
"Kawashima-sensei... I wish you a safe journey," Kotonoha said, forcing a faint smile through her sadness.
Toya offered them a brief, sincere grin. "You too. I hope you both have a good future ahead of you."
He hadn't noticed the weight of their emotions. Perhaps the hearts of high school girls were simply a mystery he wasn't meant to solve.
A short while later, Kotonoha and Sekai said their final goodbyes. Standing outside his door, the reality set in that they might never see him again.
Both had things they wanted to say, but with the other girl present, the words remained unspoken.
"Katsura-san, right? I actually have Kawashima-sensei's contact information. Also, I know he runs a detective agency in Tokyo."
"It's called the Trash Fox Detective Agency. A strange name, isn't it?"
.....
Inside the apartment, Toya looked at his small wardrobe and sighed. "Just these few clothes... I can barely fill a single suitcase."
"Wait, I almost forgot."
Toya paused during his packing as a thought occurred to him.
Sawanaga Taisuke.
He remembered the blond student from Class 1-3. The boy had been fed upon by at least three different Shiki. Based on his condition, Sawanaga was likely on the verge of death.
Since Sawanaga was the biological son of Sawagoe Tomaru, anyone from that bloodline was guaranteed to turn into a Shiki after being bitten.
For a student like Sawanaga, Toya wasn't about to waste a thousand points on a recovery potion. Once the boy stopped breathing, Toya would simply need to ensure he stayed down permanently.
"One last task before I clock out."
Toya grabbed his suitcase with one hand and the Star-Holy Sword—now wrapped in a plain wooden scabbard—in the other.
He knew he'd get some looks walking down the street with such an odd combination of luggage.
As he reached the lobby, he ran into Kotonoha and Sekai again, who were still lingering near the entrance.
They fell silent as they saw him fully packed and ready to go. Kotonoha's eyes turned glassy, the weight of the farewell hitting her all at once.
"Oh, still here?" Toya greeted them with a nod. "Have a good break, you two. I'm heading out."