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(let’s. make. reality. fictitious.)

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Tomoyo woke up, stretching the crinks in her back. She did her bed, which was an important start to the day, of course. She did her morning ablutions and then slipped on her sailor uniform while tapping her worn shoes on the ground at the toes. Most importantly, she made sure her hair was nice and sleek.

Tomoyo smiled at herself in the mirror before heading off. When she walked she noticed a familiar presence by her side as she walked out of the apartment.

“Haa?!” Tomoyo said aloud before she puffed up her chest and yelled at Kazuo. “What are you doing here? God forbid, I need a babysitter too?”

“Considering what happened yesterday, yes,” Kazuo said. “Calm down.”

“I will not calm down!” Tomoyo said, flustered as ever.. "I thought this was a one off thing, that you would…”

“I’ve got a fake ID and everything,” Kazuo said with a smile. “I’m officially registered into your school. Anyway, shall we head there?"

"So, how am I going to introduce you to the class?" Tomoyo said before Kazuo shrugged.

"I don't know, let's improvise," Kazuo said. "Say that I'm your childhood best friend moved in from the boondocks or something."

"Well, er," Tomoyo said while she flushed a little. "I don't know. I guess I'll think of something, but like...no funny business, you! You may be there for my protection, but just so you know, I'm not going to go easy on you. I'll treat you just like any other student, of course, and I expect you to go about your education and take your career seriously!"

—x—

"Everyone!" Tomoyo said while slamming her shinai down on a desk. The force of the shinai nearly split the desk in half of a hapless student, who nearly toppled over out of fright. "Pay attention! Today we've got a new student coming to our school as of today! You will introduce him properly to the school and he will be part of the rehabilitation program of being part of the elite! Any question?"

"Er," Kokoro said while raising her hand. "Kazuo-san, what exactly do you like to eat?"

Kazuo grinned. "Expensive sushi. Or sometimes it could be wom--"

Tomoyo smacked Kazuo on the head. "Inappropriate topic for school! Please restrain yourself from such dialogue, Mr. Kazuo, or else I will have to rehabilitate you quite thoroughly on that matter!"

"I'm looking forward to your rehabilitation program, Tomoyo-chan," Kazuo said, while the students and the others whispered among one another.

"What is he? Is he an M?" one of the students whispered in confusion, though some of the girls seemed to ogle Kazuo like eye candy. Tomoyo raised a brow at them. Just because he was a fair-haired teenager with pale skin and silver eyes didn't make him attractive, did it? Even though there was something compelling about his appearance, he was also the type of chivalrous pervert that she hated! Sure, he wasn't insufferable and pathetic, but a pervert still is a pervert, in her opinion, though he usually called himself a 'lover of women, and occasionally men.'. She hoped that there weren't weird things going on with him and Rikyu...

"Well, now that you've been properly introduced, I think that we can now begin our class session," Tomoyo said before Kokoro stood up from her desk and directly took Kazuo's hand within her own.

"Kazuo-san, please, let's do our best!" Kokoro said with a warm inviting smile. "And take care of Tomo-chan too, will you?"

The boys were in an uproar. Garbage flew across the room and swatted against Kazuo, who simply put a hand behind his head and laughed. They sure were energetic, weren't they? All because of Kokoro! If only they put that energy into other things like putting the garbage away instead of throwing it at convenient targets that earned their ire. Though Tomoyo secretly felt relieved that she wasn't the target this time, but still; after all that parkour and gunmanship that he displayed earlier, why was Kazuo putting on this pathetic guise? Couldn't he act a little bit cool or something?

"Ah," Kazuo said while he gently kissed the hand of Kokoro, further earning the ire of the men around him. "I'm enamored by your beauty, Kokoro-san, was it? I'm sure that a good friend of Tomoyo's will be a very good friend of mine indeed."

"Oh stop it you," Kokoro said with a giggle before she smiled at Kazuo. "You know, Tomo-chan and I have been friends since grade school. Back then, she was so adorable and would chase off boys that tried to flip my skirt or pull my hair. I trust your'en to that type of person, Kazuo-san?"

"I wouldn't dream of it," Kazuo said with a grin, though Tomoyo side-eyed Kazuo. hard. What was he doing flirting with her Koko-chan? Why did Koko-chan act as though she enjoyed his teasing and flirtations so openly? She could practically feel the aura of ill-tempers wash over the classroom like a fog.

"Damn it, get a room you two," Tomoyo said with a huff. "Also, I will add in a new rule to the pamphlet; no romantic relationships! It is strictly forbidden! The younger generation is more focused on their careers rather than relationships, as they are a hindrance to an improved society."

"Oh come now, Tomo-chan," Kokoro said while putting a hand on her cheek. "Just because you haven't had a boyfriend.."

"TI's not about that!" Tomoyo said with a flustered face. "It's about our futures! Besides, getting into a relationship now at our age and getting pregnant will only slow down your development into fine young citizens who contribute to society!"

“So where were you, Tomo-chan?" Kokoro said wonderingly before Tomoyo tried to think of an excuse.

"Um, well...I had urgent business to take care of with my parents," Tomoyo said carefully, feeling bad she had to lie to her best friend of all people. But telling her the truth would lead to more complicated scenarios, wouldn't it?

"I see," Kokoro said with a small smile. "Well, please continue working your hardest to make them proud. And Kazuo-san, you will look after my Tomo-chan, won't you?"

"Sure thing," Kazuo said, and Kokoro then resumed her seat. After class was over, however, the men cornered and stalked Kazuo outside the room.

"What is your relationship with Tomoyo?" the men demanded. "And more importantly, what is your relationship to Kokoro-chan? You, not only have the affections of one girl but two girls? That's just being greedy, Kazuo-san."

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Hey, hey," Kazuo said with a grin. "There's no need to be upset."

"We're gonna getcha!" one of the boys said before Kazuo easily evaded his grasp while pretending to fumble around clumsily.

"What is he, drunk?" One of the male students said before another lunged at him, trying to grasp him in a bear hug.

Kazuo simply laughed and ran down the hallways while the male students were in mad pursuit of him. Somehow, even though they ran quickly, Kazuo was faster, and they wondered why he was seemingly within reach but he evaded their clutching hands with ease. Just what kind of person was this man? Then again, Tomoyo wasn't an ordinary girl either when it came to physical prowess. In fact, she was downright scary and violent, which was why no one in their right mind would dare date Tomoyo Aburame!

Kazuo ran all the way to the rooftop of the building, enjoying stretching his muscles and having fun. Gosh, it was good to let loose, but in a different way. He could tell that he would have fun times at this school, that was for certain.

-01001101-

Tomoyo thought it would be a regular day. That's how it seemed to be at first, though Tomoyo started to notice that things began to go awry when she got a phone call from Kazuo that day.

"Stay at school," he said.

As if she would obey his orders! Not that she cared about Kazuo, but she hated being a sitting duck for targets and assassins and whatnot. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of cowering in fear! No, she would go out and face them head on, that's what she'd do. She wanted to prove to Kazuo and Rikyu and the organization that she led that she could perfectly well take care of herself. So that meant being proactive and getting into the action. She snuck out of school, which was unusual for her. Normally, her previous self would've thought herself a delinquent for skipping out on class, though this was important! She needed to do this, and besides, the stakes were much higher for her than ti was for other students. She had more important things to do than rehabilitate losers that didn't care about improving whatsoever! The only exception would be Kokoro-chan, but Tomoyo needed this mission even more. So when she walked out of the school with her trusty shinai, she tried to keep on the lookout for any unusual figures that might be stalking her. When she started to walk out, she noticed someone tailing her. Her heart leaped in her throat When she felt a hand rested upon her shoulder, relief showed on her expression when she saw that it was Kokoro behind her.

"Oh, Koko-chan," Tomoyo said with some relief. "I'm glad to see you. To be honest, I thought you were...someone else."

“You seem rather jumpy, don't you, Tomo-chan?" Kokoro said, and Tomoyo frowned.

"Wait a minute," Tomoyo said as 'Kokoro" slashed at Tomoyo with a knife. "You're not Koko-chan!"

"Oh?" the fake Kokoro said, in which she threw off the caramel brown long wig that she had, which revealed a lusty redhead with piercing green eyes. "How could you tell that it wasn't Kokoro?"

"Because," Tomoyo said. "She always wears perfume."

The assassin laughed.

"So that's what gave me away, hm? Well, unfortunately, you're my target, so I will ask you to please die for convenience's sake."

Tomoyo’s eyes widened. Her life was in danger, yet she couldn’t bring herself to screen. Instead, she whacked the girl in the head with her shinai as hard as she could. It stalled her for a moment, though Tomoyo’s shinai split in half from the impact and Tomoyo dashed as quickly as she could away from the scene. Shit, why did she have t oget in this much trouble? The government spooks must’ve relayed her position to the comapny in America that sent those androids after her!

"Like hell, I will!" Tomoyo snarled, and Kazuo grabbed her and took her out of harm's way.

"Idiot!" Kazuo said. "I told you to stay at school!"

"I can take care of myself, you know!" Tomoyo shouted at Kazuo while she battered against him with her fists.

"Now's not the time to be hardheaded," Kazuo said through gritted teeth. "This assassin is as skilled as me...and don't always think that I can reliably come to your rescue every single time! Jeez, woman, you're really trying to test me, aren't you?"

"I..." Tomoyo said breathlessly, and Kazuo glared at her for the first time.

"You're selfishness is going to get everyone killed! You understand?" Kazuo said before the red-haired assassin leaped forward and got into hand to hand combat with Kazuo. The woman was strong enough to force Kazuo on his knees, though he used aikido against the redhaired woman and flipped her onto the ground. The woman, despite being slender in shape, must've weighed a ton, as she pummeled into the concrete of the road and leaving a crater in its wake.

"What should I do?" Tomoyo said, wringing her hand nervously when she realized the gravity of the situation.

"Run!" Kazuo said. "Don't look back!"

Tomoyo did as she told. She scolded herself in her mind all the while, calling herself an idiot repeatedly over and over again. What was she trying to prove? Her notion of pride that she was strong and didn't need anyone's help? Why did she have to endanger Kazuo and the school with her selfishness? Now people were chasing after her, and there was no way that she could help Kazuo. Or was there?

Something floated through Tomoyo's mind; endless information about something that she shouldn't know leaking into her head. Just what did all those complicated symbols and equations mean? Somehow she made sense of them, despite not knowing them before, and she paused, looking back towards Kazuo. If she could just access a cell phone, or something...

But what would she do? She assumed that this must've had to do with her powers. But she didn't know how to control them yet, and testing uncontrolled powers was a foolhardy thing to do, let alone a morally reprehensible thing when it turns out that she couldn't control them. But what should she do? She couldn't' just stand there and let Kazuo get beaten by that redhaired harlot!

"Kazuo!" Tomoyo said as she dashed forward, and Kazuo turned around with a snarl on his face.

"Idiot! why'd you come running back!" Kazuo said.

"Because I'm trying to help you, stupid!" Tomoyo said. "Listen, she's not a person! She's an android! So...put aside your chivalrous notions and attack it!"

"What do you mean she's not a woman?" Kazuo said. "She looks like a woman and talks like a woman, doesn't she? So I can't hit her!"

"Your chivalrous attitude is going t get you killed," Tomoyo shouted. "Besides, what would you do if a woman tried to kill your Captain? What would you do then, huh?"

Kazuo gritted his teeth. I..."

"You would just let her kill Rikyu? All because of your chivalrous notions?" Tomoyo said, her nostrils flaring. "You're weak, Kazuo! A disappointment!"

"Shut up," Kazuo said with gritted teeth, though the android was overpowering him second by second.

-they fight, Kazuo overpowered by android, shot.”

“Oh my God!” Tomoyo said as a scream erupted from her throat. “Kazuo!!!”

“I will escort you to Miss Shizuha when you’re ready,” The android said, before carelessly tossing Kazuo aside. However, today was only an observance and a test of your skills.”

Tomoyo’s heartthumped in her throat. She knew that she was in deep shit now.

“Thank you for your cooperation,” The android said before she bowed and departed away. “We will meet again, I’m sure.”

Tomoyo stood there quaking before she rushed to Kazuo’s side. She almost put a hand on his chest where the bullet entered, though Kzuo stopped her.

“Let me get it out,” Kazuo said. “Don’t look.”

Tomoyo turned. Once Kazuo did first aid work on himself, Tomoyo said in a very meek voice. “I’m sorry.”

“What the hell were you thinking?” Kazuo said, shaking his head before he put his hands on her shoulders and shook her gently. “Because for some god forsaken reason you got me crippled. It hurts like a bitch, you know?”

“How…how did you survive that shot?” Tomoyo said while tears trekked down ehr face. “Y-Your chest….”

“Nanomachines,” Kazuo said, to whcih Tomoyo blinked.

“Nanomachines?” Tomoyo said in wonder,

“Rikyu made them for me,” Kazuo said. “I didn’t get killed. The android knew that gunshot wouldn’t kill me, but she did enough to cripple me for a bit’

“I’m…” Tomoyoo said. I’m so, so, so sorry!”

“You’re lucky,” Kazuo said. “And I didn’t need your sorries.”

Tail tucked between her legs, Tomoyo propped Kazuo up on her shoulder and carried him to the school. Maybesome medic professionals ould be able to tend to him. But still…remembering that android…the power that she displayed…Tomoyo shuddered.

“This is all my fault,” Tomoyo whispered. “I will make it right again… just…I can’t ask for your forgiveness though, Kazuo. I know that I fucked up. Really, really badly.”

Tomoyo trembled. “I’m not worth protecting….”

“You idiot,” Kazuo muttered. “Did you think I woulld stop protecting you? That I would hate you? As much as I’m angry with you, as much as I don’t like what you did, I could never hate you.”

“But I will,” Rikyu said as he showed up at the scene of the crime. Tomoyo’s eyes widened.

“Rikyu…,” Tomoyo said before Rikyu coldly glared at her.

“You said that you wouldn’t endanger anyone unnecessarily,” Rikyu said, his cold stare harsh. “Tomoyo-san…you’re the absolute worst.”