School Grounds Fun

Spoiler:

A man slowly stood behind a desk at the front of the classroom. His blue hair shifting lightly as he looked from one paper to the next. His azure eyes looked over his desk as he raised his hands over his head and interlocked his fingers as he stretched them high above his head.

He let them drop back down as he looked down at his wrist, pushing his sleeve up to look at his watch and looked at the time. The sun had set or so he could only assume. At this point, it would be on the other side of the school and he couldn't really tell. ""Well, can't rightly do anything about it now.

The library door swung open and a young woman stepped out of it, clad in the academy's uniform with her bag slung on one shoulder. As she walked past the few classrooms she looked ahead, the hall already seemed to be almost empty. This prompted the girl to look out the window. It was immediately obvious to her that the sun was nearly down.

'I guess curfew's getting closer. I must have lost track of time. Maybe I should head back to my room soon...it seems nice out though.'

Her gaze remained focused outside. It was one of the few days that they seemed to get without rain and Hotaru was sorely tempted to take advantage of the few moments that remained before it got dark. Torn between her options in the little time she had left, she remained in the hallway, looking out.

The blue haired man finished pushing the papers together and then leaned over as he pulled out a drawer and dropped the papers down into it before closing it and straightening up. He looked over the desk as everything seemed in order and he didn't have any more reason to be there.

He turned around and walked toward the door of his classroom and pulled it open and walked outside. He turned around as he pushed the door close and then turned around...to see that he wasn't alone in the hallway. "Ummm, excuse me?"

Though she didn't notice the classroom door close, Hotaru looked over as she heard another person speak. At first she was surprised to find that she wasn't alone in the hallway anymore, but that soon turned to nervousness as she noticed it was one of the teachers. That nervousness laced her voice as she spoke, afraid that she would be chastised for not having returned to her room yet.

"Ah, um, Sensei...I was just going to head back to my room. I was really tempted to go outside for a bit though, since it's not raining out. So I got sidetracked looking outside."

The teacher slowly moved his hands to his hips as he then listened as she started to speak. She started speaking of why she was there and turned his head to the side as he looked outside as he then nodded his head as he looked back toward her and pointed outward the outside "Well, I'm sure there shouldn't be any other teachers about so you shouldn't have to many problems sneaking outside for a bit."

Hotaru's amber eyes widened as he suggested she could go out there and likely without any repercussions. This was the first time she had heard such a thing from one of the teachers so she was obviously surprised.

"Really? You mean I won't get in trouble at all? Even with it being beyond curfew?"

The blue haired man watched her as she seemed more than surprised that he would simply let her off the hook as he did. He looked back outside and then moved his hands up and crossed them over his chest as he shrugged his shoulders "Well, if I was any other teacher then I would have written you up and walked you straight to your room without another word..."

He shook his head as he let out a deep breath "But, I'm not one of those stuck up types and I actually think I might take a short walk outside too."

The look of surprise soon became a smile as he seemed indifferent to the rule breaking, even stating that he would prefer to go on a walk himself. Without waiting she had begun to head for the nearest exit before turning to look back at him.

"You could come with me then. Maybe I'll be able to use you as an alibi for being out if any other teacher is about then. It's not like it'll be dangerous out there or anything if we spend even a little time."

His eyes looked over toward the window as he looked outside as she started to walk away. He moved his hands down and into his pockets but stopped as his attention was brought back over toward the girl as she spoke to him. He gave a light smirk as she spoke about him being used as an alibi and it was smart thinking. He turned and walked over.

When he was there, he continued to the door and pushed it open and walked out, holding it open for her to exit "Smart girl, smart girl indeed. I'm professor Kazuma, Ai Kazuma."

As the door was held open for her, Hotaru walked through so that she could be outside at last. Once she was a few feet from the doorway she turned to look back at him to finally respond to his introduction with a bow.

"Kazuma-sensei, I'm Hotaru Nakano. Since you're in this place I'm guessing you're a Quincy as well?"

It was with that that she began to walk along the grounds, not looking back to the teacher as she took in the weather.

"It really is a nice evening out here. I've been wanting to be out here all day but was stuck inside."

Ai watched as she was a respectful sort and smiled as he nodded his head toward her "The pleasure is mine miss Nakano." He then released the door as she started to walk away and he moved his hands to his sides as he looked off to the side and nodded his head "And you would be correct in that assumption. And a very good one if I do say so myself."

He listened as she spoke about being out side and took in a deep breath of the air and then exhaled and replied "Looks like we were both having plan's on going outside after hours. I didn't know if I would have felt like it once classes and paper work was done but now I'm glad I did."

The student continued to walk ahead of him. Hotaru was fighting the temptation to do a little spin as she walked, enjoying the evening air. There was a smile on her face as she spoke and it was clear through that and her voice how she felt to be outside despite the consequences she could face for doing such a thing.

"I just wanted to take advantage of the clear skies for once. When it's raining I don't usually feel like doing anything but sleep. That's probably the first thing that gets to me about this place..."

It was with a little curiosity though that she turned to look at the teacher again. Normally they would be stricter about such things but he was fine with her breaking curfew even if there was danger about. It was something she just found a little odd.

"But why are you so free to let me out past curfew? Wouldn't you get in trouble for it too?"

Ai moved his hands down and let them slide there way into his pockets as he watched the girl. It seemed as though she was having more than her fair share of fun just simply being there. She added that the rainy days didn't do much for her but made her sleepy.

"Well, it is good that its not raining or I'd be a bit wetter now."

He gave off a light laugh as he spoke and then let himself come to a stop as she spoke to him about his own actions. He raised a hand up as he let his index finger scratch the side of his cheek

"Well, its better to let you do this and me be here to get in trouble than for you to bind up the urge and go out on your own and something happen. I figure its a risk worth taking."

"Good point. But in all the times I've been out and about nothing has happened yet...at least that I couldn't handle."

It was with a smile that she implied that this wasn't the first time she had been out with the weather permitting past the curfew.

"In my time here I still haven't quite understood why we have to follow such rules. The place is safe after all isn't it?"

Ai looked off to the side as he started to take a few steps out as she continued on about having no idea why it was the rules were in place and how things are not so urgent to follow them all the time. He stopped and then raised his shoulders in a shrug

"Oh is that so? Well it is for those 'Just in case' situations. You can never be too careful when it comes to dangers. We all have to make sure to look out for one another even when you never know it."

"So it's better safe than sorry I take it. At night only of course."

Shrugging it off Hotaru continued to walk as she enjoyed the evening air. Unable to resist it any longer, the girl did a little spin while holding onto her bag. When she came to a stop she looked at the teacher while walking backwards.

"Why did you choose to come to such a place anyways, Sensei?"

Ai let his azure eyes come to fall onto the young quincy once more as she let herself be thrown into a gentle spin. He let a smile form over his face as he listened to her as he followed in her direction as she walked backwards

"Well, if I had to give a reason, it would be to make sure that the quincy ways live and thrive on. To help students and teachers alike something new and maybe even learn something new myself if I can. What about you miss Nakano, did you come here of your own free will?"

"That seems like a good reason. As for me I'm here since my parents had recommended it. It seemed like it would be a decent school at least and who am I to say no to them."

Returning a smile before she turned around, the girl continued to walk about the grounds.

Ai listened as she spoke about his own reasons were rather nice to her. He then heard as she spoke about her parents were indeed the reason for her being there. He continued after her and then moved his hands into his pockets as he spoke

"Miss Nakano, have you ever been in the heat of combat with the hollow race?"

Hotaru was a little surprised by his question and looked back at him with raised eyebrows. After the surprise wore off though she gazed at the sky, thinking of her answer before voicing it.

"Not past training exercises. I saw more training like that at home than I ever have here though for obvious reasons."

Ai slowly let himself come to a stop as he watched as the girl stopped and then stated that other than training, she was still rather new at the archery. He nodded his head as he slowly withdrew his right hand and looked down at it as he slowly started to roll a item, small and coin-shaped disk over his fingers

"We are going to have a little after school test. Do you know what this is miss Nakano?"

Glancing back from the sky to him, the girl studied the small object for a minute. It didn't take her long to place it but once she had recognized it, the surprised look returned to Hotaru's face.

"...Isn't that Hollow Bait, Kazuma-sensei? You're not planning to actually use that here are you?"

Ai closed his eyes as she started to speak and spoke correctly she did. He nodded his head and then stopped the coin and then flicked it into the air and then caught it on its way down and then held it out in front of himself in between his fingers

"That is correct. And I might, what will you do? What are you supposed to do opposed to what you should? What do you feel you should do? Stop me?"

Hotaru opened her mouth after he spoke as though to make an objection before closing it again. She looked away, thinking of what it was she should do and would do. Sure, she didn't have much experience but this was a way to get experience. Yet, she couldn't help but worry that some of the students wouldn't fare as well. Plus, there was one matter that she recalled about the school that made it unique aside from housing only quincies.

"I thought there was a barrier here though. If that's released it could cause more trouble outside of school grounds than in. Or will they break through it in large numbers? I feel like I should stop you because there are younger kids around here, and the numbers drawn by the bait may be too much for me to handle alone... If you went about it anyway I would have to push myself to do my best."

As an uncertain expression settled on her face she looked at her right, gloved hand.

"Though I have this glove it's not near mastered yet as far as I can tell. It would be difficult."

Ai watched as she was first hesitant to speak and then continued with her reasoning. He slowly turned the coin like object in his fingers as she went on and then nodded his head several times before speaking

"Well done miss Nakano, you are indeed a brilliant mind. You are correct again. This school is protected and destroying this under any other circumstance would mean certain annihilation of many people. But, that is why I am here and that is why we are going to do this in a controlled manner."

He raised his hand up and placed the coin in between his fingers as he continued

"It is a Quincy's duty to destroy hollows and to continue to grow even stronger still but that does not mean reckless obliteration. It means precision and strategy and taking out the enemy before they can think ahead of you."

He placed more pressure onto the coin as it started to fracture. He then looked toward Hotaru

"Remember, lives could be counting on you if your too slow. Don't slow down just because I'm here. Aim to perfect yourself and your technique, and you'll have a minute or so to get yourself in a decent place outside the barrier. There is a fault at the peek of the barrier that I shot this morning. That's where they will try and enter and that is your best shot."

With that, the sudden shattering of the ring echoed from him, it soon turning into a fine dust.