We walked into her office, it looked neat, there was no hidden weapons hidden here or there, I came her expecting that their might be a few traps already inlaid and waiting for me, but it seem that all what she really wanted to do is to have a conversation with me .
Here, have a seat .
She took a seat on the chair in front of her office desk, she was motioning for me to take a seat on the chair opposite to her, seeing no issue, I sat down and for a while after I did, all she did was to keep staring at me without uttering a word .
That expression on her face and eyes wasn't new to me, but even though I had already get accustomed to it, to be always looked at like this as if I was a prey or something left a bad taste in my mouth and made me quite uncomfortable .
In the end I couldn't help but cough slightly as to try to remind her of the business she called me to her office for, she was startled at first and even though she still didn't lose eye contact, she had at least started to regain some more clarity that alllowed this situation to start moving in any direction .
Ummm, Ahhhh, Yotsuba-san is truly a marvelous person and even more handsome than what the rumors about you mentioned .
Rumors ?!, could she be talking at the silly prank made by Erika, yes that list about the handsome men in the school and the idea of voting, were all that silly girl doing, maybe she was trying to embarrass me or something, but I was able to get that she felt slightly ashamed of doing something like this, only to realize that all her hatred was baseless and unfounded .
I didn't know how to reply to the woman in front of me saying that, but all I could found myself doing at this scenario is to give her a nod and still say :
" What exactly did you call me here to talk about Ono-sensei ? .
She shifted in her seat for a while and finally said :
You can call me Haruka when it's just the two of us here, this is all the same for the other students, so don't misunderstand it for me being favorable to you or anything like that .
I seriously don't care whether she wanted to be called by her surname or first name, but wanting this to be over with, I still nodded my head and didn't do anything but to continue staring at her .
She seemed to have finally realized that my patience was running thin as well, so she finally started to say :
I wonder what are Yotsuba-san thoughts regarding the school, are you handling it well, are you settling in nicely and are you having fun, oh and are you getting along with your classmates, let's start with these questions first .
I looked at her strangely and couldn't help but say :
" Is there a reason for you to be asking about my situation, I'm not trying to be disrespectful or anything, but if this was a counselling session, I believe that many students out there might need your help more than I do, don't you think ? .
She seemed a bit taken aback by my answer and end up rubbing her cheeks and chin while looking in a different direction for the first time since our conversation had started, she seemed to be trying to come up with some excuse, after long search for such an answer, she finally said :
Well, I just like to try and held such unofficial sessions with the students, they would normally speak more at ease when they know that they aren't at risk of getting an expulsion, or the risk of their parents getting summoned .
Today's it just happened that I had encounter you, just as I was thinking about whom should I talk with next, so it was quite the coincidence, don't you think ? .
For some reason, I felt that she seemed to mean something else other than what her words seem to imply, her words carrying a hidden meaning didn't bother me much and since all I currently cared about was how to get done with the situation here, I found myself saying :
" So in the end, this is just a counselling session ? .
Not an official one, this is more like a genuine chitchat between friends, you don't have to even answer if you don't want to .
She startled me by suddenly reaching to hold her hands with mine and she was looking at me with a puppy like big eyes, thinking about her real identity, I couldn't help but find the situation a bit ridiculous .
But in the end, I still nodded my head and gave her answers to her questions, saying :
" The first question is a bit hard to answer, but as for the rest of the questions, my answer is yes, I had actually had some fun going to this school .
As if completely disregarding of my other answers, she said :
Why is it difficult to find an answer to the first question ? .
I had suspected that she had come her and asked that question with a purpose in her mind and it seem that I was indeed correct, I shook my head at her words and said :
" It's not difficult to answer this question, it's just that I'm new to this school and my opinion, may or may not be as objective as you might think .
She was about to take more liability with my hand, but I pulled it away just as she was about to put it in her bossom, she looked quite happy with my answer and directly after that, she said while smiling faintly :
Becauseof the situation between Course 1 and Course 2, the Weed and Bloom situation, is that the reason you are feeling like this .
" So Sensei is also aware of that struggle between the two courses ? .
She for some reason showed a bit of silly annoyance at being called by her job title instead of her name like she just asked me too, she didn't cower from saying :
Yotsuba-san, I already said that you can call me Haruka .
Was I imagining it, or her chair seemed to have moved a bit more closer, was I really imagining it, maybe this was just an illusion made due to her leaning over slightly forward, I'm not aware if whether this was truly a part of her real character or was she just trying to seduce me .
Anyway, it was great that Juvia had other matters to attend to, if she were to have been present, things might have escalated, after she snorted slightly in annoyance, she finally started to become more serious as this sensitive topic was brought, she said :
You would be surprised on how many people exactly ask for a session with me to talk about such an issue, that's why I wanted to hear your thoughts on the matter Yotsuba-san, since sooner or later and if this issue didn't get resolved, a perilous situation might end up on rising .
" Something is telling me that Haruka-sensei does know more about the situation and already had come in contact with one of these issues, am I wrong ? .
She looked a bit nervous, but for mere a few milliseconds, before her complexion returned to normal as if nothing happened, but this might indeed fool others, but it wasn't enough to fool me .
She coughed slightly and said :
Before delving deep into this part, how about you give me your clear thoughts about this issue, no pressure of course, I just want to see the problem from the student point of view .
She may have said this, but maybe this wasn't the full truth, I had a hunch that as I already suspected, she might have had a close encounter with the conflict on the rise, but before knowing what exactly are my thoughts, she might not be be willing to share any of the information she had acquired .
Whether that was related to the nature of her mission or maybe she was just trying to hide the identities of the students involved, wanting to protect them from getting implicated and even detained, either way, this conversation won't go any further without one side opening up to the other .
" Well, since that what interest you and seemed to be what you called me here for right from the start, I will tell you what I truly think regarding this conflict .
" I believe that both sides are at fault here, a side is guilty of bullying and responsible for turning simple issues and arguments into a deep greaviances that can no longer be solved with an apology, those were my thoughts on the so-called Blooms .
" On the other side, the Weed could be said to be incapable of fighting against the injustice shown to them, even though they very much have many ways to do so, but most if not all of them had accepted their fate as defective magicians .
" They both had nice people that can act as a bridge to mediate in the situation and solve it, but the majority on either side had already become dismissive to the idea of solving the issue .
" One side now wanted to be just treated as equal to the other side, the latter side wanted to have nothing to do with those that the school had already labeled as defectives, one is fueled by anger and suffering from injustice .
" While the other side is driven by pride and sense of superiority that both the school and the society had granted them, these are my true thoughts regarding this matter, I don't think that the issue laid with one side over the other, they both are at wrong here .
After I finished speaking out my mind, she was setting there with stars glittering in her eyes in a comical manner as she looked st me and raised her hands up and was about to start clapping, but luckily she seemed to have been recalled back to reality and she in the end just become a bit embarrassed before lowering her hand and petite head .
She seemed to have fallen into a weird silence too, she didn't say a single word for a while, this almost made me mistake her thinking something completely different to mine, it wouldn't have been an issue, but I was worried about me ending up influencing her own thoughts, that's all .
If she got truly influenced by my own thoughts, her decisions from before might be reshuffled, for good or worse, this was completely unclear, but what I know is that will affect how will the conversation continue and whether will I be able to get valuable info regarding the perilous situation she mentioned .
But it seem that my worries were meaningless as she suddenly changed the whole topic with what she said next, she said while standing up and bowing down slightly :
Yotsuba-san, I want to ask you for a favor, would you please care to listen to my plea .
Haruka-sensei suddenly said this and she indeed was quite sincerely asking me to help her with something, seeing her like this, I couldn't help but say :
" As long as it's in my capability, I will try to help as much as I can, but what exactly is the issue you need my help with .
She stayed silent for a while before she finally raised her head and looked at me in the eyes and said after a little bit of hesitation :
Some of the students in this school had been approached by a dangerous organization that wanted to advantage of the already existing conflicts and force these students to go ahead and wreck havoc in the school with the support of that criminal organization, I hope that you you can help correcting this situation and ease the tension .
" So from your words, I believe that you aren't talking to me as a student here in school, but more likely as one of the Ten Master Clans member, am I right to think like that ? .
She averted my gaze but still nodded her head weakly, I couldn't help but ask :
" What exactly want me to do and why you picked me a first year student at that, I believe that the school council president would be more than willing to help, if you went to here, unless you don't want anyone to hear about it, afraid of authorities getting involved, perhaps .
I saw that her expression shifted a bit after I said this and understood that I was indeed correct with my prediction, she didn't want any problems to befell those students who or getting them in trouble .
She once again nodded and continued to say with a resolute expression and tone :
These students are good students, it's just exactly as you previously mentioned, they had grown tired of their perilous situation and wanted things in the school to change for the better to them, should this be that big of a thing to ask .
They accepted that those who reigned over this school having no problem with how everything going on and having absolutely no intention for a reformation, then the only viable option they had left, was to try and fix their situation themselves, I don't see a problem with that, just so that we are clear .
My only problem, was them trying to push for their idea to bear fruitation depending on people who wanted them nothing but harm, collaborating with criminals would only end up with more suffering, that's why I came here to seek your help .
She was almost roaring at me now with her words, well, even though the logic behind her words was indeed reasonable, I myself had once thought about the Weed standing for themselves and the injustice treatment they are forced to endure, but it seem that the situation did indeed get out of hand with the involvement of a third-party .
That party was the criminal organization known as Blanche, the same organization that had tried to attack both me and Tatsuya, at least now I had some clues about what their motives in coming here was, but them attacking us is still a bit of a mystery .
Well, no much benefit will come from dwelling on it, I directly asked her the last question that I might need an answer for, I said :
" Among these students you mentioned, care to tell me the name of the person who had reported this to you, I truly wonder if there was much of an issue with you telling me about his or her identity, if you don't want to that will be okay with me as well, but be aware of the risk that you might put this student through because you decided to stay silent .
That student is Mibu Sayaka .