Chapter 9: Unexpected Encounters

But in that same instant, he stopped.

The distance between him and Leina wasn’t far. His hand had already touched Leina’s shoulder, almost pulling her into an embrace. And Kai realized—fully realized—what he had just done. I almost hugged a woman I just met. I almost hugged Reina’s sister. What am I doing?

Quickly, Kai pushed Leina away—not hard, but enough to restore the distance between them. His hand, still holding Leina’s shoulder, released its grip hastily, like he was holding something hot that was burning his skin.

"Sorry, Miss. I didn’t mean to," Kai said quickly, his voice full of unnecessary explanations he couldn’t stop. "I didn’t mean to—I just—I was surprised—Reina never told me she had a sister—I didn’t know—sorry—"

Leina, who had almost been hugged by Kai, now stood with her face growing even redder—red spreading across her entire face, from her forehead to her neck, making her look like a ripe tomato. She stammered slightly, her voice becoming softer and gentler than usual, like she had lost her words for the first time in her life.

"I-it’s o-okay, Mr. Kai," she said with a trembling voice, her hand reaching up to fix the hair in front of her face—a gesture she did to hide her flushing face. "I’m fine. I just—I was also surprised—you suddenly—but it’s okay."

Kai took a long breath, trying to calm himself. His chest was still beating fast, and he could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. I almost hugged Reina’s sister. I almost hugged a teacher I just met. What’s happening to me? I should be able to control myself better than this. I’m a former mercenary. I’m The Death. But here, I’m just an awkward man who almost hugged a stranger.

"Miss Leina," Kai asked, his voice starting to return to normal, though still a little awkward and shaky, "has Miss Reina ever told you about me?"

He looked down slightly, not daring to meet Leina’s eyes directly. The question came out without him thinking, but once it was out, he realized he really wanted to know the answer. Did Reina ever tell her sister about me? About my past? About what I did?

Leina shook her head slowly, her eyes still looking at Kai with curiosity she didn’t hide—but this time, there was also sympathy in her eyes, an understanding that didn’t need to be spoken. "No, Mr. Kai. Sister Reina never told me anything about you." She tilted her head slightly, a gesture that made her look like she was thinking seriously about something. "Sister Reina never talks about her past at all. I don’t know much about what she did before becoming the principal here. Sometimes I ask, but she always changes the subject."

Kai heard that, and slowly, the tension in his body began to ease. His racing heart began to calm, his breathing became more regular, and he could feel his muscles starting to relax. Reina didn’t tell anyone about me. About my past. About the Grim Reaper. About what I did. She kept my secret. She protected me. Like always.

"Did you know Sister Reina?" Leina asked enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling with genuine curiosity, her smile returning to her face, which was still slightly red. "From the way you reacted earlier, it seems like you and Sister Reina have a... special relationship."

Kai nodded slowly, his eyes beginning to drift to the past—to those times when he was still a war machine, when the explosion happened, when he almost died, and when a young nurse with firm hands and sharp eyes stitched his wounds without anesthesia.

"Yes. We met in an unpleasant situation... and Reina was the one who got me out of it."

Kai didn’t explain further. He didn’t need to. The memory was still fresh in his mind, like it had just happened yesterday. At that time, Kai was only sixteen. He was young, still foolish, still believing that the government was the right side. He was on a mission with the Grim Reaper forces, attacking one of the rebel bases considered dangerous, when the explosion happened. A trap—they already knew the forces were coming. The explosion was powerful. Kai was thrown far, his body flying through the air like a helpless rag doll, and when he hit the ground hard, immense pain shot through his body—pain that made him want to scream but no sound came out.

But the strangest thing was, when he got up and checked his body, nothing was missing. No arm severed. No leg broken. Just wounds here and there, wounds that bled but weren’t fatal. He was shocked, but he had no time to think about it. Enemy forces were still around, gunfire still echoed in the distance, and he had to survive. He had to get up, he had to run, he had to continue his mission.

But then, he began to lose consciousness. His eyes felt heavy, his body felt weak, and he knew—he knew—that if he fell asleep, he might never wake up again. He would die here, in the middle of the ruins, like so many other soldiers who died in a war he didn’t understand.

And then, a sharp pain pierced his thigh. The pain jolted him awake instantly. His eyes opened wide, and before him stood a woman. She was about his age—maybe a little older—but her eyes... her eyes already looked more experienced. Her eyes had already seen too much death. She wore a white nurse’s uniform, stained with blood—not her own—and in her hand, a large syringe she had just plunged into his thigh.

"You won’t die," she said in a cold voice, without emotion, like she was talking about the weather. "I won’t allow it."

She pulled the needle out, and Kai felt a strange sensation—something warm spreading through his body, something that kept him awake, something that saved his life. He stared at the woman, trying to say thank you, but his voice only came out as a hoarse whisper.

"Nurse...?"

She didn’t answer. She just bandaged his wound quickly and efficiently, her hands moving skillfully like someone who had done this thousands of times, then moved on to the next patient who was in worse condition. No words. No explanations. Just action.

From a distance, Kai heard another soldier call her. "Reina! Help over here!"

And she left, leaving him with a bandaged wound and a strange feeling he couldn’t explain. A feeling that he owed her his life. A feeling that he would never be able to repay that debt.

That was the first time I met Reina. The first time I saw the Angel of War in action. And since that moment, I never forgot her face.

Kai took a long breath, returning to the present. He was still standing at the gate of Phoenix Academy, Leina still in front of him with a curious smile, and in the distance, students were starting to arrive with casual steps, bags on their shoulders, smiles on their faces. He shook his head, trying to shake off the lingering shadows of the past.

"Sir, Mr. Kai," Leina’s voice called him, and Kai felt a light tap on his shoulder—a gentle touch bringing him back to reality. "Are you okay? You seemed lost in thought. Your face looked empty, like you were remembering something heavy."

Kai blinked, returning to reality. He saw Leina looking at him with concern, and he smiled—a forced smile, but convincing enough to keep Leina from asking further questions.

"I’m fine, Miss Leina," he said, his voice starting to return to normal, though still with a slight tremor. "I guess I’m not good at waking up early. Sorry, I was daydreaming a little. Still sleepy."

Leina seemed to accept that explanation. She smiled and nodded, as if she understood. "It’s okay, Sir. I often daydream when I don’t get enough sleep. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep, then in the morning I feel like a zombie."

Not long after, the students began to arrive in larger numbers—groups and groups entering the school gate with casual steps, some running because they were almost late, some walking slowly while chatting with their friends. Kai and Leina stood by the gate, returning greetings from the passing students. Kai tried to remember their names—at least some of them—and Leina patiently helped him when he forgot, whispering in his ear softly.

"Sir, that’s the student from class 10 who’s always late," Leina whispered when a boy ran past them without greeting.

"Mira, good morning," Kai greeted a girl with shoulder-length brown hair who waved at him. "Good morning, Mr. Kai!" Mira replied with a wide smile and an enthusiastic wave. "You’re already looking cool this early!"

"Rin, morning," Kai greeted the girl with short red hair who walked with firm steps, her chin raised high, her eyes sharp like an eagle. Rin only nodded briefly, but there was a small smile on her lips that she didn’t hide well—a smile showing she was beginning to accept Kai’s presence in their class.

"Ella, morning," Kai greeted the girl with long black hair and sharp eyes who always looked like she was suspicious of something. Ella glanced at him briefly, then nodded politely—but her eyes were still full of suspicion she didn’t hide, like she was looking for something, like she knew Kai was hiding something. And she was right. But Kai wouldn’t let her find the truth. Not now. Not ever.

And while Kai was busy greeting other students, he saw Iris approaching with a smile on her face. The girl with wavy brown hair walked with confident steps, her eyes looking at Kai with a smile he couldn’t read—a smile that made Kai feel slightly uncomfortable, a smile that seemed to say she knew something Kai didn’t, a smile like a cat that had just caught a mouse.

"Good morning, Mr. Kai," Iris greeted with a sweet voice she hadn’t used yesterday—a voice softer and gentler, a voice that made Kai feel something was wrong. She smiled wider, and Kai felt something strange behind that smile—something he couldn’t explain, something that made him want to ask but he didn’t know what to ask.

"Good morning too, Iris," Kai replied enthusiastically, trying to show he was a friendly and approachable teacher. Second day. I have to do better than yesterday. I can’t panic again. I have to be a normal teacher. I have to make them trust me.

But before he could say anything else, Iris brought her face close—so close that Kai could feel her breath on his ear. Her body leaned toward Kai, and for a moment, Kai didn’t know how to react. He froze, his eyes widening, and he could feel his heart beating faster.

"That night, you were amazing," Iris whispered in Kai’s ear, loud enough to be heard by Leina standing beside them, loud enough to make some other students turn toward them with curiosity.

Kai was shocked. His eyes widened, and for a moment, he couldn’t say anything. That night? What does she mean by that night?

He looked at Iris with a confused expression—his face full of questions he couldn’t voice, his eyes trying to find answers behind Iris’s mysterious smile. "What do you mean by that night?" he asked, his voice a mix of curiosity, discomfort, and panic.

Iris saw Kai’s confused face, and she smiled—a satisfied smile, a smile that said she had achieved her goal, a smile that said she knew something Kai didn’t, a smile that said she was enjoying Kai’s reaction. Without another word, Iris turned and walked away toward her class, her steps light and confident, her hair swaying behind her.

Kai was still standing with a confused expression, his mouth half open, his hand still hanging in the air like he wanted to stop Iris but didn’t know how.

But before he could think further, a voice from beside him broke his thoughts—a voice sharp and annoyed, a voice he had never heard before.

"Mr. Kai, what are you doing to your own student?"

Kai turned and saw Luna—the girl with silver-gray hair who was usually quiet and never spoke loudly, the girl who always sat in the corner of the classroom with half-closed eyes—standing beside him with a red face and an annoyed tone he had never heard before. Her eyes looked at Kai sharply, and there was something there Kai didn’t recognize—something like jealousy? No, that was impossible. Luna was a quiet girl, a girl more comfortable observing than engaging, a girl who never showed strong emotions. Why was she angry? Why did she care?

"Eeeeh?!" Kai’s voice came out in surprise, his hands raised in a defensive gesture like he was facing a sudden attack. "What do you mean, Luna? I didn’t do anything—"

"Iris," Luna said, her voice still annoyed, her face growing redder, her eyes shining with emotion she didn’t hide. "She approached you. She whispered in your ear. What did she say?"

Kai blinked, still confused by Luna’s reaction.

"Luna, I—" Kai tried to explain, but Luna had already turned and walked away, her steps quick and firm, her silver-gray hair swaying behind her, entering the school gate without looking back, leaving Kai still standing with a confused expression and Leina looking at him with an unreadable smile—a smile that said she was enjoying what had just happened, a smile that said she couldn’t wait to tell her sister about this.

Leina smiled, and this time her smile was wider—a smile showing she was enjoying what had just happened, a smile like she was watching an interesting drama. "Mr. Kai," she said softly, "it seems you have an... interesting relationship with your students. Very interesting, even."

Kai took a long breath, his face flushing with embarrassment and confusion, his hand rubbing his face in frustration. "I don’t know what’s happening, Miss Leina. Really. I just greeted them. I didn’t do anything."

"Of course, Sir," Leina said in a tone that wasn’t entirely convincing, her eyes sparkling with humor she didn’t hide. "Of course."

Kai could only stay silent, staring at the school gate before him, and in his heart, one question kept spinning: What happened this morning? And why are all these girls confusing me? Why did Iris whisper about "that night"? Why was Luna angry? What’s really going on?

He didn’t know the answers. But he knew one thing: today was going to be a long day.