Chapter 50: Drowned Hopes

"Watch over us? What are you talking about?! You're already in the prestigious school Touyou! You don't need to take any entrance exam to get into high school! Don't waste your opportunities for such trivial matters! Our parents won't accept this, I tell you."

Akuma stood still and hunched as he ran out of breath after lecturing his sister.

"They didn't stop you when you wanted to leave for another high school. Why would they stop me?"

Yuurei stopped walking and innocently looked at his brother.

"Well, that was different… I had no future in that school…"

Akuma looked away.

"Huh? That's the first I heard of that. I thought you just didn't want to graduate from the same school as Dad…"

Yuurei stared at his brother for a while. She clenched her fist on her chest.

"That was also part of it… Anyway, let's go home. It's getting dark already."

Akuma started to walk toward the train station again. Yuurei silently watched his brother for a while.

"Hey, don't leave me behind!"

Yuurei then ran after Akuma.

---

The next day, Angelie arrived at the school gate entrance. Some of the students greeted her and bowed at her. She bowed in response, even though she was not that familiar with those students. She reached her shoe locker at the school building entrance to get her indoor shoes, commonly known as Uwabaki. When she opened her shoe locker, there were some small envelopes inside. She tilted her head in surprise. Angelie took the envelopes and then changed her shoes. She then headed to her classroom.

When she opened the door of their classroom, she stepped inside while looking at the envelopes in her hands. She then arrived at her table. There were also small envelopes piled up on top of her table. She sat down and picked up the envelopes on her table. Sanaka then came into the classroom and saw Angelie going through the envelopes.

"Good morning, Angelie-san! What are you reading?"

"Good morning, Sanaka-san. I was just looking to see what these are…"

Angelie opened one of the envelopes. Sanaka then stood beside her and looked at the letter in Angelie's hand.

"W-wait! Are those… love letters?!"

Sanaka's loud voice caught the attention of few of their classmates that were already inside the room.

"I doubt that, Sanaka-san. There's no way—"

Angelie read the letter that was inside the envelope silently. She then hurriedly put it back inside the envelope.

"What did it say, Angelie-san?"

Sanaka leaned closer to Angelie.

"Eh, nothing much. Just thanking me, I think."

Angelie opened another envelope and read the letter inside. Again, she hurriedly put the letter back inside its envelope.

"What did that one say?"

"Ah, another letter of thanks. For the study group we did."

Angelie awkwardly laughed as she opened and read a few more letters. Each time, she quickly returned the letters inside the envelope after briefly reading them. Her face blushed more and more as she read the letters.

"So, all those letters are just thanking you?"

Sanaka raised her eyebrow as she looked at Angelie.

"Have you been standing there all this time, Sanaka-san?"

Angelie turned her head and looked at up Sanaka.

"Yup. I'm waiting if there's some love letters mixed in there. Don't tell me I've been wasting my time, Angelie-san?"

"Why don't you go sit down now? Classes are about to start."

Angelie smiled at Sanaka.

"I was so sure there were some love letters in there. Your face is so red already."

Sanaka walked toward her seat.

"I-it must be because of the heat."

Angelie laughed at Sanaka's insinuation.

"Sure, sure."

Sanaka waved her hand as she sat down.

(Well, there were a few that were confession letters. But there were no names on them, so I don't know how I would respond to those… Mostly, the letters were really thanking me for helping them have good scores in the midterms. What is this feeling I'm having right now? I'm really happy for some reason…)

Angelie was looking down and hiding her face the entire time until classes started.

---

During lunch break, Angelie and Mimi walked together to go to the rooftop to eat. They met along the hallways when Angelie walked by Mimi's classroom.

"So, Mimi-san. Did you also receive letters today?"

Angelie looked at Mimi as they were walking.

"Hmm. I haven't received any. Why do you ask?"

Mimi looked back at Angelie.

"Oh… It's because I got some letters thanking us for doing the study group. Most of them got good scores in the midterms."

Angelie smiled at Mimi.

"I see. That is good news, then."

Mimi looked in front at where they were walking.

"I just feel bad that they only thanked me…"

Angelie averted her gaze from Mimi.

"Please, I do not mind it. As I've told you, you really have a future in teaching."

"But you worked hard, too! It's just unfair…"

Angelie looked down.

"You really are kind. That's what I admire about you."

Mimi smiled at Angelie.

"Thank you for saying that... But you know, most of the letters also thanked me for saving their lives or something. Were you really that scary when I wasn't around?"

Angelie stared at Mimi directly.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Angelie-san. Let's go have our lunch."

Mimi walked ahead of Angelie.

---

During afternoon homeroom, class 2-B's homeroom teacher announced that pool season would begin. They would be having swimming classes as their P.E. for the remainder of the first term. Everyone was instructed to use the swimwear provided by the school. For the girls, it’s a blue, one-piece swimsuit. For the boys, it's just plain, blue swimming trunks.

The teacher also explained that there would be an exam on each student's swimming skills as well as a swimming competition near the end of the term. The exam would be graded through their form and speed in finishing a lap. The swimming competition would be between each class. The winners of the competition would receive bonus points for their P.E. class grades.

After the homeroom, the Help club met in their clubroom.

"Ah, my most awaited season has finally arrived!"

Kiba stretched out his arms upward as he leaned back on his chair.

"What, so you can stare at the girls in their swimsuits?"

Sanaka glared at Kiba who was beside her.

"Well, to be honest, it depends on the girls. So, you probably don't have to worry about that."

Kiba glanced sideways at Sanaka.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Sanaka leaned closer to glare at Kiba.

"Nothing."

Kiba closed his eyes and whistled.

"Let's just be glad we're not in the same class as Kiba-kun, then."

Mimi looked at Sanaka directly.

"I have another great idea!"

Akuma crossed his arms together and closed his eyes.

"Huh, what are you talking about?"

Angelie looked at him.

"I believe the study group we did was successful in getting our club's name out there. So now, we should conduct a swimming training session for those who can't swim! There will be exams and a competition at the end of the term to test our swimming skills. Surely, there are those who can't swim that we can fool, er… I mean, help!"

Akuma slammed his hand on the table. The other four just looked at him quietly. They then all looked away in different directions.

"Well…"

Kiba looked at window behind Akuma.

"Umm…"

Sanaka looked up at the ceiling.

"Hmm…"

Mimi looked at the clubroom door.

"Uh…"

Angelie looked down at the table.

"Don't tell me… All of you don't know how to swim?!"

Akuma's jaw dropped.

---

Everyone went home after Akuma learned the truth about the members of the Help club. When he got home, he entered their house and went straight to the dining table and sat down. Yuurei gave him a glass of cold tea. She then returned to the kitchen to continue preparing for dinner. She placed some vegetables on the counter and took out a knife.

"Darn those guys! Just when I had another brilliant idea! What a useless bunch."

Akuma slammed the glass down on the table after he finished drinking the cold tea.

"Who are you angry at now, Onii-chan?"

Yuurei asked from the kitchen.

"Those damn guys from our club. Can you believe it? All of them don't know how to swim?!"

Akuma looked at his sister who was now cutting some vegetables.

"I'm sure that doesn't include Onee-san."

Yuurei smiled as she continued to cut the vegeteables.

"Oh, she's one of them."

Akuma put his hands in his pockets and leaned back on the chair.

"Really…?"

Yuurei stopped moving her hand with the knife.

"Yeah. I guess there are some things that barbaric Saint can't do—"

"I'm going to teach her how to swim! No, WE will teach her how to swim!"

Yuurei raised the knife in her hand. She slowly turned her head toward him and then looked directly into Akuma's eyes.

"W-whatever you say. Just put that down."