The lady at his door was stunning and so foreign. Her robes… Like those art pieces he’d seen of a distant land; women wearing these magnificent lines of clothing. With the adorned waistband and that decorative bow. He knew there was a name for it, but his mind went blank over the technicalities right now. 

The fire in her entrance matched the red silk she wore.

Her hair was tied together with two chopsticks, held up so elegantly, the few loose strands of hair perfectly framing her rounded cheekbones.

“Are you the homeroom teacher at Indigo House?”

No greeting, no pleasantries. No sir, no respect, no Gerald Aldrick. 

Just ‘teacher at Indigo House.’ 

He didn’t correct her. 

“Yes, ma’am. I am—”

“What is WRONG with you?”

She bellowed, stomping into his space like it belonged to her, stopping just short of his desk. Gerald leaned back in his chair, eyes fixed on hers.

The brown hue was identical to Lisbeth… 

“Little Bastion came distressed, crying to the Spiriter Home because his homeroom teacher screamed MURDER at him for an accident he did NOT cause!”

She was angry, yet her face barely scrunched or showed any signs of emotion. The intensity in those eyes and the visceral pitch in her voice were all the signs he needed to understand her anger towards him.

He considered every word, trying to figure out why he was being yelled at… 

Bastion…

Accident…

Screamed murder…

Wait, that was Ms. Solbakken. He was being screamed at for her earlier tirade.

“Do you have no soul? Do you have any idea how unlucky Bastion has been recently? Why do you have to traumatize him further?”

Gerald was trying to figure out what was going on. This… foreign lady… Why was she here for Bastion–

Oh, wait… he had heard of her. 

That was right. Bastion was from the Spiriter Home, an institute for displaced spirit-awakened children.

Gerald had heard rumours of a fiery geisha working there. He’d heard… many things, but seeing her now, all he could think was…

Beautiful…

“You—all of you so-called teachers at this rotten institute are equally as despicable. Have you nothing to say for yourself? Is this just business as usual to you, hm?”

Her speech was so eloquent; her voice rolled through those painted lips in such a mesmerizing fashion. She was fascinating, strict with him, and absolutely unapologetic. Not in that bratty demeanor Solbakken had, but a passionate defense of a child. 

A child he didn’t scream at.

A child he was now being accused of abusing.

He should have probably tried to at least clear his name, made a good impression, taken her side, or even led her to Ms. Solbakken—the true culprit behind her justified anger. 

A battle of titans. He would watch it. 

But if he were to admit the truth, would she stop shouting at him with such raw passion?

Did he really want that? 

“Ugh—useless. Utterly useless man! Why did I even bother coming here?”

She crossed her arms and looked off to the side. Gerald felt like he had just lost a lifeline.

But thankfully, she wasn’t done with him.

“I will have Mr. Attila file a formal complaint at your conduct. If you have no remorse for your actions, I’ll make sure you feel it in your paycheck.”

Perhaps he could use that paycheck to ask her out for coffee or even a nice dinner?

Wait, no—that wasn’t what she said.

Focus, Gerald.

“Or better yet, you’ll just get terminated for abusing your power to hurt innocent children. All of you veterans think you’re above the system. Well think not.”

So she did know who he was… and pointedly avoided using any of the appropriate titles, or even his name. 

A sheepish smile forced its way through his composed demeanor.

She turned around, preparing to leave. 

Wait. No—

He stood from his chair. 

“Excuse me.”

Thankfully, she stopped, crossing her hands and aiming that judgmental look right back at him. Now, on his feet, she was no longer towering over him.

She was much shorter than his mind made her seem.

“I’m sorry. I was…”

He chuckled to himself; embarrassing as it was, he felt compelled to tell the truth. 

“Respectfully, I was caught up in your beauty. I couldn’t muster the courage to speak. Please don’t mistake that as indifference or any kind of disrespect towards you.”

She raised her eyebrow at him. He couldn’t tell the emotion behind it at all. 

His mind was completely scrambled at her presence.