Chapter 149: Thankful
~Third POV~
[At Night, One Star District]
Currently at nighttime Ryuko was sleeping in a different set of clothing a white tank top and blue sweatpants as she woke up startled, "Ah… wha?"
Waking up confused Ryuko looks around her situation and sees that she's in a room with her Senketsu hanging on the wall she says to herself in a startled tone, "What the hell! Where the hell am I exactly?"
However, unaware she would get an answer so soon, it surprised her a bit as Mash brought a plate of fresh food over to her, he answered in a calm tone, "That would be my apartment home Ryuko after I found you lying on the floor, I decided to help you out. Also, make some dinner if you are hungry."
Ryuko looked surprised but soon got the food. She took a bite as she was surprised by the food flavor she muttered in a surprised tone, "This food… it tastes really good…"
Mash smirks at this as he points his thumb to himself in a prideful tone of voice as he says to her but then concerned tone at the end, "Yeah, I know I cook a mean dish and have good results, unlike Ban! But onto a more serious note how you are feeling there?"
Ryuko continues to eat her food as she looks like she is no longer in harm's way or any bandages on her body as she was healed up after the fight. To which she is correct it's that Mash used [Water Magic] to heal her up again since Ryuko lost a lot of blood in her transformation using Senketsu.
After examining herself she looks as if she's wearing different clothing and soon yells at him with a clear blush on her face, "Hey these clothes!! Did you change me without my consent and see me naked?!!"
He nods his head as he replies to her in a blank tone giving his bullshit excuse that someone like her would fall for given the circumstance, "Pretty much yeah, I had to make sure you were ok yesterday after all. What I didn't expect was you to be bloody, so I changed them to be sure you weren't badly wounded. Besides that, you fell on some stairs in town that happened to be near the One-Star District and No-Star Slums. Couldn't exactly leave you alone unguarded unless unsavory characters… you know?"
Now it was Ryuko's turn to have her face in the other direction briefly pausing before responding with a light blush on her face turning it away from his direction, "… Yeah, I get it. Thanks for helping me out man… but still fuck you asshole for stripping me into these new clothes."
Regaining her fire, he smirked accepting the apology teasing her in the process crossing his arms, "Sure… but I wasn't the one showing off that kinky uniform Ms. Fanservice. To which I still think it's illegal in a school establishment by way."
She glared at him gritting her teeth ready to throw down at the moment's notice of his response towards her in an angry tone, "HUH?! YOU WANNA FIGHT THEN FUCKING, ASSHOLE?!!"
Seeing her regain her energy Mash soon asked in a curious tone leaning his back at the wall and gazing at her, "Not really it would be beneath me to bully you. On a side note, though do you have a place to live for a time?"
At this, she froze turning away. Immediately getting the idea he soon offered her to stay much to her surprise in a friendly tone, "I see… well… considering you're the LEAST aggressive student here in Honno City I don't mind you living here for a while. It beats sleeping in the streets giving me a clear conscience. Good night, Gear Eyes."
Ryuko looked genuinely surprised and was about to say something, but Mash already left closing the door of the room. She looked at the window outside of her room pondering if she should stay or not with a conflicted expression…
Soon her eyes darted towards Senketsu in a curious tone pondered muttering, "What in the world are you? Senketsu…"
/////
[Nighttime, Honnouji Academy]
Managing to return to her duties Satsuki was overseeing the production of Goku Uniforms, following behind her was Shiro Iori Captain of the Sewing Club as she spoke in a neutral tone, "The masses, fools all of them. They are nothing more than swine to be led by me and Honnouji Academy. You the sewing club have a great role to play in this system, take care in your work."
Iori thanked Satsuki without turning Omiko Hakodate was bowing before the Student Council President soon provided her from Iori a Two-Star Uniform to carry out her mission testing Ryuko Matoi.
Satsuki returned to her chair, Soroi her butler poured her another cup of tea. On the monitors in front of her were various images of Mash. Some images showed the EXACT moment he stopped Fukuroda's attack with no damage with a smug grin on his face easily dealing against a Two-Star.
Her eyes narrowed slightly seeing someone who would've been for sure knocked out or worse casually waved it off with no REVOC's clothing thought in a curious tone, 'Mash… What makes you so different than the others?'
Satsuki could only muse what made a 'normal' human different from the rest…
/////
[The Next Day, Honnouji Academy]
Both Ryuko and Mash woke up as they left the One-Star District heading towards the nearest platform and boarded the tram that went straight to the academy. During the whole way, Ryuko was staring intently at Mash much to his confusion.
Upon entering they noticed Mako's brown hair as she noticed them and smiled waving in their direction happily, "Hey! Ryuko! Mash!"
All three of the trio sat in the empty seats available with Ryuko greeting Mako with a friendly grin, "Sup Mako you doing okay?"
Mako the cheerful girl smiled nodding her head thanking Ryuko for helping her yesterday, "Yup! I'm a okay thanks to you Ryuko! My besties!"
Giving them a small hug Ryuko sighed in relief as Mash simply shrugged. However, she finally returns to staring intently making him a bit nervous under her gaze as he finally said in an awkward tone, "I-Is there something you need-"
Before he could finish Ryuko finally spoke in a blunt tone, "Who are you?"
Blinking a bit confused about what she meant Ryuko continues explaining her opinion of him with squinted eyes, "When I first saw you, you seemed like some wimp pretty boy, I didn't think you'd last 10 minutes in this place, yet here you are, fine. And after getting a closer look at you, it seems like you have something to you. So, what's your deal?"
Hearing her story he simply shrugged his shoulders as he explained himself in a neutral tone at her question, "I'm not sure what you mean by what' my deal. Right now I'm just a regular student who wants to learn and experience what high school is like here. Besides, I helped you a few times since you needed it, and isn't all bad of a person."
Ryuko lowered her gaze turning away as she shrugs looking out the window. Soon the tram reached its destination, and everyone began walking through the academy Mako was being pelted by tennis balls as she tried to speak, "Oh yeah that reminds me! Ryuko, Mash, Mom said that it okay to invite my friends to my place – "
*SMACK*
*SMACK*
Being pelted by tennis balls Ryuko and Mash were both surprised as she growled at the attacker raising her case, "Hey! What's the big idea?!"
The trio turns to see a line of tennis players in a line standing in their way. The one in front had a large red racket and a telescope on her right eye. She also had a shark-like grin on her as she spoke in a confident tone, "Ah, you're the transfer student who was rude to Lady Satsuki, as I recall. Stay out of this. I'm the Girls' Tennis Club Captain Omiko Hakodate."
[OMIKO HAKODATE]
Mash seeing the giant Japanese letters that are still somehow English to him muttered quietly to himself before asking Omiko, "Still gonna be a thing huh? What's with the big racket? Overcompensating or something? Why do ya have so many balls under your skirt, you hidin' something, huh?"
She growled glaring at him correcting any assumption in a provoking tone, "What the hell are you talking about, I'm a girl for Christ's sake!"
Giving her an up-and-down look Mash still doubted her with a smirk putting his hands into his pocket in a deadpan tone, "Sure you're a girl with nothing to hide… just as much as I'm the Student Council President girly let's go with that."
Omiko growled seeing how incompetent he was towards her. Granted with Mash seeing different TRAPS in his travels he has very low expectations of people hiding the obvious for generally good reasons with Ryuko responding in a deadpan tone, "If ya two are done, what the hell did Mako do?"
Omiko turning her attention towards Ryuko explained in an obvious tone locking eyes, "Oh, she missed practice yesterday, she deserves punishment."
Ryuko angrily stomps her leg seeing the unfairness explaining the reason for trying to help her friend out, "The hell she does, she was kidnapped yesterday!"
Shrugging off Ryuko's reasoning she twirled her large tennis racket at them giving the order to begin belting them with tennis balls, "It makes no difference, she will be punished with 110 million serves, starting now."
*SMACK*
Suddenly the three were pelted by tennis balls by the club members. Ryuko got in front of Mash and Mako to block the incoming projectiles with her case before they hit both as she yelled at them, "Go on ahead you two! I'll take care of this!"
Mako bolted towards the entrance and Mash was about to do the same but he turned back at Ryuko in a neutral tone, "Ya sure you'll be ok?"
Ryuko grunts managing to hold them off yelling back at him, "Yeah, I got this, just go!"
Following her words Mash vanished without anyone noticing using his [Presence Concealment] to observe things away from others and having BB manipulate the security cameras that are within his view obscuring him.
Observing the situation Ryuko struck a cool pose in preparation for the transformation. She stood there as everyone watched failing to yell at her clothing, "HEY! Damn it, come on, Senketsu, do your thing!"
Omiko seeing Ryuko talk to her clothing looking as if she's crazy gave her a weird look before finally responding, "Talking to a uniform. How pathetic. Die."
*SMACK*
Ryuko blanched before getting pelted by dozens of balls on practically every surface of her body. The sheer force of it sent her rocketing to the side and caused her to almost fall into a body of water near the school.
Witnessing this Mash sighed already reacting rescuing Ryuko swiftly so that hardly anyone could witness his superhuman action as he thought rolling his eyes, 'Seriously that girl has her death sentence if she's this reckless.'
*Swooosh*
Coming as a brief wind using [Invisible Air] blew the skirts off Omiko blushed as her balls fell in the process Mash took a grand remembrance thought, 'Ah… so she was a normal girl with an ass like that. At least she wasn't a dick girl or a TRAP. Otherwise… nice.'
*Tmp*
Managed to grab onto Ryuko and vanish under the wind of [Invisible Air] making them appear invisible because of its strong wind currents. Omiko clicked her teeth annoyed returning to her duties as Ryuko manages to finally regain her consciousness with Mash tapping her face when the enemy are gone, "Ugh… can anyone tell me the bitch that knocked some sense into me… YOU!"
Opening eyes alarmed getting off his embrace wanting answers with a light blush raising her blade at him, "What the hell man!!"
Crossing his arms Mash cheekily replied with a neutral expression calming Ryuko's reaction making her remember, "Relax their Gear Eyes. I managed to save you from being fish food after you got your ass handed to you."
Ryuko paused a bit before recalling almost falling to the sea before she finally calmed down looking down and apologizing in an embarrassed tone, "… Right I remember. Shit... Thanks for the save and coming back-to-back me up…"
Genuinely surprised that someone helped her Mash smirked patting her head in a gentle tone, "No worries Gear Eyes. I got your back. Now we have classes to attend and hopefully, you'll figure out how to activate your dress. Daylights wasting Gear Eyes."
Walking forward to class Ryuko followed sighing in relief for a slight change of having someone to watch out for her than the usual solitary style she was used to growing up in her life… she felt thankful for the guy saving her ass much to her bitter annoyance as she thought in a dismissive tone, 'He'll eventually get tired of me… no guy last with me that long unless they get scared off or I beat them up… but I'm thankful for the save at least… it felt nice to be cared for…'
She followed Mash going to class trying to figure out how to awaken Senketsu when she was later called by their homeroom teacher giving her some clues and gloves to awaken her Kamui…