Chương 29: The Invisible Kouji
"What, is this some type of sick joke?!" She got up, her arms swinging wildly about to try and touch him. "Where did you go?"
"I really don't know what you're talking about." He moved away from her to keep from getting hit. "I'm right in front of you."
"Obviously you're not, or else I'd see you." She retorted. Her father was beginning to see what was going on here. Knowing that made him laugh out loud at the sight in front of him.
"Well I am, because… Ahh!" He finally took a look down. To Kouji's surprise, there was nothing to be seen, specifically where his body should be. "Where am I?"
"That's what I've been trying to say!" She let her arms down in relief, at least he didn't just die in front of her. But, why was he invisible?
"I think I know what happened here." Esora walked up to the two of them, plopping the box onto the ground. "You accidentally turned on my ray gun, didn't you?" Reluctantly, she nodded. Kouji nodded as well, but that didn't exactly provide an answer given his state.
The mad scientist laughed, it turned out that he really was going to get assistance today. Luckily for Kouji, Esora didn't make anything that could harm humans. That ray gun wasn't designed as a weapon. Just as a means to attempt something that he had only ever seen in movies. Invisibility.
"I actually was hoping to use this to convince you, but I guess this is more convenient." He pulled out from his box, a bag and a band. "Put this on."
Kouji took the band being held up, it was small. Though large enough to fit around his hand. Now as long as he had it on, they would be able to know where he was.
"Cool, so what's with that bag?" It was kind of odd for Kouji to be talking, when they couldn't see him. Made him feel like a ghost.
"For testing purposes, of course." Without giving him the chance to ask what that exactly meant, he took out a handful of what was in the bag, sand, and threw it at him.
The sand got everywhere, landing right onto Kouji. The boy hardly had time to block it from getting into this eyes.
"Hey, what's that all about?" He responded with irritation.
"I see…" The Esora ignored him, marking the findings. So as expected, things getting onto him would show off an outline. Because he's only invisible, but he's still there. "Pretty cool, isn't it?"
Honestly, part of the reason he was hoping that Kouji might accept, was that he was a young teenage boy. Surely they might consider these inventions to be too cool not to try them out. Plus, he assured him that they weren't anything dangerous.
"It's cool and all." He brushed off the sand from him. "But, I don't think it's really for me." Kouji wasn't really expecting himself become someone's guinea pig. Somehow, that position sounded more ridiculous than being the only boy in an all-girl's school. Especially given his first foray in it.
"That's too bad." Teru's dad was disappointed to hear that, but he was going to force the boy. "Especially with how Teru had to practically beg me to give you a shot."
"You're over exaggerating." She got flustered that he had no sense in keeping their conversation the day before private. "I just thought he might appreciate it, that's all." Teru tried downplaying it.
"Oh, but you seemed like you needed an idea for something." he continued.
"Now that I think about it." Kouji chimed in. "You said that you thought about this all night? Why?"
"Just shut up, both of you." She stormed out of the room. "I don't care about you, I just thought it was a good idea. That's all."
"But…" She left, not giving him a goodbye either. Kouji sighed, these girls really were something, weren't they. Not only that, but she kind of left him alone with a scientist that was more than willing to use his body.
"That's a little unfortunate." Esora commented on the scene. "She would've been pretty happy if you took the job."
"I doubt it." Kouji was about ready to go home, until he remembered his lack of a body. "And, how long am I going to be like this?"
"Depends on the settings this thing was put at." He checked on the ray gun, then came to a solid conclusion. "Probably in about 15, 20 minutes, max." That was a relief for him, Kouji was concerned that it might take all day or something. "You know, if you want to pass the time-"
"I think I'll just go look for Teru." There was no way Kouji was about to let this man do another experiment on him, even if the first one wasn't actually on purpose. More like an unhappy accident. "I should at least say goodbye to her." He slipped out of the lab with little protest. Meanwhile, Esora went back to crunching the numbers of his next work.
This place was huge, that wasn't a surprise. But he had no idea where to look if he was hunting for Teru. The kitchen, living room, their… skate park!
"Wow, this place is amazing." He commented to himself. Sadly, despite the girl's reputation, she wasn't here.
***
Elsewhere, Teru was off thinking to herself. As always she got hot under the collar and lashed out. It's just that the people she knew in life were always giving her a hard time.
"I don't care about him…" She muttered the phrase she said before. As if that would make it a true statement, when that was far from the case. Kouji wasn't half-bad, and thanks to him, she really was doing better in school.
Teru was starting to get a taste for what that improvement was like. Her parents were so happy for her, not that they weren't before, but because they had their concerns for her learning. Plus, not getting into fights wasn't bad either, didn't have to deal with injury. Things had gotten more interesting ever since he came into her life. Not that she'd admit it to his face.
More importantly, she was seriously facing the idea of him leaving. It wasn't a big deal to her, until she learned of his plans of cutting them off. Maybe she could still pester him, but what good would that do anyway? It's not like that would mean they were friends…
"Ugh!" She shook her head in frustration. What was this she was feeling about him? Teru looked over her shoulder, as if he might be sneaking up on her. Not that it would matter since she could only see his band at best. Along with the possibility that he could just take it off.
She couldn't even explain why anything he did mattered all that much to her. He was only doing it because he's their tutor. Plus, as they later learned, doing everything just to stay enrolled at that school. At least, until he learned the truth about why he was given the job.
"Whatever…" She muttered to herself. "I don't care if he leaves." These words were said, less as a statement of fact. More as a futile attempt to convince herself otherwise. Now that she got that little bit of moping out of the way. Teru decided she should probably see if she could… Well see Kouji again.
***
"Yo dad." She returned to the lab, only her dad was here. "Where's Kouji?"
"I don't know, I guess you could say I haven't… Seen him." She rolled her eyes as he laughed out loud to his own bad joke. "He left a little while back, to go look for you." Eventually, after his laughter was finally finished, he told her the truth.
"Darn it." She sat down and crossed her legs. This was going to have to be a wait, wasn't it? "This place is too big to go looking for just one person."
"Really?" He said to her, teasingly. "When you stormed out earlier, I thought you would've not cared if he left, but I guess you do have a soft side for him after all."
"Do not." She responded, turning away from him. Ever since she told him about Kouji being her tutor, it's been non-stop teasing. Not that he never teased her before, just that she felt he had the wrong idea this time. "All I said before, is that he's just not the punk I thought he was. That's all."
"That's funny." Her dad laughed at the apparent attempt to downplay it. "Ever since he came into the picture, you've been a lot nicer lately." He explained that he was aware of those changes that she thought about earlier. "Honestly, I'm glad he came into your life."
"Oh please, it's just because it was his job." That wasn't what Esora meant. Though that statement betrayed what she was thinking. "And it's not like he'll be meddling in my life for much longer."
"That does sounds like such a shame." Her dad commented. "Just when I thought my little girl was turning a new leaf."
"I'm not your little girl anymore…" She pouted. "And it is a shame… Because…" She was about to tell why it was a problem. But something strange stopped her from talking. Slowly, it was like Kouji's image was fading into reality right before her very eyes. He had an intent look on his face, like he was trying to pay attention.
Then, when he raised an eyebrow and turned around. She realized this was no illusion.
"Why did she stop talking?" He murmured to himself, unaware of what happened. Earlier, he had seen her walking back to the lab and followed her. His curiosity got the better of him, which is why he didn't reveal his location. Instead, hiding his band to eavesdrop.
"Kouji…" She growled with her teeth clenched. "How long have you been standing there?" His eyes widened. Cautiously, he turned his head back to her. This girl was seething with anger.
"We can see you now." Her father fake coughed the fact to him.
"I see that…" He said. Kouji had never seen Teru this upset before. "Um… When did you say 'darn it'?"
"That tears it!"
And thus comes to the end of operation Teru. Just as the one before, it would be safe to mark this as a failure as well.
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