Pirate's Freedom

After breakfast, the four little girls sat side by side on the fabric sofa.

"My name is Ila, I am eight years old."

Looking down at the ground, the little girl with pink hair was obedient and quiet.

"My name is Nami, I am eight years old."

The quirky orange-haired little girl held her hands in front of her body and her calves were dangling in a lively manner.

"My name is Nuo Qigao, I am ten years old."

The energetic little girl with blue hair raised her hand energetically.

"My name is Karina, and I am also eight years old."

The little girl with purple hair, who is taller than the others, sits calmly on the far right.

After introducing themselves from left to right, they all looked at Yukinoshita.

"My name is Yukinoshita Yukino. I am 17 years old. I have a question I want to discuss with you."

Yukinoshita, who was leaning against the wall, brushed his hair and continued.

"You don't know how long you will stay in Japan yet, so you should apply for admission to a school here, right?"

"Enrollment?"

"School?"

"What do you mean?"

Questions came out one after another.

"None of us went to school."

Karina spoke calmly.

In fact, there is a school in Roge Town, and there is more than one, but there are definitely no schools in remote areas like Cocoyasi Village.

"...I really don't know what to say...I thought I wouldn't be surprised anymore..."

After Yukinoshita explained the meaning of going to school in precise words, several people had different reactions.

"Elementary school, junior high school, high school and university..."

Ila counted slowly with her fingers, and sighed as she counted.

"It sounds so troublesome..."

"Don't you think it's interesting? Hey, Yukino, can we go to your school!"

On the contrary, Nami was very interested.

"That's not in compliance with the regulations, and..."

Yukinoshita was concise and to the point.

"It's rude to call someone by their first name. In Japan, older people are required to use honorifics."

"Eh? Do you have to?"

Nokigao was taken aback.

"Normally that's the case."

"Yukino, if I have learned anything from fighting Tata Tot, also known as Ira's father, over the years, it is-"

Nami's voice suddenly became deeper, and Yukinoshita's attention was immediately drawn to it.

"Rules are meant to be broken."

"It sounds really amazing..."

Yukinoshita sighed silently and said helplessly.

"It is indeed possible to skip a grade, but the review is quite strict and cumbersome. Even if you have excellent academic ability, considering the existence of various problems, few people will do that."

At this point, Yukinoshita's voice paused - considering that there are many self-taught people and the existence of elite family education, she then added.

"What's more, you are still foreigners. Even if you can pass the academic test, it may be difficult to pass the review."

"..."

After hearing what she said, Nami turned sideways, looked at her companions from left to right, and confirmed something after making eye contact.

"Then... let's go to the elementary school to visit first."

……

Today is Thursday, a rare sunny day during the rainy season.

The bright sunshine fills the road leading to the school, the street trees spread their branches and leaves, and the wild cats take a nap comfortably in the shade.

In the staff office of Sobu High School.

"Why do I see you here? You shouldn't be here, right?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka held a cigarette in her hand and kept playing with it, her sharp eyes scanning the bodies of the little guys in front of her.

"We decided unanimously not to go to elementary school."

Nami, the representative of the four people, spoke.

"……why?"

"Because there's no one there to be friends with."

Nami's voice was very serious.

This kind of attitude towards life...is exactly what he is preparing to be a main member of the service club.

"..."

After adjusting his breathing, Hiratsuka Shizu suddenly turned his head and spoke in a bad tone.

"Teacher Porusalino, you are their guardian, why don't you say a word?"

"Oh, I can't control them, Mr. Hiratsuka, I suggest you give up this idea as soon as possible."

Gu</span>Polusalino, whose back was turned to her, did not even turn his chair, but was reading the newspaper and sipping brown rice tea.

On Monday, the day before yesterday, Hiratsuka Shizuka specifically asked an acquaintance to take them to visit the elementary school. From then on, she thought everything was going smoothly, but she didn't expect that this would happen today.

"How did you get in?"

"It climbed in through the wall."

"Where did it come from...?"

There was no atmosphere of honest explanation at all. Normally, students who speak such words would at least lower their tone unconsciously, but now——

"What's the difference? You can get in anywhere."

Nami's loud voice was echoing in the office, and her expression was completely unconcerned.

"Teacher Hiratsuka, it's better to convince them~"

Porusalino was still making sarcastic remarks.

"They have successfully infiltrated a military base."

"..."

With a 'snap' sound, Hiratsuka Shizu unconsciously put more force on her hand, and the intact cigarette that had not been smoked was pinched into two pieces by her.

"I will call the elementary school and you have to find a way to convince me before they send someone over."

……

Wait until Shizuka Hiratsuka finishes the call.

"Those guys only speak ill of people behind their backs!"

Nami said angrily.

"They said that Nuoqi Gao was too arrogant. Ila heard this secretly with her own ears!"

Ila on the side opened her eyes wide to increase credibility.

"This just doesn't convince me. Why don't you try to resolve the conflict?"

Hiratsuka Shizu's expression was noncommittal.

"I tried, I told them—"

Nuo Qigao clenched her fists and took a step forward.

"If anyone is dissatisfied, just stand up and have a good fight with me."

"...Violence will not solve the problem."

Hiratsuka Shizuka covered her forehead with her hands as if she had a headache. She could still imagine the scene at that time.

"Isn't a fist to the heart the way to be friendly?"

Nokigao asked firmly.

"Yeah, yeah! That's right!"

Nami and Ira nodded vigorously.

"Where did you get the hot-blooded comic book protagonists from? Alas..."

After sighing, Hiratsuka Shizu decided to find another breakthrough.

"Karina, the teacher can see that you need to be more mature. Why don't you think of ways to help Nokigao have a good relationship with his classmates? If you want to do it, you can definitely do it."

"Why would I do that?"

Karina looked unusually cold.

"When you grow up, you will find that the carefree campus life in elementary school and being friends with your classmates are very important memories."

Hiratsuka Shizuka looked nostalgic for the past.

"[Several people have been ostracized... However, it usually returns to normal after a while and everyone starts chatting again. It's a bit like a temporary trend. Every time someone starts it, everyone follows suit]."

A voice without warmth brought Hiratsuka Shizuka back to reality.

"This is the answer to my question. No one knows why others are excluded, but everyone is used to it."

Karina said it lightly, but Hiratsuka Shizuka felt a chill.

"Because no one realizes what they are doing, everyone can be carefree. People who are friends with you one day are entertaining others with your secrets the next."

"..."

Hiratsuka remained silent, but the voice continued.

"Nokigao stood up and did what she would do. After that...even if no one complained, I could still smell the blame..."

Taking a deep breath, Karina recounted the scene.

"There was no particular avoidance, no smacking of tongues or foot-tapping, no complaints, but the atmosphere spoke for itself..."

"What Nokkigao faced, even if it was non-verbal, non-physical, non-behavioral, there was no doubt that it was a kind of violence."

Then, she repeated the original question.

"So, why did I do that?"

"...Carina...your classmates, they are all the same age as you, they are not bad people..."

Karina's place is not so much a breakthrough as a flood outlet. Unfortunately, it was too late when it was discovered. Hiratsuka Shizuka could only reluctantly defend it like this.

"Yes," Karina did not deny it, but this did not make Shizuka Hiratsuka breathe a sigh of relief at all, because she continued.

"He usually looks like a good person. When his own interests are violated, he immediately shows his fangs. In order to reach a compromise with himself afterwards, he constantly seeks reasons to distort the facts."

"Guys who can't affirm themselves on their own, who gather together for this reason and constantly look for scapegoats..."

There was unconcealable boredom in her voice.

"Guys like this are not even bad guys, they are just a bunch of half-hearted people at best."