"Stand down… This isn't your fight."

"But sir Henry, he attacked us!"

​​

"Didn't you guys even listen to the report?"

Van focused his attention on the man he pushed away, Henry. He doesn't seem to be on guard or anything like that, just casually dusting off his clothes from the rubble and dust the stuck to them.

"The Principal lives with a small boy", Henry rotated his shoulders and cracked his neck, "Miss Sarah told us he would be feisty, and not to mention small."

"...Sarah?", Andrea could not help but raise an eyebrow as soon as she heard Sarah's name.

"You are Evans, correct?", Henry let out a sigh as he looked at Van, "We are bodyguards sent here to protect Miss Andrea."

"...Really?", Van squinted his eyes in suspicion, he felt that the men in front of him did not seem to be good people, and it wasn't just because they called him small. He then slightly glanced towards Andrea, "Did Miss Sarah tell you anything about this?"

"N… no."

"She--"

"Miss Andrea!"

Before Henry could speak again, Beatrice's voice could be heard echoing throughout the street. She quickly rushed to assist Andrea, followed by Victoria, and Harvey, who quickly stood beside Van and tried to shield Andrea.

"Who are you guys!?", Harvey put on a stance and planted his feet firmly on the ground, "Were you guys… sent by my brother again?", he then said before letting out a huge breath.

Henry could not help but sigh as the kids in their uniforms multiplied, "No", he shook his head as he showed his palms towards the group, "I already said we were sent here by Miss Sarah."

Seeing that Van's eyebrows furrowed even further, Henry once again could not help but sigh.

"Miss Andrea, you have a mole in between your--".

"Stop!"

With Henry's unexpected words, Andrea could not help but feel a jolt crawl through her entire body. But before Henry could say any more, she interrupted him. "How would you even know that!?"

"...Hm?", Van looked back and forth between Andrea and the absurdly muscular man, slowly dropping his guard as he realized that the man called Henry was telling the truth.

"We know all about you, Miss Andrea", Henry placed his hand on his chin, "Miss Sarah told us every detail so we would know what--"

"Stop!"

Andrea once again drowned out Henry's words with her own. The next time she sees Sarah, she would surely get a scolding from her for telling those unnecessary things to strangers. Even if it was their task to guard her, they didn't need to know everything about her! Andrea hollered in her mind.

"...Oho", Harvey also dropped his guard as he slowly approached Henry, "What's this information that was shared with you? We're also protecting Miss Andrea, maybe you can--"

"Enough!"

Andrea's screams reached even through the depths of the market. In the end, Henry explained everything. How they were tasked to protect Andrea, and that they should always stay within 10 meters of her. They would also be guarding the house whenever Andrea was home.

Andrea, of course, told all of them to go home, but alas, they did not even budge. It did not help that Van also approved of this set-up.

And so, from now on, there will be 4 people standing guard outside Van's house.

Andrea still disagreed, but it would seem she had no say in the matter anymore, the only thing she could do was release a huge sigh.

"I think it's a good thing, Miss Andrea", Beatrice said as she and Victoria helped Andrea fix up the dishes. At first, Victoria also wanted to help cook, but after she summoned what seemed like a Portal monster after she was supposed to be grilling fish, she was banned from ever going to the kitchen.

"Enough about the guards, we are going inside a Portal soon!", Harvey clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention.

"...What!?", Andrea could not help but let out a hum, "But why!?"

"It… It's a school activity!", Harvey quickly waved his hands to clear out any misunderstandings that Andrea might have, "We will be supervised and protected by our advisor!"

"I… see", Andrea let out a sigh of relief as she took her seat, "Then try not to do anything reckless when you're inside there, okay?"

"Hehe. I am never reckless!", Harvey lightly chuckled, "I just can't help but get excited, you know!? It's my and Van's first time going inside the Portal. Our brotherhood would even reach farther heights as we traversed the dangers of the unknown!", he said as he waved his hands in the air, his voice filled with fire and passion.

"...But Van has already been into a Portal before?"

"..."

"...What?"

Harvey instantly froze as soon as he heard Andrea's words. Van, on the other hand, could not help but pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Hm?", Andrea blinked a couple of times as she looked at the faces of the others, "Didn't you tell your friends yet?"

"But you said you haven't been to a Portal before!", Harvey lightly slammed his palms on the table before pointing at Van, his hands trembling, "I thought we were Portal Virgin Buddies, PVB!"

"...I lied."

"You… you traitor!"

And so, the qualms, grievances, and woes of a young man betrayed traveled throughout the whole neighborhood.

***

"Some of you may wonder why I called this emergency meeting."

The next day, Van was pulled out in the middle of his class. The instructor was talking about something important, about what to do when you are left all alone inside a Portal. But alas, before the instructor's words reached his ears, he was called away.

He thought that something important had happened, but it turns out…

...It was only the student council.

If they had this much authority, to even pull out a student during his class, shouldn't they be more known in the Academy? Van thought as he let out a silent sigh.

"What is it, Pres?", Gemma asked as she let out a loud yawn. She was getting ready to take a nap in Unique Class-1, but alas, she was called to a meeting.

"The Headmaster…", President Hannah could not help but close her eyes as she took in a deep breath, her voice clearly pained, "...The Academy did not allow us to hold a festival."

"What, why!?", Greta quickly stood up as she voiced out her dissatisfaction, her short pink hair bouncing on her shoulders.

"The Headmaster said that it was not part of the Academy's tradition to hold such festivities."

"What? Then maybe it's time to start a new one!"

Hearing the complaints of her members, President Hannah could only shake her head. She too was also looking forward to organizing an event for the whole school.

"The Headmaster probably has other reasons he can't tell us", President Hannah once again sighed in defeat, "It's too bad you won't be singing, after all, Janice."

Hearing her name suddenly being mentioned, Janice could not help but flinch, waving her hand awkwardly saying that it's alright. But in truth, she really wanted to sing in front of the whole Academy.

The girls of the student council body could not help but let out a sigh of disappointment in unison. It was such a shame that the festival was not happening, it would seem that all of them were looking forward to it.

"...You called us just for that?", Gerald, who was leaning on the wall, could not help but groan in frustration., "You could have just made an announcement instead of pulling us out from our classes."

"No", President Hannah quickly shook her head, "I am here to tell you that we have a task from the Headmaster himself."

"Ugh…", Gemma dropped her shoulders, "He didn't allow us to hold a festival, and now he's giving us a task?"

"Hm…", President Hannah just nodded in response, "The freshman's excursion is coming up soon."

"Van, You know that your class will be the first one to go inside the Portal, right?"

"...Yes"

Considering how many times Harvey had repeated it to him, of course, he would know.

"The student council is tasked… to supervise the freshmen along with their advisors."

"What!?", hearing President Hannah's words, Gemma quickly stood up and slammed her palm on the table, "Why would the Headmaster even think of something like that?"

First, it was putting Gerald in the same club as Van's, even knowing the fact that there was bad blood between the two. And now, he is putting Van and Gerald in the same Portal!? Just what is the Headmaster trying to accomplish!?

Gemma could not help but feel her breaths heating up as numerous thoughts were racing in her mind.

"I don't know.", President Hannah let out a deep sigh as she shook her head, "Who knows what's going on with that bald head of his."

Gerald was also feeling that the Headmaster was up to something. But it was not like Gerald could make a move on Van anymore. The woman that intruded their estate was none other than the granddaughter of the Chairman of the American Explorer Association.

Van lived in her house so that probably means she was backing him up.

"Don't even think about it, you psycho", Gemma, who noticed that Gerald was staring at Van, quickly stood between the two of them.

"Tch", Gerald could only click his tongue as he avoided Gemma's fiery gaze.

"Anyway", President Hannah cleared her throat to gather back everyone's attention, "...Our main task is to help their class' advisors."

"But most importantly…", President Hannah slowly stood up as she let out a deep breath, "First...

...We need a uniform."

"..."