The crowd around Ken grew larger. More students ran over to see the famous servant. The noise was loud. The courtyard was completely packed. Ken was trapped in a sea of adoring fans. He smiled his goofy smile, but his sleepy eyes searched the crowd. He wanted to find a way out. He wanted his sweet buns.
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The noise in the school courtyard was getting louder. The students kept crowding around Ken. The boys were still chanting his name. The girls were still waving their notebooks. Ken was starting to feel very tired.
"I need a substitution jutsu," Ken thought. "Or a smoke bomb. Anything to get me away from these loud people."
Suddenly, a tall figure pushed through the crowd.
The students stepped aside. They looked at the new arrival with surprise. It was Zinia. The strong earth mage from the 13th Unit stood tall. She did not wear her dark combat uniform. She wore a simple, comfortable green shirt and practical pants. Her short hair was neat, and her muscular arms were crossed over her chest. She looked like a solid pillar of stone standing in the middle of the schoolyard.
Zinia looked at Ken. She saw his messy hair. She saw his untucked shirt. She let out a deep, friendly chuckle.
"You are causing quite a scene, Ken," Zinia said. Her voice was calm and steady. "I could hear the chanting from the front gate."
Ken’s eyes lit up. He saw his rescue. He quickly sidestepped a girl with a notebook and shuffled over to Zinia. He hid behind her broad shoulders, using her as a human shield.
"Zinia!" Ken whispered loudly. "Thank goodness you are here! These people are trying to make me do work! They want me to write things! Save me!"
Zinia laughed. She didn't move. She stood like an immovable wall. "They just like you, Ken. You are a celebrity now."
"I am a fragile commoner," Ken complained. "My signature hand is cramping. It is a medical emergency."
Jasmin walked over, still looking a little embarrassed. She looked at Zinia with curiosity. "Hello. You are Zinia, right? Ken told us about you. Thank you for helping him."
Zinia offered a friendly, respectful nod. "Hello, Jasmin. It is nice to meet you. Your brother is in good hands."
"I am not in good hands, I am in dusty hands," Ken mumbled from behind Zinia's back.
Zinia ignored his comment. She looked around the busy courtyard. Her expression turned a little quiet, a little distant.
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"What are you doing here, Zinia?" Naomi had not mentioned any border missions today. "Did you come to buy some of the special pastries too?"
"No," Zinia said softly. She uncrossed her arms. She looked down at the gravel. "My younger sister studies at this school. She is a second-year student. I knew the festival was today, so I decided to visit."
Ken tilted his head. His sleepy eyes blinked. "Oh, your sister? That is cool. Did she invite you to come? Is she going to show us the best food stalls?"
Zinia’s face fell. Her tough, confident expression faded. Her shoulders slumped slightly. She looked down at her boots.
"No," Zinia said quietly. Her voice was very low. "She did not invite me. In fact, she did not even tell me the festival was happening. I only found out from the public notice board in the district."
"She forgot?" Ken asked.
"My family... they often forget about me," Zinia admitted. Her voice was flat, but there was a quiet sadness in it. "I was always the quiet one. The middle child. They get busy with my other siblings. My older brothers are loud, and my twin sisters are very flashy. They just... forget to include me in things. I am used to it."
The atmosphere around the three of them went quiet. The happy, loud noise of the school festival seemed to fade away. Zinia looked very small at that moment, despite her strong, muscular build. She was the shield of the unit, always protecting others, but her own family had left her behind in the dark.
Jasmin looked at Zinia with deep sympathy. She wanted to say something kind, but she didn't know the right words.
Ken stood behind Zinia. He looked at the back of her short hair. He did not make a fake scared face. He did not let out a dramatic groan. The goofy, lazy slacker mask did not slip, but his dark eyes grew very focused.
He knew exactly what she was feeling. He had felt that same cold, quiet isolation before. The feeling of being completely invisible to the people who were supposed to love you.
Ken knew he had to destroy this sad atmosphere immediately. He had to use his best comedic relief skills. He had to make her smile.
Ken took a step out from behind her. He walked right in front of Zinia, stopping just a foot away. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and slouched his shoulders as far as they could go. He put on his absolute biggest, most ridiculous goofy smile.
"Zinia," Ken announced loudly, pointing a finger at the sky. "This is a massive tactical victory!"
Zinia blinked, looking confused. "A victory?"
"Yes! An absolute win!" Ken cheered, waving his hand in the air. "Don't you see the genius of this situation? If your sister forgot to invite you, it means she has absolutely no idea you are here. And if she doesn't know you are here, she cannot ask you to do any chores!"
Zinia stared at him. "Chores?"
"Exactly!" Ken nodded enthusiastically. "At school festivals, the students always make the families do the hard work. They make them carry heavy boxes. They make them wash the dirty dishes. They make them stand in the hot sun holding signs. It is a trap! Your sister was actually doing you a massive, silent favor by forgetting you!"
Ken leaned closer, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Now, we have a complete, top-secret stealth mission. We do not have to say hello to your family. We do not have to meet any strict relatives. We can just wander around the stalls, find the best, greasiest snacks, and eat them all before anyone notices we are here. It is the perfect crime!"
Zinia stared at his goofy, smiling face. She listened to his ridiculous, potato-chip-fueled logic.
She let out a soft sound. It wasn't a sigh. It was a laugh.
A real, deep, rumbly laugh that shook her broad shoulders. The heavy sadness in her eyes vanished, replaced instantly by a bright, warm light. She reached out and clapped Ken on his uninjured shoulder. She did it hard enough to make him stumble a step, but she was smiling widely.
"You are an absolute idiot, Ken," Zinia laughed, her voice full of genuine affection. "But your logic is completely unbeatable."
"I am a tactical genius!" Ken declared proudly, rubbing his shoulder. "Now, let us go find those sweet buns before the cooking club runs out. The mission is officially active!"
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