Chapter 2: The Unexpected Visitor

The footsteps outside the room grew louder and more deliberate, like a slow-burning fire gaining intensity. Hange's grip on me tightened, his arms wrapping around me like a shield. I felt a surge of anxiety, my heart racing with fear as the doorknob slowly turned. The sound seemed to echo through the room, making my skin crawl. I buried my face deeper in his shirt, the fabric muffling my ragged breathing. The door creaked open, and a soft voice called out, "Hange, can I have a word with you?" The voice was familiar, yet distant, like a memory I couldn't quite recall. Hange's chest rose and fell with a deep breath, and he replied, "What is it, Kanzaki?" His voice was low and even, but I detected a hint of tension beneath the surface. I peeked out from beneath his shirt, my eyes scanning the room through the narrow slits of my bandages. A woman stood in the doorway, her features illuminated by the soft glow of the hallway lights. She was tall and slender, with long, curly brown hair and piercing green eyes that seemed to bore into my very soul. I felt a shiver run down my spine as she gazed at me, her expression a mixture of curiosity and concern. Kanzaki, the school's vice principal, stepped into the room, her eyes locked on me. "I didn't mean to intrude, but I need to speak with Hange about an urgent matter." Her voice was gentle, but firm, like a gentle breeze on a summer day that belied the turmoil beneath. Hange's grip on me didn't waver, but his body tensed, like a coiled spring ready to unleash its fury. "What is it?" he asked again, his tone measured. I could sense the wariness in his voice, the underlying tension that seemed to vibrate through every molecule of his body. The vice principal's gaze flickered to the artificial placenta and feeding tube attached to my body, and her expression softened. "I know this is a sensitive time for you both, but I need to discuss the recent... incidents with Hange." Her voice trailed off, and I sensed a hidden meaning behind her words, like a whispered secret that only a select few could hear. Hange's eyes narrowed, and he replied, "Can't it wait? I'm taking care of something here." His voice was firm, but I detected a hint of unease beneath the surface, like a crack in the façade of a seemingly perfect edifice. Kanzaki's eyes lingered on me, and I felt a growing sense of unease. What did she want to talk to Hange about? And what did it have to do with me? The questions swirled in my mind like a maelstrom, making my head spin. The vice principal took a step closer, her voice low and urgent. "I'm afraid it can't. There have been reports of... unusual activity around school. And I have reason to believe that you, Hange, might be connected to it." Her words hung in the air like a challenge, a gauntlet thrown down that demanded a response. Hange's body stiffened, and he whispered, "What are you talking about?" His voice was laced with a mixture of curiosity and wariness, like a person tiptoeing into a minefield. Kanzaki hesitated, glancing around the room as if searching for an escape route. "I'll tell you everything I know, but we need to talk in private." Her voice was barely audible, like a whispered secret that only a select few could hear. The air in the room seemed to thicken, like a storm brewing on the horizon. I felt a shiver run down my spine as Kanzaki's eyes locked on me once more. What was happening? And what did it have to do with Hange and me? The questions swirled in my mind like a vortex, pulling me down into a sea of uncertainty.