let us dance to this twisted rhythm ♪

“So, I went there thinking they would still have it in a large size, since I usually wear my hoodies oversized, but…”

“Don’t tell me it ran out ?!”

“Yeah….” Yuyuko sighed, running her hand through her hair. “The shop clerk told me they ran out like, what, 30 minutes before I arrived ? I was so disappointed…”

“Don’t tell me about it…” In turn, Isagi sighed. “I also went there for the previous collar, and the exact same thing happened to me…”

“And right after that, I went to—“

“…. Excuse me?”

Surprised, both Isagi and Yuyuko turned their head to face the stranger who just interrupted their conversation. The two friends were at the terrace of a local café, sharing a cake and some drinks on one of their rare off days; they chose a quiet but comfortable café, in a not-so-busy street of Tokyo. Not expecting any interruption during their catch-up session, they looked at each other, a bit confused.

“U-Uh, do you need something ?” Asked Isagi, tilting his head in confusion.

“A-Ah, I’m very sorry to interrupt…” The stranger scratched his head in embarrassment. He was quite tall, handsome, and seemed to be around high school age. “U-Uhm, I’m sorry, but…” He turned to Yuyuko, and gave her a sheepish smile. “But I saw you from over there, and…”

“.. Ah.” Yuyuko’s voice was as cold as ice. One of her biggest pet peeves was getting hit on in the streets, especially when hanging out with friends. “I’m going to stop you right there. I’m not interested.”

“O-Oh, no no, that’s not what I meant !!”

“ ‘Not what you meant’ ?” There it was. Another of her biggest pet peeves: guys who didn’t have the guts to own up to what they’re doing. She glared at him, hostile air surrounding her. Seeing the scene unfold, Isagi gulped.

“Y-Yuyuko, come on, let’s-“

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t come here to hit on you, I promise!!” The stranger flapped his hands in front of him, obviously very embarrassed by the turn of events.

“… Is that so.” Yuyuko looked at him with suspicion, not trusting him yet.

“I-I just… I mean… I saw you over there and I recognised you… You… Erm… Are a friend of Haruka-san, right?”

“Hacchan ?” Yuyuko’s eyes widened. “What about her?”

“A-Ah, it’s just… I’ve been a huge fan since her beginnings, and… I was, uh… Wondering if there was any way I could get her number ? I’ve been doing fan edits for a while, and-“

Swifter than wind, Yuyuko grabbed a chair next to her that she presented to the guy, a bright smile plastered on her face. “Oh ? You’re interested in Hacchan ? Please, do sit down. Now, what’s your name ? Age ? What school do you go to ?”

—

“… Y-Yuyuko-chan, what was that about … ?” Isagi deadpanned as he saw his friend, grinning as she entered the stranger’s contact details on her phone. The stranger had just disappeared around the corner of the street, after a 30 minutes one-sided questioning about… Just about everything and anything in this guy’s life, really. They probably had more information on him than the feds, at this point.

“Mh ?” Distracted, she typed a message, half-listening to Isagi. “What’s this about ? Well, you’ve seen it, haven’t you? That guy was interested in Hacchan.”

“Y-Yeah, I got that part, but…” He scratched his head. “I mean, he’s quite handsome and all, but are you sure about giving Haruka-chan’s number to a stranger … ?”

“A stranger ?” She looked up, genuinely confused. “What do you mean, a stranger ? I know all his private information, all the way to the prefecture where his mother was born. He’s not a stranger anymore, now, is he ?”

“I know that, but…” He sighed. “It’s quite out of character for you to be kind to a guy that you met on the streets, you know.”

“I mean, yeah, if he was hitting on me, I would’ve given him the cold shoulder.” Now it was Yuyuko’s turn to sigh. “But y’know… at this point, I’m desperate for a great guy to steal hacchan away from…” she frowned in disgust. “… him.”

“By him, do you mean…”

“You know who I mean !” She flopped on the table dramatically. “It’s just, I can’t believe it… My kind, and cute Hacchan, falling for like, the second biggest psycho in the whole world after Shido ?! I just know that guy’s up to no good !! She’s been so stressed, and emotional, and under pressure lately, all because he’s toying with her all the time…”

“I mean, yeah, I don’t think Kaiser’s the best guy either, but… How exactly is giving her number away going to help ?”

“Well, Isagi-kun, you do have eyes, don’t you?” She raised her head and looked at him, dead serious. “That guy’s definitely a looker. He has money, too- have you seen his sweatshirt ?” Isagi nodded. “Plus, he’s into, I don’t know, the weird games she always plays, so they can, huh, talk about gaming, I guess. And he has a nice smile.”

“… So ?”

“So…. If Hacchan meets up with him, don’t you think she would ditch that kitsch tattoo loser for a nice, rich, handsome young guy who treats her well ??”

“… !! I see… But do you think she would agree to go meet up with him .. ? I don’t think Haruka-chan’s the type to do that…”

“I’ve already convinced her.”

“?! Wait, how-“

“I told him it was a friend of mine, and that they were a great match.” Shocked, Isagi was about to interrupt, but she wiggled her finger in front of his face. “- Tut tut. Isagi-kun, sometimes lies are a NECESSITY. Plus, he’s going to bring her to the best French restaurant around here, at 8pm sharp. Isn’t that so romantic and mature ?!”

“Huh ? You mean the L’oiseau Bleu restaurant ???! Isn’t that like… a 5 star one?”

“Yeah, it is !!” Yuyuko clapped her hands enthusiastically. “She’s 100% going to fall for that guy, and then, bye-bye German asshole-“

“Just who are you calling a German asshole.”

“?!” Both Yuyuko and Isagi jolted at the familiar tone. “K-Kaiser ?”

“Yuyuko, you wound my heart. Do you think that lowly of me… ?” He feigned a hurt tone, before grinning at her, winking. “… Not like I give a shit, though. Anyway, what’s this all about ?”

Now standing straight on her chair, glaring at him, Yuyuko put her phone down, containing her anger. “It’s none of your business. We were just about to leave, actually.” She stood up, and Isagi looked at her, bewildered.

“Huh ? W-We’re leaving ?”

“Yeah, let’s get going. Suddenly, I don’t have an appetite anymore.”

Taunting them with annoying remarks only him had the secret to, Kaiser watched the two friends leaving, as he leaned on one of the café walls. As soon as they disappeared from his vision, his face grew darker.

8pm, at the l’Oiseau Bleu. He came just in time to hear Yuyuko describe the date plans ; and from the bits he overheard as he was approaching them, he could also gather that said date wasn’t hers, but Haruka’s with a completely random dude. Not letting any emotions show on his face, and stood back up and started walking back to the facility. So she was going out tonight with a guy, huh ? But anyway- none of that concerned him.

—

It didn’t concern him.

Truly. He didn’t really care about Haruka; she was just a girl with interesting reactions he loved to rile up when he was bored with nothing to do. It’s not like she was someone he cared about, or that he would see for a long time; as soon as the Blue Lock project was over, he would go back to Germany and she would be nothing more than a vaguely funny memory to him. Yes… he glanced at the clock. 7pm. He had no reason to be bothered by it- women like her are fickle, if they go out with a random guy who just asked for their number on the street- pathetic.

He clearly wasn’t going to let it ruin his day- actually, why would it even ruin his day? He grasped his jacket from the closet. Yeah, she meant nothing to him, so even thinking about the fact that it could ruin his day was laughable. He just thought he had her in his pocket, and the fact that she’d go out with another guy was just a bit of a surprise- but he was going to have an early night tonight, and not let the thought of it bother him.

Michaël Kaiser was so much better than just a random guy on the street; if she goes on a date with him, then it clearly shows her worth as a woman- yes. He put on his shoes. He has dozens, no, hundreds of women screaming at him on the streets or sending him DMs on social media; it’s just, this particular situation is on his mind because, well, she’s basically his property now, because when you have Kaiser showing you attention, why the hell do you need to go on a date with someone else ?

Laughable, really. He’s tall, handsome, well-educated, and, well, the best striker ever, in his own humble opinion. He’s not threatened by the thought of her going out with some random dude; it’s just, it’s like, you know, someone trying to challenge the match results after he’s already won. Now he closed the door behind him, and walked rapidly in the cold street air. And there’s one thing Kaiser hates, it’s losers who don’t know their place. But, obviously, this had nothing to do with Haruka- nothing.

—

Reaching a gaudy, neon-lighted shop, Kaiser headed straight for the downstairs part, not even paying attention to the shop clerks greeting him. While his mind was in complete denial of his jealousy, the pace of his steps as he ran down the stairs was surely betraying his uneasiness. Laughter could be heard in the distance, as the door with the bright neon ‘ARCADE’ sign was now on sight for him. He hurried up, now almost running, and rushed inside the room as the automatic doors made way for him. He scanned the room, panting- but a sporty man like him shouldn’t pant for such little exercise, as cold as the air outside was. Then, was he… Anxious ?

— And that was when he saw her. Blue, short hair, slouching on some old arcade game, brows furrowed in frustration. Relieved, he smiled cockily as he made his way towards her. He kicked her seat, making her lose her balance- she landed ass on the ground with a loud WHAM.

“Wha- What the ?!”

“Haruka, you’re such a loser, seriously.”

“?! K-K-Kaiser ?!” Haruka’s cheeks were bright red; she definitely wasn’t expecting to see him here. She stood up, slightly disoriented; as soon as the confusion went away, she glared at him, pouting. “You ASSHOLE !! I had such a great combo going on there, you just had to ruin it!!!”

“A combo ? What even is that.” He clicked his tongue, looking down on her.

“That’s- whatever..” She sighed, and ruffled her hair. “What’cha doing here, German asshole.”

“I see that’s a popular nickname of mine, recently.”

“Huh ?”

“Nevermind." He cleared his throat. “You really have no life, do you. Playing in an arcade by yourself, surrounded by geeks, instead of going out to fancy dinner dates.”

“Hey, don’t speak of otaku culture if you don’t-“ She stopped and blinked. “Eh ? How d’ya know I had a date tonight ?”

“I told you, didn’t I ? I know everything.”

“Eh ?! I mean, err… Yuyuko wanted me to go, but ya know, I’m kinda awkward with dates and stuff, so…” She sighed. “I wanted to let off some steam and play, but… “ She glared at him. “Of course, YOU had to come and ruin everything. Why did you even come to an arcade, if you hate them ??!”

“Because I was sure you would be there.”

“ ? “ A small blush crept unto Haruka’s cheeks. Did he… Did he come to check up on her… Because he knew she had a date ?

“It wasn’t hard- you’re such a no-life, of course you’d be wasting your time on some childish games. How pathetic, your friend has to be the one sending you out on dates because otherwise you’re just playing games all day, huh.” Haruka was about to interrupt, but before she could even say anything, he pressed his palm on her forehead as she flapped her arms helplessly. “There, there, lil doggy. I just wanted to make sure that my number one fan wasn’t trying to replace me with the most random dude known to mankind.”

“?! What’d’ya mean, your number one fan ?? You asshole, who d’ya think you are-“

“If you’re going to try and forget the unforgettable, at least go for someone high class, or you’re going to hurt my pride, you know. Though I don’t think you could quite pull that off.” He let her forehead go, and Haruka almost fell.

“Haaa ? Seriously, I hate you, you attention whore !!! You’re so fucking full of yourself !! Here I was, thinking you might’ve been worried about me going on dates with a dude, but no, it was just an ego thing ?!!! Seriously, I should’ve gone if I had knew, and—“

Not even listening to what she was saying, Kaiser turned around and headed for the exit, leaving Haruka bewildered, as she insulted him, still angry at his taunts. He put his hands in his pocket and whistled, as he was once again met with the cold, crispy winter air, leaving Haruka’s nagging voice and the chaos behind him.

berardi belongs to my friend Gem; thank you for letting me borrow him !! <3

--

« aaah…. It’s so over for me…. »

« Igaguri…. If you’re going to be depressed, please be depressed somewhere else other than the dinner table. You’re taking up so much space slouching, we can’t even eat in peace. »

« Eh, so mean, Chigiri ??! I have my reasons to be depressed, you know !! »

« Is that so. » Chigiri sighed. Igaguri had been moping around since the beginning of the day: it wasn’t particularly bothering him, but with his arms spread on the table, he barely had enough space to eat comfortably. 

« What’s up, Igaguri-kun ? Did something happen ? »

« ‘did something happen’ ??? Really, Isagi?? No, nothing happened, that’s the problem!!! » Igaguri lashed out in frustration, as he threw his hands in the air. « Nothing happened last year, and nothin’s gonna happen this year!! »

« What are you even talking about… » Chigiri asked, half-listening as he chew on a piece of meat.

« I’M TALKING ABOUT VALENTINES DAY, OF COURSE!!! » 

Igaguri had screamed so loudlythat every table around them turned around to look at him, surprised. Isagi looked around, embarrassed, as Chigiri deadpanned, staring at his teammate.

« … Valentine’s Day? Why are you even bringing that up? »

« Oh… that’s right, it’s Valentine’s Day soon, huh. Being in blue lock does make you lose track of time easily. »

Chigiri looked over at his seat neighbour. Berardi, who had been silent up until now. He was scratching his chin, racking his brain to try and understand what might possibly bother his teammate. 

« But what’s the issue with Valentine’s Day, Igaguri? »

« See, that’s what I hate. Hotshots like you or Chigiri wouldn’t understand what’s bothering guys like me or Isagi !!! »

« Why am I being lumped in ?! »

« Shut it, Isagi. You obviously didn’t receive any chocolates last year, did you??? »

« ?! Well… I-I mean, I didn’t, but… »

« And that’s what I mean !!! Because of blue lock, we won’t be receiving chocolates TWO YEARS IN A ROW !! My precious youth is wasting away !! I’m sure that guys like you- » Igaguri gestured to Kunigami, Chigiri, Nagi, Reo and Berardi, « wouldn’t get it because you must’ve had lockers full of chocolates, ya bastards???!! »

« …. Oi, Igaguri. »

« ?! » Igaguri jolted, surprised by the sinister voice of his teammate Raichi.

« … why aren’t ya poitin’ as us too, you bastard ???! » Raichi lashed out, pointing at Bachira, Gagamaru and himself, all sitting on the other side of the table.

« Ah. That’s ‘cause we’re totally on the same boat, y’know. » Igaguri blurted out in a very honest tone.

« What ???? Ya bastard, I’m going to kill you— »

« … what’s happening? »

« !!! »

At the sudden feminine voice, everyone turned around to face Yuyuko, their manager, who had just set down her plate on the table. Looking over at Raichi with a dubitative expression, the young girl was confused- what were the boys arguing about, again ? 

« Oh, yuyuko. You’re done for the day, huh? Otsu’. »

« Ah, thanks, Kunigami-kun. Yeah, I’m done for the day, but- »

« Yuyuko. »

« ?! » Yuyuko looked up to gaze over at Igaguri, surprised by his sudden serious tone.

« …. I need to know. Are you going to give us chocolates. »

« chocolates? Why would—»

« … I KNEW IT !!! This is the worst !!! We’re not even going to get the pity-chocolates-from-the-manager!!! » Igaguri cried out, plopping back on his chair. 

« What do you mean… »

« Ah, Yuyuko-chan, let me explain. » Berardi gave the manager an awkward smile. « Igaguri was lamenting about the fact that he wasn’t going to get any chocolate this year, and because he’s never had any—»

« Berardi, you bastard, I never said that ???!! »

« Ahah, my bad, my bad. » the young player let out a small chuckle. « Because he hasn’t had any last year, he’s very worried he won’t get any this year, either. »

« Oh… is that it. » 

« Yuyu-chan ~~ » A familiar voice rang out. « Are you going to give me chocolates? »

« Huh ? Bachira, you bastard, don’t get ahead ???? If she gives you giri chocos, then she has to give ALL OF US giri chocos!! »

« Who are you to decide that, dumbass Igaguri… » sighed Chigiri.

« Eeh ? But Yuyu-chan wouldn’t give me giri chocos, right? »— there it was. Bachira Meguru’s infamous puppy eyes. Yuyuko could feel her cheeks heating up, so she tried her best to divert the subject.

« A-Ahem. I mean, I see the problem here… I’m not very surprised. » Igaguri was about to complain, but she silenced him with a sign of her hand. « But… some of you seem pretty calm about this all Valentine’s Day thing, huh. »

« I mean, yes. Why would I be worried ? I received 70 chocolates last year, and most of them went to waste, so I don’t see the point in such a pointless, commercial celebration. »

« Ahah… not very surprising coming from you, Reo-kun…. »

« Eh…. Reo, you’re so popular… I didn’t receive any last year… » 

« ??? Nagi, you didn’t receive any ? What the hell man, you should’ve said so before !! I didn’t realise you were one of us !!! »

« … hearing you say that doesn’t make me happy, ya know, Igaguri. »

« Well, I didn’t receive any either ~ » Bachira tilted his head to look over to Yuyuko’s side of the table, flashing her a bright smile. « But it doesn’t matter, ‘cause Yuyu-chan’s going to give me my first one, right ? »

« Oi, Bachira, she didn’t agree to it yet… stop forcing her, man. » Kunigami sighed- only to look up seeing everyone’s eyes on him. « …. Ah, me ? Well, I did get a handful last year, but… »

« I knew it!!! Kunigami, you bastard!!! » Igaguri cried out, earning a few laughs from the table.

« … you must have received a lot, Berardi-kun. »

« Huh? » the Italiano-Japanese player looked over at Yuyuko, surprised.

« I said, you must’ve received a lot, right ? You seem like the type who’s popular with women. »

« What the hell, Yuyuko ??? Ya didn’t say that for any of us ??? »

« well, Raichi, sorry to break it to you, but…. » Yuyuko trailed out, earning a few laughs from the other players.

« Well…. » Berardi cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed. « I did receive a few… »

« How many ???! »

« Eh ?? » Berardi jolted in his chair, surprised at the sudden interjection of Igaguri, Raichi and now Isagi, who were glaring at him, seething. « W-Well, I didn’t exactly keep track of that… »

« THAT’S SUCH A MR-POPULAR THING TO SAY!!? »

Once again, laughter erupted around the table. Among all of the laughter, Reo’s taunts towards the less fortunate guys, and Bachira’s ‘yuyu-chan, why didn’t ya say I look popular too???’, only Chigiri remained serious, peeking at Berardi next to him who was laughing at some comments here and there.

« … as expected of you, you Italian womaniser. »

« Huh? » Berardi looked over at him, surprised. 

« I’m not surprised you didn’t keep track ~ you must not be the type of person who takes that kind of thing very seriously, huh. » Chigiri tried to keep a voice as neutral as possible- but to be fair, he was struggling. For some unknown reason, his chest was hurting a bit. What was it- anger ? Or… jealousy? Towards the fact that berardi received chocolates … ? The young man had began to notice that his feelings towards his teammates were getting more and more ambiguous by the day. But still, getting jealous over love confessions… such a childish thing- there was no way in hell Chigiri would ever let any of that show. Ever.

« Ah… no, actually. » Berardi’s mature voice sounded extremely calm among all the mess. « It’s more like… the other guys- my teammates- felt a bit dejected ‘cause they didn’t get any, so I kind of gave them all away… so I never got to have a taste of Valentine’s Day chocolates, actually. » Berardi confessed, scratching his head sheepishly. 

« … ! » Chigiri’s eyes widened, before a soft smile graced his features. « …. I see. That’s so like you, bakarardi. »

——

Chigiri hesitantly passed his head through through the kitchen door, scared that someone else would be in there. Lucky for him- it seemed like neither Anri or Yuyuko were around, so he straightened up and walked through the door. The kitchen was eerily empty; understandably, as it was the late hours of the night. He reached for the light, and slightly blinked his eyes as the lamp started buzzing and a bright yellow light filled up the space. He walked straight to the fridge, scanning for ingredients- amazing.

After getting all the needed utensils and groceries from the cupboard, he set everything up on the counter and tied his hair- it was time. Now all he needed to do was-

« Who is- oh, Chigiri-kun ? »

« ??? » Chigiri jolted- he hadn’t expected anyone there. He turned around swiftly, only to face an obviously very sleepy Yuyuko in pyjamas. « A-AH, Yuyuko... »

« I got scared ‘cause I saw light in the kitchen, and none of you guys are supposed to be able to access it, but… it’s just you- » she paused to let out a big yawn. « It would’ve been trouble if it was Gagamaru.. »

« A-Ahah, yeah, you’re right… » sweating profusely, Chigiri tried to hide the groceries on the counter behind him- no luck. Yuyuko’s eyes fell unto them right away.

« Huh? Chigiri-kun, you’re cooking something? But that’s against the rules- oh… » she paused, as her eyes widened.

Chigiri gulped. Busted, he thought. Laid out on the counter, completely open for the girl to see, were chocolate tablets, eggs, milk, flour, butter, accompanied by heart—shaped tins that were somehow lying around in the cupboards (although a bit too gaudy for Chigiri, but eh, this would have to do)- very obviously ingredients for valentines day chocolate. 

Truth is, after hearing Berardi’s story about the valentines chocolates, Chigiri had made up his mind; he was going to make some chocolates for him this year. It’s not like he was expecting anything in return; but he knew that this would be a great way of making his interest known to his ever-so-oblivious teammate. Chigiri wasn’t one for lovestruck gestures, or very obvious flirting. Berardi, on the other hand, had been great at getting Chigiri to notice his interest towards him; but the latter, on the other hand, had been struggling to reciprocate. Whatever he did, it seemed too haughty or snappy, so poor Berardi was constantly going back and forth with mixed signals. So if he wasn’t good with words, or actions- then surely something as straightforward as a heart-shaped chocolate would announce his interest loud and clear.

However, in front of Yuyuko’s prying eyes, Chigiri could feel his courage falter. It wasn’t like he was embarrassed of making valentines days chocolates for someone; Chigiri simply wasn’t the type to get embarrassed that easily. It was more that he didn’t want EVERYONE to know of his interest towards Berardi when the two hadn’t even been past the ‘just teammates’ phase. Carefully, he chose his words.

« Em… Yuyuko, I just- »

« Chigiri… » Surprised by the tone of her voice, Chigiri looked at her with a confused face. « … I didn’t know you were such a great guy ???! »

« - Huh? »

« I just knew you were different from the likes of Igaguri or Raichi… » Grasping his heads between hers, she looked at him with sparkling eyes while Chigiri deadpanned, stunned by the sudden turn of events. « You didn’t want me to have to make ALL those girl chocolates by myself, so you wanted to help, right ??? »

« Eh ? » After overcoming the initial surprise, Chigiri snapped out of it and flashed a bright smile at Yuyuko- there was his chance to get out of it. « … yeah. Those guys sure are insensitive, aren’t they? So I thought I’d help. »

« Chigiri… You’re such a great guy…. » She wiped tears from her eyes, moved by the young player’s ‘kindness’. « Though… If you’re going to make some chocolates, maybe don’t use the heart tins? I wouldn’t want to have to deal with Igaguri thinking it’s a sign… »

—

So here was our long-haired boy, in the kitchen, cursing under his breath as he was wrapping his 15th chocolate packet of the night- humiliating. He couldn’t believe he was out here making chocolates for the likes of Igaguri or Gagamaru, but oh well- maybe this was a small price to pay in exchange for not being busted. So occupied by wrapping the ribbons correctly, he didn’t even notice the shadow creeping up behind him.

« Chigiri… »

« What again— Berardi?! » Chigiri turned around as soon as he recognised the voice that just called him. A small blush crept on his cheeks, but he turned his head to play it cool. « … What are you doing here so late ? »

« That’s what I should ask you. » Berardi was looking at him with a serious face- his voice sounded especially grave in the silence of the kitchen, and Chigiri had to take a large gulp- it sounded almost…. Seducing… « … I was worried about you. I woke up and couldn’t find you anywhere, so I thought I’d search for you because I couldn’t fall back asleep until I knew you were safe. »

Chigiri’s face grew 3 shades darker- screw that Italian smooth talker and his damn honesty. Seriously, how could he say such embarrassing things without even faltering ?? But still… A pleasant feeling swelled in Chigiri’s chest upon realising that his teammate was paying such close attention to him. Seriously, what am I doing… Getting all giddy about some guy noticing me and making chocolates for him… What am I, some shoujo manga heroine ?

« You didn’t have to get that worried, bakarardi. See, I’m fine. You’re going to be tired for practice tomorrow. »

« So are you. » Retorted Berardi, as he peeked over Chigiri’s shoulder. « Hmmm.. Wait, are you… »

« A-Ah, I was… »

« … Making chocolates? » Berardi tilted his head, now confused. « … Don’t tell me… » Chigiri blushed. Had he figured out his intentions ? « You’re helping out Yuyuko-chan with the valentines day chocolates? »

« … ! I mean, that, uuuh… »

« Oooh… » Berardi hummed, a weird expression on his face- Chigiri couldn’t quite decipher what it was. Worry? Uneasiness. « Don’t tell me… Our little princess has a soft spot for our bishoujo manager? »

Chigiri sighed. « Seriously… Who do you take me for? Bachira? » Berardi let out a small laugh. « Do you really think I would be like that lovestruck hero and make chocolates at 1am just to get on her good side ? »

« Ahah… You’re right, it wouldn’t really be like you. But… » Berardi softly smiled, adverting his eyes as to not look at Chigiri. « … I’m kinda glad to hear that. »

« Hear what? »

« That, erm… You’re not interested by her… In that way. »

There it was again. That damn honesty; that adorable smile; that kind voice. Chigiri’s head felt dizzy; seriously, his teammate had no idea the state his kind and honest personality was throwing him into. Grabbing the only packet containing heart-shaped chocolates, Chigiri took a step towards Berardi, who was still scratching his head, slightly embarrassed.

« … Of course I’m not, Bakarardi. » Chigiri was now a few centimetres away from Berardi; the sudden proximity made the latter lightly blush. « I was going to keep this a secret, but… Since you found out, guess I’ll have to come out clean now, huh. »

« Eh ? Come out clean? What do you mean- »

« I didn’t help Yuyuko with these idiots’ valentines days chocolates out of the kindness of my heart, you know. I did it because… » Hastily, he shoved the packet into Berardi’s chest; who grasped it, obviously confused. « … I wanted to give you some, but I guess this is going to be a early Valentines day, huh. »

« W-Wait, what- »

« Happy Valentines day, Bakarardi. And you better not give those away, you hear me. » Chigiri winked at him, tongue out, before rushing towards the kitchen door. « Ah, and I’ll be expecting some high quality present in return on white day. Bye-Bye. »

“T-Trey-senpai… Isn’t it about time we go in ?”

“I mean, yeah but… You know, it feels kind of awkward entering a girl’s room, you know … ?”

Standing helplessly in the middle of the corridor, Deuce and Trey were staring at each other, eyebrows twitching as neither of them managed to have enough courage to knock on the door. Sure, it was part of their stargazer duties to collect everyone’s wishes, and collecting the male students’ proved to be more or less a piece of cake- but the female students’ … ? 

“.. Deuce, I think you should do it.”

“W-Why me ???”

“I’ve barely interacted with Yamlikha… I think it would be less awkward if you did it.”

“U-Ugh… W-Well, if Trey-senpai asks me too, then I have no choice…” Deuce took one, then two, big breaths, and knocked on the door. 

“Yes?”

As soon as he heard a female voice from the other side of the door, Deuce’s body immediately tensed up. “O-Oh, Yamlikha-senpai, hello !! We’re here to collect wishes, so if we could maybe, uhm…”

“.. Ah, sure. Give me a second.”

In no time, the door opened, revealing Yamlikha in her dorm uniform. She looked at the two Heartslabyul students in front of her: they were wearing robes that she recognised as the stargazer ones that looked quite dignified, but their countenances were… anything but dignified. Both did their best to avoid locking eyes with her and were nervously scratching their head, standing sheepishly at her door.

“… Ah. I guess they’re embarrassed to be in the girls’ dormitory.” Yamlikha let out a small chuckle, before gesturing for them to come inside. “Trey-senpai, Deuce-san, do come in. It’s to collect my wish, right?” Deuce nodded. “Well, it would be quite rude of me to let you stand outside for any longer, so please, make yourself at home.”

“A-AH, NO, that’s okay!!” Deuce’s voice was shaken due to the sheer embarrassment he had been feeling as soon as he stepped foot in the girls’ side of the dorm.

“Are you sure? I could offer some tea, or water. You must be quite exhausted, if you’ve been collecting wishes all day.” Yamlikha tilted her head. “And hospitality is a huge thing in my homeland, you know, so please, do come in.”

Trey and Deuce looked at each other, and nodded at each other in approbation. Almost comically, both of them took a step forward at the same time, walking so rigidly that anyone who didn’t know them would’ve thought they were true card soldiers.

—

“So, Yamlikha.” Trey sipped on the hot tea the young Scarabia girl had given him; it was a light jasmine tea that seemed to fill up the room with a comforting scent. “We’re sorry to disturb you, but we would need to collect your wish. I trust you know how it works, right?”

“Oh, yes. I just need to make a wish, and give you the wishing star once it’s been lit up, right?”

“That’s correct. Oh… You haven’t made your wish yet?”

“Uhm?” Yamlikha looked back at Trey, caught by surprise. “Oh… A wish ? No, not really. In fact, I don’t think I have any in mind, but from what I’ve heard, Deuce-san made a bet with Idia-senpai to collect both of their shares, right?” Deuce nodded. “Then I guess I have no choice but to make a wish.. Hmm…”

“.. Is there nothing you would like to ask for, Yamlikha-senpai?”

Deuce looked at his upperclassman with curiosity. Yamlikha always seemed like a dependable and distinguished student: he didn’t interact with her that much, but from the few interactions they’ve had, he could tell that she was very polite. But apart from the fact that she spent most of her time around Kalim and Jamil, he didn’t know much about her. She didn’t strike him as someone who’d wish for shallow things, like a new clothing item or whatnot; so what would she wish for ?

“Me ? Wishing for something ? … Not really. In fact, I don’t really believe in stuff like that.”

“ ‘Stuff like that’ ?”

“… I don’t really believe that simply wishing could change anything.” All of a sudden, her eyes had gone lost in thought. Noticing the silence, she pulled herself out of it, and gave the two stargazers a soft smile. “But, of course, I’ll wish for something. I guess…”

“—— YAMUUUUU !!”

“Wah—?” Trey, Deuce and Yamlikha all jolted.

“K-Kalim / Kalim-senpai??”

Barging through the door was Scarabia’s leader, Kalim. He had opened the door so suddenly that poor Deuce had almost fallen out of his chair, and Trey had spilt some of his tea. In no time, Yamlikha found some spare tissue and cleaned the mess her Heartslabyul senpai had made, as he stood there awkwardly, surprised at her swiftness.

“Ah, Yamlikha, I could have-“

“No, no, please don’t worry, Trey-senpai- it wasn’t your fault.” She turned around to face Kalim, glaring at him. “Now, Kalim. What are you doing here?”

“What I’m doing here? Well, isn’t it obvious?” Kalim puffed his chest, a bright smile on his face. “I just wanted to see you!!”

“!!!” Yamlikha’s cheeks suddenly turned very red, as she turned to face Deuce and Trey again. “A-Anyway. Where were we again?”

“Eeeh, Yamu, don’t ignore me like that ???!!” Kalim whined.

“Please do ignore him.” Yamlikha cleared her throat.

“A-Ah, Kalim-senpai, hello!!” Deuce stood up. “U-Uhm, we were here to collect Yamlikha-senpai’s wish, so…”

“Oooh, yeah, I forgot!! So, Yamu, did ya make your wish yet ??”

“No.. Actually, she was about to tell it to us, but you barged in at the wrong time.” Trey let out an awkward chuckle as he checked his watch. Time was ticking, and if they wanted to collect all of the Scarabia girls’ wishes, they couldn’t afford to spend any longer in Yamlikha’s room.

“… Ah.” 

Yamlikha, aș observant as usual, noticed Trey’s fidgeting and his nervous glance towards his watch: she immediately understood that they had to leave as soon as possible. Ignoring the ruckus Kalim was making behind her as he tried to rope Deuce into coming to Scarabia’s banquet held this evening, Yamlikha cleared her throat.

“So, about my wish.”

Upon hearing those words, Kalim stopped speaking instantly-much to Deuce’s surprise. Carefully, the young dorm leader turned to face Yamlikha, focusing all of his attention to her. Kalim had known her for a very, very long time now. From their first meeting in the slums to their childhood spent together in his family palace, he’d been with her for almost as long as he could remember; but even then, she remained as a mystery for him in a lot of aspects. She’d never told him how exactly she survived in the slums as an orphan; nor did she tell her if her parents abandoned her, or if she simply never knew them. She had always been extremely vague about her past, but also about her motivations for joining Night Raven College. When Jamil and her had received their invitations, Kalim was half expecting her to reject going there, since she had never explicitly shown any interest in magic: but all of a sudden, upon reading her letter of acceptance, she, for the very first time, smiled with an extremely bright smile- one he’d never seen on her. It wasn’t a smile of happiness: it felt more like a…. finally.

So he had been wondering, ever since that day- what were Yamlikha’s goals? What did she wish for? He’d always told her: anything she wanted, he would have given it to her. Whether it be gold, clothes, food, travelling: he had been so enamoured with her since their first meeting that whatever she would have told him, he could have flipped the earth up and down to find it. But she never abused of his kindness; as a matter of fact, she never actually asked him for anything. She always seemed content with almost nothing; and while he loved that part of her as well… Upon seeing that specific look on her face when she received that acceptation letter- that look of ambition, desire- he couldn’t help but feel enthralled by it.

He wanted to know that side of her too. And in this exact moment, it felt like that side of her was about to reveal itself to him—

“… I guess, for the next history of magic class test to be a bit easier?”

“EEEEH??”

Trey, Deuce and Kalim had all shouted in surprise. They were expecting anything from Yamlikha- but not THAT.

“W-Wait, Yamlikha-senpai, are you being serious???”

“Uh? Yes, I am.”

“Yamu, what kind of wish is that ??? C’mon, you must have something else in mind!!!!”

“Not really, it’s all that comes to mind.”

“Y-Yamlikha… You do realise that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, right…?”

“.. I told you, Trey-senpai. I don’t believe in wishing. And…” her voice suddenly got a lot quieter. Deuce and Trey, who were giving each other looks of “should we just accept it..?”, didn’t pay attention to it- only Kalim, who was still staring at her in disbelief, caught the words she whispered next. “… it’s not like my true wish is something that could come true just by wishing on a star.”

——

“… Kalim. Kalim? Kalim… OI !!! KALIM !!!”

“!!!!”

Kalim, who had been staring out of the window, winced in pain as felt the impact of Jamil’s book landing on his head.

“W-What the hell, Jamil ???”

“You’re unbelievable. I’ve been looking for you everywhere— you still haven’t handed in your alchemy homework, and here I find you daydreaming. Seriously, you don’t realise the workload you put on me, do you ?? And—“

Jamil stopped himself. He could tell from Kalim’s troubled face that the young boy wasn’t listening to him and was lost in his thought. Sighing, he sat down next to Kalim. Normally, as the Al Asim family servant, he would have to ask Kalim what was wrong, and help him in any way he could- but truthfully… 

He didn’t really give a shit.

However, he also knew that being born in the Viper family meant that he was responsible for Kalim’s well-being- and alas, that also included being his unpaid therapist, sadly.

“.. Kalim. What’s wrong?”

“… Jamil…”

“Yeah?” Jamil looked at Kalim intently- it was rare to see him so dejected.

“… Do you think Yamu’s okay?”

“Huh?” He was taken aback by this question. Was Kalim scolding him for the amount of work he was giving her? He didn’t give her that many recently, though- at least not compared to his pre-overblot. Curious, he waited for his master to keep on talking.

“I don’t know, I… I’m beginning to realise that I don’t know a lot about Yamu.”

“… You’re only realising that now?” Jamil deadpanned. 

As a fellow servant in the household, Jamil had spent a lot more time with Yamilkha than Kalim did- even though the Al Asim heir always asked for Yamlikha to be around him, they both followed servant classes together, and their social statuses made it easier for them to confide in each other. He didn’t know that much about her, either: but from what Jamil could gather, that girl hid a lot from them. He trusted her, though: after all, even though they were both servant, he’d essentially been acting like her boss all this time, and she always carried out her tasks with efficiency, so he never really had to complain- and it didn’t seem like she was plotting anything against the family, either. It was more like- when she would talk about her past with Jamil, she would sometimes talk about the living conditions there in a way that would make him think that she had unresolved business with her past.

“.. Why are you saying that, Kalim?”

“Mmmh.. Because you see…”

—

“I see. So she made that wish, huh…” Jamil put his hand to his chin, lost in thought.

“Yeah…” Kalim sighed, dejected. “If she made a real wish, I could’ve granted it for her, but… I dunno, it feels like I’ll never be able to win her over, y’know what I mean???”

“That’s what worries you?????” Jamil fought to keep his countenance. “… I don’t think Yamlikha’s the type to be won over by material possessions, you know.”

“I know, I know, buuuut… it’s more like… If I don’t get to know her better, it feels like our love would never deepen, y’know???”

“Your love ??? You’re always spouting that you’re going to marry her but it’s not like she’s ever responded properly to that, y’know??? Don’t go make assumptions about how people feel about you, asshole!!!” Jamil cleared his throat. “… I see. Indeed, if she’s not honest with you, that can be hard. But what exactly are you expecting me to do?”

“I dunno… I just thought that since you’ve also known her for a long time, you might know something ?”

“… No, I don’t. But maybe you could talk to her directly about it?”

“… !!” Kalim’s face lit up. Don’t tell me he didn’t even think of that? Deadpanned Jamil. “You’re right, Jamie!! There’s no use racking my brain for an answer- I might as well ask her directly !! Thanks Jamil, you’re a real friend!!!”

“Wait, Kalim- Ah…” Faster than wind, Kalim had already ran out of the room without giving Jamil a chance to answer.

— 

“… Yamu!!!!”

“!!” Yamlikha jolted, almost dropping the book on her lap. “K-Kalim… You surprised me- wait, where are you coming from?!”

Kalim arrived in front of her, hands on his knees, panting with his head down- he had been obviously running. He gave her a wide smile as he stood back up.

“I wanted to talk to you, so I came to get you!!!”

“Talk to me? What for?” Yamlikha tilted her head, surprised.

“I just…” Kalim scratched his head, smiling sheepishly. “.. Wanted to know more about you.”

“Know more… about me?”

“Yeah!! I mean, our relationship can’t advance if I don’t, right??”

“???” In an instant, Yamlikha’s face had grown 5 shades darker. No matter how many years passed- she could never get used to Kalim’s advances, that she thought were jokes. Although, only her thought of them as jokes- it was pretty obvious for everyone around them that the young Al Asim heir was as serious as serious gets about her: he was just… stupidly honest, and she was just stupidly oblivious.

“So, I wanted to ask you- back then, when Trey and Deuce came to get your wish… ya said something like, “my real wish won’t come true like that.”” Upon hearing that, Yamlikha’s eyes widened a bit. “So, like… What did ya really wanna wish for?”

“…..” Her face suddenly grew serious, as she gazed into the distance. A small gush of wind brushed again her hair- creating an almost painting-like scene. Kalim looked at her, captivated by the sight of her jade and ruby eyes reflecting the scenery ahead of her. “My true wish, huh…”

“… Do you not feel comfortable telling me?”

“Huh?” She snapped out of it, looking back at Kalim with surprise.

“I mean…” He scratched his head. “I know I’m not the best at telling how people feel, but like… It does kinda feel like it’s something you don’t wanna tell, right?” Yamlikha just kept staring at him without saying a word. “But I just want you to know… That if you’re not comfortable telling me, I’ll always be here waiting until you are, okay? In the meantime, imma make everything possible to make you happy, so- just count on me, okay, Yamu?”

“….”

Yamlikha kept staring at her friend in front of her- he was smiling with a smile so bright that the sun behind him seemed almost pale in comparison. If Kalim had paid more attention to her face in this exact moment, instead of rambling about how he would 100% make her happy and that she could trust him, he could have noticed- that her eyes, in this present moment, were filled with sadness.

He was like the sun. She was like the moon. If she was to tell him her true wishes- if she was to come bare, to let out all the unsightly inside of her- would he still want to extend that warm hand towards her?

If he was to know what her deepest desires were.. Would he still want her around? Snapping out of it, she noticed that Kalim was staring at her intently, waiting for an answer.

“Ah…” She shook her head. 

Now was not the time to have those thoughts. When that moment will come… When she’ll have to make a decision… That’s when she’d have the luxury of worrying whether Kalim would accept her or not. As of now- she was still so far away from her goal that it did not matter. And somewhere, deep inside of her, she had a feeling…

“… Kalim.”

“Yeah?”

“If I told you that my biggest wish… Was a bad one. What would you say?”

“A bad one?”

“… yeah. What if I told you…” Her face was so serious that Kalim slightly gulped. “… that my biggest wish was revenge. How would you feel?”

“… I would try to help you forgive.” Kalim’s face was also very serious.

“… !” Yamlikha widened her eyes out of surprise- before letting out a small chuckle. That was so Kalim- why would she ever doubt that pure, kind heart of his.

After all…

“.. Yeah, I figured that much.”

“So, what d’ya say ? Wanna go out with me?”

The whole room went quiet. Players around the room looked at each other, almost suffocating with the sudden awkwardness, a few occasional snickers here and there. Standing in front of the door, aware of all the eyes on her, Yuyuko took a deep breath. In front of her, standing in a laid-back way, a confidently sheepish grin on his face, was one of the 299 players from the blue lock project- a guy she probably talked to once or twice while distributing some food supplies. She didn’t know his name, nor where he came from: the project had only started for a few days now, and she was yet to be acquainted with everyone. But from this situation, and from this situation only, she could tell one thing with utmost precision:

That guy was an asshole.

Pushing her hair back, she closed her eyes. She wasn’t deaf- she could hear the whispers. “Man, he beat me to it… She’s a real hottie, all right.” “Think she’s gonna accept?” “That dude’s got guts, confessing in front of everyone at dinner time…” Tired of focusing on the whispers, she reopened her eyes to get a better look at the guy standing in front of her. His countenance was beginning to falter: it had been at least a minute or two since he asked her out, and she was yet to give an answer. Out of habit, Yuyuko smiled slightly at him, tilting her head- upon seeing her kind smile, the guy started grinning again: how easy. She was definitely going to say yes; women like her are so easy. The bishoujo, innocent type- you just have to be a gentleman for a few days, and then….

“What’s your name ?” The young girl asked, a smile still plastered on her face.

“Huh?” Yuyuko’s clear voice resounded in the room, putting a stop to all the whispers. The whole room redirected their attention back to the confession scene unfolding in front of them. “… Ah! My name’s Tsukiyama. Tsukiyama Ga-“

“Well, then, Tsukiyama-kun.” Her tone suddenly became a lot colder, as her smile completely disappeared from her face. “… I guess I won’t have to see your face around for much longer, huh.”

“W-What?” Everyone in the room, Tsukiyama included, let out a gasp of surprise.

“If you’re in a life or death game for your career, and you’re out here hitting on girls, thinking they’re easy or whatnot… You’re not gonna last for long. Good riddance. Trash should take itself out, after all.”

“Wha- Hold up ?? What’s your issue ? Who d’ya even think you are-“

“Think I’m dumb ? You probably expected me to nod and fall into your arms, right?” Yuyuko’s gaze had grown incredibly serious. “Let me make one thing clear. I didn’t come here to find myself a boyfriend, or become anyone’s plaything. I came here to change football. And my issue…” she gestured to the door behind her. “- is that guys like you are exactly what’s holding Japanese soccer back. So if your only ambition for playing is getting girls- you might as well walk out that door. The project doesn’t need useless burdens like you.”

The whole room went silent for a few seconds, before being filled with roaring laughter. A few players taunted Tsukiyama, who had now grown beetroot red both in embarrassment and anger. Among all the chaos, Yuyuko remained extremely serious, arm still pointed at the door as she waited for the player to exit.

Truth is, she expected something like this to happen: Ego even warned her of it before the project officially opened its doors. She was the only girl manager- for the time being- in a sea of young, teenage male players, who had been chosen so far for their abilities and potential, and whose ambition had not yet been tested: the project was bound to have a handful of bad seeds in the beginning, and the upcoming selection rounds existed for the sake of rooting them out- so she’d have to be patient for the time being, advised Ego. She was ready to endure it: after all, she had begged the coach for months now, hoping that he would finally accept her unto the project.

Changing football. At the moment, it was all that mattered to her- 

for herself. 

For everyone who loved football. 

For him. 

—

Her dad, whose eyes had lost all of the passion that was once synonymous with their homely life. After he retired from being a professional player, he couldn’t bear to part from the sport he loved so dearly, and chose to become a coach for his old team. During all her childhood, Yuyuko had been surrounded by pro and ex players alike, going to football matches with her dad every week, and discovering with sparkly eyes the atmosphere, the pride, the anxiety, the rush of adrenaline that came with each play. As she fell more and more in love with the sport, her connection with her dad grew at the same time as her feeling for the sport did. Yes- she couldn’t have had a happier childhood.

But happy times, alas, never last. After that, everything changed. 

Her dad couldn’t bear to watch a single match- whenever she would turn on the TV, it would be followed by loud screaming and smashing of objects, with her dad storming out of the room: so she ended up taking the habit of watching football in her room on her phone, alone. The atmosphere at home felt more and more stuffed as the years went by- her mum eventually ended up leaving, unable to shoulder her dad’s depression and anger fits anymore, essentially abandoning a pre-teenager Yuyuko in the process. She was left alone, desperately holding on to the past image of her dad, refusing to let him go- not yet. But years passed, and she was now in her second year of high school. Her dad’s friends came over less and less; his decrepit state only foreshadowed what they would eventually become, so Yuyuko couldn’t really blame them for avoiding the sorrowful sight that her dad had become. Truthfully, she was starting to lose hope too- maybe there was nothing that could be done. Maybe her dad was heading straight towards a wall, and the one thing he loved the most would be the very same thing that would lead him to his demise. That was her usual thought as she would come home from school, upon noticing that the pile of empty cans of beer was somehow always higher than the previous day.

But all of this changed when some of her dad’s friends, his old teammates, came to visit out of politeness, one cold February evening. Among the shallow, awkward conversation, one of them mentioned something that would come to reignite the hope that had started to fade: the blue lock project. Immediately upon hearing what it was about, she knew- that this was it. This could change Japanese football. But most importantly- this could make her dad love football once again. So when, after some very unethical and illegal stalking, she managed to acquire the organiser’s address, she personally visited his house to ask him to become part of the project. A request that he, of course, rejected- she was just a teenage girl, virtually unknown. What good could a kid like her bring to the project ? - Nothing. 

But that didn’t stop Yuyuko. She may not have been the most competent, or the most knowledgeable person to be part of the project- but she was tenacious, and once she set her mind on something, nothing could make her give up. She owed it to her dad- but also to her younger self, who cried out for her ‘old’ dad deep, deep inside of her. 

So she came over to Ego’s house every day, no matter how many seasons passed- even on rainy, snowy, scorching hot nights, she still showed up. At first concerned that she was borderline insane, when Ego opened his door an umpteen time, he was ready to once again scream at her to go away: but this time, he locked eyes with her. And that’s when he saw her eyes.

Eyes brimming with determination, not an ounce of doubt to be seen. And that’s when he knew.

That this girl had a reason for doing all this. And while he couldn’t know what it was- and frankly, didn’t care-, he knew  that such ambition could only be beneficial to the project.

—

So here she was, months later, standing in one the project’s dinner rooms, hyena-like eyes set on her as the confession scene turned into a full-blown argument. The guy she just rejected was now screaming, trying to save whatever dignity he could still have, but she didn’t care. She clenched the fabric of her jacket with her left fist, biting her lip down. All of this was necessary. For the sake of her ideals, she could endure anything- even some rejected asshole’s taunts.

———

Watching the scene with keen interest was a serious boy among all of the laughing faces surrounding him. Usually, he was one of the first ones to fool around, but not this time- all of his attention was directed towards the young girl standing in front of the rejected beau, who was now gesticulating like a monkey, letting all his anger and frustration out. 

Bachira Meguru had never really been interested in the opposite sex before. Truthfully, he didn’t really see a point in girls overall; his girl classmates didn’t care about soccer at all, and most of them would make fun of him for being a loner, so he didn’t particularly care about them. But for some reason, upon seeing the dignified figure of the girl a few meters ahead, her eyes brimming with something he couldn’t quite decipher, only one word came to mind-

“…. Interesting.”

“Huh? You said something, Bachira?” Bachira’s seat neighbour, Isagi, looked over at him with surprise. 

“… Hey, Isagi. Who’s the girl?”

“Oh, the girl?” He scratched his head. “I think her name was… Nemu ? Nemu… what was her first name again..? Huh… yuko… something?”

“.. Yuyuko, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Ah, that’s right- thanks Chigiri!”

“Hey… not remembering her name’s kinda rude, you know.” The long haired boy sighed. “She does our laundry everyday, after all.”

“R-Right, I’m sorry… I got really surprised learning that she was Nemu Otori’s daughter, so I didn’t really pay attention to her first name…”

“Huh??” That comment made a few heads from team Z turn around. “She’s THAT Nemu’s daughter?? One of Japan’s legendary goalkeepers??” 

Isagi nodded, and a few comments from team Z fused- “waaah, i had no idea…” “man, Nemu was seriously legendary back in the days!” “I wonder what the daughter of THE nemu would be doing here, handling chores for obscure high school football players…”

Isagi diverted his attention back to his seat mate. “So, Bachira- …. !” 

He couldn’t help but be surprised at his new friend’s face- he looked unusually serious, gazing at the manager with an almost frightening look in his eyes. It was like he was taking in everything of her appearance- Isagi had only seen him have a similar look in his eyes in dire yet exhilarating situations in matches they played together. All of his concentration was now on Yuyuko, who, unaware of the young adolescent’s eyes on her, was trying her best to handle the situation in front of her.

“Are you done making a scene now?” Her tone was sharper than a knife. “If you’re done embarrassing yourself, the door is right here-“

“You fucking bitch. Who d’ya think you are? Just ‘cause you’re a bit cute, you prolly think you can do just about anything, huh?” He took a huge step, getting dangerously close to Yuyuko, who took a step backwards by instinct. “Imma teach you a lesson right here-” he raised his hand so fast that Yuyuko didn’t even have time to react. Her eyes widened as she saw his fist getting dangerously close to her face, and with no time to move around, she closed her eyes, preparing herself for the impact.

BAAAM.

… Huh? Yuyuko thought, confused. Weird- she heard the sound of the impact, but felt no pain or anything. Tentatively, she peeked through her now half-opened lids, trying to understand what just happened. And to her surprise, the man who threatened her was now lying on the ground, with an empty water jug just beside his head. In no time, the room was filled with commotion and gasps- what just happened ?

She looked around, bewildered. How did that jug end up here- no, more importantly, why was this asshole on the ground… ? 

That’s when she saw him.

A grin on his face, hopping on a table, a young boy with a bowl cut was making his way towards her. She had no idea who it was, but judging from his demeanour and the scared look on the people he was bypassing ‘s faces, he was probably the one who threw the jug on Tsukiyama.

“H-Hey, you asshole, the hell did you just do??? How dare you kick that towards my friend ??? D’ya even know how dangerous that is???” Tsukiyama’s teammates were now shouting in anger, recovering from the shock of seeing their teammate get headshot by a water jug.

“Eh ~ not my fault, he was definitely being an asshole, y’know ?” Bachira shrugged, hopping down from a chair to land down right next to where Yuyuko was.

The young girl took a step backwards again, surprised at his sudden appearance and completely at a loss. Who was he? Why did he do that? 

Chaos suddenly overtook the room, with different parties arguing either in favour of Tsukiyama, or Bachira, or Yuyuko- and some just joining in for the sake of making a ruckus. It took an intervention from Ego for the situation to de-escalate, and soon Tsukiyama was rushed to the infirmary: slowly, even the most curious players left the room, going back to minding their own business after the drama-worthy scene that just enlivened their dinner. Soon, the only people left in the room were the team Z players and Yuyuko, who was still blinking, at a loss.

“E-Erm…” she turned around to face Bachira, who had been staring at her with such intensity that it was seriously starting to make her feel uncomfortable. “W-Well, I didn’t exactly understand everything, but, uh, thank you for helping me out….” She tilted her head, looking at him with curious eyes. 

“Bachira. Bachira Meguru!” The boy smiled widely at her. 

“O-Oh, thank you, Bachira. But you need to be more careful, you know. If you hit him the wrong way, things could have definitely gone south… although he did deserve that.” She smiled softly at him.

“Are you alright?” Isagi and the others were now surrounding her. She reassured them- she was fine, thanks to Bachira. No, she didn’t need any help- she was sure he had learnt his lesson. Yes, if he was to try anything weird, she’d definitely call them for help.

She thanked them as they waved at her, leaving towards their rooms. She smiled at them and turned around with a sigh- what a day…

“…. wah???” 

Yuyuko let out a shriek as she bumped into Bachira, who had not left his spot. She thought he left with the rest of them- what was he doing here? His eyes were still set on her, as intense as before- she could feel a small blush creeping on her cheeks.

“W-What do you want??”

“Your eyes…” the boy tilted his head, still not breaking his eye contact.

“W-What about them?”

“ I loooove them.” He said those words with such a childlike voice, yet a still serious face- such honesty sent Yuyuko into a blushing spiral.

“H-Huh?? W-What d-do you mean??” She was now beetroot red, and could barely get her words out without stuttering. Seriously, what was this guy’s deal? 

“I want them.”

“Huh?” Among all her freaking out, Yuyuko didn’t quite catch was the young boy just told her.

“I said, I want them… on me. At all time.” If Yuyuko’s face was red beforehand, she was now getting dangerously close to deep crimson. “I’ve been looking for eyes like this, like, forever, y’know ?”

“B-Bachira-kun, what are you saying- Eeek ???!” 

Bachira had bent forwards, and his face was a few inches away from hers. He leaned in, and whispered against her ear:

“I’m gonna make sure you never take them off me, so keep watching me, okay ? I wanna see more of them.”

404 error system. Yuyuko’s vision became blurry out of sheer embarrassment and panic: what was even happening ? That guy was so unpredictable- she couldn’t understand a single thing out of what he was saying. Seeing her blushing face, Bachira grinned and straightened up once again. He dashed towards the door, waving goodbye to the bewildered girl.

“Bye-bye, Yuyu-chan! Come to see my next match, okay ? I’m gonna show you the best dribbling ever, I promise !!”

Yuyuko couldn’t even say anything back to him- he was already gone, leaving her even more confused than before.

“W-wait, Bachira-kun- seriously, what the hell?” She blinked in confusion. “That guy… what’s his deal, seriously?”

She shooked her head, trying to regain her countenance, and slapped her cheeks to pull herself back together. She raised her head once again, staring at the door the young boy dashed out of just a few instants ago.

“But… I don’t know why, that guy…” she ran her fingers through her hair, eyes lost in thought. “He seemed kind of….

“Eeeeh… y’know, yamu, I’m going to get so lonely if you keep that up.”

“And what do you want me to do about it.”

“Waaah, you’re so cold !! What happened to you telling me you loved me yester- Mmmph!“ Before he could even realise what was happening, Kalim was already chewing on a huge chunk of salad Yamlikha stuffed into his mouth.

“I thought I made myself clear. Jamil wants the preparation to be done by 4pm, and it’s already 3pm, so if you’d please, I would very much like to be able to finish cooking in PEACE.”

“Just tell him you got busy!”

“Not happening.”

“Or I can help you, it’ll be faster that way-“

“No, thank you.” Swifter than wind, Yamlikha snatched the knife her boyfriend attempted to reach for. “Kalim…” She sighed, wiping some sweat off her forehead. “I know you’re complaining, but… You do realise this is all because YOU decided you wanted to host a party last minute, right ?”

Kalim body jerked upright as he could sense his girlfriend’s words becoming sharper as she spoke her last sentence. He turned around slightly, avoiding her cold stare as he could hear her aggressively chopping some vegetables. 

“Well, the best parties are the ones you expect the least right?” 

Upon hearing her boyfriend’s words, Yamilkha sighed again. Focusing her attention on the cooking once again, she looked around the table. Spices, check. Vegetables, check. Meat, check. Rice… Cursing under her breath, she reached out for the crumbled note in her pocket to read the instructions written in Jamil’s impeccable handwriting. Everything was weighed down to the milligrams, and there was such a precise order in how she was supposed to do things that she couldn’t help but shake her head- that was so Jamil. She was accustomed to helping him ever since they were young- but she could almost swear that as he aged, his control freak tendencies got even worse. She reached out for the rice, and as she started washing it, her senses tingled- it was silent.

Way too silent.

“Kalim, what are you- Wah ???”

As she raised her head, she noticed her boyfriend’s face only a few centimetres away from hers. Surprised at the sudden proximity, she spilled some of the rice as she jerked backwards. 

“W-What are you doing ?? Don’t surprise me like that!!” Frantically, the young girl tried to scrape for the scattered grains of rice as she could feel her face heat up.

“… You’re not even going to ask WHY I’m hosting the party?” 

Yamlikha looked at Kalim with a surprised look on her face. “W-Wait… What? Why would you ask that… Don’t you always host parties?”

“I knew it…” Kalim pouted as he dramatically let himself fall back on his chair. “You’re so cold-hearted…”

“What does this have to do with me being cold hearted?” Yamlikha glanced at the clock. “Listen. I have half an hour before Jamil comes back, so if you want to play riddles, wait until I’m done-“

“It’s April 23rd today!!!!”

Yamlikha deadpanned. April 23rd ? What is even special about April 23rd ? She racked her brains, wondering if she somehow forgot something important. Her own birthday had passed, and Kalim’s was still far away, so it definitely couldn’t be that. Could it be one of his many siblings’ birthday? She hesitated for a second- No. She knew each and every one of their birthdays- perks of serving their household for so long- and she could safely say that none of them were born around April 23rd. Their couples anniversary date was further down the road as well. 

Lost in her own thoughts, she didn’t notice Kalim coming closer to her. Her boyfriend has got up from his chair, walking around the table so he could come closer to where she was standing. Absorbed in her own thoughts, Yamilkha was desperately trying to figure out what could be so important about April 23rd that Kalim would have to host a party for it. It’s not like he needed a special reason to party; but he did seem quite upset that she didn't remember the date. She bit her nail as she furrowed her brows- what could she possibly be forgetting….

“… It’s lover’s day today”

“!!!!”

Yamlikha’s whole body tensed as she felt Kalim’s breath right next to her ear. Blushing like crazy, she tried to move away from him, but it was too late- hugging her from backwards, he had his arms around her waist, and was resting his chin on her shoulders.

“Kalim !! W-What are you doing-“

“Y’know, I’m sad you’re not paying attention to those kind of things…” Kalim’s face looked unexpectedly serious from up close- and handsome, as well. Yamlikha’s face was now beetroot red, and she could swear the room was at least 15 degrees warmer.

“I-I… Uh… I-“

“To think that my girlfriend of 6 months would forget about such an important date… I feel so sad, now…” Kalim pouted, tilting his head slightly so Yamlikha’s gaze could meet his puppy eyes. “What should I do, if my girlfriend hates me that much ˜”

“I- I don’t hate you !! What do you mean- Eek?”

All of a sudden, Yamlikha was pinned against the wall, Kalim’s taller figure hovering over hers. The young girl’s mind went even more blank - it happened in the blink of an eye. Distracted by her boyfriend’s puppy eyes and paralysed by her own embarrassment, she could barely process her own thoughts anymore.

“K-Kalim— What if someone sees us—“

“I guess I have no choice…” Kalim gaze become more serious, as his face became dangerously close to Yamlikha’s. If the young girl wasn’t blushing enough beforehand, it was now on a whole other level- she was such a deep shade of crimson that anyone seeing her would’ve thought she was about to blow up. She closed her eyes, half expecting something, half giving up on trying to control the situation. She could feel Kalim’s breath getting closer, and closer, and closer-

“… But if you’re that desperate for a kiss, I take it that you indeed don’t hate me, do you ? ˜”

“- Eh?”

Yamlikha opened her eyes. Kalim pulled back, with a huge grin on his face… 

What just happened? She blinked as her boyfriend turned around, whistling as he stretched. Did he just… tease her? Yamlikha’s face was still a blushing mess as she stood here in incomprehension. Kalim looked back, a smug smile gracing his features-

Happy birthday MeiMei! <3 This is late, and out of season, but oh well LOL. As usual, I am veeeery bad at writing Vil, but I hope this makes you happy >_<

Disclaimer: Mayu belongs to @itameii :D

Falling snowflakes and blinding lights of the party were reflected in the window facing Mayu. The heat of Ignihyde’s common room steamed the windows, painting a beautiful combination of pure white snow and golden cheery lights: lost in thoughts, the young girl couldn’t help remembering a certain someone while distractedly gazing at it- that is, before Ace’s voice snapped her out of it.

“Oi, Mayu, we’re out of snacks here!”

“O-oh, sorry Ace. Coming!”

The first-year Ignihyde student made her way through the crowd, arms full of various snacks and sweets. The room was unusually crowded, and she had to fight her way through while constantly bowing her head and apologising. Dhe couldn’t really blame the party attendees for being excited: it was New Years after all. After a few minutes of jostling, she finally arrived at Ace, Deuce and Grim’s table, and put down the snacks with a relieved sigh.

“There you go.... Phew.”

“Thanks Mayu! Gotta admit, there’s sure a lot of people here... Pretty unusual for Ignihyde, huh.”

“Ace is right. You really did a great job organising this, given how your dorm never usually hosts anything... I couldn’t imagine hosting all of this by myself in Heartslabyul, to be honest.”

“A-Ah, thank you Deuce. To be fair, some other students helped me, I didn’t do everything by myself...” Mayu bashfully smiled as she lowered her head.

“I don’t see your dorm leader, though.” Grim remarked as he looked around. “Is he hiding or something?”

“Most probably.” Ace responded with a smirk, before turning his head back to face Mayu. “By the way, isn’t Vil-senpai here? I don’t see him anywhere- Aouch!” Ace jolted as he felt Deuce kicking his shin under the table. “What the hell is your problem, man?”

“O-Oh, well, Vil-Senpai has a new drama to film, so he would have been busy anyway....” Mayu mumbled, hands tighly grasping the hems of her skirt, but the young girl still smiled brightly at her three classmates. “But it’s okay, I’m pretty busy with the party anyway! Talking about that, I’m going to take some fresh air. I’ll be back in a few minutes!”

Without waiting for her friends to answer, Mayu rushed outside, feeling tears prickle her eyes. Once she stepped out of the door, she took a deep breath, breathing in the cold and crispy air as she gazed at the sky. Ace’s question rang in her head- she had tried her best to avoid thinking about him to enjoy the party fully. But as expected, she couldn’t just pretend like everything was fine, despite knowing this would happen. She stretched out her hands to catch some snowflakes, and let her thoughts wander as she stood among the white scenery.

--

[6 months ago]

“Eh? You’re going out with Vilcchi?????”

“M-Mary-Ann, please lower your voice!!” Mayu begged as she put her hand on her friend’s mouth.

“.. Well, I must admit I’m surprised too.” Trey let out a small laugh as he scratched his neck. “I mean, we all knew how you were feeling, but still, I can’t believe you would confess after all...”

“A-ah, I mean....” Mayu’s cheeks were beetroot red as she recalled the events of the past day. A big smile came to grace her features as she remembered how Vil confessed his love to her back- putting her doubts to rest after all this time.

“... But, hey, Mayucchi.”

“Hmm?” Mayu snapped out of it as she heard her friend’s voice, a lot more grave than usual. She looked up to see Mary-Ann with an unusual serious expression on her face, staring straight at her.

“Are you sure?”

“S-Sure about what?”

“Sure you want to go out with a celebrity like him? I mean, you won’t get to see him often, and he probably-”

“Mary-Ann.” Trey put his hand on his childhood’s friend shoulder as he noticed Mayu’s slightly trembling lips. “Let’s not go there. I’m sure Mayu had a lot of time to think about this already- you know how she overthinks, after all. And she’s free to make her own mistakes-” Trey trailed-off mid-sentence, realising what he just said. “... Shit. Sorry Mayu, I didn’t mean to-”

--

When Trey called their relationship a mistake, Mayu had just laughed it off, knowing that her friend didn’t mean for it to be offensive- she also knew that Mary-Ann’s concerns were rational. After all, she herself had thought about it for long, when she thought her love was unrequited: dating a celebrity like Vil meant that she wouldn’t have the opportunity to enjoy normal couple things, especially with a schedule as busy as his. But despite her knowing all of this, and being acceptive of it, the word mistake rang in her head as she felt her fingers go numb from the cold.

Hands slightly trembling, the young girl reached to her pocket and took out her phone. She gazed at her lockscreen for a few seconds- a picture of Vil and her, smiling brightly on their first date a few months ago. Back then, she felt on the top of the world: they went to an amusement park, and had so much fun she felt like nothing could ever take her happiness away. But soon enough, reality clouded this newfound happiness: with a new drama scheduled, Vil had become so busy they never had a chance to plan a second date- only a few meetings on campus, and even during these Vil’s phone would never fail to ring.

Fighting back her tears, Mayu started to type a message- but pressed delete before even sending it. She didn’t want to be selfish: this was fine- this was normal. After all, Vil is a superstar: a lot of people, just like her, idolise him because he is such a great person. She knew that he would be busy before she confessed: it would be egoist of her to bother her with her feelings, especially at this time. But even though Mayu tried to rationalise her feelings, she felt salted tears roll down her cheeks, eventually becoming frozen because of the cold.

--

Trey noticed Mayu’s lone figure outside in the snow as he stepped outside to get some fresh air. The young man knew his friend enough to know something was wrong: and there was no need to be as smart as Riddle to realise that Vil’s absence had a part to play in it. He started to walk towards her, but stopped, and with a sigh, went back to the noisy party room: jostling through the crowd, he made his way towards Mary-Ann who was presently stuffing her cheeks with sweets.

“Mary-Ann.” He called her, tapping on his friend’s shoulder so she would turn around.

“Mmph?” Mary-Ann turned around and her eyes met Trey’s serious gaze. Noticing that something was wrong, she hurriedly swallowed her food. “What’s up? Did something happen?”

“Well...” Trey sighed once more, adjusting his glasses. “It’s about Mayu.”

“Mayucchi? What about her?”

“Well... It’s just a gut feeling, but... I feel like she didn’t invite Vil to the party.”

“Huh? Why? Did they fight?”

“... No. I feel like she didn’t even try to invite him because she knew he’d have to give up some schedules to come, and she didn’t want to be a burden.... You know how she is.”

“... Yeah, I totally get that.” Mary-Ann stretched, letting out a small yawn. “So. Whatcha gonna do? Call Vilcchi?”

“... No, I think it would be better if you did it.”

“Huh?” The young girl stared at her childhood friend with a surprised look on her face. “But aren’tcha the one who noticed? Why should I be the one messaging?”

“Ahah... Because I’m a guy, you know... I’m not too good at those kind of things...” Trey let out a nervous laugh, scratching his neck.

“... You never change, Trey, do ya.” Mary-Ann sighed, and took her phone out. “Imma head out for a sec to call Vilcchi, then- but both you and Mayu are gonna owe me something.”

--

Mayu hurriedly gave her guests blankets as she overheard others ask for more food- she let out a small “Coming” before rushing to the kitchen. As the night progressed, more and more invitees showed up, and her and her fellow Ignihyde first years struggled to keep up with everyone’s demands. As she turned left to head to the kitchen, she felt an arm grab her and drag her to a nearby room.

“What the-” As she turned her head, she noticed that the person who grabbed her was no other than her dorm leader, Idia. She couldn’t hold back a surprised gasp. “I-Idia-san? I-Is there anything wrong?”

“ ‘Is there anything wrong’? Mayu-shi... You said that this would be a small party, yet there’s so many people.... And they’re so loud, I can’t even focus on my games... Aaah, Ignihyde definitely isn’t made to receive so many people, this sucks... I want my peace back....”

“A-Ah, my bad, Idia-san... I-I’ll go and tell them to be quiet, I’m sorry for the inconvenience..” Quickly slithering out of Idia’s grasp, who was going on an endless complaining streak, Mayu hurried back to the main room. 

On her way to tell people to lower the volume of the music, she noticed that the snow was falling even stronger than before, and couldn’t help but stop in her tracks. Gazing at it for a few minutes, she decided to go outside again, despite her promise to her dorm leader to take care of the noise issue. The temperature was even colder than before, yet Mayu couldn’t help but stare at the sky, almost bewitched by the falling snowflakes. It was snowing so much, and the scene reminded her of the very first Vil drama she ever watched.

It was a romance one: and while Vil got the part of the second lead, she clearly remembered this one scene where he goes to see the first snow of the year with the female lead, and they share a passionate kiss under the falling snowflakes. She knew this scene by heart: after all, she rewatched it over and over again on the evenings when Vil had no choice but to cancel their dates, imagining that she was the female lead sharing her kiss with her very own boyfriend.

Once again, she felt tears roll on her cheeks, and the lump in her throat got bigger as she tried not to start sobbing. Another memory came to her mind as the melted snowflakes mixed with her salted tears: when she was young, her grandmother had told her a tale about the snow fairy, who would grant children’s wishes on New Years for the upcoming year. Truthfully, she had forgotten about the tale as she grew up, and realised it was nothing but superstition: but right now, in this instant, her feelings weighed more than her rationality, and she found herself clasping her hands together, just like when she was a child.

At the same time, she remembered Vil’s words about wishes that he told her during this year’s Star Sending. When she had told him that she wished for his upcoming movie to do well, his expression had grown grave.

“Listen here, little potato. You never change, do you? I don’t need wishes to do well- my hard work is what is going to make this movie do well. Furthermore...” 

His voice grew surprisingly curt. “Wishes are for you- they’re a manifestation of your deepest inner desires. They’re not meant for other people, but for your own happiness. No one, but you, will know what you wished for. Therefore...” Coming closer to Mayu, he lifted her chin with his finger.

 “... You can be selfish. Wishes are egotistic.”

If wishes were meant to be egotistic, then surely, just this time.... It would be fine for her to be selfish, wouldn’t it? Closing her eyes tightly, she wished for him to come with all her might. For an instant, she forgot all about the party, the noise or the cold- Vil’s absence filled everything that was surrounding her. 

Feeling the cold prickle her skin once again, she slowly opened her eyes, only to see nothing but the same cold, white scenery that had been surrounding her. Realising how childish she had been, she let out a bitter laugh. “Of course he wouldn’t come, I haven’t even told him about the party....” Turning her heels, she started making her way back inside to fulfill her promise to her dorm leader. As she heard her friends’ lively voices coming closer, she forced herself to smile. This was fine. Even if he wasn’t here- she could still have fun. Even if she wouldn’t start the year with him- her friends were surrounding her, so....

.... And right in this instant, Mayu stopped in her tracks. Echoing in the distance were footsteps she knew way too well to mistake for anyone else’s. The confident clicking of the heels. The assured and dignified stride. As the footsteps seemed to get closer, she felt tears prick her eyes once again as she stood still, focused on her hearing and nothing else. She grasped on the hems of her skirt tightly as she bit her lips, trying her hardest not to cry. No... Surely, this couldn’t be....

But the footsteps came to a halt, and suddenly, all her senses came back to her- she could smell Vil’s entrancing perfume, feel his warmth already, even though a few steps were still separating them. Unable to restrain her tears any longer, she turned around only to face Vil wearing a worried expression on his face, hair slightly disheveled- indicating that he had hurried all the way from where he was. And this was enough for Mayu to finally break down in tears as she rushed to embrace him. The weather was as cold as it had been all evening, but as she felt the reassuring firmness of his chest it seemed to her as if she was at home- finally.

While sobbing in her boyfriend’s chest, Mayu was unable to see the expression of shock that graced Vil’s feature for a split second- before being replaced by a gentle smile, as his arms tightly grasped the young girl’s frail figure. Resting his chin on her head, he waited for her to calm down before speaking.

“... Mayu.” His voice was stern, but there was definitly gentleness in there. “.. Why didn’t you invite me?”

“B-Because... I thought... I thought that if I was to invite Senpai, you’d have to give up on your schedule... O-Or worse, you’d feel bad about telling me no... So- So, I thought it would be... Be better for me to not tell you...” Mayu paused to catch her breath, still sobbing. “B-Because I was afraid I’d burden you... But I missed you, Senpai... I really did.... I wanted to start the y-year with you, Senpai....”

In the distance, faint voices could be heard as the New Years countdown started-

5.... 4....

“... You never change, do you.” He hugged her tighter, as he kissed the top of her head lovingly. “Listen here, little potato. Do you really think the Vil Schoenheit can’t handle his public and private lives altogether? I will be the one deciding what I want to sacrifice or not, so always tell me when you’re planning these sorts of things. I am not a kid- you don’t need to protect me.”

3.... 2.....

“Furthermore. Do you really think I would have accepted your confession if I knew I wouldn’t be able to fulfill my boyfriend duties? I accepted your confession because I love you. I never do things on a whim, you know that. I know what I got myself into- so stop putting my needs above yours.”

.... 1.

“In other circumstances, I would have been mad, but just this once... I shall give you a reward for being by my side throughout this year, little potato.”

Vil lifted her chin with his finger, and Mayu’s teary eyes met Vil’s gentle, worried gaze as large fireworks burst in the sky. She instinctively closed her eyes as Vil’s face got closer, and his lips met hers in a gentle kiss as shouts and cheers could be heard in the background.

Happy New Year!!

Disclaimer: Claudine belongs to @p_1iz3 on twitter! thank you for letting me borrow her, and practice my Diasomnia characterization <3

“... Malleus, I think it would be wiser to hold off until the exam results are announced. I get that you want to celebrate with those humans, but...”

“If we wait until then, we might clash with a school event, Lilia. Indeed, I think we should-”

“- Malleus. Wait.”

“... Hmm?” Malleus lifted his head to stare at Lilia, who was sitting on a desk in front of him. “What is it-”

“......... WAKA-SAMA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LILIA-SAMA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“... There he is.” Lilia sighed. “Good grief. What is it that you need, Sebek?”

“I really apologise for disrupting you and waka-sama in such important talks!!!! But, this is a matter I could not ignore for any longer.... Ah, really, how ill-mannered of me to interrupt such an important meeting-”

“It wasn’t necessarily all that important, Sebek. If there is anything troubling you, do let us know.”

“W-Waka-sama!!!” Sebek’s eyes glistened as he looked at his dorm leader. “A-Ahem. I.... Uhm... Am in quite a predicament.”

“A predicament?” Lilia tilted his head while narrowing his eyes. “Did you fight with Silver again, by any chance?”

“!!!” Sebek straightened his back. “Of course not!!!!... Actually, this doesn’t have anything to do with Silver or Diasomnia. This is.......” Sebek trailed off, scratching the back of his head. “... a Personal matter.”

“A personal matter?” Lilia and Malleus repeated in unison, sharing a surprised glance with each other. Sebek wasn’t really the type to ask for advice concerning his private life- their interest was piqued, to say the least.

“Well, uh, I.....” under the hollow light of the moonlight, Sebek’s blushing cheeks seemed to stand out even more. “I need advice..............”

“........ Dating advice.”

--

“-- Aah, so this is what it was about.”

Lilia repressed a smile as he leaned forward on the desk, chin in hand. He was surprised enough when Sebek came in asking for advice for a personal matter, especially when his Malleus-obsessed, innocent mentee specified that it was for dating. 

“!!!” Sebek stood upright, ears flaming. “I-I hereby explained everything, so!!! I would very much like to ask for your guidance!!!”

It wasn’t like Lilia didn’t notice that something was going on- quite the contrary, actually. It was the little things: recently, Sebek would come back to Diasomnia slightly late, spending more time in his classroom: he who would always wait in front of the dorm leader’s room 10 minutes in advance. When accompanying Malleus on daily walks, his gaze would wander for a bit longer, as if he was searching for someone. And when they would host banquets in Diasomnia, his voice would be even louder than usual, as if to impress someone.

Yes- the slight shadow of trouble and confusion in Sebek’s features could not be anything other than a lovesick expression. Lilia knew him well enough to know who it was, too. He who would be oh-so-blunt with other Diasomnia students when they failed at their duties would always find excuses when that young lady somehow messed up.

“... So, you want help with showing your feelings towards that young lady- Claudine, isn’t it?”

Lilia had to repress a chuckle when seeing Sebek’s already flaming cheeks become even darker. 

“L-Lilia-sama, how did you......” Sebek coughed, trying to regain his composure. “... No. As expected of Lilia-sama’s observance skills!!!!”

“Oya, you give me too much credit. It’s not like you are especially subtle with your feelings, Sebek.”

“No... You are right... As Waka-Sama’s body-guard, I should learn to conceal my feelings better.” Sebek dejectedly sighed, shaking his head.

“Do not be too hard on yourself, Sebek.” Malleus softly smiled, before coming back to a deadpan expression. “But, if I may ask..... What makes you think that we are qualified to help you with such difficult matter?”

Lilia could not hold back his laughter further as he saw Sebek’s panicked expression. 

“Well, well, Malleus, do not trouble him further. If I understood everything correctly, you want to invite Claudine as your partner to the Diasomnia ball- is that correct, Sebek?” Sebek nodded, a ghastly expression on his face. “Yet, if I am not wrong.... You are yet to talk to her properly, are you not?” Sebek’s shoulders slouched even further.

“W-Well... It is not like as if I never tried, but....”

“.... But you scared her away, didn’t you.”

“I-I didn’t mean to!!!!!! I simply wanted to be helpful, but....”

Lilia shook his head, sighing. He didn’t need Sebek’s explanation to know what happened- the young man most probably raised his voice, or had brusque actions, or worse: a combination of the two. Nevertheless, Lilia had seen enough love stories throughout his long life to notice that the frail and calm maiden would often stare at Sebek longingly when the latter wasn’t looking.

“Do not worry, Sebek. Malleus and I were discussing as to when we would host it- but I think we can hold off until you figure something out.” Sebek wanted to interrupt, but Lilia waved his hand. “Nay, do not fret. Instead, listen to me, for I shall guide you on your romantic endeavours....”

--

Dusk had just set in the classroom when Sebek peeked his imposing frame through the slight opening of the door. Cautious to make as little noise as possible, he observed Claudine’s frail figure as she carefully flipped through the pages of her textbook. It was way past the end of classes, and it seemed to him as if time had stopped, as the hallway was shrouded in silence- if not for the sound of his own heartbeat, that seemed disproportionally loud. Making his way as silently as possible, he could feel the heat of his face rise up as he got closer to his classmate, who was completely oblivious to the young man’s presence.

As only a few steps separed him from her desk, Sebek’s mind went blank- what was he going to tell her? Lilia’s words came to his mind again, as he felt his heartbeat dangerously rise:

“You need to find something in common to talk about. It doesn’t have to be anything special- all you need to do is start a conversation in a way she won’t feel overwhelmed, or scared, by.”

Now that the moment had come, he suddenly realised how foolish he was- something common. In theory, it should be something easy to do: but in reality, he knew next to nothing about Claudine. 

Nothing, apart from the quiet, elegant aura she gave out; nothing, apart from the colour of her eyes, who seemed to cast a spell on him whenever their eyes crossed; nothing, apart from the sound of her laughter, which sounded like a melody to his ears.

Nevertheless, he had to say something- after going so far as to trouble his dear Waka-sama and Lilia-sama, he had no choice but to be brave and talk to her. But about what could he possibly chat about.....

“...!!” Sebek recognised the textbook Claudine was skimming through- it was the one Professor Crewel recommended for their next practical. Having regained some confidence, he straightened his posture and took a deep breath. “--- Claudine-san!!!! I see you are revising for Crewel’s next examination!!!”

Claudine’s body jerked as she let out a surprised gasp. She turned her head to Sebek’s direction, only to notice that her classmate was standing a few centimetres away from her, staring at her textbook. Cheeks flaming, she slightly moved her chair and cleared her throat, playing with her hair nervously.

“O-Oh, Sebek-san.... Yes, I was revising for... For Crewel’s next class. I was confused with this lesson-”

“I can teach you!!!!! Gladly!!!!” Sebek answered disproportionally loud with a proud smirk. “You see, I have always scored perfect marks on all my alchemy test!!!”

“I-Is that so? That is quite impressive... B-But, I wouldn’t want to waste your time....”

“No, you wouldn’t be wasting my time!!!! After all, as fellow Diasomnia students, it is important that we strive for perfection, as to not dishonour our liege!!!”

Claudine let out a nervous chuckle, and nodded. She’d seen Sebek around quite a lot, being a dormmate and classmate of his, but as far as she could recall, this was the first time they properly talked to each other. “He’s kinder than I thought, if he’s offering to help for free....” She looked up to stare at his features- she’d always thought that he was handsome, but as he was sitting this close to her, she couldn’t help but marvel at his chiseled facial features. Suddenly noticing that she had been staring for far too long, she shook her head and proceeded to pay attention to what her classmate was telling her.

“That, that.... and that. Do you get it now, Claudine-san??”

“Uh....” Claudine could feel her cheeks heat up. “I do, but I’m still a bit confused about that part...” She glanced at the clock, feeling her stomach growling. “And it’s getting quite late as well...”

“... !!” Sebek abruptly stood up, scaring his classmate in the process. “Well, if that’s the case, we should start again tomorrow, at the same time!!!”

“T-Tomorrow? Are you sure that you don’t mind.... Wasting your time teaching me? What about your bodyguard duties?”

“Do not fret, for I will make sure to accompany Waka-sama on his nightwalks instead!!! And....” Sebek’s gaze met Claudine’s innocent eyes, and he could feel a blush creeping on his cheeks. “.... A-As I told you, it’s my duty as Waka-Sama’s servant to make sure all Diasomnia students score higher than other dorms!!!”

Claudine nodded cautiously, and proceeded to tidy up the desk, not without thanking the young boy for his services. As the classroom was tinged with the last rays of the sun, she gestured to him to follow her, as she slowly made her way to the refectory. 

As she was looking ahead, visibly nervous, she did not notice the proud, yet bashful, grin of the unusually silent boy, who was recalling his mentor’s words: 

“.... and once you find something to talk about, find a way to become acquainted with her. You’re classmates, aren’t you? It should be easy for you to see her again.”

Sebek was elated- even the faint shouts coming from the refectory could not ruin his mood. After all, he was going to see her again- and the day where he would feel brave enough to ask her to the ball would surely come. 

Disclaimer: Mayu belongs to @itameii <3 I’m sorry this took so long, and I’m sorry that Vil is so horribly OOC, I truly... do not know how to write him T___T nevertheless, I hope you enjoy ~ <3

Vil Schoenheit doesn’t have problems.

No, that would be preposterous. When he does, he solves them- because that is just the kind of person The Vil Schoenheit is. After all, it is what has always been expected of him. He has strived for perfection ever since a young age: if something needs solving, he will take care of it. And he’ll do it with beauty, grace, and elegance. 

But right now?

Right now, Vil Schoenheit has a problem.

“.... N-nee, Mary-Ann-chan... Hasn’t he been like that for way too long?”

“D-Did you piss him off, Catercchi? It’s my first time seeing him frown that much.... And he’s always going on about how you shouldn’t frown because it gives you wrinkles n’ stuff...”

Vil sat in a semi-empty classroom, elbows on the table, chin resting between his hands. Eyebrows furrowed, he was staring in the distance with such intensity that no-one dared to sit next to him, resulting in the entirety of class 3-C crawling to seats at the back of the classroom, fighting for empty spots.

But Vil paid no attention to the chaos. He massaged his temples, letting out a sigh. Today was Valentines’ day- a day he did not particularly care for. Sure, he did do some TV appearances in the past for the occasion- and he definitely does get his weight’s worth of chocolate every year, from fans and secret admirers alike: but he never understood why everyone made such a big deal out of it. He viewed Valentines day as a superficial celebration- as if you needed to wait for a specific day to celebrate the people you love. Yet here he was, staring at the giri choco lying on his desk.

“Eh ~ Of course not” Cater chirped, as he nervously sat on the row behind Vil’s seat. “But he’s been like that since the first period...”

“I-is that so....” Mary-Ann scooted closer to Cater as she nervously glanced at Vil’s back. “Did someone give him high calories chocolate or somethin’? Is that why he’s like... that?” 

Vil’s eyebrow twitched as he overheard his classmates mentioning chocolate.

Yeah, that was the problem. 

--

“- Senpai?”

“Hm?” Vil jolted, slightly taken by surprise. He had been receiving valentines chocolate all day from students he barely knew, so hearing a familiar voice surprised him. “Oh... it’s you. Well, potato, what do you want?”

“A-Ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt if you were doing something!” Mayu waved her hands, panicked. She tried to glance at what Vil was doing, but he abruptly zipped his bag as he turned around to look at her.

“It’s nothing. So, what did you want?”

“Ah, uhm, it’s... I mean...”

“... Do you think I have all day to spend listening to you stutter? You came here for something, didn’t you?”

Vil could swear his heartbeat was awfully loud as he tried his best to remain calm and collected. If Mayu came to look for him on this particular day, it could only mean one thing, didn’t it? A love confession. Truthfully, Vil was used to being confessed to almost everyday- he was a worldwide celebrity, after all. Wasn’t it only natural that someone as beautiful as him would be the object of desire?

 But there was one thing he definitely wasn’t used to- it was being confessed to by someone who he is equally interested in. Which is why he crossed his arms as he stared at Mayu, trying to hide the trembling of his fingers.

“A-ah, yeah, I had something for you, Senpai...”

If this really was a confession- how should he react? Mayu was the overly emotional type, after all- so if he reacted too coldly, she would surely jump to conclusions. But, then again- he truly wasn’t of the affectionate type, either. Maybe something like “... I guess today is our first day, then.”? Or “... Ha, I see my beauty does not leave you indifferent, either. Well, I could say the same for you.” Yes, that sounded straight out of a drama. Perfect-

“I-I made those for you, so I hope you enjoy them!”

“... I see. Well if you made them for me, I guess I have no choice but to-” Vil froze as he saw the chocolates being handed to him. “... What are those?”

“Huh?” Mayu peered at his bewildered face. “W-what do you mean, Senpai? I made those chocolates last night...”

“.... No, I know these are chocolates.” Vil’s eyebrows twitched as he glared at the chocolates in front of him. “But are those...”

--

.... Giri chocolates.

She gave him giri chocolates.

Vil couldn’t believe it. Truly, he was flabbergasted. He thought he had been upfront about his interest towards her- his romantic interest. But instead of picking up on it, Mayu kept treating him as a friend: or rather, as a senpai she admires. How oblivious could she be, seriously? Just last week, he had hosted a tea party for her to celebrate her great exam results. He took a break from his ever-so-busy schedule in the middle of a week-end, and made sure to decorate Pomefiore’s lounge with the finest and trendiest decoration items: yet, in the middle of the tea party, Mayu had offered to invite Trey, Cater and Mary-Ann over, since “it’s a shame for such a pretty set-up to go unnoticed!!”.

If only that was the first time she did that, Vil wouldn’t have minded it that much- but whenever he would do something for her sake, she would obliviously make it about other people instead, killing the romantic vibe he tried oh so hard to set. Now, Vil does not doubt himself- no. He knows he works hard in everything he does, and that the perfection he attained is not by chance, but by his own efforts. And when Vil loves someone, he makes obvious- because he has no time for games. But in his entire life, he had never imagined that the person he would fall for would be that stupid. 

Does she truly view him as a friend? Or is she just truly, painfully, excruciatingly oblivious? Vil sighed, shoulders slightly slouching. Such posture was unfit for the great Vil Schoenheit- but these feelings were new to him, and he had no idea how to process them. 

Confessing first? It definitely isn’t something he ever thought he would have to do. Yet, as the giri choco lying in front of him seemed to laugh at him, it was the only answer Vil could come up with. He tapped his fingers against his cheek, as his aura darkened. Such thing was easier said than done. He was the one fawned on, not the one fawning on other people after all.

“-Ah, that’s right. Catercchi, did you talk to Mayucchi, in the end?”

Vil straightened his back as he tried not-so-discreetly to pay attention to Cater and Mary-Ann’s conversation.

“Aah, that... Yeah, I did, but no matter how many times I told her not to, she just wouldn’t listen, you know?”

“Ugh, I don’t get her.. She told me over text yesterday that it’d make her crush uncomfortable if she gave him honmei chocos, so she went for giri ones instead ~ Seriously... Why would she spend so much on fancy, honmei choco packages just to throw them away? That’s such a waste of money!!”

“E-Eh... Mary-Ann-chan, maybe it’s best not to talk about that.... Here...” Cater nervously whispered, as he noticed Vil’s tensed figure in front of him.

“Huh? Why? I mean, she definitely said there was a guy she liked!” Mary-Ann stretched her arms, letting out a yawn. “Though I dunno who the guy would be....”

“A... Ahah... Yeah... I don’t know... Either... Totally not...” Cater gulped, concerned about Vil’s darkening aura.

“Maybe someone from her dorm? You know, first year floormates type of crushes? I totally crushed on mine in first year!”

“Mary-Ann-chan, I don’t think we should talk about-”

“Or knowing Mayucchi, it might be some complete rando ~ like, you know, a totally unremarkable side character that’s average in every way?” Mary-Ann laughed, completely oblivious to the fact that Vil had now turned around and was giving her the death stare.

“Mary-Ann-chan.”

“Mh?” Mary-Ann turned to look at Cater, confused by her friend’s sudden change of tone.

“... Please stop talking. For our sake.”

--

It was the answer he needed. Now he was sure of it- Mayu’s lack of confidence is what had been hindering their progress from friends to lovers, and Vil was determined to fix that problem.

So here he was, making his way through Ignihyde with a determined gaze, his 13cm heels resounding throughout the room as he took assured steps. Which resulted, quite hilariously, in the entirety of Ignihyde students parting to make way from him, strangely reminiscent of Moises walking through the red sea. At this exact moment, Idia walked out of the lounge, lost in thoughts as he frowned at the sheet in his hand.

“W... Why is it like that... I’m sure I put all the right parameters, and-”

The dorm leader snapped out of his thoughts when he felt Vil’s gaze on him from the other side of the room. How could he not? Vil’s aura was even more intimidating than usual, as he quickly closed the distance that was separating them. Shivering, Idia looked around for an exit- with no success.

“Idia.”

“E-Eh? Me? Uh... W-What is it, Vil-shi... I’m kinda busy right now...”

“Do not worry, I didn’t come here for you. Where is Mayu’s room?”

“.... Uh? Where is... What?”

“I said, where is Mayu’s room.”

“Eh... Why are you asking me that...?” Caught off guard, Idia couldn’t help but stare at him with an incredulous look on his face.

“Because I have some business I need to talk to her about. So?”

“A-ah, that’s why... Well, I don’t know, but...” Idia whipped out his tablet and started furiously typing on it. “.. I can look in Ignihyde’s database. Ha... There you go. Room 102....”

“Thank you.” Waiting for no further explanation, Vil walked past Idia, heading straight for the stairs.

--

“- Yes? What is it?”

Mayu peered through the slight opening of the door, surprised to get a visitor right after classes. 

“It’s me. May I come in?”

“S-Senpai????” Mayu closed the door as soon as their eyes met. Panicking and feeling her cheeks heating up, she began frantically scanning her room. She wasn’t the messy type, but she exactly the tidiest person out there, so a few clothes were hanging here and there on her chair and bed.

“P-Please wait a few minutes, I-I need to tidy up a bit!”

“No need to, I’m not coming for long.”

Without waiting for her answer, Vil opened the door, and walked in only to meet eyes with Mayu, who was trying to shove a few sweaters in her wardrobe.

“...Ahem.” Vil coughed, looking away, not wanting to make her even more uncomfortable. “Did I come at a wrong time?”

“O-Of course not!! I was just.... tidying up a bit...” Mayu trailed off, cheeks blazing red.

“I see. May I seat?” Vil gestured to her bed, and Mayu answered with a nod, avoiding his eyes. 

“So, ummm... What did you want, Senpai?” Mayu sat on her desk chair, facing Vil. She tried to calm her racing heart, but the thought of THE Vil Schoenheit in her room made her hands tremble.

“... I had something for you.” Vil stood up, plopping his bag on the bed. Slowly, he zipped it open, and Mayu tried to peer behind his back.

“Something? For me?”

“Yes.” Taking the opportunity of his back facing her, Vil took a deep breath, making sure his expression was composed. As graceful as ever, he turned around, and handed her a small red packet. “There you go.”

“H-Huh? What is...”

“Chocolates. I had a shooting with this brand a while ago, and really liked their chocolates- they are low in fat and calories, but absolutely delicious. I thought you would enjoy them.”

“... Chocolates... For me? But...” Mayu’s cheeks reddened once again. “I-Is it for... V-Valentines? But, girls are supposed to give guys-”

“... What a stupid tradition. Why should guys not be allowed to give girls chocolates?” Vil sighed. “Anyway, please enjoy them.”

“A-Ah, of course, I will!!” Mayu jolted up to take them from Vil’s hand. “I-I will treasure them, thank you so much Senpai!!”

“You’re welcome.” Vil softly smiled- in her excitement, Mayu looked like a small animal as she was chirping about the chocolates. “.. Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have matters to attend to. Happy Valentines Day, Mayu.”

“A-Ah, of course!!” Snapping out of a daze, Mayu walked Vil to the door, still grinning from ear to ear. “Thank you so much for the chocolates Senpai, and Happy Valentines Day to you too!”

“Thank you.” As Vil stepped out of the door, he turned around. “Ah. That’s right.”

“What is- Eek?!” Mayu let out a surprised scream as Vil stepped closer to her, hovering over her. 

“Just so you know...” He bent forward until their faces were at the same level, and stared at her intensely. “... Those aren’t giri chocolates.” Seeing Mayu’s face become beetroot red, he gave her a smug grin and turned around. 

Disclaimer: the prologue is following the timeline of the actual twst prologue.

Some parts (specifically the Heartslabyul game) are taken from actual twst card stories.

This is the prologue of my (hopefully) upcoming fic centred around my twst yume OCs, and featuring appearances from my moots’ OCs :3 Any criticism is more than welcome, and thank you to everyone who reads it T_T it’s my first time writing an extended piece of fiction in English, so I hope it isn’t too bad!

☆ Cymatilis Mansion, Isle of Lament. Sky’s point of view ☆

Sky peered out of the window as she heard the distinct footsteps of a horse. From the distance, behind the thick fog native of her hometown, she could distinguish the outline of an Ebony carriage. “So it’s happening...” She thought as she finished zipping her bag, hands slightly trembling. Bringing a hand to her chest, she slowly exhaled, closing her eyes. She was finally leaving that cooled-down hell of a household. She was finally going to be able to start fresh. 

Full of hopes and expectations, she gave a final look to her childhood bedroom, before dashing downstairs. She stopped in her tracks to look around the walls of the staircase. They were all plastered with pictures- but the young girl was barely on any of them. Looking back at her were dozens of pictures of her brother’s exploits, smiling as a bright aura surrounded him. Despite them being still, she could swear his eyes on the photographs was ridiculing her. Biting her lips, she turned her head and proceeded to go down the last set of stairs, careful not to make any noise. “Please”, she thought. “Please let me leave without anyone noticing-”

“Oh, I see the carriage has arrived. Should I warn Mother and Father of your departure? Although I am sure that it is no event to celebrate, given where you’re going.”

Sky froze as her hand rested on the doorknob. So he heard her. Taking a deep breath, she turned around only to see her brother, Gray, standing in the entrance. He pushed his glasses back as he looked down on her with a disgusted expression.

“... Nii-san.”

“Look at you, slipping away like a thief. Well, seeing where you’re going, it doesn’t surprise me.” He sighed, shaking his head. “To think you’re breaking our family’s longstanding tradition of attending Royal Sword Academy by going to that... place...” He paused, a disgusted frown on his face. “But if I am to be honest, it’s not like I had much expectations for you to begin with. I guess for someone like you, Night Raven College indeed is a better option than going to a third-rate magicless high school.”

Sky felt tears prickle her eyes as she bit her lip not to cry. “Not today. I won’t give him the pleasure of seeing me cry. This is the beginning of my story- I won’t be that weak little girl anymore.” Turning around, she strengthened her grip on the doorknob. She could swear the door was heavier than usual as she struggled to open it, hands slightly trembling.

“I-It won’t be necessary. I doubt they’d be very interested in sending me off anyway.” The door was now open, and she gazed at the black carriage in front of her. It did look sinister, but at the thought of what she was leaving behind, it almost shone to her. “On that note, I’m off.”

Without waiting for her brother’s response, she slammed the door behind her. Resting her back on it, she fought to catch her breath as she felt panic creeping up. “D-Did I really just do that? They’re 100% going to kill me... Ugh, why did I say that?? So ridiculous...” She shook her head. “N-No, I can’t keep panicking when things don’t go according to plan. Today’s the first day of the new me, and I won’t let that idiot ruin it.” As she exhaled and inhaled slowly, she looked up to the carriage in front her. Gulping, she stepped down the porch and walked towards it.

“A coffin...? Well, it sure is different from the silver carriage that came to pick up my brother- Wha-?!” Surprised, Sky jolted back. The coffin had opened by itself, as if it was inviting her to step in. She looked around nervously, before casting her gaze down again.

 “... I guess driver-less carriages and magic coffins are what you’d expect from a wizard school...”

Climbing on the carriage, she threw her bag next to the coffin while taking position inside of it. She wasn’t really claustrophobic, but she could feel the fear of getting stuck inside of a coffin creep up inside her. Tentatively, she reached to the top of the coffin, slowly lowering it down. “... I guess I do have to lie down inside that thing...” Without warning, the coffin’s lid closed rather harshly, leaving Sky in pitch-black darkness. She let out a small shriek, as she curled up in a foetal position. “This is so creepy...” As soon as she found a comfortable position, her thoughts starting drifting off, a slumber overcoming her. “Ah, that’s right. I did read about this... I think... No one can stay... awake... inside...” 

--

☆ Night Raven College, Hall of Mirrors. Sky’s point of view.  ☆

“... Oiii ~ You there, please wake up ~”

“... Hmm?”

Sky slowly opened her eyes as she felt someone’s hand shake her awake. The light seemed almost blinding to her as she repeatedly blinked to get used to it.

Finally awake, she peered around her. She was sitting in a room full of mirrors that looked like coffins, emitting the bright green light that hurt her eyes a mere seconds earlier. “Oh”, she thought. “I assume this is Night Raven College’s infamous Hall of Mirrors.”

“Are you awake now?”

Sky had completely forgotten about the person in front of her, too immersed in appraising the room around her. Jolting back up, she brushed her clothes as she bowed, profusely apologising.

“A-Ah, I’m so sorry, I was just-”

“No big deal, don’t sweat it ~” The girl in front of her chuckled, as she lowered the hood of her robe. “A lot of people have troubles waking up when they get here. ‘Twas the same for me in first year, so I totally get you!”

Sky lifted her head up to sneak a peek at her. She had blonde hair with pink highlights, and her ruby eyes were smiling while she presented a purple and black robe to Sky: the same as the one she was wearing. “That’s right. NRC students have to wear a robe for the entrance ceremony, I completely forgot...”

“Ah! Sorry, completely forgot to introduce myself. I’m Mary-Ann Harland, third-year in Heartslabyul, one of the seven dorms of NRC ~” Sky nodded her head as she received the robe. “I was supposed to take it easy since it’s my last year and all, but Riddle decided I didn’t help enough for the ceremony so he yelled at me, saying ‘How dare you slack off during such an important event!!! This is breaking rule 67 of the Queen of Hearts: always be proactive during school-related events!!!!’, so, he gave me the worst role, to hand robes to new students... Aaah, don’t you think this is totally unfair? ~”

Sky finished putting her robe on, as her thoughts went into a havoc. What is this senpai talking about...? She did read about Heartslabyul, but who is Riddle, and what are the Queen of Hearts rules? And also... “... Why is she telling me all this when we just met?”

“O-Oh, I’m sorry to hear that... I’m Sky, by the way. S-Sky Cymatilis.” This was the best Sky could come up with, not knowing what to respond.

“Aah, glad you feel me on that one Sky-chan ~” Mary-Ann responded, totally oblivious to Sky’s confused expression. “Anyway, I’m just wasting your time here- the ceremony is starting soon, so just follow the arrows behind me to get to ceremony venue. The mirror will choose a dorm for you there, so look forward to it ~”

--

☆ Night Raven College, Mirror Chamber. Sky’s point of view. ☆

Clothed with her robe, Sky entered the Mirror Chamber, heart racing as she looked around. “Wow, there are seriously so many students...” From what she could tell, all the first-years were standing in the middle of the room, while second and third-years were standing on the sides, waiting for everyone to step in front of the mirror. She could see some of the upperclassmen snickering and gossiping about the new students, as others were scolding them. Gulping nervously, she pulled her hood up, as she stood in line, waiting for her turn.

She peered around, curious about the type of students that were about to be her classmates. Some of them had animal ears- “Ah”, she thought. “I read that most of them come from the Afterglow Savannah, and end up in Savanaclaw. I think that’s a dorm that relies on physical strength a lot, so I don’t think I’ll end up there.... Or get along with any of them.” She sighed, as she spotted a very tall man with a grave expression. “Oh? Green hair.. I think green is the colour of Diasomnia, the dorm reputed for talented students, and his aura totally tells me he belongs there... It’d be nice if I could get sorted there too, actually... Huh? That guy...” Next to her was a young boy with blue hair and blue eyes, shaking from heads to toes as he glared at everyone around him. “... Looks even more scared than I am. Nice to know I’m not alone in this...”

“Ah-”

There must have been an influx of new students coming in, because Sky could suddenly felt herself getting pushed forward, bumping in the girl in front of her. “A-Ah, what is this, I can’t be rude to anyone on my first day!!”

"I’m so sorry-”

“.. Huh? Ah, it’s nothing.”

The girl in front of her turned around, an indifferent expression of her face. The first thing that struck Sky was how beautiful her eyes were. They were of a beautiful emerald green, and almost reminded her of precious stones with how nicely they contrasted with her slightly tanned skin and dark brown hair. Sky stared at her for a few seconds, amazed. 

“A-AH, I’m so sorry for staring, I d-didn’t mean to-” Embarrassed, Sky realised that she had been staring for way too long. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want t-to be rude-”

“... Hm? No, that’s okay, I don’t think you were rude or anything...” The girl responded with a monotonous voice. 

“... Umm, is that so?” Sky cursed herself underneath her breathe. “Ugh, I’m seriously embarrassing myself here...” “A-Ahem.” She cleared her throat, throwing her head back with a now collected expression. “My name is Sky, Sky Cymatilis. What is yours?”

“My name? I’m Yamlikha.”

“Yam...Likha? Is that your first and last name, or?”

“No, just my first name. I don’t have a last name.”

“Hm? Why don’t you don’t have a-” Sky realised what this meant, colour draining from her face. Did she just ask an orphan why she didn’t have a last name? “A-ah, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to pry-”

“I don’t really mind.” Yamlikha’s expression was as unfazed as ever as she tilted her head. “You sure do apologize a lot.”

“A-Ahah, do I? Maybe you’re right... ahah...”

Sky turned around, face as red as a tomato. She promised herself she’d become cool and collected like those otome MCs she admires, but managed to embarrass herself within the first 10 minutes of her high school experience. Struggling to keep herself from breaking down, she intently stared at the mirror in the distance in order to fight the tears she could feel coming. “Aah, I wonder which dorm I’ll be sorted in... Please let it be a good one... I just want a peaceful high school life....”

--

☆ Night Raven College, Mirror Chamber. Mary-Ann’s point of view. ☆

“Aah, seriously, screw Riddle... I’m so tired and the ceremony has barely started...”

“Eeh ~ Mary-Ann-chan, don’t look so dejected! It’s the entrance ceremony, the entrance ceremony ☆ As third-years, we have to be good senpai and pay attention, you know?”

“Cater’s right. Plus, this is on you: I told you not to take a nap in the courtyard when Riddle was setting things up, and look where it lead you...”

“Ugh, Trey, way to rub salt in the wound ~” Mary-Ann sighed. “Okay, okay, I’ll pay attention, but seriously, why is this so long? Can’t the mirror hurry up?”

“Stop grumbling. Don’t you remember when we were first years too?” Trey lifted Mary-Ann’s hood back up for her. “We were so nervous and excited, weren’t we? The wait is part of the experience, after all.”

“Dunno. All I remember is how FREAKISHLY long this queue is, and I swear it gets bigger every year.” Mary-Ann pouted as she twirled with her hair, glaring at the mirror.

“Those freshmen sure are cute, looking all nervous and all ~ Nee, nee, Mar-Ann-chan, was Trey this cute back then too?”

“That guy?” Mary-Ann folded her arms while analysing Trey. “... Definitely not. He’s had this got-my-life-together look for a while after all, you know? ~”

“Ahah, I can definitely see that ~ Well, I know one person who wasn’t innocent since day one of enrolling here…”

“You freshmen over there. Four rows from the right, you three in the back! Could you stay quiet during the ceremony? Start whispering again and it’ll immediately be off with your head. Take this warning seriously.”

“Whew~! Riddle’s setting things straight right away today too~ It’s almost giving me chills.”

“That’s because this is Riddle’s first entrance ceremony as a 2nd-year and a dorm leader. He’s probably just feeling nervous, and that’s definitely why he was so harsh on you too, Mary-Ann.”

“Ugh... Still, no one’s gonna want to join us if he keeps this up...”

“Now now, no need to be so negative ☆ Mary-Ann-chan, Trey-kun, why don’t we play a game?”

“A game?”

“Yep, yep ~ let’s bet on who gets sorted into Heartslabyul! Now then… The 2,000,001st Heartslabyul Freshman Guessing Game starts now ♪ Hmm... See that tall guy with the white ears over there? No for sure ☆” The three friends expectantly waited for the mirror’s verdict. “Woah, big victory!! Way to go, Cay-kun! ~”

“Eeeh, Catercchi, that was an easy one, of course he’d go to Savanaclaw ~ Mmmh, then...” Mary-Ann scanned the crowd for easy targets. “See this guy over there, the one that looks like he’s about to pass away from fear?”

“What a way to describe him...” Trey deadpanned. “You mean, the guy with blue hair?”

“Yeah, him. Imma say yes, because he’s got that “living-in-fear-of-riddle” look down to a T ~”

“You’re unbelievable...” Trey sighed, as the three held their breath. “Oh? Now that’s surprising, I didn’t think you’d be right about this.”

“Eheh, I can spot the Riddlephobia from a mile away after all!” Mary-Ann grinned.

“... Please don’t say that ever again. Now, for me, hmmm... You see that girl with blue hair?”

“Who? Oh, her? I had to wake her up in the mirror room... hmmm, what was her name again?”

“She totally looks like she belongs to Ignihyde, doesn’t she? ~”

“... Cater, aren’t you just saying that because of the hair colour? I’m going to say yes.”

“Looks like it’s an L, Trey-kun ~ Although I wouldn’t have predicted Scarabia either... Next! That girl with purple hair..”

“Isn’t that a guy?” Trey interjected, squinting his eyes to get a clearer view of the student in question.

“Nah, I think Catercchi’s right- looks like a girl to me.” 

“Right, right- well, I think she’s going to Heartslabyul! Because she’d fit our trendy uniform so well, wouldn’t she? ~”

“... Pomefiore? Well, that was expected ~ Now, my turn again! Hmmm.. That girl with brown hair would definitely join us, I think... Eeeh? Scarabia?”

“Ahah, I got worried for a second, but it looks like your guesses are as bad as usual, Mary-Ann. Now then... The freshman with auburn hair? I’d vote yes.”

“Yeah, yeah, me too ~ Trey-kun’s right, he perfectly matches Riddle and I ☆... Yay, it’s a V!”

- Timeskip -

“Ugh, I can’t believe I lost....”

“Right, Trey-kun sure is observant, isn’t he ~”

“Stop acting like I’m some kind of fortune-teller, the score was just 8 to 6. Now, as promised, the losers attend the new students, so have fun, both of you.” Trey stated as he walked past them, ruffling Mary-Ann’s hair in the process.

“Aaah, seriously, this sucks... Today really isn’t my lucky day... First Riddle, and now this?” Mary-Ann lamented, sighing.

“Now now, don’t be so negative- at least we’re together, right? ☆ Mary-Ann-chan and Cay-kun’s welcome ceremony mission, starting now!”

--

☆ Scarabia Dorm, Lounge. Sky’s point of view.  ☆

Sky let out a relieved sigh as she stepped into the Scarabia lounge. The minutes spent waiting for the mirror to give his verdict had seemed like eternity to her-

“The shape of thy soul is..... Scarabia.”

- And the result had really caught her off guard. She had been hoping to join Diasomnia: had she joined the dorm reputed for its magical prowess, she would have without a doubt earned respect. But Scarabia? She wasn’t sure what to think about it. During the entrance ceremony havoc, where a familiar set the place on fire, the person who seems to be the dorm leader- Kalim, was it?- clearly didn’t have as much of a presence as the rest of the dorm leaders did. Instead of using trying to clear the situation, like the Heartslabyul and Octavinelle dorm leaders, all he did was whine about how his butt was on fire. Was this truly going to be alright?

“Alright. Scarabia first years, please line up- our dorm leader, Kalim Al-Asim, will give his welcome speech in a minute or so. I am Jamil Viper, your vice-dorm leader, and we are both second years.”

Sky snapped out of her thoughts as soon as she heard that phrase. Second years? From what she had read about NRC, it was quite rare to have second years as dorm leaders, or vice-dorm leaders: which meant that those two must be quite powerful wizards. “I take back what I said”, she thought, grinning to herself. “Maybe this isn’t so bad after all.” Curious, she looked around to see who her dorm-mates were going to be. There was a handful of familiar faces from the entrance ceremony, and-

“Yamlikha-chan?”

“Oh? Sky-san, was it? It seems like we’re both in the same dorm.” Yamlikha remarked, as imperturbable as ever.

“Ah, I’m so glad, I was worried about not knowing anyone....” Sky’s thoughts trailed off. “Hmm... From what I can tell, Yamlikha seems to be quite a level-headed person...” 

“Hello everyone!! I’m your dorm leader Kalim, welcome to Scarabia!!”

“?!” Startled, Sky turned towards the centre of the lounge. Their dorm leader was standing there, a mic way too close to his face, as Jamil was trying to get him to step back. “Oh.. A-Ahah, I guess his speech is... starting?”

“Seems like it.”

Yamlikha took out a small console from underneath her robe, and started playing as Kalim delivered his speech. Caught off-guard, Sky nervously stole glances at the girl standing next to her. Was she really going to play games during such an important event? She initially thought that Yamlikha was the calm and collected type, but those types don’t play fighting games when Senpai are giving speeches, right...? Confused, Sky shook her head. Had she misjudged her?

☆ Scarabia Dorm, Lounge. Yamlikha’s point of view. ☆

The entrance ceremony felt like it was never going to end. Yamlikha wasn’t of impatient nature, but she did have an event ending tonight, so she couldn’t afford to stay AFK for much longer. Silentlty, she took out a console from underneath her robe, and started playing as she feigned paying attention. s She had had a feeling the ceremony might turn out to be way too long, so she had taken it just in case. She figured that things would get repeated during the first few weeks, anyway, and most of the information had already been given by the headmaster during his entrance speech.

- Timeskip -

“And so, this is the end of my speech, ahah!” Kalim grinned, still way too close to the mic. Jamil’s frowning face was almost comical in the background, as Kalim obliviously waved to the first year students. “Now we have a welcome party coming up, so everyone, let’s enjoy ourselves, okay ?!”

“YES!!”

The loud response of the crowd slightly startled Yamlikha, as she sighed while putting her console away. At least she managed to grind a few ranks... “Things should be fine if I pull an all-nighter.” she thought as she re-adjusted her robe.

“Ah, Yamlikha-chan, should we go to the venue? It seems like they’re hosting the banquet in the Scarabia kitchens.”

“Oh, sure, let’s go.”

Yamlikha glanced at Sky for a second before following her. She seemed like a nice enough person: not too extroverted or enthusiastic, which was perfect- because those types can be very exhausting. At the very least, she was a decent person to make friends with on a first day.

The two girls walked in silence towards the kitchen, both admiring the inside of their dorm. The walls were covered with beautiful wallpaper, and even the lights looked expensive- “As expected.” Yamlikha heard that the Al-Asim family had invested in NRC since their son’s acceptance to the school, so she wasn’t too surprised. The Al-Asim were celebrities back in the Land of Hot Sands, being so wealthy that they held a great percentage of the country’s riches. 

The people back in Yamlikha’s orphanage absolutely despised them, thought, and the slum’s gangs did scheme a few murder attempts on them, or so she heard. But after all, even a small donation from the family would have improved their living conditions, so she couldn’t blame her fellow countrymen’s anger towards the wealthy merchants. However, she herself felt indifference towards the Al-Asim: hating them wouldn’t make her life any better, and while a few people had tried to network their way into becoming servants for them, she wasn’t interested in that, either. All she was longing for was a normal life- not too miserable, not too flashy either. And she was determined into living the life of a side character in those upcoming three years-

“Woah, who are you??”

Yamlikha snapped out of her thoughts as she noticed the dorm leader standing in front of her. Confused, she looked at Sky, who looked just as perplexed as she was.

“Huh? Do you mean m-me?”

“Ah, no, not you- you there, with the green eyes!” He pointed at Yamlikha, bringing his face closer to hers.

“Oi, Kalim, w-” Jamil emerged from a crowd of people, confused as to why the dorm leader had suddenly zoomed past the new students. “What are you doing???”

“..... Me?”

“Yes, you!! What’s your name? Where are you from? You’re a first year, right? Ah, that’s right, I forgot to introduce myself- I’m Kalim Al-Asim!!!” He grinned, standing awfully close to Yamlikha- which made Sky blush as she tried to drag her new friend away from him.

“... Oh. My name’s Yamlikha. I’m from the Land of Hot Sands. And yes, I am a first year.” Much to Sky’s surprise, the young girl looked imperturbable- despite Kalim taking a step closer every time Sky forced her to take a step behind.

“Waaah, your eyes are so pretty!!! They look like emeralds!! You know, that’s my favourite precious stone, we have a lot of them in-”

“KALIM!!” Jamil seized him by the collar, and dragged him away from the two girls. “Now, what the hell are you doing???”

“Huh? Ah, Jamil, don’t drag me like that ~” Kalim whined. Suddenly pulling Jamil closer, he whispered in his ear: “That girl....”

“Hmm? That girl? You mean, the one with the green eyes?” Jamil’s face suddenly grew stern. “.. Do you recognise her? Think she might be a spy?”

“.... No, rather, I....” Jamil anxiously waited for his master’s response, as Kalim’s looked lost in thoughts. If this truly was an assassination attempt, or if a rival family sent her as a spy, then he would have to take appropriate measures.

“Kalim....”

“... I think...” Kalim suddenly grasped Jamil’s shoulders with his two hands. “Huh?” Jamil thought, suddenly confused. “... I THINK I FOUND MY FUTURE WIFE!!!”

“.... Hah... ????... Wait... WHAT????” 

“Jamil, seriously, I felt it as I laid my eyes on her- it’s destiny!!!!” Kalim gushed. “I need to ask her out, and then we can get married, and have kids- I want to beat my dad’s record, so we need more than 30 of them, and-”

“WOWOWOW.” Jamil shook Kalim’s hands off his shoulders, as he deadpanned. “Is this guy for real?” “Hold it, Kalim. You’ve met her for approximatively 10 seconds, and- Wait, where  did he go???”

In the few seconds Jamil closed his eyes, Kalim had rushed off back to Sky and Yamlikha, now trying to convince the girl to come with him to the treasure room. Sky was absolutely bewildered, but Yamlikha remained as imperturbable as ever as she politely declined.

“The feast is starting soon, don’t you have other things to attend, Kalim-senpai?”

“Huh? Not at all, I’ll just leave those to Jamil, ahahah!!” He took hold of the girl’s wrist, and dragged her towards the exit. “Oi, Jamil, I’ll go to the treasure room- you handle the feast for now!”

“W-w-w-w-wah???” Sky was absolutely panicked as she turned to Jamil, eyes moist with tears. “H-He’s kidnapping Yamlikha, w-what do we do????”

“....” Jamil sighed, eyebrows twitching. This was seriously the worst scenario- he didn’t even think this would happen. Kalim had never cared about love or anything like that, but suddenly he went on about destiny or whatever? “... Sky-san, was it? Leave them for now, and please follow me to the feast. I’ll go take care of it as soon as everyone is seated.”

--

☆ Scarabia Dorm, Treasure Room. Yamlikha’s point of view. ☆

“- So this is a collection of precious stones we got from a neighbouring country!!! Pretty, aren’t they?”

Yamlikha glanced at the mountains of riches ahead of her. She couldn’t help but widen her eyes at the amount of gold there was- among the tapestries, paintings, sculptures, and all art forms one could think of.

“Look, this one kinda look like your eyes, ahah!!”

“... You’re right, they do. But Kalim-Senpai...” Yamlikha looked at him with a slightly worried expression. “... Is it okay to be here while the welcome feast is going on?”

“Huh? Ah, I told you not to worry about that, Jamil will take care of it!!! More importantly, can I call you Yamu? Yamlikha is a bit of a mouthful, you know..” Kalim whined as he picked up yet another set of precious stones.

“Sure, I do not particularly mind.”

“Oh, really? Yay, I guess we’re close enough for pet names now, ahahah! Another step in our relationship!”

“... In your WHAT.”

“Wah- Oh, Jamil, didn’t see you standing there!! You scared me!”

Jamil stood in the entrance of the treasure room, looking absolutely unimpressed. “This guy never ceases to amaze me with how DUMB he is.” He peered over at Yamlikha, who was getting dragged by Kalim to explore yet another corner of the room. Jamil couldn’t help but be wary of the first year girl- Kalim was so naïve he could fall for anyone, so it was his responsibility to make sure that person did not pose a threat to Kalim or the Al-Asim household. “... She doesn’t seem very fazed by all this. Is she a trained spy? But then again, this attitude would make her more suspicious than anything else...”

“Oh, I forgot to say- Yamu, if you want to give me a nickname, that’s fine too!!! Even though it might be hard with Kalim, ahahah!”

“I think Kalim-senpai is fine.”

“Huh??” Kalim took a step back, blushing, before grinning. “Hey Jamil, did you hear that!!! Yamu said my name was pretty, hehe!!”

“... She didn’t say that, you absolute cretin.” Jamil whispered under his breath, getting increasingly more annoyed. “-Ahem. I mean, how nice. But Kalim, the feast has started, and it is time for you to go eat with the new students.”

“Eeh? Can’t that wait?? I want to go on a flying carpet date with Yamu!!”

“Flying carpet?” / “Date?” Yamlikha and Jamil exclaimed at the same time. “Huh? It’s the flying carpet bit that’s throwing her off????”

“Mhm-hm, this is my most prized treasure.... Ta-dah!!” Kalim gestured to the flying carpet that appeared next to him.

“.. I’m sorry, but I’ll have to decline. I’m bad with heights.”

“Huh?” Kalim and Jamil asked, both caught off-guard.

“Oh, that’s fine, I understand!! Don’t worry Yamu, we have a lifetime ahead of us, so you can take your time getting used to flying, ahah!!” Kalim grinned as he guided the flying carpet back into his spot.

“.... Did he just say ‘a lifetime’? I think I’m losing braincells.” Jamil let out a big sigh. He genuinely wondered how long he had left before blowing up. “... Dear Lord, or whatever entity is up there. Please give me the strength needed to not yeet this moron off the nearest balcony.” Taking a deep breath, Jamil tapped his feet on the ground.

“Well, this is lovely and all, but we have an entrance ceremony to finish, Kalim.”

“Eeh? Ah, but I want to spend more time with Yamu....”

“She’ll be at the feast, too.”

“Oh? Right, I forgot about that, ahah!”

“... Can you get any dumber.” Jamil muttered under his breath.

“Alright then, let us head back to the kitchen!! AH.” Kalim clasped his hands together, as if he just remembered something.

“... What is it, Kalim.”

“Jamil, for the room arrangements, please make Yamlikha sleep in my room, okay?”

“WHAT?” 

Jamil was speechless. What was this idiot doing? 

“... Kalim-senpai, I didn’t think you were this kind of person.”

“Oh, so she’s FINALLY saying something? Thank god.” Jamil glanced at her- but she wasn’t even blushing. Seriously, how does she have such nerves of steel?

“Uh? Oh, no, Yamu, please don’t get the wrong impression!!!!” Kalim was furiously blushing as he waved his hands. 

“Of course she would, you absolute moron.” Whispered Jamil.

“I just want us to spend a lot of time together, so we can get to know about each other even faster!!! I-I didn’t mean anything perverted!!!!”

“Oh, I see.” Yamlikha responded, nodding.

“.... If there was a prize for the highest amount of composure, there would not be a single person to compete with this girl in this wide world.” Jamil scratched his head as he ignored Kalim trying to convince her that he “wasn’t a pervert!!”. He thought this would just be yet another whim of Kalim, but if he asked him that, it means he was serious enough about it. He cleared his throat, pulling up his robe’s hood.

“Our dorms are compartmentalized by gender, but I’ll see what I can do. Now, let us hurry back before this turns into FURTHER chaos.”

--

☆ Scarabia Dorm, Room 97. Sky’s point of view. ☆

Sky stood anxiously before the door of her future room. Her heart was racing as she deliberated how to knock. Should she go the polite way, and slightly knock before opening? Or should she wait for the person inside to respond first? Or should she just enter without knowing to assert dominance?

“What should I do.... What if I make a bad impression on my roommate? What if she hates me? According to otome games, the option that affects the affection gauge the least is knock and enter, but what if she doesn’t like that....” Sky shook her head, and glared at the door. “N-No, this can’t do. I have to be assertive from now on! Okay, knock and enter, let’s go.” Sky feebly knocked, and shakily opened the door.

“Hello, I’m-”

“Oh, Sky-san.”

“Huh?” Sky instantly relaxed at the sound of the familiar voice. “Ah, Yamlikha-chan!! Are we roommates? Ah, I’m so glad!” She plopped on her bed, letting out a relieved sigh.

“Me too, actually.” Sky peered over at Yamlikha. It was the first time the girl said anything involving any kinds of feelings. “I mean, today has been really exhausting, so I’m glad it’s you and not someone like Kalim-senpai as my roommate.”

“A-Ahah, right, about that...” Sky’s twirled a strand of hair on her finger. Were they close enough that she could ask that, or would her roommate take it the wrong way?

“What is it?”

“Erm, about our dorm leader.... Do you know him from somewhere? I-I mean, are you two... you know... dating?” Shyly, she adverted her eyes. 

She wasn’t used to girl’s talk, but she was really curious about what happened earlier- as a matter of fact, all of Scarabia was. When heading back from the treasure room, Yamlikha had walked back into the kitchen draped in clashing, but obviously expensive, headbands and jewellery. Furthermore, throughout the feast, Kalim kept asking her questions, and making her try the best dishes- while she would answer the questions monotonously. On top of that, the new students had been gossiping- apparently, one of them overheard Kalim call her his "future wife”. 

“Uh? No, we just met today.”

“Eh?”

“I said, we just met today.”

“I-I heard you, but...” Sky looked into Yamlikha’s eyes, surprised. It didn’t seem like she was lying. “... So he’s doing all that when you guys just met?”

“It seems like he is, yes. To be fair, I’m confused too, but I guess that’s just the kind of extroverted MC-persona he has.” Yamlikha reached for the console on her bedside table. “... Sky-san. I have an event to grind before tomorrow, so if we can continue this conversation the following morning, it would be much appreciated.”

“Eh? An event?” Sky’s eyes widened. “A-Ahem.. I mean, why, yes, of course. It was rude of me to ask so many questions when you must be tired. Well, then, I’ll begin unpacking- sorry for the noise.”

Yamlikha nodded before diverting her attention back to the game. Sky’s thoughts, on the other side, were racing. Today was her first day out of the Isle of Lamentation- and it was eventful to say the least. Regardless, she was happy: her dorm leader, albeit a bit strange, seemed really nice, and the vice dorm-leader, Jamil, seemed really dependable. Her roommate, while also being strange in her own way, seemed really kind- and anything would be better than going back to her house, anyway. 

Tomorrow was the first day of classes- and Sky was determined to make an impression. She had already reviewed all the books set as the reading list for the first term, and practiced some of the potion for alchemy classes. She noticed a small leather notebook next to her bag. Smiling, she took it into her hand while flipping through the blank pages. She was determined to write her own story, and become a new, better version of herself- and that would start tomorrow. As she placed the notebook on her bedside table, she looked around their now fully-tidied room. “Perfect”, she thought. 

- Timeskip -

Sky stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed. She had the time to review tomorrow’s predicted amount of material, just in case teachers decided not to give them an easy time for their first day, which meant she could now go to sleep. She peered over to Yamlikha’s bed, only to see the young girl still immersed in her game. “Well, she did say she had an event...” Silently, Sky climbed into her bed.

“Yamlikha-chan?”

“Mmh?”

“Ah, nothing, I just wanted to say... Good night.”

“Mhm, good night, Sky-san.”

Laying down, she put a hand to her racing heart. She was as excited as she was nervous for tomorrow: but there was a lingering feeling that things were going to be okay. Or so she thought, oblivious to the whirlwind of events that were about to befall her the following day.

Disclaimer: a little something I wrote in a rush for Cater’s bday, but happy birthday bby and thank you so much for coming home so quickly <3 + sereia is Kirs’ OC, not mine ~

“.. Haaa... finally, this is over... ugh, that teacher just wouldn’t stop rambling, I couldn’t focus on my quest..” Idia sighed as he exited the classroom. “Can’t believe I got forced to attend... Well, time to go home, and-”

“Idiacchi!!!”

“... Huh?” Idia stopped in his track. “N-no... that can’t be...”

“Ah, I got so scared I wouldn’t make it in time ~” As he prepared to rush towards the exit, Idia felt a hand grasp his shoulder. N-Not again... he thought as he turned around.

“... Mary-Ann-shi, I am busy with something today, so I cannot help with the class content. If you-”

“You got it all wrong Idiacchi, I’m not here to ask for a cramming class- although...” Mary-Ann saw Idia’s disheartened face, and waved her hands. “I mean it!! I’m here to ask for another favour.”

“A favour...? This sucks... The quest ends in 10 hours, so I don’t have time to waste-”

“Please!!!” Mary-Ann bowed, clasping her hands together. “I promise I’ll login daily on any game you want to send you login bonuses ‘n stuff!!!” She looked up to see Idia’s expression. Perfect, she thought. He baited. “I’m here because I need your help with online shopping.”

Idia took a few seconds to process what his classmate had just told him. Online shopping...? Not that he cared, but Mary-Ann seemed like the type who’d spend her spare time browsing online for fashion items, or whatever stuff those extroverts do- why would she ask him of all people for help?

“... Mary-Ann-shi, I’m not sure why you’re even asking me... I doubt we shop for similar items, you know.”

“I’m not asking you for recommendations ~ but for websites. You see...” Mary-Ann’s shoulders suddenly dropped as she let out a sigh. “... It’s Catercchi’s birthday in a few day, and I’m really struggling finding stuff for him.”

“... Cater? Aah, why are you even asking me this... Aren’t you both the extrovert duo? Wouldn’t you know better than I do? You’re wasting my time here...”

“.. Well, that’s the thing. I should, but...” For a split second, Idia thought he saw a glimpse of sadness in his classmate’s eyes. What a weirdo... “.. But no matter how hard I think, I can’t think of anything- and we’ve been friends for 3 years now, I don’t wanna get him some impersonal gift, y’know! Would you happen to know any websites with a wide range of choice?”

“W-What? Ah, I do, but... Well, I’ll just send them to you by text.. Here you go.”

--

“... Mary-Ann-san, could you please stop sighing.”

“But Sereiacchi, I just can’t find anything ~”

“Regardless, we’re in a library, so would you please keep quiet.”

Sereia sighed as she closed her book. From what she understood, Mary-Ann was present browsing for Cater after pestering Idia about online shopping websites, but judging from her friend’s expression, it wasn’t going well. For the past hour, Mary-Ann kept sighing and mumbling about how none of this was what she was looking for.

“How come you’re so lost about this?”

“Huh?” Mary-Ann looked up from her phone, startled.

“I mean, Idia-san is right. You two do spend a lot of time together, after all. As friends, shouldn’t you know what to get him?”

“Well, that’s the thing...” Mary-Ann rested her chin on her hand, looking far into the distance with a pensive expression. “... Y’know, Sereiacchi, I think Catercchi and you are more similar than you’d think.”

“And why is that?”

“... Dunno. You guys might act a certain way but sometimes... I don’t know. Sometimes, it feels like you’re both rea~lly sad inside... or something? Ugh.” Mary-Ann suddenly banged her head on the table, startling Sereia. “I hate this... I’m not good at perceiving things, or understanding how people think... But I have this feeling that if I get Catercchi something he talked about, like this new popular jacket ~ or this trendy bracelet ~ it wouldn’t be what he truly wants...”

“... You’re more perceptive that you give yourself credit for, Mary-Ann-san.” Sereia whispered, closing her book.

“Huh? Did ya say anything?”

“... No, not at all. But if he told you that he wanted something, why don’t you get him that? It would avoid wasting your time browsing online when we have a test tomorrow.”

“... Aaah, that sucks, I completely forgot about the test tomorrow... ugh, what am I gonna do...”

Mary-Ann returned to her phone, browsing with a worried expression. What would he even want... She had asked Trey about it earlier, but her childhood friend just replied that instead of getting him a gift, they should cook him some of his favourite foods. Which she agreed with- but hearing Trey talk about that made the uneasy feeling inside her swell even bigger. For two years, she kept dragging Cater to her favourite bakery to try out the cakes together. She thought he liked them too, as he kept snapping pictures, and assumed that he would never finish them simply because he didn’t have much of an appetite. But when Trey told her that it was most probably because he just didn’t like sweets, she felt incredibly guilty about it. If only I was more perceptive like Trey... It might be dumb, but she really wanted to redeem herself with that gift- to prove to Cater, and to herself, that she could be considerate, too.

--

“.. Oya, Mary-Ann. What brings you here?”

“Liliacchi...”

“Oh? Why the long face?” Lilia’s eye widened at the sight of Mary-Ann walking into Diasomnia, eyes surrounded by very dark eyebags. “Did you not get much sleep because of today’s test?”

“Nah, wish I took my education that seriously to begin with.” She sighed as she plopped to the seat in front of Lilia.

“Then, is it perhaps some internal trouble at Heartslabyul?”

“... Well, you could say that, kinda. It’s about..”

--

“... Oh, I see. You’re worried about getting a gift that wouldn’t make Cater happy, yes?”

“Yeah, exactly.” Mary-Ann threw her head back, closing her eyes. “It’s like... He did tell me what he wanted, but... Kinda felt like he didn’t mean it, y’know? And, I don’t know...”

“.. Yes?”

“... I kinda feel like I haven’t done enough for him... As a friend? I’m not as dependable as Trey, neither am I as smart as Riddlecchi, but just this once...” Her voice trailed off as she opened her eye, glaring at the light above her. “... Just this once, I wanna do something for him, too.”

“... Oh-oh, it seems like there is a misunderstanding here.”

“Huh?” Mary-Ann jerked back into a seated position, looking at Lilia with a startled expression.

“The fact that you are worrying about this in the first place shows that you are dependable as a friend, doesn’t it? Not a lot of people would..” He gestured to the young girl’s eyebags with a chuckle. “... Obviously stay up all night just to find a gift. That, too, is your strength as a friend.”

“... Mmh, I suppose you’re right.” For the first time in a while, Mary-Ann felt a smile creep up to her lips. “But no matter the intention, it won’t do any good if I can’t find something in time...”

“I see. So you thought, coming here, that I would have a more precise idea about a present that would make him happy, correct?”

“Yeah, exactly. Dunno, you guys spend a lot of time together in music club, sooo...”

“.. Well, I am sorry to disappoint, but I don’t.” Mary-Ann sighed for the umpteenth time today. Why was this so hard... “... However, I may have advice for you.”

“Huh? Advice? Well, any kind of help is welcome, at this point...”

“Ahah, very well. I like your fighting spirit. Well then. You worry about not being dependable like Trey, or smart like Riddle- in short, you worry about taking things at face value, and not being perceptive enough, am I correct?” Mary-Ann nodded. “That, too, can be a strength in its own right. In your three years of friendship, has there been any time that made you realise that Cater might not be honest, despite you not being aware of things that easily?”

“Well... Yeah, you’re right, there were a handful of times like that.”

“Very well, then. Please think about those times as precious- because that means that what he had hidden was so painful that it shone through even to someone as oblivious as you. I assume you see where I am getting at? If there is anything that could have made those times less excruciating for him...”

“... Yeah, got it.” Mary-Ann got up, a confident expression on her face. “Thanks, Liliacchi. I think I finally have an idea!”

“Well, I’m glad to have been of help.” How troublesome these humans are... he thought as he smiled at her.

--

“Waaah, you guys prepared everything for me? Yay ~ I’m so happy, thank you everyone!”

“You’re welcome. Trey and Mary-Ann insisted that you have ramen instead of cake, which breaks the Queen of Hearts’ rule to only have cakes for birthdays, but I’ll let it slide just for this once.”

“Ahah, Riddle, as serious as ever...” Trey let out a small chuckle as he placed the ramen in front of Cater. “Cater, please dig in, it’s going to get cold.”

“Alright, I will ~ Huh? Mary-Ann-chan, what’s up? Whatcha looking all worried about?”

“A-Ah, nah, it’s nothing ~” Mar-Ann faked a smile, ushering Cater to eat. “Just, when you’re done, err... Could you come with me to the courtyard real quick?”

“Oh, sure, sure ~ Well then. Let me snap a pic... and... done! Happy bday to me ~”

--

“So, what did ya want? ~”

Cater and Mary-Ann strolled through the Heartslabyul gardens, as the blonde hid a small packet behind her back, nervously playing with her hair with her spare hand. Pretending not to notice, Cater marvelled about how the garden looked especially pretty during his birthday. They walked side by side for a while, with just Cater’s occasional interjections to occupy the suffocating silence. ... I gotta do this. Mary-Ann took a deep breath as she stopped in her tracks. Confused, Cater turned around, expecting her to say something.

“... What’s this, what’s this? Nee, Mary-Ann-chan, are you confessing to me? ~” Cater’s voice sounded confident, but there was just a falter of nervousness betraying his own state of mind. ... Did she notice?

“Don’t be stupid, Catercchi.” Thankfully for her friend, Mary-Ann was way too preoccupied by her own nervousness to realise what just happened. “... Well, y’know, it’s your birthday and all, so I thought I’d get you something, but...”

“... But?” Dusk was just setting as a gulf of wind brushed by Cater’s cheek.

“... Dunno, when you told me about what you wanted, it just... Kinda... Didn’t feel right?” Cater remained silent, waiting for her to continue. “... Like you were... forcing yourself to come up with something? Aah, this sucks, I can’t explain this properly...” Frustrated, Mary-Ann ran a hand through her hair. “... Well, my point is, sometimes, it feels like you’re... Not honest with yourself? And I had this impression that that jacket you asked for wouldn’t really make you happy, yknow... But I’m not like Trey or Riddlecchi, and I couldn’t come up with anything worthwhile because, I like, really suck at figuring people’s thoughts....”

She took a step closer to Cater, who just stood there in silence, surprised. He knew Mary-Ann was dense- in all senses of the term, so he was definitely not expecting her to notice that he had just said whatever as a present idea. Not knowing what to expect, he waited for his friend to continue.

“.... But I thought long and hard about something that would, you know, truly make you happy. And, I, uh... kinda came up with this... It definitely isn’t anything big, and it might not even mean anything to you, but....”

She handed a small red packet to Cater, slightly blushing as she adverted her eyes. Her hands were slightly trembling as he took the present from her hands. Slowly, he began unwrapping it- only to be met with a small silver keychain with a bright blue gem at the end of it. Confused, he looked up to meet her eyes. Not that it was ugly- quite the opposite actually, it was definitely his style, but..

“.. Ah! Maybe I should explain what it is... Ugh, sorry.” Mary-Ann sighed. “D’you remember, during the Stargazer festival? When Trey and I came to your room to ask for your wish, you wished to enjoy your school life and stuff, right?” Cater nodded. “Well, I kinda felt like... You were hiding your true wish, for some reason? And I’m definitely not perceptive enough to know why, so... I just thought I’d give you another chance at it.”

“Another... Chance?”

“Uh-uh. That keychain is a replica of a wishing star. It’s kinda not a magic stone, more like a good-luck charm, but...” She looked up to meet Cater’s eyes. The setting dusk made his emerald eyes stand out even more, as she nervously twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “.... I wondered if, maybe, this time, you could wish for what you truly wanted... without us knowing.”

Cater remained speechless for a few seconds that felt like an eternity to Mary-Ann. Ugh, I knew it, he doesn’t like it. Maybe I should have just asked Kalim-

All of a sudden, she felt Cater’s arms surrounding her, as he pulled her into a tight hug. She was used to his displays of affection, and it definitely wasn’t the first time they hugged, but for some reason, this time... It felt different. Not knowing how to react, Mary-Ann remained still, nervously waiting for Cater to say something.

“.... Thank you, Mary-Ann. I’ll treasure it.”

Because I’m a sucker for festival dates, after all T_T

Sky let out a dejected sigh as she walked through the festival stalls. Everywhere she looked were couples, friend groups, or families, all having fun: yet here she was, ruminating as she hung her head low. Night Raven College was celebrating one of its anniversaries, and truly, she couldn’t even remember what that celebration was for. But what she knew is that she messed up, big, big time.

--

“Oi, Sky- you sure about this? That box’s kinda heavy, isn’t it?” Ace looked dubious as he saw Sky pick up a box full of paint tins.

“Ace, what do you take me for? Carrying such a small box will be a piece of cake for me.”

She regretted those words as soon as they left her mouth. What was even in that box? Sky was told it was only 'a few’ paint tins meant to help the art club design posters, but the box was a lot heavier than she had thought. Nevertheless, her pride wouldn’t let her admit that she couldn’t carry it- so off she went, legs wobbling. But seriously- why was that box so big? She couldn’t even see the ground, and-

“Wah- Sky, careful!”

“Huh?”

As soon as she heard Ace’s voice, Sky looked up- only to feel herself lose balance on the slippery ground. Her brain couldn’t process what had happened- but in the span of a few seconds, she landed on the ground, the box’s content shattered on the floor, and saw... someone drenched in paint?

“Sky, you oka-” Ace rushed over before stopping. “Who- WAH? Dorm Leader Riddle???”

“R-Rosehearts-senpai?” Sky’s eyes widened as she heard Ace pronounce his name. But her classmate was right- right in front of her was Riddle, completely drenched in green paint.

“.....”

Riddle stood there for a second, seemingly processing what just happened. Ace and Sky, frozen in fear, waited for him to explode- but to their surprise, Riddle just sighed and wiped some paint off his face. His eyes seemed to say, not surprised.... as he spoke to Sky:

“Sky, I think it’s better if you don’t handle the manual work- as a matter of fact, I think it’s better if you walk around the festival for now.”

--

Sky felt tears prickle her eyes as she recalled the events. Ah, seriously, how could she embarrass herself that badly? Ace tried to cheer her up, “Do you not realise how lucky you are?? It would have been off with your head for me!!”, but even her friend’s attempts at recomforting her felt futile as she remembered the expression on Riddle’s face.

It’s not like I was expecting anything from you, anyway. It was the exact expression everyone always looked at her with. Especially him. It felt that as time passed, the distance between them was growing further and further- she was trying her best, but no matter what she did, things always ended up going south. Would she always remain the little black duck of the family? Lost in her thoughts, Sky did not notice the silhouette behind her, until she felt a hand on her shoulder-

“Kyaaah!! what-” Sky jumped, startled, until she recognised the owner of the hand. “Ruggie?? You scared me!”

“I could say the same thing, y’know! What’s up with ya? I tried callin’ you, but you just wouldn’t pick up. What are ya doin’ all alone?”

“Ruggie....”

“Huh? Why are you crying? Wait, wait, explain-”

--

“... So that’s what happened, huh.”

“Ugh... Seriously, so embarrassing... I wanna hide in a hole....” Sky sighed, sitting on a bench, a little further from the festival.

“But aren’t ya happy? That he didn’t get mad, I mean?”

“Of course not!! If he doesn’t get upset, that means he was totally expecting it!!” Sky eyes teared up again. “I tried so hard to build a reputation, but now it feels like everyone knows how useless I am, that they don’t even have expectations for me anymore....”

Ruggie looked at the young girl next to him. Slowly, he reached his hand to pat her head, looking away as she started sobbing. The laughter and lights from the festival in the distance seemed almost cruel as Sky struggled to catch her breath. Why do things never go as planned?

“... Ain’t that better, though?”

“Huh?” Surprised, her tears stopped as she peered over at Ruggie.

“The fact that people know how you truly are, y’know. Doesn’t it feel better, to not have to keep up a front and whatnot?”

“But-”

“No one’s perfect, y’know. Not Jamil, not me- not even Vil-san, or Malleus-san. Everyone goes through hardships ‘n’stuff. Ain’t that normal?” At the mention of Jamil’s name, Sky’s face fell. “We all go through trials, and that’s what life’s all about, doesn’t it? Doesn’t come with a guide book or anythin’.” His eyes met Sky’s. “What just happened, wasn’t that because ya didn’t ask for help? It’s rich comin’ from me, but y’know, asking for help isn’t a bad thing. No one’s gonna judge you for that, m’kay?”

Sky let out a small hum as she diverted her attention back to the stall. The lights seemed even stronger reflected in her teary eyes, and Ruggie was almost enchanted by the sight. Shaking his head, he snapped out of it, and stood up. Startled, Sky looked at him with a surprised expression as Ruggie extended his hand to her.

“Now, what d’ya say about us visiting the festival? Might as well, right? Shishishi ~”

--

“Waaah, Ruggie, you’re amazing!!!”

Sky marvelled over Ruggie’s goldfish scooping skills, as the young hyena managed to catch another 3 goldfishes at once. The Octavinelle student responsible for the stand seemed to grow more and more uneasy as his goldfish stock began to shrivel. Seriously, how is that guy so good at this...?

“Heh, that’s nothin’ for me, y’know ~” Ruggie’s ears wiggled, obviously delighted by the praise. “In my hometown, we often go fishin’, and stuff.”

“Fishing? But... not for goldfishes, right?” Sky looked caught off-guard. Eating goldfishes...? Seeing her expression, Ruggie could not resist teasing her.

“Shishishi, of course we did. Goldfishes are delicious, y’know? Want me to cook them for you later?”

“H-huh? No!!!! You shouldn’t eat goldfishes!! Look how adorable they are!!!” Instinctively, Sky protectively held her goldfish to her chest. Ruggie couldn’t help but laugh at her innocence.

“Shishishi, you believe me way too easily ~” but Sky’s expression remained full of suspicion. “... Oi, what d’ya take me for... Why would I eat goldfishes, there’s barely any nutrients in them, y’know.”

“.. Pff... Hahaha... Ruggie, you’re seriously so weird.” It was Ruggie’s turn to get caught off-guard. Sky finally looked like she was back to normal, and he couldn’t help but slightly blush at her smiling face.

“.. Ah, that’s right. Wanna go to another stand?” He tried changing the subject, looking away to hide his rosy cheeks.

“Ah- I completely forgot about it!” Sky jerked up, startling Ruggie in the process. “Ignihyde are doing a carabine stand- I heard Mayu sewed cute plushies as prizes, I wanna go!!”

--

“Aaah ~ that was fun....” Sky sighed as she sat on a bench near to another stall.

“Sure was. Didn’t know those Ignihyde guys designed a whole zombie-style shootin’ game... Kinda felt off with the whole festival theme, but it was fun ~” Ruggie leaned back on the bench, stretching as he drank a can of fresh coke.

“Ah... We walked for so long, I’m super thirsty now...”

“Mh? Wanna drink mine?”

“Huh?” Sky blushed as her eyes widened. “N-No way! That’s basically an indirect kiss!!!”

“An indirect ki-” Ruggie looked caught off guard, before switching to a grin, scooting closer to Sky. “Shishishi, if that’s the first thing ya thought about, must’ve been on yer mind, hasn’t it? ~”

“W-??? No, of course not!!!” Sky got up, as red as a tomato. “I-I’ll go get my own, you stay here!!!”

“Want me to-”

“No!!!! I don’t need you to come!!! You stay here!!!”

The young girl stormed off, ears flaming as Ruggie let out a small laughter. Man, was he glad to finally see her acting like her usual self again. Jamil’s Overblot really affected her, after all: for a few weeks, she barely smiled, sighing and looking dejected whenever she was alone. Ruggie had been seriously worried about her- she really took her vice dorm head’s ob personally, and had avoided all social interactions for a while. But a month after, it finally seemed like she was regaining hope. Aah ~ how troublesome... But I’m glad. He thought, watching over Sky as she pondered over which drink to buy.

“- Hey, isn’t that Gray-senpai lil’ sis?”

“Ah, Sky Cymatilis, right? Yeah, heard about her.”

“She’s kinda cute, isn’t she? Man, they’re really do look alike.”

“Nah, leave it, wouldn’t bother. They’re like night and day.”

Ruggie snapped out of his thoughts as he overheard two RSA students walk past. Were they talking about Sky? Little sister? Sky never really talked about her family, but Ruggie remembered overhearing Sky and Ace complain about older siblings. What that ‘Gray-senpai’ her older brother? And what was that last comment about?

“Alright, I’m back!!!”

“Ah, Sky, welcome back. What did ya get?”

“This cool drink from the Mostro Lounge stall, they had so many flavours!”

“I see, I see ~” Ruggie sipped on his drink absentmindedly, before turning to the girl next to him. “... Hey, Sky. Got any siblings?”

“H-huh? S-siblings?” Sky expression looked like she had just swallowed salt. “A-ah.. Well... I do... K-kinda... An older brother...”

Ruggie hummed a small ah, I see, as he finished his drink. Sky’s reaction told him what he wanted- that it was a sensitive subject all right, so he chose not to pry about it further. She’d tell him about it in due time, probably. On the other hand, Sky seemed preoccupied as she twirled the drink in her hand. Siblings, huh.... After a few minutes of silence, Ruggie plopped a hand on her head.

“Wanna go see fireworks? They should be startin’ soon. I know a perfect spot for that ~”

--

“Waaah, this place is so nice!”

“Heh, of course ~ Savanclaw’s the best place for firework viewin’.”

“Seems like a lot ofstudents thought the same, huh. It’s fuller than I expected.” Sky leaned back on the rock Ruggie chose, considerably higher than the rest. “But it’s a lot comfier than I thought, and we’re going to get such a great view of the fireworks!!”

“Shishishi  ~ Got that right.” Ruggie smiled, turning his head as soon as he heard a loud BANG! “Oh, they’re startin’.”

The two young students remained in silence for a while, in awe of the fireworks. Crowley made sure that NRC’s festival would be more impressive than RSA’s, all the way down to the colours of the fireworks- the green and blue-ish colours filled the night sky, reminiscent of auroras.

“Wow.... The colours are amazing... It really feels like I’m in another country right now....”

“Yeah, they really went all-out with that one, huh.”

The show went on for a few minutes, occasionally accompanied by a bunch of “Ooh”s and “Aah”s as the fireworks depicted the face of the great seven, as well as Crowley’s own mask- which brought a few laughter from the crowd. As a rain of spark came on during the finale, everyone cheered, raising their hands to the sky, entranced by the sight.

“Wow, that is so pretty...” Sky marvelled.

“Yeah, you’re right about that.” But Ruggie hadn’t been watching the fireworks. How could he? All his attention was devoted to watching Sky’s dewy eyes, illuminated by the large-flowered fireworks.

Disclaimer: Sereia is @kirseduwu‘s OC! Mary-Ann is one of my (still unrevealed) OCs, and they’re both 1st years at the time of this drabble. I’m sorry this took so long, and sorry if Sereia is OOC, I tried working with the character sheet you provided me T_T Regardless, I hope you like it! <3

“... You’re seriously weird, you know.”

Sereia stopped in her tracks. That voice- it was unmistakable. Swift as thunder, she turned around.

“.. Ara, if it isn’t Leona-san. Is there anything I could help you with?” She titled her head, softly smiling at him.

“There you go again. Seriously, aren’t you tired?”

Dusk was slowly setting on the courtyard, yet the light seemed almost blinding to Sereia as she processed what Leona had said. She responded, as imperturbable as ever, a fake smile plastered on her face.

“I’m afraid I don’t follow, Leona-san. I am just putting away the practice material, after all. Is there anything wrong with that?”

“... Ha, look at you, with that fake smile n’ all. Don’t you know your eyes ain’t even smiling when you’re grinning like that?”

She had to resist the urge to bit her lower lip as she fought the growing uneasiness swelling inside of her.

“’A fake smile’? You must be mistaken, Leona-san. Why would I pretend about anything?”

Somehow, her voice had faltered a bit. And when Sereia looked up to meet Leona’s gaze, she understood that he had noticed. Shit. Why did this guy have to butt in? He threw his head back, looking down at her with a cocky expression.

“Hah, so I was right. Seems like our lil’ mermaid can reach her limits, too. Must be tiring, smiling around those idiots all day and pretendin’ you care. Kinda admire you, in a sense.” He paused, and his expression got colder. “... But man, you seriously creep me out.”

--

“You seriously creep me out”.

As much as she wanted to play it cool, Leona’s words rang in her head. Seriously- what did that jerk even want anyway? He barely showed up for class, despite being held back once already. He barely interacted with his classmates, scoffing whenever anyone would talk to him, and purposefully skipping on any social activities. What even was he up to? Who knows, but Sereia knew what she wanted- to have a smooth high school career, both academically and socially, in order to land a nice job post-graduation and finally become a person who matters. Which, obviously, a spoiled royal like Leona would never understand.

“Se~re~ia~-chan~”

Absent-mindedly, Sereia tapped on her pencil. Did he figure her out? Well, not that it mattered, or that she was in the wrong. For someone like her, it’s important to keep on a façade- because unlike Leona, she has to be liked. Because no one is going to fold their back for a rootless orphan- she had to be the one to appeal to people. She was going to erase the scars of the past. She was sure of it.

“-ia-chan?”

But man.... regardless, she was irked. It was her adage to avoid troublesome matters- but trouble had just found her. She just couldn’t understand- why would he purposefully go out of his way to tell her that she creeped him out? When he is such an aloof person by nature?

“Heeeey....”

Sereia jolted up as she felt something cold on her cheek. Startled, she looked up to see her classmate Mary-Ann handing her a soda can, pouting.

“Oi, Sereia-chan, you just ignored me for a good 5 minutes y’know? Seriously, after I go all the way to the cafeteria to bring you something to drink? How mean ~”

“... Ara, Mary-Ann-san, I didn’t see you. My apologies.” Sereia smiled as she took the can from her hand.

“‘Didn’t see me’? That ain’t not seeing me, that’s straight up ignoring!!” Mary-Ann sat down next to Sereia, sighing.

I didn’t even offer for her to sit.... was Sereia’s first reaction. Ah, seriously, we don’t match. Mary-Ann was extroverted and exuberant, the type of person that anyone could figure out at first sight. The very opposite of Sereia- yet when they met on the first day, Mary-Ann suddenly decided they’d become best buddies, and tagged along wherever Sereia went. She wasn’t a bad person, but she was way too simple-minded.

“So, what’s up with you?”

“Huh?” Sereia looked at her. “Ah... Nothing much. I was just thinking.”

“Nah, no way, you literally look like you swallowed salt.” Mary-Ann put her chin in the palm of her hand. “Is it Leona-san?”

For a split second, Sereia couldn’t control her expression of surprise. How did she even figure that out?

“Eheh, hit the nail on the head ~” She laughed as Sereia stared at her with a suspicious expression. “- Oi, what’s up with your face? Swear I didn’t spy, but I saw you both talking when I was putting stuff back after Vargas’ class.” She grasped Sereia’s arm, her face way too close for the blue-haired girl. “Soooo, what happened?”

“Mary-Ann-san, you’re misunderstanding, nothing happened.” Sereia clarified as she wriggled her arm out of Mary-Ann’s embrace. “Leona-san just had things he wanted to talk about, that’s all.”

“Leona-san? Talking to anyone? As if. Plus, judging by your face, he was totally being a jerk, wasn’t he?”

... Maybe Sereia misjudged her, and she wasn’t as oblivious as she thought.

“Aaaah, seriously, that guy pisses me off ~ He doesn’t talk to anyone in class at all, and then he comes around and insults you? You’re like, the kindest person in the class!”

.... Or maybe not.

“Ara, I really am not.” Swift as thunder, Sereia feigned a smile. “I guess I must have irked him the wrong way....”

Mary-Ann suddenly got up, startling Sereia. The blonde girl clapped her hands, a grin on her face. What is she up to....

“Well, you don’t wanna keep a misunderstanding around for too long, right? That Leona guy definitely doesn’t have any reason to hate you, so you should clarify things with him!”

“He leaves straight after class, so-”

“Aaand that’s where I come in! I’m on classroom cleaning penal- ahem, I meant duty with him today, so if you cover my shift tonight, you’ll get to talk to him!”

“.... Mary-Ann-san. Surely, you aren’t just trying to escape your cleaning duties?”

“Eh-? Ahah, no, I would... never do that...” Letting a nervous laughter out, she waved her hands. “And I’ll like, totally pay you back by covering your shift when you’re paired with a hot guy, m’kay?~”

Sereia sighed. That just sounded like trouble, but... she felt as if she had to clarify things with him. She was used to contempt and scoffs- but for some reason, Leona’s words made her heart ache.

“.... Alright. Thank you, Mary-Ann-san.”

--

Sereia regretted agreeing almost as soon as she entered the empty classroom. Leona was napping on a desk, obviously not intending on helping out at all. Sereia cleared her throat.

“... Is this how you clean?”

Surprised, the Savanaclaw student removed the book he was using to block the light. He slightly raised his head to peer at the young girl in front of him.

“Well, if it isn’t our lil’ mermaid. What are you doing here? I thought I was on cleaning duty with that blonde chick?”

“She isn’t ‘that blonde chick’, that’s Mary-Ann-san.” Sereia sighed. “I’m covering her shift for her, so please start cleaning already.”

“... Well, would you look at that, ever-so-kind.” Leona grinned, resting his head on his arms. “Do you get some brownie points for that?”

Irked, Sereia turned around.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now, if you would please start cleaning.”

“And what do I get for it?”

Sereia turned around once more. Upon seeing her face, Leona’s grin disappeared. Her eyes had turned cold. Interesting, he thought.

“Leona-san. I assume as a royal heir, you haven’t had the opportunity to clean after yourself, never mind after others, am I correct? Well, now that we are both Night Raven College Students, please understand that you are to do as us plebeians do.” Sereia’s voice came out as colder than she had intended. But for some reason, Leona’s arrogance really brought out the side of her she’d rather hide.

“Ha, what a quick change of attitude. How creepy.”

“- Would you please stop saying that.”

The tone of Sereia’s voice perked Leona’s interest, as he raised himself up with a big yawn. His gaze met Sereia, and the intensity of his predator eyes caught Sereia off-guard.

“... You’re an interesting one, you know.”

“If I’m not mistaken, you said I was ‘creepy’ a few seconds ago. Talk about a change of attitude.” Sereia tried her best to keep her composure, but the air seemed to grow heavier as Leona shifted towards her.

“All those lil’ herbivores ain’t worth my time, but you...” He stood up, and stopped right in front of Sereia. “.. You seem to have some fight in you, y’know. The way I see it, you can’t stand those idiots either, but why do you go around pretendin’ you do? What are you trying to get out of them?”

Sereia took a step back, only to be met with the wall behind her. Shit, she thought. The tension made her feel like her legs could give in at any moment- yet she couldn’t turn her eyes away from Leona’s gaze.

“... I already told you, I’m afraid you’re mistaken about this.”

Leona let out a chuckle as he placed his arm above her head, hovering over her.

“You’re still going on about that even in this situation? Hah, my instincts didn’t fail me- you’re intriguing. Y’know, I can’t stand those innocent, goody-two-shoes types, but you....”

The setting sun made Leona’s eyes shine even more in the dusk-coloured classroom. Sereia gulped, almost enchanted by the sight in front of her.

Disclaimer: Gyo is Alma ( @ almagamae  on twitter / tumblr)’s OC! Merry Christmas Alma <3

--

“.... This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Azul stood in front of Mostro lounge, eyebrows twitching. He tried to exhale to remain calm, yet-

‘Eeeh~ Azul, you’re so boring. It’s Christmas, so of course we have to decorate Mostro Lounge?”

“I know it’s Christmas, Floyd, I’m not stupid. But this-” Azul gestured at the mess in front of him “You call that Christmas decorating?”

“Oya, Azul, isn’t calling our hard-working efforts ‘this’ a bit cruel?” Jade tilted his head. “Plus, don’t you think this is very fitting for Octavinelle?”

Azul adjusted his glasses, clearly not amused. He went to the headmaster office for no longer than an hour, to discuss some... business issues, and by the time he came back, Mostro Lounge was unrecognisable.

Hanging on the walls were poorly drawn lobsters wearing what seemed to be Christmas hats, but really looked more like flamingos than anything else. The floor was covered in a white fake snow that suspiciously looked like sugar, and Floyd was hanging some disco lights that were more seizure-inducing than anything else.

Azul took another deep breath. The issue wasn’t even the lobsters, the 100 madol per 500g sugar discarded on the floor, or even Floyd’s funky lights- no. It was whatever Jade was setting up that was the issue.

“... Jade, Floyd. What the hell is that thing.”

“Oya? What may you be referring to as ‘that thing’?”

“Don’t play dumb, Jade. What is that.... humanoid you’re setting in the middle of the restaurant?’

“Azul ~ you shouldn’t call our new friend a humanoid, you know. That’s mean ~” Floyd protested.

“Floyd is right. It is quite rude to refer to our new inhabitant that way.” Jade smiled, and pointed at the unknown thing. “We thought long and hard about what would be fit for Mostro Lounge as a Christmas decoration. It’s not like we could find a reindeer, and I asked Floyd to dress up as Santa Claus, but he ripped the uniform.”

“Oi, Jade ~ You’re the one at fault for bringing me a size M, you know.”

“Yes, yes, Floyd, I wasn’t blaming you. So, we decided that we should bring something festive enough to motivate people to book Mostro Lounge during Christmas Eve, so we came up with a solution.”

“- a SOLUTION?” Azul was fuming at this point. “Please don’t tell me you brought a CAMEL in Mostro Lounge and painted a RED NOSE on him!”

“... Of course not Azul ~”

“Floyd, I can see you hiding the paint behind your back. Whatever. Where did you even find him? And why is it covered in- are those christmas sweaters?”

“Well, of course. Our friend the Red Nosed Camel deserves to celebrate Christmas with us, after all. And it wasn’t our idea.”

“Huh?” Azul stopped in his tracks as he was sweeping away some melted sugar. “Whose idea was it, if not you both’s?”

“Well, of course-”

“I GOT THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!” 

Gyo barged through the door, holding what was easily 5km worth of bright red Christmas lights. They were wearing a- what were they wearing? Azul wasn’t even sure. 

It seemed to be a reindeer costume, but they had cut the antlers to fit their own ears- and for some reason, the reindeer costume was wearing a Christmas sweater and gloves, too. He felt the urge to chuckle, but feeling Jade and Floyd’s eyes on him, he cleared his throat.

“Gyo. Mind explaining whatever that mess is?”

“What do you mean, ‘a mess’?” Gyo pouted. “We’re Christmas decorating!”

“That’s right, Azul ~ Sea Lion is the one who asked Kalim for our ReinMel!”

“That is NOT a ReinMel, Floyd. And Gyo- just how much exactly did you pay for this camel.” Azul adjusted his glasses, obviously ticked off.

“Huh? I didn’t pay anything”

“What?” Azul stared at Gyo incredulously. What do they mean, they didn’t pay anything?

“I asked Kalim if he had any animal to replace a reindeer, and he told me we could borrow the camel for as long as we need.”

“For free?”

“For free.”

Azul stood there for a few seconds, unable to process what Gyo had just said. In the meantime, the Savanaclaw student had joined Floyd to hang their Christmas light- the combo with Floyd’s disco balls was quite a sight, and it made the situation even more unbelievable for Azul.

“.... Jade. Floyd. Gyo.”

“Yes?”

“.... TAKE THEM OFF. NOW”

A few hours later-

After long hours of threatening and scolding, Azul had finally managed to get Jade and Floyd to finish sweeping the sugar away- not without lamenting over the lost profits, while ignoring Floyd’s “but it’s just sugar ~”

Gyo had been entrusted the task to visit Sam’s shop to receive REAL Christmas decorations, if Mostro Lounge was to be decorated for the festive season. Not without making sure they’d receive a discount, of course.

“I’m back ~”

“Oya, Gyo-san. I see you came back with a lot of things.”

“Eheh, of course ~ I stopped by Savanaclaw, and I saw a few discarded decorations from last year’s Christmas celebration, so I snagged them ~”

“Ehehe, good job sea lion ~”

“Good job, Gyo. It seems like we’ll get our Christmas set-up at even cheaper price than I expected.” Azul grinned. “But...”

“- But”? Jade, Floyd and Gyo stopped rummaging through the Christmas decorations to look at the dorm leader.

“... What are we supposed to do about the camel.”

“It’s not a camel, it’s a ReinMel ~” Floyd whined

“Shut up, Floyd. Surely, you lot don’t intend on keeping him here?”

“Of course we do Azul ~. Actually...” Gyo paused, grinning at Azul. “He might very well become the reason why Mostro Lounge does so well during Christmas, you know.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“Because he’s a celebrity on MagiKam, you know ~”

Gyo handed their phone to Azul, who grabbed it and looked at the screen in disbelief. On Gyo’s personal account, there were hundreds- no, thousands of likes on the picture of the... ‘ReinMel’. The comments were all:

[Omg I wanna visit so bad!!] 

[@DeuceTheHonorStudent looks like we know where to spend our Christmas evening dude] 

[Aajdsjjc the ReinMel is so cute!!], and Azul couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Actually, Azul.” Jade smiled “After Gyo-san posted this picture, we received so many reservations, we had to create a waitlist. It seems like Mostro Lounge will know its best profit ever since the Magift tournament.” 

“I-Is that so?” Azul stood there, not fully understanding what was happening. Why would people even be excited about seeing a Camel dressed in Christmas sweaters, with a painted red nose...? It exceeded the realm of what he could fathom. 

“- So, what do you say?”

“Hmm?”

Gyo was standing in front of him, mischievously grinning at him.

“Shouldn’t you thank me for that?”

“- Ah.” Azul cleared his throat. “W-Well, it seems like I’ve taught you well- you seem to understand the basis of marketing.” His facial expression changed as he looked into Gyo’s eyes. “- So. What do you want in return?”

“Oho? In return, you say?” Gyo threw their head back and put their arms behind their head. “Well... Surely, you’ve heard of that new arcade near NRC?”

“The new acarde... ? Of course.” Azul adjusted his glasses. “So, you want Mostro Lounge to have an acarde? I will have to-”

“No no, you’re not getting what I’m sayin’ ~” Gyo took a step closer to him. “I wanna go there. Together. It seems like a lot of fun, doesn’t it?”

“Y-You wanna go there? That’s all you’re asking for?” Azul was clearly taken aback, and a slight blush crept on his cheek due to Gyo’s proximity. “Well, if that’s what you want, then I will ask Jade and Floyd-”

“Eeeh, Azul, you really don’t get it ~” Gyo was so closed that their noses nearly touched each other, and Azul’s face was so red it could have easily competed with the ReinMel’s nose. “I wanna go TOGETHER.”

Gyo took a step back.

“And together means the two of us ~ There’s no classes during Christmas break, so I’ll pick you up tomorrow. Make sure to dress for the occasion, okay? It’s your Christmas present as much as it’s mine ~” 

Gyo winked at him, leaving Azul as an absolute blushing mess while he was trying to process the situation. He turned around to hide his embarrassment, and Gyo cheekily smiled before returning to where Jade and Floyd were.

“Damn it...” Azul muttered under his breath. “One day, I’ll win against them, I swear...”

‘Jealousy is an inner consciousness of one’s inferiority.’

Ruggie recalled hearing Trein quote this saying during class. Truthfully, he didn’t even pay attention to it- partly because it wasn’t the main focus of the lesson, mostly because Trein’s classes are so boring anyway that it’s a struggle to fight nodding off every 5 minutes.

But as he was watching the sight unfolding before him, the saying came back to his mind- as his fingers unconsciously began to tap on the table, jealousy welling up inside him.

“Don’t you think Viper-senpai is so dependable? Kalim always asks the impossible of him, yet he always pulls it off.....”

There she was, gushing over Jamil for the umpteenth time today- even though he was right in front of her. 

Jamil’s never-ending talents. That was all Sky had been talking about for a good month now. Ever since she became acquainted with him during the magift tournament, her infatuation with the seemingly perfect boy seemed to be growing day by day- and truthfully, it bothered Ruggie. A lot.

Honestly, it wasn’t like Ruggie couldn’t do anything Jamil did. Heck, in his opinion, he even had it rougher. While Jamil had the comfort that came with serving the Al-Asim, Ruggie had to slave away for barely anything under Leona’s orders.

Was this why Sky seemed to see everything Jamil did through rose-coloured glasses? Because he presents nicely, with all that golden jewellery and perfectly styled hair?

“.... Hey, are you even listening to me?”

Ruggie snapped out of it, lifting his gaze to meet the young girl’s annoyed eyes.

“Ah... Sorry. I was just thinkin’ bout stuff. What were you sayin’?”

Sky huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“I knew it, so you really weren’t listening! Geez. So, I was saying....”

It wasn’t like Jamil knew anything about Sky, anyway. The one who helped Sky countless times- unrewarded, at that- was Ruggie, so why wasn’t he receiving the same praises? Even though he, too, could cook, clean, accommodate his dorm leader’s needs?

“And like, since Crewel’s class is tomorrow....”

Would that Jamil guy even appreciate Sky as she is? Because let’s face it- she can be even more of a handful than Kalim. She’s a crybaby, cannot cook to save her life, doesn’t even know how to properly take care of herself....

“I tried asking Ace, but he told me....”

She goes into panic whenever something doesn’t go like she predicted, becomes embarrassed at the slightest physical contact....

“And it would be too awkward to ask for help, so....”

... Just like a cute, small animal. 

Yeah, that was it. She was cute, and ignited in Ruggie a desire to protect he didn’t even know he had. He, who was a partisan of fencing for yourself, felt the need to to protect her- and yet....

“So, I’m going to ask Viper-Senpai!”

“Hah?”

Ruggie’s trail of thoughts stopped as he heard Jamil’s name. Seriously, she was still going on about him?

“What do you mean, ‘hah?’? I told you, I need help for Crewel’s class tomorrow- and I’ve heard from Azul that Viper-Senpai is very good at potion making!”

“..... I can do it too, y’know” Ruggie mumbled, looking away.

“Eh?”

“.... ‘Said I can do it too. Whad’ya need help with?”

“Wait....” Sky cleared her throat, and looked at him with a deadpanned expression. “.... YOU’RE good at alchemy?”

“..... What’s that’s s’pposed to mean.” Ruggie sighed, ruffling his hair. “’Course I’m good at it, y’know. I take my studies s’riously, after all. ~ Need to find a good job after graduation ‘n’ all.”

Sky hummed a small ‘hmm’ and tilted her head, looking at him. While Ruggie definitely isn’t the shy type, her looking at him so intently did-

“Oi, Sky!!! You need help with Alchemy class?”

.... That voice was unmistakable. Ruggie sighed. Of course, Kalim had to show up at the worst possible time, and of course Jamil had to tread behind him.

“Wah- Kalim?????” A blush crept unto Sky’s face, but she quickly pulled herself together. “I mean- ahem- no, of course not. Alchemy classes are a piece of cake for me, you know-” That was when Sky noticed Jamil’s presence. “.... but, there is just this one thing I was wondering about....”

“Oh really??? Then Jamil can help you!! He’s so good at alchemy, you know!!!” Kalim grinned from ear to ear, oblivious to both Sky’s blush and Ruggie’s annoyed tapping on the table.

“Oi, Kalim- don’t suddenly-” Jamil shook his head. “Sure, I can help. What do you need help with?”

.... Ruggie thought that he knew what envy felt like. He lived his whole life feeling inferior to others, envying others’ shallow comfort, yet he had never felt this kind of jealousy before. Seeing Sky’s love-smitten face, and Jamil’s cool, indifferent attitude- it really pissed him off to no end.

“Oh, really? T-then, if that’s-”

“.... S’good, I’ll help” Ruggie’s voice came out harsher than he had expected it to- even he got surprised by how cold he sounded.

“Eh?” Sky and Kalim peered at him, surprised. Jamil too looked at him, but said nothing.

“’Said I’ll help Sky out. You guys are obviously busy ‘n’ all, so it’s fine, I’ll do it.”

“But-”

Before Sky could protest, Ruggie took hold of her wrist and lead her out of the room, leaving a puzzled Kalim behind.

“W-Wait, Ruggie, what are you doing???”

Ruggie had lead Sky to an empty classroom, and it was only when he closed the door that he realised how impulsive he had acted. Hell, that was so out of character for him- but in that moment, all he could think of was to get her out of here. He turned around to look at Sky, who was standing there in obvious confusion.

“What you’re lookin’ at me like that for? I saved you there, yknow?”

“Saved me? What do you mean?”

Ruggie stood there for a second. His brain completely blanked out. What did he even save her from?

“..... D’ya really think lil’ miss perfect would be strugglin’ with somethin’ as simple as first year alchemy? Is that really how ya want to appear to your senpai?”

That was obviously a lie. He himself didn’t sound convinced. But luckily for him, Sky was way too gullible to even doubt Ruggie’s motives. 

Her mouth opened up in an ‘O’ shape, and once the information reached her brain, she began panicking. As she flapped around helplessly, cursing herself for being so embarrassing, Ruggie smiled to himself. Just as his thoughts trailed off-

“So, when are we going to start?”

“Huh?”

She was standing right in front of him, peering straight into his eyes. Ruggie got surprised for a second before pulling himself together-

“Oi, ya really are impatient aren’t ya? Shouldn’t ya get your textbooks first? ~”

And as he watched Sky’s panicking face, all Ruggie could think about was that it was fine. It was fine that for now, she was admiring someone else- it was fine that for now, he was just that sneaky senpai who happened to share her secret.