#amai

The first month of senior year proved to be quite a rollercoaster of emotions for Ayano. Every up was nothing short of pure ecstasy and every down was akin to a devastating crash, highlighted by the looming threat of returning to a dull life, nothing more than a chore, forced to observe the sublime from the sidelines. But by the end of the month, Ayano had her mind set on the light at the end of the tunnel; you.

Poor, blissfully oblivious you. Your debut in Ayano's life was in the form of a rival. A threat to her eternal happiness. Just as Taro had helped her up from the ground, you approached him with a spring in your step, offering to lend him your textbooks. A kind gesture. From one friend to another.

Naturally, Ayano's gaze, obscured by pulsating hearts and clouded by a veil of pink fog, pictured Xs over your eyes and a noose around your neck. She couldn't possibly let you anywhere near the balancing force of her life, the only person who made the rest of the world tangible to her.

As though a thousand volts of electricity had flooded the hollow circuits of her body, Ayano was stirred by a sudden wave of energy. The only thing standing between her and her ultimate conquest (read: a nerdy guy with a bowl cut) was you. And being ever so faithful to her mother's guidance, Ayano knew better than to strike an opponent she had no information on.

Thus, the stalking sessions began. Ayano practically turned you inside out. Keeping a watchful eye on your social media accounts, gaining access to your school reports, digging up your address and snapping several photos of your house from all angles, memorizing your routine... To the uninitiated, it seemed as though you were Ayano's muse from the very beginning.

It was a sudden transition. Perhaps it was the blush on your cheeks and the tip of your nose. Perhaps it was that discreet photo of you in the shower. Perhaps it was the way you wrote the name Aishi on the seating plan, as though it was already attached to yours. But regardless of what the tipping point was, the spotlight was shifted onto you.

All thoughts of Taro vanished from Ayano's troubled mind. His striped boxers and half-eaten apple were tossed out in favour of your silver hair clips and overworn athletic socks. The shrine erected in the corner of her room was now dedicated to its true goddess.

Stalking sessions to and from school were no longer fuelled with bitterness. Instead, the same blinding pink outlined your frame whenever you were near, accompanied by Ayano's original composition, a ballad meant for your ears only; her accelerating heartbeat.

Having a faint memory of Taro's cowardly tendencies and little interest in anyone past the pages of his book, Ayano didn't consider him a threat. Plus, you seemed to gravitate towards girls anyway. The path was open for her to simply waltz up to you and claim you for herself.

But in no generation have things ever been easy for an Aishi and Ayano was no exception. For between you and her stood a myriad of suitors, all just as determined to court you.

Osana Najimi

Being a childhood friend of Taro's meant sharing another friend in common. And quite a friend at that. The flurry of ginger hair and polka dots posed in front of you with her hands on her hips, bossing you around and constantly assuring you that she doesn't like you or anything! It made Ayano's blood boil, her prying eyes immediately zeroing in on Osana's obvious crush on you, though you didn't seem to mind. In fact, you had gotten used to her antics a long time ago, choosing to play along with her seemingly innocent schemes and remaining blissfully unaware of her innermost feelings towards you. The rage Ayano felt was familiar. She could hardly believed it used to be directed at you for a while. But now her newborn flames of unadulterated anger had found a suitable target. At first, Ayano tried to play nice. She really did. She methodically sabotaged all of Osana's attempts to impress you. From poisoning the bento she prepared for you to breaking your favourite butterfly-shaped claw clip, it was one humiliating defeat after another. But you were too damn kind, too caring and forgiving. Though a bit disappointed with how things turned out, you always huffed a laugh and placed a comforting hand on Osana's back, absorbing a bit of the weight on her shoulders. It was just Ayano's luck that your most charming traits were also the biggest obstacles on her path. Your starry eyes and sweet smile were a double-edged sword, luring her and many others in. Speaking of sharp objects... Osana was planning on confessing to you underneath the cherry tree at the end of the week and knowing you, you were most likely going to reciprocate right away. Ayano anxiously nibbled at her nails as the deadline inched closer and closer. If only, if only... Thursday, cleaning time. Ayano was planning on doing some cleaning of her own, alright. She crawled behind the bushes, knife tucked in the pocket of her cardigan, as Osana towed a trash bag towards the incinerator. With all the extravagant presence of a shadow, Ayano slapped a gloved hand over her rival's mouth before unsheathing her blade. Osana never returned home that evening. Her name and face were uploaded to every blog and glued to every wall. The authorities showed up to investigate the very next day. They searched every nook and cranny of the school, questioned every student, yet nothing turned up. The school atmosphere darkened significantly. The courtyard became unnaturally quiet. Students spoke in hushed voices of a potential kidnapping or murder. Others shrugged it off as just another teenage runaway. The truth is that Ayano made sure there were zero witnesses and that Osana's body would never be found, causing all leads to hit a dead end. No crime, no culprit. And as much as it saddened her to see you with your head hung low and bubbly tears in the corners of your eyes, she knew it just had to be done. Her limited sense of empathy was nothing compared to the colossal amount of love she had for you anyway.

Amai Odayaka

Seeing you all melancholic on a desolate bench was Ayano's god-sent sign to act. She would walk up to you and provide a shoulder to cry on, an anchor to latch onto. But just as she was about to take a step forward, the scent of freshly baked muffins wafted around her. To her dismay, the leader of the Cooking club had throned herself right next to you, offering a pumpkin muffin as consolation. Amai was naturally drawn towards the visibly dejected ones, opting to comfort them with the allure of baked goods. And needless to say, the muffin worked its magic. Soon enough, you adopted a habit of loitering around the Odayaka Bakery, chatting with Amai at any given moment. You also began helping around the Cooking club, graciously offering to taste-test Amai's latest inventions and holding her hair up while she rolled the dough. Behind the club's closed doors, she opened up to you about her troubles with bullies and you confided in her about the grief that came with your friend's disappearance. Ayano was no fool. She had noticed the bags of heart-shaped candy in the bottom left drawer and the hours of practice Amai put into writing your name with buttercream. That sugar-powdered witch was planning something and in no universe would an Aishi lose to a Valentine's Day cupcake. The tension from Osana's disappearance still lingered so, Ayano decided to keep her homicidal tendencies at bay. If she were to force Amai out of the picture, she'd have to slip backstage and pull some strings of her own. And what better way than to double down on all the bullying? After many gruelling hours in front of her computer, Ayano had amassed a collection of mortifying photos of Amai, most of whom were edited meticulously. It only took a few clicks for them to spread like wildfire. Nasty rumours sprouted like weeds and gossiping was tuned to the max. It took less than a month for the chaos to finally get to the ever so serene Amai. In a moment of weakness, she broke down during the school's weekly bake sale, clawing at her pastel apron and sobbing in her hands. Upon returning home, her first instinct was to beg her parents to let her switch schools. Tragic as it might seem, the combined support of you and her fellow club members wasn't enough to override the sheer force of all the torment she had to endure or change her mind on the matter. Of course, you didn't stop visiting her family's bakery after school and Amai was always just as happy to see you. But her hellish time at Akademi had violently crushed any chances of her pursuing you romantically, effectively locking her in a state of constant pining from afar. Ayano took a few notes and busied herself with baking during her free time. She wanted to be a competent partner for you after all.

Kizana Sunobu

Ayano knew quite well that you were a fan of theatre, having compiled a list of all your favourite plays and whatnot. She was planning on donning the disguise of the Phantom of the Opera, to lure her very own Christine into her clutches. But of course, she was beaten to it by none other than Akademi's resident diva. A honeyed voice with just the right amount of vibrato drew your attention, one giving life to the lyrics of "Think Of Me". Lured in by the siren's call, you peeked through the thinly parted doors to see Kizana rehearsing, wrapped melodramatically in a velvet curtain with roses woven in her braided hair. The leading lady was initially taken aback by your meek presence, opting to scoff and complain about the lack of privacy in this school. But as soon as you started showering her with compliments, her whole demeanour changed. With all the undeserved confidence of a self-proclaimed royal, Kizana roped you into helping her rehearse her lines, peppering in just the right amount of pet names to dust your cheeks pink. Ayano was hoping she wouldn't have to deal with any more overzealous girls with hideous hairstyles but alas, narrative irony is a cruel mistress. She watched from her usual hiding spots as one rehearsal multiplied into many. The aspiring actress grew a little too fond of you, willing to step down from her podium and take on the role of Romeo, as long as you became her Juliet. If Ayano hadn't been having similar fantasies about you, she'd be puking from the cheesiness of it all. It didn't take a genius to figure out Kizana's plan. She'd discreetly integrate you in the play's production, have one of her actors conveniently bail on her at the last moment and then have you replace them, only to kiss you in front of the whole school in the final scene. Or at least that's what Ayano's delusions told her. Unfortunately for demoiselle Sunobu, Ayano already had her all figured out. It was obvious how much her pride and reputation meant to her. Too bad she had been wearing her heart on her sleeve this entire time. The fateful day of the play was upon them. The gym was packed with students. Amidst the general disarray, Ayano fused with the shadows once more and snuck backstage. It didn't take long to spot Kizana's cup of iced tea, placed next to a bouquet of roses intended for you, and slip a generous dose of emetic syrup inside. Surely enough, the girl that was supposed to play Meg was nowhere to be seen. Instead, you were the one clad in her sparkly tutu and white pointe shoes. So at least Ayano's delusions were right about one thing. Act one proceeded as planned and was met with thunderous applause. But by the time the first scene of act two rolled along, Kizana's voice was croaking unnaturally in tandem with the rumblings of her stomach. Soon enough, she was doubled over in pain, throwing up relentlessly in front of her shocked audience. Ayano cared little for when she ran off stage wailing, never to show her face in public ever again. You were better suited to the role of Christine anyway.

Oka Ruto

The past few weeks have been more taxing on you that you'd care to admit and some unwinding could do wonders for you. You found yourself in the library, flipping through the pages of some book on spiritualism. Absentmindedly, you took a few backwards, bumping into the leader of the Occult club and scattering her notes all over the floor. You frantically apologized and helped her gather them up. While you were at it, Oka took notice of the book under your armpit and a speck of hope flickered to life inside her chest. In hushed voices, the two of you sparked up a conversation about all things spiritual, with the most paranormal force of them all, Ayano, watching from between the bookshelves. When you confessed to feeling burnt out, Oka nodded, pleasantly surprised to having found someone who felt the same. She was quick yet extremely sheepish to offer you a spot in that day's remedial ritual of her club. And to Ayano's irritation, you gleefully accepted. Any inhibitions you might have possessed about the Occult club members possibly sacrificing you to a demon all but vanished when you discovered it was just group therapy with some extra steps. By the time the last bell rung, the lot of you were making casual conversation, with Oka in particular info-dumping on you about vulture culture. With your therapy sessions multiplying over time, it didn't take long for a different variation of the legend of the cherry tree to rear its head. Oka began constructing an elaborate plan to woo you, involving a handful of pentagrams and candles. Ayano felt as though she was watching a hamster stuck in a treadmill. She already knew. She had attempted those rituals herself. By that point, Ayano had grown used to pulling underhanded tactics to eliminate her rivals and was more than willing to pull the rug from under the whole Occult Club's feet. During class time, Ayano took the opportunity to slip inside their designated room and set the stage. A puddle of fake blood, a handful of sharp objects and a little something hinting at Osana's disappearance (just to throw any suspicious cops off her trail) completed the scene. A few hours later, a student council member discovered the horrors inside while on patrol and was quick to inform the faculty. The Occult Club was already on thin ice, considering all the satanic themes gave the school a bad name so, this little incident served as the necessary catalyst to finally disband the club. Oka was beyond wrecked by this and coped with it the only way she knew how to. By closing in on herself and shutting everyone else out, including you. Why bother with all that nonsense when you already had a demon in your life?

Osoro Shidesu

If there was one thing Ayano knew about you- which is redundant considering all the information she had on you- it's that your kindness could be the death of you. Your directionless moral compass indicated no issue in helping out just about everyone. From the ungrateful bullies who'd gossip about you in the bathrooms soon after (worry not, Ayano will take care of them as well) to the very leader of the delinquents herself. Osoro had taken it upon herself to face off the members of the Sports club in a cinematic one-to-five. And though she emerged victorious amidst the athletes- battered and bruised, swearing up and down that they'd keep their mouths shut about the whole thing- she had taken quite the beating. A bleeding nose, bruised knuckles and several open wounds served as undeniable proof of that. Despite pressure from her fellow delinquents, Osoro knew she couldn't go to the nurse's office. The faculty would demand a proper explanation as to how those injuries came to be and Osoro didn't want to risk landing herself in trouble so early into the year. And that's where you came in. Ayano watched from behind a tree as you put your limited knowledge of first aid to use. You gingerly wrapped Osoro's hands with bandages, rubbed some cream on her blossoming bruises and gently pressed a towel against the blood oozing from her nostrils. When she jokingly asked you to kiss one of her booboos, you curtly obliged and pressed your lips against her shoulder. It took all of Ayano's self-control not to tear Osoro apart with her bare hands right then and there. And things only got worse after that. Osoro carrying your bags and accompanying you around school became a common sight. That was supposed to be Ayano's job, even if you didn't know it! The two of you huddled in the library on rainy days under the guise of tutoring. When nobody was looking, Osoro would wrap an arm around your waist. Absolutely horrendous. Ayano knew she couldn't possibly take on Osoro in a fight, no matter how many hours of practice she put it in the Martial Arts club. But the Aishi family has always favoured brains over brawn, and who was Ayano to sway away from the tradition? Rumour had it that the delinquents were solid proof of the faculty's futile attempts at reforming troubled students. No amount of coaxing or scolding could get those boys and their stubborn leader to behave. So, why not rub some salt in the wound? Through a series of calculated risks, Ayano landed herself in the guidance counsellor's office, faced with the deadpan Genka Kunahito. Whether it be walking around with a knife or attempting to steal an answer sheet, Ayano pinned the blame on those hoodlums and their menacing leader. Push came to shove when a few splatters of red paint were mistaken for blood, prompting Ayano to hit the final nail in Osoro's coffin by blaming her assumed injuries on her. Kunahito finally caved in and decided to expel all six delinquents once and for all. Word spread quickly. Most were relieved, some were even celebrating. But you were inconsolable. Ayano watched from afar as you and Osoro shared one last hug at the school gates. You sobbed in her arms as she assured you that she wasn't fit for Akademi anyway and that she'd keep in touch with you. Ayano decided to let you have that one. After all, Osoro was nowhere near as committed to you. If she truly were destined with you, Ayano wouldn't be there, would she?