#shslhypnotic

 And so, that dreadful morning approached: Valentine’s Day. It seemed all the worrying in the world couldn’t keep the clock from striking midnight on this day, and naturally, that in turn could not stop Lucius from having to clock in for his dreaded shift. But something odd was there to behold him when he first began such a terrible shift. One of the first customers through the door was a girl with teal hair and a painfully familiar beret. She approached the counter, unsure of her exact wording in this situation, and ready to take the lead after whoever was waiting on her.

Lucius sat at his usual table, watching as people walked through the door with a bored expression. His hands played idly with a ring intended to distract him enough away from panic. However, that small little ring wouldn't do nearly enough to calm his nerves now that he saw Shiori walk though the door.

As soon as she noticed her, his eyes went wide with shock. No. Nooooo, no, no, no, no, what the fuck was she doing here?! He lept out of his seat, swirling around the other tables and into the back room. Lucius didn't want to use his persona around her. Not to mention he had to amuse at the very least one other person on a day like today. The last thing he wanted was a friend to have to see this. He felt sick to his stomach.

(ricochetray)

 Shiori had never really been the adventurous type, but she figured if she was enrolled in Hope’s Peak, her environment was crucial to her life here and she might as well take advantage of it. With this resolve, she even dared to venture to the outer sides of the school, even to the classrooms no one used. Perhaps that would make for a nice study spot if her roommate were being too loud.

 But as it turned out this side of the school was not nearly as quiet and peaceful as she would have liked to believe. As soon as she entered an empty corridor, she noticed a presence here in the form of a voice shouting in a language unfamiliar to her. Curious, she walked on the points of her toes to the only room housing a resident, a resident she happened to know.

 To observe someone with a calm personality become so angry felt so invasive in more ways than one. If she could compare it to anything, it would likely be entering her parents bedroom during intercourse. And in he exact way she would feel like a deer in the headlights having been caught in that situation, so she felt like she had just stepped into a personal aspect of Takehiko’s life, one he would not like her to have seen. The grin and cheerful speech only further alienated her from the blond. She remained quiet for a moment.

"Takehiko-san…"

 Was all she could manage to expel. Honestly, what other words did she need to accompany that?

Takehiko knew that there was no possible way she could have understood all of that. Even if she knew basic Italian, the speed at which he spoke wasn't one to be reckoned with. That expression she was giving him said it all, however. She heard more than she probably should have, and that image of him must have been broken in an instant.

"... Ahaha, this happens a lot, please don't worry about it.~" 

He tried to reassure her of this with a simple smile.