Unwinding after classes or school activities usually meant that the green and red teams would hang out somewhere, either in red team's room or out in the courtyard. Most of the following shenanigans were practical jokes played on each other and occasional daring missions that stemmed from gossip. The current one was that somewhere in the library existed a secret room, and all one needed to do was pull the proper book from the shelf to access it.

Amanda and Akko were chasing each other around the library, competing to see who could pull books out the fastest. Lotte had been clumsily following and replacing the books whenever possible. Meanwhile Constanze had pulled out blueprints of the library's layouts and began marking down possible places where a room could, in fact, be hidden, whilst Sucy looked over her shoulder and tapped out suggestions every time Constanze got stuck. Jasmika was the only one not helping at all, but only because she was too busy munching quietly on a bag of chips. Eventually Constanze and Sucy would have a breakthrough or Akko and Amanda would give up, and from the looks of it, Akko and Amanda were giving up far too early.

Akko was the first to plop down, sitting in one of the many cushioned lounging chairs by the fireplace, sinking herself slowly as if she might melt away into the ground. Amanda only leaned against the chair, glancing over to Sucy and Constanze. "You two find anything yet?" She received only a head shake and now Amanda was the one slumping away into nothing.

"All that running around must have you thirsty," Lotte said, trying to be helpful as she sat down across from Akko and Amanda. "Would you two like some tea?"

Amanda's face lit up, instantly enthused by the thought of something other than sitting and waiting. "Jasna makes the best tea!" She hopped up off the chair and moved over to Jasminka. "Hey, Jasna, can you make us some tea?"

Jasminka nodded and pushed in her chair, and Lotte tagged along with her. "I have a set big enough for all six of us," she assured, and the two of them walked away.

With Constanze and Sucy off on a hunt for the mysterious hidden room, and Jasminka and Lotte gone, Amanda had no other option but to bug Akko. "Whatcha thinking about?" she asked, as she approached, hands behind her head. "You've got the million mile stare going for ya."

Akko hadn't really realized she'd slipped out of the moment until Amanda brought her back into it. Things were moving so quickly before when they were tearing apart the library, but now everything was still, slow motion even, and Akko had tossed her head back to stare at the ceiling without much thought on the matter. "Nothing, I'm just relaxing I guess."

"Relaxing?" Amanda smiled, leaning over Akko a little. "Akko, you've been doing a lot of relaxing these days. What's on your mind? It's like- ever since you snuck into Hanbridge Manor for that dumb party you haven't had your head on straight."

'Maybe that's because I'm not straight,' Akko thought, but didn't want that to be her big coming out moment. No, it needed to be far more grand than a comeback. It's funny that Amanda would even mention the event at all seeing as how she had little to no interest when it came to school social functions, let alone ones outside school, at least not outside of club settings. "I dunno. A lot's happened over the course of the semester," Akko wasn't technically lying, but she was omitting one important detail...

"Is this about Diana?"

Yeah... That...

"N-no! What?" Akko sat up almost immediately, whipping around to face Amanda. "Why would it be about Diana?"

"'Cuz you've been doing nothing but gawking at her for the past few days and it's kinda weirding me out," Amanda shrugged. "I mean- I guess she's got her charms but you said she's a pain in the ass."

'No, you did,' Akko wanted to correct Amanda but refrained. "She's gorgeous, and obnoxiously perfect, and such a stickler for rules. There's no way I'd like someone as stuck up and feign as her." Akko waved her hand dismissively.

Amanda chuckled at Akko's insistence, though she wasn't buying it for a minute. "Alright, alright, quit your yapping. I get it. Diana's a stubborn princess."

"Thank you," Akko said, although it stung a little to agree. "I'm glad we're seeing eye to eye."

"So it would seem," Amanda mused, and slipped away from Akko to clear space on the small coffee table in front of her as Jasminka and Lotte came back with tea and snacks. Leave it to Jasminka to bring food when it wasn't required of her. "Constanze, Sucy. Tea's served," Amanda called over to the two who were sitting at a desk, far from the fireplace.

Sucy moved to push in her chair, turning to look at Constanze who motioned for the other girl to continue on without her. She didn't have to say anything for Sucy to understand the simple gesture of "I'll be done in a minute." Constanze really could be a workaholic when she wanted something. Sucy merely shrugged and moved to sit down next to Lotte and across from Akko. Jasminka took the fourth chair and Amanda sat on the arm rest of Akko's since Akko wasn't taking up much room to begin with.

As everyone settled into their tea, and cozy chairs, Akko decided it was now or never. And as nervous as she was, she should at least trust them enough to tell her friends what she still was having trouble being honest with herself about. "Girls," Akko started, clearing her throat. "I need to come clean about something."

Akko glanced over at Constanze who looked up to the crowd the moment Akko had broken the silence and raised a brow, as if to ask if she was supposed to be included in this conversation as well. It only took a nod from Sucy and a gesture from Akko and Amanda for Constanze to roll up her schematics and tuck them away before moving to the space behind Akko's chair, listening intently.

"So what did you do this time?" Sucy asked, a small smirk on her face. "Did you drink another one of my potions by accident?"

"Are you running from the law because you killed the president of the Anti-Chariot club?" Amanda chimed in, sipping her tea.

"Did you find your long lost lover who travelled across the world in search of you, and now the two of you are going to elope?" Lotte threw in, eyes sparkling in the fire's radiant glow.

"No, no, no, none of those things," Akko shook her head. "I didn't do anything. At least, I don't think I have."

This would honestly be easier if everyone could read minds, but Akko felt grateful that they couldn't see all the embarrassing thoughts she'd been having about Diana over the course of the past few weeks. "I just need to clear the air about something..."

"Akko, you can tell us anything," Lotte said, a concerned frown finding its way to her lips. "There's no need to beat around the bush."

"Yeah, Akko, we're your friends." Amanda ruffled Akko's head. "We're here for you no matter what, man." Constanze threw in a thumbs up from her end and Sucy smiled along side Lotte. Jasminka offered a chip and Akko took it gratefully.

All eyes were on her as she took in a sharp breathe, this time filled with determination. "I'm bisexual," she said, in quick exhale. "I like boys. But I like girls too. In fact, I like girls a heck of a lot more than boys some times..."

The silence that grew between them was almost unsettling til Amanda broke it with a laughter she simply couldn't contain anymore. "Akko, we know."

"You know?" Akko looked surprised. "You all knew I liked girls and no one said anything?"

"What's there to say? There's nothing wrong with it," Sucy shrugged. "Some of us might even agree with you on that stance..." She glanced to Constanze who, in turn looked to Amanda.

"Yeah," Amanda said, grinning proudly, as if she'd been given a badge of honor. "Girls are a work of art."

"Either way," Lotte interrupted Amanda's gloating mood to bring the topic back to Akko. "We still love and support you."

Akko smiled, the kind of relieved smile you see in hospital rooms in coma wards and church halls on wedding nights, the kind that comes when the weight of the world rolls off your shoulders as if it never existed in the first place. Akko felt tears swelling up in her eyes and she wiped them away without a second thought. "You guys are the best."

Diana had fled the room after Hannah and Barbara had started their usual nightly chatters. She'd tuned out after hearing their back and forth on Amanda, and practically stormed out of the room when they brought up Akko. "I'll be in the library," Diana cut into the conversation without giving either of them much room to respond. Although she usually could handle herself in her own section of the room, it was just far too much to ignore, especially while she was working on preparations for the festival and trying to stay on top of her emotions.

She'd had a bit of time between where she was and where she wanted to be to collect her thoughts. Everything had been happening so quickly. The mirror that showed her inner desires, she was glad she could play it off. But Akko... becoming her doppelgänger? What was that about? She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know.

The festival just around the corner, and that being said most everyone was working hard on keeping the place in top condition for the new arrivals. The library was practically empty because of this as well, and that was something Diana was enjoying. She didn't want to have to answer to anyone else while dealing with her own problems.

She was on the second floor, skimming idly through books when she heard a fit of laughter downstairs. She had been partially startled by the outburst of noise in such a normally quiet place and decided to investigate. There was really no need for anyone to be in the library at this point, so she prepared herself in case the group needed a proper scolding.

From the top of the stairs she could see Akko and company, goofing off in their usual manner. Diana was halfway down the staircase when she made eye contact with Amanda who had slipped into Akko's lap in that precise moment. The action was like striking down a rod of flint because Diana felt something burning inside of her as she watched Akko become absolutely flustered by Amanda's presence, but she couldn't quite place her finger on the word for the feeling. She'd stopped halfway down the stairs without meaning to, unable to take her eyes off of the scene unfolding.

Skin on skin contact was not something Akko was used to, especially not bare legs brushing against her own. Amanda had slid into her lap so effortlessly there was no way to mistake the action as anything but purposeful. "In honor of you coming out, you get the honor of having the hottest girl in all of Luna Nova in your lap," Amanda teased. Yep. Definitely on purpose.

Akko felt her face turn bright red as Amanda put an arm around her. "Amanda! What are you-" her eyes met Diana's and everything seemed to freeze up. It was as if the world stopped on the two of them and there was nothing else in existence... and then Diana began to descend the staircase without a word, quick to turn on her heel and rush out. Akko slid Amanda out of her lap quickly. "I-I'll be right back," she said not really giving anyone else much of a say in the matter before she was chasing Diana down an endless rabbit hole.

Amanda stood up and slid into Akko's chair, a soft smirk on her face. "Love is in the air, Girls~" she sang. She knew exactly what she was doing when she slid into Akko's lap, and as she'd anticipated, Diana was in fact jealous. Akko would just have to thank her later. Or curse her. Amanda would probably accept either.