Chihiro had always been an early riser, so he wasn't surprised that so many of the others were still asleep when he woke up. He got up, and walked over to the TV stand, where he saw a hastily-written note.

Hey guys, hope you liked the sleep-over! Sakura and I have to head out for our morning training (can't miss that), so yeah! You can hang out or leave basically whenever you feel. We should do this more often, guys! - Asahina

Chihiro put down the note, and looked to check on who else had left. Kirigiri was absent, but Maizono was still asleep, as was Touko, Junko, and Mukuro. Celestia was also still asleep, her makeup and hair still somehow perfect after the night's sleep, when even Junko's fashion had gotten disheveled. Chiriro wasn't really surprised by who remained; they all seemed like people who liked sleeping in.

Chihiro figured that being the only person around when any of them woke up was bound to be a recipe for his social ineptitude to rear its ugly head, so he quietly gathered his things, and went back to his room.

He'd barely even turned on his computer when the cheerful voice greeted him once again. "So Master, how was the sleepover? Were you overwhelmed by all the cute girls?"

Chihiro sighed. "I just got up, Alter Ego. How are you this chipper so early in the morning?"

"I think you know the answer to that already. I'm an AI, the time of day doesn't really bother me."
"Yeah, I did know the answer to that already. I guess I'm still tired. I'm not used to staying up that late, and my early-rising habits seem to die hard."

"It seems like it's more than just that though. You're frazzled. I know what you're like when you're tired, and it's more than that."

Chihiro sighed. "You know me too well."

"Well, you designed me to!" Alter Ego flashed a V sign with his fingers.

"Alright, since you want to know so badly…" Chihiro fidgeted with his skirt. "Celestia kissed me last night."

Alter Ego's jaw dropped, and confetti rained down on the screen. "Master, this is great news! Did you confess to her?"

Chihiro tapped his chin. "No, it's not like that… We were all playing truth or dare, and she got dared to kiss me…"

"Oh." Alter Ego paused, oddly silent. "Well, I'm not sure what to do with that information. Did she seem to mind having to kiss you?"

"I don't think so? Aaah, it was so awkward!" Chihiro shook his head from side to side.

"Did the two of you communicate at all after that? Or did you just let the awkwardness hang between you, preventing even meaningful eye contact from occurring?"

Chihiro sighed. "For someone who claims not to know much about relationships, you're being creepily accurate right now Alter Ego."

"Ah, that's neither here nor there. The fact is, I'm only guessing based off of what I know about you. I can't really account for anyone else's actions. I don't have enough data points to draw conclusions for them."

"Well, I can't just leave it forever. I feel like I'm going to just explode, and if I don't clear up this awkwardness between me and Celestia, there's going to be big trouble."

"Well, I've heard that sometimes people go to their class rep when they're having this kind of interpersonal trouble? Maybe that's a good course of action."

Chihiro shook his head. "No, that won't work this time. Ishimaru's great and all, but I don't think he's any more well equipped than either of us."

"Hmm. Well, why not a different year's class rep? Maybe one of them will be able to help!"

Chihiro snapped his fingers. "That's it! I'll go to Chiaki from the 77th class! Everyone always talks about how good she is with people!"

"Well, don't let me stop you. Get going!" Alter Ego made a shooing motion with his hands.

Chihiro did take a moment to freshen up. Falling asleep leaning on a couch in Asahina's dorm and waking up before most of the others wasn't really the sort of image he liked to project. Even if he was hiding his true self, he liked to believe he had standards.

By the time he got to Chiaki's dorm room, he realized he needn't have rushed himself. A few gentle knocks, and ringings of her intercom led Chihiro to the conclusion he should have drawn before he left his own dorm: Chiaki's still asleep.

Disappointed, but not really surprised, he turned away from the door, and texted Chiaki that when she wakes up, he'd like to chat with her. He had barely made it a few steps away from Chiaki's door, when he heard it swing open. Chihiro turned around to see Chiaki's head sticking out of the doorframe, mostly obscured by the hood of an over-sized hoodie.

"Chihiro, sorry about that." Chiaki says quietly, a gentle smile on her face. "I was just in the middle of a game, so I didn't notice the knocking… or the intercom… and I only barely noticed my phone go off…" she yawns. "Sorry, didn't get much sleep last night."

"Oh, that's okay. I can come back later, if you want-" Chihiro started, but was cut off.

"Oh, don't worry about that. If there's anything I can help you with, please let me!" She clenches her fists with excitement. "As class rep, it's my duty to help out all my friends in my class." She pauses for a moment. "And as a senpai, I should help out the classes underneath as well… I think."

"Well, thanks Chiaki."

"It's not a problem. Why don't you come in, I'll make us some tea." And just like that, she disappeared back into her room. Chihiro followed after her.

Chihiro entered Chiaki's room to see her turning on the kettle, standing in the kitchen. Chiaki, wearing that oversized hoodie, fuzzy flannel bottoms, and slippers was, for all intents and purposes, still in her pajamas. In her room, there were several screens on the wall, on the floor a tangle of dozens of gaming consoles, the couch almost a fortress of blankets and pillows.

"Sorry it's so messy. I wasn't really expecting company, I hope it's not a problem."

"Oh, don't worry Chiaki. It's… cozy." Chihiro replied. If he was being honest with himself, his room was only barely better.

"So, what's bothering you, Chihiro? What's on your mind?" Chiaki said, pouring the water into two cups, tea bags steeping.

"Ah… I don't really know where to start, Chiaki." Chihiro said, fidgeting with his skirt.

"Well, why don't we do something else until you do?" Chiaki offered.

"What do you mean?"

Chiaki looked at her feet. "Well… I mean a racing spin-off of Trio the Punch recently came out and I haven't had a chance to try out the multiplayer yet. Why not unwind for a bit before getting all bogged down in whatever's troubling you?"

Chihiro couldn't help but smile. "Sure, Chiaki. It's been a while since we've played a game together." They had collaborated on a few projects in their time at Hope's Peak, and had grown close. And so, they made their way to the couch, enveloped themselves in blankets, and lost themselves for some time in colourful world of "Trio the Punch Racing", their teas left to steep on the counter.

The two of them quickly lost track of time, just enjoying themselves as they played the game. Of course, Chihiro didn't really stand a chance at all against the Ultimate Gamer, but that wasn't really what this session was about. Besides, he still managed to crush the NPCs. He didn't come to be the Ultimate Programmer without spending a lot of (too much) time playing video games. But perhaps the biggest blessing for Chihiro was the fact that, for the first time in a few days, his mind was really clear, none of the many worries which so often plagued him were present.

Eventually however, they had to take a break from the brilliant colours and blaring soundtrack of the game. "I'm sure you can keep going, but my thumbs are killing me. I don't know how you do this all day." Chihiro said, trying to shake out some of the tension from his hands.

"Oh, it just comes from practice… and neglecting other duties…" Chiaki said, putting down her controller. "So, what were you worried about?"

Chihiro tensed up. "Well, I guess there's no getting around it now, eh?"

Chiaki shrugged. "You don't have to say anything you're not ready to. It probably wouldn't even help much if you're not ready to say anything."

"No, it's okay. If I don't tell anyone, it won't help me at all." Chihiro took a deep breath. "I have a crush on someone, and I don't know whether they like me back."

Chiaki hummed while she thought for a moment. "Well, why don't you just tell them?"

Chihiro sank back into the chair. "That's what I was afraid you were going to say."

Chiaki shrugged. "It's the simplest thing to do… I think."

"You know, it doesn't really help your credibility when you say something like that after giving advice." Chihiro said.

"I've heard that one before." Chiaki smiled. "But I'm pretty sure of what I'm talking about. You're better off telling them about your feelings sooner rather than later." Chiaki got a funny look in her eyes. "Last year, I almost took too long to tell someone how I felt about them, and… things could have been bad if I hadn't." She cleared her throat. "Well, that aside, I also think it's better for you to get it over with quickly. Just go get an answer for sure on whether or not they like you back. It's usually better to know something than to not know something… I guess."

Chihiro took a moment before responding. "Thanks, Chiaki. It means a lot that you'd tell me something so personal. This has really helped. I think I know what I have to do now."

"Don't worry about it, Chihiro. Anything to help out a friend." Then she yawned. "Ah, but I'm pretty tired now. I think I'll have to have a nap. We should hang out more often though, you know?"

Chihiro laughed. "Yeah, we should Chiaki." He waved goodbye, and headed back to his dorm. As he closed Chiaki's door behind him, he could swear he already heard her snores.

Back in the safety of his room, Chihiro got out his phone and typed out a message.

Chihiro: Hey Celestia, are you free sometime today? I have something I want to talk to you about.

Before long, the reply arrived.

Celestia: I should be free after dinner. Shall we meet in my dorm?

Chihiro: That works for me.

Celestia: I look forward to it.