WTF HAPPENED TO WEEKLY UPDATES, JEN?!
I'm so sorry! QAQ This took forever, and honestly it was because school has just been stressful (exams and all) and when that was over with, it took me SO LONG to get back into writing this! Basically, I got Writer's Block. FORGIVE ME OTL
I'm actually hesitant about uploading this because not all the characters have been introduced. But I though that 4,900 words was enough and you guys deserved a chapter as soon as possible. Although it's not an eventful chapter... I'M SORRY, I'LL TRY TO UPLOAD THE NEXT ONE THIS WEEK OTL
But for now... please settle with this w
I hope you enjoy~!
Group chat: Akademi High Club Presidents
Megamo Saikou:
ANNOUNCEMENT: After lunch period is over, there will be an emergency assembly to discuss the recent incidences that have occurred. Please be noted that after the assembly, the school will immediately be closed off for a meeting between the student council and the faculty, so kindly cancel all club activities for today and inform all club members of this. Thank you for your cooperation.
Budo Masuta:
That's gonna be tough!
I promised my new recruits that I'd give them some special training today!
Megamo Saikou:
There are no exceptions, cancel your plans and be sure to vacate the school immediately after the assembly.
Kizano Sunobu:
Sounds like a pain, can we just not show up to it? ಠ_ಠ
I mean, I don't know about you mister student council president, but we have better things to do with our time.
I don't want to waste it in an overcrowded auditorium, dying of boredom. (¬、¬)
Miyuji Shan:
I mean Sunobu probably could've phrased that better (* ̄∀ ̄) but he has a point there's a festival coming up my club needs to practice as much as we can! (⊙﹏⊙✿)
Kaga Kusha:
My team and I are in the verge of a scientific breakthrough that could very well change everything we know about artificial intelligence. Surely whatever topic to be discussed later does not reach this level of importance?
Budo Masuta:
Is attendance required?!
Megamo Saikou:
Yes.
Furredo Jonzu:
… Is anyone important gonna be there?
What do you mean 'recent incidences'…?
Megamo Saikou:
Only the Headmaster and the Guidance Counselor.
The death of Musume Ronshaku earlier this week and also the disappearance of Mino Buri a few weeks ago.
Aso Rito:
… Well I get that the school is concerned about all this but this has been going on for almost 1 year now :/
why the sudden concern? And what's there to talk about?
Info-kun:
Maybe they finally have a suspect?
…
Amao almost dropped his phone upon seeing the new message. He was very understanding and didn't really mind that club activities had to be cancelled for the day, so he settled with silently watching the conversation in the group chat.
He did not expect for the infamous Info-kun to suddenly say something. He never says anything.
His ominous message didn't help either.
…
Megamo Saikou:
And what is that supposed to mean? INFO-KUN?
Info-kun:
Nothing.
Just speculation.
Megamo Saikou:
And since when were you the type to share your thoughts?
Info-kun:
Since now
Furredo Jonzu:
… What do you mean by 'suspect'?
Megamo Saikou:
Don't humor him, he'll just play with your mind.
Info-kun:
Exactly what it means.
And how it pains me to hear your words, Mr. President. Do you think that lowly of me?
Megamo Saikou:
That's the only way to think of someone who blackmails girls and sells panty shots to boys.
Info-kun:
Oh? Do you have proof?
Megamo Saikou:
…
Info-kun:
That's what I thought.
Anyway, don't think too much about what I just said.
I just thought it would be nice to be more participative every once in a while.
In any case, you should be thanking me, Mr. President.
With this, I've piqued the club leaders' interests and they'll surely attend now.
Megamo Saikou:
I would've preferred it if you hadn't said anything and refrained from spreading unnecessary rumors.
Info-kun:
I only voiced my opinion.
It's entirely the choice of everyone here whether or not they'll decide to share this thought to other students. And something like that is completely out of my control.
And even if they did tell other students, what's the harm in that? People talk, nothing to worry about.
Furredo Jonzu:
I think being suspicious is just a part of the president's personality… Info-kun…
And it doesn't help that you're talking like you know something…
Info-kun:
Furredo Jonzu, I heard you and your club has been keeping an eye out for any suspicious activities around school lately. Turning over a new leaf and trying to do something more productive with your time now, I see?
It looks like this year is filled with people trying to change themselves 'for the better'.
Kaga Kusha:
And what, pray tell, is THAT supposed to mean?
Info-kun:
I was inspired to be more sociable by a friend of mine.
It's nothing you need to concern yourself over.
In any case, I look forward to the assembly later on, hopefully we'll get to learn something interesting.
I'll be sure to attend.
…
A few moments have passed before Amao checked the options in their group chat and realized that Info-kun has signed off. It made him feel strangely relieved. That guy somehow managed to make him tense without even being there.
Well, he supposed that should go without saying. Info-kun is infamous around the school as someone you do not want to mess with. Not that anyone was stupid enough to do that, of course.
Nobody knew who he was, just that he was a student and that you contact him whenever you need something, be it goods or services. Of course, you only approach him if you're desperate, since he's known for using… distasteful methods.
To think someone like that was going to their school, and moreover, he'll be attending the assembly! From what the President said, they're required to sit at the front. So maybe they'll finally get to figure out who he really was?
Amao snorted at that thought. There was no way, the President would have him expelled on the spot, evidence or nah. And Info-kun is smarter than that. He'll either not show up at all or sit wherever he pleases without a care for the rules. It's not like it's ever stopped him before.
…
Miyuji Shan:
(●_●)
Hey you think he knows something? (꒪ȏ꒪;)
Furredo Jonzu:
… This is THE Info-kun we're talking about. He MUST know SOMETHING…
Gema Taku:
Hes probly planing sumthin
Guy lik thats alwys doin sumthin fishy
Bttr kip an eye out prez
Megamo Saikou:
THANK YOU for the tip, Mr. Unofficial-President.
But even if you didn't say that, I still would've done so.
And for the love of Akademi, learn to SPELL RIGHT.
Gema Taku:
I CAN spell right.
Jst 2 much trubl
U gt th gst of wat Im sayin
Kizano Sunobu:
That guy just gives me the creeps. Now I REALLY don't want to go
Budo Masuta:
Really?!
Ive gotten the impression that something bad might happen if we don't go though!
Miyuji Shan:
HEY! Don't say that!
Uekiya Engeika:
Now now… We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves...
The student council will be leading this assembly, and they've always been reliable. I'm sure we all trust Megamo-kun with our safety.
The teachers will also be there.
As for what will be discussed later, the only way we'll be able to find out is by attending the assembly later, yes?
I'm sure the faculty is just concerned with how the students are handling these incidents.
You all should have more faith in our school.
Geiju Tsuka:
…. I'll agree with Engeika-san and believe in President Saikou-san
…for now.
Kaga Kusha:
Well, I've never been the one to jump to conclusions without any substantial evidence anyway.
…
Amao couldn't help but chuckle. Trust Uekiya-chan to be able to calm everyone down, this is exactly why she's nicknamed as "Everyone's Big Sister". At times, she's more reliable than the student council president, himself. This situation was just a perfect example.
She just knows exactly what to say.
…
Kizano Sunobu:
Ah~ You have such a way with words, don't you Uekiya-chan? (ˆ⌣ˆԅ)
Miyuji Shan:
(´‐ω‐)=з
Sunobu ruined the moment
Kizano Sunobu:
I don't RUIN moments, I make the 1000000x BETTER ( ̄ω ̄)
Kaga Kusha:
Well, if everyone no longer has anything relevant to say, I'll be logging off.
Budo Masuta:
OI! President!
Megamo Saikou:
Yes, yes. Attendance is required. And please be sure not to speak of Info-kun's words to anyone outside of this chat.
Aso Rito:
… Why not?
Megamo Saikou:
I've got better things to do with my life than to implement damage control from false rumors going around. The students' morale is already low and if anything else were to happen then it could seriously affect our school.
Miyuji Shan:
Got it. Be there after lunch and keep my mouth shut.
…
Amao put down his phone and went back to baking a cake for his junior- it was her birthday and he planned on giving it to her at lunch- when someone entered the clubroom.
"Pardon my intrusion." A familiar voice spoke rather timidly and Amao's face immediately brightened.
"Oh! Perfect timing! Won't you help me decorate this cheesecake?" Amao asked.
Ayano blinked at the offer. "Ah, I would like to but I have no experience in baking or decorating."
"Really? It's very fun though." He said smiling as he got back to work. "Maybe next time I'll teach you and then we can decorate a cake together, how's that sound?"
"I'm not really interested…" she muttered honestly, seeing no advantage in such a skill.
"Hm?" he turned to her, with that innocent smile still on his face. "Ah, sorry Ayano-chan, but I didn't really catch that."
Ayano frowned, not sure whether he was speaking sarcastically or not. She had trouble with that sometimes, so instead she decided to change the subject.
"Did you eat breakfast yet, Amao-senpai?"
"Ah, no. I was waiting for you actually!" he said, for some reason sounding excited. "You just go ahead and eat, Ayano-chan. I prepared something at the table for you, just let me finish this up and I'll join you in a bit."
Ayano brought her own breakfast but didn't see the harm in taking some of Amao's, it was unlikely to have any poison in it. She didn't really see him as a threat since he could've already killed her if he really wanted to.
"Eat as much as you like, okay? There's still plenty of food." He chirped. "Ah, by the way, you'll probably hear this later at class but there's going to be a school assembly after lunch."
Ayano perked up at this. "Assembly? For what?"
Amao almost told her but then paused. Did President Saikou-kun tell them not to tell anyone about the reason behind the assembly? Or was it just not to tell anyone about what Info-kun said in the chat? He couldn't really remember since he had been too shocked about Info-kun's sudden arrival.
Just to be safe, he decided to keep his mouth shut. Ayano didn't seem like the type to gossip but it would be best to not burden the girl with such knowledge, it might scare the poor thing. She's going to find out about it eventually anyway.
"Not sure, guess we'll just have to find out." He shrugged, maintaining his smile.
Ayano didn't miss the way he paused before answering the question though, and she was about to press further when she realized that it would only be suspicious.
"I guess we will…" she settled on saying before taking a bite out of a pancake which Amao must've prepared before her arrival.
"Ne, Amao-senpai." Ayano spoke up when he joined her at the table. "Can you tell me a little about yourself?"
Amao was a little taken back by the sudden question and the aura Ayano was emitting, it was a bit threatening to be honest, but went back to smiling.
'Ah, she wants to get to know me better!' he thought. 'Although she's talking a bit like an interviewer, her tone would probably scare people away too, but I guess that's just the type of person she is.'
Amao couldn't help but find it cute how she was trying to act friendly but instead gave off a different vibe. He made a mental note to ask her if she's having trouble making friends, since Ayano seemed like the awkward type.
Meanwhile, friendship wasn't what Ayano had in mind at all.
'No matter how I look at it, he's suspicious…' she thought. 'I should gather as much information about him as I can.'
Amao then proceeded to tell her about his family, childhood and favorites before proceeding on to school things; his favorite and least favorite subject, classmates, and of course, the Cooking Club.
All of which, Ayano didn't really care about, so she started paying more attention to her food and only half-listened to him talk.
Was this how friendship was supposed to work? It made her wonder, but then again Aso-senpai had volunteered to just listen to her talk and complain about Info-kun, and the social butterflies of their school do spend a lot of time talking.
So she was just supposed to listen, or pretend to? This seemed easy enough. It didn't look like he was going to give away anything important- which, now that she thought about it, was naïve thinking since if he was indeed hiding something then he would be very careful about it- so she decided to let her suspicions be and simply ask Info-kun later, no matter how much she loathed to do so.
She made a mental note to study more about manipulation, specifically the type that is aimed towards getting information out of others. She recalls coming across something like that in their class during psychology. She better look into it...
"I've already been offered a scholarship at some culinary schools, and I honestly don't know which to choose." He sighed. "I'm not even sure if I want to go to culinary school, to be honest I'd much rather set up a small bakery here in this cozy little town but people keep telling me that it would be a waste of my 'talent'."
The way he said that word and the frown on his face caught Ayano's attention.
"Do you not think you're talented, Amao-senpai?"
"… Well, I'm not really fond of the term." He smiled bitterly. "Calling it a 'talent' makes it look like I was born with amazing cooking skills, you know? I mean, I've been cooking since kindergarten, granted I was more of an assistant in our kitchen and it could barely be called cooking at the time since my mom would do most of the work. But the point is that I worked hard to be as good as I am today, hours of practice and perfecting cooking techniques finally paid off but now people are brushing it off as 'talent'."
Amao made a long-suffering sigh. "It's just frustrating, you know?"
No, Ayano didn't know. She was finding it difficult to understand.
She tried, and she considered herself as a smart girl but she couldn't for the life of her figure out what her senpai's problem was.
"It's important to put into consideration the opinions of others, but I think you're taking it a little too far senpai." She said. "Whether they call you talented doesn't matter, you wish to build a bakery, correct? Then build one, with your skills it will definitely be a success."
Amao was a little taken back by her words and his silence was taken as a sign to go on.
"It doesn't matter if they say that it's a 'waste of your talent' or whatever nonsense, you shouldn't let what other people say cloud your judgment." She said, finishing her meal and finally looking him in the eye after a while of just focusing on her food. "It will only deter you from your goal."
And for a few moments, Amao just stared at her and didn't say anything. Ayano didn't say anything either and she didn't really know how to feel. For the past half-hour, Amao had been telling her about himself but he was still a puzzle to her. And this only added to it, for as long as she could remember, Ayano lived life with goals and her only mindset was in achieving them. Granted, they were short-term goals and involved either doing well in school or successfully performing tasks given to her by either Info-kun or her mother. But that's pretty much what her life has been about, achieving goals. Anything else that didn't involve that was only a hindrance that should either be ignored or eliminated.
Amao was silent for a moment, only staring at her in surprise.
But then he chuckled. He chuckled; Ayano was starting to question the mental stability of her senpai.
"You're right… I guess people's expectations were starting to get to me." He said, and for some reason Ayano found the particular smile he gave her different from all the other ones. "You're quite good at giving advice, Ayano-chan."
"You think so?" she's never done so before, Info-kun certainly never asked for her advice-or even opinion- on things.
"Yeah. I feel much better now."
Had he been depressed? Ayano didn't notice, Amao was really good at hiding his emotions. (Similar to her mother, this only strengthened the need to keep an eye on him).
"It's almost time for class, so we better go." She said, standing up with her plate on hand and heading to the sink.
"Ah, yeah." He nodded. "We should spend more time together, Ayano-chan."
"That sounds… good." She said. It gives her the opportunity to keep an eye on him.
"How about joining me for breakfast again tomorrow?"
"If it doesn't bother you senpai, then I would love to." She needed to be here early to help out Mujo-sensei anyway.
'Wait,' she suddenly thought. 'was 'love' too strong of a word?'
She didn't really think about it much when she said it; she just wanted to get to class quickly. Being late would affect her reputation after all. But, according to the manga she read last night, saying certain words could have a negative effect on relationships, even if they seem harmless. What if Amao now thought of her as someone who's too clingy?
But that didn't seem to be the case since the cooking club president actually seems to brighten at her answer.
"Great! See you, then, Ayano-chan~!" he suddenly got way too cheerful, and it kind of bothered her. What's gotten into him all of a sudden? "Ah, be sure to eat regularly, okay?"
"I'll do my best." She nodded. And for some reason, he seemed a bit bothered by her answer, but she paid no mind to this. "See you, senpai."
And she was off.
"That was cutting it pretty close." Osano scoffed when she arrived in their classroom. The bell had already rung but thankfully the teacher wasn't there yet, so she quickly made her way to her seat at the very back of the room, near the window. Osano was seated just in front of her.
"I stopped by the cooking club." She said simply, which seemed to pique his attention.
"You interested in cooking?"
"Not in particular, but it would admittedly be a very useful skill to have." She said. "What about you, Osano-kun?"
"Well, I can cook but just the basic stuff."
"Oh? That's surprising."
"Wha-? What's that supposed to mean?!" he asked a little too loudly, making a few heads turn, not that it bothered Ayano.
"Well, you didn't really seem like the type to take an interest in such things." She said, honestly. "You're actually quite responsible, Osano-kun."
He continues to exceed her expectations; it made her wonder if he was skilled in any form of combat. He didn't seem like the type, but he has been prone to surprising her.
"H-huh?! Wh-what are you talking about?" he spluttered. "Learning to cook is just common sense!"
It should be. Ayano was starting to notice that her classmate undervalues his skills; she made a mental note to bring it up later during their lunch.
Speaking of mental notes, she brought out her phone and sent a quick text.
To: Info-kun
I need a favor; look into Amao Odayaka
No sooner did she send that text did the sliding door of their classroom open, and from it entered a young man that was probably around the same age as Mujo-sensei. He was quite attractive, and from the uniform he was wearing, he was most likely a teacher. But Ayano has never seen him before and it also bothered her that one too many buttons of his shirt was unbuttoned, revealing the beginning of his perfectly toned chest. Surely that was against school regulations?
But then again, as what has been apparent with Mujo-sensei earlier that morning, the school was getting quite desperate.
"Good morning, class." He spoke in a smooth, deep voice. "My name is Mido Rana. Your old teacher, Puru Fessa, has resigned from her position due to personal reasons."
Ayano raised an eyebrow. If you think about it, that was suspicious; not only a nurse but also a teacher? Could it just be a coincidence? Or was it a pattern? Moreover, their teacher should've given the school at least a month's notice before resigning, and by then the students should have been informed as well which Ayano had no recollection of happening. So it must've been something that happened on short-notice.
Looks like this is yet another thing to ask Info-kun about.
"So until they find a replacement for her, I'll be your substitute teacher." He smirked. "I hope everyone pays close attention."
Someone actually screamed when he said that, it made Ayano flinch. She turned to see where the shriek came from (It was louder than any of the screams she's heard before, and she kills people for a living) and noticed that the entire female population of their class was swooning.
… What's gotten into them?
On that note, the boys in their class looked very annoyed as well. It made Ayano want to peek at Osano, but since he was right in front of her, she couldn't really see the face he was making.
"Alright then, let's start with a roll call." He took out a notebook. "Ayano Aishi?"
"Here." She raised her hand and spoke with her usual monotonous tone that was easy for a lot of people to look over.
And it would've ended at just that- it did. But Ayano was an assassin, possessing many skills that are either required or simply just useful for her line of work. One of those skills was observation.
Everyone else missed the way their new teacher's gaze lingered on her for a little while longer (Probably because the girls were too busy ogling him while the boys were glaring at him). But she didn't.
And this time, she was absolutely certain that she wasn't just being paranoid. Because just before he called the next student, she saw him smirk.
A small one, similar to Info-kun's when he was hiding something from her and was mocking her while at the same time not being too provocative.
What the hell was that?
And for the rest of their class, he kept sending discreet glances her way. Now that made her uneasy and her paranoia was through the roof. She was tempted to pull her phone out and send a message to Info-kun, but with how the teacher was keeping such a close eye on her, she doubted that she'll be able to get away with it.
Once class was finished, it felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders.
"Does anyone mind helping me carry these to the faculty room?" he asked, gesturing towards the pile of homework given to them by their previous teacher. Every girl in the class (except for Ayano, of course, who was in the process of pulling her phone out of her bag) immediately volunteered and Mida chuckled at their enthusiasm. "Well then, how about…"
He took out the attendance book and glanced at its contents before giving out a name. "Aishi-san?"
Ah, crap.
It would be rude to decline helping, won't it? And her classmates already know her as the sort of 'teacher's pet' type, so it would appear suspicious if she suddenly declines to help.
"Ah… yes." She hesitantly placed her bag down, trusting Osano to look after it without being told and made her way to the front desk. She could hear her classmates muttering how lucky she was, all assuming that she got chosen just because her name just so happens to be the first one on the class' list which was organized in alphabetical order.
She didn't agree though, something fishy was going on.
Grabbing the stack of papers, she proceeded to head on to the faculty room alongside her new teacher. They were silent at first, and despite how awkward other people would've found the situation, Ayano honestly didn't mind and hoped it stayed that way. But unfortunately, things never seem to go her way.
"So… Aishi-san? Are you having trouble in class?"
She blinked. "Not in particular."
"Really? Because you looked a bit distracted earlier."
"Ah, please excuse my behavior. I didn't mean to be rude." So he noticed? Then she was right in assuming that he was keeping quite a close eye on her.
"Something in your mind?"
"You could say that."
"Is it something you would like to share?"
"Not in particular."
He chuckled, and the sound of it sent shivers down her spine. This man made her uneasy, even more than Amao's strange behavior.
"Were you close to the previous teacher?"
"I helped her out every once in a while."
"Well, that explains it!"
This made Ayano stop in her tracks.
"Excuse me?"
"She actually spoke about you, and asked me to keep a close eye." he said. "She seemed very worried as well, to be honest."
Something was fishy about what he said, she just couldn't put her finger on it. But it was true that her previous and now-retired homeroom teacher often inquired about her life and seemed a bit nosy. Although she had just thought that that was a part of her personality and paid no mind to it. Ayano never considered that her teacher could actually be concerned about her.
"What did she say?"
"Nothing specific, just to keep an eye on you. Although you honestly don't seem like the troublemaker so I thought it had something to do with your grades."
"I would like to think that my grades are fine." she frowned. "They're not outstanding, but at the very least I'm above average."
"Oh?" he asked, smirking. "If you don't mind, I would like to have a more... in depth conversation about your performance in school. Would you mind coming to class early tomorrow morning?"
She frowned but nodded. "I usually make it a habit to come to school early anyway," since it's so much easier to prepare for assassinations early on so that things go smoothly when she actually executes them. "I'm usually here by around 7AM."
"Great!" he grinned (still looked like a smirk, though!) before taking the stack of papers Ayano had been carrying with such grace and ease that it made her wonder why he even asked anyone to help him carry them in the first place. She seemed physically capable at the very least.
Ayano had been so engrossed in their conversation, as well as thoughts about her previous homeroom teacher, that she hadn't noticed that they had already arrived at the faculty room.
"Thank you for your help, Aishi-san." he said, and it could've been a trick of the light but she could've sworn that she saw some emotion (dark, but not murderous, almost amused?) flash through his eyes but it was gone in a blink of an eye. He leaned forward, their faces so close that even the ever so apathetic Ayano Aishi couldn't help but blush. "I look forward to our little chat tomorrow then."
He went into the faculty room and closed the door behind him, leaving a very confused student/assassin to wonder what the fuck just happened.
Ayano blinked, her mind trying to catch up and try to comprehend what that was all about before taking deep breaths to calm herself. The substitute teacher certainly was... interesting. To the point that she actually couldn't wait for their talk tomorrow, he seems like someone with something valuable to say.
Although he was still strange, even she could see that.
Okay, so the FIRST part of this story was PLOT-BUILDING. The SECOND was RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT with Ayano and Amao, although now that I think about it, I don't think that was completely necessary given this pair's popularity. And the THIRD was the INTRODUCTION of the seventh male!rival, Mido Rana. Not much there though :/ I don't think I managed to portray his character that well, but I'll be sure to do a LOT better at the morning after ;) It's definitely not gonna be next chapter though, we still have three rivals after all.
We also have some more OsanoXAyano squeezed in there, and as Ravencalw4life (HEY! Fellow Ravenclaw here! ;) ) pointed out, it's not focusing much on the other rivals which I completely agree on. I have plans on the other rivals' interactions with her though so don't worry and please bear with me for a little longer :3 next chapter will have some OkoXAyano moments so look forward to that~!
Admittedly, it's gonna be hard to balance 10 different guys, like making sure to be fair and giving them equal opportunities considering some are a lot easier to write than others... This is challenging. But hey! That's actually one of the reasons why I decided to write this fic! It's interesting and it gives me a challenge! So I'll keep doing my best and so please keep supporting me and giving me criticisms because that would really help in writing this!
I also want to get this out there, but probably one of the reasons why I hadn't squeezed in Osoro in this chapter and also why it took so long to update is because I have no idea how to write the journey of him falling for Ayano. BUT HAVE NO FEAR, I HAVE A PLAN! So look forward to it~! And this is also a heads up to not get your hopes up with Osoro because he's really popular and yet I have no idea how to go about writing him.
I'LL DO MY BEST! QAQ
P.S. I just thought of this while writing the A/N but... would you guys be okay with Ayano maybe flirting back at Mido Rana so she could, I don't know, have more advantages in school? She already has some control over the nurse and his office (or at least some access and influence over it) after all, so she COULD add a teacher in with her list of possible people to manipulate to do her bidding? What do you guys think? ;) Idk yet, just wanna get your opinions~
Thank you for waiting~!
Please review ~ !
~ RnR ~ !
~ RnR ~ !
