"Oh. My. Gosh!" Mahara squealed when Mitsuko told her that Professor Tachibana had billed her on the competitor's list for festival. They were walking back after classes.

"I still can't believe that I made the cut! It feels like I'm in some crazy dream!" Mitsuko beamed. There was a skip in her step, and a smile on her face as they made their way through the school.

"Are you going to see the night class tonight?" Mitsuko asked on a serious note. Mahara laughed.

"Are you kidding? And miss eating dinner with the star of the day class?" Mahara joked. They made their way to the cafe terrace and as per ritual waited in line to be served. Suddenly a few day class students walked over to them.

"Congratulations, Mitsuko!" A girl with short brown hair told her, "we just saw the festival list!"

"Yeah! Show those night class kids what the day class is all about!" A boy with long dark hair added. Mitsuko smiled and beamed.

"Thank you!" She told them graciously. She looked at Mahara and she couldn't hold back her giddy smile, she was nearly jumping up and down.

"I can't believe this is happening!" Mitsuko told Mahara. Mahara smiled and nodded.

"Don't forget about us little people when you become famous," Mahara joked. They got their food and sat down.

"So, Mitsuko," Mahara started biting into her potatoes, "how do you eat so much but stay so small? Are you one of those hyperglycemic people? Or do you work out in secret?" Mitsuko looked up, a bit confused.

"I'm not sure," Mitsuko admitted, "the food here is just so good, I can't help but eat a lot!" Mahara offered Mitsuko a confused look.

"You think the generic, bland freezer-fresh cafeteria food served here is good?" Mahara asked. Mitsuko suddenly realized her mistake. She quickly smiled and laughed.

"Well, when compared to my Uncle's cooking," she added playfully. Mahara looked at her quizzically before returning to her plate.

"You don't really talk a whole lot about your family," Mahara said nonchalantly. "Aren't you sad not having any parents?" Mitsuko looked at her, not sure how to respond.

"Of course I'm sad!" Mitsuko answered cheerily. She said it before she could stop it, realizing that her cheery front was unnecessary when answering that question. Mahara was giving her a skeptical look. Mitsuko let out a deep sigh.

"It's just… been a really hard adjustment," Mitsuko told Mahara, "All I'm trying to do is get through it one day at a time." Mahara nodded in understanding.

"You don't… always have to be so happy, Mitsuko," Mahara told her seriously, "if you ever need to cry or be sad for a little while, I'll give you your space, and… even cry with you." Mitsuko was taken aback by this. She had never once pinned Mahara to be the type to care so much for another person's well-being.

"Thank you, Mahara," Mitsuko told her graciously. She paused for a moment.

"Mahara, are we friends?" Mitsuko asked. Mahara looked at Mitsuko in disbelief.

"Are you kidding?" Mahara asked, "We're best friends!" She exclaimed. Mitsuko smiled.

"I hope you and I stay best friends," Mitsuko told her. Mahara laughed.

"Of course we will!" Mahara told her, "you're the first real friend I think I've ever had." Mitsuko couldn't help but be skeptical of Mahara's claim. Mahara was so nice and friendly.

"Why do you say that?" Mitsuko asked, "you don't seem like the type who would have trouble making friends." Mahara froze, before letting out a deep sigh.

"When I was younger, I was a lot slower than the other kids," Mahara told Mitsuko. Mitsuko blinked not understanding.

"No one wanted to be friends with the slow girl. The weird girl who still couldn't tell her left from right. The dumb girl who still couldn't count to ten. The weak girl who was always picked last in gym class. You're the first person I've met to see me with fresh eyes. You don't see everything I was. Only… who I am," Mahara told Mitsuko. Mitsuko however, couldn't relate. She didn't know what it was like to be bullied by other children, or to be slow. However, Mitsuko empathized with Mahara about being seen with fresh eyes.

"That sounds horrible," Mitsuko told Mahara. Mahara nodded.

"It had gotten better since transferring to Cross Academy, but I can still hear the rumors the other girls spread about me," Mahara shrugged. Mitsuko smiled and nodded.

"Well I'll just have to remember not to pay them any mind," Mitsuko told Mahara. Mahara smiled.

"Thank you Mitsuko, you really are a true friend," Mahara told her. Mahara had finished eating and stood up.

"Alright, enough with this sappy shit," Mahara told Mitsuko, "we have a Saint Xocolatl day coming up that we need to plan for!"

XXXXXX

Unfortunately for Aido, monitoring a Day Class student was very difficult being a night class student. Sometimes he would see her friend in the tizzy of his fangirls; however, after the trampling incident, decided that asking her would not be in his best interest. Whenever he skipped class, he would make it a point to lap around the music wing and check out the practice rooms to see if perhaps she was staying late practicing. Most of what he heard about her, came from the music students in the night class.

"Tch, I can't believe a day class student will be competing with us at the Festival. What's Tachibana thinking?" He overheard a night class boy complaining about her one day.

'She must be good, for Professor Tachibana to bill her on the competitor's list,' Hanabusa thought to himself. Other than third person gossip though, Aido never seemed to hear of or see Mitsuko. Aido sighed to himself, not sure what kind of mess he had gotten himself into.

XXXXXX

"Now fold the right corner," Mahara instructed Mitsuko, "Then take your first fold and pull it back on itself." Mitsuko did as Mahara instructed.

"And then finally just pop it out and you should have a cute little bird!" Mahara told her! Mitsuko pushed out the origami paper, only to find her "bird" had a crippled neck, broken wing, no tail, and no head.

"Oh my," Mitsuko said dropping the origami figure. "I must have folded back when I was supposed to fold in." Mahara laughed.

"It's okay," Mahara comforted, "Origami can be sort of tricky at first." Mitsuko looked over to see that Mahara's bird had turned out absolutely perfect. She looked past her and saw Mahara's box of Origami figures. Mitsuko smiled.

"It's just so cool how you can make such intricate figurines out of paper!" Mitsuko beamed. Mahara laughed.

"Maybe when we go into town later this week, we can pick up some ingredients and you can teach me how to cook like a french person!" Mahara chided, referring to Mitsuko's Julia Child book. Mitsuko blushed.

"Actually Mahara, to tell you the truth, I've never cooked anything in my life," Mitsuko told her, "I just happened to find that book, and was curious. I've never actually tried cooking something out of it." Mahara looked at her and laughed.

"We should pick out a recipe and try! Ooo! Maybe it'll have a recipe on chocolates! We could make some for the night class and put them into little paper boxes and then write notes on Origami paper and fold them into hearts and bows as decoration!" Mahara beamed. Mitsuko couldn't help but laugh.

"You're so creative, Mahara!" Mitsuko beamed. Aside from trying to make paper birds, Mitsuko was thriving at Cross Academy. Her and Mahara had become really good friends, and everywhere she went she got congratulations from complete strangers about making the Festival list. Everyone in the day class was so excited to finally have someone representing them in the school's extra curriculars. Even though she still found them terrifying and avoided them at all costs, Mitsuko had become more comfortable with the presence of the night class. Mahara knew that Mitsuko didn't like them, and she wouldn't visit them as often for Mitsuko's sake; however, she couldn't help but dream of giving them chocolates on Saint Xocolatl day.

"Hey, it's almost time for afternoon classes," Mahara said getting up. Mitsuko and Mahara had spent their lunch break in their dorm; Mahara was trying to teach Mitsuko how to do Origami, after Mitsuko ogled over the dinosaur she had made a few days ago. The teaching wasn't going well, and Mahara could tell that Mitsuko was distracted with tomorrow's music festival. Mitsuko looked up.

"That's a relief," Mitsuko said, "I really need to get back to practicing!" She got up and grabbed her things, and her and Mahara left their dorm. As they were making their way back to class nearly everyone they passed wished Mitsuko good luck for tomorrow.

"Tch, someone's popular!" Mahara commented as they passed another student congratulating her. Mitsuko blushed.

"I honestly couldn't be more pleased with myself, Mahara! This is going to give me such a great start in the music industry!" Mitsuko beamed. Mahara laughed at her friend's enthusiasm.

"Are you excited to go into town?" She asked Mitsuko. Mitsuko nodded enthusiastically. The Saturday they were going into town, would be the Saturday after Mitsuko went to festival, so they were planning on celebrating. Mahara had a long list of places she wanted to take Mitsuko and an even longer shopping list; the majority of it being snacks she needed to restock.

"This is going to be my first trip! I can't wait to see what's down there and what the people are like! You need to show me everything, Mahara!" Mitsuko demanded her friend. Mahara couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, alright, everything," Mahara promised. They reached the point in the hall where they went their separate way.

"Time for me to get back to class and you to get back to practicing!" Mahara told Mitsuko playfully wagging a finger at her. Mitsuko laughed.

"I might not be back at the dorm until late so don't wait up for me!" Mitsuko told Mahara.

"Alright. If I don't see you, good luck tomorrow!" Mahara waved goodbye to her friend, before running off. Mitsuko smiled to herself. She couldn't believe how wonderful things were going at Cross Academy. She was making friends, she was thriving in her studies, and she seemed to be getting along with just about everyone… everyone that is, except for the night class. Mitsuko shuddered to herself as she made it to the Music Wing. Even though she became more used to them, and no longer protested everyone's fawning over them, it didn't make them seem any safer. Mitsuko sighed to herself as she walked into the practice room with Professor Tachibana.

"Hello Ms. Ito!" The Professor greeted her, "Are we excited for festival?" Mitsuko smiled up at him.

"I'll be more excited after we go over sight reading portion," Mitsuko told him. The Professor pulled up a large stack of music.

"Let's get started then," He said as he selected a piece at random for Mitsuko to play.

XXXXXX

Aido was skipping class again. He had heard the lecture on the History of Vampires more times than he could count. He had been walking about the halls, preoccupied with the upcoming visit from the Senate to check up on things at the Academy, the soiree his father was hosting, and of course the day class girl who after that first encounter seemed to disappear off the face of the earth. Although he knew that so long as he stayed with Lord Kaname and Lady Yuki, things would remain peaceful, he couldn't help but feel weighed down by his dreads and concerns of all that was happening around him. A loud dinging from the Academy Clock Tower interrupted his thoughts, informing him that it was midnight. Aido sighed, and decided that he had best go back to class. As he rounded the building, making his way past the Music Wing, he caught the sound of the faint tinkling of piano keys.

'The music students aren't meeting today,' Aido thought to himself, 'All of them are resting so that they can be sharp tomorrow during the festival.' Aido also considered the likeliness of a rogue night class music student who wanted to get in all the practicing they could before the competition; however, it was highly unlikely, seeing how everyone who was competing was already so accomplished in their musical studies. He decided, that it couldn't hurt to investigate. He made his way through the music wing, and walked down the hall of practice rooms. The tinkling of the piano growing louder and louder. He recognized the music.

"The girl with the Flaxen Hair," Aido mused to himself. As he made his way to the only room with a light on. He stopped and peered inside. Sitting at the piano, he saw a dark haired girl in a day class uniform. He smiled to himself. He stood outside the door and listened for a moment.

'I can hear why Tachibana picked her,' Aido thought to himself as he listened to the music. 'I've never heard anyone in the night class play as sweetly… as… emotionally as her.' He relished in her playing just a little bit longer before very quietly letting himself in. Mitsuko must not have heard him enter, because she did not stop playing nor did she turn around. Aido smiled even wider, excited to be able to corner her, into finally answering some very pressing questions. He took a breath.

"Hello Mitsuko,"

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Hello my dear reader! I would like to formally apologize for not posting last Friday! I left town unexpectedly, and forgot my computer, and posting just completely slipped my mind! I hope you are not too upset, and if you are I would like to take this opportunity to cheer you up. This week I will be posting THREE CHAPTERS! To make up for missing last Friday. There is obviously the sixth chapter today, the seventh chapter will be going live Tuesday, and then we will return to the regularly scheduled chapter on Friday. I thank you for you patience and I cannot wait to hear your feed back. I promise the story is finally starting to REALLY get interesting. ;) You will be hearing from me throughout the week, and in the mean time, please take care this Holiday season and happy reading!

-JW