Another day has dawned upon them yet again and this was the last day before their beloved Cultural Festival that everyone has been hyped for. Not only the students but the outsiders as well. The Student Council trio actually kept themselves busy soon after the students started to plan things. They left school with a pile of flyers just waiting to be distributed and pasted at the designated places where they already had permission from. Of course they would be excited. This was the first time they've ever seen a collaboration between the two heated schools, and they were both exclusive schools to boot.
The day was filled with excitement, happiness mixed with a little bit of stress. Someone had a pretty opposite mood to everyone though and, surprisingly, it was none other than their happy go lucky president, Kei. He seemed bummed out and only returned a greeting from one of the students with a silent nod as opposed to his energetic greeting back then. He was in a very foul mood and some who sometimes greeted him feared to even look him at the eyes.
"It's rare to see you like this Taka-kun." He could recognize that high-pitched voice anywhere and with the matching nickname, it wasn't too hard to guess who was talking behind him. Kotori had advanced towards his side to look at him curiously. "Bad mood, bad vibes, it isn't like you." She continued.
"It's Tachibana. I heard he's back here and I really don't want to meet him right now unless I want to scream at him." Kei replied as he continued to walk while massaging his temples. The mere thought of him being here gave him a headache… no, headache is an understatement, perhaps migraine was a better word to use but without the whole vomiting thing. But it was close.
"Who's he?" Kotori asked as she tilted her head to the side to further show her confusion. She kept in pace with the faster walking person and unlike before, he didn't slow down so it would be more comfortable for the other party.
"The Vice President of Amagiri." Kei replied. "Tachibana Kimuri is the kind of guy you wouldn't want in a place of power." He continued. "He hasn't even been to a student council meeting before… well, that's exaggerating, more like he came twice and everyone got pissed off but his cool and smooth demeanor wins him back most of the Council besides me and the first years."
"If he's such a horrible member, then why not kick him out? I'm sure you'll have no trouble replacing him." Kotori pointed out.
Kei shook his head. "No one else passed the test. We're each suited to our job, one change and we'll all be thrown into disarray."
Kotori could just reply with a nervous chuckle after that. She didn't know much about how their Student Council works.
"Where are Kousaka-senpai and Sonoda-senpai anyway?" Kei asked, directing the conversation to another direction to somewhat alleviate his current mood.
"Honoka-chan and Umi-chan had to go and buy something earlier and told me to go on ahead." The gray haired girl replied. "I wanted to come with them but they told me that I can't." She continued, a bit of a pout forming on her face.
"Now that I think about it…" Kei muttered to himself. Tomorrow's September 12 isn't it? Isn't that? He looked secretly at Kotori who had a wide smile on her face. Ah, now I get it. They must be getting her a present or something. I don't wanna spoil it right now so I'll just keep quiet about that. "Now what's got you so happy?" He asked, his tone reverting back to fit his foul mood.
"The orders for the costumes are coming in this day. I'm so excited to see how well they made it!" Kotori said as she clapped her hands excitedly.
You mean to say she's not excited about her own birthday? "A-Aren't you forgetting something a little important that you should be happy about?" Kei asked.
Kotori shook her head before humming in pure joy as she walked forward.
"Of course! It was my master plan after all!"
The very sound of that voice seemed to anger Kei a lot. The color was green, a sick green that made Kei want to vomit a little from seeing it coming out of that man's mouth. Kotori looked back to see him breathing in and breathing out huge quantities of air, possibly to calm himself. The ash-gray haired girl started to look for the owner of the voice.
He wasn't at all hard to find. In the middle of a crowd of guys and some girls from Otonokizaka was a tall figure. He had blond hair and blue eyes, much like Eri, but from his name, he doesn't seem to be of foreign descent. He was slender and pale; or in other words, he looked sickly. He had a proud smile plastered on his face. "Really Tachibana-senpai? I thought the presidents were-"
"You know how the Takamitsu family always tries to steal other people's ideas." Kimuri said cooly. "I worked hard on this everyday for the past few months and I have grown more weakly because of it. So I ask you all to do your best for my sake."
"Of course Kimuri-senpai!" The chorused, easily falling to the wicked man's lies. No one could see through it, not when you're so amazed by a sick person. Truly, a man of his caliber was frightening. Kei could sway hearts but he played with the mind of a person, making him more despicable than what a Takamitsu is.
"I won't stand for this." Comes a female voice from behind the group. Everyone scattered leaving Kimuri alone in the middle, his smile almost breaking as he saw who was talking. Her red hair and unamused face couldn't be mistaken for any other.
"N-N-Nishikino-san…" Kimuri started. It was the first time Kei heard that kind of stammer and he took pleasure in it, no matter how evil it sounded.
She began to take methodical steps towards the senior who almost shrank away from her presence. After all, who wouldn't be scared of the heiress of the hospital which constantly kept you alive? "I would've stood idly by while you boast about this plan. But taking it for yourself when both Eri and Kei worked so hard for it pissed me off but I would've just kept silent and tell that to the two." She stopped in front of him, staring right into his eyes. She had to look up but it didn't make her look at all any smaller than him. In fact, it looked like quite the opposite. "But then you just had to say something about the Takamatsu family."
"I-I was just-"
"Just what? Trying to degrade a proud family into nothing through lies and slander? Is that how the Tachibana works?" Maki asked. Most were astounded at her harsh words. "Would you like-"
"Maki-chan!" Kotori blurted out making the red head stop and looked at her friend who was silently watching beside the president being talked about. She was shaking, her eyes glossy. "P-Please don't fight."
Maki stepped back and sighed. "I know that Kei can't do anything to you." She said, lowering her voice so only the sickly man in front of her could hear. "But I can certainly do something to you." She continued. The threat weighed heavily upon the man, his face shocked and fearful.
The panther had sunk its teeth on its prey. But although it has let it go, the prey would live in constant agony knowing that the panther could strike back at any moment, this time finishing him off for good.
"None of this shall leave this school." Kei ordered, looking at the students observing, shocked and somewhat energized by the fight. "I ask your cooperation in this. Now please go back to your respective rooms and continue your last minute touches."
The students scampered away, not wanting to face the wrath of an angry Kei should they disobey. Kimuri had left with the crowd at some point but the president couldn't care less. Maki approached them and then looked at Kotori who was close to tears. "I'm sorry." She said, almost silently but certainly could be heard by Kotori.
"You had to see a very horrible side of our upbringings." Maki continued, looking away in shame. For the first time, she had willingly stepped down. It pained her to see her friend at the verge of tears like this.
"You were just trying to protect your best friend Maki-chan." Kotori said, rubbing her eyes to remove the tears that have not yet fallen. "I-I just don't want to see you angry anymore."
"Angry?"
The word seemed to have shocked both Maki and Kei. Yes, she admitted that she was pissed off but her tone passed it off as simply protecting another. That was what it seemed to the students except for Kei, who knew her longer than most, and apparently, Kotori.
"Pfft…" Then a sudden burst of laughter followed. It erupted from the once foul mooded Kei who now seems like his old self again. He stopped after a while. "That's why I like you Kotori." The sudden drop of nickname caught her by surprise. "You can be so perceptive yet so clueless at the same time!"
Kotori blushed under his… compliment? Insult? She wasn't so sure herself.
Kei took a deep breath and let it out, his smile now present and the heavy atmosphere around him lifted. "Thanks for that by the way Maki-chan. Haven't seen him that scared before. It was really pleasing."
"The least I can do."
"And Kotori, thanks for stopping Maki-chan before she could say anything that would degrade her name because I was sure that last one was a threat." Kei said. "And you were about to say it out loud, right?" He asked, looking straight at Maki who looked away.
"I heard something weird happened here!" Eri exclaimed as she neared their position quickly along with Nozomi. "What happened?"
Kei looked at Maki and Kotori and then shook his head. "I'll tell you later." He said before leaving his position to meet the other president halfway. He then turned back to the two. "You two should get back to your rooms. Maki-chan, tell Shun and Reifu to head to the SC room since I have something to tell them alright?"
Maki nodded and both she and Kotori departed.
"You wouldn't believe what happened."
Two figures slid the door room to the second years, opening it and they entered. Everyone's attention was on them. It was Shun and Reifu holding what seems to be a box. "We have orders from the Student Council President!" He said and then placed the box on the table before tapping it two times. "You'll have to surrender your phones because we have to check and possibly delete things."
"H-Hey! That's a breach of our privacy!" A female's voice called out.
"We won't be looking at any messages." Reifu said. "Just videos and recordings."
"Oh and please remove the locks on your phones if you don't want the entire memory to be wiped or hacked." Shun warned before leaning back on the blackboard that was plastered on the wall.
"I'm not comfortable with this…"
"I don't want them to have free access on my phone…"
"Katanashi-kun?" Kotori called out as she stood up.
"Yes?"
"Is this about the incident earlier?" Shun nodded in response. Kotori then made her way towards the front and placed her phone gently inside the box. "When will you give it back?"
"Preferably after the hour passes." Reifu responded before nodding in appreciation. Honoka and Umi followed and then soon, everyone placed their phones inside the box.
"You better not delete anything else than what you're supposed to alright?" One of the guys said.
"Well if there is that in your phone then we would be obliged to delete it Waranai-senpai." Shun said with a smile before taking the box and then bowing his head. "Thank you for your cooperation." They then left and then headed back to the Student Council classroom. This was the last box to be dropped off.
"As expected of Hoshizora-san…" Kei muttered as he began scrolling through Rin's phone. Something caught his eye earlier and he looked at the alarms. Tomorrow, she had this heart emoticon and then a 'Confess to Shu-kun!' on it. "She doesn't even seem to care if he would see this…"
"What are you looking at kaichou?" Shun asked as he looked over his shoulder to look at Rin's phone.
Kei locked the phone so quickly and placed it on the table so quickly that one could say he did it in Mach speed or something. "Nothing, just gotta speed things up you know?" He said before snatching another phone from the box to work on.
Ah that was close. He stared at the Rin's phone and then went back to work. This will be a very eventful cultural festival.
"Your mood is a far cry from what I heard you were earlier on." Eri said, seeing the president smile. At this point, the two first years were excused from the room and the other members would be in charge of bringing back the phones.
"Why wouldn't it?" Kei asked. "I had Maki-chan stand up for me, Tachibana run through the ground and now I think I found myself another show." He said before gesturing to Rin's phone. "And besides, Kotori's birthday is tomorrow right? I bet it'll be fun. I wanna throw her a huge birthday party but we're busy with cultural festival stuff so I'll settle for a gift."
"Oh yeah, Kotori's birthday is tomorrow huh?" Eri said. "I need to go shopping later. I'm going to have to ask Nozomi to accompany me later."
"Maybe I should tell the first years too in case they forgot." Kei said, shooting a disappointed look at his friend and co-worker.
"No need. I've just been busy, that's why I forgot. They probably remember it." Eri reassured him.
"Good point." He said before leaning back. "Tomorrow's the big day huh? Can't imagine it." He muttered to himself.
"Let's sleep here." A sudden proclamation, a sudden order, an unexpected owner. It was Reifu, their resident stoic person who doesn't seem to mind anything they were coming up with. So him suggesting, no, more like ordering, is very unlikely.
"We would need permission right?" Honoka asked. They had all went to the roof to watch Muse practice one last time before the big day.
Kei shook his head. "Not really. This is the ownership of my father and I'd just need to call him. Pretty sure he would agree to it."
"It doesn't seem like a bad idea." Honoka said, not thinking of the fact that there are three boys who would be staying with them.
"Not a bad idea?" Umi questioned before pointing at the trio of boys who were near them. "If you must know, there are girls and boys staying and… and…" She blushed at the thought of the scandal that might happen.
But everyone knew what she was thinking. A boy and a girl, alone at night, oh the scandalous possibilities that possessed. It was such a horrible thought but a possibility nonetheless and they were all pretty sure that Reifu knew about this yet still had the guts to suggest it.
"If you must know, we are still going to be sleeping in another room of course." Kei said. "And I am not romantically inclined with any of you in here." He continued but somewhere, he thought he might actually be lying about this one. But that just might be him.
"If you sneak in?"
"Then lock the doors."
"That is a good point."
"But teenage boys and girls hitting up on puberty are sleeping in the school." Kei continued, going back to the whole statement. He chuckled. "Interesting. Very interesting. If nothing happens, then nothing happens right?" There seemed to be a continuation to what he was going to say but he left that to their imaginations.
"I can live with that." Shun said. "Besides, I haven't slept in the school for a while and we still haven't placed all the banners yet. I can just send the others home and Reifu and I could take care of it."
"We could help too!" Rin suggested, all too eager to help her friends.
"I'll call father then." Kei said before taking his phone and then walking out of the room so he could talk with him privately.
"W-Wait, I haven't agreed to this yet!" Umi tried to call him back but he already closed the door and didn't seem to listen even if he heard her.
"Let it go Umi." Eri said as she placed a hand on the blue haired girl's shoulder. "Besides, they look excited about it." She said before pointing to the rest of the group.
The second years began to mingle with the first years and Nico decided to join as well, claiming something about having the best cooking ever to be tasted and that the boys were lucky that she would cook for them. Shun then took the turn of telling how he, Rin and Hanayo always had sleepovers when they were kids but couldn't have them now because they were teenagers and their parents wouldn't allow it.
"My father agreed to it so if guys could just go home, gather your stuff and head back here, that would be much appreciated." Kei said as he entered once more and everyone looked at him like they didn't realize that they needed to go back home. "Don't tell me you thought of staying here until tomorrow with nothing more than our uniforms… But you can just take a bath here. There's a public bath near here." He continued.
"Alright then. Let's all head back home and come back later." Eri said, already making time plans for later in the evening. "You should all be back before 7 pm so we can actually get something done. Mail me if you're not allowed to come alright?"
"Hai!"
Everyone had their stuff prepared and they were about to leave the school before they noticed that Reifu and Kei were still chilling out in a classroom.
"Aren't you going to go back home?" Nozomi asked as she neared the two.
"I already called Kazu to bring my stuff." Kei replied with a dismissing wave. "I'd rather not go back home to just go back here." He then grinned. "Perks of being a rich guy." He was prideful about that fact but somehow, he never seems to go over the top.
"I had Shun go to my apartment to get some stuff. He knows where it is." Reifu said. "We're staying back to hopefully do something productive."
"You know, hopefully." He said, grin never disappearing from his face.
"Alright, I'll tell the others then." Nozomi said before they bid farewell to each other and she headed downstairs.
"Where's Sato and Kei?" Maki asked as she saw Nozomi walk out of the school without the two aforementioned males.
"They won't be going home." Nozomi replied simply. "They wanted to get stuff done." She continued. "They probably did it so we would have more fun time."
"But what could Kei do?" The redhead muttered to herself, careful to not be heard. She wasn't sure if Kei would feel comfortable if other people knew about his condition without his permission.
They decided to all go home and go back early so they would be able to help out the two before they do something they might regret.
"Shun's planning on confessing tomorrow." Reifu said bluntly after they had all gone. He stood up and then took a banner that was neatly rolled up on the table. This was what they had to place in the entrance. Great. "Rin is as well."
Kei took the rest of the supplies needed to stick the banner onto the entrance. The metal rods were already there too so it was easier for him. "Oh? That seems interesting. Although I'm afraid the three would be conflicted for a while because of it."
Reifu took the lead. "I think so too." He admitted. "If Rin confesses before Shun, Shun wouldn't be able to confess to Maki. If Shun confesses first and Maki accepts then he would be afraid to turn Rin down. If Shun confesses first and Maki doesn't accept, then he might be in a state of utter shock and despair that he might end up hurting Rin's feelings or taking out that despair on her by accepting." He listed down the possible things that could happen tomorrow that could ruin their whole friendship. Well not ruin but complicate things for both Reifu and Hanayo.
"And if Rin doesn't confess?" Kei asked.
"What makes you think that she won't?"
"A possibility. A chance encounter. That's what I call it." Kei replied. "Shun confesses and Rin hears it. What would happen then? She won't say anything right?"
"I don't think she would do something like that." Reifu said before dropping the banner on the ground and then fetching the two metal poles. He lined them up and then let Kei do the rest. "She's not one to back down."
"Brave people still do back out if they know they lost a fight." Kei said. He knew that all too well thanks to experience. "She'll end up hurting a lot though."
"Well, that's how it is when one is caught up in a love triangle." Reifu said. "One person will need to sacrifice his or her feelings for the happiness of their beloved."
"As to expected from a mangaka." Kei said with a chuckle before he stood up and then took one metal pole and Reifu took the other. They forced the poles to stand up and then placed it near the entrance. They managed to secure it in place thanks to holes that the students did before they left. "But I don't think we should do anything special for them."
"I agree. Let them do their own mistakes tomorrow, the fateful day." Reifu said with a nod, obviously agreeing with his friend.
The red head nodded. "Tomorrow is the turning point of a lot of things." Kei then turned to Reifu and then placed a hand on his shoulder. "Principal Minami didn't hold her part of the bargain and told someone else about the secret so I think it would be fine to tell you too. You're good at keeping secrets, I know, so I trust you that you won't tell anyone else."
There was something wrong, somehow, when the others came back. Reifu and Kei were silently sitting, already done with the things they think that needed to be done. They weren't talking and Kei was as energetic as earlier. His stuff already came and he already changed into a white shirt and jogging pants, fit to be a sort of exercising costume and pajamas as well.
"Oh, welcome back guys." Kei said, flashing his signature grin and waving at them. "We're done with most of the preparations but if you have something to do for the performance or for your own classes, you can do it. Meanwhile, I'll just… yeah." He said before taking his bag and then leaving.
Rin looked at Maki. "What's up with him nya~?" Of course, everyone would be curious in his odd behavior. He seemed nervous about something and he didn't even give a valid reason to leave.
Maki shrugged, feigning ignorance. It seems Kei didn't want anyone to know about it but she suspected that Shun and Reifu knew. Somehow, she felt that Eri knew as well as Eri looked at him worriedly as he hurried off to the cafeteria most likely.
"Here you go Rei." Shun asked as he dropped a duffel bag in front of the silent blue haired male but he didn't have much response, not even a mutter of 'thanks'. "Hey, you alright?"
Reifu looked at him and then nodded. "Yeah. Thanks by the way." He said before standing up and then heading over to Kotori. "Minami-senpai, can I talk to you?"
Kotori looked at him and then nodded. "Sure." She then looked at Honoka and Umi. "See you later." She said with a smile before going off with Reifu to who knows where to talk about who knows what.
"Why is everyone acting so weird today?" Rin asked as she sat down on a table. "First off, Takamitsu-kun just ran off and then Kotori-chan and Reito began to talk. Is there something going on here that we're not aware of nya~?"
"Maybe it's just some surprise things. You know how Kei is." Maki said, trying to cover for her friend. "As for Kotori and Sato, I guess it had something to do with the costumes. Maybe some things were not properly made?"
"But Kotori-chan wouldn't go to Sato-kun for help with that. She would ask either me or Hanayo." Nico protested. "Do you know something Maki-chan?"
"Not particularly."
Before Nico could continue to pry and return to their regular banter, Kei came back, still holding his bag. "Yo." He greeted with a small wave. He then dumped the bag to one of the chairs and then slumped down.
"What were you up to?" Nico asked, snapping her attention to the red haired male.
Kei seemed to hesitate before opening his bag and then taking out the contents. What it was shocked most of those who were there who didn't know about his condition. There were fifteen bottles of medicine lined up neatly on the desk. This would've been normal if, perhaps, there were eight more people who owned it but it seemed that Kei was the only one taking it.
"I have cardiac arrhythmia." He started. "I know, I know, unfamiliar right? It's pretty rare they say and I would say ask Maki-chan about it but I think you'd just be confused of all the terms she'll be spouting. I know I was when I first heard of it." He jested before leaned back into his chair with everyone eagerly listening. "It practically means that my heart is weak, beats irregularly too. If I push myself too hard, my heart starts to beat quickly that could end with a 'heart flutter' or if worse comes to worse, a heart attack."
"T-That's horrible." Honoka said before covering her mouth, thinking that she insulted him.
Kei laughed. "Yes! Exactly! It's horrible!" He exclaimed, pointing at Honoka. She made a point. He then spread his arms out when he mentioned the last statement. "I'm constantly stressed yet I am cursed with this condition. Can't do much besides jogging too."
"And everytime he gets hit somewhere near his chest." Eri said, continuing his explanation. "He gets the same side effects."
"You knew about this Eri-chan?" Hanayo asked.
Eri nodded. "He told me somewhere around two months after we first talked." The blonde then gestured to the other president. "He almost had a heart attack on me one day."
"Wait that never happened."
"It's when we parted ways. I went back to look for you because I had one of the files with me and then I saw you on all fours. Before I could get to you, however, your butler came to pick you up."
"Oh, that one." Kei said before unconsciously rubbing his chest. "That was, by far, the worst timing ever."
"Why?" Rin asked. If he didn't know that Eri saw that, then why would that be the worst timing?
"Because Kotori of all people back then too. She was the one who ran to me after Kazu saw me." The red haired president replied, sighing as well. "Didn't want her to know." He said with a shrug. "Didn't want her to worry." He continued, but this time it was no more than a mumble. Emotional problems was one and he could always go to Kotori for that when she worked as a maid, but this type of problem? A personal and physical problem? That was out of the question.
Rin tilted her head. "I thought you haven't seen each other since she quit her job as a maid?"
"She didn't know that I knew about her seeing me." Kei replied. "She thought I was knocked out cold back then."
"I thought wrong then." Kotori said as she opened the door.
Kei smiled and nodded. He then leaned back and placed both of his hands behind his head. "But that's all in the past now~" He chimed. "So it's nothing to worry about." He then began to change the subject. "Anyway! You guys still have preparations to do right?"
Honoka nodded, reluctantly dropping the subject. "Come on Umi-chan, Kotori-chan, let's go and finish designing our room!"
"Kayo-chin, Maki-chan, Shu-kun, Reito~ Let's go nya~" Rin said as well, supporting Kei's decision of dropping the depressing subject. "We still need to arrange the tables and chairs right?"
Hanayo nodded. The second years and first years bid farewell and then left for their respective classrooms.
"What are you doing Yazawa-senpai?" Kei asked as he looked at the petite girl. "You're the only third year who's not part of the Student Council soooo…"
"We're in charge of stalls remember?" Nico asked before gesturing outside. "It's already done so I don't need to do much anymore. The shipments arrive tomorrow too." She continued. Indeed, the stalls were all lined up perfectly, waiting to be used tomorrow.
"Let's wait a few minutes then check up on the others." Nozomi suggested and they all agreed.
"Maki-chan, you knew Takamitsu-kun from way back right?" Hanayo asked as she looked at her red haired friend who was setting up a table with Reifu. She gave a nod as a reply. "How long has he been like this?"
"Ever since I met him when we were five years old." Maki replied without hesitation. Kei already openly told everyone about his disease so she assumed that this would be fine.
"But that's so young…" Shun muttered as he placed a cloth over the table.
Maki nodded. "That's how we met after all. Papa told me to keep an eye on him. He wasn't like this before, you see, he didn't react to much back then. They said he needed someone of his own age around him."
"Well I wouldn't doubt that he felt out of place, having a heart attack at such a young age and confined with the hospital who is full of people four or more times his age." Reifu said with a shrug.
Maki nodded before continuing. "And so papa took me with him when he visited Kei. When Kei saw me… well, let's just say that was the most life papa had ever seen in his eyes." She then rubbed her arm. "I was scared back then. He was the first kid I've ever seen on the hospital bed, welcoming death itself."
Maki then took a deep breath before continuing, "But as you can see now, he's recovered and better than ever." She said. "And I've been with him ever since as his acting doctor. I may not have a PHD under my belt but I do have the trust of my parents, renown for their achievements. They taught me everything I need to know about cardiac arrhythmia and how to keep his heart beating like it's supposed to."
"That's one heavy responsibility Nishikino-san." Reifu said. He was the only one who could speak it seems as everyone was still taking it in. "For someone of your age."
"Shouldn't it be an honor to protect that friend of yours? Annoying as he may be, he's been with me all this time right?" The red haired girl replied. "If the same thing happened to Shun, wouldn't you feel happy that you're able to help him?"
"No." Reifu replied quite bluntly and Shun chuckled nervously behind them.
"That hurt Rei…"
"I'd rather have a more professional person look after him. I would rather just support him." The blue haired male continued before stepping forward to Maki. "Nishikino-san, I see that you feel obligated somehow to him. It's probably because of the blood of the doctor's running in you." He said before patting her shoulder. "You're not normal… but then again, who is?"
"Stop spouting random things now Reito~" Rin said as she bounded to her blue haired friend and then playfully bumped into him. "You're just trying to look smart again nya~"
"Caught red handed." Reifu said, raising his hands like a criminal would once he got caught by the police.
Maki almost took what he said seriously so she simply sighed and then went back to arranging the tables. "Anyway, is there anything else you want to know?"
Hanayo looked towards the windows and then back at Maki. "If Takamitsu-kun has been like this all this time, then why is he still acting president? From what I see, his job is stressful and makes him tired… so, that means it's a bad position for his heart."
"That is true. But Kei's father told us that he'll be fine." Maki replied. "Besides, that's what his classmates are there for. Every single one of the Student Council members know about his sickness so when one sees him unconscious…"
"He's charged to the hospital just like that other time!"
"That one other time?" Shun asked.
Rin nodded. "Yeah! When we were on our way to visit you, Takamitsu-kun got charged into the hospital."
"Well he was safe. He just fell unconscious because of his lack of sleep." Maki pointed out.
"But that's the whole thing." Rin said as she looked as she looked back at Shun.
A sigh came from the door and it revealed Kei and the others from the Student Council. "And here I thought you guys had finally gotten over me. Am I too intriguing to get out of your minds?" He asked but his tone was smooth and flirty.
And came a chop to the head by a certain blonde haired president. And it was by no means a fake chop. Kei had to recover for that one. "How are you guys doing?"
"Almost finishing up prez." Shun said before gesturing all around him. Indeed, the tables were on their places and the table cloth were placed over them neatly. "Just need to put up the menu and then some posters around the school." He said before taking a box and then gesturing for Rin and Reifu to accompany him. "Hope you don't mind…"
"It's quite alright. Although you'll have to take it down after alright?" Eri replied. She knew that they were going to post it on the walls instead of the proper boards. Kei did allow those kinds of things with the only condition of being taken down afterwards.
Shun nodded with a grin. "Yep!" Eri then gestured for them to go and they did. "See 'ya later guys!" He said energetically before he and the other two rushed down towards the entrance. Well, Shun and Rin were rushing around while Reifu simply walked.
"Oi, oi, Eri-senpai… that hurt you know." Kei said, his voice pained as he rubbed his head.
"Stop acting like a weak kid. I know you could take that." Eri replied as she crossed her arms.
"I second that." Maki chimed in. "I've done that to you many times and you hardly react." She pointed out.
Kei let out a small chuckle. "Would it hurt to actually play along?" The two females didn't respond to him at all.
"U-Um… I don't think you should be bullying him too much…" Hanayo pointed out meekly.
Kei chuckled. "Don't worry Koizumi-san, it's not like they're bullying me. They just knew they spoiled me too much since they play along to whatever I could think of." He then stuck his tongue out playfully at the two. "But they're not doing it now 'cause they're such spoilsports."
"Stop acting like a child Kei…" Eri practically ordered as she watched Kei act childish.
His lips turned to a smirk and Maki knew what that meant. "Well I did-"
The sound of a hand meeting one's cheek reverberated throughout the room. This was soon followed by Hanayo's meager squeak. Maki had reacted quickly, her hand now suspends in the air. The impact actually made it sting. Same could be said for Kei's cheek that was now bright red from the slap.
"Perhaps next time you should watch your mouth, Kei." Maki said as she lowered her hand and glared at her childhood friend.
Kei placed one hand over his pained cheek. "Same could be said for you Maki-chan." He pointed out.
As for the others, well, it could easily be said that they remained out of the loop. The air of hostility was present and the two were happily fighting silently in it. The aggressiveness in their voices were clear. It was rare to see this from both parties, usually it was one-sided and yet this time…
"Well, I think I should check up on the others." The red haired male said before sharply turning around and then leaving the room in one swift motion leaving everyone practically stunned. Nozomi and Eri could clearly see the smirk on his face as he exited.
Maki went to the side and then sat down before staring up into the night sky which provided her the necessary elements to calm down. The three finally snapped back into reality. Hanayo hesitated to speak with the red haired female before making up her mind and approached her.
While the two third years quickly exited to follow Kei. It wasn't really that hard to pinpoint where he was. He was heading for the second years after all and his mutters of pain could be heard throughout the quiet halls of the school.
"A little consequence for something I've yearned for ever since our meeting." His voice echoed throughout the halls and reaching the two's ears. "Now if only she expressed that in words and not in physical slapping, I think it would've hurt more." He continued. He seemed to be talking to himself and he seemed to be talking about the incident.
Wait, what was he talking about?
"I didn't know that you were a masochist, Takamitsu-kun~" Nozomi mused as she and Eri neared his position.
Kei turned his head, his smirk still present. "Ah, but it isn't masochism Toujou-senpai. More like…" He snapped his fingers as he tried to think of the word. "I wanted for her to break out of her shell, get angry and release her emotions. That's what I think anyway." He then muttered something worriedly to himself but it couldn't be heard.
"Ah so you did it for Maki?" Eri asked, looking for any cracks. Might be a facade, he might be angry for real.
Kei nodded. "Yeah. I kinda do love her after all." He admitted with a nod, not a single blush on his face as he said it though.
"L-Love?" Eru stuttered out. "Quite a bold proclamation there Kei."
The red haired male seemed to have to process her reaction before coming to a conclusion as to why. "Oh! No, not that kind of love. Some sort of brotherly love I feel for her. We've known each other since we were children after all."
"You're quite close to her huh Takamitsu-kun~" Nozomi said with a smirk.
"Ne, can you two keep a secret?" Kei asked as he turned to the two with one finger over his lips. The sadness in his smile was unmistakable for anything else. Everything that seeped out of him made it seem like he was a much more tragic being that he lets off. The curiosity that he had planted within their minds made them promise not to tell any other soul about his little secret.
And to say that they were shocked… was an understatement.
"Setting up the posters took longer than I thought." Shun said as he sluggishly made his way back to the room. They had practically scoured the entire school building to put up the posters and they couldn't deny that it took way longer than they originally thought.
"I agree nya~" Rin nodded as she kept with the sluggish pace of Shun. It seemed like she had more energy than the male though. "But at least we're done~"
Then a sweet aroma filled the air and it was coming from the Home Ec room. "Smells like dinner to me." Reifu said.
The cat girl practically bounced off to the Home Economics room and Shun and Reifu followed suit. There they saw Nico and Kotori working side by side for the meals and Hanayo for the rice. Kotori was the first to notice the three. "Oh we're preparing dinner. The others are at the first year room." She told them.
Shun took a good sniff of the food from where he stood. "Wow~ That smells so good." He complimented.
"Of course! Yazawa Nico's the one making it after all! I am the best cook around!" Nico exclaimed and then pointed the ladle at Shun. "You better remember that." She said with a grin on her face.
For the first time since they all met, there was a hint of challenge in his eyes. "Do you want to bet on that?" The blue haired male asked as he ran his hand through his hair.
"Oh? Are you challenging me Sato-kun?" Nico asked as she crossed her arms and looked at the male who now wore a small smirk on his face. "Now I must say you would lose fairly quickly. Once they taste my Nico specialty meals, you'll know."
Reifu took to the closet to retrieve an apon. Can't cook without proper uniform. It would be viewed as unsanitary after all. "I hope you aren't all talk Yazawa-san." He said.
"Well, our dishes will decide that."
The two seemed to have ignited the flame of competition in each other. Shun hasn't seen Reifu get this riled up before and Nico seemed more pumped up than usual. It wasn't an unhealthy competition though. It seemed friendly enough.
"Kotori…" Nico called out to her ash gray haired friend. "Help the others prepare the plates. We'll handle the food."
Kotori agreed almost immediately. "Shun, you and the others should go."
"R-Right."
They all immediately rushed out of the room, feeling the two's heat. Their competition seemed intense and with what limited resources they had, it would be mighty interesting on who's going to win and what dishes they were going to make.
"Too intense." Shun sighed as he sat down at one of the chairs. The others had already arranged everything for their dinner so all that was left for the newcomers were to sit down with them. "Who knew Rei could get riled up like that?"
"It was a real surprise nya~" Rin said as she sat down besides Shun. "Nico-chan's the same too."
"Well as long as we get food, doesn't really matter now does it?" Maki said from her seat, her earlier mood seemed to have settled down. Probably because of the fact that the one who caused it was missing.
"Where's Takamitsu-kun?" Rin asked as she looked around only to find that he wasn't present.
Honoka shrugged. "No idea. When he went to check up on us, he told us to head here for dinner. Eri-chan and Nozomi-chan went with him though."
"Dinner's almost ready though." Kotori said before standing up. Before anyone could argue or go with her, she was already out of the room.
"Ah, alright, hurry senpai!" Was all Shun could say as she headed out of the door. Once that was over, they eased back into conversation.
Meanwhile, Kotori had been looking everywhere. She went from room to room with the last being the SC room but they weren't there. She was working her way up and now the only place where they could possibly be is the roof. She stopped to catch her breath for a moment and thought about it while she was at it. Why would they need to talk in such a secretive place? Why up in the roof if they could talk in the SC room? Was it because it was a secret that no one should hear?
The ash grey haired girl shook those thoughts out of her head. Even so, she was just going to tell them that dinner was ready. If she does it quick enough, she wouldn't be able to hear anything. She nodded to herself before heading to the roof. And she could already hear voices.
"So is that your secret? What do you gain from telling us that?" Eri asked, her arms crossed. Kotori froze behind the doorway. It was no use. Curiosity is such a powerful thing.
"Nothing really." Kei replied. "But it's just a precursor to what I'm about to tell you right now." He said, voice oddly serious.
Eri and Nozomi waited for what he was going to say as an unneeded pause was placed. Although it seems Kei was simply psyching himself up to say it.
"Maki-chan…" He started but stopped, as if reconsidering his words. But he shook his head and continued, "Maki-chan forgot everything from when she was born all the way to when she was five years old, just before she met me in the hospital."
This seemed to shock those who heard the news, including Kotori who let out a small meep. This was more than enough to give out her location given his synesthesia and his superior hearing. Kei looked at the door and recognized that sweet grey color from anywhere. "Kotori, isn't it bad to eavesdrop?"
Eri and Nozomi turned their heads to the door and Kotori opened it. She then bowed. "I'm sorry. I came here so I can tell you guys that dinner's almost ready. I didn't mean to eavesdrop."
Kei rubbed the back of his head. "Well I was going to tell you sooner or later. I'm sure you haven't heard the whole story. I'll tell you another time." He said before walking to Kotori and then tapping her shoulder. He then placed both his hands behind his head. "Come on, man, I'm starving!"
And just like that, he was back to normal.
"Seriously, why did he have to tell all of that?" Eri asked as she walked besides Nozomi. "Was there something special in us for us to know about that?"
"Probably not." Nozomi replied before looking at the blonde. "But maybe because you two have known each other for quite a while and Maki-chan's a mutual friend… maybe he felt obligated to tell you."
"Then he should've told it to everyone."
"But you're the one who knew him for three, four months now. That's a pretty long time you know?" Nozomi pointed out.
Eri couldn't find anything to respond. They reached the room and they could already hear the cheers from the inside signalling that the food was there. "Oh and…" Kei said before looking at the three. "Even Maki-chan doesn't know of this. It never escaped the two families so I'm afraid you have to keep it as a big secret. Don't ask her about her past… it might have some… consequences."
He then entered and joined in on the merriment, saying sorry for his sudden disappearance. Kotori soon followed, snapping out of it rather quickly. The other two weren't able to switch gears as quickly. What did he mean by Maki not knowing that she, herself, had amnesia and on top of that, they can't mention it around her.
What kind of life did she live in anyway? For the past year, they really did feel that they got to know Maki better. She was that cool-headed princess who is stubborn and doesn't like to show off her feelings but otherwise helpful. They got to know about her family and her life.
But how much did she know? From the looks of it, Kei knows more than she does.
"Eri-chan, Nozomi-chan, aren't you going to eat?" Honoka asked as she popped her head out of the room to see them standing there. "The food's ready and we're about to dig in. It looks delicious!"
"Huh? Oh, right." Eri said before looking at Nozomi who just nodded and then went inside.
And the food on the table was no joke. Sure, it just seemed like plain curry, some miso soup and other food placed together in a feeble attempt to make it more than just a regular meal, but the smell blending with each other made it mouth watering. They only used the ingredients given to them too and that was so little. To think they could do all of that, Reifu and Nico really do have cooking under their belts.
"We'll let you guys decide who's the better cook." Reifu said. "The curry served with the blue marking on the side is mine while the red marking is Yazawa-senpai's."
"We couldn't make two curries for each one so you better share." Nico pointed out. The two had changed out of their aprons too and look just about ready to eat dinner.
The others looked at each other before taking a bite of Reifu's curry. "Delicious." Umi said. "It's the perfect blend of sweet and spicy with this one. The texture's not too bad either. You can practically eat the whole thing without getting bored of the taste."
Next one was Nico's. "Harasho." Eri muttered. "You can imagine how delicate Nico was when she was making this. The ingredients mix well enough and gives your mouth a pleasing ride when you eat it."
Honoka pouted as she sat back down. "I can't decide which is better!"
"Neither can I." Kotori added.
"I'd have to say. Both are pretty good." Shun continued. The others chorused their agreement as well.
Nico and Reifu looked at each other before taking a bite of the other's cooking. "Hm… tastes good." Reifu said.
"I-I must say. This does taste delicious, I'll give you that Refiu." Nico said as she crossed her arms and looked at him. She had even started calling him informally.
"I'd rather call this a tie Nico-senpai." He said and they shook hands. They seemed to find a whole new kind of respect for the other.
Shun then said, "The height difference is real though."
And everyone just burst out in laughter. Nico got angry but soon calmed down while Reifu let out a chuckle.
"Without further ado!"
"Thank you for the meal!"
They started to dig in. The food tasted amazing. They could just taste the effort Reifu and Nico placed in it. It was also enjoyable because they were eating with friends. They started exchanging stories about their lives. It was all the more enjoyable to tell because of the three boys who made it all the more interesting. The girls already talked with each other in the months that they have been with but these three were new, and they bore fresh new stories for them. And the boys didn't end up with the short stick either. Admittedly, most of their lives were spent inside an all boy's school starting from middle school (elementary for Kei) so talking with a bunch of girls was surely a ride.
"You started in an exclusive school for elementary Takamitsu-kun?" Honoka asked. "I think you're the only one who never went through a co-ed school."
"Sad but true." Kei said. "But come on, you have to admit, my position allows me to meet with more girls you know. Rich and foreign girls." He continued with a grin.
"But aren't they way out of your league as they're older than you?" Eri asked and Kei froze and let out a nervous chuckle. "Seems like I was right."
"Well, it… yeah…" Kei didn't even put up a fight anymore.
Shun looked at Maki and saw that she wasn't quite in the mood for merrymaking for some reason. She would certainly laugh but sometimes she wouldn't react. "Hey…" He said and everyone turned their attentions to Shun. "You guys wanna go to my house at Okinawa? My parents have been dying to see me and my friends so I thought maybe you guys are interested?" He suggested before shaking his head. "Nah, you guys won't-"
"We'll see your parents again Shun?" Hanayo said. She then smiled. "I'll be more than happy to go. I haven't seen Emi and Seth for a while now too, I wonder how they're doing."
"Going to Shu-kun's house is so much fun! His parents give us a lot of food because they own this really big sweet potato farm. It's really cool!" Rin exclaimed as she spread out her arms just to emphasize the size of their land.
"It does lack a lot of technological things." Reifu said, now citing the bad things. "They do not have a cooling unit, despite Okinawa's heat, and it is very hard to get a signal out there. They only have one computer and the nearest computer shop is miles away in the town."
"Basically, it's the countryside." Shun continued. "Most don't really want to go since it's pretty far and too detached from civilization."
"Oh but don't worry!" Rin exclaimed. "For a countryside cabin, the family itself is quite in touch with both nature and technology!"
"Sounds good to me!" Honoka exclaimed. "I have to ask permission and this is Okinawa that we're talking about but summer break will just be the time where they'd allow me to do anything!"
"Well we would be done with entrance exams by then." Eri nodded before looking at Nico and Nozomi who seemed to agree. "We're in."
"Is your house big enough to accommodate all of us?" Umi asked as she looked at the brown haired boy.
Shun nodded, shyly this time. "Well… it's a pretty traditional Japanese house and…"
"I have a picture right here." Hanayo said as she scrolled through her phone before pointing the screen at the others. Large house was an understatement. It was a traditional Japanese mansion. Five figures were in front. It was Shun, a younger looking girl with a lighter colored brown hair, an even younger looking boy with the same dark brown hair as Shun. Behind the three were their parents, a black haired mother and a brown haired father.
It was large. It was only a picture of the main gate and it still extends out of the screen so it must mean that it could handle such quantity.
"I was never informed that you were a rich boy Shun!" Kei exclaimed. His family may have had dealings in far off countries but as far as he knew, they had never dealt with people in Okinawa as they were stubborn and didn't want his father controlling their money. "From what I always hear from you, you barely get enough allowance for the month."
Shun rubbed the back of his head. "Well I never said that they do give me enough allowance." He said. "But I guess if I try to raise the bar a little, I might get some extra." He then chuckled. "The main reason why I started here, away from them, was because I wanted to be a little independent so I don't want to become dependent on them when it came to money."
"Wow, Katanashi-kun, you're a pretty responsible teen." Maki said before nodding towards Kei. "You won't see that boy like that anytime soon."
"Hey!" Kei said before smirking. "That's true, at least a little bit." He continued before leaning further back to the back of his chair, making himself comfortable. "Well technically, you're the same princess."
"You say that now, let's see how you fare in the future." Maki challenged.
"Oh? Is this a challenge I hear." Kei then grinned. "You're on. Getting your college degree is a pain so I'll wait 15 years. In 15 years, whoever is richer wins."
"You know, normal people don't usually bet like that." Shun pointed out. "They'd usually bet about grades, not something 15 years from now."
Kei shook his head. "You don't understand, my friend. Whoever wins this game, isn't just going to get some boasting rights, although it does come with the package." He said.
"So what are we waging on here?" Maki asked.
Kei took off his gold pendant that was usually hidden under his clothing and placed it on the table. "I'll wager this. Inside is some pretty sensitive information about me so I think it's worth something. Oh and this is pure gold so it's more valuable than it looks. How about you?"
Maki reached into her pocket and then showed a ring with diamond embedded to it and placed it on the table. "This is a family heirloom, passed down from one generation to the next. This is real silver and diamond."
"Deal." And it was closed when they shook hands. Everyone looked at what they wagered.
"If I didn't know better, I would think that you two are just flaunting your richness at us…" Shun muttered as Maki and Kei retrieved their items.
"Eh but you do know better." Kei said with a shrug.
Suddenly Honoka yawned pretty loudly and she covered her mouth with her hand. "Ah, I feel sleep~" She said before sluggishly standing up. "I'm gonna head to bed~"
"If you sleep right after you eat, you'll become a cow." Umi pointed out.
"You sound like my mom." Honoka pouted as she reached the door.
"Didn't we already have this conversation?" Honoka continued out of the door. "Oi, Honoka! At least clean your own plates!" Umi said.
Kotori giggled. "Don't worry Umi-chan, we'll do it."
"Kotori, you're spoiling her…" Umi said with a sigh.
"Is this how you girls have a sleepover?" Reifu asked as he started collecting plates to be placed later on the sink. "Interesting."
"You know Reifu, I don't think normal sleepovers are like this." Nozomi pointed out to inform the male.
"Well anyway, Kei, can you set up our room? We'll take care of the dishes." Shun said as he looked at the red haired male who was already heading for the door.
"Roger that."
The other girls, except Kotori who decided to help with the clean up, went back to their respective rooms. "You know we could do this ourselves, Minami-senpai." Shun said as he started to wash the plates on the sink. Reifu was out at the dining table, cleaning it up and placing it to its respective places.
"I can't leave it all to you, you know?" Kotori replied with a smile on her face as she washed beside him.
"I can really see how you became the Legendary Akiba Maid." Shun admitted as he blushed slightly under Kotori's smile. "You're kind and beautiful." He continued.
Kotori blushed at the compliments. "Oi, oi, I thought you liked Nishikino-san…" Reifu's voice came from the doorway.
Shun blushed madly and then looked at Reifu, almost dropping the plate the he was holding. "H-H-How did you-"
"You like Maki-chan, Shun?" Kotori asked from the side, blush already faded and her eyes now filled with curiosity.
"I give up…" Shun muttered before turning back to the sink to continue washing, his blush still very visible.
"Well it was only a matter of time for him to fall in love with Nishikino-san." Reifu said as he leaned on the wall. "If you look at it real close, Shun really did feel attracted to Nishikino-san. Well she is a natural beauty, I can't deny that. Any normal boy would find themselves falling for her you know…"
Kotori nodded. "I think so too. I've heard from some Amagiri students about the cold hearted beauty, the heiress of the Nishikino hospitals, the composer of Muse, Nishikino Maki." She said.
"So many titles for one girl." Reifu said. "But I expect no less from Nishikino-san. Oh and you've gotten silent Shun. You haven't answered Minami-senpai yet."
"Fine! I like her alright." Shun said before placing the dishes to dry on the side. "But don't tell anyone alright?"
"We wouldn't even dream of it." Kotori reassured him. "But Maki-chan's…" She muttered and then Shun looked at her but then she shook her head dismissively. "Nevermind."
"Hey what were you going to say?" Shun asked, almost pleadingly.
Kotori giggled and then headed for the door. "It's nothing~" She said before closing the door and then heading for her room.
Shun sighed. "Boy, I'm nervous as heck." He said, placing a hand over his heart. "I'm gonna tell her tomorrow after all." He said with a small smile on his face.
"Tomorrow?" Reifu muttered, hiding the shock and worry in a stoic face. Rin was planning to do so tomorrow as well. Tomorrow was quite a complicated day. "Ah, did you know that Minami-senpai's birthday was tomorrow?"
Shun looked at Reifu, shock written all over his face. "Really? We've gotta bring her a present!"
"I'll handle that. You just focus on tomorrow." Reifu said before patting his shoulder and then leaving.
"Right." Shun said with a nod before going off himself.
"Shun."
"Yes?"
"Better prepare for unforeseen events." Reifu warned before waving his hand leaving the brown haired male dumbfounded.
"Oh tomorrow's your Cultural Festival right?" It was spoken in pure english, like it was straight out of an American. "I wanted to go there but unfortunately we have business here. It is the very first festival where you and Maki worked together."
The night's breeze was cold to the skin but it did nothing to the red haired male who was leaning on the fence on the rooftop. "It would've been nice to have you two here. Maki would be thrilled to see you again."
"My, she must miss us. It's been 5 years after all."
"Yeah, unlike me, she doesn't go to America at all." Kei said. "And you two don't visit at all."
"Well forgive us for being too busy. You're not the only one with the burden of being the next in line for a business."
"Hey, Alexavier is the next in line. Cassandra, you're free to do anything."
"My, calling us by our names is rare for you to do Kei." Some other people speak in the background causing the other's attention to be divided. "Ah, seems I'm off. Until next time."
"Bye." Kei said before separating the phone from his ear. "But seriously, I hoped to speak with Alex about that certain something." He muttered before sliding the phone into his pocket and leaving the rooftop. He rubbed the back of his head. "It's gonna pose a big problem on what's to come."
Kei knocked on the girls' door before opening it. Everyone seemed to have settled into the classroom but they seemed to be busy with something. Well, Umi herself was already asleep so they seemed to be whispering. "We're locking up for the night. You have your key right?" He asked.
"It's with me." Honoka said, raising her hand. She then stood up and then headed for the door. "Good night, Takamitsu-kun."
Kei nodded. "G'night. Let's hope nothing bad happens tonight~" He said with a mischievous smile.
"You better not have a master key to sneak in Kei." Maki warned, sending a glare towards him. "That would be extremely unpleasant."
"Even if you check everything on me, I don't have a master key. It's what father." Kei reassured them. "Well then, sleep tight."
"Will you be able to sleep though?" Came Eri's question.
Kei shrugged. "Who knows." He then waved and went back to their room.
Honoka waved back and then locked the door, the key safely tucked in her pajamas' pocket. "What do you mean by that question Eri-chan?"
"You see, because of his medicines, he sometimes gets insomnia." Eri explained. "It doesn't usually bother him but by this time, it would be his fifth day in a row…"
"Oh? You know a lot about Takamitsu-kun~" Nozomi teased before nudging her blonde haired best friend. "Are you sure you're not dating?"
Eri blushed. "O-Of course not." She replied. "He's just been working with me all this time so we sometimes call each other at night."
"And the truth reveals itself." Nico said. Now the Muse's attention was all on the blonde. "So you do contact each other…"
"It's only to talk about the Cultural Festival though…"
"Eh? But you just said that it would be his fifth night not sleeping." Honoka said. "Then that means you've been talking with him for five nights in the a row!"
Kotori covered her ginger haired friend's mouth. "Shh, you might wake Umi-chan." Honoka merely gave an apologetic nod.
"Well, it's been pretty hectic so we needed to survey every night." Eri admitted. "I wanted to stay up too but I just couldn't."
Maki let out a long "Hm…" She then looked at the others. "So that's why he keeps on nodding off at the most unusual places. I saw him sleeping under a tree, on the bench, on the tree branch, under a desk, inside the storage room, in the gazzeebo, and some other places."
"I'm more worried on why he fell asleep there though…" Kotori said. "But then again, Taka-kun is weird… on another level."
"Do they know that I can completely hear them?" Kei muttered to himself. The boys were stationed on the next room to the right and he placed himself near the wall. The wall itself was thin so he could hear them conversing and so do the other boys.
"I didn't know you were so close with the girls." Shun said. He sat cross legged over his futon while his pillow was on his lap.
"I just happen to know three of them." Kei replied. "Now you two should get some sleep. I'll follow soon after." He said before leaning back onto the wall behind him. "You have a big day ahead of you. And it's not the Cultural Festival. Good luck." He said with a thumbs up.
Shun chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, blush once more visible on his face. "Thanks. Good night." He said with a smile before tucking himself in the futon. It wasn't look 'till he was snoozing.
"It won't be hard to confess. It'd be hard to be confessed to when you're in love with another." He muttered. "You'd need all the luck in the world to get through this day without regretting anything Shun." He continued, knowing that Shun won't hear him.
"You know about it too?" Reifu asked as he looked at his school's student council president.
"Well, she did set up an alarm for it on her phone." Kei replied and followed it with a nervous chuckle. "But anyway, do you think Shun can handle himself well? I've never seen a love triangle develop so fast in real life. I've only seen it in stories and we're definitely not in one."
"Or are we?" Reifu asked before looking at Kei seriously.
"I thought we weren't allowed to break the fourth wall." Kei pointed out. "I mean sure we're in a story and all but-"
"What are you talking about kaichou?" Reifu asked. "I only meant that each one of our lives is like a book, each with its own story. However, we write the next page."
"Oh…"
"What were you getting at anyway?"
"Nothing." He followed up quickly. "Now come on, sleep." Kei himself went on under the futo's blanket and tried to sleep tight.
Reifu nodded before settling himself under the blanket. He could still hear the girls awake though.
"Shouldn't we sleep by now?"
"It's still early you know?"
"Wanna have a pillowfight?"
"Remember what happened when we last did that while Umi-chan was sleeping?"
"I can never forget those pillows that travel at mach speed…"
"Good point… but I'm not even sleepy~"
"Says the girl who was yawning after dinner earlier."
"Oi… why are you still awake? We have a big day after this."
"Awawawa, Umi-chan, w-we'll go to sleep!"
It was soon followed by some odd noises like someone was knocking them out making Reifu a little worried. He stood up and then sat near the wall. He knocked a few times, sure that it would be heard on the other side. "Are you girls fine on that side?"
"Ah, Reifu-kun. Yes we're fine." Nozomi's voice came. "Umi-chan just started knocking people out. We managed to put her back to sleep though."
"Sounds dangerous to be around her…"
"Really? I think it's fun." Nozomi said with a light giggle.
"Your fun and mine aren't the same I see." Reifu simply replied. "Who's left standing?"
"Eri-chi, Kotori-chan, Maki-chan, and Hanayo-chan." Nozomi replied. "They're all preparing for bed though. After that, it would be best if we did go to sleep."
"I can only imagine what happened." The blue haired male said. "Well as long as you guys are alright then I suppose I'll go back to sleep. G'night Nozomi." He said before following it up with a single knock. He then slid into his futon to sleep.
Tomorrow is the Cultural Festival. Four days until Eri steps down.
A/N: Alright, hasn't been a month yet, but it was close and I've been able to make this pre-Cultural Festival chapter.
Gaelic Quill: Now here's a long review. Well can I just pass it off as... "feelings of an adolescent boy is complicated and there are many things they don't understand and sometimes just jump the gun"? Anyway, thanks for reading and enjoying the story.
pep guardiola: Er, I don't think I qualify as one of the people who can look to as a representative for humanity...
TsUNaMyWaVe: I'd like to see who you would pick in the following chapters.
