Wednesday Morning (November 6, 2019)

Akito Sato is woken up by a loud knocking at his door. He looks at his alarm clock: Five minutes before it is supposed to go off. Of course.

Akito reluctantly gets out of bed and puts a shirt on before leaving his room. He nearly falls down the steps, but manages to safely walk down before walking over to the door.

"Who is it..?" Leo asks from the couch, woken up by the knocking as well.

"Bout to check..." Akito yawns before he opens the door. Sayori stands there, wide awake.

"Hi!" Sayori greets happily. Akito grumbles as he rubs his ears before letting Sayori in. "Why is Leo here? Also, why aren't you guys dressed?"

"Date night for parents..." Leo mumbles as he closes his eyes again, tired.

"Sayori, do you know what time it is?" Akito slightly glares as he asks.

"Time for school..?" Sayori looks confused as Akito shakes his head. Sayori checks her phone. "Ah...I'm thirty minutes early... Huh..."

"Yeah. You woke me up thirty minutes early." Akito deadpans.

"...Can I have something to eat?" Sayori smiles innocently. Akito sighs and points to the kitchen, which Sayori rushes to. Akito stumbles over to the couch and sits at the end, forcing Leo to sit up.

"Sometimes I wonder why I even bother buying food if Sayori is gonna be the one to eat it." Akito rubs his eyes tiredly.

"That sucks." Leo yawns. "Why'd she wake us up so early..."

"Cause she hates us." Akito jokes.

"Impossible. She's incapable of hatred." Leo scoffs.

"Stop talking about me!" Sayori screams from the kitchen, rummaging through Akito's refrigerator like a cute raccoon.

"Check his cabinets!" Leo yells back, causing a rustling to be heard from the kitchen.

"Goddammit..." Akito sighs. "She's gonna find my-"

"Cookies!" Sayori screeches happily.

"I was saving those for myself." Akito rubs his temples.

"That sucks, bruv." Leo shrugs.

"Please leave me some cookies, Sayori." Akito asks.

"What cookies?" Sayori giggles.


School

Akito, Leo, and Sayori arrive at the school. Like usual, Monika rushes over with two cups of coffee and hands one to Sayori.

"How are you today, lovelies?" Monika asks the three.

"Great! I got cookies!" Sayori smiles brightly.

"Bad. Sayori ate my cookies." Akito mumbles, cranky.

"Worse. Sayori woke us up early." Leo grumbles.

"You two are in a bad mood I'm guessing." Monika takes a step away from Akito and Leo.

"They are just tired." Sayori waves her hand carelessly.

"Gee, I wonder why." Leo says in a breathy voice. Akito is about to comment when he notices Natsuki approaching. She walks straight up to him.

"Bend down." Natsuki commands.

"Excuse me?" Both Akito and Leo respond, eyes wide. Natsuki glares at both.

"Lean down." Natsuki rephrases as her eye twitches. Akito leans down and Natsuki looks over his face. "Your black eye is starting to heal."

"Cool." Akito replies, blushing. Natsuki notices this and gently pushes his head back up so that he is standing straight again.

"Why do you two look like shit?" Natsuki asks, staring at Akito and Leo.

"My dearest annoyance woke us up early." Leo says, using a breathy voice again.

"I'm annoying..?" Sayori repeats, looking concerned.

"No, Sayori. I'm just tired." Leo sighs. "You are fine, pumpkin." He pats her on the head and she smiles and giggles adorably.

"Try not to wake us up early anymore, though." Akito rubs his eyes, still tired.

"It was only thirty minutes." Sayori slaps the air.

"Thirty minutes is just enough to destroy our sleep schedules." Akito responds.

"I need my beauty sleep." Leo informs.

"Beauty sleep?" Natsuki scrunches up her face as she stares at Leo. "Man, you need a coma."

"Nattie, ya should feel lucky that I'm tired. For once, I can't tell just how stupid your face is because I'm that tired." Leo turns and walks away. "I'm takin' a nap...or ditchin' school. I don't know which one yet."

"What a bad influence!" Natsuki calls after him.

"Hahahaha good!" Leo responds mockingly, still walking away.

"Come, dummy. Let's talk." Natsuki grabs Akito's wrist and starts pulling him away from Monika and Sayori.

"Oh god! Help me!" Akito jokingly begs. Natsuki leads him away from everyone. "What's up?"

"So I asked my Papa about Christmas." Natsuki informs.

"Oh? What did he say?" Akito crosses his arms as he asks.

"Well, he didn't want to go, but he said I could go, so long as I mind my manners and I did some extra chores before and after." Natsuki smiles.

"Well, that's pretty cool. That begs the question: Do you want to go?" Akito raises an eyebrow. "Because it's up to you. I don't want you to feel like you have to go."

"Yeah, Akito. I want to go. I want to meet your family." Natsuki nods.

"I feel the same way. I want to meet your dad." Akito smiles at her. Natsuki's face tenses up.

"Yeah... Yeah...that'd be cool..." Natsuki turns away. Akito places a loving hand on her right shoulder, but Natsuki winces in response, almost out of...pain? Akito quickly removes his hand.

"Are you okay?" Akito questions, concerned.

"Y-yeah... I just...slept on it funny." Natsuki informs, giving Akito a feint smile. Akito hesitantly nods.

"Be careful, alright?" Akito whispers.

"Says the guy with the black eye." Natsuki smirks before the morning bell rings. "Let's go, dummy."


Lunch

Lunch is going great. Akito and Ikki have amused expressions while Monika, Sayori, Yuri, and Tamiko look concerned. Why are they amused and/or concerned? Because Natsuki and Leo are slowly starting a food fight against Daisuke and his goons. It started off small...

Leo threw a fry at Daisuke. Daisuke catapulted some mashed potatoes at Leo, but hit Natsuki. Natsuki threw her entire milk carton at Daisuke, but hit Hachiro. Hachiro took this as initiative to throw a hamburger at Natsuki, who narrowly dodged it. Now, Leo and Natsuki are...surprisingly...working together. One will watch for teachers while the other throws food. Leo just chucked his milk carton at Kentaro. The milk carton exploded on impact. As Daisuke throws a hamburger at Leo, Natsuki surprisingly pulls him out of the way.

"What the..?" Leo looks confused.

"If anyone is hitting you with food, it's me, asshole." Natsuki informs before grabbing a handful of mashed potatoes and throwing it at Daisuke, who narrowly dodges and hides under the table, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

"Hand me another hamburger." Daisuke commands and Kentaro hands him his hamburger. "All is fair in love and war." Daisuke mutters before standing up and hitting Akito in the back of the head with the hamburger.

"...Okay." Akito sighs. "How come whenever you two cause issues...I'm always getting attacked?"

"HOW DARE YOU?!" Natsuki screams as she tries to lunge for Daisuke, but Leo holds her back.

"Not now, Nattie! Casualties are a formality of war!" Leo yells as he holds Natsuki back.

"What is wrong with them..?" Akito asks as he looks confused.

"I worry about them." Monika informs.

"Do they think they are actually in battle?" Yuri questions.

"I'm going for Team Leo!" Sayori holds up a poorly made sign with a bad doodle of Leo's face on it.

"I sure hope so. Otherwise, you are betraying Leo." Tamiko informs.

"That would be a shock." Yuri mutters.

"Would be funny though." Tamiko smiles as Yuri nods softly.

"How much longer do you think Leo will be able to hold her?" Ikki asks Akito.

"I give it..." Akito scrunches up his face, thinking for a moment, "...five seconds?"

Three seconds later, Natsuki breaks free and leaps onto the table.

"AHHHHHH!" Natsuki lets out a war cry as she dives towards Daisuke and his boys.


Office

Natsuki, Leo, Daisuke, Hachiro, and Kentaro sit in the office. An old man steps out of the back office.

"Natsuki Izumi. Leonardo Price. Miss Kami is ready to see you." The man informs. He is the vice principal, Mr. Suzuki. He is a balding man with a portly physique. He also has little facial hair, having peach fuzz despite being in his sixties. Natsuki and Leo look at each other before entering the back office.

In the back office sits a desk and, behind it, a thirty year old woman. She has long brown hair in a long braid. She is wearing a suit. "I'm not surprised to see you here, Leo."

"Good to see ya too, Emi. How's the hubby?" Leo flashes his confident grin.

"He still doesn't exist." Miss Kami sighs.

"Have you tried tinder?" Leo teases.

"You keep me on my toes, Leo." Miss Kami shakes her head before looking at Natsuki. "This is only your fifth time in my office since you came to this school, but your second time this year. What's even more surprising is both times were food related."

"Daisuke antagonized me." Natsuki immediately says.

"You jumped off a table onto him." Miss Kami raises an unamused eyebrow.

"He hit Akito with a hamburger." Natsuki shrugs.

"Didn't you get sent here for the first time this year for throwing a milk carton at Mr. Sato?" Miss Kami continues to look unamused.

"That's my right as his girlfriend. I'm allowed to throw stuff at him. That's what love is." Natsuki replies.

"That's a red flag..." Leo says while stretching.

"Well, I'm already calling Leo's parents for this. I'm gonna call your father too, Natsuki." Miss Kami informs as Natsuki's eyes go wide.

"Wait, do you really have to? Can't I just get a slap on the wrist like last time?" Natsuki basically pleads.

"If this was your first offense, yes. Unfortunately, this is your second offense. I have to call parents. You are excused." Miss Kami waves her hand nonchalantly.

"But-" Natsuki tries to argue.

"Send in Daisuke, Hachiro, and Kentaro." Miss Kami interrupts. Natsuki sighs before her and Leo leave the office.


After School

Akito arrives at the clubroom and immediately notices Natsuki sitting underneath the windowsill, her head buried in her arms. He walks over and sits beside her.

"Are you okay?" He whispers. She slowly nods, but doesn't look up. "What's going on, Suki?" Akito nudges her gently. Natsuki slowly raises her head.

"Miss Kami called my Papa about what happened at lunch. I'm gonna be in trouble when I get home." Natsuki sighs.

"Would it make you feel better if we got ice cream after school?" Akito smiles at her.

"Well, I haven't gotten a text yet about losing my curfew, so sure. I'd love to get ice cream." Natsuki smiles back, but is still clearly bothered.

"Then once we get out, we'll walk over to the ice cream parlor. Afterwards, we can walk around the park or something." Akito suggests.

"That'd be nice, but I shouldn't waste too much time getting home." Natsuki's smile falls again.

"It's okay, Natsuki. I'm sure you won't be grounded for too long." Akito tries to cheer her up.

"Yeah... Grounded..." Natsuki lets out another sigh. Akito calmly places his hand on hers and, surprisingly, she rests her head on his shoulder.


Ice Cream Parlor

Akito and Natsuki sit at a table with milkshakes. Akito has a chocolate shake while Natsuki has a strawberry one. Natsuki is still very solemn as she barely sips on hers.

"Are you sure you're okay, Natsuki?" Akito asks, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I just need to get my mind off of my Papa." Natsuki informs.

"How's the new Parfait Girls?" Akito inquires.

"It's good so far." Natsuki smiles slightly. "I think you'll enjoy it."

"Oh yeah?" Akito raises his eyebrows, smiling as he does.

"Yes. It's good." Natsuki bluntly says.

Akito tries to think of something else to say.

"How are we getting to your dad's?" Natsuki questions.

"He is gonna come and pick us up on the 20th of next month." Akito informs. "Is that alright?"

"Yeah, fine with me. I'll probably start packing on the 18th then." Natsuki takes a sip from her milkshake before and after saying this.

"Alright."

"Anything I should know about your family?" Natsuki asks.

"Well, I haven't seen my dad in a long time and I know nothing about my half sibling." Akito replies. "I'm almost as blind as you in this."

"You are an idiot." Natsuki scoffs, causing Akito to laugh.

"But?" Akito smiles widely as he tries to get her to continue his sentence.

"But you are an idiot. I'm not playing your games, kid." Natsuki smirks.

"But..?" Akito tries again.

Natsuki sighs, "But you're my idiot. I guess I'm stuck with this."

"Thanks. I feel appreciated." Akito rolls his eyes and leans back.

"Good. That's the nicest I'm gonna be for the rest of the week." Natsuki laughs before taking another sip. "Do you think your dad will like me?"

"Yeah, I think he will. My mom always told me that I remind her of him and, well, I adore you." Akito smiles at her.

"Gross." Natsuki teases. "I hope he does. Might be awkward otherwise. Really awkward."

"I'm sure he will. You have nothing to worry about, Suki." Akito grins at her lovingly.

"Ahh..." Natsuki stares into his eyes and smiles as well, "I'll say it again, I love those ocean eyes."

"I love those..." Akito pauses, "I have no idea how to describe your eyes."

"Wow. Thanks." Natsuki blankly says.

"I guess the best way I can describe your eyes is...space. It's how I imagine galaxies look. Quite beautiful, honestly." Akito compliments.

"...Okay, I'll accept that and won't kill you." Natsuki jokes.

"So, do you think your dad will like me?" Akito parrots her question from earlier.

"Uhh..." Natsuki's eyes go wide and she immediately looks away. "Y-yeah... I think he'll, uhh...I think he'll like you."

"Are you okay?" Akito asks, concerned.

"Y-yeah. Just...nervous about meeting your family, Akito." Natsuki puts on a smile. Natsuki stands up. "I'm gonna head home."

"Want me to walk you-"

"No!" Natsuki quickly says, shocking Akito. "Not to be rude, but I don't want you to get caught up in me getting in trouble."

"Oh...okay. Well, I hope you don't get in too much trouble." Akito smiles softly. Natsuki nods in response.

"See you tomorrow, Aki." Natsuki waves as she walks away with her strawberry milkshake.


A/N: Hope you all enjoyed! Sorry I was a bit delayed on getting this out. Stay safe everyone! Please follow the proper safety procedures during this time! See you next time!