Notes: I might've screwed up the timeline a bit and accidentally made Kei the same age as Class 3-E. Turns out, she's still a 2nd year during the Devoted Hearts Festival and a 3rd year by the time Miyuki and Kaguya are in their 3rd year as well... So...

I'm gonna have to amend/retcon certain lines between Kei and Isogai during that one chapter, but it's nothing major, so y'all can go ahead and read on.

December 17, 2016 (Saturday)

In the air in front of Isogai is Sugaya, his greater reach got him to nab the kites Isogai missed.

"Yo, leader," he hears Nakamura call out from behind him, turning around to see the entire 3-E group with kites in their hands. Out of the corner of his vision, Sara huddled beside her twin brother behind the dunk tank booth.

"You dropped your vest," Kataoka says as she walks forward from the group and pats the dust off Isogai's green vest before handing it to him.

This was not how Isogai imagined it when he said he'll kneel down in front of the one he'll marry in the future. But looking at the calmness and trust in her eyes, Isogai admitted to himself that maybe this isn't too far off.

"Heh. Thanks," Isogai says as he stands up to take his vest and wear it, "glad to see everybody got the message. Now then… Let's go save a school!"

With that as his battle cry, the rest rallied behind him and started scattering about collecting the kites and handling the platforms, with priorities from Isogai's occasional directions.

*cue AnKyou's OST - Koro-sensei wo Yattsukero*

"Now look at him, so smug and all with the class behind him," Maehara comments lightheartedly, "let's go, senpai!"

Miyuki watches everyone spectacularly performing parkour around him. He now has seen the entire group on display, students leaping up and about with some even attempting to disassemble the tents and roofs of other booths.

The suspension of disbelief is only accentuated by the fact that all of Isogai's classmates are proactively carrying out what Isogai can't do by himself. Miyuki wouldn't -no, couldn't, imagine the same in his case.

Teamwork is a rare commodity in Shuchiin Academy, where Miyuki has to single-handedly kick down all competition and repeatedly fend off against the academic (and romantic) onslaught of one Kaguya Shinomiya… All to be recognized and listened to what he says or proposes to the student body. But to say that they can pull off something just like this under his leadership is a bit much to ask.

To be capable of doing everything alone has been his drive. Still though, Miyuki would be lying if he said he didn't want a moment like this.

And heck, why can't he have a moment like this?

So, gathering up his courage, he runs up to Isogai and shouts, "Isogai-kun!"

"Shirogane-senpai?"

"I can help! What do you need me to do?"

"Senpai…" Isogai says, before cracking a wide smile, "Thank you! I could use someone who can coordinate with my classmates on the other side."

"Leave it to me!" Miyuki says, running off.

And so began two leaders taking hold of the entire field together.

"I see a stray!"
"Sugaya-kun! I need help over here!"
"Alright! Everyone! Onto the next tent!"
"I need someone to hold the lines, I'm going to tie this up now!"

Amidst all this, a chuckling Korosensei watches from a distance, in his tentacles are several kites -most of which are ones that should've flown past the school campus and out into the city streets, and a good number of broken nuts, bolts, and screws in a plastic bag.

"Ah~ It looks like someone is getting along with everyone quite nicely despite the earlier setback. Guess a little mix of competition and cooperation isn't so bad after all, nyurufufufu~"

But the day itself isn't going to be done just like this.

CREAK!

"Nyu?" Korosensei looks back down.

Isogai perks up at the sound of groaning as he turns his head to the source, a metal beam buckles and starts falling towards his younger brother and sister.

"SORA! SARA!" Isogai shouts, rushing forward.

Each step feels more dangerous and yet more important than the last as he runs closer to his siblings. The looming presence of death threatens to take his siblings.

Just like death has taken his father away from him.

The growing guilt will crawl its way into his heart if he fails to save them in time. Try as he might, he won't make it.

Suddenly, amidst the chaos, a much closer blur of white zoomed to where Isogai's siblings were and was carrying them out of the way hastily. But the debris started blocking even more of Isogai's view.

"KEI!" Isogai hears Miyuki screaming out.

One blink later, an even faster flash of yellow brought all of them even farther from harm. Just slightly, not-so-suspiciously farther. The crashing objects finally rattling about and kicking up loose dust garners everyone's attention. To the ordinary witnesses, it would look like Isogai was a few steps short from grabbing his siblings and sheltering them from the falling debris, costing him his health if he manages.

The wreckage kicks up a variety of dirt and dust, eliciting coughs and temporary blindness from most of the cast.

Kei slowly relaxes her tightly-shut eyes before peeking with one eye to see that she and the two Isogais just barely made it out of danger judging by her feet slightly lodged in between the criss-crossing debris behind her. It's nearly unbelievable.

That was close…

Opening both of her eyes and letting go of her hug on the twins, she glances down to see them coughing and wiping their faces, but are otherwise unharmed.

Kei sighs in relief before asking just to be sure, "are you two okay?"

"Yes."
"We're okay, nee-san."

Nodding in acknowledgment, she continues looking around to see a bunch of running 3-E students towards them from her right and Korosensei coming in from her left.

"Shirogane-san, are you okay?" Korosensei asks Kei as everyone else huddles around them all.

She stands up only to feel a slight ache around her abdomen, as if it was slightly squeezed at some instant in between all the falling debris, but other than that, she's okay.

How weird… I can't believe I came out unsca-!

"Ano… Shirogane-san, your arm," Kurahashi points out Kei's right forearm, a scraped region bleeding just beside her elbow.

Ah, nevermind, guess I got my hopes up, should've expected this.

With the andrenaline subsiding, Isogai and Miyuki collapse onto the ground, panting their lungs out as they regain their strength from the entire thing. Miyuki due to engaging in a physical activity this strenuous, while Isogai was recovering from a potential trauma that nearly implanted itself onto him.

"As expected, senpai, you're amazing," Isogai congratulates.

"You too, Isogai, I didn't know you can actually handle this," Miyuki admits.

"Well… I wasn't alone, that's all I can say," Isogai modestly replies.

As if on cue, two water bottles are being handed out in front of them. Looking up, it was Kataoka.

"Good work, you two," she simply says.

"Thank you, Kataoka," Isogai gladly responds while Miyuki gives a silent nod.

Sitting upright, they grab one from each hand and immediately open it before downing the water.

"Min'na! Shirogane-san is injured!" A voice shouts in the distance, garnering the trio's attention.

Isogai instinctively pulls out something from his pocket, small packets of what Miyuki later identifies as band-aid patches for kids if the elephant, ladybug, and lion designs are any indication.

Miyuki remembered his earlier question that went unanswered due to the crisis, "say, Isogai. This might not be the right time to ask, but what do you think about me? About my sister?"

*cue LiW's OST: Oretachi no Monogatari*

"You both have similar eyes. And not just because they're blue…"

Isogai can still recall the tired blue eyes that confirmed Isogai's early doubts about Kei being related to Miyuki simply through surnames during that night. The empathy still runs strong in him up until now.

"Then how so?"

Isogai takes a moment to form his thoughts before answering, "I may not know much, but I think you two would be proud of each other… She might have picked up a lot from you."

He swallows before continuing, "graceful, strong -maybe snarky and stingy… But sincere, and selfless…" Isogai hands Miyuki the kiddie band-aid patch, "from one older brother to another, I think that means something personally special."

Miyuki stares deep into Isogai's eyes as if examining his soul, dissecting the genuity behind his words.

But a link of sympathy will almost always be shared between one eldest child and another, it's instinct to understand each other's responsibilities and perspectives.

Fully accepting the answer, he exhales and grabs a pad from him before walking towards Kei, every other class E member slowly backs away upon seeing Miyuki approach his sister.

Both Shirogane siblings have yet to say a word while Miyuki unwraps the band-aid.

Miyuki was the first to break the silence as he cleaned and tended to Kei's wound, "that was dangerous, you know?"

"What was I supposed to do? Let a building crush two innocent kids?"
"Just saying… You gotta watch where you're going as well."

"…"
"… I know…"
"Still, that was impressive. Didn't know you were a fast runner."
"Thanks. You actually stopped a crisis… Most of it."
"Oi… But thanks."

Isogai runs towards his younger siblings and pulls them into a bear hug, after letting them go, he approaches Korosensei with a knowing grin, to which the latter responds with his signature laugh.

"As fast as you are, I'm surprised Shirogane-san still got wounded," Isogai comments.

"These two are surprisingly perceptive and talented for non-assassins! They'll find it very suspicious if she came out spotless!" Korosensei whispers with incredible nervousness, as if he was trying to sneak a cookie from a jar late at night.

Meanwhile, while that is happening, the rest of Class 3-E has celebrated this small, but amazing victory today and calmed down enough to start a multitude of individual conversations.

But not everyone had settled just yet.

Miyuki has just recently considered one last thing, something he never actually thought that much in the first place… But with his magnum opus of a plan set to take place during the Devoted Heart Festival, as well as what that would mean in a few months… He's finally gotten a chance to bring everything to an even bigger full circle.

He's found a potential successor.