Side Story [Red] 1-2: Blade Shield
The next day…
Green eyes looked down at the can in his hand in slight surprise and wonder. He couldn't really help but do this every time he bought one of these things.
Georgia MAX Coffee
It wasn't some sort of derivative or a parody of the real thing. It was actually legitimate MAX Coffee.
'That ponders the question...' He opened the can and took a sip, wincing slightly at the overly sweet taste of the caffeinated drink. 'Does a certain romantic comedy exist here?'
The imagery of the main girls piloting the IS came to the forefront of his mind, and he nearly choked on his coffee at the thought of the peach-haired airhead toting a large gun.
"In a short while, a train bound for Tennozu Isle will arrive at platform one. Please wait behind the yellow line."
"Mu-kun, hurry up! Their train is about to arrive!"
Ryo hummed at the shorter woman, emptying the can in two long gulps before putting it in the recyclables. "Don't rush me. I was savoring some premium caffeine." He half-heartedly hissed, his stare only increasing the playfulness in the girl's demeanor. "Besides, they're not even here yet."
'He was right. The thing's sweet as hell.'
Tatenashi merely stuck her tongue out as she ran a hand through her dark-haired wig, placing the dark brown newsboy cap on afterward.
"I thought you would have been placated by the Wacnordo coffee you had during breakfast earlier." She faux-pouted, leaning against a pillar as they waited for their targets.
"Knowing me, you really think that was enough?"
The disguised bluenette opened her mouth to retort before pausing. Frowning to herself, she merely looked away.
He grunted as he stood beside her, crossing his arms as he patted his hoodie down. Their attire was discreet, and he was somewhat thankful for it as people barely gave him a second glance as they passed by. His partner, though, drew a fair amount of staring from the opposite sex which made him frown imperceptibly. Pulling his headphones out, he placed them over his ears and shuffled his playlist.
They stood in silence as they waited for their targets to arrive. Ryo nodded along to the beat while Tatenashi peeked from around the corner of the pillar they were hidden behind every now and then. Green eyes darted around, noting the futuristic electronics surrounding them, ranging from holographic billboards to hard light constructs that helped direct the foot traffic.
It seemed as if the whole of Tokyo was a bit more advanced than the rest, like, say, in Chiba or Saitama.
"Oh!"
Ryo sighed as Tatenashi grabbed his sleeve, shaking his headphones off as they rested around his neck.
"Come on, Mu-kun, stop dawdling, or else we might lose them~!"
"This is an abuse of power, and you know it, Kaichou." He groaned as she pulled him out from behind the pillar. Reluctantly, he put on his own pair of sunglasses and pulled out a black face mask to complete his 'disguise.'
A finger pressed itself against his covered lips, ceasing his grumblings as she gave him a vulpine grin. "Less complaining and more following! The sooner we catch up to them, the better the chances of blending in amidst the crowd!"
"Seriously now…" With an annoyed groan, he shook her hand off and rolled his eyes. "I'm not treating you, by the way."
"Aww, don't you want a date with me~?" She cooed, her cheeks flushing as she made an exaggeratedly lovestruck expression. "Are you really gonna miss out on a chance to kiss these lips~?"
"I'd hardly call this a proper date." He started trudging ahead of her only to stumble as she latched onto his left arm.
"Oi!"
Tatenashi only stuck out her tongue, purposefully letting his arm settle between her cleavage as they walked. "How about now~?"
Ryo let out a long, suffering sigh.
As they followed their targets, he noticed that he had gained a fair few looks from other teens. Mostly boys, as they gave rather obvious jealous stares when the disguised bluenette pressed herself against his side.
The Sarashiki Head was gorgeous, of course, even with her wig and disguise makeup. The fact that she rocked her outfit increased her appeal, and to an outsider looking in, Ryo was squandering that beauty by not paying attention to her.
'Dumbasses.' He grumbled in his mind as they entered Compass Town. 'She's not worth bothering if all you see is a pretty face and nice tits, you reprobates-.'
Poke~
Frowning, he looked down at her as she pressed a finger into his cheek.
"What?"
Tatenashi puffed her cheeks. "You had this dark look in your eyes. Care to share?"
Ryo turned his head away from her, staring ahead towards their targets in the distance.
"I'm just tired, is all..."
.
.
.
As someone that wasn't all that into mecha, the premise of Hathaway's Flare was somewhat confusing. It didn't help that the movie was apparently a sort of sequel to a previous title called 'Charlotte's Counterattack.'
'I think I remember Davion and Ephraim freaking out about something similar back in the first months we woke up here...'
"Charlotte— CHARLOTTE'S?! CHAR?! REALLY?!"
"Bwahahaha! Char's a pettan loli here!"
"FUCK OFF, DAVION, I'M ABOUT TO HAVE A STROKE-!"
"Hmmm."
Tatenashi was to his left, sneakily using her night-vision-equipped binoculars to spy on Davion and her little sister several rows further down. She was keeping relatively quiet so that they wouldn't attract the attention of the staff members, but that didn't stop her from squirming in excitement.
He merely sat back and watched the movie, as confusing as it was at times.
It only got worse as the movie became more and more Shoujo-esque.
'So Hathaway has PTSD, wants to get rid of the corruption within the Unified Earth Government, is a terrorist leader because of her wishes... and falls in love with an older woman who somewhat shares her goal but also is a high ranking officer of the UEG...huh?'
"Oh! They touched hands!" Tatenashi whispered to him as she zoomed in on her sister. "Mu-kun, they touched hands-!"
"Why does a terrorist get a redemption arc? Mufty killed a bunch of high-profile executives, and Noelle personally took down some of Colonel Kendra's men. Why does she get a redemption arc?" The courier muttered to himself, far too taken by the somewhat convoluted plot of Hathaway's Flare.
It didn't help that the feel of the film turned from being serious to an almost slapstick romance halfway.
'Is… Is this how it was, or is this some sort of bootleg version of the one I originally heard about... Questions for later.'
"Mu-kun~!" The disguised bluenette pouted at him.
Ryo grumbled as he placed a hand on her lips, leaning towards and then towering over her as his lips curled down in an unimpressed frown. "You wanted this to be like a date, right? Why not focus on us for a bit, let them have their fun while we have our own?"
More so because he was genuinely interested in this film more than he expected…
..!
His eyes flashed a second later as he realized the gravity of what he had just said.
'...Oh damn, I think I tripped a-'
If logic allowed it, Tatenashi's face would have brightened the whole room with its intensity. She gaped at him from behind his hand, the binoculars dropping to her lap from her numb fingers.
The courier realized his mistake when the 2nd year kissed his hand, pressing herself against his side as her hand cupped his other cheek. "Ara~ I didn't think you'd say something so bold, Ryo-kun~" Her muffled tone was heavy with feeling, and her eyes seemed to gleam in the darkness of the theater.
"I just wanted to watch the movie, ok?" He hissed, shuddering as her hot breath washed over his left ear. "I also don't want to get busted by the staff because of your antics..!"
"But I thought that you wanted a bit of our own 'fun', Ryo-kun~" She cooed, her lips brushing against his earlobe, causing him to shudder briefly. "Nobody would know...~" He jolted when her hand placed itself atop his thigh. "It's just us up here...all alone..~"
His enhanced hearing picked up the whispers and mutterings of the people a few rows down, causing him to glance over where they were at. Despite the darkness of the theater, he could see them turn their heads at the two of them in question, and he cursed as he tried his best to lean away from the provocative woman.
"Stop it, you-!"
The lights gradually turned back on, and Tatenashi suddenly hopped on his lap.
!
Eyes bulging, his mind immediately went into overdrive as an inexplicable sensation crawled its way up to his spine.
"Uh-oh. I think they're looking this way!" The disguised bluenette whispered, her voice immediately losing that teasing edge as she looked down at him from over her sunglasses. "You alright?"
"Was this really necessary?" He whispered, shutting his eyes as he gripped the armrests tightly while he tried his best to keep his sanity intact. White, jolting pain shot up his spine with each breath, causing him to tense his jaw rather hard.
"We were kinda noisy, and I needed a way to hide both of our faces." She admitted in an embarrassed lilt, a hint of a blush on her cheeks. "I didn't mean to uh..." Her hands cupped his cheeks, patting them softly in an attempt to ease his pain. "Sorry."
"How bold of the two..!" He could faintly hear a woman whisper amidst the ringing in his ears.
"Huh, remember when we did that before-?"
Smack!
"S-Shut up!"
"...the beam shield one? That would be so cool to..." Kanzashi's voice was faint, but there seemed to be no hint of suspicion.
"...IS have energy shields in the first place? Wouldn't the addition of an energy shield for you guys just be redundant and..." And so was Davion's voice, which he was thankful for. Having the mechanic's enhanced senses detect and bust them would have been a headache.
"Ah, you're right!"
Ryo took deep breaths, chest heaving as he tried to push back the…pain. He let out a long, drawn breath with a tense jaw and grit teeth as Tatenashi looked over her shoulder.
"...They're gone." She muttered, pushing her sunglasses down to reveal apologetic red eyes.
"Can you get off me now?" He whispered, his own shades skewed on his face, revealing his twitching right eyelid. "People are staring."
She sent him a teasing grin, though it was strained with clear apology. "Aww, but I was just getting comfortable~"
Scowling, he grabbed her by the waist, eliciting a surprised squeak from the bluenette.
"Kaichou. Off. Now." Ryo groaned as another cable holding his sensibility snapped. "I don't think I can hold back any longer."
"Okay, okay! I'm sorry, give me a moment..."
She slid off his lap, and he took this chance to curl up.
'I hate this world so damn much.'
He did his best to muffle the pained scream of having his balls be hopped on.
Since their targets were heading to the food court, Tatenashi had decided to pay him back for...what happened with a short shopping spree. She dragged him to StarryNight, a French-centric mall with some of the latest fashion trends.
"Kaichou, I don't have the least bit of sense in fashion." He grumbled as she sorted through a clothing aisle, pulling out unisex jackets and shirts. He did his best to hide the slight limp in his stride. "Not to mention, just looking at all these makes my wallet bleed."
The shorter woman merely waved his concerns away. "I'll cover most of the cost for your clothes if you do the same for mine, a fraction of it, at least." She turned her head and sent him a raised brow. "But if you're not a fashionista, then why do you have all those branded clothes that you wear on weekends?"
Ryo sighed as he idly picked out a high-collar jacket, frowning at the sight of the collar itself before placing it back on the rack. "I'm not the one who bought them. One of us just so happens to have a penchant for maintaining appearances and tried giving us fancy clothes in hopes of copying him—fuckingEphraim—," He cleared his throat to cover the curse. "I'm pretty sure that was just his roundabout way of giving us gifts, as tsundere as he is. Besides…" Running a hand through his hair, he looked around and at the price tags of the clothing on the racks. "Branded clothing isn't really for me. "
"Sahaku-san? A tsundere?" The bluenette now fully turned to him, her expression one of surprise. "We're talking about the same person, right? Sahaku, Male, Blonde, Purple eyes, polite for one moment and then caustic in the next, that Sahaku?"
"There's no other person. I lived and am still living with him. I would know." He deadpanned, pushing his sunglasses down to stare at her. "There's a lot of things we three don't show outside our own circle."
Tatenashi frowned, crossing her arm as she returned his stare. "Are you gonna show me something soon?"
"Good luck with that." He replied sarcastically as he went back to browsing clothes.
"Awww, and here I thought that we were finally making progress."
He paused, pursing his lips for a moment. "… We are." He shot back reluctantly, surprising her with the sincerity behind his words. "I- Us three just need some more time to get used to things."
The bluenette stared at him for a few more seconds before pressing further. "And how exactly have the two of us made progress?"
"I'm here, aren't I? Otherwise, I'd be off somewhere delivering stuff." The courier shrugged, lips set into a straight line. "I could've just said no yesterday and been done with it, but I didn't. If that's not progress, I don't know what is."
She blinked before she tapped her chin. "Huh... I'm... Thanks." The 2nd year shook her head slowly. "I really don't know how to feel about that."
Ryo sighed. "Just don't push things too far. I'm not gonna be able to tolerate everything you do, you know?"
"And here I thought, you liked them~"
"Really, there is no-" He trailed off as he turned towards a smiling Tatenashi, the usual mischievous glint absent from her ruby orbs.
"Thank you," She said earnestly, causing him to raise his brows slightly in surprise. "For spending time with me today."
He turned away, hiding his expression, nudging the basket cart by his feet which was still empty despite the time they spent browsing. "...Tell you what, I'll let you pick an outfit for me just this once. I'm not gonna buy something here anytime soon."
The bluenette slapped her cheeks, her soft smile immediately being replaced with a confident grin. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's gooo~!"
A trip to the cashier later, and Ryo was carrying the bag containing his new clothes as he walked behind the humming 2nd year.
Thankfully, he didn't encounter much of the usual shenanigans during their shopping spree. Although she did attempt to stay inside the changing room while he tried out clothes.
But as far as everything went, all she did was ask for his opinion while they tried out hats and glasses, sharing a picture together in the meanwhile. Curiously, she decided that she'd be the one paying for her stuff for once.
...Though that didn't mean that she had forgotten the original purpose of their outing and that he had completely lowered his guard around her. The mischievous girl just didn't let an opportunity to tease him like that slip through her fingers.
"Murakumo-kun."
He paused, glancing at her questioningly at the sudden lack of playfulness in her voice. She pointed at something in the food court, and he followed it to see their 'targets' being surrounded by a crowd of women. The courier squinted, immediately noticing the agitated expressions on the women's faces.
A glint on their lapels caused him to focus on the pinned accessories, and he recoiled upon seeing the fist within the female symbol.
'… Really? Of all the possible developments?'
"Why don't we lend them a hand, hmm?" Tatenashi turned to him with an unfriendly smirk before she strode forward, a woman on a mission as he reluctantly followed.
The entire food court's attention seemed to be on the women and their targets, and he could hear Kanzashi trying to cool things down.
"Murakumo-kun, be mean to me." The bluenette muttered loud enough for him to hear as they neared the group.
Ryo turned his head to her in surprise as he dropped their bags behind a pillar.
"Excuse me?"
She turned to him, narrowed red eyes peering over the frame of her sunglasses. "Be. Mean. Get their attention. Slap me, hit me, just do something to rile them up. I'll do my own thing."
"W-What," Ryo recoiled somewhat, glancing around to see if anyone was watching them. The idea was pretty effective, but he could find another way to do it instead. "I'm not gonna-"
"Do it, or I'll scream 'molester.'"
Ruby met Emerald, and the two of them glared at each other.
...
"Fine."
He clenched his fist as he mentally prepared himself. Tatenashi turned to him, her face serious as she gave him her cheek.
"Please, I'm just trying to enjoy my day with my f-friend-!" The younger Sarashiki pleaded with growing irritation.
"Clearly, he doesn't appreciate you. I mean look at him! He's been quiet this whole time!" The leader of the group seemed to rant, pointing to an increasingly angry Davion.
Ryo raised his hand, steeling his expression at the spectacle he was about to begin.
SLAP!
His palm hit her cheek dead center, causing her head to whip to the side. It was by some miracle that her sunglasses didn't fly off. Grabbing her jacket collar with the other hand, he pulled her close as his lips stretched back in a snarl.
"Who the hell do you think you're talking to, you damn airhead?" The courier mildly shook the smaller woman, lowering his voice into a menacing growl. "Stop acting like we're close cause we're not!"
Red eyes stared off into nothing, unfocused and clearly shocked at the force of his slap. He didn't know if this was still act from her or if she was genuinely hurt, but there was no turning back now..!
He raised his hand again.
SLAP!
"I didn't come here just so you could drag me around." He snarled, using both of his hands to grip her jacket. "So why don't you be a good girl and shut the hell up for once!"
"Hey!"
'Oh thank God.'
Mustering as much malice into his eyes as he could, he let go of him accomplice and whipped his head around to give the Radicals his best cold glare.
The group of women were further enraged, their faces contorting in at the sheer audacity of this… abuser.
"The fuck do you want, you bunch of fruitcakes?!"
Tatenashi had to force herself to keep a straight face at the insult.
"Fruitcakes?!" The leader of the group screeched, face reddening at the insult and in anger. "Of course, a disgusting man would abuse a woman in public! You should know your place!" She stomped closer to him, and he prepared to defend himself-
"… re-"
They both turned to the 'victim' as Tatenashi began to squirm.
"M-More~!"
'Oh my god...'
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as Tatenashi grasped his jacket. She started panting, and he opened his eyes to see an aroused expression on her face.
"Belittle me more, master~! Tell me that I am a bad girl~!"
Mustering his most sadistic smile, he returned to the bluenette and cupped her chin to lift it upwards. Ryo tried his best to not let the façade drop just yet, opting to glance to where Davion and Kanzashi were.
The two slipped away, hand in hand, and the courier discreetly sighed in relief that they were able to take advantage of the situation.
He turned back to Tatenashi and exchanged a subtle nod, and she turned her head to look at the perturbed expressions of nearly everyone in the food court. She flinched and stepped away from her partner, bowing multiple times as she apologized.
"A-Are you okay, miss?" One of the groupies asked, looking at the two of them with a conflicted gaze. "Um...those slaps were..."
"Uh? Ah!" Tatenashi waved it off, plastering a perfectly faking an abashed expression. "I was um...just asking my boyfriend to reenact a scene from a movie we watched last night..~" She squirmed as if remembering a particularly steamy memory.
Ryo stared in both amazement and shock at her terrifyingly good acting.
He let the persona drop as he cupped his face in shame. "Why did we have to do that now of all times, 'Ayano'?" He let genuine embarrassment slip into his voice. "In public too of all places?"
"Ehe~!" The jacket-clad girl hugged him tightly, hiding the shit-eating grin on her face by burying it against his chest. "Because you spoil me, 'Taro'-kuuun~!"
The group of women looked conflicted, whispering to each other about what they had just seen. Several other people stared with wide eyes, a fair few of them just as conflicted.
'Please take the bait...'
"So...he wasn't..?"
"Oh, heavens no!" 'Ayano' giggled, turning her head to show them her bright smile. "My sweet Taro is a gentle giant~" Red eyes glinted behind the shades. "And besides, I like it a little bit rough-"
"Please stop." 'Taro' pleaded, covering her mouth and then bowing at the Supremacists. "I'm so sorry for making a scene. We'll excuse ourselves out of here quickly."
"Um...O...kay..?"
Wrapping his arm around her waist, Ryo retreated from the food court with a giggling Tatenashi under his arm.
"I hate you, Kaichou." The courier hissed, picking up their dropped bags along the way.
"Aww, I love you too, Mu-kun~!" She cooed as they turned a corner and were finally out of sight.
Setting her down, he flicked her forehead before he facepalmed. "We could've done it another way, you know?"
The bluenette laughed as she pulled him to where she last saw her sister and her date escape to. "But where's the fun in that? Besides, it worked, didn't it~!"
They walked out of Compass Town, Ryo still reeling from the sheer embarrassment of the earlier incident. The 2nd year had to drag him as he continued to mutter curses, though they had little heat to them.
"I loathe you, Kaichou."
Tatenashi hummed from her place by his side, an arm wrapped around his waist as she watched her sister pull the taller boy with her.
"O-Oh, hold on! We'll take a taxi back home this time!"
Davion then guided her to a taxi station, and the older bluenette let out a sigh of relief.
"I can't believe these flimsy disguises worked. Otherwise, I'd have already gone home." The courier grumbled, stuffing his hands into his hoodie pockets
"Not gonna deny that you had fun~?" She teased, smirking afterward.
"I despise you, Kaichou." He sighed, the mere sound of it heavy with the weight of his suffering.
The bluenette merely giggled.
"Nah, you love me~" Tatenashi cooed as she hugged him tightly.
"Tch!"
They watched their targets board a taxi in silence, and Ryo pulled out his phone to check his messages.
"...Oh!"
He froze.
'I don't like the sound of that...'
She turned to him with a vulpine grin, ruby eyes twinkling with desire. "Say, how about we finish this date off with a bang?" Her eyebrows then waggled suggestively. "There's a love hotel nearby-"
"No. Rejected." His cheeks flushed as he grimaced, caught utterly off-guard at how bold she was now getting in her teasing. What the hell was with her recently?
"You don't want to spend the night with me~?" She faux-whined, pressing herself up against his side further, practically trying to push him over at this point. "We can take a bath together-!"
"Give me a break, please?" Ryo pleaded, his expression one of embarrassment, apprehension, and annoyance. "Let's just head back to the Academy." He grumbled, shaking his head as he walked towards Tokyo Teleport.
"Boo~! You spoilsport!"
As they rode in the rail car behind Kanzashi and Davion's, the green-eyed courier took this time to rest his eyes and gather his thoughts. Luckily for him, the car they boarded was sparse in terms of students, and those that were with them merely glanced once or twice before minding their own business.
At least he didn't spend much today since Tatenashi covered most of their expenses.
While Tabane might have left them with new bank accounts filled with money in the 6 digits, the three Neo-Types didn't even dare use them out of fear of them being rigged. Instead, they relied on their multiple bank accounts, all discreet and protected with the best anti-spy encryption that the black market could buy. It was all thanks to Davion and the numerous underground connections he earned during his stints in the fight clubs.
But even then, they still had to be sneaky when taking money out because taking too much too often meant that Tabane or some other hacker could pinpoint who's who and shut down that revenue avenue for them. Which told them they had to be frugal in their spending despite their hidden wealth, and now that they were academy students, they needed a new steady income source as a contingency plan.
For him, it was his usual work as a courier. Which wasn't much, but it was honest work. However, due to his recurring part-time services, he's well known in the service industry, giving him more access to more jobs, both high and low in income, allowing him to amass a significant amount with regular employment.
Ephraim had his savings. Those that came from his high-paying jobs and severance pay saved up prior to their enrollment. So he's not all that worried about running out anytime soon.
Davion had his money from the fight clubs spread out in his multiple accounts. He actually even kept a briefcase full of winnings underneath his bed. So had no worries about running out of cash soon.
Not that Ryo had much to do with his savings in the first place. Most of his expenses were on food, coffee, and travel with the occasional luxury of literature or a movie every now and then.
"Welcome back to the IS Academy, students."
The sliding doors opened just as he did with his eyes. He was about to stand up before noticing the weight against his side. Red eyes stared back into tired green as she latched on his arm.
"What?"
The 2nd year merely grinned as she let go and stood straight, hands on her hips and her shopping bags in her grip. "I thought you were asleep there, Mu-kun."
He rolled his eyes as he stood up, cracking his neck with a content sigh. With how he wasn't unable to notice Tatenashi against him when he 'woke up.'
"I guess I was..."
The bluenette tugged his sleeve. "Come on! I saw them step off 5 minutes ago!"
Ryo groaned as he removed his sunglasses, rubbing his eyes as he stepped off of the Academy station. " I don't think I can handle another day like that one..."
Removing the black wig, Tatenashi shook her head to let her blue hair be free once more. "Aww, but it was so fun, Mu-kun~! Your hands were quite rough too~"
He ignored the stares of the students that were exiting their car.
She cooed, pulling her body against his side. "And the way you just sounded so hateful almost brought shivers up my spine~!"
"Good, cause I'm not doing that ever again." Green eyes rolled and had the fortune of spotting the other bluenette. They widened when the younger Sarashiki stood on her tiptoes to reach his friend's-
Chu~!
He jolted, a hand immediately touching his cheek as Tatenashi skipped away from him, laughing. She waved a hand, twirling the shopping bags in the other, as she walked away. Her own cheeks were flushed, but the smug smile on her lips was positively blinding.
"See you around, Mu-kun~!"
Ryo stood there in a daze, eyes wide as he watched her ever increasingly distant form. Gritting his teeth, he tilted his head up, glaring at the sky in irritation and embarrassment.
"God...damned...Kaichou..!
Later…
He barely got to take the can out from the vending machine when he heard someone call out his name.
"Hey, Ryo!"
The courier turned his head to see his friends in their casual Sunday wear.
"We haven't seen you all day, man!" The sole male of the group waved at him with a wide smile. Ichika wore a comfortable shirt-jacket combo with joggers and sneakers. Nothing branded, just something casual and simple, something that he can get behind.
"I got dragged into Student Council business." The Astray pilot shook his head, standing up with the can of coffee in hand.
Houki wore a cream blouse accompanied by jeans and boots, a sling bag hanging by her shoulder. She looked at him in slight pity, forgoing the usual disdain she had. "On a Sunday? Wow..."
"Oh, do you need help with those bags, Ryo?" 'Charles' wore something similar to Ichika, though the jacket was replaced with a short-sleeved orange hoodie. Purple eyes gazed at him with gentle affection, and an equally soft smile graced the pilot's lips. "You seem rather tired, so I'd be happy to help you out."
Ryo blushed minutely as he shook his head. "No, no, it's alright, Charles." He swung his shopping bags with ease. "It's just a bunch of hoodies and jackets in here, nothing too heavy."
"What kinda 'Student Council business' involves shopping?" The sole Class 1-2 student in the friend group asked, raising a brow in question. Rin wore a dark red halter top accompanied by a short skirt with biking shorts that ended just above her knees and running shoes with dragon-like designs.
"Being dragged around to be used as a valet, for one. This-" He shook the bags lightly. "is the compensation for my services." The courier grumbled, opening his can and taking a long drink. "I didn't even plan what happened today. Kaichou snatched me the moment I got out of the dorms."
Cecilia blinked, tilting her head as she tapped her chin. "Well, I guess my eyes weren't deceiving me earlier after all. You were there one moment, and in the next blink, you were gone." She hummed, blue eyes glancing to the side. She wore a white bodice dress with a loose blue cardigan and a pair of heeled boots.
Rin snickered, her forest green eyes twinkling with mischief. "Sounds like you had a date with the Student Council President."
Charles' smile grew a bit strained.
The Astray pilot merely sighed, not deigning to answer such a loaded statement. He looked around, spotting an empty table a few meters away, and walked over to it. The others followed him, taking their desired seats around the round table.
"Anyway, have any of you done the assignments yet-" The courier was about to talk about class when his phone buzzed.
Bzzzt!
Looking down at his phone, he excused himself from the current and budding conversation. Turning away, he unlocked it and read the message.
Dumbass 1: Will be landing in Tokyo International shortly. Brought nothing back cause fuck you.
Dumbass 1: I didn't have time to buy anything cause of all the shit that happened.
Dumbass 1: And a LOT happened.
Dumbass 3 (You): Well, that isn't foreboding at all...
Dumbass 2: Did you find something there? Preferably something concerning our suits?
Dumbass 1: No. Had any luck with the firewall?
Dumbass 2: No...
Dumbass 1: F u c k.
"...Huh, guess Ephraim's heading back home." Ryo pocketed his phone once the conversation in their group chat ended, turning back to the others at the cafeteria table with a small grin. "At least he isn't coming back here late. I think he hasn't done the assignment..."
Cecilia's eyes widened as a hopeful smile grew on her lips. "Has he had dinner yet? Perhaps I...I mean, we could welcome him back with some food!"
The courier fought back the urge to agree with the idea to mess with him. But judging by the messages he's sent, it was probably a bad time. "I think he's had airline food for dinner."
Ichika looked around with a big smile. "Hey, how about we greet him at the airport? Which one is he landing in?"
"Haneda."
Beside the male IS pilot, Houki's brows furrowed ever so slightly as the Byakushiki pilot stood up with a fist pump. "Alright, that's close!"
"Oooh, I wonder what souvenirs he got us!" Rin was on board if only for the goodies, rubbing her hands together with a bratty grin on her lips.
"I'm sure Monsieur Sahaku will appreciate it if his friends welcome him back, no matter how short he may have been gone." 'Charles' smiled welcomingly from her place beside Ryo.
The courier chuckled, bumping his knee against the disguised Frenchwoman's. "Let me message Yamada-sensei if we could ask her to drive us there. I bet she's coming to pick them up."
Houki then hummed as she crossed her arms, somewhat going along with the general mood, if only because that was the decent thing to do. "What about Guele-san? Won't he be coming as well?"
The Astray pilot shrugged, knowing that his friend would be too busy with other matters. "Probably not. After what happened yesterday, I think he's found even more fervor in trying to upgrade our stuff."
Cecilia sighed morosely. "Good for you, gentlemen. To be able to upgrade your suits without having to wait for your support team to analyze the data..."
"Davion's a genius in that regard," Ryo smirked slightly.
"Ah, there she is!" Ichika stood up, pointing to someone behind the courier. He waved, a bright smile on his face as he cried out.
"Yamada-sensei"
"Oh, hello all of you!"
Ryo turned his head to the green-haired teacher saunter over to them with her usual friendly smile.
The kind teacher looked at the gathering and tilted her head slightly. "How are you all this afternoon?"
"Ryo just got back from a date~!" Rin grinned, causing the courier to facepalm.
"Ugh, call it what you will." The green-eyed courier griped. "It was Officially Student Council business."
"Oh my!" Maya gasped, a bit of a cheeky and scandalous tone in said gasp.
Ichika chuckled before shaking his head. "Wait, no, hold on, before we get derailed. Sensei, you're going to pick up Chifuyu-nee and Sahaku-san, right?"
"Why, yes I am! Would you like to come with me?"
Cecilia immediately stood up, a proud smile on her lips. "Of course! They should be greatly honored that I would come to welcome them back!"
Charlotte looked at the quiet courier as the rental van made its way to Haneda Airport. While Ichika, Houki, and Rin had a row all to themselves behind the green-haired teacher, the Frenchwoman was seated with Ryo and Cecilia in the row after them. The three in front of them were talking animatedly, with Ichika trying to control the Chinese girl from plotting to snatch whatever souvenirs Ephraim was possibly bringing back.
"Hey, Ryo..." She started, gaining the attention of the Astray pilot. He was about to put on his headphones when she spoke up, and he put it around his neck as he turned his head towards her.
"Yeah?" The courier asked with a small smile.
The blonde tilted her head. "Did you...have a date with the Student Council President?"
"... Hm?" Green eyes blinked in confusion.
Charlotte pouted. "A date. Did you go on a date with her?"
"I'd technically call it an outing," Ryo muttered, shaking his head. "What we did...didn't exactly warrant the date label."
Purple eyes narrowed as she continued to stare at him.
"Well, how about we go on an 'outing' sometime soon?" Charlotte smiled up at him, causing the courier to shudder ever so briefly. "Perhaps a little break from all the fighting and stress is in order. After all, you do owe me."
'...Uh.'
"S-Sure.." He agreed after giving it some thought, a growing smile on his lips as he considered the idea of a small break. Well, that and he did owe her for missing her fight. "I'll free up my schedule on Saturday."
Like flipping a switch, Charlotte's attitude turned a 180 as her eyes twinkled. "You better, Ryo!"
Cecilia merely looked at them with a raised brow.
"Come ooon! He's a rich boy, he can part with some goodies!"
"Rin, no!"
.
.
.
Tokyo International Airport was always busy with new arrivals and departures. It was a sea of colors, as heads of hair from various countries and various people created a sea of chaos.
Though, being as tall as he was, it made it fairly easy to pinpoint his friend from the multi-colored ocean. Dirty blonde was less common than wheat gold or pale blonde, for some reason.
'Unnatural rainbow anime hair logic, I swear...'
"Hey, I see him." Ryo pointed at Ephraim, who was just stepping out of the Arrivals. The Gold Frame pilot was dragging along his luggage bag, and only that oddly enough. He also wasn't wearing his uniform, instead a plain white polo and cargo shorts combo.
Their combined calls were picked up by his friend's sharp hearing, and the Astray pilot's expression twisted in embarrassment.
Cecilia waved at the Gold Frame pilot excitedly. "Ephraim~! I came to welcome you back~!"
"... When did you get to call him by his first name?" Houki looked at her friend with a raised brow.
"Urk-!"
"Heeey! What sorta goodies did you bring back?" The twin-tailed girl hopped up and down, eyes shining at the bags Chifuyu was carrying.
"Rin, that's impolite!" Ichika scolded her, somewhat paling at the thought of his sister getting upset. "Especially to my sister!"
Charlotte waved them over, a big smile on her face as Ryo stood beside her. "Monsieur Sahaku, over here!"
Ryo could see his friend's shoulders slump, hiding his face with a hand afterward. The courier let out an amused snort as he nodded him over.
"Orimura-senseiii~!" Maya called out with a happy smile beside him.
"Go meet up with them." He heard the dark-haired teacher say to his friend. "I'll go with Yamada-sensei and drop these off in the car."
The dark-haired teen could see the little curl on the edge of the lips of his friend as he walked over to them. Their eyes met, exchanging a silent conversation as the rest of their friends' excitement grew with each step.
"Yeah. I'm back." Ephraim gave them a full smile, almost shining akin to the sun.
The rental van was somewhat cramped with 9 people stuffed inside, but thanks to some…unorthodox maneuvering, they all managed to fit. It was kind of hard to move around in, however it was still a generally safe car ride.
"Have you had dinner yet, Eph-er," Cecilia covered her slip by clearing her throat. "Sir Sahaku?"
"We had airline food." The taller blonde huffed, a slight smirk on his lips. "I don't understand why people don't like it. I found it quite decent."
"That's because you haven't had airline food for a whole day." Chifuyu huffed from the front, having taken over driving. "It gets old real quick once you've had those meals for breakfast, lunch, and then dinner." She glanced up at the rearview mirror, her brown eyes looking back at all of them. She had removed the contacts once she got in the driver's seat, as well as tying her hair back up in its usual ponytail.
"Anyway, how are you holding up back there, Murakumo?" The teacher asked with a small smirk on her lips. "I hope Dunois isn't bothering you."
"I-I'm fine, Orimura-sensei." Ryo answered, keeping his voice steady despite what was happening. "Charl…es isn't bothering me at all."
"O-Oui!" Charlotte stuttered as she tried to ignore the fact that she was on her crush's lap. "I am quite fine with sitting like this. It's only for a short time, yes?"
The disguised Frenchwoman tried to calm her heart, only barely able to keep a calm façade as her rear sat on top of the swordsman's groin. She wasn't clueless about such things, of course she wasn't! She was trained to act like a boy, and that included what their reactions would be should a girl sit on their laps!
"Ow!"
Thankfully, some of the attention directed towards them was shifted to a wincing Ephraim, who was holding his right bicep. Beside him, Cecilia's face was one of shock as she started to fret.
"Oh my, I'm sorry!" The Brit apologized with great concern in her tone. "What happened? What did I do?"
Sighing, Chifuyu shook her head as she entered the expressway. "I almost forgot about that." She muttered before furrowing her brows. "Sahaku, head straight to the Infirmary for your surgery, alright?"
"Surgery?!" Many of the students in the car cried out in surprise, with Ryo merely turning his head to give a shocked look at his roommate.
"Understood, ma'am." The Astray pilot nodded with a slight grimace.
"Yamada-sensei, notify the doctors for a nanobot operation, will you?"
Maya jolted and quickly pulled out her phone. "Y-Yes, of course!"
"Ephraim, what happened?! Surgery?!" Cecilia threw caution out the window in her fretting, all pale-faced at the prospect of her crush needing some sort of surgery.
"Eheh…" The taller blonde laughed uneasily. "There was an assassination attempt on my sister's life last night. I pushed her out of the way when I noticed the gunman and took the bullet meant for her. Went right through my right bicep here before…security managed to take him down. It's an in-house affair, please don't worry."
Ryo narrowed his eyes, immediately suspicious of the story. He'll interrogate his friend later in the privacy of their own room.
For now, he'll continue trying to keep his libido under control. As smooth as the ride was, Charlotte unconsciously grinding on him did not help in the slightest!
It just had to happen twice in a single day. He guessed the damn ecchi gods were glancing his way.
'At least it doesn't hurt this time...'
.
.
.
Taking a long drink of the dark ambrosia that was Jamaica Blue, Ryo let out a pleased sigh as he idly spun in his chair. "Well, if there's one thing I missed when you were gone, it's the coffee." He joked, slowing down his rotation to look at the just-as-tired blonde as he unpacked.
"Mhmm." Ephraim hummed as he pulled out a golden necktie from his luggage bag, its colors a gradient of dawn and dusk. Kazahana had bought him a fair few articles of clothing that she thought would match him in their short time together. He appreciated it immensely, of course.
Neither said anything after that, comfortable with the silence as they did their own thing. The blonde continued to unpack and put the clothes into his half of the closet, mainly his spare clothing that remained unused.
…
"So, what exactly did happen?" Ryo started after half a minute of quiet, turning his head to look at the bandages peeking from his friend's polo shirt. "Because I doubt some assassin would be able to infiltrate the property of someone as important as your family."
The blonde sighed as he lightly touched the bandages, having recently gone through some corrective surgery just an hour before. "Lath shot me."
"...Huh?"
"I discovered some underground complex that probably was connected to the Sahaku Estate." Ephraim shrugged, a frown forming on his lips. "She found me in there and pulled a gun on me. And before you say something," Purple eyes looked over at him in slight annoyance. "I didn't do anything. I tried to de-escalate the situation, but she shot anyway."
"Okay…" The courier furrowed his brows. "If all that happened, then how are you still alive?"
"It's a long story." The Gold Frame pilot snorted, taking his polo off so he could begin his nightly shower routine. Green eyes locked on to the mitsudomoe tattoo on his upper left scapular, narrowing slightly as a slew of memories flashed past the moment he saw it. "I need to take a shower first."
Shaking his head to clear the sensation of darkness and despair, Ryo hummed. "Take your time with your cold damn shower. And…"
The blonde paused at the threshold of the bathroom doorway, a single purple eye glancing at him as his expression cooled into its default resting bitch face. "Hm?"
He turned his chair away with a small snort. "Welcome back, dumbass."
"Tch." His roommate clicked his tongue, but he could tell that there was a clear smile in that tone of his. "Good to be back, you bozo."
AN:
With this, concludes the weekend of the trio. Now, it's back to the grind for them and the following Interlude is gonna be a multi-parter.
And we have passed 100 in the Followers number! Hot damn, you guys are awesome!
This is Cipher, currently dealing with sickness after sickness, signing off!
Relaxing on his bed, he let the sudden fatigue take his senses. Ryo let out a tired sigh while waiting for his roommate to finish his shower. He was already fighting against himself to stay awake with how mentally drained he was with today's events. Caffeine never did quite work on him, which was why he often relied for his roommate's stronger brews to keep him awake during those long nights of courier duty.
And to think, all of this was because he got snatched yesterday by a mischievous president. Which reminded him of…
"Then it's a good thing there's a small addition to your collection~"
He picked up his phone, which was charging on his nightstand, and opened his photo gallery. He braced as, knowing her, she might have put a gravure shot or a raunchy photo of herself in a suggestive pose. His finger tapped the icon and anxiously explored his expansive albums for her little gift.
…
"If you actually smiled like this all the time, I'd probably tolerate your antics more than I usually do." He sighed as his green orbs scanned the candid photo of a grinning bluenette. There was no hints of her usual mischief, nor that forced mask of her as 'The Student Council President'. It was just...her.
A picture of one Tatenashi Sarashiki.
...
A few inputs later, a contact in his phone was updated with a new picture and a new name.
'Tate-san'
