Omake: A moment of leisure


Time: 10:48 AM

Location: Student Council Office, IS Academy

"Man, I kinda want to go out..."

Ryo glanced at the speaker, his hands busying themselves with organizing certain request forms from various clubs concerning the upcoming beach trip. He swore he saw the Culinary Arts Club at least twice throughout the whole stack...

"You mean after club hours?" The General Affairs Manager asked his class representative, who was again abusing his rights to use the Student Council facilities to escape from his more overzealous 'fans.' "Feel free to share. I may have some suggestions."

Ichika hummed as he leaned back in his chair. "Well, if we're talking about after-school time, that'll mean it's gonna be around sunset or night. I was thinking about going to the arcade or maybe taking a train and going to Gamers to check if they have the newest volume of Gundam: Red Fanged Vagabonds." The dark-haired IS pilot grinned as he tapped his foot excitedly. "I need to know what happens after the protagonist finally reaches Earth..."

"But now it's going to be a bother since it'll be late in the day."

The Byakushiki pilot sighed, slumping in his seat. "Yeah... So the only thing I can think of is eating out."

Setting some papers aside and placing a few in the tray meant for documents destined for the shredder, Ryo leaned back in his own chair. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"I know, I know..." Ichika sighed, running a hand through his hair. "But the main problem that I'll have is being recognized, and it's gonna be late at night too. Who knows what could happen..."

The Neo-Type frowned as he sat up a bit straighter. "Were you planning to go out by yourself or..?"

"Kinda..? I mean, you can come too if you'd like." The younger teen blinked before sitting up straight, a growing grin on his lips. "Actually, yeah! Why don't we all go out for dinner? Make it a group thing!"

Ryo blinked before pursing his lips, cupping his chin as he thought over the offer. "Well, I'm down for that. I have a fair few places in mind, so it's better if we settle it now than later."

"Oh, good call." Ichika grinned at him with a finger gun.

"What do you think you'll be feeling later? Japanese? Western?"

"Hmm...something meaty, I guess."

"Price range?" The courier looked up at him for a moment before shaking his head. "Actually, never mind. Ephraim's probably gonna pay for everything behind our backs anyway."

Ichika's brows rose at the statement, swiveling his chair towards the older teen. "Wait, for real?"

The prospect of having a free meal was always good...

Ryo shrugged as he spun the Closed form of Gerbera Straight around his finger. "It's better to just let it happen, best not to ruin one of the rare times he's altruistic." He closed his green eyes and leaned back once more in his chair. "Hmm...something meaty for dinner..."

"We could always go to a sushi place."

"Ephraim hates seafood, and that's putting it lightly."

"Ah."

"How about Yakiniku?"

The IS pilot formed a grin, fist-pumping as his excitement was made evident. "Yes! I am so game for that!"

"Alright, I'll make the arrangements then. Think you can message the others on the plan for tonight?"

"Yup, already on it!"


Location: Culinary Arts Clubroom

"Buchou, you do know that this is basically a gross misuse of your authority, right? I told you before, and I'll tell you again. I'm not going to ask my sister if we can have a cook-off event at the resort."

"Please, Sahaku-san! You're our only hope!"

"Quoting Star Wars isn't going to help."

Bzzt! Bzzt!

Taking his phone out of his pocket, Ephraim looked away from the groveling blonde and checked his messages.

Ichika Normie-mura: Hey Sahaku-san, Ryo and I are planning a group dinner at a Yakiniku place tonight.

Ichika Normie-mura: He says that he knows a few places where the meat's top-notch.

Ichika Normie-mura: Want to come with?

Blinking, he took a few more seconds to reread the message before raising a brow.

'A Yakiniku dinner? Hmm, and places where Ryo knows...' Royal purple sparked in intrigue as he quickly thought back to when he and his fellow Outworlders ate out in various restaurants. 'It's the ones with the Wagyu beef, so they'll be expensive by default...'

The miser within him winced at the mere thought of an expensive dinner, but a greater part of him pushed for the idea of splurging for the good of the group. After all, this was going to be one of the rare times they, as a group, would go out and eat at a Yakiniku place. Hell, it could be the first time for some, like Cecilia, Charlotte, and Laura.

Bzzt!

He looked back down again and saw that he had received a new message from Ryo.

Shirou Simp: Can you inform Orimura-sensei of our plan?

His brow twitched.

"You're lucky that I was going to have to meet her anyway." The Neo-Type grumbled as he sent back two affirmative replies.

"Sahaku-san, please!"

"Damn it, Emiya-san, not you too!"


Location: "Arzenal"/ IS Academy Engineering Clubroom - Hazardous Experiments Section

"Just attach that part here aaaaand-"

Bzzt! Bzzt!

Flinching in surprise, Davion almost shoved the critical component into the wrong port before he caught himself. Breathing out a sigh of annoyance, he carefully maneuvered the robot arms to put down both it and the power cable before turning off the energy source.

"God damn it." The mechanic grumbled as he turned away from the monitors and controllers, pushing the protective goggles up from his eyes. "Almost blew up the entire area because of that..."

Pulling his phone out, he checked his messages.

Ichika: Yo, Davion! Ryo and I are going to a Yakiniku place tonight for dinner. Want to come with?

Ichika: Hopefully, the others will be able to come too!

Ichika: Oh right! Feel free to invite your girlfriend, the more, the merrier!

"Yakiniku..?" The gray-eyed teen hummed as he pursed his lips. "And Ryo's helping with the planning..."

It's been quite a while since the three Outworlders had eaten out together. They hadn't done that ever since enrollment when Tabane had plastered their faces into the profiles she then released into the internet.

The one place where degenerates of all shades can see and do what they will with the information presented.

Case in point, the Female Supremacists constantly hounded them for whatever minor 'felony' they charged them with.

Sighing, his lips curled in a smile as he quickly messaged the courier. "I might as well suggest a place where we'll get a discount." Finger quickly typing away on the screen, he sent the message and pocketed his phone.

"Now..."

Cracking his neck, he placed the protective goggles back over his eyes as he turned back to the controls of the robotic arms. Beyond the multiple layers of anti-radiation shielding rested an experimental cannon. The rest of Arzenal did not know what he was doing, and it was better off that they didn't.

"Let's see if I can remove the Gamma radiation..."


Location: Student Council Office

Ping! Ping!

"Yes! They're joining!" Ichika cheered as Ryo hummed in acknowledgment, finalizing his organizing of the papers between 'Send to Prez' and 'Shred without a second thought.' "Now to wait for the others..."

"Has Shinonono-san calmed down from yesterday's events?"

The IS pilot frowned, recalling the rather suspicious demeanor of his roommate earlier. She seemed... a bit peppy as if she was never angry just a day before. If what he remembered of her was right, usually, she was still going to be upset for a few more days before she began to calm down.

Maybe the upcoming beach trip, and by extension her birthday, helped lighten her mood..?

"I guess? She seemed way more into training earlier before I got chased here..."

'Not a good sign.' Ryo thought as he slid the two stacks of papers to the middle of the table. 'Something must have happened to swing her mood in a 180.'

"Well, it's not going to hurt anyone if we try to invite her anyway." The courier sighed as he closed his eyes. "If she does act up, can I count on you to rein her in?"

"Er...sure."

Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping!

"Whoa, that was fast!" Ichika recoiled as his phone vibrated from the sudden influx of messages, his eyes darting to each response. "And it looks...yep! They're all on board!" The younger teen laughed as he rubbed his hands together. "Man, it's been ages since I've had yakiniku. This is gonna be awesome!"


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Time: 7:00 PM

Location: Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture

(BGM Start: Persona 3 - Joy)

"I-I don't want to be rude, but..."

"Hmm? What's up, Ichika?"

"Those um..."

The group was seated at one of two tables reserved for bigger parties, having three grills throughout the length of the table. It was located near the back of the modestly sized restaurant, with the other tables having an average of 4-6 seats.

While most who were seated at said tables were innocuous enough, those being families or similar friend groups, there were a scattering of suited men who wore some sort of accessory that had the kanji 真 on it. They mainly gathered by the bar area, though a few were idling in strategic places like by doors and such.

"Those uh...suited guys. They kinda have this...vibe to them." The Byakushiki pilot commented, pulling on the collar of his white undershirt. It took a bit of heckling from Houki to get him to wear something other than the school uniform for tonight, and she was inwardly glad that he did. Seeing him in that denim jacket was so worth it to the swordswoman.

Almost enough to warrant shelving her distaste towards the Astray trio.

Almost.

She herself was wearing a similar jacket, though it was of a darker shade and had an attached hood, with a matching white undershirt. She patted down her red pleated skirt and discreetly pulled up the black stockings a bit higher in an effort to make Ichika look at her zettai ryōiki. Looking over to where her roommate was looking, she saw a few of those suited men looking back with smarmy grins.

"Those assholes are bringing down the mood." She grumbled to the courier on the other side of the table. "Hey, can't you do something about it? It seems like you three are acquainted with them."

Ryo frowned as he looked over his shoulder, watching as Davion chatted with the barkeep, an older man with greying hair and a distinctive scar that ran from the bridge of his nose to his lower left cheek. The mechanic seemed to be troubled as he conversed with the man, his hand movements stilted and his body language of surprise and wariness.

"Admittedly, perhaps wearing a dress was a bit much..." Cecilia muttered as she shifted in her seat, feeling the stares of the men boring into her exposed shoulders. She wore a sky blue cold shoulder A-line party dress that only reached her mid-thigh. While she felt proud that Ephraim had sent her a few lingering looks along the way, there was also a feeling of discomfort at being eyed at by the much older men at the bar counter.

Said blonde was beside her, looking over his shoulder and narrowing his eyes at the lechers. "No, we don't know them. But it's been months since we've been here, so perhaps they're newer faces."

He was wearing something relatively plain, a white dress shirt with collar buttons undone, a brown waxed cotton jacket on top, and slacks to finish the ensemble. The Closed form of his Astray around his neck was in full view of anyone looking, a rather odd addition to his semi-formal outfit.

"They kinda look like Tria-" Whatever Rin was going to say was stopped when Chifuyu placed a hand on her shoulder. Red contacts looked over at her with a veiled look before looking around them.

"It's best not to mention it."

The teacher had joined up with them when they were waiting for the monorail to take them to the mainland, with Ephraim in tow, having to explain that 'she didn't trust me enough to herd you guys.' Her disguise was composed of her simply taking off her blazer and untying her ponytail, making her look not unlike one of the many salary women common in the city.

Surprisingly, it worked.

'Those idiots are gokudō.' The older woman thought as she pulled away from the Chinese girl, fixing a narrow glare at her assistant, who was raising a hand to signal a passing waiter or waitress. 'And if I'm not mistaken, that barkeep probably is too, given how he's not too tense with them around.'

She watched as Davion gave a slight head tilt towards the leering men to the barkeep before turning back and walking towards them. Behind him, the barkeep seemed to speak quietly, and, whatever it was, it caused the men to pale and quickly stop ogling the girls. Looking back at the mechanic, he had a troubled expression that he didn't bother to hide.

"Is something wrong, Davion-kun?" Kanzashi asked him as he sat back down in his seat, comfortingly placing a hand on his shoulder. The bluenette was wearing a cornflower pinafore with thin straps over a white dress with a peter pan collar and puffy up sleeves, the hems ruffled and flowy. When she met up with the others at the monorail station, Davion had gone bug-eyed when he saw her, causing her to feel giddy ever since.

The gray-eyed teen sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Nothing too serious. It's just that the barkeep, Kashiwagi-san, told me that this guy I used to work for retired, and his group got merged with another one." The mechanic wore a plain white shirt with wolf-like designs on the front underneath a black hooded vest, dark jeans tucked into monochrome sneakers and some fresh bandages that were wrapped around his arms.

"Dang, that sucks." Rin sighed as she watched the suited men get up and leave, but not before giving them one more glance, which caused the barkeep to clear his throat. They quickly left the building looking a bit cowed, causing a chuckle to escape her lips. "So you know that rough-looking barkeep?"

The twin-tailed girl wore a mango yellow crop top and a white striped skirt underneath a denim overall dress, bringing her cutesy charm up by another degree.

"Kashiwagi-san? Yeah, he's a real nice guy. Reliable as one can be too." Davion nodded at her as a waitress approached his blonde friend. "Don't let his scar spook you. He's a man of integrity. I've seen him handle some chimpiras with just his fists and win. He scared them so bad that they didn't come back at all!"

"A 90-minute course with A5 beef, all-you-can-eat and drink for 11 people."

"Yes sir. What will be the drinks?"

"Sahaku..." Chifuyu growled in warning.

"What?" The purple-eyed combat assistant feigned innocence as he looked at her with a small smile. "I was just gonna order a Highball for myself and soft drinks for the rest. Do you want one, 'Madoka'-san~?"

"I'll have what he's having." Laura suddenly proclaimed, having been silent the whole time. She wore a hooded feldgrau crop top jacket with a black tank top underneath that was tucked into her jean shorts, the ensembled bringing an air of military bravado despite her diminutive form.

Her proclamation caused both Chifuyu and Ephraim to turn to her with identical frowns.

"No." They told her at the same time, causing Ichika to snicker at how similar the two were at that moment.

"Do you even know what a Highball is, Bodewig?" The blonde Neo-Type clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "It's not something a 15 year old girl should drink. You're too young to drink."

"But I can! I'm a pilot!"

Ephraim furrowed his brows at her retort, a long buried memory resurfacing...


He stared at the girl that was probably a year or so younger than him, her expression growing more irritated the longer the silence stretched between them.

"Well? Are you going to serve me my drink or what?"

The bartender blinked before clearing his throat and plastering a smile on his lips. "May I have an ID? You look rather...young."

She slid a card over to him, one that had the bold text of Representative Candidate beside the Union Jack.

"Sara Welkin, IS Representative Candidate of the UK. You know, the country you're in?"

"I...wha-"

"Graham, come here." The master barkeep waved him over just as he called the other bartender to tend to Sara. The blonde did so just as the older gentleman pulled him aside into the staff room.

"Did the place you worked at before not train you for this?"

"What? I mean, what do you mean sir?"

"Goodness, they didn't." The older man sighed before he twirled his greying moustache. "Okay, the gist is that IS Pilots are legally considered adults and thus are able to avail services usually limited by ID or age."

Green contacted eyes blinked in slight confusion before they blinked again in bewilderment. "Isn't that a bit too irresponsible? I mean, imagining 15 or 16 year old girls going to a bar and getting blackout drunk...that's just a recipe for a scandal!"

The master barkeep shrugged. "What can you do? It's what those in the high table told us via Acts and their weird reforms. For us men, I think it's better to just nod and smile...okay?"

Ephraim's fists clenched tightly as he reined in his bubbling anger.

"...Yes, sir..."


"That still doesn't mean you're allowed to have alcoholic beverages, young lady." Chifuyu's voice snapped him out from the, honestly, infuriating memory. "You're not going to drink until you're well over 18."

"But-!"

"Laura, it's best to let it go." Ryo sighed as he shook his head. "Look, why don't you try the orange juice?"

The albino's face flushed in embarrassment. "I'm not a child, Ryo-nii!"

He slightly grinned at her protest and reached over to give her a quick head pat. The courier wore a dark turtleneck underneath a gray open pea coat, with jeans tucked into combat boots.

"I'll have the red wine, thank you." Cecilia smiled at the waitress, her words causing Ephraim to whip his head around to stare at her in surprise. "What? I've drunk wine before!"

"A Lime Sour for me!" Rin waved her hand excitedly.

"Oh, what's happening?"

Charlotte, who had been away to answer a call on her phone, finally returned.

The Frenchwoman wore a dull orange jacket with a long-sleeved cream fit and flare dress underneath which was then tied with a ring belt that accentuated her figure. Her orange suede boots made an audible tapping sound against the linoleum flooring before she sat down beside the courier.

"What did I miss?"

"We're choosing our drinks." Ichika provided with a small smile before he turned to the waitress. "I'll have a PhD. Pepper. What will you have Houki?"

The ponytailed girl frowned as she looked over the presented drink menu. Glancing at the rest of the table, she counted just how many would order alcoholic drinks and clicked her tongue.

She will not be outdone.

"A Highball."

"Eh?!" Her roommate's eyes widened at her choice. "Really?!"

"Don't question me!" She snapped, fixing a narrow glare at the surprised Neo-Types before she huffed and looked away. "I just wanted to know how it'll taste, that's all!"

"Er...well, if most of us are gonna have alcoholic drinks..." Davion pointedly ignored the disapproving stare of his teacher-in-disguise. "I'll have a Imo Shochu on the rocks."

"Davion-kun!" Kanzashi scolded him with her own disapproving frown. "If you get drunk, who'll drive us back?"

"Oh come on, 'zashi, it takes a lot more to get me drunk!"

The bluenette shook her head and sighed. "You're such an idiot..." Turning to the giggling waitress, she gave her order. "I'll have some Phd. Pepper as well."

"Understood. And for the rest..?"

"Orange juice for me, please." Ryo raised his hand lazily, fixing a narrow glare at the other two Neo-Types. "Someone has to sober to be able to drive us home."

"Hey, not my fault that the Infuego is a damn manual." Ephraim shrugged.

"It's-!" The mechanic almost snapped before taking a deep breath to calm himself. "No. Even if you were still functional despite how many cups you had, you're still not allowed to drive my car."

"I'll have the Oolong Tea, please." Charlotte gave her order over the noise of the three boys arguing.

The rest of the table turned to Chifuyu, whose right brow was visibly twitching and whose smile was strained beyond belief.

Ichika knew that Ephraim was in for an absolute ass-whooping soon.

"I'll have a Highball too."

The younger brother winced.

'Oh, Sahaku-san is dead.'

Ryo sent a disappointing stare at Ephraim and his teacher, who simultaneously noticed and turned towards their green-eyed companion.

""What?""

"You're already letting your habit show around a bunch of innocent people, and they're already being influenced, and you, Orimura-sensei, are supposed to be the 'responsible' adult here. Why are you the one also getting carried away?"

The disguised teacher rolled her eyes. "The ball's already rolling, I might as well go with the flow." She then fixed a crimson glare at her sheepish assistant. "In the end, his ass will be on a silver platter anyway."

The rest of the table wisely looked away, hiding their guilty or wincing expressions.


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Time: 7:45 PM

Location: Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture

(BGM Start: Persona 3 - Polonian Mall)

"I still don't understand how you can eat...just...tongue!"

"Hey, don't knock it until you try it!"

Their party was in full swing; the grills were turned on, meat was being cooked, and drinks were passed around. They had removed their jackets due to the heat and were enjoying the general merriment of eating together.

Rin hiccupped as she went to flip a kalbi piece, her cheeks almost permanently flushed after her second Lime Sour. "I dunno 'bout you guys, but I'm calling dibs on these wagyu short rib cuts!"

"Wha-?! You can't do that!" Davion protested as he went to grab one of said short rib cuts with his chopsticks. The Chinese girl's chopsticks met his less than a second after. "These platters are for everyone to share!"

The mechanic's own cheeks were lightly flushed from his fourth Shochu, with only his superhuman metabolism keeping him from doing anything stupid. Beside him, Kanzashi was still blushing at the feeling of his arm around her waist. Between his second and third glass of spirit, he suddenly pulled her close to him, much to the others' teases and grins.

"Well I call dibs! You can't deny the rule of dibs!"

"Nuh-uh! In this setting, you can!"

The bluenette sighed as she continued to eat her cheese chijumi, secretly enjoying how the gray-eyed teen's hand occasionally crawled down to squeeze her hips.

As the two began to duel for the rights of getting the cuts, Houki hiccupped as she tried to keep a sober façade. Truthfully, she was almost wasted after drinking her third Highball, and she could only hope that she would still be lucid by the end of the night.

"Pass me the harami, please." The ponytailed girl nearly slurred as she shook her head to clear the light haze. The platter of thick cuts slid towards her, and she hummed in appreciation before she began to grill the meat. "Thanks."

"No problem, Houki." Ichika grinned as he munched on some caesar salad, watching as Rin and Davion's chopsticks clashed with loud clacks.

While the two were having their battle, a certain albino was sneakily reaching towards the Lime Sour of the twin-tailed girl.

Ryo saw this happening in the corner of his eyes.

"Laura..." He warned here with a flat stare, causing the younger girl to freeze and resume eating her matcha ice cream.

"Ah right," Chifuyu's voice stole his attention, and he looked over to her, curiously watching as she and his roommate converse. "How are your preparations for the beach trip?"

The teacher was well in her sixth Highball and, if the flushing on her cheeks were any indication, was moving past being tipsy and into being drunk.

"Honestly, I haven't even begun to pack." Ephraim sighed as he grilled a few yakisuki pieces, filling Cecilia's plates and his superior with near-perfectly cooked meat. "I've been constantly harried by my clubmates to talk to my sister about organizing some sort of cook-off event or something in Kanucha to shake things up."

"I must ask, Sir Sahaku," Cecilia was practically the epitome of a noble socialite with how she didn't seem drunk as she swirled the wine in its glass. "Why do you not agree with them? I personally think that having a cook-off at the beach would be quite nice indeed."

"It'll undermine the hospitality of the staff." The taller blonde muttered as he took a sip of his seventh Highball, the reddening of the tips of his ears being the only indication that he was tipsy. "It's a resort, not an open beach. They have facilities that cater to whatever we need, having a cook-off would basically be insulting them. As the newly instated Heir to the Sahaku Clan, as bad as an idea I believe it is, I must set an example."

The noblewoman nearly swooned at his words, leaning up against him with giddy giggles. "So kind~!"

"Huh, would've thought you'd want to show off your cooking skills." Chifuyu snorted as a smile graced her lips, inwardly pleased by his maturity. "Though, I will admit I'm a bit disappointed. I was sort of looking forward to whatever summer dish you were gonna make."

The courier could see the inner turmoil in his friend's eyes when they widened briefly.

'You're so damn predictable.'

"It's always quite amusing to see Monsieur Sahaku be caught flatfooted." Charlotte piped up beside him, a small titter escaping her lips as she took another sip of her Oolong tea. "A refreshing change of pace from his constant smirk, no?"

"He's got 'Resting-Bitch-Face' syndrome. He can't really help but wear a mask." Ryo snorted as he finished his third glass of orange juice.

The Frenchwoman looked at him before looking down at her lap shyly. "Um, Ryo..."

"What's up?" The courier asked once he set his glass down.

"You see...tomorrow, the girls and I were planning to shop for swimsuits for the beach trip, and I was wondering if you wish to come with me?" The short blonde smiled up at him beatifically, almost pleadingly.

His green eyes slightly widened, and he gave an amused huff.

"Fine." The courier agreed as he looked back towards the group and pondered on their outing. "I've been meaning to replace my rash guard."

Charlotte's smile grew as she gave her a quick hug, making sure to squeeze him once before letting go. "Thank you~!"

"No problem." He smiled briefly before pushing his chair back. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom for a bit."

"Bodewig!" Chifuyu's hiss momentarily caught his attention.

He looked over and saw Laura quickly putting back Rin's Lime Sour and gulping down whatever she had in her mouth.

"It was just one sip!"

Rin turned her head to her drink with narrowed eyes. "Wait, what-"

"Ha!" The platter of rib cuts finally slid over to Davion. "Victory!"

"Hey, no fair!"

Rolling his eyes, the courier got up from his seat and made his way to the bathroom.


5 minutes later...

Cracking his knuckles, Ryo exited the men's bathroom with a quiet sigh. So far, their little shindig was going along swimmingly, aside from his roommate instigating the rest to try alcoholic drinks.

Peeking around said corner, he saw his table in all of its liveliness.

Houki was arguing with Rin, with both girls holding a piece of meat in their respective chopsticks. Ichika was between the two of them, trying to stop their fighting but also trying to not get food shoved into his mouth.

Laura was once more trying to drink Rin's Lime Sour, this time with no one at the table noticing her.

Charlotte was gleefully eating his vanilla ice cream, something which...

The courier sighed.

'She can have that.'

Davion and Kanzashi were...

...

Honestly, Ryo didn't know if what they were doing was decent in such a place or not.

The mechanic was...tickling? Fondling? A little bit of both?

Whatever he was doing to the bluenette, she didn't seem to mind it, if her giggling and playful pushing of him were any indications.

Cecilia was still leaning against Ephraim, seemingly whispering something into his ear, to which he seemed to be responding back to. His roommate really needed to decide whether or not he was going to date the noblewoman. Leading her on like this was just not the way to go...

And Chifuyu merely busied herself with drinking her Highballs, willfully ignoring two cases of PDA before her.

'There goes the responsibility of an adult.'

Rustle!

Suddenly, he felt someone wrap their arms around his neck. Eyes widening, he grabbed the wrists with one hand and used his other arm to elbow whoever was behind him.

There should have been nobody but him in the bathroom area. He knew this! If there were anyone else, he would have heard them, so this person was..!

His elbow hit the person's stomach and caused them to grunt and loosen their grip around his neck. He backed up quickly, aiming to slam whoever it was behind him into the wall.

The person shifted just as he was a few steps away, tightening their grip around his neck for a moment before lifting themselves up and over him. His back impacted the wall with a muted thud, causing the courier to growl before a weight slammed into his stomach.

"My my, so fierce~"

Ryo opened his eyes and found amused rubies staring back.

"Good evening, Mu-kun~"

"Tate- Kaichou..?"

Tatenashi grinned as she wrapped her legs around his hips and rested her hands on his shoulders. "Surprised to see me~?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" The courier hissed as he tried to dislodge her grip on his shoulders. "Also, get off! Someone might come and see!"

"Let them~" The sultry bluenette purred, the tight white camisole underneath her denim jacket barely containing her breasts when they pressed up against his chest. "It's not as if we're bothering them in this dark little corner~."

'No no no! I'm not going to be a victim of such tropes in the world and a possible case of sexual harassment!'

His hands let go of her wrists and grabbed her by the waist, eliciting a surprised squeak from her and the tightening of her legs around him. Narrowing his eyes, he began to tickle her.

"W-Wait, you-!" The 2nd year flinched when she realized just what he was doing before her whole body shuddered. "S-Stop that!"

"Let go of me, and I will."

"Pfft! You-! Heheheh! Stop~!"

Tatenashi's bell-like laughter and squeaks were thankfully quiet enough that no one came over to check the noise. His fingers worked up and down her sides as her grip on his shoulders loosened. She leaned forward, burying her face in the crook of his neck to muffle her laughter as he tried to dislodge her.

But, like a sloth on a tree branch, she stubbornly held on.

'Why you..!' The courier's eyes narrowed before he poked her armpits.

"Eep!"

That got her off.

She took a few steps back, glaring at him with a blush as she crossed her arms tuck her hands in her armpits. "Mu-kun!"

"You asked for it." Ryo crossed his arms, a bemused frown on his lips as he pushed himself off the wall. "I'm not having a repeat of what happened in the AquaCity Cinema."

The bluenette pouted as she puffed her cheeks. "Spoilsport."

"Good grief, Kaichou..." He sighed as he began to walk back to his table, only to pause when she grabbed his arm. Glancing at her, she had a mischievous smile as she rubbed her head against his bicep, messing up her hair as she leaned on him.

"Alright~" She sang, somewhat dragging him as they rounded the corner. "I guess it's time to stop skulking about and join you guys~."

"How did you even get in here? This place is reservation only."

"I have my ways~"

Their return to the table wasn't unnoticed as those facing him, namely Ichika, Rin, and Houki, went wide-eyed at the sight of the student council president hugging his arm. The wide-eyed nature of the three caused those whose backs were to him to turn.

"Nee-san?!" Kanzashi's face paled in both surprise and embarrassment, as she and Davion have been rather... touchy in the past few minutes. Who knows if the older Sarashiki was watching?!

Ephraim's eyes widened as he nearly spat out his eight Highball. "Yo, did you have a quickie?!"

Bonk!

Chifuyu's fist quickly found its way to the back of his head.

"A surprise to see you here, Sarashiki-san." The disguised teacher ignored her assistant's exclamation as she took control of the burgeoning conversation. "But not an unwelcome one, I'm sure."

"I just can't believe that Mu-kun over here didn't see fit to invite me, hmph!" She dragged a chair from the other table and set it beside the courier's, much to the suppressed ire of the smiling Frenchwoman. "And here I thought I was his friend."

"Kaichou, I told you that I was going out for dinner with friends." Ryo deadpanned as he sat back down on his seat, making a small gesture for Charlotte to calm her down. "You responded with a hum while you were signing, and I took that as an indication that you were too busy."

"But what you said wasn't an invite!"

The courier let loose a long-suffering sigh.

"My God, just forget it. You're here now, are you? It all worked out in the end."

Tatenashi stuck her tongue out at him and grabbed his half-finished glass of orange juice. Fixing a sly look towards the wide-eyed Charlotte, she raised the glass with a cheer.

"Ваше здоровье!"

Then, she placed her lips where his used to be and downed the entire thing in one gulp.

Ryo stared in the deadest deadpan he could ever deadpan.

...

And thus, did their party continue.


AN:

Proofread and Edited by: ProjectRyo

Gundam: Red Fanged Vagabonds is Davion's Gundam doujin. It's basically an homage to his controller's favorite series, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans.

The mention of accessories bearing the kanji 真 (True/Genuine/Truth) and Kashiwagi-san are obvious nods to the Yakuza series. The former is the symbol of a certain family and the latter is a supporting character. In fact, I mentioned a few other details concerning said series in past chapters.

Zettai ryōiki (Japanese: 絶対領域, lit. "absolute territory") refers to the area of bare skin in the gap between overknee socks and a miniskirt (or shorts). It can also be used to describe the clothing combination. The term first became widespread in otaku slang as one of the attributes of moe characters in anime and manga, but it is now used by the general public in Japan.

Gokudō is another term for the yakuza, and chimpira are low-ranking yakuza.

A5 Beef is the highest rank wagyu beef can attain, with guaranteed quality and excellent marbling.

A Highball is an iced drink containing spirits/liquor mixed with either water or a non-alcoholic beverage, typically soda pop or ginger ale. They are really popular in Japan and, from my experience in yakiniku places, are a staple in the restaurants.

Lime Sour is a cocktail that typically has three parts; Lime juice, club soda, and shochu.

Shochu a Japanese distilled beverage typically made from; rice, barley, sweet potatoes, buckwheat, or brown sugar.

Imo Shochu on the rocks = "Sweet Potato Shochu served in a glass with ice cubes."

The Infuego mentioned here, and shown in the Christmas Chapter, is a one-to-one copy of the same care with the same name from the Saints Row franchise. More specifically, it is a fully upgraded black and gold colored version. It resembles a 2010 Bentley Mulsanne and the 2005 to present model of Bentley Continental Flying Spur.

It's also a manual.

And yes, if it wasn't obvious, Ephraim absolutely sucks at driving stick.

Ваше здоровье! = "To your health!", a Russian cheer when drinking or similar festivities.

To the reviews!

KnightOfZaku: Well, if you want to be technical, Project: Neo-Type is an analogue to the whack human experiments over in the Cosmic Era. Faster reaction times, increased strength, heightened spatial awareness, etc. Hell, Infinite Stratos has its own share of human experiments too, with Laura being the obvious example.

That said...it isn't unlikely for Phantom Task to have such operatives as, after all, the full extent of their organization is still unknown even in the Light Novel. Apparently they've been around the place since World War 2, making it an almost century-old group by the time of Gone Astray (the 2030's). As for whether these possible super soldiers could be Boosted Men (or Women in this case because anime logic) or Extendeds...well, the time'll come for a proper reveal.

Commissar Baphomet: Oh man, you just dug up a memory of an idea concerning gender-swapping. The main premise was that, upon contact with an actual physical IS CORE, IS Sci-Fi mumbo jumbo happens which turns the trio into girls for an unforeseeable amount of time. Cue shenanigans.

My friends made art of a Rule 63'd Astray Trio (though back then, they weren't called the Astray trio), and I distinctly remember one of them drawing R63 Ephraim doing the Studio Shaft head tilt. Also...R63 Davion had huge boobs, R63 Ryo had some serious honkers, and R63 Ephraim was Medium is Premium.

Next chapter will be Episode 9, and it will be a multiparter!

It's a beach episode, after all.

This is Cipher, signing off!

.

.

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He stared on at his own reflection, using his trip to the bathroom as an excuse to contain the inner turmoil that has been haunting him since. Green orbs shifted their hues to dull and lively with every blink of his eyes, seemingly changing effortlessly.

'You don't belong here.' A voice like his own echoed in his head.

Turning the tap on once more, he splashed his face with a wave of cold water to clear his mind, purging his current thoughts if only for tonight.

He didn't know when it started.

The feeling just pops out here and there, and he'd just let them be. All he knew was that he was beginning to miss nights of sleep just staring at the ceiling of their room. The loss of sleep didn't bother him much. He had slept for less during his time as an international courier.

Sometimes, he went out on walks in the dead of night. His roommate didn't need to know about the frequent midnight to dawn strolls around the academy. He always returned right before his roommate woke up, so it would always look like he was there. Despite the curfew, it pays to know the layout of the academy like the back of his hand. That and a few connections with the security.

This occasion was another one of those times such thoughts emerged from whatever void his mind was hiding.

"You're right," He responded to the mirror, gazing at the projection of his possibly worst self. "I don't belong here…"

'But it doesn't mean they don't.'

With another blink of his lids, his green orbs returned to being vibrant, as vibrant as he believed so at least, and the person in the mirror went back to what it simply was…

A reflection.