Free Time: Intermission 1
Merry Christmas. The poll is closed. Seems like there's quite a number of people that want Chihiro to be a girl that fakes being a guy who fakes being a girl. Mm, that made sense, I think.
After their first few classes rolled by, with about as much smoothness as the glass shard covered floor of their classroom after the happenings that occurred only a few hours ago, what was to follow next before their lunch break was their Physical Education class.
While it wasn't quite the subject meant to improve most of the Ultimate Students' talents, the same could have been said about the rest of their high school curriculum in the academy, such as Math, Science, and Japanese. Nevertheless, the students themselves could choose to whether or not attend and diligently finish the subject's requirements, or be off elsewhere doing whatever they pleased.
After taking the elevator down to the ground floor, the seventy-eighth class of Hope's Peak Academy trailed behind their teacher making her way out of the building. For better ease, they had been split up into separate groups of boys and girls so that they would be entering their respective changing rooms.
As the class moved, a certain Naegi Makoto could be seen having a chat with his fellow male friends as they walked together. And while he was focused on the conversation, he wasn't quite oblivious to the strange looks he felt like he was getting from the almost silent party of girls.
It wasn't often that even the bubbly Asahina Aoi was amongst the mostly reserved female half. In fact, the one exception in the entire group was Enoshima Junko, who was having an animated call with someone on her phone, oblivious of Kiyotaka Ishimaru's occasional complaints regarding her violation of rules for using a cellphone.
Once leaving the Main School Building, the Ultimate Lucky Student took a quick moment to look around, and saw only a peculiar handful of people roaming around for some reason or another in the deserted premises. Recognizing two of them as students that belonged to the soon-to-be-graduating seventy-sixth class, Naegi slightly raised his arm up to wave in greeting to his upperclassmen after they turned to give a curious glance at him and his classmates.
If he recalled correctly, and the brunette did try to remember the names, faces, and talents of his fellow Main Course students - mostly to sate his interests and concerns on what sort of people he would running across after getting to know how quirky and potentially alarming his classmates and the second seventy-seventh class were - one of them was the Super High-School Level Pharmacist, Kimura Seiko, and the other being the Super High School-Level Therapist, Gekkogahara Miaya.
They were some of the oddest in the seventy-sixth class, which helped to make them a bit more memorable for the lucky student, though the sentiment wasn't necessarily shared by the rest of their classmates, or by the Main Course student body for that matter. Perhaps it was due to his nature that he had a tendency to pay attention to the more introverted types and remark them faster. But more likely than that, it was the two's accessories that highlighted them the most to Naegi; the Ultimate Pharmacist's ceaseless wearing of a medical mask and the Ultimate Therapist's distinct red scarf, along with her one-of-a-kind characteristic of using a wheelchair.
"Shinguji-san, he did say that Gekkogahara-senpai isn't actually… disadvantaged. But still, I don't think I've ever seen her walk or even stand up even once… and it really doesn't help that Gekkogahara-senpai only uses her tablet to talk to people…"
And on that train of thought, a rather problematic person came to Naegi's mind, someone that shared the Ultimate Therapist's condition of employing a wheelchair for moving around.
"…Sigh, that reminds me… I wonder how Enoshima-san's 'little sister' is doing?"
Not in any way referring to Ikusaba Mukuro, instead, at the forefront of the brunette's mind was the image of a green-haired elementary school student whom treated his rather devilish blonde classmate, the Ultimate Fashionista, with a strange idolization. And then there was the rest of her little clique to think about as well, but that memory was for another time.
"Hmm… maybe I should talk to Harukawa-san before I go and visit Hope's Peak Academy's Elementary School to check on the little 'warriors' again… she might like to join me, I think… plus, it always helps to have someone with me around those troublemakers…"
Nevertheless, the Ultimate Lucky Student disregarded those thoughts for a later date, making note to think about when he would perform the 'duties' given to him by the headmaster to devote a bit of his free time into helping out the academy with their 'problem students'.
The two seventy-sixth class students noticed the small wave they were given by the passing brunette boy, as well as some polite greetings from Kiyotaka and a few other more students, and reacted as they commonly did.
Gekkogahara looked down to type something on her tablet and boosted the volume of her speakers, which was followed by a robotic 'good morning' sounding out from them. While on the other hand, Kimura flinched in surprise, her eyes shifting to stare at the hazel eyes of one particular underclassman before hurrying off and fleeing from the scene without a word.
Watching the strangely much more flustered than usual Ultimate Pharmacist run past them and into the building, Naegi turned his eyes to look at the Ultimate Therapist, who remained sitting there on her wheelchair in the middle of the New School Building's courtyard, wondering what his senpai was up to. Much as he wanted to speak with the silent young woman, always interested in conversating with his schoolmates, their teacher hadn't stopped walking forward, and so Naegi settled with giving Gekkogahara a curt nod and a friendly smile before leaving.
As the seventy-eighth class continued on their way, one student from the class thought to look back and give the therapist one final glance, her purple eyes catching the red-scarfed girl still being fixated on the back of her 'lucky' classmate. Kirigiri Kyoko sighed, though said nothing about what thoughts she was having at that moment, and then shook her head.
"Quite curious, though not all that unsurprising. I do wonder how that development occurred…"
Investigating the female Main Course students was, in the Ultimate Detective's honest opinion, something both important and personally vexing, an undeniable proof that she could not restrain her emotions, particularly those brought about by the pesky romantic sorts that made her heart beat too quickly and her face feel too hot. Nonetheless, the lavender-haired girl forgave herself for the inner conflict, chalking it up to just another consequence of Naegi Makoto swaying her nigh impervious steel-heart, and didn't waste another second of staying engrossed in place by her thoughts, lagging behind her classmates with eyes on her lucky student.
The student in question was engaged with the male half of his class in conversation, the topic of course being about the special occasion on that day.
"Oi, kyoudai, what's with the rules on Valentine's? Ya know that you're just gonna make things turn to hell, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, Owada's got a point! You better have a good reason for this, Kiyotaka," pressured Kuwata Leon, hands crossed over his chest and raising an eyebrow at their public morals advocate who returned the questioning look with a serious expression.
"This is no different from the rules set forth in my previous high school! I am only doing my duty to protect the integrity and maintain the conduct of the school environment!"
"Ehh, but didn't you come from that top honors high school? Kaiseidan or whatever?"
"Correct, Hagakure-kun! Thank you for remembering!"
"Y-you don't need to bow to me for that, man…"
"Ne, Naegi Makoto-dono, now that the girls aren't allowed to give any chocolates, what are your plans now!?"
"N-nothing really, Yamada-kun. I didn't have any plans in the first place," said Naegi, scratching the back of his head in blankness.
"I'm telling you again, Naegi, you're gonna get those chocolates one way or another. Kiyotaka just made everything worse by having it all blow up at the end of the day."
"I did not make anything worse, Kuwata-kun!"
"Ehh, gotta agree with the baseball nut, kyoudai. Nothin' good is gonna come out of this."
"Who you calling a baseball nut!? Who'd wanna be a nut for that when you can get all the ladies by being a Rockstar!"
"Last I checked, the girls here aren't fawning over you, Kuwata-chi!"
"Bah, shut up! Can't help it when this guy here's got em all around his fingers!"
Locking an arm around Naegi's shoulders, Kuwata gave the short boy a grin, to which the brunette returned with an awkward smile, saying, "I ran into Maizono-san and Ikusaba-san before classes, they didn't say anything about having any valentines to give, Kuwata-kun."
"Don't worry about it! They're just shy, I swear. C'mon, you guys agree, right? There's no way those two are giving you nothing today. I'd bet on it even!"
"Fufu, Kuwata Leon-dono is completely correct! But… I wouldn't know because I only understand two-dimensional girls! Hm, far better than the girls in this real world!"
"Oi, oi, you better not start on that crap, nobody wants to hear any otaku blabbering… and Naegi doesn't count either, he just won't say what's really in his head."
"I-is that true, Naegi Makoto-dono!?"
"N-no, I like listening to what you have to say, Yamada-kun," Naegi insisted, a strained smile on his face and arms weakly raised up in defense, not looking very honest with himself but it was enough for his pudgy classmate to believe him, who raised his chest proudly at hearing the lucky student's words.
As the topic of the conversation slowly devolved at that point - with one silent and peeved Togami Byakuya forced to listen to the 'drivel' of his classmates as he set as much of a distance between him and the group as possible without earning an unnecessarily loud remark from Kiyotaka about keeping up with the rest of the class - Kuwata took it upon himself to have the subject of the chat return to what it was originally about before they reached the gymnasium building located nearby the New School Building in the Academy's East side.
Some time ago, in the first few months of their school year, the travel to where they would've had their Physical Education class would have taken much longer, and that was because they used the running track and swimming pool of the Old School Building. Naegi even had a few class pictures they took over there on his phone, one taken by Togami at the pool and another taken by Asahina at the track. An odd coincidence was that Enoshima's features were hidden in both.
Nevertheless, they were heading to the new facilities built next to the New School Building.
"Owada Mondo-dono, you should really let me enlighten you on the beauty of anime and manga one of these days! And then… we could start a collaboration on a dōjin manga about biker gangs and magical girls!"
"How about I shove my fist up your-"
"Guys, guys, back on topic here? Valentine's Day? You remember?"
"Tsk, if ya wanna talk about it so much, then why don't ya talk about what plans you've got, Rockstar?"
"Well, I wanted to talk about Naegi's girl problems but I don't mind telling you guys about my romances at all," so said the Ultimate Baseball Player, a sly grin on his face with an excited tone in his voice to match, quite eager to bring up and talk about his own exploits with the ladies.
"You know what? Not really. Shut up."
"Hey!"
"Haha, alright, alright then, Kuwata-chi, I'm kinda curious about that date you mentioned back when Kiyotaka-chi was tearing you a new one for your homework," cutting in between Kuwata and Owada, Hagakure added himself into the mix.
"Yeah, well I got a date is all. Sweet chick, nice chest, little bit older, works at a salon where I get my hair styled sometimes. Not interested in being late or else I'll miss out any action late at night, if you catch what I'm pitching," he finished, giving a wink at the end.
"Kuwata-kun, having such an explicit relationship at a young age-!"
"Put a sock in it, honor student, there's no way in hell you're telling me off about my out-of-campus life, you got that?"
The Ultimate Moral Compass could only grumble a reluctant mutter in response.
"Mm, Kuwata-chi has a point! And we're not that young here, especially me, haha!"
Owada raises an eyebrow, "Oh yeah? Ya got similar plans or something?"
"Me? Nah, nah! But I do have a date with a group of 'fortune tellers' trying to make a name for themselves in this part of Japan! I'll be showing em who's the real shaman around here from tonight till the weekend!"
"Are they one of those people saying that they're espers, Hagakure-kun?"
"That's right, Naegi-chi! Bunch of high school guys and girls from some other weirdo school!"
"Well, I ain't interested in a group of some eighth-grader syndromed chūnibyō. Hmm, let's see, how about you then, Owada? Got any plans later for Valentine's?"
"Just biking with my gang," was his curt response.
"Really? That's it?"
"Yeah, what? Ya got a problem with that!?"
Raising his arms in mock fright, Kuwata let the issue drop, before turning to the Ultimate Dōjin Author, "I really don't wanna know what you've got planned, so," immediately shifting to one other male classmate who'd been ignored for entirety of the walk, "a'ight then, Togami, before we get to grilling Naegi, please enlighten us on how billionaires spend their Valentine's Day."
Not seeing any reaction from the said billionaire to the sarcastic remark he'd made, the Ultimate Baseball Player tried another approach at getting their prideful classmate to answer.
"I'm guessing you and Fukawa are gonna be up to something tonight, eh~?"
Glaring at the redhead with an absolutely disgusted expression, the blond only received a cheeky grin in reply, Kuwata satisfied with getting a rise out of the scion.
"Hold on," cut in Owada, "don't tell me… is he still trying to have ya act like bait, huh, Naegi?"
"Oh… right… that…"
Knowing what the two were talking about, Kuwata seconded, "How's it going on that anyway?"
"I'm… not really sure, I mean… I don't want to do it because it feels kind of wrong, but… if it can help Togami-kun, I am trying as nicely as I can," the brunette boy whispered to his male friends.
Surprisingly, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny raised a question in the most tentative voice they'd ever heard from the young man, whom asked, "Has… there been any progress, Naegi?"
"Well, I can feel her watching me a lot now… and it's kinda unsettling…"
"I'd hate to be doing what you're dealing with, Naegi. You have my condolences."
"Kuwata-kun… don't joke around like that."
"I'm just kidding, man! If you can get almost every chick here to chase your tail, you'll definitely get her out of Togami's hair one day. Let's… just hope you don't get cut up at the end of it…"
"The yandere route is a perilous path, Naegi Makoto-dono! You are doing Togami Byakuya-dono a massive favor if you succeed! But the chances of getting a bad ending if you do succeed are… super incredibly fatal! Hm, hm! Only a true dating sim master would attempt it!"
"C'mon, you're both not helping. Look, you're scaring the poor guy, Kuwata-chi, Yamada-chi."
"Oi, Hagakure, what future do you see if Naegi here gets that psycho's attention?"
"Hmm, I see… I see… his head gets cut off…! And she sails away on a boat while hugging his disembodied head! Yeah, there's totally a thirty percent chance that could happen!"
"Hah!? That's a hell of a screwed up image, man."
"I think I've seen that in a visual novel somewhere! Which means it could actually happen!"
"...Not sure if that's how it works, Yamada."
"Never fear, Naegi-kun! I would never allow any of our classmates to murder each other!"
"You guys… please stop…"
Leaving most of them chuckling in expense of the poor boy troubled by how his irregular luck often managed to get him into these situations in the first place, Naegi, ever the optimistic person that he was, nonetheless smiled in resignation. Though remembering how he'd needed to act just so he could purposefully get a stalker to pursue him, whether that meant romantically or homicidally, was almost embarrassing enough to make the brunette cry.
"Hm… oi, kyoudai," suddenly called out Owada, getting not only Kiyotaka's attention but the rest of his classmates as well, moving the subject back on to the next boy's Valentine's schedule.
"Yes? Is something wrong?"
"You said you got nothing special to do tonight back when we were talking yesterday?"
"That's wrong, kyoudai! Studying is something always special!"
"Forget that, this guy's going biking with the rest of my gang," patting Kiyotaka on the shoulder.
While that surprised almost all of them, none were more so shocked than the seventy-eighth class' honor student, who shouted out, "W-what!? I can't possibly-!"
"Bah, quiet down, you. I already took Naegi that one time... just didn't end well is all. It's about time you're introduced to my brothers. If you're my kyoudai, then you're seriously one of us, man."
"B-but it's a gang…!"
"You ain't doing anything crazy, stupid. We'll teach you how to bike, that's all. And there's no way you ain't doing anything today when the rest of these guys are."
"N-Naegi-sensei-!"
Kiyotaka turned to the wide-eyed brunette boy, startled at being called into the discussion so all of a sudden, as well as being labelled like so in public instead of when he and the Ultimate Moral Compass were chatting privately about how to help him with being more 'normal'.
"W-what should I do here!?"
"E-err, just hang out with Owada-kun and have a good time? His friends were all super nice to me after getting to know each other, and you can make more friends that way too, I think?" answered the lucky student, who was rather unsure whether or not this was a good idea at all.
"I-I see! Then, kyoudai, I shall take you up on that offer!"
"Not sure why you needed to ask the little guy for all that, but a'ight. After classes, you and I are headed to where we usually chill and polish our bikes, got that?"
"It would be an honor, kyoudai!"
"…I gotta make sure you don't piss anyone off before we get there…"
Kuwata, taking this as the best segue on to the last but most important person they'd want to hear about for his Valentine's Day plans, clapped his hands after a second or two of silence.
"Alright, since everybody got a time to shine, I think it's time we really got down to business…"
Stopping a second or two to let the Ultimate Lucky Student walk right next to his side, Kuwata captured the boy with an arm slung over his shoulders once more, grinning in excitement for whatever salacious information would come out of Naegi's mouth. To which was responded with a rather awkward smile, thinking that there wasn't quite much to tell.
"Yeah, yeah, Naegi-chi! We've gone and shared our plans! C'mon then, it's your turn!"
"E-eh!? But I didn't get a turn," exclaimed the Ultimate Dōjin author, though failing to really get any heads to turn towards him.
"Fess up, little guy. I ain't believing one second of that 'I don't have any plans or anything' talk that you were chatting up with the rest of us last night," gruffly spoke the Ultimate Gang Leader.
"But I really don't…?"
"Please, Naegi-sensei! It may be immoral but surely you must have something to do today!"
"Ah, well… if it's plans, I've really only got hanging out with my little sister for Valentine's. It's a little embarrassing but we do have this special way of giving chocolates to each other-"
"Yo, you and your sis are a little too close, I won't lie, Naegi," cut in the Ultimate Baseball Player.
The irony was not lost on Hagakure, "Says the guy who's got that creepy cousin!"
"Ugh, shut up. I love her and all that like a little sister but I swear she'll come and wreck my entire date later this evening by tailing us as soon as I get out of the campus…"
"Hmph, just have Naegi let his luck work on that weirdo. With any luck, it'd probably work like with Fukawa. All you gotta do is get Naegi to act like you, pretty much like last time as Byakuya."
The redhead's eyes grew the size of dinner plates, creakingly turning his head to look down at the boy he had an arm around, almost frightening Naegi with the utter desperation in the baseball player's expression.
"Naegi… you gotta help me with her… or else she'll grow up alone and following me forever!"
"Kuwata-kun, it's definitely not okay to get a girl to like me just so they stop liking someone… I mean, it's already like I'm taking advantage of them or something and I'm pretty sure you don't want me to hurt her like that… plus, what am I supposed to do after she likes me!?"
"It's a whole lot worse than letting my sweet little sister become some old unmarried lady still pining for her cousin or getting in some scandal in the future when I'm a music sensation!"
"B-but what about that bet you made with her? Reaching a record at pitching a baseball, right?"
"…Look, I'm proud of how hard she's working, and there's probably no girl out there that will love me like she'll maybe always will… but, this isn't about me. I also want what's best for her."
"Starting to sound pretty sketchy there, Rockstar. But I like your guts, that's manly as hell."
"A blood-related romance… it's so unspeakably taboo… Naegi-kun, I urge that you do all that you can to prevent Kiyotaka-kun from committing something that could get him expelled!"
"Hold up! Nobody said anything about that! I'm the one not interested in her in that way!"
"He's gonna get a hell of a lot worse than expulsion if anybody catches wind of that, kyoudai."
"That's something you'll only find in the fictional world! Like this one visual novel I played-!"
"Yamada-chi! Don't say anything else that'll creep us out even more!"
Scratching the back of his head, Naegi took one glance at the honest and heartfelt fire in the redhead's eyes, and sighed, before saying, "…I'll see what I can do… but no promises, alright?"
Clapping the back of the shorter boy, "That's why you're my best friend, Naegi!"
Rolling his eyes a little, Naegi responded with a sincere 'thank you', shoving the thoughts of how in the world he was supposed to charm his friend's obsessive cousin in the first place.
"Hold on a second…"
"Wait. I'm not even that good at getting a girl's attention. Much less a girl that already likes someone too much. So, why am I the one who's being put up to do this in the first place?"
Six pairs of eyes, even the bespectacled pair belonging to Byakuya's, pointed themselves at the brunette boy, blinking owlishly at what he said.
"I-I know we chatted about this last night but… you're still on that, Naegi?"
"Naegi-chi… you don't even need to be a halfway-good fortune teller for this…"
"No, no! This is exactly how it is to be the main character of a romance manga! Truly, Naegi Makoto-dono, you are one of a kind even in Hope's Peak Academy!"
"Naegi-kun! I was not aware at all of all these accusations! Remember that before engaging in any in-school relationships, please know full well that there are repercussions to public displays of affection! However, I will not tolerate any love-related manipulation of any kind!"
"A little too late for that, but huh, I thought you'd be the one to catch on to it first, kyoudai…"
"…Despite being among the top of the class in the leagues of Kirigiri and I, you still remain ignorant at the likes of a woman's allusions to being attracted to you? A commoner to no end."
Faced against this onslaught of almost disappointed looks being directed at him, Naegi seemingly only now really realizing just how much his friends thought he was some ladies' man.
"T-there's no way you guys really believe that all those girls liking me is true, right…? Wasn't it just a joke or something…? And I mean, I'm not having any success with getting Fukawa-san to like me anyway! Just making her stare at me doesn't mean a lot, c-c'mon now…?"
As a renewed and reinvigorated argument began to start within the conversation being held in the group of boys, on the other side of the coin only a few meters away from them were the silent line of the seventy-eighth class girls, casually watching and listening to their not-so quiet exchanges of dialogue. With even their physical education teacher occasionally trying to hear and keep track of the strange behavior of her class' students.
A genuinely curious Maizono Sayaka broke the silence first among her female half of the class to ask, "They… do know we can hear them, right?"
"Who knows? Not a lot of the guys are… good at that type of thing, you know, but I'm pretty sure Togami is! That type of thing is something he's good at," cheerily replied Asahina.
"For once, I agree with Asahina-san. Though I wonder if the choice of words being, 'that type of thing,' is as comprehensive as I understand it to be," was slyly added after by a gothic Lolita.
"Hey! I know plenty about that stuff, Celeste-chan! Plus, I'm good at it too, right, Sakura-chan!?"
"Apologies, Asahina, but you are similarly not good at being observant of your surroundings."
"S-Sakura-chan!?"
"Outside of your competitions at the very least…"
While the two best friends were once again swept into a private conversation, the rest of the girls turned their attention towards the disconcerted brunette boy practically being harassed with names of girls belonging to the Main Course thrown at him by his male friends, alleging that those girls held affections for him. All the while Naegi tried to give reasons why they must have been simply misunderstandings, such as in the case of Maizono and Ikusaba Mukuro.
"B-but I already saw Maizono-san twice today…! And I even spent time with both her and Ikusaba-san, they both said that they didn't have any plans for Valentine's Day…! That has to mean that they're not giving any chocolates to me, guys…!"
While the lucky student had obviously meant to whisper that out to the rest of the guys, a select number of the seventy-eighth-class ladies had overheard it all the same, and decided to be much better at keeping their conversation privy and out of the boys' eavesdropping.
"This is your own folly, Maizono-san. How unfortunate for your circumstances but I'm afraid I'll be taking first place in this little game," said Celestia Ludenburg with a sickly-sweet smile.
"Hmph! I'm not out of the race just yet! I'll blow Naegi-kun away with what I have planned later this afternoon! It'll beat out any rushed valentine-giving, even if it'll be the first he gets!"
"Don't you look so confident of that? Would you care to put it into a wager?"
"…Stop that you two, now is not the time to be fighting amongst ourselves in the first place."
"Oh? How surprising it is to see Kirigiri-san taking a much more proactive role, instead of sitting idly by and waiting for an opportune initiative. I'm assuming you've already realized it then?"
Without giving a verbal reply, the ever-stoic expression of the Ultimate Detective was enough to answer Celeste's question, though Maizono raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to ask, "Wait, what're you two talking about? What's there to realize?"
"Our position is at risk, Maizono-san, we are at a disadvantage."
Surprisingly, the one to answer the blue-haired girl was their often silent and reclusive soldier, Ikusaba, who had shockingly left the side of her sister, slowing down the pace of her walking to match with the small group of girls gathered in somewhat quiet conversation. Though after quickly getting over the rather unique behavior of their classmate, the three girls took a quick glance at the Ultimate Soldier's sister, finding Enoshima still invested in a call with someone.
It never escaped their attention however, that they could now feel a split of attention being directed at them by the beautiful model, almost as if eyes had grown at the back of her head and begun boring into those behind her. Only the sole exception of Kirigiri Kyoko noticed that the Ultimate Fashionista's scrutiny had already been present since the beginning, though the increased sharpness of the blonde's hidden gaze was a disquieting sensation. After all, one could count on a single hand the number of times Ikusaba had left her sister's side unordered.
"Eh? Position? What do you mean by that, Ikusaba-san?"
"It means that compared to the other Hope's Peak Academy girls, we have been put into a situation where we absolutely cannot go against each other," started Celeste, "because of Kiyotaka-kun's thoughtless intentions to stop any valentines giving, we will be certainly his most observed suspects. And so, a possible scenario exists wherein our class begins- let's say… some manner of preventative tattling on each other, all to get someone's gift confiscated. Certainly, a 'chain-reaction' would follow, hm? Thus, resulting in no victory for either for us in this class."
"H-hold on, that sounds way too mean-spirited for any of us, Celeste-san. There's no way we would do any of that! I mean, we're all pretty close friends here, right…? Y-yeah…!"
"Mmm, I'm afraid I do not hear quite a lot of conviction in those words as compared to before. Are you truly certain? Most of us here are all fairly aware that you, Maizono-san, are in no way particularly the most gracious person in the class, you know?"
For the slightest second, the bright eyes of the Ultimate Idol dimmed before returning to as they normally were, the more cutthroat persona of a vicious star working in the ruthless pop culture industry of Japan surfacing in response to the gambler's goads.
"…I guess not… and I'm a little worried about Enoshima-san too… just a little bit…! No offense, of course, Ikusaba-san," she added mindfully at the end, not wanting to provoke the other girl.
"No harm is done; I am sure my sister would find it as nothing more than a compliment," and just as confidently as the soldier had said so, Enoshima, in response, slyly smiled upon listening.
"So, ladies? The point we have reached stands, does it not?"
"If I'm getting this right, what you're all trying to say is that… unlike the rest of the girls, like our senpais, from the other Main Course classes… we're the ones more likely to have infighting?"
"Yes, Maizono-san," Ikusaba quickly affirmed, voiced in a tone so serious, one could be fooled at the severity of the scenario, "that is indeed the current conditions for today's battlefield."
Narrowing her eyes, the idol paused, "…I don't appreciate you calling it like that but… I understand. If that's the case then it really does mean that we'll need to work together and-"
"-Only for the time being, yes?"
"…Yes, Celeste-san, only for now," Maizono reaffirmed, coldness tinged in her voice.
Looking at the three fellow maidens in pursuit of gaining a certain boy's affections, Kirigiri closed her eyes and sighed, refusing to pinch the bridge of her nose in the little frustration building inside of her. Their situation at the moment was just as the gothic Lolita had explained, and yet still many of Celeste's and Ikusaba's perceptions of their standing had been left unsaid.
"An attempt to get a foothold over her…? Hardly out of the question, but…"
She highly doubted that Maizono Sayaka of all people was in any sense unintuitive enough to let little unknown elements in a situation escape her attention. As for the detective herself, the lavender-haired girl more or less had the best grasp on how she would have to move today, and more importantly, how she would need to conduct her female classmates if there was any hope of getting what she herself personally wanted.
The danger presented by the Ultimate Moral Compass' presence should have been well known across surely most of the school body that deigned to care, presumably those outside the seventy-sixth and the first seventy-seventh class, though his efforts had seemingly been reinforced by a particular person's advice, and Kirigiri had her fair share of suspects.
Disregarding that matter for another time, what was currently more pressing were the female school body that had paid no such detail to Kiyotaka Ishimaru, and would have no trouble engaging the seventy-eighth class' lucky student with anything Valentine's related.
The clearest and perhaps most dangerous case in mind were the second seventy-seventh class, and to a substantially lesser degree, the second seventy-eighth class. Essentially, in comparison to most of the exempting students, the girls of the respective classes were, to word it as condensed as she could, somewhat more eccentric than even an ordinary Ultimate student. And that spoke volumes in and of itself.
What that meant was they were almost unpredictable, but paradoxically, certainly very predictable at the same time. Case in point, the seventy-seventh class' Mioda Ibuki, the Super High School-Level Light Music Club Member, and Owari Akane, the Gymnastics Club Member. In addition to them, the second seventy-eighth class' Iruma Miu, the Super High School-Level Inventor, and Yonaga Angie, the Super High School-Level Art Club Member. The specified four, Kirigiri had doubts they would be first in line to attempt anything if the morning there in Hope's Peak Academy hadn't already fallen into chaos.
However, the problem lay in the when, where, and how they were going to assault Naegi, possibly in more ways than one, and this was the Ultimate Detective's current conundrum.
Therefore, in order to cover her own bases, she would need to risk constructing an alliance between the first seventy-eighth class' girls, and luckily enough, Kirigiri had already known quite well that Celestia Ludenburg and Ikusaba Mukuro would have the same idea in mind. Unfortunately, just like the detective, both of the two would initially have some sort of plan to break the partnership at any opportune moment before forming a collaboration, and visualized conceptions of cunning subterfuge against each other as they worked together ran through her head.
Ultimately, it was incredibly more disadvantageous to participate in any truce between her fellow classmates, and each of them, save for a select few, likely came to that same conclusion. But the only reason she would actually consider it, and why she'd just entered the conversation a mere minute ago, was that if her presence was absent in facilitating the seventy-eighth-class girls, what she could only envision was a complete disaster led by the devious Ultimate Gambler, who would be highly distrusted by the rest of their classmates.
That was not to say Kirigiri faired any better in terms of being trusted, but at the very least she'd be able to keep the possibility of infighting from being shortly inevitable to strenuous and short-lived yet stable. More importantly, there were particularly useful benefits to being part of any alliance, such as having a way to observe her many rivals in love's machinations, developing plans to one-up them in one way or another, and of course, the ease in coordinating preventions against the Main Course students. Plus, it was always a pleasure to have more help at watching Enoshima Junko in case of unprecedent actions from the model.
"Why don't we continue this conversation in the changing rooms, Celeste-san? When all of us are gathered to listen and pay much better attention, yes?"
The Gothic Lolita took a quick glance behind them at the still conversating duo of Asahina Aoi and Ogami Sakura, the quiet and furtively eyeing nervous wreck, Fukawa Toko, and then close-by there was also the odd case that differentiated them from every other Main Course class.
"Oh yes, indeed, Kirigiri-san. I would not mind at all if you were to explain to all of us about what you think we should do if we want to keep those other girls away, fufu~"
As the two locked their eyes against one another in an unseen psychological warfare, not breaking even for a single second despite their class finally entering inside the academy's new gymnasium, a hurried set of timid footsteps steadily made their way to approach the gathered group of girls, keeping in pace with them before meekly raising a voice to get their attention.
"U-umm… I-I have a little question…"
More than a little startled by the quick turns of the four girls' heads, a small-statured and brown-haired classmate of theirs almost jumped back out of a tiny bit of fright and anxiety over the exceedingly more serious than normal atmosphere around them. Being the most sociable and 'good-hearted' of the bunch, Maizono swiftly shifted the air around her and as easily as ever adopted a different façade to present to their shy classmate.
"Yes, what is it, Fujisaki-san?"
"I-I couldn't help but overhear… and I'm sorry for being intrusive but…"
"It's no problem at all! We were just talking about Valentine's Day," the idol stopped to face the other three, her bright smile fading noticeably before shining once more, "right, everyone?"
Celeste replied with no hesitation, "Of course," the corner of her mouth imperceptibly tilted upwards into a sly expression, "but, was there something said that you found perhaps interesting, Fujisaki-san?"
Before the Super High School-Level Programmer could have been intimidated away by the domineering and oppressive aura of the Ultimate Gambler, Kirigiri sighed before speaking calmly and turning the petite student to listen to her, "What did you want to ask?"
"Oh…! Umm, about Naegi-kun… I… don't really want to compete as… passionately as everyone seems to be doing…"
They raised an eyebrow, Ikusaba deciding to be the one to ask, "What do you mean?"
"I want to give him my v-valentines…! But everyone's fighting to be the first or to make it really special… plus there's Kiyotaka-kun… so I don't know when I can actually give chocolates…!"
With how quietly Fujisaki had whispered, it was almost a miracle the four had heard the student.
Nevertheless, the four looked amongst each other, before turning back to face the brunette.
"Come to think of it, haven't we only really paid attention to the really… intense types of rivals?"
"Fufu, Maizono-san, they were already on my chessboard before the game had even started."
"Oh, shush, you..."
"They are not as great of a threat, or at least, that would be an inexperienced soldier's conclusion. In reality, I believe they are the most likely to accidentally give a gift first."
"Ikusaba-san is not without a point. The student council members in particular are an example, with how I suspect them to extend gifts to Naegi-kun today. However, the student council's members are among the seventy-sixth and the first seventy-seventh class, and Kiyotaka-kun's presence should prevent most of them from moving until the end of classes."
"So then, are we back to worrying about our other senpais' class and our 'kouhai'? Or do we also need to talk a lot more about this in addition to everything?"
"I suppose we can briefly discuss this more in the privacy of the changing rooms."
"On that note, Ikusaba-san, would you be a helpful dear and make sure that Fukawa-san will be with us during our little meeting? We can't have her leaving quickly to spy on anyone, no?"
"I do not take orders from anyone other than my sister… but only on this occasion shall I consider and accept this request… though I must make time to atone on another day…"
Fujisaki blinked once, twice, and then spoke up to ask, "Umm… about my question…?"
"You should try at the end of classes, Fujisaki-san," Maizono replied, "But… if nobody's given any chocolates to Naegi-kun even then… you might want to wait just a little longer. I really wouldn't want you to get hurt or anything in case whatever happens!"
"Actually, Fujisaki-san, we would very much like to have you with us while we will be having our important little discussion on how to keep Naegi-kun away from being taken away by others."
"O-others?"
"Would you allow us to explain somewhere else?"
"I-I guess, Kirigiri-san… but…"
"Your assistance will be necessary," the lavender-haired girl stressed, then looked at the Ultimate Idol, "Maizono-san, can I ask you to invite Asahina-san, and perhaps Ogami-san?"
"…Right," reluctantly agreed the popstar, who'd been mulling over the idea of working with Kirigiri, glaring at the detective who was ever so slightly receiving more and more attention from her lucky student over the course of their freshman year. And if there was anybody that could notice the bit of attraction Naegi Makoto had begun to have for the mysterious beauty, it was the idol who'd been at that same position since the start.
From a nearby distance, walking by herself ahead of the rest of her classmates and having heard no mention about her being brought into the seventy-eighth-class femme alliance, Enoshima Junko took in the interesting sight of their movements. Her sister pulling along an extremely unwilling author, the idol interrupting the athletic duo of friends, Fujisaki Chihiro focused on fiddling with a handheld device, and the final two members engaged in discussion.
Shutting off her phone, the Ultimate Fashionista grinned in such delight, everything seeming to be heading as how she had expected it all to develop, and while this would have normally been loathsome to see for the Ultimate Analyst, unlike watching the unpredictability that laid under a human being's reaction to despair, this was an exemption she could bear for now.
Looking away from the girls and slightly turning her head towards the male half of her classmates, her eyes narrowed down once centering on the short brunette boy who appeared to be both confused and in a tizzy at what his friends were talking to him about. If she'd cared to listen, perhaps she would've heard more about how they were describing moments where one girl or another was clearly showing interest in the lucky student. Each of them was taking turns, which then prompted Naegi to give a logical reason why they might have been mistaken.
Those would include vivid retellings of how Kuwata was sitting idly by a Naegi who'd been very clearly singled out from among their classmates by the Ultimate Musician some time ago when the sensational Maizono Sayaka and the 'super promising, brimming with potential' Kuwata Leon were right in the same room as him. Claiming that she was on the hunt for band members, Mioda had practically hauled him off his seat in class and zoomed away with him in tow.
How the eccentric artist explicitly invited the lucky student to 'play with her' with a suggestive tone would have almost proven his point until that same invitee explained that there were no double-meanings at all since what had actually only happened was him being forced to play several instruments the musician had thrown at him in both a figurative sense and a painful literal sense. Rather notably, he'd been evaluated to have an average potential with them all.
Though in all fairness, Naegi did acknowledge how they had strangely profound conversations alone together and how Mioda had constantly emphasized that she wanted him to be her special band member, but those didn't seem all that significant for him to mention.
Not quite convinced, but somewhat considering the possibility that the flirty musician was acting as how she normally behaved, especially with some of the girls in their class, Owada followed after to mention how the Ultimate Gymnast had been obviously taking it easy on Naegi when the busty brunette throttled most of the guys in a 'friendly' class competition. Yamada then proceeded without giving any time for Naegi to say something with a heavily spurious narration of what happened between the Novoselic princess and the lucky student.
At some point, Enoshima had zoned off and phased away overhearing what was in her surroundings, right where she was hearing Hagakure begin to tell his own recount of spotting from a good distance away a certain swordswoman having the smallest and most uncharacteristic smile on her face. Which had been after what looked like a personal and almost cute moment with Naegi and a few cats, though one that ended with the boy being scratched several times, during the small trip some of them had taken to the eccentric Ultimate Breeder's animal shed.
Eyes lazily looking around the spacious gymnasium, they stopped short and widened when a rather entertaining and coincidental sight entered her vision. Coincidental because as it so happened to be, a certain class was already there, one that half her lovable classmates were worrying about, and the other half had just been talking about.
"To think that the seventy-seventh class-B would also be here on Valentine's Day! I wonder who could've known that a certain someone had their entire schedule changed only for this day?"
"Wait a minute! That's right! I, Junko-sama, knew the whole time! Isn't it funny how 'unlucky' you are, Naegi-kun? Upupupu!"
After having their entire seventy-eighth class filed inside, an almost dangerous silence seemed to wrap around the gymnasium when the two classes stood opposite of each other. The older students already present and using the facility abruptly stopped as they regarded the arrival of their underclassmen. Even with an atmosphere tense enough to stifle any non-Ultimate high schooler into the ground, somehow it had gone unnoticed by the teachers who approached one another.
"Eh? Shouldn't your class be later on in the afternoon?"
"I thought it would be! One of the teachers told me that it wouldn't be vacant because of the seventy-seventh class-A reserving it! Weren't you informed about this too?"
Shaking her head, "I don't think so? Did they receive permission from the headmaster?"
"That'd be a given, but now that I think about it, the biology department…"
The rest of their conversation went virtually ignored by their own students however, in lieu of still continuing to stare down one another with various reasons in mind for the odd contention of sorts between them.
One half of the seventy-eighth class believed that this was a matter of pride; that the last class competition hadn't settled anything and that a rematch was about to happen at any moment. This half was predominantly made up of the class's boys, with even Byakuya considered amongst them - though rather reluctant he was about it - and Ogami Sakura.
As for nearly the rest, including even the boys of the seventy-seventh class, the mental warfare happening right then was in regards to a much more glaring subject of focus: an unlucky boy dreading another physical contest between the two classes, and someone that happened to be a popular target for affection.
However, what differentiated the classes from each other in that department was that the male half of the upperclassmen were completely in support of their class representative's strive to win Naegi Makoto's heart. As well as a tentative yet resolute agreement between the female half to have that same person be the first among them to give Naegi a Valentine's present. All of which made Nanami Chiaki beyond embarrassed to receive.
Nevertheless, the encouragement warmed her heart incredibly so, a testament to the work and effort she'd made to bring the class together in the beginning of their freshman year in Hope's Peak. And in the face of the underclassmen opposite to them now, along with the many others in the academy competing for Naegi, it was a support very much needed while it lasted.
A hastily formed union led by most of Naegi's female classmates against the united alliance of Nanami's entire class; without a doubt, the winner might as well have been obvious for any.
Yet could it be so easy to count the former side as already forfeit? They certainly didn't consider themselves to not go out with a fight, and who could doubt the Ultimates of Hope's Peak?
Except, as they contested each other with glares of passion, worry, and even excitement, when exactly did anyone say that a class competition was about to start?
"Can we take that side then? The gymnasium should be big enough for both classes."
"Sure, and I'll let you know when your class can use the track after we're done."
And with their teachers' final words on the situation, chaos was somehow miraculously avoided.
"Come on, all of you! Off to the changing rooms!"
Led away from their upperclassmen, who were called to gather over to their own half of the gym, the seventy-eighth class were instructed by their teacher to change into their PE uniforms in the changing rooms. Splitting up, Naegi vaguely felt a dozen stares follow him as he, along with the boys in his class, walked off to the male's changing room and disappeared inside.
For the remaining half of their class, their tense standoff against the seventy-seventh students lasted for a mere few seconds before they eventually filed into their own changing room. The utter confidence radiating from their upperclassmen - most of them at least - caused a variety of emotions to well up.
Inside, an uncomfortable silence passed as they all walked up to their personal lockers before Celestia Ludenburg clapped her hands loudly to gather the attention on her.
"Well now, ladies. Before we go on, shall we have a little discussion on strategy, hm?"
Unavoidably, the shunned Ultimate Fashionista grinned by her lonesome as she listened oh so intently in the corner of the changing room, her mischievousness palpable in the air.
This is all I could write since February?
Yeah, I know. I disappoint myself as well. This was supposed to be combined with the actual Chapter 2 but it'd be twice as long as the last chapter. I thought I'd separate them into two, and thus, Free Time intermissions without a specific girl's perspective. Just a small chapter to fill up the background of the story. Our favorite senpais will be featured and POV'd next time.
Apologies. Hard to find balance with my last year in college, slacking off, and writing.
I'll likely come back to make edits on this before I update it with the actual Chapter 2 on Valentines 2022.
Until February next year, everyone. And again, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!