A/N: Hey there, Eiskralle here with an attention grabbing author's note. Just wanted to say that I'm really thankful to all of you, because this story has reached almost 1000 views, and to honour your comtinued tolerance of my bullshit, I'll give you another chapter.

Beware of the Neptune POV, I've been experimenting with the style a bit.

Have fun.

No way! Two in one!

"Heh. Hehehehehehe. Of course!"

I try not to laugh. I really, really try not to laugh into her adorably hopeful face.

Honestly.

But come on, that was priceless. Ten years I wonder about that one, and then, when it finally comes, it's even more hilarious than I could have ever imagined. I mean, that pickup line? Comedy gold, right there!

And the Soulmark on my leg is burning, and it's wonderful. A steady pulsing of warmth and joy, and that's just too good a feeling, and the mirth hits me almost physically the mirth strikes me almost physically, dropping me to my cute little butt with loud guffaws that shake my body so hard my knees give out.

Not sure how long I'm laughing. It feels like forever, but I'm pretty sure no more than a minute or so actually passes while I sit there, helpless before the amusement.

I kinda feel bad for the poor Candidate, but now she sits there opposite me, and she looks like she can't decide if she wants to sink into the ground or punch me in the face. I hope she doesn't decide to to actually hit me, but I still can't stop laughing, because her face is even more priceless now!

"Now, that's very rude, Nep-Nep. You shouldn't laugh at people when they make you compliments."

But she's in luck, because Compa is there, and she's not amused, standing over me with that stern expression she gets when my fun goes too far.

Whoops.

I sweatdrop.

Compa's scary sometimes.

And she's right. After what happened just now, it would be a real bummer if I managed to scare my other soulmate off too. So I stifle the last of my chuckles, as well as I can at least.

"Aww, shucks, you're right Compa. I just came over like a total meany there."

I manage to pick myself up off the ground which is still covered in dust and plaster, and it hits me that Book-mom's gonna be really mad at me for ruining the blue dress.

Whoops again. Ah well, sacrifices have to be made.

Having regained my feet, I take the last step over to my fellow candidate who's still sitting on the floor and looking up at me like a particularly bad-tempered deer in the headlights, and I just now notice that this girl is really friggin beautiful.

Holy shit, I really need her to not be angry at me. I wanna see that face every day, forever.

"So, sorry about sounding like an ass. Your face was just too priceless after all that excitement. No hard feelings, please?"

Not the smoothest apology ever, but she seems somewhat mollified, so I forge on ahead, remembering my duty as a protagonist, and the good manners my moms tried to impart on me.

"Oh, we haven't even introduced ourselves, which is important, even though the readers know who we both are. I'm Neptune, class 10c's one and only Candidate. Nice to meet you!"

Her facial expression shifts back to bewilderment, and I really have to muster every last scrap of self control to not go back to giggling.

I am soooo lucky! She is an absolute goldmine of adorable faces. I've never seen anyone express so many different things in such a short amount of time.

While I'm distracted admiring that gorgeous face, she's apparently decided that I'm not actually trying to make fun of her or something, so she takes my hand and pulls herself up.

"Okay then. I'm Blanc, class 10a. Thanks for the assist there."

And she's back to being stonefaced. Cute AND super cool.

"Oh, that was nothing. Scoring a few points against bullying is always a pleasure. Oh, Iffy's gonna be sooo mad she missed this, especially with the reveal of the pickup line. She's never quite believed me about that one."

Blanc's face remains impassive for a moment, probably trying to catch up to my admittedly rather fast talking, and then lights up a bright shade of crimson.

"Right. So… you really are my soulmate, aren't you?"

Whoa… that face… is really, really dangerous. I gotta watch out for heart attacks if I wanna keep her. And I do.

"Ding ding ding, correct answer on the first try! I'd show off my awesome Mark right now, but my socks are kinda in the way, and Iffy keeps telling me that it's inappropriate to take them off in public.. Aanywayy…"

Seeing Compa looking worriedly down the hall, I turn my Protag-Vision down that way and notice a rapidly approaching scene transition, taking the form of an old man in a snazzy grey suit, mostly known to the world as Ganache, headmaster of our school and perpetual pain in my posterior.

And we're all standing around in front of a big hole in the wall, and everyone else already ran away. Definitely not good.

"We should probably find a way to explain this. Ganchy doesn't really like me…"

That's as far as I get before his cold, calculating gaze sweeps over all of us, assessing the situation, and the Blanc-sized dent in the hallway wall, before finally settling on me, sizing me up with a judgemental glare that I swear is some kind of superpower, because it freezes me on the spot while it seems to be dissecting my soul with his eyes.

I swallow back a panicked yelp.

Times like that make me regret my protagonistic powers of grabbing everyone's attention.

Nepu! I bet he's gonna make me responsible for this. Again.

"Miss Tome. Why did I know I would find you at the scene of yet another great disturbance in my school? My office, now!"

Called it!

I let slip a defeated sigh, surrendering to the approaching end of my point-of-view chapter and also the enormous amount of scolding I'm in for from Ganchy and Histoire. Trying to tell him the truth before he calms down isn't gonna work anyway, as I've learned early on.

Blanc looks like she is about to jump after Ganchy and break him in half, but Compa knows him as well as I do by now, and holds our white-clad friend back with an extended arm and a pleading look.

Thanks Compa. This is gonna be annoying enough with just me being yelled at.

Trusting in the peach-haired future nurse's awareness, I dramatically extend my hand towards her. I don't need to actually look to catch my bag as Compa throws it to me, a practiced routine by now, even though just this once I'm actually innocent.

But there's one more thing the hero has to do for her distressed damsel before she rides off to face the final boss.

So I walk up to Blanc, who looks after the headmaster with a look that promises murder, and give her a kiss on the cheek before running off after the headmaster.

Blanny's skin is sooo soft! I hope she won't be mad at me for that. Or overheat again.Ah, she'll be fine. Compa'll take care of her. Now i just need to convince Ganache that the tsundere did it.