Chapter 31

Social Link Break / Strength of Bonds

May 15, 2021; Friday

Kyuto High School; Front Gates

(Morning)

Kazuhiko checked his phone when he received a few messages from his friends.

Mikan: Thanks a lot for the help guys; This really means a lot to me.

Kazuhiko: No problem. We didn't have a choice if he was in there anyways.

Mikan: I know, but still…

Johei: Whats going on senpai?

Iselin: I guess this is something us girls can only understand…

Johei: Us girls? WTF?

Iselin: She luvs Yoichi!

Mikan: HUH?!

Johei:…

Daichi: What, you didn't know? She was eager to trust him in the battle against Mijuku.

Mikan: I… was it that obvious?

Johei: Hey Kaz, is it okay if Yoichi should join us? He isnt able to fight.

Kazuhiko: This will be his decision. If he has a Persona, than he'll be eligible.

Johei: Aw man

Kazuhiko chuckled as he put his phone back.

"My life's such a soap opera", he said to himself.

Tyr raised an eyebrow.

"A… soap opera?"

"Oh, they're just the shows where there's a bunch of drama and whatnot. Nothing really important."

He headed towards the classroom and opened up the door to see Daichi holding Johei in an armlock and Iselin trying to calm him down.

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down Johei!", Iselin said.

"I won't! I will never calm down until I set things straight!"

Daichi rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Seriously, there's plenty of fish in the sea."

"Yeah, but who wants to resort to fish?! I'm not that desperate!"

Johei looked to Kazuhiko with pleading eyes.

"Come on, man! You gotta help me! You've got Nanako, so you know how much this means to me!"

Iselin shook her head.

"But Nanako confessed to Kaz. Your case is just plain depressing; Hitting on transfer students when they just get here!"

Daichi turned to Kaz.

"Make up your mind! I can't hold him down much longer!"

Kaz looked at the situation and turned to Tyr.

"The situation is very dire indeed…", Tyr said.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, no kidding…"

If I agree with Daichi and Iselin, Mikan and Yoichi will be saved, but can I really do that to my best friend? Johei would never forgive me for this… Agh, what should I do?!

Kazuhiko opened his eyes and walked towards everyone.

"So you're gonna help me?! Thanks man, I knew I could count on you-"

*CONK*

Kazuhiko pulled a book out of his bag and hit Johei on the head with it, knocking him unconscious.

"Thank God for hard-cover books", he said to himself.

He walked to his seat after setting Johei into his and opened the group chat.

Kazuhiko: Take the time to catch up with everything until Yoichi comes back.

(After School)

For the first time, Kazuhiko felt like he was free to do whatever he wanted to do. It was actually kind of strange at first; He was about to go to the roof for a team meeting until he remembered half-way up the stairs that they had completed their mission. For now, all he could do was find something to do until Yoichi was feeling better…

"Kazuhiko, I think this may be a good time to bond with some of your friends", Tyr said.

"Oh yeah, I haven't talked to some people in a while. I wonder who's available…"

"Ah! Kazuhiko-san, it's been too long!", a voice said from behind him.

He turned around and saw the kind old face of the school's janitor. Kazuhiko smiled and waved.

"Mr. Seijimura! How have you been?"

Mr. Seijimura pushed his cart forward and smiled.

"It's been quite fine, thank you. I was just on my way to Mr. Ozuma's classroom to empty the trash bins. Do you have any spare time? I'll make it up to you if you help me out."

Kazuhiko shook his head as he took the cart.

"You don't have to, I'll be fine with helping you."

Mr. Seijimura smiled and walked into the classroom.

"Alright, so we just have to empty the trash for the classrooms and dump them out back", Mr. Seijimura said.

For the entire time, Kazuhiko and Mr. Seijimura dumped the contents of the teacher's wastebaskets into the large trash can as they talked.

"So, ol' Ozuma's still strict on your friend? I'm not surprised, he does love throwing that piece of chalk around."

Kazuhiko chuckled as his rubbed his forehead. Finally, they finished their work and dumped the trash into the large bins at the back of the school. Mr. Seijimura chuckled as he closed the lid.

"Now, the moment you've been waiting for", he said as he walked back to the school.

"Oh no, I already told you, you don't have to pay me-", Kazuhiko started.

"Don't worry. Besides, this is way more than anything money can buy."

Mr. Seijimura walked to the side of the abandoned second-years' building and searched around among some rocks. He picked one up and showed it to Kazuhiko.

"A… plastic hiding rock?", he asked.

Mr. Seijimura nodded as he pulled the key out from underneath. Putting the rock back, he unlocked the ladder cover and climbed up.

"Well? What are you waiting for?", he said when he noticed Kazuhiko wasn't following him.

Shaking off his concern, Kazuhiko followed him up the ladder. When he reached the top, he was surprised at what he saw.

"W… what is this?"

Mr. Seijimura chuckled again as he saw Kazuhiko's reaction.

"Yeah, I can't blame ya. I was surprised when the third-years showed me this place."

They were on an old roof, although the ground held very well. There were tables on the side and a bunch of chairs. A shelf held several notebooks that looked extravagantly old, but the handwriting on the pages were still legible. In the middle, however, was a large tree that grew from a pot. It gave shade to anyone standing underneath it and looked like an old couple in each other's arms. It was as if Neverland was discovered on a Japanese high school building.

"I… I'm at a loss for words…", Kazuhuiko said as he took in the entire scene.

Mr. Seijimura nodded as he let Kazuhiko recover.

"I was shown this place during my first year. I saw some upperclassmen walk over here and decided to follow them out of curiosity; Boy were they shocked when they found out a first year had found out their 'secret spot'"

Mr. Seijimura laughed as he relished the memory.

"They made me swear to never tell anyone that they were up there. And after that, I decided to come here again and again and again. I was a part of their group; They were the only friends I had. Then, they eventually graduated and I was left alone."

He sat down on a bench and stared at the tree. Kazuhiko sat at the bench with him and beckoned him with his hand.

"Well? Don't tell me that's the end."

Mr. Seijimura looked startled and repositioned himself.

"Sorry, I was just getting lost in my memories. Anyways, where was I… oh, right."

He cleared his throat and continued.

"I spent most of my time up here during my second year, playing my memories over and over in my head. Didn't spend too much time with anyone until one day. It was a Saturday, so everyone was anxious to get home. The gates were crowded so I decided to go here and catch up on my naps. I closed my eyes, until I heard someone's steps on the ladder. I had panicked, thinking a teacher had found me, but it turned out to be a girl in my class."

"She had followed me, wondering where I went during lunch and saw how beautiful this place was. Mind you, I was still a bit anti-social so, being the idiot that I was, I told here to leave. She was quite the officer, though; She said that if she couldn't stay here, she would report me to the teachers and I would be expelled faster than a fly to a shit!"

"Her name was Yumo, and pretty soon, we would always be eating our lunch together at this very spot. Some time had passed, and we were third years. The school term had just started and the cherry blossoms of the tree were just starting to bloom. We met like we always did, and climbed up to the roof. The setting couldn't have been more perfect for a confession of love."

Kazuhiko's eyes opened wide which made Mr. Seijimura laugh hysterically. After he stopped, he turned to address Kazuhiko.

"You didn't expect that, eh? Well, I'm happy that she said yes. We were happy together for that year, and the year after that. Even through college, we still loved each other until they day we were married."

He looked towards the sunset and sighed.

"Oh, would you just look at that. I guess I just ramble on too much. You'd best go home now, I'll close the gates behind you."

Kazuhiko nodded and climbed down the ladder. He shook Mr. Seijimura's hand after thanking him for his time.

"No need! You've helped me so many times that you deserved a little school secret!"

Tyr watched the two smile at each other until time started to slow down.

A voice started to speak to the both of them.

You sense Mr. Seijimura's compassion. You feel like your bond has grown deeper!

A brief flash of light appeared and Kazuhiko saw a tarot card in front of him before time became fluid again.

"… the Hermit…"

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow!", Mr. Seijimura said as he walked down the street.

Kazuhiko waved back as he watched the old man safely make it out of his sight. He flipped open his phone to check the time and walked back to the hotel.

(Evening)

Yoichi's House; Yoichi's room

Yoichi's POV

Yoichi laid down on his bed while the strange figure floated at his bedside.

"So, you're a Persona?", Yoichi asked.

"Yes, your Persona to be exact", the figure said back to Yoichi.

He seemed to be a very large person, or at least he was. His head was the only part of him and even that seemed large. A helmet fitted over his head and he kept one eye closed. The other side of his face had multiple vectors that made this half look like a maze. It eventually led to his eye which shined with an odd light.

"I'm guessing everyone else has one as well."

"I can sense the presence of one combat Persona from everyone except for the second year with the black hair."

Yoichi raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he seems to have multiple Personas."

"Whoa…", Yoichi said as he rested his head back on the pillow of his bed.

"He must be pretty strong if he's got multiple Personas…"

Matsuhito Hotel; Kazuhiko's Room

Kazuhiko's POV

"Hrgh…"

Kazuhiko struggled against Ichiwa's arm. The two decided to have an arm wrestling match when Kazuhiko called Ichiwa for room service.

"Ha! Gotcha!", Ichiwa said as he finally pinned Kazuhiko's arm down.

"Dang it!"

Kazuhiko gave up on arm wrestling Ichiwa and leaned back into his chair. The two laughed for a little while until Ichiwa said he had to go back to run some more errands for the Hotel. He closed the door behind him, leaving Kazuhiko alone with Tyr.

"Looks like he wasn't in the mood to bond for long, was he?", Tyr said.

Kazuhiko shrugged.

"Maybe I'll get closer to him if I take up that job. But for now, my schedule's already full as it is."

He stood up and checked his clock.

"Wow, already 11? I guess I'll just take a shower and go to-"

*pipipipipi*

"Hm?"

Kazuhiko looked at his phone on his desk and saw a message.

"Oh hey, it's from Filipe."

Filipe: Wanted to know if u can talk 2morow?

Felipe: Got a gud deal at the rcade. 2 ppl, 2 hrs, ¥1000. You in?

Kazuhiko: Sure

Filipe: Sweet!

Kazuhiko closed his phone and turned to the bathroom.

May 16, 2021; Saturday

(After School)

Nuzoko Mall District; Level-Up Arcade

"Hey! Glad you could make it!"

Filipe stood in front of the arcade and waved to Kazuhiko.

"I will admit, this is a rather… lively place…", Tyr said to Kazuhiko as they walked in.

The rooms were dark, save for the several screens that emitted some light. The arcade was packed, but there was still enough space for more visitors, especially since some of the past inhabitants were leaving due to their 2 hour expiration. Filipe and Kazuhiko paid for their hours and started to move to some of the games.

"So, do you spend a lot of time here?", Kazuhiko asked as he picked up a simulation gun for Space Crisis.

Filipe nodded. He swiped his card on the machine and they began to shoot at the enemies on-screen. A few minutes in and Filipe was already climbing the leaderboards for the top spot; Kazuhiko was hopelessly left behind but moving at a steady pace.

"Geez, how did you get so good?", Kazuhiko asked.

Filipe finished off the last enemy of the scene and relaxed for a moment.

"Practice. Lots and lots of practice."

The two continued shotting for some more until Filipe had left the previous leader's score in the dust.

"There, that oughta do it."

He let the enemies shoot him until the "game over" screen shown. He moved out into the lobby and bought a soda.

"So, what do you want to play?"

Kazuhiko shrugged.

"Let's just take a break. We only have like 2 minutes anyways."

"Huh?!"

Filipe checked his watch and sighed.

"Wow, I really got carried away, didn't I?"

Filipe sat back and waited until Kazuhiko sat down next to him with a water. The two sat in silence as they drank.

"I guess I just get too into video games, I once lost track of time for so long that I was playing Virtual Sniper even after they had closed the doors of the arcade. Needless to say, the employees came back when they saw someone on the cameras."

They both laughed for a little while until Filipe went back on subject.

"Mind if I ask a question? Why do you like FPS so much?"

Filipe smiled and set down his can.

"Well, how should I put it; It's the only thing that makes me feel like I have something in common with my dad."

"He was a gamer?", Kazuhiko asked.

Filipe shook his head.

"No, he was a sniper in the Portuguese Army."

Kazuhiko closed his water bottle and tossed it into the recycling bin.

"A sniper?"

"Yes, and he was one of the best too. Although, it did a number on his mental health."

Filipe frowned and gripped his can tightly.

"My mom had passed on before I could remember, so he was a single dad. He suffered from insomnia and would always scream in his sleep; and in the mornings, he would be too tired to do anything, so I tended to grow up by myself, but it didn't make things very easy."

Kazuhiko looked at Filipe with a tinge of sympathy.

"Hey, at least your dad's still here, right?"

Filipe nodded, but kept a firm grip on the can.

"Yeah, I know. But the least he could do is talk to his son-"

*crick*

His hand crushed the can and jolted him back to reality.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! It's already getting late, we should probably head home."

Kazuhiko nodded as he took Filipe's can and tossed it into the recycling bin.

"Look, I know it's not easy without parents, but it's manageable. Your father may seem like he's pushing you away, but it's probably because he thinks it's the best way you can live your life."

Filipe smiled and nodded.

"Yeah… He probably did that just to protect me. Still though, I at least want him to acknowledge me more, but I guess this'll do."

Kazuhiko met Filipe's warm smile and felt time start to slow down.

You feel Filipe's friendliness towards you, Your bond has grown deeper!

A card briefly appeared before his eyes and then vanished.

"The Emperor…"

Later…

"I'll see you on Monday, senpai!", Filipe said as he waved goodbye.

Kazuhiko waved back at him and walked into the Hotel.

"Maybe his father is the reason why he's so isolated?", Tyr asked.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Well", Tyr started.

"I wander around the school when you're in class and I noticed how Filipe doesn't socialize very much with other people; You appear to be his only friend."

Kazuhiko nodded.

"I see… I may have to look into this for his sake…"

Kazuhiko then accidentally bumped into someone.

"Oh! I'm so sor- Nanako?!"

Kazuhiko's eyes widened when he saw the face of his childhood friend. Nanako, however, tackled him in a hug.

"Wow! Mika-senpai was right! I knew I'd be able to find you here, bestie!"

Kazuhiko patted her head and looked up to see the stern face of a certain police detective.

"Hey, Sukima-san", Ryotaro Dojima said with a slight smile on his face.

I'm dead, Kazuhiko thought.

"You're dead", Tyr said.

Dojima patted him on the shoulder after Nanako let go of him.

"So, you came here just to see me?", Kazuhiko asked.

Nanako nodded.

"Yup! We're going to be staying in the neighborhood a ways from the mall, though."

Dojima's cellphone rang and he picked up.

"Yeah… uh huh… don't worry, we'll get settled in."

He ended the call and turned to the two high schoolers.

"Well, I just got a call from the station telling me that I don't need to show up until next week, so my schedule is free."

Nanako gasped.

"Really?! So we can spend time together?!"

Dojima smiled at his daughter and nodded.

"You betcha! Let's get home, shall we?"

Kazuhiko saw them out to the door and couldn't help but smile.

"So, you're still in one piece. I reckon it went well?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, for now, I think I've had enough excitement for one day."

Yoichi's Room

Same time

"Hrgh…"

"Don't force your emotions; Try to feel as if this is an everyday task for you."

"Okay… Mmm…"

Yoichi desperately closed his eyes and tried to connect with his mind's eye until…

"Ha!"

He opened his eyes and saw, for a brief moment, the world through his Persona's abilities.

"Alright! I finally got it! Wait, whoa!"

Suddenly, his vision blurred and changed back to it's normal format. Yoichi sighed as he sat back down again. Mimir, his Persona, floated next to him.

"Why are you doing this? I'm not meant to be used in the real world."

"Everyone else is way ahead of me; I need to catch up to them one way or another."

Yoichi stood up and closed his eyes.

"Let's do it again!"

May 17, 2021; Sunday

(Morning)

"Hm… should I?… should I not?…"

"Kazuhiko, what are you doing?", Tyr asked.

"Oh, nothing."

He stood up from his desk and put his wallet back into his pocket.

"Just wondering if I should try the Rice Platter Challenge at Shigure's. Eh, what do you want to do?"

Tyr shrugged and looked out the window.

"I wonder if someone is available today. We should use this time to work on social links while we can."

*pipipipipi*

Kazuhiko answered his phone.

"Hey, do you have a minute?", the voice on the other side asked.

"Oh, sure, Iselin. What's up?"

"Listen, something just came up today and I need to talk to you about it. Can you meet me at the dorms?"

"Alright then. I'll see you there."

He ended the call and put his phone back into his pocket.

"Well, it looks like we're spending the day with Iselin", Kazuhiko said.

"I knew something was bound to come up", Tyr replied.

(Afternoon)

Kyuto High Dorms; Front

Kazuhiko saw Iselin and waved to her.

"Hey, so what did you want to talk about?"

Iselin's breathing was short and panicky, as if she was choking. Her face looked as pale as milk.

"Uh, are you alright? Iselin?"

Kazuhiko put his hand on her shoulder and shook her for a moment.

"S-sorry, it's just this."

She handed him a folded note; Immediately, Kazuhiko began to panic.

Oh crap! What the hell's going on?!, He thought.

Is this a love letter?! Oh no, what's Nanako going to think? I can't get in a love triangle; Not now!

"I got this in my locker the other day. It was one of Rika's poems", Iselin told him.

Kazuhiko mentally sighed with relief as Iselin looked at him with a strange look.

"I never remembered having this, not that I'm complaining though. It's just strange how everything happened recently and this pops up out of nowhere."

Kazuhiko read the poem and smiled.

"It's pretty good; did she write very often?"

"No, only when she had 'the muse' on. Kinda strange, but it happens to me every now and then as well."

"The point is, we want to find out how this got in Iselin's locker. Could you help us?", Hildr asked.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll help you out."

Iselin smiled.

"Thanks, this really means a lot to me."

You feel Iselin's trust in you, Your bond has grown deeper!

I'll just skip this because it's getting kinda repetitive.

Kazuhiko spent the rest of the day talking with Iselin over subjects until it was time to leave.

(Evening)

Yoichi's House

"Alright! I finally did it!"

Yoichi pumped his fists as he maintained the analytical vision. Mimir clapped his hands, somehow, to show his pride in his user.

"I didn't quite think that you would be this dedicated to your mastery of honing my skills, but I must admit, I am rather impressed."

Yoichi smiled as he looked at his hands.

"Yeah, I'll definitely be able to help them now. Now, I won't be such a burden anymore…"

He looked at the photograph of his father on his desk and stared at it for several moments.

"I'm finally strong…"

Mimir floated to his side and shook his head.

"Nonsense, you were already strong when I first met you!"

Yoichi smiled at his Persona with a soft smile.

"Thanks Mimir", he said,

"But I want to get stronger. I was strong before, but not strong enough to realize my mistakes."

He formed a fist with his hand and gripped his fingers tightly.

"That'll be the last time! I'm not gonna be that stupid again!"

*ding* *dong*

"Huh?"

Yoichi walked down the stairs and checked the peephole of his door.

"Kazuhiko? What's he doing here?"

Yoichi opened up the door to his underclassman. Kazuhiko was holding a bag of groceries in his hand with Tyr at his side.

"Hey, I just wanted to see how you were doing. Since you couldn't go out shopping for food, I got you some stuff."

He handed Yoichi the bag of groceries and waved his hand.

"Well, I'll see you when you get better, senpai!"

"W-wait!"

Kazuhiko stopped and turned around.

"Yes?"

Yoichi put the groceries down and put his arms at his sides.

"Um…"

"I know that I haven't been much of a help to you all, but please listen to my request!", Yoichi said as he bowed.

Kazuhiko walked towards his upperclassmen to try to calm him down.

"Whoa, Miryoku-senpai, you don't have to-"

"Yes! I do have to do this!"

Kazuhikowas about to stop him again until Tyr placed an arm on his shoulder.

"His pride is at stake here. Just hear him out."

Yoichi nodded to Tyr in thanks and continued.

"I know that I've been a burden to you all, but please let me join your group! I can't fight, but I can give you support. I'm not very good at it yet, but I can get stronger, so please let me join you and stop Shiroe!"

There was an awkward silence in the air for several moments until Kazuhiko spoke.

"Well, we were going to let the decision be up to you, whether or not you wanted to get involved. Seeing that you have a Persona, we should be the ones asking you to join."

Mimir was right behind Yoichi and revealed himself when his user bowed.

"Huh? Oh yeah, this is my Persona Mimir. We can't fight but-"

"Don't worry, we heard you say it before. If you want to join, then we welcome you with open arms", Kazuhiko said.

Yoichi paused for a moment, then tears started to come down his face.

"You… you really mean it?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yes. Once you're all set, we can meet up tomorrow and introduce you to everyone else."

Yoichi let his tears run free as he immersed himself of the moment.

"Th-thank you… Thank you so much… I promise I won't let you down"

Kazuhiko patted Yoichi's shoulder with a smile.

"Hey, no worries senpai!"

Yoichi wiped his tears.

"Oh yeah, about the title, can you just call me Yoichi? I hardly feel like your senpai, since you're so much powerful than I am."

Kazuhiko sighed and shook his head.

"Looks like I'm gonna be doing this with you and Mika-senpai from now on. Well, okay then, Yoichi… God that felt strange."

"Very humble of you to do that Yoichi. I sense that your growth has just begun" Mimir said from behind him.

Tyr floated towards Yoichi's Persona and eyed him.

"Wait, Lord Mimir? It is such an honor to meet you!"

He stuck out his hand for a handshake until he realized his mistake.

"Oh! Uh, I am so sorry. I just presumed-"

"You don't have to apologize. In fact, keep your hand out", Mimir said.

"O...kay? Wha-?"

Tyr jolted his hand back when he felt something.

"My goodness! What was that?!"

"My hand", Mimir said plainly.

Kazuhiko and Yoichi laughed over it for a few moments before parting ways.

"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow, Kazuhiko-san."

"Will do Yoichi-senpa- I mean, Yoichi-san", Kazuhiko replied.

A brief flash of light appeared before his eyes and Kazuhiko started to sense that time slowed down. A voice started to echo in his head.

I art thou, Thou art I

Thou hast established a new bond

It shall be the strength to break free from the chains of Despair

I present to thee, the Strength arcana

A tarot card of the Strength arcana appeared before Kazuhiko's eyes until it flickered and time became fluid once again. Kazuhiko blinked and realized he was staring at a closed door. Sighing, he walked off to the Hotel.

Aaaaaaaand we are back! Sorry for the late post, guys. I had a few tests this week so I was busting my butt studying. Not only that, but I was struggling with the Social Links; Iselin seems a bit weak but that's how social links usually are when you start out; apologies nonetheless. Anyways, Yoichi's interview will be in the next chapter so post any last minute questions on your reviews for this chapter! Also, I would like to introduce you guys to this fic's newest followers: loveruby and kurokitsune028! Thanks a lot guys, this means a lot to me. Anyways, I have to warn you guys that I might be late on posting the next chapter so just hang tight until then, thanks. I guess that's all I have to say. See ya!

Body Swap World: Lunch

Kazuhiko, Mikan, Daichi, and Iselin sat in their (bodies') seats and waited for the lunch bell.

"Only a few more minutes until we can talk freely…", Kazuhiko mumbled to himself.

The bell rang and they all let out a deep breath.

"Thank goodness! It's finally over!", Iselin in Daichi's body said.

"You're in the same class; It didn't get anymore difficult", Daichi in Iselin's body told her.

Mikan picked up Johei's bag and put it on her back.

"So, we need to get going to the roof before anything happen-"

"Yooo! Shiroka-san, what's hangin'"

"EEK!"

*BAM*

"OW! Why would you do that?!", the male student said as he held his already bloody nose.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!", Mikan said as she tried to help him up.

"Hey, you tryin' to pick a fight with him or something, Shiroka?", a burly looking student said as he cracked his knuckles.

Mikan shook her head.

"N-no! It was just an accident! I swear!"

"Accident my ass! You're in for a real pounding!"

"Pounding?", Mikan said to herself.

"Pounding…"

"Pounding?"

Mikan suddenly looked furious as she started to march towards the burly student.

"Care to say that again, Damosaba-sensei?!"

She started to beat up the burly student as Kazuhiko sighed. He walked over to Daichi and iselin who were talking to each other.

"So, is there anything that I need to know for now?", Iselin in Daichi's body asked.

"Well, if you step outside, make sure nobody is following you. The crowd could tear you apart."

Iselin raised an eyebrow.

"The crowd? What do you mean?"

"Um, Amasawa-senpai? C-can I t-t-talk to you?", the voice of a first-year squeaked.

Iselin turned and had a love letter shoved in her face.

"I wrote all my feelings into this! Please read it!"

The first year ran off as Iselin held the note.

"What was that all about?"

Daichi, however, acted as if the note was a bomb.

"Quick, hide it before-"

"Did someone give a love letter to Amasawa-kun?"

"Who did it?! Who took him away from me?!"

"Well, it's now or never! Amasawa-kun, please accept my letter too!"

"Run. For the love of all that's holy, run", Daichi said to Iselin.

The crowd passed through the classroom as Iselin ran out the other door for her life.

"Excuse me, that wasn't your love letter, was it?", a voice asked.

Daichi turned to see a bunch of girls in front of them with agitated looks.

"What? Who, me? That wasn't-"

"Don't play dumb!", a third year said as she pointed a finger at Daichi in Iselin's body.

"We saw him first, so move off our territory!"

Daichi stuttered at all the girls crowding around him.

"B-but I'm not- I mean, Daichi's not your territory!"

"What did you just say?!"

Daichi ran outside of the classroom for a whole different reason than before, leaving Kazuhiko alone in the classroom.

"Guess I'll see what Johei's up to."

"And that is why I would like to declare my love to Johei Shiroka!", Mikan's voice said from outside.

"JOHEI!"

*SMACK*

Kazuhiko sighed as he put his backpack on and headed towards the roof.