There is a certain point in the semester when Isami begins to rightfully worry about his fellow council members. Certain point being the weeks before their practicals exam.
Some are good with dealing with stress, like Alice and Hisako. Others, not so much.
"What is that, Yukihira?" Ryou asks, wrinkling his nose with disgust. The 1.5 litre water bottle filled with oddly greenish-orange brew pauses on it's way into Souma's mouth.
"Oh." Souma glances down at the bottle. "It's three different energy drinks mixed with vitamin C tablets. Made it myself."
Isami holds back a retch. Alice doesn't.
"Don't knock it till you've tried it." Souma says, with no fear of God left in his eyes as he takes a huge and long gulp.
For the past five days, Ryou has had an astounding accumulative three whole hours of sleep. He figures this might be the last kicker he needs to truly die on the inside.
"Hand it over, Yukihira." Souma helpfully aids Ryou on his quest to utter numbness to sleep.
"Your digestive system's going to suffer," Isami says, snatching the bottle out of Souma's hands and out of Ryou's reach. Ryou growls, and Alice flicks him in the forehead.
"Listen to Isami-kun." Alice scolds. She looks over to Isami to say something (hopefully not to ask for the concoction herself) but takes one look behind him and shrieks, "Takumi-kun, no!"
Isami has never seen Alice move faster. She slaps a hand tightly over Takumi's mouth, snatching a pot of black coffee right out of his hands.
"Black coffee is bad for unmoisturised skin! Don't try to make any excuses, I know you haven't been keeping up with your skincare lately!" Alice lectures, slamming the pot onto the table.
Huffing, Alice starts pushing an unresisting Takumi out the office. "Honestly, you men! Don't you know how to properly take care of yourselves? Such troublesome creatures! I don't need my aide or anyone else in the council fainting, I don't enjoy the extra paperwork. So all three of you are going back to the Nakiri estate to sleep. And do facial masks. Isami-kun, if I could trouble you to bring Ryou-kun and Yukihira-kun to the car?"
Without a single word, Isami scoops Souma under one arm, then hoists a protesting Ryou over his shoulder with the other.
"My thoughts exactly, Alice-san." Isami shoots Alice a charming, relieved smile. "I was ready to knock them out myself."
Alice chuckles. "I would have liked to see that."
