Responsibility

by ZacFF

Sangonomiya Kokomi wasn't used to celebrating her birthday, what with being the Student Council President and all. Not like she'd celebrated it for as far as she remembered, anyway. Today was supposed to be a normal day, just as every other birthday before it. It seems that she forgot to account for a certain factor in the form of a blonde-haired transfer student. Modern AU.

AN: No beta we die like hilichurls

---

In a studio-type apartment, an alarm with a sound that would remind someone of the sea blared across a white room. In the room was a salmon-haired woman laying on a blue jellyfish-themed bed who was laying down on her side covered in a pink blanket, and she was cradling a book with a blue and pink gradient cover. With a pleasant sigh, she drew a hand from beneath her covers and swiped down on her phone, quieting the alarm.

She put the covers down and sat up on her bed. She stretched her arms out and yawned. She rubbed her eyes awake and looked out the window near her bed. She smiled.

'Good morning, world.' she thought. 'Happy birthday to me.'

She turned to her side. Her eyes widened. She raised the closed book that she had been laying down beside.

'Oh no! Diary!' Immediately, she inspected every nook and cranny of it. A few moments later, she sighed. 'Great. Not a single thing is out of the ordinary. I didn't mess it up in my sleep' she nodded to herself and smiled.

Turning on her bed, she sat in a position where her legs were dangling off of it. She grabbed a key from the bedside table and put it into one of the lockable drawers. She opened it and revealed more books of similar color to the one she had.

She grabbed the book by her bed and put it in the drawer. 'Under lock and key. Though, I have to admit this looks very nice.' she giggled. She put the key back underneath the lamp.

'Well, seeing as I'm already up, might as well start the day.'

She put her feet down on the floor. 'Cold!' she recoiled upon feeling the cold floor. She slid her feet into a pair of pink slippers and stood up, revealing the white and pink aquarium-themed pajamas she had on.

It was a miracle how her lengthy hair remained tidy throughout the night. Not like bed head was something she had to worry about for as far as she could remember.

She turned on the TV to provide a bit of ambiance. While doing so, she reached over to the bedside table with one hand while the other was flicking through channels and held the glass of water she put on her bedside. While drinking water, she made a pleasant sound as she found the channel she was looking for.

'The discovery channel! This will do.' The fact that they were broadcasting some kind of show about marine life was only a bonus.

With that done, she drew her attention to the bookshelf by the left side of the flat-screen TV. 'I wonder which one I'll be reading…' Most of the books on the shelf had already been read, some of them more than twice over. But that never stopped her from re-reading her favorites or getting new ones. 'Ah, I'll pick you!' She took out a short novel from the bookshelf and put it down on her bedside table.

With that in the background, she set off to do her daily routine. She brushed her teeth, took a warm and satisfying shower while she sang her heart out, and now she was sitting on a beige L-shaped couch in front of the television at a reasonable distance, while she ate a bowl of cereal with one hand holding it and the other using a spoon clad in a black and white uniform that would remind one of a sailor's.

She was idly eating and watching the documentary on the television when her phone suddenly began whistling a soft tune and vibrated at her feet. She raised an eyebrow. She put the bowl of cereal down on the table in front of her, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and drank some water.

She put the phone to her ear and answered the call.

"Sangonomiya Kokomi speaking. Who is this?"

[Hi, Miss Kokomi. It's Gorou. Sorry to disturb you.]

"It's alright. I was only eating breakfast cereal and watching television when you called me." she said. For a few moments, there was no correspondence from the other side of the call. Strange. She looked back at the phone and saw that the call was still ongoing.

"Gorou? Are you there?"

[A-Ah, right. Yes, Miss Kokomi. I-I am fine.] Strange. It almost sounded as if he was nervous.

"Great. Now, you were going to tell me something? It's not like you to call this early."

[Ah, yes. It's about the current state of affairs between the clubs. There have been rumors of favoritism regarding the budget.]

Kokomi raised an eyebrow. "Really? This is the first I've heard of it." The rivalry between most of the clubs wasn't unheard of, and tensions were very real, especially when it came to the sports clubs. But she did her best to be impartial as student council president.

She believed in equity. Giving everyone the chance for the same opportunities. The budget for the newspaper club would never be the same as the tea ceremony club, it was as simple as that in her mind.

[Well, it isn't too widespread just yet. It only started as a rumor recently too. But I decided to bring it up to you as soon as I could to-]

"To nip the problem in the bud, before it can grow and sprout fruit. Well done, Gorou." she smiled.

[Thank you, Miss Kokomi. It is an honor to be useful.]

"I'll deal with it in the weekly meeting. I'll coordinate with the newspaper club and the disciplinary committee too for some additional input as well as PR." Kokomi all but declared. "Anything else?"

[Well, there is that one issue with the transfer students. The twins.]

"Oh, them." Kokomi remembered. Aether and Lumine. She had oriented both of them personally into the school. "What about them? Did they get into trouble? I don't think they seem to be the type. Well, apart from the female one. Aether is a bit tamer than her." Granted, she'd only met them a handful of times, and she never engaged in a lengthy conversation with either twin, but she didn't need prolonged exposure to figure out that Lumine was the wilder and more outgoing one of the pair."

[It's not that. It's… All the clubs want them.]

Kokomi's eyes went wide. "All of them?"

[Well, most of them. The thing is if they don't want one, they want the other twin. It's an amazingly bizarre situation but it is what it is.]

"Huh. Another thing to bring up in the meeting then."

[Thank you for your time, Miss Kokomi.]

"Thank you for bringing this up to me as well. I'll see you later."

She put the phone down and sighed. A glance at the wall clock told her she only had about an hour and a half left. But, as the student council president, it was better to set an example by arriving at school early.

She finished her breakfast, turned off most of the electricity in her room, and donned a headband that had dark pink horns on either side. She posed a bit by the mirror near her drawer and smiled.

She picked up her tote bag, necessities, and all. She went out of the door, but not before grabbing her keys by the handle near the door and making sure she locked the door behind her. The title card by the door read '0825.'

It was her birthday, sure. But she didn't feel the need to say it everywhere. There was no reason for the entire world to stop for one person. As such, one should still strive to do their best regardless of the occasion. The fact that today was her birthday was simply another detail to accompany the day.

With a deep breath, she smiled.

'Time to start a new day.'

---

Inazuma Academy. The biggest school in Inazuma, hence the name given to it. 'Also the only school in Inazuma.' Kokomi thought. Children of all ages studied here. From children in pre-school to adults working for their doctorates, the academy was well-equipped to handle the workload. It was a pretty old academy already, but the higher-ups were able to issue a request of regularly scheduled maintenance regarding the school.

Appearance-wise, it looked clean. The white paint job that was maintained throughout the academy's many years was something that had been a constant for as long as she could remember. The school had a gym, pool, and several courts for several sports. It was no wonder why there were a couple of athletes in the student body with what the academy could accommodate. She could go on and on about the academy and what it had, but she supposed it was fine to think that the academy had everything one could ever need.

She'd attended the academy from as far as she could remember, after all.

When she had initially seen it, it had admittedly frightened her. Why wouldn't it? Big new school, a brave new world, and a small girl.

But, that was then. And this is now. Now? She was fine. She was even better than fine, in fact. She was-

"Whoa whoa whoa get outta the way!"

A panicked voice made Kokomi turn her head towards the source just before she could cross the gates to the academy.

All she could make out was a fast-approaching blur, one that was getting bigger and bigger by the second and if she would just get closer she could-

"I don't think that's a good idea." A pair of hands had held onto the arm and picked her up out of the object's way and put her further to the side.

A loud crash occurred and a cloud of dust burst up in front of the gates to the academy, which was miraculously unharmed. A testament to the gate's architectural strength, she guessed.

Which was a good thing too, seeing as the object had been an enraged bull that had… three students on it.

"Whew. That was a close call. Are you okay, Pres?"

Kokomi swiftly turned around to face her savior. The moment she did, her eyes widened.

Blonde hair, gold eyes, and that smile. Also, was that a braid?

'Ah, Aether.' The transfer student with a twin.

Now, here's a quick lesson in a little something called the suspension bridge effect. The concept of the phenomenon is that if one were to cross a suspension bridge, and shortly after seeing someone who they may be slightly interested in, it causes the first person's heart to pound, which may then be misunderstood as the feeling of falling in love.

Why the need to explain? Kokomi just felt like it. Absolutely no other reason.

"Y-Yes. Thank you."

The blonde gave out a sigh of relief. Kokomi felt her feet touch the ground when he let go of her arms. "Sorry about the sudden movement. Saw you were going nearer to that mess rather than farther so I decided to get you out myself."

Kokomi shook her head. She gave the man a bow. "No need to apologize. My curiosity gained the better of me. "

"Alright. Wild start to the morning though. If I knew I'd have taken the shorter way here just to see it happen earlier."

"I hope this doesn't discourage you from our school. I assure you, this does not happen often."

Aether laughed.

The pounding of her heart was because of the experience she just had, she felt the need to reiterate.

The sharp sound of a whistle drew both of their attention. It was at this moment that Kokomi remembered that there was still that issue in front of their gate. Something that was quickly drawing attention from nearby students and faculty members.

"Huh, I can't believe I forgot about that for a second." Aether mused.

"You mean the bull in front of our gates looking like bloody murder?"

"Yeah. That-"

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?" A voice all but boomed throughout the yard. A hulking man who easily towered over most of them came out of a small room right next to the gate. He was clad in a security guard uniform with purple shoulder plates donning his form.

"Mister Masanori! Help the boss out!"

"Mister Masanori!"

"This… isn't what it looks like?"

The three that sat on the bull cried out for help. Masanori sighed.

"It's you three stooges again. Akira, Genta, Mamoru. Where's your… 'captain'?"

"Right here!" a voice coming from the bull spoke.

"Did the bull just… talk?" Kokomi tilted her head.

Masanori sighed. "No, it's him. He's just underneath it. Have to do this the old-fashioned way then." he took a deep breath.

Aether raised an eyebrow. "What's he doing?"

"Oh, right, you're new here. Well, throughout the years, Mister Masanori has been our school guard, and he's also what we call one of the Inazuma Academy Wonders." Kokomi put a finger up. "Watch."

Masanori spoke.

"GET!"

There was no motion, or movement that accompanied him. He spoke, and the world obeyed. The earth shook, the winds flew past them, and as for the target of his words?

The bull that was previously looking for trouble looked like nothing more than a larger cow. Wasting no time in getting off of his target and hastily moved away in fear.

"Aw come on!"

"Tuck and roll!"

"You should've given us a warning, Mister Masanori!"

The three stooges, as Mister Masanori Kindly put it, struggled to keep their balance atop the panicking bull and gloriously fell as the bull sped off in the other direction.

"Uh Uh. And you shouldn't have enraged a bull and led it to a place with students." Masanori crossed his arms.

A new voice coughed. "Nah, Mister. You should've been there when it happened. It was a glorious battle. One for the ages if only it was in a better location! The fact that it didn't happen is a sign that the fates had prevented something that would've led to the destruction of the worlds in between!"

A dramatic statement came from the white-haired man who had been openly wearing his uniform, showing his toned chest. The sound of a palm meeting one's face was heard as Masanori facepalmed.

"Just be glad you aren't late, Arataki. And wear your uniform properly!"

"No way! This is an expression of my freedom!"

Kokomi and Aether sweatdropped. Kokomi shrugged.

"Welcome to Inazuma Academy…?"

---

"So, bullfights eh?" Aether mused as he and Kokomi walked along the corridors of the academy. He walked with his black briefcase in one hand as he put both hands behind his head."It hasn't been long since I transferred but I didn't expect to see that first thing in the morning."

"I reiterate. Those kinds of scenes are not at all common in Inazuma Academy." Kokomi had held her briefcase in front of her skirt with both hands. "Please do not think that it is one such occurrence."

"Really? Look me in the eye and tell me it isn't. Tell me that that's the last of the insanity to see in this academy."

"Fine. This is the-" Kokomi had to pause for a moment. She unconsciously gulped. "I… ah-"

"You can't say it, can you?"

"I… do not like lying." She hung her head in defeat. "But, I do assure you that moments like those are far and few between. I don't think this incident will make it to the Happenings."

"I can smell a capitalization there. Is it a thing?"

"The Happenings? Yes." Kokomi nodded. "It is the name given to the various incidents and, as the name implies, Happenings that occur around the school."

"Sheesh. That often?"

"Perhaps, but only the most notable ones make it to the forum. Again, this will most likely not make it."

Aether gave her a flat stare. "You've been through a lot, haven't you?"

Kokomi returned the stare just as flat as she received it. "Don't remind me. I can only imagine the paperwork I need to get through later because of this." Kokomi said. "Which reminds me, I need you in my office later. Come by when you're free."

"Am I in trouble?"

Kokomi put a finger up before she put it down just as quickly. Then, she shook her head. "I wouldn't say that. We just need to discuss something minor with you and your sister."

"You got it, Prez." Aether flashed her a thumbs up, which Kokomi smiled at.

"Also, do you mind telling your sister for me?"

"Sure thing. I don't mind." Aether scratched the back of his head as he sheepishly smiled at the girl walking beside him. "You really can't handle my sister, huh?"

"It's not that I can't handle her. I can. It's just that I'd rather not." Kokomi quickly turned to Aether with a sweatdrop. "No offense."

Aether waved her concerns away. "None taken. My sister has that effect on people."

She'd met his sister before when she had to orient the both of them with the school. Rumor had it that the twins were two sides of the same coin. Kokomi could believe that even with the numbered interactions she had with either one. They were polar opposites at times, but the love and support they had with each other was something Kokomi would always envy.

The two complemented each other so well. But, Kokomi would never admit to saying that Aether was the twin she preferred having around more.

"AHA! There you are, younger brother! Oh, and the student council president?" a new voice caused them to stop where they were.

Kokomi regarded the female twin with a smile on her face.

Clad in the female uniform, chin-length hair with two locks of shoulder-length hair framing her face and a paler shade of blonde compared to her male twin could be observed from the woman.

Well, that and the look of absolute pride she had almost every time Kokomi saw her.

Kokomi bowed. "Good morning."

"Seriously? It was only by seconds." Aether sounded exasperated, but Kokomi could notice a lift in his facial features.

"Doesn't change the fact that you're still my younger brother."

"Whatever you say, Lumine."

"Hee-hee!" The supposedly older twin playfully knocked a fist over her head. "Anyway, what's this I found? The male transfer student and the student council president out on a romantic morning walk?"

Kokomi tilted her head. "Through the halls of the academy? On the way to class?" What was so romantic about this?

Apparently, Lumine was seeing something the salmon-haired girl wasn't. "A romantic morning walk through the halls of the academy on the way to class! Ah, such love is so rare." she clasped her hands together and dreamily gazed at the sky from the window next to them.

"Rare and romantic? Have you been reading those cheesy novels of yours recently?" Aether quipped.

"Why yes. Yes, I have. And they're not cheesy! You'll like them if you read them."

"Uhuh. No thanks. Most of the time the female protagonist is so bland and has less personality than a fish out of water. Plus, there's no way that many guys would fall for one girl."

"Shut up! You just don't understand. True love is boundless, and cannot be categorized by mere human beings." Lumine defended as she thrust a finger in their direction. "Besides, if you two were walking to class, then why are you walking together? Huh?!"

Kokomi and Aether exchanged a glance.

"We have the same classes." they said in unison.

"Right, drat. I forgot about that."

Aether smirked. "Aw, that's alright, Big Sis. It's not your fault I scored higher and got placed in a different class. Skill issue, maybe?"

"Shush! I could've scored higher and you know it."

"Oh dear, Big Sis. You might be getting memory loss due to your old age. You already forgot the striking difference between our entrance results."

It appeared that Lumine had enough. She grit her teeth. Her posture looked like she was ready to pounce at a moment's notice. "Why you-!"

"Ehem!" Kokomi gave both of them a stern glare. "Take note of where we are, please." That which is in the middle of the school corridor. "Hardly a place for conflict, don't you think?"

"Hmph." Lumine simply turned away and crossed her arms.

"Right. Sorry about that, Pres."

"As long as the both of you understand." Kokomi nodded. "I've already told your brother about this, but I need you both in the Student Council Office later."

"Oh, do you mean that issue with the clubs? I've got it sorted out on my side." Lumine told them.

"Yes. How did you know? And what do you mean you've got it sorted out?"

"Oh, I hear it here and there. If you know where to listen, that is." Lumine put a finger up, and then another. "As for how I've sorted it out, well, do you not notice the people behind me?" she stepped aside and thrust her hands wide as if showcasing them.

A pair of light-blue-haired individuals as well as another with light orange hair had been behind her this whole time and Kokomi hadn't noticed. One was female and the other two were male.

"Huh, I actually didn't notice. Sorry about that." Aether scratched his cheek with a finger. "Hey guys, been a while." the man got a wave back from all of them.

Kokomi recognized them immediately. "The Kamisato Siblings? And Mister Thoma?"

They bowed. "Good morning, Miss Sangonomiya."

Kokomi and Aether returned the gesture. "Good morning as well." they said.

Kokomi put a finger to her chin. "If I remember correctly, the three of you are part of the school's Tea Ceremony Club. Which means-"

"Yep. You're looking at the newest member of the Tea Ceremony Club right here!" Lumine put her hands on her hips with a smile on her face.

"You don't even like tea." Aether stated.

"Correct. I don't." Lumine then pointed to their tallest blue-haired person, who was currently sipping on a cup of Boba Tea from a straw. "But I like Boba Tea."

"...I swear he didn't have that earlier."

"Nu-uh, yes he did." Lumine nodded as she retorted.

"Right…" Aether chuckled. "Well, I hope my sister's been well to you all. I know you're good people and my sister can be a bit of a handful."

"Hah?!"

The three next to the female twin chuckled. "Your concern for your sibling is well-founded. She has been nothing but cordial though, so your concern is unneeded." the blue-haired girl stated.

Aether smiled. "That's good to hear then."

"Anyway!" Lumine interjected between the two with a glare. "That's one half of the problem solved. Now only yours!" she pushed a finger on his chest

"Yeah, yeah I'll get through to it sooner rather than later." Aether attempted to push her away to no effect.

"I can give you a list later of all the clubs in the school, though I will have to warn you it is rather extensive."

"May I give a suggestion then?" Thoma raised a hand. Once all eyes were on him, he continued. "Why not have Aether join the Student Council?"

Lumine's eyes widened. "Him? On the student council?" she pointed to her brother.

Kokomi tilted her head back and forth in contemplation. "I suppose it would be one of the likely outcomes. I daresay I can even see it." Kokomi said. "Though, what makes me wonder is how you thought of it."

Thoma shrugged. "From what Lumine tells us about her brother, he seems just like the type of person you'd need on the student council. Don't take my word for it, though."

"You talk about me to your friends?" Aether smiled.

Lumine blushed. "N-No! I don't know what you're talking about. Thoma, we will be having words about privacy and club member confidentiality later!"

Aether just laughed.

"Still, I suppose this idea does have some merit to it." Kokomi turned to Aether.

"You sure? Me in the student council?"

"I am. From what I know of you, you are responsible to a fault, hardworking, and studious. Perhaps you would like to give the student council a try?"

"Really? Huh."

"I mean, do you not want to?"

"W-Well, it's not that I don't want to. It's just that… I- Uh…"

"If you really do not want to then… I suppose I have to give you the right to refuse. I was really hoping you'd say yes, though." Kokomi couldn't help but let a frown show on her face. Dozens of scenarios and plans had gone through her head the moment she entertained the idea, but the fault was on her for doing so, she supposed.

Shame, she would've liked to see him flourish in the student council.

"I-I'll do it!"

Kokomi immediately brightened up.

Energy increased!

"Really? No take-backs. This trial runs will not stop once you start. All decisions shall be withheld thereafter the trial."

"Y-Yes. I agree."

To everyone in the vicinity, Kokomi was visibly shining with joy.

"Good job, Pres. You've already found my brother's weakness. Cute girls, and a massive savior complex when it comes to sad cute girls." Lumine snickered, though her words went unnoticed by the boy, who was visibly dreading his future.

Yet, Kokomi didn't seem to care at the moment. She didn't even hear it.

The girl behind Lumine, however, was interested. "Oh, he is?"

Lumine clicked her tongue. "Shush, Ayaka. Pretend you didn't hear anything."

---

"Welcome to the Student Council! Please make yourself at home." Kokomi opened the door for Aether as she put her bag down at a nearby table.

Aether gave her an amused look. "Really?"

"Oh, don't worry. You'll spend enough time in this room throughout the year, you'll start treating it like one either way." Kokomi chuckled. "You can put your bags down there, I just need to get some things. Meanwhile, I should probably explain what we do here."

Aether did as he was told. Kokomi saw his eyes wander around the room, and maybe even a hint of wonder at what he saw.

She didn't really get it. The room was like any other. But then again, she had been in this room often and for extensive periods thanks to her duties for the past year or two. White walls, a tv in the upper corner of the room for any announcements, news, and such, and an air conditioner for hot days, as well as two fans on both corners of the room, and a ceiling fan.

Though she wasn't ashamed to admit that on the slower days, they would watch movies or something along those lines. It was good practice to rest when you can. She much preferred resting after doing work. Yet, she wasn't so cruel as to keep those under her from having a bit of fun amidst the workload.

Other than that, there was the round table at the side of the room where another TV as well as a whiteboard with visible marks of what was recently written on it. While on the other side where Kokomi currently looked like it was a space that had been transformed into a leisure area with bean bags, a coffee table, and some board games.

"See something you like?"

"Yeah. A lot of it, actually. Completely blew my expectations away. "Aether put his hands up in surrender as he put his bag down and walked near Kokomi. "I didn't expect it to be this homey."

Kokomi chuckled. "You wouldn't be the first to say that."

"People come around here often?"

"Not as often as you'd think. It's just that the people that come here who aren't part of the student council normally come for official reasons. So when they see the room for the first time, a bit of whiplash is inevitable." Kokomi withdrew a stack of paper from beneath the television's drawer. "Anyway, please sit down over here."

"Yes, Ma'am." Aether did as he was told and sat down next to Kokomi on the table at the more professional side of the room.

"So, back to what I was saying. Here in the student council, we have many duties. Most of which are related to the student body, as well as the school itself. As the Student Council, we exist to keep the school thriving."

Aether scratched his cheek. "I see. That's interesting."

"Don't worry about being overloaded with information. We can take it nice and slow-"

"Hello? Is the Student Council in? Can we come in?" a feminine voice interrupted her as she knocked outside the door.

Kokomi unconsciously straightened her hair out as she noticed that Aether had actually sat straight and put his arms on the table in front of him.

'Huh. He might be cut out for this after all. Points to Aether for the Student Council!'

"We're in. Please, come in."

"Thank you!" the voice replied as the door opened. "Get in there. No bickering, or shifting blame. Get in I said!"

'Oh, it's them.' Kokomi gave Aether a quick wink when he turned to her in confusion before she went back to looking at the newcomers with a welcoming smile. Something that Aether tried to imitate to the best of his abilities.

But, as Kokomi noticed, he ended up looking a bit constipated instead. She inwardly chuckled. 'How cute.'

The newcomers were a group of five people. They recognized the four amongst them from the people who caused that ruckus earlier in front of the gate, the ones who also received a slap on the wrist from Mister Masanori, literally and metaphorically.

Though one of them was female. She had green hair that was held up in a messy ponytail with a thick dark reddish rope and a dark hairpiece with gold accents. She also had messy bangs and a dark grey mask that covers the lower half of her face.

"Good morning, Kokomi."

"Good morning, Shinobu. What brings you here?"

The green-haired woman named Shinobu gave her a nod. "I believe these four idiots have something to say to you."

"Because of the ruckus this morning."

"Ah, I take it you've already heard?"

"I did, yes. In fact, I was right there. I saw it happen in front of my very eyes." Kokomi let out a chuckle when she saw the four boys behind the green-haired woman visibly deflate in despair. "Besides, even if I wasn't, you of all people should know that news travels very fast."

"Well, well, I recall you telling me that no one was harmed in the incident. That it was isolated and Mister Masanori stopped everything before it could be trouble?"

In an instant, the four that had been standing behind her immediately kowtowed.

"Please! Forgive us!"

"We didn't know Pres was there, we swear!"

"Yes, yes, we swear we thought no one was there!"

"Come on! You can't blame us for something we don't know!" The largest of the four, the one with white hair, locked eyes with Aether. His eyes widened. "Bro! You're here! You can vouch for me right?"

Aether only gave him his best impression of a smile.

"Sorry, who are you?"

"Dude!"

Shinobu clicked her tongue. "Alright, boys. Get up."

And they did. "Yes, Ma'am!"

"Apologize!"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

Kokomi sweatdropped. She felt Aether's gaze on her amidst the happenings in the room.

"Pres? What's happening?"

Kokomi shrugged.

"The usual Arataki Club antics."

---

"So, what you're saying is you did it for Ushi?"

Shinobu had now sat on the table next to Kokomi as she acted as a prosecutor. Aether and Kokomi stood on the sidelines while the four kowtowed toward the green-haired girl who was sitting down with one of her legs crossed above the other.

That, and the fact that her eyes were glowing green. A trick of the light, of course, nothing more.

"Yes! The bull was huffing and growling at the poor guy. He was terrified! Of course, I had to go teach it a lesson, you know? Tell 'em not to mess with one of ours unless they wanted to start some trouble."

"But you did get in trouble yourself. You had to have Mister Masanori get you out of the pinch you put yourself in."

"Bah, I totally had that handled even if the guy hadn't shown up. Tell her, Ushi!"

"Mmm, I see. Is that true, little guy?"

A small young Akaushi bull with a rather chunky body and legs who seemed to be carrying some kind of roof-like thing on its back suddenly appeared from behind the long white-haired man. It made noises of approval and stomped aggressively in place.

"Is that a… bull?" Kokomi heard Aether whisper.

Kokomi nodded. "Yes. He is. A particularly young one at that."

"He just appeared out of nowhere."

"He's the Arataki Club's auxiliary member, Ushi. Don't let his size fool you. He's one of Inazuma Academy's Wonders. They say he hurts more than a meteor sent from the skies above."

"Inazuma Academy's what again?"

"I'll explain later." Kokomi turned her attention back to the scene in front of her that reminded her of a certain video game she once saw students playing. Something about an Ace… Prosecutor? Detective? She didn't really remember.

It looked like Shinobu and Ushi had finished their little conversation too. Acting as if she understood, which she actually probably did, Shinobu slowly nodded. "I see. Well, I suppose that's their reasoning. And they've already apologized." she turned toward the salmon-haired woman next to her. "What's the verdict, Miss Student Council President, Sangonomiya Kokomi?"

Ah, so that's how this was going to play out. Very well then. Kokomi put a finger to her chin and acted as if she was contemplating. The hopeful looks on the five members of the Arataki Club were almost blinding.

"Well, let's see. Mister Arataki Itto. As the head of the Arataki Club, I presume you speak for your club members?"

Itto put a finger up. "It's actually the Arataki Gang-"

"Boss?" Kokomi could swear she just heard thunder inside closed doors when Shinobu spoke. Weird.

"UH- I mean. The Arataki… Club. Yes. I speak for the Arataki… Club."

Kokomi smiled. "Great. And did you genuinely mean your apology?"

"Yes! Yes, we did! Right, boys? Ushi?"

Sounds of agreement with a little bit of desperation mixed in with the four boys' voices as well as Ushi's.

Some part of Kokomi was slightly delighted at what she was seeing right now. She didn't really know why. But, she filed that thought later. There would be better times to think about it.

"Well, by the power bestowed on me by the school, and with the Arataki Club's Deputy Leader Kuki Shinobu, I hereby declare you… relieved of all charges!"

"Whooo!"

"We're free!"

"Thanks, boss!"

"We're free men, my dudes!"

Kokomi couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of four grown men and a small bull hollering and celebrating. To her left, she saw Shinobu shake her head in disproval of their antics, but knowing her, she probably had a small smile beneath that mask of hers.

And on the other side was Aether who seemed to want nothing more than to disassociate himself from the group of people in front of them. But, that wouldn't work at all.

If the small moment of recognition from both Itto and Aether a while ago wasn't a dead giveaway, the fact that the Arataki Club was one of the clubs that was actively attempting to get Aether as a member was another dead giveaway.

"I do hope you won't make it a regular occurrence, though. The paperwork I have to go through just from that stunt alone, oh dear." Kokomi shook her head in faux frustration.

Itto and the rest of his club had already stood up in their celebration. Itto smirked, waved his hair back, and brought out a thumb pointing to himself. "Don't worry, Pres. Shinobu's cool with ya, so I'll do my best not to cause trouble for you from here on out. You have the Arataki Gang- I mean club! I said club!" Itto hastily corrected himself when he felt Shinobu's glare. "Anyway, you have our word for it."

Kokomi smiled and nodded. "That's all I ask for. Thank you."

Itto chuckled and used a finger to wipe the gap between his nose and upper lip. "Aw shucks. Don't sweat it, Pres. I should be saying that instead."

"Yes, yes you should. And more often considering how much Kokomi has to deal with the club's shenanigans." Shinobu then tilted her head to Kokomi. "Is it really that much paperwork?"

"Ah, no. I was simply playing it up. It's not as much as you think." she shook her head. "Besides, it's not anything I'm not used to."

"If you say so." the mask-wearing woman walked towards Aether. The green-haired woman looked down at the sitting boy. "And you must be the so-called Honorary Member I've heard about so much from Boss. Aether, was it?"

He stood up and nodded with a smile. "Yeah. Nice to finally meet you. Itto has been playing you up to me too. Saying how you're the one that keeps most of them from getting into too much trouble. I suppose someone had to reign them in. Must've been a tough job. Kuki Shinobu, right?"

Shinobu shrugged. "Yeah. And it's not that big a deal. You get used to it."

"Still. It's an admirable thing you're doing."

"Well, I guess it is nice to be appreciated."

Kokomi's eyes narrowed to focus on a particular detail in the deputy's facial features. 'Is it just me or are her cheeks slightly tinged red?' she wondered to no one in particular.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Kuki."

"You too, Aether. And please, call me Shinobu."

"If you say so, Shinobu."

The two then shook hands.

Shinobu let a few moments pass after their small handshake before she shook her head. "I'm guessing you're part of the student council now?"

"It's more of a test run than anything, but it does seem interesting."

"A what-?"

The door burst open before the two could keep conversing, the door burst open, surprising everyone in the room. Ushi even jumped onto Itto's back.

"Miss Kujou! Please desist!"

"Mister Gorou, I hear you. I can see you. Hell, I can feel you doing your utmost best to stop me but I assure you your attempts are futile."

"Miss Kokomi is doing fine! I assure you there's no reason to barge into the student council room like this-"

"Watch me!" a woman with light skin tone, indigo hair cut into an uneven bob, pale skin, and golden eyes clad in the school's uniform for women all but strode into the room with another man who had fair skin, light orange-brown hair with a white section, and teal blue eyes clad in the uniform for men holding onto her sleeve.

It was obvious from the conversation they overheard that Gorou, the guy, was trying to stop Miss Kujou, the woman, from entering the room. But due to how easily the woman was moving around, it was as if Gorou was holding onto her sleeve for dear life to avoid being mopped onto the floor instead.

Though, a noticeable detail amongst them was that the woman had an armband on her right arm that read 'Disciplinary Committee'.

"Kokomi! Are you al…right…?" she trailed off when she noticed the lack of chaos and destruction in the room.

No one dared to speak anything, not even Ushi. They all stared at one another for a while, until Kokomi chose to break the silence.

She put a hand up and waved.

"Hello!"

---

"Ah, so that's what happened. Well, I'm glad everything turned out well." the indigo-haired woman slowly nodded in her chair, sipping tea that Gorou had given to them. "Not to mention Aether doing this… trial run thing on the Student Council. I personally would've liked you to join the Disciplinary Committee. Heaven knows your sister can't stay still to save her life. But I do suppose the Student Council is a better option too."

"I told you that everything would resolve itself peacefully." Gorou sighed as he reorganized the books that had been cluttered them due to their rather boisterous entrance. "Hope you decide to stay, Aether. We'd love to have more hands on deck."

Aether scratched his cheek. "I'll have to see."

"Well, regardthing this little incident, I apologize." she bowed her head. "you'll have to forgive me for assuming that certain individuals could be civilized." she said. "I, of course, don't mean you, Shinobu."

"I didn't think you did, Sara." she chuckled. "Besides, I thought the same. That's why I came with them."

Kokomi nodded. "Yes. She facilitated the entire process to make sure everything went smoothly when it came to the Arataki Club. "Everything turned out well."

"Mmm, is that so?" Sara slowly nodded.

Shinobu gave Sara a look. Seeing as how her facial expression was hidden from everyone, it was the glint in her eyes that gave away her intentions.

"That's right. I facilitated." Shinobu said.

"Ah, is that so? Well done then."

"You guys done? Does that mean we can stop facing the wall now?" Itto asked from the other side of the room without looking back, accompanied by Ushi and the other three from before.

They were told to face the wall at Sara's request. Kokomi thought it amusing so she agreed, but she never thought that Shinobu would agree with the idea as well. It had been fifteen minutes since they sat around the table with Gorou serving them tea while they simply chatted. Aether seemed content with just listening, so she left him be.

Kokomi chuckled. "Yes, Arataki. You may."

With those words, the five of them stood up in an instant. Itto began walking to the table with a smile on his face while the other three cradled their backsides.

"Alright! Thanks, pres. You're the best!"

"Please, you're too kind."

"Nah, that's you. And hey there, Gorou!"

"Arataki. Hello." the brown-haired man nodded as he serve the table another round of tea

"Sheesh. What's up with you today, man."

"You'll have to forgive me if I'm not too enthused by the circumstances of our meeting."

"Aw come on, don't be like that!" he put an arm around Gorou's shoulders, who visibly looked uncomfortable at the gesture. "Anyway, how's your sister? Did she say anything about me? I haven't seen her around in a while, is everything alright with her? And why do I never see you two together? Did you have a fight?"

"W-What my sister does is none of your business!"

"Aw come on, man. What happened to the pact? You gotta help me out, man. Remember the bro code!"

"I don't remember signing on any of that."

"Dude!"

Sara sighed and shook her head. "Maybe you should've let them stew for just a bit more. It doesn't look like they've learned their lesson."

"Yeah, because you hate fun, Kujou!"

"How dare you. I have fun. The kind that doesn't involve any person or property from being hurt!"

"That's boring!"

"Why you-"

"Ladies, gentlemen. Please."

A pressure fell upon the room. Everyone present visibly stiffened up at the ice laced upon the Student Council President's tone. A pressure akin to being in the depths of the ocean without a diving suit or prior training. It was suffocating.

Kokomi had stood up when they got too rowdy. Her smile had never left her face, but instead of the welcoming one that she always preferred to have, this one was too forced to have any pleasant intentions. It was a smile that foresaw trouble upon anyone that would've had the misfortune of gazing at it.

"I will have order in the student council's room."

As quiet as her words were, it was almost as loud as an explosion with the authority she held behind it. Almost everyone was compelled to sit and quiet down. Shinobu and Sara simply looked away, Gorou and the Arataki Club were visibly sweating, and Aether had wide eyes in surprise at what just happened, and what the pressure he was feeling.

This was the reason why Sangonomiya Kokomi became the student council president. Some say she moved gracefully like a mermaid, but misbehave in her presence and you'll quickly find yourself marked for disaster and hunted down by a shark.

"W-Well, I guess I better go. Come on, boys. Thank you for your hospitality, Kokomi, the tea was great." Shinobu stood up and moved to the door, the Arataki Club right behind her.

"Thank you, Pres."

"We won't trouble you again."

"We'll behave."

"Gorou! Don't forget to mention me to your sister!"

Shinobu whacked Itto upside the head. "Let's go."

"Alright, alright!"

Sara soon did the same. "I should too. I just remembered I have… Disciplinary Committee things to do."

"I… need to help a classmate with his… dog, or something like that. Very sorry, Miss Kokomi. Please, take care, you too Aether."

Aether sweatdropped as he waved them goodbye. "Take care, everyone."

One by one, the room started to empty out, eventually leaving just the both of them in the room.

And the empty tea cups that had been left by Shinobu and Sara.

"I'll go clean this up." Aether stood up and moved to do exactly that.

Kokomi sighed as she slowly went back into her chair. "Thank you. I'm sorry you had to see that."

"It's fine, don't apologize."

"Still, this doesn't exactly make a good impression."

Aether paused as he mused and looked at the ceiling in contemplation. "I wouldn't say that."

"How would you say it, then?'

"Perhaps… just being human?" Aether shrugged. "It means you can still get annoyed, irritated, frustrated, and all of that. Besides, if you didn't do what you did, odds are I probably would've done the same too. Except to a lighter degree because no way would I be able to do what you just did."

"Scare them away?"

"Exactly."

Kokomi whimpered. "I promise I'm not that scary all the time. I like all of them, you have to believe me. I really do. But sometimes it just because too noisy all the time what with Sara and Arataki bickering almost every time they meet and I just wanted things to quiet down."

"Sheesh, remind me to never get on your bad side."

"Oh, nobody wants to get on my bad side. Absolutely no one." Kokomi chuckled a little. "On the plus side, I'll finally be able to get started on the paperwork for today."

"Paperwork?'

"Yes. Paperwork." Kokomi nodded. "To be honest, most of my time here in the student council is spent on paperwork."

"So… you don't come here just to, I don't know, maybe relax a bit? You have your own living room here."

"Oh that. That's more for the other members of the club. They can take a short break while I continue their work for them if they're feeling a little confused."

"Huh, so most of your time here is spent working?"

"That is what I said."

"Huh. Okay." Aether put the cups down to dry after he washed them in the nearby sink. Suddenly, he had an idea. "Hey, Pres?"

"Yes?"

"Do you mind participating in a little experiment of mine?"

Kokomi raised an eyebrow. "An experiment? What kind?"

"It's more of a… explorational survey for research and I need to experiment to know if it's an actual thing. I could do it on my own but I think in this particular example, I might need your assistance."

Kokomi thought about it for a moment before she nodded. "Okay, sure. What will we be doing?"

"Great." Kokomi saw Aether walk toward the side of the room. He looked downstairs, nodded to himself, and breathed in.

In one swift motion, he opened the window, and air came into the room, blowing the curtains wide, showing the bright blue sky.

"Now, Miss Student Council President. I am going to need you to come with me."

---

"I say this idea is foolish and I propose we return to school immediately."

"We're already here. Let's have some fun!"

"What we're doing is skipping school!" Kokomi stomped her feet on the ground. "You deceived me! I cannot believe you! What do you have to say for yourself, Mister?" she pouted.

Aether simply scratched his cheek sheepishly and smiled. "Well, at least now we'll be able to research why students our age do, right? Just think of it as an activity in the spirit of surveying for future purposes." Aether frowned. "Do you really not want to? If not, then we can go back. I'll accept any punishment necessary. I just thought it was good to do something else for a change, get you to have some fun for a bit, Pres."

Kokomi blushed. How dare he play it off as something that was to her benefit! Although a part of her did agree that she needed to step away from the office a bit, still! She had her pride!

"People will look for me! Faculty members will-"

"Nope. Already accounted for that." he pulled up his phone and shook it.

"What did you do?"

"Sent my sister a message. Safe to say, I owe her one now, but when she says she's got it, she's got it. You have my word that nothing bad will come up from this situation."

Her eyes squinted. "Do you do this often?"

"Nah, not at all. You can count the times I skipped on one hand and still have leftovers." Aether awkwardly chuckled when Kokomi looked unconvinced. "It's true! Honest! The only reason I do is that my sister told me how to. Now she's the one that does it a lot."

"You and your excuses. Fine. Since we're already here, and since it is partially my fault as I already saw this coming a while ago and yet I still let it happen, I'll go along with you, just this once." Kokomi sighed.

"Neat!"

"But! On two conditions."

"Go ahead." Aether nodded. "Seems fair."

"The first condition is that I want you to convince your sister to stop, or at least, lessen the number of times she skips class. Connections may be important but there's no denying that you still need to study."

"I'll try my best."

"Don't try, do." she stated.

Aether sighed. "Alright, alright."

"Good. Now, the second condition is that I want you to seriously consider joining the student council."

Aether nodded just before he suddenly paused. "Wait, you genuinely want me in the student council?"

Kokomi tilted her head. "I thought it was obvious? I never would've entertained a trial run if I hadn't."

"Huh, what makes you so sure I'll even belong there anyway?"

"I have my ways of knowing." she winked. "Trust me when I say we could use someone like you."

Aether scratched his cheek. "Wow. Alright, I'll take it seriously then."

"Good. Now, with all of that out of the way, I suppose it's time to start our little jaunt."

"Cool. Follow me."

Albeit still slightly unsure of what they were doing, Kokomi still followed. Perhaps it was because of the rebellious nature that all teenagers had, or maybe it was because of some other reason. She was both anxious, and excited. One thing was for sure, she didn't want to go back to school.

Deep down, she had always had the desire to simply be Kokomi, even if just for a day, or an hour. Hours spent in the Student Council room doing the same thing over and over again was an honor, to be sure, especially with how prestigious the academy was. Yet, she still had thoughts of what could be if she wasn't the student council president.

This was a chance for her to do something different. For her to simply be.

Walking around, as she gazed upon the buildings nearby, her heart rate eventually eased up.

'I am… so unfamiliar with this road.'

Markets, convenience stores, hobby shops, and all sorts of things caught her eyes as they walked side-by-side.

"You've never been down this road, have you?"

Kokomi looked back to see an amused expression on Aether's face. She shook her head. "I don't."

'It's really close to the school though. Never thought of taking an alternate route home or anything like that?"

"Not really. Due to my position, it often gets dark by the time I go home."

"Ah, that makes sense. Do you take the train?"

"No. I walk. I live in an apartment near the school. Takes about ten or fifteen minutes tops."

"Wow. I ride a bike."

"So I heard. You ride with your sister?"

"Yeah. Never trust my sister with anything regarding transportation. She drives like a maniac." Aether chuckled.

"It's rude to talk like that behind people's backs."

"Says the one struggling to hold in a laugh." Aether smiled. "Besides, it isn't anything I've never told her to her face."

"Still, I'll feel bad." Kokomi sighed.

"You're way too kind, Pres." Aether turned his head to the right, missing Kokomi's slight frown before she put on a smile again. "Well, we're here."

"And where is… here?" Kokomi tilted her head.

In front of them were bright lights, and neon signs, and she could hear loud noises coming from the inside. A double glass door above a small set of stairs greeted her when she walked closer and stood side by side with Aether.

Something that she'd only heard of in passing from the other students. A frequent and loved pass-time, where one could forget about the weight of school works, spend their money and have fun with the game machines. A place where people their age and sometimes even adults can come, alone, or with friends, and play games.

A place she'd never been to all her life. A place she had been wanting to visit, yet she never had the time.

"This is…" hey eyes widened as she marveled at the scene.

Aether nodded. "Welcome to the arcade. Let's have some fun, yeah?"

Kokomi smiled wide. She nodded.

Energy increased!

"Yes!"

---

Kokomi was never one for dim lights and loud noises. She preferred her room bright when she was reading as well as the quiet that came with it. Yet, an Arcade was just that. It was loud, it was occasionally dim, and there were so many people.

She'd heard about arcades, and read up about them in books, but nothing could compare to the weight of the real deal.

And she loved it.

"You alright?" Aether raised his voice a bit to make up for the loud sounds from the nearby machines.

"Never better! When do we get to play?"

"Hang on. We need to get tokens first."

"Alright!"

Tokens. The currency which most arcade games run on that ensured that customers can pay with whatever means available to them and still get the same experience as everyone else. The coin that the games in the arcade needed to be functional and playable.

There were several booths in the arcade where one could buy tokens. They proceeded to go to the nearest one with Aether at the front, while Kokomi was not too far behind him. Behind the counter were several plushies, as well as appliances, school materials, and even gadgets! All for different prices in exchange for tickets, which one would have to win from the games within the arcade itself.

"Thank you for your patronage! Here are your tokens, please enjoy." the lady behind the counter with black hair with bangs also had gray-blue eyes, and fair skin.

Kokomi did a double-take. She narrowed her eyes and took notice of her clothing as well.

Clad in a white dress with a black corset, green accents, and green sleeves that went to the back of her hand. And a smile on her face that Kokomi swore she had seen before.

Before she could contemplate the familiar face any further, Aether had already taken the tokens and blocked her vision of the lady.

"Hello? Pres? You alright?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine. I thought I saw someone I knew." she shook her head.

"Right. Want to go take another look at them?"

"No. I'm fine. Thank you for asking."

"Well, alright, anyway." Aether pulled out two small pouches that made a clinking sound when he brought them up. "That's thirty tokens for us to use each. Go ham."

"Thirty tokens? How long will it take to use up all of them?"

"Depends. The games range from one to three tokens each. But regardless, we should be here for a while."

"Okay." Kokomi nodded. "How much do I owe you?" Kokomi went to grab her wallet from her skirt's pocket.

Aether stopped her when he waved a hand in front of her. "No need. This is my treat."

"I refuse."

"I insist. It isn't every day that I get to play with the Student Council President. And you look like you've never been here before either. If anything, it's an honor." Aether chuckled.

Kokomi cracked a smile at that as well. It was sweet of him. "This can't have been cheap."

"Eh, you can't put a price on memories."

She sighed. "Fine. You win. But I owe you one."

"You don't-"

"Shush! I owe you, and I will pay you back in the future. That is that." Kokomi grabbed her token pouch from Aether's hand and spun a heel. "Now, what game will we be playing first?"

Behind her, Kokomi heard Aether sigh. "You're the boss." Great, she won! "Well, your call. Do we split up and play games or do you want to play games together?"

"Good question." Kokomi gazed around the room as she thought about it. Only then did she notice just how many machines there are, and just how many people were present. "I suggest we go around and play games together." she nodded to herself.

"Alright. Any reason why?"

"There's a lot of people, and I don't know how everything works."

Kokomi heard a chuckle from the blonde. "You should see how busy this place gets when school ends. It's packed full."

"Well, I guess I'll consider us lucky that this is relatively a small crowd."

"That's because we… uh-"

"Right! What's that over there?" the quieter they were about skipping class, the better.

Aether raced to follow her as Kokomi ran to the first thing that caught her eye. "Oh? What's this?" she glanced at an open machine that was transparent on the upper half that allowed her to peek inside the machine. It was also playing some pleasant music, but with how much noise there was in the arcade, it was hard to guess just what tune it was playing.

In the machine were several plushies of varying sizes, but they were of different animals. There was a dog, a cat, a shark, a tiger, and a jellyfish to name a few.

"Ah, that's a claw machine." Aether caught up to her. "They cost one token. You turn the machine on, you control the claw, and you either press the button or the time runs out and the claw descends and grabs onto what's below it."

Kokomi approached it. Her eyes were locked onto the medium-sized plushie of a blue almost jellyfish.

"You interested in trying it out? I do have to warn you, sometimes the claw is a bit slippery and the plush doesn't hold on. A single try might not be enough."

Kokomi thought about it before she shook her head. "Maybe later. If it is as difficult as you say it is, I'll save it for when I don't know what to play anymore." she chuckled. "I might spend all my tokens just trying to get this thing."

"Heh, I know the feeling." Aether shrugged. "Lost many tokens to these things. There's a trick to it that I can show you later if you'd like."

"I would appreciate that, thank you." she nodded. "Oh? What's this?" she glanced at an open machine that was colored blue. On the front of it was a bench that could fit two people, with two water guns on the machine itself pointing to a screen displaying a couple of robots.

"Ah, Hero of Steel." Aether said. "That one's pretty fun."

"What's with the water gun?" Kokomi sat down on one side while Aether sat next to her.

"That's what you use to shoot the screen with. You shoot the bad guys with water. I think you can get tickets from this one."

Kokomi gasped. "You shoot out water at the screen? Wouldn't that ruin the display?"

"Hah, no, though I can understand how you would think so." Aether chuckled. "But no, it's protected."

"Wow. Does it really detect where the water gun hits?" or was there some other gimmick?

"Why ask, when you can try it for yourself?" Aether showed her a coin. "Want to play a game?"

Kokomi did the same as they inserted their coins into the machine. "Let's."

---

"Oh, what's that game?" Kokomi pointed at a table where multiple people had sat upon. As they went closer, she noticed that this game had a much larger screen than the previous games she had seen in the arcade. People were tapping buttons and moving what looked to be something similar to a joystick while pressing their palms on buttons.

"Ah, that game. That's Ocean King."

"Ocean King?" Kokomi was intrigued.

"Yeah. It's a game where you play as some kind of fisherman. Your goal is to move the stick around and catch fish in exchange for tickets or tokens. For this one, however, it seems like it gives out tickets."

"That sounds interesting."

"Wanna play it?"

"I… I wanna try it."

Aether gave her back a little nudge as he smiled. "Then go for it. I'll be right behind you."

"Thanks. I appreciate the sentiment."

The both of them got closer. Kokomi saw the screen clearer. It truly was a fishing game. Not the ones she was used to, of course. But regardless, it still interested her.

There was just one small problem.

"There's only one seat left." Kokomi bit her lip.

Aether chuckled. "Ah, Pres, you're too kind." he said. "Don't worry about me. You can go sit down. I'll coach you on how to play at the start, but the rest of it is up to you."

"Are you sure?"

"What? About the coaching or the fact that I'll be standing?"

"The latter. I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable."

Aether shook his head. "Trust me. I'll be fine. Now go and sit down before someone else does before you."

Kokomi had never agreed faster in her life. "You're right."

Upon sitting down, she felt a presence behind her. Aether had chosen to put his hands on the backrest of the chair as he leaned forward onto the table. The sudden realization of their close distance made Kokomi blush.

Energy increased!

"Is everything alright, Pres? You look a little red? Is the crowd getting to you?" Aether asked. His concern was visible on his face.

'You can't just make that face while you casually get this close to me! That's unfair!'

Kokomi rapidly shook her head. She had to get her mind out of the gutter. Sure, she heard that Aether was a bit of a heartthrob of some sort, but that couldn't be true! Aether didn't seem like the type to intentionally charm and play with women like that!

"N-Nothing. I'm fine. Better than that even. How do I play?" Kokomi asked, albeit a bit fast.

"Someone's eager." Aether chuckled, and Kokomi pouted. "Yeah, that face is not doing you any favors."

"Just… teach me how to play."

"Alright. Listen up. The game is easy to learn, but playing is another thing entirely." Aether told her. "Put a token in and see if you can move your net."

Kokomi did as he had said. She moved the stick around a few times over the many kinds of fish that were swimming around and true enough the net was moving.

"Good. Now, I want you to press the button that says shoot but only when the net is in the center of the fish you want to catch, alright?"

She nodded along as Aether explained how the game works. The moment she pressed the button, a net shot out and caught the fish.

"I did it!" Kokomi cheered. After a few moments, a few tickets emerged from the side of the machine. "Oh, and I got tickets for it too."

"Yep. The bigger the fish, the more tickets you can get, though the more difficult it is to catch them."

"Oh, I can't release them?"

"I… I don't think that's an option."

Kokomi frowned. She didn't like the idea of the game anymore. She could see the appeal, but some part of her didn't like the premise.

She stood up and grabbed her tickets from the machine. "Where else can you get tickets?"

If Aether was bothered by her sudden change in mood, he didn't show it. She expected questions, concerns, and maybe even some kind words to urge her to keep playing. She didn't get any of that.

Instead, Aether had simply looked around the arcade and pointed at a machine he recognized.

"That one. Come, follow me."

They walked a bit and Kokomi found herself standing in front of a rather tall machine. This one was transparent most of the way through. Inside it was a spinning disk with numbered holes on the bottom. On top was a digital counter.

'Jackpot. 22223 tickets.' she read.

Aether stopped right in front of the machine as he gazed upon it. "This is the Power-Drop X-treme. You put in two tokens, you get ten balls to drop into any one of these holes. It's pretty simple. Where it falls, that's what you get." Aether spun around to face her. "Well, what do you think? Wanna give it a go? You might win the jackpot."

Kokomi chuckled. "Now wouldn't that be nice. I'd love to give this a go."

"Be my guest. Good luck."

Kokomi nodded. She put two tokens in and the machine came to life. Booming music and ten identical balls all lined up at the top.

She pressed the big round button and one ball fell in.

Five tickets.

"Oh, not bad. That one went straight in." Aether commented.

Another press. 1 ticket. She grimaced.

Aether gave her a thumbs up. "It happens to everyone. Don't feel too bad."

Another press. 50 tickets.

"Ooh! That one was much better!" Kokomi exclaimed.

Another press. 25 tickets, then 13 tickets, 2 tickets, 7 tickets, 100 tickets, 50 tickets again. Until it was time to drop her last ball.

"This is the last one, yeah? You got this. Even if you don't get the jackpot, you still did pretty good."

Kokomi breathed in. She watched the disk spin as her hands hovered over the button. With her mind made up, she pressed it. She watched it bounce around in trepidation before it landed on…

A green circled hole that was labeled as 'Extra Ball'.

"Oh hey. Looks like that one wasn't the last one after all."

Kokomi felt like laughing, yet she felt that she didn't have the energy to. Instead, she just managed a few chuckles. She was relieved.

"Yeah. Though I don't think I can do it again."

"Just take it easy. You got this. Believe in the ball."

With both of her hands hovering over the button, she nodded to herself.

She pressed it. In fear, she closed her eyes.

There was no sound, she didn't hear the ball bounce, which meant it had probably gone straight through.

"Oh, my, god." she heard Aether almost whisper.

She opened her eyes. Did she get a bust? Did she get a one? "What? What is it?" she looked at Aether.

"Heh, see for yourself."

The moment she did, her eyes widened. She froze.

Loud music boomed from the machine, bright lights shined through. The words 'JACKPOT' were flashing on the digital screen above.

She did it.

'I… got the jackpot?'

The sudden stream of tickets coming out of the machine cemented the fact.

"I did it! I actually got the jackpot!" she threw her arms up in celebration.

To the side, Aether smiled and clapped. "You did!"

"Aether! Look at what I got!" Kokomi had a wide smile as she held up multiple tickets that trailed down to her feet.

"I know! I saw it with my own eyes." Aether matched her smile with one of his. "Congratulations. I've only seen a handful of people win the jackpot at Power-Drop. You're amazing."

"Ah well, it was nothing but luck." Kokomi blushed. She wasn't used to direct compliments. "It didn't take a lot of tokens. I was just curious to see how it worked. I wasn't expecting to win the jackpot or anything."

It wasn't like her to act all shy like this, but she couldn't help it. First, the rush of winning the grand prize at an arcade game, then the sudden loud music and the stream of tickets that came pouring out of the machine, and now this! Compliments!

This was completely unknown territory and she was neck-deep in it!

"Regardless, you did great. All those tickets are yours to do so as you wish, although." Aether pointed a thumb to a nearby machine. "Unless you wanna lug around that many tickets, maybe we could make it a bit more portable?"

Kokomi raised an eyebrow. "Portable? How?"

"Come with me, I'll show you. I'll help you with your tickets, of course, too."

Walking for a little bit, Kokomi found herself in front of a machine with a scanner as well as a small slit above it.

"What is this?"

"This is so that you don't have to carry all those tickets around." Aether pulled out a small blue card. "This is an arcade card. After you put all your tickets into this thing that counts them up, you gently slide the card through the scanner and voila all your tickets have now been put into the card."

"Wow."

'Pretty cool, huh? The best part is, you can use the card anytime. You can keep saving your tickets up, put them in the card, and present that card to the rewards desk anytime you wanna redeem a prize."

"Is this your card?" she held it up and observed it. It was a plain blue card with the exception of the arcade's name and logo on one side.

"Nope, this is mine." Aether held up an identical one. "That one is yours."

"But, I didn't buy one."

"Nope. No, you didn't." he agreed.

Kokomi tilted her head. That could only mean- "Aether, did you-"

"Whoops, sorry, gotta do something really quick, Prez. I promise I'll be back in a jiffy. Just keep putting your tickets into the card until I get back!" the man sped off before Kokomi could finish.

With a huff, Kokomi sighed, though there was no denying the small smile on her face when she held her card and started putting the tickets through.

'Seriously, that man.'

She seriously didn't know how to classify Aether now. She was seeing a new side to him that she had never seen. He had obviously skipped class a few times before, usually did things for people without their knowledge, and if confronted, would often run quicker than they could catch.

For all the reasons that Kokomi found she should frown upon, instead, she found herself… smiling.

Her chest tightened.

'What is wrong with me?' she thought as she scanned the card into the machine once she had put all her tickets in. She shook her head of such thoughts. There would be a time for those later. 'Now, to just wait for Aether-'

"Excuse me, Miss."

A stern voice brought her out of her thoughts. It was a police officer staring down at her.

"Y-Yes? Is something wrong, Officer?"

"No need to be so jumpy. I'm off duty, just needed to get my uniform off. My daughter studies at a nearby school, you see. Thought I'd wait for her and pass the time at the arcade for now." the officer said. "Just saw you and I was wondering, is that a uniform of Inazuma Academy?"

'Curses.'

"Aha, ha, you must be mistaken." she was sweating. Surely the officer could see it. Surely he could see just how nervous this encounter was making her.

"Nah, I can't be. I'd recognize that uniform anywhere. My own daughter wears it after all. If I remember correctly, don't you have class today?"

This was it. She was doomed. She was caught. It was over.

'I'm sorry mother, father. This is the end. Your daughter has met with a terrible fate. I'm going to jail for delinquency and skipping class. I'm going to get kicked out of the student council and it's all my fault!'

"W-Woah, I-I didn't mean to make you cry or anything like that. I-I'm really sorry I was just curious-"

"Oh no! What's that!" a familiar voice exclaimed.

"Huh?"

"What is what?"

Kokomi and the off-duty police officer had looked in the same direction. While the officer was distracted, however, a hand clamped onto her own. Blonde hair filled her vision as a soft voice whispered into her ear.

"Let's book it. While he's distracted."

Kokomi nodded. "Right!"

Back to the police officer, he didn't seem to see anything out of the ordinary. He shrugged and looked back. "Again, little missy, I'm really sorry if I upset… you…?"

But when he looked back, she was gone. "Dammit. I think I scared her away. Was it my face? Oh man, my little girl is going to kill me if she finds out I made a schoolmate of hers cry. Forgive me, my dear Sara."

---

"That was… entirely… too close for comfort!" Kokomi and Aether heaved as they enter a building. Kokomi had slumped against the wall as her knees gave out, while Aether was peeking out of the door

"Well… I don't think… he followed us." Aether was out of breath as well. "In hindsight, I should've thought of changing out of our uniforms beforehand. Sorry about that."

"No… worries." Kokomi caught her breath little by little as she stood back up. "All's well that ends well."

"I'll say. You too look slightly worse for wear."

A feminine voice she'd never heard before made Kokomi stiffen, but the moment she heard Aether chuckle, she knew they weren't in trouble. Aether knew this person.

"Miss Kiminami, sorry for the sudden entrance."

The brown-haired girl clad in a kimono smiled as she approached them. "I'll say. You're lucky there isn't anyone in here or otherwise I'd have to kick you both out for being public menaces."

"I'll thank my lucky stars then." Aether sighed as he closed the door.

The woman shifted her attention from the boy to the girl. "Are you alright, dear? Do you need some water? Tea maybe?"

"I… I wouldn't deny that some cold water would be helpful right now. If you wouldn't mind." she nodded. They weren't running for long, but the activity came suddenly and she hadn't even warmed up at all.

"Oh please, I'd have to be a terrible diner owner if I didn't give you at least that." she walked away from them and went in the direction of a nearby water dispenser. "Go on, have a seat. I'll be with you two in just a moment."

Aether and Kokomi nodded. They did as the woman said and moved to sit down at a table for two that was away from the door or the windows. Just to be safe.

Looking around the room, Kokomi realized that there was much she skimmed about it due to the stress they were under previously. But now that it was over, she had more time to take it all in.

Tables and chairs were arranged in a particular manner that it didn't block paths leading to what she presumed to be a counter, open windows with the curtains tied to the side, multiple ceiling fans at the top, and a few pictures on the wall, as well as a blackboard to the side that had the special of the day.

"This is… a diner?"

Aether nodded. "Yep. Kiminami's. Now this is a place I go to a lot. I go here with my sister before and after school almost all the time. We're practically regulars."

"Interesting." Kokomi glanced around. "For a diner though, there doesn't seem to be many people."

"Eh, there are those hours. Kiminami's target customers are students and those who get off work early. The place is up very early, and also closes very early." Aether leaned back in his chair.

Two glasses of water were placed down at their table. "Yep. I've never seen you around here though." the woman from before put both hands on her hip. "My name's Kiminami Anna. My family owns this little place, and runs it too."

Kokomi gave her a courtesy smile. "I'm Sangonomiya Kokomi. Pleased to meet you, Miss Kiminami."

"The pleasure is all mine. Always nice to meet new customers- I mean people."

Aether snickered. "Careful there. Your true intentions are showing."

"Oh, hush you." Kiminami gave him a playful shove upside the head. "Besides, look who's talking. A boy and a girl, tired and sweaty and at a diner during what should be class hours. Something I should know, hm?"

Kokomi shook her head. "I assure you, it's not what you think." not that she could do much to reassure the older woman anyway. Not like she could say that they skipped school and went to the arcade, even if that was what they actually did.

"Ah, well, not like it's any of my business anyway. Rather, what I do wanna know is, what do you plan to do?"

Kokomi took a sip of her glass of water as Aether answered. "Plan? What do you mean?"

"What I mean is do you plan to stay here and order something or just sit down for a minute? I don't mind either way, but if you're eating then I have some prep to do."

"Oh, uh…" Anna and aether turned towards her. Kokomi had raised her hand, and with a flush on her face, spoke. "I would like to eat something."

"Oh right. It's already past lunchtime." Aether realized. "Good idea. We'll eat."

"I thought as much. I'd already held these behind my back." she put down two identical-looking laminated sheets of paper on the table. It was the menu.

"How did you know we were going to eat?" Kokomi asked.

"Ah, you know. Just intuition I suppose."

"What would you have done if we weren't going to order?"

Anna winked as she turned around. "I guess we'll never know." and just like that, she was off.

Kokomi simply watched her as she went before she let out a chuckle and shook her head.

"Yeah, she gives that effect on people. You get used to it after a while." Aether leaned over to her. "So, you pick what you wanna eat?"

"Hmmm, I'm not too sure. I've never been here."

"Well, maybe I could help? Any particular food you don't like?"

"Let's see… I'm not a particularly picky eater but I'm not a fan of fish."

Aether slowly nodded. "I see. Any protein you like? Chicken? Pork? Beef? None at all?"

"Chicken? I'd say."

"In that case, pick this one." Aether put his finger over a certain dish.

'A chicken and egg rice bowl?'

"Trust me. You'll like it. If you don't, I'll pay for it."

Kokomi shook her head. "Don't be silly. As I said, I'm not a picky eater as long as it isn't fish. And you already bought my tokens in the arcade. I'll pay for our lunch."

"You sure-"

"Very." Kokomi's eyes glowed. "I insist and I will not let you dissuade me from this."

Aether nervously chuckled as he leaned back into his chair. "O-Okay. You're the boss lady." he drank a bit of water. "Guess Gorou was right after all. You are a bit scary sometimes."

Kokomi's head snapped to him with a bewildered expression. "Excuse me? Gorou said what?"

"Oh, did I say that out loud? My bad." Aether genuinely looked apologetic. "Gorou and I hang out a few times. We talk."

"He says I'm scary?" Kokomi might actually cry. What was this perception of her?!

"N-No! He didn't say that word for word." Aether reassured her. "He tells me many things. How you're very hardworking, compassionate, and patient. But when you get irritated, you really show it."

"I do not!"

"You do. Remember earlier with Miss Kujou and Itto? You practically made them run away."

"I… I suppose I can't deny that." Kokomi sighed. "That must be why Gorou sounded so tense when he called me earlier after I'd just woken up."

"I mean, can't blame the guy. I wouldn't want to disturb people when they just woke up. That's how I get in trouble with my sister." they shared a chuckle.

"It's not like you're the only one to bring it up. Sara and Shinobu have once told me in the past that I often seem quick to anger when I'm tired." she slumped down onto the table and she buried her head between her arms.

"It's alright. We all have times like that." Aether shrugged. "Speaking of, you seemed really close with Miss Kujou and Shinobu."

Kokomi raised her head and nodded. "That's because I am."

"Sounds like a story behind that. Care to share?"

"Sure, though it's not much of a story to begin with." Kokomi leaned back in her chair and put a hand to her chin. "Well, Sara is the disciplinary committee head. She earned my respect after diffusing a would-be disastrous situation a while back between the sports clubs. Not to mention she's surprisingly knowledgable about the School's History."

"And you two just clicked?"

"I suppose so." Kokomi nodded. "As for Shinobu, The Arataki Club often gets into trouble and Shinobu is mainly the one that keeps them from making too much. We met and bonded over complaints regarded them and we've kept in close contact since then." she said. "Though, don't be fooled by her words. She cares deeply for the Arataki Club. The only ones that can badmouth her members are people she acknowledges."

"Sounds like she makes quite the stern figure."

"She is. Though she does have a cute side to her." she giggled. "Try asking her about how she feels about being one of the Academy's Wonders. She'll go all red and stammer about. It's very cute."

"Huh, sure, I'll keep that in mind." Aether snapped his fingers. "That's another thing I gotta ask too. What is this about the Inazuma Wonders? First, it was about the security guard, then that boba tea, then Ushi, and now Shinobu."

"Oh, sure I can go into detail about that." Kokomi cleared her throat. "The Inazuma Academy Wonders is a collection of myths in the Academy. The moment they're proven, they're taken off the forum."

"I see. I'll check that out later."

"You should. Among those you've seen, there are a few reasons why they made it to the forum." she said. "No one knows where Mister Kamisato gets his Boba Tea. All people know is that he just does."

"Wow. The teachers don't mind?"

"No. Not really. He can hide them just as well as he can bring them out." she said. "Next is, Mister Masanori. His ability has been coined as the Voice of Power. Stories have it that the sheer power in his voice makes it so that whoever hears it is compelled to follow, and only the strongest of wills have it in them to even think of resisting."

"Sheesh. Best not to get on his bad side."

"Oh don't worry. It's very difficult to make Mister Masanori mad. He's a very patient and kind man. He feeds the birds in the courtyard from time to time."

"Heh, I guess the trope is real in some way. He's a gentle giant."

"That he is." Kokomi nodded. "And then there's Ushi. Not much to go buy for him, though. Never seen it myself, but there's a crater not too far from the school courtyard where it was said that Arataki had thrown him into."

"Wow. And Ushi did that?"

"Supposedly. No one knows for sure, but some witnesses swear they saw what they saw."

"Dang. I can only think of how he'll be when he grows up."

"There's another for one of our cafeteria ladies. Miss Katheryne, I'm sure you've seen her before. Some say she's everywhere all at once with how many times people see her, and others say she has a dozen siblings that look like her. In fact, I think that's who the lady behind the token machine in the Arcade reminded me of.

"Ahhh, so that's why"

"And then last but not least, is Shinobu. Or more specifically, what's under her mask."

"...Really?" he smiled.

Kokomi chuckled. "Yes. Really. Kuki Shinobu has never been seen without her mask to this day."

"What about when she eats?"

"That too is a mystery. Some say she takes it off and puts it on at light speed, while some say she eats through it. No one knows." Kokomi told him. "Word has it that Shinobu has a sister that works as a shrine maiden, yet, when people approach her, she seems to disappear."

"Really? You tried asking her about it?"

"I have. But anytime I try, she clams up and changes the subject, or flees." Kokomi shrugged. "But yes. Those are a few examples of the Inazuma Academy Wonders. A few other examples are the myth that our headmistress keeps a sword between her breasts, or that her right-hand woman has visible tails when she gets excited. I could go on and on about them, but I'm afraid it's better if you check the forum yourself."

"With a glowing recommendation like that, I sure will." he sighed. "This school is crazy."

'Oh, you have no idea.' she smiled at him. "I'm sure you'll do well. You've already fit in, after all."

"Ahhh, sorry about that. Had to heat up a few things. So, you both know what to order now?" Anna came back to them with a small notepad in hand, and a pen in the other.

Aether nodded. "We have. Two chicken and egg rice bowls please."

"Excellent choice. I'll get started on it right away."

As Anna went back into the kitchen, Kokomi smiled.

'This… this is nice.'

At that moment, a stray thought entered her mind. Spending a day like this with more people. With Shinobu, Sara, or even the student council. Perhaps to destress, to do something different, or even just to relax and have fun with friends.

---

"That… was delicious." Kokomi put her empty bowl down. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and drank some water.

Across from her, Aether smiled. "Told you. Good food, good prices, what's not to like?"

Kokomi giggled. "You have a point. I'll make sure to visit here more often."

"Oh right, you don't really go around town often." Aether remembered. "Come to think of it, I don't much about you at all, huh?"

Kokomi tilted her head. "I guess not? It's not like we hang out often. The most we've done until today was exchange greetings with one another until today."

Aether frowned. An expression that Kokomi realized didn't fit well with the youth's face. Fortunately, it wasn't there for long as he smiled again. "Well, I think we should change that. Especially if I do end up joining the student council anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"Here, I'll start." Aether pointed a finger at himself. "Hi. I'm Aether. I'm a second-year student alongside my twin sister. I live a thirty-minute bicycle ride from this area. I don't have a favorite food, but I like cooking. My hobbies come and go, and I'm generally open to doing anything so long as it doesn't put anyone or anything at harm. As for a dream… I don't think I have one just yet. Nice to meet you."

Aether offered her a palm to shake.

Kokomi's gaze shifted from the Aether to his palm, then back to Aether. After a few moments, she huffed.

That huff became a snicker, that transformed into a chuckle, that became a full-on laugh.

Aether couldn't help but join in with chuckles of his own either. "Heh, that amusing?"

"I'm… I'm sorry." Kokomi attempted to catch her breath. "I just… wasn't expecting something like a full-blown introduction. It sounds like something you'd say to introduce yourself on your first day in your new school." she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. She paused. "Wait, did you really…?"

Aether chuckled and scratched his cheek with his other hand. "Well, not word for word but something like that. You weren't there at the time because you were in the student council room."

That made Kokomi laugh even more.

Energy increased.

Aether pouted. How cute. "Fine. Let's see how you do it."

"Alright… Alright… sorry again, hehe." she breathed in and calmed down. "Alright. I'm Sangonomiya Kokomi. I too am in my second year. I live alone in a nearby apartment about fifteen minutes away by foot. I'm not picky, I just don't like fish. And I like reading books of all kinds. As for a dream… how about this? I'll let you guess. I'll give you three chances."

"Ah, so that's how it is. Alright. Do I have to be exact?"

"I'll cut you some slack and let you get away with even the rough idea of it."

Aether nodded. "Alright." he snapped a finger and pointed to her. "It's something to do with water. The ocean? Marine biology?"

"You… actually guessed right. Right down to the profession itself." Kokomi's eyes were wide. "How did you guess."

"Will you believe me if it was just a lucky guess?"

"If I were dumber, sure." she gave that a flat stare.

"Harsh." Aether chuckled. "Well, for one, you were really interested in the water-related games in the arcade. Not to mention your dislike for seafood. I just thought it would have to be something related to a body of water, or those in it."

"Huh, how clever of you to discern." Kokomi smiled. "You're right. I want to be a marine biologist."

"Cool. Any particular reason for it?"

Kokomi leaned back in her chair as she thought about it seriously.

When did her interest in the deep start? When did she start liking the beings of the ocean? When was she so fascinated by the idea of it?

"I… Even as a child, the idea of the ocean was so interesting to me. How there's just so much we still don't know about it, and just how different things are down there." Kokomi put a hand to her chin. "Different creatures live in different waters, temperatures, and even cultures. Did you know that we have underwater volcanoes? Deep in the ocean, the water boils and creatures live around it. An ecosystem is reliant on that heat."

In front of her, Aether simply listened, yet, Kokomi was too absorbed in her musings to notice anyway.

"Some people are interested in space, sure, but I'm more interested in what the ocean has to offer, and what it could tell us of the creatures that live in it. How they live in it. It's just… something I've always thought about my whole life. And now that I'm older, that thought still hasn't changed. In fact, I've only gotten more interested in it."

"Wow. That's nice."

Kokomi broke from her musing and flushed. Oh, dear. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't notice I'd gone off into my own world like that for a moment."

Aether chuckled. Kokomi pouted.

"Don't make that face. You don't have to be embarrassed about it."

"Still, I said a lot of things you probably couldn't even pay attention to from how much I said."

"I listened to everything. Believe me. Besides, I think it's amazing that you have something you want to be. I could tell just how much you loved it." Aether told her and smiled.

Her chest tightened. Her face grew even hotter. 'Oh, dear.' she wasn't a stranger to this feeling. Or rather, she'd read about it before. Sure enough, she and the female transfer student may have shared similar tastes when it came to guilty pleasures.

And no, they were not trashy!

She hid her blush behind a sip of water. Perhaps there was some merit to the rumor of Aether's philandering ways.

"Oh hush you. Don't think I know what you're doing. It may have worked on Shinobu, Miss Kamisato, and others, but it won't work on me!"

"I… got no idea what you're talking about."

"Uhuh, sure you don't." Kokomi sighed. "Just what did I get myself into?"

"Having regrets?"

Kokomi shook her head and smiled. "Surprisingly, not at all. There are worse ways to spend my birthday and today is one of the better ones."

The salmon-haired woman refilled her glass with the water pitcher nearby and sat back down. "So, what comes next after… this…" she looked back up at Aether just to see him staring at her with wide eyes. "Is everything alright?"

"Did you just say it's your birthday today?"

"Yes? I do remember saying that just a few seconds ago."

"You should've told me sooner. If I'd known I would've planned something more appropriate for the occasion." Aether genuinely looked distraught.

Kokomi gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. I hardly celebrate my birthday anyway."

"Really? Why?" Aether sighed. "I mean, it's your day. I can get behind a small celebration or something but to ignore it altogether?"

"I don't ignore it. I just don't celebrate it. There's a difference." Kokomi put a finger up. "Besides. It's just one day. I celebrate in my one way in my room with a small cake while lounging on my sofa."

"I guess you have a point." Aether said. "Still, I would've given you something or- wait!"

"For what?"

"I totally forgot to give you this earlier." Aether pulled out a medium-sized paper bag from underneath the table that she somehow had not noticed. "Between the small chase, settling down, eating, and just chatting, slipped my mind." he put the bag on the table and pushed it toward her.

"What's this?"

"I was going to give it to you as a gesture of goodwill, but now you can consider it your birthday present." he gave her a wide smile. "Happy birthday, Pres!"

She raised an eyebrow. Whatever it would be, she was sure to be grateful. A gift was something to be cherished and kept no matter the use.

She opened the bag while throwing the staples used to seal it in the trash. She reached inside. It was something soft. 'Could it be?' Upon pulling it out, her eyes widened.

A soft light blue plush, semi-circle for a head with round eyes and a smile drawn in black threads, and multiple curly lines that extended down from the middle of the bottom of the head.

"This is…!"

"You were looking at it earlier. I thought you might like it if I got it for you."

"H-How?"

"I was initially going to get it, then have you try your luck at the claw machine, and in case you fail, I was going to give it to you. But… you can see how that went." Aether scratched the back of his head. "Good thing too. If I didn't get it while you were putting your tickets in, you never would've."

"I-I… this is…" Kokomi was speechless. A smile crept up her face as she stared at the smiling face of the plushie of a jellyfish. Her plushie.

"You're welcome." Kokomi looked up to see Aether smile. "That's all I have to say."

She supposed she could see why girls fell for Aether's charm.

"Thank you. I will cherish this." she embraced the plush tightly, loving how soft it was.

"Anything for the birthday girl." he nodded. "I'm glad you liked it."

"I do. I love it."

"You want anything else?"

Kokomi shook her head. "Nothing. I didn't even expect getting Mister Kuurage here."

"Wow, you've already named him."

"That and a whole backstory too."

"Damn." they shared a chuckle. "You know, since it is your birthday…"

There was a certain glint in Aether's eyes. She saw it plain as day. "What are you planning?"

Aether stared at Kokomi challengingly. With the former planning something, and the latter daring him to do it.

He dared.

"Miss Kaminami! Two slices of your cake of the day please!"

"Aether!"

---

"Oh stop, pouting. You loved that cake and you know it."

"I am not pouting nor complaining about that cake."

"Then why are you upset?"

"Because you didn't let me pay for it!"

"Seriously? That's what you make a fuss about?" Aether let out a chuckle. "Well, I agreed to let you pay for the rice bowl. Nowhere did I say I would let you pay for the cake too."

"This is why I don't mention the fact that it's my birthday. People begin to treat me differently."

"Uh… it's your birthday. You're supposed to be treated a bit differently."

Kokomi just sighed.

"Oh, don't act so disappointed. You loved that cake and you know it."

She did. She liked it so much that she had Anna pack a separate one in a to-go box. She was holding the bag right now in her hand together with Mr. Kuurage's bag. But come on, it was a blueberry cheesecake!

She couldn't say no to that!

"Ah well. I can't deny that." she hung her head and sighed.

It was only after she'd brought her head up and look in the direction they were going that she realized something.

"This is… the way to school?"

Aether nodded. "Yep."

"Why are we going back there?" Was the day already over?

"I don't know if you noticed, but school's over, and we're both without our bags."

Kokomi's eyes widened. "Right! How are we going to get them back?"

Aether clicked his tongue and waved his phone as if it was the solution to everything. In this case, however, it was. Or more specifically, a certain someone in it.

"I sent a text to my sister when we just started walking back. We're not going to walk to the school, but we are going to get near what she calls the 'Drop-Off Zone'." the both of them sweatdropped.

"Your sister has a rather… vivid, imagination."

"You have no idea. But, only here can you leave your bags in the middle of nowhere and still see them untouched by the time you come back, it's amazing is what it is. That's the only reason why this could work." Aether shook his head. "Anyway, from what I can see, we got two choices here."

"Two choices?"

"Yeah. I'm going to get our bags, but it's up to you if you want to come with me or not." Aether explained. "We're going to have to be subtle about it too. Lumine said it was on a bench near the school."

Kokomi nodded. "I see. It's so close to the school, though

"Had to be, it seems. That way even if we do get seen, we'll seem like we're just hanging around instead of, you know, skipping." Aether checked his phone for a moment before he put it back into his pocket. "You can come with me, or I could go at it alone."

Kokomi pursed her lips. "Would there be a difference?"

"Probably? Aside from the fact that you'll be sneaking in with me, that'd significantly increase the chances of us being caught."

"In that case, I'll just stay and wait for you then."

"But!" Aether pointed a finger. "There's also a chance that someone would notice you here and find it weird that you're just standing still. Granted, that chance is low, but it could still happen." he said "Or maybe we're playing on too many hypotheticals and it'll all go perfectly swell."

She felt a shiver run down her spine. "Nope. Not with those words. I'm coming with you." she'd already caught up to Aether until she was by his side.

"Really now? You sure about this?" he smirked.

Kokomi gave him a challenging gaze as he leaned forward and put her hands on her hip. "Nothing good ever comes from tempting fate. At least this way, whatever happens, we'll both be there to see it."

He chuckled. "Right on then, Pres. Right on."

Let it be known that Sangonomiya Kokomi was not one to back out from a challenge. She had a competitive streak a mile wide but rarely had it ever shown itself. Because Sangonomiya Kokomi always chose her battles.

It just so happened that this particular battle was uncharted territory, and she was feeling pretty daring after all of the events of today.

The Kokomi Train has no brakes! Or so she'd like to say out loud once in a while.

After a few minutes of walking, Aether stopped, which made her stop in her tracks as well.

"There she is." Aether pointed.

Kokomi followed where he was pointing at. Sure enough, there, it was. On a bench were two bags, she could make hers out due to the bright colors while she presumed that the other bag was Aether's, and a bicycle with green highlights of average height and a basket on the front. She'd seen these kinds of bicycles before.

"That's your bicycle?"

"Yep. If you're going to say something about how it looks like something you'd see the grannies or even your mother ride, go ahead. It wouldn't be the first time."

Kokomi gasped. "I was not!"

"You mean not anymore." he chuckled. The audacity of this man! "Well, the more time we waste the more likely we are to get caught. Best we get this little operation of ours going, yeah?"

Before Aether could take one step forward, Kokomi held onto his sleeve. A firm gaze in her eyes.

"Uh, you're gonna have to let go of me."

"Not with how reckless you're being."

"...Huh?" Aether sweatdropped.

"You're just going into this without a plan? Without care for outside factors, unexpected happenings, and the habits of that which we should avoid?"

"...Huh?"

"Our target destination is a short walk away, yet it is right in front of the school gate. A rather dangerous and precarious position for two people such as us to go to, but needs must." Kokomi's looked around the area. "There aren't that many students around yet which isn't to our advantage as we can be easily discernable if one were to look properly at what we're doing and where we've been. Thankfully, at around this time, Mister Masanori shouldn't be roaming around and is hopefully feeding the doves at the other side of the school, and a crowd normally forms to cross the road very quickly. But there's also the concern of the nearby housewives and they have absolutely nothing to do other than gossip. Gossip which will reach the ears of people whose attention we don't want."

"I see." Aether blinked.

"But that's no reason for us to be complacent. There are cameras that watch the perimeter of the school at all sides. Luckily for us, as long as we don't stick too close to the campus walls, we'll be hidden and they'll be none the wiser."

"You're really into this."

"No plan survives first contact with the enemy. Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat." she declared, almost as if she was reciting it from memory. "Therefore, we must be prepared to make decisions on the fly. Opportunities multiply when they are seized. Understood?"

"Y-Yes, Pres."

"Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Do that, and we'll reach our goal. We'll be victorious." Kokomi put a fist across her chest. "Now, let us be off."

If Aether had anything to say about her antics, he didn't mention anything about it. He just smiled and nodded.

She had to think about just how Lumine had done this much. 'Say what you will about that girl but she does have her ways.' she'd be sure to treat her extra nicely the next time they met. She owed the female twin that much.

Kokomi surveyed the area. The distance between them and the bench that held both of their bags. It was a short walk away. But looking at it this way, they had two hurdles blocking their path to victory. The first was making it past all the cameras without being caught or seen acting suspiciously, that one would be fairly easy. The second would be crossing the street. There was another guard there that ensured students crossed the pedestrian lane safely, and given that Kokomi was an easily recognizable figure, not just due to her hair but also due to her position, they had to blend in.

"So, what do we do, Pres? I'll follow your lead."

Kokomi nodded. "We blend in." she brazenly put herself right into the middle of a quickly forming crowd.

"Ah, this way, even if people do see us, they won't notice us." Aether slowly nodded. "Smart."

"Of course. I've thought of every-!" Kokomi was interrupted as she had to hastily move herself to avoid being bumped into by someone, but in doing so, she forgot to account for her own balance.

It was alright if she fell, just not Mr. Kuurage and the blueberry cheesecake.

"Whoops. I got you." Thankfully, that didn't happen as Aether had caught her by the hand and pulled her close toward him. "That was close. Best we stick by each other so we don't get lost in the crowd, right?"

"Y-Yes." she flushed.

They followed the crowd. Somehow, they managed to get right in the middle of it. Avoiding detection like a well-seasoned spy. They were past the cameras, and now, they were at the stoplight.

"Just act natural. Confidence is key." Kokomi told him.

"Roger that, Pres."

Eventually, the stoplight turned red and the officer blew a whistle and gestured for them to cross. Kokomi did her best to appear as small as possible while Aether acted as some sort of shield. They would notice Aether before they would notice Kokomi.

Kokomi's eyes turned to the side and looked away just as fast as she thought she made eye contact with the officer. Thankfully, the officer didn't bother and just kept his attention on the crowd and the road.

Kokomi let out a sigh of relief. They were in the home stretch.

"Don't let your guard down. We may be close, but greed can lead to losing everything."

"Whatever you say, Pres."

Just a few more steps and they would get there. Just a few more feet and it would be mission complete. Just a few more-

The sound of a loud whistle made them both stiffen up. Cautiously, the two turned around and…

The officer blew the whistle. Not at them, but at another student crossing the street. She didn't know what it was about, but neither of them could bother to care.

The two of them sighed in relief as they were face-to-face with their bags.

"We made it!"

"Hell yeah!"

The two of them cheered and put their hands up into the air. Only then did Kokomi remember a certain detail.

"Uhm, Aether?"

"Yes, Pres?"

"You're… still holding onto my hand." Kokomi kept her head low to hide her blush.

To her surprise, it seemed that Aether was capable of being caught by surprise too. Judging from how he reacted. "Oh, uh, my mistake. Sorry about that." they let go.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." she neglected to mention that it was nice.

"Anyway, I never knew you'd be so enthusiastic about this." Aether changed the subject.

Kokomi welcomed it. "What do you mean?"

"What? You don't remember going all tactician just before we made it here? Honestly, you seemed really into it."

She blushed. "Oh no! I-It's not what you think!"

"Don't worry. I won't judge."

"I just read a lot and sometimes I read books about strategy and warfare and-"

"Look, Pres, it's fine. No harm done. In fact, I dare say we made it through because of your knowledge."

"R-Right. Thank you." Kokomi calmed down. "Promise you won't tell anyone about this? This is just between us."

"Sure thing. Who would believe me anyway? The Student Council President of Inazuma Academy is a giant nerd for tactics and warfare." they shared a chuckle.

"I suppose you do have a point." she sighed. She shook her head and made to grab her bag. Though, looking at her bag, she couldn't help her frown. "Well, I guess this is really it. I'll be going home now."

Aether noticed her dour mood. "You don't sound too happy about that."

"I'm not." Kokomi chuckled. "It's strange, but I don't want to go home yet. Like I still want to do something, but I don't know what it is.

Today was fun. The most fun she'd had in months. She didn't even think about her student council work the entire time. It felt… as if she'd just walked home like this it would be cutting the day short.

Aether put on his bag into the basket at the front as kicked off the kickstand and got on his bicycle, with his head turned towards her, he spoke. "I may have an idea."

"Please. I'm all ears."

"If you still don't want to go home, I can take you on the scenic route for a bit. Can't stay out until it gets too dark, but it should still be pretty sweet." Aether patted the rear rack behind him.

Kokomi's eyes shone. "Really?"

"Yeah. It'll be fun. I promise I'll be careful too. My sister rides with me sometimes when she's feeling lazy so I'm used to riding with a passenger." he reassured her. "I'll put your bag in the basket so you don't have to carry it. Plus, there's this sweet coastline we'll be able to see."

"Say no more!" Kokomi gave her bags to Aether who neatly put them inside the basket and arranged it so that the cheesecake and the plushie wouldn't get in the way of anything. It was already pretty chilly so the cake would be fine. She sat on her side on the rear rack and let out a chuckle.

"You ready?"

"Ready!"

Aether let out a chuckle from her enthusiasm. "Alright. I'll be cycling carefully but remember to hold onto something just in case."

Kokomi nodded and held onto both sides of the rear rack.

"All is accounted for, let's move out!"

---

Kokomi was having a great time. She was having a wonderful time! Riding backseat while she felt the wind on her face, the feeling on moving without expelling much energy at all. It was exhilarating! Even more so when Aether had to swerve between vehicles at stoplights.

"This is fun!"

"I told you so! Thinking of getting a bicycle now?"

"Absolutely! I don't know why I've never thought about it before."

Aether chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Maybe because you've never had a reason to. But who says you need one? You can just ride for a hell of it."

"That's true." Kokomi smiled and nodded.

Perhaps if she cycled around town once in a while it would make for a good intervention, maybe even call up Shinobu and Sara for a girl's night out or something. She read about that in books, but surely there was some truth to the phenomenon, right?

"So, Aether."

"Yeah?"

"Do you ride your bicycle often?"

"As often as I can get, yeah."

"I'm guessing that basket isn't just for show?"

"Basket?" Aether chuckled. "Oh, yeah. I'm normally the one that does the grocery runs so the basket comes in handy. Lumine's bicycle doesn't have one, though she has customized it to be faster."

"Seems like you're the more responsible half of you two."

Aether nodded. "Had to be. Lumine can't take care of herself to save her life." Kokomi figured there was a story about that, and that he wasn't joking about this one, but it wasn't her place to pry. "I do most of the housework in the house, so much so that I've joked about being a househusband instead every now and again."

"I'd have to agree." Kokomi smiled. "From what you've been saying, I think you'd make a great father figure."

"Really?"

"You don't think so?"

Aether shrugged. "Wouldn't know. Never had one."

"Oh." Great. Good going, Kokomi. You've stepped on a landmine.

"Orphans since birth." he said.

"No one took you in?"

"People tried, sure. Many times. For the record, there were more attempts to adopt me than my sister. But neither of us ended up being adopted at all."

Kokomi raised an eyebrow as she stared at the boy's back. "Why?"

"Well, because we didn't want to be away from each other." he said. "We were all we had. Lumine would always get into fights because the other kids would say mean things about her. I'd always try to talk it out, but Lumine had always been the type to punch now and ask questions later." he chuckled. "We would only accept being adopted if they took the both of us in, no exceptions, no matter what they used to entice us."

Kokomi refrained from commenting or saying anything. She would let Aether decide just how far this conversation would go.

"We thought that if we kept being stubborn, we would eventually find a family that would take the both of us, so we wouldn't have to be separated. You can see how that turned out." Aether sighed. "We live alone in a small apartment together, we get an allowance from the orphanage and we help out there from time to time if we want some extra. Like a part-time job, or so."

"Must've been difficult."

"It was. I've gotten the hang of it now, though. And as you can see, we're both plenty happy with how things turned out." Aether shrugged. "I've always been taking care of Lumine, and Lumine, in her own chaotic and reckless way, takes care of me too." Kokomi could see the corners of his mouth rise.

For all that the twins seemed to bear animosity toward each other, it was nothing more than just for show. At the end of the day, they had each other to rely on, always. Aether was visibly the more responsible of the two because he had to be. To allow his sister to live as she wanted, he took on the responsibility of being the one to pick up after her, care for her, and watch over her as they grew older albeit still being of the same age.

Some part of her was jealous of their bond. She wished she had someone like him when she was growing up.

"Still. I suppose you and I are more alike than I thought."

"Really? How so."

"Would you believe me if I told you that I didn't want to be the student council president?"

Aether scoffed. "No way. Oh, uh, no offense."

"Don't worry, none taken." Kokomi giggled. "But it's true! I didn't want the position. I wanted to start a Marine Biology club."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because like you, I had responsibilities I chose to take on at a young age." Kokomi looked at the late afternoon sky. She could almost make out the crescent shape of the moon. "Have you ever heard of the Sangonomiya Conglomerate?"

Aether nodded. "Yeah, big chain of companies, lots of capital. Wait." Aether blinked. He would've froze if he wasn't aware that he was cycling with a passenger. "You're that Sangonomiya?"

She gave him a sheepish smile when he looked back at her for a short interval. "The heiress." she declared. "It's why I can afford to live nearby. The nearby residences are all expensive due to them being such a hot commodity. But due to my status, I'm capable of not just acquiring one, but paying for it and more." she said. "I took the student council by choice, but if you ask me, I wouldn't really call it one."

"You took it because you were expected to, didn't you?"

"Right in one." Kokomi nodded. "At first, I hated it. I abhorred the fact that I had all of these expectations weighing on me that I didn't want. At some point, I lived day by day wishing I was someone else. That I didn't have to deal with the constant reminder that my whole life someone else has been deciding for me."

"Must've taken a while to get used to. The student council work, I mean."

"It wasn't a smooth process, no. But once I got into it, I really got into it. Some even say I was a natural." Kokomi shrugged. "But like you, I've learned to live with it. I've survived, and now I'm thriving." she smirked.

"Sheesh. You go, Pres." Aether chuckled. "Oh, look! We're here. Look to your right."

Kokomi raised an eyebrow. Aether didn't stop cycling as he carefully took short and frequent glimpses of whatever was to their right. Kokomi obliged her curiosity-

Her eyes widened. She was glad she did.

"Oh. My. God."

"Feast your eyes, Pres. One of the greatest sights I've ever seen in my whole life." Aether's pace slowed down to a crawl, but Kokomi didn't mind. She didn't even notice.

What she did notice, however, is what she was seeing as she turned her head.

Orange skies, a bright yet not blinding setting sun, and the ocean that seemed to have crystals flickering about on it from the way the light from the sun was reflected as it crashed upon the sandy coastline.

It looked straight from a scene in a movie. Or even a cover page for a book.

"Well, what do you think?"

"It's… beautiful!" she couldn't take her eyes off it.

"I'm glad you think so." Aether smiled as he picked up the pace a bit, though only by a small margin. "Bad things happen, and I like to think that's okay. It only means that you can savor the beautiful things in life a bit more because you made it through, you survived." they watched the sunset slowly go down as day slowly became night and Aether eventually picked up the pace and began cycling back to her apartment complex.

Perhaps on days when she felt down, she could come back here and watch the sunset again.

Maybe even watch it right from the shore itself.

Energy increased!

---

"Say, Pres. You're rich, right?"

"I… don't say it everywhere but yes. Yes, I am."

"Like, Richy, rich."

"I guess?"

"Richy-rich kind of rich."

"How many more adjectives are you going to add before you're satisfied?"

Aether had the decency to look embarrassed. "Sorry about that. I just feel like I shouldn't be anywhere near this area, let alone standing in front of… this."

"Don't be silly."

"I had to show my ID to the guard when I first came in!"

"That's just them being careful. Can never be too cautious, after all." Kokomi chuckled. "Oh, we're near. You can stop here."

Looking around, she could tell why Aether would think that. She was used to living in the concrete jungle as it was all she'd known growing up. She was raised like this, so she found it normal. The tall buildings, the constant construction work nearby, and the general vibe of the area was sure to surprise anyone unprepared.

But to her, it was simply home.

"If you say so."

Aether's pace stopped to a crawl until he stopped completely and put a foot down on one side. "You get off first."

Kokomi nodded. Once she stood up, she patted down her skirt and retrieved her belongings from the basket. "Thank you, Aether."

"Huh? You're saying that like I'm about to go now."

She raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you?"

Aether got off his bicycle and held onto it by the rails while they continued conversing on foot. "Hah. Hell no. Don't you know it's a gentleman's job to see to it that a lady gets home safe?"

"Huh? I didn't know gentlemen skipped class while being proud of it. Did it change over the years?"

Aether hung his head in defeat. "Dammit, you have me there. I promise this doesn't happen often."

Kokomi simply chuckled. There was a certain satisfaction that came when she teased him. It was fun.

Eventually, the pair found themselves right next to a large staircase leading to a glass door of a tall building.

Aether whistled as he gazed way up. "Damn. This is where you live?"

"For the last two years, yes."

"Must be pretty sweet."

"Not the choice of words, but yes. I agree. It is pretty sweet." they shared a chuckle.

"Well, I guess this is where we part ways." Aether scratched his cheek.

"I guess so. Though, I must say, I had fun." Kokomi smiled. "Although we skipped class, and I'll probably have a lot to do tomorrow as well, for a day you made me forget about all that. You made me forget all about Sangonomiya Kokomi, the Student Council President. And instead, I spent a day as simply Sangonomiya Kokomi. And for that, I thank you."

"You're welcome."

"And, if you're ever interested in doing an actual trial run of what it's like in the student council, I'd be happy to offer you again sometime."

Aether smiled before he shook his head. "Thanks, but I don't think I'll be asking for one again."

Kokomi couldn't help the frown on her face. She thought that he would at least give it some thought. "Ah, I can't say I'm not disappointed but I suppose it's fair. I'll help you choose another club tomorrow-"

"Woah, woah hang on. When did I say I was joining another club?" Aether gave her a grin.

Kokomi raised her head, confused. "Huh? But you said you weren't going to ask for another…" Her eyes widened. "Wait! You mean-?"

"Yep. I, Aether, officially accept your request to join the student council. We can talk about my position some other day. Just know that I'm all for it." he put the kickstand on his bicycle and put his hands behind his head. "I look forward to working with you, President."

Kokomi's jaw dropped. Her eyes were still wide, staring right at the blithering idiot in front of her.

She remained that way for a few moments.

"Uh… Pres? You alright? Shit, I think I broke her."

A tick mark formed on her head. She put her things gently onto the floor. And then she calmly, and dutifully…

"You fool! Nincompoop! Scoundrel! Playboy!"

"Ey! Ey! Easy on the merchandise, Pres!"

Relentlessly hit him with the underside of her palms as she pouted. She didn't want to hurt him, maybe just ruffle him up a bit, but the smirk on his face told her that she wasn't doing anything. So she continued to hit him a bit more until she began to take deep breaths.

"You satisfied now?"

Kokomi took a few breaths in. "Yes. I am now. Thank you."

"Heh, sorry about that. I couldn't resist."

"That's no excuse! I really thought you were saying no!" she pouted, but then she frowned. "But, I didn't even explain to you all the details of what you'll do. Joining without knowing what you're getting into isn't good practice, Aether."

"Nah. I can learn that tomorrow or some other time. Besides, I already know what I'm going to do there."

"You do?" she raised an eyebrow.

He nodded. "Yep." then, he smiled. "Making sure that the Student Council President gets enough time to herself."

Kokomi blushed. Her heart rate skyrocketed.

Energy increased! Energy increased!

Energy full!

Red-faced, she turned away from the boy and picked up her belongings.

"I see, well, thank you for everything today. I will see you tomorrow!" she bowed, her face still hidden. "Oh, uh, one last thing."

"What's up, Pres?"

"When… when we're not in school, c-can you call me Kokomi? Calling me president even here is…"

"Oh, sure thing!" Aether smiled.

"One last request!" she managed to say before her courage withered.

"Anything. What do you need?"

"Your phone." she blushed. "I mean your number! Your phone number! I need to have the student council on my contacts, for professional purposes, I assure you."

"Sure thing. I wouldn't mind if it was for unprofessional purposes either."

'Was that a subtle hint that he wouldn't mind going out for another stroll again? Was it? Or was it not?' she could've asked directly instead of contemplating it. But due to her already frazzled mind and her knees that were getting numb by the minute, she didn't.

"There we go. Saved you in my contacts." Aether told her.

"So did I." Kokomi nodded. "Take care, Aether. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Will do, Kokomi."

She smiled. "Don't be late! And no skipping school either!"

"Would never think about it!" she waved goodbye to Aether as she watched him cycle until he was out of her sight.

'Today was… fun.'

---

She retired into her room not long after. She put the cake in the fridge to cool. Maybe she'd even eat it later or tomorrow. She did notice a small candle to the side of the box, something that Aether had snuck in and requested.

She giggled as she all but threw herself into her bed, cuddling Mister Kuurage tightly as she squealed, buried her head into her pillow, and kicked her feet repeatedly.

Today was so much fun! She actually got to be rebellious for a day! She'd never skipped class before, it had always been something she only read about, or heard of from other people. She didn't know that the danger of being caught could be so thrilling.

It was still wrong, and she would likely never do it again, but that wasn't the point. Aether was right, Kokomi needed to have time to herself. She needed to prioritize herself above her work. Something that she wasn't doing for as long as she could remember.

And this jellyfish plushie was so, damn fluffy!

She was supposed to take a quick bath, and go to bed shortly after, but she still had so much energy she didn't know what to do with it! She didn't feel sleepy at all!

Kokomi chuckled. No, that wouldn't do. She would feel sleepy after eating the cake, her body had gotten accustomed to sleeping at such times, after all. But she didn't feel as tired as she thought she would, especially considering the activities she partook in today.

The wild buzzing of her phone caught her attention. She wondered who could be texting her at this time. 'It's probably either.'

As she opened her phone, she was right. Well, partially.

「Oy. Why didn't you tell us it's your birthday today? We didn't even get to celebrate. That's it, we're celebrating tomorrow outside. You, me, and Sara. You can't back out or I swear to god I will break into your apartment and get you out of there before you can even shout. Happy birthday, Kokomi.'」

Received from Kuki Shinobu at 19:12

「Hey! Pres! It's me, Arataki Itto of the Arataki Gang. It's a gang! No matter what Shinobu tells you! Just found out it's your birthday and all. Again, we apologize for our behavior earlier this morning and we will try our best not to do it again and blah, blah, blah. Anyway! I made this really sick birthday greeting for you, the boys thought it was great! Again, thanks for being so cool all the time!」

Received from Arataki Itto at 19:12

Attachment received: 3

Received from Arataki Itto at 19:14

「If you're reading this, you should probably know by now that Shinobu plans a girl's day tomorrow after school. I'm sure that woman skimmed through most of the details again, but if her words aren't enough, I assure you I will help Shinobu break into your fancy apartment or so help me I'll get my dad to get you out of there and you know I'll do it. Tell us these kinds of things earlier. You know, like, not on the day itself? We had to find out from someone else too. Prepare yourself, Kokomi. Oh, and happy birthday.」

Received from Kujou Sara at 19:15

「Miss Kokomi! I didn't know it was your birthday today. Was that why you had to go out of school so suddenly today? And here some people thought you had skipped class. Truly, the nerve of some people to assume such things. Please, have a very pleasant birthday, Miss Kokomi. I'll be sure to pick up the slack so this week you'll have less to do. Oh, and I heard that Aether joined the student council too! That's great!」

Received from Gorou at 19:17

Kokomi chuckled. It seemed she had to brace herself for tomorrow. Her two closest confidants had plans for her, and some part of her was excited to know where they would be going, but she was generally happy with spending time with them outside of the school.

The attachment that Itto sent gave her a sense of trepidation, but she thought it would be something made from the heart. She'd be sure to give it a listen later. Oh, and Gorou's message was amusing. She chuckled. If only he knew the reason why she wasn't at school for most of the day today.

She didn't have to wonder how they knew it was her birthday. It was obviously Aether's doing. Truly, that boy…

Her phone chimed another time. This one was from a number she didn't know. She always named her contacts, yet this one was blank.

「Yo. If you're wondering who this is, it's Lumine. The twin sister of the guy who you went out with today. Don't worry about owing me anything, my brother was the one that asked me after all. Heard it was your birthday today, too! So I decided to share the knowledge with the people I know you know. So if you thought Aether was the one who spread the knowledge, you were wrong! It was me! Lumine! Hehehehehe _ Anyway, happy birthday! I gave Shinobu and Sara a few ideas on how you should spend the day tomorrow so good luck with that.」

「PS. If you're looking for your little student council boy-toy, he's kind of preoccupied right now. Besides, you've hung out with him the entire day, you can wait a few for him to send his text, yeah?」

「PPS. I'll do my best to do as you said. I might not be happy about it, but my brother would be unhappy if I didn't agree. So be grateful he's on the student council now or otherwise, I would never give in!」

Received from Unknown at 19:20

Attachment received: IMG_20230222_

Received from Unknown at 19:21

Ah, it looked like she was wrong. It was the older sister that spread the knowledge. Nevertheless, she saved her contact and remembered to reply to all of them for later. She opened the image that was attached.

An image of half of Lumine's face with her face covering the lower corner of the image while holding a peace sign, with another figure who seemed to be cooking in the kitchen with a peace sign over his shoulder.

She smiled. She envied their bond. And was that an apron on Aether? He looked so cute!

Her phone chimed once more. This time, she didn't need to guess who it was.

「Hey there, Kokomi. Not much to say here, just typing this out while I'm waiting for this thing to come to a boil. Anyway, happy birthday. Again, if I knew earlier I would've had us go to some other place instead of the arcade, but I understand that you don't like being treated like you're special. But in my opinion, everyone deserves to feel special once in a while. I hope I got that feeling through today at least a little bit. And hey, I'll be making sure to avoid making trouble for you now that we're going to be working together. Again, happy birthday, Kokomi. Don't hesitate to call or text me in case you want to do anything, go somewhere, or just feeling bored. You deserve to unwind every now and then, you know?」

Received from Aether at 19:23

She sighed as she put the phone to her heart and fell on her back on her bed. She could see why there were rumors of Aether being an enemy of women. It looked like he didn't know what he was doing either! It was frustrating!

Truly the honest ones were the most dangerous. You never knew when they were lying.

Still, that didn't change the fact that she enjoyed today. A smile crept up on her face as she held Mr. Kuurage with her other hand tighter.

She turned over her bed. Lying on her stomach, she reached for the shelf below the lamp. She unlocked it, and brought out the same blue book she had been sleeping with this morning. She put her pillow aside and clicked the ballpoint pen that was clipped onto the small notebook.

With her feet gently kicking the bed, her new plushie right beside her, and a wide smile on her face, she wrote.

Dear Diary, I skipped school with Aether. We went to the arcade, ate some food, did a little bit of sneaking, and we saw incredible scenery together! I wonder if this counts as celebrating my birthday? It sure does feel like it.

Maximum energy has been increased!