The day of Souda's epiphany, he approached Hinata after class and offered a friendly grin. "Hey, Hinata! You free after school today?"
"Uh, actually, we have midterms coming up -"
"Great! Then do y'wanna to go somewhere with me? It'll be quick, I promise!"
Hinata sighed. "...Where do you want to go and why do I have to go with you?"
"I'm goin' to the pet store to buy a fluffy-ass animal! You have to go because you're good with girls... or Nanami, at least... and you can help tell me what Lady Sonia would like."
Hinata coughed slightly at the comment about Nanami. "Why do you need to buy her an animal?"
"No, dude, I'm buyin' myself an animal so I can carry it around like Tanaka does! Then she'll see I'm all sensitive and stuff and she'll like me!"
"You realize Tanaka is only allowed to carry his hamsters around because it's related to his talent, right?"
Souda paused. "...Holy shit, are you sayin' if I build an animal I can carry it around with me?"
Hinata looked about ready to leave the classroom. "I really don't want to know how your thought process works. Look, I need to go study now, but I guess we could go somewhere another time if you want."
"Yeah, sure, whatever. I've got a robot to build," Souda muttered, dashing into the hallway even faster than Hinata. He quickly made his way over to the workshop, already designing the toy in his mind: the materials to use, which animal to model it after and how that would affect the features he could install... it would have to be something small, so maybe a mouse or rat? Too similar to Tanaka's hamsters; he needed to stick out... a kitten or puppy, then? There were already lots of kids' toys modeled after those pets, so it wouldn't be anything too remarkable...
Just as he reached the door to that led to the welding supplies, he figured it out: a ferret. Ferrets were bigger and cooler than hamsters, but still small enough to carry around; he could just sling it around his neck during the day and Sonia would go crazy over how cute yet vicious it looked and how great Souda was for building it... the mechanic didn't even try to hide his smile as he started looking for the right type of metal.
The next morning, Kazuichi Souda casually walked into class with a robotic ferret slung around his neck and a huge grin on his face. Hinata immediately saw him and didn't seem to know whether to be surprised or angry, which resulted in him widening his eyes and furrowing his brows simultaneously. He went up to Souda with that look still stuck on his face.
"What the hell? You built that thing in one night? Did you sleep at all?"
"Nope! I'm hyped up on caffeine!" Souda beamed. His breath stunk of sugar.
"You drank soda all night? Why not coffee or something? All your teeth are going to fall out - no, I'm more confused about why you decided to stay up all night when we have midterms next week just to do something to impress a girl. Couldn't you have waited?"
"Well, yeah, but I would've probably been so antsy about it that I wouldn't've been able to focus anyway. When I get an idea, I just need to do it, y'know?"
Hinata seethed as quietly as he could. Nanami heard him from halfway across the room. "Look, you finished the damn thing, so how about you actually study now? If you were as motivated to do well in school as you were to date Sonia, you wouldn't have to complain to me all the time about how many tests you barely passed."
Souda huffed. "Hey, just let me enjoy the fruits of my labor for now, okay? I'll study later if it'll get ya off my back."
Hinata directed his glare toward the door as Sonia walked in with Tanaka trailing behind her. Souda turned around to greet the former, ignoring his roommate. "G'mornin', Miss Sonia!"
Sonia smiled politely and directed her attention to the thing around Souda's neck. He cheered internally. "Oh my, what is that? Some new type of fashion?"
"Nah, s'just a little robot I made in my spare time!" He pressed a button on its neck and held out his arm, which the ferret proceeded to wind itself around before nuzzling its head in the mechanic's hand.
"Hey, that's kinda impressive," Hinata admitted.
Tanaka looked furious.
"That... is an affront to nature. Every being on this earth is created by the powers that be with a specific purpose. Do you hope to achieve a godlike status by building that... imitation?"
"H-hey, no, don't take it that way! I just thought it'd be kinda cool..."
"Cool?" Tanaka spat. His hamsters peeked out of his muffler to chatter disapprovingly. "To describe that thing as anything but an abomination is absolutely repulsive. I am speechless."
Really? 'Cause you still seem to have a lot to say, Souda thought, frowning.
"Mister Tanaka, I'm sure that a lot of hard work was put into the creation of that robot! If you don't like it, Mister Souda can put it away, right?" Sonia gave Souda a glace that suggested he better agree with her.
"Yeah, I guess..." he sighed, pressing the button on the ferret's neck again. "Sorry, Chubs."
Tanaka looked like he was going to have stroke. "Chubs? How dare - "
Sonia patted his shoulder slightly, causing the breeder to shrink away. "Shall we sit down? You will feel better once class starts!"
"H-how..." Tanaka started, too flustered to say anything more; he stood in shock for a moment before scurrying to his desk in the corner, leaving a concerned Sonia behind.
She frowned slightly. "Oh, no, I forgot that he doesn't like being touched... I feel awful."
"Hey, if he doesn't want a beautiful girl touching him, that's his problem!" Souda said, waving one hand and leaning in toward her a bit. "You can touch me anytime ya want, princess," he grinned.
She shot him the kind of blistering glare that Hinata only wished he could master.
"You have already offended Mister Tanaka, and now you insist on saying such abhorrent things to me, as well? Apologize!"
Souda took a step back, feeling his pulse spike. "Yes, ma'am! I'm sorry!"
"Good. And though I am sure you did not mean to upset Tanaka, I would recommend that you apologize to him as well." She looked away, gripping one arm defensively. "It seems that I will have to do so later, anyway." With that, she walked away to take her seat.
Souda sighed and plopped down heavily into his chair. Hinata reluctantly took his usual spot to the left.
"You're gonna tell me how much I screwed up now, aren'tcha?" Souda muttered.
"I wouldn't even know where to start," Hinata said, pausing for a moment. "...You really named it Chubs?"
"It was supposed to be ironic," Souda groaned, setting his head on the desk.
...
That day, after classes ended, Sonia noticed Tanaka speeding out of the room, looking down at the floor and hiding his face in his scarf. She sighed, figuring that he wasn't quite ready to talk yet, and made her way to the library; she could always relax there, at least.
The next hour was spent poking through various murder mystery novels, as Sonia couldn't bring herself to study at the moment. She sincerely hoped that she hadn't ruined her friendship with Tanaka; he was such an interesting man with so many stories to tell, and Sonia knew that he was truly kindhearted underneath his dark lord facade. The fact that he was so upset over being touched not only showed that he had interacted very little with others in the past, but that he was concerned for her safety. If he believed that any person who touched him became cursed, as he had once told her, it was logical to assume that he withdrew into himself for the supposed protection of others, which both warmed Sonia's heart and made her feel very, very sorry for him.
What a lonely life he must have lived until now, she thought, frowning and dejectedly placing her favorite book of short stories back on the shelf. She decided to wait a day or two before talking to him again, and with that in mind, she attempted to study for a few hours.
Being a princess, she was expected to be very well-educated, and she did indeed excel in all subjects except one: mathematics. If she studied enough, she could still get excellent grades, but it didn't come as easily to her as languages or the sciences, and especially not as effortlessly as history. Learning of previous civilizations and rulers, how kings and queens failed and succeeded, if they were murdered, how, why, by whom... it all fascinated her.
But no, she was getting off topic. She was going to practice her math and she was going to pass her midterms with the highest grade in the class, because that was what was expected of her.
She pored over books on geometry and advanced algebra as much as her will allowed her, but she felt her eyes growing heavy before long; she had been up late studying the night before, and perhaps the night before that. It was easy to lose track of the days. She shook her head from side to side a bit to try and clear her mind, but within a few more minutes, she had set her head down in her arms, hoping that no one would see her acting so undignified; she was in the very back corner of the library, and most of the other students had already gone back to their rooms to study in silence or to rest, so it was unlikely that she would come across anyone.
It's fine, she thought. I will simply take a short break and return to studying after a few minutes. Her mother had always told her that study breaks were important if she started feeling too overwhelmed. Proud to follow her parents' advice, she closed her eyes and immediately felt herself drifting away into the deep waters of sleep.
Sonia had wanted to be a lucid dreamer the moment she heard about the practice, but no matter how many times she attempted to control her own dreams or how many books she read on the subject, she couldn't do it.
She was more likely to have nightmares, really.
When she had her first bad dream at four years old, there had only been snatches of sharp, bloody teeth and distorted screaming, but as she read legends, religious texts, folklore, anything that would tell her that the monsters in her head weren't real, that they couldn't hurt her, the dreams only became more vivid, incorporating the creatures and gods she was so interested in studying.
In the waking world, Sonia feared nothing, reading books on the occult and even trying the occasional ouija board or summoning circle in attempts to gain control of the demons that plagued her mind. In her dreams, however, everything became irrational and everything became horrific.
When she jerked back awake, she had already forgotten most of the dream, but she still sat up and cast a glance around the room to make sure that it was safe. Outside, the sun had already set, and the moon was rising peacefully in its place. Sonia sighed and stretched her arms up in the air, trying to work out the kinks in her muscles, but then felt something heavy slip off her shoulders.
She looked down and saw a familiar black cape on the ground.
...
The next day, Sonia walked a bit nervously into class, holding Tanaka's neatly folded garment over one arm. Casting an eye over the room, she only saw Nidai and Owari in a typically heated argument, Hinata and Nanami talking quietly and haltingly by the window, and her roommate, Tsumiki, shaking nervously in the back row. She decided to walk over to the nurse, not wanting to disturb anyone else.
"Good morning, Miss Tsumiki," Sonia greeted.
"A-ah, good... no, it's a b-bad morning! Bad!" Tsumiki hid her face in her hands, whispering, "I'm awful, I'm awful, I-I'm so awful..."
"Tsumiki!" Sonia scolded. "Please pull yourself together and tell me what the matter is!"
"I-I'm sooo-oorry!" she wailed. Sniffling, she wiped her eyes and tried to look up from her desk. "I-I... this morning, I was working early in the infirmary, and..." she paused to breathe in deeply, "I f-forgot to pick up an empty syringe and I tripped over it r-right onto the head nurse a-and I got tangled up in a bunch of dental floss so s-s-she couldn't get up without shoving my useless body aside... I got so scared and I thought she was g-going to yell at me, which I deserve, but s-she was so nice and helped me a-and all I did was waste her time!"
"...Where exactly did the dental floss come from?"
"I don't know!" Tsumiki cried. "We always keep some around s-somewhere..."
"I apologize for upsetting you by asking; where it came from is not the important part. From what you have told me, it simply sounds like an accident! Please do not call yourself useless or a waste of time; you do not deserve to be yelled at by anyone just for something as silly as - "
"A-ah, I know! I know! It's despicable that I'm so upset over s-something so silly!"
Sonia gave Tsumiki a firm look. "No, that is not what I was going to say. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time, and it is okay if you feel upset, but if people have been yelling at you for those simple mistakes, then they are the ones at fault!"
Tsumiki attempted to dry her eyes once more. "N-no, I was the one that messed up... I-I'm sorry for wasting your time! Class is going to start soon, s-so you can sit down now i-if you want... away from me..."
Sonia planted herself in the seat right next to her roommate. "There," she said, smiling. "We shall talk about this more later, if you would like, but know that I expect you to hold yourself in higher esteem!"
"I... I could try, i-if it would make everyone hate me less," Tsumiki murmured.
"Wonderful!" Sonia beamed. "And no one hates you, Miss Tsumiki!" As she finished speaking, she noticed movement by the door and turned her head to see Tanaka hesitantly walking in. "Ah, excuse me for one moment, please."
Tanaka went to his usual seat in the back corner, only one desk separating him from the unusual spot Sonia had sat in that day. Souda seemed to be glaring over at them apprehensively, but Sonia honestly couldn't have cared less; she had more important things to attend to, anyway.
Taking a deep breath, she walked over to Tanaka, offered a friendly smile, and held out his cape. "Thank you for lending me this, Mister Tanaka! I didn't have time to wash it, but I hope I am forgiven both for that and for my actions yesterday." Sonia knew it was a bit ridiculous to apologize for a simple pat on the shoulder, but she could swallow her pride in this particular case.
Tanaka stared at the black bundle in Sonia's hands, refusing to make eye contact. He nodded and took it after a moment.
An awkward silence followed.
Sonia shifted uncomfortably. "Ah, perhaps you would like to talk about what happened after class today? If you are not ready or do not wish to speak with me, I understand-"
"No," Tanaka muttered. "It is best that we discuss the issue at hand as quickly as possible, lest it fester into an ugly demon of resentment and distrust." He attempted to look up at Sonia, but quickly hid his face in his scarf instead and mumbled something into it.
"Hmm?"
Tanaka cleared his throat. "The secluded place at the library where you were... resting yesterday seems an ideal location for such a discussion."
Sonia felt her face warming up. "I-I am very sorry that you had to see me in such a state! I assure you, it has never happened before, and was only the result of many late nights of studying."
Tanaka adjusted his muffler and laughed, his voice sounding a bit shaky. "You needn't apologize for the weaknesses that hinder you upon assuming a mortal form! Though a dark being such as I would never rest in such a populous spot, lest an ambassador of good come forth with the purpose of performing an assassination, it is understandable that you would succumb to a moment of weakness."
"Wow, Mister Tanaka, you truly must be on your guard at all times! Surely it becomes taxing," Sonia remarked.
The "dark being" looked about ready to retreat into his scarf again. "Aha, yes, well... it is nothing, really."
"I find it admirable," Sonia said, smiling. "Nonetheless, we shall meet at that corner of the library after classes today, yes?"
"Indeed."
"I will see you then, Mister Dark Lord!" Sonia walked away merrily, leaving a rather flustered Tanaka trembling slightly in his desk.
...
During lunch, Souda scooted into his usual spot next to Hinata, who was looking less and less happy with the arrangement every day. Nanami, on the other hand, didn't seem to care who sat around her at all.
"Hey," the mechanic started, "did y'see Lady Sonia talkin' with Tanaka this morning?"
Hinata sighed around his sandwich. "Souda, I don't c-"
"She gave'im his cape back! That means that she borrowed it and that means that they're practically datin' already!"
"Oh, well."
Souda narrowed his eyes. "Hey, whose side are you on? I saw 'em! They were blushin' and laughin' and I'm not gonna stand for it!"
"Yeah, seeing two of our classmates happy just pisses me off," Hinata deadpanned, figuring that Souda wasn't really listening anyway.
"Right? How dare they be all flirty right where everyone can see 'em!"
Nanami blinked. "...Ah, Souda, don't you do the same thing?"
"That doesn't matter right now. Look, I couldn't hear much, but they said somethin' about meeting in the library after classes today, and I'm gonna check it out. I need someone to come with so I don't look suspicious if they see me."
Hinata raised an eyebrow. "Going to the library alone isn't even suspicious; lots of people do it."
"Hinata, have you ever seen me go to the library at all?"
"...No."
"Exactly."
"..."
"So, yeah, one of you has to go with me. We can say y'were lookin' for a book for the midterms comin' up."
"Hey, instead of wasting our time pretending/that we're studying, why don't we actually do it and leave Sonia and Tanaka alone?"
Souda thought about this proposal for about two seconds. "Nah, I like my idea better."
Hinata tried seething quietly again, and the whole cafeteria heard him.