One day, out of the blue, Hayabusa texted Midori, asking her what's her favourite sweet snack to eat in a festival.

She thought for a while. Looking around to make sure that no teachers happened to be patrolling the corridors, she glanced at her phone under the table, typing out a reply.

'Out of all, I'd have to go with cotton candy! It's cheap, easy to make, and nice too.'

She received another text from him almost immediately.

'Good,' Hayabusa senpai's text read. 'I found enough scrap metal to make a cotton candy machine.'

'What's it for? Don't tell me senpai is retiring to be a cotton candy chef! /)w(\'

'Haha,' his text read. 'I'm making it for cultural festival.'

'Aren't food and drink stalls not allowed?' Midori remembered that distinctively as the class rep was arguing with a few classmates about their class's choice of having a balloon exhibit instead of a maid café for the upcoming cultural festival.

'I'm still doing it, just because I can.'

'Are you sure it's not just because you like cotton candy too, senpai? ^v~'

'Ha,' (Midori could almost hear Hayabusa's dry voice behind his text. She bit back a laugh.) 'During the day of the Cultural Festival, come by to the school's North Landing. I'll treat you to cotton candy.'

She couldn't stop the smile that appeared on her face as she read his last text to her.

"Katagi-san," Sakamoto said, causing her to quickly look up from her phone. "Break is almost ending. You may be want to beware of any teacher catching you using your phone."

Days passed, and after days of preparing the balloons for their class's display, and finally after the whole balloon popping fiasco involving Sakamoto and two morons in the class, it was time for the school's cultural festival.

"Let's get to work, everyone!" Fujita cried, face flushed with happiness. "For real, this time!"

Aina and Yagi held up some leftover items. "We have 3 balloons and half a can of helium. What can we do for the display now? The festival is in less than 2 hours…"

Sakamoto smiled, adjusting his glasses. "I have an idea." He turned to Midori. "Katagi-san, can you please call Hayabusa-senpai? Since you're already secretly using your phone."

Midori, at that point in time, was secretly checking her phone and about to text Hayabusa back. She jumped, and laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, sure."

She dialled his number, and the connection got through.

"Hello?" Hayabusa said on the other end of the line.

"Hi, senpai; sorry to suddenly call you."

"It's okay. What's wrong?" Something akin to panic seeped into his voice. "Did Sakamoto come back to your class?"

"Yeah, he did! Actually, Sakamoto told me to call you- "

"Katagi-san," Sakamoto interrupted politely, holding out his hand. "May I speak to Hayabusa senpai?"

Midori sheepishly laughed again, handing the phone over to him.

"Hello, Hayabusa senpai," Sakamoto said, placing Midori's phone to his ear. "I'd like to ask you for a favour…"

"Alright!" Hayabusa proclaimed minutes before the Cultural Festival officially began. "I'm done!"

"Wow, Hayabusa-senpai!" Mario shouted. "You're so cool!"

"Yeah!" Ken-Ken gushed. "The three of them look so good!"

"Sakamoto!" Atsushi called. "How do you like Hayabusa-senpai's cotton candy?"

"… A bit sweet for my liking."

The classmates crowding around them took a step back, revealing Sakamoto and the two previous morons who sabotaged the balloon display to be covered in cotton candy from head to toe, resembling three yetis. Sakamoto nodded at the girls by the window. At his signal, they released the three balloons into the air, and attached to the balloons were the signs that read, "Class 1-2's catch the yeti game!"

Fujita sounded the horn. The three yetis ran down the corridors, with game participators hot on their heels. Along the way, they crossed paths with the sinister Fukase.

Fukase looked at Sakamoto, unharmed, stylish, cool, and still as popular as ever. He felt amused; by Sakamoto for escaping his game, and by Hayabusa for his guts at standing up to him.

'To kill time,' Fukase thought to himself, walking towards the direction of class 1-2. 'Let me device a way to ruin this Sakamoto's reputation while making use of someone associated with both Hayabusa and Sakamoto. Killing two annoying birds with one little stone. This will be a challenge; an entertaining challenge indeed.'

- X -

Back in class 1-2, Midori and her classmates were peering out of the window, watching the chase take place. She could tell that the class rep was undoubtedly happy at the success of the class's game.

"Hey, Midori," Hayabusa called, cocking a finger and signalling for her to go over to him.

When she walked up to him, he passed her a stick of cotton candy.

"Didn't I say I'll treat you to one during the festival?"

She broke into a smile, her eyes forming little half-moons as she thanked him. Hayabusa, looking at her smiling while holding on to the cotton candy he made, found himself smiling back at her too.

Aina nudged her friends, whispering among themselves. Some of Hayabusa's lackeys smirked at each other, snickering behind their teeth.

Outside the classroom, standing just in the shadows and watching the scene unfold in front of them was Fukase.

Fukase went up to a little Year One delinquent. The Year One was fresh, scared of him, and eager to please him. He asked the little Year One about Sakamoto's popularity in an innocent way.

"Yes!" the Year Old exclaimed. "That Sakamoto sure is popular! All the girls in his class love him!"

"All?" Fukase smiled.

"Yes! Almost all! There are a few girls that don't go crazy over him, like this one tall girl, this other short girl... and this medium height girl with ribbons in her hair! But I bet if Fukase-san is in his class all the girls will go mad over you!"

"Girl with ribbons, huh?" Fukase thought of the girl that smiled at Hayabusa sweetly. Her smile was as sweet as the cotton candy he made her. (And as sweet as the scar Fukase left on his face.) He remembered that she had ribbons in her hair.

Fukase smiled again, this time to himself.

- X -

The next day, Fukase approached Hayabusa.

"Fukase-san."

Fukase saw him square up his shoulders, clench his fists, and the way his blue eyes flashed with a kind of strength. Fukase knew that he can't hurt the Year Two physically, even if he commanded the whole gang of delinquents to beat him up.

(Besides, getting back at Hayabusa was a side game. His main concern was still Sakamoto.)

"I decided that getting rid of Sakamoto is too boring," he said. "This Sakamoto is too strange, too popular. Playing with him would just be a waste of time."

He saw Hayabusa's shoulders relax. "Ah, yes, Fukase-san. I'm sure Sakamoto is too much of a waste of your precious time. There are other ways of amusing yourself when you're in town-"

"Indeed." Fukase smiled. "I found a cute kouhai that I want to play with. Coincidentally, she's in Sakamoto's class too. She's quite a pretty little thing; long green hair, red ribbons in her hair, and red eyes."

He found pleasure in seeing the look of shock that flashed through Hayabusa's face. He anticipated seeing that same shock on Sakamoto's face when he gets that classmate to turn against him.

"If only I can get someone to introduce me to her... Do you know her, Hayabusa-kun?"

Hayabusa swallowed. "No, Fukase-san. I don't."

"Oh?" he smiled again. "I thought I saw you talk to her before. Shame. If you know her, I'll definitely play with her. But since you don't, I'll find other ways of amusing myself."

Hayabusa could only nod.

Days following the incident, Midori was in class during break, surreptitiously glancing at her phone, yet only to be greeted with no new messages. Hayabusa senpai usually replied to her in due time, but she hasn't heard from him for days. Feeling rather vexed and worried all at once, she slipped a few coins into her pocket, making her way out of class to buy a drink.

At the vending machine, she saw Hayabusa himself taking a carton of juice from the dispenser, with two of his lackeys trailing after him.

"Hayabusa senpai!" Midori called, smiling as she ran up to him.

He stopped in his tracks, a few feet away from her. Without even turning back, he said dismissively. "What do you want?"

His voice made her freeze.

"I-I just wanted to say hi. Senpai haven't been answering my text lately, so I was wondering if everything was alright… "her voice trailed off.

"I'm not obliged to answer your text. I hate being tied down, so why should I waste my time with some little Year One?" he glanced over his shoulder at her, looking at her coldly.

Midori's eyes widened in shock, and glistened with tears.

"Just go back to being Sakamoto's classmate." He turned away, his back facing her.

He heard the pattering of footsteps. He clenched his teeth in annoyance, shutting his eyes. He didn't need to turn back to know that girl ran away. She probably ran to some quiet corner to privately cry, and he's not surprised, with what the way he treated her and all.

His lackeys looked at each other uncomfortably. "Senpai…"

He raised a hand, signalling for their silence. "It's for the best. As long as I cut ties with her during Fukase-san's stay in town, and as long as she stays with her class, she should be free from him."

- X -

Meanwhile, Midori ran into an empty classroom. Once alone and realising that this classroom was the exact same classroom where Hayabusa once saved her from, she allowed herself to cry in her hands.

"My, my," a soft and dark voice murmured. "A pretty thing like you shouldn't be crying."

She looked up. Amidst her tears, she saw a pale lanky figure emerge from the corner of the class. He had neat black hair and cold red eyes.

For some reason, she was compelled to spill her tears to him.

"H-he said," she choked on her sobs. "S-senpai said… to just go back to- to Sakamoto's classmate-" a fresh wave of tears was brought to her eyes as she relived their encounter.

"Dear me," he said, walking up to her. He took her chin between her fingers, lifting her face up to meet her eyes. He smiled. "Sounds to me that this Sakamoto guy ruined your relationship with your dearest senpai."

Midori, enchanted by this mysterious schoolmate, could only nod.

"Why should Sakamoto be allowed to have his perfect life when you just lost your senpai? Isn't it unfair? You should ruin his relationship with teachers; the same way he did to your relationship with your senpai."

She nodded again, hanging on to his every word.

"Now, here is what you should do…"

"Alright!" the math teacher clapped her hands. "Before we end today's lesson, may I request for everyone to hand in their homework?"

Sakamoto reached into his bag, only to find his math homework missing.

"What is this?" the teacher said, shocked. "Sakamoto, you didn't do your work?"

The class stared at Sakamoto. Midori pursed her lips, her bag seemingly more suspicious looking, now that all of Sakamoto's homework due today were shoved in it.

He paused. "… it appears that I left it at home. My apologies, sensei."

- X -

After break, the literature teacher walked into class, frowning at the litter strewn around the front of the class.

"Terrible!" he clicked his tongue, flipping through the class's register. "Let's see who is on cleaning duty today… Sakamoto! Did you not see this mess?"

The class started whispering. Midori had waited, during break, for Sakamoto to finish cleaning the classroom spotless. Then she trashed the entire area around the teacher's table, so that the teacher will definitely scold him.

Sakamoto's glasses flashed. "My apologies, sensei."

- X -

Similar incidents repeated throughout the day.

"Sakamoto! You didn't bring materials for my lesson? How dare you!"

"Sakamoto! This isn't acceptable!"

"Sakamoto!"

"Sakamoto!"

- X -

Things got so bad that the next day, during homeroom, their teacher gave him a stern warning.

"… the teachers expected very different from such a promising student like yourself, Sakamoto-kun. One more conflict with another teacher, and you'll have a black mark in your record. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sensei!" some girls cried. "There must be a mistake! Sakamoto-kun would never-"

"Understood," he quietly said. Then he spread a bunch of homework written in cursive on spotless, flawless, perfect white paper in a fan shape on his table. "That is why I redid all my misplaced work from yesterday."

"Kya~!" the girls (and Atsushi squealed). "Sakamoto-kun! You're so cool!"

The teacher seemed taken aback before recomposing herself. "Yes, we expect nothing less from Sakamoto-kun."

Midori gritted her teeth.

The hours passed, and soon, it was lunch time. After making sure that her classmates were in the cafeteria enjoying lunch, Midori silently made her way to the classroom, with their homeroom teacher's favourite marker in her grip.

The mysterious schoolmate's instructions replayed themselves in her head. "Sakamoto's rapport with the teachers seemed stronger than ever. This calls for drastic measures. Take this marker; it's your homeroom teacher's favourite. Put it with his things. The teacher will be anxiously looking for it, and when she sees it with him, she'll be so angry that she'll make all the teachers hate him. Good job, little kouhai."

Once in the classroom, she walked to Sakamoto's table. She picked up his pencil case, and was about to place the teacher's marker in it when…

"Katagi-san."

She dropped his pencil case in shock, and whirled around see Sakamoto standing at the doorway of the class, looking at her.

"Sakamoto-!" she tightened her grip on the marker.

His gaze fell on it. "Sensei's favourite. I hear that she lost it and is anxiously looking for it."

He stepped into the class. Midori took a step back, swallowing nervously.

"Now, if you can just wait a moment; our guest will be arriving shortly."

Just as he said that, they heard a pattering of footsteps. A familiar blond skidded to a halt at the doorway, resting his hand on the doorframe while breathing heavily.

"Sakamoto!" he said hastily once he saw the boy. "You said that Midori is with Fukase?! Where is she?! Is she alright?!"

Sakmoto turned his gaze towards Midori. Hayabusa turned towards the direction of Sakamoto's gaze, and the moment he laid eyes on her, his shoulder sagged in relief.

"Thank god," he said. He hung his head, letting out a sigh of relief. "I thought he got her. Oi, Sakamoto! I was worried when you said that he's with her, dammit! That's not something you should be joking about!"

Midori was alarmed to see Hayabusa so frantic about her safety. Her gaze was drawn to his jacket's front pocket, where part of a red charm was hanging out. Her eyes widened.

'The charm I gave senpai!'

"I… I thought senpai hated me!" She cried. "He… he told me that I should ruin Sakamoto's relationship with teachers the same way Sakamoto ruined my relationship with senpai-! But why… I… don't- I don't understand…"

Hayabusa's eyes narrowed. "'He'?"

Sakamoto's glasses flashed as he adjusted them.

"The mysterious senpai with the neat black hair and red eyes…"

"Fukase!" Hayabusa cursed, slamming his fist against the doorframe. "Dammit! It's another ploy set up by him! All along, he wanted to make use of Midori to ruin Sakamoto's popularity, especially since his previous attempt failed! And I walked right into his trap like an idiot! Dammit!" he cursed again.

'Fukase.' The name rang a bell in her head. 'The same guy who got those two morons to frame Sakamoto about the spoiled balloon display for Cultural Festival!' She felt as if she was struck by lightning.

Her knees buckled, and she leaned against Sakamoto's table. "I… I've been tricked… and turned against Sakamoto."

She looked at him, sorry written all over her face.

"Sakamoto… I'm so sorry… It was me; I was the one who hid your homework and I was going to place sensei's marker in your pencil case, just so sensei will hate you-"

"My marker!" a fourth voice shouted.

Their homeroom teacher ran into the classroom, and grabbed her marker from Midori's hand. She clutched the marker to her heart. "Oh, my marker! We are reunited again! Oh! … What is it doing with you, Katagi-chan?"

Midori was about to confess to taking it, ready to embrace the punishment the teacher will give her. "I-"

"Katagi-san found it," Sakamoto cut in.

She looked at him in shock.

"She was asking me if it's your marker – just to make sure and not give you any sort of false happiness – and was just about to pass it to you."

"Oh, thank you so much, Katagi-chan!" the teacher gushed, making her way out of class. "It's still lunch time, so enjoy your break, students!"

Sakamoto inclined his head to Midori and Hayabusa politely and walked out as well, leaving them alone.

Hayabusa and Midori walked towards the vending machine in silence.

"T-thank you," she said as he passed her a can of drink.

They drank in silence.

"I'm sorry, senpai." Midori was the first to break the silence. "I was so upset that I didn't think things through – the Hayabusa senpai I know would never be so mean. I was so stupid to just blindly listened to Fukase… and I almost hurt Sakamoto."

"It's my fault as much as it is yours." He threw his empty can in the trash. "I was manipulated by him into cutting contact with you. I shouldn't have been so blind."

She bowed her head, her cheeks burning with shame.

She felt a hand on her head.

"Next time," she heard him say. "Don't go around listening to other senpais. I'm the only senpai you should be talking to."

He gave her head a pat.

She was so overcome with a flurry of emotions – remorse, sadness, guilt, and most importantly, happiness – that she threw herself into Hayabusa's arms, throwing her arms around him and burying her head in his chest.

"I'm so, so, so sorry, senpai!"

He stiffened for a second, his cheeks heating up. He placed on hand on her head, and another at the small of her back.

"There, there," he said.

- X -

At the classroom on the floor above them, Fukase looked out of the window and at the scene below him. His plan was foiled again, but it was entertaining to watch the way things unfold.

"Well, well," he said, shaking his head. "Since it was so entertaining, I'll let Hayabusa-kun and his little kouhai off for now."