Fate/School Days – 15

Keiko stared up at the bulletin board and raised an eyebrow. "Huh, they shuffled the classes."

"Really?" Karin pushed her way through the crowd to get a better look. "Where am I...? Where am I... oh, there! Looks like I'm with you in 2-2, aisai!" She threw a coy look over her shoulder.

Keiko flicked her sister across the nose, causing Karin to bring up her hands reflexively. "Do not call me that at school," she growled. "Where are the others?"

"I'm in class 2-4, still," Sakuya said as she walked up. "Not many of us changed, unfortunately." She said the last line with a disappointed sniff as she pointedly looked at a cheerful group of boys across the hall.

"What about 'Yuki?" Karin asked. She looked around and found their last sister staring at the board with a look of disquiet on her face.

"I am... still in 2-1," Koyuki said worriedly. "But all by myself..."

Sakuya shrugged, "You'll live." She scanned the list for class one, "Uh... but then again..."

"Koyuki-chan!" an excited voice suddenly rose above the noise of the crowd.

Koyuki flinched, "You were saying?"

Kaori shoved past a few other idling students and stepped in front of the four Emiyas. She had a radiant expression on her face and was almost bouncing in her excitement. "Koyuki-chan! We're in the same class! This is so exciting!" the bubbling girl cried out.

Behind her, Karin was almost bent over in laughter while Keiko gave her an arch look.

"I mean, I remembered what you told me at the beginning of last year, so I asked the teachers. I'm so happy they all listened to my petitions!"

Keiko had never before had a chance to witness the 'deer-in-headlights' expression, but looking at Koyuki, she was sure she was seeing it now.

Sakuya nudged her sister in the side, "See? It wont be so bad after all, Koyuki. After all you'll have a very close friend to look after you!" Her smile wavered slightly as Koyuki shot her a betrayed look.

"Oh, I do hope Sensei also got my other petition; I hope we also get seats next to each other!"

ooo

Keiko watched as Karin looked around the room in satisfaction.

"Nameless Minion #1 isn't around," the hacker was saying happily. "This time is my chance!"

"Kaneda-kun is still here," Keiko pointed out, referencing the previous year's Class Representative. "And a majority of the previous year's students are still here too."

"Details, details," her sister brushed aside the argument with a wave of her hand. She looked around eagerly, taking in her new classmates with a critical eye.

As the remaining students filed in and took up random desks, their new homeroom teacher made his way through the door. A stern, distinguished looking man, he caught sight of Karin sitting at her desk with a smile on her face and let out a resigned sigh. Several students nervously looked her way as if they'd suddenly noticed the presence of the notorious girl.

"Alright, class, I'm sure you all know each other and you all know me," Sensei said bluntly. "I guess we'll start with a vote to confirm the Class Representative. Kaneda-kun? I assume you'd like to resume your position?"

"Hai, Sensei" the boy replied.

"Does anybody else want to run or nominate another student?"

Karin's hand immediately shot up. Several students nearby immediately grew more nervous.

"Denied," Sensei said gruffly.

"What?" Karin half rose out of her seat with her exclamation.

"Emiya-san, I have here a letter from your previous teacher–"

"Why that..."

"...and all of your teachers running back to grade school making recommendations to not put you into any position of responsibility. I don't think I need to stress just how unusual this request is." Sensei crossed his arms and glared at her. "I don't suppose you'd like to let your Sensei know just why they felt they needed to make such a recommendation?"

"I invoke Article 38," Karin said quickly.

"Well, I guess you get points for knowing our Constitution," Sensei rumbled. "Too bad we're not there yet. Anyhow, does anybody other than Kaneda-kun wish to run for the position?"

Karin fumed in her seat while it was Keiko's turn to disguise her own laughter.

ooo

"So shall we confirm the Class Representative?" the teacher for 2-4 looked around. Several of the students looked at Sakuya out of the corner of their eyes, but she simply smiled benignly.

One of the boys gulped nervously and raised his hand. "I'll continue," he said shakily.

Not even bothering to look up, Sensei made a tick on his clipboard. "Alright, now that we've gotten past that, here's a brief reminder of the rules for this class..."

Sitting at her desk, Sakuya steepled her fingers and lowered her head to hide her satisfied smirk. Silly Karin, trying too hard to take the lead for simple reasons, alienating almost everybody around her in the process. It was so much more fun to install a puppet and be the literal shadow behind the throne...

The nearby students paled as a soft chuckling filled the room. The remaining people, Class 2-4's Sensei included, were as oblivious as usual as he continue to lay down the ground rules in a bored tone.

ooo

To those in Class 2-1, Koyuki sat stiffly at her desk with a bored-looking expression on her face. Those who knew her best would have been able to see the minute trembling in her arms, or the subtle, tight creases along her eyes. Those, plus the healthy-looking color in her normally pale complexion would have been warning lights to her family regarding her fragile state of mind, of her extreme nervousness. Unfortunately, none of those people were currently present.

She paid just enough attention to the class to be able to make out what everybody was saying, but she remained oblivious to most of the looks some of the newcomers to the class were giving her. Fortunately, there were plenty of students who had remained from the previous year, so they were used to her relative silence and didn't call attention to it.

When the bell for lunch finally rang, she had her bento in hand and was out the door before the reverberations had even died down. As she made her way to the cafeteria and the table her sisters shared, she finally unwound her overly tense body, letting her anxiety flow away from her. It didn't vanish completely, however, as she knew that once this grace period was over, she would have to go back to being all by herself. Day after day.

This was going to be a long year.

(a/n) – mostly killing time and adding some more (retroactive) character building while i try to think up of storyline