Chapter Five: Confrontation
Tongue stuck out in hardcore concentration mode, I flick the paintbrush over the last of the rough-cut wood edges. Squinting my eyes, I make sure I'm following the line as precisely as possible, but some of the paint spills over the boundaries. I'm definitely not an artist. A light frustrated groan passes my lips as I make my best efforts to make the finished product presentable enough. A moment later, I feel my paintbrush bump up against something – blinking and snapping out of focus mode, I dart my eyes to the right ever so slightly.
"Ahah, oops…!" An apologetic giggle comes from Miku, and that's when I realise our paintbrushes have crossed paths and hit each other.
I can't help but let out a laugh along with her, releasing the breath that I've been holding and pulling my hand back. "Looks like we're just about finished with this," I say. I mean, considering there's apparently nowhere else left to paint over if our brushes are crossing. I set the brush down with a light sigh, wiping the beads of sweat from my brow. This whole artist thing is tough work.
"Lookin' good, guys." Neru pipes up from the opposite end of the work-desk, complimenting our handiwork. She and Dell are currently sitting, relaxing and taking a break as they've done most of the work already.
"Yeah, if you call shoddy and poor structure 'good'," Dell bluntly remarks, letting a scoff escape his mouth.
I raise a brow, offended by his direct choice of words. Although really, I shouldn't let it get to me that much. I've been doing my very best to ignore the appearance of the so-called 'birdhouse' in front of me during the session, but thanks to the silver-haired boy pointing it out, it's all I can see now. He's right. The structure is pretty crooked – the edges barely meet, there are random nails poking out of the top, and it looks as though a ten-year-old put this together. I don't even want to get started on the bright yellow coat of paint.
"Hey, I asked if you wanted help piecing it together and you told me to go ahead!" Neru huffs in argument, folding her arms over her chest.
"I didn't think you were incapable of properly lining up the wood," comes Dell's low blow.
I turn to look at Miku, silently communicating how fed up I am of all the fighting lately. With one look, she seems to understand; an equally worn out expression crossing her features.
"And what on earth is up with the colour scheme? Bright yellow? Seriously?" Dell continues to pick at her bad design choices, each question becoming increasingly strained and irritated in tone.
"You also told me to pick whatever colour I wanted!" Neru pulls her arms from her chest and slams her palms against the table, turning to face the boy in one swift motion and drawing attention all at once. She's in disbelief at his sudden jabs. It seems as though, in her mind, she's only been doing what she's been told.
Feeling eyes dig into our area of the room, I clasp my forehead with my palm and let out an embarrassed groan. I turn my head away from the sharp, judgemental glares of the other students.
"I thought at some point common sense would take over, and you'd actually read the blueprints." Putting emphasis on reading and understanding the plans, Dell shoves said blueprints in the tomboy's face, pointing to some specific part of it.
"I hope this event is over soon," Miku quietly sighs, her eyes fixated on the floor. She must be trying to avoid the stares of the students, as well.
"Tell me about it," I mumble in agreement.
"Huh?" Neru blinks, at a loss for words after having the blueprints practically pressed against her nose. She almost sounds defeated, and for a moment, I think they're done yelling. That is, until she begins screeching in outrage once more like a wild banshee. "What do you mean yellow was only one of the colours?!" Oh yeah, she's pissed.
Before they can start up their screaming match again, a loud whistle echoes through the workshop. Saved by the bell, thank God. Ms. Yuzuki's strange methods of getting our attention signals the end of the allotted time for the second event. It cuts their argument short. In fact, Dell's mouth is open, a split second away from saying something. Letting out a light sigh of relief, I turn to face the teachers in the middle of the room.
"Alright, seems like things are getting a little bit heated…!" The woman nervously chuckles. Even though she doesn't directly look our way, it's painfully obvious who she's referring to. She releases the whistle from her fingers, allowing it to flop back down to her chest. "Our time is up for today. It looks like you've all made some wonderful things, too. Great work, everyone!"
Mr. Hiyama clears his throat, nodding along with Ms. Yuzuki. "Yes, good job, all. Now comes the fun part of judging your work and announcing the winner of this event," he continues from where she left off. He sends a quick look to our table. "Let's hope there are no… bumps… this time."
"Seriously?" Neru hisses under her breath. She's fuming from that one sly remark already.
I have to admit, that's pissing me off, too. He's totally under Ms. Yuzuki's control. I wish he'd man up already and actually take our side, rather than theirs. Just thinking of those smug Mahogany Creek bastards has me subtly throwing a glance to the first team.
The twins look calm and confident, like they know they're going to win or something. The girl with the green hair appears to be smiling brightly, putting on a friendly facade that I wouldn't trust for a second. And that purple-haired son of a… Gakupo. When I turn to look at him, he's already looking right back at me with cold, piercing eyes. I'm kind of thrown off by that sharp glare. I certainly hadn't been expecting him to meet my glance… My heart starts to beat a bit harder.
Jesus, what is wrong with me? He flashes a smirk my way for a split second, which is enough to get me all worked up. "Grr, that… that stupid…!" I quietly growl, frantically shaking my head and turning back to face my friends.
"Is something wrong, Kaito-kun?" I'm snapped out of anger by the warmth of Miku's hand on top of mine. Her soothing voice causes my irrational thoughts of revenge to disappear in an instant.
"Just… I let all this get to me for a sec," I answer, half truthfully. I can't exactly tell her the strange feelings I get whenever I see that purple-haired asshole. Even if I could tell her, it's not like I fully understand what the hell is going on with my emotions, anyway. There's no point in letting her know.
She gently strokes the back of my hand, smiling at me. Looking into her beautiful eyes calms my pounding heart and makes me forget my burning desire for revenge… At least temporarily. "I know things are difficult right now," she says, in a soothing tone. It's definitely reassuring. "I'm sure things will pick up soon, though. I don't see how it can get any worse, so try not to worry."
I simply give a nod, staying silent to really appreciate her words. I'd have lost my mind long ago if I didn't have this wonderful girl. Sliding my fingers through hers, I grip her hand a bit tighter and set my eyes on the teachers who are currently scribbling away on their clipboards.
"Oh, this is simply amazing!" Ms. Yuzuki gushes over her students' woodwork, praising every last detail of it. They're checking out the second Mahogany Creek team – the group of girls who I keep forgetting are even here in the first place because of how quiet they are. I can't really see what the girls have made, but from what I can see, it appears to be some sort of small wooden chest.
"I have to agree," Mr. Hiyama nods. "The composition is near perfect. Your prior experience is clear. Especially the fine carving work."
"Thank you, Ma'am. Sir." The girl with the hair as blue and deep as the night sky is the first to speak up, gracefully accepting the teachers' compliments. This is the first time I've heard one of them talk, and unsurprisingly, her voice is cool and collected. Mr. Hiyama is right; their experience and confidence shines through in a modest way. That's what makes them much scarier than the first Mahogany Creek team.
Mr. Kasane follows after the two principals, although he isn't involved in the judging process. He's just there to tower over the students and stare into their souls, of course. The three move over to the other Mahogany team, rather than to one of our own teams.
"Ugh, this waiting is killing me," Dell grumbles, making his inner thoughts of impatience known.
"Yeah..." I mutter in response. The anticipation is kind of stifling. I know there's no way we'll win this one, so I want to get it over and done with.
"Ah, wow! Just look at this!" Ms. Yuzuki is overcome with awe once again. She really doesn't want to make an effort to hide her favouritism, does she? "I think we should definitely add this to our garden back at home. The birds will love it!"
In mid eye-roll of all the sweet talk, I pause upon hearing something about 'birds'. I dart my eyes over to the teachers, quick to pinpoint the very thing they're staring at in admiration. My jaw drops open in unfiltered shock, disgust and anger all mixed into one.
"You've got to be kidding me…!" Dell is the first to react, choking out a laugh in disbelief.
"I take back everything I just said," Miku says in a saddened tone, one which breaks my heart to hear.
Things can't possibly get any worse, huh? Well, it had been a nice thought while it lasted… Because right now, my eyes are set on a birdhouse that's almost exactly identical to ours, only theirs is far better in structure and colour. All the details match ours; even the cuts of wood are near enough the same size. It's like staring into a mirror, although it's a mirror that reflects the perfect version of something instead.
Gritting my teeth together, I bite my tongue and refrain from yelling out and causing a scene. This cannot be a coincidence any more, but it's best to stay calm and act mature when accused by the principal. However, when I scan my eyes over the team's faces to attempt to read their reactions, my glance once again locks with none other than Gakupo's. He sends me a simple wink before turning back to his teammates, and that single gesture is enough to release the hellfire within me.
"I don't believe this, you've stolen our ideas again!" Ripping my hand from Miku's, I shove my chair back and jump up to my feet, hurling out those words in an instant without thinking. I react on impulse and immediately grab the attention of everyone in the room.
"What is the meaning of this, Kaito Shion?" Mr. Hiyama fiercely demands, lashing right back at me with a lot more force and power to his voice than mine.
I gulp, reeling back, only just realising what I've done. Why do I always pull stupid shit like this…?
"Kaito-kun..." Miku pouts at me in a disapproving manner.
"Kaito-kun, I know they stole off us again, but..." Dell grimaces, being the voice of reason this time around. Neru just sits there, oddly quiet, as though she has no reaction at all.
"Hey, what do you mean, we stole off you?" Gakupo spins on his heels to face our group, narrowing his eyes and acting like he's actually offended.
"Oh, dear. I see what's happened..." Ms. Yuzuki slowly shakes her head, letting out a soft tut. She sets her clipboard down onto the nearby work-desk, taking a few steps toward our table. The smug aura she's radiating right now is enough to choke me and make me completely lose my nerve. She picks the poor excuse for a birdhouse up in one hand, holding it close to her face to examine it.
"Not again," Mr. Hiyama sighs, visibly fed up. "Now, I don't know what's going on here, but whatever it is you're planning, it has to end today." He doesn't even bother to address Gakupo and the others, but instead directs his lecture straight to us – or rather, to me, since I'm the only one standing.
"I… It's just…!" I begin to protest, but can't find the right words.
"Kai-kun, please sit down," Neru practically begs.
Of course. The one time I decide to stand up for myself and my friends, no one else wants to join me. They probably want to save themselves the embarrassment, sure. I'd be doing the same, if that purple-haired devil didn't get under my skin so much.
"I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding again, Sir..." The last person I expect to come to my defense steps up for me. One of the Kagamine twins; the good-looking pretty boy who Neru seems to be obsessed with. He pulls Hiyama's attention over to him, sparing me for the moment and allowing me to breathe freely.
Ms. Yuzuki scoffs quietly, carelessly tossing the birdhouse back onto the table. A sort of crack follows and it's miracle it doesn't break entirely. "I've never felt more ridiculed and insulted in all my life. How dare you try to frame and humiliate my school." She speaks in a low tone to us while Mr. Hiyama sorts things out with the twins – Lily and her buddies are whispering amongst themselves at this point, meaning we're most likely the only ones who can hear her harsh words and witness her true feelings. Seeing this side of her doesn't even shock me. I expected her to do this sooner or later.
Silence hangs between me and my friends. Despite her vile nature finally rearing its ugly head, and despite how I knew this was coming, I still can't help but feel ever so slightly intimidated in her presence. I want to fight back but it'll only fall upon deaf ears and possibly result in our team's disqualification. I slowly lower myself back onto my chair, averting my eyes away from her in shame. There's nothing worse than being talked down to by a teacher. Especially a Mahogany Creek teacher.
"Oak Valley students are nothing but little worms," she hisses, continuing to mock us. My stomach turns at her particularly cold tone. "You know you have no chance at winning, yet you still try to sabotage my students and their efforts. I will personally see to it that you misfits are to be disqualified before the music event in two days."
I resist the urge to roll my eyes in her face. She could at least be more subtle with her threats… Then again, Mahogany Creek are known for their direct attacks. They've learned from the 'best', after all. With a quiet 'hmph', the principal turns on her feet and struts back over to Mr Hiyama's side. I finally let out a loud groan in irritation.
"Can you believe that?" Dell scowls, although not too loudly so that she doesn't hear. "That was ridiculous…!"
"That was… so embarrassing..." Miku whimpers, propping her elbows up onto the table and covering most of her burning red face with her palms.
"It wouldn't have been much of a problem if you didn't flip out like that, Kai-kun." Neru speaks bluntly with a light huff; from the way she says it, I understand that she's not outright blaming me and getting on my case, but that doesn't make it any easier to swallow.
Not wanting to spark yet another argument between us, I simply nod and keep my mouth shut. "Mmhm..." I half-heartedly mutter. I flick my eyes lazily over to the teachers and the other team, who talk amongst themselves for a few more moments. I drown most of it out, predicting what the outcome will be.
Finally, Mr. Hiyama heads to the centre of the workshop, Ms. Yuzuki trailing after him with the usual cheery expression slapped across her face. He holds his hands behind his back, before regaining everyone's attention. "Well, it seems that there's been yet another misunderstanding and our students' creativity has, uh… clashed." Sure, that's one way to put it. He lets out a small awkward cough, before continuing his little speech. "And in light of such events, I have no choice but to yet again reward the winning position to Mahogany Creek."
"Yay!" The green-haired girl happily clasps her hands together, accepting her 'victory' in the least modest way possible. "Good work, Gakupo-kun!" She links her arm through his, grinning brightly.
"You too, Gumi-chan."
"Ugh," I grunt, tearing my eyes off the team, filled with a terrible bitter feeling.
"This is so unbelievable…!" Ah, it hasn't taken long for our good friend Lily and her gang to start whining and moaning. The girl's bleach blonde hair flops around in an almost comical manner as she bangs her clenched fists off the table in front of her.
"They're like, totally ruining our chances of competing! This is, like… sabotage…!" I'm genuinely surprised this time, at the fact that SeeU even knows what 'sabotage' means.
I take in a deep breath and pull myself up from my seat once Mr. Hiyama dismisses us. I'm at least glad that the events are over for today. I don't know how much more I can take. "C'mon, let's get out of here," I say, reaching to take hold of Miku's hand.
A frown pulling at her lips, she reluctantly drags herself up from her seat and grabs my hand, without saying a word. Her head hangs low – I can't blame her. This entire day has been a train-wreck, and even then, that's an understatement.
Not even bothering to take that god-awful hunk of wood along with me, I prepare to leave the classroom. Just as I'm about to make a start, I catch sight of Gakupo strolling past and heading toward Lily. His green-haired friend Gumi follows after him. I raise a brow, following his movement and watching as they start to talk together about something. Whatever it is, it can't be good.
"Hey, Neru-chan." Once again, I'm stopped just before I start walking. This time, the Kagamine twins waltz on over to us, and the pretty boy greets Neru directly.
"Ah… H-Hi, Len-kun!" Her eyes light up instantly when he enters the scene. Even after those assholes stole our ideas from us, she still wants to be all nice to them.
"I really did try to straighten things out with your principal, but it seems like he doesn't want to listen." A pout pulls at the male's lips. "I'm sorry if it looked like we've taken your ideas or anything… It really was just one big coincidence." He offers an 'explanation' to the rest of us. I don't know about Miku and Dell, but I'm not buying it. Something weird is going on here and I want to find out what it is.
Rin smiles apologetically beside her brother, nodding along with him in agreement. "I know there's some pretty intense friction between us all right now, but..." She lets out a quiet laugh. "How about we start over? You guys should come get coffee with all of us."
I exchange glances with Miku. She subtly shakes her head at me, indicating she absolutely doesn't want to do such a thing. After today's mess, neither do I. I then flick my eyes over to Dell, whose expression is signalling the exact same thing. Besides, who does she mean by 'all of us'? If it involves Gakupo, or worse, Lily...
"That sounds like a great idea." Of course, right before I tell the twins to get lost, Neru butts in and for some unholy reason, accepts their offer. This infatuation thing she's got for Len is growing old and she's only been crushing on him for five damn minutes.
"Great!" Rin giggles. They must be able to see the sour expressions that we're all wearing apart from Neru. Or are they really that dumb?
Well, since no one else is going to tell them where to go, I suppose I will. "Yeah, it sounds like a great idea, except we're busy this afternoon." I continue from where the tomboy left off, inserting the classic excuse.
"Oh..." Rin's bright smile sort of fades into disappointment.
"We can do that trial bullcrap later." Neru glares at me, and that sharp look in her eyes is screaming at me, asking me why I'm turning the twins down – as if I'm in the wrong here.
"Oh, if you're worried about missing out on preparing for tomorrow, then there's no need," Len interjects, with a light smile. "We're all planning on studying over coffee for a few hours until it's time for dinner. I think it'll be a nice bonding opportunity."
Bonding, with the enemy? Wow, sounds super fun.
"I guess we should just go after all..." Miku sounds defeated as she mumbles this to me. Ugh, I hate seeing her so down. She shouldn't lay down and accept this.
"Fine, we'll go. But only for an hour or so." Dell finally gives in, too.
I guess we'll end up looking like the assholes if we openly tell the twins to 'fuck off' and refusing to go along with them. I suppose I don't want them to make our lives any more miserable over the next two days, either.
Gently squeezing Miku's hand to let her know it'll be okay, I give a nod in confirmation. "Sure, let's get going."
"C'mon, Neru-chan. Let's get a head start." Len playfully digs his elbow into Neru's side, smirking in a challenging manner. They lock eyes, Neru's game face taking over. Within seconds, the two of them rush out of the workshop like two little kids.
When I sneak a glance at Dell, I can see the jealousy burning his cheeks. He can tell us he's mad at her all he wants, but that one expression gives away everything in his heart. Digging his hands into his pockets, he sets off to slowly follow after the two. This is going to end in disaster, I can feel it now.
…
Making an attempt to be friendly towards our rival school feels incredibly alien. Although we're nearing the coffee shop just outside of campus, we've barely said a single word to each other. I'm hanging near the back with Miku, with Dell walking alone in front of us. Neru is up front with her new best friends, and much to my annoyance, Gakupo and Gumi are behind me. The unbearable, awkward silence that hangs between us makes it hard to breathe – it's slowly driving me up the wall. Just before it reaches boiling point, Len stops in his tracks and faces us.
"Finally here, guys. Rin and I will go get the orders in," he announces, in a cheery tone.
I glance around the area, taking in my surroundings. I don't remember the last time I came to this coffee shop – I must have only been here once or twice, a good couple of years back. To the left, there appears to be a path winding down a small hill, leading toward a park of some sort. All I can see from here are some benches.
"Thanks, Len-san," comes Gakupo's shockingly appreciative tone. For once, he doesn't sound all dark and grumpy. "You know the usual for Gumi-chan and I."
The twin boy gives a nod, before turning his attention to Dell, Miku, and me. "How about you guys? Want a drink?"
"It's our treat!" Rin adds, a generous glint sparkling in her eye. If these guys were any other Oak Valley student, I'd happily accept their offer. But since they're… themselves… I'm reluctant.
"I'm fine, thanks," Dell answers first, dismissively waving his hand.
"Hmm..." Miku thoughtfully hums, glancing up at me. She tilts her head to the side slightly in curiosity. "What do you think, Kaito-kun? Shall we get something to drink, too?" There's still a light hint of sadness in her eyes, and her general expression is still a bit worn down… But she slowly seems to be perking up.
I give a shrug at this, contemplating it for a moment or two. Sure hope they won't want any favours in return later. "Yeah, sure. Why not." I decide to give in, thinking back to what Miku told me yesterday. Maybe if we try to get along, things might get better. Although I'm absolutely not going to try and play nice with a certain purple-headed demon.
Taking a mental note of the list of drinks, the twins head into the small coffee shop about a minute or so later. Neru finally approaches Miku and I. With Gakupo and Gumi chattering away together, I take a moment to question just what kind of game Neru is playing here. If Dell is going to ignore her, and if Miku is going to continue being passive, then it's down to me as usual to straighten things out.
"See, this isn't so bad, huh?" The tomboy casually remarks, in a rhetorical manner.
"I… I guess not," Miku shyly responds, doing her best to not take sides once again.
Flicking my glance over at Dell, I notice that he's standing a few paces away from the three of us. My eyes end up fixing on his back; he's holding his phone in one hand, staring down at it and scrolling aimlessly. Lowering my voice so that he doesn't hear, I try to make it clear how this is affecting Dell's mood without being too obvious about a certain crush. "Are you going to tell us what the hell this is, Neru-chan? Can't you see how much this is getting on our nerves – especially Dell-kun?"
Neru blinks, stunned into silence for a second. She genuinely has no idea, does she? "I dunno what you mean, Kai-kun. Isn't it better this way? To try and be friends with them, so this dumb rivalry comes to an end? It's childish and I'm tired of it."
"But you're hurting us in the process…!" Miku finally snaps, speaking her mind. She keeps her voice quiet, but not low enough so that Dell doesn't hear.
The silver-haired boy hesitantly turns around to face us, a sour expression plastered across his features. He stuffs his phone into his back pocket, giving a heavy sigh. "Are we really doing this here?"
"Are we really ganging up on me here?" Neru repeats, twisting it slightly to show she's clearly offended. "I don't understand what you mean, Mi-Mi. No, I… I don't understand what either of you mean." She directs her glare to me this time.
"After all this talk of standing up to Mahogany Creek – all this talk of beating them and being better than them by banding together at home, with your friends..." I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. My words trail off, an irritated sigh passing my lips.
"I think what Kaito-kun means is… After putting so much emphasis on teamwork and working together… Well, we're struggling to understand why you suddenly want to spend so much time with the opposite team," Miku continues for me, and she pretty much nails it, echoing the thoughts I can't get out.
Neru's face twists into a look of confusion, her eyebrows furrowing. "I just told you… I've decided that trying to be friends is the better approach..." Her words falter, barely coming out as a whisper. I feel bad for cornering her and pressuring her for answers this way, and watching her squirm is painful.
"Was that before or after you met Len Kagamine?" Dell scowls, a tut escaping his mouth. Dude, this really is not the time to be bitter over crushes.
"Huh? What about Len-kun? A-Are you trying to imply something, Honne…?!" Neru gradually starts to raise her voice with each question, becoming more nervous and incredibly defensive by the end of it... Until she ends up half yelling, half squeaking, taking a fighting stance with burning cheeks and grabbing the attention of the other Mahogany Creek students.
"Is there a problem?" A male pipes up, interrupting the oncoming verbal boxing match.
Looking to the side, both Gakupo and Gumi are staring over at the four of us. Although Gumi wears a concerned expression, Gakupo's eyes are sharp and narrow… And I swear he's directing it mostly in my direction rather than towards my friends.
Neru drops her clenched fist, which I only just noticed is dangerously close to Dell's face, taking a step back. She lets out a dramatic huff, folding her arms over her chest and turning her back on him.
Miku rubs at the back of her neck, sending a bashful smile to the pair. "N-No, just a… a slight problem with our study schedule..."
I can't help but groan at her excuse. "I'm pretty sure they heard all of that," I hiss to her under my breath, letting her know it's useless to make something up.
"Well what else am I supposed to say…?" She hisses back in a sharper, more fierce tone through gritted teeth.
"Sounds like trouble in paradise to me," Gakupo retorts, lightly snorting in the face of our petty arguments. He's also very clearly referring to Dell and Neru. If it takes him just a day to figure out Dell's crush on her, part of me wonders why the hell Neru is so oblivious. Even now, she refuses to even entertain such an idea.
"Oh, shut your stupid fucking mouth!" She yells at the boy, unleashing her pent up frustrations onto him. I want to stop her, but then again, I also want to see her give him a nice red hand-mark.
"H-Hey, don't talk to him that way…!" His green-haired buddy, who at this point I assume is his girlfriend, is swift to jump to his defense.
Gakupo simply lets out a hearty chuckle, not at all bothered or taken back by Neru's typical foul mouth and irrational actions. "Don't worry, Gumi-chan. Remember, we never let a nobody get under our skin. She's just sour because she's losing the competition and her friends."
Okay, that one was too far. "Hey, you need to butt out of it, dickhead," I growl, hurling more insults to him. That's probably exactly what he wants, but damn it, I've had just about enough of that smug bastard. "Mind your damn business. And you're only winning because you cheated."
"Y-Yeah…!" Miku frantically nods, sticking up for me and supporting my accusations. She mustn't be able to think up any good insults on the spot… Thanks, so helpful.
"You're still entertaining that ridiculous idea?" Gakupo lets out a 'tsk tsk' noise, shaking his head before laughing quietly again. "Trying to cover your tracks, I see. We all know who the real cheaters are here, Kaito-kun. And trust me… It's not us."
This is such bullshit! Is he seriously trying to turn this around and pin it on us?
"How ridiculous!" Gumi holds her head up high. "Mahogany Creek prides itself on hard work, dedication, and most of all – playing by the rules! To even suggest that we'd stoop so low as to cheat, or steal your childish ideas, is incredibly insulting." She recites some sort of school pride bullshit mantra, and my only reaction is to grimace in disgust at how far up their own asses they are.
"You really think you're hot shit, don't you?" Dell spits. He's getting way more heated than any of us here, and while it's a bit worrying, I'm not exactly going to be the one to stop him.
"Ugh, all of you, just cut it out!"
Too late, anyway. Neru cries out in a demanding tone, drowning out any further arguments. Each of us quickly zip it, letting go of our tensions… For now.
"Nobody's cheating, alright? It's all just a misunderstanding, like Mr. Hiyama and even Len-kun said…!" She takes a few paces forward, taking place as our newly appointed peacemaker, apparently. "We have to try and get along, we have to try and become friends! The Talent Trials are supposed to be about having fun – healthy, competitive fun. But instead, all we're doing is bickering and driving a wedge between us, and soon it'll be too late to undo all the damage."
Motivational as always, Neru, but seriously. This hippie crap is growing old.
"Ugh, Neru-chan… Don't you get it?" Miku asks, with a deep sigh. "Even I'm tired of trying to stay neutral and be nice. They don't respect us at all – they've taken all of our ideas so far, and I wouldn't be surprised if they've already ripped off our piece for the music show. I don't wanna be friends with people who can't even respect me…!" She breathes heavily when she's finished asserting herself and making her inner feelings known.
I'm proud of her for doing so. Maybe Neru will listen now that our former peacemaker is throwing in the towel. I wrap my arm around Miku to give her some support. "Enough is enough, Neru-chan. Are you gonna come back to us and give this friendly approach up, or are you gonna keep kissing their boots until the trials are over?"
The silence is overwhelming once more. Dell shuffles himself closer to Miku and I, which must be his way of wordlessly saying he'll let go of his anger and stand by us through this. Now all we need is Neru, and I'll happily let it all slide if she remains loyal.
The tomboy lowers her eyes to the ground, slowly rubbing her arm up and down, chewing on her lip. The silence from Gakupo is refreshing, but chances are, he already knows exactly what her answer will be – so he's just waiting for it to end. "Then… I guess I'm done trying..." she mumbles, lifting her glance to meet my eyes.
A wave of relief washes over me. I shouldn't have doubted her. She's one of my best friends for a reason. She would never choose people she barely knows over me – over the rest of us, in fact. Miku's eyes light up upon hearing her decision. "About time," I playfully scoff, sending a smirk over to her.
Neru, however, doesn't return a grin or even move from where she's standing. "What I mean is..." Like the coward she is, she pulls her eyes from mine and looks off to the side. "I guess I'm done trying to convince you and the others, Kai-kun."
...