"Serika… Shiroko… Nonomi… Ayane… and the last one is me! I'm Hoshino. Vice-President of Abydos. That is every student in Abydos. As you can see, we're quite the small school, but starting with you, I think our fortune might finally be turning around."

Hoshino extended her hand to Yuuka.

Yuuka hesitated.

Hoshino wiggled her arm. "Aw come on! You don't have to be so formal with us! There's only five of us after all. Well, six, including you."

Relenting, Yuuka extended her own arm out and shook Hoshino's hand.

"There we go. That wasn't so hard was it? Well, Hayase Yuuka. On behalf of the Abydos Student Council, welcome to Abydos High School."

Hoshino released the handshake and started slowly clapping.

"Yay."

Hoshino's claps were echoing through the room. Yuuka smiled uncomfortably.

Noticing the tense atmosphere, Hoshino turned around.

"Hey guys, why are you being so quiet?"

Upon seeing her classmates, Hoshino's mouth dropped in mild disappointment. Nonomi had her usual grin on, but Shiroko, Serika, and Ayane had the widest teeth-showing smiles Hoshino's ever seen.

"What the hell are you guys doing?"

Shiroko broke the silence among the four of them.

"We're just being friendly."

"No you're not! You're gonna weird out Yuuka! Isn't that the exact opposite of what we were trying to do?"

Nonomi stood up and extended her arms to the side. "Then how about a big group hug? That always makes me feel happier~✰."

Yuuka put her hands in front of her to protest. "N-no. That won't be necessary."

Shiroko raised her hand. "Aren't we supposed to bribe her with gifts?"

Serika nodded in agreement. "Of course. I know I'd be happy if somebody gave me free stuff."

Nonomi pulled out a credit card. "Right. Yuuka, if you ever need anything, just ask me and I'll see what I can do."

Ayane shook her head. "No, you can't win somebody's friendship with a bribe!"

Yuuka was somewhat flustered by all of this commotion. Hoshino noticed this and put a hand on Yuuka's shoulder.

"Well, in my case, the fastest way to my heart is if we sleep together."

Yuuka knocked Hoshino's arm away from her and took two step backs. She stammered out, "W-what?"

Serika blushed and shouted at the old-timer. "Hoshino! Phrasing!"

Hoshino knocked her fist on her head and stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth. "Yeah yeah, I know. I'm just messing with you. T'was a joke, that's all."

Ayane slammed her fist on her desk. The entire room faced her, expecting backlash. Ayane opened her mouth.

"That's it! Jokes! Does anyone have a good joke?"

The other students shook their heads.

Nonomi spoke up, "I'm afraid I'm not very funny. Why don't you give it a shot though, Ayane? I've never heard you tell a joke before."

Serika whispered, "A funny one, that is…"

Ayane blushed as the spotlight was placed on her. "Me?"

Nonomi responded, "If you don't have a funny joke, that's fine, we can think of something else."

"No! No. I got one."

Shiroko perked up. "Ayane? With a joke? I need to hear this."

Hoshino chuckled. "Ufufu, this should be good. Let's hear it, Joker."

Ayane closed her eyes and blushed. "Stop it guys!"

The room fell silent. Ayane pumped herself up by lightly slamming her fists on her chests. She then turned to Yuuka.

"Knock knock."

The room turned towards Yuuka. It was now her turn to feel the pressure.

"Who- Uh, who's there?"

"..."

"..."

The room slowly turned their gaze back towards the joke teller.

"Banana."

"..."

"Then you say 'banana who?'"

"Oh, right. Banana. Who?"

"..."

"..."

"Banana…"

The room was waiting for the punchline. Their hearing was now laser focused. Suddenly, a high pitched scream pierced their ears.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Ayane covered her face.

Hoshino and Nonomi started laughing at their flustered friend. Serika was just confused. And

Shiroko softly repeated, "Bananaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa."

Yuuka had no idea what to make of her new classmates.

Hoshino started apologizing to Ayane. "Sorry. Sorry. I just wasn't expecting that, that's all."

After they all recovered, Serika's ears pointed up. "Oh! I know! Hoshino! What about one of your famous 'uncle jokes?'"

Hoshino rubbed her chin. "Ohoho! An uncle joke? Ol' Uncle Hoshino has plenty of war stories to share."

Yuuka quietly asked, "Uncle? Aren't we around the same age?"

Shiroko spoke up. "I can assure you that Uncle Hoshino's jokes are… The bomb."

Yuuka sighed. "Okay. Hit me."

Hoshino walked over to the classroom chalkboard. She started drawing on it. After a few seconds she turned back to Yuuka and revealed a drawing of a couple of hastily drawn cows.

"Hey, do you see that flock of cows?"

Hoshino's question didn't quite sit right with Yuuka. After a moment of contemplation, she then answered with another question, "Wait, isn't it a herd of cows?"

Hoshino smiled. Checkmate. "Well of course I heard of cows, there's a flock of them right there."

Snickers were heard throughout the room.

Yuuka smiled exasperatedly. "Ha. You got me."

Hoshino crossed her arms in triumph. "Hmph. As the most senior, everybody has to respect me. Or else they will face my wrath."

Serika said in response, "Oh, I don't know if you actually deserve our respect. You know, since all you do all day is sleep and goof around while we do all the actual work."

Agreements were heard throughout the room.

Hoshino yawned. "Look at that timing. Now that you mention it, I am pretty tired. Okay gals, Uncle Hoshino's going to bed now. Don't upset the new girl. Ciao!"

Ayane started protesting, "Hoshino! You're taking a nap NOW?"

Nonomi backed up Hoshino. "I think we should all relax. Especially Hoshino. She's been up all night cleaning the school. Maybe we should just let her have this one?"

Hoshino piped up. "That's 2 to 1 votes. King Hoshino demands naptime."

Hoshino started shuffling towards the classroom exit.

"Excuse me."

Hoshino squeezed her way past Yuuka into the hallway where she walked into another classroom before closing that classroom's door. Yuuka could not believe that Hoshino walked out of the room to take a nap, just like that.

Shiroko smiled. "Hoshino's a weird one, isn't she?"

And you aren't? Yuuka thought.

Ayane added on to that. "But she's actually really helpful when she's in the mood."

Serika said, "Sometimes that jerk doesn't tell us anything. But I know she's actually one of the hardest working people here."

Nonomi chipped in, "If it wasn't for her, I don't think Abydos would even exist right now. And all of us wouldn't be friends."

Yuuka smiled. "Well, if you guys say so, then she can't be a bad person right?"

Yuuka thought of her time in Seminar. It seemed like everybody thought highly of Hoshino as a leader. Was Yuuka highly regarded as a leader in Millennium? She butt heads with practically every club in regards to funding. And she was always cleaning up after almost every single mess they caused. She remembered always verbally taking out her frustrations on the first person to irritate her that day.

Yuuka knew she was considered as the ideal student role model among the general student populace, but that didn't translate into being liked as a person. It seemed like her only real friend was Noa, her fellow member in Seminar, but it was still easy for Yuuka to get fed up with her antics.

And then there was what happened with the Game Development Department…

From what the other Abydos students were saying, Hoshino seemed to be pretty well liked among her peers. The same could definitely not be said for Millennium's student council president. Even Yuuka, despite her insistence on high workplace standards, actively avoided talking to her as much as possible. Yuuka kept meetings brief and to the point and even made sure to schedule her day in such a way that there was no possibility of running into her.

Compared to the hustle and bustle of Millennium, this tiny classroom, even with its occupants constantly shouting at each other, felt tame and relaxed. Too relaxed, in Yuuka's opinion. They were conversing with each other with Yuuka in hearing distance, clearly not bothered by her presence. It seemed…

Irrational.

There had to be a catch. Yuuka knew that Abydos was struggling financially, and it was possible that these students looked up her file and discovered that she was the Treasurer of one of the biggest schools in Kivotos. It would make sense that they would try to get on her good side, in exchange for financial help. The calculations otherwise just didn't add up.

"Yuuka!"

Serika tapped Yuuka's shoulder, startling her. If Serika noticed her jump a tiny bit, she didn't show it.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to come with us after school for dinner? When school's over, we're gonna meet up in front of the school entrance and go to a crazy good ramen restaurant."

Ayane chuckled. "You're really hyping up your own restaurant there."

"Of course I would! I work there! And I only work for places with the highest standards."

Shiroko said in response, "And scam artists, apparently."

"Hey! I don't work for scam artists! Not anymore! I know better."

Nonomi piled on the teasing. "So the good luck charm on your bag that you bought last week actually works?"

"Hey, after months we finally have a new classmate here! That's proof enough for me."

Yuuka tilted her head and asked them all, "So why are we all going out today?"

Nonomi tilted her head. "Why, it's for you of course. Why else?"

Shiroko added on, "We're throwing you the biggest party ever."

Yuuka blushed. "Why throw me a party?"

Serika raised one eyebrow. "Duh? Because you're a new student here. Of course we'd celebrate."

Yuuka was still concerned. "But what about the money? I heard this school was still massively in debt."

Serika sighed. "What about the debt? This is something that we all decided to give to you as individuals. It's not like we're using school funds."

Ayane reassured Yuuka. "Don't worry about the money. Everything's covered. It doesn't have to be today either, just in case you had other plans. We can go anytime."

Yuuka responded, "No it's fine. We can go today. If that's really okay with you all."

Nonomi beamed with excitement. "Then it's settled! We'll meet up after class. Everyone, don't eat too much for lunch today."

It was unthinkable for Millennium to host a welcome party for new students due to its sheer size. A grand entrance ceremony, sure, but a party thrown for one individual? Yuuka's mind froze with culture shock.

The four original Abydos students cheered. Yuuka observed them having fun and let her mind drift off to another place. She replaced the four students in front of her with the four students from Millennium's Game Development Department.

Yes, weren't they also this close?

Momoi, Midori, Yuzu, Aris. They were going to throw a party just for her, even after everything she did to them.

But it wasn't them. It was the Abydos students. The real students from the Game Development Department… they could never be this cheerful again.

Yuuka was invited into this other happy world, completely free of the baggage she carried from Millennium.

She didn't deserve this.

She thought of four other students who should be celebrating instead.

Yuuka felt her eyes start to water. She bit her lip and forced a smile.

"I'm looking forward to it," she barely managed to eke out.

The Abydos students looked at Yuuka, who was on the verge of tears. All four of them smiled and said nothing, no doubt thinking it was tears of joy. Luckily for her, it didn't seem like they were the type to pry into her past. At least not yet. She would prefer that they all thought she was happy right now.