The knock on the door during the meeting was not entirely unexpected. It was quite often that some student or other would attempt to win the new council's favour with some gimmick or other.
It was entertaining at first, but after a while began to grate on Sachiko's nerves.
"Sachiko," Kirari sighed, looking equally unamused. "Open the door for Nishinotouin-san."
"Wha-" Miboumi started in surprise at the bold guess, but recovered quickly, resuming his facade of cheery nonchalance.
Sachiko wrinkled her nose. Lethargic as ever, and injecting as much apathy into her facial expression as she could, she stood up and stretched. "Sure, sure," she grumbled with faux annoyance. "I'll be the doorwoman, I guess."
Out of the corner of her vision, she spotted Sakura rolling her eyes at the mild jest. It had been a day and a night since her ridiculous bet with Kirari, and the other girl was... well, simply put, mildly annoyed.
Technically, more than mildly- Sakura had point-blank refused to acknowledge both Sachiko and Kirari: quite bold of her, Sachiko had to admit. Not many had the nerve to defy the President, but after years of a certain hierarchy, Sakura probably didn't expect the sudden change that hoisted a meddlesome, irksome first-year to the top.
Oh well. She'd thaw, was Sachiko's guess.
In time.
Hopefully.
Probably.
Maybe.
She paced towards the door, opening it with a click to reveal- none other than Nishinotouin Yuriko, clad in her usual kimono- and despite her slit-eyes, Sachiko could tell she was anxious by the perspiration beading in her brow, and the slight downturn of her mouth.
"Ah, Nishinotouin Yuriko. What an unpleasant surprise. Don't come in, please." The other girl crossly opened her mouth- presumably to rebuke Sachiko's words, but before she could Sachiko slammed the door on her.
"It's Nishinotouin." She said to the President.
"I know." Was Kirari's poised reply. How she could tell was a mystery to Sachiko. "Do send her in, for I have a wish today to publicly humiliate somebody. Let it be her."
"You have a wish like that every day," Sakura mumbled- something that if Kirari heard she chose to ignore.
Sachiko drew in a sharp breath, before opening the door.
"Change of plans." She said dryly, not giving the other girl a chance to cut in. "Kaichou is feeling generous today- she'll grant you company." Sachiko swung the door open, allowing the clearly dumbfounded girl to pass through.
Nishinotouin swallowed, looking like prey under the attentive and judgemental gazes of the council.
Runa was the first to break the silence. "Nya-ha! So you're the girl Sacchan has been having so much issue with! Well, I can see why- you look like a joker in that kimono. For real, follow the rules!" Ironic, given Runa's own love of bunny hoodies which- and Sachiko knew this, because she'd seen her closet- she had a seemingly limitless supply of.
Nishinotouin flushed scarlet to the tips of her ears. "Yomozuki-san!" She said, voice faltering, attempting to come up with a retort of equal ire but that retained civility- and clearly failed. "I- I request an audience with the President." Her eyes shifted to the blank and speculative gazes of Miboumi, Sakura and the Vice-President. "Alone, please."
"Oh, I'm afraid no can do, Nishinotouin-san!" Kirari said lightly, although there was a sharp edge to her voice now. "Anything you can say to me you can say in front of the rest of my council too."
"Right." The girl with the red ribbon gulped, before bowing ridiculously low in front of the President.
"I come on the behalf of the Traditional Culture Club," Kirari stifled a yawn, and Sachiko didn't bother to hide the smirk paving her face. But Nishinotouin ploughed on. "To humbly request a seat on the Student Council. The Traditional Culture Club is responsible for making the largest profit out of all the gambling dens in the school-"
"Through cheating," Sachiko faked a cough, ignoring the pathetic glare Nishinotouin sent in her direction.
"-and have been responsible for a great number of feats in the school, such as the creation of the Bloom Festival, and-"
Sachiko yawned. Loudly, to make a point. "Request denied, Yuriko. Now go. Shoo. This is a big girl meeting."
"Oh, shut the fuck up, Juraku!" Nishinotouin snarled, an angry flush dotting her cheeks in a rare burst of frustration.
"Now, now, Noshinotouin-san, there's no need to get all riled up," Kirari said pleasantly. "Although, I'm not sure I'm the one you ought to be asking with these matters. Vice-President, you've read through the rules of the school, haven't you?"
"Indeed." The masked girl said stiffly. "And on account of Nishinotouin-san's side bet with Juraku-san wagering her Student Council seat- which she lost- this is not a position you are warranted to receive."
"B-but!" The girl in the kimono's face turned pallid. "Miharutaki-san and Juraku-san both attained two separate positions on the council that don't in any way relate to my previous one. Surely I still have a claim-"
"No, you do not." Sakura cut in icily. "Once you gamble away your council seat, you gamble away your council seat." She shrugged. "Your fault for underestimating me and being so careless."
Nishinotouin started at that. "How dare you! I was not careless in the least! Juraku forced me to, and if it weren't for Habakiri-"
"Enough!" There was a certain thunder to Kirari's voice right then and there- just giving Sachiko a fragmented glimpse of what this woman looked like when she was truly angry.
"Nishinotouin Yuriko, other than work experience, you have zero claim on the council seat. Sakura and Sachiko have told me about your elaborate little cheat- and I see it's gained some traction. According to stat reports that Sakura did rounds on this week, the number of visitors in your den has dropped, has it not?" Kirari sucked in a breath through her teeth. "Get those numbers up, and then we'll talk. Until then, you are dismissed."
"I-"
"She said, you're dismissed, Nishinotouin." Sakura said, shooting the first year a venomous glare.
"Yup!" Sachiko smiled merrily. "Come now, Yuriko, don't look so stunned, the door is right that way." She waved cheekily at the Traditional Culture Club head, who bristled angrily, seething about her lack of power in this new domain. In Kirari's Aquarium, only the truly strong held the power.
The weak rode coattails, clinging to ideals of power they wish they could obtain.
And Nishinotouin Yuriko was one weak bitch.
With one last glare, the normally poised and graceful girl stomped out, shutting the door behind her with a click.
As soon as she did so, Runa rounded on the President. "Oi! Kirari! The fuck was that about? I thought you were gonna humiliate her, not whatever weak shit that was."
"Agreed. I too was looking forward to basking in the ashes of her shame and humiliation." Vice-President said tonelessly.
"Patience, patience." Kirari looked unfazed. "In due time. She intrigues me well enough. She's lofty, ambitious, high-strung... perhaps if she proves herself, I may allow her on the council."
"You can't be serious!" Sakura banged a fist against the table, in a rare burst of emotion. "That girl is a cheater, a liar through and through! She will only spell trouble for our council. And not to mention that her cheating was remarkably crude- I managed to spot it not even after a game. She is a swindler, and a bootlicker."
Sachiko and Kirari both raised their eyebrows. "We-ell..." Kirari drawled. "I'm afraid that's not up to you, Sakura."
"Think of the council!"
"I am." The steel in the President's voice caused the Beautification Head to shrink back just ever-so-slightly.
"I agree with Kirari," Aoi wormed into the conversation.
Sachiko rolled her eyes. Nobody cares, you fucking leech, she bitterly thought.
"We already have Juraku on the council, we may as well add another cheater." The easygoing grin remained on his face, but the jibe was acidic.
"Oh, dear Aoi, you just can't wrap your tiny brain around my elaborate ploys, can you?" Sachiko countered. "When's the last time you gambled and won? Back in the Heian period?"
The smirk faltered, replaced by a scowl matching the venom in his tone.
"Enough. Aoi, Runa, Vice-President, you all are dismissed. There are no duties for you for the rest of the week other than the interviews scheduled for tomorrow. Sachiko- you're in den duty today. Sakura can show you the ropes." Kirari said.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Sachiko can figure out the fucking ropes herself." She muttered, rubbing her temples. The President appeared not to notice nor care.
"Meeting adjourned!" She said cheerily, instantly causing a cacophony of scraping chairs as everybody stood up.
Sakura reluctantly made a beeline for Sachiko, rubbing her wrists almost sheepishly.
"Well?" Sachiko tapped her foot against the floor, feeling Sakura's intense stare drilling into her forehead.
She looked away, briefly making eye contact with Runa, who mimed kissy-faces.
Sachiko made a mental note to beat the crap out of her childhood friend later on.
"Oh my god, shut up."
"What?" Sachiko raised an eyebrow.
"I am not dealing with your crap, Juraku. Just shut it, or I'll make you do this shit alone." Sachiko but back a grimace at Sakura's words. She couldn't stand schedules- the writing was always too small for her to read, and it was often worded ridiculously. A much better alternative was having a hot girl guide her instead.
"I-"
"No. Shut. Up. Don't say a word. I am not wasting time talking to you." Sakura grabbed Sachiko's arm, pulling her out of the council room- grip perhaps a little too tight. Sachiko didn't mind, though. She didn't particularly mind being bossed around by the other girl either- rather, she welcomed it.
"Where to first?" She dared to ask, feeling Sakura's nails dig into her arm at her words.
Jesus Christ this girl is pissed.
A spike of something perhaps akin to remorse shot through Sachiko, before it was replaced with annoyance. Sakura ought to have been glad a hot girl kissed her amidst her loveless engagement. Sachiko certainly would've been.
"The Chemistry Lab Prep Rooms. They're not too far from here." She forced out.
"Man, what's got you so riled up?" Sachiko taunted.
"You know exactly what!" Sakura exclaimed shrilly, hand clamping down perhaps a little too hard over Sachiko's wrist.
Jesus...
"You and Kaichou are a different breed altogether, I swear. The both of you lack basic understanding. I don't care about your stupid side gambles, don't bring me into it!" She yelled, cheeks flushed with anger and a tinge of embarrassment too.
"Really?" Sachiko found it into her to probe. "I remember you being quite into it. What do you want from me? You've been sending a lot of mixed signals." She forced a pout onto her face.
Sakura let out a slow and steady exhale. "I want..." she swallowed. "Hell, I don't know. "Be a normal person" seems a little too high for your standards.." she snarked, earning her a giggle from Sachiko.
"Oh! Perhaps an apology. Or is that still too high for you? Maybe assurance to never bother me nor my boyfriend again? To stop fooling around with whatever this-" she gestured to the two of them. "-is. Honestly, there's so much to choose from."
Sakura sighed, for a moment looking a lot older than she actually was. "Take your pick."
"Okay." Sachiko said easily. "Sorry."
"Huh?"
"I said- sorry. You wanted an apology, you got one." Sachiko said. "Like I said, I believe in consent, and technically you gave it-"
"No, I didn't! What's wrong with you?"
"-and technically Kirari made me do it." She finished, unperturbed.
"God, you and your gambling..." Sakura grumbled.
"As if you're not the same." Sachiko retorted.
The other girl huffed in irritation. "Well. I guess that's pretty decent for your standards."
Sachiko shrugged.
"Let's go."
The Traditional Culture Club was abuzz with excitement the whole day. Nishinotouin-san had gone for "business", or that was what she said, but her eager subordinate spilt the beans.
According to Kumagusu, Nishinotouin was gone to discuss a council position with President Momobami.
Previously, Naoe had offered to accompany her- the motives of that being simply to see Miharutaki Sakura again- but the other girl had adamantly refused.
Hardly anyone came in that day- just a heavily indebted boy and a girl named Togakushi-san who thought she was clever enough to discover Nishinotouin-san's cheat.
She didn't. The girl thought she had it figured out when she thought the "Life" sword was magnetised. A rather epic fail for her, and an embarrassing one too.
Naoe felt a little sorry for her.
But still.
What had to be done, had to be done. At least in the Traditional Culture Club protection was guaranteed. And who knew? Perhaps Miharutaki-san would drop by too.
Naoe had been seeing more of the older girl as of late- sometimes she would even grace the Miharutaki Sakura Fan Club (MSFC for short) a visit during lunch, although by now it may as well have been the Miharutaki Sakura x Juraku Sachiko Fan Club, although Naoe remained firmly against the very idea.
But that was besides the point. Naoe snapped herself out of her thought spiral, as Kumagusu's eyes widened next to her.
"She's coming!" The other dealer squealed excitedly, causing Naoe to roll her eyes inwardly.
It wasn't a secret that Kumagusu idolised Nishinotouin Yuriko- perhaps even to the extent that Naoe idolised Miharutaki Sakura. But Kumagusu was far more pitiful, in Naoe's opinion.
She quite openly craved Nishinotouin's constant attention, and in her eyes the girl could do no wrong.
Granted, Naoe thought the same about Miharutaki-san, but then it was different. Miharutaki-san was honourable, just, reasonable, dignified, intelligent, interesting, strong...
Nishinotouin-san? She was a dirty cheater through and through. She didn't know the meaning of honour, of pride. And there wasn't an ounce of intelligence behind the faux-profound sophistication she carried herself with.
Miharutaki Sakura was a diamond; Nishinotouin Yuriko a piece of coal.
"How do you know?" Truth be told, Naoe was completely apathetic as to whether Nishinotouin was coming or not. The other girl always made Naoe feel vaguely out of place. She was intimidating, and not in the good way.
"Listen!" Kumagusu raised her finger to her lips, gaze locked on the door. And indeed, the soft pattering of Nishinotouin's shoes could be discerned.
"Shit." Naoe cursed. A second year boy looked at her in surprise as Kumagusu gasped.
"Habakiri-san, language! We are members of the Traditional Culture Club, after all!" She exclaimed passionately.
Naoe was about to retort, but in that moment, the doors to the Traditional Culture Club swung open, and in entered Nishinotouin Yuriko. She looked... ruffled, to say the least. Undone. The red ribbon holding her hair in place was askew, her kimono was crumpled, her features lined with stress and agitation.
It wasn't a common look for her, Naoe observed. Nishinotouin was usually the epitome of surface-level sophistication, elegance and traditionalism. Now, she just looked not unlike a disgruntled hooker.
She shared an astonished look with Kumagusu, and Nishinotouin's other subordinates, who looked equally surprised.
"Quit staring!" The President of the Traditional Culture Club snapped, her attempt at refined-ness further falling down the drain. She pinched her brow- a habit Naoe noticed she perpetuated whenever stressed: which was not often.
"N-Nishinotouin-sama!" Kumagusu was the first to react, hurriedly bowing in the first-years direction. Naoe suppressed a grimace. The "sama" honorific she felt was entirely uncalled for, given that the two of them were the same age, and Kumagusu was the Vice-President and Secretary of the Traditional Culture Club, and Nishinotouin was only the official head on paper, but the stubborn girl persisted. "Is everything alright?" Her dark eyes shone with worry, but it did nothing to cease the President's agitation.
Naoe fidgeted with the cuff of her shirt. Nishinoutouin didn't get in a bad mood often, but when she did... Naoe gulped.
"No, Kumagusu, everything is not, in fact, alright." She said, clearly forcing herself to even out her voice.
"Habakiri!" The edge returned as she addressed Naoe. "Sit up straight! No slouching. We are proper ladies of culture in this room. And for the love of all that is good and great, stop picking at your cuffs!"
Naoe bristled inwardly, but outwardly simply bowed her head. She couldn't help but balk at the audacity of this girl, though. The Traditional Culture Club- hell, any of these clubs- they were all slang for dens. But Nishinotouin took her position way too seriously. In Naoe's opinion, she needed to wind down a little.
Well. A lot.
She wasn't unfamiliar as to how the other dens operated- the C block was all but owned by Ikishima Midari, save for Library Prep Room #2, which Togakushi Yukimi had managed to annexe to herself. The Photography and Artistic clubs were property of Rukoujou Eneru- an eccentric girl with an even more eccentric spark. Drama and Theatrics Clubs were owned by the Ougatou sisters, the A block was managed by Miboumi Aoi- although Naoe knew exactly who really did the dirty work, and blocks B and D were haphazardly taken care of by Kamishimo Nagi and Ibuki Soutarou. Oh, and that music geek Rurichou Nadeshiko who owned 3 Music Rooms.
None of them were nearly as uptight as Nishinoutouin- Ikishima and company were well-known criminals, Roukoujou a pervert, the Ougatou sisters vicious as they come, Miboumi a sleaze bag, Kamishimo a weasel, Ibuki a moron, and Rurichou a freak. Like mentioned above.
And Nishinotouin Yuriko was all of the above- except probably the criminal part. She just hid it better.
"Yes, Nishinoutouin-san." It was the little things that counted in Hyakkaou. Naoe refraining from using the "sama" honorific was one of them.
But the other girl seemed so out of tune she didn't even bother to reprimand Naoe, although the withering look from Kumagusu was enough.
Nishinoutouin sighed, pinching her brow once again.
"Momobami rejected me." She said bluntly, causing Kumagusu to gasp in shock. This time, Naoe did roll her eyes.
I mean, were they really surprised? Miharutaki-san and Juraku-san were both on the council- that much Naoe, and by extension Nishinoutouin, knew. And if they had any sway- which they undoubtedly did- then Nishinoutouin would never be on the council again for as long as they remained in Hyakkaou.
"But, not outrightly." Nishinotouin continued. "She said that to assure the council seat the club has to come on top. But." She swallowed thickly, "that is not all."
"As you all know, in all areas of business, there are layoffs." Cold flooded through Naoe.
"L-layoffs?" Kumagusu squeaked, eyes widening comically. She ought not to have been worried, though. Kumagusu was a favourite of Nishinotouin's, and consistently ranked as top dealer.
Naoe, on the other hand... Naoe Nishinoutouin despised for she was not prim, nor particularly proper. Naoe she despised because Naoe had a conflicting morality, rather than Kumagusu's eager and unquestioning subordination. Naoe she despised because Naoe was infuriatingly modern with her cropped hair, and bangs, and unevenly buttoned shirts, and skirts that were just below regulation length.
"Yes. Layoffs. For our club to succeed, we need to out our funds out there. And since so much of the funds go towards the protection of members..." she trailed off.
"Who." One of the girls spoke up. "Who is getting fired, Yuriko-san?"
"Well..." Nishinoutouin reached into her pocket, taking out a piece of paper which she smoothed out. She cleared her throat, before continuing, "You will be, Inui-san. I find you rather stifling to be around." That elicited a gasp from the girl with the bob- a second year.
"I have prepared a list," Nishinoutouin brandished the piece of paper, squinting slightly, before pointing in the direction of one of the newer dealers. "Aiura-san, you're dismissed."
Naoe snuck a sideways glance at Aiura Kokoro, the girl with the weird hairstyle. Aiura-san was a middle-school student on trial lessons who had made a bit of a name for herself- a good enough gambler, in Naoe's opinion, but her cheating was tasteless and her personality was as interesting and intelligent as a block of wood.
"What? Why?" Aiura aggressively rebuked.
"Because you're a new member who has brought next to nothing of value to the club. Kurume-san: you are also dismissed."
Naoe's gaze flitted towards the glitzy girl with bubblegum pink hair. Kurume Kurumi was a damn valuable asset to the Traditional Culture Club- she reminded Naoe vaguely of a more heightened version of Juraku. Kurume knew the risks, the odds, she had an excellent poker face too.
The problem? She dressed- and acted- like a prostitute.
Nothing wrong with that- Naoe respected sex work, and freedom to dress however you wished- but if to Nishinoutouin Naoe was an itch, then Kurume was a full-blown rash.
Kurume looked unfazed. "Eh. Figures. I was looking for a career change anyway. Perhaps Ikishima is hiring?"
Nishinoutouin visibly tensed at the mention of Ikishima Midari- her rival. Although Ikishima probably wasn't even aware the other girl existed, Nishinoutouin had been competing with her since the beginning of the first year.
The Traditional Culture Club had a typically higher win rate, whereas Ikishima and Company seized more dens, but with a lower profit.
"Yes... perhaps." The girl with the kimono wrinkled her nose, before looking down at the list again. "Kibashira-san, Kuonji-san, Kochi-san, Sera-san,"
All perfectly useless gamblers, along with their leader, Musubi Kanade. But Musubi paid a fee to the club that could not be discounted- it was only logical he be kept on.
"Oi! Not fair!" Kibashira yelled. Musubi shushed him.
Nishinoutouin folded up the list. "That will be all for now."
Naoe breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't laid off- a huge surprise, but a relief nonetheless.
"Just kidding." Nishinoutouin cracked a rare sadistic smile, and Naoe's body temperature dropped. "Suzui-san, Habakiri-san, Sumeragi-san. You all can get out as well. Services no longer required."
Suzui Ryota- another middle-schooler, and as was Sumeragi Itsuki. Suzui got in thanks to the (admittedly tasteless) Aiura, who had profusely recommended him to Noshinoutouin.
Sumeragi-san was an even younger middle-schooler, but thanks to her privileges (read: bribe money), she was allowed to enter campus for clubs.
"W-what?" Sumeragi yelled, headband slipping off in her indignation. Her excessively-vibrant nails (orange with pink dots today) were put on view as she threw up her hands in incredulousness.
"You can't fire me! I'm one of your best dealers!"
"You're a middle-schooler. You have no respect for proper traditions, neither you nor Habakiri, otherwise you'd address me as "Nishinoutouin-sama,"" The reply was cold, nonchalant, inspiring rage within Naoe.
"I'm literally older than you!" Naoe exclaimed in a fit of anger. "And this isn't even a Traditional Culture Club! Stop with these idiotic farces- it's just a gambling den, Yuriko." She attempted to adopt her best Miharutaki-san impression, although what came out was decidedly more like Juraku than her idol.
An angry pink flush danced in Nishinotouin's cheeks, as her mouth fell open.
"Whoo!" Kurume cheered. "You tell her, Habakiri!"
Kumagusu shot her the most venomous glare, to which Kurume replied with a simple shrug of her shoulders.
"What? I don't work here anymore, I can criticise Yuriko here all I want."
"Don't use Nishinotouin-sama's first name!" Kumagusu looked mortified. "You are not worthy, Kurume!"
"Yuriko, Yuriko, Yuriko, Yuriko," Kurume taunted.
"You shut up, Kurume!" Nishinoutouin barked, but the pink-haired girl didn't at all shrink back. Malice sparkled in her enigmatic eyes.
"Hm. Well, I don't think you're in any position to make demands here, Yuriko. Miharutaki-san and Juraku-san are on the hunt for you, and everyone you've just fired knows about your cheat. The bribe money you give to us all will be a lot higher than the entrance fees you'll receive. Wouldn't want us to run our pretty mouths, would you?" She taunted.
For a second, Nishinotouin-san looked lost. Then, her eyes gained a flinty look.
"You wouldn't dare."
"Oh, I would-"
"No. You wouldn't." She stamped her foot, threateningly. "Know why? Because I'll be changing the cheat, and then not even the smartest of you will be able to guess it. I've already thought of it and you and your simple-mindedness, Kurume, won't get you anywhere."
"Oh, we'll see about that," Sumeragi folded her hands across her chest, before pausing.
"Well. I'm out of here." She said, matter-of-factly. "This toxicity is too much for me, but mark my words, I'll be back tomorrow." Her glare was pathetic, petulant. Both Nishinotouin and Naoe knew she was not coming back.
Aiura made a noise in her throat, before turning to Suzui, all simpering. "Let's go, Ryota-san. I can buy you some snacks at the cafeteria, if you desire."
"Um." Suzui said stupidly. "Sure."
"Hmph! Well, then I'm out too." Inui-san strutted out, head held high.
"Go, boys, go, shoo. Maybe later I can teach you how to "deal" better, hehe!" Musubi giggled, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear, pushing his disgruntled "boys" out.
"Me too, I guess." Kurume said. "And about earlier? I was kidding, Yuriko. I don't care about your precious Club that much. Truth be told, you're sometimes as uptight as whatshername, that girl Naoe vigorously worships." Naoe clenched her fists, as Kurume stifled a yawn.
"Oh well, toodles!" With one last wave, hop and skip, Kurume made her exit.
Naoe just sat there, watching it all play out. She only came to her senses when Kumagusu angrily gestured towards the door.
Right.
Feeling stiff, sore and shocked, Naoe made her clumsy exit, before feeling she needed to add something.
"Oh, Nishinoutouin-sama?" She made her voice honey-sweet, as the President turned to look at her warily.
"Yes?"
Naoe pulled out her middle finger. "Go fuck yourself."
And then she skipped out, not willing to bear witness to the reactions that followed. She had exceeded her daily dose of Nishinoutouin for today.
"What do you think they're so interested in?" Sayaka craned her neck, as students flicked around a notice board.
Midari made an incoherent noise in reply, too busy examining the contents of her nose.
"I dunno. Hey, were you listening to me?"
"Yes, yes I was," Sayaka said tiredly. Midari had gone off on a spiel about the new Beautification officer Miharutaki Sakura and how she had supposedly "beaten the shit" out of them the previous day.
Something Sayaka sincerely doubted, given the fact that out of all the current student council members, she seemed the most reasonable, if a little cold. Juraku was the renowned sadist around there.
But then again, Sayaka had seen the ten broken fingers from Midari's friend, who she had a chance encounter with earlier that day, so perhaps there was something to Midari's words.
"So, as I was saying..." Sayaka mentally tuned out her best friend, attempting to push through the crowd- but with little success.
"Dammit. Is it Donation Day already?" She muttered, pushing her glasses up her nose. Midari usually covered those for her- the other girl was surprisingly generous with her money.
"Huh?" Midari blinked in confusion. "Ah, forget it. I'll tell you about my sexy times another day. You're clearly not listening," She said in a tone that very much implied that she would be very pleased if Sayaka did indeed turn and listen to her.
She didn't.
Midari rolled her eyes, before cupping her hands. "Oi! Part, you wet cunts!" She yelled into the crowd, who instantly parted, allowing Sayaka to push through.
"Thank you," she muttered embarrassedly, ducking down to avoid the stares.
Three new posters decorated the noticeboard. All imprinted with the student council logo.
Hm. No wonder there was such a hubbub. It was rare the student council made announcements, and Momobami-san had already caused quite a stir.
The poster that instantly caught Sayaka's eye was the bright pink one that made her eyes ache just looking at it. The writing was all in a bubbly yellow font.
"Apply for a position on the Committee of Absolute Neutrality!" It said cheerily. "Free lollipops for all who come!"
Below that read the room in which it would be held- A13- and signed off by the Chairwoman of the Committee of Absolute Neutrality, Yomozuki Runa, and President Momobami Kirari herself.
Sayaka found herself examining the curved loops of the President's writing perhaps a little longer than she ought to have done.
Well. What could she say? Kaichou had pretty writing.
A whistle from Midari shook her out of her trance, as she pointed to another poster. "Ooh, look at this!"
Sayaka tore her gaze away from the neon-pink poster towards one with an aesthetic that perhaps wasn't as eye-catching as the previous but equally alluring.
"The merged Committees of Beautification and Public Morals will be holding set interviews for applicants onto the council," it said, following on with a list of qualifications for potential interviewees, as well as a promise of refreshments, and the room the interviews were to be held in- in general it was just formatted a lot more formally than the previous.
Ironic, since the layout background was a dark grey with macabre chains lying around.
"Signed by: Chairwoman Miharutaki Sakura. Juraku Sachiko, as per the usual, did nothing to contribute other than the layout." Sayaka bit back a snort, as her eyes fell to the bottom of the page, once again examining the President's looped handwriting.
"Well. Sign me the fuck up!" Midari grinned, reaching for the sign-up sheet and putting on "Manyuda Kaede". Sayaka gawked at her.
"That's not your name, Midari." Her hand went on the other girls' forehead. "Are you high?"
Midari rolled her eyes. "Oh, simple Sayaka. I need assurance that I'm getting in. Can't afford to be kicked out before I've even gotten in, hm?" There was a crazed look in her eyes. "I mean, I just don't think Miharutaki likes me all that much, you know? Not as much as I like her. With a fake name, at least I can be with her and Queen Juraku."
Sayaka tutted to herself. "Your obsession with sadistic girls- or at least, girls you claim to be sadistic- is on a whole other level."
"Says you!" Midari countered. "Don't think I didn't see you doodling your name and President Momobami's in the margin of your textbook!"
Sayaka's cheeks flushed. "S-shut up!" She feebly protested, swatting Midari on the arm, who cackled like a hyena. The students around them began to walk away, nothing clearly interesting them.
Sayaka took a look at the third poster- this one just more bland than the previous two- a simple white. The annoying thing? Whoever formatted it chose a neon cyan blue as the font colour, so Sayaka had to squint to make out the tiny writing.
""Expectation is the root of heartache"- as the mighty William Shakespeare said, and alas, this appears to be the case for our previous incompetent secretary. A President expects order, not clutter. I fired him, naturally. A good decision in both short and long term. He was a disappointment. But paperwork is piling up, and somebody needs to take care of it. And that won't be me, or my lazy sister."
What sister? Sayaka found herself wondering.
"Not my overworked best friend, that leech Miboumi, nor the Heads of PB and J (technically it's PM and B, but PB and J sounds so much better, doesn't it? But I digress). Also anyone in general willing to passively participate in a side-romance with the esteemed President Momobami is welcome. Be smart, sharp, and a lesbian- the Vice President and I will be holding interviews tomorrow (that's the day after you'll be seeing this poster) in Library Prep Room #2. Refreshments will be stolen from Terano's cookie jar."
Who's Terano? Sayaka found herself thinking, just positively nonplussed about the very essence and eccentricity of the request.
It could only have been Momobami Kirari who wrote it up- and sure enough, there it was, only her name and signature at the bottom.
A... a side romance? Sayaka found herself blushing at the very thought. How... oddly cliché.
"Aaand done!" Midari said, twirling the pen with a flourish. Sayaka blinked, looking over to double-check that her best friend hadn't done anything stupid.
"What are you doing?" She asked, instantly suspicious. "You're not signing up twice, are you? I don't want to be associated with you if the council runs a complaint."
"Oh, I'm not signing myself up, I'm signing you up." Midari grinned.
"What?" Sayaka's voice slipped an octave. "I-I'm not doing that! Are you crazy?? Juraku is terrifying-"
"-ly hot," Midari interjected, earning her another slap on the shoulder.
Probably not the best idea, given that she was a masochist, but the best Sayaka could do.
"No! Well, yes!" A slight pink crept up to the tips of Sayaka's ears. "I mean! I don't care if she's the goddess of the sun, there's no way I'm holding an interview with her! For fucks sake, she saw me practically naked in the corridor! And if I get in, I'll have to deal with that for pretty much forever!"
The girl with the glasses caught her breath, before adding: "Besides. I'm applying to be Momobami-sama's secretary anyway."
Midari snorted. "Momobami? Didn't she also see you in the corridor, half-naked? And isn't she like, 10 times more sadistic than Juraku?"
"Yes, but I like her. I don't like Juraku at all." Sayaka childishly retorted, crossing her arms.
"Come on, please?" Midari begged. "Do it with me- you can be quick, and make it in time for the secretary thing anyway."
"Why do you care anyway?"
"Well, you're my best friend! Duh." Midari said as if it were obvious.
"Real reason?" Sayaka wasn't falling for it.
"Fine." She lowered her voice, even though nobody was actually listening. "So, I may be kinda... well, just a little bit, you know... completely freaking terrified of those two." She jerked her head towards the poster, which quite conveniently had both Juraku and Miharutaki's school photographs on it. "But at the same time, it's like..." she clicked her tongue
"So you need emotional support." Sayaka supplied dryly. "Alright. But leave time for my interview, otherwise..." she trailed off.
"Otherwise you'll beat the shit out of me? Good to know." Midari said cheerily.
"Ugh! Fuck you!"
Miharutaki Sakura once thought she was a patient person, but Sachiko's presence made it exceedingly difficult to truly maintain her image of grace.
They had gone through four dens, and Sakura was probably four times more exhausted than she would've been had she done the dens alone.
Sachiko had taken every single opportunity to annoy Sakura, be it a malicious comment disguised as flirtation or simply a taunting remark about how tired she looked.
They were almost by the fifth den when Sachiko had had the nerve to say: "My, you sure look tense, Sakura. Need me to loosen some of that tension?" Before sending a lecherous wink in the older girls' direction, and goddamit Sakura was just about ready to slap her again, she really was. Juraku Sachiko, after her half-assed apology (something Sakura made herself simply deal with) was back to her hobby of driving Sakura up the wall.
But, another more devious, sadistic idea crept into her mind.
What if Sakura played Sachiko's game? Something that hit a little differently.
"Yes, please," she forced her voice to come out as breathy, as she shot Sachiko a smirk on par with one of her own. Forcing out every ounce of sleaziness into her voice, she ran her hand along Sachiko's lean shoulders, not altogether surprised at the plane of hard muscle that lay there. She slipped her hand down, fingering Sachiko's tie, which was tied snugly around her neck.
How easy it would be to tighten it right there and then...
Sakura blinked, pushing the thoughts of murder away. Nope. Not today.
"You know, I really love that shirt on you," she leaned closer, savouring the (although probably fake) dilation of Sachiko's slit-like pupils. "But I think it would look even better if it was off."
Sakura cringed internally at the corny pick-up line, but maintained her casually perverted grin, delighting as she watched the lightest dusting of pink cover Sachiko's cheeks, as her mouth hung open.
Ha! Score!
Mission accomplished, Sakura forced her expression to turn cold again, and resist the overwhelming urge to grab Sachiko by the lapels of her blazer and-
Nope. Not today.
"Close your mouth, Sachiko. You'll catch flies." She said, preparing to walk away but before she could Sachiko grabbed her arm, pushing her against the wall.
"You think you win?" She chuckled, a low and textured sound. "You know..." she sensually licked her lips, "I've been having such an off day, but you," she tugged on Sakura's ponytail, hard- causing her to gasp out in pain. "You never fail to turn me on."
"That it?" The Beautification attempted to hide her own arousal, because Aoi, but felt she was failing pretty miserably.
"Oh, you want more?" Sachiko's ridiculously long nails dug into her wrist, effectively pinning her in place. "I have memorised hundreds of pick up lines just for this moment."
"I-" Sakura was cut off by Sachiko's daring hands, which were roving around her shoulder blades, squeezing lightly, as she leaned in, taking a long inhale.
"If being sexy is a crime, then you're under arrest." She bit her lip, still wearing that devilish grin.
"Christ," Sakura muttered, but never one to back down from a challenge, she forced herself to level her gaze with Sachiko's. "Alright, you want to play? Let's play."
She grabbed one of Sachiko's hands, placing it down on her abdomen. Years of workouts had left her with a pretty decent four-pack. "Want to know why I'm so muscly? It's from picking up sexy ladies like you." She felt her abdomen twitch at the cold weight of Sachiko's hand.
The platinum-blonde let out a low whistle. "Fuck, those are some serious workouts you got there, Sakura." She looked... almost impressed?
Huh. That was new.
"Well, my turn." Almost reluctantly, Sachiko removed her hand from Sakura's stomach.
"There will be only seven planets left," what?
"...after I destroy Uranus."
Well, that certainly snapped Sakura out of whatever trance she was in.
"Oi, what the fuck?" She shouted, acting indignant, although the horrible humour of the remarkably cheesy pickup line didn't escape her.
"Oh. My. God. Did I do it? Did I make the Iron Woman Miharutaki Sakura laugh? Score!" Sachiko punched the air, only further adding on to the ridiculousness of the whole thing.
Sakura snorted. "Shut up, oh my god, that was the worst thing I've ever heard. I-I mean, "Uranus", really? That is just-" she cackled. "I win, no takebacks. That was hands down the cringiest pickup line ever."
Sachiko stuck her tongue out. "Yeah, well, I have photos of you when you were asleep so you can shut up."
Sakura chose to ignore that. "Pffft! They call you the "master of seduction", oh god," she pretended to wipe her eyes.
"You're horrible." Sachiko said amicably.
"Aw, I love you too!" Sakura returned. "That's you, by the way, literally any time I say anything." She added.
Sachiko sighed. "Ah well. Shame you don't- we would've made such a power couple."
"Really. We can't even collect the money because you're too busy being yourself." She huffed, putting her hands on hips, although the smile remained on her face, and Sachiko had an absolutely adorable one to match.
Huh. "Adorable" and "Sachiko" were two words Sakura never expected to use in regards to the sadist, but somehow it felt right.
"Ri-ight," there was a teasing lilt to Sachiko's voice, before her expression morphed into a serious one. "But really- and I know this may sound shocking, since receiving attention from me is on par to being noticed by a goddess- are you okay? You've been very stressed lately."
"Only because of your involvement in my life." Sakura quipped, which wasn't entirely untrue, she supposed.
"Sakura."
The raven-haired girl let out a slow exhale. The way Sachiko looked at her like that with veiled concern sent dangerous flips through her stomach.
Goodness. It's one thing being vaguely attracted to a seductive goddess, but when she's nice to you?
It felt like another plane of high, one inevitably dampened by the fall- which was Sakura's engagement.
Granted, it was hardly the first time she'd caught feelings outside of her engagement. At first, she was very open about it to Aoi, but then... then Hyakkaou came along, and Aoi wouldn't stand for her to be around boys any longer, and how on earth was she supposed to convey her attraction to women to somebody who was blind to the fact that his male subordinate had a huge crush on him?
So Sakura worked through her feelings the only way she could- shut them out. And she had tried, for Sachiko. She had tried very hard. But Sachiko was like one of those moles in the arcade you had to knock with a mallet- she kept popping up again. An infestation. A disease.
"I'm fine," she forced out. Just a little stressed because I have a massive crush on you and have no way of dealing with it, so could you just leave me alone? Please and thank you.
A whoop and a faraway giggle tore Sakura away from her intrusive thoughts.
Wait a second- is that…?
"No, you're clearly-" Sachiko began, but was cut off by the older girl.
"Wait. Sh." In a burst of fearlessness she clamped her hand over Sachiko's mouth, straining to listen to what she thought she heard.
Sachiko's daring tongue licked her palm, causing Sakura to yelp in disgust, instantly yanking her hand away.
"What on earth was that for?"
Sachiko rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on! What's more important than your mental health?"
"Habakiri-san, that's who. Come on." Sakura grabbed ahold of her best friend's wrist, bluntly dragging her across the corridor.
"Whoa whoa whoa, wait up! You can read minds? I thought that was Kirari's thing." There was just that hint of incredulity in Sachiko's voice that Sakura was quite pleased to hear.
"Don't be ridiculous. I just know what she sounds like, that's all. She's in that corridor over there, celebrating something with the MSFC." Sakura pointed towards the neighbouring corridor.
Sachiko blinked in surprise. "The "MSFC"?"
"Yes, that's what they call themselves." She waved a hand dismissively. "It's a little cringe, you know. Stands for "Miharutaki Sakura Fan Club"."
"Oh. Okay..." for the first time, Sachiko sounded positively confused. So was Sakura, if she was being honest, she had no real idea why she decided to come.
But the surprise on Habakiri-san's face as she rounded the corner was all worth it.
The other members looked equally enthralled, if not more so at seeing Sakura. One girl dropped to her knees.
Sachiko scoffed, muttering "pathetic" under her breath.
"Miharutaki-san!" The money Habakiri was counting was dropped as if it was aflame. "Um! What a surprise to see you!" The telltale flush crept up her face.
"You too," Sakura greeted warmly. "What's all that money you're counting?"
"Oh!" Na- Habakiri looked a little guilty at that. "That's the money I.. won today,"
Sachiko raised an eyebrow. "You won all this? 500,000 yen? What is it really- is Yuriko-chan feeling generous?" Condescension tugged at her tone, causing Sakura to shoot her a glare. What was this girls problem with Habakiri?
"No.." Habakiri's smile slipped downwards. "I actually won it of my own accord. Nishinoutouin-san fired me."
"Why on earth would she do that?" Sakura frowned. "Judging by how much you've won, I can safely say you're a decent gambler."
Habakiri shrugged, faux-dismissive. "Layoffs. Something about the Traditional Culture Club needing to increase profits with new members fees. Such a scam, honestly. I didn't even get my entrance fee back."
Sakura's mouth hung open. "God-damn. I didn't think she'd take it seriously."
"Wait, what?" Habakiri's eyes narrowed.
"Well, President Momobami told Nishinoutouin that if she wanted a place on the council, she'd need to rise in the rankings. I'm pretty sure it was just to toy with her, but..." she sighed, rubbing her temples. "Ah, I'm sorry. That must suck."
"Yeah, it does. But also-" Habakiri jerked her head towards her winnings. "It's not all bad."
Sakura cracked a smile. "Resourceful, aren't you? Maybe you ought to be on the council instead of Nishinoutouin." She joked.
Sachiko rolled her eyes. Again. Seriously- what was her problem.
"Maybe I should..." Habakiri's eyes glazed over, before she blinked. "I mean, thank you Miharutaki-san." She bowed hurriedly.
"You're welcome," Sakura shot her a winning smile, before half glancing at her watch. "Well. I really ought to be going- Juraku-san and I have yet to make our collections."
"Alright. Have fun!" Habakiri shouted to them, as the two second years walked away.
" "Have fun"," Sachiko mocked under her breath.
"God, shut up." Sakura swatted her on the arm.
Notes: This one is a bit of a filler, honestly. I wanted to write a bit more Yuriko- my girl is getting sidelined so hard, even though technically she was already pretty much just in the background originally. She's getting bashed so hard, though- but I feel like it's kinda in character. Istg Yuriko and Sakura are the only sane ones- but Sakura is freaking terrifying, and Yuriko isn't, so my girl probably got stepped on a lot.
I feel like recently Aoi and Runa have been kinda sidelined (even though it was part of my plan) so next chapter will focus specifically on them.
Speaking of:
Next up: Sakura and Sachiko run into a problem during their interviews, Aoi and Runa have a lot of fun during theirs, Ririka is sick of Kirari's shit.
