"Ehhh…" Saori's face and voice were filled with doubt. They'd only just arrived to this… triple date, and she was already questioning every life-decision she'd ever made that led her up to this point. The only semblance of comfort she had was Rika's arm slung casually around her waist. Ordinarily, it would make her blush and stutter, flustered, but today…? Whether she realized it or not, the Ultimate Calligraphist instinctively cuddled closer to her girlfriend, the Ultimate Arsonist.

Rika cast her a look of surprise, but then flashed the smuggest smile Saori had ever seen. Oh, yeah, I still got it! Rika Seto is… flamin' HAWT! She gave Saori a little squeeze, and that finally evoked a jolt and a squeak out of her. Don't worry, Saori, I got my firepower turned down! No scorch marks today! Just my SMOKIN' good—

"HEEEE! Oh, I'm so sorry! Sorrysorrysorrysorry! Sorry to have kept you waitiiiinngg!" Rika and Saori's heads jerked over their shoulders in surprise. Racing toward them was second-year Ultimate Nurse, Mikan Tsumiki. Strutting beside her with a confident and cocky smile to rival Rika's was first-year Ultimate Fashionista, Junko Enoshima.

"Heeyy girrllzz!" Junko flashed a peace sign, smirk growing even broader as she watched Mikan stumble and trip her way over to the two third-year Ultimates. Saori winced in second-hand embarrassment as Mikan went flying over a loose stone in the parking lot. After spinning through the air and rolling several feet forward, she landed directly in front of Rika and Saori with her skirt up and her legs wide open.

"Yaahhhh! I'm s-s-s-so s-s-s-sorry you had to s-s-s-see something so- so- so- so unslightlyyyy!"

Saori couldn't help but look away, and in doing so, she caught another glimpse of Junko's cocky smirk. A chill ran down the Ultimate Calligraphist's spine. There was just something about her, that girl, that didn't feel quite right… Saori made a comparison in her mind to Rika, for they were both seemingly extroverted and bubbly girls with pigtails as big as their personalities and their—but there was something innately different in Rika that Junko lacked.

"S'all right, girlfriend! C'mon! Up you go!" Grinning blithely, as if completely, situationally unaware, Rika reached down and grabbed Mikan's bandaged hands, lifting her back up and clean off her feet before setting her back down again.

"W-woah…!" Mikan looked at her with starry eyes. Saori looked back at Rika as well. The smile on her face was honest and earnest, like that of an innocent child or a young puppy dog. The smile on Junko's face, though…? It was similar, but, no… there was something so, so wrong about it…

"HEEEE! Oh, I'm so sorry! Sorrysorrysorry to have made you all WAAIIT!"

Now, Saori exhaled, more exasperated and tired than embarrassed, and she again caught a glimpse of Junko's face. This time, even she looked annoyed, but the look was gone even quicker than it had come. Rika turned around again, still smilingly blithely at third and final couple to reach the little diner. Neo Lone and Sophia Smith, American transfer students, the Ultimate Diva and Empath respectively. While Neo glided effortlessly out of the car, face completely blank and empty, Sophia came scrambling over to the other four with her arms outstretched.

I swear, if she trips on the same—Saori didn't even get to finish the thought before Sophia howled again and fell flat on her face. Oh, well, at least she kept her legs closed…

"Ohhh! I'm so sorry, sorry, sorry! I've made such a fool out of myself in front of all of you! Ugghhh… I deserve it down here, with my face in the dirt! I'm such a worthless, useless, pathetic—!" She continued to grovel like a dog, belly on the ground, whining and yelping. "Neo should use me as a doormat and a footwipe because that's all I'm good—!"

"Sophia. Stand."

Just like that, seconds before Rika could cheerfully pick up the other depressed, anxious, low-esteemed, purple-haired girl, Sophia practically teleported to her feet because of how fast she jumped. All she needed was to hear Neo's soft, low, commanding, authoritative tone and she was the world's most obedient lapdog. If Neo said jump, Sophia already knew how high. She had everything about Neo memorized, and could read the Ultimate Diva better than anyone else in the entire world. Such was the power of the Ultimate Empath. Though her personality was… nowhere near as impressive or powerful as her Talent, not too dissimilar to Mikan.

Meanwhile, my Talent and personality are BOTH lame, Saori thought glumly.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Miss Sophia! Are you all right?! Are you hurt?!" Mikan raced towards the other purple-haired girl with her arms outstretched and Saori winced, but this time, Mikan stepped over the stone the two of them had previously tripped on. "Do you need any first aid?! Bandages?! Painkillers?! Emergency services?! Surgery or amputation?! What if something got infected?!"

"Down girl!" Junko cut her off with a cheerful laugh. Again, a chill ran down Saori's spine. "Now."

Mikan stopped dead in her tracks, mouth still open mid-ramble and arms still outstretched towards Sophia, who had since begun whimpering and shying away from the Ultimate Nurse, hugging herself, eyes glued to the parking lot pavement.

While Saori found herself unable to look Junko in the eyes when that sudden, harsh tone came out of her mouth, it was Neo's turn to look at her with the vaguest, barest amounts of surprise and fascination. A like-minded commander? Hmmm… Was that a power display? Was she attempting to up-show me?

Before she could question it any further, Rika clapped her hands excitedly. "Well, well, well! Now that the gang's all here! What's say we all go inside?! I heard Maho and Teruteru cooked up something special for today's menu!"

"Oh, God, that poor girl," Saori sighed sympathetically. Teruteru was only in Mikan's class, but everyone, from Rika to Saori to Neo to Sophia to Junko, knew what a lewd pervert he was. And although Maho did indeed despise working with him, whenever he got lost in the food and the cooking, he almost became a different person. Saucy, spicy jokes were still his main dish, but he took meal prep quite seriously, and could sometimes even intimidate Maho with his level of seriousness and devotion to the craft. Then again, he wasn't the Ultimate Cook—ah, Chef—for nothing.

Though, I doubt anything that even THEY could cook up would be half so… exciting and interesting as… this… Saori shook her head again slowly as she observed Sophia clinging to Neo's arm and cowering behind her, still whimpering her apologies for acting such a fool before they even managed to make it inside the dinner.

"Get off me!" Neo hissed, ripping her arm away from Sophia. Sophia clutched her head and began squealing in an even higher pitch.

"Well! C'mon, girlie! Let's go inside!" Junko agreed, slapping Mikan on the back heartily.

"Yaahhhh!" Again, the girl went flying, but this time through no fault of her own. At last, even Rika gave Junko a surprised, startled, sideways glance. While Sophia looked back and forth between Neo, and Junko and the once-again-grounded Mikan, Saori looked at the Ultimate Arsonist.

Even she seemed to be reconsidering this triple dog dare of a triple date (quickly turning into despair). As they entered the little luncheon dinner, Rika again wrapped an arm around Saori's waist, and for a second time that day, the Ultimate Calligraphist was grateful for it. While Junko had all but tripped Mikan through the door, while Neo waited expectantly for Sophia to hold it open for her, Rika and Saori entered together. What an odd group they made, three confident blondes (well, Rika had orange hair, but close enough) and three low-esteemed, purple-haired girls.

W-well… If nothing else… At least this day has taught me that I might've—no, definitely—gotten the best girlfriend of the lot! She gave a weak, sheepish chuckle, the doorbell tinkling over her head as she stepped inside, Rika holding her close and protective. Sophia and Mikan were still shrieking in front of them while Junko tried—and failed—to start a friendly conversation with Neo. Saori could only wonder what the main course would be like...