Knock knock knock.
Ding dong.
"UGH!"
Rindou chuckled ominously. "You're move, Headmaster. Are you going to open the door, or should I jump out the window again?"
Azami sat silently, contemplating this. Due to Tsukasa's protests, Rindou was not tied up that morning, and although the window was locked, she could probably break it.
"I'll open the door," he finally conceded. "But this is the last time, understood?"
Rindou grinned. "Aw, did your little scouting mission not go so well?"
"Are you questioning me!?" Azami boomed, clearly quite angry. Momo hid behind her stuffed toy, and Eizan tried to avoid eye contact with the headmaster, who stood up and unlocked the meeting room without another word.
Meanwhile, ninth seat Hayama Akira was thinking to himself, slightly concerned, but mostly just confused.
"Kurokiba, Nakiri… What are you guys up to?" he muttered under his breath.
Kinokuni leaned forward, adjusting her glasses. "Come to think of it, weren't Nakiri Alice and Kurokiba Ryou your friends, Hayama-kun?"
"Yeah, I guess…" he admitted, but Headmaster Azami was already out the door.
"Hello, Uncle Azami!" the familiar voice chirped. Speaking of chirped, a loud squawking of birds filled the lawn. Azami scanned the ground, only to spot an inflatable pool, filled to the brim with water… and swans.
"So the swimming pool wasn't a decoy…" he pondered, to which Alice responded, "Just listen!"
Perfectly on cue, Takumi Aldini, followed by his brother, Isami, stepped in front of the pool. Although slightly nervous about singing a capella, Takumi smiled as he faced the Headmaster and began:
"On the seventh day of Christmas, my brother gave to me:" Takumi's voice was strong and confident, although quite high. His younger twin looked on proudly, as the blond Italian finished, "Seven swans a-swimming!"
Azami, eager to find a flaw in their song, quickly counted the swans and ensured that each one was, in fact, in motion.
After he was unable to find any mistake, Hisako added, "Six geese a-laying," gesturing once again to her cart of nests.
"FIVE GOLDEN RINGS!" proclaimed Rindou from inside the meeting room. The sudden murmurs of amusement coming from inside seemed to suggest that she was making some absurd gesture or another.
Tadokoro took it away once more, "Four calling birds,"
"Three French hens!"
"Two turtle doves"
"And a partridge in a pear tree!"
Trying to hide his smile, Azami cleared his throat, before stating, "Now, Alice, this has been fun, but it stops here. I'm not opening the door again, okay?"
Alice nodded with a tight-lipped grin, as if amused by this response, then sang a quiet "Thank you for your time!"
The choir left silently, and as the headmaster returned to the meeting room, Rindou softly pouted, "What do you mean you're 'not opening the door again'? Where's your Christmas spirit, Headmaster?"
With a sigh, Azami mused, "I suppose we'll have to have someone watch you again tonight, Rindou. I'll put Tsukasa on duty."
Finally, Headmaster Nakiri Azami closed the meeting room door for hopefully the last time, and returned to his meeting once more.
To be continued...