10… 9… 8… 7…

Quiet chatter and murmurs, radiant props and light sticks waving idly around in the sea of black.

6… 5… 4…

It was almost time. The moment they had all been waiting for. Thousands of seats vibrated with the crowd's suspense.

3… 2… 1…

Smoke rolled in large waves over the stage as the area faded into darkness. There was a moment of silence, and all went still, anticipation palpable in the sea of excited faces. Then, an explosion of light illuminated the stadium in a burst of colors. Voices roared; an eruption of sound echoing toward the sky. The crowd screamed; elated fans nearly jumping out of their seats, watching as a slim figure slowly raised on a platform in the center. The stadium rumbled with screams and the sound of a single name.

The woman turned to face the crowd with an elaborate spin. Violet waves of hair flowed behind her as she spun, framing her face, adorned with elaborate makeup. Soft pink lips pursed for just a moment as her gaze swept over the legion of concert goers. Careful liner and mascara framed her azure blue eyes, lidded with light shadow and glitter along the edges. With a call to her fans, she raised her arms into the air, escalating the crowd into a frenzy. Their screams were overtaken only by the rumbling of the speakers, filling the air with a fast-paced beat.

Then, with a wink and smile, she opened her mouth and began to sing.

. . .

As the music came to an end, Nari relaxed, letting her arms fall from a signature pose. Moving forward, she switched off the speakers, filling the studio with silence. It had been months since her last performance on a live stage. Yet somehow, she still found herself practicing the same familiar routines. With classes over, it was common for her to make her way to either the music room or dance studio to conduct afterschool activities on her own. It was senseless, she knew, to bother with keeping her skills sharp. She would have little need of them when she finally returned home.

Sweat dripped from her brow, Nari brushing a hand across her forehead. A clock sat proudly near the center of the walls just above the mirrors, but for her, it was unnecessary. She had done these routines before, more than enough times to judge from the number of songs she performed. Picking up her bag, she made her way from the studio and back to her room for a much-needed bath.

Her post-practice care was therapeutic, leaving Nari with a satisfied smile on her face. It wasn't until she took a glimpse at her bedside clock that she realized how late it had gotten. A loud grumble of her stomach angrily reminded her that she had, once again, forgotten to eat. 'Old habits die hard, I guess…' With an aggravated sigh, Nari threw on some clothes — a pair of shorts and shirt — before making her way out of the room once again.

"Hmph…"

The empty halls seemed so much larger without the waves of bustling students, making her realize once more just how large their building was. Just the thought that a single person had created almost an entire world floating in the sky was still utterly mind-blowing. As a shrine daughter, Nari was well aware of the power of the gods. But knowing something and being a part of it were two very different things. To actually live in the academy of the gods… it would be a gross understatement to call it the experience of a lifetime.

'Hmm?' Silence fell when her footsteps halted. There was no sound aside from her own breathing, but she couldn't help the feeling that she wasn't alone. Having spent the last few years of her life as a public icon, the feeling of eyes at her back had become second nature. Which was exactly why she knew that someone was watching her. Yet, when she turned around, there was no one in sight. A small frowned formed on her face, eyes drifting from side to side in the hopes of catching a glimpse; any sign of who may be following. She found none.

Stepping back, Nari moved in reverse in the hopes of luring out some form of movement. Again, there was none. With a tired sigh, she shook her head and turned around, making her way to her destination at a quicker pace. Nearly jogging down to the end of the hall, she rounded the corner, a pair of silver eyes watching her vanish.

"Yui…? What are you doing here so late?" Nari asked curiously.

As she entered the hall, she was surprised to find that she was not alone in her evening endeavor. Her sister had also made her way into the lunch hall and even more surprising, Dionysus was joining her. "Oh! Dionysus wanted some advice on gardening. We were getting a little hungry, so we came for a snack.

"Gardening…?"

Dionysus offered his friendliest smile. "Just getting some ideas. I didn't know grapes were grown in Japan. Yui here was telling me about them."

"Oh… yeah. Koshu Valley is a big producer of wine," Nari commented.

"You seem very knowledgeable… I'm impressed."

"Nari travels a lot. She's been all over Japan!" Yui stated proudly. Nari shook her head, giving a small smirk.

"Ah… a learned woman. I like that."

Within a second, her smirk disappeared from her face. It was replaced by a pair of rolling eyes. "Of course, you do."

Yui looked between the two of them with a curious smile, stopping only as a moment of realization washed over her. "Wait… Nari, what are you doing down here? It's pretty late."

"…" The older sister shifted her eyes to the side, trying to avoid the suspicious gaze of her younger sibling. Her mind had just worked together a sufficient excuse when her rumbling stomach answered for her, giving her away. Traitor. She grimaced at the look her sister gave her now knowing for sure that she had been caught.

Yui sighed. "You forgot to eat again, didn't you?" Nari's silence said all she needed to. "Nari —"

"I know, I just… lost track of time," she defended.

Her response was not enough. A frown pulled on her sister's lips and her eyes narrowed with suspicion. She could almost see the parts moving in her brain as she processed the given information. It was only a matter of time, she knew. Nari braced herself for the dreaded question as Yui opened her mouth. Then…

"Well, why don't we grab something to eat?" Dionysus asked.

Nari never thought she would see the day she was relieved to hear the flirtatious god speak. Latching onto the opportunity, Nari nodded her head, forcing a smile onto her face. "Sounds like a plan."

With Yui's questioning halted, the trio made their way to the food counter to order their chosen items. Though it was far from her first time visiting the cafeteria, the sheer variety of available food items never ceased to amaze her. It seemed that they truly could get anything they wanted, regardless of taste, accessibility, and country of origin. Hungry beyond belief, Nari ordered a full meal consisting of shogayaki, salad, rice, and a small bowl of miso soup. Dionysus, unsurprisingly, ordered himself a large bowl of grapes and Yui settled with a small snack of strawberry pocky. With their food items in hand, the three made their way to a table against the far wall.

Once seated, Yui let out an awkward exhale. "I don't think I will ever get used to this…"

"What, ordering food from a literal goddess?"

"Yeah. It's just… it's unusual."

"Hah… that's the understatement of the century."

"You get used to it," Dionysus encouraged, popping a grape into his mouth.

"I sincerely doubt that," Nari countered.

"Why not? I could definitely get used to this."

"Of course, you would say that."

"What can I say? I enjoy lovely company," the god replied. He offered a playful wink, earning another eyeroll in response.

The two continued their bickering back and forth, earning a silent chuckle from the sibling watching them. They eventually grew tired of their mini conflict, shifting their topics to their individual ventures. They discussed their club activities and what sort of things they had done during their downtime. They discussed Dionysus's garden and its progress and Yui's work with the student council. Nari gave as little information as possible, telling the pair about her dance practice while cleverly omitting what it was for.

With their meals coming to an end, the topic slowly shifted back to academia. "So, Dionysus… I noticed you've still been skipping a lot of the lectures… were you going to start coming to class more often?" Yui asked.

"Do I have to? I'm already doing the afterschool club."

"W-Well, yes, but…" She tried to think of a way to convince him, stammering when she came up empty. How was she supposed to convince him? Floundering, she slowly looked to her sister, hoping that Nari had a better answer.

"Yes, you have to. The whole point of afterschool clubs is to do them after school."

"Yeah, but I figured that had more to do with the timeframe," he said with a shrug.

"…" Nari fell silent. Technically, he had a point. Even still, he had a responsibility to uphold. All of them did. After a few more moments of thought, she sighed. "Yes, that's true… but you're still supposed to go to class. You want to get out of here, right?"

"Eh, I'm starting to like it here."

"Seriously?" A hint of irritation seeped into her voice. It was clear that her patience was coming to an end.

"Dionysus, please. It's important that you attend… there must be some way to convince you…" Yui tried.

"Yeah. Don't you want to learn about humans, even a little?" Nari's question was met with a sly smile. Instant regret.

"I wouldn't mind learning more about you."

Nari's frown quickly faltered, chopsticks nearly fumbling in her fingers. Was there no opportunity this man wouldn't take? Shameless.

Yui, however, saw an opportunity. "Well, Nari goes to class too. Isn't that at least some motivation?"

The look her sister gave was bloody daggers, but she couldn't be bothered to care. It was clear that the Greek god had some fascination with her. She had already spent countless hours in the student council room slaving over academic plans. Her sister could take one for the team.

"Hmm… well, I can't say I'm not tempted."

Nari sighed. It seemed that there would be no end to her irritation on this day. Her suspicions were further confirmed when the offending god let out a huge yawn. "What, even talking about class tires you now?"

"Looks that way," he replied, grabbing his empty bowl with a pair of drooping eyes. "I think I'm gonna go get some shuteye."

"What a surprise."

Dionysus rose from his seat and gave her a grin. "Maybe I will take you up on your offer… assuming I will see you there?"

Just like that, her patience was exhausted. "Whatever gets you to class, man…"

Satisfied, Dionysus gave her a wink before turning toward the cafeteria counter. "Sounds like a plan." Nari shook her head as he left with a wave, calling over his shoulder. "See you later, ladies."

"Good night, Dionysus," Yui called after him.

With nothing more to do or say, the sisters watched as he strode his way to the counter, dropped off his bowl, and disappeared from the room. Despite herself, Nari's eyes never left him. That man was the personification of frustration. Yet, as much as the Greek god irritated her…

Yui watched her sister's gaze as it followed their classmate all the way to the door. A knowing smile rose to her face when she turned back around, earning a confused frown.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing… just amused. Some things never change."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Dionysus."

"What about him?"

"I saw the way you were looking at him," Yui goaded.

Nari scowled and averted her eyes, feeling the warmth radiating from her face. At the sound of her sister's giggling, she crossed her arms and frowned even more. "What do you want from me, he's a god? I'm only human."

Yui shook her head. "Nari… you've always been like this. Remember that boy from junior high you used to have a crush on?"

"Koichi? That didn't last long. Not after he decided to pour juice in my hair."

"Right… but then there was Yosuke in high school."

"Total jerk. Went out for like a week before he dumped me for that senior…"

"And what about that actor? What was his name… Saburo?"

"That was just a rumor. We had a set together, that's it."

Her sister shook her head. "You're missing the point. Don't you get it? The guys, they've all had one thing in common…"

"…They were all dickheads?"

Yui snorted. "Well… maybe that too."

"I don't follow."

"Face it, Nari. You've clearly got a type. You've always had a thing for redheads as long as I can remember."

Her sister frowned and shook her head. "That's not true. It wasn't… all of them…"

"That idol Akihito?"

"His hair was dyed!"

"Still red."

Nari groaned. "Okay, I'm ending this conversation." Rising to her feet, she started gathering her dishes and placing them on her tray. Happy as it made her to see her sister smiling, she wasn't amused that it was at her expense. With her dishes stacked, she lifted her tray and started following a similar path toward the counter. She grimaced when she heard her sister's voice calling after her.

"Well, he certainly seems to like you!"

Her final jab was met with no response. She refused to humor her sister any further. Instead, she offered a small wave, shaking her head at the sound of quiet snickering behind her.