Ibusaki Seijuro had been adverse to the notion of Sena joining the Nakiri-PSD faction to begin with. They were alone in the dorm kitchen one weekend, cooking and eating, when Sena remembered the impeccably folded application form Hikari had slipped into her notebook yesterday.

"So, Arato-senpai invited me to join the faction," she said as she tucked her knife into its case.

Sei lifted an eyebrow and leaned back against the counter. "Oh?"

"Yeah. She gave me the app yesterday."

The magenta haired boy pulled at the sleeves of his turtleneck before he asked, "Are you planning to join?"

Sena shrugged. "I have to."

"What makes you think that?" Sei frowned.

She glanced at him doubtfully. "I thought you of all people would be excited about this. Was I wrong to assume as such?"

Sei shook his head. "No, it's nothing like that. It's just…"

"Ah. So you do have your reservations. Spill."

"I mean, first of all, it's totally corrupt. Arato-senpai is just giving seats to members of the faction without considering the rest of the student body."

Sena pointed out, "You think the faction members don't deserve their seats?"

"That's not it at all. Her appraisal abilities are unnaturally acute, too. I don't doubt her judgment, but it's the process that bugs me, you know? I don't like the faction system in general."

"It's mostly your and Auden's fault that Nakiri-PSD exists to begin with," she said, starting to get a little annoyed. "Listen. I have to join the faction or Arato-senpai won't give me a seat in the council and that's pretty much the only reason I'm at this school. To take the top spot."

"And what? Are you asking for my permission?" Seijuro snapped, then his eyes grew wide. "Fuck, I'm sorry, Sena."

"Better to ask forgiveness than permission," she replied, her voice clipped. "I already turned the form in."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Should've known. Well, you do whatever you want. But you should know, I'm only in the faction because of Auden. If I could, I'd end it altogether."

Her jaw locked. "Don't get in my way, Ibusaki."

Seijuro gave a snort. "Wouldn't dare, Marui."

Marui Sena watched sadly as he stalked out of the kitchen, but she didn't have time to remember that she was supposed to be royally pissed at him, because Auden breezed in wearing one of his cutoff tank tops and black shorts, carrying his knife case over his shoulder. It was an odd ensemble when considered in tandem with his brown oxfords, but Kurokiba Auden was Kurokiba Auden.

"Hey, Marui-san," he said as he set his case down. "Do you wanna head out to the garden with me?"

Sena nodded, feeling the surge of anger recede. His voice was a soothing balm, caressing away the hard edges of her first real conflict with the boy she considered her brother, a quiet invitation to chill. "That sounds like a plan."

The second they were bending over their newly seeded crops, Auden started talking. "You're joining the Ten next semester."

Sena started. "Eh?"

Auden didn't look up from his precious carrots. "I talked to Hikari. She's going to give you ninth seat. And if Isshiki Tetsuko didn't forget to send in her Nakiri-PSD application, she'll be tenth."

Sena suppressed an amused sigh. Her best friend's head was perpetually in the clouds. It was a wonder she even made it to class every morning.

"Why don't you call her Arato-senpai?" she asked. "Nobody calls her Hikari."

Auden pushed back his hair and lifted the hem of his shirt to wipe sweat from his forehead. Sena pretended not to notice those abs. Damn.

"I grew up with Hikari," he explained. "Our parents are close."

Sena had heard of the 92nd generation's power couples from so many people, including her parents. CEO and Dean Hayama Akira and Doctor Arato Hisako. CEO Kurokiba Ryo and COO Nakiri Alice. And of course — the rulers of the culinary kingdom — Yukihira Souma and Nakiri Erina. She'd only ever heard rumors of the Nakiri Yukihira daughter; that girl was more fleeting than time itself. It was quite disappointing that Marui Sena, with all her erudition and associated talents, could not uncover a single source about the girl they called the Architect.

"Kurokiba-kun, do you know Nakiri Erina's daughter?"

Auden chuckled. "She's my cousin, Marui-san. Of course I know her."

"Does she cook?"

"Her specialty is Kraft mac and cheese. She doesn't cook."

"What's she like as a person?"

He pulled out a small bag from his pocket and offered it to her. She accepted, and once they both had the stem of a mint leaf between their teeth, he continued, "She's amazing. Kaede… she's so… I don't know how to describe her. She's just amazing. Beyond amazing."

Sena smiled. The way his vermilion eyes brightened when he talked about her was enough to realize that Yukihira Kaede was probably a remarkably compassionate individual.

But then he nudged her and continued with a shy grin, "You know, Marui-san, you're pretty amazing, too."

The mint leaf damn near fell out of her mouth. "W-what?"

"You do lots of research type stuff, right?"

"Did you just swerve my question? And yes, I do. You should already know this. I wrote the curriculum for that restaurant investment seminar you're taking."

Auden laughed loudly at this. "Marui Sena, you are one in a million. I was asking because I have a hypothetical question for you, and I want to know what your take on the possible conclusions are."

"Shoot."

"Hypothetically, if I asked you out on a date to Sapporo, would you say yes? I have the jet— I mean, the experiment — all set up and ready for takeoff. I meant trial. For now I came up with two conclusions. The first is that you reject me and never talk to me again, and the second is that you reject me and we stay as very awkward friends. Are there any other possible outcomes?"

At this point, Sena was roughly half a breath from imploding, but she managed to somehow keep her cool as she replied after much consideration, "I think you're missing one outcome. There is also the possibility that I say yes."

Auden grinned. "Alright, then. Trial 1A. Marui Sena, will you go to Sapporo with me tomorrow?"

She rolled her eyes and fought the blush that had spread on her cheeks. "Yes, Kurokiba Auden. I'll go with you."

If possible, Auden's smile grew even wilder. He eased his arms around her, cautiously at first, then with more conviction as she leaned into his touch.

Then he gasped and let go. "Holy crap, you have a nomination convention in ten minutes. I totally forgot to mention it!"

Sena shrieked. "WHAT!?"

"Eizan-senpai sent me to fetch you. He's waiting for you at Legislation. I am so sorry!" Auden yanked her gardening gloves off her hands and shoved her towards the front gates. "Hurry up and go! Good luck!"

Sena threw one last panicked glance at him, then bolted for Legislation.

Dammit!

The main hall of the Elite Ten building was perpetually unlit; one could liken it to the highway to hell. Or at least, that was a very sweaty, worn-out Sena's take as Eizan Seiya led her past the offices, past the Archive, up the stairs at the end of the corridor and into the copy room, which had at some point turned into the primary congregation area for the council members. So much for the old days when they actually gathered at a round oak table looking like the royalty they were. In the Plan Era, as Seiya liked to call it (plan is hakari, a pun for Hikari. think Hishoko and Hisako but next gen), everyone just lounged around in sacco chairs and pretended to do work.

When Sena was motioned to another beanbag for her nomination convention (convention, her ass), she realized that this was going to be the defining moment of high school. This laidback, utterly chill meeting would determine if she'd end up taking the top spot at Totsuki, or if she would be cast aside in favor of another who almost certainly hadn't done half the shit she had.

"Alright," Hikari said, calling the two other members of the convention committee — the second and third seats, because they happened to be the only other members present in the copy room at the time — to attention. "As the head of student and alumni relations, Eizan Seiya will be taking charge of the proceedings." She had discarded her leather jacket and was now draped like a lithe cat over her favorite sacco by the printer in all the fierce, omnipotent glory of her total lack of regard for Totsuki's dress code. Her black tank top was cropped high, exposing the bronze skin of her perfectly toned stomach and the sensuous dip at her waist. Hikari's silver hair was tied into a messy bun that stuck up in odd places yet gave off an immaculate aura, her right eye hidden from view as always.

To think that Auden had grown up with this enigma — fuck, that was scary.

"Marui Sena," Seiya began after clearing his throat in an attempt to seem professional, "you've been called here for a nomination convention due to the high regard the Elite Ten members have for the talents you've displayed since you transferred into Totsuki. We'd like to ask you a few que—"

"You're talking for too long, Seiya," Hikari cut in, standing up abruptly. "I made reservations for us at Shino's Tokyo in half an hour so we need to hurry this up."

Much to the chagrin of Sena, who had been fully prepared to answer whatever question the senpais launched at her, Hikari asked, "Marui-san, do you want to be in the Elite Ten or no?"

Sena frowned. "Um… yes?"

Hikari glanced at Seiya and Luc. "Any objections?"

Both the second and third seats shrugged indifferently. "Nope."

Hikari smiled. "Congratulations, Marui-san. You'll be the ninth seat in the second term and therefore in charge of supervising independent organizations such as the Nakiri-PSD faction, but to be honest, we don't need supervision so don't worry about it. If I remember, I'll send you more details on what exactly your roles are, but I probably won't so don't stress over that either. Also, please tell your friend Isshiki Tetsuko that she'll take tenth seat and management of research societies. Finally, if Auden hasn't asked you out by now, he's probably going to ask you out when you get back to the dorm. This convention is adjourned. Marui-san, welcome to the big kids' club."

This was going to be an interesting rest of the year.

S