Chapter 4
Part 1
The two girls wearing Tokiwadai Middle School's uniforms were walking down their school's hallway. It was a hot summer noon and the sun was breaking through the tall, clear windows, lighting up the corridor. None of them were open, though, and there were also no signs of air conditioning in the European-looking school building, so the two ladies could barely breathe as drops of sweat were dripping down their foreheads.
The blonde one carrying an orange handbag was looking at a paper with many brackets and codes and whatnot.
She was also holding a small card in her left hand.
The other lady, who had dark brown, wavy hair and a black headband on her head, spoke in a monotone voice.
"This Invitation Card can be used three times. That's all I could get from Mrs. Unabara without being suspicious."
Ogura Iori shook her head.
"No, that's perfect. You've done more than enough already." She said with a calm smile on her face. "Now just don't think about it and let me repay you."
Minami tilted her head and looked at her classmate.
"What do you mean? You don't have to do anything crazy."
"Of course not. Do I look like I even know what 'crazy' means?"
It was supposed to be a rhetorical question, but Minami Himeka could debate on that.
She sighed quietly.
"Anyways, as I said, the only thing I care about is you having fun with your friend. That was the reason why I helped you in the first place. I don't need anything in exchange."
Ogura looked at the wavy-haired girl confused.
"But... Minami-san."
"Hm? What?"
"You're going with us, too, right?"
The headband-wearing girl jumped slightly as an unexpected shiver went through her body after what she had heard. She nervously stepped back and stared at Ogura Iori for a moment.
"W-Why do I have to go, too? This was supposed to be you two's outing."
The blonde-haired girl smiled timidly and scratched the back of her head.
"Well... If she's coming to School Garden, I thought it would be nice to introduce her to all of my friends from Tokiwadai. Me, you, Mizushima-san and Ayako could show her around and go to nice places... I would be a terrible guide, plus the more people, the more fun. And I know she will be excited to meet other students of Tokiwadai."
Minami was hesitant.
She pursed her lips while she was thinking intensively and looking at the ceiling.
"Hmm. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but..." She stopped for a second, but continued after lowering her head again and looking at her classmate. "Wouldn't our presence disturb you two?"
"Of course not. She's been always saying how much she wants to meet my classmates and visit the Garden one day."
The wavy-haired girl faintly nodded her head and continued walking.
"W-well, then I think there's a chance I'll be able to accompany you."
Ogura smiled and followed her classmate.
"Wonderful. I'll talk to Mizushima-san and Ayako about it, too." She said in a calm, but cheerful tone. "We'll have a great outing. All five of us!"
Part 2
The day was slowly coming to an end as the sun was hidden behind the horizon.
The sky was dark blue, with many little, sparking dots scattered around it like an ocean of spilled glitter. There were barely any clouds, and the great moon was lighting up the European-looking town in the middle of a futuristic city, the School Garden.
It was long past curfew. The stores were closed. The streets were empty. The town was sleeping.
But not all of its residents.
Inside one of the Tokiwadai Middle School's dormitory rooms, a blonde-haired girl was sitting on her bed, with a big smartphone in her hands which was the only source of light in the small space.
The room was very antique, with a chic and classic design. The Tokiwadai students had mostly simple, old, wooden furniture in their dormitories, without any flashy or expensive-looking decorations or accents. Even though the ladies were very wealthy and privileged, the school made sure to develop as much modesty in them as possible. The uniforms looked like they belonged to an elite school, but they weren't pretentious. The dormitory rooms were nice, tidy and chic but they couldn't be called "beautiful" or "decorative". They had to serve their purpose. Students were supposed to sleep, do homework, use the bathroom and change clothes in them. And there is nothing magnificent or breathtaking in satisfying your basic, human needs.
Ogura Iori's and Hisakawa Ayako's room was one of the bigger ones in the School Garden dormitory, but it barely had enough storage to contain all of the blonde girl's expensive, brandname bags and accessories. The tiny closet with wooden panel doors was so full that if you were to open it, the squeezed, desperate to escape items inside would explode at you and scatter around the entire room.
Some of them were stored in the other closet, which belonged to Ogura's roommate, but even that was not enough.
There were two wooden desks vis-a-vis to the door, with two windows onlooking at the sleepy, lit up School Garden.
Hisakawa Ayako's and Ogura Iori's beds were facing each other so that the two of them could have a bit of space and privacy. The former was already sleeping, covered by a thin, white sheet. The latter looked rather busy, typing quickly on her phone with her slim, tiny fingers.
She was using some sort of messaging app.
She finally typed the last word and sent a message:
"Kirarin: YES! She really did! I can't believe she would actually do that. Can't thank her enough."
After barely 20 seconds, she received a response.
"Lala-lun: Is the date set or…?"
"Kirarin: No, no. You can come visit any day you're available."
"Lala-lun: Oh that's cool. I thought Tokiwadai was more strict ww."
Ogura typed another message.
"Kirarin: So when are you free? You were saying something about an outdoor training coming soon?"
"Lala-lun: Oh, yeah, I have that tomorrow and I think it lasts until the evening. Then our team has a three-day competition in the training fields... Oh but I'm pretty sure I'm free on the 26th at around 4 PM. I end my volleyball training early."
"Kirarin: Yay! We're gonna have quite some time then!"
"Lala-lun: Oh, I can't wait to see School Garden! Can we go to your school?"
"Kirarin: Calm down ww"
"Lala-lun: No but, like, I really wanna go see it."
"Kirarin: We're gonna go to maaaany places. Don't even worry. Tokiwadai is so boring-looking."
"Lala-lun: You say that about everything."
"Kirarin: Maybe? But I'll take you to the best places I know. Seriously, the last thing you want to visit in the Garden is our school. Well, the Rose Garden area is cute, but you won't be let inside. But, really, anything else? Old. Dusty. Gross. 19th century."
"Lala-lun: Haha, okay, ma'am. Either way, can't wait!"
"Kirarin: Me too! I'm so excited."
"Lala-lun: Ok I have to go to bed now. I have to be well-rested for tomorrow's training. Ugh."
"Kirarin: Ok, byeee! Sleep well and... good luck on... tossing the ball? Or whatever you are doing."
"Lala-lun: I'm playing volleyball! After almost seven years of knowing me, you still don't know the name of the sport?"
"Kirarin: And do I look like I know what volleyball is?! Don't you, like, toss a ball around?"
"Lala-lun: No. Maybe I'll explain it to you when we meet up, okay? I'm going to bed. Byee."
"Kirarin: Bye-bye."
Ogura Iori turned off her phone and a complete darkness filled the antique room.
She placed the device on a nightstand beside her bed and lay down, pressing her head against a white pillow.
The town of School Garden was the most quiet and peaceful place in the world. Unlike the Academy City, which was never sleeping, the nights in the Garden had as much sound as the depths of space.
The silence that followed after the blonde girl had fallen asleep, lasted until morning.
Part 3
Another day has come. The sun was out, once again and a shiny, warm light rested upon the Garden, summoning the familiar sounds of summer mornings. As if they were asleep without its presence.
The chirping of doves and flutter of their wings, as they were cruising around the European-looking town, could be heard everywhere.
It was 9 AM in the morning. Most of the ladies studying in School Garden had already woken up, starting their day productive or at least out in the town, eating breakfast and having early club activities. Ogura Iori, however, had a tendency of leaving her dorm room at this hour.
After waking up, there was an entire routine to perform, after all. Having a morning shower, brushing her hair, applying conditioner to make it look shiny and healthy, just like in the commercials, applying as much but at the same time as little as possible makeup, which was banned for Tokiwadai students, was a long process which required skill. A complicated skin care routine, hair routine along with picking the right makeup products (to make the Dorm Mistress not suspect a thing) were the main reasons why the bathroom was mostly occupied by her.
Here, in Academy City, she had to learn the basics of doing everything beauty-related herself, as she was no longer privileged to have her hair, makeup and nails done by a trained expert. It was only one of the many challenges she had to take on coming to this city.
The next step was opening her closet, with a prayer of not being crushed by the content of it this time, and picking the right accessories. Because an actual clothing other than her school uniform was not an option, the least she could do to stand out from the rest was wearing a dazzling bag and a gorgeous silk ribbon, that she would tie into her long, blonde hair.
Socks were optional. They could be white, black, blue, short, long, knee-high, thigh-high. But as a lady from an incredibly wealthy family, Ogura Iori knew that a girl her age should cover her skin if she has an option to. The mini skirts of Tokiwadai's uniforms were very short, barely reaching half of her thighs, so wearing black, long socks, perfectly covering that area, was an obvious pick for her.
With a quick spray of deep, rich perfumes, with a silk ribbon in her hair and a glamorous, shimmering handbag hanging on the crook of her elbow, she was ready to finally leave her dorm room.
9 AM.
The blonde-haired lady closed the old, squeaky, wooden door behind her and looked around the long, carpeted hallway. It had bare, white walls and tall windows onlooking at the Garden's streets and monumental buildings. She stood there for a while and pressed her body against a wall.
A sweet, melodic voice of a young lady could be heard.
"Ogura-san, good morning!" she noticed a petite girl wearing the same uniform, walking towards her. "Did you have to wait?"
The Tokiwadai student was short, with skinny, socked legs. She had very long, honey-colored hair and the left side of her bangs was clipped by two white pins. Her eyes were almost like turquoise gems. They were big, shiny and subtle, almost giving an impression of a doll's eyes. She had pouty lips and pale skin.
Her beauty was very youthful, almost child-like. She was a gorgeous-looking girl, but she couldn't ever be a model. Even child models have some sort of adult-like features that make them "stunning" or "magical" according to their fans. Her beauty was that of a victorian doll. She had very gentle facial features, with a sophisticated tone. Like a tiny rosebud, which charms people with its youth and purity, but lacks the glamor and romance of a rose in its full bloom.
It was Mizushima Sayuri. Ogura's classmate and the only person she knew that could understand her fashion obsession.
She smiled at her.
"No, not at all. I have just left my room."
"Oh, I'm glad." Mizushima smiled back. "By the way, where is Hisakawa-san?"
The blonde-haired girl shrugged her shoulders and smiled bitterly.
"You know, the usual."
"Ah, clique meetings?"
"Haha, she was so grumpy this morning. I've told her so many times that if she decides to join the second biggest clique in this school, then she has to deal with the consequences of it." Ogura giggled quietly, but then a certain thought came to her mind. She just couldn't understand one thing. Something was off. She put a finger near her chin, remembering the times three or four months ago. "Hmm, but..."
Mizushima Sayuri squealed suddenly, interrupting Ogura Iori and forcing her to look behind her.
She pointed her finger forward and the blonde-haired girl turned around.
Ogura raised her eyebrows with shock.
(S-Speaking of the devil...!)
The atmosphere changed.
It was no longer a lazy, quiet morning in the dormitory's hallway.
It was a stage for the most glorious and magnificent performance from now on.
A group of 3rd-years was walking towards the two blonde girls and their grace dominated the hallway.
Like in a fashion show or on a red carpet, when someone has so much glory and beauty in everything they do, even their walk is a work of art in and of itself. A performance worth watching and admiring.
But they weren't just some 3rd-years. Of course, they were Tokiwadai Middle School's students, but there was a whole lot more to them than just that. They belonged to an elite.
A clique.
A girl leading the group that followed her, had voluminous, slightly curly, cranberry-colored hair tied into two pigtails. Her bangs was swept to the side.
Her beauty and her elegance were shocking and the entire impression that she was giving off could make someone mistaken, thinking that this girl was actually a high schooler. Her posture and her figure were very mature, very adult-like. Her steps were so perfect and so elegant that someone would have thought that she had been training her walking style her whole life, until she had reached perfection. Could you find anybody with that much magnificence and sublimity living outside of School Garden?
Yes. This was Akiyama Izumi.
Her reputation was cold as ice. But no one could withstand her incredible, overwhelming charm.
Hisakawa Ayako was in that group. Ogura noticed her after a while.
She felt hypnotized, but something quickly woke her up. It was a smell of deep, strong perfumes. Those weren't her own, though. She preferred more girly scents, although with a rich palette. The ones she was smelling right now reminded her of something her mother would wear, but only on some very important occasions like business meetings or VIP parties.
The blonde-haired girl didn't even realize when the group had walked past her. They were already out of her sight. The perfumes' smell started to fade away. That was when she shook off the feeling of unconsciousness.
She now processed the fact that Akiyama Izumi had said "Good morning" to her.
But how long ago was it? 3 seconds ago?
She had completely spaced out.
Mizushima Sayuri bowed to the 3rd-year lady in response.
"Good morning." She said gracefully.
Akiyama smiled towards her and soon, she was gone. She turned right and disappeared around the corner. The group that was following her as well.
Mizushima and Ogura were standing in place, absolutely stunned.
This was the second time Ogura Iori had witnessed this clique's beauty in its full glory.
The silence started to feel a bit awkward, as the seconds were passing by and none of the two girls had said anything.
Mizushima finally spoke.
"I'm guessing that's what Hisakawa-san is doing..."
"Y-Yeah, they are probably going to the Rose Garden. I'm surprised that Akiyama-sama is around this time, though..."
"Eh?"
"Ah, nothing. L-Let's get going. I'm starving."
Part 3
"Eh?! Ogura-san's friend is coming to School Garden?!"
A high-pitched voice resounded inside a gorgeous restaurant.
The girl whose hair was the color of deep, sweet honey, barely took a bite of her meal, before the shocking news had reached her.
Ogura Iori was sitting right in front of her, leaning on her hand and smiling nonstop. Her good mood this morning radiated like some sort of energy. You could almost touch the happiness that she was releasing through this immature, child-like grin on her face.
The two blonde ladies wearing Tokiwadai uniforms were dining at a restaurant in School Garden. Its interior design was, just like L'ambroisie's, overflowing with gold and marble, but it was lacking the evident baroque style. Instead, it incorporated very simple, clean and modern lines with neoclassical designs. A grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling, this time, had light bulbs, the music was playing from the speakers, instead of a small classical music band performing on violins and cellos in the corner of the room. The atmosphere inside felt fully modern, but still with a very traditional concept of luxury.
...
Ogura Iori took a bite of her exquisite breakfast meal.
She gently wiped her mouth with a white napkin laying beside her plate and responded with confidence.
"Yes. Minami-san helped me get the invitation card for her and she can now visit us."
Mizushima Sayuri squinted her shiny turquoise eyes and tilted her head.
" 'Us'?"
"Yes." said Ogura and placed a cup on a white, porcelain saucer. "I would like the four of us to surprise her when she walks through the gates, and then give her a magical tour of School Garden. This is going to be her first ever visit, so as her friend and someone who spends every day in here, I wanted this tour to be as detailed and as memorable as possible. And I don't really want it to be just the two of us. Since she's coming to visit 'my place' I also want her to get to know the people I met in here."
"That is so interesting." Mizushima gasped delighted.
"Hm? What is?"
"Ah, you know." She said with a slight melancholy, while looking down, staring at her cup full of dark tea. "To think that Ogura-san even has friends from outside... It's a kind of bravery I wouldn't understand, I feel."
Ogura smiled nervously.
"No, not at all. She's my only friend from elementary school." She then looked down, as well, as she remembered something nostalgic. "I was very shy and awkward, as well, trying to fit in but not really knowing how to."
Mizushima giggled at that.
"I will gladly join you girls with showing your friend around. Ah, but do you have a specified date or anything?"
"Oh, she said she's free on the 26th. Apparently she finishes her practice early and should be done with it at around 4 PM."
"Fantastic. I'll definitely make some changes in my schedule to be free on that day."
"That would be so nice." Ogura smiled politely. "Oh, but you girls' presence is a surprise. She doesn't know that anyone else besides me is going to show up. Maybe we could all prepare some party poppers when she arrives? Then the shock would be doubled!"
Mizushima clapped her two palms together in a sign of excitement.
Her turquoise eyes sparkled a bit.
"That's an adorable idea! Maybe I could get some of those!"
"Great. I'll leave it to you, then, Mizushima-san."
"Ah, I'm getting excited for it." She said with clenched fists twitching near her chest and a small blush around her cheeks. "Does Minami-san or Hisakawa-san know, too, though?"
"I've already talked about it with Ayako like an hour ago before she left. Minami-san knows about it, too. I just have to let her know the specific date. I really hope she can make it, though."
Mizushima smiled bitterly.
"Oh, yes. Minami-san does have a strict schedule all the time."
The ribbon-wearing girl sighed in response.
"Yeah... And because of that big international concert that she has to perform in, she has to take the longest, most strict practices out of all the students."
"I guess that's the price you have to pay when the teachers notice your talent and skills." Mizushima said as she lay back in her chair.
A warm smile formed around Ogura's eyes. She took the last sip of her coffee.
Both of the ladies had finished their breakfast.
It was time to start the day.
Part 4
The summer days in School Garden were passing in its organically fast way.
While still focusing on their daily club activities and trying to finish their summer vacation homework, the rich young ladies were living quite a leisurely life.
Streets were being occupied by herds of high-class girls laughing, gossiping, eating, enjoying their time.
Today was the perfect day for an outing with friends.
Ogura had been feeling a paralyzing thrill in her entire body since this morning.
...
Her makeup products were scattered around. A shiny lip gloss contained in a golden container was laying on her bed, many colorful powder compacts could be found on the desk. Her collection of handbags and ribbons was messily put on the carpet, as she was trying to match their colors. Extravagant, expensive-looking bottles of perfumes were scattered everywhere in the bathroom.
There were no rules against being messy if her own maid was around. That was what she had been taught at home. But in these hard, challenging conditions, away from her family's mansion and away from the herd of housekeepers willing to do everything for her, she knew that this entire chaos created in her room, had to be cleaned up by her.
Her hair was already dried, brushed and with applied conditioner. If she hired an expert from one of the hair salons in School Garden, it could probably look much better, but she did not trust any other person to touch her hair or give her any advice on it, other than her own personal stylist.
She also could not get rid of another tradition.
She picked up a silk ribbon from her roommate's desk, where a box containing dozens of those was laying opened. She looked in a small, portable mirror while gently tying the ribbon around a thin piece of her hair, at the left side of her head. She had a special technique to make an impression that the bow isn't actuallt tied to her hair at all, but rather stuck to her head as if she used hot glue.
With a quiet sound of rubbing cloth, Ogura successfully put on the accessory. Her hair was almost as shiny as the fine silk of her ribbon.
She smiled towards herself in the mirror, and gently stood up.
She was already done with makeup. Her face was slightly too smooth and blushed to assume that she wasn't wearing it at all, but it was still a very soft and modest glam.
Ogura picked up a bag that matched the bow in her hair.
It was the finest piece of Hermèise's atelier. The Bourquin. Ogura Iori had a couple of those bags, but they were annoyingly hard to get, even for someone like her.
The accessory tied in her hair and the one on the crook of her arm looked like some sort of set, as they had identical colors. It was the more hard to achieve that same Terre Cuite on silk as on exotic leather, as the difference in texture and structure would normally make the dye cause the final color to differ slightly. But those two pieces of accessories were exactly the same shade, they had the same deepness, with the same shine.
She was almost ready to leave. Her looks were already polished and perfected. All she needed to do left was to put on an appropriate fragrance.
She grabbed a round bottle, with crystal cap, and with a tender press of her slim finger, a tiny mist squirted from a tiny hole in the perfume's cap. It landed on the blonde lady's neck, also spreading a bit lower, too, wetting her uniform's collar a bit.
She grabbed her phone and her designer wallet with one hand and put them inside the bag. With a satisfying "click" of the closure's snap, she locked the Bourquin neatly.
She was finally ready to leave.
As she was about to grab the door's handle, she turned around, looking at the mess behind her that she had created.
The process of finding the perfect beauty and fashion products from her vast collection was difficult and long. And also apparently very messy.
But it had to be done. At least she could say that it was worth it.
She objectively looked good.
Even though the same couldn't be said about her dormitory room.
(Uwah... Ayako is going to have a panic attack when she opens the door.)
(Well, not my problem.)
She left the room. The door closed and soon after that, a blissful silence filled the cluttered, chaotic space.
Part 6
(I'm so nervous.)
(I'm so nervous, I'm so nervous.)
(I'm so nervous, oh mother, I'm so nervous.)
Ogura Iori was walking down the wooden stairs of Tokiwadai Middle School's dormitory.
With each step, a creaking sound could be heard.
She arrived at the dormitory's main lobby. It had grand, wooden doors leading outside, a shiny marble floor and a seating area in the corner. There were also many gorgeous plants and paintings, giving the space an antique soul and character.
Two girls were standing beside the dorm's entrance, wearing the same prestigious school uniform as Ogura.
As soon as the blonde girl had noticed them, she timidly waved and walked towards them.
"Good day, Mizushima-san, Minami-san."
The girl who was wearing a black headband sighed exasperated, as a sarcastic smile appeared on her face.
"You took so long. What were you gussying up so much for?!"
The lady with honey-blonde hair laughed nervously.
"Ogura-san takes beauty very seriously." She then proceeded with a gentle expression on her doll-like face. "But I'm really thrilled to go. I've been so excited for this outing since the past few days."
The ribbon-wearing lady looked at her classmate with a cheerful smile, but as she lowered her eyesight, something caught her attention.
She gasped upon seeing what Mizushima Sayuri was holding in her gentle, soft hand.
But her reaction was more like a happy relief, mixed with a bit of excitement.
"Wah, Mizushima-san! You finally got it!"
Minami Himeka was a bit confused at first, but she then realized something. She had almost forgot about it. She couldn't even exactly tell from how long ago that memory was.
That fateful evening after school, at a Cucci boutique. That sudden confrontation with Sakibasu Yuri who had almost bought the last ostrich bag from the newest summer collection.
The headband-wearing girl smirked.
Yes.
What Mizushima Sayuri was holding, was the white Cucci tote bag, made of ostrich leather.
The girl giggled proudly.
"Yes. It was a lucky strike, you could say."
"Ah, that's right. Mizushima-san, did you get the party poppers?"
The petite girl nodded.
"Of course. I bought four of them, but..." She stopped for a second and looked around with a nervous smile. "...I guess Hisakawa-san is going to be late?"
The ribbon-wearing lady sighed tired.
"Ayako said she is busy today with the clique. Seriously, that girl can't keep a promise."
Minami, who had been leaning against a wall with her arms crossed this whole time, spoke in a monotone voice.
"Academy City Research Exhibition Assembly."
"Huh?"
This strangely long, enigmatic name caught the two blonde girls' attention.
Minami Himeka answered with her eyes closed.
"I'm sure that's what they call this event. Apparently a lot of cliques from our school are preparing for it, in order to showcase their researches regarding all kinds of scientific fields. Akiyama Izumi definitely wants to perfect her project by pushing her people to their limits. She's rivaling with Nagatenjouki Academy after all."
However, the wavy-haired girl didn't give her two classmates a chance to respond, as she immediately grabbed the door's handle, ready to head out.
A bright and hot sunshine entered the lobby, along with a loud sound of cicadas.
"Let's go. We don't want to ruin the surprise, right?"
Part 7
The three girls wearing Tokiwadai Middle School's uniforms were walking down a street of School Garden. It was a gorgeous, picturesque cobbled road squeezed in between two European-looking buildings.
The ladies were heading towards a specific place of this 2 kilometers square district.
The entrance gates.
From the outside, the entrance to School Garden had some stone and brick accents, foreshadowing the traditional architecture waiting on the other side, but it was mostly modern-looking. If you went past the gates, though, you would end up in the middle of a big monumental crossroad, where five main streets leading to each elite school for rich girls were expanding before you.
Ogura Iori was a ball of nervousness, looking at her phone all the time and typing messages with her shaking fingers.
They arrived at the entrance square. The magnificent, imposing archways were straight ahead, marking a border between Academy City and School Garden.
"I guess we are ready."
The girl with honey-colored hair said as she opened her white handbag in order to grab the party poppers she had stored inside.
"My goodness, what is the point of coming the whole way over here if you want to later come back to Tokiwadai with your friend anyway?" Minami Himeka scowled as she looked at the blonde girl. "Wouldn't it make more sense if you just told her to meet up at the front gate of our school? We could start showing her around right away and we wouldn't have to go all the way back to where we came from..."
But Ogura simply ignored her.
She did not waste any time. She was as serious as a warrior on the battlefield, preparing for a counterattack plan. She now had to prepare the troops that were under her command.
"Mizushima-san, the party poppers!" She shouted towards the honey-blonde lady.
"Y-Yes!"
She quickly took out the triangular paper bags from her purse and handed them to Minami as well as Ogura, as fast as she could.
"Here's the plan." The ribbon-wearing girl spoke in a determined firm voice. "Minami-san and Mizushima-san, you will have to stand on the two opposite sides of the columns, so that when she goes through the gates she can only see me, with a party popper hid behind my back. Before she steps her foot on the square, you two are going to reveal yourselves and on 'three, two, one' we're going to say 'Congratulations! Welcome to School Garden!' while popping the party poppers all at the same time. The fundamental rule is simple. You can't spoil any surprises that we have discussed together over the past few days. Understood?"
"Yes."
"Y-Yes..."
Minami Himeka sighed tiredly. She was too mature to be taking this whole situation seriously, even though she had to play along with it.
But.
She a bit admired Ogura for being so invested in all of it. She was well aware of the surprises that her classmate had been preparing for the past four days as well as the amount of time and money it costed her.
Ogura Iori was capable of doing so much for a simple meeting with friends, but her dedication was not something to laugh at. It was more inspiring that one could imagine.
"Ok..." the blonde girl shut her eyes for a second and spoke in a calmer manner. "She should be here in around three or two minutes, so let's take our positions."
She flipped her long, silky smooth hair powerfully, while making a firm step forward. With a colorful party popper in her right hand and a Terre Cuite Bourquin hanged on the crook of her left, she might have looked silly, but no one could deny her determination and persistence. She was walking with grace and assertiveness towards the golden archways while the other two girls were following behind.
She stopped in front of a giant golden column, ten times taller than her. If she had made three more steps further, the electronic gates would stop her. She was facing the exit of School Garden.
She was close enough to see all kinds of different high-class girls going in and out while the area was filled with beeping sounds of the gates, echoed clacking of shoes and a distinct hubbub coming from Academy City. It was a busy and hot afternoon. Students from outside were most definitely spending their summer vacations freely and joyously, with groups of their friends.
Ogura was happy to hear the City was living and enjoying the beautiful summer weather, even though she had no idea what those people could be doing without stores, parks and restaurants that she had access to. A high-class girl like her did not know about the existence of arcades, manga cafes, public pools and other places popular among regular students.
She took out her smartphone once again.
It was 4:40 PM.
From behind her shoulder, she nodded to her two classmates. It was a quick sign that they should take their positions.
The blonde girl was standing in the middle, facing the grand entrance, while Mizushima Sayuri's and Minami Himeka's job was to hide behind two columns to Ogura's left and right.
Each of them had a party popper in their hands.
The honey-blonde lady leaned against a tall, thick column while keeping eye contact with Ogura Iori, who was facing the exit gates.
Minami Himeka lazily flipped her hair as the ribbon-wearing lady gave her an aggressive and nervous look.
"My goodness, why do we have to do all of this anyway? Fine, I'll hide too." The wavy-haired girl said in an irritated tone.
She pressed her back against a column as well.
Now, to Ogura's right, there was a frowning Minami Himeka. To her left, she saw Mizushima Sayuri gently holding a party popper. The two girls were leaning against the columns, while there was a gap between them, the size of a massive window and the blonde girl was standing at the center of it, observing the beeping, constantly opening and closing electronic gates.
She hid her both hands behind her butt, imitating a natural stance. The party popper could not be seen by anyone in front of her, as well as her two other classmates leaning against the columns.
It was 40 minutes past 4.
It was a matter of time before she would see her friend appear from around the corner.
The passage was busy, loud and crowded, making it hard for the blonde girl to follow every single person with her eyes. It was kind of like watching those videos that had messages or signs hidden inside of an overcrowded street, testing the viewer's perceptivity and observation ability.
The fact that only girls were present in her sight did not help. All of them being very beautiful, with gorgeous hairstyles and prestigious school uniforms, they had created a crowd made of specific, carefully selected lookalikes whose walking styles and gestures were even the same. Even though their hair colors, clothes and height were different, each girl had something in common with another. They all had the same atmosphere to them.
Finally, from that crowd, from that big agglomeration of high-class ladies, a familiar face struck Ogura so suddenly, that she jumped as if stung by a bee.
She took two steps backwards.
It was her.
...
"Huh?"
"Oh?"
The two girls hiding behind the columns to Ogura's right and left noticed her sudden reaction.
It was a clear sign that she saw her.
The commander of the group was in a shocked, dazed state. So the troops that were under her command started to feel disoriented and confused.
"Is that her, Ogura-san?"
"Give us a sign when is the right time to pop out!"
The wavy-haired girl and the short, honey-blonde lady were looking at Ogura Iori with focused expressions on their faces, while each was holding a party popper in both hands.
The girl with a ribbon tied into her hair had to quickly analyze the situation, taking into account the distance between her and the girl who was walking towards the passageway.
"She's going up to the gatekeeper's window." Ogura let her two assistants know, as she was carefully observing the area.
Her heart was pounding so fast.
She was so overjoyed, but at the same time so nervous.
(Oh, god. I hope she won't be disappointed.)
(I hope she is going to like it here...)
The blonde lady bit her lip while a nervous frown appeared on her face.
She was observing the guest girl with her sweaty hands twitching behind her butt, squeezing the party popper like a stress relief toy.
Ogura Iori blinked. She jumped once again after that.
"Sh-she's showing her invitation card! She's going to be here any second now!"
Minami and Mizushima nodded to each other, while simultaneously touching the string attached to their party poppers, ready to pull it and pop it whenever Ogura Iori decides to give them a signal.
She could feel a drop of sweat dripping down her cheek, as the tension inside her body started to build up.
She wanted it to be released so bad at that moment, but the thought of each second being so crucial now, made her stomach tingle in a weird but exciting sensation.
With a nod coming from the gatekeeper, who Ogura could barely notice, the girl was finally accepted to go through the electronic gate.
The blonde's heart stopped from the immense amount of adrenaline.
She was still nervous and excited, but she suddenly felt a pleasing feeling running through her body like static energy.
She felt it in her chest. It was a warm, blissful and euphoric sensation.
The girl was still in the passageway. She was free to go through an arch right in front of her and enter School Garden, but she chose to stand in place.
She was looking around, trying to find that one person she had wanted to meet up with in this place.
She was looking around.
Until she saw her.
She noticed the girl she had planned to meet.
As soon as she saw the long, blonde, shiny hair with a colorful ribbon tied into it and the light brown vest with a short, grey skirt, she bursted with happiness.
Ogura's reaction wasn't much different.
She grinned with the joy that she was overflowing with and was itching to just explode with love like a party popper she was squeezing in her hands, while spreading her arms wide.
"(H-Hey, that was not supposed to happen!)"
"(Ogura-san! The party popper in your hand!)"
Her two classmates whispered nervously from behind the two columns.
There was an invisible barrier around the blonde-haired girl, blocking all sounds that were coming towards her.
She forgot about and ignored anything else, even her own surprise that she had prepared.
She was standing in place, with her arms spread in the air, a party popper squeezed in her fist and a glorious bag hanging from her elbow, ready to welcome the girl she was looking at with joy, in a sincere, affectionate hug.
Mizushima and Minami heard very fast, echoed footsteps behind them.
(Sh-she's coming!)
(Now!)
Their fingers were holding thin strings of their party poppers.
With an enormous speed, a girl had appeared from behind the columns.
With a sudden pull...
The girl sprinted towards Ogura Iori and finally hugged her, with as much strength as she had.
*POOF*
...the party poppers exploded releasing dozens of tiny paper strings and glitter in the air!
With a powerful hug, a drowning noise, a sudden and loud scream had come from the guest girl's mouth.
The scream drowned everything, as she held Ogura Iori in her arms.
"IORI-CHAAAAAAAAANN!"
She screamed her childhood friend's name in the least ladylike way, piercing the space around them like a sudden thunder strike, while the paper strings and glitter were silently dancing in the air.
"MIYU-CHAAAAAAAAAN!"
...
The grounds of peace, whose residents were living according to certain rules and laws of behavior, known as high-class etiquette, were desecrated by a behavior yet unseen in this town.
Even though all the eyes were looking at Ogura Iori and her childhood friend, it didn't seem like they were about to loosen their emotional hug any time soon.
...
Hii yes it's the end.
Next chapter is gonna be (guess what) Slice of Life AGAIN, because what else is new
I hope y'all enjoyed it either way!
K, bye. XD