MPK: This chapter has some new interactions. I think it came out pretty well~! Have fun. (EDITED)
"Ne, Sugata-kun who are we waiting for? We've been here forever!"
"It's only been five minutes Kazuma-kun. Please try to restrain yourself for a little longer."
"But what if I can't?!"
Suddenly the door bursts open, "Sorry for making you guys wait." Sarina, Jaguar, and Tiger stop at the door after seeing Sugata and Kazuma in a weird position.
Sarina raises an eyebrow, "Oya? Are we interrupting something, Sugata?"
Sugata sits up, "Not at all Sarina..."
"Please tell me at least one of you saw him pin me down!?" Kazuma hides behind Sarina.
"Bocchan, what were you doing to that boy?" Jaguar asks him.
"Oh nothing serious, MISS Jaguar. I was just thinking about tying him up, to make it feel like a real kidnapping...or just to pass the time really."
"You really shouldn't do that. He might think it's weird and we might lose his trust! And stop calling me miss!"
"His snow-white hair, it's positively beautiful!" Tiger shouts, more infatuated with Kazuma than either conversation.
"You worry too much, MISS Jaguar." Jaguar groans, "Fujimoto-kun, allow me to introduce you to Drama club president, Endo Sarina, third year, Miss Yamasugata Jaguar, second year, and Sugatame Tiger, first year. Girls, this is Fujimoto Kazuma-kun."
"Nice to meet you, Kazuma-kun." Sarina tells him.
"Domo." Kazuma replies then turns to Sugata, "Why didn't you just tell me you wanted me to meet the Drama club? If I knew, I wouldn't have asked so many questions!"
Sugata smirks, "Meet the drama club, eh?" He mumbles to himself.
"But one quick question, why do those two girls call you "Bocchan"? And why do they have your first name in their last names? Did you name them?" Kazuma asks jokingly as they freeze, "Or was it all irony?~"
"PURE COINCIDENCE. AND LEAVE IT AT THAT." Was Sugata's only response in a very intimidating tone. Kazuma backs up a couple of inches.
"Oh Bocchan, Takuto said that he and Niika would be here in a little bit~" The door slams open.
"Actually, we're right here!" Niika exclaims, out of breath. Sarina comes to her side.
"Goodness Niika, you look like you just ran a mile. What were you two doing?" Niika struggles to answer.
"She was trying to ditch her brother and needed my help." Takuto answers for her. Niika flicks him in the forehead. "Iteh!"
"What are you talking about? I wouldn't have had to "ditch" him if it weren't for you! Who tells someone that they're taking their younger sister to an "undisclosed location"?! Are you crazy, Baka!?" Niika frowns, "Don't answer that."
Sarina sighs. "You haven't told him about the drama club yet, have you?" The shorter brunette shakes her head. Wako enters the room, silently.
"Niika-chan, Takuto-kun." They face Kazuma, "You're in the drama club too?"
Niika starts to answer him, but Takuto beats her to it. "Fujimoto-kun. We-"
"Takuto-kun! I told you guys that you could call me Kazuma. Forget the honorifics!" Kazuma tells him, but he begins to glare. "Um, is he okay?" Kazuma asks Sugata. The bluenette shrugs.
Feeling tension in the air, Sarina steps in, "Hey guys, since we're all here, let's get started. I have a surprise for everyone." She steps around to the back, and when everyone follows, they find a long table full of food and drinks, "Surprise! We're having a club party!" Jaguar and Tiger squeal, while everyone else gawks at the feast. "Well don't just stand there, sit down and dig in!"
"Is it really okay for me to join in? I mean, I'm not in your club." Kazuma asks.
"Sure it is. You're welcome, just consider yourself an honorary member. At least until you join the club that is."
"Who said I wanted to~"
"EAT." Sugata stuffs a handful of popcorn in Kazuma's mouth. In between chokes, Kazuma's face goes blue as he sinks into a seat and swallows it properly.
Not long after, the previous tension in the room dies down. Everyone has their drinks and is engaged in fun conversation. Even the little yellow fox was drinking with them. "Cheers!"
"Whoa. It's drinking juice!?" Takuto exclaims.
"Good day." Everyone looks over as someone else entirely comes into the room.
"Headmaster?" Niika questions.
"He's our adviser." Sarina explains.
Kazuma's head lifts out of his plate, "The headmaster is the club's adviser?"
"It's a hobby of mine." The man replies.
"Finally come back up for air?" Wako asks from beside him. Kazuma blushes her way slightly embarrassed.
"Tsunashi Takuto, Takashiro Niika, and Fujimoto Kazuma, yes?" They turn their heads to the old man. "We finally got some new members, hm?"
Kazuma waves his hands in front of his face, "Oh no. I'm just-"
Sarina chuckles cutting him off, "Oh you know, Headmaster. Besides, the rest have been the same since middle school."
"Wait. This isn't a popular club?" Takuto asks.
"Quite the contrary. It's extremely popular, so our standards are quite high." Sarina explains again, "You see, many kids want to join just to get closer to Wako and Sugata, but they don't get very far. Not that we don't get a ton of costume designers, set workers, backstage crew...stuff like that."
"Kazuma-kun, are you after Wako too?" Jaguar leans over the table with a raised eyebrow.
"Huh? No way. I respect other people's relationships. Besides, Sugata already made it clear to me that he and Wako are-"
"Chew on this will ya?" Sugata suddenly reaches across the table, stuffing a creampuff in his mouth this time. "Sweet isn't it?" Kazuma stares at him with droopy eyes.
"What about you, Takuto?" Niika cringes when Takuto's name is called. Takuto catches Wako's hazel eyes out of the corner of his own. Wako looks down, slightly blushing.
"The master and Miss Wako are betrothed! Don't joke about things like that!"
"Can you cut out the "Miss"?" The blonde blushes again.
"And the "Bocchan," too." Sugata chimes in.
Tiger smiles, "You are the master, after all. And Miss Wako is the Southern Maiden." Just finishing the creampuff, Kazuma flinches.
Sugata lets out a soft sigh, "Enough about the betrothal. My parents decided that without me."
"Anyway," Sarina pats Takuto on the back, "As you can see we've got a preeminent pretty-boy threesome on our side. This year's Night Flight show is gonna be unbeatable! We'll push their magnetism to the limit and light up the stage!" Sarina pumps a fist into the air.
"Their magnetism...?" Wako murmurs. She daydreams up a weird fantasy scenario of all three males in a threesome-like erotic scene. For some reason, all the other girls can see it too. Wako shakes her head violently, "No no no no no-!"
"Wako, w-what the heck was that?!" Innocent Niika shouts.
"Miss Wako! That fantasy was très bien!" Jaguar gives a thumbs up.
"That's not what I was thinking of at all." Sarina states, pausing to let Wako wallow in her shame a bit. "But...Of course, we'll get you to sing sometime."
"She sings?" Takuto asks.
"Wako wants to be a singer, you know."
"That was when I was little!" Wako protests.
"Last year, some pinup mag's staff came to the island for some pictures, and she was scouted by the producers..." Sugata starts, "If you hear her sing once, you'll fall for her completely."
"Stop it already!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, did you not want me to talk about that?"
"You're being mean..."
"Well, I'm not going to lie about it."
"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Wako-chan dear." The headmaster finally speaks again. "The clearer your dream is, the easier it will be to reach it, after all. I will be eagerly looking forward to your work, everyone." With those words, the old man leaves.
"Well, looks like you're pretty and important around here." Kazuma tries to joke. "I guess since everyone else has so many high expectations about you, we can look forward to seeing you exceed them. Can't wait, Wako-san."
'Wako's pretty, and important...' Niika repeats to herself. 'She's a maiden that everyone respects. She can sing...She even has a fiance...' "No wonder everyone likes her so much. It's not fair." The brunette pouts aloud without realizing it. Everyone stares. "W-What?"
"No way!"
"I can't be!" Sarina, Tiger, and Jaguar huddle in a group whispering to each other.
"I didn't think..."
"...it was possible." The boys whisper amongst each other as well.
"What?!" Niika shouts. Wako stares blankly. Kazuma leans over the table to get closer to her.
"Ano, Niika-chan...Are you jealous of Miss Wako?" Realization in 3...2...1...
"What!? No! I-It's not like that! I! I just-!"
"Takashiro-san." Sugata speaks up with an amused smile, leaning in her direction as well. "What's your specialty? You know, what are you good at? Do you play sports? School clubs? Perhaps you draw? Maybe you sing as well?"
"W-What I'm good at?" Niika nervously repeats. Everyone waits in anticipation. "I'm sorry. But I'm not sure what you're talking about." Everyone anime fell from their seats.
"What do you mean, Niika-chan? You've never had any extracurricular activities?"
"No way, she's just confused." Kazuma convinces himself, "That's like saying she doesn't know what fun is."
"Extra...curri...cular? What does that mean?" The whole room stares at the girl skeptically. "I'm serious, I've never heard of it. What is it?" No one says a word. The growing worry building on Niika's face makes half look at the girl with pity, and the other half with concern. "I really don't know. W-Why won't anyone believe me?" She started shaking, looking down with tears threatening to sting her eyes.
Seeing Niika's current state, the one to rescue her was again, Sarina. She stands up coming to cradle the girl by the shoulders. "How about we take this tension off of Niika and get to today's meeting? I hate to say this, but we've been socializing for a little too long. It's about time to get down to business." Sarina pats Niika to cheer her up before going to stand at the head of the table. "Since I didn't say this before, I don't think...Welcome to the Night Flight Drama Club, Takuto, Niika...and if you'll officially join us, Fujimoto-kun."
The whitenette sighs, "Only if everyone never calls me Fujimoto-kun again."
"Done. Understood, Kazuma." Sarina gains a serious look, "Before we continue though, we are obligated to tell you that our club isn't normal. Everyone else thinks we're just the school's drama club, but the truth is everyone here has a secret."
"And here I go thinking you guys are the normalest bunch at this school, when it turns out you guys might be the weirdest." Kazuma pretends to be disinterested. "Alright, what's the catch, Sarina-senpai?" Kazuma folds his arms.
"Kazuma-kun. Everyone here has a connection to Zero Time."
Kazuma's mouth closes. His head shifts downward, bangs covering his face, "...I had a feeling."
"Although everyone here has a cybody, we all know about Zero Time. That's the real reason why we haven't let newbies join our main cast of actors before. This part of the club is well...special." Sarina inches closer to the boy, "Wako recalled to us that you were able to transform into and pilot a cybody..."
"So that's why Sugata brought me here. Figures." Kazuma murmurs and stands up. He grabs his school bag before walking over to the door. He starts to leave with everyone watching him.
"Wait Kazuma-kun!" Wako calls. Kazuma's hand resting on the door handle. "Why are you leaving?" He inhales, then exhales loudly.
"You're wondering why?" He turns around with a dark expression, "Because I don't want any part of this. Whatever this is."
"Just wait a minute." Niika stands up from the table too. "We were nervous to talk with them too. B-But if you would just hear them out-"
"-Let me try and guess." Kazuma's louder voice rings out clearer than before. "You two were also brought here to explain your involvement, and now it's my turn for an intervention. RiGht?" Niika shuts his mouth due to his tone. "The truth of the matter is, no one here cares about any of that. How I got involved, why I'm just showing up now. No...you all just want to know if I'll let you use it. This mark, and Alphonse."
"That's not turn Kazuma-kun!" Sarina speaks up, "We want to know all of it! We're asking because-"
"So then you aren't going to ask me to fight the Glittering Crux for you?" Sarina clicks her tongue before she can lie. "That's what I thought. Unfortunately for you, I work alone." Kazuma then slams the sliding door behind him, making everyone jump.
"What's his problem? We didn't even ask him anything yet." Tiger says. It's Takuto's turn to stand up. Without warning, he jumps up, swings the door open, and runs outside to where Kazuma has just gone. Curious, the others peek out of the club room to watch the encounter.
"Your cybody's power...It's strong." The redhead starts.
"Let go of me!" Takuto is grabbing Kazuma's arm. He struggles in his grip. "Why do you care? Don't you have your own? As sorry as it may be." Kazuma finally speaks in the deeper tone of voice that he was using in Zero Time. "You aren't getting anywhere near mine! Gotta problem with that?!"
With a gripped fist, Takuto speaks with determination. "What I have a problem with...is your recklessness in Zero Time!"
"My recklessness?! You have some nerve!"
"You attacked and destroyed a cybody in Zero Time with so much force!"
"So?!"
"What if there had been a natural mark user inside? With all that force you could have killed them!"
"Good."
"-What!?"
"Are you an idiot? They're the enemy. I guess you wouldn't notice, since getting to fight them is your only goal. Fitting for any outsider." Kazuma pushes the redhead away. "Have you seen yourself when you pilot?! Your previous fights were a disaster! If you can barely beat small fry, you'll never beat the top dogs at the Crux. And it's a shame really, I bet that group has placed their hopes on you." The whitenette taunts in a baby's whine. "You know what I think? I think you're jealous. Because I beat someone in Zero Time instead of you."
"Why would I be jealous of something like that!?" Takuto finally glares in response to his harsh words. "If it's to protect Wako then-!"
"-I tHiNk yOu lIkE pLaYiNg tHe hErO." Takuto grits his teeth. He puts a finger to his chin with a cocky grin. "It was written all over you. Even right now, Galactic Pretty Boy."
"No...I-"
"It doesn't matter what you say." Kazuma grabs Takuto's collar, pushing him against the nearby wall. "You can let them brainwash you into using your power at their disposal. But mine will stay, safely in my hands alone." Takuto grunts in pain from how forceful his head was knocked against the wall. "I feel sorry for the girl though. Doesn't seem right that she has to suffer being involved in all this. Your idiotic heroism complex will definitely get her killed."
"That's enough of the slander." Sugata finally slinks out of the club room at gets in between the two in the hallway. "Kazuma, we weren't here to force you into fighting for us. Sarina just simply wanted to know more about your cybody mark. Only then, we were meant to discuss what would happen next."
"Well, there's nothing to talk about." They both seem equally angered by being forcefully separated. "I'm not telling you guys anything. Especially now." Kazuma states darkly. He glares at Takuto who glares back, "And I'm NOT changing my mind." Then the whitenette storms off.
Jaguar pushes her glasses further up on her face, "Well then. He's a lost cause."
"Be quiet, MISS Jaguar."
"Just now, Kazuma-kun was so mean! Was he really like that in Zero Time?" Tiger pouts.
"Just about." Wako answers with a frown. "It seems like he has something against Zero Time..."
"We all have something against Zero Time!" Takuto growls, "But he won't even take two minutes to listen!"
"Well, it didn't help running out, yelling, and arguing with him like that!"
"Midori no me..."
"Kazuma-kun. You all cornered him when you knew how he would react. It was so clear that he was sensitive..." Niika grips the straps of her school bag. "I'm going home!"
"W-Wait!"
"Let her go." Sarina pats the redhead's shoulder, "She has a point."
"Although I am intrigued." Sugata says, "Whatever it is that bothers him so gave him a really bad temper when it comes to Zero Time. Those feelings seem quite strong."
Tiger looks in the direction the two had left, "I wonder what happened..."
Although he had stormed off, Kazuma hadn't left the club building. There were still some things he had to take care of back at the Fencing Club. Due to a unanimous vote, Kazuma was officially made the new Vice Captain. All that was left was to talk over a few things with the club's president, Shinada Benio. This included hearing a 30-minute lecture about the club's 20 different do and don't protocols. Kazuma didn't mind. Since before the club, he knew Benio already and expected she would give him a similar speech eventually. But he mostly wanted to get his mind off of the day's earlier events. Takuto the Galactic Pretty Boy, Wako the Southern Maiden...and Takashiro Niika, who he had seen in Zero Time, but couldn't determine how she could be involved. Unfortunately, his mind chooses to cut out Benio's words and defaults to worrying about the situation anyway. "Kazuma-kun? Are you even listening?"
"Sorry, Benio-chan. I'm just tired, it's been a long day." Kazuma yawns, hoping to fool her.
"Long day, my butt! You better take the responsibilities here seriously, dammit!" Benio practically barks. "And listen to your senpai! As your superior, I have the right to demote you at any time, you hear!"
"But you know me. If you can account for the good job I did with our middle school club, you can assure yourself the same here." Kazuma yawns again, this time for real. "Really, I'm beat. Let's pick this up tomorrow yeah?"
Benio clicks her tongue but nods and shoos him off. "Oh, and one more thing." Kazuma reluctantly stops in place at her departing words. "Watch your back. Announcing that you'll fight in Zero Time...have you lost your mind? Without the backing of a division, every single section will come after you. You might have proven you can pilot, but that was only in simulation! And the other day-"
"In regards to that, all you need to do is worry about yourself." Kazuma's tone was sharp. "Worry about your own division. After the last string of defeats, how much longer do you think you'll survive?" Benio gives him a growl. "The second you lose your certification pin, they'll disband you like that." He snaps his fingers for effect.
"...It used to be your division too." The pink-haired girl frowns.
"I've bounced around every division. I stopped being associated with Filament long ago."
"Still, I'd thought you'd care about it more. But I forgot how cold-hearted you've become. After all, you left us high and dry for no good reason!" Kazuma's right hand balls into a tight fist. "...I-I mean rightfully so! I mean...you know!" Instead of replying, Kazuma takes his leave. "Dammit!"
Now Kazuma had even more reason to be pissed off. It looked like his day wasn't going to get better after all.
Kazuma shuffles down the hall with fixed furrowed eyebrows and a deep frown. His bangs cast a shadow over his face as he walks to exit the first-floor club building. Crossing the outdoor passageway, he makes his way to the front of the conjoined building to grab his shoes. But he hears voices talking in a nearby room as he passes by. "Something smells..." He looks up and sees the sign to the science club room.
"The sense of smell is closely connected to memory. This scent is bringing up a pleasant memory for you." A girl's voice. In the window, he finds the voice belonging to his homeroom class president, Nichi Keito. Kazuma's nose wrinkles at the sight of her. "Really? Two in one day?" The whitenette starts not to bother snooping for his own sake. But the sight of Sugatame Tiger piques his interest. "...What is she up to now?"
"So, what do you remember? Can you remember something... pleasant?"
"Pleasant..." Tiger collapses into Keito's arms.
Kazuma instinctively leans on the glass, "She passed out? Because of the fumes..." Keito was expressionless as she softly laid her down on a cot in the clubroom. She doesn't seem phased by the girl's lack of consciousness whatsoever. "Just what is she planning to do with her!?" As if he was talking to her, Keito finally notices Kazuma in the clubroom window. She flashes him a suspicious smile before closing the curtain surrounding the cot. Both Tiger and Keito are now shielded from view, and Kazuma gets a weird feeling.
Before he can crack open the sliding door to get a better look, Jaguar enters the hallway. "I'm here! Huh, Tiger? Did you leave already?" Kazuma instinctively shuts the door. "What the? Fujimoto Kazuma!" Kazuma hears the clubroom door lock from the other side. His plans have been foiled.
"You should really keep your voice down in the hall, Yamasugata Jaguar." His frown returns.
"But what in the world are you doing there, Kazuma-kun?!" The glare from her glasses nearly scares him to death. "You look very suspicious right now!"
"It's none of your business. I was just leaving." Kazuma scoffs and decides to back off. They were part of the "drama club". They weren't the enemy, but they couldn't be trusted. What happens on their watch is their fault, he concludes.
"W-Wait a minute! I apologize, that was rude of me." Jaguar bows respectfully. "All I'm asking is have you seen Tiger? I've been looking for her." Kazuma freezes, pausing as to how he should answer.
"I haven't seen her." The whitenette says and continues on his way. If Jaguar wanted to know where she was, she would have to find out on her own. He was not in the mood to get involved.
Kazuma knew something wasn't right. In the scene from before, Tiger falling into Keito's arms, Keito's cool composure...almost as if, she had wanted it to happen. It was so obvious, it was Crux business. But at least for today, it wasn't going to be his.
The next morning, Niika wakes to slight pain. She wanted to erase yesterday afternoon from her head, and instead focus on having a better day. After her stretching, followed by her daily weekday morning routine, she searches the house looking for Arata. But her brother is nowhere to be found.
"Arata-kun, I'm coming in!" Niika tries the door to his bedroom. It was empty, looking completely untouched. "The sheets aren't even messed up in the slightest...Arata! Where'd you go?" He isn't in the bathrooms, the kitchen, the living room, and even the attic. God forbid she ever go near a basement again. She didn't sense him anywhere.
Since the house is a no-go, Niika assumes he is already on his way to school. She had no idea whether he had wanted to go early or if she was just really late. All the clocks in the house aren't moving. That's weird. The fact that her brother left her alone without telling her is even weirder.
Niika decides not to walk today, and take the bus so she ventures into town, but no one is there. From the shops to the streets, there is no one. She soon finds a running bus but there is no driver or passengers. It was just Niika. She's all alone, just like before. That scares her.
It didn't take long for the long-haired brunette girl to start freaking out. Not long after, she finds herself backed up into a corner. To make things worse, it starts to rain, lightning, and thunder crashing and booming. Aside from the schoolbag she is clutching to death, that corner becomes her only shelter. If she moves she will get wet. She's afraid, afraid of it all. And she didn't even have her big brother to protect her. Niika didn't know what to do. Weak to the circumstances and the atmosphere, she can't help but cry.
"Niika...chan?" A shadow looms over her. Someone had heard her whining even in the terrible weather. Niika looks up, surprised to see Kazuma standing above her, an umbrella in his hand. She only stares back at him until he gains a serious face. Worried he might lash out, Niika backs up against the wall. The action startles the boy, causing his expression to soften out of pity. He suddenly grabs her by the hand pulling her to her feet. "Come on. Let's go."
Kazuma wasn't smiling, but it didn't feel like he would hurt her.
Still, should Niika be afraid?
To Be Continued...