Chapter 7: The Red String(Part One)
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"Ugh! What's with him?!" A little girl yelled out in frustration as she drew her hand back, halting her forte. "No matter how much I slap him with the sand, he only gets back up!" Another girl steps back in fear as the boy they were beating up makes eye contact with her. "He's a monster! He should've been crying by now!" The two girls grabbed each other's hands as they turned to run back into the neighborhood. The boy watched their retreating forms until they were mere specks along the road and hastily turned a corner. With the immediate threat gone, he relaxes his form and dusts himself off. "If I was supposed to cry from that, then I must've been going on picnics back at home." Shaking the sand and water out of his hair, the young man turns his attention to the jungle gym. Specifically the green tube bridge, which upon closer inspection, holds one occupant inside. "I should let her know that it's safe to come out now…" He smiled to himself and began his ascent onto the playground. It didn't take long for him to reach his point of interest, but the closer he approached, the louder the sniffling and weeping was. "A man should always console a girl when she cries. Or at least that's what Dad told me…" He enters the darkened yet cool inside and crawls his way to the side of the crying child.
The young girl had short brown hair done in a bob; she was very short with a cedar complexion and was wearing her now dirty school uniform. Currently she had her hands balled up in her eyes as she cried with her knees tightly packed into her chest. The young boy sat beside her unsure of how to exactly "console" her in the moment. After a split second of thought, the images of the soap operas and romcoms that his mother watches came to mind. "Like this?" He reaches over and wraps an arm around her shoulder, then he gently shifts her into him and begins to stroke her hair slowly. "Hey hey, it's going to be alright! I managed to scare them, so they're gone now! Are you okay?" After another minute of sobbing, the young girl peeks up to the boy's smiling face, her eyes widening at the scratches. "You're hurt…" She whimpered, her volume barely above a whisper. The boy could see the tears welling up in her eyes. "Oh, this? This is nothing! A man is supposed to be as tough as nails, and I don't even feel the pain."
He raised his free hand and closed it into a fist while flexing his nonexistent muscles. A tear slid down her cheek, but the little girl did giggle at his supposed bravado. The boy grinned at his success of making her laugh. "Do you live somewhere close by? I could walk you back to your house." The young girl in his arms paused in thought as she leaned her head into his chest; the motion of a nod was felt. He was about to release her so he could crawl out but felt his arms get grabbed. "C-Can we stay here just a bit longer? I-I'm not ready to leave yet…" Feeling her tremble against him, the young boy encircles her with his arm and goes back to stroking her hair. "As long as you want. I'm not going anywhere without ya." The girl smiled and buried herself deeper into his embrace. They've slipped into silence that's occasionally interrupted by the passing of cars or school kids walking home. The boy looks down to the girl. "Hey…" She hummed against him in inquisitiveness. "What's your name?" There was a lengthy pause that hung in the air that felt like an eternity, but eventually the girl would slowly peek up at him. "So-"
The Carlein Household 6:05:23 AM
"-ph." Lephantis groggily said as he sat up in his bed and ticked the alarm to off. "I haven't had that dream in a very long time…" He looks at the curio on the nightstand directly next to the alarm clock. "I hope she's doing well… How long has it been, about 10 years?" He picks up the hair tie and slips his right hand through it. He admires it for a moment with a content smile then he reads the clock again. "Op! I need to get ready!" He jumps out of bed and runs downstairs to the bathroom. He carefully shuts the door, performing the morning routine of brushing and combing his hair, brushing his teeth, washing his face, and a modest flex in the mirror. He takes his phone out of his inventory, his pajama pocket, and opens the web browser. The page he was reading last night was still open. "I'll suspend this for now. I need to make sure I eat and actually pack my lunch this time." He sighed then locked his phone, placing it on the counter. "What shall I wear today?" He checked his inventory to see what he had in store. After a few minutes of scrolling he decided on wearing a royal blue button down with an orchid shirt underneath that depicts the hero Pink Defender on it, navy blue cargo shorts along with ankle high socks and blue shoes. After nodding in approval of his outfit, he grabs his phone and puts it in his pocket as he exits the bathroom into the dark hallway.
Lephantis walks into the den and flicks the light on seeing a note taped to the TV. "Left on a business trip, won't be back till later tonight. Be sure to take your lunch with you this time and we have leftovers in the fridge. We love you!" The note was signed by Mom and Dad with hearts and stars at the bottom. He smiled while removing the note and placing it face down on the couch. He goes to the kitchen and opens the fridge. "There you are! I was looking for you yesterday." Putting the bento into his inventory and closing the fridge door, Lephantis goes to the pantry and grabs a granola bar from the top shelf. Returning back to the den, Lephantis sits on the couch and turns on the TV. "Good Morning Ishimori! I'm your host with the most Shibata Juro! And boy do I have some news for you!" Lephantis chuckled as the news anchor practically threw the papers up to the air and slapped a hand on what seemed to be the back wall. "I wonder if Celena is up yet?" He took a bite out of his bar as the newscaster could be seen doing aerobics while introducing the weather forecast of the day~.
Brighton Household 5:30:23 AM
BZZZT! BZZZT! A hand came slamming down on the offending device, shutting it up. Celena sits up with a yawn as one of her spaghetti straps hangs limply off her shoulder. "Ughhh… Time to get up…" She throws herself out of bed with a stumble and simultaneously grabs her phone from her desk. She clicks the lock button, and the bright screen flashes to life, momentarily blinding her. "Kyaah!" Celena falls back onto her bed as the handheld flashbang bounces harmlessly next to her. She glared at the device and picked it back up. "Why did I keep the brightness so damn high…?" After lowering the brightness, she spotted a message that was unread from Kioko. "Oh yeah, that's right; I asked Kioko about some ways to tame this wild mane of mine…" She rubbed her eyes and dismissed the notification. "I'll have to ask my mom for her curling iron when she comes home tonight." Locking the phone back up and slipping it into her PJs, Celena jumps off of the bed and heads downstairs to the bathroom.
After shutting the door, she walks over to the sink where the mirror resided. She leaned forward to her reflection and looked herself dead in the eye. "You will ask him for his number and also see if he's available this weekend. Not tomorrow, not next week, today!" After staring at herself for a few more seconds, she nods her head in resolve. "Good! Now don't chicken out, or Kio will make fun of you for God knows how long." She raised a tightly clenched fist up to her chest in confirmation and then went on about doing her morning routine. After completing the essentials, Celena found herself back in front of a mirror. "I should really get my hair done or something; it just seems so… messy." She reaches up to her wild locks and tries to smooth it out, but the various ends step out of line in protest. She sighed. "He didn't seem to mind when he was combing it yesterday… It was so relaxing too. What I wouldn't give to have that feeling again." She breathed a sigh of contentment and then pulled out her phone to check the time. "I need to start preparing my bento soon… I'll just pick from Kio's list of styles." Opening her notes app, Celena scrolls through an array of different hairstyles. Some had stars on them while the others had an X on them. "Hmmm, I think I'll choose this one!" Setting her phone on the counter, she got to work on the selection she made. The hairstyle she picked had 3 stars next to it, and it's called The High Bridal Ponytail.
"Aaaand… There! That should do it!" Celena had a little trouble with the knot that kept it all together, but overall it came out to her liking. She checked herself out in the mirror, tilting her head at different angles. "Mmm… The knot seems a little larger than I remember, and my ends are still a bit rough in certain places…" She turned to the side. "It's not a whole lot different from how I styled it yesterday, and my nape is also in plain view too… Boys are into that, right…? Will he even notice…?" She sighed and checked the time on her phone. "5:50… Welp, no use in agonizing over it now. If he notices, then it's fine, and if he doesn't, I'll have to try harder tomorrow." Stowing the device back into her pocket, Celena swings the door open and skips over to the den. The jingling of tags could be heard as she turned the light on. "Good morning, Stella! Didn't mean to wake you!" She walked over to the couch and patted Stella's head. "You can go back to sleep. It's only me this morning.~" The K9 yawned, then nuzzled her head back into her arms.
"Let's see, maybe some fish today?" She stepped into the kitchen and opened the freezer, grabbing two ziplock bags from within. "Sided with some rice, broccoli… And I think we have some karaage in the fridge too." Celena sets the bagged fish and frozen broccoli to the side, then reaches up to the cupboard above and snags a box of rice from the top shelf. Setting the box aside, Celena grabs the proper cooking utensils from below the sink and places them on the stove. Turning back to the ingredients on the counter, she crosses her arms in thought. "Should I make one for him too? He did forget his yesterday…" The images of his contentment whilst eating her food began to appear in her mind as a blush started to spread across her face. She looked off to the side with a wobbly smile. "Maybe… making one more helping wouldn't be that big a deal…" She grabbed the apron haphazardly strewn on the island and puts it on. "Just in case I'm extra hungry today… yeah, that's it." Tying the straps into a bow and convincing herself that her reasoning is sound, Celena grabs another bento box from the cabinet and sets it on the counter. She cracks her knuckles. "Alright, let's get started!"
40 minutes later…
"Phew~! It's a little hot in here." Celena could be seen fanning herself as she fastened the knot on the second bento. She exhaled in satisfaction. "I may have overdone it with the karaage, but overall it came out pretty good! I hope we're eating on the roof again today." She looked up to the clock above the bar, and her eyes widened. "Oh shit! I'm going to be late!" She hastily grabs the lunches, then shoves them into her bag and sprints to the front door. She almost wrenched it open until she looked down. "Eh?!" Celena was still in her spaghetti-strapped tank top and overly colorful pajama pants. "Damn it, I knew I was forgetting something!" Releasing her vice grip on the door, she rushes back upstairs into her room. "Something to wear… Something to wear…" Celena basically threw her closet doors off their hinges as she scoured for an outfit for the day. "No… No… I want something that can catch the eye without doing too much…" She was tossing out outfits left and right onto her bed, but eventually she found what she was searching for. "Aha! This should do it!" She pulled out two articles of clothing; in her right hand was a pair of blue jean shorts, and in her left hand was a cyan shirt that had "Holla Girl" written in cursive across the chest.
Celena jumped out of her nightwear and quickly swapped into her thrown-together ensemble. The shorts fit snugly with the hem stopping just above halfway on her thighs, and the shirt hugging her body gave emphasis to her curves. She stepped in front of her vanity dresser and posed before it. "Yeah, I think this will definitely grab his attention~." She purred at the thought of him ogling her body. "It's a little tight around the chest, but it'll do." She grabbed some low-cut ankle socks from her drawer, then picked up her favorite pair of converse from the closet. After putting them on, she hops onto her feet while swooping her bag up. "Alright, now I'm ready to go!" She ran out of her room, with the door slamming behind her, and slid down the stairwell railing, then leapt towards the front door. Celena paused while pulling out a hand mirror, having one last look at her reflection, fixing her hair, and taking a deep breath. "Okay… I got this!" She closed the mirror and returned it to her bag but felt something wet press itself against her leg. Celena looked behind herself and found Stella sitting on the doormat. She smiled. "Came to wish me luck, girl? Cuz I definitely need it." She cooed as she rubbed the side of Stella's neck. "I'll try not to stay out too late, so be sure to guard the house while I'm gone, okay?" Ruff! Stella replied heartily, her tail wagging as she stood vigil over the door. "Good girl!" Celena gave her a parting pat then shoved the door open. "See you later!"
Ishimori 6:43:32 AM
The sky was still brushed in strokes of midnight with nary a cloud in sight. The moon shone full, assisting the street lamps with illuminating the neighborhood. Cars darted up and down the road as a lone girl could be seen jogging down the street."Let's see a purple SUV and a flower bed in front…" Celena surveyed left and right as she passed each house. "Red… blue… green… hm?" She slowed to a stop as she spotted a familiar form patiently waiting on the right side of the road. Under a streetlight about five feet from his driveway stood Lephantis reading something on his phone. "Oh, so he is the type to show up early, huh? Good to know…" She smiled as she was about to call out to him. "Eh?!" Her eyes widened when she got a better look at him. The first thing she noticed was that his hair was down and wet. Secondly, his outfit was wildly different from yesterday; it seemed a little formal yet just as casual. "Did he dress up… just for me?" The implication was starting to toy with her brain as a gust of wind blew in her direction. Sniff. Sniff. The smell of his peach-scented shampoo reached her nose, and her smile turned predatory. "Dolling yourself up like that is going to get you jumped, Leph…"
After reining her desires in and safely crossing over to his side of the street, Celena waved to him as she approached. "Yo! Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long!" Recognizing the voice, Lephantis perked up from his phone with a small smile and waved back to her. "Not at all, I just got out here myself. Good morning!" He rushed up to meet her halfway, and Celena could already feel his gaze wandering her form. "I see your wounds healed up nicely. That's a relief!" Lephantis looked up to her with a radiant beam, and she was nearly blinded for the second time this morning. Celena raised her arms into view, and her eyes widened. "I didn't even think to check this morning… I thought it was just wishful thinking." Like he said, her arms were healed completely, and not even a blemish could be seen. "Wow, Doc, you were right; I can't find a single trace of me being a scratching post yesterday." She looked past her appendages to Lephantis, and he only hummed in delight. "Well, of course, I do know my stuff after all!" He lifted a hand to his chin and nodded in satisfaction. "Plus, a girl's skin is her most valuable asset, and I wanted to make sure that it wasn't permanently damaged due to the scuffle." Celena could feel a teasing smile etching on her face due to the offhand comment. "Oh? Is that why you rushed me to the nurse's office so quickly? So you could preserve my beauty, hm?" She maintained eye contact as she leaned down to his height. Lephantis went silent at the question but averted his gaze from hers as a light flush was darkening his cheeks. "No… It wasn't just that…" He mumbled. "Oh? Then what else was there, hmm?" She said oh so slowly as she invaded his personal space.
His blush deepend at the question and her proximity as he leaned away. "I-it's n-nothing…" When he peeked at her, he couldn't help but become very aware of her appearance. The shirt she was wearing was tight but also the neckline was low. If he tried, he could almost see what color bra she was wearing. His eyes drifted further down and it never occurred to him just how attractive she actually looks. Lost in his tiny reverie, Lephantis heard Celena clear her throat which made him stiffen. He slowly lifted his gaze back up to her and was met with a smirk. "Hoh, I see now. So that's what you're after huh?" She said teasingly as she put her hands on her hips and giggled. "I- No- I didn't…!" Lephantis tried to explain himself, but due to the intense embarrassment, he was left stammering, and Celena chuckled. "He's so cute when he's flustered~." While his back was turned, Celena reached out and wrapped both of her arms loosely around his neck. Lephantis went silent as he felt something very soft press against his back.
"I don't mind…" She then whispered seductively. "Especially if it's you..." She blew air into his ear, and Lephantis felt a chill run down his spine. His mind echoed the statement as random perverse images of his new friend were starting to fill his mind. "Just kidding!" He was brought back to reality when he heard laughter in his ear. "My, you should see the look on your face. What's going on in that head of yours, hmmm?" He glanced over to her and could easily spot the stupid grin on her face. Realizing he was getting played with, Lephantis frowned and squinted his eyes at her, then reached up to her face, pushing her away. She started to chortle as she pushed back against his hand. "D'aww, don't be like that~! I really am thankful for you patching me up yesterday. It means a lot to me that you care about my well-being." Upon saying those words, the resistance against her cheek faltered then ceased. Celena looked over to Lephantis, and he was looking away from her with his arms crossed. "You better be… I don't like seeing people I care about get hurt." He grumbled. She couldn't help but let a playful smile spread across her face. "Aww, you care about lil ole me?" She poked at his cheek, and she could feel him snicker. "Shut it." Then Celena giggled. "Is there any way that I could repay you for your tender care, Doc?" She felt him hum for a moment. "That won't be necessary." Lephantis turned his gaze to meet hers. "Seeing you as you are now is all I wanted." He smiled at her, and Celena could feel her heart thumping against her chest as a light flush started to materialize. She let him go and stepped ahead of him, hiding her content grin. "You almost had me… If I wasn't careful, I would've fallen victim to the Lady Killer. I better call Kioko to watch out before you get her too." Lephantis gasped, appalled by the accusation. "Who're you calling Lady Killer?! Hey, get back here! Don't tell her that!" Celena had run ahead laughing with Lephantis chasing after her.
The Valiant, Train Station 7:05:16 AM
The train's whistle blew across the station as a loud shout followed after. "ALL ABOARD! THIS IS THE LAST CALL FOR DREAMY TOWN. THE VALIANT WILL BE DEPARTING SHORTLY." The conductor went back inside the train to conclude his final preparations for departure. "Woah, there are so many people here! I thought you said this was a small town?" Celena, using her hand as a visor, was looking around the platform as it seemed to be a wave of people lining up to get into the cars. "It Huffs Is but…" Lephantis was currently hunched over, hands on knees, trying to suck in as much air as he could in between words. "A lot of people here have jobs in the big city, and our…" He inhales one large breath, then exhales as he stands up straight. "Train station is still a bit outdated, so the platform is smaller than normal… Phew~."
Celena stifled a chuckle as she used her hand visor to pat Lephantis' shoulder. "You okay, Leph? You seem a lil winded." He gave her a look of displeasure. "You only won because of your lengthsome gait…" Celena smirked at him. "That's a very cute way of saying that I'm faster than you. Don't forget about our bet, by the way~." After their tomfoolery this morning, the two had realized that they were going to be late if they didn't hurry along. It was Celena's idea to make it into a race with the stipulation of not utilizing their forte, and Lephantis had agreed. The two made a bet that the loser had to do one thing the winner asked of them. "Yeah, yeah, I know. C'mon, let's get in line before we get left." He reached out and grabbed Celena's hand, then led her to one of the cars. "I could definitely get used to this every morning~." She gazed lovingly at him as she let him pull her along.
Even though the station is quite dated, the train carrying them is fairly new. Sporting an orange and white paint job, the Valiant boasts in its length as well as its capacity. So it didn't take long for the platform to be emptied. With one last deafening whistle, the Valiant had closed its doors and left the station. "Man, it's packed in here!" Much of the seating in their car has already been taken, and even some of the standing spaces are limited. "Well, we were horsing around before we actually got here. So it makes sense considering we almost missed our train." Lephantis said dryly as he gave her a pointed glare, and Celena grinned cheekily at him. "Don't give me that look; you were having just as much fun when you caught me. Speaking of which…" She stuck out her hand and, with a "Gimmie Gimmie" gestured for him to return what was taken. Lephantis' glare broke into a playful grin as he pulled her phone out from his left pocket. "You got me there. It was a lot of fun, but that noise you made was pretty funny." Celena reclaimed the device, then it was her turn to give him a look. "You could've at least been a little gentle when you wrestled me to the ground. I'm a girl, you know? We're quite fragile!" She crossed her arms in mock annoyance.
Lephantis started chuckling, and Celena peeked an eye at him. "Something funny?" He did his best to stifle his giggling. "Perhaps I could get a little payback~. Let's see if what I learned holds true…" The redhead looked up to his friend with a mischievous grin. "That's an adorable way of saying that I'm stronger than you." Celena's eyes widened as her mouth hung open in disbelief. "H-Hah?!" She sputtered, and Lephantis could only laugh. "What chu say?!" Some of the passengers looked in their direction, and Celena was the one to apologize this time. She lowered her volume to what was barely above a whisper. "You only got me because you caught me off guard! You cheated using your forte!" Lephantis gave Celena consoling pats on her arm. "It's okay, Celena, we all have our off days. Perhaps next time…" He got onto the tips of his toes, grabbing her shoulder, and whispered into her ear. "You'll come out on top." With the combination of his close proximity and his alluring voice in her ear, Celena's face had flushed red. The stimulation was too much to handle all at once as dozens of thoughts were flowing through her mind. Each one becoming more lewd than the last. "Why you…!"
After Lephantis released her, Celena immediately entrapped his head within her hands. A look of superiority passed over her face as she stared down at him. "Got any last words?" He looked up to her with a small smirk and tried to imitate her voice. "Kyaah!" Celena's brows furrowed as she stuck her nails into his head. "That's it! You're asking for it!" She began roughly tousling Lephantis' hair. "Hey, wait! My hair is still wet!" His sentence was broken up with his laughter, which in turn made the ruffling intensify. "Not so tough now, are ya?!" Most of the passengers near them watched in a mixture of horror and mirth as the scene unfolded. Lephantis, through his laughter, was trying to slip out of her grasp or push her arms away but to no avail. He couldn't discern the feeling in the moment, but it felt like his strength was waning during the assault. "Okay, I give! I give!" With no way of breaking her hold, Lephantis raised his hands up to Celena's supposed view to signal that he surrenders. The ruffling slowed to a stop, but he can still feel her hands on his head. "Who's on top now?" He looked up to her after shoveling some hair out of his face. Celena had a very satisfied smile on her face as she stared down at him, the gleam in her eyes dying down.
Lephantis chuckled. "Okay, you made your point. I'm sorry for teasing you." She removed her hands, then shot him a playful smirk. "Don't be; you actually got me pretty good. Didn't think you had it in ya!" Lephantis was quite astonished at how Celena reacted to his attempt at teasing. "Well, at least she's a good sport, but I never would've thought she could be so easily provoked either…" He smiled to himself. "That's step 1 complete!" Lephantis swiped the rest of his hair out of his face as he returned to his spot on her right side. "Thanks, I try. So was that your forte? I saw a glimpse of your eyes glowing while I was in your spin cycle." Celena giggled but nodded. "Sure was! How did you feel? Powerless?" She grinned, and Lephantis nodded. "Yeah, actually, it kinda reminded me of the device that dampens Fortes. Is it something like that?" Celena thought for a moment as she tapped her cheek, but she shook her head. "Not quite… It's more so that you yourself was being weakened." Celena Brighton's Forte is called Overpower! She can produce an aura that can affect the mental state or will of her targets. The aura itself is transparent but similar in the form of heat hazes on a summer's day. Due to her upbringing in Urigawa, Celena had molded her forte into something akin to a defense mechanism that could help scare or even fight off her childhood bullies. After several years of putting it into use and attending Kanisu, she's learned that her forte can do so much more than just make her look opposing.
Lephantis tilted his head in confusion. "Me?" Seeing the confusion on his face, an idea popped into Celena's mind. "Hey Leph, can you hold your hand up real quick?" He raises his hand to her and she places her palm against his, interlocking their fingers. "Try pushing against me while using your forte." Ignoring the heat building up in his face, Lephantis does as she says. He closes his eyes as the muted gleam went up his body, signaling that changes have been made. Celena nodded to him and smiled. "Whenever you're ready~." Lephantis pushes against her hand, feeling the same ease he did when he was wrestling with her earlier. "See how you're able to push me back with pretty much no resistance?" He nodded, and then her eyes started to glow. "Now watch what happens when I use my forte." The area around the two of them began to distort, and Lephantis was starting to recall the same feeling he experienced earlier when she ruffled his hair. Suddenly, he felt a great deal of resistance against his arm and could feel himself getting pushed back instead. His eyes widened in alarm, and Celena smirked at his reaction. "How's yer forte? Still working properly?" He pushed against her hand, applying more effort, but it's only slowing the pressure he's feeling. He closes his eyes, checking his stats. "What the…?!" As he scanned from bottom to top, he noticed something different next to his ATK stat. There was a downward-pointing arrow next to it, and the value he had picked was cut in half. Though even with the abnormality found, his forte still feels to be working at full strength. "Yeah, it doesn't feel inhibited or anything, but it's telling me that you're lowering my ATK..." He grunted with effort until his hand had fully touched his shoulder. "You might be a special case since your forte is a bit more unique than most others. But usually I can't really affect others' forte directly. However, I can do what I like to them instead. " She releases his hand as the glow fades from her eyes. "Pretty neat, huh?"
Reverting his stats back to normal, Lephantis stared at his hand then looked up to Celena in wonder. "That is pretty neat…" He tilted his head at her, puzzled. "So if you're just near someone or a group of people, you can basically weaken them in some significant way?" She nodded to him. "Essentially, yeah! Glad you picked up on that quite fast, cuz I had no other way of explaining how that worked." She winked at him, then gave him a thumbs up, and Lephanis shook his head in amusement. "You've had your forte all this time, and you don't know how to put it into words?" She gave him a silly shrug accompanied with a smile. "It's all about the feeling, Leph, putting it into words just doesn't compare." They both shared a chuckle. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
The two slipped into silence as the train roared along the rails. Conversations amongst the passengers filtered in and out as the sun was starting to rise from the horizon. Lephantis was gazing out the window, and Celena was fidgeting with her phone. "Maybe now is a good time to ask for his Ryne?" She carefully stole a glance at him yawning and then back to her device with the contact list opened. "Stay calm, girl. It's easy! Just turn to your right and ask him. "Leph! Want to exchange Ryne?" See? Nothin scary about that! Just keep it casual~." Nodding to herself with confidence, Celena faced her friend. "Hey, Leph? Want to exchange Ry-?" Her voice trailed off as she laid her eyes on him. "Hm? Oh, one sec…" Lephantis gestured with his free hand that he needed a second while using the makeshift mirror that was the train window. His hair was already tied and organized in his signature low ponytail with the promised hair band seemingly glowing from the sun's rays.
He then reached into his pocket and produced a stick of cherry-flavored chapstick, which he uncapped and brought up to his mouth. Celena watched as he slowly and carefully applied the lip balm to every inch of his lips, making sure not to miss a spot. After a couple of seconds he was content with his application and put the chapstick away; then he started to rub his lips together. Celena could feel her cheeks burn as she unconsciously licked her lips from the display. With an audible pop, Lephantis inspects himself in the window and nods to himself in approval, then offers an apologetic smile to Celena. "Sorry about that; you were saying?" Celena shook her head, willing the blush away and trying to clear her head. "It's no problem…" She paused, clearing her throat, to recapture her prior confidence. "I was wondering… If you wanted to exchange Ryne? Since we'll be hanging out a lot?" She showed him her phone screen and offered a nervous smile. "Ryne?" Lephantis tilted his head at her for a second, then the realization hit him. "Oh, the app! Yeah, sure! Sorry, I don't really use it much." He took out his phone and scooched closer to her. Unlocking it, he navigates through the app until he eventually finds his account's QR code. "This right?" He raises his phone up for her to see. "Yup, that's it!" She scanned the code, and their contacts were immediately exchanged. Lephantis brought his phone back to himself, smiling at the new addition, then pocketing the device. Celena, on the other hand, mentally cheered that she didn't choke and say something weird while she changed his contact name.
The intercom chimed as most of the passengers looked up to the ceiling for the incoming announcement. "GOOD MORNING PASSENGERS!" The conductor's thunderous voice sounded out from the speaker, and most people had closed their ears due to the suspected volume. Lephantis looked unfazed, but Celena wasn't quick enough to shield her ears. After palming the vibrations out of her head, she could hear the audible feedback of someone getting slapped in the back of their head. Ahem. "I apologize for my volume. Good morning passengers, I hope the ride is going smoothly for you. We'll be arriving in Dreamy Town in approximately 10 minutes. That is all." The intercom fell silent, and then the passengers went back to what they were doing prior. "He must really love his job." Celena clicked her tongue as she glared at the intercom, causing Lephantis to chuckle. "I wish some of our teachers had the same gusto as him. School would be a whole lot more fun." He nudged her side, gaining her attention. "In speaking of school, are you ready for PE today?" Celena smiled confidently as she leaned against the window. "Hell yeah, we're gonna crush it out there!" He smiled at her declaration. "Well, I'm not sure if it's going to be an individual or team event today, but I like your spirit nonetheless."
Iguru Chugakko, Courtyard 7:35:57 AM
"What games do y'all usually play during PE?" By the time the two arrived at the station, Dreamy Town was bustling with activity. Traffic was fairly light, and the students making their way to school were aplenty. Lephantis and Celena were chatting as they strolled towards the school's gate. "I think last week we played dodgeball without powers, and for Thursday, we did track events with powers. So, general sports stuff?" They got back onto the topic of PE due to Celena's curiosity about the competitions they held. "Dodgeball was fun, but the track events were kind of a blowout." He scratched his cheek as he bashfully laughed, and Celena tilted her head. "Sage and Ian dominated?" He nodded. "Yeaaahh. Dodgeball was much closer, but those two are quite formidable when they're together, especially if they can use their fortes." Celena hummed. "What about combat-related events?" Lephantis tilts his head in puzzlement. "Sometimes? Though it's usually to settle disputes between students who had problems during the period. The only time that comes to mind was when we were playing tamahire and everyone could use their fortes to block the goals or throw off someone's shot. Other than that, I don't think we ever had straight-up battles as an individual or team-styled event."
Celena clicked her tongue as they turned the corner into the courtyard. "Damn it. I was hoping for an easier way to beat up Sage." Lephantis giggled and playfully backhanded her arm. "I thought you just wanted to smack her? Twice, if I recall correctly." He smiled up at her, and she smirked back at him. "Oh? Was that all you thought I was going to do?" He shook his head. "Mm-mm, I get the feeling that it wouldn't have been enough for you to just smack her twice. If yesterday was any indication when you slapped Kioko upside the head." He pointed to his head then gestured to her. "Plus, you had your forte active, and I can tell that it hurt her from the way she reacted." He chuckled, and Celena grinned while putting her hands behind her back. "Wow, it's like you already know me~." In the background someone shouted, "Hey!" towards them, but it went unheard as Lephantis hummed. "Maybe this is what they call a man's intuition?" Celena lets a pfft slip out, trying to restrain herself from laughing. "I don't think that's how that saying goes, Leph. It's a woman's intuition, guys don't sweat the small stuff." The voice seemed a little closer when it shouted, "Hey guys, wait up!" but just like last time it went ignored. Question marks appeared over Lephantis' head as confusion appeared on his face. "Wait, they don't?" She burst out laughing and rolled her eyes. "You're an earnest one, aren't cha Leph?"
He nodded, but just as he was about to answer, he saw an ash-blonde hand winding back behind her head. "Huh?" Smack! "OW!" Celena raised a hand to the back of her head as she spun around to face her attacker, and Lephantis watched the offending hand retract back to its owner. "Bet you hear me now, don't chu?" Kioko snickered at Celena as she finally caught up with them. "Kioko?! What was that for?!" Celena massaged the back of her head while Kioko's hair pointed at both of them as she inserted herself between the two. "I've been calling out to you two for a while, but y'all were in your own little world." Kioko's hairstyle of the day was twin tails with the ash blonde highlights seemingly taking over as the dominant color. Lephantis chuckled and did a quick bow before they resumed their trek through the courtyard. "Please forgive us, Yoshiko-san, we were just wrapped up in conversation." Kioko gave Lephantis a discomforting look. "Whoa dude, no need to be formal with me. We're all friends here, so just call me Kioko or Kio. Got it?" Her countenance morphed into authoritative, and the hand pointing at him stuck its pointer finger into his cheek. Lephantis couldn't help but giggle from her pushiness. "Shure Thiang, Keioko." She used her actual hand to pat his shoulder in approval as the one made of hair retracted out of his face and Celena's. "But anyway, how's the morning goi-!" As Kioko looked from Lephantis to Celena, she gasped when she saw Celena's hairstyle.
Celena tried to maintain a neutral look, but the anxiousness was present in her eyes. "W-What?" Lephantis leaned forward to get a look at both of them, curiosity written on his face. "Is there something wrong?" Kioko glanced at him, then eyed her bestie with a knowing smile. "No, there's nothing wrong, buuut…" Celena felt her stomach tie into knots as Kioko Let the implication hang, she had an inkling of what she was about to do. "There's something different about Cel today…" Lephantis tilted his head at her. "Something different?" He looked over to Celena, and Kioko nodded. "Mhm, but I can't put my finger on it." Under his inquisitive gaze, Celena couldn't help but fidget a little as he tried to find what was different about her. Seeing her ploy going unquestioned, Kioko goes in for the kill. "Say Leph~, do you think you can help me spot the difference?" Celena gave Kioko a dirty look, and she grinned mischievously back as Lephantis hummed in thought. "Sure, I could give it a shot! Mind if we swap places real quick?" Kioko takes a step back, offering the spot. "By all means, be my guest!" The two swap places, and Lephantis looks up to Celena as she catches his eye. "You know you don't have to humor her, right? She's just being dumb…" She mumbled the last part, a hint of embarrassment layering into her tone. The suggestion went unheard as Lephantis grabbed her hand, almost making her yelp. "Hmm, they still retained their color and luster from yesterday…"
Celena's eyes widened as he mumbled his observation. "Wait, he actually paid attention to my nails?" Releasing the hand, Lephantis scans her from toe to head, then quickly circles behind her to do the same on the other side. "The outfit is a bit more revealing, but the object in question has to be smaller or more indistinguishable…" Kioko watched in awe at how thorough he was being. "She wasn't kiddin about the sense of duty…" He then circled in front of her, causing the two girls to stop as he narrowed his eyes in focus. "Hmmm…" He looked at her one last time from bottom to top, only occasionally stopping near the waist and upper torso. The attention was starting to get to Celena, causing her to squirm under his gaze. "I know I was asking for this, but… I never thought it'd be this intense..." As the two lock eyes, he flashes a sheepish smile. "Excuse me a moment, Celena." Before she could even question his intentions, he walked up to her and grabbed her by her upper arms. "Eh?" Celena's eyebrows shot up in alarm as Lephantis got on the tips of his toes, his face closing in to hers. She panicked. "Wait, wait, wait! This is too fast, my heart isn't ready!" She turned her head away, closing her eyes, as she tried to feebly keep him at bay. Kioko looked ready to interfere, thinking that he was trying to pull a fast one, but saw him stop when Celena placed her hands against his chest. Sniff. Sniff. Kioko's mouth hung open, and Celena slowly peeked an eye at him.
"Hmm, no perfume either, but..." Just as Lephantis was about to let her go, he spots something that isn't currently present in Celena's hair. She could see the realization light up in his eyes as she felt herself freed from his grip. "I think I may have found the difference, Kioko!" He returns to his spot between the two girls as Kioko manages to snap out of her stupor. "O-Oh yeah? What was it?" Lephantis' grin was filled with confidence as he pointed at Celena. "She's not wearing the scrunchie she had yesterday!" Kioko stared at him, perplexed. "Well, he isn't exactly wrong…" She glanced at Celena, and while she could see her shy smile, Kioko could tell that wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear. So with that in mind, she decides to nudge him a little further. "Not bad, Leph. You've got quite the eye!" She gave him a congratulatory pat on the shoulder, leaving her hand there as she stepped next to him. "But if her scrunchie is missing, then how does her hair stay up?" Kioko side-eyed Lephantis, watching the gears turning in his head. "Hmm…" Then he gasped as the second realization hit him over the head like a brick. "Oh, she changed her hairstyle!" He slaps the bottom of his fist into the palm of his left hand, and Kioko internally chuckles.
Celena stifled a giggle, and Kioko gave her a wink. "That's right, and I think it suits her quite well~. What do you think?" Both girls eyed him as the most important question was asked. "Well…" He paused as he took a couple of steps forward, looking Celena directly in the eyes. Celena could feel the knots tying themselves tighter the longer the silence dragged on, and Kioko stared a hole in the back of his head. He smiles with a light flush appearing on his cheek as he looks away from her. "I think it's very cute, Celena. It suits you very well." Kioko crossed her arms and nodded, then she peeked at her bestie. "Now that's more like it!" Celena's smile grew larger, and the look in her eyes gave way to the contentment she was experiencing. "Oooh? So I'm cute, huh? You really think so?" She approached him, and he took a step back.
"Y-yesh, but don't come any closer!" The memories of him ogling her and violating her personal space were starting to haunt him. Celena laughed devilishly. "Why? You didn't seem to have any problem with it a second ago~. You also didn't even seem to care about toying with my maiden heart earlier too…" She raised her hands up, readying to capture her prey, and Lephantis looked distressed. "W-Wait! Can't we talk about this?" She shook her head and lunged at him. "We're already past that!" Lephantis quickly ducked under her and came up a few feet behind her. Celena's grin was starting to turn fanged as she turned to face him. "I'll give you a head start. You have three seconds. One…" His eyes widened, and when she got to two, he turned and bolted towards the school building. Kioko laughed. "You two are somethin else, ya know?" Celena chuckled and raised a fist up to her. "Thanks, Kio. You're a great wingwoman, by the way." Kioko reciprocates the gesture and nods. "Anytime, Sis, you know I always got your back! Speaking of which, do you need any help catching him?" Celena shook her head as she took a running stance. "Nah, I got it, but thanks, though." With one last smile between the two, Celena takes off shouting, "Get back here!". Kioko shook her head in amusement as she followed inside. "I think I'm going to like it here."
Iguru Chugakko, Classroom 3-B 7:40:22
"So, if I have this right, our little man found his first crush?" A tall boy leaned against the window, looking out to the courtyard with a smile. "Well, not exactly, I'm pretty sure he just wants to thank her for her kindness. He's always been like that." Another boy, who had a chair pulled up near the front of the classroom, was propping his head up with his right hand on his friend's desk. "Still, it's quite surprising of him to ask us for advice on what to do… What do you think, bro?" The boys point their gazes to the one fiddling on his phone. "Hmm, it's hard to say, but…" He locks the device and puts it away. "I think the rest of this semester is going to be a fun one." Leon, Jase, and CJ grinned at each other as Leon leaned back and rested an arm on the top of his chair. "If it develops the way I think it will… maybe Raika could enjoy his school life a little." The two other boys nodded, and Jase looked back out to the courtyard. "I hope so, for as long as I can remember, the poor guy always got the short end of the stick." CJ and Leon both hum in agreement. "It's been a while since they've last sent people to harass him." CJ sits back in his chair, balancing himself, while stealing a peek towards the back of the classroom. "Did they give up?" Jase did the same, but Leon looked thoughtful before he ran a hand through his hair.
"Unfortunately, that's a no…" He leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Word around the block says they personally cornered him yesterday morning." Jase and CJ's eyes widened as they nearly fell out of their chairs. ""Hah?!"" The students that were in the room all jumped at the sudden shout and turned towards the origin of the noise. Both Jase and CJ gestured forgiveness with a quick bow of the head, but they could feel the particular stares of a certain group from the back of the room. Sage glanced at the two for their disturbance but made no move to say anything. Ian, who was side-eyeing them, raised a brow but continued a hushed conversation with Sage. Lastly, there was Thierry, who had his head propped up by an arm, acting like he was disinterested. Leon glanced back at the group, then back to his buddies. "Keep your voices down." They both nodded and pulled their chairs closer to Leon's table, keeping their volume in mind. "As I was saying, apparently they caught on to him arriving at school early and set a trap for him." Jase crossed his arms and tilted his head a little. "That's odd, though, he seemed cheerful when we ran into him yesterday. Not to mention he didn't even have a scratch on him." CJ nodded as he leaned closer to them. "Well, that might be thanks to his Forte since the nurse wouldn't normally fool with serfs. Which one did he fight?" Leon had a proud smirk spread across his face as he leaned in, and the two boys did the same. "From what I heard…" Leon did a quick sweep of the room to see if anyone was getting a little bit too nosy for their own good before returning back to the fold. "He put Ian and Thierry on their asses!" CJ and Jase had shock flash across both their faces.
"Really?!" "No way, seriously?!" He nodded. "Mhm! Raika was about to deal the finishing blow, but the supposed new vice principal and school nurse had interfered and stopped the fight." Leon could see the hype radiating from the two of them. "Dude, we have to celebrate or something, his training really paid off!" Jase couldn't help but stash a grin behind a fist, he was extremely proud of his friend for sticking up for himself. CJ nodded, a smile materializing on his face. "It sure has, but to take down a Noble and his Knight at the same time? Which set did he use?" Leon shrugged his shoulders. "They couldn't tell, but if I had to guess…" The three boys looked at each other before they all nodded. "Jein." "Jein, easy." "Jein!" They all said at the same time and laughed. "Yeah, that was a no-brainer, but in a situation like that perhaps- Hm?" The three could hear rapid footsteps approaching their door accompanied by the shouts of various students in the hallways. "What's going on out there?" Jase questioned. Just then the door slid open with a Slam! "Looks like I made it! Ha!" The boy who darted into the room, catching his breath with his hands on his knees, was none other than Lephantis Carlein.
The three boys chuckled at his sudden appearance, then Leon turned in his seat, waving to his family. "We were just wondering where you were, Raika. Good morning!" Jase and CJ greeted him, but in the back of the classroom, Sage's group all snapped their attention towards him. Lephantis raised his head as he managed to capture his breath. "Guys…!" Huffs. "I thought I was a goner there for a sec!" He exhaled, then stood at his full height. Jase, CJ, and Leon looked at each other, then CJ spoke up, suppressing a laugh. "What happened, Raika?" As he walked over and was about to tell them, those already seated could see another figure dash into the room. "There you are!" Recognizing the voice, Lephantis flinched and turned around to face a now airborne Celena descending upon him. "W-Wait, stop! I already-" CRASH! Leon and Crew leapt away from their desks as the two slammed into the floor, causing a big commotion. Students from the outside peeked in to see what was going on. Leon was in the center of the aisle of their column, CJ was near the vacant teacher's desk, and Jase had a hand dug into the ceiling to which he landed next to Leon. The two desks near the front of their column were in disarray from the impact. "Ugghh… Oomph!" Feeling a sudden weight on his midsection, Lephantis opened his eyes, staring up at his captor. Celena's signature grin glowed within the shadow she cast upon him as she held him down. "Gotcha~." She said eerily, and Lephantis swallowed. "C-Celena, I made it to base, you can't do that!" He put on a brave face, but she hummed like it wasn't her problem. "Hmm, Iszhatso? From where I'm sitting, you didn't make it to your desk in time. So yer not safe!" Lephantis squinted at her as he tried to sit up. "But I got here before you, so I am safe! Gyah!" Celena pushed him back down and shook her head. "Mm-mm, nope! I caught chu fair n square!" She sat up and crossed her arms as the two argued about their impromptu game of cat and mouse.
Leon, Jase, and CJ couldn't help but smile at the situation unfolding before them, and even some of the students were being influenced by the lighthearted air. However, the good vibes deteriorated when it reached the back of the classroom as both Theirry and Sage looked up to a now standing Ian. The look on his face was unreadable, but the gleam in his eye was something they'd both seen before. "I'll kill him!" He muttered to himself as the students peeking in the classroom sensed his change of demeanor and immediately vacated the premises. Unbeknownst to the two still arguing, the students within the classroom also caught on to his shift in attitude and looked worriedly in the back. Before Ian could take a step toward his target, Sage grabbed his arm. "This is why none of the girls want you, Ian." She whispered to him, and he frowned at her. Sage then gestures with her eyes towards her left, then back to him. "I don't need you messing up my plan, take a look around." Ian scoffed and then did a quick sweep of where she gestured. Jase was staring directly at him, crunching his knuckles in an almost cartoonish way. Leon was looking at both of them with a small flame dancing within his right hand, and CJ had his arms crossed with visible steam blowing from his nose. Realizing what she was trying to tell him, Ian grits his teeth and sits back down. The flame within Leon's palm disappeared, Jase nodded and turned away from them, and CJ uncrossed his arms. The students sighed in relief, thankful that a brawl didn't ensue.
Leon then walks over to his desk, puts it back in place, then sits on it. Ahem! The two bickering on the floor looked up at the noise, and Leon chuckled. "You two are getting along quite well this morning." He smiled down at the both of them as he let his right leg sway forward and back. "Did something happen yesterday?" Lephantis could feel his face heat up as the memories of the nurses office and train ride flashed through his mind. "N-Nothing at all." Celena gasped with a hand over her mouth, then a cheeky smile appeared under it. "Are you embarrassed?" She reached down and started poking at his cheek. "You know responding like that only gives it away, right~?" Both of them could see him puff his right cheek as an Ikari mark[1] popped up next to his temple. "Will you get off of me…! please?" Celena giggled then stood up, offering a hand up. "Even when you're mad, you're still polite. That's cute!" Lephantis took her hand, and she pulled him up to standing. "I'm not mad, just embarrassed." He looked away from her as she helped him dust himself off. Leon chuckled, and Jase walked up, leaning on his desk. "That's a pretty good sign, Celena, he's not like that with everyone he's upset with." Celena had intrigue across her features as she looked over to Jase. "Oh, really? How so?" Jase was about to answer, but Lephantis quickly got to him and tried to shush him. "Shhhh! Don't tell her that!" The lanky boy chuckled as he playfully shrugged. "What? It's nothing to be embarrassed of, Raika." Celena had a joyful smile on her face as she watched him flail his arms to keep his friend quiet. CJ laughed as he walked up to the group. "There's no need to act tough, Rai. From what you told us yesterday, you seemed quite Fon-" "Nyahyaha!" Lephantis spoke over CJ as he went to him and covered his mouth, his face darkening a shade. "Stop talking… please!" Celena snorted and chuckled while Leon and Jase laughed.
"Alright guys, that's enough for now. We can tease him about his new friend later." Lephantis unhanded his friend, then jumped to his brother, loosely hugging him. "Thank you, Leon. I knew I could count on you!" Leon patted his back. "Anytime, bro, that's why I'm here." After they separated, he noticed a pensive look on Lephantis' face. "Got something on your mind, Raika?" He nodded, looking down at the ground then up to him. "Do you happen to know who Harumi Obi is?" Celena felt the air around the other three boys shift to a more serious vibe. Even around the classroom, those who overheard had a very startled expression on their faces. CJ and Jase both looked at each other, then back to the siblings. Leon hummed in thought, his facial expression staying nonchalant. "Yeah, I've heard of her. Striped tail, pretty violent, very intense?" Lephantis smiled with excitement and nodded quickly. "Yeah, her! Do you know anything about her?" Leon smirked at him. "Hoh, what's this…?" Lephantis looked confused by the question. "W-What?" Leon loosely wrapped an arm around Lephantis, grinning at him. "Are you interested in her? I never would've thought she would've been your type." A light flush made itself known on the younger sibling's face, and he nearly jumped into the ceiling if it wasn't for his brother holding him down. "W-W-What're you sayin?! That's not funny, Leo!" He punched his arm, and Leon only laughed at him. "My bad. My bad. It's just a pleasant surprise to see that my little bro is growing up!" Leon stole a glance at Celena, her facial expression, though restrained, had morphed into an anxious scowl.
"Don't talk about me like I'm a lost cause. I can have interests too, you know? Y'all just never asked me." Lephantis crossed his arms at Leon, pouting at his teasing. Leon had a suggestive look as he stifled his laughter. "Then you definitely got to fill us guys in sometime! Though getting back on topic…" Sensing the shift in tone, Lephantis dropped his act and gave him his full attention. "You may not know since you don't talk to many people, but Obi-san is actually the school's other Diva. I'm not sure when she was recognized as such, but it's not the same as Tsarenna[2] back there." Leon flung a thumb towards the back of the classroom, gesturing at an indignant Sage. "While Sage is known as Queen of the school, Obi is mostly known as Byakko[?] or White Tiger. She loves to fight and only has interest in those that are really strong. People have tried to get along with her in the past, but she's a tough nut to crack, and that's putting it mildly." He massaged the back of his neck, then he hopped off the desk. "Did you have a run-in with her?" Lephantis nodded and sighed. "Something like that… she tried to fight me." CJ gave him a puzzling stare as he set his chair back up in front of Jase's desk. "Why? You don't participate in arena matches..." Jase sat on Leon's desk and crossed his arms. "And not to mention your rank hasn't changed at all since you enrolled here. Did you do something to piss her off?" Lephantis shrugged and shook his head. "I don't have the slightest idea. All I know is that one second we were talking, and the next second there's a fist flying at my face!" He looked to his elder brother, who was sporting a thoughtful look. "What happened after she swung on you?"
"Well…" Lephantis glanced over to Celena, catching her eye. "Thanks to the guard you assigned to me." He walked over to her left, offering an appreciative smile, and turned to face Leon. "She spared me from having my face punched in, and you should have seen it!" He pumped a fist near his chest while throwing his arm up and around her shoulder. "She went toe to toe with her and wasn't even breaking a sweat! Celena was amazing out there!" Caught off guard by the sudden contact and praise, Celena faltered momentarily before collecting her nerves. "Oh, what? Pssh! It wasn't all that great, Obi was just throwing her weight around. It's easy to fight someone who just goes off of Instinct~." The students were astonished by her confidence, and the classroom began to buzz with whispers. "She must be hella strong!" "To tangle with Byakko and Live? Unheard of!" "She already has my vote on becoming a Diva!" Towards the back of the room, Sage seemed even more interested in Celena than she already was. "Now I definitely need to have you on my retinue… Just you wait." She thought with a troublesome smile.
Back at the front of the class, Celena was enjoying the physical contact, and Lephantis was recounting the play-by-play to his friends and nearby classmates. "And then the two stood away from each other as if they were having a standoff, readying their final attacks, and then…" He paused, eyes widening as the rest of the story played out in his head. Lephantis had forgotten that towards the end he had intervened and stopped the fight. "Then… what?" "C'mon man, don't leave us hanging!" A few students looked up to him in suspense, and he cleared his throat. "R-Right, my bad, I just lost track of thought. Let's see… oh right!" Not wanting to disappoint them or draw unnecessary attention to himself, he decided to omit his involvement. He doesn't want his reputation to negatively influence Celena's, and this seems like a good chance for him to tell everyone just how strong she actually is. Nodding to himself in resolution, Lephantis releases Celena so he could better play up the recalling. "The two leaped at each other, and Celena was just a bit faster..." He grinned as he saw the amazement in their eyes. "She took her out with a swift kick to the dome!" He pats the top of his head, then spreads his arms out, signaling the conclusion of the story. His classmates gave him applause and a short fanfare of cheers as he bowed and thanked them for listening. However, amidst his retelling, he had missed the questionable stares he received from Leon and Celena as other students got up to ask him questions.
Just then the door slid open and in walked Machida-sensei. "Good morning, class! Could you make your way to your seats, please? Homeroom will start in just a little bit!" She closed the door behind her as she adjusted the bag strap on her shoulder and made her way to her desk. Everyone wished her good morning, and the small group at the front slowly dispersed into their seats. Leon and co gave Celena a quick word of thanks before she and Lephantis returned to their respective seats. The two were getting their materials ready for the day, but Celena seemed a little distracted. "...Why did he lie about what happened?" She placed her notebook on the table and glanced over to the redhead. "Is he trying to protect me again…?" She frowned at the thought. Feeling her eyes on him, Lephantis makes eye contact with her and mouths a "Please forgive me." to her. She nodded, accepting the apology, then he got up and slinked over to her desk. Funneling his voice with his right hand, he whispers to her. "I forgot to say this yesterday after the fact, but… Thank you very much for protecting me, I owe you one." He gave her a small wave and a silly smile, then quickly returned to his seat to get his textbook opened. She managed to keep her blushing to a minimum as she looked back down to her notebook and released a gratified sigh. "I'll let it slide this time around…"
Iguru Chugakko, Classroom 3-B 12:15:01 PM
The school bell chimed over the intercom as 4th period came to a close. Machida-sensei closed her book and put the dry erase marker back into its holder. "I'll stop here, and we'll pick up next time. Have a great lunch, everyone!" She smiled at her class, and they wished her the same pleasantry as various students stretched and chatted amongst themselves. Lephantis was stretching in his seat, feeling the tension evaporating from his body. "Phew~, finally lunchtime! I could use some fresh air too… maybe I'll go to the usual spot today." He relaxed his body and looked towards the front of the room. Leon, Jase, and CJ were chatting with some people that came from a different classroom, but he recognizes them from the athletic center. He then looked to his right, watching Celena put her stuff away into her bag and brought out one of the bentos she made this morning. The two locked eyes, and by impulse, he shifted his gaze back to his desk. He still felt a little guilty about his embellishment from earlier this morning. However, Celena seemed already past that and got up with bento in hand. "Hey, Leph!" He perked up and craned his neck to meet her gaze. "H-Hey Celena, What's up?" She held up the bento in her hand and grinned. "Want to eat lunch together? Same place?" Lephantis looked at the bento, then back to her, and nodded with a small smile. "Sure!" He stood up and started gathering his things back into his inventory, but then someone called out to him.
"Lephantis! Could you come to my desk, please?" Hearing her cheery voice through the cacophony of student chatter, Lephantis looked over to a waving Machida-sensei. "Yes, ma'am!" Dropping what he was doing, Lephantis looked up to Celena. "Could you watch my stuff for me?" Celena gave him a playful salute. "Sir, yes, sir!" She elicited a chuckle from Lephantis, and he patted her non-saluted arm. "At ease, soldier! It'll only take a second." She watched him walk to the teacher's desk, then looked back down at his desk. On the table was his notebook, a mechanical pencil, and his phone, which was currently unlocked. Throughout the morning, Celena had periodically caught him looking at something on his phone while he took notes. Sometimes he would seem so absorbed in its contents that he would occasionally stop listening in class, and Machida-sensei had to bop him with the book a couple of times. Her curiosity had been building up ever since the second period, and now seems to be as good a chance as any to see what he was looking at. Peeking at the front of the classroom, Machida-sensei is mildly scolding Lephantis, and he's nodding his head while apologizing to her.
Seizing the opportunity, Celena picks up the device and reads what's on screen. "How to ask someone out 101!" She gasped and nearly dropped the phone from the title alone. After fumbling with the device for a split second, she managed to still her shaky hands and held the phone to her chest. She quickly checked her surroundings to see if anyone had seen her, but thankfully most people weren't even paying her any attention. She sighed in relief and read where the page currently resided. "If they respond positively to your teasing, then that is a sign that they're okay with you doing it back to them. In that case the person of interest may also possess some interest in you. Next, try to see how well they respond to physical contact…" The paragraph had ended there unless she continued to scroll.
"So this is what he was so occupied with during class… Wait!" She quickly reread the paragraph, pointing out the keywords like teasing, interest, and physical contact. She thought back on earlier this morning. "He did seem a little different…" The dots were starting to connect, and then a thought popped into her mind. "I-Is he planning on asking me out?!" Celena threw her gaze to Lephantis, who was now laughing about something with Machida-sensei. "Does that also mean that he's interested in a girl like me…?" She started feeling giddy from the insinuation. Alongside her curiosity through the morning, Celena was also a little glum due to Leon and Leph's conversation before class. It's not like she necessarily has an inferiority complex, but she couldn't help but worry about how Lephantis didn't deny his interest in Harumi when Leon teased him about it. From what she heard yesterday, most boys in this school like girls that are smaller than them or relatively close in height. Given her tall stature, a form similar to that of amazons, and large hands, she feared that she wouldn't be able to win over Leph's affections with her features. "Looks like I have a chance!" Celena took a deep breath and nodded to herself, reassured that she wasn't fighting an already losing battle.
Just then she saw Lephantis wave goodbye to Machida-sensei and was about to start walking back to his desk. Quickly locking his phone and putting it back where she found it, Celena whips out her phone to make herself look busy. "I'm back! Sorry about the wait." She looked up from her device, and he was putting the remainder of his stuff away. Keeping it as casual as possible, she smirked at him. "No problemo, chief! Are you ready to go?" Lephantis then looked up to her, his expression shifting to apologetic, and she tilted her head at him. "I am, but I have to go to the front office first. Apparently I have to talk with the principal." Celena could feel the aversion leak into his voice when he spat out the title. "Want me to come with you?" Lehantis shook his head and smiled up at her. "Nah, you can go ahead. I'm pretty sure it's nothing, and it won't take too long." Celena nodded. "Okay, but if something does go wrong, don't be afraid to call me for backup!" He chuckled at that and waved to her as he took his leave. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you!" And out he went into the hallway with Celena making her way to the school's roof shortly after his departure.
The occupants within the classroom slowly emptied into the hallways, leaving all but 3 within. Sage stood up, sweeping her hair behind her shoulder, and glanced at Ian and Theirry. "You two remember the plan, right?" Ian stood up, somewhat annoyed, but nodded to her. "Are you even sure it'll work?" Thierry was already standing, leaning on the back wall, fidgeting with his bracelet. "Yeah, what if he just runs or decides to fight back?" Sage laughed and shook her head as she picked up her bag. "Trust me, he won't do either of those things. Just follow my lead, and I'll handle the rest." She grinned maliciously as she led the boys out of the classroom.
References and Other stuff
[1] Ikari Mark: The red symbol on a character's temple symbolizing anger or irritation. I knew it had a name but I never looked into it until Now.
[2] Tsareena: The grass pokemon with the same name. It's one of my favorites in Pokemon unite and Scarlet! Getting high jump kicked in the back of the head is crazy~
Happy New Year by the way! The creativity has somehow returned after my hellish last semester~. Next chapter will definitely have Action in it I promise and, oh yeah, this might be a two to 3 parter? I haven't actually decided yet but it depends how I want these interactions to go and also how much of a wench Sage wants to be .. Who knows? Anywho, I thank you for reading and I hope the year treats you well~.