III

Warm Up

The next morning, Andrew wakes up to the sound of water running and the girls brushing their teeth together in the bathroom. He lazily stretches and yawns, fluttering his eyes open, still feeling sleepy. Akko comes out of the bathroom and notices Andrew waking up. She smiles, "Oh, I'm sorry! Did we wake you up?"

"N-no… I was awake." answers Andrew sleepily, rubbing his eyes, still half-asleep. "Well, we're going to Blytonbury today to pick up some things, relax and hang around before school starts tomorrow! Wanna come with?" Akko asks excitedly. Andrew gets up from the bed and replies, sounding a little more awake now. "S-sure! I'd love to!" Lotte and Sucy come out of the bathroom as well. "Of course he is going to come with us. What other options does he have other than staying alone in this room?" says Sucy, half-mockingly. "Sucy…" adds Lotte. "It's okay, Lotte." Andrew steps towards Sucy, smirking and crossing his arms as though he accepts some sort of challenge, "Sucy's remarks only fuel me with the energy I need to get me through the day." Sucy looks at Andrew with the same dull expression she always has. "You're very open about your masochism, huh?" Sucy can't help but smirk and chuckle a little as she sees Andrew fail to retaliate. "A-and you…! F-forget it…"

Before leaving the dorm and going to Blytonbury, they hear knocking on the door. Andrew opens it and sees a teacher standing on the other side, holding a few clothes in her hand. "Hello! You must be Andrew! Here. This is your uniform… and your wand!" Andrew takes the wand and the uniform from her hands and looks at them admiringly, amazed. "Wow~! Thank you!" Akko peeks behind Andrew's shoulders and notices the teacher. She suddenly jumps forward, pushing Andrew out of the way. "Professor Ursula!"

"O-oh hi, Akko!" She smiles softly, perhaps a little nervously as well. "Do you four have any plans for today?"

"Yes! We're going to Blytonbury!" replies Akko enthusiastically. She twirls towards Andrew, wrapping her arm around his neck, pulling him closer to her. "We're going to show Andrew around!"

Professor Ursula smiles and giggles and looks at Andrew. "Looks like they've been warming up to you already!" Andrew responds, still in Akko's tight grip. "Y-yeah…"

"Well then, I guess I better leave you all to it. Have fun!" Before Professor Ursula leaves, she turns to Andrew and adds, "Oh, and Andrew? If you ever need help with anything, I'll be here for you! So don't be afraid to come to me with any inquiries you may have!" Professor Ursula leaves into the hallway. Akko leans closer to Andrew and pats his shoulder, "You can always count on Professor Ursula! She's really laid back too! Unlike other teachers…" she smiles and winks at him. "You're biased." remarks Sucy. "I'm… not." denies Akko, her smile turning into a nervous one and breaking into a quiet giggle. The red team gets ready to leave for Blytonbury. Andrew carefully sets down his new uniform on the bed, keeping it neat for tomorrow, and puts his wand somewhere safe on the desk. And so, they make their way to Blytonbury.

Handily, Blytonbury neighbors Glastonbury. It isn't too far away from the Glastonbury Tor, so a quick trip through the ley line will get you there in no time. Blytonbury is a large, mundane city where Luna Nova was initially established, however it did not last due to the Witch Hunts in the middle ages. Since no witches inhabit Blytonbury, there was never a need for a Sorcerer's Stone - a magical artifact that absorbs the energy from the ley lines and re-emits it, allowing the use of magic. There is one in New Moon Tower at Luna Nova, which is one of the last remaining sources of magic in the modern world.

Having arrived in Blytonbury, Akko stretches her arms and takes a big breath, "Haah…! Blytonbury really feels like a second home to me… Or maybe Luna Nova does… I guess it's more of a third home then." Andrew looks around. "So what are we going to do here?"

"I know! Let's go to the Last Wednesday Society!" replies Akko enthusiastically. "The Last Wednesday Society…?" asks Andrew. "Yeah! It's a cafe that also sells magic items!" she pauses for a moment, "Well, I'm not exactly sure we can buy anything there besides magical antiques, so it isn't really a cafe per se…" Akko begins tugging on Andrew's arm, "But anyways, come on, let's go!"

"Okay! You don't have to drag me…" The four arrive and enter the magic item cafe. It's a pretty small shop, filled with tons of antiques and artifacts dating back centuries. Of course, things here are pretty cheap since you can't even test their magical properties only after you've taken them with you through the ley line where magic is usable. The cafe proprietor greets them. "Hey, look who it is! My most recurring customers! There's always something interesting going on when you three come here. And I may be right since I see you have someone new here with you…"

"This is Andrew! He's the newest addition to our group!" Akko puts her hand on Andrew's shoulder. He introduces himself whilst Lotte and Sucy browse the items in the back of the shop. Shortly after, Andrew and Akko start looking around the store as well. Andrew finds an interesting-looking bracelet that he feels drawn to for some reason, despite never even having worn a bracelet before. The bracelet looks simplistic, minimalist, made of a material that Andrew has never seen before, but if he were to guess, he'd say it resembles some marble. Other than that, the bracelet is in three different colors: a little bit of red, blue with a hint of gold, and the vast majority painted in a pink-ish color. He picks it up from the dusty shelf and looks at it with intrigue, blowing the dust off it before bringing it to the proprietor. "Hey… What does this do? Does it have any magic properties?" The proprietor leans over the counter and looks at it. "Hmm… I actually have no idea whether it even is a magic item or not… Someone brought it in here not too long ago, but didn't say much about it. And I couldn't get a good look at them, either. It is interesting though…"

Akko butts in, "Ooh, you should buy it, Andrew! I've bought many things from here and they never disappointed me!"

"Until something unprecedented happens that somehow backfires…" Sucy adds snarkily while looking at Akko, her expression the same as ever. "But I guess you're right, the items don't disappoint… It's the owners that do." Sucy chuckles as Akko leans towards her, clearly irritated. Andrew adds, "Well, even if it doesn't have any magical properties, I still like it… I'll buy it!" Andrew pulls out his wallet, ready to purchase the bracelet. The proprietor stops him. "Oh, no need. I'll give it to you for free since even I'm unsure of its origins. Besides, you're a first-timer here, so consider it a bonus." Andrew looks at the proprietor gratefully. "Oh, thank you!"

They leave the magic item cafe. Andrew puts the bracelet on his arm and looks at it smiling, feeling happy with his acquisition. It's a little loose, but just tight enough not to fall off his wrist. Lotte turns towards her friends to discuss what other plans they have for today. "Sucy and I are going to go to the library." says Lotte. "And then we should go to the market. I want to see if they have any new mushrooms on sale…" adds Sucy. Akko smiles and crosses her arms. "Well, I still have to show Andrew more of Blytonbury. So we'll stick together!"

"Yeah… The… double A's." adds Andrew, feeling witty.

Lotte smiles and begins walking with Sucy. She looks back at them, waving as she walks away, "Okay~! Let's meet back here when we're done~!"

Andrew and Akko begin walking the streets of Blytonbury, eventually making it to the town square. Sunlight beams through the clouds and the slightest breeze keeps them cool as they walk amongst stalls filled to the brim with delicious food and various other items. Akko goes towards a stall selling toffee apples. She gasps as she looks at them, her mouth watering. She buys two and hands one to Andrew. "Here! You've got to try one of these! They're so tasty!" Andrew picks up the toffee apple from her hand and looks at it. "Thank you. I've never had one of these before because I thought it was too much sugar. Then again, I do eat a lot of sweets…" Akko takes a bite out of her apple and smiles brightly. She watches Andrew do the same. "See? I told you it was tasty~"

"Trying new things is… it can be quite tantalizing." says Andrew, looking attentively at the toffee apple. Akko thinks for a moment, "Yeah… I've tried many new things ever since coming to Luna Nova…" she chuckles a bit, "Including coming here in the first place. But I've loved every moment of it!" Andrew looks at Akko. "Well, you do seem like a person that would like to do or experience everything life has to offer. I bet there isn't anything left that you haven't tried… I'm still like a… fish fresh out of water, trying to find his way onto the land. Even harder considering that he starts at the shore, where all the sand is, so the whole process is way slower and walking is harder…" Akko chuckles, "Yeah! But the beginning is always the hard part. After you've gone through the sand, you'll be walking easily and comfortably! And then you'll realize that you're truly capable of all sorts of awesome things!" says Akko optimistically. Her words put a smile on Andrew's face, feeling more reassured.

Meanwhile, Lotte and Sucy are at the library, Lotte looking to see if any new editions of Night Fall have come out and Sucy just tagging along, waiting for her to finish so they can go to the market. Lotte finds a Night Fall book on a shelf and she stares at it, thinking. She speaks with Sucy without turning her head away from the book, "Hey, Sucy… Do you think Andrew would like this book?" Sucy turns towards Lotte, "I don't think it's really his style. It's more of a novel targeted towards girls, isn't it? All romantic and stuff… Ugh…"

"Y-you don't know what his style is!! We barely know him, anyway! We've spent some time with him and talked with him…"

"Briefly." Sucy adds.

Lotte continues, "...but it still feels like we're no closer to him. Like we're estranged." Sucy looks away, picking up a random book and looking at it. She speaks with an unenthusiastic voice, "Don't be overdramatic. He'll open up eventually. Why are you so keen on getting to know him, anyways?" Lotte turns towards Sucy, "It must be hard for him, don't you think? Going to a new school, having to meet new people - all of whom know each other already - he must be feeling all alone deep down… That's how I would've felt if I were him…"

"He seemed fine to me. Besides, we already gave him a warm welcome, if he feels alone it's not our fault." Sucy adds. Lotte looks at Sucy and leans forward, "That way of thinking will push us further apart!"

Lotte turns and looks at the book on the shelf again. "I'm going to get him this book. Even if it may not be for him, he'll see how passionate I am about it and perhaps he'll feel more relaxed and at ease!" Sucy looks at Lotte picking up the book, saying nothing. Lotte turns and the two of them start walking together, "Come on, Sucy! After this, we will go to the market like you wanted! And maybe you can get Andrew something that means a lot to you as well!" Sucy says nothing but an indifferent "Mm.." sound. Lotte continues, "I wonder if Akko and Andrew are getting along…"

Back to the double A's, Akko is seen grinning as Andrew seems to be a little annoyed with her. He sighs and says in an exhausted tone of voice, as though he had been talking for hours at this point, "For the… umpteenth time! I know my name is Andrew, the same as Andrew Hanbridge, but there can be more Andrew's in this world! Alright? I'm Andrew, I'm me, he is… Andrew- Look, I'm not going to explain this again! Two Andrews can be different people!" Akko giggles and playfully nudges Andrew, seemingly enjoying teasing him. "I don't know~ You kind of look like him too~"

"No… Surely not..." he adds, feeling a little miffed talking about a different Andrew. "How about we go back to the magic item cafe and see if Lotte and Sucy came back?" he says.

Akko grabs Andrew's hand and smiles sweetly at him. He feels a tingle run through the length of his arm as she holds his hand gently. He looks down at it with an uneasy and unsure feeling, his eyes looking around, narrowing as though he's a detective trying to figure out a crime that had just happened, however he says nothing, his overall expression remains unchanged and his hand stays loose in hers. "Okay! They're probably waiting for us, anyway. They usually finish whatever they are up to fairly quickly.", Akko adds in a cheery tone as they walk together.

The two eventually make it back to The Last Wednesday Society, where, sure enough, Sucy and Lotte are already there waiting for them. Akko releases Andrew's hand to greet them. "We're back!"

Lotte approaches Andrew, smiling shyly as she hands him over Night Fall. "H-here you go, Andrew! I picked something up for you while we were at the library. It's one of my all time favorites!" Andrew looks down at the book, "Oh, thank you! Is… Isn't this more catered towards girls, though?" He speaks in a soft tone of voice.

"I told you." Sucy adds briefly, with her same unenthusiastic tone of voice. Lotte tries to refute, "N-not necessarily! S-sure, it may appeal more to them, but I believe anyone can read it!"

"You don't even know if he likes reading." Sucy mutters. "Well, thanks, Lotte. I'll make sure to… give it a read some time." Andrew interjects. Lotte looks at him, feeling pleased and smiling.

The four of them spend some more time together in Blytonbury, this time going to a cafe that actually sells drinks and other treats. Instead of coffee, however, each member of the Red Team orders different drinks from refreshing, iced strawberry and orange juice for Akko and Lotte to plain water for Sucy, and Andrew ordering an absurdly delicious, fresh and warm chocolate chip cookie, along with iced tea. Despite having a great time and Andrew feeling as though he has been friends with these three girls for a lifetime already, a sentiment of uneasiness still lingers somewhere within his heart, pressing his chest, rendering him unable to fully give himself in and feel comfortable. A feeling that makes him frustrated with himself, although he knows exactly why that is. He hasn't really opened up to them, and them opening up, or at least trying to open up to him already, makes Andrew confused, flustered, worried, not knowing how to respond. It makes him feel hopeless, unable to let loose, to show his true self, despite wanting nothing more than to do so. For him it's as if he's staring at a shoji from within his inner world, seeing shadows and silhouettes of the real world outside, and all he has to do is slide the door open, however this door has no track, he must muster up the courage and strength to break through the paper walls onto the other side, a long lasting and tempestuous act, for if he breaks through it and ultimately fails, fixing the wall will take some time, and stronger material will most definitely be used in the future to prevent more breakage.

Eventually, they make it back to the Glastonbury Tor and travel through it to get to Luna Nova and end their last day of break, which was, by all means, a great success. The Red Team makes it back to their room, still looking the same as they left it. The sun had already set, making way for the giant blue moon, visible from their window, right besides New Moon Tower. The color of the leaves and trees gains a blue-ish tint and the stars shine and flicker above in the night sky, only obstructed by a long, thin and transparent cloud.

As the girls enter the bathroom to get ready and freshen up for a good night's sleep, Andrew picks up his uniform from where he left it on the bed, still neat, and opens the wardrobe to hopefully find a place for it to fit in. To his surprise, opening the wardrobe revealed that his need for space was well thought of in advance, having a little bit of room where he can put his clothes. The three girls exit the bathroom together, now in their pajamas, chatting and giggling, with Sucy holding a few towels in her hand in order to build the great towel wall. Andrew takes his turn going into the bathroom as well. He brushes his teeth, changes into pajamas himself and comes out. He begins feeling anxious as he stares at the bed, knowing that, once he falls asleep, he will wake up on his official first day of school at Luna Nova. Sucy lays in bed, putting in the final touches on the fabled towel wall, and notices Andrew's zoned out stare.

"What are you looking at?" Sucy says, snapping Andrew out of his trance-like state. "O-oh… Nothing." Andrew looks down at his bracelet, still wrapped around his wrist. He takes it off and puts it on the desk and gets in bed next to Sucy, on the other side of the towel wall. The light of the moon casts a blue light through the window, dimly illuminating the room. It takes a while for Andrew to fall asleep. Whether it was excitement or anxiety, it kept him awake, looking up at the ceiling. Sucy notices Andrew still awake and in thought. She sighs and whispers to him, "Stop thinking about it."

"What?" replies Andrew, whispering back to her, a little taken by surprise by Sucy speaking so suddenly. "There's nothing you can do about it anyway. Tomorrow will come whether you want it to or not. So suck it up."

Andrew listens to Sucy speak and after she's done he quickly inhales as if he is ready to retort, but instead he ponders some more upon her words, exhaling after some time of holding his breath, not saying another word. Shortly after, he finally lets his body relax onto the mattress and closes his eyes, noticing how quiet everything got suddenly, not hearing even a single cricket chirp. He feels his mind empty as well, as if nothing else exists besides this present moment. He sighs, feeling somewhat relieved and eventually manages to fall into a peaceful sleep.