Sora Harigae's Story

---

Soft green eyes wondered around for a bit when they happened to rise up slowly to look at her Senior. She bit her lips seeing that already familiar glint in his eyes. What could he possibly do to her now was a question Mai quickly learned was quite pointless to ask herself now. Turning away, Mai clutched her balloon closer to her chest. [color#BF8000] “Mai-chan, here catch it with your butt and make sure you don't drop it." [/color] Her head shot up the moment those words left his lips. A deep blush spread across her cheeks like a wildfire. He suddenly threw it at her without a moment's haste. The balloon took its sweet time reaching her but it was long enough for her to hear Kazuki's next words. "You know what would happen to you if you do." Fearing the potential embarrassment that would come with not stepping up to the task, Mai decided to just go for it.

Stepping up closer to where the balloon would land, Mai wondered must how exactly she was going to catch it with her butt. As much as she hated to admit it the petite Junior really didn't have much in the ways of feminine curves. Which was why so many thought she was a middle schooler or grade schooler. Mai began to play a scene in her head of when the Rangers had to do a variety of embarrassing things to make a child laugh. It was one of those episodes where a bomb had been attached to a soupuss of a kid and if they didn't make the kid laugh the bomb would go off. Okay Mai! If the Rangers can do it so can you. Still holding onto her balloon the ebony haired child threw her hips behind her then stood on one leg while using her arms to balance herself out. With all those thoughts in her head she didn't even realize Kazuki had left to pester some other poor girl.

Mai looked behind her to see the balloon slowly but surely float down towards her until it finally landed on her butt. A smile appeared on her face but so did another deep flush as the realization of what she just did became apparent. A frown soon replaced her smile of accomplishment. Wondering what she should do next, Mai quickly looked around to see if her Senior was anywhere within sight. Thankfully he wasn't so she went back to a standing position. The balloon fell to the floor as did a couple tears of absolute embarrassment.

She quickly wiped them away however in case Gen decided to tease her about it and call her a cry baby. From the looks of it Mai was the only one with a balloon that hadn't touched the ground or popped but then again she had held onto hers since the start of the game. Will my wish even come true? She thought to herself in silence. A sad frown found its way onto her usually smiling albeit shy face. A lot of other students were starting to leave so it was no surprise that someone bumped into Gen. It seemed the young man blamed it on the other students who probably pushed him aside in their hurry to leave school grounds. Mai stood idly by as the two conversed quickly and was about to turn away when she felt eyes on her.

Looking back over at the two blue haired Seniors, Mai caught his gaze and was just as quick to look away as she was with Kazuki and everyone else. "Your junior looks underage. Are you sure she is not a grade-schooler borrowing a sibling's uniform?" She titled her head unsure as to who he was speaking to. Mai didn't have any siblings and while Ren did attend Airdalen he was a boy so she couldn't possibly be wearing an older siblings uniform. However her long awaited fears came true when the blue haired boy bent down to get a better look at her. Instinctively Mai ducked her head, using her balloon as a shield between her and this strange person. "My name is Sora, I hope I do not frighten you. Is there a reason why you have come to Airdalen?"

"W-What?" On the outside Mai just looked confused but on the inside she was wondering where he got the audacious idea that she shouldn't be here. She was wearing the uniform of a Junior attending this school so there was no doubt that she was student. Then it hit her. His words from before were indeed directed towards her and a blush spotted her cheeks tomato red. She shook her head trying not look frightened or like she wasn't supposed to be here and got caught. "I-I'm a-a s-stu-d-den-nt h-here." Mai lowered her balloon and tried to look more confident but her extreme stutter didn't help the image she was trying to present. Thinking for a bit, Mai decided to introduce herself as well since Sora did. "M-My n-name i-is K-Kon M-Ma-Mai. N-Ni-Nice t-to m-me-meet y-you." With that being said she bowed to him in greeting.

Her little junior seemed surprised by the balloon's impact and well, who wouldn't be? Gen was not athletic or strong by any means but anger had found a way with her. Gen was equally surprised however when Saburo lost his cool again, grabbing the balloon only to pop it and make mockery of her wish. While she had no reason to be ashamed of romance as a subject of which she was passionate about, she was still very much angry behind her cold but relaxed gaze. He had no right to read her wish or otherwise invade that sense of privacy. The situation became a lot more serious when the junior continued to mock not only her wish but her attitude as well by mimicking 'Oopsy daisy~'. Instead of saying anything though, Gen's gaze did the talking. She was not happy about this and she was more than 100% certain that she hated this little brat. His category in her eyes had been officially locked in and decided.

Her gaze trailed away from him when she noticed Ms Araya had announced the conclusion of school for today. It was both a source of relief and enough to make her sigh in dread. Her pairing had been a disaster yet again, as if her troubling junior year wasn't enough. At the very least, she was the senior in this insufferable duo. Gen had the most authority and it was more likely that Saburo would need her rather than the other way around. Those odds were good.
Another reason for her displeasure was she didn't feel that her and Kazuki had gotten any closer after being grouped together for this team task. Not to mention I went about this all wrong.. he's now a witness of my not so carefree temperament. Gen folded her arms uneasily, looking from Mai to Kazuki noticing that Saburo had departed already while she was not paying attention. It was more than fine with her as she couldn't care less about what the junior did in his spare time.

"It seems you're going to have your hands full with that one, huh?"
Gen moved her head abruptly to look up at Kazuki, her folded arms pressed harder against her chest with tension. "Yes, I suppose so" she replied as politely as possible about the distasteful topic, looking away slightly. Although polite, her tensed body position and change of tone were clear give away signs that she was still unhappy about the ordeal. When Gen felt a hand on her shoulder, she felt threatened and alerted because she was still angry. Fortunately, it occurred to her that the problem had already left the vicinity.
"Better show him who's boss, right?"
Gen blinked a few times realizing the hand belonged to Kazuki and that he may be making an attempt to comfort her. She chuckled before closing her eyes and wearing a confident but dangerous smile, "Dear~ how could I not? Gen could not foretell what the future would hold nor was she one to plan ahead for such a feat, but she would not bend or break to a mere junior boy. She had been dealt worse fates than this.
"Well... I'm off! See you around, ladies!"

Gen gave a small wave but when Kazuki was out of view, released her suppressed sigh of displeasure, slouching slightly for a bit with a hand on her chest to steady herself. She felt more comfortable with Mai as a fellow girl. Additionally, a junior who appeared harmless. "I'm really sorry for the trouble.. Gen said with a sad smile, her eyes staring downwards at the floor. She felt bad that she may have contributed to ruining this other junior's first day experience at Airdalen even though it was not at all her intention.

Before she could continue conversing, she felt someone bump into her from behind. While surprised, she didn't let out any audible sound and just focused on steadying herself before looking to see who it was.
"Thoughtless sheep."
The initial sight of blue hair had her recognizing the fellow senior in no time. It had always been quite to her liking to the point they were once mistaken as relatives. "Sora darling~ are you alright?" He looked fine but the polite thing to do would be to ask. Gen was also genuinely concerned with a comment such as his in reaction to the bump. She knew that he would tell the truth as well if something were the matter with his blunt nature.
"They should have apologized."
"I know darling~" She answered although not completely agreeing to his words. As far as she knew, the boy had bumped into her but she could understand that he was referring to other students who had bumped into him in order to cause the situation. It had gotten quite rowdy in the hall as students rushed for the exit.
"Your junior looks underage. Are you sure she is not a grade-schooler borrowing a sibling's uniform?"
Gen wished Mai was her junior but that was not the case. She looked in Mai's direction as the adorable girl did a head tilt in confusion. "I'm sure he means to say 'cute' not to offend.." she whispered over to the little one before returning to the question of her peer. "-but Sora, she is not my junior. Ka-zu-ki's in fact~ Gen had unintentionally playfully sounded out her love interest's name.

Before she could say anymore, Sora had taken the initiative to introduce himself to Mai and Mai in turn, hid her face shyly behind the remaining balloon. Gen watched them talk as Mai introduced herself in response and clarified herself to him as a student. It was a very cute scene in her eyes to the point she thought, a romance might blossom here~ She giggled before excusing herself, deciding to give the two some room to get to know each other if that was where it was headed. Besides, she did not see Sora as a bad person. It was apparent in how he was treating Mai with care."Well Mai darling~ It was a pleasure to meet you! Feel free to turn to me if you need any help." Gen turned on her heel but looked over her shoulder not quite done. "I feel I owe you for the lack of fun today.. if you stop by Inryoku sometime right by the cafetoria where I work? I'll be sure to treat you." she offered, giving a small wave to both her and Sora before heading out.

---

Gen was overcome by relief when she had set foot outside the building. It was as if the anger that had washed over her disappeared. She started to grow worried though being at the steps with no Vika in sight. Gen did not think the girl would just up and leave without her as they were living in the same apartment as well. She looked around from where she stood for her friend but was easily distracted by the commotion coming from the other students. Gen's eyes followed where they were looking to see a welcoming surprise. "Father~!!!" she ran and leaped into her dad's arms completely oblivious that he was working at the moment. She could not help herself. It had been a while since she had last seen or been able to talk to her dad besides text messages as he was always busy. It was so comforting as her dad caught and hugged her back. He had always been there for her even when people thought of her as a bad omen. When Hiromasa had released his daughter, returning her feet to the ground, the two family members looked to be at their happiest.
Gen's eyes finally looked elsewhere, noticing Aeon the most. She didn't expect this. "Aeon...?" she gazed at him questioningly, tilting her head slightly before gesturing from him to her father. "Are you two already acquainted?" She had to ask, not wanting to make assumptions about her dad who was very precious to her. She would not interfere if it was a work related matter. Gen was aware her dad took his work very seriously.

---

---

Stats:

Notoriety (to Saburo) +1

---

"Well Mai darling~ It was a pleasure to meet you! Feel free to turn to me if you need any help. I feel I owe you for the lack of fun today.. if you stop by Inryoku sometime right by the cafetoria where I work? I'll be sure to treat you.”

The small junior looked up at Gen, tilting her head to the side a bit. She wasn’t entirely sure what she meant by Inryoku but it didn’t sound too bad. Her outlook on Gen changed ever so slightly since the Senior offered her help whenever she requested. The very mention of it was certainly more than what her own Senior offered to her. It seemed like Kazuki only saw her as a source of entertainment. Mai gave Gen a soft smile, “H-hai” as well as a bow of her head. She returned Gen’s wave of departure although it was a bit late as Gen had already faced forward when Mai did so. A bit hurt that she had missed her chance, Mai lowered her arm slowly.

"You resemble a doll." Those words reminded Mai that she was not alone, so bringing her eyes up to focus on Sora a warm and soft pressure began to caress her cheek. The very action made Mai jump , as she was not expecting to be touched in such a manner that was similar to Kazuki’s albeit nicer. In a matter of just a few seconds Mai’s doll like features reddened to that of tomato. Her blush spread across her body so even her hands turned a shade of red. The fact that she was rather pale compared to some made the blush that much more obvious. Suddenly he pushed a bento box into her hands and with a serious voice told her to eat it. While the inside of the bento was interesting, the very idea of being forced to eat food as if she was some kind of animal did not sit well with her. If anything her skin turned redder.

Not only that but tears began to well up in her eyes. It wasn’t just because Sora had touched her or that he had called her a doll, it was from all that had occurred today. From being protected by Akira when her Senior jumped over them to Kazuki doing all those embarrassing things to her, she just couldn’t hold back the tears any more. They began to flow down her cheeks slowly and she started to sniffle. Mai tried to hold them back but it was pretty hard to do. Shaking her head, Mai gave Sora back his food. She quickly apologized in her usual stuttering voice that was accompanied by a few hiccups. With a quick bow as she spluttered out apologies Mai dashed off to exit the building.

The small Junior kept her head down to avoid being seen but at this point it was pretty obvious the girl was upset. She managed to get rather far from the school grounds from running but in doing so had completely passed her meeting point with Ren. Now that she had slowed down Mai realized this. She thought of maybe going back but she didn't want to be seen looking like a crybaby any longer. Already her legs were sore but Mai didn't care. Picking up the pace again, Mai jogged the rest of the way home and barely made it up the stairs. It would seem that while today had its enjoyable moments, overall she had made a fool of herself.

Current Day

Mai made sure that she had everything with her when she left her home. This time Ren had to leave to the University early so he couldn't walk her to school like he did the other day. She was a bit hesitant about going to school today since she had cried in public the other day. Thankfully most of the students had left when she broke down but she was sure that some would undoubtedly talk about the small Junior who left crying.

With a heavy sigh Mai walked down the steep stairs slowly but quickened her pace when she reached the bottom. It didn't take too long to get to the school but she had been walking slower than yesterday. Just as she did before Mai peeked around the entrance of the gym. From the looks of it today was Club Day which meant members would be trying to recruit. The idea of being approached made her nervous. Biting her lip, Mai watched for a little while longer. No doubt looking like a bit of creeper in doing so. You must join at least one club. Just one club will be fine, right? A look of forced determination crossed her face as Mai stepped into the gym. She stood incredibly still expecting to be flocked by a variety of students but it seemed she was not noticed. She felt good about it but also a little sad. With a shake of her head Mai began to walk around.

She recognized a few people, such as that blonde Senior (Arrieta) she encountered the other day. The older girl looked beautiful in her costume, making Mai just a little envious. Mai gave her a weak smile but somewhat hoped she didn't notice. Just in case she tried to recruit her. Passing that booth, Mai took note of some of the students who were walking around half naked. Her cheeks flushed with a little bit of shame and she did all she could to avert her eyes from them. Clutching her bag close, Mai came upon a much simpler booth. Although it was simple looking, one was still drawn to it.

At once Mai knew what it was for. It was a study group of sorts but its title was much more extravagant than that. "Airdalen's Overachievers Committee." she mumbled to her herself. She approached the booth, noticing that there were only a few people manning it. Thankful that it wasn't too many Mai quickly placed her name on the sign-up sheet before stepping away for others to do the same. Now that she had signed up for her first club, Mai was feeling a bit excited and didn't pay much attention to where she was going. She looked up at the last minute to crash right into someones side. She let out a small oomph upon contact and rubbed her face as they turned red again. Looking up, Mai quickly bowed. "I-I'-I'm s-sorr-ry! I-I was-sn't lo-looking wh-where I-I w-was g-going!" She said as she bowed a second time.

---

Popularity +1 Arietta

---

Tsukiko approached Airdalen on foot once she was able to shake off her body guards and let out a shaky sigh. Sure, she was confident and attractive enough, but this was still a foreign country. Barely anyone knew of her here, well, at least compared to Korea. In Korea there was not a single high school girl that didn't know her name... how was she supposed to thrive in a school where she would relatively be an outsider? Not to mention her Japanese was far from perfect. She was sure to make a few mistakes..

As she entered the school grounds, Tsukiko threw her school bag over her shoulder with a sigh, looking slightly like a delinquent with her pop-idol hairstyle and dark nail polish. I hope this school doesn't have a strict dress code.. She thought to herself as she thought about her loose tie and open school jacket. She wasn't one to conform, seeing as Korean students prided themselves in their originality. She was not going to submit to full-on suppression of her personal expression, even if her rebellions were quite small and limited to her wardrobe.

Tsukiko stopped when she noticed a stage and she tilted her head, slightly hopeful. Perhaps they did realize who she was? Though immediately her hopes were crushed as she read the sign, albeit with a little difficulty. Soci...Social Soci..Society? Is that some sort of welcoming committee? Tsukiko thought to herself with a slight tilt of her head. Her long rosy locks shifted with her movement and she found herself far more interested than she initially thought she would be.

"Good morning Airdalen!"

Tsukiko eyed the girl with an expression of pure boredom, seeing as she was far more concerned with the boys standing behind her. Meh... They start off with some plain girl? Lame... She mentally muttered to herself but tolerated the girl's presence, simply because her words would prove valuable. She wished to know more about what was going on, and thus far, she was invisible. She wasn't sure how she felt about that, especially since there was not a waking moment in Korea when screaming fans weren't searching for her like bloodhounds. It was nice, but she was also quite lonely now that it was so...quiet. Of course the surrounding area was far from quiet, but it was one of those moments where someone could be entirely alone in a room filled with people. No matter how many people stood here, Tsukiko still missed Korea dearly..

"If you haven't heard of me, I'm Nana from the Social Society club and we'd like to introduce to you our boys."

Social Society Club..? I was right. Thankfully she understood Japanese better by ear than she did on paper. Though her true interest came when she mentioned introducing the crowd to the boys. That was where her true interest lied. No matter how innocent Tsukiko appeared, she was a shameless flirt in the end. Her primary interest was to meet boys and to go on a lot of fun dates. She really didn't care about anything else, well, other than becoming a world renown pop idol.. Though singing and dancing was almost as natural to her as breathing...

However, seducing Japanese boys, she figured that it wouldn't prove as easy as it did with Korean boys. For one, these boys had no idea who she was, but also, she was attending an elite school, everyone here was rich. She doubted her status would earn her as much here as it did at her previous school.

"Arata, Kyo, Eiji anddd finally our president, Sora!"

Tsukiko eyed each of the boys carefully, memorizing their names for future use, but kept her expression as neutral as she could manage. It was difficult, considering she had to find the perfect balance of interest and disinterest without knowing what kind of girl her targets preferred. It was frustrating, but Tsukiko did love a challenge. If she considered this place as a huge challenge, the depression slightly wore off.

"But enough talk, we're here to perform! Take it away guys~"

She listened to the song, closing her eyes for the first verse and the chorus, but quietly followed along the next time, missing a few words that were not obvious, but otherwise kept up rather nicely. Of course only a few people standing near her could tell that she was singing along, but she couldn't help doing so. Once the performance was over, she clapped along with other students, looking for the booth itself. ....Eh..? Where does one sign up for this club...? Which should I ask..? I kind of like the blue haired one best.. So I'll choose him Tsukiko thought to herself, but let out a soft sigh. She knew that at this point the only way she'd get an answer would be to ask. It seemed that no one else was going to speak up, in fact, a lot of the student body was entranced by the performance. As a performer, Tsukiko found herself rather unaffected, despite the talent the aesthetically pleasing boys seemed to possess, "Oi, S..So..Sora? Sora Sunbaenim..?" (how a Korean Junior refers to a Senior, polite form) She had difficulty pronouncing his name, but she didn't let the female laughter towards her affect her smile a single bit, in fact, it only made her smile a bit more. She didn't care what women thought about her, the fact that they were laughing was a sign of weakness and inner ugliness anyhow.

"E-Eh... I mean, Sora-Senpai...?" She tilted her head looking up to the sky in a questioning manner as she put her finger to to her bottom lip, lightly tapping it. She wasn't quite sure if she had gotten it right, but she truly hoped so for her own sake. It was hard switching from Korean to Japanese, considering the two languages were like night and day... She doubted she'd fully make the transition anytime soon, "Where does one sign up for this club? You've convinced me." she asked while winking and simultaneously raising a thumbs up to rate the performance. There was a small grin plastered on her face as she awaited an answer.

---

---

[center]+1 Popularity to Sora[/color]

---

---

“Thank you, I sincerely hope you aren’t insinuating that I am as cold as one though.~” Bishop's attempt to redirect his attention to Gen now blushing from being figured out. He slowly shook his head as they made eye contact with the lovely senior; quite embarrassed now but she hadn't jumped to his irrational fear of being thought of as 'weird'. ”I’m Gen Fukui, can I help you?” He gave his greeting- although in his nervous stupor he forgot to introduce himself but received a very eloquent response to his question. "As Airdalen Showstoppers, we believe acting is an invaluable skill. Our goal is to present professional, memorable and equally heartrending and heart touching performances for the student body when called for. Our personal goal for each other, is to push each individual to new heights of their acting and performance abilities." Gen would see Bishop's eyes slowly spark to life being moved just by her speech alone. He had a small youthful smile across his face nodding in understanding. It was made clear that his summarisation was a clear under-statement and he felt kind of bad now, the somewhat disdainful looks from the other club members wasn't helping his confidence either. His first impression of Gen from talking to her was as unique as her hair was. The freshmen had a feeling that she could be somewhat to emulate in a way, she seemed more calm and graceful than his senior counter-part. Holding herself in a 'lady-like' fashion which was to be admired by him, he wasn't entirely sure why but it was appealing to Bishop.

Seto however seemed to derail the conversation he was having with his teasing. In sports teams giving your teammates a hard time was quite common, of course there were always lines not to be crossed but that depended on the comfortability between everyone. It seemed that the same sentiment did not cross over well with the theater company occupying the booth. He looked to Gen as she explained in very eloquent terms her unfavorable attitude towards his careless comment. “Would you call a filmmaker a nerd? Or a beloved actress? I highly doubt that because almost everyone values cinema but fails to appreciate acting in its rawest form- that being, in theater. “There are no retakes, camera angles to direct and limit the audience’s eyes or a screen between the stage and the onlookers. There’s just acting, as it is, nothing more or less.” Bishop listened intently automatically relating it to racing in his respective sport. <It's like swimming... Every stroke in the race matters, from the starting dive until your hand touches the wall. It all flows together.> His eyes shown with that fire again thinking about how Gen's world of acting could relate to his world of swimming. He apologized when Seto left, frowning a tiny bit seeing that the whole ordeal was a bit trying for the older girl (Gen). "Do what pleases you darling~" He took a step closer to look at the board of names not recognizing any of them as he seriously contemplated stepping out of his comfort zone to try out this club.

Bishop barely noticed the commotion as he pondered over himself when it seemed Gen needed to leave in a hurry. "Apologies, please excuse me." Bishop blinked but nodded, then bowed back allowing her to leave and do what she pleased. He turned back to see other members watching him with... Well not so impressed expressions. They'd just watched some foreign kid in a swimming outfit come over with his buddies and poke fun at what they were passionate about. It was not a good way to make a first impression. He was just guilty by association. Bishop would reach for the pen but stopped hearing his name being called. He turned to see most of the swim team standing off in the distance, some wear holding a few large items that he couldn't quite recognize. "Trander-San~!! Come on, we're after the social society we gotta go~!" Bishop turned to the booth hesitating for a moment but ultimately backed out. He bowed to the members of the booth before leaving. "Ahh, t-thank you for your help. I'll be back- I think." With that said he turned and met with his club mates who walked over and behind the stage waiting for the [u]Sora's/u] club to finish their performance so they could begin theirs. Bishop couldn't help but to admire the performance as they walked by, all the club members seemed really cool and were quite popular- especially with the girls. He would have to look into it later on.

"So... What are we doing anyways?" "A demonstration!" "What? But how are we going to do that with no water?" "That's where YOU come in! Your blonde hair sticks out here and you're a fresh face! We'll tell you what to do." Bishop tilted his head in confusion as they all huddled together and explained the plan in great detail.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
+1 popularity- Gen

"Come here and I'll show you. You want me, right?"

Tsukiko quirked an eyebrow, unsure if the boy was simply forward with his advances or was extremely oblivious, but she went along with his flow regardless, "Of course I do." She replied with huge confidence and her signature sugar sweet smile. She had practiced that exact expression over a hundred times in front of a mirror when she first signed with her label. She followed up with one well timed bat of her eyelashes, "Arigato, Senpai." She moved to step forward but was soon caught up in the crowd of crazed fangirls. Suddenly she was on the receiving end of the torment that innocent bystanders received whenever she made a public appearance. When she finally pushed a girl away from her, the others understood that shoving her was not going to be tolerated. She wasn't getting shot around like a pinball anymore, but the annoying screams were beginning to drive her more than a little insane. When she preformed the only thing that kept her sane was her manager reminding her to be nice through her wireless earpiece.

Tsukiko spotted someone sneaking through the crowd, presumably male and immediately stared at them a bit funny. Did this one get dropped on his head when he was a child? Tsukiko thought to herself with bewilderment evidently painted upon her face. She realized as they drew closer that it was the boy named Sora, his clothe was slightly taken by surprise when he claimed her hand with his, not hesitating to lace his fingers with hers. Her eyes landed on their hands, then on him, a small smirk forming. If she wasn't convinced to join this club before, she was definitely liking it a lot more now.

"Let's go."

"Lead the way then." She responded back with an amused tone, but was surprised by the speed in which he fled the scene. She picked up her feet barely in time to keep up. She was not used to sprinting, seeing as she typically had body guards or her agent with her. Was this typical among normal high school students? She had nothing to compare this to, well, other than her experience with her own fans, but she was fairly certain that a vast majority of high school students did not have deranged fans screaming them towards early auditory issues. She was relieved when they finally stopped, letting out a long sigh. This wasn't as bad as when she was on tour, but it was still ridiculous. School was supposed to be a break from her busy life as a celebrity, well, at least until she grew more popular here in Japan. In due time Tsukiko would be unable to find a moment solace without fleeing from Asia.

"That felt like being a secret agent, with you the damsel."

"Damsel? Well then, thank you for saving my life, Mr. Bond. I am forever in your debt." Tsukiko replied with a light giggle, playing along with his scenario, but she wasn't certain if he would know who James Bond was or not. She was a bit of a movie fanatic, but she knew that was not the case for everyone and she often would recite a quote and no one would realize where it was from.

"Wow, you have a nice rack."

Tsukiko blinked for a moment, then gazed upon herself in her school uniform. Sure, her blazer was undone, but her button up top was not. Either this boy was very observant or just a shameless flirt, but judging by his previous interaction, she assumed observant, "You think so? I really wouldn't be able to tell through a shirt like this... but thank you, I'm glad to hear it." She responded with a smile on her face. She began to grow curious whether he sang professionally or if he was some unnoticed talent. She liked his voice, and she couldn't get the performance off of her mind. However, since Sora was taking the chance to gawk at her, she decided to give him another once over as well. She was a lot closer to him than she was when he had been on stage so she noticed a lot more about him. Despite being older than her, he had an incredibly young face and his blue hair and eyes made him incredibly unique, much like her own hair color, albeit her own hair was dyed and his did not appear to be tampered with in such a manner. Once she was satisfied with her assessment of her upperclassmen, Tsukiko smirked a bit, "You're not so bad yourself, Senpai." She added to her reply towards him. Her tone was completely sincere, without a single trace of sarcasm. Though before she got carried away, Tsukiko returned to the matter at hand. Her manager would probably smack her hand with a ruler if he knew that she was hesitating to close a publicity opportunity, "Business first, then play.. I need to sign up for another club or two as well." She stated almost entirely to herself, raising a finger mockingly as she made fun of her manager. A disappointed sigh escaping her lips. She wished to play around with him some more, but if she understood her manager's instructions correctly, her time for signing up was limited to half a day. She did not have a lot of time, seeing as she arrived very late in the process, "My name is Kitogawa, Tsukiko.. and it's a pleasure to meet you, Sora-Senpai...Would you mind escorting me to the sign up sheet to your booth, love?" She asked in a direct and somewhat flirtatious manner. She didn't want to pour it on too thick, so she kept her playfulness to a minimum. She wasn't entirely sure if he was interested in anything aside from what was underneath her shirt after all. She didn't want to push too many buttons, because she hated rejection more than anything. She wasn't looking to start her day off in a foul mood. Keep it fun and playful, it's only your first day, Tsuki.. She had repeated that in her head so many times today that she was beginning to think that it would soon become her unofficial mantra.

---

---

---

---

Sora was not too worried about the fame his club had received from their fake idol show. He knew it was only a matter of time before the fame would die down for he was not like the popular kids at Airdalen. He had experienced many times girls who had taken an interest in him only to yell or take a shot at slapping him in the face. He did not understand it but he was certain that there was something seriously wrong with women. It was like they desired for him to lie to them like their girlfriends or exes would when they would retort with things like, “How dare you say that about me!” or “You’re a rude jerk!” and he would reply with, “On the contrary, I am being honest and polite.”

"Damsel? Well then, thank you for saving my life, Mr. Bond. I am forever in your debt." Sora tilted his head, his bangs falling a little over his facial features. He was confused by the reference of ‘Mr Bond’. He had not heard of Bond before with the exception being a brand of undergarments. ”Bond? Are you making reference to the undergarment brand? I’m afraid I do not know the brand of my undergarments but I can check right now.”


"You think so? I really wouldn't be able to tell through a shirt like this... but thank you, I'm glad to hear it." Sora was about to repeat what he usually says, “On the contrary, I am being honest and—oh, you took the compliment. That’s nice.” He admitted to his surprise that the pink-haired girl accepted his praise where most girls would not. "I do not understand women most of the time." He confided to her randomly as he straighten his posture and looked to the sky. While it may look like he was being deep in thought, he was not. He just liked the sky. He was named after it.

Sora observed as her eyes scanned his body. He said nothing, having no thoughts to share about it for he was used to it and deemed it normal behaviour. He too, liked to partake in scanning people’s bodies when the time was given.“You're not so bad yourself, Senpai." The pink-haired girl smirked at him, also admitting to the fact she had given him the once over. ”That is good, I make an effort every morning." He confessed, nodding his head. He found this junior very easy to talk to compared to a lot of other females who would only take offense at his words. ”It is a relief that the female population has some hope. I’ve had to deal with a lot of dumb ones.” he said his thought out loud as he remembered his ex. Even though he spoke of her, he was not depressed at all. He had not been attached in that relationship.

"Business first, then play.. I need to sign up for another club or two as well." Sora started to rub his chin, also not because he was deep in thought. He rubbed it because he had an itch. ”I would like to partake in other clubs too. I think it would look good in my school reports.” Even though Sora did not look it, he was a bit of a nerd considering he spent most of his time reading compared to socializing. This was just a day exception as he is the ASS President. Even though he is not a social person, being one who speaks from his thoughts outright makes him very talkative.

"My name is Kitogawa, Tsukiko.. and it's a pleasure to meet you, Sora-Senpai...Would you mind escorting me to the sign up sheet to your booth, love?" Sora nodded, taking her hand in his again. He did not know this was a gesture exclusive to couples. He just did it because it was easier to show someone the way when attached to them by some means. ”I would not mind at all. I believe it is this way. Come Tsu.” Sora had already started calling her by a nickname, without requesting permission. As far as his logic went, time was of the essence and calling her a shorter form would be easier for him to save important time.

When they had arrived at the Social Society stall, most of his team was present but fast asleep behind the counter. It looked like they had put all their energy into the performance, dodging crazy fans and looking after Sora so he didn't ruin their club name. ”How very lazy of them.” He stated bluntly, seeing their exhaustion as being lazy rather than reasoning the hard work they had already put in. He went behind the counter and plopped the clipboard paper with pen on top of it. He tested that the pen was working by writing on his hand 'sky' before lightly pushing it and the clipboard towards Tsukiko for signing. ”You sign your name here.” Sora pointed out the obvious, poking at the sheet where the blank space was after the last name that had been signed. He liked to make sure as people could be very stupid in his eyes. Some recruits had written on random blank spaces. "What other clubs are you interested in? It's good to stay in numbers. Club days are always dramatic." Sora said with a serious tone before looking down at his shoes. One of his sleeping club members had hugged his leg mistaking it for a pillow. He wiggled them off his leg roughly, not caring if he hurt them. "That is my leg. You have your own." He debated with the sleeping club member. He was bent down, eyeing the guy intensely and shoving his shoulder. Fortunately, the male member remained fast asleep unable to react.

Bishop now had the whole idea wrapped around his head. Was it a good one.. Meh, probably not. But that was the point. "Given how short notice this all is, it's probably going to be terrible if we try really hard to make it good. So let's try and make it bad! It was an odd idea but he saw the logic in it. He heard the crowd screaming (mostly girls) for the Social Club's performers, which raised the bar for them to try and beat. "Muzaki-san.. So we're NOT trying to top that perform right?" He looked to the taller junior seeing him smile and pat his shoulder. "Don't worry it'll be fine. The point is to get people to laugh." Bishop nodded as his nerves settled some, but he was still quite nervous. When the Social Society was finished, he was bewildered with seeing the other boys dragging one off with a hand covering his mouth. This who knew Sora simply chuckled knowing why they were doing that but he was utterly clueless. "Alright! All or nothing guys, let's doing our best at being the worst!" Everyone cheered with enthusiasm, with the first two members running onto the stage.

On stage entered Shiemi and the only other female club member of 'Upstream'. "Hello~ Airdalen!" Seeing two girls in swimsuits definitely got the boys' attention the crowd now paying attention to them now. "We are Upstream! Airdalen's competitive swimming club and we're here to show you what we're all about!" The girl struck a pose to more cheering, smiling and waving around to everyone. "We are a coed team dedicated to bettering our abilities but in AND out of the pool." Shiemi winked for a bit more of fanfare, somewhat going off the script to gain more appeal. "If you're interested our booth is in the east side of the gymnasium. Now~ lets introduce our boys!" This would get some attention from the girls in the crowd. "Specializing in the butterfly stroke is Seto Muzaki! Seto bolted from the side of the curtain sliding to his knees in a dramatic effect. His jacket was tossed forward into the crowd, a few of the students blinked in shock from the sheer boldness of it all. Arietta would get all the abs she wanted and then some, as well as all the other students.



"Our class expert in the freestyle is the infamous 3rd year Shioshi Honoru~!" A near similar entry occurred with Shioshi performing a cartwheel in and let his jacket slide down his arms slowly while he looked around to appear 'cool'. And all the way from the United States-" Bishop felt himself tense up, he looked at over himself and tried to remain calm. He knew his turn was up. "He's a new beginner to our club but has come here on an exclusive athletic scholarship. Having swam competitively in Australia and around the world~ I present our exotic and adorable~ first year. Bishop Trander!" <Here goes nothing!> Bishop would bolt out and rip off his jacket. His entrance was rather tame compared to the others, but he smiled widely and began to wave unknowingly tapping into the 'cute' appeal.

With Shiemi MC'ing for the show she got the crowd involved in an applause as music played. "Now begins our demonstration!" Shioshi grabbed Bishop's arm and dragged him back behind the curtain while another club member dashed across the stage setting up a light blue tarp that was transparent. "Our excellent athletes will be giving you an in depth demonstration of how we do what we do... Which is swim! It's not as easy as it looks~" Shieimi wagged her finger with Seto setting up on one end of the fake 'pool' stretching to show off his lats. "First begins the start!" Shioshi appeared at the opposite end of the stage sporting a fake mustache and prop gun then 'fired' it a flag would shoot from the barrel saying 'bang'. It got a few laughs from the crowd. Seto jumped horizontally in the air but was caught by a chair being pushed by another member of the club. The effects were cheap, cheesy and terrible but it only made people laugh more. Seto proceeded to pretend to swim as he was pushed along then turned around while Shiemi commentated. Next up was Bishop. He stood on the prop platform with his goggles on his eyes and hair bonnet ready to dive forward. The beginning was the same as Set's with the gag gone but this time he faked a bad jumped and more so 'fell' into the pool. A prop was lifted from behind the blue tarp showing splashing water and a sign saying 'fail' was held up making people laugh. Bishop started to swim using the breast stroke, with every time he went under water a sign was held above him reading; 'blub blub blub'. It was all very humorous and their plan worked. The final conclusion was a ridiculous display; Seto had his body straight as a board, slightly arching up to try and appear like a ship. Bishop was standing on Seto's back wearing a sea captain's hat, making a heroic pose and pointing his finger forward as if he was on some epic journey. The club members wobbled the blue tarp below them and held up props that looks like wakes of water, the entire purpose to make it appear like Seto was a human speed boat and Bishop was the captain. Shiemi closed with an inspiring speech about Airdalen and competition having everyone laugh and cheer. At the end the entire club lined up and took a bow with big smiles on their faces, Bishop's being the biggest of the group. He even winked to the crowd.



"Again we're the Airdalen Streamers or 'upstream'! We would love to have you join our club for good competitive fun. Arigato~!!" They weren't nearly as good as Sora's club but they managed to not be terrible as well. Bishop and the others left the stage to cheering and applause, all were very excited and relieved that their idea had worked. "God.... I hope we don't have to do something like that again!" Seto explained but then laughed. Bishop looked around at everyone having a very good feeling that he would fit in here. Suddenly he was sparked with a reminder. "Oh! Excuse me, I need to go sign up for another club." He turned and would leave in a hurry, only wearing his swim suit, flip flops and goggles that dangled around his neck. He was going back to the Showstoppers booth to sign up. If he could do something like that, then Bishop was sure that he could do well with people who were passionate about acting. He would run back and quickly sign up for the Showstoppers with a wide smile.

”Bond? Are you making reference to the undergarment brand? I’m afraid I do not know the brand of my undergarments but I can check right now.”

"Goodness no, Bond is a fictional spy, his name is James Bond." Tsukiko replied between a series of giggles, highly amused by Sora's response, so much so, that she had to cover her mouth with her hand to contain her laughter. This was the first time she'd had a good, genuine laugh in quite some time and she had to admit that it was nice, "It's a movie series. I could let you borrow the first one sometime if you're into movies. I rarely get to watch them, so I think they're rather nice." though she was then distracted by Sora's response to how she reacted to his boob compliment, because it seemed a bit inaccurate based on her acceptance of the compliment and came across as rehearsed. Apparently this guy received a lot of rejection. Poor fellow. I wonder how many times he has been slapped...

“On the contrary, I am being honest and—oh, you took the compliment. That’s nice.”

"I take it that you are not used to receiving a lot of good signals to that one?" Tsukiko inquired, giggling softly after asking her question. She couldn't contain herself, this boy was definitely amusing and fun, a little unpredictable and definitely didn't sugar coat his words. She was almost attracted to his honest better than his looks, but only almost. She knew that honest could turn into a turn-off just as quickly as it could become a turn-on. She let out a calm breath and inhaled one with enthusiasm. Today was a good day, she just knew it couldn't go wrong. She had a gut feeling and she was flying with it today. She refused to let anyone dampen her current mood.

"I do not understand women most of the time."

"I'll let you in on a little known fact: women seldomly understand themselves. It's natural to feel that way. as Sora gazed upon the sky, Tsukiko checked him out again, realizing she'd scored rather well for her first few minutes attending the school. He wasn't dumb as a doorknob and he was extremely cute, she was very glad that she'd chosen him. Also his hair was very fetching, the color and the style both made him hard to ignore, so much that she did not catch her words as they casually slipped out, "Is your hair color natural— I only ask because my own is not." she quickly added to her question, fusing it with the statement in a slightly awkward manner. Typically she would have been more eloquent, but the question managed to slip past her strict vocal filters and breathed life far before she was able to carefully cultivate her words into a more fluid and socially acceptable inquiry.

”That is good, I make an effort every morning."

"Has anyone told you that you're absolutely adorable?" Tsukiko inquired, tilting her head a bit, resulting in her pink hair shifting. It was currently not in her signature high and fringed pigtails, but was instead tied up into one messy ponytail with a pink and white striped hair bow holding it together. Her golden eyes narrowed a bit as she realized her words could be taken as an insult, "Not in a childlike way, you're more like a cute puppy." she responded in a serious and blunt manner, not regretting her words for a moment. She had been given no reason to show restraint, so far he had been responding positively toward her after all. He did seem to have bad luck with women, judging by how he worded his responses, but she felt that she would be able to get along with this hot boy because of his rotten luck with other women.

”It is a relief that the female population has some hope. I’ve had to deal with a lot of dumb ones.”

"Eh? That's a lot of pressure to live up to~" Tsukiko chimed in a halfhearted manner, a joking expression on her face, but she was unsure if he would catch the humor in her tone or respond with obliviousness, seeing as the James Bond joke went over his head. The fact that he didn't know what she was talking about only made him more precious in her opinion, "I'm not that good at school work, but I do like to believe I have all certain amount of common sense." Tsukiko responded with a sheepish laugh. She never expected to be complimented on her intellect, especially since her agent was always nagging her about the horrible grades she had made back in Korea. It wasn't that she was stupid, she was just always too busy for studying and often neglected to do her school work. Tapping her cheek as she thought on Sora's words, Tsukiko explained her situation further without exactly stating her celebrity status, "I was on the road a lot before moving to Japan, so studying has been quite difficult."

”I would like to partake in other clubs too. I think it would look good in my school reports.”

Seeing a boy care about his education seemed rather rare, but she was not going to comment on that aspect. Tsukiko nodded, beginning to wonder what her own school reports looked like, but she didn't want to imagine that much failure on one piece of paper. The thought brought a shiver down her spine, "Caring about your future is an admirable trait." She responded with a smile, not sure what else she could have replied with in that moment. When Sora took her hand once more, Tsukiko allowed it. She wasn't shy, so she in fact rather enjoyed holding his hand, especially because he meant nothing serious by it. The playful flirting was just what she was looking for. She didn't want anything else, everything else was always too complicated. She knew complicated from experience and she hated complicated.

”I would not mind at all. I believe it is this way. Come Tsu.”

"Hai, thank you, Sora-Senpai." She didn't feel right switching to straightforwardly to first name basis without honorifics, at least not this early on. She barely knew anything about this boy, despite the brilliant first impression that he had made, so she refused to go too quick before she felt she could trust him. Even she knew better than to trust someone so easily, she had learnt the hard way once or twice, but thankfully she had brilliant body guards and her agent was super protective and dependable. She followed behind, not minding the nickname, but she wasn't participating yet either. She wanted to get a better feel for this boy's character before she deemed him as a possible friend. She was surprised to see the Social society club was all passed out, but after that crowd management, she felt that it was only to be expected. She felt bad for the boys, especially since it was partially her fault that they were forced to work so hard. She nearly apologized, but was surprised by Sora's incoming words.

”How very lazy of them.”

Tsukiko wasn't really sure if his description of the members was very accurate, in fact, she felt that they had worked quite hard today, but it was none of her business what Sora felt about the members of the club, at least not yet. She was simply relieved that she was not on the receiving end of his harsher statements.

”You sign your name here.”

Tsukiko smiled a bit, only slightly offended by the common sense statement, "Thanks." She responded, signing her name. It was difficult to not sign her Korean stage name, having become second nature over the years. She managed to scribble down her birth name instead, despite her immediate reflex. She noticed the random signatures, realizing that his statement held some merit, apparently some people were not as orderly about signing up as she had been.

"What other clubs are you interested in? It's good to stay in numbers. Club days are always dramatic."

"Band and Inryoku in-waiting." Tsukiko responded after she looked around at the nearby booths. The pink haired girl chose the two others, but it was a difficult choice considering there was a limit on how many clubs one could participate in. She found it very stressful to pick just three considering she'd never been in a club before now.

"That is my leg. You have your own."

Tsukiko began laughing again, wiping her eye, skillfully managing to avoid smudging her eyeliner or mascara. Just after she managed to stop laughing, the bell rang. She shook her head at Sora's behavior, highly amused by the first boy that she'd met at this new school. Perhaps moving here was going to be even better than she thought?

"I'm going to run on ahead. Seems that we don't have the time. I'll see you around, Sora-Senpai." She responded with a smile before rushing off towards the other two clubs she wished to join. She signed up before they closed up, and she made her way quickly towards her first class. She wasn't looking forward to it. She was not very athletic. She didn't know how to play most sports, because she never did as a child and she was not forced to participate in strenuous activity before now. She entered the school gymnasium realizing that everyone else had changed. She searched by gazing around and found the girl's locker room in no time. Tsukiko removed her jacket before even entering the locker room, but waited to remove her actual top until she was among only females. Her skirt quickly followed and she got dressed, actually feeling more confident the more other girls stared at her. She put on her gym attire and closed her locker, returning to the groups near the bleachers. She chose to climb the bleachers, having spotted a familiar face. She realized that a brunette make (Johnny) seemed to be conversing with the familiar girl, but Tsukiko didn't care, "Shi? Is that you? It's been so long! Give your favorite cousin a hug!" She called out in a loud and excited manner, hugging her cousin, not realizing that her cousin would have a violent reaction to the unwelcome and unexpected affection. She hadn't seen Shiori since they were in preschool, so she wasn't used to her cousin's harsh exterior. She did however know that her cousin was timid and probably wouldn't have wanted all eyes on her, "You're so cute now! I wonder when I got taller than you?"

---

---

---

---

<Where is it? Where is it?!> Bishop was dashing around the auditorium where all the club booths were. He zoomed past the gardening club, making their members' heads turn. He ran towards Gen's club of Inryoku in Waiting and slid to a halt. He panted softly, starring back at the butlers and maids who were gawking at him for obvious reasons. "Not here either!" He would bolt off again as people stared at his backside for.... Reasons. He was trying to find the Airdalen Social Society club booth but was having a rather hard time locating it. He was slowly getting tired as well, but he finally found it. The bell rang as well, causing him to panic and run faster through the moving crowd of students and faculty. "Excuse me! Sorry, excuse me!" A half naked blonde kid was a rare sight in school, generally that was rare in Japan in the first place.

Bishop broke free and made to Sora booth slamming his hands on the booth's table breathing heavily from all of his running, now having a light sheen of sweat on his chest and stomach. "This is the Social Society right? Is it too late to sign up?" His blue eyes looked to the sitting senior Sora, having not known that he had just missed a fellow junior Tsukiko. It was quite the entrance he made, standing in his flip flops and Streamers swim suit. He really hoped that he wasn't too late to sign up for Sora's club. It seemed really cool, especially with all the singing and dancing going on..... Or was that a ploy kinda like what his club did? He couldn't say for sure, all Bishop knew was that he wanted to be a part of this club.

If he wasn't too late, then Bishop would sign up for the club and bow in thanks to Sora for allowing him to do so. "Arigato~ this club seems really cool and I wanted to join. See you soon!" With that, he would turn and bolt off again being full of young and innocent energy. He picked up his bags by the swimming club booth and helped with the take down. He talked with his club mates discussing how many sign ups they got, excited by the fact that their little performance actually worked in increasing the total numbers of students signing up. Even if they didn't all stay with the club, to have a lot of students in it was always awesome. Bishop said his goodbyes and looked at his schedule to see what his next class was. "Oh, gym class! That's pretty close by." Bishop decided not to change again seeing as he would be switching into his P.E. clothes, so changing twice would be a waist. He walked the halls in his jammers, jacket and flip flops happily and ignorantly making his way to the boy's locker room. Once he made it, he found a locker and stowed his things away then began to change. He wasn't shy, no need to be really. Bishop was comfortable in his own body. Not from him being so fit, but since he had spent much of his life next to naked around his teammates and spectators for swimming being shirtless and in his boxers was actually more comfortable than clothes.

Bishop had kept to himself in the locker room, then emerged wearing his new school gym uniform. He had a light and young smile on his face looking around to see if there was anyone he knew. Slowly walking towards the bleachers Bishop noticed that one guy- Akira sitting by himself. "Hey- Blake-san~" He would call out to him then give a light jog over to the boy trying to get his attention. Bishop really wanted someone to talk to, he was so excited about school starting especially after he had met his club mates for swimming. "Hey Blake-san what's up? Did you sign up for any cool clubs?" He would smile to his male peer, even sitting down beside him in the gym. Bishop sat close to be friendly, but was far from invading someone's space. Just tow boys striking up a conversation and he really wanted to get to know him (Akira) better. Bishop's goal for attending high school was to gain just one best friend.

Sora had learned a lot from his new acquaintance Tsukiko. She made for very pleasant company and did not misunderstand his words. It was refreshing to speak his mind without receiving an undeserved slap to the face. "Is your hair color natural— I only ask because my own is not." Sora looked at her, taking a closer inspection of her hair. He didn't suspect that her hair was dyed at all. "Your hairdresser must be a professional. My hair is natural." He answered her question without delay or hesitation. He was not aware of how odd his hair color would be to his peers as much of that attention was showered upon his odd behavior instead. "Has anyone told you that you're absolutely adorable?""Not in a childlike way, you're more like a cute puppy." Sora wore a straight faced expression as he thought about her question seriously. It was not an often compliment to reach his ears. "I suppose so... from my ex." Even as he mentioned his ex, his words flowered naturally with no sign of emotion in them. He was not affected by the memory at all as he continued their conversation at a normal pace until she had excused herself by the school bell signal. "I'm going to run on ahead. Seems that we don't have the time. I'll see you around, Sora-Senpai." Sora nodded his head and waved after her, hoping to run into her again. "She's a really nice lady." He said aloud to himself, always unable to contain his thoughts in his head alone.

Sora woke up his club members to help put the stall equipment away but in the middle of their packing, a potential recruit showed up last minute. "This is the Social Society right? Is it too late to sign up?" Sora turned to see who had come at the sound of hands slamming down on their table. When he spotted a westerner blonde boy (Bishop) half naked, he was a bit skeptical. "Yes this is the right club but are you sure you wish to join us? We have a shirt on policy." He spoke from experience as female club members had expressed discomfort the last time a male member was seen without a shirt in their club room. Little did he know there was more to that incident. "Arigato~ this club seems really cool and I wanted to join. See you soon!" Sora wasn't sure if the boy had heard him but he seemed adamant about joining their club before sprinting off much like Tsukiko had done. Sora sighed at seeing everyone in such a hurry. "It's only gym is it not?" He was not a fan of sports.

After Sora had gotten changed into suitable uniform and was scanning the gymnasium for an available seat, he came across a bickering pair (Saburo and Yuuki). While he did not look at them, he could easily overhear them as he was walking by. "This class isn't worth my skill in mathematics. I don't care so long as I don't have to participate in games." Sora nodded to himself, even though the statement was not directed to him. He too, did not care for this class. He would much rather participate in mathematics or another more book based activity. There were very few active things he took joy in such as dancing. Sora was about to continue on his merry way not even turning to look at the two he was overhearing until, "Oh, so now you think you're too good or some shit? I don't now if you're too smart to realize or something, but you've got like no friends. Ever thought a that? So don't act like your some fuckin' queen." Sora's attention was immediately grabbed by this male's choice of wording so he at last, turned to look at whom was speaking. His eyes drifted from the male to the female. He did not recognize either so he assumed them to be juniors. "Do you struggle with math? Is that why you compensate with humor?" Sora chuckled lightly in the background behind a closed fist. The female junior had impressed him. He had been insulted by girls plenty of times but this one had a spark about her. It appealed to his intellect.

"Look, I don't have to be good at math and that shit, 'cuz my dad carries more cash in his pocket then what your house is worth. Okay? And don't say that I'm stupid or whatever, 'cuz I just don't try at school. I don't need to try at school like you to stay in school." "I bet you'd even pick up a 1000 yen bill off the ground if someone dropped it, so you could go buy dinner." The boy did not desist his behavior and even went as far as to lean closer to the girl's face. Sora did not like the way this was headed. He had seen many times his fellow club members in the study club get bullied. This was how it would normally start. He removed his hand from his mouth finding the situation no longer funny. As a student who valued his studies and believed that everyone else should value it just as much, he made his way towards them instead of continuing up the bleachers.

"You're upper class? Never would have guessed. You speak like a primitive being and growl like one. Down boy."

Sora butted in their heated conversation, speaking down to the junior boy as if he were a dog. He angled his head upward confidently, speaking as a senior to a junior. His eyes refused to acknowledge the junior boy too, treating him even more inferior. His words were laced with an ice cold tone that not many were accustomed to hearing from the strange boy as he rarely spoke with emotion at all. What the junior had said felt like a personal insult directed at Sora too as an individual who enjoys mathematics. He was agitated and while not gifted in physical fighting, he was no coward to inviting one. Sora would speak his mind no matter the outcome for that was how he is. His phone began vibrating inside his pocket but he was too occupied to notice.

"Bragging about someone else's hard earned work? Pitiful. However full your dad's pockets are does not compensate for the empty space in your skull. It's a shame you can't buy a decent IQ. It's not something you can just pick up off the ground in comparison."

Sora continued to speak, not holding back anything. Throwing insult after insult came easily when Sora had been unconsciously practicing being harsh throughout his entire lifetime. There was not a single moment where he failed to speak his mind or backed out. Once he started talking, he would not cease what he stood up for or believed in. He had basically done what the junior asked to not happen, 'to be called stupid' but that was what Sora perceived to be the truth. A smart person would not berate someone over mathematics or disrespect a scholarship student. Sora had respect for scholarship students even though he was not one of them. Scholarships were not a free pass but an achievement attained to be proud of.

Sora walked past the junior boy, brushing shoulders against him arrogantly to take a seat closest to the junior girl. He had sat close to her without thought to it. It was what he instinctively acted on before concluding with a narrowed glare,

"Please get out of my face. Your breath reeks hound."

"Well you're the one with off brand gym shoes on your feet so..."

Yuuki's eyes widened a bit in surprise, but she otherwise remained composed. She was used to words like this, even at her other school. She was particularly poorer than most. Damn rich people... she didn't have anything to say back, nothing intelligible at least. She would ignore him if at all possible.

"They'd probably make an exception for you."

"I wish they would." she sighed in discontentment. She truly did not wish to attend so she was not offended by being excluded from the event. She was practically praying to be uninvited. Though she received another text, this time from her parents stating that they would be in town and escort her to the event if she refused to attend the dance of her own accord. They also wanted photo evidence that she attended. She immediately twitched staring down at her phone, for once hating her parents with her entire being.

"Oh, so now you think you're too good or some shit? I don't now if you're too smart to realize or something, but you've got like no friends. Ever thought a that? So don't act like your some fuckin' queen."

Yuuki stared at him surprised for a moment, but broke out into intense but quiet laughter. She held her stomach and got it out of her system, before wiping her eyes, taking a few moments to completely recompose herself. She handed him a tissue, seeing as he made a snorting noise and began her rebuttal, "Bless you. I don't care about any of that. I don't need friends to validate myself.. And although I'm not better, I really just don't like people, you especially to be frank." She responded, laughter threatening to interrupt her trail of thought, but she managed to bite it back. She couldn't understand why this boy thought that of all things would bother her. It did at some core level, but she wasn't aware of it, not yet at least, "Anyone who can't live in their own company is a pathetic attention whore... Is this your best shot...? Why don't you run along and go buy your date to the dance, because God knows your personality won't earn it." She mused, mocking his efforts in attempt to anger him further. She was rather mad herself, but she was certain he would break sooner or later and leave her alone. She tilted her head at him, signifying that she was waiting for a response.

"Look, I don't have to be good at math and that shit, 'cuz my dad carries more cash in his pocket then what your house is worth. Okay? And don't say that I'm stupid or whatever, 'cuz I just don't try at school. I don't need to try at school like you to stay in school."

"Did I hit a nerve?" Yuuki responded in a bored tone, closing her eyes with a grin of amusement. She normally wouldn't have gotten so mad, but this was a direct insult to her parents' and their ability to provide for her so she could not let this slide. An irritated expression crossed her features before she spoke again, "If you must know, my grades did not pay for my entrance, even though they definitely could have. Yuuki retorted, growing rather tired of speaking with this childish boy, but she refused to let him win by walking away. She was sitting here first, so she would bite off her own tongue before letting him have the satisfaction of running her off, "My father paid cash to get me here. Though I am amused that you think I care about you or your money. I'd rather be poor and starving than some rich ass snobby little baby tugging on daddy's shirt every five seconds when he needs money. Do you know how to wipe your own ass or did your father have to pay some kind of servant for that?" She retorted with venom in her tone. She wasn't really lying either, her grades got her acceptance and surely would have paid her tuition, but her father was too proud to accept a handout refused to owe anyone anything. He was a traditional Japanese man and did not want to be in anyone's debt. The only thing that he allowed the school to pay for was Yuuki's uniform, but that was only because he had no other choice. They'd spent their entire savings on her tuition and housing, exactly why she had to work so hard. Soon she'd have to get a job as well to take over paying her own rent..

"I bet you'd even pick up a 1000 yen bill off the ground if someone dropped it, so you could go buy dinner."

Yuuki quirked an eyebrow, refusing to bend to this spoiled brat's will. She did not move away, despite hating being in close proximity with such an entitled twit. She finally found someone that she truly hated in this school, "No I wouldn't. Want to test it? I really don't give a damn about money. All I care about is my family, which is why I work so hard. That's something someone as narrow minded as you could never understand." her words bled hatred despite her calm tone. It was obvious in her red that she absolutely hated this boy. She would have already set him on fire if she'd had a lighter. Suddenly she realized it was a good thing she never took up smoking. She wouldn't be able to help her father from prison after all, I wouldn't take someone else's hard earned money like a common theif.." she was insulted, but she kept her cool, well, for the most part. She shoved her hands in her pockets, clenching both of her fists to release her anger in a positive light. She did not raise her voice even once, keeping a level tone the entire time, despite wishing to wipe that grin off his sorry face. However violence was not the answer as her father often reminded her, though in this case she wished it was. Yuuki looked him over, trying to find ammunition in the same manner that he had, her eyes landing on his shoes. Rather expensive just to be ruined in her opinion. With a smirk on her face, Yuuki had come up with an insult of her own. If he wanted war, she would wage war with the imbecile, "You on the other hand probably are going to be a thirty still living off your trust fund from daddy. You've probably never worked for anything in your entire life." She stated in a serious tone, chuckling a bit. She casually leaned back into the bleachers, adjusting her glasses in a nonchalant manner as she brought her insult back to home base, "If you don't have legitimate work experience how do you ever expect to successfully lead a company? This isn't America, you can't half ass it. Apparently you've lost tradition and honor amongst all that money. It's sad really. You have to be responsible enough to cultivate and nourish anything worth value. Once daddy's gone you might want to look up the word bankruptcy... because I'm sure the word is too difficult for you."

"You're upper class? Never would have guessed. You speak like a primative being and growl like one. Down boy."

Yuuki's eyes widened, much more than they had when she received the insult. Aside from her parents, this was the first time that anyone had spoken up for her. Most called her weird, robotic, and some even made up a rumor that she could curse people, as if she were some sort of witch. This was different from when Aeon got the crowd to stop squishing and shoving her, yet both actions were greatly appreciated. This was still quite different however, because this attack was directly malicious, not mere ignorance and carelessness. This boy even dirtied his hands. Something about that brought tears to her eyes. She didn't even realize until they hit her cheeks and she quickly wiped them away. She didn't want that ass to think that she was crying because of him, because she wasn't! Well, it was somewhat due to the harsh words of the first boy (Saburo), but she was mostly crying from gratitude, but of course she wasn't aware of all that, at least not consciously. She didn't understand it, the last time she cried was when she found out her father was dying. She was ten years old. Why was she crying now of all times? Everyone was here to witness it if they so happened to glance over, which was more embarrassing than she'd imagined.

"Bragging about someone else's hard work? Pitiful. However much your dad has in his pockets does not compensate for a lacking brain. Yours specifically. It's a shame you can't buy a decent IQ. It's not something you can just pick up of the ground In comparison."

"Please get out of my face. Your breath reeks, hound."

Yuuki couldn't help but laugh, but it came out far softer than before. Yuuki wiped her eyes again for good measure just to make sure that she could properly present herself, "I'm Fujioka, Yuuki, from the freshman class. It's a pleasure to meet you.. Senpai?" She wasn't really sure if this boy was older than her (Sora), but she addressed him as a senior just in case. She looked to the ground for a moment, feeling awkward about all of this. Like her father, Yuuki hated owing anyone anything. She did not like feeling indebted to someone. She then gazed back up to the boy (Sora), before grabbing a box of strawberry flavored pocky sticks out of her bag, "Would you like one?" She asked the blue haired stranger, tilting her head. She had nothing else to offer, but it was a start in repaying him, right?

---

---

---

---

“You can’t read English or Japanese?” Yet another student who knew English. The new conversation snapped Johnny out of the rest of his funk. Despite his quest to learn the local language turning out to be more and more pointless, Johnny really just wanted to roll with the punches at this point. He at-first thought the pink-haired girl meant the question like “Are you illiterate in general?” Which may come across as offensive to some people.

It was not offensive to the foreigner, however. The foreigner was not “some people”. In response, Johnny laughed cheerfully, “Oh! Ha, no, I can read, just not… what’s-it-called, Kana? The squiggly symbols where a lot of ‘em look like the letter T.”

His focus on adjusting his bandana made him miss that the girl was checking out his assets. Apparently inspired by Johnny’s actions, Tsukiko had asked “Why are you wearing a bandana?”

“To keep my bangs out of my eyes,” Johnny replied simply as he still retained that friendly smile. “I wanna grow it out longer eventually, but what I have is a good length for sports.”

Tsukiko introduced herself shortly afterward. The sudden drop to silence near the end made Johnny glance down at Tsukiko’s face. He was about to start trying to read why the silent drop happened when he noticed that the pink-haired girl was suddenly quite close.

[]Roll with the punches, no regrets.[/i] Johnny’s personal mantra seemed to repeat itself automatically, only to be drowned out just as quickly by oddly familiar music.

“Dude, I know this tune,” Johnny’s deep smooth jazz voice lowered to an unintentional growl. He spoke more to himself than the girl in front of him. As he pondered, he put a fist to his chin. He hummed a bass-like hum in harmony with the song. He knew many artists and many more songs. He then realised that he had this same song on an especially special playlist. “This is… Teardrop, by…”

“Does that ring a bell or should I play my number one hit?” she asked. At this distance, Johnny could clearly see the golden-brown eyes. An old friend had shown Johnny a concert video that got a good close-up of the singer. Johnny had recognized the eyes specifically from that video.

… Holy shit! What are the chances? The chances were about as slim as getting backstage passes for Woodstock back when Jimi Hendrix was alive. The chance were about as slim as the Beatles having a gig without a harassing crowd back in their prime. The chances were about as slim as Johnny winning at a video game.

“Wait… you’re,” Johnny spoke at a normal volume, but then he paused. He’d seen enough of those Disney teen movies with his buddies in the cheap theatres to know what saying a pop star’s name out loud could cause. He didn’t want to cause an equivalent of what the Beatles had to live with during their prime. In a more personal (or intimate, depending on how one prefers to hear his deep voice) “You’re Mae Seung Jin. I knew I recognized that voice.” Always the professional, Johnny tried not to come across like a rabid fanboy. Though he was cool with being this close to another person, the foreigner knew he’d rather not be in the same room as the type who did act like a rabid fanboy.

The music in Johnny’s ear, while it helped him keep perfectly calm despite the claustrophobia, (or maybe it was something about the girl… or something…) unfortunately prevented him from overhearing the growing argument being conducted by the music guy, Fujioka-san, and a dude with blue hair. Even if he did catch the exchanged roasts, he probably wouldn’t have understood a fair number of the words being spoken. Though he would have spit some ill rhymes straight out of his neighbourhood... If he had heard the argument, that is. As was established, he did not.

He only continued the conversation with Tsukiko. “I only got a few of your songs, but damn girl, you got the voice of an angel.” he said not unlike Albert King as he bobbed his head slowly to the beat. He wouldn’t mind recording a jam session with her vocals in the mix… literally… it’s not an innuendo. He simply continued humming with the music until he thought back to the text. Date… No, not a date. It makes no sense to “date” someone you met today. That’s just ridiculous.

At this point, Johnny figured the girl wanted her earbud back. Johnny pulled it out and handed it back to Tsukiko Kitogawa. He adjusted his stance, which allowed him to make a little bit of comfortable distance, though he made it look natural. Wait, “Kitogawa-san”? I guess she and the other cute shortie were family after all. That’s pretty cool… Where did she go, anyway?

Ah well. Just ask. The worst she can say is “no”.

“Anyway, Kitogawa-san, (He remembered the manners at least) there’s this event being hosted by the school at some castle,” Johnny rose his phone to glance at the text once more. With his free hand, he rubbed his pointed, chiseled chin. “And the thing’s calling for, like…” Johnny couldn’t find himself outright saying “date”, for the same reason the word caused him such initial alarm in the first place. “I mean, since I don’t know anyone, I was just gonna ask until I get someone to join me. Not sure if you got a buddy already, but if you don’t, didja wanna go?”

---

+1 Popularity to Tsukiko
+1 Popularity to Shiori *gm edit*

---

---

"You on the other hand probably are going to be a thirty still living off your trust fund from daddy. You've probably never worked for anything in your entire life. If you don't have legitimate work experience how do you ever expect to successfully lead a company? This isn't America, you can't half ass it. Apparently you've lost tradition and honor amongst all that money. It's sad really. You have to be responsible enough to cultivate and nourish anything worth value. Once daddy's gone you might want to look up the word bankruptcy... because I'm sure the word is too difficult for you."

This girl was really getting on his nerves now. Clenching his fists, Saburo spoke through a clenched jaw. "Now you better listen you little SHIT-" But before he could finish the statement, a third voice intruded in on the quible.
"You're upper class? Never would have guessed. You speak like a primitive being and growl like one. Down boy." Saburo turned to face the owner of the voice, a blue haired male a couple inches shorter than himself. Despite the difference in height and build, the other boy looked older of the face. This gave Saburo the impression that this person was a Senior.
"What the hell did you just say?" To be honest, he couldn't comprehend the outrageous way this guy was talking to him.
"Bragging about someone else's hard earned work? Pitiful. However full your dad's pockets are does not compensate for the empty space in your skull. It's a shame you can't buy a decent IQ. It's not something you can just pick up off the ground in comparison." The blue haired senior then had the nerve to brush past him to sit next to the scholarship girl.
"You know what?! You're no better than the bum you're sitting next to!!"
"Please get out of my face. Your breath reeks hound."

This was it. He was gonna fucking lose it. Only the second day too...Saburo tried his best to suppress the fury, holding it down the best he could...and miraculously, it faded. "Alright, so that's how it's gonna be." Those were the last words uttered before all hell broke loose. Saburo began to walk away...at least that's what his brain was telling his legs, but instead they took the Freshman closer to the senior sitting closeby. His arms lifted the other boy from his sitting position by the collar...and...he...swung...a...wicked...right...hook...at...the...dudes...chin. Not letting up for a second, Saburo followed through with a brutal uppercut to the gut. After that he didn't even know what was going on anymore. All he could see were his hands flying to and from the Senior's body. So much for making some friends.

---

+1 Athleticism - Saburo

---

Sora had witnessed the violet haired junior's (Yuuki) tears but he couldn't comprehend why she was crying. It did not click in his brain that him stepping in could be considered an act of kindness. Sora had intervened of his own free will and liking. He was insulted on a personal level by the red haired junior's words that belittled academics and placed higher importance on social classes. This was wrong in Sora's mind to the point he impulsively moved forward to correct him.
Sora was raised in between a middle class to high class atmosphere and had never struggled to get what he wanted. Many people particularly his maids would claim that he was spoiled but he was also never a bragger unlike this red haired fool (Saburo) who had irritated him. He was a bit shorter than his new enemy by inches but it did not faze him. Height was not relevant to the topic presented in front of him. The debate was purely based on academics and comparing the fool to a lowly dog.

"I'm Fujioka, Yuuki, from the freshman class. It's a pleasure to meet you.. Senpai?" Sora looked over at the young junior as she introduced herself, his bangs falling over his eyes as he did. He gave her a quick bow of the head in acknowledgement before offering his own name, "Harigae, Sora." His expression was absolute as he spoke to her, almost empty and devoid of emotion. This was his normal face. Sora had only shown slight changes to suggest his irritation in the discussion prior with the foolish one (Saburo). He watched her out of curiosity as she drew out an item from her bag. "Would you like one?" His eyes zoomed in on the object to read the label and identified them to be strawberry pocky treats. He had not had them in a while but he did have a liking for them. He established eye contact with her, taking a moment to admire her gold hues. Sora found them to be unique as they shined under the lights.

Before he could share his thoughts aloud and accept Yuuki's token of generosity, the hound made his presence known again. Sora had forgotten he was still standing there after the silence on his last rebuttal. "Alright, so that's how it's gonna be." Sora did not give the unknown junior (Saburo) another piece of his mind but he would be forced to. The red haired male (Saburo) had decided not to end the debate there and continue on a physically violent level, yanking Sora up by the collar. Sora was not delusional about the situation. He knew he was physically inept and did not stand a chance against him (Saburo) but that did not shut him up or tear him down. Sora's face was firm as was his opinion. He did not call for help, struggle or back down in any way.

Sora's face twisted in pain when the punch made contact with his jaw. As emotionless as he could come across, he was only human and pain was not an exception. Even so, he did not scream and took each blow as they came. Unlike his opponent, he was fully aware that he was present in a full gymnasium. While he may not have the power to fight back, the bullying taking place here would not go unnoticed. Sora's pain was not in vain and he would not take back his words. The violence only reassured Sora that his judgement on this individual was correct. Sora coughed out blood when receiving a blow to the gut but showed his own form of strength when he spat out the blood on purpose in the boy's face.

"Woof."

---

+1 Athleticism
+1 Popularity [Yuuki]
+1 Notoriety [Saburo]

---