Kaito Miyuu's Story

Being escorted to the principal's office was not the highlight of his day. He noticed a rather large blond male (Aeon) with a cast on his arm, Kaito's eyebrow lifted for a moment in curiosity. He wondered how it happened but then remembered that he really didn't care enough to ask. He was here for one purpose and one purpose alone. He was going to find his sister one way or another. His father had no idea that Akira attended this school, that was the only way he convinced his father to let him attend as Yukito Miyuu had no interest in finding his daughter whatsoever. However, from the moment Kaito found out that he had a twin his sole mission in life was to locate her. Now, he was so close to meeting her that he could almost taste victory. He could feel his nerves bubbling under his skin, which did nothing to remedy his sour mood. He almost chuckled when he was informed that his bodyguard could not remain on campus. That was a relief. He wouldn't be able to go twenty feet near Akira without that stinking rat running back to his father telling him every little detail. This way he would be able to move much more freely and possibly get to talk to his long lost little sister.

Growing up with his father had not been a good influence on him, he didn't care about anyone outside of his family no matter what was happening to them. He didn't help children who fell, nor did he open doors for women. Everyone who wasn't family was an enemy, at least that's what his father had taught him. Though as he grew older Kaito began to question that philosophy, because if that were true, why were his mother, Misako, and Akira left out? Why did his father turn his back on them? Kaito gritted his teeth just thinking about it.. Once his enrollment was verified at the secretary's desk Kaito was escorted out by the bodyguard his father had appointed him, apparently his father had trouble trusting a school even as secure as Airdalen with his only son. Scoffing at that thought his cold blue eyes landed on his body guard and he pointed to the main gate, "You heard the rules in there, you can't be here. Go." Kaito commanded. It attracted a lot of attention as he wasn't necessarily ugly and his bodyguard was also a small-time actor who had served in the military briefly before pursuing his acting career. No matter how anyone looked at it, Kaito's bodyguard attracted a lot of unwanted attention. Yukimura ruffled Kaito's hair and did as he was told, a huff of annoyance coming from the young billionaire. While his father barely qualified in billionaire status, they were now gradually getting comfy with that title. Kaito, while protected from tabloids for the most part as his identity had been carefully kept from the public eye, was very comfortable with spending his father's money.

Now that he was alone, Kaito stretched with a yawn, very content. It was not often that he was allowed to move so unrestricted without being tailed by his father's bodyguards. He headed for his first class, but he wasn't really sure where to go. He noticed his sister sitting outside with a male student with long blond-brown hair (Rhys). He approached, his stance cocky as ever, but that was just who Kaito was. He was not raised to be submissive or shy. His father would have surely punished him if he faltered or stammered in front of others, as he believed such things to be rude and unbecoming, especially concerning the wealthy. He was nearly a spitting image of Akira, only with slightly more masculine facial features and his shoulders were slightly broader. He stood only an inch taller than her, but as she was sitting down they appeared to be the same height as well, "Ohayo, I'm Kaito and this is my first day attending this school. I'm looking for the gym, would either of you happen to know where that is..?" He asked in a very precise and generally polite manner, but his overall arrogance was not something he went out of his way to hide. Looking her over, he had to bite back a smirk. Seeing her dressed as a male student with equally wild hair as his own, it verified for him that they were indeed twins, but given that he refused to disclose his last name he highly doubted that Akira or anyone else would be able to put that together just yet, and even if they did, where was the proof? No one knew that Akira was related to the Miyuu family except for Akira anyway so he was fairly confident that he wouldn't be exposed too prematurely. He would just have to answer in roll call before they finished saying his last name.

In all honesty he just wanted to see if his sister would catch on, or realize that they were eerily similar in appearance. To the untrained eye they could be easily mistaken for the same person. He was looking forward to that too, wishing to figure out what kind of relationships his sister had formed here thus far. He realized that this might not have been the best way to approach her, but he was simply too excited and curious to pass up the chance, not to mention he truly was lost. Why wasn't he given a map?! Though he did recall hearing something about his senior partner having it? Why give it to a senior? Who's bright idea was that anyway? His blue eyes scanned Akira and her much taller companion (Rhys). He knew it was considered forward to only give others his first name, but Kaito didn't really mind, he was a blunt and very forward person so he really didn't care who called him Kaito. It wasn't going to embarrass him at all.

Any longer and Akira would have dozed off on the bench. She had been relaxing peacefully until she heard a familiar voice which stirred her, her blue eyes locating the owner of the voice quickly, "Ohayo~" Akira responded as Rhys approached, the cheerful mood she was in that day bleeding through in her tone. It was nice to see her rival, his presence providing her with proof that he would be at school and therefore would be in gym class. His attendance meant she would have a lot more fun, considering they had been fairly even matched before at the balloon game. She had to pay him back for that loss too, especially since she kissed a balloon in attempt to win. As the bench shook she decided to tease him, Earthquake! A titan has been spotted!" She snickered, referring to their difference in height. Akira's mood was much brighter than the day before, perhaps the best it had been since she enrolled at this school. She smiled brightly, reassurance that she was just teasing and Akira's eyes landed on Rhys's badge remembering she should put hers on as well. She shuffled for it in her pocket and fiddled with it to pin it on her chest, "At least yours is cool, everyone is gonna avoid me thinking I'm a nark." Akira pouted a bit. She would avoid herself too, class presidents she had met at other schools were usually snotty and rude.

With a chuckle Akira stretched, giving Rhys her full attention, "Happy? Well I did have fun stringing my grandmother along this morning." She chimed, though seeing Rhys face to face was a reminder that he had been some of the inspiration for that teasing. She looked to his hair as he tied it up, shaking her head. No matter how long his hair was Rhys didn't seem to lose masculinity. However, Akira lost femininity when she cut hers off. While a few questioned her sexuality, no one truly knew that she was a girl, they couldn't tell for sure. Feeling the wind blow Akira took a deep breath in, obviously enjoying the weather. When she noticed Rhys closed one of his eyes she couldn't help smirking, "That pretty boy hair of yours is going to be your undoing today." Akira teased, laughing at him a bit. If they played any competitive sports in gym she knew it would be a slight nuisance, glad that her bangs were considerably shorter than his. Akira waves back to Kei, smiling at him as he continued on. She didn't see him much, but he was the only guy who offered to dance with her even though he thought she was a guy as well.

Shortly after, something crazy happened that Akira couldn't explain. A boy that approached herself and Rhys had the exact same hair and eye color as herself. His skin was pale like her own and he was of similar height. Blinking several times to make sure she didn't imagine it, Akira gazed at her look alike (Kaito) then to Rhys to make sure that she wasn't the only one seeing the boy and hearing his voice. Why does he look so much like me...? I don't know this guy... Akira thought to herself, kind of freaking out. To meet someone who resembled her so closely was insane. She was in such a state of shock that Akira could barely keep from staring at him. How could this be real? Her blue eyes scanned her doppelgänger, trying to understand who he was and why he was almost her picture perfect lookalike, his more masculine features aside.

Even more maddening? The boy did not supply them with his last name. It was strange and it left her with so many questions that she wanted to ask them all immediately, but was reminded that he was looking for directions. Akira pointed to the nearby door, "Just down that way. You can't miss it." She smiled brightly despite the very strange parent trap moment she was going through. She hoped that would be enough to get the eerie clone of herself to pass along, because honestly she was getting a little creeped out by him. Then she realized that she did not introduce herself, too shaken by his resemblance to her, "Ohayo, I'm Blake, Akira. It's nice to meet you." She responded in a friendly manner. She glanced to Rhys through the corner of her eye, wondering what his reaction was to all of this. Today was really doing its best to keep her down but Akira wasn't having it. Evil doppelgänger or not, Akira planned on enjoying today to its fullest.

Realizing it was getting so close to Christmas Akira looked over to Rhys. She heard that she would have to help organize some kind of Christmas event, but as she was not yet in the classrooms she did not have the entire details. Being a freshman and a class president felt like a major disadvantage. Naturally people would expect her to know what she was doing and to have her shit in order, but in truth she knew very little more than her classmates did. This role she had been assigned was going to be difficult, and she only hoped she was ready to rise to the challenges it presents her with. The last thing she wanted was to make scholarship students look incompetent when given a position of leadership.

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"Earthquake! A titan has been spotted!" Rhys caught on to Akira's joke and smirked on the verge of shaking the bench more if he wasn't in the middle of tying his hair. "Titan eh?" He shot his friend a look of challenge that he could live up to that nickname. Although, he was sure there were other students taller than him around. "At least yours is cool, everyone is gonna avoid me thinking I'm a nark." He followed Akira's gaze to his chest and shrugged his broad shoulders. It was nice hanging out with another British student amidst all the Japanese culture. He hadn't heard the term nark since he left home. "Prove them wrong." he said confidently, thinking about how his first club session at Upstream had gone. Rhys wasn't blind to the members doubting his leadership but he had his own way of doing things. They would just have to be patient and see the results for themselves in time.

When he asked if Akira was happy, the guy chuckled. "Happy? Well I did have fun stringing my grandmother along this morning." Rhys looked over at Akira with a raised eyebrow wondering what he meant by stringing along an old woman. "Like a prank?" Rhys could picture his pale-haired friend pranking for fun but he hoped his grandmother was as understanding. He could only guess from how happy Akira was about it that pranks were acceptable in their family. "That pretty boy hair of yours is going to be your undoing today." Akira teased him with a shake of his head that didn't throw him off finishing the last loop of his hair tie. Finished, his hands fell to his knees where his legs were a shoulder's width apart from the other. "Haha today? You better come at me with all you've got to make it happen." he smirked, his harsh brown eyes focused on his friend like a worthy competitor. He enjoyed their last match and would welcome the chance to go at it again in whatever gym activity was next.

Interrupting their friendly banter, a guy with a remarkably similar appearance to Akira came over. "Ohayo, I'm Kaito and this is my first day attending this school. I'm looking for the gym, would either of you happen to know where that is..?" Rhys exchanged glances with Akira who looked frozen at the resemblance. Rhys was assured by his friend's surprise that they weren't acquainted and moved on quickly from the unexpected coincidence, facing the newcomer with his standard tough exterior now that the wisecracks were over. The guy introduced with his first name, a dead giveaway that he was a foreigner like them. A local Japanese student doing that was extremely unlikely and Rhys hadn't run into one who had taken a shot. "Just down that way. You can't miss it." It was a lot like Akira to speak up first being the friendliest out of the both of them, part of what made him so easy to talk to in a matter of days. Rhys looked at him to check that the guy was handling his shock okay and although he kept talking, he wasn't convinced.

"Ohayo, I'm Blake, Akira. It's nice to meet you." Rhys closed his eyes and sighed internally for a split second. He was trying to think if pale-haired people were more common in Britain than he remembered but nothing was coming up. Akira was really the first he had met with that description and along came another, Kaito. It was a strange coincidence and he could tell it was creating confusion for his bench mate. "Yo.. Rhys. British?" He kept his introduction and question straight to the point, asking nationality for Akira's behalf to overcome some of the shock. Kaito's arrogant stance didn't have any hold over Rhys as he kept true to how he normally behaved but the air would grow thick between them fast if he was one of those pampered brats. He had a low tolerance for people who wouldn't show respect but everyone got a chance with Rhys who didn't like to stereotype the way he had been.

While most Airdalen students were already at school, this could not be said for Kitogawa, Shiori. Normally she would be earlier than even some of the faculty, but today she was sleeping in. Kazuhiko recruited her little sister Yuriko to help dress her, for obvious reasons. No matter how he felt about her, he wasn't that low and disgusting. After the small girl was finished she hugged her sleeping older sister before the Lady of the house called for her. The smaller and more outgoing version of Shiori waved goodbye to Kazuhiko who stood in the hall, "Sayonara!" the little girl giggled.

As Kazuhiko picked up the sleeping form of Shiori, carrying her bridal style as he brought her to the car the other servants whispered but they did not dare speak loud enough for him to overhear. He retrieved her wallet and her school bag, driving the girl that slept soundly in the back seat to school. He brought her to the gates, sighing to himself. Honestly that was as far as he was supposed to go, but he felt that taking her in once wouldn't hurt. Besides the girl he was now carrying piggyback style was still sleeping peacefully and he wanted to give her a little longer to rest. With her things in tow and the girl secured on his back he walked her to the building where the gym was located, noticing a few boys at a nearby bench.

Realizing Shiori would be angry if others saw him carrying her, he stopped before they made it to the boys. While in sight, Kazuhiko attempted to place Shiori on the empty bench discretely. It was far away enough to be out of the trio's earshot, but they weren't out of sight. The ivory haired retainer then began to shake Shiori gently, "Shiori-sama, Shiori-sama... please wake up. You're at school. I have to leave now." He called to her calmly. In reality he didn't mind if she continued to sleep, but that was selfish and he knew he could not monopolize her.

The ebony haired girl stirred, slowly sitting up and wiping her eyes, Wher-...? School?!" She almost shrieked, shoving Kazuhiko away angrily. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to see him! Especially her friends. Her violet eyes glared up at him and her childhood friend took his leave silently before he angered her any further. With a sigh she stood, retrieving her things from the bench. Then she began to wonder who had dressed her, her cheeks lighting up to a dark shade of red, steak practically rolling off her cheeks as she noticed Akira and Rhys in the distance. Did they see any of that!? She thought to herself in panic. Forcing herself to compose, she walked towards them and the unfamiliar boy talking to them, only to stop right before she passed them. Turning around she stared the unfamiliar boy (Kaito) down. She blinked several times, Am I still dreaming...?" She asked Rhys and Akira as she began pinching her own left cheek between her thumb and index fingers. He looked just like Akira!!! This day was already stressful and it had only begun a minute or two ago as far as Shiori was concerned. She even considered she had a fever and was hallucinating, attempting to check her own forehead for a temperature. This was just too weird!! Two Akira? She wasn't sure if she could handle something like that! This had to be some kind of terrible joke. Shiori blinked when she noticed the badges her friends wore, checking her uniform for hers only to feel that it was already pinned to her chest where it belonged. It was fairly obvious Shiori was unraveled that morning. Her emotions were fairly obviously painted on her features after she woke, but once she adjusted it wouldn't last long. She was simply shaken up to being woke at school and already dressed.

Her amethyst eyes almost sparkled with curiosity, but her yawning and low energy hinted that she was still half asleep, "This is no dream it's certainly a nightmare..." Shiori muttered to herself quietly, but anyone paying relative attention would be able to overhear with a little effort. Wiping her right eye, attempting to bring herself to terms with starting her day, Shiori grew more surprised that she was not dreaming and Akira's shock didn't soothe her gut feeling that this was odd. Though more importantly, Shiori realized she had forgotten her manners, "O-Ohayo..." she stated in a tired tone of voice, bowing slightly to the guys present. Straightening her posture Shiori wasn't sure what else to do, but she couldn't flee like she was tempted to as she had approached them in her tired daze. It would have been incredibly rude to evacuate after engaging, but also she was just happy to see her junior partner before class started. She only hoped he had not noticed her companion carrying her across the school grounds earlier.

The shock that his little sister felt was amusing, but his smug smile did not shift into a full on smirk, he simply awaited an answer without giving any indication that he was aware of his own resemblance to Akira. In fact, he was a little too calm. How did he not notice it? Of course he did, he had just spent several years preparing for this moment and was a little desensitized to it now. Oh, how cute are you? You still haven't put the pieces together, have you Akira? Kaito thought to himself, biting his tongue to keep himself from chuckling aloud. He could tell that he was going to enjoy attending this school immensely, especially interacting with her little sister. Even though he could not spend too much time around his younger twin, Kaito sensed he would have fun with what little time he would be able to sneak in.

"Just down that way. You can't miss it."

As she pointed him in the right direction, Kaito's gaze shifted to look to where she gestured towards. He was brilliantly surprised by her ability to move past her shock and answer him first, but that only further assured him that toying with Akira wouldn't grow boring anytime soon, "Ah? Was I seriously that close? Arigato~" Kaito chimed, a warmer smile forming on his lips, but it was not very convincing. Instead of releasing a friendly vibe like Akira's smiles often did, Kaito's expression delivered somewhat of a dark vibe despite his innocent facial composition. The friendly expression did little to hide his shady presence.

"Ohayo, I'm Blake, Akira. It's nice to meet you."

When she introduced herself his smile faded and he nodded his head, "Pleasure to meet you, Akira-chan~" Kaito was well aware that 'chan' was often reserved for females, but it was not solely. He was doing his best to make her feel uncomfortable without directly confronting her. Sooner or later he would make the great reveal, but only when he knew she would not entirely reject the idea. He could tell that her friend was not as welcoming toward him, but Kaito simply kept the same expression. He knew he was bound to meet adversity along the way, especially as he was not exactly a pleasant person to be around, but in his opinion anyone aside from Akira was inconsequential and were only pawns to achieve his goal. He would humor them until they were no longer useful to his cause at least. Everyone who isn't us is an enemy... I will use them as I please. He reminded himself, remaining in a state of emotional equilibrium as he calculatedly and patiently awaited a response.

"Yo.... Rhys. British?"

"You're perceptive," Kaito responded to Rhys waving one finger at him with a very impressed grin. His words were spoken in English for the first time since he introduced himself, which was uttered with excellent pronunciation. Though unlike Akira, Kaito did not retain the distinctive accent. In fact, he practically had no accent at all, yet that was due to the time he spent traveling to various countries as he tailed his father around the world while he filmed for multiple studios and in diverse locations over the years. While his father kept him at both an emotional and physical distance, he did not leave him behind if Kaito truly wished to tag along. Mostly Kaito sampled the food of other cultures and did a little sightseeing, as he could not be seen with his father in public under any circumstances. His father reassured him it was safer this way, else someone might try to kidnap him for a ransom, but it was rather lonely and only made him despise his bodyguard that much more growing up, "Though I did not live there very long, I am British on my mother's side." He smiled, but even then it was more of a smug half smile. He knew that Akira was still shocked seeing as she could barely take her eyes off of him. He had to admit she looked a lot like him, especially while she was masquerading as a boy so he understood why this was hard for her to comprehend especially without being forewarned that she had a twin like he had been many years ago. You're not a boy... but at least I don't have to worry about guys hitting on my little sister...I suppose it's a blessing in disguise... He mused to himself as he rubbed the back of his neck. Just the thought of a guy hitting on her made his blood boil, no matter who it was. Though Kaito knew very well that there was nothing he could do about it if the time ever came without coming across as creepy or admitting the truth to her. Neither were ideal, so he realized that he would definitely have to prepare himself to handle such irritations now, "It's a pleasure to meet you both. As none of us are from here... do you mind if we call each other by our first names...? I'm still not accustomed to the whole last name first ordeal." His assumption would be proved valid as Akira had the last name Blake, very uncommon in Japan. Though only he knew that he knew far more about Akira than anyone at the entire school. Then the bell rang and cut their conversation short. With a wave, Kaito excused himself without another word. He headed in the direction that Akira had sent him, hands shoved into his pockets after he opened the door and made his way down the hall and to the gym. With a sigh, Kaito entered, looking around at the students around him. Many were in groups, but he did not have time to give any of them a solid once over, he needed to get changed. Heading to the boy's locker room was his momentary goal, so thats where his feet led him. School is such a pain in my ass.... At least it's gym though. Kaito mumbled to himself within the confines of his own head.

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"Titan eh?"

Laughing at his response, Akira nodded her head "You are tall enough after all." His gaze only verified that he would prove to be a very interesting friend to have. While they were friends, Akira maintained a sense of rivalry with him. Of course the balloon event was relatively kid stuff, as the year went on she believed they would eventually engage in more challenging sports activities that could truly fuel their competitive spirits. Though as the joke diminished, her head quirked a bit as he shrugged. It was such a nonchalant response that she was a bit confused. Did he seriously not see her new responsibility to be the epic ball of lameness that it really was? Class president... did she sign up for that? She knew that she must have, but she really didn't remember doing it. Perhaps she accidentally did it in her rush to get things done the past few days? Either way, it was a title she was going to be stuck with for the rest of the year. She might as well make the most of it.

"Prove them wrong."

The confidence in her friend's tone brought a curious glimmer to her pale blue eyes, "Is that what you're doing?" She asked with a questioning tone in her voice. She realized that a freshman was not considered fit by many to lead a sports team. Either way, she was fairly confident in her friend's ability. Though she did wonder how it went. If it wouldn't have clashed with her own club she would have went to check it out for herself. He kept up with her well enough during the balloon game, and he seemed strong, especially after carrying Sora the other day. As she was now fully recovered from her fever the day before, Akira smiled warmly, "I guess we don't have much of a choice, huh?" She sighed, looking up to the sky, feeling a little more motivated after Rhys' words of encouragement. It was short and to the point, but it got the general idea across. Perhaps I should skip Inryoku one day and check out the swimming club. It wouldn't hurt to play hooky just once would it?

"Like a prank?"

Rubbing the back of her neck, Akira struggled to find a way to explain it. Pulling pranks on old people sounded really mean. While it was pretty much exactly that, if he knew the whole story she figured he would better understand why it was warranted in the first place. Was it okay to tell him though? Figuring it was, Akira decided to trust Rhys with a bit of her private life, "She's trying to get me to hop into a relationship while I am here for her benefit. I got her hopes up as revenge. Romance really isn't in the cards right now." She snickered, deciding the truth wouldn't hurt. As Rhys was under the impression she was a guy she wouldn't have to explain that she had kind of, well, definitely described him as a potential candidate. It was a joke anyway. Harmless. No way would she EVER fess up to having said it. Besides it wasn't like her grandmother would ever meet anyone at Airdalen. Pulling her strings wouldn't hurt now and then.

"Haha today? You better come at me with all you've got to make it happen."

Blinking a bit in surprise Akira stuck her tongue out at him, "After that balloon kiss you better expect nothing less. I was saving myself you know!" She joked, not honestly considering that kiss with the balloon as having lost her first kiss for real. Though in reality she was trying to save it for someone special. Despite that the joke was all in good fun, her good mood making it easier for her to mess around before class started. Though all of that had been ruined upon Kaito's arrival. It was a distant memory even though it happened only a few minutes prior.

(Thought I would do a bit of a flashback to avoid ignoring what was written!!)

"Yo.... Rhys. British?"

Even though she was at a loss of words, mentally she reminded herself to thank Rhys when the ability to speak fluent and coherent sentences returned to her. He was a good friend. His question was going to be very useful, either the answer would bring her a sense of ease or it would make her even more weary of the stranger who had introduced himself as Kaito. Her eyes shifted between the two boys. She had been wondering that herself, but actually asking was beyond her now. She couldn't find the will to utter a single word, let alone manage an entire sentence. She was a little worried about the response. Had Rhys picked up on that? A weak smile formed on her lips, grateful that her friend and athletic rival had picked up on the awkwardness of the situation and had taken the initiative. Waiting on Kaito's answer though, it felt as though ages had passed. She knew it hadn't been more than a minute or two. Cool it, Akira. Be patient. Freaking out won't change a thing. Reassuring herself helped, but her gut was still in knots.

"You're perceptive,"

Eh!?! He is British as well!? This is becoming really creepy! She thought to herself, practically freezing solid on the bench. His English was intimidating, it surpassed her own and she grew up in Britain for well over two thirds of her life! Who was this guy and why did he look so horrifically similar to her? Running her fingers nervously through her hair, Akira tried to reason that it was all one huge coincidence. She didn't have any other siblings. Her mother would have told her. There was no way this guy was related to her, she was almost sure of it.... which made this entire ordeal even more confusing. Her blue eyes shifted between the ground, Kaito and Rhys as she tried to mentally accept what was going on. Making heads or tails of this was like trying to find a needle in a haystack, "How strange..." Akira stated aloud, looking up at Kaito, as if eye contact would force him to supply her with the answers she desperately sought. Even more troubling he didn't seem to notice how much they resembled each other, that or he didn't seem to care. Either way it was yet another detail that made no sense. Why wasn't he just as shocked to meet his almost exact replica?

"Though I did not live there very long, I am British on my mother's side."

"My mother was British as well..." Akira stated. Though she was a little at ease. There was no indication of past tense in his words regarding his mother. If his mother was still alive, that made it very unlikely that he was some sort of long lost sibling. Closing her eyes, Akira let out a silent breath of relief, opening her eyes a moment after with a far more relaxed expression on her face. Looking over to Rhys, Akira tried to gauge his reaction. Was this as looney in his opinion as it was to her? One thing was certain, Amira's happy-go-lucky morning had collided with a brick wall. Reality definitely decided she was a little too happy once again. While she wasn't necessarily in a bad mood now, she was definitely not as chipper as she had been before her doppelgänger' sudden arrival. Just when she thought nothing could spoil her good mood the world threw her this kind of curve ball?

"It's a pleasure to meet you both. As none of us are from here... do you mind if we call each other by our first names...? I'm still not accustomed to the whole last name first ordeal."

"I guess that's alright...? But... I'm not really used to doing that anymore. This is my second year living here." Akira explained. It had been so long since a guy had called her 'Akira' that she wasn't sure how it would affect her to hear it. Especially since this school was teeming with attractive men. The bell had literally saved her from having to go through further conversation. The worst part was that she had completely overlooked Shiori's presence until the girl greeted the others. It was probably for the best though, given her harsh words about two of Akira being a nightmare, "...Ohayo, Kitogawa-Senpai.." Akira replied in a shaken manner, attempting to fake her way back into her energetic and cheerful mood. Standing up, Akira stretched and motioned for Rhys and Shiori to follow, but stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed Mai.

"O-ohayo A err B-Blake-kkun.”

"Good morning Mai-chan~!" Akira chimed with a huge grin. Something about Mai's short stature and shy demeanor always brought a smile to Akira's face. She was just so adorable! Akira had called Mai by her first name from day one, something she was more comfortable doing with female students than she was with males. It made her sound a little bit hypocritical given her response to Kaito, but he wasn't around to realize that. She watched as the skittish girl introduced herself to her two companions and Akira glanced out of the corner of her eye to see how Shiori and Rhys received her. She wasn't going to interrupt, Mai was in the process of making friends after all. She gave each a chance to address her small friend before Akira actually spoke up, "Mai was the first friend I made here." she explained, before turning her attention back to Mai. It seemed she had something she wanted to say. Amidst all the confusion a minute ago she had completely forgotten about loaning her blazer to Mai the day prior, or the fact that she wasn't wearing it now.

"A-ah I-I’m s-so-sorry fo-for not g-giving t-this b-back t-to-to y-you y-yest-yesterday. T-Thank y-you f-for le-letting me b-borrow it Blake-k-kun.”

Akira accepted the jacket with a smile on her face, "Arigato." Then she blinked a bit. She could smell the foreign aroma on the material and brought it up to her nose, closing her eyes as she breathed in to better assess the new smell. It was nice. Feminine. She didn't mind, especially since Bishop witnessed her loaning it out and she now had two more witnesses that could vouch for her if anyone decided to make fun of her for smelling like a 'girl'. Not worrying about it too much, Akira slid on her jacket, "It smells nice now. Don't sweat it." She chuckled, her expression growing worried when she remembered that the bell had already rang. She didn't want to be caught showing up late to her favorite class!! "Shoot. We are late. Come on guys!" Akira stated with urgency in her voice as she approached the door and held it open for everyone. Once she managed to get the group inside, Akira walked in as well and led the other three to the gym. Glad that they made it on time, well, at least before the teacher arrived, Akira smirked to her friends, "Luck is on our side... Shouldn't we go get changed?" She asked quirking a curious brow. Then she almost smacked herself remembering she had to go to the same locker room as Rhys.

Me and my big mouth!!!

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Rhys would have deemed Kaito’s nationality matching theirs as British a bad bet. He wasn’t a conversationalist but he posed the question anyway to try to dispel the awkward tension expecting a different result. Kaito’s confirmation only made matters more confusing for everyone involved, Rhys included as he sympathized with Akira. His harsh brown eyes settled on the new guy without giving anything away. He was surprised but with resolute composure, a natural part of how he presented himself in the face of tense situations. This unexpected meeting didn’t sit right with him from Kaito’s finger wagging to smugness. Either the guy possessed composure like Rhys or there was more to the story to explain his easygoing attitude towards Akira and their alikeness.

He’s not lying right? Just to string us along.. He held onto some doubt because of the unlikelihood that two people who resembled each other that much would attend the same school in the same foreign country. Also, Kaito’s accent didn’t back it because it wasn’t exactly British. "Though I did not live there very long, I am British on my mother's side.""My mother was British as well..." Rhys looked over at Akira at the same time the dude looked at him. His own expression was the same from the start but Akira was growing uneasy. Rhys couldn’t fault him for that when the coincidences were overboard. He had half a mind to say something like ‘alright that’s enough’ and walk out of there but he wasn’t going to ditch a friend for anything. It was just confusing as hell. Hell, I could be having a headache right now without knowing it. He rubbed the back of his neck and averted his eyes to catch a break and spotted another strange scene that failed to put him to ease. Is that Kitogawa?

A girl that appeared identical to his senior was suspiciously placed down on a bench away from them by a guy not in school uniform. He was handling her gently but there was no denying the nature of it all was downright strange. Her eyes were closed like she was sleeping and unaware of the man touching her. He wasn’t absolutely certain of her identity because of the distance and he didn’t think Shiori would ever be okay with close contact like that but alarm bells started to ring in Rhys’ head when he remembered yesterday. Takumi?! He was about to rise from the bench and head over there but gritted his teeth behind a closed mouth to force patience. Usually, he could afford to be reckless but what if he was wrong? Rhys and Shiori had undergone many misunderstandings and he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back the closer he got to them. He never had the opportunity to give Takumi a taste of his own medicine and if that was Takumi misunderstanding or not, the swing was going to be unstoppable. No violence. Shiori’s voice from yesterday nagged at him. He would keep a close eye on them though prepared to step in when necessary.

He missed out on bits of Akira and Kaito’s conversation but judging by the looks on their faces, there were no drastic turns and the confusion was still present. Akira wasn’t as lively as before when it was just them talking about height and his grandma but he was holding up with the shock better than at the start. Who knows? Maybe it won’t be such a bad thing. Rhys opted for being optimistic. Kaito didn’t speak or act out of turn and although it was an unpredictable scenario, it didn’t have to be a bad omen. Another way for Akira to prank his grandma that’s for sure. His grandparents were distant from his mother because of her life decisions that they didn’t approve of so Rhys never knew what it was like to have a family get together. The closest thing he had to that was hanging around bars with drunkards. Observing Akira’s friendliness, he was made painfully aware that their upbringing made them different people.

Rhys returned his sights to the other situation and discovered that the sleeping girl really was his senior as she neared them, her eyes blinking more than normal when she finally noticed Kaito. “Am I still dreaming...?" Rhys didn’t answer, quietly watching the black-haired girl futily pinch herself awake. His mind was elsewhere, revisiting what he had just seen earlier. His senior looked well grogginess aside and there weren’t any new bruises but something was amiss. The Shiori he knew wouldn’t let any man touch her and what that guy got away with was more indecent than the stunt Akira pulled when the photo was taken. She didn’t seem shaken about it focusing on Kaito. He had been worried but was it for naught? Everything is fucking confusing this morning. Kaito left sometime while he was distracted but Rhys wasn’t going to complain about one confusing thing out of the way. "O-Ohayo..." Shiori greeted but he didn’t know what to say. He was confused by all of this but he knew better than to bring it up in front of Akira, someone Shiori wasn’t on great terms with. "Ohayo." his confusion surfaced as a cold tone, turning his attention to Akira until the arrival of another.

”O-ohayo A err B-Blake-kkun.” A small girl with soft green eyes blushed before Akira then politely turned to greet them all as well. “O-Ohayo. I-I'm K-kon, M-Mai. G-Gome-Gomensai f-for th-the in-intrusion.” Rhys bowed his head in return. "Ohayo." He didn’t judge Mai for her small stature because she was dressed in the school uniform and he knew people came in all shapes and sizes. He had witnessed small adults like dwarves getting drunk at his ma’s bar from time to time. He looked on in silence as Mai pulled out a jacket from her bag and handed it to Akira. “A-ah I-I’m s-so-sorry fo-for not g-giving t-this b-back t-to-to y-you y-yest-yesterday. T-Thank y-you f-for le-letting me b-borrow it Blake-k-kun.” Rhys wasn’t there when Akira lended his jacket so he was curious what the story was there but he wouldn’t poke his nose in their business like a certain friend of his (Gen) would. It was a nice gesture in the end whatever the reason for it was. "She's trying to get me to hop into a relationship while I am here for her benefit. I got her hopes up as revenge. Romance really isn't in the cards right now." Rhys remembered what Akira said but he really didn’t get that kind of impression from him. He had seen the guy flirt a bit with Yuuki, summon the courage to drape his arm around Shiori and lend a jacket to Mai.. Does he mean just playing? Nothing serious? He lowered his eyes briefly to the ground in thought, his hands linked loosely between his legs. "Mai was the first friend I made here." Rhys nodded to show he heard. The first friend he made at Airdalen was Shiori but he didn’t have to voice that out, letting Mai and Akira talk before Mai went her separate way.

”Shoot. We are late. Come on guys!" Rhys’ eyes widened slightly as he got up from the bench having missed the sound of the bell. Being late would be crazy considering they were seated right in front of the building the entire time. "Shit." He muttered under his breath as he picked up his bag and followed Akira inside the gymnasium. He was being a little cold to his senior but it was unintentional, pushing out the weird thoughts in his head of what that guy was doing with her. "Luck is on our side... Shouldn't we go get changed?" Rhys smirked back. "Done." Rhys arrived at school in the P.E uniform so he didn’t have to worry about that but he did miss the sound of the bell. He was just relieved to find that the teacher hadn’t hopped on the scene yet before they entered the damn building. "Lead the way. I’ll drop my things off in my locker." he added, clenching a fist and stretching the arm behind his head feeling stiff. Rhys was looking forward to gym but this morning had been too eventful for him. "Later." Rhys said to Shiori over his shoulder still unknowingly colder before entering the guys locker room. He acknowledged Sora with a nod and pried open his locker to throw his bag in, unzipping the front pocket to pull out his phone and check for missed calls or messages. Pressing the power button to switch his phone off, he closed his locker and leaned his forehead against the cool metal for a millisecond before pulling himself together. Afterall, P.E was the perfect subject for him and a needed distraction away from the morning events.

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P.E STAFF: Mr. Kido

"Goooood morning! I hope you're all feeling ACTIVE today and GENEROUS!"

The buff Japanese teacher strolled in merrily through the doors with his usual loud voice that echoed within the walls. A whistle dangled and bounced off his chest, an item he had forgotten to bring to the other P.E lesson although his voice was boisterous enough to gather attention wherever he trodded.

"For today's class!"

He paused to start performing excessive warm up exercises in front of all the juniors and seniors even though he wasn't going to personally take part in any of the gym classes today. It was a habit he got into as soon as he set foot into a gym or saw a court. He continued speaking without missing a beat like he wasn't even breaking a sweat.

"With seniors and juniors gathered altogether, let's do Kris Kringle!! Presidents, up front I have four boxes with everyone's names for you to distribute. Make sure everyone gets one! On Monday.. do you guys have me Monday?" Mr. Kido paused while doing a perfect split, stroking his chin.

"No you don't have me on Monday. I'll talk to one of the other teachers but on Monday, everyone will give their presents in the spirit of Christmas! If you've never done Kris Kringle, that's how it works! You get a name of the person you're to give a gift to on Monday for Christmas. Everyone on board? He stopped warming up to pick up a clipboard off the table to check off attendance and discuss the class for P.E.

"Continuing on with today's class, our activity for the day will be Tag Rugby but a lighter version so everyone can focus on teamwork and having fun. Heavier sports to come later down the track! Everyone will be split into teams. Hmmmmm... Let's do Seniors vs Juniors for a change eh?!"

He tapped his pen against the clipboard and assigned names to groups.

"Juniors first!
TEAM RED will be
Kaufman Chase, Nozomi Mao, Fujioka Yuuki and Browning Rhys!
TEAM ORANGE will be
Murray Rocco, Watari Kei, Kitogawa Tsukiko and Miyuu Kaito!
TEAM YELLOW will be
Kon Mai, Blake Akira, Farelli Johnny and Trander Bishop!

Seniors!
TEAM GREEN
Kim Devone, Giou Ryou, Kiomine Tadashi and Serinuma Misaki!
TEAM BLUE
Hakuryu Fuyuki, Fukui Gen, Kitogawa Shiori and Harigae Sora!
TEAM VIOLET
Akibara Ikari, Miyamoto Kazuki, Belrose Aeon and Argyris Cassiopeia!"

These are your teams! At the front, everyone has to grab a velcro belt and two tags of your team's color to strap on them. Now, in our version of Tag Rugby, there is no ball. All we got are our belts and their tags. The goal of the game is to steal tags from the other side. In this case, Seniors will try to steal tags from the Juniors and Juniors, try to steal tags from your Seniors. If your two tags representing your team's color are stolen, YOU'RE OUT! Rules are simple, stay in the court, no biting, no scratching or foul play. You can only defend or work with someone on your team color. Keep your belt where it's supposed to be at, no higher than your waist or lower than your hips! If someone on your team is absent, you can grab the tags they would have had as extra. When everyone is ready, I'll blow the whistle for the game to start."

“Damn you sure know how to make someone wait. What the hell took-”

Being scholded by someone he did not know was definitely a trigger for Kaito, but the girl immediately changed her tune. He managed to keep himself under control, but it had been a close call. The narrowing of his eyes was the only indicator, but that could have been mistaken for confusion as well, but that just depended on how well the girl could read facial cues. Almost losing his temper this early on would not bode well and would draw unwanted attention so Kaito bit the inside of his cheek. Seeing as everyone recognized Akira as a boy, he saw no harm in telling the truth, "I was talking to my little sister, I haven't seen her in quite a while. Excuse my tardiness." Kaito responded in a calm and disinterested tone. He didn't see why he had to answer to this girl, but she wasn't laying hands on him so he played along for now.

“Ohayo! I’m Akibara, Ikari. Pleasure to meet you. I will be your Senior partner for the duration the of the school term.”

Staring at her extended hand for a moment, Kaito accepted her handshake. His grip was firm, but as she was a girl he made sure to keep mind of his pressure. Though her grip was definitely stronger than most of the girls he had the pleasure to shake hands with, which was definitely a little intriguing. Though he had no idea what she meant by senior partner, and that took precedence over his personal interests, he had to take care of business before indulging in social matters, as much as he absolutely detested school. He had not been informed of that, "Senior partner...? I'm Mi-....uhm, Kaito is perferred actually..." Kaito asked before introducing himself, slightly stumbling on his words. He brought the knuckle of his right index finger to his lips as if pondering on the thought. His blue eyes landed on her with curiosity. He looked her over, noting that she was fairly athletic. Her figure was pleasing to the eye, but he made sure not to let her catch his gaze anywhere indecent for longer than a fraction of a second, moving his gaze back to those uniquely colored eyes of hers, "What is that all about?" he asked bluntly, not the type to beat around the bush unnecessarily unless the situation called for it. This was not one of those situations, so he held nothing back.

“I look forward to spending time with you Miyuu-kun. Do you have any questions before the class really begins.”

With a smirk, Kaito followed along casually, "You'll change your mind about me." He replied in a serious manner, giving no indication that he was joking, but that's because he wasn't. He wasn't a very pleasant person to be around, and he wasn't going to lie to her and imply that he was. "Just one. What made you interested in being the athletic type?" He asked with a hint of curisoity, though for the most part it just seemed he was looking for small talk. He sat down next to his senior, listening to the teacher explain. Tag Rugby? Count me in I guess. That sounded fun. Though he felt his competitive streak would get in the way. He was a sore loser, but he didn't dedicate enough time to bettering himself physically. It wasn't going to go very well, given many of the men in the room were far taller than he was and a handful appeared to be very serious about athletics.

"TEAM ORANGE will be
Murray Rocco, Watari Kei, Kitogawa Tsukiko and Miyuu Kaito!"

Well, he wouldn't be on the same team as his senior, that much was for sure, "Guess we'll be enemies for the moment." He chuckled a bit, kind of amused that he was already being pitted against his senior right after he met her. Though the mention of a Kris Kringle event had him looking forward to Christmas. Giving presents was no issue for him, he had plenty of money and he could bribe one of his body guards to help him choose the perfect one if he couldn't figure it out on his own. Standing up, he waved to Ikari, "Good luck." He grinned in a cocky manner. He went up to get his tags and belt, then found someone holding one of the boxes. He steered clear of Akira for now, instead choosing a violet haired girl who seemed to be searching for her team mates. Deciding to have a little fun, he snuck up behind and snatched her remaining tag (the one she wasn't waving around to signal to her team), he found her lost expression adorable, enjoying her distress a little more than he liked to admit, "You're an easy target, huh?" He teased, smirking down at her before handing the tag back to her. He wasn't a bully after all, not really. He just liked teasing people a little. He didn't aim to hurt anyone, just to make a boring situation more interesting and making people keep their distance was always an added bonus. The only problems he cared about were his own, he didn't have time to be anyone's 'rock' or some ignorant shit like that. Kaito withdrew a name, grinning at the violet haired girl (Yuuki), "Watch your back more often, you never know when a wolf is creeping up behind. A little rabbit like you.. you're in a room full of wolves." He warned her before heading to his destination. He finally found a member of his group standing on one of the bleachers. Kaito held up his orange tags, standing below the black haired male of similar height. He didn't join him on the bleachers because he didn't want to draw attention to himself, that and he was situating his velcro belt and tags around his hips. He was going to make the girls---or guys, aim quite low if they wanted the tags. The teacher did say no lower than the hips after all. He tested the strength of his belt, making sure he was satisfied with his handiwork before turning his attention to his teammate (Kei), "I am Kaito. Nice to meet you. Let's try not to get in each other's way, ne?" He stated, his voice monotone and disinterested. He really didn't want to be here. He already met Akira, there wasn't much more he could do in the same day without freaking her out and making her withdraw from him entirely. Guess this is the price of my choice... better learn to live with it..

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Athleticism +1

"Hai. Pink does stand out but your manager sounds controlling if he or she gets to decide the exact color."

Tsukiko blinked several times at his answer, having never given it much thought. She was never married to having black hair to begin with, but she never considered another color than pink after her manager suggested it, "I suppose it's a little strange... but Miyuki-sama is kind of like my older brother. I'm curious...What color would you suggest, Senpai?" She asked Sora for his opinion, mostly because she really didn't have one of her own. She changed her hair to pink because she was told it would suit her and attract more attention. She never once considered another option, but now it was very interesting. Perhaps she could try another color temporarily to switch things up? She assumed

"Manager?"

As her slip-up was repeated back to her, Tsukiko nearly missed a step. It seemed he really didn't miss anything. She mentioned him so freely around Sora. He was so straightforward that she forgot to censor her own words when she was with him, "Hai. I live with my manager, Miyuki-sama, at the time being. My family is still back in Korea... They didn't want to come with me..." Tsukiko sighed, obviously missing her parents, but there was more to it than that. The Kitogawa family as a whole....it was extremely complicated. Nothing was ever simple among them.

"In this photo you could be mistaken as twins but you've grown differently.. different body types. At this point in time, you two are nothing alike."

His observation brought a sad smile to her lips, "We used to be very proud of that, we always pretended we were sisters instead of cousins... I suppose it's only fitting we look nothing alike now, our experiences since then have been so different. I can't even connect with her anymore. It's like we're strangers now..." She revealed with a sigh. It was nice to be able to talk about Shiori. She had no one else to talk to about it. It was wrong to dump all of this on Sora, she knew that... but he didn't seem bored with the topic? She assumed he would tell her if she was annoying him. It was just...it felt nice being honest about how she felt.

"Browning-san? The swim club president? I do. He was present when I was in the nurse's office. Now that you mention it, when I regained consciousness he left with her and said they would be back later. They didn't return. He reminds me of my ex. Tall and manly."

Listening in to what Sora had to say, she became almost more interested in the fact that he had been with a guy, "You've dated guys too?" She asked curiously, thinking back to Rhys. He was very attractive... She couldn't really blame Sora if his ex was anything like that as far as appearance went, "If he looked anything like that... You have good taste." She complimented him with a warm smile. She really didn't think it was any of her business what someone else's sexuality was. She had kissed girls before, primarily for publicity given the fact that she absolutely loathed being in the company of nearly every other girl on the planet. Though she was beginning to really suspect there was more between this 'Tall and manly' Browning, Rhys and Shiori than her timid cousin was letting on. She was a bit distracted, almost missing Sora's departure for the boy's locker room, that is until she felt his hand in her hair. Her golden eyes widened a bit in surprise, the touch bringing her back to reality. She did not withdraw from him. In fact, her energetic expression softened, becoming more relaxed as he caressed her hair. It was a weakness of hers. She really enjoyed others touching her hair.

"Are you keeping the ponytail for P.E? You look beautiful with your hair pulled back. We get a better look at your face."

A pale blush snuck onto her cheeks before she could stop it, "Since you were so nice about it... I'll keep it up just for you." She replied lightheartedly. She didn't mind if he took her more seriously than she meant it, but she was just being playful. His compliment did add to her ego, making the already energetic girl feel even more energized that morning. For the moment, Tsukiko felt as though she could take on the world. Well-placed compliments to her appearance often had that effect on her, "Does this mean I have to go easy on you now, Senpai...?" She asked herself as he left. After parting ways with Sora, Tsukiko didn't waste any time. Changing and listening to the teacher explaining the game, Tsukiko went up to an ivory haired boy (Akira) and quietly withdrew a note from his box for the Kris Kringle event. As she walked away she unfolded the piece of paper to gaze upon the name, recognizing it immediately. Hm, at least I know what he's into.. She thought to herself having drawn Tadashi's name. Thankfully he introduced himself to her during their club time and he even revealed he was going to be in band with her. Now all she had to do was ask him about his favorite instruments...perhaps the specific type.. and she'd be all set. This was definitely one of the moments she was glad to have very generous fans. Her growing wealth would be very useful as it would give her plenty of options to choose from without worrying about pesky price tags. She didn't even put into consideration that he might not appreciate an expensive gift from a girl he was not very familiar with, Tsukiko sort of did her own thing. Considering the feelings of others required her to actually take a moment to think about her actions and that very rarely occurred. It was almost certain she was getting him his dream guitar or some other expensive instrument he had his heart set on. As they were from the same club, it would be easy to work it into a discussion. Perhaps she could ask the entire band class during introductions? Would she have a band meeting before Monday? She surely hoped so. She needed to remember to check just to make sure. Otherwise she would have to come up with some excuse to bring up the topic of instruments. Was gift giving always this tedious? After picking up her items for the upcoming rugby game she began to look out for other members wearing the dreadful orange tags. She arrived by the boys just in time to hear one of them introducing himself.

"I am Kaito. Nice to meet you. Let's try not to get in each other's way, ne?"

"Aw, how rude..." Tsukiko whined playfully as she came up from behind the boy. She was always flirting, that would become very clear to anyone who came to know her in the near future. None of it was serious, being serious was far behind her after all, but she had to admit the colder boy was definitely adorable. The dark haired one was cute as well, but he came across as a bit boring, "Kitogawa, Tsukiko. Can't we be friends, Kaito-kun?" She asked in a friendly manner, instead of offering her hand to the ivory haired boy (Kaito), she hugged him from behind. It probably wasn't the best idea to be so touchy-feely with guys she hardly knew, but she was only young once, right? Besides, no one in Japan recognized her as a new face to the K-Pop industry so it wasn't likely this would make it to the press.

As things stood, she wanted to enjoy the moment. After all, how lucky was she? Tsukiko had two attractive boys all to herself even if it was only for a moment. Wait... wasn't there three boy's names? She wasn't certain, but none of the names in her team sounded like names for girls. Once she released Kaito, Tsukiko put her belt on and the ugly orange tags, smiling at the two boys energetically, "I'm not very sporty, but I'll do my best!" she informed both of the boys, assuming it was only fair to warn them that she wasn't athletic. She didn't want to keep it a secret that she would likely be terrible at this game. Boys were typically very competitive, she didn't want to ruin their chances of winning by being secretive. They'd definitely hold a grudge then, wouldn't they?

Her attention returned to the ebony haired boy standing on the bleachers, "What's your name, grumpy?" She asked, giggling. His expression wasn't very friendly, so if he didn't willingly supply her with his name she would continue to use her newest nickname for him. She was perfectly fine with it, but she doubted he appreciated being called anything that would remind people of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The game would begin at any moment. Where was their final member? Was he absent? Tsukiko looked around, but he was nowhere in sight. Not that she knew him...so perhaps her observation was a bit in vain?

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"E-Eh?!" Yuuki's reaction was gold as Rocco laughed it out, clutching his stomach watching the timid girl talk near squeaking point defensively. That's the stuff he enjoyed, ruffling people's feathers. It was a bonus that Yuuki was the robotic class president but he could make her respond close to the average girl. "Q-Quit playing around." He stopped laughing, sighing as one did after a good joke was over. Straightening his posture, he looked at her with a smile. Rocco wasn't used to it with her contacts instead of glasses but it did add a personal feel to the conversation. “I wasn't but you are asking the impossible of me, Prez. We're in the gym where games are meant to be played.” His smile transitioned into a smirk like he was up to no good but it faded away as the topic drew to a close.

"Correct. I am one of the four present class representatives after all." Yuuki agreed but avoided eye contact, Rocco moving towards her and going through the effort of angling his head to align their gaze that was missing like a child after attention. “Hey Prez, what's wrong?” His tone near serious but leaning more toward playful, his hands burrowing deeper into his pockets. "Arigato. If it wasn't for you I would have been hit yesterday. I'm not sure why you did it, but I wanted to thank you." He stepped back giving her room to bow and waved her away to drop the formality. “Forget it, bullying happens all the time.” Rocco felt bashful because it wasn't every day a girl would show him gratitude and her delivery of thanks was too heartfelt for him to take. He cleared his throat and snatched up a paper from the box to draw his attention away from her and read it to see who the lucky person was. Kon Mai, who is that? He didn't know if the person was a junior or a senior and how the hell he was going to find them. It was a big class in the gymnasium today and he didn't want to ask around like an idiot.

"I should look for my team now..." He didn't stop the geeky class president when she took her leave knowing he should do the same. Bummer, it was fun while it lasted. Rocco would've enjoyed teasing her some more but it was time to move before the burly teacher decided to get the game underway. Finding his team was easy because Kei made an effort to stand out by standing up on one of the bleachers. Rocco casually maneuvered through the packs of students once he got his tags and belt equipped, curious to meet his next new friends. Maybe lady luck is on my side to be with my ol buddy Kei again. What gives? It wasn' a bad arrangement at all as Rocco just made it when the girl on their squad was in the middle of talking, hugging one of the guys from the back. "Aw, how rude...Kitogawa, Tsukiko. Can't we be friends, Kaito-kun?" Rocco smirked from a distance, close enough to eavesdrop but not to be seen because he wanted to observe the people he didn't know. He hadn't met a really flirtatious girl in Japan and Tsukiko as she introduced, was going to be interesting to him. Her hair was pink, tied back and her body a sight for sore eyes. He'd whistle if it wouldn't give his position away. He wouldn't mind a girl like that pressed on his back.

"What's your name, grumpy?" Tsukiko giggled and Rocco showed himself at last, hopping up to hug Kei from behind copying her. “Allow me, this one here is Kei Watari.” Rocco said before resting his chin on Kei's shoulder with a playful smirk, their heights almost even aside from an inch. “And if he's grumpy, I call dibs on Naughty.” he winked then rolled his eyes remembering the third man. “Oh, Kaito can be Dopey. I hope he wasn't too rude to you.” Rocco didn't know the guy but he went off what he heard about being rude. His playing around ended when Mr. Kido announced the game would start then a whistle, Rocco jumping down from the bench and looking for easy targets to steal from. “Are we sticking together or going solo?” Scanning through the crowd he eyed a really small girl (Mai) next to a dude (Akira) who weirdly resembled their newly nicknamed Dopey. “Watari-san? Kitogawa-san? You want to back me up? You too Dopey if you're up for it.” he pointed to the two (Akira, Mai) with the mindset they can take them on. They didn't look like seniors but Rocco didn't care about which grade came out on top. He'd start running and attempt to grab the smaller one's (Mai) tag head on.

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Athleticism +1
Charm +1 Yuuki
Popularity +1 Tsukiko

"I am Kaito. Nice to meet you. Let's try not to get in each other's way, ne?"

Who pissed in his Cheerios this morning?" Kei thought to himself, though he didn't realize that he gave off a very similar vibe. Sure, Kei knew that he wasn't the most approachable person, he just didn't seem to notice just how much he and Kaito had in common. He was going to shoot back an equally rude and possibly even sarcastic statement until a female voice chimed in, utterly ruining his entire day. Well....not really...but Kei definitely wanted to leave the vicinity.

"Aw, how rude...Kitogawa, Tsukiko. Can't we be friends, Kaito-kun?"

A chill ran down Kei's spine when he saw that their female teammate was rather...handsy. She didn't seem to have any qualms about touching guys she had just met, and that really didn't sit well with Kei at all. While most guys might enjoy being around a girl like that, she was his least favorite type of girl to deal with. The white haired male named Kaito didn't seem very thrilled either, from what he could tell. He did find that fairly amusing given the guy's statement just a moment before. Karma perhaps? Though he wanted the pink haired girl to keep her grubby paws far away from him.

"What's your name, grumpy?"

Unfortunately, his eye twitched before he could stop it from happening, but before he could speak, a friendly face presented itself. Kei shut up, realizing Rocco's presence would likely draw attention away from himself. Kei didn't really feel comfortable being the center of attention. Little did Kei realize, his approaching friend had other plans in mind where he was concerned. If he had known what was to come, he probably would have fled the scene, or at least kept at a constant pace to remain out of the mischievous boy's grasp. Alas, as Kei was not psychic, he was a sitting duck for what was to come.

“Allow me, this one here is Kei Watari.”

Tensing up when Rocco's arms were around his waist, Kei's pale blue eyes widened in obvious surprise, "I didn't realize that our relationship was like that." Kei teased with a smirk and shook his head a bit, attempting to play off his initial surprise. He allowed the head on his shoulder, but to say it didn't make him a bit nervous would be a flat out lie. He still wasn't fully comfortable with sharing information about his sexuality, especially for the first time with someone, he didn't mind if it got out, he just wasn't sure if Rocco or any other guys he might meet in the near future would still want to be friends with him. He had met far too many guys that weren't cool with being around him after finding out he liked guys. realizing that this was going to be an interesting group after all, "Ohayo." He didn't address Rocco by name, given Rocco was making the necessary introductions anyway. He figured Rocco would introduce himself when he was ready. However, seeing as all four members were present and Rocco had released him, Kei descended from his perch on the bleachers. He kind of jumped, but it was far lazier than that. He more of, intentionally fell, just he landed effortlessly on his feet instead of hurting himself. If that's even a thing.

“And if he's grumpy, I call dibs on Naughty. Oh, Kaito can be Dopey. I hope he wasn't too rude to you.”

Sweatdropping a bit, Kei rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. He wasn't going to ruin his newfound friend's attempt at flirting with the pink haired girl. For all Kei knew it was working so he wasn't going to share the information that Kaito had actually been rude to him, not Tsukiko. He wasn't going to fuck with another man's game like that, Oh well. I'll leave it up to Kaito or Kitogawa to straighten out or not. Kei thought to himself, shoving both hands into his pockets. At the sound of the whistle, he let out an annoyed sigh. Now he would have to be on high alert. This was going to be a drag. It was better than school work though so he figured he would manage.

"Are we sticking together or going solo?”

"I think we should stick together and branch out once we get a taste of the competition. That work for everyone?" Kei asked, not really giving Kaito a choice. He would drag him along if he had to. If they separated with their heads cut off, they would lose very quickly. The seniors all at least knew each other, which meant they had an advantage the juniors like themselves did not: They at least knew the athletic ability of half of the gymnasium of students. The freshman students didn't really know anyone at all. This was a severe handicap they would have to learn to fill, "Let's test the water together before we jump straight into the fray."

“Watari-san? Kitogawa-san? Do you want to back me up? You too Dopey if you're up for it.”

Kei followed, literally tugging Kaito along. He didn't care if the girl on their team followed or not, but he really didn't want guys of the group separating. It would cripple the team far sooner than losing the flirtatious pink haired girl would. Kei held back to see what Rocco would do, and given he went for a flag, Kei attempted to do the same, but with Akira. He really didn't enjoy preying on someone he had danced with, especially as Akira had been such a great sport... but all was fair in a game. Now that he was closer he realized that Kaito looked eerily similar to Akira... He shook it off quickly. He had other things to worry about. If they swarmed the other team quickly enough there was going to be at least one of them walking away successful, right?

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Twitching a bit as he felt a female student hugging up to him from behind, completely uninvited, it was almost enough to make him shove her away. He managed to contain himself, but it was far more difficult than he imagined. Never in his life did he want to strike a girl more than he did in that moment. Just who did she think she was hugging onto him like that? It was so pathetic and sleazy to cozy up to a complete stranger. Didn't she know that?

"Aw, how rude...Kitogawa, Tsukiko. Can't we be friends, Kaito-kun?"

"No." Kaito stated flatly to the girl holding him, immediately turning down Tsukiko and her melon breasts. He withdrew from her grasp roughly, glaring her down. He didn't care that she was attractive, or that she would be easy 'fun' if he only played nice. He wasn't overly concerned with things like that. His harsh gaze, well, it was a warning, one he hoped she would heed from that point on. He did not like being touched without giving permission first, regardless of who was touching him. It was the sole reason he had not slept with more girls than he already had. Only a certain type of girl could put up with a guy like him, "Just shut the fuck up." he added, making sure to drive his point home to the flirtatious female. He didn't feel like explaining it to her a second time. While lost within his own angry reaction Kaito failed to notice Kei's odd reaction to Tsukiko. He did notice a particular boy introducing Kei a few moments later though, and strangely enough the boy who failed to give his name (Rocco) was holding Kei similarly to how the pink haired girl named Tsukiko had just been holding on to him.

“And if he's grumpy, I call dibs on Naughty. Oh, Kaito can be Dopey. I hope he wasn't too rude to you.”

"Over my dead body." Kaito brutally denied the nickname as soon as Rocco finished speaking. He assumed this guy was Rocco, given it was the only name announced that was not currently taken by the other two members. Kaito didn't even give the nickname a second thought. He really didn't understand why he was being called the dumb one, but he really didn't care to find out either. He wasn't going to respond to the stupid nickname anyhow. It wasn't like he would be hanging out with this lot after this game ended anyway. So there was no point giving any further of a response in his mind. With an annoyed sigh, Kaito shoved his hands into his pockets, "Nothing she didn't deserve, I assure you." After giving his explanation for his behavior he shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant manner. He really didn't give a damn about the girl's feelings. He didn't care if he came across as rude, and if he was being completely honest...why should he? He wasn't here for any of these people. Just one. He could not make it obvious, but he did not have to overindulge in small talk or making friends either.

"Are we sticking together or going solo?”

"I think we should stick together and branch out once we get a taste of the competition. That work for everyone?"

Kaito kept his mouth shut and let the other two worry about what was best for their little rag-tag team. He just planned on surviving the rounds whatever way he had to. He didn't care if he won or not, he just didn't want to be the first one out of the game. However, when he was dragged off by Kei, Kaito began shouting insults at the dark haired male, none worth repeating. Lady Luck seemed to bring them toward his sister, and for a moment Kaito held his breath. He didn't want to push his luck. He didn't want to run her off by being around too often so he tugged free of Kei. He watched from a healthy distance as Kei made an attempt for her tags. He glared his teammate down, ready to throw him off of his sister if necessary. He didn't care if it would make others question him, it was just an impulse that he couldn't explain. He didn't want anyone touching her, and he didn't know why. However it turned out for the best, ultimately Kei ended up empty handed. Kaito laughed at him failing, sticking his tongue out at him, "Underestimated Akira-chan, did you?" He teased. He called Akira by her first name despite not knowing her well, and also called her 'chan' which normally referred to girls. He didn't correct himself, having done so quite intentionally. It was completely deliberate, as was nearly everything Kaito ever did. He broke off from the group, having enough with this 'team spirit' or whatever they seemed to be pitching. Well, in the end, Kaito didn't have much luck. In fact, the only good thing he managed to do before the game ended was come to Tsukiko's rescue. He saw her just about to have her last tag stolen from her and he intercepted, pulling her into his arms from behind. He didn't really have feelings for her, but he did care about his team looking weak. He wasn't in this to win it, but he wanted them to at least not look like total losers, "We need to stop meeting like this." He frowned, his arm draped around her lower waist. His glare managed to run the other guy off, but like Tsukiko, Kaito was down to his last tag as well. He wasn't fairing that great on his own, but he was far too cocky and proud to ask the others for help. Ultimately he was eliminated, but he kept Tsukiko safe until then. Begrudgingly he saved her a spot next to him on the bleachers, but not just her, he saved a spot for all of his team. He knew she wouldn't last long though, and it was best if the team was together to tally their points right? His was a big fat ZERO. Could it get any more depressing than that? On another note, he looked at the name on his Kris Kringle again, realizing the pinky he was not very fond of just so happened to be the girl he had to buy a present for. Wasn't that just bloody fucking brilliant?

I'll just get her some stupid bracelet and be done with it. It's not even Christmas and I'm already in a bad mood. He thought to himself laying down on the third row of bleachers to save the girl and his other teammates a seat. Actual class was growing closer and he wasn't sure he would be able to cope. He absolutely hated school, especially tests and homework. The more he thought about these tings he would not enjoy, the more his mood went south.

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"No. Just shut the fuck up."

What did he just say..? Tsukiko thought to herself with wide eyes. It was her first time being rejected. It was even worse because there were witnesses. Her cheeks flushed in her humiliation, but she tried her best to laugh it off gracefully. However, she couldn't let it go. Did he not find her attractive? Did she not behave cute enough? She was not used to hearing that word. It sounded awful 'no', it was cold, so impersonal. After the boy tore from her arms, Tsukiko pouted at him with a glare. Suddenly she didn't feel like flirting with him at all and he definitely wasn't cute anymore. Crossing her arms, she released a sigh of disgust. He's unmistakably gay. Oh well, he's not that cute anyway. she assured herself, mentally licking her wounds of her first rejection. Even though she didn't care for him at all, being rejected still hurt. It was something she had never experienced before. She was starting to dislike Japan more and more. She convinced herself that it would never have happened in Korea, as she was substantially more well known there. She had an unrealistic view of her fame, and her expectations were a little too high. She simply was exceptionally good at choosing guys that would say 'yes', it just so happened that for once she was wrong and one finally told her 'no'.

“And if he's grumpy, I call dibs on Naughty. Oh, Kaito can be Dopey. I hope he wasn't too rude to you.”

"Over my dead body."

"So that means you're... Murray-san?" She asked curiously, glad that at least one of the guys seemed to be interested in female company. The other two were definitely broken or something. She had paid attention to the names, and that was the only one left. It was a logical deduction. As he said rude, she smiled a bit, brushing off the harsh refusal she had received from Kaito. She also found it incredibly funny when he seemed to be ticked off by the snow white and the seven dwarves nickname he had been given. Then she began thinking. If they were the dwarves... did that mean she was snow white? She wasn't so self-centered that she asked that aloud, but it was a pleasant thought.

"Nothing she didn't deserve, I assure you."

Blinking in surprise, Tsukiko's jaw dropped a bit, "Seriously?! It was just a hug!" She snapped back, obviously insulted by his cold demeanor. With one hand on her hip, she worked on calming herself down. Taking a slow breath in and releasing it, Tsukiko decided to let it go. He wasn't worth getting herself worked up over, especially since he wasn't going to be any 'fun'. He was a stick in the mud, and she didn't want any part of that. She was here to have a good time, nothing more. She had no interest in anyone who wanted to be a wet blanket.

"Are we sticking together or going solo?”

The thought of being left on her own was not one she wanted to amuse. She was far from athletic, she would be slaughtered in a game like this, "I will die a gruesome death, and soon if I'm by myself." she chimed in. She was going, to be honest with the group, when it came to sports, she absolutely sucked, and not in a good way. Even if she would rather split up from Kaito, she felt they were stronger in numbers, especially if she needed them to help her survive.

"I think we should stick together and branch out once we get a taste of the competition. That work for everyone?"

Nodding her head in agreement with Kei, Tsukiko stopped dead in her tracks when he mentioned branching out. Didn't he hear her? Apparently not. She mentally cursed, following behind the boys and giggling to herself. She could hear Kaito's terrible insults to Kei, but her laughing was her downfall. She ended up getting split up from the group. Another girl stole her tag, but she didn't recognize her. Just before a guy took her final tag, Tsukiko felt someone pull her to their chest from behind. Her cheeks lit up bright red, and she tilted her head back to get a good glimpse of her savior.

"We need to stop meeting like this."

"Miyuu-san..!" She gasped, a little surprised that her teammate that was the rudest to her came to save her. The fact that he continued to keep her from getting her tag stolen all the way until his own was taken made her a little confused. Just a moment ago he was treating her like a social pariah, and now he went down defending her? It made no sense. She spent the short time she had on her own running away because she was honest enough with herself to know she had no chance in hell of stealing anyone's tag. It was less than three minutes after Kaito was taken out that she found herself sitting behind him on the bleachers, sighing to herself. She really hated gym class. If it wasn't for the cute clothes she probably would have skipped it altogether. Removing her empty velcro belt, Tsukiko closed her eyes attempting to relax. Running around, even if only for a short time was exhausting for her. She wasn't used to trying so hard for anything.

Tsukiko frowned to herself when she received a text from her manager. He was always acting like a helicopter parent. Sometimes she felt completely smothered. Without opening her eyes or sitting up, Tsukiko proceeded to turn off her phone and shoved it back into the pocket of her shorts. She wasn't in the mood for his judgy or naggy comments. She would deal with it later when she wasn't so irritated, "Where are Murray-san and Watari-san anyway?" She asked aloud, speaking to the only other person involved, Kaito. She wasn't a patient person, and being only in his company was really starting to bug her. She still didn't forgive him for refusing her advances.

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"Hahaha. You're not getting my tag that easily. Not today, Watari-san."

Laughing a bit with Akira when he missed his tag, he couldn't help but roll his eyes at him. The white haired boy was very cocky, that much was certain... Though for good reason, Kei didn't even get a chance to defend himself from Akira's counterattack. Before he knew it, his tag was waving in front of his face tauntingly. He let out a hiss of annoyance, "Tch. Lucky strike. That's all." He mumbled, a bit of a sore loser. That tongue poking out at him, he could still see it in his head. It made him blush as Akira ran off, his mind going to places it should not have been. He was comfortable having those fantasies, he believed Akira to be a boy, just as she appeared to be to everyone else. He had no reason to think he should feel nervous about it. He shrugged his shoulders at Kaito, who seemed to be in ill spirits from being tugged around.

"Underestimated Akira-chan, did you?"

Quirking a lazy brow, "You know him?" Kei asked, only a hint of curiosity exposed in his tone. Though it didn't really seem to be enough to catch Kaito's attention as his teammate abandoned him. He ended up getting separated from Rocco as well in all of the madness, and before he knew it the whistle was blown, seconds after his final tag had been snagged. Letting out a loud groan of annoyance, he wiped his forehead. Well, I tried at least. He thought to himself in defeat. It tasted bitter and put him in a bit of a mood. Making his way back to the bleachers, he heard a familiar voice say his name. Great...

"Where are Murray-san and Watari-san anyway?"

"Here." He sighed just before taking off his shirt. He wasn't sure if it was allowed, but he really didn't care either. Kei used it to clean his hair of any sweat from all that running around, then slung it over his left shoulder like a towel. He turned in his tags to Kaito, seeing as Rocco was still nowhere to be found. By the time his eyes located his newfound friend in the gym, he was already letting go of the poor sod who seemed to have pissed him off. Kei chuckled a bit under his breath, hiding his amusement behind a closed fist, passing it off as a cough to the untrained eye. Maybe he was inappropriate, maybe he wasn't... either way, he didn't give a damn who Rocco decided to fight. Though if he were up against two guys he definitely would have went to lend a hand. As lazy as he was, Kei had a code of ethics, as pitiful as it was.

"You all did outstanding!!!! Well done class! Give yourself a well earned pat on the back. Our winners for today are tied between Team Blue and Team Violet! Because of that, the ultimate grade winner are the Seniors!"

Kei closed his eyes, an irritated expression on his face. He didn't boo or cheer. He wasn't that bad of a sore loser, but he also wasn't a good sport. He was unfortunately somewhere stuck in the middle. He could accept defeat, it was just not something he accepted with grace. Looking to his team he shrugged his shoulders, "Should have stayed together." He stated flatly, under the belief that they would have had better chances as a single unit rather than chickens with their heads cut off.

"Okay! Class Dismissed! Everyone got their Kris Kringle? Don't forget to deliver your gifts on Monday! HO-ho-ho!!"

"See you around." Kei said to Kaito and Tsukiko, obviously only doing so out of formality as he did not wait around for them to respond. Looking to the slip he got while on his way to the boy's locker room, he immediately stopped as if his shoes had somehow been glued down to the floor. Why did he have to draw a GIRL name? A sense of dread washed over him, and a shiver traveled up the length of his bare spine. Okay, think of the positives. He reminded himself, taking a deep breath in before continuing on his way. First positive: She was one of the girls that Rocco had shown him in the Kyudojo. The purple haired one. Fujioka, Yuuki. The only bright side about this was that he had practically unlimited funds to shop with, which led to the second positive: the girl wasn't like the slutty pinkette that had been assigned to his Rugby team. She wouldn't pounce him for buying an expensive gift or berate him for choosing a cheaper one....well... that was kind of an assumption, but judging by her appearance, he believed his evaluation to be correct.

At least she isn't like that slut.... it repeated in his mind over and over. To say he blamed her for their poor performance was the understatement of the century. Considering it was time for lunch, Kei only stuck his hair under the shower faucet in the locker room, washing it and drying it with a towel when he was done. At his locker, he removed his gym trousers, tossing them and his shirt inside. He put on his school uniform pants and switched out his shoes. He reapplied deodorant and cologne to ensure he didn't offend anyone and began buttoning up his shirt, "That'll have to do. I have to buy lunch today and I have no idea where the cafeteria is..." He sighed to himself. Being a freshman had some serious disadvantages, especially in a school as large as this one. Once properly dressed again and out of those sweaty gym clothes, Kei went back out into the gym, heading straight for the bleachers. He had to find someone who knew where they were going. He was getting really hungry.

“Wait… W-What I meant to ask was Would you like me to escort you somewhere?”

Hearing a familiar voice, Kei approached quickly before they decided to run off somewhere. He smirked a bit and tilted his head as he realized they were a little closer than he was used to seeing two students get, "...As much as I....hate to interrupt you two doing....whatever this is...." He bit back a chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't really care that he could have just ruined a moment for them, or not, but it was polite to at least pretend he did, right? Well, he wasn't sure, but he figured it was better to at least try and be a civil person, "Do either of you plan on going to the cafeteria? I don't know where it is... and I'm starved." Kei admitted in a sheepish manner. As his eyes set on Gen, he got an idea as well. Since she wasn't his Kris Kringle, he could show her his ideas for a present, right? So far she was one of the only girls he was confident wouldn't break the touch barrier, and she had been kind to him. As long as they didn't touch, he figured it would be okay. However...the longer his eyes rested on Gen, the more he came to notice she didn't look as cheerful as she had the other day, "Fukui.....senpai, are you okay?" His tone was not as casual when addressing her directly, nor did he sound nearly as comfortable or playful. His voice was surprisingly serious, despite his awkward, nervous gaze. He couldn't ask her for help...not yet anyway.

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"Where are Murray-san and Watari-san anyway?"

Twitching a bit, Kaito tried to keep his irritation to himself, but this girl was really getting on his nerves, "If I knew, why would I be alone with you?" He responded icily. He rested his palm against his forehead as he continued to lay on the bleachers, shaking his head. His ivory hair messed up quite a bit, but somehow it was always neater than his sister's. He was blessed with hair that did not become all that unruly.

"Here."

Sitting up, Kaito clapped his hands together sarcastically, "My prayers have been answered." he replied in a dry tone. He wasn't enthusiastic to see the guy who had drug him around all over god's green Earth, and for what? Nothing. Not a single tag. They had absolutely nothing to show for it, and that royally ticked him off. Though, at least he wasn't as annoying as the pink haired one. Ugh. Why did I even come here.... I should have just shown up at her door like any other random loser... Kaito tilted his head when Kei removed his shirt. It wasn't like it was unnatural or anything, guys did it all of the time, but he didn't expect him to. It didn't happen as often as one might think in a school setting. At first, he figured Kei was trying to impress Tsukiko, which, if that was the case, he really didn't care... but after his attention switched to some altercation elsewhere, Kaito assumed it was for the simple reason of wanting to. Guess Occam's Razor is correct once again. The simple answer usually is the right one after all.

"You all did outstanding!!!! Well done class! Give yourself a well earned pat on the back. Our winners for today are tied between Team Blue and Team Violet! Because of that, the ultimate grade winner are the Seniors!"

Groaning, Kaito rolled his eyes. He was not going to congratulate anyone and he definitely wasn't ever going to be patting a single person on the back. Well, at least that was over. One less thing to do that day. Seniors win.. how surprising. Kaito thought to himself bitterly. He wasn't pleased with the outcome at all, and his brooding aura made that perfectly clear to at least his two companions. He really didn't have much faith in his own ability, let alone that of his teammates. In the end, they totally sucked out there. It was a real letdown. Did the teacher even SEE what happened? So many of us completely sucked ass... Though I suppose at a rich kid school everyone gets a participation trophy... Kaito thought to himself with a cynical chuckle. As he had been homeschooled until now, Kaito really didn't have much respect for public or private schools, especially the 'everyone's a winner' policy. His father instilled in him that if he didn't win, he was a loser. There was no arguing with that view of his father's, he wouldn't change it for anyone, not even his own son.

"Should have stayed together."

"Should have, could have, would have... Does it really even matter? It's over." Kaito sighed, realizing the other guy was trying to make Tsukiko feel bad about herself. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize Kei was blaming her, and while Kaito did not like the girl at all, he believed they all shouldered the blame for their painful defeat. He wasn't about to let anyone shove it all off onto just one member, "We all sucked out there." Kaito snapped at Kei. Before he could stand up and do something about it, the teacher spoke again.

"Okay! Class Dismissed! Everyone got their Kris Kringle? Don't forget to deliver your gifts on Monday! HO-ho-ho!!"

"See you around."

"Tch..." Kaito hissed, flipping off Kei's back as he walked away. He didn't care if the teacher saw, or anyone else for that matter. He was ready to throw some punches, but the snarky asshole managed to slip away before he could do anything. Today was really pissing him off, and it seemed there was nothing he could do to relieve the stress, "You can at least TRY to defend yourself next time.." Kaito sighed angrily at Tsukiko, rolling his eyes. Without asking, he tugged her along by the wrist toward the changing rooms, kind of like a ragdoll.

Since he was left alone with her and it was lunch time, the least she could do was show him how to get to the cafeteria. He shoved her off toward the girl's locker room and he went to the door of the guy's, manhandling her a bit like he would another guy, "Change. Take me to the cafeteria. Don't annoy me. Can you manage that? Good." Kaito rolled his eyes, answering for her before he went into the boys' locker room to shower and get back into his uniform. Sure, he didn't care for her, in fact, if he knew his way around he wouldn't have even bothered with Tsukiko, but he didn't so she served a purpose. She was useful to him, at least until he found his way around this damned school.

Stripping, Kaito jammed all of his clothes into his locker and went on to take a shower with a towel wrapped around his waist. He kept the water warm, relaxing. It helped keep his mind off of all the annoying crap he was stressing over, but also soothed his migraine. The locker rooms were fairly empty now, everyone had rushed off to eat. He let out a sigh and dried off in the stall before walking back to his locker. Still damp, he threw his clothes on anyway, beginning to dry his hair. He really wasn't looking forward to dealing with the pink haired girl that was likely going to be making him wait outside for her to primp. God, he hated it when girls primped. He hated makeup period. It felt like a lie. He wanted to see a girl for who she was, not who she pretended to be. If she comes out wearing a bunch of nasty ass goo, she's going right back in there and wiping it off. Kaito thought with an eye roll, leaning against the wall just outside of the girl's changing room as he waited.

Rubbing his shoulder, as it was a bit sore, Kaito did not take long to grow impatient. If she didn't come out soon, he was going inside to get her. He didn't care if it was the girl's locker room or not. His stomach was growling and he was ready to eat. One way or another she'd hurry her ass up and take him to the cafeteria... even if he had to dress her himself.

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"If I knew, why would I be alone with you?"

Rolling her eyes, Tsukiko responded to Kaito with a sigh, "You don't have to be so rude." she responded, almost completely unaffected by his sour attitude and snide remark. She couldn't force him to like her. Still, it was annoying her that he didn't. What wasn't there to like? She had a foreign accent, she believed herself to be fairly attractive given her status as a very famous Korean Idol...even though she wasn't having so much success in Japan so far. As far as Tsukiko was concerned, Kaito really needed to refine his tastes if she wasn't his type.

"Here."

"My prayers have been answered."

Could he have been any more of an.. "Hangmun.. (Korean for Arse, Asshole, Anus)" Tsukiko hissed, rolling her eyes. she wasn't going to subject herself to this. Sure, it wasn't very ladylike to cuss, especially in school, but she just couldn't take this white haired stick in the mud any longer. Exactly what did he have against her? She was fairly sure she had not pissed in anyone's cheerios that morning, but now she found herself regretting not doing so in Kaito's.

"You all did outstanding!!!! Well done class! Give yourself a well earned pat on the back. Our winners for today are tied between Team Blue and Team Violet! Because of that, the ultimate grade winner are the Seniors!"

Outstanding? Tsukiko quietly scoffed at that. She hadn't done a single thing worth being congratulated for, but that only proved to her that the teacher had not been paying attention. Not that she cared. She hated being under constant surveillance, so that would prove to be useful knowledge in the end. She heard Kaito's groan, smirking to herself. It was nice to know that at least her current least favorite person at this school was beating themselves up over the game. Hell, if she had known he'd of taken it so hard she would have purposely done worse.

"Should have stayed together."

Tilting her head toward Kei, letting her golden eyes land on him, she quirked a brow. She didn't like the sound of his tone, but she gave him the benefit of the doubt, "What do you mean?" she asked, sugar coating her words. Even if she felt he was personally attacking her, she couldn't make a scene. Eventually, people would recognize her and she didn't need bad publicity. It was bad enough she gave into a night of fun with a senior bad boy at the school dance... she had to limit her scandalous behavior because the media was so much harsher on female artists than they were on males who slept around and got into trouble.

"Should have, could have, would have... Does it really even matter? It's over."

Blinking a few times, Tsukiko really couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was Kaito...defending her? Sure, it wasn't directly, but she was starting to really feel the effects of whiplash. One minute he was treating her like the scum of the earth and the next he was lending her a helping hand. Could he not make his mind up or something?

"We all sucked out there."

The air around their group could almost be cut with a knife. Despite wanting to see Kei get knocked on his ass, she knew fighting would only lead to more tension later on. The last thing she wanted was to be at war with one or both of them for the rest of the year, "Just...cut it out, I know. I'm no good out there." She smiled, laughing awkwardly. Tsukiko had a bitter taste in her mouth, not fond of admitting her faults, but it had to be done.

"Okay! Class Dismissed! Everyone got their Kris Kringle? Don't forget to deliver your gifts on Monday! HO-ho-ho!!"

With class dismissed and Kei leaving, Tsukiko sighed in relief, one hand coming to her chest as she started to relax. That was close... she thought to herself, but before she could stand up to leave, she giggled a bit as Kaito flipped off Kei's form that disappeared in the distance. Just as Tsukiko gathered her things to head to the locker room, she noticed Kaito was looking at her rather angrily.

"Tch... You can at least TRY to defend yourself next time.."

Now it was her being chewed out by Kaito, again! Ugh! Could he make up his mind already?! Does he want to be friends or does he hate my guts, we can't keep switching between the two whenever it is convenient for him! Suddenly she was starting to understand how the countless boys she had briefly 'dated', well, if you could even call it that. Mostly she would hang out with them, make out a little... then drop like a hot potato. While this was definitely different, she believed the experience ended the same. What was his agenda and why did he switch moods more than a woman about to head to the club changed her clothes on Friday night? Deciding to call him out on his bipolar ways, Tsukiko glared at him, "You didn't give me a chance! You could at least TRY to be nice. Would it kill you?" she retorted, but was soon drug off regardless. Tsukiko hit his shoulder angrily as he led her toward the locker rooms, but thankfully by that point, no one was really around to witness her tantrum.

Despite this, she went inside to change, totally ignoring that Kaito had answered all of his questions for her. UGH! He makes me so mad! Tsukiko thought to herself as she began changing back into the usual Airdalen uniform. Pulling out her phone, she checked the time and ordered a pizza...for her manager to deliver. Okay, she called her manager and ordered him to bring them both a pizza, but thankfully he was already in the area, so it wouldn't take too long. Once she was done and had combed through her hair thoroughly, she put it in a high ponytail before exiting the girl's locker room. Now that they were entirely alone, Tsukiko smacked her hand against the wall next to his head, "Listen, and listen good. The next time you shove me around like that will be the last time you have hands. Got it? You aren't the only one who has a temper...." She asked, leaning in as they were of similar height.

"Now, if we can be civil.... I ordered us some Pizza, let's meet my manager at the gate. Lunch is almost over, we'll never order food in the cafeteria and eat it in time. Come, dog.." Tsukiko called him, ushering for him to follow her by curling and uncurling her index finger a few times. Whether he followed her or not, she made her way out of the gym, just in time to see her cousin Shiori. Oh, how perfect was this? She was with the boy that Sora had told her about, Rhys, wasn't it? She absolutely had to say something this time around, "Oh? Missing lunch I see? I ordered a pizza... You and your handsome boytoy are welcome to take a slice for the road once I retrieve it, anything for my dear cousin~" Tsukiko teased, making sure to heavily emphasize that they were related before rushing off to retrieve her pizza from her faithful manager. Was pizza part of the strict diet she was supposed to be on? Definitely not. Did she care? Even less so. She was having pizza, and he knew better than to deny the young pink haired Korean what she wanted. When she arrived at the main gate and her manager pulled up only a few minutes later with the large pizza in hand, Tsukiko couldn't help but grin. He was like putty in her hands, as usual.

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It was amusing seeing his gaze shift away. It wasn't the most common reaction she had seen, but it was one she was slightly familiar with. Oh? Is he the respectful type? Or another not really interested...? Suppose I'll find out soon. Tsukiko thought to herself, trying to gauge what type of person was hanging out with her cousin. While mostly it was just her unfiltered interest, in a way, Tsukiko was looking out for Shiori as well, even if she couldn't necessarily admit it. Tsukiko wasn't a hero, or a villain really, she ended up falling somewhere in between. Her intentions were usually good, but she had a tendency to do selfish and inconsiderate things as well. This just so happened to be one of the times she was totally disregarding how someone important to her might feel.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Waving her hand a bit, Tsukiko dismissed it, "It's nothing really." She smiled kindly. Tsukiko really didn't see why it warranted a thank you, but then again, buying a pizza was as trivial as buying a can of soda for someone. It was pocket change. Her opinion of what deemed a 'thank you' might have been a little warped from the wealth, she wasn't really sure. Still, it was nice to meet someone who was grateful. She had not met many in Korea that saw her as more than an 'idol'. She often was used for her money, which didn't really bother her... but still, being around someone who seemed to be genuine, it was a nice change of pace.

“There's always drink vending machines on the way if we get thirsty.”

Tapping her cheek, Tsukiko tried to decide what kind of drink she wanted. She wasn't choosy when it came to beverages, she was much more selective with food though. As they were short for time she didn't want to find herself staring blankly at the vending machines. She wasn't really sure what the selections were, so she assumed she would go the safest route and choose water. It was healthy, but it also was typically in most vending machines.

"She's looked out for me too. There's no need to thank me.”

The more they began to talk, the more she was grateful to have gotten back so quickly. It seemed talking to him was going to pay off rather splendidly. She was already learning things about her cousin that Shiori was too uptight to share. Oh..? Tsukiko' brow quirked in curiosity, but she kept it to herself. Asking too many questions or prying into the relationship he seemed to have with her cousin too much would ruin everything. Patience was rewarding... at least that's what her manager always said. Tsukiko figured she would find out sooner or later, "That's nice. It's good to see she's managed to extend her circle beyond Kazuhiko. She always depended on him too much if you ask me." Tsukiko let out a soft sigh as if Shiori making friends actually made her feel better. When he wasn't looking she smiled to herself between bites because she was just toying around. It was probably poor form to be doing this, but she was simply having too much fun meddling. She highly doubted he would know who Kazuhiko was, and dropping a bit of mischief here and there definitely would make her time spent at Airdalen much more interesting. Besides, she was curious to see his reaction. Tsukiko did happen to know that even though Shiori's circle had grown, she didn't seem to have too many friends here just yet. She barely saw her cousin around anyone except the boy she met at Inryoku named Akira and the one currently sitting with her. Are you just pretending to be shy to get closer to boys? Tsukiko thought to herself, not really caring if her cousin found out what she was up to or didn't appreciate her methods of gaining information.

“Yeah. Science class in lab G.7.. building C.”

As he told her the class he would be in, her golden eyes flickered with amusement for a split second, "Guess we are classmates then~" Tsukiko smiled happily. In general, she was truly satisfied, the pizza was a nice treat, one that Miyuki normally would not have allowed her to have, but her promising that she was sharing the pizza was a bit of reassurance for his peace of mind. At least she wouldn't feel pressured to eat it all. It also didn't hurt to have handsome company to share it with, did it? Looking over her shoulder, Tsukiko tried to see if Shiori was coming... but also she wondered what was holding Kaito up. Beginning to worry about Shiori, Tsukiko began to twirl a strand of her hair around her finger.

“You got something, there.”

Instead of taking a napkin and wiping her lips, Tsukiko licked the small spot of pizza from her mouth since his eyes had lingered there, "Did I get it?" She asked curiously, leaning toward him, bracing herself with one hand on the grass beside him, taking his tie in her hand. It was easier to ease her worries about Shiori if she focused on her flirting. Besides, she was probably worried over nothing. How was she supposed to know that he knew Shiori? Giving it a playful tug, "Should we go check on Shii-chan?" she whispered softly, being careful not to invade his space too much. She kept a few inches between their faces since she had just met him. Getting too familiar would give likely give off the impression that she was a whore. Despite her attempts at tempting him and the flirtatious banter, that actually wasn't the case, "I can't steal her boytoy, can I?" She asked with a smile, almost as if she was asking for permission. She wasn't a whore, but she sure as hell did try her best to be a tease.

"Tsu-chan! What are you doing to him now?"

Shiori's flustered and annoyed tone filled her ears, a small smirk forming on her lips. Changing her mind a bit, Tsukiko leaned in like she was going to kiss Rhys, doing it just to see his reaction, but also Shiori's. Just before their lips could brush, however, she withdrew, letting his tie slip from her hands slowly before standing up, "I thought I saw a leaf in his hair~ Don't blame him. He was a perfect gentleman." Tsukiko practically sang, obviously pleased with herself, the lie coming from her lips with such natural grace, but she wasn't going to throw him under the bus. She wasn't that cruel. However.. she was cruel enough to do something else, "Do I sense jealousy? she teased, calling her older cousin out.

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Once Shiori finally subdued her defiant stockings, she exited the girl's locker room. There wasn't a lot of time, so she decided she would head straight to the spot she agreed to meet Rhys, but before she could make it across the gym, her wrist was captured and she was jerked backward. Gasping loudly, Shiori found herself spun around to face whoever had seized her. Shiori's hand quickly shot forward to slap the owner of that hand, but his opposite hand had caught her free wrist just in time, restraining her effectively, "Is that any way to treat an old friend...?" Kaito taunted, Shiori immediately glaring up at him. Despite her struggles, his hold on her was solid. He was stronger than her, but she already knew that... she just couldn't let herself become compliant without at least putting up a fight first. Finding herself slammed into the wall without regard to her well-being, Shiori let out a soft hiss.

"Let go of me right now, Miyuu-San!" She demanded, her tone laced with venom despite her predicament. Once her efforts to resist him ceased, he released one of her wrists, lifting her chin up, letting it rest on his index finger and thumb as he all but forced her to look him in the eyes, "You didn't tell me you had a cousin... It appears she is just as irritating as you..." he whispered, Shiori flinching as his grip on her wrist tightened. His hold was not as harsh as Takumi's had been on her face, but she couldn't pry herself loose either. Even as she kicked him, it seemed to only annoy him, not actually having any effect in her potentially escaping him.

Pinning her leg between his, Kaito sighed in an irritable manner, "Let's go say hi, shall we? I wouldn't try anything stupid again. I still owe you for that drink.." he was obviously not amused by something that had happened in their past and Shiori's eyes widening told him she remembered exactly what incident he was addressing. As his hands gently released her, Shiori shoved him away, her own small form of defiance as she began her walk out, her fingers shaking as he followed shortly behind. Putting them in her pockets as she drew closer to the exit, she waited for him to open the door. She didn't want anyone to see how her hands trembled, especially not Tsukiko or Rhys. Kaito opened the door for her with a smirk, well aware that he had shaken her up quite a bit, remaining guarded in case she tried to surprise him with a well-timed slap to the face. After how she humiliated him at that party, he refused to believe that he could be too careful around Shiori.

The walk wasn't that far, and before she could call out to them, Shiori's eyes widened as she witnessed her cousin leaning in toward Rhys, grabbing his tie. The position, it looked very mature from where she was standing and made her cheeks flush. There was no way she could have ever mustered up that kind of confidence, not as she was now. Her chest ached seeing her cousin that close to her junior, but she wasn't entirely sure why. Kaito's eyes scanned Shiori, then Tsukiko. How much better could this get?

"I can't steal her boytoy, can I?"

Laughing a bit, Kaito decided to throw his two cents into the matter, leaning dow a little so his head was level with Shiori's ear, "Oh? Do you like him...? I wonder...do you think they'll kiss?" He taunted her, whispering just loud enough for only her to overhear. Realizing that this was bothering her, at least to some degree, he couldn't help but take advantage and pour salt in the wound. He was curious to see why, but he was also glad that Tsukiko found someone else to flirt with. After her threatening behavior before, he decided they were never going to get along.

"Tsu-chan! What are you doing to him now?" Shiori called out unamused by her cousin's antics, unable to contain herself anymore. Her hands inside of her pockets balled into tight fists, trying to keep herself under control. Kaito could sense how tense she was becoming, as he was standing behind her he could see her shoulders going ridgid. It was very entertaining to see someone who had been so cold to him in the past, a girl who had been so socially withdrawn, acting this way. Despite how he was taunting her, Kaito's eyes widened just as much as Shiori's when Tsukiko leaned in. He didn't actually expect them to kiss!! He watched, far more detached than Shiori as he wasn't really familiar with Tsukiko or Rhys. They were acquaintances to him, nothing more.

"I thought I saw a leaf in his hair~ Don't blame him. He was a perfect gentleman. Do I sense jealousy?

As Shiori choked on words, unable to find what she wanted to say, Kaito rubbed the back of his neck, "If you two are going to flirt like that, you won't mind if I do the same, right?" He responded with a disinterested tone, his arms wrapping around Shiori from behind her, pulling her close right in front of Tsukiko and Rhys, making sure to catch her arms in his hold so she couldn't maul him for being so forward. He could tell she was blushing, he just was looking to diffuse some of her inner turmoil, help her save face. His quick motion made it a little obvious he knew about her... habit of being defensive. Shiori immediately tried to pry herself free of him, and he only chuckled, "Sorry I kept her from you~ We were... catching up.." He called out to the other two, winking at them as he tightened his hold, keeping her close to him. It was easier for him, given he wasn't very tall, but she was far more petite than Tsukiko so he found hugging her to be far more rewarding. She made him feel like he was actually a guy, her height didn't threaten him. Hugging Shiori didn't make him feel emasculated, as he initiated it and she wasn't as close in height with him as Tsukiko. He realized he was making it sound like he knew Shiori far better than he actually did, but that was the price of what he aimed to do.

"Let go, idiot! Don't' act like we're friends. I never gave you permission to touch me!" Shiori snapped at him, shoving his shoulder when he finally released her. Dusting herself off, she took a deep breath, trying to level her tone as she glanced in Rhys' and Tsukiko's general direction, "We should all head to class." She reminded the group softly, heading off first. It was just a lot easier to focus on the class that would start than to face what was going on. Distancing herself was not the answer, but she didn't feel like she was in the right mindset to handle the situation. She couldn't get the picture of them out of her head, and unfortunately, from her poor view of their position, she wasn't entirely sure if Tsukiko had kissed him or not.

"I guess we follow her unless we want to get ourselves lost... I still want a slice of that pizza though." Kaito grinned like a child in a candy store. He definitely seemed to enjoy the conflict that was brewing, even going as far as stirring the pot. He slowly began walking behind Shiori, checking to see if the other two were coming. In his own twisted way, he had pulled Shiori in that hug as a service to her, hoping it would draw everyone's attention away from Tsukiko asking her if she was jealous. Who can be that cold hearted to their own cousin...? What a bitch... He thought sighing softly to himself. Doing nice things wasn't his style, especially when he didn't even get a thank you. He didn't realize that his actions could have easily been interpreted as the exact opposite of doing Shiori a favor. In that sense, he was just as oblivious to the world of women as every other high school boy. Even as much as he disliked Shiori, he couldn't help feeling sympathy. How could he be cruel to her when he had never seen her behave like that? It was like beating up a kitten. Even he wasn't that heartless.... still, he hoped she realized this wasn't a truce. It was a one time favor, and he definitely planned to go back to making her miserable. Still, he didn't like seeing girls hurt in that way, and he definitely hated seeing them cry. He wasn't sure if she would, given her closed off personality, but he didn't want to take any chances. Girls are such a pain...

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Both Tsukiko and Shiori thought spending money on others was nothing. The Kitogawa family must be well off. Rhys was working class and he realized he has to search for a part time job to get ahead. Currently he was living off the modelling gig's money that was a large sum but not large enough to last forever. He had a few months of savings at best. It's good he doesn't shop much and his home was simple living like a minimalist. "That's nice. It's good to see she's managed to extend her circle beyond Kazuhiko. She always depended on him too much if you ask me." Rhys looked at the ground confused. Kazuhiko? Shiori never mentioned him and he couldn't see his senior depending on a guy because of the difficulties they faced constantly just to understand each other. She was antsy around men and being touched. How could she depend on one too much? Confused, he scratched over his uniform pants where his knee was. Thinking more, the picture got clearer. He flashbacked to the man carrying her in a suit that morning. Kazuhiko? He stopped scratching and furrowed his brows. He wasn't sure but it was possible. Getting carried is too much.

"Guess we are classmates then~" He glanced over to catch Tsukiko's pleased expression that they shared class. He didn't mind but he did wonder if the pink-haired girl might sit with him or had other friends to sit with. She might distract him because it's hard to be platonic and ignore her suggestiveness. "Did I get it?" She licked the sauce off the side of her mouth and worse, Rhys had watched. He averted his gaze same as earlier.“Mhm.” He murmured getting uncomfortable around her but his demeanor didn't give anything away. His only discomfort sign was continuously looking away because that's all he could manage. He wasn't going to ditch his senior's cousin and Tsukiko bought the pizza. He shouldn't act rude.

Looking away was a futile effort when Tsukiko changed position. The daring pink-haired girl set herself over and in front of him. Rhys' eyes widened a little taken off guard. He hadn't been hit on this boldly before and the situation wasn't innocent no matter who looked at it. She tugged his tie and he gulped, his adam's apple the only giveaway with his confident exterior that he always wore. He owed his upbringing for it. The people he was surrounded with all shared the same coolness and it rubbed off on him. "Should we go check on Shii-chan?" Rhys didn't expect the pink-haired girl to bring up her cousin in this position and leaning close to his face but it was something that needed to be considered. Shiori was taking a really long time. It also kept his mind off indecent things. He wasn't a pervert but he is a guy attracted to her. “Yeah. I'm worried too.” He agreed, ready to get up and look for his senior but Tsukiko didn't budge and wasn't finished with him.

"I can't steal her boytoy, can I?" Rhys looked back into her golden-brown eyes because he couldn't avoid them anymore. He was also confused why she was flirting with him and talking about her cousin during it. I don't understand women... His left hand shifted forward, bringing his face closer to Tsukiko unintentionally. Rhys just wanted to move it before it got numb and get ready for the search when she was done messing with him. She was bold no argument there but he didn't believe she was going to do more than she had already done when they just got acquainted. “We're not like that.” He stated. Rhys didn't understand a goddamn thing about what was going on between Tsukiko and Shiori but he knows his place. He's just Shiori's junior and friend. They were not more than that. He didn't clarify it to Tsukiko to declare he was open to being her boytoy but he had been vague.

"Tsu-chan! What are you doing to him now?" Rhys was startled by Shiori's voice and his hands on the ground supporting him changed into fists. He turned his gaze to her feeling both relieved and awkward. He was glad Shiori was back but it was awkward being seen with her own cousin on top of him. Fuck. He cursed mentally about the situation. He had earned Shiori's trust slowly and he was afraid it was going to crumble in these ticking seconds. He knew she didn't like him 'managing girls he's just met'. That's not what he was doing but that's what it looked like. That's what Shiori saw. He glanced back at Tsukiko expecting her to get sheepish and stop because they'd been caught but he was wrong. Her boldness didn't waver and she leaned in closer to his face.Is she...? Rhys was frozen stiff in the shock. He did think about kissing her before but it was a fleeting thought, a pubescent one too. He knows it's wrong to kiss a girl you just met. He's not like that. Her lips got closer to his and he was ready to withdraw but Tsukiko did it first.

His heart was thumping from the anticipation and anxiety of how dead he was to his senior. I'm screwed. Her own cousin... Fuck. He's still glad Tsukiko was just teasing because he was mindful it'd embarrass her if he was the one to turn away then. The pink-haired girl stood up and Rhys did too after checking the pizza was alright. It got moved a bit after that but hadn't toppled onto the ground somehow."I thought I saw a leaf in his hair~ Don't blame him. He was a perfect gentleman." Rhys brushed down his uniform to remove the grass and dirt quickly, carrying the pizza box and just noticed the guy with Shiori now because he'd been overly focused on what his senior was thinking. That guy wasn't Kazuhiko though but another one that he met in the morning with Akira. He nodded to Kaito just to acknowledge him.

"Do I sense jealousy?" Rhys looked back at Tsukiko surprised at the question but didn't stay there for long because of what happened next. "If you two are going to flirt like that, you won't mind if I do the same, right?" What? He didn't know Kaito very well and the guy's arms wrapping around his senior made him angry. "Sorry I kept her from you~ We were... catching up.." Kaito winked and chuckled while Shiori struggled against him. His eyes narrowed and he stepped forward about to take action and say he minds but Shiori's voice snapped him out of it. "Let go, idiot! Don't act like we're friends. I never gave you permission to touch me!" His shoe that had stepped forward stepped back again to where it was before when she pried herself away. He smiled bitterly because he was mixed between relief and rage. Kaito had gone too far. It was just a hug, more innocent than what he and Tsukiko were up to but Shiori was sensitive about physical contact. He was relieved his senior could speak up about it and handle herself.

"We should all head to class." Shiori led the way but he knew better than to think she was distancing herself just because she was the only senior in the group. He sighed inwardly praying the chaos would die down and that Shiori didn't hate his guts. If she did, he'd think it's because of what she had seen and that it was with her cousin. Not anything else. "I guess we follow her unless we want to get ourselves lost... I still want a slice of that pizza though." Rhys glared at Kaito's back when the guy turned to follow behind Shiori. He fucking smiled. His grasp on the pizza box's side got stronger and it got crushed a little. “Let's go.” He said to Tsukiko but only looking ahead. He walked past Kaito, looking over his shoulder with a warning glare. “You know she doesn't like being touched.” He muttered under his breath and gritted his teeth. Do that again and I'll kill you. What he didn't say, his harsh brown eyes would. Rhys turned back around to catch up with Shiori. It wasn't hard because of his long strides but he stayed behind her to give her space. Rhys had no idea how much his senior might hate him. “Kitogawa-senpai.. you should eat. Take a slice.” He attempted to talk to her in a soft voice. It wasn't his pizza to give but Tsukiko already said the three of them would share. He didn't know if Kaito was in on that deal but he wasn't going to be the one to hand it over. He'd sooner beat that guy with the box, expulsion be damned.

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Charm +1 Tsukiko
Notoriety +1 Kaito

The reaction he got from at least the guy he met earlier named Rhys made his efforts worthwhile. While it was a stark contrast to what he had originally planned to do when he found Shiori, it still wasn't half bad. Running a hand through his hair, Kaito realized he was probably making a bad reputation for himself, but that wasn't necessarily unwelcome. He only truly cared about one person's opinion of him. If the rest of the entire school hated his guts, then so be it. He wasn't looking for anyone's approval but her's. Still, he had to admit hugging Shiori wasn't as bad as he thought. She was really small and feminine despite her annoying mouth. Perhaps with a little duct tape, she might be somewhat tolerable. The thought brought a smirk to his lips as he followed behind her. I suppose I'll find ways to amuse myself while I'm here after all.. Kaito thought to himself. His uniform was in complete disorder. His shirt was not tucked in, the first button was undone, his tie was loose and crooked. He dressed the complete opposite of Akira, who was nearly strait-laced in appearance aside from her messy hair and slightly loosened tie. While they looked so much alike, they could not have been more different.

“You know she doesn't like being touched.”

Tilting his head to meet Rhys's glare, Kaito almost laughed, but he managed to fight the temptation. Realizing he only had a small window to reply, Kaito shot back his own words toward Rhys, "She's so cute when she's mad though, no?" Kaito replied swiftly, then his pale blue eyes narrowed as an interesting question crossed his mind. He was going to push a few more buttons whilst he had the other boy so riled up. Kaito wasn't attending Airdalen for his education or to meet new people, he could do both of those things anywhere. Neither really mattered all that much to him right now anyway. However, while he waited patiently to make his next move toward his true goal he could at least enjoy the conflicts along the way, "Why do you care so much about what I do with her? I've known her so much longer than you have... Wait... Don't tell me... Did you want to hear her say she was jealous..?" Kaito teased him quietly, making sure that Shiori would not be able to hear him. He was unsure if Tsukiko would be able to, but he really didn't care if she did. He was mostly trying to remind her that even if she could handle herself, Shiori was much smaller than her and really wouldn't be able to fight him off. It didn't go as he originally planned though. He didn't expect Rhys to be there and he ended up feeling sympathy for Shiori. While many would consider what he had done to be crossing the line, he felt it was better than letting the others see how torn up she was...or worse... her stumbling over Tsukiko's question. While he realized it wasn't smart to piss off a guy so much bigger than him, that normally wasn't enough to shut Kaito up. He had his ass kicked plenty of times in the past, but Kaito never seemed to learn his lesson. Being hit, it didn't scare him. He didn't enjoy it, he wasn't that sick in the head, but the pain of getting hit was only a temporary thing. It would go away and all wounds heal, in time. Besides, even if they don't, scars just mean your life was interesting.

He decided to hang back with Tsukiko for the time being, letting Rhys struggle to smooth things over with Shiori. When his eyes met Tsukiko's, Kaito frowned a bit, "You're a heartless bitch, you know that?" He told her in an ice cold manner, wrapping his arm around her shoulders so their conversation would not be heard by the other two. Kaito followed Rhys and Shiori at Tsukiko's pace. Yes, Rhys was right. Kaito knew very well that Shiori did not like to be touched. He had met her several times in the past. Her father's parties were one of the rare events he was allowed to attend with his father, but even then he was not allowed to be anywhere near him. He didn't want paparazzi to get a photo of his son's face, and even if they did, he doubted they would be able to associate them if he completely ignored his son. It kept Kaito in a very unpleasant mood back then, and as a result, he had said some very hurtful things to Shiori. It was then she threw a drink in his face. That was enough to piss Kaito off. It had been the first time a girl had denied his advances and humiliated him to such a degree, and he was hell bent on making her pay for it, "I hate her, but... so I might just shift your guilt onto her... She is so much more... vulnerable." He whispered in Tsukiko's ear dangerously. He was mostly testing the waters to see if she was as stone cold as he assumed. As he had a little sister as well, technically... he knew what protectiveness looked like. He had felt it when Kei had went for Akira in Tag Rugby, and he needed to know if this girl felt that way about her cousin. If she did, he could use that to his own amusement.

Letting out a sigh and smiling at the sky he released his hold on Tsukiko, "So do I get that slice now?" He asked her, sticking his tongue out at her playfully. He wasn't taking any of this seriously, at least not on the outside. Kaito seemed to be playing with all of them at every turn. In his own way, he was trying to help them, but he wasn't about to sacrifice his amusement. He wasn't a philanthropist after all.

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Focusing on the sound of her shoes meeting the concrete path, Shiori tried her best to tune out the others. It was easiest to keep her mind on the simple things. One foot moving in front of the other, the sounds of birds chirping, the noise her shoes made when they met the resistance of the ground. Relax.. calm down... she told herself, trying to command her emotions to fall back into order. It wasn't working very well. Her pace was enough to show she was just trying to get to class without being exceptionally rude or leaving them behind. She knew they likely wouldn't know the way, but she had to retreat, she needed to find refuge in a place where she could successfully put the three juniors out of sight and out of mind.

Now that she had her plan in motion, she felt a little more at ease, but that was washed away like chalk on the sidewalk when she heard one of the junior's footsteps closing in on her. Taking a deep breath, Shiori prepared for anything. If it was Kaito again she wasn't sure she would be able to quell her temper this time. She would likely do something she would regret later... and if it was Tsukiko, she definitely would regret what she felt like doing, but damn it would feel so good in the moment. Never did she ever want to slap her cousin more than she did in that moment. Removing her right hand from her pocket, Shiori stared down at it, a little overwhelmed. Why did she get so angry? Why did she want to go as far as physically hurting her own family..? Why couldn't she turn around and face them?

"Kitogawa-senpai.. you should eat. Take a slice.”

Hearing Rhys' voice, it made her chest ache. Her hand gripping gently just above her heart as she refused to stop walking, "I want to get a bottle of water first. We are almost out of time, I'll take mine to go. Arigato, Browning-san." Shiori responded as briefly as possible. She couldn't look at him, not yet. Under the impression that Tsukiko and Rhys had actually kissed, given her poor angle, Shiori's mind was filling in all the details she could not see. If she looked at him, she'd only have an even better mental image of him and Tsukiko locking lips. If that happened, the ebony haired senior was not confident that her voice would remain level, not confident in her ability to keep the poisonous tone from her words. If she said anything other than the bare minimum she feared she would say something that could not be undone.

She led them ahead without saying anything else until they made it to the vending machines. She dug out some change and hit the button for the water after sliding her coins inside. Once it fell down, she kneeled and retrieved it. It took her a second with the lid as she stepped aside for everyone else to get something, leaning against the adjacent wall with her eyes closed as she swallowed a long drink. It was the first time she had stopped moving since Kaito released her, and was the first time her eyes fell on the group. However, Shiori went out of her way to avoid meeting anyone's gaze, "I have someone I wish to speak with in the senior class, so let's not waste time here." She announced with a soft sigh. It wasn't a lie, she was going to tell Devone about that girl offering up her secrets to that junior boy, Rocco. It wasn't really any of her business, but Shiori didn't like things such as bribery or secret-spilling. Even if Devone had a reputation, Shiori knew that there was more than meets the eye. She wasn't necessarily known for being cute and cuddly either. Little did she know, Tsukiko had spilled one of Shiori's own little secrets. Her phone went off while she waited for the others to make their choices,



Pulling her phone out, Shiori's eyes immediately lit up. The place she had been waiting on an answer for was finally available. Her father knew she was planning on moving out, it wasn't going to affect her trust fund, so she would be able to afford the place, but she couldn't live alone. Kazuhiko would be living in one of the rooms. He was her support system, so she couldn't leave without him. He lived in her family home ever since he turned eighteen, she was used to having him around. It didn't seem weird that they would be living alone together, at least it didn't seem so to Shiori. She saw him as nothing more than a good friend, her confidant. Finally, I will be free of that woman... she couldn't help but smile at the image of Kazuhiko holding the keys to her home. It was odd calling it that, even in her head. Her things would be sent there while she was at school, so she would be living at a new address, "Now I have to change my address in the office before I leave school today..." she stated softly, not really trying to keep it a secret from those around her, it was mostly just a mental note that accidentally made it aloud by accident.

The sudden good news had shifted her mood considerably. A taste of independence, the thought of never going back to that house that was filled with so many terrible memories. It was... well, liberating. Shiori shook her head and thanked Kazuhiko for informing her that the apartment was now in her name, staring at the photo of him standing in the center of the living room for a moment before turning it off, slipping it back into her pocket. The news could not have come at a better time. Did he really have to send me a selfie though? A regular text would have sufficed. She thought to herself, taking a sip of her water. After giving each of them a chance to get something to drink, Shiori approached Rhys, "I'll take that slice now." Shiori carefully got it for herself, eliminating any chance of their hands meeting. If he handed her one, there was a risk their fingers could brush, and she didn't have the energy to handle it at the moment.



Walking away, she turned to face them briefly to explain, "Let's go, our classes are this way." she pointed, leading them ahead. She ate slowly and quietly, finishing the slice of pizza just as she approached the door to their classroom. Turning on her heel, she spun around and looked up to the three juniors, all who were taller than she was, "Here is your classroom for this period." she sighed as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Still, she had one more thing to do before she could truly consider herself free of responsibility. She had to address something that was both a personal and familial matter, "Tsukiko, I don't care what you do or with whom..." Her voice shook a bit, indicating she wasn't entirely telling the truth there. It was subtle, but she knew her nosy, bullheaded cousin would notice. Still, she had to finish what she was saying, it had to be done, "Do it in private... or not at all. I realize you're used to all sorts of indecent behavior given your...work, but it's not appropriate here. The same goes with your behavior, Miyuu-san." Shiori continued, and if anyone noticed she was not even using honorifics when addressing her cousin this time. Tsukiko would know why as it was something Shiori only did when she was angry with her. Her amethyst eyes glaring up into her younger cousin's golden, then Kaito's blue. She did not address Rhys in her statement, mostly because she did not wish to meet his gaze directly. Her expression was quite serious, and it was possibly the coldest and most venomous tone she had taken since speaking with Takumi, "You will not behave like that in public EVER again. You do not represent only yourself. As a Kitogawa you represent our family. Honor that name as you were raised to. Do you understand me?" Shiori scolded her. While she claimed it was only because she was behaving indecently, because it negatively reflected their family, Shiori realized she was still too angry for it to be as simple as that. She made sure that no one would overhear her aside from Kaito and Rhys, before closing her eyes. Taking in a calm breath, "Do any of you require anything else before I head off to class?" She asked, as it was the right thing to do. Even if she wanted to run away, she was one of the senior class representatives, she had to be helpful, she had obligations, despite her own emotions.

"You're a heartless bitch, you know that?"

This speech? Really? Tsukiko closed her eyes, letting Kaito speak. She did not shrug his arm off of her shoulder, although it was tempting. She wasn't her cousin, she could tolerate touch, whether it was wanted or not. His words were something she had heard many times, and she was sure it wouldn't be the last either. By now it was barely a sting to be told such a thing, but it did still chip away at her nonetheless, "I think we're one in the same.. You know she likes him just as much as I know it. I don't take you for a blatantly flirtatious guy." Tsukiko responded keeping her tone quiet and cool. While she did not know Kaito well, she assumed he was either gay or preferred his love life private, based on how he handled her touching him in the Gym during class but had no issue with returning the favor when there were less people around with Shiori. Tsukiko followed her cousin and Rhys, keeping a fair distance between them.

"I hate her, but... so I might just shift your guilt onto her... She is so much more... vulnerable."

Clenching her jaw, Tsukiko felt herself growing angry. While she had just purposely hurt Shiori, no one else was allowed to do it. Shiori was almost like her older sister, even though they were just cousins. She wasn't about to let him harm her, "I'll castrate you if you lay another finger on her." Tsukiko said calmly, despite her blood boiling at that point. Years in front of flashing cameras made it easy to appear coolheaded even when you wanted to scream and trash the entire room. While she was not physically strong and did not have any influence in Japan. Her only serious connection was to her manager, and he couldn't get in affairs such as this. While she was serious, she could not truly back up her words, not in Japan. She felt like a declawed cat. She remembered how it felt to hurt someone, but she no longer had the ability.

"So do I get that slice now?"

"When we get to class, I'm sure you can scarf it down." Tsukiko replied with a bored sigh. While she was content to sport a boy around her shoulders that could be deemed 'cute' in appearance, she did not like his personality a single bit. Never in her life had she met a guy she hated, for a while, Tsukiko thought it was impossible for her to hate a boy, but now she had been shown just how wrong her assumption had been. Getting tea from the machine, Tsukiko unclasped the lid and took a drink. It wasn't the best, but she had to stick to healthier options after spoiling herself with a slice of pizza. Once everyone retrieved their drinks she followed Tsukiko to their classrooms. Tsukiko did not stop until Shiori twirled around to face the trio of juniors, including Tsukiko herself.

"Here is your classroom for this period."

Looking at the sign above the door, Tsukiko frowned to herself. They were late. That much was certain, but she was in no rush to go inside. Calmly removing a slice of pizza from the box Rhys held, Tsukiko handed it to Kaito, "Eat fast. Try not to choke on it" She replied, her golden eyes narrowing as she spoke the last three words. Part of her would have loved to see him choke on the pizza after what he had pulled with her cousin, but she wasn't dumb enough to say that out loud. She had a reputation to protect. She couldn't give anyone anything too awful to say about her once they realized she was a public figure. Unlike most of the people in this school, her wealth relied solely on her image. Getting a boyfriend, gaining any weight, changing her look, it was all out of the question. Tsukiko had to look and present herself a certain way most of the time, possibly why she had such a rebellious streak and soft spot when it came to boys she knew her father would not approve of. There was also the fact she wasn't aiming for a boy that reminded her of Makoto. Insanely nice boys were out of the question.

"Tsukiko, I don't care what you do or with whom..."

Sighing, Tsukiko's hand fell to her hip. Here comes the lecture. She thought to herself bitterly. Miyuki lectured her often, so it was extremely unwelcome. Tsukiko was her own person and made her own choices so she really hated it when others decided to shove their ideals down her throat. It was her life, why couldn't everyone seem to understand that? If she endangered her career, why did it have to affect anyone other than herself?

"Do it in private... or not at all. I realize you're used to all sorts of indecent behavior given your...work, but it's not appropriate here. The same goes with your behavior, Miyuu-san. You will not behave like that in public EVER again. You do not represent only yourself. As a Kitogawa you represent our family. Honor that name as you were raised to. Do you understand me? Do any of you require anything else before I head off to class?"

Family. She was making this about family? Tsukiko wanted to say she couldn't believe Shiori was behaving this way, writing her jealousy off and blaming this all on a matter of family, but it was exactly how their fathers behaved so she knew she should have seen it coming, "No. I suppose I'll try harder next time, maybe a closet? Don't knock it until you've tried it, Shi-chan. You haven't... you know, tried it, have you?" Was all Tsukiko responded to Shiori with, deciding that asking her if she had her first kiss would be enough to shut her older cousin up. While she was Shiori's younger cousin, Tsukiko wasn't about to let her intimidate her. Still, she wouldn't have long before her cousin would grow angry again. She needed to make a quick exit. Grabbing Kaito by the wrist after he finished his slice, Tsukiko decided to head on into class, "It's science, that usually requires a partner, so come on." She told him, not giving him a choice as she quietly led him to an empty spot toward the center of the room. Opening her book to the proper page after asking one of the boys sitting in front of them, Tsukiko blinked at the contents. She wasn't really sure what to do, but she went to retrieve the items necessary for the experiment, putting them on the desk she shared with Kaito, "Do you know how to do this?" she asked him curiously. She never really paid attention in school so this was going to be a first for her.

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"She's so cute when she's mad though, no?" The line of Rhys' mouth thinned. This guy had issues to keep yapping away after his threat. Kaito was begging for a beating but his senior's words with Takumi steadied his fist low at his side. He knew that Takumi was worse than Kaito and he hadn't even met him. Rhys didn't want to become a loose cannon but Fuck it all. It's better than sitting around and doing shit. "Why do you care so much about what I do with her? I've known her so much longer than you have... Wait... Don't tell me... Did you want to hear her say she was jealous..?" Kaito's tease didn't hit Rhys because her jealousy was the last thing on his mind. "No." He gave a firm answer. If he was forced to think it over, he didn't believe she was jealous anyway. In his perspective it was a breach of trust and discomfort that led Shiori to react the way she did. "I don't give a shit how long you've known her. If you wanna know what I want, I want you to respect her wishes and fuck off." he said in a fierce tone before ending the squabble with the turn of his back and focusing on Shiori up ahead.

"I want to get a bottle of water first. We are almost out of time, I'll take mine to go. Arigato, Browning-san." Rhys nodded in response even though Shiori wasn't facing him to see it. Everything's so fucked up so quickly. The duo overcame one hurdle only to be faced with another one. It was hard to believe they were embracing one minute and distant the next. Trouble always found a way to them but there was a scrap of hope. Shiori wasn't looking at him but she didn't come off as hating him as she managed to thank him for thoughtfulness. It was something.

Rhys waited for the girls to get their drinks from the vending machine first before pulling out some spare change and pushing it in the slot. He retrieved a popular Japanese sports drink called Pocari Sweat, twisted the cap off and gulped it down. "I have someone I wish to speak with in the senior class, so let's not waste time here." Rhys lowered the bottle and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He didn't know who Shiori was talking about but he was curious, catching her sigh. His senior's phone went off before he could consider asking, the ringtone sending his gaze elsewhere to give her privacy. Oh shit. They were running really late if the school looked abandoned. He tossed the bottle in his hand up and caught it again, praying he wasn't missing out on much in class. His grades were in desperate need of attention. "I'll take that slice now." He looked down briefly to acknowledge Shiori and opened the box he was holding in his other hand, Shiori taking initiative to get one for herself before walking off ahead of them again. Rhys sighed as it was painfully obvious she was avoiding him. Tsukiko also took a slice but handed it distastefully to Kaito but he said nothing. It was her pizza to give not his. "Eat fast. Try not to choke on it" Rhys wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed but he read that Tsukiko didn't necessarily like Kaito either. Did anyone in this group? The box done with, he binned it and followed after Shiori with the others.

"Here is your classroom for this period." Rhys looked around trying to get his bearings for next time. He only stopped when Shiori started lecturing Tsukiko and Kaito about indecent behavior to be kept in private. He raised a brow because the most indecent act he'd seen Kaito do was hug a girl without permission and hugs weren't that bad to warrant privacy normally. Still he wasn't going to defend the guy. Tsukiko's work was described vaguely as a reason for her bold attitude but it was only a hint Rhys couldn't decipher. Rhys' eyes moved to the pink-haired girl shortly after trying to picture her profession but it wasn't doing his head any good. "No. I suppose I'll try harder next time, maybe a closet? Don't knock it until you've tried it, Shi-chan. You haven't... you know, tried it, have you?" Rhys' eyes widened slightly because he knows nothing happened. They didn't 'try' anything. I don't understand what the hell is going on. Why did she say that? Not giving anyone a chance to protest, Tsukiko dragged Kaito into the classroom leaving Rhys standing around with Shiori in the desolate hallway now that most of the students were in class already by now.

Fuck. he thought, looking down at his senior in awkward silence. They were both late for class so time wasn't on their side but he had this moment to say something, anything to try to redeem himself. "I'm.. uh sorry." He rubbed the back of his head searching for words and failing. Was there a perfect speech that could make perceived intimacy with someone's cousin acceptable? "Thanks for the directions." Zilch popped up because there was too much that required explanation and saying it how it is, that her cousin hit on him not the other way around was just a blame game. It didn't change a bit. "I hope you find who you're looking for. Have a good class, Kitogawa-senpai." There was nothing he could say right now so he decided to give her space. Rhys would let her turn away first or speak first before walking away, into the same classroom Kaito and Tsukiko disappeared into. He'd missed out on the instructions but wanted a second to catch his breath, leaned over his desk with tired brown eyes glaring holes into his textbook that dissuaded students from pairing with him.

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Intellect +1
Popularity +1 Tsukiko
Notoriety +1 Kaito