Rhys Browning's Story

Rhys was greatly relieved when Shiori greeted Akira politely. Although it was not as friendly as his greeting had been, it was still a lot better than what he had anticipated. He looked over his friend’s costume which involved a lot of fur and gave him the impression that Akira really liked Halloween and playing dress up. Rhys would’ve worried that such a furry outfit could be heated and itchy but Akira had gone to such lengths for the night. The costume still probably suited Akira more than Rhys. If Rhys had worn it, he felt he would have come across more like the boogie man or an abominable snowman. In other words, it would not look good.
"Me and another kid rushed in together, it worked like a charm." Rhys stopped looking for Akira’s missing date but he was still curious who he had rushed in with and why Akira didn’t get a real date like everyone else. Was he not interested in going with anyone? ”Not bad but I’m surprised... would’ve thought a popular guy like you would have a date for sure.” he teased with a smirk on his face trying to gauge Akira’s reaction. He had witnessed Akira flirt about a bit with girls like Yuuki so it really was a surprise he was hanging around the party on his lonesome.

Rhys noticed a grin growing upon Akira’s facial features as he turned between him and Shiori. He forgot that attending with his senior would be something for others to raise a few eyebrows about. Rhys had been worrying most about Shiori’s perspective and continued to as being at the dance together naturally indicated romantic intentions between them. "So.. You two are dates? I could see it, you do suit each other now that I look at you.." Instead of reacting right away, Rhys looked down by his side where Shiori stood to see how she was taking the comment. Reading the confused expression on the senior’s face, his eyes lowered and he cupped his mouth as if he was about to cough. Rhys found it humorous that Shiori appeared clueless to what Akira was suggesting but it would make the night go by easier, his hand hiding his amused smile. When he removed his hand to resume his usual expression, Akira had already decided to change topic so there was no need for him to add anything to Akira’s observation of them as dates.

"Shiori-Senpai, you look beautiful. Like a doll or something. Sorry for the other day. Forgive me, Kay~?" Rhys remained silent letting the two talk over their issues for however long they needed. He hoped that Shiori would accept Akira’s apology, considering Akira as a friend and not the type to mean harm to anyone. They also both came from the same home country where body language was not as conservative as Japan’s so as far as he understood, it was a misunderstanding. "I will, but definitely not for your sake, I assure you." Rhys’ eyes focused on his senior as he contemplated the words of her choosing, wondering by whose sake did she mean. Is it for hers or mine? "As a sign of good faith, I'd appreciate it if you refrain from ever touching me again, Blake-San." His eyes returned to Akira finding the terms reasonable but also confusing. Why did Shiori not raise those terms against him too? Rhys pushed the hat down over his head more. Well, we’re dates for tonight so it’s almost unavoidable but tomorrow could be another day...

"Did you guys just get here?" ”Yeah, my fault.” Rhys openly took the blame for their late arrival. He did get his costume last minute and failed to organize their transportation beforehand. Rhys didn’t know how long it would take to get to the castle let alone how to get there. He should’ve done some research too but it wasn’t something he’d normally worry about. Rhys was used to finding his way eventually, making him feel responsible and selfish for not thinking about Shiori’s upper class upbringing and her expectations for being escorted. The whole event was a last minute rush on his part.
A new guy (Kei) with the look of a samurai approached their group, specifically Akira by ruffling his hair. "Wig...""Watari, Kei. Sorry to intrude, but my date decided to play a vanishing act." Rhys just assumed Kei to be a friend of Akira’s with the way he messed with his hair and a friend of a friend, was a friend of his too he supposed. ”It’s fine.” Before anything else could be said, the newcomer started gawking at Shiori causing Rhys to look away with his hand rubbing his neck. His mouth moved to make out a ‘tsk’ but no sound could be heard as he tried to remain polite despite his obvious disapproval. Rhys had been controlling his own reaction towards Shiori’s attire but it all seemed in vain if another guy would come along and gawk anyway.

Thankfully, Kei was made aware of his actions as he averted his gaze elsewhere. Rhys couldn’t hide a hint of a glare as they made eye contact. He didn’t appreciate the lack of self-control the guy had demonstrated in front of Shiori but if Shiori would be able to look past the situation, then he would follow suit. Rhys hoped this minor detail wouldn’t ruin the night for her but there was no way to be sure. His senior could swing back and forth from a sourpuss to a shy kitten and he simply didn’t understand how the minds of women worked.
When Kei and Akira left them to join the rest of their peers dancing, he gave Shiori his full attention in case she had something to say until he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Rhys quickly pulled out the phone to take a look, sighing as he read the unexpected message. ”The school assigned me to organize a game of Murder in the Dark. Sorry about this, must be a scholarship student thing.” He pocketed the phone away hoping Shiori wouldn't be too disappointed and smirked at an idea, ”Care to join me?” Rhys had no intention of leaving Shiori on her own and thought getting her involved with her peers more would be good for her. The game was a chance for them both to meet new people and ease the tension of being each other’s dates.

---

Notoriety +1 Kei
Popularity +1 Akira, Shiori

”Not bad but I’m surprised... would’ve thought a popular guy like you would have a date for sure.”

At that news Shiori nearly scoffed, but she managed to contain her amusement. She was trying to play nice, despite her disdain towards the bakeneko standing before her. She simply smirked, closing her eyes to compose herself. Those violet eyes of her's would surely give her away and insult her date's guest. The last thing she wished for was to cause Rhys any unnecessary turmoil or stress. Honestly, to Shiori it was not that surprising, but again, she was supposed to be civil, so Shiori kept her mouth shut despite the venom that so badly wished to be released against Akira. Shiori however could not deny that Akira was popular, but how was simply a mystery. She would never understand what people saw in guys like Akira. She brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear, gazing between the boys as they conversed.

Shiori tilted her head, becoming worried about Rhys. It seemed he was about to cough, making her immediately wonder if he had gotten sick on his way to pick her up. Had she of known he would walk, she would have arranged for one of the Kitogawa family cars to pick him up. She bit the inside of her cheek, deciding she would keep a close eye on him. She wouldn't be able to enjoy her birthday if her date was ill after all. She wasn't selfish enough to brush aside the prospect that he might be under the weather because of her.. Though the thought did make her happy, which left her baffled. The fact that he might have gotten sick just to attend the dance with her... was it sadistic for Shiori to feel happy about that?

"Did you guys just get here?"

Shiori nodded her head, looking around the room briefly. She noticed her cousin Tsukiko dancing with Miyamoto, and Gen dancing with the junior named Johnny that she had met on the first day with Yuuki. Shiori's amethyst eyes returned to Rhys and Akira, about to speak, but then Rhys replied to Akira before the words could come out. Perhaps it was for the best. She wasn't feeling especially social where Akira was concerned.

”Yeah, my fault.”

Shiori gazed up at Rhys despite their height difference. She did not blame him for their lateness, considering he was not old enough to have a license. She then shrugged her shoulders in a nonchalant manner, not putting a lot of weight into the fact that they did not appear to the dance in society's idea of a punctual amount of time. She honestly did not care what anyone thought, at least not tonight. Shiori jumped out of her skin when the energetic samurai (Kei) approached the group. She did not know who the boy touching Akira so freely was, but she did not wish to be closer to the stranger than absolutely necessary, and her cautionary step back revealed that to anyone who paid enough attention.

"Wig..."

That is somewhat customary on Halloween... Shiori thought to herself, rolling her eyes. While she had nothing against the newcomer pouting about the wig on Akira's head, he seemed friendly with Akira, more so than even Rhys, so she began to wonder if he had the same affliction as Akira. She couldn't help but laugh however, considering the boy seemed genuinely displeased, almost like a puppy whose ball was thrown over a wooden fence. She stifled her laugh behind one hand, biting her bottom lip to reassemble herself. It was not very polite to laugh at others, especially strangers.

"Watari, Kei. Sorry to intrude, but my date decided to play a vanishing act."

"Kitogawa, Shiori. It's a pleasure to meet you." Shiori responded in a cordial manner. She was not exactly friendly, but she was at least showing her manners. She had repeated those words at so many business dinner parties that they came out somewhat monotone and rehearsed. The boy had not touched or shot an insult at her yet, so perhaps this new encounter would go smoother than most. Then he began gawking at her. Shiori immediately froze. Why is he looking at me like that?! Shiori immediately felt violated, although he had never actually touched her. She had never felt like this before, but suddenly she regretted the costume that Kazuhiko chose for her. She looked to Rhys, noticing his irritation. She immediately used her witch's cloak to hide her body to the best of her ability, clinging it to her body in attempt to conceal her exposed skin. While she wanted to scream at him for his disrespectful gaze, Kei left her alone with her senior, removing Akira from their presence. Well...at least the samurai did one thing right... Shiori thought to herself with a frown on her face.

Shiori checked her phone, which was previously tucked into a pocket conveniently placed on the inside of her cloak. Apparently there was going to be a game played in the dark. The title was intimidating, causing Shiori to shiver. If Halloween wasn't creepy enough, there was an added scare of being touched or groped in the dark! She'd seen games like this played in many manga that she'd read, but she never had participated in any games like this. No way. I am not playing.

”The school assigned me to organize a game of Murder in the Dark. Sorry about this, must be a scholarship student thing.”

"You don't have to apologize for helping others, not to me at least." Shiori responded, not really sure why he felt the need. She wasn't the clingy type, so she did not realize that most girls her age might have thrown a tantrum on their date for having even one moment of their birthday interrupted or inconvenienced. Shiori did wonder where the chaperones were, now that he brought up school. Thus far, she did not see a single teacher in sight. It was extremely...odd... The game sounds scary. I'm not playing, not in a million years. No amount of money could ever make me pla-

”Care to join me?”

She wouldn't have normally thought about it, any other time she would have responded with a firm no.... but that smirk caused her heart to pound in her chest. She felt immediately immobilized. The expression brought her a sense of worry, but it captivated her as well. Did he have a prank in mind using her fear of monsters and being touched? Did he plan to use her jumpy behavior to his amusement? Even so, she couldn't be angry when he looked at her, especially like that, "I-It's better than the alternative. I'll play." She responded, turning her gaze away. She couldn't keep eye contact if he was going to make expressions like that. It was too dangerous for her heart. Looking at Rhys in costume, smirking at her like that, it was an aesthetic assault that her heart could not handle.

---

---

---

---

--A rewind to last night--

Rhys walked silently behind Shiori, his hands in the pockets of his borrowed military uniform costume for some warmth as he escorted her home from the Halloween dance. His brown eyes lingered on the back of her big witch hat and eventually fell down the rest of her form to her heels before he looked away to negate any inappropriate thoughts. It was late, the streets bare of anyone else besides the two of them. All Rhys could hear were their footsteps and the occasional strays causing a ruckus in the distance. He was wondering many things like if she did enjoy the party, if she did enjoy the game, if she had a good birthday and if she was going to get in any trouble with her folks for arriving home late. Gah. He removed his hat and ruffled his hair in frustration. Rhys had no idea how the night had gone for his senior and it was worrying. All he could do was speak up otherwise he’d never know. ”So, was it anything like you were expecting or what?” He ended up speaking in a roundabout way not sure what question to ask first.

Shiori tilted her head up to look at Rhys, her violet eyes blinking a bit in surprise. Her hand quickly claimed her hat before it could fall off of her head, and she squished it back onto her head, the large witch hat almost completely engulfing her entire head, "I've never went to a school dance before, so I didn't have many preset expectations...." She trailed off, changing her gaze to the sky to keep her heartbeat in check. She wasn't the type of girl that could confidently hold eye contact for very long with the opposite sex, even less so with Rhys, which left Shiori puzzled. She wasn't even sure why, "However it was a lot more enjoyable than I would have expected from any school function." She responded her lips curving into a small smile. Then her entire body tensed as she realized the conversation was far too one sided, to be fair she needed to ask him a question, but also it would ease her mind to know the answer, "Etto... Did you enjoy the party..?" She could feel the heat on her cheeks, even before she breathed a single word. She peeked at Rhys as she waited for his response, the sound of their steps being the only indication to Shiori that time was not actually standing still.

Rhys stopped walking when they reached the same corner she had dragged him into hiding before they had left for the party. Her answer troubled him somehow. It didn't seem right for her to not hold any expectations on her birthday. It was her birthday and he interpreted her answer to be detached from that fact, acting like it was not by focusing more on the school event as the main occasion. "It could've been better." He replied, biting his lip in thought.

"It could have been much worse." Shiori challenged his view on the dance, a serious tone to her voice as she responded. She wasn't the best at giving compliments, but she hoped her intention reached him. She had been forced on much worse 'dates' but she had never given them much attention as they were set up by her parents to 'seal' business deals. This was her first date she chose to go on, so it was the only one she was willing to count. Though... She wasn't sure if Rhys considered it a date or not. Was it simply easier to attend with his Senpai?

"Hn how about we switch hats for a bit?" Rhys proposed the idea out of the blue, lightly flicking the top pointy end of Shiori’s hat just enough to attract her attention but not to annoy. He was trying to add in more small gestures and stall for time before parting ways. Rhys wouldn’t let the night end here until he was sure that Shiori could call it a good birthday.

"E-eh..? Switch?" Shiori blinked up at him completely taken by surprise. Why did he want to wear her hat? She shifted her gaze to the ground for a moment, then removed her hat tilting her head up to look at Rhys. Her normally pristine ebony hair was rustled from wearing the hat all night, but she didn't try to straighten it out, instead she offered him the hat, "Alright..?" She replied in a curious but also clueless tone of voice. She accepted his hat and put it on her head, turning her gaze away sheepishly. For some reason wearing something of his was embarrassing, but she wasn't exactly sure why.

After the exchange and putting on her witch hat, Rhys felt a bit silly. There were some children parties where they would put on silly hats so maybe it was somehow relevant and would be enough to get a laugh out of his senior. Instead of the expected chuckle, Shiori seemed to turn away from him in an embarrassed manner. Well, it was good to know he wasn’t the only one even though he did not understand what was embarrassing about a military hat. It was unisex compared to the witch hat he had on his head. Suddenly an idea occurred to him of what was missing from their outing. "The dance could have been better if we actually got a chance to dance."

Her only reply was a single nod as she found herself unable to argue with his reasoning, but it didn't mean that Shiori did not want to assure him that she had a great birthday, the only problem was that she wasn't sure how. Just letting the words spew out would be far too embarrassing, besides, she didn't even know what to say anyhow.

"A dance for the road?" He continued with a cocky smirk on his features under the moonlight. He didn't know it was her birthday in advance so he could not have prepared a gift and he may have failed the escort duty of a date too but he could at least give Shiori this. He waited for Shiori to give him permission to hold her while holding some doubt that she would let him.

As the words resonated within her, Shiori felt her cheeks heat up almost immediately, but she had to do it. After she had worked so hard dancing with Kazuhiko, she had to prove that it wasn't in vain. If she did not dance with him, she would be regressing. She had to move forward, even if it was scary, even if he made fun of her. Besides, he asked her to dance, so... it would be rude to refuse... Kazuhiko would ask if she had danced with her date, and she was quite possibly the worst liar in existence... Besides, a soft, foreign presence inside of her wanted to dance with Rhys. Shiori let out a soft breath and prepared herself, gently placing her jacket on a nearby bench, then her witch's cloak as it would likely just get in the way as it was kind of bulky and made moving her arms rather awkward.

Rhys watched out of curiosity as Shiori moved to the bench, unsure of what his senior was up to until she began removing her jacket. He gave her some privacy looking the other way while she was doing that. He still felt uncomfortable around her in her witch costume even after being around her for the duration of the night but he wouldn’t let it interfere with the dance he offered.

"It is half of what we dressed up for....s-so I suppose... but how? There isn't any music..." She did her best to hide her nervousness, but her heart was practically pounding straight from her chest cavity. She could barely breathe under the anxiety she felt and despite how cold it was outside, her nerves distracted her from the chill.

Rhys turned back around at the sound of Shiori’s voice as a signal that she was ready. He could easily tell from her stutter that she might be confused or nervous at what he had suggested. Heck, he was too but his gut instinct told him this was a good idea and the birthday gift he could offer her to better end their Halloween night. Rhys stepped closer forward, his left hand to gently clasp around hers first before moving his other to politely rest on the curve of her side, closest to the waist as best he could manage. When he was sure he was in the right position to dance, he stared into her violet eyes and said modestly, "As you said, it could be much worse."

Shiori felt her heart finally leap from her chest when their hands met, her violet eyes glancing up at him. Considering their height difference, she did not try to force her hand to reach his shoulder, resting it on his chest instead. She could barely think straight, yet at least in her perspective, Rhys seemed so calm and collected. She both admired and envied him for that exact reason, "You're right." She replied back, averting her gaze for a moment as she felt the heat of her blush becoming too much. She stumbled at first, but for the first time in her life, she was close with someone who wasn't Kazuhiko or her sister. She was dancing, and tomorrow she would blame the heels for her mistakes. Yes, the heels. It was definitely the heels.

---

Collab between Victorant and KaelaKatastrophe

Charm +1 Rhys, Shiori
Athleticism +1 Rhys, Shiori
Popularity +1 Shiori

Rhys watched with a calm expression as the coffee he had just brewed to keep awake after the long busy night was spilled. The hot steamy liquid spread over his left hand and some, somehow ricocheted to his chest being topless after a shower. He was well aware what a normal person would do. They would be rushing to run their hand under cold water, scream a bit at the sting or make whiny sounds. If Rhys was normal, he would probably be swearing incoherently about it right now but I can't feel... He lifted his hand to analyze the burn like it was nothing but an inconvenience before turning around for the sink and letting the water run. Rhys spared one last thoughtful glance at his hand before sliding it under the cooling water. He wasn't in pain but that didn't make it alright to not give a damn about his wellbeing. "I'm running late." he mused, his other hand running through and tugging the back of his brown blonde hair in annoyance. It was not good to be late for a scholarship getting a free ride to one of the best education systems in Japan but there was still hope he could make it living nearby. It was just a walk away and maybe he could make it if he ran.

Rhys ran out the door with his tie loosely hitting against his chest and his left hand wrapped in bandages to hide the unsightly red burn mark. Shit. Fuck. OH FUCK. He continued swearing in the confines of his mind as he ran to cross a street when it wasn't safe to cross, dodging cars that were still in motion at varying speeds. It was comparable to a scene right out of an action film with Rhys' impressive maneuverability and the rain but the drivers were far from impressed. Some of them honked loudly at him, screaming obscenities at the foreigner who was ignoring all the traffic laws today just to make it to school on time. An absence of pain also made it easy for Rhys to be this reckless, focused solely on his goal and number one priority to reach Airdalen. He had a delinquent appearance but cared about his education as much as the top students did. His whole stay in Japan was reliant on his performance as a student. Even as the vulgar words continued to be yelled at him, Rhys ignored them all the way to the school gates. He didn't have the will or time to stick around and pick fights.

Rhys slammed the doors to the auditorium open, his harsh brown eyes scanning the people in the building with some students flinching at the unruly sight of him. His uniform was soaked but not too badly thanks to the small distance and looming shop roofs he ran under that gave temporary shelter from the rain. He exhaled and straightened his posture knowing he had arrived just in time seeing as teachers were just emerging onto the stage. He would have been sorely obvious as a late comer if everyone was seated and quiet listening to announcements. Looking around for a seat while he stood by the door, he identified Gen in the horde and made his way towards her. It was easier than he thought when students did not want to get anywhere near the shady junior, parting like the Red Sea. "Hey Gen." he said, his eyes moving from the pale girl to the guy (Kei) next to her.

The guy that gawked at Shiori? He gave the other junior a stern look out of instinct trying to gauge if he was a pervert or it had been a one time episode. Rhys would keep an eye on him, caring for the welfare of his friends. Shiori and Gen had their innocent sides, making Rhys want to up his guard even more for their best interests. He knew how dirty and clouded a man's fantasies could get. "Yo." he greeted, remembering last night but not acting like an asshole based on a hunch. Rhys had been judged too in numerous circumstances. "We should go get seats." He stated, walking ahead of them and sitting down next to another athletic looking foreigner (Johnny) who was playing the ukelele. It was peculiar to see a student play that of all instruments so Rhys watched the guy play out of the corner of his eye. Not bad. A sophomore girl with long dark hair passed by that he almost mistook as Shiori. Right.. last night. Rhys felt he had accomplished a lot with getting through to his senior, more than he could have expected. In the beginning, it was a scary thought to even brush elbows with the sourpuss but they had danced and taken that photo together. Instead of reading into it more, he wrote the exceptions off as Shiori starting to trust him and he was satisfied with that.

---

---

"Good morning students, faculty, everybody! Please be seated as we start the assembly."
Mrs Kita's feminine voice echoed into the microphone as she fumbled across the stage wearing her standard science lab coat that trailed behind her.

"Please be good... Please sit."
she continued making her request competing with the rowdy students but failing until Mr. Hayashi snatched the microphone from her fingers.



"SIT DOWN AND PAY ATTENTION WHEN WE'RE SPEAKING TO YOU!"
Screaming into the microphone while flailing his arms shattered some ear drums but his reputation as the less lenient teacher arguably out of all the faculty did diminish the chaos into peace. When his job was done, he dropped the microphone into the startled blonde teacher's hands and removed himself from the stage to look for his troublesome nephew. Mrs Kita watched as he left in confusion before resuming the assembly as her duty.

"So today is a special day for all students where we announce the student presidencies! These students have been voted by their peers to be model examples for the rest of the school and lead their respective classes and clubs. It is such an honor!" she clapped her hands together with glee, appearing excited.

"When I announce your name, please join me on stage to receive your presidency badges and deliver a speech so we can learn more about you and your plans or whatever it is you would like to share! It is your moment to stand in the spotlight." She traced her finger down the paper from the podium to read the names.

"Starting with club presidents!"
"Fujioka, Yuuki for the Overachiever's Committee,
Belrose, Aeon for Kyudo Elites,
Giou, Ryou for Basketball Conquerors,
Browning, Rhys for Upstream,
Fukui, Gen for Inryoku,
Hakushiro, Arietta for Showstoppers,
Harigae, Sora for Social Society,
And finally, Kitogawa, Tsukiko for Resonance!"
After every name was announced, the students would clap and some cheer their congratulations.

"Oh my! Some of our chosen class presidents are already on stage so to save time I will also announce this right away and you can make one whole speech instead of two. How wonderful!
Fujioka, Yuuki for female Junior Class President,
Blake, Akira for male Junior Class President,
Harigae, Sora for male Senior Class President,
and Kitogawa, Shiori for female Senior Class President!!!"

Mrs Kita awaited the students to arrive on stage before gesturing them to line up in the order their name had been called, presenting them with a badge to pin on their chests with pride and letting them take the podium.

—

Having not played the instrument often since arriving in Japan, it didn’t take long for him to start botching notes. Though he did a fine job, Johnny knew it was an indicator that he was falling out of practice. Fortunately, with the ukulele stored at school now, he can put some time to playing during times like lunch, or during band club.

One of these days, he mentally noted, I’ll have a full-blown guitar, and it’ll be sicker than Avery’s dad’s treasure. I’ll be a goddamn rock star. The foreigner slipped the ukulele back into it’s bag as soon as someone walked onto the stage. Was it time to find out what was happening here? The rather ‘obvious’ woman who walked on stage almost seemed to whisper into the microphone. Johnny couldn’t tell what the heck she was saying, even if the louder students around weren’t there.

Yo hol’up… colour drained from Johnny’s face as his peripheral vision caught the colour of darker skin. No… Oh shit! the quack was right after all! It can’t be manifesting like this, can it? His relief was immense when he turned his head and registered that the dark-skinned girl’s resemblance was the colour and nothing more. Oh thank fuck! His heart rate had spiked to uncomfortable levels, but was now lowering once more. His face still looked like he had just seen a ghost. He was perfectly vulnerable to the sudden blast of feedback courtesy of the more boisterous teacher who had taken over. The foreigner cringed in pain as the ringing slowly began to fade. He ended up missing the first part of the whispering teacher’s speech entirely.

“When I… name… please join me on… receive… and deliver a speech so we can learn more about you and your plans or… it is you would.” I know I got good hearing all things considered but god-dayum. Johnny didn’t catch all of it, but he managed to determine that this was some sort of anointing ceremony… maybe “anoint” wasn’t a proper term to use. There was no oil jugs to be seen on the stage. Then again, Japan’s very much about tradition and honor and all that jazz, if all those old kung fu movies were to be believed. Maybe there was religious connotations behind everything…? Johnny snapped out of the train of thought when the teacher continued.

“Starting with club presidents!” Johnny understood that one loud and clear. Of course! Class and club presidents, that’s something familiar! Johnny rose slightly in his seat, interested in what the teacher had to say. That meant more names to learn, more people to meet, more friends to make. The foreigner relished that.

Upon Fujioka’s announced name, Johnny whooped very much like a Westerner. Cheering for others just came naturally to the sports-minded kid. A small part of him made the boisterous celebration because he realised he had been pronouncing the name right after all.

On the second name, Johnny once more cheered, though he didn’t quite remember who exactly Belrose was. Belrose, that’s… that’s the guy with the cool hair! … What’s ‘Kyudo’?”

Upon his senpai’s name, the foreigner called “Ryou-senpai!” Johnny whooped once more. His senpai was the captain of the Basketball Team; hardly a surprise. The dude was the only kid Johnny had seen who was taller.

The next announced name was for… something called “up” and “stream”. The foreigner recalled the name from when he signed up for clubs. Upstream, that’s the swimming team, eh? Johnny rose a fist to bump with Rhys. He determined pretty easily that the boy who sat next to him was Rhys, as he was the one who would’ve risen upon the announcement. “I’m feeling good vibes about this team,” Johnny said through that wonderful smile of his.

It was then Gen’s turn to take the stage, as an… “Inryoku”? The foreigner had never heard that term before. OH! that must be the drama club! That thing that I decided against joining. Aw, I’m flaking on my friend there. Shit… Well, maybe if they need some heavy lifting, I could put some time towards it or somethin’… “Gen-san! Whoo! knock ‘em dead slugger!” He cheered, completely unaware of what Inryoku actually is.

As a matter of fact, it was pretty much a given that Johnny’s deep voice emitted a warming, if potentially unwarranted whoop for every name that was called. It really depended on the patience of every individual whether it was obnoxious or not. At the end of the announcement, the foreigner wound up cheering to every announced name with equal, or only slightly varying fervor. Once all the names were announced and everyone mentioned got on stage, the foreigner leaned back in his chair, respectfully quiet. Besides the cheering from before, one would be hard-pressed to think he was a loud American.

The sound of her laughing, it was something that nearly melted his heart. Kei couldn't help blushing a bit when Gen began laughing with him, it was such a simple thing, but a very pleasant sound. It had been so long since he had made a girl laugh that he had nearly forgotten just how nice it felt to be the cause of their laughter. Though he quickly recovered, his fear of being touched by females making it difficult for him to actually enjoy their company to the fullest. Kei began to wonder if Gen was used to chivalry, because the way she looked at him gave him the impression that she was surprised. Or perhaps she's just impressed? He thought to himself, completely baffled by the mind of women. He reasoned that there could have been a thousand different reasons for why her eyes shifted, and as a dude, he would never understand ten percent of those reasons. He accepted that he wouldn't understand women long ago, and he was comfortable with that. A certain degree of mystery made life interesting after all.

"Of course, thank you~"

"No problem, really." Kei smiled warmly, following behind her casually, both hands dug into his pants pockets. He noticed a few people in the room as he followed behind Gen, noticing Akira. He lazily waved to the other boy, but did not miss a beat in following Gen. The white haired boy seemed preoccupied with a vaguely familiar blond (Bishop), the one that dressed as a kitsune if Kei's memory served him right. His eyes also fell on Ryou, one of his fellow bachelors that had been standing outside Himeji on a last minute date hunt. He did not wave to him, seeing as the older male seemed engrossed in whatever it was that he was reading.

"Are you looking for anyone?"

Kei rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand as he thought over her question, his right hand still buried in his pocket, "Not particularly." He admitted in a sheepish tone, though it didn't really suit his [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnC3LAK6q8w]voice[/ur]. After he thought about it, saying that out loud was pretty lame, as it translated roughly that he didn't really have any friends. He could have kicked himself, but it wasn't like he had ever been the type of person to analyze their own words before speaking them, "Everyone else I know seems kind of busy. Mind if I join you?" He asked with a shy smirk forming on his lips after he asked his question. He found himself more content with his words, this time, seeing as it clarified that he had friends that he simply did not wish to disturb. Coming across as a loser wasn't very becoming, besides, so long as she did not actually touch him, his fear would remain hidden from those around him.


"Hey, Gen."

It took him a moment, but Kei soon recognized the approaching male as one of the guys he had met the night before. Rhys was his name, wasn't it? Rhys Browning? His impression with the guy was not in very good standing, so Kei felt a bit on edge, especially as the guy addressed Gen by her first name. So he knows Fukui-Senpai well then... Are they a coupl... No, he wouldn't have been at the dance with that other girl then... Kitogawa-Senpai? I wonder what the relationship is here... Of course, Of freaking course, Kei's curious mind wished to know the circumstances, but his lazy nature prevented him from voicing or acting on his curiosity. Besides, he didn't like people meddling in his affairs, so he felt it was only right to remain out of theirs. Before he could give Rhys any further thought, the taller male's eyes met Kei's. The look he gave him wasn't very friendly, so Kei simply stared back at him with a deadpan expression on his face. Was he challenging Rhys? Of course not, but he did not cower over one mistake either. He knew very well that this had to do with his momentary lapse of judgment at the Halloween dance, but the fact that it was interfering with his school life really annoyed Kei. Besides, it wasn't like Kei was about to explain himself. Oh, by the way, I'm terribly afraid of girls touching me, so I froze when I realized I approached one scantily clad. My apologies.... Fuck no. Kei thought to himself, shoving both hands into his pockets before gazing off into the distance, no longer tormenting himself over his mistake the night before.

"Yo."

"Mornin`.." Kei responded in a casual tone forcing every ounce of his attitude to eradicate itself as he returned Rhys's greeting, doing his part in keeping the peace. The last thing he wanted was to be 'that' guy. He ruffled his hair between his fingers, relieved that there wasn't going to be any conflict so early in the morning. While not entirely ignorant to fighting, Kei just really did not feel motivated or in the mood for a scuffle. In fact, he was never 'in the mood' for such things like some boys were. It just wasn't in his nature, it was too emotionally and physically draining.

[/b]"We should go get seats."[/b]

Rhys had a point, so Kei quirked his head in his direction as he looked to Gen, "Wanna go sit with him, the more the merrier, eh?" Kei shrugged his shoulders a bit after he finished speaking. He wasn't going to avoid the guy because of one incident, that would be dramatic and cowardice. Besides, now that no one was in skimpy clothing Kei felt comfortable enough in his own skin to not make a fool out of himself again. Still, it made him wonder how costumes like that made it past the Airdalen staff... Yet, even more strange, he did not recall seeing ANY of the staff that night. Ugh... He was getting a headache, so he dropped the thought, no longer trying to rationalize what had happened. Life goes on, or some positive shit like that, right?

"SIT DOWN AND PAY ATTENTION WHEN WE'RE SPEAKING TO YOU!"

Rhys glared at the stage, wanting to smash the man's microphone into a million pieces, but he kept his inner rage under wraps. He doubted such actions would sit well with the rambunctious teacher or any of the other staff members. When he came to where Rhys was sitting, Kei stood aside and waited for Gen to slip into the aisle first. While many onlookers might have mistaken Kei's actions for chivalry, it was mainly so he would not risk brushing into her, or worse, her accidentally touching him as she settled into her seat. Of course, he would have done the same thing even before his phobia began, but it was now the motivating factor in every choice he made around women. He did not sit until after Gen made herself comfortable. He claimed the seat next to her and immediately adopted a bored expression as he gazed upon the faculty. He leaned back in his seat, crossing his outstretched ankles before closing his eyes. Whatever the announcement was, it likely had nothing to do with him anyway, right?

"Starting with club presidents!"

Yep.. Totally has nothing to do with me. Kei thought to himself with a silent yawn escaping his lips. He tuned out most of the announcement, but when two familiar names resounded through the room he couldn't help but take notice. One of his silver-blue eyes opened, glancing over to his seating partners.

"Browning, Rhys for Upstream,
Fukui, Gen for Inryoku"

It was just his luck that he would have sat next to two of the students that had to go up front. That meant he would have to move... Why? Why was the universe so hell bent on making him exert himself? Regardless of his disdain, Kei kept his attitude to himself and clapped when Rhys' and Gen's names were called, standing up and stepping out of their way to let the pair exit the isle without struggling to move past him. Rhys and Gen would have to go up front it seemed, so he did not want to brush against Gen if it could be avoided. Smirking a bit he raised his left hand into a thumbs up position, "Congratz, Fukui-Senpai, Browning-San." Kei stated, not overdramatizing the event. It wasn't like anyone had won the lottery, but it was worth giving them a figurative pat on the back in any case. Once they were out, he returned to his seat to listen to the rest of the announcement.

"And finally, Kitogawa, Tsukiko for Resonance!"

He quirked a brow from his seat and tilted his head. Kitogawa? Wasn't that Shiori's last name? He knew it was... Were the two girls related or something? While he knew certain last names were common, he couldn't help but wonder what the girl would look like. She did not come onto the stage yet, a frown forming on his lips. He did not like to be kept waiting. Was the Tsukiko girl absent or something?

"Blake, Akira for male Junior Class President"

"and Kitogawa, Shiori for female Senior Class President!!!"

Kei clapped when he heard Akira's name, letting out a loud whistle of approval as he was one of the only guys that Kei had made a good impression on. Well, he hoped that it had been a good impression. Then Shiori's name came up, reaffirming that her last name was indeed Kitogawa. He clapped but did not dare whistle. The last thing he wanted was to draw unnecessary attention. He was fairly certain that his first impression was not very good with her either.

"My senpai huh? Well senpai, I think you're one to talk. You gave out your first name. Don't you know better?"

Well, that was a response that she did not expect. However, she was not in a situation to let it show that he caught her off guard, "I'd rather not use my family name. I would rather be known for me, not who I'm related to, you know?" Arietta responded, not missing a single beat after her initial shock. His break of eye contact ticked her off, but she refused to display her annoyance. Looking bad because of a stranger was NOT an option.

"So, which schmuck got your panties in a twist?"

Though there was a first for everything, right? Her blue eyes narrowed a fraction of a millimeter, not amused by the 'schmuck' comment. If anyone was such, it was definitely the boy (Rocco) who invited himself to chat, violate her personal space and even insult her. If she did not care about her image so much, she would have already introduced him to her right hook. It was tempting, but she managed to quell her anger, "Why should I tell you his name if you won't even give me yours?" She countered, tilting her head with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, all the while her facial expression remaining harmless and playful. She did not like Tadashi being referred to as a schmuck. Not one bit.

While utterly repulsed that he was flicking water on her, water in the end did not cause any bodily harm. She ignored it, realizing that he (Rocco) was trying to get a reaction. Lightly biting the inside of her cheek, she resolved that she was NOT going to do that. She'd play this game, he'd leave eventually anyhow. It was only a matter of time, she simply had to be more patient than him. While not the most patient in the world, this boy gave her newfound motivation.

"And if you genuinely want my name..."

Arietta tilted her head to meet his gaze, noticing his challenging gaze as their eyes met. She smirked at him for a brief moment at the word 'genuinely', but it was erased from her lips before anyone else could take notice. So he knew? Perhaps that had something to do with his escalating rude behavior? She felt that there was more to it, but it wasn't like she cared. He was already on her shit list. As far as Arietta's perception of him was concerned: She wouldn't be caught dead in his presence a second time.

"-you're going to have to find out on your own sunshine."

"Trust me when I say that I honestly couldn't care less~" she chimed with a giggle. It was always best to smile at one's enemies, at least that's what her grandmother often said. Her friendly expression as she spoke to the stranger (Rocco) threw off those watching, no one seemed to noticed that she was saying something wicked when she emitted such a pleasant aura. When he kept walking, Arietta received a text, waving goodbye to the brunet male (Rocco). She pretended to be occupied with someone more interesting than him on her phone, as if it were an important text, but it was only from her grandmother. No one else needed to know that though!

From: Oba-chan<3

Arie~ Have a wonderful day at school! You forgot your Bento!

Arietta immediately felt a wave of dread. How could she have forgotten to grab food!? Now she was going to be hungry and grumpy all day! However, before she could pout any further, her ears began to bleed, just kidding!! Though they were definitely ringing...

"SIT DOWN AND PAY ATTENTION WHEN WE'RE SPEAKING TO YOU!"

Ugh! I hate Mr. Hayashi!!! Arietta thought to herself. She closed her eyes and counted to ten, attempting to soothe her rage. At this point she felt like hulking out. It seemed like EVERYTHING that could go wrong was today. She just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. At least she would be out this hell and free of her misery. The microphone was thankfully passed to Mrs. Kita, and Arietta let out a relieved sigh. She was fond of the blonde Sensei, whether it was the fact that they both had blonde hair or Mrs. Kita's feminine charm, she was by far Arietta's favorite teacher.

"So today is a special day for all students where we announce the student presidencies! These students have been voted by their peers to be model examples for the rest of the school and lead their respective classes and clubs. It is such an honor!"

"Class president? I wouldn't be caught dead..." Arietta giggled to one of the girls sitting next to her, who nodded and snickered along. The girl wasn't especially bright or beautiful, but she was pretty good at being part of Arietta's posse. The blonde and blue eyed senior absolutely hated being ignored and left out. She was already plotting revenge against the brunet male (Rocco) that attempted to make a laughing stock out of her. While he did impress those second rate girls, Arietta wasn't going to let a tasteless moron ruin her day any longer. She would pay him back ten fold for the annoyance he brought to her morning. That was a promise.

"When I announce your name, please join me on stage to receive your presidency badges and deliver a speech so we can learn more about you and your plans or whatever it is you would like to share! It is your moment to stand in the spotlight."

Spotlight? If it's spotlight they want, they would join Showstoppers. Class presidents are dweebs... Arietta rolled her eyes at the thought, nudging the girl beside her with a grin. No words were spoken, at this point it wasn't necessary. The girl knew exactly what Arietta was getting at just by the look in her eyes.

"Starting with club presidents!"

Well, at least we start off right. If we started out with class presidents the room would die of boredom before clubs were even mentioned. Arietta crossed her legs, waiting to be called up front. This would surely make up for everything else that had gone wrong and possibly reset her morning on a brighter note. Applause always put Arietta in a better mood.

"Fujioka, Yuuki for the Overachiever's Committee,
Belrose, Aeon for Kyudo Elites,
Giou, Ryou for Basketball Conquerors,
Browning, Rhys for Upstream,
Fukui, Gen for Inryoku"

Being the social butterfly that she was, Arietta knew all of the names announced so far. She smiled to herself, happy for those that were chosen. She was glad that she knew all of the club leaders that were listed so far, it would make things easier if she needed to pluck a showstopper from one of their clubs for a little extra grind time on the stage before performances.

"Hakushiro, Arietta for Showstoppers"

Finally, about time. Arietta thought to herself and rose from her seat with a skip in her step, she waved to those who waved at her and made her way onto the stage with a devil-may-care attitude.

"Boo! I've seen prettier."

Arietta mockingly blew the boy (Rocco) a kiss and shook her head and his comment off, standing confidently on the stage despite his jeer. If one guy's comment was enough to shake her composure than she would not have been suited for stage performances. She wasn't going to stoop to his level. Instead she cheerfully but quietly congratulated those already standing on the stage, "Congratulations, Belrose-Kun, Giou-kun, Yuuki-Chan~!" Though her eyes landed on Rhys in surprise. She recognized him from the day before. He was the boy she nearly bumped into and also the one who carried Sora out when he was hurt. She had joined the swimming team to see shirtless guys as the club had displayed during the recruitment and he was the captain.. Wasn't he a Freshman? She couldn't help but be a little impressed. She mouthed the word 'congratulations' to him, seeing as they had only met once, and she did not wish to speak again else she might end up on the receiving end of Mr. Hayashi's frustration. It wasn't HER fault that his nephew was a royal pain in the ass. Why did he always have to be so anal? She proceeded and mouthed the same congratulations to Gen, a warm smile presented to her fellow showstopper.

"Harigae, Sora for Social Society,
And finally, Kitogawa, Tsukiko for Resonance!"

While she wasn't all that familiar with Sora, she quietly clapped to avoid a scolding from Mr. Hayashi when his name was announced and did the same for the next name, even though the girl did not seem to be anywhere in sight at the time. Well, to be fair, Arietta had no idea who she was. For all she knew, whoever Tsukiko was, they could have been sitting in the front row the entire time. When the crowd began clapping, Arietta's lips curved into a genuine smile. She waved to the crowd, glancing to those standing beside of her. She absolutely loved the feeling of standing on stage with a crowd of people cheering and clapping below. It was intoxicating, the best high that Arietta had ever experienced.

"Oh my! Some of our chosen class presidents are already on stage so to save time I will also announce this right away and you can make one whole speech instead of two. How wonderful!
Fujioka, Yuuki for female Junior Class President,
Blake, Akira for male Junior Class President,
Harigae, Sora for male Senior Class President,
and Kitogawa, Shiori for female Senior Class President!!!"

"Congratulations, Akira-kun, Yuuki-Chan, Harigae-San~" Arietta smiled, completely ignoring Shiori as if she did not know her. She knew that girl all too well, but she wasn't going to spoil things by acknowledging her presence. Arietta preferred to overlook those she was not particularly on good terms with. She settled down as speeches commenced, painfully aware of Yuuki's stage fright the second that the girl began speaking. While Arietta only saw Yuuki as a harmless charity case, it did make her feel a little sympathy for the nerdy and socially inept girl. Arietta did her part by clapping and cheering when Yuuki's speech was done. Her attention shifted from the violet haired girl's plight to Aeon's speech. While she was not head over heels for the guy, she certainly understood why others were. She did the clapping that was expected of her, but it was Ryou's speech that really caught her attention. His standoffish demeanor and harsh words left her baffled. The girls begging him to glare at them again was the icing on the cake to his speech. She couldn't help but laugh when he was done, and clapped anyhow despite the cold message he delivered. The popular guys never ceased to bring her amusement, their fan clubs were simply too obsessed for their own good.

---

---

---

---

"Are you done?"

Akira felt a pang of dread. She knew that tone, and she felt very bad for Bishop because she had a general idea of what would happen next. Poor guy... Akira thought to herself, biting the inside of her cheek. She figured that his image of Devone would be shattered within a few moments. Akira would have done anything to protect his naïve faith in Devone because that kind of blind faith was hard to come by. Honestly, Akira didn't want to witness what was about to happen.

"Huh? Uhh, no but- I can... stop."

Akira bit down on her cheek a little harder, growing a bit ticked off. She wasn't allowed to do anything to Devone per se, considering she was 'male' in the eyes of everyone around her, but it didn't mean that Akira didn't want to. If they had met before Akira turned over a new leaf, when she lived in Britain, she would have punched the girl's lights out for being so rude to one of her friends. However, Akira was not the same angry and headstrong girl that she once was, and there was also the fact that she had to keep a somewhat low profile if she wished for her true gender to remain a secret.

"I hope you're satisfied making a complete fool of yourself."

"Oi..." Akira stated, but her words were drowned out by the gossiping around them. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she began to remember why she disliked Devone so much. She's so damn rude!! Why do you have to be such a bloody fucking bitch!? Akira thought to herself as she glared upon 'Ursula' as those around them called her. From what Akira knew of Devone, she felt that the nickname fit her like a glove. While Akira wasn't so sure about the sea part, she knew one thing, Devone was definitely a witch. A royal one.

"Wait... Do you not, recognize me?"

It was painful for Akira to watch the events taking place, as it was very awkward and sad. It was kind of obvious that they knew each other, that or Devone had never had a hug in her life, but Akira felt option A was more likely so it seemed Devone had some other agenda. Why can't she be nice to even her own childhood friend? Akira pondered, completely baffled and annoyed by the older rich girl. After her parents died and Akira's father refused to claim guardianship of her, she did not really need another reason to dislike rich people, but it seemed Devone gave her plenty. Akira wanted to stand up for Bishop, but this reunion did not involve her. She didn't even know where to begin. She hated being useless, especially towards someone she considered to be a friend.

"Let me be clear about one thing, we're not 'friends' and we never were friends. You're gravely mistaken."

Breathless. Shocked. Enraged. Those were only a few words that described how Akira felt upon witnessing Devone's flat out cruel rejection of Bishop. I wish I had someone who cared about me that much, quit taking it for granted. That's all rich people do, though, isn't it? Akira let out an annoyed sigh, staring at Devone with utter disgust. She doubted it was possible to hate someone more than she hated Devone. Though she did wonder why Bishop wasn't angry. Why didn't he stand up for himself? She was making a complete mockery out of him for Pete's sake!

"Wait... What are you-"

This was agonizing to watch, almost like watching someone else's teeth being ripped out with a set of pliers. Akira flinched at Bishop's wounded response, almost shielding her eyes from what she was seeing. He was like watching an abused puppy, always coming back for more, hopelessly devoted to its master despite the abuse it received. It was heartbreaking. She couldn't help but feel like a bystander to this conversation, but the odd thing was that the outsiders were talking more about what was going on than Devone and Bishop were, "Tch... Nothing to see here!" Akira practically barked, vigorously waving people away in an attempt to control some of the damage. The last thing Bishop needed was an audience. Distorted rumors about what happened would be around the school soon enough anyhow. Very few listened and left the scene alone, seeing as Akira was quite short and wasn't very intimidating where her appearance was concerned. She was a small fry 'boy' with a feminine face and a gentle voice. She wasn't scary, not even a little bit.

"So shut up and stay away from me because I have no interest in you."

Akira's fist twitched, yearning to meet Devone's teeth. Her knuckles practically ached as she denied herself the right to punch the high and mighty bitch right in the face. Her steel blue eyes closed, and she counted to ten before she did something she would regret. Devone seemed to bring out the worst in her, but she couldn't hit girls, not anymore. Akira rubbed the back of her neck to conceal from those watching them that her fingers were trembling from anger.

"Ah-....."

Akira finally took a seat next to Bishop and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. She ran her fingers through her short ivory hair and let out a sigh, inwardly hoping her uniform obscured her neck from view, "Man, you just gotta shake it off when they act like that... Girls like that are always stepping on others feelings." Akira explained, closing her eyes as she thought back to the time she had accidentally brought Devone Chili instead of her original order. It was a rookie mistake, but in Akira's defense, she had been new to the language. Akira sat back up after a moment of reflection and smiled to Bishop, "It's her loss anyway." She stated, and her smile quickly morphed into a smirk.

The air around them was thick from the drama that had just taken place, so Akira wracked her brain for a distraction of sorts. After a moment, and one blown gasket in her brain later, an idea finally came to her. It might not work as she planned, but it was better than sitting in the awkward silence any longer, was it not? reach over and lightly began tugged on Bishop's cheek in a playful manner, "Tell me about that wild child you took to the dance, Trander-San! I had no idea you were into bad girls." She began teasing him, hoping it would lift his spirits to talk about a girl that he had better luck with. She wasn't sure how he would respond, but the heavy aura of the room was bringing her down, she wanted to help return the vibe to being friendly and bright.

"SIT DOWN AND PAY ATTENTION WHEN WE'RE SPEAKING TO YOU!"

Akira's eyes immediately found their way to the stage. The teacher was incredibly scary, which was something she figured she would never say in her life. Back home, teachers simply weren't scary, period. She shrugged her shoulders, hoping she would be able to continue her talk with Bishop after the presentation. She did not wish to leave things as they were. Moments like that could really put someone in a state of depression.

"So today is a special day for all students where we announce the student presidencies! These students have been voted by their peers to be model examples for the rest of the school and lead their respective classes and clubs. It is such an honor! When I announce your name, please join me on stage to receive your presidency badges and deliver a speech so we can learn more about you and your plans or whatever it is you would like to share! It is your moment to stand in the spotlight."

....Over my dead body.... Akira thought to herself with a shiver. She never really got along with the class president types back home, so she doubted she would want to take part in such things now that she was here in Japan. However, it seemed that she would have to listen to the announcement whether she liked it or not, so Akira ruffled her hair out of frustration and made herself comfortable. It seemed that they would be here for quite a while. Glad not many people know me well enough to vote for me. I hate speeches.

"Starting with club presidents!

Fujioka, Yuuki for the Overachiever's Committee,
Belrose, Aeon for Kyudo Elites,
Giou, Ryou for Basketball Conquerors,
Browning, Rhys for Upstream,
Fukui, Gen for Inryoku,
Hakushiro, Arietta for Showstoppers,
Harigae, Sora for Social Society,
And finally, Kitogawa, Tsukiko for Resonance!"

Well look at that, Fujioka-chan and Browning-san? Akira briefly met all of the other club presidents as well, all except one. She had no idea who Kitogawa, Tsukiko was. However, she clapped for her friends, calling out Yuuki's, Rhys', Gen's and Arietta's last names with the appropriate honorifics. She was really proud of them. However, she knew that meant that they would likely be busy a lot of the time. She rubbed the back of her neck with a sigh, feeling a bit lonely all of a sudden. All of her closest friends were club presidents aside from Bishop.

"Oh my! Some of our chosen class presidents are already on stage so to save time I will also announce this right away and you can make one whole speech instead of two. How wonderful!
Fujioka, Yuuki for female Junior Class President,
Blake, Akira for male Junior Class President,"

Poor fool... wait...WHAT!? How in the HELL did that happen!? Akira nearly fell out of her chair. She was not prepared for this at all. She stood, absolutely mortified. Had she of known she was going to give a speech today, Akira would have skipped the entire assembly or even the entire day of classes. With a sigh, she realized she would have to wing the speech and make the best of the role she had been assigned. Would this get in the way of her part time jobs? She sincerely hoped not... When she made it on stage Akira applied her pin, glancing to Yuuki and shot her a thumbs up with a goofy grin, no longer feeling as nervous now that she was standing alongside a familiar face.

"Harigae, Sora for male Senior Class President,
and Kitogawa, Shiori for female Senior Class President!!!"

"Oh, wow... Fujioka-chan you were voted class president too? You must be really smart.." Akira spoke aloud, completely oblivious that those around her, including Sora, could hear her. Akira dropped the topic as it was time for Yuuki to speak. The ivory haired girl listened to the speeches, finding herself worrying about Yuuki, awed by Aeon's flawlessness, and a little taken aback by the basketball captain's harsh words. It felt as though there was a wall of ice between Ryou and everyone else, a ten-inch thick barrier of ice. Akira's eyes shifted to Bishop to gauge her friend's spirits, wondering if he was doing any better than before.

"Is it cold in here?"

"No, it really isn't... why?" Akira whispered, trying her best to not be caught. The last thing she wanted was for Mr. Hayashi to come back to scold her for being rude. She was completely baffled by the question, wouldn't Sora have known whether the room was cold or not? She shrugged it off as simply something odd, but it was a curious question nonetheless.

---

---

Rhys rubbed the back of his neck when the announcements went underway hearing name after name. Fujioka… Belrose.. He remembered their names and wasn’t at all surprised. Yuuki did have the studious look going for her already and Aeon, that guy just looked like the posh type and Airdalen was a school for the elite predominantly. Now Rhys wasn’t judgemental and he knew better than that, but their appearances had been on point by the positions they were voted into. Fujioka will be the study group president then? Not bad. Rhys was relieved that he already knew her before clubs began. It wouldn’t be that awkward for a guy with his kind of look to show up then. She seemed like a nice enough girl and one of the few he saw Shiori talk with.

"Browning, Rhys for Upstream."
Rhys stood up from his seat out of instinct at his name being announced but the presidency position only dawned on him by the time Gen also stood up for the Inryoku club. What, really? he was flabbergasted as both a new junior and a new club member who had not yet been given the chance to demonstrate any swimming skill. The guy with the ukulele sitting by his other side rose a fist to bump in congratulations, “I’m feeling good vibes about this team,” Johnny, was it?" Rhys finally recalled his fellow junior from the aftermath with Sora and raised his own fist to bump with the guy. It had been a busy scene with carrying the beaten boy to sickbay that he almost forgot. "Cool." Rhys didn't have much to say in response, still stunned by his new role. He wasn't sure if he could say what he was feeling would match with the description of good vibes. Surprised as he was, none of his emotions leaked into his expression. Some students may have even thought of Rhys as arrogant for standing up so firmly after his name was called like he was expecting it.

"Congratz, Fukui-Senpai, Browning-San."
Rhys followed behind Gen when Kei congratulated them and moved out of his seat to give them more room to get through the aisle. "Thanks." he said for both the courtesy gesture and congratulations. Carrying on his way towards the stage not wanting to be late as more names were announced, Rhys was still confused as heck. What had he done to be offered this role in this prestigious school? He stuck out too much like a sore thumb if people were to gawk and compare him to individuals like Yuuki, Aeon, Gen and the others. His clothes still drying from the rain, his unruly hair and demeanour did not suit what a member of student council should be like. Rhys was confident in who he was and what he stood for but was not delusional.

Well, here I am. he thought when he got on stage and received a badge to wear. That's when time stopped for Rhys with the badge sitting in the palm of his hand. He was a toddler when he was diagnosed with his genetic condition so he couldn't remember all the fuzzy details or the hours of testing that went into it but he heard the story enough to know. It all began with something so small, something so minor as a toddler who didn't know how to handle a badge pin. The object reminded him too much that he was different. Rhys closed his eyes and sighed inwardly. Maybe it wasn't even fair for him to captain any athletics team when he didn't know how to judge pain or limits.

He left his thoughts when his attention was caught by a familiar girl, Arietta mouthing a congratulation his way. Rhys nodded his head to affirm that he had received her message and nothing more. It was probably best not to speak in their presidency positions and risk not setting the best example for the rest of the school. Even as he thought that, there was one person who didn't act with the same mindset. "Both club and class president? I will be kept busy." Rhys turned his gaze slightly further down the line to where the recognizable senior who got beat (Sora) was when he made that comment. The blue-haired guy wouldn't stop yapping and Rhys could only wonder if it was out of excitement, nervousness or something else.

"Congratulations, Akira-kun, Yuuki-Chan, Harigae-San~" Arietta continued congratulating all the way down the line of names making Rhys realize how much of the announcements he had just missed from zoning out. Akira hn? Rhys felt more reassured with a friend of his on stage too. Gen was his friend too but let's face it, they couldn't be any more different. "Thank you, a deserved congratulations to you. You forgot Kitogawa-san." The talkative (Sora) one added in, Rhys a bit startled by the surname mentioned. Kitogawa... Shiori? He would have looked more in their direction to try and spot his senior but the speeches began with Yuuki first up. Rhys would congratulate Akira and Shiori if he heard correctly later.

Rhys listened attentively to Yuuki's speech for pointers but as much as he listened, he learned very little about how to approach his own speech. Talking about studying is different to sports I guess. "Grades are an important part of our lives at this point and studying should be taken very seriously." Rhys inhaled deeply at those words because it stood true to him. He needed to improve his grades to stay in Airdalen and Japan altogether. Even if he didn't share Yuuki's exact vision, he understood the gist of it that applied to his life. The speech over, Yuuki removed herself from the stage but not without leaving an impression to Rhys that it would be good to study under her as the president. It wouldn't have been ideal to join a study group that wouldn't help him reach his goal.

After Yuuki was Aeon and the speech couldn't have been more stereotypical in Rhys' mind. Everyone reacted the way he expected they would towards the senior and the words he spoke was on a different level of formal. If he didn't know any better, he could've sworn it was rehearsed and not the last minute task the rest of them were called up for. "As I begin my term, I shall endeavor to bring an environment where inclusive growth for all members old or new towards skills, camaraderie, discipline, and a state of peace both in body and mind are all possible." Fuck, do I have to say something like that? That specific sentence could be applied to any club making it easy to copy and just use different words but that wasn't Rhys' style. He couldn't pull off the eloquence involved either anyway.

The last before Rhys' turn was a tall guy (Ryou) he didn't recognize or the name might have escaped him. He didn't recall them having a chance to be introduced yet but he gathered he was the president for the basketball team. "Shut up." We can say that? Rhys observed as the senior glared around and looked irritated throughout his whole speech if it could be called that any longer. "If I have to deal with it, I will as the Basketball Captain, but whether you like it or not the outcome, doesn't concern me." Rhys was especially surprised when the crowd didn't react the way a normal bunch of people should react with offense and retaliation. He raised an eyebrow watching as the dark haired male finished descended from the platform. It was unreal. Those three speeches alone were crazy different.

Rhys took his place at the podium upon his turn and looked down at the crowd seated beneath. He never thought it was even possible for a guy like him to be giving a speech to others that were higher in status than him but here he stood. With no preparation and nothing to go on besides what the other three before him said, he'd just have to wing it. He rested his bandaged hand on the podium, the other hand clutching his badge tightly as he got started,

"I'll start by saying thanks. Thanks for voting me, congratulating me and welcoming me into high school life with open arms. No doubt I don't know all of you and that all of you know me but I'm a junior and a foreigner." he paused before admitting with a casual attitude, "And I've never been a leader of anything, I've never been voted into anything and I've never been given the opportunity to prove myself until now." He briefly looked down at the badge he had been given and pinned it promptly onto his uniform blazer. That's right... Moving to Japan and starting fresh, he had to move away from the old and get with the times health condition or not. Rhys had to keep moving forward.

Holding both sides of the podium he declared strongly, "As the new president of Upstream and as Browning Rhys... I will work hard to live up to that title and be the leader you guys need me to be." he concluded, bowing his head in respect the Japanese traditional way before stepping down from the podium to return to his seat. It was a short speech but that suited Rhys most as a generally vague talker. While appearing confident, he still spoke humbly.

---

Popularity +1 Yuuki

Being in shock was a severe understatement for Bishop. His held was tilted down feeling as if Devone had just stabbed him in the heart, twisted it then yanked it out. It hurt, the pain was very real and now a lump was in the back of his throat. It just seemed that things never panned out in it's entirety for him, almost every day at this school something bad had happened to him whether directly or indirectly. Today was much more direct, and sure enough at the start of the day. As the events of what was happening unfolded, Bishop disconnected himself from the outside world. The blonde junior bothered himself with his own thoughts mulling over what exactly had happened. He was confused, terribly confused and conflicted with the recent events.

"Man, you just gotta shake it off when they act like that... Girls like that are always stepping on others feelings." "Yeah...." He spoke reflexively, not really paying attention to what Akira had said. It wasn't as easy for him, Devone was someone he had spent his childhood getting to know and admire. He always felt that their relationship would be able to pick up and continue as if they had just seen each other the day before, that's how it always was in the past. Some time spent away but when their parents found the time and destination to meet, the children would run off without skipping a beat. This was very different than back when. Everything had changed, Devone had changed. "It's her loss anyway." <Is it?> Bishop disagreed, he felt as if he lost a dear friend. He couldn't admit to it though, there was no way that she (Devone) would do such a thing so randomly. That wasn't her, that wasn't the girl that he knew. There must have been a reason why.

A pinch to his cheek flew him out of his spiraling thoughts, the light pain making him look towards Akira seeing her smirk which caused him to blush. "Tell me about that wild child you took to the dance, Trander-San! I had no idea you were into bad girls." He blinked reflecting on his date Skylar, going back to last night. He gave the barest of a smile at the thought. "Ummm.... Skylar-San? Well, yeah she was pretty unique." He had trouble trying to find the words he wanted to use, quite distracted from the episode he had experienced. "We had fun, at the dance. I guess she lives with someone else that goes here?" He didn't get much details that night, everything was happening so fast he couldn't keep up with the girl. He also remembered that he hadn't see her this morning. Those horns were quite unmistakable but they were no where to be found. He grew a bit more depressed thinking that his first ever date was also out of his reach as well. This was not a good day.

"SIT DOWN AND PAY ATTENTION WHEN WE'RE SPEAKING TO YOU!"

And to throw the cherry on top of everything, now the teachers were yelling at him. Bishop sighed looking towards the stage as the faculty began to list off names for class presidents. Fujioka, and Hakushiro were the only names he really recognized. As well as painfully aware that he had no idea who the person was that was the president for 'upstream' the team that he was on a scholarship from. He would be expecting a well seasoned senior, hopefully a senpai that could help him push his abilities.

Fujioka, Yuuki for female Junior Class President,
Blake, Akira for male Junior Class President,"

Bishop turned to his friend Akira watching her very startled reaction to being announced as class president. "Congrats Blake-San. It seems that people believe in you." He forced a smile genuinely happy for her (Akira) but lacked the physical ability to show it. Bishop adjusted so that Akira could make her way
to the stage. He remained in his position near the back of the auditorium, feeling lonelier than ever. Everybody he knew was somebody, but he was sitting in the stands well within everyone's shadow. As the speeches started he opted to not really pay attention, looking down at his hands twiddling his fingers/. "Can this day just end already..." He whispered in English to himself. At the mention of upstream he gazed up to see who his president would be, which was not exactly what he expected. He found Rhys standing up there giving a humble yet earnest speech which left much room to dazzle him. A pang of jealousy sparked in his eyes feeling personally offended. He had been swimming his entire life, earned a scholarship to this prestigious academy that boasted about the scholastic and athletic abilities of it's students. Only to be lead by someone who was popular!?

If this whole mess of a day could be considered a dessert, then this final piece was the garnish of peanuts that topped his shitty-day-sunday. He wouldn't listen to any of the other speeches, crossing his arms as he fought back tears. A painful lump grew in the back of his throat trying to contain himself, which he was managing for the better. <Maybe things won't be different at this school.<

"Thank you, a deserved congratulations to you. You forgot Kitogawa-san."

With a tilt of her head, Arietta hid the fact that she had been found out rather well, her eyes widening being the only indication, but if called for she would shrug it off and claim it was simply her being shocked that she had overlooked a fellow senior, "Did I? Gomenasai~" Arietta chimed as she feigned guilt, even though she felt absolutely none. The apology wasn't really sincere, but she stated it in a sugar coated tone to give it a little authenticity. However, she did not even attempt to mend the 'error', so she couldn't have been that sorry in the eyes of anyone paying attention. Arietta would not congratulate Shiori if her own life depended on it, she stubbornly refused. She pretended to tune into the speeches to get out of extending congratulations toward her worst enemy, hoping that was enough to keep those around her none the wiser. After the other speeches came to an end, it seemed that she was called ahead of time for some reason or another. Gen was supposed to go first, but Arietta really didn't mind. While it added to her nerves, Arietta smiled brightly and approached the mic anyway. She wasn't used to giving speeches, but she figured as long as she was charming and came across as passionate it wouldn't really matter what she said. She would just speak from the heart, because being on stage was what Arietta loved more than anything in the entire world.

"Ohayo~ I suppose I'll be going next. As president of Showstoppers I would like to extend an invitation to anyone who enjoys the fine arts and has a fiery determination to better their acting skills. While it may seem a bit lame to some of you, we in Showstoppers view theater as far more than just a 'club'. To us, it is a way of life, a beautiful portrayal brought together as a masterpiece when we all work together." She paused to smile to the crowd, glancing upon everyone as she improvised what she was going to say next. She had been in the middle of mental preparation moments before, but it was cut short.

The show had to go on however, so she continued speaking, not entirely sure of what she was going to say next. However, the words managed to flow out nicely enough and she through the grace of God was able to speak without stuttering or using the dreaded 'um' and 'uh', "While our doors are open and accepting to all, those who seek to slack off will not remain a part of Showstoppers for long. So, I hope to see the new recruits soon and start some skits, I'll do my best to help each and every actor and actress in Showstoppers. I want to thank everyone who voted for me, have a great day everyone!" Arietta chimed before bowing politely to her peers. She basked in the applause for a moment before calmly retreating from the microphone and returning to her seat. She didn't care what that boy (Rocco) had to say about her now because the cheering and applauding made everything in Arietta's warped sense of reality alright once more.

Arietta settled in her seat, prepared to listen to the rest of the speeches, but Sora's words still rang loud and clear within her mind. She hated Shiori for the sole fact that the ebony haired girl did not fall for her bullshit, and now it seemed that the brunet boy she had met earlier (Rocco), would be a male version of the girl she hated most. No one really knew of her hatred for Shiori as Arietta usually sabotaged the girl from behind the scenes and Shiori was too wimpy to call her out on it or report it. Arietta threw Shiori's wallet in the toilet once, filled her locker with birds, and even rats at one point. All of Shiori's belongings had been chewed up or crapped on the year before, but Arietta had a whole new set of ideas for the new year. The next speech was coming up, and Arietta knew that Sora was supposed to be up next, deciding to pay keen attention to his speech. He never failed to amuse after all. Then her eyes landed on Rhys, he was the swimming captain?? She looked him over, deciding that perhaps the team would at least give her eye candy to look at aside from her junior partner. She felt like some kind of sick pedo every time she let her eyes appraise Bishop. Their roles as senior-freshman partners left him deeply inside of the friendzone, as wrong and as stereotypical as that was. Arietta just couldn't shake that he came across as too young, even though he was the same age as the taller male she was secretly staring at. It felt like a betrayal to Tadashi, but Arietta reminded herself not to get too serious. If she let him in too close, he would discover her secret, then he and everyone else would hate her for all of the lies she's told. Not to mention, if anyone found out that she was bullying Shiori it could quite possibly lead to her expulsion. I have to keep everyone at arms length. I can't let any of them in, it's too risky. What if whoever discovered her secret did not like what they saw? What if her inner demons were too much for them?

---

"No, it really isn't... why?"

“Fujioka-san...” Sora answered with a blank face and eyes blinking rapidly for a few seconds at Akira. He did not expect anybody to reply to his mumblings. “I think you look nicer with pale hair.” he complimented seeing as Akira's hair was not black like it was the other night before watching the next individuals talk.
Sora did not cease rambling his thoughts to everyone present on stage on Rhys and Arietta's turns for their presentations. “I didn't see that coming. Curious.” he said about Rhys when the boy with a stronger aptitude for athletics departed to his seat. “Swimming doesn't require clothing as much so there is that.” he vaguely commented in reference to the younger male's physique. “I'd tap that.” he said easily like it was nothing, his sexuality not much of a secret unless his words were taken lightly.
“More than just a club?” he repeated Arietta's words and rubbed the back of his head in confusion. “What else do they do besides club activities?” It was a legitimate question as Sora believed anything he was told.

"Knock them dead, Harigae-Senpai."

Sora turned around to see Tsukiko winking and giving him thumbs up. “I haven't seen you in a while.” all he managed to say before being guided to the microphone. He stood straight, his fingers lacing around the microphone handle for adjustment but any thought he had to share was cut short by rude rowdy students below. He could hear them bellowing insults about his club, the ASS president they would sing. Through everything, Sora's pristine emotionless expression didn't waver and he spoke with clarity when his thought arrived. “It’s an acronym. Were you not aware? There is no need to disrupt my speech with your perverted thoughts just because you are not getting any action.” It was an uproar, the noisiest students had behaved since the presidency announcements began. Split between a group laughing at Sora's comment and screaming things like, "BURNNN!" "Wow, you got told!" and another group who was accountable for the ASS jokes screaming things like, "BOO!" "WANT TO GET BEAT AGAIN YOU F*G?!" in anger. Sora tilted his head the way an innocent child would completely unaffected by the chaos ensuing. When the noise diminished to whispering tales thanks to the assistance of teachers, Sora would continue on.

“I should talk about Airdalen's Social Society, yes.” he nodded and closed his eyes, placing a hand on his chest at the memories. “Making friends is hard", I always said as a junior but being a good friend is even harder. I didn't know that until I joined the club. Friendship is tiresome, it wears you down and people expect more from you. There is a risk, a challenge, and an obstruction known as fear. A.S.S is a second home to me, a place where that fear doesn't exist simply because we face it every day. Look a monster in the face enough and you realize your fear only comes from a lack of knowledge, understanding and/or experience. But if you face a real monster with form, please don't expect our club to save you like ghost busters but tag me for the photo on facebook. It would be a fascinating study...” The students laughed before he carried on.

“I did not think I would become president for the senior year also. It makes me happy that you thought of me." Then Sora did something he didn't usually do, he smiled with warm fuzzy feelings like a child on his birthday or any festive holiday. The time Sora smiled was short, his thought changing to the next. “Is it because of the cheat sheets everyone is asking me to make? I still won't make any with better access to exam papers or not." Sora was a target for learning material being a top student but he remained well informed of the school rules and valued his education above everything. Studying was his only responsibility and he would not fail that. Having brought up a sensitive topic of cheatsheets, Sora was signalled to end his talk and he did as he was told returning to where he was seated before.

---

[+ 1]Popularity[Yuuki][Rhys][Akira]

"I always thought I dressed very well so your eyes being sore to see me is a conundrum. I also wear cologne to mask foul odours in comparison to other male students..."

Oh no! Why is this happening to me? Shiori wanted to smack herself for the misunderstanding she found herself in. This was not how she wished to start her day at all. She immediately panicked internally, trying to figure out how to fix the insult that Sora mistakenly assumed was directed at him. Apparently, he had not seen the bully... She was very embarrassed by the predicament, a light shade of pink displayed on her cheeks as she stumbled for a solution. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say, but she knew that she had to say something, "No... I..." She was fidgeting as she struggled to find words to rescue her from the situation she was in, as this was a scenario she had not dealt with before. She was not equipped to handle this kind of situation.

"Oh, it's you. I always thought we had something in common. This isn't how I imagined talking to you would be like. What a shame."

This is why I have no friends! Shiori thought to herself, her pessimistic nature taking over. He seemed to be so convinced that she meant it for him. Did he hear about her reputation for being rude and cold? She wanted to curse herself for not apologizing immediately, but that was not easy for her, as her only experience with apologies was toward her mother, and they were never accepted. It never did much to mend the situation anyway, "I wasn't referring..." Shiori tried to explain, but realized Sora had mentioned that this wasn't how he envisioned speaking with her would be like. They had never officially spoken to each other before. She never thought that her classmates paid much attention to her, aside from flat out avoiding any contact with her whatsoever. To know that he noticed her before now did flatter the ebony haired senior quite a bit. Her pink blush immediately turned a dark red as she grew flustered, feeling uneasy in this conversation, and that never went well for her if prior experience was any indicator.

"Also."

True to her nature, Shiori instinctively attempted to shift away when he drew close but was brought to an abrupt halt at the edge of her seat. Before she could will herself to stand up, Sora's face was only an inch away from her's leaving her nervous and frightful, frozen in her seat. Unsure of what he was intending to do, "H-Harigae-San...?" Shiori gave him a puzzled look, though the answer to her question came soon enough, making Shiori feel silly for worrying. Sora did not actually touch her, so Shiori's nerves slowly mellowed out and verbal or even physical conflict was successfully avoided. The last thing she wanted was to make a scene and draw attention to herself, but Sora had put her in a high-stress situation, and if he had touched her in that state her defense mechanism would have surely sprung into action like it had done with Akira during their group selfie.

"There's something on your cheek."

Having no idea that the bully had left a bruise on her, Shiori gently felt the place on her cheek. "Tsk.." She winced in pain at her own light touch, nodding her head and turned her gaze away from Sora. She didn't want to continue this conversation, especially if he planned on asking about her bruise. There were just certain things that she couldn't tell anyone, even if she wanted to.

"He must have a sore throat very often."

Even though she did not respond aloud, Shiori internally agreed with Sora's words. While she typically admired Hayashi-Sensei, she did not enjoy his presence when he was shouting. However, he left shortly after so all was forgiven. She couldn't blame him for having bad nerves considering who his nephew was. Shiori would have died of a stroke if put in his place, she would have died from the stress a long time ago. Shiori managed to zone out during the announcement, for the most part, only to realize that she had been called upon as class president. She knew it had to be some kind of joke, but she stood anyhow. She couldn't sit idly by and ignore her responsibilities, even if she did not feel particularly fond of public speaking. She went up on stage and struggled with her pin for several minutes, missing most of the speeches. Though, for the most part, she wouldn't have paid attention anyway. They were about clubs that she wasn't even a part of.

"I'll start by saying thanks. Thanks for voting me, congratulating me and welcoming me into high school life with open arms. No doubt I don't know all of you and that all of you know me but I'm a junior and a foreigner. And I've never been a leader of anything, I've never been voted into anything and I've never been given the opportunity to prove myself until now. As the new president of Upstream and as Browning Rhys... I will work hard to live up to that title and be the leader you guys need me to be."

At the sight of Rhys, her cheeks immediately flushed, even though he couldn't see her yet. Her thoughts immediately returned to their dance the night before, and Shiori smiled a bit. As Rhys gave his speech, she listened carefully to his words. It wasn't often that she heard him speak that much, and it seemed that he was very serious about being the captain of the swim team. While she wasn't aware of his swimming skills, she figured he would do well, judging by how well he got along with Akira, despite their rivalry.

“I should talk about Airdalen's Social Society, yes. "Making friends is hard", I always said as a junior but being a good friend is even harder. I didn't know that until I joined the club. Friendship is tiresome, it wears you down and people expect more from you. There is a risk, a challenge, and an obstruction known as fear. A.S.S is a second home to me, a place where that fear doesn't exist simply because we face it every day. Look a monster in the face enough and you realize your fear only comes from a lack of knowledge, understanding and/or experience. But if you face a real monster with form, please don't expect our club to save you like ghost busters but tag me for the photo on facebook. It would be a fascinating study... I did not think I would become president for the senior year also. It makes me happy that you thought of me. Is it because of the cheat sheets everyone is asking me to make? I still won't make any with better access to exam papers or not."

To her surprise, Sora's speech strung a chord. She understood what he meant about how hard it was to make friends, but unlike him, she couldn't face her fears so easily. She found herself often crippled by them, and other times pushing others away to avoid being hurt. He ended his speech talking about others trying to persuade him into aiding their endeavors to cheat on exams, glad that he publicly stated he would not take any part in helping them. She would really would have hated keeping a tedious eye on her fellow senior class president.

"My name is Kitogawa, Tsukiko and it seems that I am going to be the president of Airdalen's Music Club, Resonance! I would like to say that I am very honored and that I will do everything in my power to help everyone reach a beautiful pitch whether it is instrumental or vocal. While I mostly consider myself to be a vocal artist, I've dabbled with many string instruments. I look forward to making beautiful music with you."

As her cousin gave her speech, Shiori listened very carefully, trying to figure out what caused the sweet little girl that Shiori used to know to dye her hair and become this obnoxious person. While Shiori didn't know any of that about her cousin, it didn't explain much. Shiori tried to remain composed when Tsukiko made a creepy flirtatious reference. Shiori wasn't sure what 'making music together' meant, but the wink assured Shiori that it was something perverted, but she was too clueless to fully understand. The last thing she wanted was to be associated with that attention hog. Tsukiko was no longer the same girl that Shiori had spent a majority of her summers with. What happened to you, Tsu?

"So.. I'm Blake, Akira... and I plan to do my best to not let the Freshman class down, Thank you for believing in me, I hope to be a fair and just class president."

That was....short... Shiori thought to herself in disbelief. She couldn't help but wonder why someone as energetic and outgoing as Akira wouldn't have spent more time on the stage, but she let it go. She wasn't in any position to rate someone else's ability to speak to an audience. Soon it would be her turn and she had no idea what she was supposed to say. What was everyone expecting? Was this some kind of well-organized prank? Surely no one wanted her in a leadership position.. Or maybe they did? Did they think they'd be able to push her around better than other possible female class presidents? When she was waved to come forward, Shiori felt eyes on her. She wasn't sure if it was really -her- or the bruises on her cheeks, but she spoke up before she lost her nerve, "Kitogawa, Shiori.. I will do my best as your class president, and will try to make this a safe environment for everyone. I value the rules of this school, I will not bend them for you. Have a nice day." Shiori stated in a stern voice, her defense mechanism on hyperdrive now that everyone's eyes were on her. She gave a formal bow before removing herself from the stage and taking her seat next to Sora as she had before, "Now that we're class presidents, we need to be on the same page. The 'eyesore' statement I made earlier was not meant for you. We don't need that kind of misunderstanding in the air. The person I was referring to left before you noticed him." She definitely wasn't apologizing, her rude defense system keeping her from explaining herself properly.

Gen would look between the two men in her company, Rhys and Kei sharing a gaze exchange for whatever reason as it was unknown to her. All she could gather was that the two were already acquainted. It wasn't too surprising with them both being juniors but there was a hint of passive aggressiveness. Rhys greeted them both before suggesting locating seats to which Kei agreed, "Wanna go sit with him, the more the merrier, eh?" Gen acted clueless, smiling with an innocent look about her. "Sure darling~" It did trouble her what could be going on between them but for the moment, they were at least making an effort to be civil. She couldn't say the same about her approach towards Aeon or anyone she detested for that matter. Gen wouldn't be able to hold it in for too long without exploding.

She smiled a little brighter as Kei's gentlemanly manners continued to their seats, allowing her to sit in the middle. Although, it was probably for the best with what little observation she had of them interacting. She carefully brushed her uniform's skirt under her bottom before sitting down with her hands folded neatly over her lap. Her purple eyes found their way to her taller male friend Rhys, observing that his uniform wasn't in the best state as a result of the rainy weather. "Do you have a spare uniform to change into? You might catch a cold." she said worriedly but before she could receive a proper response, the assembly was in session.

There was nothing particularly unusual to Gen about the Airdalen announcements from the mathematics teacher's senseless yelling to the names being announced for presidency positions. Gen had to restrain herself from sighing aloud and voicing her real inner thoughts when Aeon was undoubtedly elected. How such a hollow man had earned fans and respect was exceedingly an annoying reality for her. Although a word would not pass her thin lips, her crucifix eyes said it all. She hated that man on stage. If looks could kill, he would surely be dead. She pondered on what her father would think of her if he discovered her newfound hatred for one of his employers.

She straightened her posture further when she heard her name being called out as president for Inryoku. As a senior, she was already aware that she was elected but hearing it announced officially still gave her chills. Her junior self would be proud of how far she had come from the 'cursed girl' to the 'charming popular' she had become now. Kei gave her and Rhys the thumbs up moving out of the way for them to proceed to the stage, "Congratz, Fukui-Senpai, Browning-San." Gen automatically turned to look at Rhys, having somehow missed the announcement on his election. "Congratulations Rhys!" she said pleasantly before returning her attention to Kei as Rhys walked ahead. "Thank you, dear~" she briefly bowed her head in appreciation before walking in a giddy fashion towards the front, not noticing the male audience whistling in the background for their charming Inryoku hostess and not noticing that she had called her newly met junior by the fond nickname dear.

Gen returned the congratulations with a whisper when she noticed Arietta's by the time she joined the stage. Much like her fellow showstopper, Gen also shared a love for the stage but no two people are the same. She wasn't entirely sure what Arietta's reasons were for loving performances but Gen had a love for theatre that defined her. On stage, she could be whoever she wanted to be, live whatever life she wanted to live and for a brief moment, get swept away by a fantasy of a world beyond reach. It was her passion, her escape, her ideal dream that would play out until the curtains were closed. Whenever her two dainty feet crossed the wooden floorboards, Gen would feel confident that in this moment in time she had a role to play and that the show must go on. It was as if she was an integral part of something bigger, something more. As she glanced around at the presidents called forward on stage with her, that sense of happiness still resided within her. Her happiest times had been on a stage much like this one.

Before she could get too lost in her thoughts, a teacher had called her aside and she hesitated. Gen's insecurities began to build up and she started to question if she was about to lose her position. A wave of relief washed over her when she walked behind the stage curtain to receive a familiar folder. A lot of relief. It appeared she was going to receive a new junior and her previous junior had left the school. Reading the ID and staring at the photo clipped to the folder, she didn't recognize Rocco but would be happy to take him under her wing. Her previous junior had been a disaster. Maybe lady luck was being kind?

Gen returned to standing under the stage lights but she had missed a few speeches. Not wanting to be rude or disorderly, she decided to stand at the very back of the line to wait for her turn. It meant she would be going last and her speech would be the freshest in everyone's minds perhaps adding to the pressure of her role but she stood firm albeit tensing up inside. Come now, one must be used to these things if running a club! she encouraged herself to think optimistically right up to the point she had approached the microphone. Gen didn't have any words prepared and it was a little hard to think of some when her host club customers were egging her on. She understood they meant well but the little insecure voices in her head were messing with her.

Gen cleared her throat, "Ohayo gozaimasu~ My name is Fukui, Gen. As the last person to speak, I would like to extend congratulations to all of Airdalen's newly elected presidents. It is an honor to be Inryoku's president and to have the opportunity to work alongside all of you in the future. I look forward to it." she bowed her head gently to show courteous respect.
"To the Inryoku in-waiting and potentially interested members, I implore you to remember that it is our duty to cater to the needs of our clients first and foremost. You must be prepared to adapt, listen and keep an open mind. While most clubs will focus on team or personal growth, Inryoku focuses also on observing the growth and wellbeing of others. You have to be willing to give more than you take, to invest in others and smile when times are tough to keep morale at Airdalen up. If you experience difficulty in these areas, you are more than welcome to chat with me and join us still if you are open to learning on the job." she paused, her eyes lingering on the familiar faces in the crowd. It helped her calm down a bit and regain her bearings.
"And to our customers or those looking for even the simplest of pleasures be it coffee, tea, a warm glass of milk or a bit of lighthearted conversation? I invite you." Gen smiled with her pearly whites and when the applause was over, descended from the stage with her head held high. While her expression and poise didn't betray her, her heart did as it continued to beat in an almost painful consistent rhythm. *sigh* I hope I made the right impression on those who don't know me yet.

She returned to her seat, opening her mouth slightly about to ask maybe either Rhys or Kei how her speech went because she wasn't confident in the last minute task but decided against it. It wasn't the right time and she didn't want to make her insecurity obvious. The day was just not that much easier when she lacked beauty sleep. Her body felt tense and heavier than it normally would.

---

---

STAFF


"Wonderful!"

Mrs. Kita picked up the microphone from the podium and slowly moved across the stage while poking her chin in thought, almost forgetting what was to happen next until the bell rang.

"Oh alrighty! I almost forgot to announce our Halloween best-dressed winners Argyris Cassiopeia and Miyamoto Kazuki! As a reward, you two will be dining for free at any restaurant of your choice for lunch today! Yay~! Everyone else also please enjoy your break and dismissed!"

—

“He’s so cool, glare at us more!” Johnny had no idea what the many girls were cheering for. Riou-san was a cool dude, but he didn’t really see what made girls so… oddly lustful. They reacted like the Beatles fangirls in their prime. Ryou didn’t strike Johnny as John Lennon or anything. If anything Ryou only had larger muscles, and was technically overweight. If it was an issue of muscle, The foreigner had a far more defined physique, not unlike Bruce Lee. He didn’t imagine the girls were swooning at the curves of biceps and strong jawlines.

The annoyance Ryou clearly displayed reminded the foreigner of Roger Waters, when he spat at fans trying to climb the net shortly before he came up with The Wall. The Wall… Hmm… Perhaps there was something bothering the foreigner’s senpai? Johnny hadn’t considered that before. He made a mental note to ask about it at an appropriate time.

I’m feeling excellent about this team, Johnny noted to himself regardless. Just like the swimming team, the basketball team is led by a righteous dude. The foreigner knew he’d be a valued asset, but he won’t be relied on. That’s only what a boy as strong and fast as Johnny could ask for in terms of challenge. Being the positive thinker like he wanted himself to be, Johnny did not hold the annoyed attitude of his senpai against him. After all, like a lot of the Japanese language, there’s definitely something the foreigner was missing.

A lot of Fujioka’s and Belrose’s speech was lost on the foreginer, for they used a lot of bigger words than was normally required for an everyday conversation. It was clear they were both intellectuals, and in the case of the silver-haired dude, an elite. Johnny wondered if they knew English fluently. In this day and age, English and Mandarin would be required languages to function in the high-end global markets. Fujioka seemed like one who would be striving for a global market. Belrose probably is part of a global market already.

Gen’s an elite, isn’t she? At least, she carried herself like one. Johnny’s eyes rested on Gen’s for a moment, and he gave a thumbs-up. He had no idea what ‘Inryuko’ was, but the foreigner knew a cool cat like Gen would do very well if she was president. Of course, he had no actual knowledge of her credentials. Being the dumbass he is, he always trusted that “gut feeling”. Maybe if he had the time, he’d go to find out what ‘Inryuko’ was. He imagined it was something like a chess club, or sewing club. Considering how well-dressed she usually was, maybe it was the latter?

Being an American, he reacted as respectfully as any American would when a girl like Tsukiko flaunted what Avery called “the goods”. With a sharp whistle he produced when he put two fingers to his mouth. For a moment, he legitimately forgot he was in a different country with a different culture. Soon enough, he caught himself. Fuck! Too late, though… dumbass… There had to be a reason for his sudden American antics. This isn’t his old home… but something triggered memories of home.

That dark-skinned girl. His flash of seeing a ghost, hanging with his friends, skateboarding, B-balling, B-boying, everything he and the other guys did on account of the ghetto having no computers. Well, there were the ones in the library, and Avery eventually got his own courtesy of his music shop parents having a good few months… but… I gotta leave it behind, he thought as his eyes glazed into that thousand-yard stare.

It was a full thirty seconds before he realized the state he was in. He shook his head and returned his attention to the assembly. Unfortunately, he had missed what he thought was Tsukiko’s speech entirely. Some friend I am… I’ll have to talk with her later, he vowed to himself. He did notice something… off… as she left the stage very unlike her usual exits from old youtube videos. Maybe it’s part of her cover? She is a bit of a secret pop star… I think… Man that’s just a reasoned assumption all things considered…

His mind focused on Tsukiko because his concern for others was all he had to get rid of the thousand-yard stare. Living in the ghetto taught him that the world was cruel. Being the top athlete in school taught him he needed to be an idol, something others aspire to be like. Airdalen would be the school where the foreigner learned to become the best of the best. The students around him will see him shine yet. That performance at the clubs was only the beginning.

Now properly hyped, he was just in time to cheer on the blue-haired boy who had been punched-up just yesterday. His cheering was interrupted by jeering from other male students down by the front row. “Hey come on, let the dude spit,” Johnny’s deep voice pierced the jeering and booing. Where he’s from, “Spit” meant “speak”, or rather, “rap”, in the context of a rap battle. He huffed as he remembered he was supposed to be speaking Japanese. “Let the man speak,” he corrected himself in the technically native language. Those who did turn around, who were not already silenced by the teachers, would see the tall, muscular foreigner giving a stern, yet kind look. Every one who got a look at the gleaming, piercing emerald eyes immediately turned back and kept relative silence. They then whispered things to each other the foreigner couldn’t catch. “Holy shit that gaijin looks scary up close,” was basically what they did. “You hear his sloppy language? Fuckin’ roided out, I bet. How’d a dumbass like him get into this school? It’s a disgrace… Defending that guy though... you don’t think he’s gay?”

Sora’s speech in general was blunt… and oddly focused on himself more than the goals of the club. Considering the response of the ruder students, perhaps there was a reason for it? Was it stage fright, or was that nasty hit from yesterday beginning to take the long-term toll? The foreigner eyed Sora closely, watching for any tell-tale signs of some sports health problem. Shivering hands, or slight spasms. None of the sort happened, at least, not from Johnny’s perspective.

Good vibes, Johnny, good vibes, he relaxed a little in his seat as Sora left abruptly without signs of lightheadedness. Tsukiko was then the next one up. Oh! I didn’t miss her speech then! he thought, but wait… whose speech did I miss? Johnny whooped when Tsukiko finished her speech, and pumped a fist in the air. “Yeah! Music Club get hype!” Evidently, he did not know the proper Japanese term for “hype”, so he wound up whooping that in English. His doofy, yet genuine grin would hopefully translate the gist of what he was saying. He did not catch on the innuendo.

The other students, however, couldn’t possibly know that. “Get a load of this jackass,” the students down in front whispered in regards to the foreigner, if only for a second, so they could return to enjoying the view of the very attractive pink-haired girl.

I get the feeling those dudes aren’t friendly…

Next up was the dude who took one for the team yesterday. He seemed really chipper all things considered. The speech was short and concise, the best-case scenario for someone who at-first seemed to be suffering from a little stage fright. Johnny caught the lip-biting. How could he not? Still, a Junior class president, that would be a lot of responsibility, maybe too much for the foreigner, given all the stuff he has to go through. Also, Akira being announced as the Male junior class president made the foreigner confident that his betting money was already hard-won. If only he had voiced the bet to others. He’d probably have… like… twelve hundred yen or something… That’s like, four sodas… or a six-pack in the sales section.

Next up was Tsukiko’s... cousin? Family member in general, that much Johnny knew. Something was wrong… Last time Johnny had seen her was in a well-made witch costume. Last time Johnny saw her, there was no odd markings on her cheeks. Johnny’s eyes widened as he recognized the markings. Fingers… pinching tight, with a vice-like grip. Whatever caused that very likely had an effect on the poor girl’s speech. It was concise… but also sharp as a razor, mechanical and cold. “Who…”[/colour] he wondered as he could make out the bruises he imagined not many would recognize, as he saw her eyes almost… retreat. [color=darkgreen]Another bully in this school? Not in this school… Not in this place that accepted me. I’ll… I’ll… No… no she wouldn’t want that. Kitogawa-san probably told the teachers. They probably figured it all out out. Calm down. This isn’t America… but still…

“It’s starting to feel like America,” he hummed low. His thoughts were vanquished when Gen-san stepped up to the plate with her own speech as the president of the thing called “Inryoku”. Her speech was crisp, well-worded, and formal… and that meant the foreigner couldn’t register all of it. However, compared to the last few speeches, Johnny knew it was incredibly competent. He pumped a fist into the air with a cheer. As Gen returned to her own seat, Johnny leaned a little to speak, “Great speech, Gen-san!” he smiled. It didn’t matter that he didn’t understand all of it.

It was then that the ditzy teacher returned to the microphone. Johnny still had no idea what she taught, or even if she had the capacity to maintain the focus to teach. However, the announcement was made, two names were mentioned, and a well-learned word “Lunch” was mentioned. Johnny slung the ukulele over his shoulder, over top of his backpack, and turned to the ones who were with Gen. “Hello,” he greeted as he repeated the same Japanese phrase he always used to introduce himself. “My name is Johnny Farelli, but you can call me Jay.”

Gen +1 Popularity
Tsukiko +1 Popularity

"Thanks."

Remaining outside of the isle, Kei stuffed his hands deep within his pockets rigidly, "No problem.." He stated in an unceremonious fashion. He let out a yawned after Rhys continued on toward the stage. Kei really wanted to take a nap, but he highly doubted he'd be permitted to take one anytime soon. Perhaps he would be able to sneakily doze off a little if he chose a seat at the back of the classroom? It was worth a shot. He was far from being a scholarship student, so he could quite literally 'afford' to be caught slacking off. He wasn't sure if Airdalen was like his last school, but he assumed any school's silence could be bribed with a generous 'donation' from his parents. Kei didn't even put his own clothes in the laundry basket at home, so he concluded that money could solve most of his problems. He was a bit of a reckless spender when his trust fund was involved. His family had more servants than they knew what to do with at times and he had a lot of money to blow. If his parents could hire so much extra help, what did it matter if he misused his money too?

"Thank you, dear~"

Massaging the back of his neck and averting his gaze was all Kei could manage without making a fool of himself. Her cutesy nicknames were really starting to embarrass him, quite apparent due to the pale shade of pink forming on his cheeks "You....You should get up there or you'll lose your spot.." he reminded Gen, though she practically skipped off right after the words left his lips. Kei was left standing there perplexed and a little flustered, wondering how the hell he ended up in this situation. Did she even hear me? ...Doubt it... He mused to himself, shaking his head before sitting back down. She seemed like a nice girl, but that was the dilemma... no matter how nice Gen was, she was still a -girl-... He couldn't allow himself to become associated with girls too much. If she were to ever... He didn't even want to think about it. He didn't want to freak out or hurt her, even if it were only her feelings... Not to mention he was pretty sure he'd have that guy, Browning to deal with if he ever did anything that made Gen upset. He couldn't blame him if he did, but Kei really wanted to evade such a hassle if at all possible.

"I'll start by saying thanks. Thanks for voting me, congratulating me and welcoming me into high school life with open arms. No doubt I don't know all of you and that all of you know me but I'm a junior and a foreigner. And I've never been a leader of anything, I've never been voted into anything and I've never been given the opportunity to prove myself until now. As the new president of Upstream and as Browning Rhys... I will work hard to live up to that title and be the leader you guys need me to be."

Kei watched Rhys like a hawk through his entire speech, gauging his personality. He wanted to know what kind of guy his fellow junior was. He was starting to get a general idea based on how pissed Rhys seemed to get when he was around Rhys' female friends, but there had to be more to him than a protective guard dog. He seems rather strong-minded and driven.. likes sports too it seems... Though that only made Kei scowl. He honestly wished that they had met under different circumstances. He had a feeling he could get along with this guy if he didn't have his phobia. It always seemed to find ways to make living his life difficult. He missed out on numerous opportunities due to his problem. Though after losing his sister, he was terrified of growing close to girls. They were so...delicate, emotionally and physically in many ways. He could not handle losing another girl close to him, so he pushed them all away instead, too afraid of being left behind to pick up the pieces again. He stood outside of their isle again when Rhys came to return to his seat. Kei was completely zoned out, completely enamored by his own thoughts. However, when his eyes caught the motion of someone else he managed to move almost robotically out of the way. Kaiya... Kei thought to himself, clenching his fists. He knew he couldn't think about her here, so he let out a sigh and drove the thoughts out of his mind and back behind the little red door to his subconscious. It wasn't until a few minutes after Rhys sat down that Kei started to come back to reality. He blinked over at Rhys, only vaguely remembering him returning to his seat, "Nice speech." Kei declared awkwardly. He knew that the guy one seat down from himself was not particularly fond of him, but not without good reason. He didn't really give Rhys a great first impression to assess him by... Kei tried his best to think of a valid defense because the truth wasn't easy to admit, "I didn't see that girl at first, so I was kind of caught off guard when I did." He didn't want to say anything too incriminating, but he could tell the truth a little, right? There was an abundance of guys in the world who weren't exactly 'smooth' with the ladies. He could play himself off as just a little socially incompetent, and everyone could move on. At least that's what Kei hoped would happen. Born and raised in Japan, Kei found it very challenging to reveal bits of himself or explain his actions. Japan was very reserved and telling personal details usually required a lot of trust building, "So... I guess I'm trying to say that I'm sorry for being 'that guy' at the party. I'm normally not that big of a loser." Kei mumbled, barely loud enough for even Rhys to hear, letting out a sigh. He wasn't sure if it would pave over any of their tension, but he had to try before Gen returned. He couldn't apologize in front of an audience, no matter how small. It was terrible enough saying this to just Rhys.

"So.. I'm Blake, Akira... and I plan to do my best to not let the Freshman class down, Thank you for believing in me, I hope to be a fair and just class president."

Oh, it's Akira-Kun... How many of the speeches did I miss? Kei mused to himself, wondering how long he had been zoned out thinking about Kaiya and explaining himself to Rhys. Although he couldn't hold back a snigger when he realized just how short Akira's speech had been. Kei cupped a hand over his mouth to at least respectfully muffle the noise, but to anyone around him it was obvious that he was considerably entertained by the boy's stage fright, "I can't say I could do much better in that situation I guess..." Kei smirked to himself, vocalizing his thoughts aloud. He was overjoyed that he wasn't the leader or captain of anything. If he had been voted class president he would have beat his head into the first wall he found in his immediate vicinity. He did NOT want to be in charge of anything, whatsoever. Kei cherished being a part of the background. It was much easier to live with his phobia when ninety percent of the female population was unaware of his presence It also made hiding his freakish phobia from the rest of the public that much easier. Kei lowered his head and ran his fingers through his shaggy black hair, trying to disregard everything around him for a moment. The past two days had been so stressful, all he wanted was a moment to himself without anyone watching, judging, or expecting anything from him.

"Ohayo gozaimasu~ My name is Fukui, Gen. As the last person to speak, I would like to extend congratulations to all of Airdalen's newly elected presidents. It is an honor to be Inryoku's president and to have the opportunity to work alongside all of you in the future. I look forward to it. To the Inryoku in-waiting and potentially interested members, I implore you to remember that it is our duty to cater to the needs of our clients first and foremost. You must be prepared to adapt, listen and keep an open mind. While most clubs will focus on team or personal growth, Inryoku focuses also on observing the growth and wellbeing of others. You have to be willing to give more than you take, to invest in others and smile when times are tough to keep morale at Airdalen up. If you experience difficulty in these areas, you are more than welcome to chat with me and join us still if you are open to learning on the job. And to our customers or those looking for even the simplest of pleasures be it coffee, tea, a warm glass of milk or a bit of lighthearted conversation? I invite you."

Inryoku in-waiting? What is that...? Clients...? Kei was left baffled for a moment, despite growing up in Japan. However, it did not take him very long. After a minute he immediately grew wide eyed. She's President of a H-Host club?! He really couldn't believe it, but he had heard of such things before. While he didn't want to believe the girl on stage was a hostess, it was starting to make a lot of sense. She had a certain charm about her. A shiver ran down his spine just thinking about what that kind of club would entail, D-Dangerous... Kei mentally stammered. However Gen began to her way back to her seat long before Kei had recovered. The charcoal haired boy kept his gaze off of her, his cheeks turning a pale shade of pink as he stood and took a side step to grant Gen plenty of room back into the isle. Thankfully, when he sat down the bell rang and there was one final announcement, removing his thoughts from Gen's extracurricular activities.

"Wonderful! Oh alrighty! I almost forgot to announce our Halloween best-dressed winners Argyris Cassiopeia and Miyamoto Kazuki! As a reward, you two will be dining for free at any restaurant of your choice for lunch today! Yay~! Everyone else also please enjoy your break and dismissed!"

Am I supposed to know who they are? At the mention of food, Kei felt his stomach rumble. Even though he ate breakfast with his mother, Kei was very passionate about food. He would NEVER skip a meal, he was very religious about his mealtimes. The shaggy haired boy removed his boxed lunch from his bag, looking over to Gen and Rhys, about to ask them if they wanted to eat together. It wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't alone with Gen, right? Though before he could utter the first syllable, someone else chimed in.

“Hello, My name is Johnny Farelli, but you can call me Jay.”

Kei vaguely remembered someone of his stature dressed up as.. "Luigi.." Kei spoke his thoughts before he could stop himself. He wasn't entirely sure if this was the right guy, because he wasn't well acquainted with anyone at the school yet. However, Kei was fairly certain he was the same guy. If he wasn't, in Kei's defense the guy who addressed himself as Johnny did look a lot like him, "Konnichiwa, I'm Watari, Kei. " Kei's Japanese was flawless, but such was to be expected of a local. Kei then felt his stomach rumble again. Soon he knew others would hear his stomach growl if he did not appease his appetite, so he sat cross-legged in his seat and opened his bento, "Itadakimasu~!" Kei chimed, undoubtedly the most excited he had been all day. He slowly ate from the bento that the Watari family's chef had prepared. Kei's manners as far as eating was concerned were befitting of his economic status, despite his casual method of sitting.

"Wonderful! Oh alrighty! I almost forgot to announce our Halloween best-dressed winners Argyris Cassiopeia and Miyamoto Kazuki! As a reward, you two will be dining for free at any restaurant of your choice for lunch today! Yay~! Everyone else also please enjoy your break and dismissed!"

When lunch was announced, Shiori reach for her bag to retrieve her bento, only to catch a glance of the boy that had put the bruises on her face, Takumi, Kyo. Normally she would have remained right there in her seat and ate lunch, but she wished to avoid her tormentor for the duration of her break if at all possible. The dark haired girl quickly slipped the strap to her bag over her shoulder and stood. If she left now, she was confident that she would lose Kyo in the crowd, "I will see you when classes begin, Harigae-San." Shiori bowed politely to say her goodbye and scurried off into a crowd of people. Sure, she chose the easy way out and fled the scene from the bully instead of being a role model and facing him head on, but what was she supposed to do? Her normal tactics did not work with Kyo. He was a bully, and the Takumi family was one of the Kitogawa family's best contributors. If she didn't hold her tongue every now and then, it would only hurt her father in the end. She couldn't treat him with the same unfiltered rudeness she handled Akira with two days prior. I hope he doesn't see me.. I can't even see him. Everyone standing around me, they're so tall...

Shiori let out a nervous sigh, weaving through the crowd wasn't easy when food was the motivating factor. Shiori was relatively short and did not weigh all that much, so compared to larger students, namely the males she was easy to shove around. Shiori managed to escape the horde, escaping to a calm spot just in time to notice Gen and Rhys. There were two other males. The first male she was familiar with. His name was Watari, Kei and she would have liked to avoid him for the rest of her life if at all possible. He had gawked at her during the Halloween dance. She wasn't sure why, but she wasn't fond of being stared at by strangers for any reason whatsoever. The second male, she did not know at all. The unfamiliar male student was a tall brunet (Johnny), taller than most male students at Airdalen for sure. Shiori wasn't sure if anyone in the group noticed her presence, but she turned her gaze away from them all, taking a step forward, but there were so many people moving about that it prevented Shiori from evacuating in a timely manner. The bruises on her cheeks were a distinct shade of purple now, and the last thing she wanted was to worry her junior. Can people please move?! He's going to ask questions. He always does! I don't want him to worry about unnecessary things.... Shiori practically pleaded in her head with the crowd, but everyone was moving at an absolute snail's pace. She let out a soft, annoyed huff. Apparently her new role of class president did not immediately remedy any of her problems, nor did it grant her any special treatment from her peers. In fact, she felt more invisible than ever. Shiori placed one hand on her hip, facing the exit. Perhaps if she didn't make eye contact, no one in Rhys' group would recognize her? Shiori gripped the strap to her bag nervously, dreading the conversation that would commence if her junior partner caught on that the bruises on her face were a result of bullying.

Though... if I didn't bump into Takumi-san... It would have been nice to have lunch with Browning-San... Shiori thought to herself, her eyes softening as she stared downward. However, even without the bruises, how was she supposed to even request something like that? Did Seniors usually eat with their Kouhai? She wasn't really sure, but the more she thought about it the more a dark blush began to consume her entire face. STOP! I can't think about this... It's too embarrassing! Shiori scolded herself, shaking her head side to side. She felt really pathetic. She wasn't even sure what was socially acceptable. Would he think less of her for her social ineptness? So far he was the closest she had ever been to making a friend since Kazuhiko, yet she always found herself worrying that with one fell swoop she could ruin it all. What would she do if she screwed this up? She would have to see him every day for the rest of the year... She wasn't exactly the world's best when it came to apologies. In fact, she was possibly the worst.

Arietta was the next leader to speak on behalf of the Showstoppers club as he sat down. He remembered the blonde senior from their brief encounter in gym class but because of the fight that broke out, he wasn’t able to get to know her better. Showstoppers? Sounds like something Gen would be into. At the thought of his friend, his brown eyes noticed that she wasn’t anywhere to be found on the stage after he left her. He hoped that she was alright. She should be fine. She’s not alone here, it’s packed. Rhys was one of the few mindful of his friend’s debilitating phobia, making him the go-to guy after her close roommate moved out. They were polar opposites in some ways but their friendship was built upon secrets. Trust and respect were qualities that were bound to come out of such arrangements.

"Nice speech." Rhys nodded over when he realized Kei was speaking to him. He didn’t have anything to add and he wasn’t sure if it was well meant. Rhys didn’t hold an opinion on his own speech. The condition of being called up suddenly to talk in front of a prestige school was daunting. He had just delivered the best he could. It was all he could do really. "I didn't see that girl at first, so I was kind of caught off guard when I did." The next words Kei had to say over the unoccupied seat between them during Sora’s speech were more surprising as he tackled the issue head on. Rhys couldn’t fault the guy for picking up on that, it had been weighing on his mind and mildly showing through his attitude towards him. He directed his eyes back to the front because he was the Upstream president and didn't want to be caught socializing in between passing speeches right after receiving the role but he planned to respond when he had finished hearing Kei out and when everyone else was distracted enough. The opportunities were endless with Sora and Tsukiko's speech creating a ruckus in the auditorium for various reasons."So... I guess I'm trying to say that I'm sorry for being 'that guy' at the party. I'm normally not that big of a loser."

I hear ya. Rhys thought, slouching into his seat a bit more but keeping his eyes firmly set on the front while recalling Halloween night. He was caught off guard too seeing Shiori over and over again in that witch outfit. The more he saw her wear it, didn't make him any more immune to it. It was the same as seeing her dressed that way the first time but unlike Kei, he had more self-control in keeping himself in check. Was it wrong for him to expect other guys like Kei to behave like him? Maybe. And maybe growing up with his mother had taught him to show more regard for women. "That girl's name is Kitogawa, Shiori." he corrected. Rhys was not comfortable with labelling his senior as simply 'that girl'. Even though he managed to reply and not ignore Kei, Rhys’ body was positioned to face the front the whole time still like a soldier who didn’t want to break formation. "And it's her you owe an apology to but thanks for owning up to it." His voice was serious yet sympathetic. If Kei was to apologize to Shiori and if she were to forgive him, then so would Rhys. He wasn't the one wronged and was just defending his friend. It didn't sit right with him to forgive someone on account of someone else.

Discretely listening and taking to Kei had resulted in him missing out on not just Sora and Tsukiko's speeches but part of Akira's too. He had only caught the ending, "I hope to be a fair and just class president." Rhys felt guilty that he had missed it but brought his hands together to give the guy a deserved applause. Akira was currently his closest male buddy in Airdalen and he was happy that he got the class president position. It didn't hurt to be friends with the one in charge and put Rhys to ease that he wouldn't be bossed around by a snobby elite. It also appeared his ears heard correctly before, eyeing his senior Shiori who was next to address the student body about her new position as senior class president. Rhys wouldn’t admit it but he was alert to the fact that they had been each other’s dates last night and it was hard to view someone the same way after that. "Kitogawa, Shiori.. I will do my best as your class president, and will try to make this a safe environment for everyone. I value the rules of this school, I will not bend them for you. Have a nice day." It was abrupt and stern. It's just like her. he thought, not surprised even a little. She seemed to value responsibilities immensely, expressing many times over that he himself was also part of the procedure as her assigned junior. Rhys was curious how she landed the role. She didn’t come across as a socializer or on good terms with her classmates overall. Heck, she barely had sound conversations with him and he was pretty sure they spent most of their time together since the first day. Maybe they’ve realized what I’ve realized about her? It was naïve to hope for but a possibility. Rhys was slowly but surely being introduced to Shiori’s world behind the walls she put up.

Gen was the last to speak soothing Rhys concerns that something might have been wrong. He listened attentively, admiring her way with words that he lacked. ”You must be prepared to adapt, listen and keep an open mind. While most clubs will focus on team or personal growth, Inryoku focuses also on observing the growth and wellbeing of others. You have to be willing to give more than you take, to invest in others and smile when times are tough to keep morale at Airdalen up." Rhys knew right then and there he didn’t stand a chance if he was ever planning to join Inryoku. He couldn’t smile on demand just like that, especially when he was pissed off. He’d sooner introduce someone to his fist before they could finish reading his name tag. Arriving in Japan the fights were rare but some were picked here and there due to his physique that made gangsters try to challenge him. Rhys never started a fight for no damn good reason but it had proven to be hard to avoid and start fresh altogether away from his roots. It had been a year since his involvement in a real fight not including Sora's predicament so things were looking up. Heck, he had practically forgotten all about it. According to him, it was already history.

The teacher's ending announcement was disrupted by none other than, "MIYAMOTO KAZUKI!" That name was being screamed out too often since Rhys started attending Airdalen High. The dark-haired, blonde-streaked senior was hogging the attention whenever he was around. Rhys didn’t have any beef with the delinquent besides that one time run in but that was yesterday and if they stayed out of each other’s hair, everything would be fine. Cassiopeia and Kazuki eating together? Best of luck with that. He hadn't spoken with Cassiopeia lately but he remembered her and her uptight companion Aeon well enough. He assumed that Aeon would be the one dealing with the concerns there so Rhys easily shrugged those thoughts aside. “Hello, My name is Johnny Farelli, but you can call me Jay.”"Konnichiwa, I'm Watari, Kei. " "Yo Jay, Browning Rhys." he quickly gave his name in the event the guy hadn't caught it from his speech already before turning his attention to his friend Gen to respond to her earlier question. "I don't have a spare but it's alright." He patted down his uniform from his chest to his stomach for emphasis. "Almost dry." Sometimes he could swear Gen acted like a second mother or sent by his mother to watch over his health.

He clasped onto his knees relaxed, looking around at the group he was a part of in this moment. Kei was cross-legged and eating his lunch in front of them that was a tease to Rhys' stomach. He had skipped breakfast to make it to the assembly on time with just a cup of coffee. It was keeping him awake but not safe from hunger. "Damn, that looks nice." Rhys said openly about Kei’s meal as he got up from his seat, rubbing the back of his neck and thinking about heading to the canteen before spotting a familiar figure with black locks of hair amidst the crowd. Rhys wasn’t sure how he recognized Shiori that effortlessly but it didn’t dissuade him from approaching her. She wasn’t too far from the group so Rhys didn’t leave a parting message to the others. If they needed him, he was in their sights. “Kitogawa-san.” He called out to her before his short walk could be in vain if she decided to move to the exit.

Rhys wanted to congratulate her, ask her if she could send him a copy of last night’s photo of them together for his ma and maybe see if she had any plans for lunch but all those thoughts disappeared in an instant. Rhys’ mood disappeared in an instant. Rhys didn’t notice it before when she stood at the podium because he wasn’t situated that close to the front but now that he was faced with the bruises, he was shocked. Rhys kept rewinding how this could have happened to her but no knowledge he had was doing him any good. He had escorted her home last night and she was safe but this morning she clearly wasn’t.
He opted for silently inspecting the purple bruise on her cheek in the meantime, cupping her chin with his fingers slowly and gently caressing her face. For the first time since he had met her, he was far from worried about how she would react to him initiating physical contact. He had to make sense of this and if he was right or mistaken. While his touch was soft, his scowl grew more menacing by the second. He didn’t understand how this could have happened but he had been in enough fights to know this bruise was a result of something more than being clumsy. He figured out how the bruise was formed like a puzzle when his fingers fitted as he suspected.

Fuck! Rhys removed his hand from her face and turned his back to her trying to collect himself but he couldn’t do it. He turned around again and slammed the wall with his bandaged hand overwhelmed by anger. Rhys had transitioned from a gentle giant to an angry brute in seconds. He waited for the people around them to lose interest at his outburst which wasn't hard with lunch at stake before continuing, “Who?” He breathed out quietly but angrily, his eyes meeting Shiori’s gaze with a firm sternness. His heart was beating heavily like an animal rattling in a cage. He needed a name and a face. Rhys wasn't going to let anyone hurt those dear to him. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this angry.

---

Popularity +1 Shiori, +1 Gen

Johnny admired the food present in the unfamiliar box. “That looks actually pretty appetizing,” Johnny said as he produced his own lunch box from his backpack. It was a tin decorated with the album cover of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. The box itself had been dinged, dented, and a fair amount of the finish had been worn off. Despite all that, the unmistakable prism and rainbow light were apparent. Inside the lunch box was a banana, two granola bars, and a juice box. The containers and wrappers were covered in Japanese symbols, none of which Johnny understood. He determined which ones were the ones he wanted during his first month of orientation, practicing his speech as he checked the nearby stores.

“Luigi,” Johnny heard the familiar name. “Yes, that was me,” he replied in Japanese as he peeled the banana open. Much of his verbal tics were lost when it came to speaking a foreign language. There was no word for “Yo” or “mayne” or “whuddup”… At least, none that Johnny knew about yet. "I'm surprised you recognized me, it was kinda dark in there, wasn't it?" he continued in English, as he didn't know the word for "recognize" yet. His jolly demeanour may seem very jarring to any prudes who had seen him rip his own shirt off the night before.

As he took a bite from the banana, Johnny took note of the unusual chime that Watari-san had made before digging into what Johnny imagined was a delicious variety of foods. “Itadakimasu,” as well as the gesture that accompanied it, reminded Johnny of a Christian friend of his, where his family said grace. The foreigner committed the word or phrase to memory, for he imagined it would be required as part of his cultural integration.

Browning-San and Watari-san, Solid names. Browning seemed distinctly un-Japanese, was Rhys a foreigner like himself? His language and look seemed to imply at least partly a foreigner. Certainly more than the distinctly Italian-looking teenager. "Pleasure to meet you guys," Johnny grinned as he once more spoke Japanese. "Going to be a great year, I can feel it in my bones."

The soft grunting of a girl escaping the oncoming sea of students caught Johnny’s attention. He then realized that it was the girl that had been on-stage, the one with the bruises. He was about to gulp down the bite of banana he had when Browning-san moved up and called her name. Kitogawa… that’s… So they are family, Johnny confirmed, thinking of Tsukiko.

He was not surprised to see that Rhys was the first one to move forward to inspect the bruises. The foreigner’s sharp eyes had seen them as each others’ dates last night, and even a foreigner knew the concept of personal space between couples. Even so, Johnny was curious to find out who had delivered the abuse. If anything, he wanted to make sure Rhys’ suddenly dangerous look didn’t go too far. Johnny didn’t want another Sora in the nurse’s office. He’d have to ask Browning-san later if a name was given. He turned back to Watari-san and Gen-san.

“Gen-san,” Johnny’s deep, natural, yet friendly growl penetrated the noise of the mass of students passing by them, “I gotta ask, what is Inryoku? I actually didn’t understand most of your speech...” he chuckled as he scratched the back of his head in mild embarrassment, “… But it sounded really cool!”

"Kitogawa-san.”

Just when Shiori felt she would finally be able to break through the wall of students, a familiar voice kept her glued to where she stood. She couldn't pretend she didn't hear him even if she wanted to. C-Crap... Shiori thought to herself, well aware that the situation she was in wasn't very good. If words were the source of cryogenics, Shiori would have been frozen solid at the sound of Rhys' voice. Shiori knew it was only a matter of time before he caught a glimpse of the bruises on her face now. Shiori released a quiet sigh to prepare herself for the impending conversation about her abuse before he was in earshot.

With more than a little hesitance, Shiori lifted her head to look at him when he was within range for descent conversation, "Konnichiwa, Browning-san. Is there something you need?" Shiori nodded her head instead of bowing, as there wasn't enough room to take her usual and traditional route. Her gaze was curious more than anything, but she was not unaffected by their date either. She could feel her heart thumping violently inside of her chest. Shiori witnessed as realization swept away his original expression. She immediately felt a pang of guilt form in her gut, wishing she would have covered the marks with concealer and foundation. This was the scenario she wanted to avoid most of all... Shiori tensed when he went to speak, but no words came out. As bad of a sign as that was, she was kind of relieved that he didn't ask anything. What was she supposed to say? Averting her gaze for a moment, Shiori attempted to gather her thoughts. What would she say if he asked her how it happened? Excuse! I have to come up with an excuse! Shiori glanced around trying to form a legitimate excuse before he asked the question she was dreading more than anything else. I could blame it on Hiroharu...? Is that something ten year olds normally do on accident? Will that only make things worse...? This is a time when I need Kazu- No! He would probably only make things even worse... He'd tell father for sure.. Shiori felt as though there were billions of knots in her stomach at that moment. How was she going to explain this without lying flat out to Rhys' face?

While she was aware that blaming her ten year old brother was not the answer, Shiori knew that any other answer would like cause Rhys to worry unnecessarily. However her mind went blank when she felt his skin make contact with her chin. A surprised gasp escaped her lips and her violet eyes grew wide. Breaking the touch barrier was something that Shiori had not anticipated would happen at a time like this... Her first reaction was to smack his hand away, as she was not mentally prepared and was freaking out all while attempting to process what was happening. Her panicked hands that were more than ready to shove herself free hesitantly lowered without conflict. She managed to keep herself from shoving Rhys away, but it was difficult to remain standing in such a way. Her cheeks began to burn a bright shade of red and she was unable to make eye contact. Anxiety built in her gut as she wondered if she would be able to keep herself in check. As his fingers passed over the bruises on her face, Shiori flinched silently. Thankfully, just as she jerked herself away from him, Rhys let go so it wasn't as rude as it could have been. Their well timed parting masked most of her defensive behavior. However after what happened with Kyo, she was a little more than reluctant to being touched by anyone at the moment. Her nerves were still on hyperdrive.

Unable to handle the unplanned contact any longer without exploding, Shiori's gaze finally returned to looking up at Rhys. However, the only sight she had was that of his back. When his hand made contact with the wall she instinctively tensed. Out of everything she suspected, this was beyond anything she managed to picture in her head, "Y-Your hand is hurt...!" Shiori stammered, her words shooting out quickly to remind him, wondering if he was too worried to realize or if he just didn't care about it. She wasn't sure what happened to his hand, but a bandage wasn't the best sign. Shiori glared at anyone who dared to stick around. It ran a few off, at least the ones who knew her reputation the year before.

“Who?”

Breath hitched in Shiori's lungs, how was she supposed to tell him that? Shiori immediately turned her gaze away, "Takumi-san's father donates a lot of money to my Father's hospital." Shiori admitted. She felt her hands trembling, her fists clenching in an attempt to steady herself out. If she revealed his entire name, if she ratted on him, it would only lead to trouble down the road for her father. She didn't want to become a burden on the only parent she gave a damn about, but she didn't want to lie to Rhys either, "It's no big deal, I pulled away too hard when he told me to look at him, it was my fault." Shiori tried her best to brush it off, blaming herself instead. As angry as Rhys was, she didn't want to make things worse, she couldn't let him get in trouble on her account. Shiori extended her hand out for his sleeve, glancing away after she felt the fabric inside of her hand, "A lot of sick people at the hospital depend on that money, they depend on me tolerating that vermin. My hands are tied. Without that money..." her words were soft and concise, but as she tried to even imagine how the loss of donation would affect the hospital, she didn't want to even think about it. What if someone died just because she upset that arrogant punk?! She already accepted that she had to live with whatever mistreatment she received. It was the only reason she didn't lash out harder against that particular bully sooner, as she had always done with any of the others. Shiori let go of his sleeve, as physical contact wasn't her specialty. She couldn't bring herself to beg Rhys to calm down, even though that's exactly what she wanted to do, "Oh! Uhm, I don't believe I sent you the picture from last night... Etto.... It sent." Shiori quickly stated, pulling out her phone as a distraction, hoping it would be enough. She wasn't very sure if it was good enough, but she quickly sent it as a message to him on Facebook. Shiori wasn't afraid of Rhys when he was angry like this, but it did worry her a great deal. He was her junior, it was her responsibility to keep him out of trouble. As far as his rage was concerned, Shiori was used to witnessing bouts of anger thanks to her mother, but the difference between the two that kept her at ease was the fact that his anger was not directed at her. W...why is Browning-San so angry...? No one had ever been angry when she came home with bruises aside from Kazuhiko, and she believed that to be simply because he was paid to protect her. She wanted to ask him, but she was certain it would spark him further. She looked around for another distraction, but it wasn't like she was familiar with doing things like this.