Airdalen Academy

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"No person is an island as they say
I truly believe in that very much
That's why I'm glad I have met you
And I'm about to have a new friend."
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◄Cassiopeia is completely oblivious from the looks she was receiving from the other students whether it came from the boys or the girls. She entered the hall and all eyes were immediately on them or on her. The seniors knew her very well while the freshmen were in awe of her appearance. She was like the very model of what a princess from a fantasy world should look like which earned her nickname, Pink Princess, but popularity, reputation and things like that didn't matter to her at all. This is would be odd, since she's one of the popular girls or even daresay the most popular in the academy. She's very social which at times can be overbearing which she doesn't mean to. That's why Aeon is very helpful in those areas just like earlier, reminding her to take a step back, but she's still well-liked for she's a very genuine person which makes it very hard not to like her.

The seats were mostly occupied and the ones where they could all sit together was at front. "It's a good thing we made even if it's barely..." She said with a bright smile, since they're not late. There's no questions about where to sit from her point of view. She followed Gen's lead and sat beside her with such elegance for very little effort. Clio finally reached its mistress and landed on her lap with it's ears flapping. "There you are Clio!" She greeted it which happily replied. "Clio made it!" That's when she noticed that Kazuki was on the same row as them. He was actually Gen's seatmate. "Hi Kazuki-kun!" She greeted him with a smile and then looked at his nose in delight not minding that the band-aid she placed was gone. "It seemed to be better now. Does it still hurt?" There's concern on her eyes, but her attention shifted when the program finally began.

She looked at the projector screen and had that wide-eyed look on her face. It was priceless in a very adorable way. She had never met the principal before. He looks to be a very nice and cheerful man. She would like to someday meet the principal in person, because this is a wonderful school where she has so many fond memories and will continue to make more for this year. The speech was wonderful and when it ended she clapped her hands not only for politeness but because, she liked what she heard from the principal. It was then Ms. Araya's turn who told them that the seniors are to come up at the front to pick their folders which contained their freshman partner or for the other word junior.

She was very excited about this and can't wait. "I'm so excited to know who will be my junior! Are you excited too, Gen-chan? Kazuki-kun?" She asked the two and then looked at Vika. "I wonder who's your senior partner going to be, Vika!" Cassiopeia was in full glow of excitement as she then looked at Aeon. "This is so much fun! Isn't it?" Clio supported her as always. "Fun! Fun! Clio agrees!" She then smiled happily as she stood up from her seat while Clio bounces at her side again and went to Ms. Araya. "Good morning, Araya-sensei!" She greeted the teacher and then took her folder. "Thank you!" She looked at the ID attached at the front. "Wow... So pretty... Look Clio, don't you think so?" Clio bounced higher to see the picture and spoke in agreement. "Clio agrees! Clio agrees!"

She happily returned to her seat to show her the others her junior partner. "Look everyone! Look Aeon! She's very pretty! She's my junior!" She showed the junior's picture proudly to Gen, Kazuki, Vika, and Aeon. That's when Clio interjected with a very well-timed fact about her junior partner. "Clio! Clio agrees pretty boy! Pretty boy!" She had a startled expression as she looked at Clio in question. "Eh? Boy? Isn't she a girl? Akira... Blake?" Clio answers. "Boy! Boy! Clio reads boy!" She looked at the ID again and there's the gender which stated male. "Oh... you're right... A boy..." She nodded and the burst into a smile. "Well, he's very pretty for a boy! So cute!"

That's when she hugged the folder closed to her chest. "I'll be looking for him then! Wish me luck okay? I'll see you all later." She happily waved at them and then went on her way as she looked around the hall. "Hmm... Clio, do you see him anywhere?" Clio continued to bounce happily and then its eyes began to blink red in affirmation. "Clio sees! Clio sees!" Cassiopeia brightened at this info. "Where!? Clio show me the way!" Clio did so as it bounces towards Akira while some of the students moved out of the way and looked at the bouncing pink ball in surprise and curiosity while Cassiopeia followed behind. Clio soon was in front of the junior partner (Akira), bouncing with zest. "Clio found pretty boy! Clio found pretty boy!"

"There you are Clio! Oh! You found him!" Cassiopeia was now behind Clio which bounced towards its mistress in pride. "Clio good! Clio good!" She lightly giggled at this. "Yes, you did good Clio." That was then she noticed another presence, this was familiar to her. "Arietta-chan, good morning!"She greeted her fellow senior with a bright smile. She didn't expect to see Arietta and was happy that she did. "How was your vacation? I wish you had lots of fun." She asked with a sincere smile, then she looked at her junior partner (Akira) and the others present there (Bishop and Mai). "Are one of them your junior partner, Arietta-chan?" She asked and then introduced herself to the freshmen. That should be common courtesy. "Hello and good morning, everyone, I hope you're enjoying Airdalen. My name is Cassiopeia Elegy Argryis." She introduced herself with such a natural sophistication similar to that of princesses without any effort while Clio bounces happily at her side in which she gestured for it to come which it did.

She was now holding Clio as she presented it to them. "This is my friend Clio." Clio happily introduced itself. "Clio! Clio's name is Clio! Nice to meet ya!" She then looked at her junior partner with such kindness. "You must be Akira Blake, right? I will be your senior." She showed the ID picture on the folder. "See? It's a pleasure meeting you and everyone as well." She smiled at them kindly and without a hint of anything except for sincere friendliness.

“Oh thank goodness,” Johnny breathed in relief. Was his lack of skill in the language that obvious? He suspected so; it would be unusual if he was, in fact, skilled in Japanese after a month of reading his dictionary. Odder still even with some notes from a father who hasn’t been near the country since said father was a child.

Johnny was about to continue with the conversation, ask questions about the ‘word on the street,’ when the video feed flashed into existence. He silenced himself as he saw the image of an older man with very laid-back attire, not unlike a modern hippie.

The principal? Johnny thought. He looks like no principal I’ve ever seen.

The principal spoke in Japanese. It was Johnny’s ultimate test for the day, to identify as many words as he could, and discern a meaning from them. There was the introduction, where “Dr. Gorou Endo” fit in the typical place for a name in an introduction. Johnny also caught the words ‘welcome’, ‘seniors and juniors’. He caught very little on the encouragement for the seniours, For the bit directed towards the juniors, Johnny caught something about “meeting new friends”, as well as “exploring new possibilities” and “continuing.”

Continuing, Johnny thought, Yeah… I know I need that, man.

Almost as quickly as it happened, Johnny blinked away the thousand-yard stare. He missed the closing statement of the speech, but he guessed it would been a repeat of “welcome back”, followed by “Have a great year”, or something like that.

Johnny determined that it was a typical “welcome, or welcome back, to school,” speech that he heard in Jr. High thrice before.

A very lovely-looking teacher rolled up the projection screen before standing at the podium. Johnny couldn’t help but notice a familiar-looking set of eyes, as if she knew things she preferred keeping under wraps. Johnny knew that gaze well, so he easily identified it. The teacher did a hell of a job hiding it regardless, and she delivered her instructions as professionally as he usually does.

Johnny caught ‘folders’, and everything about how the “juniors should remain seated”. He did catch something about ‘team names’ and ‘partners’. Partners? As in year-round partners? Forming teams that run throughout the year… Johnny felt a sort of giddiness in his stomach at the thought of the idea. Teams… friends and rivals… pushing him to be the best he could be.

Moving, he was certain, was a good idea after all.

Team names, though… Johnny kinda hoped for “Wolverines”. Red Dawn, if anything, taught the foreigner how awesome a war cry that word made. Way better than “Eagles”, or “Cheetahs”.

The blonde girl said “Sayonara”, which was a common enough phrase for Johnny to understand.

Johnny nodded and replied, “See ya.” in his more native language. For a second, he watched as the blonde locks waved behind the girl. She was certainly easy on the ey-

Wait, no. That's impolite. Damnit. Johnny willed himself to relax, if only for half a minute. The one who remained taller than the foreigner approached. “Johnny Farelli?” came the fellow giant’s first words. “I’ll be your Senior, Ryou Giou.”

Now that Johnny got a good look, he noted the slick black hair, the long face with the strong jaw, and the silver eyes that hid only the details behind an obvious darkness. With a little work, they could easily look like twins. “Charmed,” Johnny replied in his deep, almost smooth jazzy voice as he stood and extended his own hand. His own grip was practically identical to Ryou’s; strong and firm, but not overbearing. His lean fingers were lightly calloused- especially by the fingertips. That made his hand feel stronger than it already was.

“We’ll be…” Johnny glanced down at the folder along with Ryou. Apparently the team name was written on the folder. Ryou continued, “Cheetahs.”

Cheetahs… Johnny returned to his previous thoughts. While Wolverines would make an awesome war cry, the animal itself did not seem to represent them. Wolverines were small, yet savage and cunning. Cheetahs were lean and fast- both were values that encompassed the foreigner better. Back in his previous schools, he was easily twice as fast as the next-best athlete. It was practically a given which team would win before the team picks were even finished.

Johnny waved off the offer for another name, “It’s all good, dude. Cheetah’s fine by me.”

Ryou announced and handed Johnny his schedule and map. The map seemed a little complicated, especially with a few glyphs he couldn’t read (ie: almost all of them) but he could tell from the images where he was, and which rooms belonged to which building. Thank goodness good old universal numbers were used. “If you have questions, ask away.” Ryou added.

Johnny was glancing over his schedule as the offer to answer questions came up. “Nah, I’m good man,” he said as he looked up to meet Ryou’s eyes like a polite Junior… or… was eye contact not proper in Japanese culture? Or... wasn't it Chinese? Is that aspect even similar? Crap, I didn't think this through.

The sudden uncertainty made Johnny look away, where he then spotted the blushing girls sneaking glances at the two giants. A smirk formed on his face as he stifled a light laugh- if only to hide his earlier uncertainty, and the thousand-yard stare that comes with it. “Jeez, I didn’t think I’d get such looks so soon,” he quipped before glancing back to Ryou. Johnny knew with Ryou being the senior, the girls were probably looking at Ryou more than Johnny. He reached out and patted the slightly taller boy’s shoulder. “ Hey, if you need a wingman, I’m your guy,” he said with a wink and a white grin, completely unaware that Ryou had a very personal and troubled past. (God what a douchebag, Johnny is.)

Johnny often played wingman to many a friend in Jr. High. This would be the first time he played wingman to someone almost as fit as him, and slightly taller. The notion sounded pretty slick... unless that's not how Ryou rolled. Damnit...

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+1 Popularity to Arietta
+1 Popularity to Ryou

“Bullshit-”

"It's not like I arranged for it to happen, I thought it was strange also." She replied in a distant tone, crossing her arms over her chest, her head held high in a pristine manner. Shiori wasn't really sure what he was referring to, considering she never participated in a lot of cussing, but she immediately felt threatened by it. The fact that Rhys was far from being 'just average' looking didn't make it any easier for Shiori to make harmless and polite conversation with him either. When she took a chance to peek at his reaction, Shiori noticed the shake of his head, and that Rhys apparently wished to retract his statement, so she did her best to move past it as well, but being Shiori, she read a little too far into everything. Jerk was pretty much the worst word she'd ever said aloud, other than imbecile. She mostly chose alternatives when insulting others, and she never used words like dammit and bullshit when responding to others, because it was seen as impolite and crude to cuss in her strict upbringing. She didn't mind thought, because Shiori never found a scenario where she needed to say such things, but she half wondered if that was because she rarely spoke to others out of social interest. Perhaps around friends cussing would become more useful or appropriate? Her parents wouldn't appreciate their daughter picking up the habit, so she shook the thought out of her mind. She didn't need to get into more trouble than usual.

When she brought up their team name, Rhys shrugged his shoulders. So he was alright with it as well? She wasn't really sure if the name suited them, but she was fine with it if he was. She didn't necessarily like or dislike cats, so she felt fairly neutral about the animal. Panthers were strong felines, and she knew that did not define her at all.

“Yeah…”

"Okay." She responded with a nod, still lost in her evaluation of how well the name suited the team. She couldn't judge Rhys, but as far as physical strength was concerned, she was definitely not a panther, maybe a worm? Though Panthers were also intelligent and stealthy, she definitely felt that she could be those things if she tried hard enough. She figured everyone else saw her as a wallflower, so how hard would it be to be a bit sneaky? Then she caught herself, she was doing it again. She was completely overthinking the assignment. S-shoot! I hope he didn't notice me going off into space like that!!

“So, Kitogawa-san… uhn, what exactly are we paired for?”

Immediately Shiori brought her finger up to her mouth like a 'shhh' motion, but her next actions contradicted that. She tilted her head, as if thinking very hard on the topic. She held that pose for a few seconds before opening the folder to search for answers. Immediately her face was consumed with curiosity. There was one black ink pen, a blue one, and a red one.. Lined papers, a school map, which she assumed could only be for Rhys, so she handed it to him as she rummaged through the contents, not looking up as she tried to put the mystery together. Then there were their class schedules, a pack of balloons? Why would we need these? Shiori asked herself, a sweat drop beading down her head in confusion. Then there was a packet of cherry gum. She handed him his schedule, looking over her own with a satisfied nod before folding it up in her skirt pocket. She'd worry about her classes later, because it was the least of her problems at the moment. Her junior was looking for answers, and she couldn't supply any, that was the worst feeling she'd felt in a while. Without any other clue of what to say, Shiori held out her hand with the gum packet in her palm, "I don't know if we're allowed to chew this now... but there is some Cherry flavored gum in here.." She responded, stalling for time as she tried to think about whatthe staff had in store for the teams.

"Well, we've got three pens, gum, balloons, and lined paper.." She trailed off, naming off the items slowly to buy a little more time. She didn't want to seem like a stupid senior that was uniformed, but at the moment that was exactly what she was. She had no idea what the school had in store for them, and she hated being left in the dark, especially when her Junior was looking to her for answers. She felt more useless than usual, so she decided to make a guess or two. What could they want us to do with three pens, gum, balloons, and lined paper? She couldn't help but wrack her brain. Maybe the gum was meant to be an ice breaker, and they would write their name, address, and phone number on the paper with the pens then give it to their partner? N-No way! Not going to happen! Immediately she tensed up at that thought. She definitely didn't want anyone to know where she lived, and the thought of giving a boy her phone number.. it was immobilizing. Even so, she had no idea what role the balloons would play in all of this... so she tried to relax. She was probably just psyching herself out for nothing. She had to stay calm, or she'd say something rude. Immediately she let out a slow sigh, trying to ease her mind.

Finally she answered his initial question with a gentle shrug of her small shoulders, averting her eyes in shame, "I have no idea.." She admitted, although she hated every second of it. She didn't like this feeling, being ignorant to something like this was the last thing she wanted to display to others. She wanted to be seen as a smart person, but she also wanted to grow out of her habit of retreating from others and become a warm and cute person as well. So far, she wasn't doing so well, even at her best quality, "I can't think of anything they have planned for us, at least nothing realistic when we've been given these unorthodox items.. Gomenasai." She apologized, going through the items in her hand again, almost obsessively. She was definitely a bit OCD about things. Then she finally got an idea, not that she would enjoy it. If she was right, she'd definitely be holding Rhys back a lot in the hours to come. She dreaded participating so much that she barely wanted to speak up about it. Returning her eyes back to Rhys, Shiori spoke in a sincere and genuine manner, until she got to the part about herself, "Perhaps they'll have us do team building exercises or sports contests? I'm not good at sports though, so don't expect much there." She tried to explain her inability to him a bit nicer than that, but talking about her weaknesses never really came out in a nice way. She always put on her abrasive protective shell whenever she was at risk of having her feelings hurt.

"See you around. Miyuu-san, Kon-san."

Oops... I said Miyuu instead of Blake to Ryou, didn't I? That's my grandmother's last name, not my actual surname.. C-crap! She immediately began to panic. She would have to straighten that out and be more careful next time, because she'd create a lot of misunderstandings. She was so used to telling others she was Miyuu-san's grandson that she'd accidentally used it as her own last name when introducing herself to Ryou.

"So... Umm, you excited to meet your seniors?"

Bishop's question got her to stop fretting over her mistake, and Akira nodded her head, speaking in a British accent again, "Yeah, kind of... I just hope I don't accidentally say the wrong last name again.. I told Giou-san that my last name was Miyuu.. that's my maternal grandmother's last name... I was given my step-father's.." She explained, all in English. She wasn't sure if Mai knew how to speak English, so she repeated herself in Japanese as well. This was definitely going to be an interesting day. She had a feeling she was going to be speaking broken Japanese or English before the day was over. Switching between the two would eventually get confusing.

"Clio found pretty boy! Clio found pretty boy!"

Akira couldn't help but stare at the pink little ball, completely baffled. She'd never seen anything like it, and for some reason it was calling her 'pretty boy'. Well, she was dressed as a guy, and pretending to be one, but she didn't really feel like she qualified as pretty, as a boy or a girl. W-What is that...? A bomb? Akira asked herself mentally, looking to Bishop and Mai, hoping they would know.

"There you are Clio! Oh! You found him!"

Her blue eyes landed on the owner of the contraption, and the girl appeared to be a bit older than Akira, but the folder that the beautiful blossom haired woman held definitely confirmed it. It was only then that it registered to Akira whom the pink haired girl was, and why the girl's little orb had been searching for her. Akira stood and bowed immediately in respect.

"Clio good! Clio good!"

Artificial intelligence? Wow.. This school is full of rich people. She didn't realize just how elite of a school this was until just now. Akira could never afford something like that pink ball. It seemed a bit childlike, but it was still smarter than anything Akira could ever afford, so she couldn't hide that she was genuinely impressed by it.

"Yes, you did good Clio."

Clio? The name was easy to say, especially since Akira grew up speaking English, so she was a bit relieved by that. At least she knew the little robot's name. Though she still wasn't sure what her Senior's name was. She tried to sneak a peek at the folder that the Senior held, but she began talking to the girl that introduced herself to Bishop as Arietta Hakushiro. Akira was well aware that the Japanese addressed themselves by last name, first name... but she was born in Britain so she was mentally wired to say it the other way, every time she introduced herself she had to force it out backwards and it felt generic. Akira kind of toned out of Arietta's and the pink haired girl's conversation, because it was none of her business. She ended up shrugging her shoulders in confusion to Mai and Bishop in confusion, because this was pretty awkward, at least she thought so.

"Hello and good morning, everyone, I hope you're enjoying Airdalen. My name is Cassiopeia Elegy Argryis."

The girl was so charismatic and feminine. Akira couldn't help but kind of idolize her. She wanted to be more like that, but no matter how hard she tried, she was never like that. She always turned to sports or her fists whenever she got angry, and Akira couldn't apply her own makeup to save her own life. The only time she ever tried her mother took a photo, because Akira had a 'clown' face after the attempt. Needless to say, the photo was so traumatizing that she never bothered to do it again, so she never got any better at it.

"This is my friend Clio."

Akira now got a better look at the little pink orb, and she tilted her head in curiosity, scratching at her hair. Did she have to charge this thing before she brought it to school, if so, where was the charge port? Akira didn't see a single slot for that. Maybe it was in the back or underneath? She wasn't going to ask, but it was definitely an interesting thought, but also a bit too complicated for the less than studious Akira.

"Clio! Clio's name is Clio! Nice to meet ya!"

"Kawaii. I'm Akira-kun, Clio-san." Akira stated in a casual tone, examining Clio. She wondered how it worked, and how it could respond to others so accurately. How many phrases did it know? Could it help her cheat on tests? She kind of hoped it wouldn't get swiped in class, it'd be sad if her Senior lost the cute little pink ball.

"You must be Akira Blake, right? I will be your senior."

"H-Hai. I'm Blake, Akira. It's very nice to meet you. I hope we get along very well, Senpai." Akira stated, hoping that she wasn't wrong about this. This girl is my Senior? Akira thought looking her over for a second, but not in a strange or inappropriate way. She focused primarily on the girl's face, because well, Akira wasn't actually a boy.. so she didn't share their perversions. She wasn't interested in anywhere else. She could tell that the stranger was attractive just by looking at her face, neck, and shoulders. She didn't have to see anymore to verify that. The ball even bounced back to the senior girl, which caused Akira to look down at it once more.

"See? It's a pleasure meeting you and everyone as well."

Akira barely remembered taking that picture, but it definitely made things official. She was a bit curious about their team name, so she kind of blurted it out, "If you don't mind me asking, what's our team name, Argryis-san?" She was a bit excited, especially if they'd be doing any physical activities today. She was sporty, and she definitely wanted to be moving. She'd had her fill of sitting down. She was ready to run, jump, and have fun.

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"I have wondered
what they see in me
whether they imposed
their dreams on me or
do they make me their illusions
because, I can only be me."

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██Ryou nodded and then took a seat beside his assigned freshman with his attention at front. He was never a talkative person in the first place so, silence had never been an issue with him. Johnny had no questions so, he waited quietly since it was obvious that something else was up with the materials inside the folder. He'll wait for the teachers to announce something about it, but his peace was disturbed not rudely, by Johnny who commented about being a wingman.

He glanced at Johnny before looking around to know what caused those words. He knew what wingman means, he wasn't ignorant about it. True enough, there are girls looking at them, but mostly at him. Some faces, he knew from the constant harping at him, others, are new and was likely to join the rest of the females to become as described by his colleague at work, stalkers. He wasn't looking forward to it at all, but his freshman appeared not bothered by it. Johnny looked like he's having fun at that and would not shy away from the overbearing attention.

"Don't need it." He said without much stuttering or doubt. It's not because of confidence or anything. He was simply not interested in getting into a relationship with anyone or does he have budding affection for any of the girls present. He is after all still in one complicated yet strong relationship with a certain sleeping beauty. This caused his eyes though to reflect a bit of sadness almost invincible and unnoticeable, but it was only for one second, before he looked to the front again.

"But, thanks." It was an offer, so it's only proper and he wasn't offended since there was no way Johnny knew anything about him or about her. He also answered in a manner without arrogance or sarcasm. He wasn't like that, he spoke because that's his definite answer. It's always heavy with meaning and not because he said it out of a whim. That's probably why most consider him more approachable than the one known as School Idol. He is distant but, his words are always sincere to his emotions, making him more relatable. That's when he felt someone's presence or better yet, many people around them. He's reaction was to look and saw it was composed of girls, some familiar, some not at all.

They started with a greeting for him and Johnny and then they began to ask questions leaning more to him. It was all done in Japanese at this point. They were innocent in nature, so he answered some like if he's a senior, who was the teacher speaking at front or is he a model which is no, but it soon dwell into certain subjects, Ryou wasn't very fond of, like if he's attached to someone, and other deeper things which are personal in his opinion. "You're bothering me now." His voice was never loud, but in that moment the series of questions were instantly stopped. The girls knew that he was not going to entertain them any longer and he is always a man of his words. They offer their apologies. He returned his attention to the front and closed his eyes while he also crossed his arms over his chest as he returned to his own isolated world, but they didn't leave as if they still had hope.

"Johnny." He started as he open his eyes and glanced at the younger male at his side. Using first name basis might be odd and denotes closeness in Japanese culture, but to Ryou this is common to his birthplace and since his Junior is a foreigner, he kept with the basics. "Take charge." This was spoken in English and then he closed his eyes, keeping to himself again.

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Though Arietta went ahead to sit with a foreigner, Tsuyoshi had other ideas. "Forget that, there are a couple people I know over their." He said motioning towards a few seats a bit farther to the left. As they approached, Tsuyoshi called a greeting that was met by two other Seniors. As they drew closer, Saburo could make out the others a little better. One was definitely on the taller side, at least 6 feet tall. Despite being tall, the guy was pretty sturdy looking. Thinking back Saburo thought he'd heard Tsuyoshi say something about the guy being the Forward on the basketball team. The other was a bit shorter than the first with a couple girls sitting at his side. The bandages covering parts of his pleasant face stood out quite a bit, though he was pulling them off somehow. It seemed not much would look bad on the guy. Saburo had seen the second senior at last night's party, the guy's name was...Hiroki.

"How's it going Tsuyoshi?" The tall senior called back.
"It's been as good as it get's. What about you guys?"
"You know, the routine." The bandaged guy replied, flashing his pearl whites. One of the girls to his left let out a giggle.
"Guess you must hate your life if your routine is to mess with the GS."

The GS was a prominant and violent mid sized gang. GS stood for "Gun Squad" which was rather ironic since the norm was for members to carry trademark switchblades. The gang had received the nickname after a small number of the members found a way to obtain firearms. A difficult feat in Japan. They had gotten a hold of a shotgun, rifle, and pistol. The shotgun and rifle had been confiscated, but the pistol was never recovered. Therefore, one never knew if the GS member they ran into was the one packing heat. So, it was sometimes assumed that any member one ran into had a gun. Hence the name "Gun Squad" due to the assumption that any member was in possession of a firearm. Anyhow, the GS was notorious for being quick to flip their knives thus the assumption that the bandaged senior had been cut up by the GS.

"Hey, no one messes with my crew." By crew, the guy probably meant a number of girls he was often seen with. He practically looked like a pimp, and no one would be surprised if that was his future profession. "Not even the GS, that guy was the newest member of the "Guts" Squad after I was through with him." Hiroki smirked at the end of his statement and his personal companions practically gazed at him in awe. "Wait a sec, you were the kid at the party yesterday right?" the ladies man pointed a finger at Saburo.

"Yeah"
"Well you're gonna have one hell of a time, especially since you're starting out with the right crowd." The tall acquaintance of Tsuyoshi chimed in.

That was when a male voice boomed throughout the area. “Gooood Morning!”
"You know they used to have a huge ass wide screen instead of a projector?" As Tsuyoshi said this one of the teachers moved to pull down the projection sheet.
"Really?" one of the girls next to Hiroki tilted her head a bit.
"Yeah, it was huge."
"Why'd they get rid of it for?"
"Fucking beggers from the public school smashed it. Jealous they couldn't even afford their own damn radios."

“Allow me to introduce myself; I am Airdalen Academy’s principal Dr. Gorou Endo.”
The Seniors around Saburo became perplexed. Not one of the group had seen the Principle before. After delivering a bit of a motivational speech, the man was shut off.

“I will now be handing out folders to the seniors with your activities inside. Juniors please remain seated and await your assigned senior. Compared to previous years, we will also be assigning team names due to the feedback we received from our graduated seniors. You are free to discuss your team name with your partner and change it to another animal provided it isn’t taken already. We will be proceeding with activities once everything has settled, thank you.”

"Huh?"
"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you." The seniors all began to stand. "We're doing this thing where we have Freshman partners now." The group began to walk towards the teacher handing out folders. "Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky and get one of us."
"Yeah...and maybe I'll get unlucky and get some fag..."
"Don't worry about it, you'll be fine." Saburo turned his head to see one of the two girls that was with Hiroki. Her brunette hair fell slightly past the shoulders and paired nicely with her fair skin and hazel eyes.

”Hello Darling~” The male Freshman raised his eyes to see a shorter girl with interestingly violet eyes and almost white hair.
"Uh...hey." Guess he didn't get lucky, but he wasn't unlucky either.
“I’m Gen Fukui, but Gen will do. Welcome to Airdalen Academy darling~” His senior spoke taking a seat next to him.
"I'm Saburo."
“We’ll be group Lions… Lions? Well, that’s certainly something on its own don’t you think so? If not, we can change it your liking~”

Huh, Lions. Who came up with the team names? The boy wondered whether everyone's default names were this lame. He could probably come up with a better one in a few seconds..." How about'Strike'. Or 'Strikes' whichever one fits better."

The conversation with the anonymous girls quickly took a turn for confusion as Johnny rapidly lost track of what was being said. Fortunately, Ryou came across as a man of few words, so he could catch most of what his Senior said just fine. Even if he knew Ryou’s answers, the simplicity of the answers made the questions all the more a mystery to the foreigner. Despite the Japanese talk leaving him in the dust, Johnny could tell that Ryou was getting annoyed somewhat. “Johnny,” Ryou said as he closed his eyes, “Take charge.”

“You got it, man,” Johnny replied. Though confident, he was actually completely unsure of himself at this point. He only caught mentions of things like teachers and seniors. The questions about “certain subjects” went way over the foreigner’s head. “Oh, and you can call me Jay.” he added.

After a greeting, Johnny offered what answers he could give. Within the first sentence out of his mouth, the girls simply left. They seemed disappointed that they couldn’t talk with the more familiar hunk anymore. Did they not see Johnny for anything? If so, why? Would Johnny need to prove himself a fellow worth conversing with? Was it the uniform? Johnny’s lean musculature was pretty visible beneath the narrow sleeves. Was it anything?

Was there something wrong with Johnny, specifically? There couldn’t have been a problem. He socialized just fine in his old schools… This place must be more different than he imagined… or maybe his old school was intimidated by his physical prowess. Goddamn, there has to be a problem. Something that can be fixed. This isn’t normal; this... interaction... this… up and leaving… was just not normal.

Johnny's mind wandered until it settled on the idea that there were other students who were able to eavesdrop. There was that one girl one seat ahead, (Yuuki) who chewed-out that blonde boy from before. She seemed annoyed before, and seemed to want to avoid conversation entirely beyond that previous chew-out. What would she think of his pathetic attempts at fitting in? What would the others who understood him think?

Damnit, they are pathetic attempts, aren’t they…? Johnny put a hand to his forehead and rubbed his temples with his long, athletic fingers. I really suck at this. I hate sucking at things.

Johnny’s lips flattened as his face flushed. He never learned a Japanese equivalent of “Well, shit…” but he sorely wished he had the balls to ask his dad about curses. Still, talk about an utter insult, especially since he knew from experience that he was great with… girls… Oh… Johnny sighed in disappointment to mask his attempts to put the past behind him. Now wasn’t the time for the past; now was the present and the future. He already spent all summer thinking about the past, he wasn’t about to waste this year.

The foreigner sat back in his own chair. He wiped a hand over his face to push the red away. After a moment, he figured out a way to get his mind off what just happened. “Oh, I do have a question,” he suddenly said to Ryou in English. “I’m not that good with… ahm…” He pat a hand on his knee as his mind raced. “What was it… honourifics? I know there’s words you add to a name when you talk to someone, but I don’t know the specifics.”

There were words like “chan” or “kun” or “san” and what-have-you, that Johnny heard many times before, but never figured out how they all fit in an actual conversation. Hopefully this would keep his mind focused on the present… and also make him not embarrass himself in front of other people again.

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Charm + 1 (Gen)
*GM EDITED*

"Good morning. Are you Fujioka Yuuki-san."

Her attention that began to wander to the boy behind her (Johnny) and his senior (Ryou) and Shiori who seemed to be the reddish haired boy's (Rhys) senior. Then a voice broke through, speaking her name and her eyes darted to the source whom was a very tall and aesthetically pleasing male who appeared to be a Senior. "Hai. I am Fujioka, Yuuki." She nodded in a quiet and formal tone. Seeing as she was a living and breathing individual who was blessed with the gift of sight, of course Yuuki realized that the blond male senior was of course extremely attractive, but luckily for him, such things barely phased her. It would take a lot more than being in the presence of an attractive boy to get her flustered, because well, she wasn't really psyching herself out. She didn't let her mind wander on whether he had a girlfriend or not, nor did she really care about such things. She had a mission, so the blond's (Aeon's) attractiveness was just a trivial detail to her.

"I am Belrose, Aeon. I shall be your Senior Partner. Here are your class schedule and the school map to make sure you will get acquainted with the academy's facilities."

"Arigatou gozaimasu. I will do my best. " She responded in a genuine tone, already looking over her schedule and the map. Though he continued to speak, so her golden eyes returned to Aeon. The name was a bit difficult for her to pronounce, but she kept repeating it in her mind until she got used to it. She didn't want to make a fool of herself, that wouldn't do her any service.

"Our assigned team name is Bears."

Bears? Yuuki blinked for a few moments as she thought about their given name. It kind of suited him, considering his height, but she was small and petite, so she couldn't help but feel it was a bit ill suited. Although, she was told her wrath could be ferocious at times.. Either way, she wasn't too concerned with something as insignificant as a team name.

"I have no objections to it, however if it is not to your liking, do inform me. I will see what I can do."

Yuuki shook her head quietly, "It doesn't matter. It's just a name after all." She responded in an even tone. If her calm demeanor wasn't creepy enough, Yuuki's face had kept a relatively blank expression for a fair majority of the duration of their conversation. Every now and then curiosity or gratitude lightly painted itself over her face, but little else. There were rumors at her middle school that she wasn't even human. A lot of her past classmates whispered about their theories. The one that stuck in her mind was the one that claimed Yuuki was an artificial intelligence robot that Japanese government was testing out in a human environment. The rumors hurt, but she didn't have time to let them bother her, so sometimes she'd play along with them, only making them worse in the end.

"Paging someone named Kon Mai! Kon Mai! Report to this very awesome Miyamoto Kazuki who is speaking. My time is worth millions so hustle it junior! Thanks!"

"If you have other questions, do not hesitate to ask me. I will answer to the best I can."

"I didn't... but now I have just one. How did that imbecile like him end up as a student in this school?" She asked in an irritated tone, eyes rolling a bit as she discreetly directed him to look in Kazuki's direction. She noticed the girls glaring at her out of the corner of her eye, but she said nothing about it. She wouldn't be immature and stick her tongue out at them or anything, mostly because she didn't want to stoop to their pathetic level. Why swoon over a guy who didn't seem to care about their existence? How dimwitted could these girls get? They spent too much time watching T.V. They definitely were deluded, and she only felt sorry for them to be honest.

"Just to be thorough.." Yuuki began in a businesslike tone as she stood to face Aeon directly, although it didn't seem to put much of a dent in their height difference. She straightened out her skirt and adjusted her glasses before continuing with what she had to say to him. She felt it would be necessary, but also felt it would just do well to let him know what to expect from her, but also what she expected from this arrangement, "I see that you will be an invaluable and very resourceful asset to this team." she complimented Aeon, although her tone nor expressions did not change from her formal persona, not even once as she spoke this time. Her golden eyes were determined, but they were also still calm and collected as usual. Her eyes landed on the little fan club again, and she closed her eyes for a second to gather her thoughts before speaking. She didn't want to lose her cool, and she wanted to speak precisely as she meant the words to come out. She wanted to leave no margin for misunderstandings, "I'm not going to be one of those girls." She referred, nudging her head absentmindedly in their direction, because she didn't care if they disliked her or not. She wasn't here to be popular, she was here to get the best education that her grades and test scores could earn. She wasn't rich after all, she was here entirely on her own skill that she spent almost her whole life cultivating with hard work and sacrifices. She paused long enough to let him get a word in, seeing as she hated it when others rambled on without letting her speak.

"I look forward to having a successful partnership and I will not hesitate to let those girls know that their presence is a nuisance and furthermore a distraction if they prove to stand in the way of our team's progress." She thought it was best to go ahead and put that out there. She hated failing, and losing because of them would be unacceptable. She intended to give one hundred percent. Though she realized that if this was going to be an athletic event, she would only hold her Senior back. She knew she had to speak up on her athletic inability, even if it was embarrassing.

"I do not like to lose, but if this is for athletic purposes, I highly doubt that I will be of much use to this team. Gomenasai." She informed him, bowing apologetically. It didn't hurt to apologize in advance, especially since Gym was her weakest mark. She knew she needed to improve it to keep her grades steady at this school, but she wasn't really sure how to go about that. Perhaps a club? Though what sports club could she join that wouldn't be too loud or obnoxious? She'd have to ask Aeon later.. but for now she felt she'd spoke enough, perhaps even a bit excessively.

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"I have wondered
what they see in me
whether they imposed
their dreams on me or
do they make me their illusions
because, I can only be me."

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██The chatter lessened around them. It seemed the girls had no interest chatting with his junior. That was disrespectful in his opinion. Johnny appeared to be willing to answer their questions. This only meant they were after him on purpose. Ryou truly wondered when this would end, this attention towards him. As if it on time, he could feel looks darting towards him at twice the amount. Here it goes again, but somehow, there was something different. His eyes opened and the reason was clear. There, the row ahead of his was the School Idol, Aeon.

Whenever that man is around, the girls and even boys were present at a triple amount. Ryou doesn't mind though as Aeon's presence serves to be a deterrent for the others to act in a respectable manner. There was just something about the guy that makes people around him to act properly and not make a fool out of themselves. That's why he's not that irritated when the guy is near, the annoyance is minimized greatly. Their relationship one might say would be mutualism, even if they very rarely talk to each other.

His attention was taken away when Ryou heard Johnny asking something to him. He looked at his junior from the side. The boy was having a hard time to voice out whatever his question is, but soon, Johnny was able to say it. Something about honorifics, a subject that he also had a hard time learning about during his first time here. He could remember the awkwardness of it all to him and how she would laugh at his attempts. Those memories... made him felt longing which he kept at bay. This was not the right time for him to be sentimental and all. He has a question to answer.

He had a thoughtful moment to himself before answering in English. "There is the common -san. In English, it means Mr., Ms., or Mrs., A polite term that implies a limited amount of familiarity. It's usually attached to surnames. In Japan, most people use their surnames since calling one by first name means closeness reserved for family, lover and very important people to them." Ryou made a pause at that since he wanted Johnny to take all what he had said or if the boy has any another things to clarify with him. He then continued on. "There's the -kun. It's an informal term used mostly for and among males. It's used when addressing younger boys, boys with the same age, or by superiors to their juniors at work. Teachers like ours would usually address the male students with it."

There's another pause from him. Ryou didn't want to flush all of the information on Johnny like a hurricane. It would be easier to have time to think about it. He didn't want Johnny to experience the episodes he had before, because this is confusing for a first-timer. "There's -chan. It's like -san, but more informal and more familiar. It's usually used for children, female family members, close friends, and lovers. There's also instances that it could be used for adults who others find cute or even to animals or pets." This reminded him when Hikaru used this to refer to him. They were still confused about the usages of these honorifics and Reisha laughed saying that -chan doesn't suit him. It's not right to consider him cute. It was only at the later date both of them understood. Anyway, he gave Johnny another moment to take it all in before he continued on.

"In school, you could hear -senpai or -kōhai mostly. -Senpai is used to refer to address those in senior positions whether in school, work, or sports. That's why you heard some of the girls earlier referring to me in that way. -Kōhai is its opposite. It refers or to address juniors." Ryou then took a pause again when he suddenly heard a loud siren noise. He looked for the source and found it to be no one else but Miyamoto which was followed by the fellow senior's very loud announcement. That guy never fails to stand-out no matter what the situation is, recklessly fearless. It seemed the guy's junior is Mai Kon, one of his customers at the shop. Somehow, he was a bit worried. He glanced at the direction where Mai would be. It wasn't his business, but he would say something if Miyamoto becomes very rude. For now, he continued with his answer to Johnny. He didn't acknowledge the guy because he has a feeling if he did, Miyamoto would be the one harping at him any second. "There's -sensei which is used to address teachers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, or other authority figures. It is also used to show respect to someone who has achieved a certain level of mastery in some skill."

Another pause as Ryou wondered if he left out any commonly used honorifics. That's right there was still one left. "We also have -sama. It's used in addressing people higher in rank than oneself or to people considered to have some high ability, particularly attractive or putting someone in a very high pedestal based on respect. It's also commonly used by servants to their masters or employers." He looked away for a moment as he was thinking if he missed something else. He didn't think so. "If you're confused about something, tell me." He noted and waited for the response of his junior, thinking about it. He had never spoken in so many words before. It was rather tiring as he returned to being his quiet self again.

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"Enjoy Airdalen" Bishop blinked as he saw the tall senior (Ryou) get up to leave speaking in English. He huffed slightly automatically being assumed that he didn't speak Japanese. "Ahh... Until next time." He retorted in a well practiced yet accented Japanese bowing as the tall boy walked by. That was just a tiny moment for him to stand up for himself, not let others decide his fate for him. He turned back to the two sitting beside him seeing the silver haired boy speak noting a British accent. Which he personally thought was super cool. "Yeah, kind of... I just hope I don't accidentally say the wrong last name again.. I told Giou-san that my last name was Miyuu.. that's my maternal grandmother's last name... I was given my step-father's.." Bishop blinked for a moment then titled his head, lettinghis golden locks fall to the side. "Eh? Bishop had no clue what she was talking about. Last names? Dad's last name? Grandmother's last name? "Giou-san? So... What is... Your last name then? Do you have several last names? His eyes squinted trying to understand the situation he walked half-way in on. Hopefully it didn't make him look dumb, so far no one had seemed to correct him in the fact that he introduced himself by first name only.

However his train of thought was derailed by a girls voice from behind. "Ohayo, I'm Hakushiro Arietta, your Senior partner." Bishop turned and saw that blonde girl from earlier, but not up close. <P-Pretty~! Bishop's eyes became starry as he looked up to the girl addressing him, blanking out when she spoke English. His cheeks hard a tinge of red to them, suddenly feeling pretty lucky himself. In the back of his mind he heard his mother scold him for staring at a girl, it did no good to stare. If you wanted to make an impression you had to speak! "Ah.. H-Hello goodmorning." He addressed her in Japanese affirming to her that she could speak to him in the language. He stood up to bow respectfully showing that his manners seemed to be in order. That actually annoyed him a little, being a foreigner- even though he was a Japanese citizen being born her- people always assumed he would have difficulty speaking Japanese or that they had to cater to him. He worked hard to get to where he was at, but still had a ways to go. He hadn't perfected it yet, but he would one day. "I'm Bishop! It's good to meet you!" He beamed happily to his blonde superior letting his kindness and warmth radiate from his smile. But a tiny pink ball caught his eye as it bounced over making him blink curiously. "Clio found pretty boy! Clio found pretty boy!" <That thing can talk!> That certainly surprised him. He heard about how Japanese technology was ahead of a lot of countries but he wasn't expecting this! What came next was an even bigger surprise as a pink haired beauty bounded over behind the ball. Bishop's cheeks got more red seeing the girl (Cassiopiea) <S-Super pretty~! Like a princess! This school.... Is awesome! This was typical being a teenage boy, however what was slightly different was he wasn't immediately pining for either girl, but kept looking back and forth trying to 'play it cool' but his blush wouldn't go away! She seemed quite formal definitely playing into the role of being a member of higher society, higher than him anyways. "Hello and good morning, everyone, I hope you're enjoying Airdalen. My name is Cassiopeia Elegy Argryis."

He would allow for Akira and the ebony haired small girl (Mai) to introduce themselves before it was his turn. "Good morning." He would bow and cross his right arm across his body in a formal bow, which was typical in western culture. <Why did I do that!? I've seen too many Disney movies... But the princes always do that!> "My name is Bishop... Bishop Trander." Bishop cranked up his charm to the highest level possible, making polite short eye contact and his signature genuine smile trying to make a very good first impression on the pretty girl. Both pretty girls to be exact. Mentally he thanked his mother for adjusting his uniform so that it fit perfectly on him. All corners and seamed were hemmed accordingly to the contours of his body making the uniform fit, look and feel all the better. His body language was inviting, and trusting but despite these physical cues he had no idea how confusing he was making things for himself and everyone in regards to his name. Never on his own had he been in a situation to give a formal greeting. His parents always did so, and since most people he met were closely acquainted with his parents as well as western culture he was used to always being called Bishop.

He would let the boy Akira address her senior and turned to his own senior. "I'm really excited to start school here. What would you like to start with first? She could see the eagerness and innocence in his eyes, looking up to her almost like a big sister. Which hadn't clicked in his head yet. They both had blonde hair, blue eyes and fair skin compared to many others in the school. The whispers would begin eventually about the two. But for now, Bishop was handing his trust to the girl he just met hoping that she could help him get a fantastic start in Airdalen.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
+1 Popularity- Arietta & Cassiopeia
Charm attempt on Cassiopeia

Johnny listened very intently. Few times had he ever been this focused outside of physical performance. His hopes and dreams for the future quite literally rested on moments such as this one. Communication is byfar the most important thing he could possibly learn while in this prestigious academy. Once Ryou… or Giou-senpai finished, Johnny leaned back in his chair. He then said, “So you would be Giou-senpai, and people would refer to me as… Farelli-kōhai, or Farelli-kun,” Johnny winced at how terrible and clunky his combination of words sounded. “Ugh, I’d rather they call me Jay-kōhai, or Jay-kun, or Jay-san,” The third one put a smile on his face; that helped wash away the earlier thoughts.

As Johnny’s mind worked to compartmentalize the information graciously brought to him via his senior, he thought back to the entrance exam. It was byfar the first time he actually tried in anything academic. Nothing like his average interest and average exam results of the past, where all he cared about was getting the passing grade so he could continue his practice. For the first time, he committed himself to his progress. That he managed to strike well above average when he just committed himself like he did with his physical activities was simply astounding, even to his parents. When he got his results and the subsequent acceptance letter, he even thought that the exam was just too easy. However, when he learned about how harsh the exam really was, it made him feel more proud than he ever thought possible. She’d be proud as wel-

The foreigner’s train of thought stopped. No time for the past. There is still work to do. It was at this point that he started really paying attention to his surroundings. The purple-haired girl had been approached by an especially handsome-looking fellow with long, blonde hair. The foreigner remembered seeing that particular gentleman surrounded by many a boy and girl out in the courtyard, and continued conversing with a large group as a whole. Johnny caught the name Belrose, Aeon, as well as many words. The man spoke very deliberately, which allowed Johnny to catch more words than usual.

Johnny liked that in a person… though he may be biased for obvious reasons. In his mind, he wondered if the surname was Aeon or Belrose. Johnny figured Belrose, as Aeon did not strike him as a proper surname, unlike a name like Swanson. Swanson was very obviously a surname.

The girl- Belrose-senpai’s junior, it seemed- also spoke deliberately and professionally. He already knew how much he liked the relative ease of understanding others. Thinking back to his first encounter… or rather, avoided encounter, Johnny still wondered what her musical taste was. It seemingly did not include Coldplay. Was she into more modern stuff, or the classics like him?

His train of thought was sent off the rails when the loud announcement caught Johnny’s attention. That boy who was tackled by security earlier. He caught something about handsomeness, and two sets of words that sounded like names. Johnny figured it was an especially eccentric senior trying to find their partnered junior.

“I take it that’s… Miyamoto-senpai?” Johnny asked Ryou- more in a deep, almost growl-like tone, as if his powerful, smooth jazzy voice was conditioned to a point where he was oddly unable to whisper, “And the two in front of us, Belrose-senpai and Fujioka-… uhm…” Johnny scratched his head. -san seemed almost too formal, and -chan seemed way too intimate. He barely knew the girl, for goodness sakes! Then again, he did just hear Belrose refer to her with -san, so he followed suit. “Fujioka-san?” Teachers, he thought, would be -san, -sama, or -sensei. He liked the sound of the word “sensei”, even if it did take up more syllables than the more efficient -san.

Or maybe -san would be the most efficient term to use for everyone. It’s so neutral, and it's only one syllable. Johnny was a man of great efficiency if nothing else. Not an ounce of needless fat on this boy’s lean bod. His lightness and athleticism would probably make him one of the fastest runners. He doesn’t know that for sure, of course. One visit to the track would prove who’s who, but the thought was present.

Speaking of running, Johnny’s desire to run began to latch on like a parasite. There were many people around, and they seemed to be grouping rather close. Johnny reached for his pocket and produced the ear buds. The music- he hoped- would help him deal with the thickening crowd. In Japanese, he managed to ask Giou-senpai, “Do we wait?”

--

+1 Popularity to Aeon
+1 Popularity to Yuuki
+1 Popularity to Kazuki
-GM edited-

"We have to work together
If we want to accomplish something
Plus, I truly think that it's more fun
When you have someone by your side."
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◄This is truly a wonderful thing! It seemed that Akira was a friendly and kind boy. He did say that Clio was cute. She remembered that the first time Hotaru saw Clio. Her guardian quickly mouthed the word odd. Aeon didn't need to say anything but, she could tell that he was not seeing Clio anything close to adorable and it's not because he's a guy and guy's don't say the word 'cute'. It's what her big brother told her at the very least, but she doesn't believe that anymore since Akira said it. That's why she was happy at this response. "Isn't that wonderful Clio? He called you cute." Clio immediately bounced happily on the floor a few times in it's ball form and then flapped its ear-like attachments and what appears to be feet at the bottom of it's body in excitement. "Clio likes Akira-kun! Clio is cute! Ahoy Matey!"

That's right Volans integrated pirate lingo into Clio's programming. It seems that Volans like pirates during his creation of Clio. She giggled at Clio's response, before she directed her attention to Akira who expressed that it was nice meeting her. "I'm very happy to hear that." She smiled gently at her junior partner and then Akira asked her about their team name. She was silent for a moment, before she tilted her head and blinked her eyes, a sign, she was thinking. It was then she remembered that Araya-sensei said something about group names. "Oh! Yes! The name! Thank you for reminding me Akira-kun!" She energetically noted as she looked at the folder again. She found the marked name. "Oh! We're going to be Tigers!"

Clio then did it's best interpretation of the animal. It was very cute in every sense of the word. "Clio Tiger! Rawr!!! Clio Rawr!!!" Cassiopeia smiled warmly at that action. "That's correct, Clio." It was then she looked at the other freshmen present. She was a bit surprised at Bishop's introductory action. It's not because it was impressive. It was because she had not expected such actions here at Airdalen. They were not meeting in a formal setting or one of those strict courtesy and all. She had been subjected to such introduction back in Greece. "It is nice to meet you, Bishop-kun." She answered with a kind smile. "You don't need to be formal with me. It's not a good thing if we're going to be friends, right?" Clio chimed in again. "Clio friends! Clio friends!" She nodded in agreement and followed up. "I do appreciate the gesture. You reminded me of a prince, Bishop-kun."

She then looked at Arietta and then Bishop as if noticing something. "Hmm, Arietta-chan. Are you and Bishop-kun related? You two seem similar in appearance." Her question was in all innocence and just pure honesty. Her eyes of mauve blue looked at them with such purity. She wondered because they have similar looks, but their surnames don't match, so she was curious. After a while, she remembered something else as she looked at Akira. "I forgot to ask. Is our team name okay with you? If it's not, I could have it change." She then looked into the contents of the folder and had a rather questioning look. "A map... I think this is for you, Akira-kun," She handed it to Akira. "Oh! This too! You class schedule." She handed that to him too.

"But, what are we going to use these? " She technically asked the people in front of her. "Pens... Papers... Balloons? and gum of assorted flavors." She also showed it to them before offering the gum. "Would you like some Akira-kun? Bishop-Kun? Arietta-chan?" Her smile was rather infectious in an way as Clio interject again. "Clio wants gum! Clio wants gum!" Cassiopeia looked at Clio and lightly shook her head. "I'm sorry Clio, but it's not good for you. Volans said so." Clio instantly stopped bouncing and extended its ears downwards showcasing, it's sad. "I'm so sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you later, okay?" Clio bumped up again. "Clio promise! Clio promise!" She giggled again. "I promise." She then looked at the others. "I guess we'll be having an activity... I'm getting excited to know what it is." Her eyes brightened with joy and thrill.

"Let's do our best everyone!" She then looked again at Akira. "I'll be counting on you, Akira-kun!" Clio chimed in again. "Clio counts too! Clio counts too!" Cassiopeia answered with her natural and warm smile. "Yes, I know. But, let's have fun too, okay?" She reminded not only Clio but also the others including Akira. "I'll look forward to it!"

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"It's not like I
dislike the presence of others
I simply don't want to
be bothered by them
because I had enough
to worry about without them."

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██His explanation seemed to be understood as Johnny began to cite examples on how he interpreted it. There goes him being called Giou-senpai while his junior also attaching honorifics on his. It was a mouthful if he would speak his opinion. It was also rather odd to the ears when spoken. The sentiment seemed to be shared as Johnny stated he instead wanted to be called by Jay. Well, there's no trouble in that. There are instances who uses first names or nicknames but always with honorifics. "That's fine you can tell them that."

He ended his input on that matter as he Ryou reverted back to his own isolation. His eyes of silver that seemed to have inherited the light of moon gazed at the front. But, the silence was interrupted by his junior who whispered, if that's what it could be considered, the one who announced on the megaphone to be Miyamoto. He didn't look at the fellow senior because he could already foresee what's going to happen if Miyamoto sees him. Still, he did answer the question. "Yeah, that's him." He affirmed Johnny's intuition which also extended to the two students in front of them whom he only knew one, Aeon. He wasn't the kind to eavesdrop, so he never got the purple-haired student's name.

But, Johnny seemed to have gotten it. This speaks that his junior has a wide sense of observation. That's a good thing. "That's them." He then returned to his own bubble which was again burst by Johnny. This time speaking in Japanese. He could assess that his junior was still struggling with the language, but it's the same for everyone. It's a good thing he is doing his best as far as he could tell. "Seems like it." In respect, he answered in Japanese as well.

That's when Ryou felt another presence closing on him, but this one was not a fellow student. It was Araya-sensei who called out to him with a 'Giou-kun'. His eyes attached itself to her as she informed him of a last minute arrangement. He wasn't sure what that meant until another folder was given to him. "Another one?" His question was simply answered with a yes and an explanation, he could handle it and was just temporary. Somehow, he has a feeling that they just shoved it onto him since he looks the most approachable for such things. He released a sigh at this. "I understand." That answer of his was all it needed before Araya-sensei left him with an affirming nod.

When the teacher was gone, he looked at the folder and ever so slightly, his eyes widen. It was very negligible if one was not paying attention. That was because the picture attached on the folder was of another familiar face to him. Really, why is that his customers fancy to study here and buy at the shop he works at even if it was quite far. He really couldn't understand the logic of it all. "Jay." To him, it was just common in the western culture, so he was not basing it on any Japanese customs. "You're not alone. Excuse me." He stated in Japanese before standing from his seat. He should look for this other junior of his. It shouldn't be that hard.

His height gave him range and the advantage to look at the crowd. His eyes locked on to the orange-haired freshman. Ryou would have to tell her to keep his job a secret like he did with Mai. He walked towards the said freshman while adoring and speculating eyes followed his movement. He soon stopped and made his introduction even if it shouldn't be an issue anymore. "Excuse me, Saitou Vika, right?" He started with that. "Giou Ryou, I'll be your Senior partner for now." This is supposedly to be just temporary. Then, he leaned forward not making Vika speak another word before he made his piece. His action made a lot of girls feel faint and envious towards Vika. It's because he lowered his face at the side of her face. It looked very intimate as he whispered only for her ears. "Don't say anything about my job here." He then took a step back as if what he did was not out of the ordinary, but his words held such weight. He wasn't joking about it in anyway. He was serious.

"I'll introduce you to my other junior." He noted as he began to return to where Johnny is. He made sure that Vika was following him and was easing his steps to be at pace with her. He didn't want to leave her behind. When they were finally back to Johnny, he began the introductions in his own words. "This is my other Junior. Welcome to the Cheetahs." He's not really great at it obviously, but it's a start.

---

"Miyamoto-san is a rich individual able to avail the fees of this academy. His behavior is very questionable at best, however it is ensured he does not break the rules of this institution. This is strictly implemented by Hayashi-sensei and if needed by me as requested by the Principal. In regards to his aptitude, his actions doesn't speak volumes, however, he did pass the entrance exam with flying colors along with his requirements on academic work. He does not have a failing mark ever since his enrollment."

Those words chilled her entire body as Aeon spoke, and her eyes shifted to where Miyamoto stood. Before she even realized what was going on, her whole body went numb. Here I am trying so hard.. This is just a cake walk for Miyamoto... Yuuki didn't respond to her emotions quickly enough to prevent her teeth from gritting behind her closed jaw. She was so lost in her own mind that she didn't even notice that she was lightly trembling due to a violent cocktail of jealousy and anger. She spent every ounce of her current existence training her mind, studying, and cramming information down her own throat.. and what did she have to show for it? It was people like Miyamoto that made her feel like her efforts would always prove to be in vain. She tried so hard to climb her way to the top, yet to people like him it was apparently as simple of a task as breathing. When she finally managed to collect herself, Yuuki realized that she had been quiet for quite some time, not even making eye contact with Aeon after he finished speaking. She unclenched her fists, flexing her fingers a few times as she spoke up, "I-I see..." She stuttered out in an awkward tone, eyes still directly staring at Miyamoto, even though she was speaking to Aeon.

"Thank you for the kind words and your stand is appreciated Fujioka-san."

"It's no issue, Belrose-Senpai." She responded, leaving it at that. She didn't like going through unnecessary pleasantries, and she would avoid it if at all possible. It was nothing against Aeon, but she honestly wished the event would begin, or that they could just begin classes.. She was tempted to find a quiet corner and crack open her cram school booklet she clung to as if it were a religious text.

"You are free to speak your mind to anyone that you find to be an interference. You would not need my permission in such matters. It is just that you should be reminded that your words are your own responsibility."

"I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm not looking to make any friends, so I assure you that I prefer to, and will handle any consequences that my words may bring on my own." Yuuki's tone was serious and solid. She didn't question her own resolve, not for a single moment. She knew she could handle it, she'd been through a lot of isolation and bullying, eventually they realized she refused to bend. Her eyes were set on a single goal, and so far, nothing else mattered. Although, part of her was still burning up inside. She was so angry that Miyamoto was able to keep good grades and enjoy life at the same time. She couldn't afford to slack off, the pressure on her shoulders.. It was too much to handle. She felt so helpless when her father fell ill, but now she felt like her family's future relied solely on her, and that was a lot to handle at sixteen. To be honest, she was hanging by a thread between stability and a mental overload, "I came to Airdalen to learn, my focus is a good college.. and no one will stand in my way when it comes to that."

"I understand. I will do my part enough in such activities to compensate for yours. However, there is always room for improvement. Weaknesses are never permanent. It is but an obstacle to be removed."

Suddenly, she kind of understood why he had such a large following. Although his tone was formal and he wasn't being flirtatious, his words of advice were actually rather motivational. Sure, she didn't see him like the other girls did, but suddenly, he was sort of a role model in her eyes. Judging by his vocabulary, she felt it was safe to say that he was studious. Also as she referred back to his comment about compensating for her lack of athleticism, she deduced that he was also athletic as well. Though just looking at him, it wouldn't have been hard to come to her second conclusion, although, Yuuki did her best to not judge a book by it's cover. Most assumed she was just a shy, cute little girl. She wasn't shy, so long as someone approached her with an academic conversation. Most of the time, Yuuki couldn't be further from being timid, "I'll look for a sports club that won't be too annoying.." She responded with a calm sigh. It would keep her busy if she was in a lot of clubs, besides, she did find herself with a lot of useless time at home. She could only study the same materials for so long.. A few extracurricular would do wonders for her college resume, especially if she added at least one athletic club. It wouldn't hurt her grades either if she began improving her gym scores.

"Speaking of which, Fujioka-San. There will be an activity to be held after a while. The folder contains such materials to indicate that. I would expect your cooperation and assistance then."

"Of course. I will do my best, Belrose-Senpai." Yuuki responded, her eyes finally shifting to Johnny, whose name she merely overheard a moment ago when he was talking to the blonde female (Arietta). Did he overhear her last name as well, or did she know him and simply forgot about him?

"Fujioka-… uhm… Fujioka-san?”

"Eh?" Yuuki's tone came out questioningly as she turned to face Johnny and his equally tall Senior (Ryou). This was the first time that she actually gave the brunet male a good once over, and he was much taller than she imagined. She had adjust the tilt of her head a bit higher to make eye contact than she initially did upon turning around, "Did you need something?" She asked quizzically. She didn't catch the rest of the conversation, but she was oblivious to his failed attempt of whispering. She assumed he merely was losing his voice.

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His greeting was so hesitant that for a moment Mai thought maybe she looked funny or something. But he suddenly bowed and gave them longer greeting. As he continued Mai blushed a little at hearing him thank her, but it could have also extended to the others as well so she did her best to quell the rise of color to her cheeks. The small girl hadn’t expected the others to follow suite. She had been rather quiet but it was an outburst of sorts, so maybe she had been louder than she had intended.

Hanging her head low in disappointment towards herself upon realizing that she had missed her opportunity to drink coffee with Akira and possibly Ryou. Then Mai’s head snapped back up at the sudden use of English. Mai looked to where Ryou was sitting as that was where the English greeting had come from. It had been a while since she last spoke the foreign language, at least to her anyway. She assumed that many at the school spoke it fluently. In regards to herself Mai could understand it however she would often translate it incorrectly which had led to a few misunderstandings in the past. On the other hand her ability to speak it was by no means on a level that could be considered fluent. There was just something about sounding out the words that she had a hard time doing.

From listening to what Ryou had said the junior was only able to get cherry blossom and maybe petal but Mai didn’t have much confidence in her translation. Mai leaned back in her chair, trying to get out of the way of the other three as they conversed amongst themselves briefly. She was glad Akira spoke to her again, and could only nod in finally understanding what had just been said.

The announcements came on shortly afterwards and Mai sat up straighter in her seat. She was a bit surprised by the principals appearance, especially seeing that he appeared to them through a projector, but it wasn’t her place to judge him harshly. From what she could see he looked like he could be one of those crazy uncles your mother tells you to stay away from. In thinking this Mai giggled quietly to herself, hoping none of the others noticed. He speech was quite encouraging, especially the part towards the juniors. Mai realized that maybe this school really was the right place for her to be at, especially since she was trying to overcome her own obstacles.

"So... Umm, you excited to meet your seniors?" Mai looked up at him ready to give her answer, or at least try to. In truth she was dreading the idea. What if they weren’t nice people like Akira or as collected as Ryou. She also knew that they probably wouldn’t like the fact that she was not only small but had a stutter. Of course she ended up not saying anything in the end as Akira spoke up. Soon enough a beautiful blonde approached them or rather Bishop. From what she got from her words, she was his senior. Seeing as she was focused on her fellow blonde, Mai turned her attention to Akira.

It would seem she would be the only one, amongst those in their row, who hadn’t been approached by a senior yet. Like Akira, Mai was a bit surprised by the sudden appearance of the pink ball. The strange object even spoke, saying it had found the pretty boy. At first Mai wasn’t sure who it had been referring to until she looked back at Akira. “Oh.” Mai could only giggle at the idea that she wasn’t the only one who thought he was pretty. Another beautiful senior came up to them but her beauty was different compared to the other girls (Arietta). This girl could have been a character from one of the many fairy tale stories her father read to her.

Mai smiled shyly towards those around them, placing her school bag and lunch box beside her on the seat, she still had some room on the chair. Once again swinging her legs but gently this time to avoid kicking anyone. She wondered where her senior was; maybe they had slept in and where late? Or maybe she just had the luck of being paired with no one. Thinking that made Mai frown with worry but it would seem she needn’t worry for long.

Suddenly the sound of sirens erupted in the hall, filling the room with its unpleasant sounds. Green eyes looked up, trying to catch a glimpse of the person on the stage. Thanks to her height and the majority of the student body standing, Mai wasn’t able to see much. She could someone laughing through the megaphone and apologizing albeit sarcastically. Paging someone named Kon Mai! Kon Mai! Report to this very awesome Miyamoto Kazuki who is speaking. My time is worth millions so hustle it junior! Thanks!"

The small girl jumped at the sudden calling of her name and almost immediately her face turned a bright tomato red. It didn’t take long for her eyes to water but she had already jumped from her chair and was rushing to meet this Kazuki fellow. Never in her life had she moved so quickly however due to her timid nature and small stature she had trouble getting past the crowd. It took her a couple of minutes to find her senior but eventually she did, or at least she assumed she did. He was quite the tall fellow with an almost predatory demeanor. In an instance Mai wanted to hide from that piercing gaze and just shake, which she was actually doing, shaking that is. He was also rather handsome, in the same way that Ryou was but much more aggressive.

Mai walked up the older boy, looking up at him with nervous eyes. She wouldn’t dare look him in the eye, least she let out an unwelcoming sound. Clutching her school bag tightly in small hands, Mai bowed low quickly in apology. “I-I d-do a-apol-logi-gize f-for m-my l-la-te-ness.” The small girl grit her teeth at how terrible her stutter had become and she really did just want to disappear. She straightened up and introduced herself as Kon Mai, her stutter still prevalent in her words but it had seemed to lessen now that she was saying something more routine. Her eyes looked everywhere but his face at least not from this close. At this point she kept her focus on what she could see right in front of her but she did her best to look as close to his face as she could without actually seeing it in her peripheral vision.

It was probably rude of her to do so but at the moment Mai was too overcome with embarrassment and an array of other emotions that kept her from thinking straight. She practically had to look straight up and the thought of what he may think of her, now that he saw her, briefly flashed through her mind. Even if he didn’t like her Mai couldn’t bring herself to hate him for it, well if he did anyway. There was something that was nagging her, something she had pushed down at the back of her mind at the urgentness of meeting with her senior. That something was her lunch box which was still resting on her chair when she had been sitting with Akira and the others.

---

Popularity +1 Kazuki

"Ah.. H-Hello goodmorning."

Arietta was a bit surprised by his bow, but smiled a bit. At least he wouldn't be some rude jerk. She didn't want a difficult partner, honestly she didn't want to do this whole partner thing at all, but that was a story for another time. He seemed friendly enough, she just hoped that he wouldn't turn out to be some kind of pervert or something. He was either blushing because he was shy, or because he was a creep.. She didn't have a super strong right hook, but she'd introduce it to him anyway if he tried anything perverse on her.

"I'm Bishop! It's good to meet you!"

"It's nice to meet you as well. Our team name is Wolves." She informed Bishop, pointing to the word written on the folder as proof. She then opened it up, immediately handing him the map and his schedule. She knew that neither would be of use to her, so they were definitely meant for him, "I kind of like the team name, but we are allowed to change it if you dislike it." She added, looking to her own schedule. Though she didn't get to finish liking through her folder because their conversation was cut short by a familiar voice.

"Arietta-chan, good morning!"

Arietta's head tilted as she saw a familiar face, smiling back in an equally bright manner, "Ohayo, Cassi-chan!" She chimed in an enthusiastic tone. Cassiopeia was one of the few beautiful girls at Airdalen that Arietta truly liked. She doubted that the girl had ulterior motives, because she always seemed a bit.. erratic? She wasn't sure how to describe Cassiopeia, but Arietta found her to be harmless to her reputation. In fact, being seen with Cassiopeia often helped her reputation.

"How was your vacation? I wish you had lots of fun."

"We went on a Yacht, visited the States for a bit, nothing too fancy.. What did you do?" Arietta lied. She did ride on a Yacht, but the last time she visited The United States was when she was a small child.

"Are one of them your junior partner, Arietta-chan?"

"Yeah, this one." She stated in an excitable tone and pointed in Bishop's direction. Arietta didn't even turn to look at the blond boy as she spoke to Cassiopeia, seeing as they already introduced themselves. He seemed to be shocked by Clio, but Arietta was kind of used to the odd doohickey by now. The expression on Bishop's face was priceless though, so Arietta skillfully whipped out her phone and snapped a picture of his reaction to Clio.

Though his reaction to Cassiopeia was even better, and Arietta snapped a picture of his westernized now as well, "Anything else for me to document?" She teased in a lighthearted manner, giggling a bit afterwards. Though she pocketed her phone, half to reassure him that he could relax from now on, and half to keep him from trying to snatch the device from her.

"My name is Bishop... Bishop Trander."

Thankfully, Arietta was used to strange names, seeing as her own was considered out of the ordinary. It helped that he repeated Bishop twice, so she identified that as his first name very easily. The boy was rather charming, but to Arietta, Bishop was just a cute little puppy at a pet shop. He was cute, but not in a romantic way.

"Hmm, Arietta-chan. Are you and Bishop-kun related? You two seem similar in appearance."

Arietta blinked a few times, letting the other girl's words sink in, "N-No way!!" She replied, shaking her head immediately once she registered what Cassiopeia was asking. Arietta used both of her arms to form a giant X symbol, shaking her head again, "No relation! W-well.. at least I don't think so. I was adopted. It's not likely." She responded in a defensive tone, but now she was kind of unsure. For once she was questioning about her parentage, but she had no answers. Part of her always wondered why she had blonde hair, it just brought up too many painful questions and she didn't want to find answers that could make matters worse. What if her real parents were alive and just didn't want her? She shook off the thought, turning her full attention to her blond and blue eyed junior. His enthusiasm reminded her of a kindergarten child on his first day of school.

"I'm really excited to start school here. What would you like to start with first?"

"Etto.. They haven't made it clear on what the activity is.. So have some gum and be patient." She responded with a calm and carefree laugh. She even lightly stuck a strip of the gum into his mouth, although it was still in the wrapper. He was asking questions she didn't know how to answer, so it seemed to be the most efficient way to shut the boy up for a moment.

"But, what are we going to use these?"

Arietta immediately shrugged her shoulders at her fellow Senior, drawing blanks as well, "Your guess is as good as mine, Cassi-chan."

"Would you like some Akira-kun? Bishop-Kun? Arietta-chan?"

"Arigato, but we got some in our folder too.." Arietta responded, holding up the pack of gum that was missing a single strip, which she'd placed in her Junior's mouth to busy him with a few moments ago.

"I guess we'll be having an activity... I'm getting excited to know what it is."

"Me too!" Arietta responded in a girly tone of voice, but she was faking every minute of it. If the activity had been optional, she probably would have bailed on Bishop right about now in favor of sneaking off to get a cup of coffee... but alas, she didn't seem to have a choice, so she couldn't ruin her reputation by being a spoiled sport.

"Let's do our best everyone!"

"Yeah, let's not go easy on each other just because we are friends!" She told Cassiopeia with a wink, not that Arietta was even competitive when it came to events or activities, but it seemed like a cute thing to say and do at the time. Then her attention turned to Bishop, "You nervous?"

"Yes, I know. But, let's have fun too, okay? I'll look forward to it!"

Arietta nodded in agreement, a warm smile on her face, regardless of how irritated she was with the responsibilities this school was shoving on the senior class. She kept it mostly hidden from her tone, and her face wasn't giving it away at all. Arietta was better than novice acting, she wasn't a professional, but she wasn't an amateur either, "This is going to be a fun day!" Arietta exclaimed, nearly jumping up and down in excitement on the outside, but she wasn't nearly as peppy on the inside. She was feeling rather impatient and irritated to be honest.

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