Airdalen Academy

“H-Hell-o. U-um y-you –ma-ay, I do-don’t m-mind at a-all.”

Akira was a bit relieved, very appreciative that the girl accepted her so easily. Though she just found the girl to be even cuter now that she realized the girl was timid. Akira was going to sit down, but decided to wait until she caught the girl's name first. She was still getting used to proper Japanese introductions after all.

“I-I’m M-Mai K-Kon a-a J-Junior, pl-pleased t-to ma-mak-e y-you-you’re a-aq-aquian-tance.”

"Kon-san.. That's a really short family name. It's nice to meet you, Mai-chan!" Akira stated, opting to call the girl by first name instead after blinking a few times in surprise by the short length of her name. The girl's first name was Mai, another short name. Though, for some reason, it really fit. Akira couldn't imagine her name being anything else now that she'd heard it. Then she felt the need to admit something about Mai, and before she could even begin to assess whether she should keep it to herself or not, she blurted out the words, "You're so kawaii, Mai-chan." She said this in a serious and shameless tone, a smile on her face the entire time. She wasn't nervous, nor was she joking. She didn't even seem to realize that this would more than likely really embarrass the short girl, especially since Mai was under the impression that Akira was a boy, judging by the uniform, short hair, etc. Akira often forgot that she should be more conscious about her behavior, especially since she was a 'boy' now. It was easy to forget that girls were a bit less forward here, and far easier to embarrass than in Britain due to the stricter formalities here.

Akira noticed where Mai's eyes landed, and she let out a soft chuckle. The blond boy (Bishop) was getting told off by a lavender haired female, and she definitely found it a bit amusing. She liked a girl that spoke her mind, just about as much as she liked shy girls like Mai. Akira then spoke up, not realizing how it would sound, "I like girls like that. It's a good thing that she knows what she wants and tells others when they've displeased her. Ne?" She wasn't even aware that it sounded like she meant she was romantically attracted to girls like the angry bookworm (Yuuki). Akira was oblivious to the fact that she would have to watch her words to avoid misunderstandings, and it would surely put her in a lot of awkward situations in the near future.

"Watch where you stand!"

Akira instinctively shot forward in reaction to Mai's shock and the unknown guy's (Kazuki's) entrance, leaning forward and shielding Mai from the possibility of danger with her own body. Akira didn't even stop to consider that it might make the girl embarrassed, she was too worried about her general. She wasn't sure if this loud delinquent would lose his footing, and she wouldn't have been able to live with herself if she stood by and allowed the smaller girl to get stepped on or hurt in any way. She knew she was very close to the other girl because of this, but she couldn't help what her instincts caused her to do, "You could have hurt her! Watch where you're going!" Akira shouted in the tall guy's (Kazuki's) direction, twitching a bit.

"Well, see you later kiddos!"

Guys who put girls in danger.. How dare he risk hurting her for his own sake! She thought to herself, both of her fists clenched as she held in her anger, knuckles turning a pale white as she watched the guy sprint off and interrupt several other conversations.

“Eh?”

Then she remembered she was leaning over Mai in a defensive way. Akira blinked down at the smaller girl and removed herself from Mai's personal space. Akira immediately rubbed the back of her neck and let out a nervous laugh, realizing she probably made the girl feel very uncomfortable, "S-sorry about that.. I was scared he was going to end up landing on you. I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable." She replied in a nervous tone, hoping she didn't scare the girl too much with her forward actions. The Japanese were a more reserved group of people, and Akira realized her actions were definitely defined as an invasion of space.

Akira sat down with a generous amount of space between herself and Mai, eyes averting. She realized that she probably came across as some perverted boy from Mai's perspective, but it honestly wasn't like that. Now everything is awkward.. She was just responding to protect the small girl from injury. She never wanted to see someone get hurt if she could take their place. After watching her parents die, she didn't want to see anyone else get hurt, especially people she liked..and this girl was absolutely adorable. She was shy, and very petite, Akira kind of wanted to poke the girl's cheek to make sure that she was real, but she refrained from touching her, even when she'd used her own body to shield Mai from the black haired parkour guy (Kazuki).

"Why did you look like you were going to cry earlier... Did someone say something mean to you?" Akira asked with innocent curiosity on her face, completely baffled by the true cause of Mai's shyness and nervousness. She didn't realize that Mai found her 'pretty' and was extra nervous because she was a 'boy' who approached her out of nowhere. Akira was a bit dense when it came to understanding others, which often put her in uncomfortable situations like this one. It was safe to say that Akira was no good at reading in between the lines. She'd come to a completely off base conclusion in the end, "If they did, just point them out and I'll make them apologize." she responded with a cheerful grin on her face, running a hand through her hair. This uniform was rather hot, considering the sun was blaring down on them and she unbuttoned the black jacket of her uniform to reveal the white shirt, letting out a soft sigh afterwards.

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"Kon-san.. That's a really short family name. It's nice to meet you, Mai-chan!"” Mai looked surprised at having been called Mai-chan. She certainly wasn’t expecting Akira, who she only just met, to use chan. The small girl also never really thought about how short her name was. I guess it is pretty short. It seemed like Akira was going to be full of surprises by what he said next or rather blurted out. "You're so kawaii, Mai-chan." Mai was once again caught off guard. Her small lips parted but no sound came through as she could only gawk in embarrassment at having been called kawaii. She could feel the heat rush to her face as it soon turned the color of a tomato. It was rather difficult to tell how she should take it. Akira said it so easily with that same smile he has had since she saw him.

It looked like Akira did notice her eyes wondering since he commented on it. Even if it was unintentional, Mai now knew of his preference and felt a little sad at not being the type of girl he liked. Wait what am I saying? I have only just met him. With a tight lipped smile, Mai clenched her fists on her lap and quickly shook her head. The color had yet to leave her face and it seemed to only get darker at what occurred next. When the other boy had landed in front of them a figure suddenly shot forwards to shield her from any oncoming injury. Mai pulled away instinctively, bringing her arms up to keep Akira’s body from getting too close but he was still pretty close. Thankfully any imminent danger she was in had gon and Akira stepped away from Mai whose face was an incredibly bright red and looked to be in a bit of a daze. "S-sorry about that.. I was scared he was going to end up landing on you. I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable.

His apology brought her back to reality. The dazed looked now gone Mai was still red in the face but it had gone down. She quickly shook her head no to his apology since she couldn’t quite make her mouth move. The small girl still wouldn’t have been able to say anything even if she did, her brain was currently in overdrive trying to process what had just occurred. Mai noticed that Akira had put quite some distance between the two of them and she felt bad for having made him feel nervous. Taking in a deep breathe Mai was able to speak but the stutter had gotten considerably worse. “T-Th-Than-nk y-yo-you f-fo-or s-sa-savin-ing m-me.” she said with a wide smile on her face.

There was a brief lull of awkward silence which Mai was thankful for. It gave her time to gather her scattered thoughts and calm her pounding heart. A hand unconsciously drifted to the side of her face as she felt the heat burn her hand a bit. I hope I don’t get a fever. Still wrapped up in her thoughts Mai still couldn’t believe Akira had protected her like that. The only people she knew to have ever done that were her papa and mama. For a brief moment her thoughts drifted to her parents and she wondered how well they were doing with her not there. "Why did you look like you were going to cry earlier... Did someone say something mean to you?" Her thoughts were interrupted by his question but Mai was a bit happy that he was talking to her, even if it was about a touchy subject. “N-No o-on-e d-did.” shaking her head as she spoke. If they did, just point them out and I'll make them apologize." Mai wasn’t sure if it was the words he said or the cheerful smile he had as he said them that caused her to react the way she did. Mai suddenly began to giggle quietly to herself.

Realizing that her giggle may have been taken as her making fun of him, she stopped abruptly and apologized as quickly as she could. “ Ah! I-I’m so-sorry. I-I di-didn’t m-mean to-to l-lau-gh.” quickly standing to bow in apology. After waiting for a little while Mai stood up right, bringing her hands in front of her as she grabbed the edges of her uniform’s skirt. Her green eyes avoided looking at Akira again out of embarrassment. She heard his sigh and mistook it for him becoming impatient since she had yet to answer his initial question. Oh. Ah I di-didn’n’t r-real-lize I-I wa-as ig-noring y-you.” Looking away again, Mai frowned as she sat back down. She wasn’t sure if he would still want to talk to her and for a moment she was content with that. Suddenly her cousins words echoed in her mind Make some new friends. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Mai’s small fists tightened as she turned to face Akira. Biting her lip again, Mai mustered up all the courage she had to ask him a single question. “ M-May I-I cal-call y-you Akira-kun?” Since he had decided to call her by first name she thought it was only appropriate if she did the same otherwise it may have been seen as rude.

At every attempt the blonde haired freshmen took at turning this into a positive conversation was shot down.... Terribly. If anyone was close enough to listen it would be absolutely brutal to hear the way she cut down his comments with counters of her own. The two were just far too opposite in their philosophies of thinking. However Bishop didn't fret in the least, at least on the outside. <Man... She's so cold.> "I don't have the time to hold grudges against people, so you have nothing to worry about. Just don't do it again, at least not around me."

"Ahh... R-Right." A small part of him rebelled, wanting to tell her off for demanding that he be inconvenienced because only one person out of the many around was offended. That wasn't fair at all, like the one person that gets offended by a joke so everyone has to watch what they say around the office from now on. But just like him, he relented and let her say what she wanted and accommodated. Bishop liked to make people happy, he was a people pleaser. The blonde girl was hard to read, but to be honest he wasn't very good in reading people and had been manipulated in the past. What plagued the young blonde was that people around him always thought that he was too nice. That he was trying too hard to be liked, or was trying to get people to like him for some suspicious reason. The worst was when girls thought he was trying too hard to show that he liked them, which lead him to instantly being manipulated in doing favors or going out of his way for someone. In his mind he was just doing people a favor, none the wiser even to this day.

After the commotion of that older kid (Kazuki) swinging past them, he looked to Yuuki nervously playing off his intentional flop as nothing more but an unfortunate event. He had a curious expression on his lips watching her for a moment, until the violet haired girl (Yuuki) started to laugh uncontrollably. He blinked and laughed nervously with her, having probably missed something that was so amusing. <Is she... Laughing at me?> He watched her continue until the laughter died. He was somewhat speechless unsure of what to say, so he just remained in his spot sitting still and watcher her stand up, bow then leave. Bishop blinked and slowly stood up watching her go. "She was... Definitely laughing at me." He sighed and lowered his head as a sweatdrop drooped from his head. "I'm such a dork..." Bishop moved to sit on the bench and moved to grab his earplugs and set them in, turning on some music again but only for him to listen to this time. He was oblivious to to Yuuki's glances keeping his head down, in a somewhat defeated manner. He figured it would be best to keep a low profile from here on out. Others probably saw and were sizing him up. He knew about the rumors of high school were, but that was American high school He was in a completely different pond now, and Bishop was a little fish. A little goldfish. His head flinched lower remembering that was a nickname some kids called him, when they made fun of him... Goldfish, because of his hair and that he swam. Bishop's hands slid to rest on his knees and clenched lightly while he looked down at his feet deep in thought, subconsciously biting at his lip while his eyes shimmered with doubt and memories.

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Popularity |+ 1 to Cassiopeia
Notoriety | + 1 to Kazuki

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"Let me sleep
as I do, I will have dreams
in them, I could get to see you
smiling at me so serenely and happy
so, let me sleep like this
never wake me up."

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"Come on wake up!I want to show you something, Ryou... Something very beautiful."

The voice he wanted to hear so much faded into nothingness and instead, it was replaced by a feeling of pain radiating from his feet. It felt that something or probably someone stepped on it. That's why slowly but surely, his eyes opened to the image of reality. He didn't utter any recognition of it by releasing any sound. This spoke volumes on his tolerance and exhibit of control. He is such a composed person as he simply opened his eyes and then looked to his right side where he felt presences of people nearby. It made him wonder if he will be welcomed by the sights of those hounding girls. They might be the cause of him being stepped on to wake up.

But, he just saw two people, a pair composed of a girl (Arietta) and a boy (Saburo). The female was a familiar one to him. The male was not. His eyes of silver gray reminding one of the moon's light gazed at them. There was no blame in them as it still was faintly hazed with sleepiness, but he did hear the girl, Hakushiro that's her name if he remembered correctly, apologized. That was odd in his understanding. "I'm fine." He answered in a soft yet casual manner as he stood from his seat, finally showcasing his full height. His eyes landed on his foot as he moved it around. "But, why are you apologizing?"

Once more, his eyes fell on her. Then, he heard a familiar voice which he wanted to avoid for the duration of his day. He looked towards that direction seeing Miyamoto surrounded by the school guards and the known school idol (Aeon) and the kind Cassiopeia. Somehow, he now understood. It doesn't take a genius to figure out the scenario. "It's not your fault." He stated without any pretense, but it was enough to silence any argument as he looked at Hakushiro. His words had always have weight about them whether he noticed it or not. There was still a smudge of dirt at the hem of skirt and he knew she was just a victim as anyone else from Miyamoto's rampaging scene. He deduced the girl must be blaming herself for whatever happened which he had a clear reason to believe was done because he was here. Miyamoto had always did everything in his power to issue fights or challenges to him in different ways.

"Here." Ryou took out a clean handkerchief from his pants' pocket and handed it to her. "There's still some left." Whether she took it or not, he continued after she made her response. "It's a thanks for your concern." He said to give reason for his gesture. Most people feel more comfortable when there are reasons behind actions and especially when they're stated. Ryou then looked to the unfamiliar face, the boy (Saburo). "Welcome to Airdalen." He assumed that the new face was a freshman if he was wrong, then it's his bad. He then looked from the boy (Saburo) to Hakushiro. From his observation, they seemed to know each other. He must be interrupting them. "I guess, I'll see you two around then." Once he said that, he took his leave by walking away from that spot. He didn't want to be noticed by Miyamoto any more.

This was one of the days that he didn't want to be bothered by that fellow rowdy senior of his. He had a beautiful dream and that was shattered because of his self-proclaimed rival wanted to bother him with useless things. Anyway, he walked along the pathway as the Sakura blossoms were being blown by the wind. He looked at the falling petals as some landed on his shoulder and head. It was a beautiful contrast against the blackness of his hair and the paleness of his skin. It was like a painting when it involves him. Then, there it was again that voice he wanted to hear always.

"Did you know that the sakura petals can make wishes come true? It made mine into a reality. See, you're here with me."

His eyes held a hint of sadness and had an image as if he was looking across time. Just like that, he reached for one petal which landed at the palm of his hand and then closed his hand as if impaling it with an unspoken wish. Then, he released it to the winds, hoping it would be true, his dream.

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STATS

Popularity + 1 (Cassiopeia)
Popularity + 1 (Aeon)
Notoriety + 1 (Kazuki)

“Yeah…”

She didn't really expect an answer from the quiet male (Rhys), and she stole a glance at him out of the corner of her eye when she felt he wasn't looking. He didn't seem to want to socialize, but she knew better than anyone that a cold demeanor didn't mean that the person themselves were truly cold-hearted. She had a lot of trouble making friends, because she would always panic and say something cocky or rude. She didn't mean to, she was just afraid of getting hurt and the words came out of her mouth of their own accord. He seemed to be enjoying the weather, but she wasn't necessarily fond of it, especially since their uniforms consisted of dark colored jackets. The uniforms were gorgeous, but they definitely weren't comfortable on the hotter days of the year.

“Hm?”

She immediately tensed up a bit, realizing that she might have been barking up the wrong tree.. He didn't give his name back yet, so perhaps he truly didn't want to talk to her? Was she reading into the situation too much? Her mother always told her she expected too much out of people. Perhaps that was true? He was a very attractive guy, but in a delinquent sort of way. Usually long hair looked really bad on men and made them look like stoners, but she found it rather suited this boy rather well. He also had brown eyes, a common shade around Japan, yet his hair was not. The blond-brunet hair color was very strange, a rarity to be honest, and it was an instant give away that he was foreign, or at least had a foreign parent. She knew of a few others with light hair, but they were all transfers or had parents from western descent.

Though when his eyes landed on her, she immediately felt herself become very nervous. It was very unnerving to know he was looking at her, and she began to regret her direct choice of conversation. Do I have something on my face? Did my mascara run?

She began panicking, especially after she thought she heard a gasp, but she wasn't entirely sure. It could have just been her mind playing tricks on her, but she was totally a nervous train wreck inside of her head. She kind of wanted to run off, but that would only make the situation worse.. and the program would start soon. She didn't need to run off, it would only complicate things in the end, because she'd be too embarrassed to return here. Though after telling him that he didn't have to talk to her, she knew it came off as a bit indecisive, especially since she chose to speak to him first.. She couldn't help it though, every time she got too nervous about whether someone would like her or not, she'd always say the exact opposite of what she meant.

Out of the corner of her eye, Shiori noticed that the boy grasped his forehead, and it seemed as though he was in pain. Did he have a headache? Is that why he was so quiet? Immediately she rummaged through her bag, before extending out her hand. There was two small red pills still inside of their foil containers in a gloved palm, definitely some kind of brand like Tylenol. She didn't make eye contact, but it was the least she could do for being so much trouble. She doubted she was making this guy's life any easier. Though, she was most likely the only student who wore silk gloves on campus. The gloves were a sleek black, and definitely femininely designed. She wore these often, but there was no obvious sign as to why.

“Rhys… but in Japan you go by surnames right? So it’s—“

She was surprised that he started speaking again, and she got a name, albeit it was only his given name instead of his full name. Though to her relief, he mentioned that in Japan, individuals addressed each other by their last names. Thank god.. for a minute there I thought he was going to expect me to address him by his first name.. She had a light blush on her cheeks from the thought. She definitely would have said something harsh if he'd asked her to call him Rhys. That was too forward, way too soon. She was on a totally different planet, no where near addressing boys or girls by their first names. She didn't even notice the racket, but she did notice when Rhys quit speaking. Her eyes lifted just in time to see a dark haired male approaching them with the speed of an angry rhinoceros stampede. Her eyes widened, especially since she recognized this person. This person was none other than Kazuki Miyamoto. If there was anyone in this school that she was most terrified to speak to, it was definitely him. He was outgoing, loud, reckless, and definitely didn't understand personal space. She did not want him to get anywhere near her, because he was unpredictable and no one knew what was on that psycho's mind.



"S'cuse me! Up and over!"

Shiori let out a soft gasp and ducked down as fast as she could, still sitting on the bench, but lowered her form to where she wouldn't become a casualty of Kazuki's escape. He jumped over their bench, and Shiori stopped breathing for a moment, completely terrified. She did not want to be physically touched by anyone, and she couldn't continue to breathe until after he cleared their bench and moved towards another where a petite ivory haired boy (Akira) was talking to a small ebony haired girl (Mai). She remained hunkered down for a few minutes, her heart beating really fast. She didn't see that coming at all, and she was frozen from the fear that hadn't quite worn off yet. She was not trembling, for the fact that she couldn't move at all. Her eyes were glued to the ground and she was breathing very slowly to calm herself down. She didn't even pay attention to her surroundings, and only caught the end of what Rhys was saying. She immediately sat back up, but continued the pattern of avoiding eye contact.

“…Browning.”

"We do address each other by last name here, unless we feel emotionally connected and close to one another. So I would be Kitogawa-san, and you would be Browning-san. You would use -chan, or -kun at the end to address close friends.." She replied, her fingers now trembling, seeing as she just recently mustered up the courage to move. Though her eyes shifted to him once more, a little curious. Why was he cracking his knuckles? Was he trying to intimidate people? Was he going to get in a fight? She was completely baffled, "Welcome to Airdalen, be aware of the fact that this place is full of idiots.." her tone was much colder, and she was definitely referring to Kazuki, but also several others. Although she didn't hate Kazuki, she definitely didn't like him very much.

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"Every day has been so wonderful.
I've met a lot of people and seen
A lot of things which I could never
Before. This is all thanks to you."
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◄Aeon's simple answer of I'm fine or the complete logical response that she should not miss him as they talked as much as possible were things she really expected out of him, but she did hope that he would entertain him with stories. It was apparent that he was not really the kind to discuss his vacation so openly or he seemed fond of his summer break. Cassiopeia tilted her head to the side in curiosity as she put her hands behind her. Were his trips not exciting and fun? He was always off to one place after another as she heard, but thinking about it now carefully, it must be all business related. That would make it boring then, but it's still a story she would like to hear someday.

It became her turn when he asked about hers as he held out his hand to her. Her face quickly lit up like a child within an amusement park as she happily took the hand and sat beside him. He was always a gentleman which made her happier. "It was so fun! I really wished you were there, Aeon! Hotaru brought me to Kyoto, Okinawa, Mt. Fuji! It was so amazing! It looked like a delicious ice cream! Right, Clio?" She energetically shared while looking for support from her mechanical assistant who bounced up and down matching its mistress' excitement. "Yes, delicious, Clio says!" She nodded her head happily at that agreement. She clapped her hands as she remembered the memories she made during her vacation and continued with her tale. "There were wonderful temples and a lot of sand at the beach. Hotaru told me that there will still be a lot of things I need to see. I'm looking forward to it!"

"Again! Clio Says!" Clio supported its mistress' enthusiasm. Cassiopeia lightly giggled at this. "Yes, let's do it again!" She stated with a bright smile, but it was replaced with a slight pout when Aeon mentioned about hearing from Hotaru. She did hear something about that from her overprotective guardian. She listened to his words and she was thankful for him. It's not a secret that her parents allowed her to come here due to Aeon's help in the negotiations. That's why she's very happy to have him at her side even if she thinks it's selfish of her to use their friendship which started a long time ago to her advantage. He had always been considerate of her. That's why she wasn't that surprised when she found out that Aeon was considered an idol of sorts at this school, but it was still a bit funny in a different area.

She took a deep breath and extended her hands forward where Clio recognized for it to come. It did and Clio was now being held by her in between her hands. "I'm fine... I know that I've been causing you trouble ever since I came here.. But, I've never been this happy before." She stood from her seat and then walked a bit forward as she did a pirouette. She stopped in front of Aeon with a dazzling and gentle smile. "Thank you very much, Aeon." At the exact moment, she said that. Her arm was grabbed by him which earned her surprise, but this was not caused by their bodies being pressed closely for a short time. It was caused by the fact he touched her. It might be odd. It's true that she had been the kind to shower affection through actions and being held by other people was not much of a bother to her, but he was different. He rarely touches her and when he does so, it's for a reason like saving her from a collision. That’s why she can’t help but be surprised, because she does wish that he would touch her someday not for anything else but just because, they’re friends.

She found herself seated again and Aeon standing while looking down at a man who fell on his face. She recognized him immediately. "Kazuki-kun!" She exclaimed as Clio's flapped its ear wings in a frantic manner. "Danger! Danger! Clio Says!" Kazuki was able to get back on his feet and confronted Aeon. She knew that two had always been at odds with each other. They were polar opposites, but she believed that they are wonderful friends because of it. She really does have a different view of things. "Are you all right?" She asked in concern as she stood from the bench and approached Kazuki who were surrounded by the guards. He did fell on his face. She looked at Aeon quickly when he clearly assessed Kazuki as an idiot. "Aeon! You should not say things like that!" She reprimanded Aeon in a motherly tone as Clio backed it up. "Say sorry! Clio Says!"

But, Aeon instead announced that he would be leaving. Cassiopeia sighed at this while lightly shaking her head. She looked at Kazuki again and saw that he has a bruise at the bridge of his nose. That was rather awful as she remembered Kazuki saying that many girls would cry if he gets hurt. It's probably because he's handsome. She released Clio and took out a band-aid with a pink color and heart design. "Kazuki-kun, please be careful. I don't like seeing you hurt. I know Aeon feels the same way." Her perception at best comes out as nonexistent. She then placed the band-aid on the bruise. "There, all better!" She smiled at him in which the other guards present looked at her fondly. "I'll see you later then." She waved at him as Clio followed it up too. "Bye! Bye! Clio Says!" She then followed after Aeon with Clio trailing behind her.

Cassiopeia was able to catch up with Aeon as she walked beside him. "Aeon, that was not nice. Kazuki-kun must have a reason for doing what he did. You should try to understand that." She stated with a motherly tone that is very natural of her. "Right! Clio Says!" She sighed at this and that's when she noticed something bright in front of her, like orange. "Hmm? Could it..." She stopped from walking and just looked at someone who was with a known face to her. It was Gen and the one beside her... At that point, Cassiopeia's eyes twinkled in happiness and a bright smile on her face. "Vika!" She shouted a bit loudly as she ran passed Aeon with such excitement. Her hand was flailing about in a cheerful wave.

She soon reached her destination in which she launched a very delighted hug towards Vika. Her arms were around the younger girl instantly as she gently squeezed Vika in her enthusiasm and happiness. "I'm so happy to see you here!" Her face was truly a reflection of delight of seeing and meeting Vika here. It had been quite a long time since they saw each other. This year was turning out to be a wonderful one.

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Popularity +1 to Cassiopeia

“T-Th-Than-nk y-yo-you f-fo-or s-sa-savin-ing m-me.”

To Akira's pleasant surprise, Mai seemed very thankful about her actions. Akira was completely baffled by Mai's response. Most girls would have been angry. Though Mai directly had thanked her, and this brought Akira a sense of relief, but also restored her easygoing nature to it's proper order. Thank goodness.. I was afraid that she would think I was creepy.. Akira thought to herself, glad that this turned out for the better in the end. She really needed to be more careful, because her actions as a boy and as a girl would all come across differently. A girl could get closer to a girl than she could as a boy.. and she often forgot about those social rules.

“N-No o-on-e d-did.”

"That's good." Akira nodded her head, a bit relieved. She didn't know anyone here, and getting into a fight wouldn't have done good towards her reputation, though if someone had been bullying this girl, Akira knew that she'd throw her reputation out the window to defend her. Ever since her mother died Akira felt the need to protect those she cared for, especially the women in her life. I'll do my best to keep you safe.

“Ah! I-I’m so-sorry. I-I di-didn’t m-mean to-to l-lau-gh.”

Akira laughed as well, waving her hand at Mai dismissively, "It's alright. I'd laugh at me too.. I mean look at how short I am.. I guess it's because I hate milk." She chuckled, not offended by the laugh at all. Though she figured that if she were a real boy, her ego might have actually been shot a little. Sure, she was small, but she knew a bit about fighting and she was actually very athletic. Though there was no way that Mai would know that simply by meeting her. These uniforms did well at hiding Akira's muscle, especially since she was rather short and skinny for a male student, "I'm stronger than I look though, so don't worry." She chimed, a slightly cocky grin on her face.

"Oh. Ah I di-didn’n’t r-real-lize I-I wa-as ig-noring y-you.”

Akira put her hands up in a defensive manner, shaking her head, "It's not that." She explained in a rather desperate manner. She didn't feel that way at all, and it was finally becoming obvious to Akira that this girl was simply timid all of the time. She wasn't used to interacting with timid people, so Akira knew she would have to try her best to be subtle and respectful to Mai's boundaries, but subtle just wasn't wired into Akira's nature. She was very blunt, and not to mention very affectionate, reckless, and twice as much curious. She rubbed the back of her neck, feeling bad for giving Mai the wrong idea. She would have been more careful if she'd of known her actions would cause Mai to feel guilty. Akira's eyes turning toward the sky for a moment, pondering how to explain the situation, "It's just, it's really hot out today... I unbuttoned my jacket and it felt nice when the breeze hit, that's all." She reassured Mai with her signature goofy grin plastered on her face.

She then turned to directly face Mai, a sincere look on her face as she continued, "Besides, I don't mind if you're quiet sometimes." She added, looking around to make sure that no more delinquents were rushing towards them. Was this going to be a constant thing? She figured this school would have been delinquent-free considering it's tuition cost and reputation. Though she figured there were plenty of delinquents with heavy purses. Immediately a frown formed on her face as she thought of rich people, seeing as Akira was not particularly fond of the upper class. Her biological father, Watari Miyuu, left her mother and he was quite wealthy. She couldn't help but believe her mother would have still been alive today if her father had never abandoned them.. and she's held a bit of a grudge ever since towards those who qualified as the wealthy 1% of society. She never voices this, but her grandmother constantly urges her to marry someone rich and it really irks her to no end. She would never do that, ever. It was half the reason she took up the persona as a boy. She couldn't attract guys if they believed she was one as well. Friendship, that's all she was after. She didn't mind befriending rich kids, but she definitely would never fall in love with one. Love is reckless, and a gamble. A gamble I'm not willing to make.. As reckless as she was, she was not fond of gambling, especially if it would cause problems for her family in the future.

“M-May I-I cal-call y-you Akira-kun?”

Akira had gotten so lost in her own thoughts that she'd completely missed Mai's struggle to get these words out, but thankfully the words were loud enough to jar her back into reality. Akira blinked a bit as she let herself take in Mai's words. A light blush crossed her face, considering she'd never been called so familiarly since she'd left Britain. Akira found herself nodding her head shortly after, not taking a lot of time to think on it. It wasn't a big deal, Mai was a girl too, "It's only fair, ne?" She responded with a kind smile. Then she noticed something in Mai's hair, tilting her head for a second before it became clear as to what it was.

"Hold still, you've got something in your hair. I'll get it, okay?" Akira informed Mai in a calm tone, gently reaching forward and plucking a cherry blossom from the short ebony hair on Mai's head before presenting the pink little blossom to her as evidence. She didn't want the girl to think it was a cheap trick to touch her after all. Akira still wasn't used to the beauty of the Cherry Blossom trees, it was her favorite part about moving to Japan. Akira examined the blossom with a complex expression on her face, but quickly released it, "All better."

Just as quickly her expression returned to her outgoing and hyperactive one. For a 'boy', Akira was very expressive, and released her thoughts very freely. She wasn't afraid to talk about her feelings at all, even in front of a new acquaintance like Mai. I hope I can become close to this girl.. It's been too long since I've had a friend. Akira despite being bright and cheerful, wasn't very popular among other people. Sure, some people liked her around her neighborhood, but she wasn't anyone's favorite person. She was considered a bit annoying, especially since she was a hyper and cheerful boy. There were always social stigmas, and a cheerful girl was seen as cute, while a cheerful boy was seen as a slacker and a bit dumb in Japanese society.

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Saburo wasn't really sure what was going on, but Arietta was acting pretty weird for some reason. Apparently she didn't want anyone else to know about the tutoring because someone might think she was a nerd. He didn't really think she was a nerd though, just smart. There was a difference. Last year there was this smart dude on the team who helped a lot with the plays and stuff. A nerd is like a person who doesn't have a life and just reads sci-fi comics or something.

"You're not a nerd." Saburo lowered his voice for Arietta's sake. "Nerds are the guys who really out of shape and just play otome games all the time." He assured the Senior. "But yeah, I'll keep it low key if you want."
"Though, when you need during school homework help, you can send me a text instead of asking it face to face. It's more discreet that way. Do you think you'll need my number?"
Saburo smiled, pulling out his own phone. "Sure, I'll take it."

Before Arietta could reply the conversation was interrupted. "Hot stuff, coming through!" before he got a chance to look up some random guy (Kazuki) pushed between him and Arietta. Luckily, Saburo was able to catch himself from falling. "Hey! What the hell!" He yelled at the dude after regaining balance. Who was this guy to be pushing him around? If they ever had a run in again, Saburo wouldn't cut the guy any slack.

"Are you alright, Inoue-san?" Saburo's head snapped back towards his tutor. In his short lived anger, he had sort of forgotten about her. From the looks of it, Arietta wasn't able to right herself in time from the flustered look she portrayed.
"Yeah...thanks." The freshman paused for a second, recalling his anger. "Who was that asshole?"

"That was Kazuki. He's pretty well known for pulling stuff like that. He's not that bad once you get to know him though." Tsuyoshi had followed the wake left by Kazuki, finding Saburo in the process.
"You know him?" Tsuyoshi nodded.
"Yeah, we hung out a couple times. I thought you'd like him." Saburo paused to stare at the senior for a moment.
"No, seriously." Tsuyoshi broke a smile. "When your not on the sharp end of his crap it's not that bad."
"Yeah, okay."

Sabruo's attention was diverted to a towering senior (Ryou) who was asleep just a moment ago. "Welcome to Airdalen."
"Uh...thanks man." For whatever reason, he remembered something his father had said once.
"You gotta know the line between being confident, and being stupid. Once you get that down, I think you'll do alright."
Starting beef with this guy was definitely on the stupid side.
"I guess, I'll see you two around then." With that, the giant took his leave.

"So...How's it going Arietta? Saburo tells me you got me in science. I mean it's kinda hard to get the class when the teacher doesn't either right? ...Well you gotta know the stuff to be tutoring it...right?" Saburo glanced at his friend, then at Arietta. He gave the blonde girl a shrug.

---

+1 Notoriety Kazuki

"Yeah...thanks."

"No problem." She chimed in a happy-go-lucky tone. Unaware that he noticed she'd lost her balance in the incident. Though what she didn't know definitely wouldn't hurt her. She'd probably drive herself crazy with embarrassment if she knew. It was better that she was oblivious to the fact.

"Who was that asshole?"

"That was Kazuki. He's pretty well known for pulling stuff like that. He's not that bad once you get to know him though."

...Not bad? Arietta's expression grew skeptical, and she wanted to lean forward and check Saburo's friend's temperature. There was a lot bad about Kazuki, and she kind of wanted to give that loud cocky asshole a piece of her mind, but then again, that would totally shatter the image she'd created for herself. Cute, popular, cool. She didn't do much of anything that would ruin those three aspects from describing herself, at least in public. Sure, she'd lose her temper now and then, but she never let herself get too out of hand. She didn't want others to hate her after all, "I guess you could say that.. In a way..." She laughed nervously, though she didn't mean a word of it.

"You know him?"

A boy she met once or twice at school named Tsuyoshi nodded in response and Arietta sighed, "Who doesn't know Miyamoto-san if they're a Senior? He's a major troublemaker. Some girls find him attractive, but I think he's simply annoying." She decided to add her two cents in while pouting. Her tone was a irritated, but she wasn't letting it get the best of her. She didn't recognize him at first, seeing as he wasn't as popular as most of the people she hung out with or was aware of. Then her mind began to wander, tuning out of the boy's conversation.

"Nerds are the guys who really out of shape and just play otome games all the time."

Those words rang through her ears in repetition like a broken record. He didn't realize just how close he was to her description. She was skinny, but she wasn't necessarily in shape.. She played Otome games.. the only part of his definition she definitely lacked was being a male... Though her mind was brought off of her depressive thoughts when Ryou spoke up.

"I'm fine. But, why are you apologizing?"

"Etto.. he might have avoided this spot if there wasn't a group of three here?" Arietta replied in a sheepish manner. Now that Ryou called her out on her apology, it didn't really make any sense in the end. She felt fairly stupid in the end. It made more sense in her head, but most things usually did, including her white lies she told to vamp up her life.

"It's not your fault."

Arietta was a bit shocked, but relieved that he didn't blame her. He also didn't ask them why they were standing so close to him while he was sleeping, so Arietta felt that this situation diffused rather well. She was glad that he was so understanding. If it had been someone else, she feared that it wouldn't have went so smoothly. Ryou seemed to be a lot nicer than he let on sometimes.

"Here."

"Eh?" Arietta was completely taken aback. Where did she miss? She was certain that she'd wiped down thoroughly after her fall, but apparently she missed a spot. She accepted the handkerchief, opening her pocket mirror. It wasn't her face, nor her hair.. so it had to be her clothes. Arietta turned, checking her uniform. Her jacket was clean... so it had to be..

"There's still some left."

H-how embarrassing!! Arietta's eyes widened a bit in shock, trying to find the spot on her skirt. She honestly thought she'd gotten it all... She used the handkerchief and wiped it off once she'd found it. A light blush formed on her cheeks, not necessarily because of Ryou himself, but because he noticed her in less than pristine condition.

"It's a thanks for your concern."

"A-Arigato, Giou-san..." Arietta replied, a grateful smile on her face as he explained himself. She honestly wasn't looking too far into it, since they were only acquaintances after all. She figured that he was just caught up in the habit of having to explaining every single act of kindness, especially since he had his own personal fan club that followed him almost everywhere he went.

"I guess, I'll see you two around then."

"See you later..." Arietta replied with a cheerful expression, waving to Ryou, "Thanks again, Giou-san!" She called out, glad that he didn't let her roam around school with dirt on her clothes. That would have been so horrible... She would have been too humiliated to face anyone after she found out about it if a lot of people would have noticed it.

"So...How's it going Arietta? Saburo tells me you got me in science. I mean it's kinda hard to get the class when the teacher doesn't either right? ...Well you gotta know the stuff to be tutoring it...right?"

Arietta, tilted her head and laughed a bit. She shook her head immediately, "I just stole the teacher's notes and we read them over.. Apparently they're not as hard when Sensei doesn't speak. Though I barely remember it. Do you really think I could remember all of that? School is not my strong suit." She lied and asked Tsuyoshi with a charming smile. Though on the inside she was fuming, she managed to keep her sweet and girly exterior in tact. Arietta's acting classes were really paying off, because at the moment she looked very friendly, yet there was nothing she wanted more than to strangle Saburo right now. Saburo already told someone!? How many people did he tell?! The day barely began and he already spilled her second biggest secret? This was going to be a long day, if not a long year. She immediately shot an angry glare at Saburo when Tsuyoshi wasn't looking, twitching a bit in irritation. She was definitely going to get him back for the lie she had to tell to keep her reputation protected, especially one that was on the spot like that..

"You never gave me your number, Inoue-san." She stated again, an innocent blink on her features as she held out her girly phone in his direction to put his number in it. She wasn't sure how he'd respond in front of his friend, but she brought it up now, because she would forget if she didn't. Not to mention the event would start at any time and she wouldn't get another chance soon, "I'll text it so you can have mine."

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Johnny watched the rowdy individual (Kazuki) get "detained" by security. Judging from the speed and the harshness put behind the words, Johnny imagined the shouting included much swearing. There was an odd feeling in the towering foreigner’s gut as he watched the situation play out. What was it… nostalgia? Johnny knew for certain that he saw something familiar in the events that unfolded the many metres away.

A fair number of the words, Johnny managed to recognize on account of his recent cram-reading of the booklet. He determined that the kid was not pleased about being at this school. Who knows? Johnny thought, Maybe there is something about this school that guy doesn’t like? It was then that he felt that he might have the thousand-yard stare again. Pre-emptively, he shook his head and returned to studying his dictionary.

Thanks to the enclosed space where little outside sound pierced the perimeter walls, Johnny heard many a dialogue delivered in Japanese from a few of the groups of students that had formed. He was barely able to catch to a handful of the words. What words he did catch, he sometimes managed to decipher what was being discussed between the other students. Most of the dialogue he caught was the clear, deliberate dialogue between two who appeared to be actresses. (Gen and Vika) Johnny did enjoy the performing arts, as they were similar to sports... and his personal interests... Plus, the clarity in their speech made it easier to decipher the individual words being said, which was great practice.

Amongst the students, Johnny saw the one who was taller by a measly inch. (Ryou) That one was awake and apparently mingling with the others. Johnny pondered if the near-clone would make an interesting rival to mutually hone each others’ skills with. If there was one thing he learned from his old schools, it’s that having no challenge bored him greatly. It was the main reason why his grades were so… average… Having someone potentially superior to him in some way would certainly give Johnny drive to do better throughout the year. Perhaps moving to this school was a good idea after all.

A little further away, the one with the pink hair stood out like a sore thumb, (Cassiopeia) obviously because of the pink hair… which was pink like a sore thumb. Johnny had seen people with dyed hair before in the States, mainly during family reunions in California. He never understood the appeal behind it. Was it a ploy for attention, like how some treat the idea of fitness? Johnny suspected not, because unlike fitness, dyed hair doesn’t directly benefit the wearer. The way others seemed to swarm around her was ample evidence for Johnny to determine this stranger was a very popular girl, much like he was back in his old schools. The foreigner had no clue how "school hierarchy” functioned in this country, so he wasn't sure what to think of this girl.

The rest seemed like individuals whom Johnny would properly meet soon enough. For now, the foreigner needed to get more familiar with the language. After setting his messenger bag next to him, Johnny leaned back on the bench and crossed one long, muscular leg over another. With one hand, he continued reading the dictionary. The other hand lay stretched, yet relaxed across the back of the bench. He was the picture of relaxation to onlookers, and the stretched nature of his pose allowed his physique to more easily show through the uniform.

As he continued reading, and trying to absorb as much information as he could, he bobbed his head to a tune only he could hear, one of many rock ballads by Jimi Hendrix and his old ‘Band of Gypsies’.

—

+0 Intelligence (since it’s still the same stuff he’s been doing last post)

+1 Popularity to Ryou
+1 Popularity to Kazuki
+1 Popularity to Gen
+1 Popularity to Vika

Bishop was lost in thought for what felt like some time. Nobody seemed to want to bother him which he was thankful for honestly. He raised his head and looked around at the mass of new students and senior class students mingling and cliqueing together like the usual high school kids. And here he was on the outside looking in, without meaning too. He tensed up again as his wide blue eyes wondered. "Tsch..." <This was suppose to be different this time around... No more standing on the side.> His mind was a whirlwind of emotions and angst. Scanning the area he saw plenty of people getting along, having a secret wish that he could be in with them. Even if he was just standing their quietly, he just wanted to be there. Not on this bench here like a loner. It made him think of that 'forever alone' meme, picturing that grotesquely drawn face sitting above his shoulders instead of his own.

A sudden wind would catch him by surprise snapping Bishop out of his funk. He looked for the side, out beyond the fence of the schoolyard and outside to the rest of the world. He looked around him to observe the serene view of his school campus. He sighed realizing how fortunate he was to be here. This was a prestigious private school that could give him the edge he needed to excel in life, both in Japan and America. Bishop clenched his hands into fists and looked up nodding to himself. <Alright. This is only the first day, heck- the first hour of the first day. I'll be fine, I've only met one person so far. Maybe she doesn't like me, but I can't let that effect how I treat everyone else. I can't.> Standing up, the young freshmen grabbed his backpack and casually flung it over his shoulder and began to walk towards the center courtyard with his head on straight again. If he wanted to make friends, he had to be active about it! However, a blonde head of hair caught his attention. He looked to see that it was an older woman vainly attempting to grab the student's attention. He tilted his head curiously thinking that she has to be a teacher. Another woman came up and pulled out a mega-horn to begin speaking.

ATTENTION, ATTENTION, ALL SENIOR AND JUNIOR STUDENTS HEAD OVER TO THE SCHOOL HALL FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS. SENIORS, PLEASE HELP GUIDE THE JUNIORS SHOULD THEY GET LOST. WE'RE RUNNING BEHIND ON SCHEDULE SO STAY SHARP."

Bishop's expression became screwed up seeing as he walked closer to try and hear, he was well within the blast radius of Ms. Araya's voice. He rubbed his ears hearing them ring and looked around with one eye shut in irritation. "Well... I guess I'll just follow the crowd." Bishop rubbed his head and looked around him seeing people slowly start to make their way to the school hall. His steps were slow as he walked in the general direction trying not to net lost, it probably wasn't that hard to find. He met and avoided glances of kids his age and older looking at the foreigner as if they could smell it on him. It put him a little out of place, but he was sure that a lot of people were just as tense as he was. Bishop looped his other arm through his back pack and held onto the shoulder straps following the crowd, but he couldn't shake the look of a lost-confused puppy from his face. Faces blended together making it somewhat harder to tell specific people out, especially those he saw earlier. He marched towards the entrance that everyone would be going to, which seemed to be the right way as far as he was concerned. <It's time for school- I guess.>

“ATTENTION, ATTENTION, ALL SENIORS AND JUNIORS PLEASE HEAD OVER TO THE SCHOOL HALL FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS."

Seriously?! The quiet bookworm hissed in her mind, and was practically seeing red by this point. This was the second time in the past twenty minutes, and Yuuki was about to crack some skulls if people wouldn't quit forcing her to break her concentration. This was getting fairly ridiculous, and Yuuki wasn't known to have a lot of patience when it came to others bothering her. Yuuki closed her book with a sharp sigh, getting very irritated. This school was full of loud and obnoxious people, and that wasn't quite in the description when she signed up for Airdalen. She was beginning to get very fed up with the interruptions.. Though this time it was a teacher. Yuuki stood up, her belongings pressed to her chest as she grew closer to listen to the announcement. Head to the school hall? Why did they have everyone meet outside then? She could almost feel a vein popping out of her forehead, and she let out an annoyed huff that blew her bangs out of her face for a moment. This place was already becoming more trouble than it was worth, but she didn't have a lot of transfer options, besides, as long as she got a good recommendation, she'd put up with just about any amount of bullshit from this place.

"SENIORS, PLEASE HELP GUIDE THE JUNIORS SHOULD THEY GET LOST."

What does she mean if we get lost? There are so many people here it's fairly simple to find where we're going, especially since everyone is headed in the same direction. Any idiot could get there.. Although, some students didn't have common sense, like a few she'd already encountered, so on the flip side, Yuuki supposed that to a certain degree, she understood why this announcement was mandatory. Not everyone was born with an entire brain and the ability to utilize it, or so it seemed.

"WE’RE RUNNING BEHIND ON SCHEDULE SO STAY SHARP.”

You don't say? No one noticed that this school is less than punctual, except perhaps, me. Though the last thing that caught her attention was the fact that the teacher instructed everyone to stay sharp. Immediately the violet haired freshman quirked an inquisitive brow. What did she mean by that? Were they going to have to run to the building and avoid snipers? Were there booby traps? Or was she referring to that troublemaker from earlier? Immediately blonde hair rang through her memory, and the moment of laughter he'd brought on. She felt her knuckles clench, and her cheeks burnt a light shade of pink. He was a distraction if she'd ever seen one! He made her laugh when she hadn't done so in so long, though she blamed it on the idiotic behavior he'd displayed. Loud music right next to someone trying to study? That wasn't the brightest idea ever, even for a blonde. She was suddenly glad that Japan wasn't overrun by the stereotyped 'air-headed' American community.

She immediately began following the flood of students, maneuvering her way through the crowd to get further up in the line. She passed the blond headed boy (Bishop) from before, but decided to keep walking. The last thing she wanted was to be noticed. When inside, she sat in the left set of chairs, approximately around the middle of the isles. She went down that set until she reach the seat by the wall, and sat down to herself, waiting for the rows to fill up. Most of the students she watched pass avoided her, but she didn't really care. She had an intimidating look on her face for only one reason; it kept people away. Not many wanted to talk to the 'unfriendly' girl. That look alone deterred most from approaching, and the rest usually abandoned the endeavor of 'melting' her icy demeanor once they realized just how cold she was. She wasn't a warm and 'cute' girl. She wasn't like the girls she saw socializing at the the courtyard. She would never be like that, even when her goal was over. She didn't remember how to be like that. She couldn't remember the last time that she was worried about being girly and cute. As far as she remembered, she never even developed crushes. She'd pushed everyone away long before any of those things became important.

She was an all work and no play type of girl, because that's the life she had to take. There was no other option, if she wanted her dad to stand a chance, if she wanted to see him live to see his own grandchildren she would have to sacrifice enjoying her youth, and that was a price she was willing to pay, because how could she miss it if she didn't realize what she was missing out on? Besides, she'd have plenty of time to enjoy life once she landed a well paying job, right?

It took everything in her power to avoid pulling out her cram school workbook, but she kept her hands fidgeting in her lap. She had to pay attention, just in case these announcements turned out to actually be worth listening to. The last thing she wanted was to get lost, that would involve asking others for help, and in turn owing them... It would be a never ending cycle. They would never leave her alone and the person would just get in the way, despite whatever their intentions were. In the end, it was just more efficient to avoid others entirely, because people were too quick to try and make friends. They became like gum on the bottom of your shoe at any hint of kindness or interest, and she was NOT interested, at least not at the moment. When is this going to start?

I'm sorry, but I've got a lot to do, and I don't have time to waste... She didn't tell anyone, because she hated pity parties, and the girls who craved the attention that they brought with them. If people wanted to believe she was a 'bitchy know-it-all', then so be it. They didn't need to know anything other than that.

Attention, School Hall, announcements, and running,. Besides the simpler words, those were all that the Farelli boy picked up. If not for the fact that Johnny identified the speaker as a teacher with a megaphone, he would not quite have figured out what the amplified speech was supposed to mean. The subsequent movement of students also helped clue the foreigner into what was happening.

He slapped the book shut and slung his messenger bag over his shoulder. He kept his book out in case he needed it for what was to come. Until he got a translator, the book was his best option for understanding other students remotely. Johnny stood to his full height, easily towering over all save for the only other tall student. Despite being closest to the door, he was the third one to enter.

As he crossed the threshold, he bumped his head on the top door frame. “Sonuva…“ he hissed in a deep baritone, as clean and clear as an untouched glacier-fed freshwater spring, as he clutched at the struck area. The sharp pain subsided almost as quickly as it had arrived; his incredibly fit body already got to work to recovering the light bruising. Thankfully, the light injury was hidden by his thick, brown hair. As he massaged the struck area on his head, Johnny ducked slightly and cleared the door proper. He continued to follow the two students in front to the School Hall.

The interior was relatively cramped. It reminded Johnny of the smaller Jr. High school, and only made him long for the larger hallways of the many American high schools he visited before. He wasn’t terribly worried about his claustrophobia. He lasted through Elementary and Jr. High, he can handle this.

The floor was freshly waxed and polished, as befitting a brand-new school year. The budget seemed to be well-placed for a school such as this. Johnny could almost see his reflection in the tiles… almost… The foreigner continued scanning the corridors he and the two students in front of him travelled through. He got a good look at the many lockers, the windows revealing the courtyard he and the other students were leaving.

A tiny girl with violet hair (Yuuki) passed by Johnny, seemingly hell-bent to be among the first students in the hall. He recognized the girl as the one who was chewing out the “Coldplay Kid”. Seeing the dedication and speed put into the girl’s power-walk to get ahead of the crowd, Johnny felt a little inspired… Or, he thought, maybe it was just social awkwardness… Come to think of it, the foreigner couldn’t really tell which it was. He did like the idea of dedication, however; it helped with the whole “give me a challenge” angle he wanted this school to pose.

Johnny ducked his head slightly as he entered the school hall- a gymnasium with chairs set up in two large groups, cut down the middle with a single aisle. The platoon of chairs stood at-attention for a podium on a raised stage. Above the stage was a rolled-up net, which would typically be lowered to prevent the balls of many sports from getting knocked onto the stage, leaving students to rush up and recover the balls. Close to the rafters, amongst the rows of fluorescent lights, were a set of folded-up basketball backboards with hoops lined with fresh, white-as-teeth netting.

Being mindful of the shorter students, Johnny opted to take one of the black seats closer to the back, by a wall. The small number of rows meant he got a seat one behind and to the right from the violet-haired girl. In that seat, Johnny had no worries about blocking the view of others with his lean, yet imposing upper body. The chairs had padding, and were quite comfortable. Yet another display of the school’s impressive budget.

Though Johnny was incredibly excited about what was to come, he hid it well under his rubbing the doorframe injury. He was not entirely sure how 'excitement' was taken in Japanese culture… For that matter, he did not know what a deadpan, neutral demeanour meant either. He grimaced at the annoying sting and also the inevitable confusion that he knew would only just begin.

His parents mentioned a dedicated translator, would the translator be present to this important assembly? Until he had an answer, Johnny once more opened his little book and continued reading.

—

+1 Popularity to Yuuki.

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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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██His attention was swayed from the floating cherry petals by the echoing announcement from one of the teachers. Silver gray eyes landed on the source to whom he identified as the English Teacher, Araya. It was one of the subject that he excels in which is justified as he had been raised in America for the majority of his life. In his opinion, English is his mother language while Japanese which had been taught to him, but not seriously enough until he came to this country as a second-hand language.

Anyway, what matters right now was the announcement. They were being called to the hall. There was no trouble about that, but he did wonder why they weren't informed beforehand to go there in the first place. It would have save time and even avoid such scenes from a certain Miyamoto Kazuki. Thinking about it, it could possibly be one of the reasons why they were told to stay at the school grounds to minimize the delay so to say, if he would take into account his so-called rival's uncle, the Math teacher, involvement. But, he was just speculating and would not air it out. So, they were all just in his head.

As for the rest of the announcement about helping the lost Juniors, he wasn't sure about that part. It's not like he's completely unwilling. It was more like his presence had finally been noticed by the other students, specially the girls who began to crowd around him. They greeted him with that over-trying voice of theirs and blasted away with questions of how his vacation is or where he went and many more. It was during these moments, he would appreciate to have earplugs.

He looked at them and answered them with one sentence. "What I do or where I go is none of your business. Excuse me." There is the finality in his words which left no room for any debate. It delivered what he wanted a reprieve as the girls looked at him with surprise and apology. He took that moment to walk towards the school hall, but the girls were able to recover from that blunt answer of his and began to follow him again. Somehow, they were more determined than ever. He was really sure that women from Japan are very different. The more he pushed them away, the more they evade his space. They definitely have more screws loose than he anticipated, so he does what he had always done, ignore.

It would be very helpful if the school idol (Aeon) was nearby. The attention on him will be lessened greatly, but he remembered earlier, that guy is with Cassiopeia, a powerful deterrent. That was probably the reason why the girls had shifted their focus on him at the moment. It was because they believed him to be completely unattached which is not true, that's what he believes in truly. Anyway, he tuned them out as he continue his pace towards the appointed destination by the announcement. It was a good thing that they do not block his path, because he really does not like to address any of them. It seemed to only encourage them which is never his intention to begin with.

He could feel their eyes on his figure which was not really hard to look among the people bustling towards the hall. He was very tall which was hard not to see and by far still the tallest within Airdalen. The eyes lingering on him were mostly from the girls, but he could also feel some from the guys looking at him whether by envy or admiration, he could care less. They could take his position anytime. He would even thank them for it. Really, when would they get sick of always looking at him. It would do them no good in anyway. They should focus on themselves than on other people.

Eventually, Ryou was able to arrive at the school hall and quickly picked out a seat at the last row at the right side. It was not because he does not like being at the front or was the irresponsible type looking for a quick getaway. His decision was out of consideration. If he had taken any of the seats in front of him and beyond, someone behind him would definitely suffer from being blocked. His stature would have made sure of that and to avoid that, he took his seat at the farthest row at the farthest corner. There should be no problems for him as he could see and hear well enough even from this position.

Anyway, he waited patiently in his seat as he could hear the girls arguing among themselves who was going to seat next to him, since there is only one chair for that. He closed his eyes briefly and wanted to ignore it, but he knew that it was causing unnecessary noise which was interrupting others who were just quietly bidding their time. He opened his eyes and did not even glance at anyone. He was simply looking forward. "You are bothering everyone. Be quiet or get out." His voice was enough though to relate his annoyance and the seriousness of his words. They were not spoken loudly, but it was enough to cut through the rabble of noise and was quickly followed by silence. The girls hushed up but not before offering their apologies and leaving him alone. Just like that, Ryou crossed his arms over his chest and finally regained his semblance of peace.

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An almost silent sigh of relief passed through her lips. Mai was glad that Akira wasn’t upset with her. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if the pretty boy suddenly disliked her because she couldn’t control her laughter. Thinking more on it, Mai got a little sad at the idea of losing her first friend even before they made it clear that they were friends. Mai giggle alongside Akira’s joking words, a smile playing at her lips. "I'm stronger than I look though, so don't worry." She nodded in agreement as she herself was stronger than many assume. It requires a little bit of muscle to carry bags of soil up those temple stairs. As she thought back to those first treks up those stairs, Mai happily regretted ever doing so. Whenever she got to the top she was dead tired but after going up them so many times, Mai got used to it.

"It's not that." Upon hearing this Mai’s forehead wrinkled with worry as an onslaught of thoughts on what she may have done to make him sigh passed through her mind. Was it because of her stutter, was she just not cute enough or was she just too cute that she looked fake; maybe it was the fact that Mai was just small and timid. Unbeknownst to the small girl, she had begun to lean forwards anticipating his clarification on why he had sighed. "It's just, it's really hot out today... I unbuttoned my jacket and it felt nice when the breeze hit, that's all." Mai’s uptight shoulders relaxed and she let out a little Oh. She hadn’t realized that he had unbuttoned his jacket. Curiosity got the better of her as green orbs glanced furtively at his unbuttoned jacket. Even if she only saw his undershirt, Mai was still a bit embarrassed for having looked. What’s wrong with you Mai? Were you hoping to see some skin? Inwardly chastising herself. Suddenly Akira turned to face her and realizing that she had been leaning forwards, Mai leaned back to a reasonable distance. "Besides, I don't mind if you're quiet sometimes." A small smile wormed its way onto her face, “R-really?”

Mai was still awaiting his answer to her request. After having heard herself say those words, Mai was beginning to regret saying them. It was quite possible that Akira would say no to her. They did just meet after all so it was unusual to suddenly call someone by name so early. The small girl’s fists clung onto her skirt to try and hide the shaking. It seemed Akira had been brought back to wherever his mind had wondered off to and his brief silence made Mai incredibly nervous. Mai glanced out the corner of her eye at Akira and noticed the blush that was coloring his cheeks. She wasn’t sure why but she assumed it was because of the hot sun. Finally he nodded, "It's only fair, ne?" Her head snapped back to look at Akira; a look of surprise as well as delight on her face. However this was quickly overdone by a deep blush that was amplified even more by what he did next.


“Hold still, you've got something in your hair. I'll get it, okay?" Confused at first Mai sat still as could be but stiffened as he reached out towards her. Mai looked at her hands intently with her lips pressed tight into a firm line. As she waited patiently she felt light headed at the closeness but snapped back to reality when he presented to her the cherry blossom to her. “Oh. I-it’s p-pre-tty.” Those were the only words Mai could figure out to say and she felt terrible that she couldn’t say more. Throughout their interactions on this bench since he got here, Mai took note of how expressive Akira was. Unlike her he was able to express himself very well, both with facial expressions as well as words. As she thought about it some more the sadness from before returned and a frown settled on her face. Without realizing it she had grown incredibly quiet, staring at her hands again. Mai could feel her eyes water and she hated the fact that she was already starting to cry about something she was well aware of.

“ATTENTION, ATTENTION, ALL SENIORS AND JUNIORS PLEASE HEAD OVER TO THE SCHOOL HALL FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS. SENIORS, PLEASE HELP GUIDE THE JUNIORS SHOULD THEY GET LOST. WE’RE RUNNING BEHIND ON SCHEDULE SO STAY SHARP.”

Startled by the sudden announcement, Mai used this moment to quickly wipe at her eyes as she gathered her wits about her. “Ah I g-guess w-we g-go no-now?” She wasn’t sure if Akira would want to go with her or not. Assuming he did, Mai slide off the bench. The ebony haired girl made sure to pat herself down so that there was no dirt on her clothes and even checked her bag for all of her things. Knowing that everything was where it should be, Mai gave Akira a shy smile and followed him towards the school hall.

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"I just stole the teacher's notes and we read them over.. Apparently they're not as hard when Sensei doesn't speak. Though I barely remember it. Do you really think I could remember all of that? School is not my strong suit." Saburo didn't even try to stiffle his laugh. It rang true and clear, cutting through the buzz around them.
"What?" Saburo just shook his head. Notes? What notes? She practically had the stuff at the top of her head. Saburo was pretty sure Arietta could teach the class herself. Besides, what sort of teacher would let someone take their notes? This school was supposed to be top notch, what sort of knock off would be let in here? The best part was probably that Tsuyoshi actually believed what Arietta was feeding him.

Sabruo still didn't really get what the big deal was for Arietta keeping her tutoring secret. Maybe all the people who would come running for her help? He wouldn't say anything though, not now. Arietta would probably be extra hard on him the next time they met. Arietta angry, now that would be something new. He never remembered the tutor being really mad. Agitated, yes, but not angry. Well, Saburo was always one for new things never before seen.

"You never gave me your number, Inoue-san."
"Oh yeah, my bad." he replied, regaining his composure and snatching Arietta's phone. After tapping in his number, the Freshman handed the phone back.
"I'll text it so you can have mine."
"Fine by me."

“ATTENTION, ATTENTION, ALL SENIORS AND JUNIORS PLEASE HEAD OVER TO THE SCHOOL HALL FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS. SENIORS, PLEASE HELP GUIDE THE JUNIORS SHOULD THEY GET LOST. WE’RE RUNNING BEHIND ON SCHEDULE SO STAY SHARP.”

"'Stay sharp'? That's a first. Are we in the army or something?"
"Isn't that your next stop after this?"
"Me?" The male senior gestured towards himself. "And have to do that 'harakiri' when we lose a fight? I'm not about that life."
"Well, you're the senior, so lead the way."
"I don't even know how you'd get lost trying to get to the school hall, but you might be an exception." Tsuyoshi said as he began walking towards the school hall. Saburo followed.
"Just because I'm not a try hard who studies 5 hours a day doesn't mean I'm a retard. I've got common sense you know."
"Common sense? You sure did a good job hiding it yesterday."
"Hey, that doesn't count. I wasn't myself."
"Blame it on the alcohol huh? Probably another good reason why you shouldn't have gotten back on your skateboard that day."
"Just cuz you're the only guy who's too much of a pussy to try anything doesn't mean you can be proud of it."
"Hey, someone's got to keep you guys from killing yourselves." Tsuyoshi turned to Arietta. "We're having some fun at my house tonight if you wanna come. It's nothing wild, nothing you can't handle."

Saburo sort of wondered what Arietta would be like at a party. What an interesting thought.

“R-really?”

"Honestly." Akira reassured the small girl with a nod of her head. Akira didn't realize all the harm she could cause posing as a boy, especially to Mai's feelings. She wasn't exactly strategical, and this plan was only half baked when she came up with it. She wasn't even thinking of the consequences that could follow being discovered by the school staff. It never really even crossed her mind that she could get in trouble for disguising herself as another gender.

“Oh. I-it’s p-pre-tty.”

"Yeah, it was." Akira responded to Mai, although she was giving a thoughtful look to the nearby Cherry blossom trees as she spoke to her fellow freshman. She wasn't sure why she enjoyed looking at the Cherry blossoms so much, but something about them was nostalgic. It made her feel a bittersweet sense of peace, which was something she seldom felt since the loss of her parents. It didn't feel like it had been too long ago, but it had been years since her mother and step-father died in the car crash. Some days she woke up and completely forgot that her parents were dead, and other days it was just as heartbreaking as the day of the accident itself. She didn't believe any of that 'all wounds heal' bullshit. It wasn't true, and it gave teens the wrong impression when it came to pain. For years she felt like a oddball for not 'bouncing' back immediately from losing her family. A bit of therapy and the move helped a lot, but still there was a gaping hole in her chest, and it was a weight she felt she would carry for the rest of her life.

“ATTENTION, ATTENTION, ALL SENIORS AND JUNIORS PLEASE HEAD OVER TO THE SCHOOL HALL FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS."

"Looks like it's starting.." Akira chimed in an energetic fashion, definitely excited to begin her new year at school, though she was also putting on a strong face. She was still distracted by thoughts of her parents, but no one wanted to befriend the kid that constantly whines about their dead parents, so she had to suck it up, and move along, even though it hurt. Announcements? Why do we have to go inside for that? Are we doing something special? She mentally asked herself, although the question was definitely rhetorical. Her face held a baffled expression, though she decided to just go along with whatever this school had planned. Besides, she didn't want to stand out much to the staff, because she didn't want anyone to go digging into her student records, because if they looked closely, most of them said 'female' clear as day on the papers.

"SENIORS, PLEASE HELP GUIDE THE JUNIORS SHOULD THEY GET LOST."

How far away is the building? Immediately her eyes turned to Mai, then the surrounding students. Everyone else around them was very tall compared to them, sans some of the female population. She didn't want Mai to get lost in the commotion, especially since she now felt a sense of responsibility for this girl. They just met not too long ago, but Mai was just so fragile that some sort of instinct kicked in that made Akira want to do everything that she could to support her.

"WE’RE RUNNING BEHIND ON SCHEDULE SO STAY SHARP.”

Stay sharp? Why? Akira tilted her head, definitely at a loss. Was something bad going to happen or was she talking about keeping an eye out for that maniac (Kazuki) that the guards dragged off a few moments earlier? Though, she could somewhat relate.. back in Britain she was always getting into fights, and labeled a delinquent. She understood him a bit, but she couldn't get over the fact that he'd put girls at risk of harm to make his escape. She unconsciously clenched her fists, causing her knuckles to turn white again. If that guy (Kazuki) ever ends up hurting Mai, I guess I'll have to fight him. She wasn't exactly a steroid cage fighter, but she was fairly good at fighting, thanks to all the workouts and sports activities she took place in. Carrying heavy supply boxes at work also helped define her arm muscles, so that was a plus. I might lose, but who knows? Perhaps next time he'll watch where he's going, or at least think twice...

“Ah I g-guess w-we g-go no-now?”

"So it seems..." Akira nodded her head in agreement and stood, buttoning her male uniform jacket as Mai dusted herself off. Akira dusted her pants, a dirt spot on the back would definitely be embarrassing to say the least. Though after Mai was done, and she'd checked her own uniform for wardrobe malfunctions, she led the way towards the building and Mai seemed to follow her. Suddenly she realized they would be sitting down again, and pointed over towards a dark haired male (Ryou) He seemed to be mostly minding his own business and was close to the back, a low key spot that she felt would make Mai more comfortable than being surrounded by people, "You can sit with me if you want... I'm going to go ask him if it's okay to sit over there." She informed the small girl, not wanting to make her feel left out, especially since Mai was the only person she knew here so far. Freshmen had to stick together, right?

Without hesitation, Akira approached the tall dark haired male, taking a moment to check to make sure that Mai was still following her as well. Here it goes, just be cool. You're a dude now, so this should be easy. Akira mentally repeated at least three times in her head before she reach the row where the tall male was sitting, "Hey, do you mind if we sit in this row? I'm not too worried about seeing, so long as I can hear them, plus this is close to the exit.. so it's a bit more convenient.." She responded, rubbing the back of her neck, causing some of her short ivory hair to shuffle and tussle around from her nervousness. She was a bit worried that a real guy would be able to tell she wasn't a boy, so she made a mental note to keep her neck concealed by her uniform collar. She definitely didn't want someone to notice her severe lack of an Adam's apple this early in the game. Once people got to know Akira as a boy, she was fairly certain they would no longer be searching for minor details that would give clues to her true gender.. at least she hoped so.

She was a bit worried that the ebony haired male would refuse their company, because he definitely came across as an older student, but she wasn't entirely sure. He turned down a group of girls moments before their approach, but perhaps it's because they were bickering and being a bit obnoxious? It was then that her eyes landed on the tall male once more, noticing that he was very aesthetically pleasing, though her attention at this school was not going to placed in flirting, so she didn't let herself notice his appeal any further. Calm down. Calm down... She reminded herself, also reminding herself that here, she was a boy, and she couldn't check out other boys, regardless of if he reminded her of a magazine model. Perhaps he was one? This school was very elite, and the tuition cost was painful... she luckily got in free, on a fluke scholarship.. so she'd have to work hard from now on.

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"What?"

Arietta shot a well timed glare in his direction, her blues eyes very expressive as far as her anger was concerned. Though, considering her typical attitude, and her genuine personality, the look came off as a really strong pout. It wasn't intimidating in the slightest way at all.

"Oh yeah, my bad."

He took the bait well enough, and Arietta waited patiently for the return of her cellular device. Little did Saburo know, she reminded him simply for the fact that it would allow her to stealthily chew him out. Though, she kept all indication that she was still irritated from her face, like a good little doll. Her constant happiness was definitely a bit like a doll's expression. It was almost as if her face was frozen into a smile.

"Fine by me."

"Alright, then hold on a sec..." Arietta replied as she retrieved her phone. She immediately found his name in her contacts sending a text immediately. She did this so she could scold him without Tsuyoshi witnessing it. She couldn't have other people realizing the extent of her temper after all. Phones were a brilliant invention, and she was so glad to have one. She could be as mean as she wanted and no one else witnessed a single thing, completely none the wiser.

From: Arietta Hakushiro
To: Saburo Inoue
// Tell anyone else about me tutoring you, and I will decapitate you. Got it? Not a threat, that's a promise. Anyway, welcome to Airdalen~! ^-^ //

“ATTENTION, ATTENTION, ALL SENIORS AND JUNIORS PLEASE HEAD OVER TO THE SCHOOL HALL FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS. SENIORS, PLEASE HELP GUIDE THE JUNIORS SHOULD THEY GET LOST. WE’RE RUNNING BEHIND ON SCHEDULE SO STAY SHARP.”

She pocketed her phone, pretending that nothing was wrong. There was a warm smile on her face, and it only dissipated when the announcements began. The loud teacher put a frown on the blonde's face. Arietta really wasn't fond of her.. and it put her in a bit of a sour mood until her thoughts were redirected by Tsuyoshi.

"'Stay sharp'? That's a first. Are we in the army or something?"

Arietta nodded in agreement. Why would they have to stay sharp? She shrugged it off, assuming that they meant Kazuki. He managed to knock quite a few people down and they probably meant to look out for him so that none of the newbies would get hurt. Though even if you somehow had 360 degree line of vision, it was still more than likely you'd end up in some kind of confrontation with him. For a minute she checked out of the conversation, zoning out into nothingness for a minute.

"Well, you're the senior, so lead the way."

Saburo's voice brought her back to reality, and she quirked an eyebrow. Lead the way? The building was practically right in front of them, but she chose to not say anything, besides, right after she silenced her own temptation to comment, his friend Tsuyoshi chimed in with a comment equally as teasing as she'd had in mind. He's not the only Senior here.. She thought to herself with a roll of her eyes, but kept it otherwise to herself.

"I don't even know how you'd get lost trying to get to the school hall, but you might be an exception."

She followed behind the boys, looking to the sky as she kept a casual pace, in no rush to get inside, especially since she'd have to find somewhere to sit. She preferred having less options, it was a lot less overwhelming that way. Though she hoped she wouldn't get stuck sitting next to someone lame. That would totally suck, and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to handle it at this point. Her nerves were still jumbled because of Kazuki and Saburo. If one wasn't knocking her over, the other had exposed her secret. This year was going to be a constant headache, she just knew it. She could feel it in her stomach that she wasn't going to have an easy senior year ahead of her.

"Just because I'm not a try hard who studies 5 hours a day doesn't mean I'm a retard. I've got common sense you know."

Try hard? Arietta kind of twitched at that description. She was a bit offended, but she knew it was kind of true. The truth really did hurt sometimes. Although she didn't spend five hours studying, she did enjoy school and she did her best in every subject. She enjoyed learning, but she didn't want anyone to know, at least not her classmates. She found her mind trailing off into thoughts about the school year, whom she'd make friends with, and her grades, neglecting the conversation once more.

"Hey, someone's got to keep you guys from killing yourselves. We're having some fun at my house tonight if you wanna come. It's nothing wild, nothing you can't handle."

Arietta tilted her head after receiving the invitation, definitely taking the offer into deep consideration, Nothing wild? It didn't sound like it, but she had to keep up with the reputation that she'd set for herself, "Sure. Just send me directions." She responded with a smile, tapping her chin afterwards. This would her first time attending one of Tsuyoshi's parties. If she invited a few people to this party, and it turned out to actually be something cool, she'd make total points with the them for it, "I could probably invite a few more girls if you'd like.. I do know quite a few." She added with a giggle, definitely pondering on the possibilities. She'd been to a couple parties at her old school, but ever since attending Airdalen, Arietta straightened out her act for the most part, only attending a few parties at Airdalen, and only the cool ones.

She had a fair drinking tolerance, which was a bit well suited, except for the fact that she was completely unaware of her Irish descent. She never really thought to look into where her blonde hair and blue eyes came from, because she held a grudge against her parents for abandoning her as a baby. She wasn't curious about her ethnicity, not even a little bit. Though once they made it into the hall where everyone was sitting, she tilted her head to Saburo and the other boy, "How about we sit over there? It looks rather empty." she referred, pointing to the seats next to a tall brunet Freshman (Johnny), and a couple seats to the right and behind the violet haired girl (Yuuki). Though she went over and sat down next to him, not waiting for an answer. She did not ask for permission either, considering this room belonged to the school and this was school function, not some kind of hangout spot where she would have to introduce herself or be given permission first. She didn't feel like being caught standing when the presentation began, and that's all there was to it.

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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 silence did not last long and somehow, he was used to that. Whenever he is at school or even at his work, the peace he would like to have does not exist in such generous lengths, so, he does appreciate the ones he could have even at small amounts. His arms were still crossed over his chest as he looked to the one who asked whether they could sit in this row. That was an odd thing to ask someone, especially him. He doesn't own any of the seats nor would he deny them. If the event with the girls would be put up, he didn't told them not to sit here or anything. He simply said to be quiet and if not, leave. They were disturbing not only him, but the others too.

His eyes landed on the source of the question and he could not help but be still. It was because he was rather confused. The person before him was a female from the physical features, but this person was wearing a male uniform. That only means that this is a he. It seemed that his first impression is wrong then. This guy (Akira) is just probably very pretty just like how others would call Aeon at times. That made him remember one of the stories that Hikaru and Trixie told him once, about a trap. In that conclusion, he did not pry into anything further about the person (Akira). "Go ahead, make yourselves comfortable. I don't own them." That is all he said. There was no negativity behind it as he returned his attention to the front.

There he noticed a noise at the front which was caused by the known Hellion of Airdalen. It seemed he was fighting with his uncle, the Math teacher. Well, that should be enough to distract Kazuki from hounding him or causing anymore ruckus.

Ryou took the moment to glance at his seatmate as something familiar was caught from the corner of his eye. He recalled an image of a little girl (Mai) who came to buy seeds and flowers from his part-time work during the course of the summer. That very customer who he had assumed to be a student from middle school was presently here at Airdalen and without a doubt a high school student. "Wait, aren't you the girl..." He stated without much thinking as he was taken surprise by her appearance. It meant that his part-time job might be revealed and he meant it to be a secret as much as possible. It was not because it was not allowed by the school or something. This was more of he didn't want the word to get out and be surrounded by girls coming from this school. He already has his hands full from the the ones not from here.

"Excuse me." Ryou addressed the feminine boy (Akira) with those eyes of his that seemed to exude gravity as it reflected the white-haired boy's form (Akira) before he looked towards the small girl (Mai). He leaned forward and whispered into the girl's ear. "Keep my job a secret." His voice so soft, so gentle, and did not hold any kind of animosity. His words were a whisper as it caresses the girl's ear in secrecy. He then moved away as he did not want to make things awkward or uncomfortable for anyone especially her (Mai). There were also the stares going towards them as the girls vying for Ryou's attention were now casting daggers of glares at the two people nearest to him, especially of the little girl, (Mai). "Oh..." He suddenly remembered as he looked at the two. "Welcome to Airdalen." He assumed they were freshmen seeing they were not familiar faces here at school and he should say that, it would make things less awkward. Well, that is what he was told by a special person.

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STATS

Popularity + 1 (Akira)
Popularity + 1 (Aeon)