Chapter Text
The bell for lunch is one just about every student can look forward to. The hour consists of quick games and heaps of food, a messy but fun experience for most. House pets aren't as fond of the hour of freedom students are given to do as they please without a single teacher in sight. Nonetheless, chaos is sure to ensue at the sound of the bell.
But not for Sayaka.
The Student Council secretary packs her things, taking her time so as to be at the door when the classroom is mostly empty. She avoids crowds when she can. The route she takes is the same as it always is. Once she's past the more common areas of the Academy grounds, the masses of students dwindle out into a rare few. Not many roam near the Student Council office, or anywhere in sight of it. Crossing the main courtyard in the blazing sun is much like crossing an invisible threshold wherein regular students know not to linger too close. The ghost of a smile tugs at Sayaka's lips once she finds herself alone for the remainder of her walk; what a fortress the President has built for them.
The large wooden doors make way for her with a soft creak once pushed. Inside, Sayaka finds herself to be the only occupant of the Student Council room. She stands by the door, eyes surveying the vacant space and pristine silence that envelops her. A content sigh slips past her lips, soft and pleasant, as she makes her way to her seat at the long table. When their entire ensemble isn't occupying the room, she takes the right of the head, where she's preferably close to the President. That is, if the President is present. Otherwise, she stands diligently off to the right, while the Vice President occupies her other side. There is power in the way they flank her like loyal guards, power in the way she effortlessly commands the room from her seat at the head. Sayaka's cheeks warm when she stares at the chair too long, for she can almost feel the aura of the President that radiates from it, threatening to bring her to her knees. She shakes the thought aside to begin her work.
The secretary is two life plan drafts in when the doors creak open, notifying her of someone's entry. Sayaka's eyes widen when met with the sight of the Vice President, her pristine mask perfectly in place. She flicks her wrist for the time on her watch, noting forty minutes left before lunch is over. It's odd for the Vice President to be here at this time, but nonetheless, Sayaka bows in greeting. The platinum-haired latter returns it, and soon Sayaka finds her seated right across from her.
"Good afternoon, Vice President. Um, is there anything to be discussed at this time?" the secretary asks, slightly unsure.
"No, nothing of the sort. Do carry on with what you're doing," the Vice President nods, and for a moment Sayaka finds that the softness of her tone isn't entirely masked by the distortion.
She nods, not knowing how else to respond. It's admittedly difficult to continue working with the new presence in the room. Something about the Vice President looms over Sayaka in a way that is both subtle yet impossible to ignore. Perhaps it is her masked face that creates such an intense air of mystery around her- and the secretary can't be the only one who feels it. For reasons she can't explain, Sayaka finds her aura familiar to that of the President, though the Vice President is much less... Imposing.
The Vice President eventually pulls out her phone, holding it in one hand that rests atop the table. With her attention finally diverted from what Sayaka had assumed to be... Her, concentrating on drafting life plans becomes easier. It's not to say that the Vice President had been staring at her, but it's significantly hard to tell when one can't see past the black holes that are meant to be her eyes, cut perfectly into that mask.
Sayaka frowns at her own distracted thoughts, nearly shaking her head to rid herself of them. Spending this much time thinking about the Vice President is frankly an unacceptable use of her time. But as her eyes repeatedly rake over the words on her papers, none of them seem to make it to her brain. She feels... Strangely hollow, and unable to concentrate.
"Igarashi-san, have you eaten?"
That... That must be why.
Just as the question registers itself in Sayaka's brain, the rest of her body seems ready to protest. Her answer is clear, if not for the sudden, almost comical rumbling of her stomach. Blushing, she clutches a hand over her abdomen as if it would stop the embarrassingly loud sound from reaching the Vice President.
"I- um, no. I have not," she mumbles, sheepish.
It's not to say that she doesn't like food. In fact, Sayaka has a few personal favourites. It's just that at times, eating seems like more of a chore than anything. She has real work to do, for her grades and for the Council, while eating leaves her wasting precious time. It hadn't seemed entirely necessary in her mind, but her stomach clearly says otherwise. Sustaining herself with the occasional vending machine snack throughout the day is what she's been used to. She still cooks herself dinners at home, so it's not all that bad... Right? The secretary doesn't even recall a single time in the past where anyone had ever bothered to notice her eating habits. Sayaka briefly imagines the displeased look on the President's face had she been here, probably with something to say about how such a logical girl like her could be so dumb. Yet, here the Vice President is; the first person to say something about her meal schedule- or lack thereof. Something tells her that defending herself against the Vice President by telling her about the numerous vending machine snacks she consumes to survive seems like a bad idea.
"You should eat. Go to the cafeteria while it's still open," the Vice President says, setting her phone down.
Sayaka absently wonders just when it is that the distortion of her voice had stopped sounding so unnerving, and now isn't entirely unpleasant to hear. Sometimes, if she tries hard enough, the secretary can almost detect the different tones with which she is speaking. By the sounds of her now, she doesn't seem pleased.
"It's not a problem. I can just fetch something from the vending machines later," Sayaka shakes her head; she's not fond of the cafeteria one bit, silently hoping the Vice President is willing to drop this.
No such luck. She probably shouldn't have said that bit about the vending machines.
"I insist. Eat."
There it is- the blatant command. Sayaka has grown accustomed enough to the Vice President to not completely cower in her presence, but those three words send an unwanted shiver down her spine. Since when does the masked girl have such an effect on her? Not to mention how embarrassing it feels to be commanded for something as small as eating.
The girl in question wordlessly rises from her seat, pocketing her phone. Her bow is more of a nod, platinum strands following the motion of her head and flying out behind her as she strides out of the room. Sayaka hadn't expected her to leave all of a sudden, much less after demanding that she has a meal. Reluctant, and very slightly driven by the fear of what would happen if the Vice President were to find that she didn't have lunch, Sayaka collects her work into a neat pile. She doesn't mind leaving the drafts here, vowing to return to them as quickly as she can. Instead, she digs around for her wallet and phone, sighing on her way out. Some food wouldn't be so bad, actually.
But the cafeteria doesn't get any better, no matter how many times she's forced to be there.
As Sayaka navigates her way through rowdy tables, scowling when her eyes land on Jabami and her volatile blonde friend, she nearly misses a flash of silver in the near distance. Her eyes widen, locking onto what looks like the retreating figure of the Vice President. This is where she had gone to? But she isn't holding any food, and she's left the cafeteria in those short seconds. Sayaka frowns to herself. Yet again, the Vice President seems up to her eccentric antics. She shakes her head once the sight of the Vice President vanishes completely, now contemplating what she'll have to eat. The various items on the menu boards admittedly have her stomach rumbling even more. Perhaps actually eating during lunch time isn't such a bad idea. Her mind is made on what to eat in the span of seconds.
Sayaka settles for ordering a plate of egg fried rice. Conveniently enough, she craves it as much as she is curious due to seeing the Vice President at this counter specifically. As she's reaching into her purse for a few bills, the lady beyond the counter is quick to stop her.
"Um, you are Igarashi Sayaka, right?" she asks, nervousness clear in her features.
Sayaka stiffens but nods anyway, unsure of where this is going. What could any of the Academy staff have to do with her?
"The Vice President has paid for your meal, so you don't have to. Enjoy!" the lady says, breaking into a strange smile.
Sayaka, dumbfounded, is forced to accept her plate of food, unable to say anything in return. She automatically makes her way to the second floor where it's quieter, legs carrying her faster than her mind can process what on earth is happening.
Why... Why in the world... Would the Vice President... Pay for her meal?
And how ever did she know that this is exactly what she had felt like eating today?
Sayaka's eyes bore into the steaming egg fried rice as if the meal can answer her questions. It says nothing, but it most certainly smells delicious. To ease the ever increasing rumbling of her stomach, Sayaka quickly tucks into her meal, but not without her usual grace. Throughout eating, the Vice President plagues her thoughts like a strange aftertaste to each mouthful. It feels odd to spend time alone with thoughts that aren't overflowing with the President, for once. Sayaka isn't sure if she prefers the change or not. A part of her is relieved to know that her mind is still capable of thinking about things unrelated to the President or anything that would benefit her, while another isn't so sure she wants the replacement to be... The Vice President. Despite it, she can't deny the warmth that settles within her; even without much context as to why the masked latter would do such a thing, it's most certainly a gesture Sayaka can appreciate.
It's… Sweet of her?
Regardless. This is simply a one time thing- albeit a weird one.
Sayaka finishes every last grain of her meal in less than fifteen minutes. The warmth of having eaten settles her stomach instantly, leaving an almost content smile on her face. Except she doesn't smile in the presence of other students. She clears her plate in the dish disposal and washes her hands. It's only when she's across the courtyard and far past the vending machines that she remembers her lack of a drink. Sighing, she forgoes it for the sake of not wasting any more time.
Once again, Sayaka is stunned into stupefied silence upon entering the Student Council room. Sitting atop her pile of paperwork is a bottle of her favourite sports drink. Sayaka nearly trips on her way to the object; it's clear that this is also the doing of the Vice President.
She even got my favourite flavour?!
Beneath the bottle is a small piece of paper, no bigger than a corner torn off a sheet. Sayaka gawks at the neat letters she finds on it, written in black ink.
Eat more. Stay hydrated.
It's safe to say Sayaka doesn't get nearly half as much of her work done, having spent the rest of her lunch break suspiciously eyeing her sports drink. Her eyes never leave the bottle, even after taking a few guilty sips from it. Lime flavoured, and likely from the vending machine across the courtyard... But how?
First, the Vice President knew she would order egg fried rice, out of the dozens of dishes she had to choose from! And now, she knows what her favourite drink is, too? Although in her defence, it isn't like Sayaka tries particularly hard to hide her personal preferences. It's just… Why would anyone bother to notice?
Am I being stalked by the Vice
President?
The bell signalling the end of lunch break rings loudly throughout the academy. Sayaka hurriedly packs up to head for class. With her bag slung over her shoulder, the half finished bottle on the table is her last thing to pick up. She finishes- and enjoys- it in her next two periods, all while formulating a plan to confront the Vice President the next time she sees the mysterious latter. Despite them not sharing any classes(the President and Vice President are the only members of the Student Council to attend all the same classes, to her sad envy), Sayaka is sure she can get her chance in the after school Council meeting.
Eventually, classes come to an end. They hadn't been particularly boring, but between the anticipation of seeing the President and her need to confront the Vice President, Sayaka finds that her notes don't look the best today. Regardless, she packs up and is out of the classroom as soon as the bell rings, this time quicker than the rest of the class. She strides across the courtyard once again, this time with purpose accompanying the bubbling nerves in her stomach. The President... Sayaka hasn't seen her all day.
Sayaka knocks carefully on the wood of the doors. She knows the President is the first inside after school. Nervousness flutters like butterflies inside her when she hears the familiar voice calling for her to enter. The secretary immediately greets the President with a respectful bow, effectively hiding the pink in her cheeks. The President is as stunning as Sayaka remembers from yesterday, if not more.
"Ah, Sayaka. Always so punctual. Come, have a seat," calls Kirari, smirk evident in her voice.
Sayaka easily complies, this time unable to hide her blush from the latter. In another corner of the room, the Vice President wordlessly observes the interaction. The secretary is almost unable to look at anywhere but the President.
The meeting is over much quicker than expected. To everyone's pleasure, the Council is on top of the monthly budget, and nothing much seems to be happening in the 'aquarium'. Perhaps the only one displeased by this is the President, though Sayaka is no longer surprised. She's sure the latter would have liked it more if the Council had trouble on their hands. Nishinotoin seems to have plucked up the courage to appear in meetings again after her crushing loss of face as a Council member due to the force that is Jabami Yumeko. Sayaka is somewhat pleased to see her; of all the Council members, her lack of craziness is appreciated when there are people like Ikishima present. Soon enough, the members disperse as soon as the President gives them the word to.
Standing, the loops of the President's braids sway lightly along with the movement. She casts a glance at the ever silent Vice President, and then one to her secretary. Sayaka is sure she's never seen such a strange smile on her face like the one she's just directed to the masked girl.
"I will be in my office now. Sayaka, I'd love a cup of tea once you're done here," Kirari smiles, not forgetting to brush a hand along the shorter girl's side as she passes her.
She doesn't even wait for Sayaka to respond.
As the door to the President's personal office shuts behind them, Sayaka is still a flustered mess. For a touch as brief as the simple brushing of her blue-tipped fingers along the side of her blazer, Sayaka is an absolute mess. She's sure her cheeks are blazing the same colour as her uniform, as are the tips of her ears. It does not help that the Vice President is just... Standing there, watching her. But this is her chance. With a few deep breaths, she manages to compose herself.
"Vice President?" she squeaks, cheeks still aflame.
"Yes?"
"When I had lunch earlier, the staff told me you paid for my meal," she started, shifting lightly on her feet, "may I ask why? And also... How did you know I would order that?"
The Vice President is silent for a long moment, the hollowed out eyes of her mask staring Sayaka down from across the table. She is a head taller than the secretary, much like the President is. Sayaka fidgets under her unreadable expression.
"It was... An act of kindness. To encourage you to eat," says the Vice President, now approaching the secretary, "and I've never seen you eat anything other than egg fried rice."
Sayaka's mouth is agape but lacking words, watching as the Vice President nods toward the sports drink bottle tucked into the side of her bag.
"The same goes for your drink. Good day, Igarashi-san."
With that, the Vice President is walking past her and out the doors, leaving Sayaka alone to collect her thoughts. Even as she enters the President's office, brewing her tea in a calculated and precise method, she can't help but watch the Vice President run through her thoughts.
Is she that predictable in her choices of consumption? Or is the Vice President just that observant? Sayaka is sure no one else in the Student Council, let alone her entire life, even knows this information about her. And yet, the Vice President had simply decided to grace her with an... Act of kindness? While knowing exactly what she liked to eat and drink?
A part of Sayaka is more thankful for the gesture than she knows how to express. Thanking her is due, and soon, but Sayaka knows nothing of what the Vice President enjoys. She considers asking Yomotsuki, who, out of the Council members, seems to talk to the masked girl the most. No one really knows if she listens to anything the hyper girl has to say, but it doesn't seem to bother her. In fact, Sayaka notes how most times she's heard the Vice President speak have only been when no one else was around. What a mysterious girl she is. Sayaka tries to come up with a way to thank her for the unexpected brightening of her day with such a display of care.
"Sayaka? You seem rather distracted. Something on your mind?" speaks the voice of Kirari, most perfectly refined in tone.
Sayaka shakes her head, offering the blue-eyed latter a small smile. Guilt festers at the back of her mind. The President- She'd probably never think of doing something like this for Sayaka, however small. The secretary can't deny the immense warmth she had felt to receive something as insignificant as her favourite drink, or to have her lunch paid for. Looking back on her day, this one display from the Vice President seems to have made itself a place high up on things that mean a lot to Sayaka. She can't figure out why, exactly, but even recalling the simplicity- the practicality of it warms her cheeks.
Sayaka can't shake the guilt from her mind that lingers as a result of comparing the President to the Vice President.
How she silently wishes the President would do something like that; something that doesn't have to have some bigger, deeper meaning. Something that doesn't have to be extravagant. Something that can matter simply from being born out of genuine care for another. It appears that kind of thing doesn't exist in Kirari's dictionary.
The Vice President remains in Sayaka's thoughts, and more so when her favourite drinks and snacks continue to greet her for weeks to come. They appear in her bag and on her desk in class, but most frequently with freshly printed Council documents from none other than a particular girl who wears a mask. Funnily enough, the only counter where she continues to receive her meal already paid for remains to be the one selling egg fried rice. Torn between not wanting to spend the masked girl's money and wanting to please her by actually eating lunch on time, Sayaka finds herself frequenting the cafeteria more often.
Sayaka knows she'll have to put her foot down about all this(very much appreciated) free food, and soon.