Chapter Text
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
The antique clock that sat on Amane Kasai's desk always brought a measure of comfort to her. It was loud, raspy, and seemed to always get stuck at 5:25 PM every day, forcing her to re-set the time when she got home from school. There was a comfort in such routines, wasn't there? It was a uniquely human quirk: finding comfort in inconvenience and inefficiency. Amane was no different in that regard. Now, though, the clock was long past its daily sticking point and tapping out its hoarse beat to help lull Amane to sleep.
Tonight, though, Amane was having a bit of trouble sleeping. As the student council president of Shinsen, there were a fair few things on her mind every night... and tonight, it was the upcoming school dance. For once, though, she wasn't thinking about logistics—the vice-president was working on that in her stead, and Amane greatly appreciated him for it. Instead, she was consumed with wondering who she'd ask to go with her.
In previous years, she'd gone alone and had a wonderful time... but for her last dance as a Shinsen student, let alone its student council president, she wanted to make it special and bring a date... of sorts. Who to bring? A sigh of frustration huffed out of her. There's a lot of people who'd come if I asked, sure, but how do I know who genuinely cares about me and who just wants to gloat about it later? It's not like I can get people to send me essays to convince me, or—
Amane's eyes widened at the thought. Of course! That was a brilliant idea! Get those who really want to take her to the dance to volunteer... anonymously, of course. She'd choose the winner publicly at the dance itself. It'd help boost attendance and get her fellow students more excited for the dance. A win-win in her mind, really.
Satisfied, she smiled and closed her eyes. She'd have to get up early to prepare for this, but hopefully it'd be a good choice.
Early morning regulars of Panda Hut were used to being greeted by a series of loud noises: an alarm clock ringing, a colossal crash and thud, panicked shouting, and a pair of tiny feet coming down the wooden stairs so fast it sounded like a machine gun. Rather than wake up early, it seemed Ran Hanamichi was content to sleep as long as possible, then wake up at the last minute and go like a bat out of hell to try and make it to school on time.
Today was no different. "Ah jeez, ah jeez, ah jeez, oh man!" Despite her rush, her appearance wasn't sloppy by any means. Ran had long since perfected the art of getting ready at the last possible minute. She beelined for the front door, pulling on the pair of old Velcro sneakers that rested there.
"Ran! Catch!" Ran's father tossed her a pork bun, fresh out of the steamer.
"Uweh—!" She barely got upright in time to do so, catching it in both of her small hands. "Thanks, pa—yow!" She winced, bouncing the hot bun between her palms like a hot potato. "Hot, hot, hot, hot—" In lieu of burning her hands, Ran stuffed the entire thing into her mouth and practically swallowed it whole. "Puhah, thanks! I'm off, laters!" The little yellow blur weaved between two entering customers to where her bike sat locked to a nearby signpost. "Turny, turny, turn—" She spun the lock's tumblers into place, the code spelling P-A-N-D-A. "And click!" The chain slid out from her bike's fork, clattering to the concrete where it would lay until she got home.
Ran hopped the bike's frame, her butt landing squarely on the seat and her feet on the pedals. She'd done this far too many times to screw up such a minor thing as getting on her bike! "C'mon, Jimmy, let's make tracks!" The rear tire skipped and slid as she pounded the pedals, leaving a black streak on the pavement as she headed off to school.
Somehow, she knew it'd be a great day.
Kokone checked her watch, brow raising slightly. "Ran must be running behind today." She and Yui had been waiting at the gate for nearly a minute now. Sure, not long at all by normal standards, but Ran was nothing if not consistent... eerily so.
"I'm not worried! It's Ran, she always shows up." Yui peered down the road, a smile coming to her face. "There she is! Hey, Ran! Good morning!" Yui jogged to meet the expectedly tired-out brunette. "Jeez, you're sweating~"
A smile came to Kokone's lips as she joined her friends. "I was getting worried—you were almost a minute late today."
Ran laughed tiredly at that. "Yeah, Jimmy's chain slipped mid-shift. I should get a new set of gears..." Still, Ran patted the bike's seat affectionately.
"You should really leave earlier so this kind of thing doesn't happen." Kokone furrowed her brow. "By the way... why do you call your bike Jimmy?"
"Yeah, I've wondered that, too," Yui mused.
"Oh, that..." Ran mustered up her energy and broke into a wide grin. "'Well, y'know, the word for 'bicycle' is jitensha, right? Jimmy!"
Kokone's brow scrunched up further. "I see. That... I don't know if I understand."
"Aw, c'mon, Koko-pi." Her ruby eyes skimmed back and forth. "Hm? No Amanen?"
Yui gestured towards the school building. "She said she's getting something special ready for Aman-AM today."
Ran's eyes twinkled. "Ooh, somethin' special? Knowin' Amanen, that's gonna be sweet!" Ran swerved Jimmy into the bike rack, noting with pride how her bike stood out compared to the others, with all of his tarnish, dings, and the stickers on the rear fender. "Awright, let's go inside, Yui-pyon, Koko-pi! I wanna hear what Amanen's got to say~"
After exchanging smiles, the three friends headed to class.