Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Shion Yorigami had the ability to find herself in the worst situations.

It started on her first day of school. Radiant Light High, the only school in the country to teach the ancient duel style known as danmaku. It was an all-girls school too, which caught her interest. Danmaku was known for being a feminine art, after all.

She didn’t have the best luck in applying to Radiant Light High, having lost the application form 4 times, and having to get a spare each time. Perhaps they could have been attributed to carelessness, if not for the one time where someone’s stray dog lunged at the form she was holding, tearing it straight out of her hands and devouring it in front of her eyes. She cried a bit that night.

Even on her first day, she’d gotten lost. An understandable mistake, given that this was her first day in a fairly large school. Or it would’ve been, had she not lost her way for a whole 3 hours.

Somehow, her dry streak of luck had managed to last her all the way into her senior year. The only respite from her misfortune was the deskmate she’d wound up with throughout her entire high school journey.

Tenshi Hinanawi… That girl’s smile could melt mountains. Her neon blue hair stood out far more than Shion’s own dull shade of blue. Her parents were both doctors, apparently, and the riches she brought to school were impossible not to admire.

Of all things she could’ve possibly lucked into, Tenshi was the one she was the happiest to have.

At lunch, Tenshi would drop a piece of fried chicken onto Shion’s far more barren lunchbox. “There. As a sign of gratitude, let me copy your homework after lunch.”

Her lunchbox was mostly for show. Shion rarely had any food to bring to school (either because she’d lost it somehow or there was simply no food), and when she did have something to eat, it resembled… “peasant food”, as Tenshi might’ve called it.

Naturally, Shion would squeal inside at this gesture, but she was cautious not to let her blush show up too much. She’d take miniscule bite after miniscule bite, slowly confusing and annoying Tenshi as she savored it for as long as she could. Such foods were a luxury for her, since she wasn’t the most financially well-off.

And when Tenshi snapped at her for the first time, screaming at her to eat it like a normal person, Shion laughed a bit. She didn’t know why, but being able to see all of her sides, ugly and pretty, being so intimate with someone like this… It made her happy beyond words.

During danmaku practice, Tenshi would ask for Shion to stay on defense for a couple more rounds, because she “wanted to practice this technique just a bit more”. And even when she ran out of stamina and got hit a few times, she didn’t mind.

Tenshi would say something along the lines of, “Hey. Don’t get hit. If you’re not in condition to practice, I won’t be able to learn much.”

Shion would just laugh, and say she was alright. She’d love the pain if it came from Tenshi’s own bullets. And it pained her to love her. She held that pain, that selfish desire, close to her heart, and kept silent about it for all these years.

But prom was coming soon, drawing a close to their high school days. She wouldn’t know if they’d be able to see each other after graduation. They might never meet again, and it was terrifying to imagine a world without Tenshi.

Tenshi, the girl who gave her life meaning, who she had the pleasure of helping all these years, being gone was a possibility she could not fathom. She would not tolerate her own inaction.

To say that she had a crush on Tenshi was somewhat of an understatement.

“So… why does that bring you here?”

Remilia glanced at Shion. Shion would have been taller if not for her slouch, so the shorter girl of the two was now at eye level with the other.

“Erm… your relationship with Sakuya… I want to know how, um, you two got together…? Sorry for asking…” Shion muttered.

“Oh? That girl from the adjacent class is here, Remi?”

Sakuya interjected, making her presence known, while holding up a heavy stack of forms that barely fit in her arms.

“Don’t worry about it for now. Just place them on the table first.”

Sakuya turned away, allowing the two to resume their conversation.

“So, you want to know how we entered our relationship? I’m curious how you caught wind of it in the first place.”

Remilia and Sakuya dating was something of an open secret. They didn’t go out of their way to show much affection to each other, but at some point word started spreading that the two were together.

“Word of mouth, like everyone else,” Shion murmured.

Remilia hadn’t bothered to deny any of the rumors in circulation. She had no reason to flaunt their status, but she didn’t give much of a damn if other people knew.

“I see, I see. The two of us were childhood friends, you know.”

Remilia softened up somewhat. Shion doubted she’d be the kind to explain the entirety of her past to someone she’d hardly met. In her eyes, though, there was some kind of a vacant sympathy.

“We used to visit each other, went to the same schools, all that jazz. She was the more meek of us two, so I always took charge and she followed suit. We were both fine with that.”

Shion nodded. “Kind of like a superior-subordinate relationship?”

“Somewhat. Then I applied here, and she did too, and we kind of… how should I put this… questioned what we meant to each other. Sakuya and I were practically inseparable. Then we started dating. That was our first year in this school, and now we’re all the way into our last.”

Remilia took a seat at the table behind her. The pile of forms practically dwarfing her, she crossed her legs casually.

“I don’t think asking us is going to be of any help, though. This isn’t what most people look for in a relationship. It’s time for club activities now, so you might find more luck elsewhere.”

Shion nodded gratefully, trying her best to smile. She always looked some vague form of miserable externally, even when that was far from what she truly felt. She wasn’t the best smiler, either, so she just made the conversation about two times more awkward.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I, student council president Remilia Scarlet, and my vice-president, are busy. Sakuya, please pass me that pen, and do take your own share of the application forms to sift through.”

Shion figured she probably wouldn’t be seeing much more of Remilia that day. There were plenty of other students to ask for advice, anyway.

She departed from the student council room unceremoniously, knocking over a conspicuously placed potted plant in the process.

Chapter Text

The cacophony shook the very walls of the auditorium. A hellish blend of ferocious drumming that seemed to change time signature every measure, blanketed by warm mud courtesy of an overcomplicated bassline, pierced by occasional bursts of rapid-fire plucks from the lead guitar. It took every ounce of willpower poor Shion had to stay, hovering just beyond the stage.

And they hadn’t even started singing yet.

The lead singer and guitarist, a rather short girl with a rather avian glint in her eyes, scowled and made an exaggerated “orchestra pause” gesture. “And what do we think went wrong there, hmm?” she groaned, glancing back at her bandmates.

“Kyouko!” the green-haired bassist buzzed, gripping her bass as tightly as she would her drummer’s neck. “I’m telling you, the whole thing’s in 4/4! Drummers are just supposed to keep time; all you’re doing is turning my bassline to mud.”

“Oh yeah?! Look who’s talking, Miss Muddypants!” Kyouko barked back, only to cause a sudden spike of volume that made her microphone screech, and her two bandmates wince. “If you’d just played the bassline we told you to, maybe I’d have something to time my kicks to!”

“Miss… Muddypants? What…?” Mystia said, shaking her head a moment before settling her glare on the bassist. “I mean, joking aside, we did have that bassline in for a reason, Wriggle… Prom’s like, only a week away…”

“B-but I’ve been practicing for this so hard?” Wriggle blubbered, her resolve melting the moment Mystia so much as glanced at her. “Why do you two get to do all the cool stuff, while I’m just stuck doing-”

“Because,” Kyouko said deadpan, her smug voice echoing through the speaker system. “You’re the one who wanted to join us.”

All of Wriggle’s annoyance seemed to flash to anger, then; she whirled around and stomped over to Kyouko’s drums, ready to continue their feud face-to-face—

But there was just enough of a lull in the argument that Shion’s awkward squeaks were audible for the first time. “Uh-uhm—”

“What?!” all three turned and shouted in unison at Shion, who wanted nothing more in that moment to hide behind the stage.

The growing tension didn’t exactly help with Shion’s relatively meek personality. For a good couple of seconds, she stood in place, stuttering as the three of them glared at her.

“Y-your arguing is kind of loud… I came in because there was all this commotion, so, uhm, sorry if I’m interrupting anything.”

Amidst the paper-thin silence that fell amongst them, her voice was finally clear. Realizing how much of a ruckus they’d been making, they awkwardly stiffened up, muttering half-audible apologies (Shion had no clue who they were supposed to be directed to) amongst other things.

Shion remembered seeing them perform on multiple occasions in the past, and they seemed fairly close. Two of them, at least. Mystia and Kyouko were fairly well-known throughout school. Wriggle, though? Strange name aside, Shion didn’t recognise her.

The reason she gave was a lie, though. She came to ask how-

“Wait, you’re-!” Kyouko, turning back to Shion with a glint of anger in her eyes.

“You s-still remember her!?”

Shion’s whimpers sounded much more miserable than before.

“That girl’s sister. Joon Yorigami, the BITCH who stole and pawned our equipment for money last year!” Mystia joined in.

Shion wasn’t very glad this was how people remembered her. Stealing money and the like didn’t exactly help make her sister popular back when she was still a student. Shion let out another sorrowful groan.

“I’m sorryyyyy…” The rest of what she said came out a jumbled, unintelligible mess.

“Look, we don’t hold what your sister did against you. She’s been expelled since last year anyways,” Wriggle interrupted her display of regret. “What did you need from us?”

“Oh, I… wanted to ask how you got together… Maybe to find some advice…” Shion’s voice trailed off, fiddling with the hem of her shirt and avoiding eye contact.

“I’m single.”

Their response, which came in unison, resounded around the now-silent auditorium, coming as a shock to Shion. Strangely, though, it seemed that the same was true for the other three.

“H-huh? I thought you two were…”

“I could’ve sworn the both of you were dating…”

“Me? Her? What?”

Confusion took over, sending the argument into a confused bundle of “Huh?” and “What?”, before being broken by Wriggle clearing her throat. “Mysty, god, I swore you and Kyouko were dating. We’ve been friends for so long, then suddenly you find a bandmate, and all of a sudden we’re split across two classes and I only ever see you with her.”

Mystia’s reaction was that of someone who had no idea her best friend of several years had been pining for her this whole time.

“When I saw you hanging out more with Kyouko, and less with me, you had no idea how jealous I was. I tried getting closer to her, because maybe then you’d look my way again, but-”

“Wriggle. I’m not even mad that’s the reason you tried to get closer to me, but you should’ve brought this up to her much earlier,” Kyouko interjected, her naturally loud voice almost immediately silencing Wriggle.

“W-wait, you only joined the band because of me?!” Mystia blubbered, chewing impulsively on her nails. Her eyes flicked back and forth between Kyouko and Wriggle, her cheeks reddening as they did. “I thought… I thought you were doing it to get closer to Kyouko, cuz… I-I mean, I’d understand that…”

Kyouko reddened a little at that notion, especially now because three pairs of eyes were suddenly shifted to her. “A-and why would I want to go out w-with her?!” she blurted out with a scowl, pointing her doubled-up drumsticks at Wriggle. “Wrong idea, Mysty, wrong idea!”

“W-well, you two are always arguing about something or another, aren’t you?” Mystia said. “Arguing like that all the time is a sign you’re super close, right? Right?”

Crickets, in that auditorium. Shion, it seemed, had really opened a can of worms—the sort that couldn’t ever be bottled up again. Just as she opened her mouth to try and excuse herself—

“Is…is that what you want from me?” Wriggle muttered, kicking the stage with her shoe. “I-I’ll do it, you know, I’ll do it if it means I can be close to you again… I’ll argue and yell however you want me to… I-I know we haven’t talked about it, but e-even after graduation, we can just continue the band just like this… I-I don’t even mind if Kyouko’s there, just…”

“Wh-who ever said I would be there? Unlike…unlike you, I didn’t join for love, I joined for the music—” Kyouko lowered her head and gave her snares an awkward triple-tap, “I’m telling you, I’m gonna become the best drummer ever; I’ve got a scholarship to a music school all lined up, just you wait…!” she finished with a lie so bad that even Shion could see through it.

“Y-you…don’t want to be in a band together with us, Kyouko?” Mystia said, deflating audibly at that. “If that’s it, then… I really liked spending so much time with you, but I guess that’s how you really felt all along…”

“W-w-wait, that’s not what I meant—"

“There’s plenty other bands in school. Many others that you could’ve chosen to join,” Wriggle slowly raised her voice in a sudden jealous fit. “Then why did you pick this band!? There’s something other than the music that drew you here, wasn’t it? Was it her? Tell me! It was for her, wasn’t it!?”

“Wriggle, please don’t-”

“What did you want me to admit? ‘Oh, I’m hopelessly in love with the girl I know you’ve been longing to be together with for years.’ Is that what you want?! Am I not allowed to dream a bit too? I wanted what you wanted, and suddenly I’m in the wrong? When you joined the band, I thought you were cute too, you know?! ‘It’d be nice if we could be friends…’ is what I thought at the time.” Kyouko’s high-speed verbal assault stopped for but a second for her to catch her breath. “But nooo, you only joined just so you stood a chance with her, didn’t you?”

It took a few seconds for what she had just said to sink in.

“What… did you call me…?”

Kyouko lit up red almost immediately. “Sh-Shut up! God, I wasn’t supposed to say that, aaarrrGGGGGHHHH-”

“Um,” Shion interrupted again. The awkwardness that had settled made it much easier for them to calm down and listen, though Shion still felt jittery being in such a hostile environment. “I’ve seen s-some people date each other a-all at once… Maybe you could try that..?”

The silence that followed was a fresh new kind of deafening. Wriggle, now mirroring Kyouko’s blush, glanced away and coughed into her fist; Kyouko plopped back in her seat and started rubbing her head. Mystia, who had relegated herself to the neutral sidelines during the preceding argument, now stood with her palms together over her lips.

“Eep!” Shion squeaked out, hunching over even more than usual to make herself as small as possible. “S-s-sorry for even suggesting it, I-I know it’s weird and…stuff…uh…”

“Y-yeah, uhm…” Mystia mumbled, her eyes scanning her bandmates. “Wh-what do we think about that?” As neutral as she was attempting to be, her tone revealed that she was anything but.

“What would that even be like?” Wriggle said. “We’re all going on dates together? Like, the three of us? Or is it, like, piecemeal—we like, rotate out…? I go on one with Kyouko, and then Mysty with me, then Mysty with…with Kyouko, and—"

“…she means all three of us. Together,” Kyouko groaned.

“I’d…be able to go on dates with Mysty…” Wriggle muttered, before snapping out of it—presently she was glancing between Kyouko and the floor and growing increasingly uncomfortable. “Look, no matter what, it’s a moot point! A moot point! E-even if we think each other is cute, that doesn’t change the fact that we don’t even know if Mysty even likes…us…back?”

“A-and what if I do…?” Mystia stepped a little closer towards Wriggle and Mystia both, a trembling smile peeking out from behind her hands. “Wh-what if I really like you both? A-and I don’t wanna choose?”

“Then, I guess… we wouldn’t have any problems with that, would we?” Kyouko’s face softened, the stiffening tension previously in the air fading away.

“Um. Uh. Can we kiss?”

Mystia stared at Wriggle incredulously, speechless for a moment.

“No. After school. We still need to get our practice in,” Mystia bluntly rejected Wriggle’s suggestion, though her flustered tone suggested that she wasn’t entirely against it.

Shion felt like they appeared more… satisfied, in a way. More satisfied with the new status quo than before. She didn’t trust herself to use the word “happy”, though. Their prior argument didn’t seem healthy at all, Shion observed, in spite of her own flawed idea of “healthy”.

And then, Mystia gave her guitar a jangly strum as punctuation, sucked in a breath, and turned back to her microphone. Looking out into their crowd of one, she started playing a set of rhythm chords on her guitar. "Well girls, there's only a bit of practice left to go," she said, glancing around to her bandmates, "may as well make it a special one, eh? After all, how else are we gonna give Shion here our thanks?"

"Wh-wha?" Shion blubbered, raising her hands to try and excuse herself, "I-I didn't do anything--"

"Don't be modest!" Kyouko shouted from the back, her head bobbing along with Mystia's rhythm part. And soon enough, they were "If you hadn't come around, we never would've gotten it all out!"

"And cuz of you, I get to kiss Mysty! And Kyouko!" Wriggle added, immediately flustering and tacking on, "a-and I mean, go out on dates and do fun stuff together, too..."

"A-all I did was just--" Shion began again, but she was drowned out by their song.

And with a wink to Wriggle, and a nod to Kyouko, Mystia led them to a crescendo, then a synchronized crash of sound--and just as the three went silent, she hit a footswitch and the auditorium was plunged into darkness.

"And now, introducing!" came Mystia's voice, filling the pitch-black auditorium with sound dripping in reverb. "The new and improved--Chojuukei Gigaku!" she said, as another footswitch click turned on spotlights, illuminated each bandmember in turn.

A dance of beast, bird and bug that'll...that'll put your heart in your throat!" Wriggle, her eyes only on Mystia as she tried (somewhat in vain) to match her enthusiasm. "And it'll knock your socks off too!"

"Yeah, knock 'em off! Right off!" Kyouko echoed, perfectly audible even though Shion could see her mic was off.

"For our last song of the night, we'll dedicate it someone special!" Mystia announced again, pointing to their crowd of one. "Shion Yorigami! You know what you did for us, and so, we'll dedicate this one to you! For the future of Chojuukei Gigaku--we thank you!"

And they begun their song, playing with half the skill but twice the enthusiasm--frankly, it made all the difference. But when their last song turned into their second-to-last, then their third, Shion finally got up the courage to slink out the side door with a strange sense of defeat lingering in her heart. None of them mourned the loss of their audience; they were too focused on one another.

Chapter Text

"Ow..."

Shion groaned, trying not to rub her red hand as she walked along the corridors. It stung even worse than that time she ran into a tree, that beehive fell down, and all those bees attacked her.

"You alright there?" Tenshi asked, frowning at her as they walked out of their Chemistry class.

"Huh? Y-yeah! It doesn't even hurt!" Shion insisted.

It did, but she couldn't admit that to Tenshi. She had to look strong in front of her!

"What even happened back there?" She asked.

Urgh... it was so stupid. Such a simple task — just boil some hydrochloric acid for a few minutes and add it to some calcium carbonate. Any idiot could do that. Of course, she wasn't just a normal idiot. She was Shion Yorigami, the most unlucky fool out there.

Tenshi had been chewing some gum — she shouldn't have been doing that while they were working on the experiment — and Shion had just gotten mesmerised by the sight. She was perpetually hungry, but just watching Tenshi eat could make her forget that for a bit.

... well, at least until Tenshi noticed her staring, making her accidentally fall back, hit the table, knock over the beaker of hydrochloric acid and cause it all to spill onto her hand.

"Um... I don't really remember," Shion lied. "I guess I just tripped?"

For a moment, Tenshi looked as if she was about to question that, but then nodded.

"Yeah, you do that a lot," she said agreeably. "You should be more careful though. If you get yourself injured too much, who will I beat up in danmaku?" She joked.

Shion smiled painfully to herself. She'd be Tenshi's partner even if she was crippled and rotting. If only Tenshi knew that...

"Hey, I always get better though," Shion pointed out. "It doesn't take much to put me down, but I get back up just as quick."

"Hm... true. It's always been a surprise to me — who'd have thought a scrawny thing like you would bounce back so easily?" Tenshi laughed. "It's almost kinda impressive."

Oh, God... Tenshi just complimented her. Sure, it was so backhanded she might as well have been slapping her, but for Tenshi, that was a huge amount of praise. Somehow, Shion managed to hold herself together, stopping herself from going as red as her hand.

The closer prom got, the more she thought about her. Every action she did just enraptured... like the gum. It wasn't just seeing her eat, but the way she chomped on it like it was putty... even her jaws were strong. And how she played with the gum in her mouth, coating it in her saliva... she wanted that to be her.

"Hey, thanks for letting me copy your homework by the way," Tenshi said casually. "Would've done it myself, but I didn't have enough time."

"Oh, you're welcome. Um... why didn't you have enough time though?"

"Come on, it would've taken me ages to figure out. Besides, so long as I've got you, I'll be fine."

And so long as she had Tenshi, so would she. But... that was all going to change soon.

"... so what are you gonna do after we graduate?" Shion asked.

To her surprise, Tenshi frowned at that, not having an answer immediately. Quickly regaining her swagger, she said, "Guess I'll have to find someone else to help me out then."

... oh. Of... of course she'd do that.

Shion pulled her bag straps down, clutching onto them tightly. She was such an idiot.

People like Tenshi didn't need her. They'd have people lining up to help them... she wasn't anything special. Yet, if that was the case, what made Tenshi choose her then? Did it mean... was there a chance?

"Hey... can I ask you something?" Shion stopped walking, with Tenshi following suit.

"Yeah? What is it?"

She had to do it. If she didn't ask Tenshi out now, then there was nothing to tie them together. And after graduation... she'd be gone forever.

"So, um, you know t-the prom? It's coming up soon, and uh... it's a really big thing! And, I guess I was just kind of wondering if maybe —"

"Shion!"

"Hey — OW!"

Tenshi suddenly grabbed her sore hand, and yanked her to the side, just as the door behind her opened and the students came crawling out.

Shaking her hand, Shion cursed her luck — of all places she had to be standing in front of, it had to be there. And now with so many people in the corridor, she couldn't ask Tenshi. Oh well... they'd clear off soon, since lunch was starting.

"Hey, Tenshi!"

Shion winced at the boisterous voice, raising her head to see a diminutive girl approach them. It was rare to see anyone smaller than her, but this girl was one of the very few in their school that was — despite that, she wasn't anywhere near as scrawny.

Suika Ibuki... a student whose small stature belied her strength — she'd go around boasting that she was as strong as oni of old folklore. And while it probably was an exaggeration, Shion could definitely believe it.

"I've been looking for you," she said, poking Tenshi in the stomach and making her yelp.

"Really?" Tenshi laughed nervously. "Why's that?"

"Don't play dumb. We had a bet yesterday, and I still haven't gotten 2000 yen for winning our arm wrestle."

"Okay, okay..." Tenshi put her hands up defensively, backing away from Suika. "I'll give it to you... if you can catch me first!"

Tenshi suddenly bolted down the corridor, laughing her head off.

"Hey! Get BACK here!" Suika stormed off after her.

"See ya, Shion!" Tenshi called out.

Shion blinked, her mind running blank as she tried to process what just happened. She sighed, watching Tenshi disappear around a corner.

Another opportunity gone... why did this always happen?

As Shion slumped through the corridors, she tried to hold in her bitterness. Was it just too much to expect one single thing to go right? Of course it was.

Like usual, she didn't have anything to eat today, so she didn't bother heading to the canteen, instead deciding to get some fresh air. As she did, she passed by the ballroom where the prom would be.

Was it even worth coming if she didn't have anyone? It'd just be humiliating — everyone would just make fun of her for being alone. Then again, it wasn't as if anyone expected her to have someone to bring along... she'd be surpassing expectations if she did.

Shion carefully cracked the door open and walked inside to see what it was like. Surprisingly, there were two people already here, both of whom she instantly recognised.

In the centre of the room, two girls were holding each other in their arms, slow dancing together. Though there was no music playing, the shorter of the two had taken to humming a tune out for them to dance to.

"You'll tire yourself out if you keep doing that," Megumu said amusedly.

Megumu Iizunamaru. Editor in chief of the school newspaper and member of the decoration committee...

"Well, if I have to keep telling you to keep quiet, maybe I will," Chimata retorted.

And Chimata Tenkyuu, head of the decoration committee.

Among the students at Radiant High, these two were practically famous. Their relationship was known far and wide, if only for being a constant source of drama — they'd broken up on two separate occasions during high school, and this was their third time together.

Shion couldn't help but feel uncomfortable — she'd clearly stumbled onto something private, but leaving might just attract their attention anyway. She awkwardly stood still, continuing to watch them.

The more she watched though... the more bitter she got. Even though it was slow, the pair of them moved perfectly to Chimata's slightly off beat humming. She tried not to be a jealous person... but some people had all the luck.

"Hm... you've improved a lot, haven't you?" Chimata said, looking soulfully into Megumu's eyes. "I still remember when you had two left feet."

"Please." Megumu scoffed at the notion. "I have always been impeccable at dancing."

"Really?" Chimata smiled playfully, as she and Megumu swayed from side to side. "So, you didn't step on my feet when we were at that party?"

"It was one time..." Megumu groaned. "Besides, I've improved like you said, haven't I?"

Chimata giggled, lightly flicking her nose. "I'll give you that."

Huh... they seemed to be getting on pretty well?

Shion remembered the people she'd spoken to yesterday — while she was glad for the band, she wasn't interested in that sort of thing herself. And equally, she couldn't apply what Sakuya and Remilia had, since they'd known each other since childhood.

But this here? This is what she wanted to have with Tenshi. Maybe they could give her some help, especially since they seemed to get on well.

"So... does this mean you'll finally agree that the gold decorations are better?" Megumu said.

Like a record screeching to a halt, Chimata stopped humming and groaned, instantly pushing Megumu away from her.

... or, maybe they didn't.

"We've been over this, Megumu, and we're using the purple decorations!" Chimata shouted, stomping her foot in frustration. "How many times do I have to say it — we both agreed that they were the best!"

"We did no such thing, because I never would have agreed to that! You simply can't go wrong with black and gold."

"Megumu, it's a prom, not a high end function," Chimata said wearily. "Just because you go to them all the time doesn't mean everyone else does."

"I don't see anything wrong with injecting some high class into this all." Megumu turned her head and caught sight of Shion, instinctively pointing at her. "Look at her! For someone like that, this could be a once in a lifetime chance... wait."

Both her and Chimata whipped their heads around, properly taking in Shion's appearance.

Shion quivered under Megumu's harsh gaze, barely managing to stammer out a few words.

"Uh... s-sorry, am I intrudi —"

"Yes," Megumu snapped. "What the hell are you doing here? This is a private meeting."

"Um..." Shion looked over her shoulder at the door. "But these were unlocked?"

"... they were?" Suddenly, Megumu lost all her bluster, glancing over at Chimata, who blushed slightly.

"I... might have forgotten to lock them?" With some relief, she said, "It's a good thing you found us first then... the last thing we needed was for the disciplinary committee to come in."

Megumu briefly shuddered at the thought. "The last thing we need is Zanmu breathing down our neck at this time. She's always had it in for us."

"Well, I guess we shouldn't have been kissing in that closet..." Chimata muttered, quickly frowning at Megumu. "Which was entirely your fault, by the way."

"I'm not sure how that's possible when you were kissing back," Megumu snarked.

"Not that! You just dragged me in there without any warning!"

"But you're just so irresistible, darling..." Megumu crooned.

Chimata rolled her eyes, but couldn't resist smiling. "Flatterer."

"It's not flattery if it's the truth."

Amongst her laughter, Chimata noticed Shion out of the corner of her eye. "Oh! Sorry, I forgot you were there."

"Oh... that's okay." Most people did.

"What's your name anyway?"

"Shion Yorigami," Megumu answered before Shion could, fixing her with a piercing glare. At Shion's surprised look, she continued, "Your sister stole my camera when I was just an aspiring reporter."

Of course she did... how many things did Jo'on manage to steal before being caught?

"Still, that's old news, isn't it?" Megumu said, softening her glare slightly. "Clearly, you must be different if you're still here."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, but... what are you doing here?" Chimata asked.

"To be honest, I... I just wanted to have a look at the ballroom. But, um... seeing as you're here, I was hoping I could ask you some questions about your relationship?"

"Hm? Well, we've been dating since our freshman years." Megumu answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Huh? Oh... just curious..." Shion said, bashfully averting her eyes.

"Curious?" Chimata stepped towards Shion, smiling mischievously. "I know that look well — it's the look of someone in love."

"Don't be so dramatic," Megumu said.

"Am I wrong?" She countered.

"Well, I... I wouldn't say I'm in love. I... have a crush on someone though?"

"Ah!" Chimata clapped her hands excitedly. "You've GOT to ask them out for prom! It'll be so romantic!"

"I'd like to, but... I'm trying to figure out what makes a relationship work," Shion explained.

"And so, you've come to us. Well, you couldn't have chosen better, because we're the perfect couple," Chimata boasted, daintily extending her hand out to Megumu. "Aren't we, Megumu?"

Bending down slightly, Megumu kissed her hand. "Of course we are."

Shion could believe as much. The prom queen and queen hadn't been decided yet, but these two were a shoe in for that. And this did seem more promising than what she'd seen before...

"So, um... do you have any tips at all?" Shion asked.

"Be as grand as possible. Make every moment larger than life!" Megumu said. "Unless you're willing to show how much you love your partner every second, you're wasting your time."

Chimata nodded her head. "The more sweeping the gesture, the better it is. Don't simply hug your partner when you could lift them in the air in front of everyone!"

That... that sounded really uncomfortable to her. For starters, there's no way she would be able to lift Tenshi, and doing that in public? It didn't seem like her thing...

"Okay... so, what do you do when you have disagreements?" Shion asked. "How do you deal with those?"

"Oh, we wouldn't know, would we?" Megumu said, laughing all the while. "We've always been perfectly happy together, haven't we?"

"Of course!"

Shion frowned immediately at that. "... then why did you break up twice?"

"How do you know about that?" Megumu glared at Shion.

"Um... who doesn't know? You didn't really keep it hidden."

"Well, they were just... minor disagreements," Megumu said dismissively. "Sometimes, Chimata can be wrong about a few things, and she simply needs time to realise it."

"Excuse me?!" In an instant, Chimata wheeled around to Megumu, snarling at her. " I can be wrong?"

"Well, you have to admit... you can get carried away at times, darling. Remember what happened this June?"

Shion blushed profusely, trying not to remember it herself... while it held great importance to Radiant High, Chimata certainly went overboard with that.

"T-that wasn't my fault!" Chimata said, stammering and huffing all the while.

Megumu threw her a deadpan look. "You slapped Meira in the face."

"You agreed she deserved it! What idiot decides to be really, really bitchy during Pride Month?! In an all girls school?!"

"Perhaps, but it wasn't a good look for you to do that while wearing that stupid rainbow dress."

"S-stupid?! How DARE you?! I spent months working on that, it was —"

"Your pride and joy," Megumu interrupted with a groan. "Yes, yes, I know, and that joke was only funny the first two times, Chimata. My point is, you have a tendency to overreact."

"Well, maybe, that's because of you and your ego!" Chimata spread her arms dramatically. "Look at it! If your head was any bigger, it'd roll off your body! You always think you know better than me, like with this!"

"Oh, it ALL goes back to the decorations, doesn't it?"

"Yes!" Chimata snapped. "Purple is best! And I'M the head of the committee here!"

"We're never going to get anywhere like this." Megumu sighed, slumping down into a chair. "How do we decide this..."

"Well... why don't you get someone else to decide?" Shion suggested.

Megumu and Chimata looked towards her, both of them forgetting she was there again.

"That's... not a bad idea," Chimata admitted. "It'd be better than this."

"We'd need someone unbiased though. Someone with no personal agenda towards either of us..." Megumu muttered.

Both of them thought about it for a few moments, their eyes wandering around before resting on...

"M-me?" Shion yelped.

"You're as good as anyone." Chimata gestured her over to a table, gathering a few pieces of paper.

"I'm not sure if this is a good idea..." Shion protested as she sat down, but it went ignored.

"Okay, now tell me which one you think is better. This..." Chimata held up a picture of purple decorations and beamed widely. "Or this." She held up a picture showing the same thing in black and gold, now frowning.

"A completely unbiased set of choices there," Megumu said sarcastically. Still, she watched Shion carefully for her response.

"I... I think they both look nice?" Shion offered.

"Oh, I agree. But which one looks better?" Chimata demanded.

Shion sighed, not seeing a way out of this. No matter what she said, one of them would be angry.

"L-look... don't you think you're being too unreasonable with each other? I mean, n-neither of you are trying to see where the other is coming from." She turned to face Megumu. "You might be trying to make this the best you can, but don't you trust your own partner?"

"What?" Megumu slammed her hands on the table. "How dare you insinuate that?"

Shion quivered even more, but stood her ground. "Then... why do you think she's wrong? She's the head of your committee, so... shouldn't you trust that she knows what she's doing?"

Megumu opened her mouth to respond, but hesitated mid breath. Taking the chance, she addressed Chimata next.

"And s-she's right about you going overboard, you know," Shion said to her. "Isn't Megumu just trying to make sure you’re reasonable with things?"

"I... I didn't think of it that way." Chimata looked at Megumu, frowning all the while. "I always thought it was just you and your ego keeping me down..."

"Well... you're not wrong," Megumu admitted reluctantly. "I... I do forget that we all voted you for this position."

For some reason, that set something off inside of Shion. That was the most basic of things to understand, and they were only now seeing it? Both of them were in such a good place, whereas Tenshi and her were so distant in comparison.

If she had the chance, she’d have taken full advantage of it. She never would let Tenshi go, and do everything in her power to keep her! But these two… they were completely flippant about the whole thing!

"Really? REALLY?! You seriously never got that before?!" Shion shouted, taking both Megumu and Chimata aback. "You two have been dating on and off for four years! What have you even been DOING all that time?!"

"Calm down! There's no need to —"

"Shut up," Shion interrupted Chimata, jabbing a finger in her face.

Megumu instantly rose from her chair, fury dancing in her eyes. "Don't speak to her like —"

"I said, SHUT UP!"

And despite the situation, Megumu was utterly cowed by Shion, slinking back into her chair quietly.

"Why did you break up twice before?" Shion demanded. "I bet you can't even tell me."

"Of course I can!" Chimata scoffed. "Both times, it was because of..." She paused, suddenly drawing a blank. "Actually... why did we break up?"

"Your memory's going, darling," Megumu replied smoothly. "Clearly, it was due to... hm. Strange... I can't recall either? On both occasions no less."

"I'll tell you why," Shion interjected. "It was probably because of something stupid, something so petty you don't even remember it. And it happened again, because neither of you learned a thing! I mean... you go on about grand gestures, but that clearly wasn't enough, was it?"

"Then... what went wrong?" Megumu said, looking down at the table morosely.

"Do either of you actually respect each other? Because it seems like you're not even willing to compromise on anything. Have you ever even talked about things like this, or just gotten lost in your grand gestures?"

Megumu and Chimata looked at each other, neither saying a word.

"I mean, do you know how many people would love to be in your position?! I'd kill to be there!" Shion continued, her voice peaking again, remembering all of her own frustrations with Tenshi. "You found each so easily and neither of you had to struggle for it, but because you're both stuck in your own heads... you threw it all away! Twice!"

She sucked a deep breath in, glaring daggers into both of them.

"If this is how you get over small things, what will be like when something actually important comes along?"

"I... I don't know..." Chimata squeaked.

"You'll burn," she said icily. "And you'll regret every moment you frivolously wasted."

For a while, all three of them sat in utter silence, with the weight of Shion's words sinking in.

Megumu couldn't believe this girl had just said all that to them, and she desperately wanted to be offended by it... but she couldn't. Chimata and her had always played this game in high school, knowing the other would come crawling back... never once did she consider the possibility of it not happening.

On her end, Chimata was fighting to hold back tears, both from Shion's admonishment, but also at the thought of all the time they'd wasted. She cared for Megumu, she truly did... but nothing she did had really shown that.

Meanwhile, the rage had finally quelled in Shion, as she calmed down... only for it to be replaced with instant terror, realising what she'd just said and who she'd said it to.

These were two of the biggest people in school! They could destroy her reputation in an instant... for what little there was left to ruin anyway.

But before Shion could stammer out an apology, Megumu beat her to the punch.

"You're right," she said, nodding at Shion before facing Chimata. "Chimata, I... I know it seems like this is my ego, and... it probably is to some extent. But... I really do appreciate your enthusiasm."

"You do? You're always saying I need to calm down... or how I'm going out of control."

"I know, and... maybe I'm wrong for doing so. I do that because I worry about you. I've seen what happens to others when you go overboard with these events... but most of all, I've seen what happens to yourself. You burn yourself out, and all that passion goes with it."

Chimata sighed, unable to refute the point.

"I... I know you mean well. It's just... I want this prom to be the best it can be. Not just for everyone else, but for us as well, Megumu," she said, smiling faintly at her. "You know... this might be the last time we're together."

"We never talked about what we'll do after high school, did we?" Megumu frowned, only just realising it. "Every time the conversation came up, one of us would always change it to something else."

"Now, it's crept up on us and neither of us have any clue." Chimata looked at Shion, sighing to her. "We've frivolously wasted our time, just like you said."

Shion couldn't help but feel guilty... she wanted to make a point, but she didn't mean to ruin their relationship. But then... they had a point, didn't they? And yet...

"Um... maybe you're giving up too soon?" Shion said, returning to her more meek self. "It's not like you still don't have time. A-and, if you start now... m-maybe you can figure something out?"

"Perhaps..." Megumu muttered. "I don't know where these next few weeks will take us, Chimata. But... if nothing else, shall we make them the best of them?"

"Of course."

Shion averted her eyes as the two came together for a kiss, though there was little she could do to block out Megumu's chuckles, or Chimata's contented giggles.

She was happy for them... but it was hard not to feel immensely jealous as well. Luckily, the two seemed to remember the company they were in, separating quickly and facing her again.

"I think we both owe you a thank you," Chimata said earnestly.

"But as you say, words alone are meaningless. Is there anything we can do to help you?" Megumu offered.

"H-huh?"

Shion stumbled on her words, surprised at the offer. She'd come here for relationship advice, and while this hadn't been what she was expecting... it was sort of useful?

"No, not really... there's nothing," Shion replied.

"Nothing at all?" Megumu pressed.

"Not unless you can inject a bunch of confidence in me..."

"Ah." Megumu nodded, quickly inferring why Shion needed it. "I wouldn't worry about that. You've certainly proven you're capable of it when it counts — it must have taken a lot of courage to say what you did to us. Rather admirable actually."

"Oh... I mean... it just sort of came out?"

"Hm. Let us hope you're able to replicate that with Tenshi then."

Shion reeled back in her chair, tipping over and falling to the ground.

"Are you alright?!" Chimata cried.

"I'm fine..." Shion groaned as she got back up and sat down. Rubbing her bruised elbow, she looked over at Megumu. "T-Tenshi?! What are you going on about?"

"She's your crush, correct?"

"What?!" Shion tried to deny it, feeling her heart beating out of her chest. "W-why would it be her?"

"Are you going to try and deny it after that reaction?" Megumu smirked at her amusedly. "Besides, my deduction skills are without parallel from all my years of reporting."

"Hm? But you don't do any reporting anymore," Chimata said sweetly.

"I still have to analyse the information I get," Megumu retorted. "Particularly with Shameimaru and Himekaidou at each other's throats — they've tried slipping me false stories on occasion to get one over the other."

"Huh? Why do you still keep them on then?" Shion asked.

"We always need things for the gossip column, don't we?" Megumu smiled wryly. "Either way, your infatuation is clear as day. It's not hard to see how you cling to her side."

"It'll be great to see you there with her then!" Chimata said enthusiastically. "And to see you in a nice dress too!"

"A... a dress?" Shion stammered.

"Of course!" Chimata gestured towards her rags, almost offended at the notion. "You can't come to prom in those."

... oh. Shion had been wearing these rags for so long, she'd forgotten how tattered they were. She'd completely forgotten to consider that detail, but Chimata was right.

Tenshi would never go with her to prom like this, assuming she even said yes. What did she do now...

"Um... these are the best clothes I have..." Shion said quietly.

"Oh, goodness, I... I'm sorry," Chimata quickly apologised. "I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay... I guess I won't be coming then. Like you said, I can't show up like this..."

And after she'd been looking forward to it so much... it was just her luck as always.

Chimata looked at her pensively, before her eyes suddenly lit up. She locked eyes with Megumu, grinning at her.

"Are you thinking what I am?" She said.

"I believe so," Megumu replied, grinning back.

"Does this count as going overboard though?"

"Hm... let's see where it goes first."

"Sorry... what are you two talking about?" Shion asked.

"You don't have a good dress, right?" At Shion's pitiful nodding, Chimata smiled widely at her. "In that case, I'll lend you one of mine!"

"W... WHAT?!" Shion nearly fell over her chair again. "You can't do that!"

"Why not? We're about the same size — it might not be an exact fit, but it should be good enough." Chimata stared off into the distance, smiling wistfully. "I know exactly which dress would suit you too!"

"And I suppose I can lend you some of my jewellery as well," Megumu added. "I'm not particularly fond of it anyway."

"So, all you've got to do now is ask her!" Chimata finished.

It completely blew her away... Shion wasn't used to this sort of generosity from anyone other than Tenshi. And yet... these two people who she'd only just met would really go so far just for her?

... but, she couldn't accept this, could she? After all, if she didn't ask Tenshi, it would all be for nothing... and maybe it was better if she didn't.

The more she thought about it, the more she realised how futile it all was. She'd said as much to Megumu and Chimata — high school was ending soon, so everyone would be parting ways when it happened...

Those two had somewhere to start at least, but her and Tenshi? Even if they'd known each all through high school, taking that next step would completely change everything. And so close to the end of school... was it really worth it?

"Hey, what's that look for?" Chimata said, bringing her out of her stupor. "You've GOT to do it!"

"Give her some space, Chimata," Megumu warned.

"Ah..." Chimata laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, that's me getting carried away..."

"I don't know if I can do it... and besides, I, I can't accept all THAT!" Shion said.

"Why not? If it bothers you, this is simply our way of paying you back for your words."

"Uh... all I did was say a few things. This is a lot more than that...

"Alright." Megumu grinned at her, having an idea. "If that's how you feel, why don't you do something for me to make it even again?"

"Huh?" Shion narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What did you have in mind?"

"It's simple — just allow me to get a few shots of you at prom. The poor girl all dolled up on prom night by my girlfriend and myself... yes, it'd make quite a story, and you'd have a record of that memory too."

"Well... I guess that would be fine?"

"Great! That's all settled then," Chimata said. "We'll see you on prom night!"

"Uh... sure. I... thank you? Thank you so much! I'll see you then."

Shion stood up nervously, deciding to leave. This wasn't what she was expecting at all... but it had sort of been useful as well? Honestly, she really wasn't sure...

Still, this was the closest she'd seen to a normal relationship so far. As she opened the doors of the ballroom, she tried to think of who else might be able to help... didn't Remilia's sister have someone? Maybe she should ask her next.

Feeling a little more cheery than normal, Shion walked out into the corridors.

"She was... really nice," Chimata said. "Nicer than I was expecting."

"Hm. I thought she'd be exactly like her sister. I suppose it just goes to show how siblings can be different..." Megumu tapped her fingers on the images of the decorations they had. "We still need to figure this out though."

"Maybe we should do it another day..." Chimata's eyes shifted from side to side nervously. "I don't really want another argument now."

"No, there won't be another argument," Megumu said firmly. "We'll go with the purple ones."

"Huh? But, didn't you say...?"

"The decorations never really mattered to me," Megumu admitted. "But they matter to you, and it's a foolish hill to die on. Besides, it's ultimately your decision."

"Maybe, but... are you sure?" Chimata questioned.

"Of course."

"Thank you." She rubbed her nose against Megumu’s cheek, giggling lightly. "See, I knew you'd see it my way!"

"Don't get arrogant yet. There's still other things to decide."

"So much work..." Chimata whined. "Urgh, this is cruel! Someone like me shouldn't have to do this!"

Megumu chuckled as she gathered the papers up. "What, people should just do things for you?"

"That'd be nice..." Chimata smiled at the thought, longing for the day. "Seriously, talking to Shion just now made me realise that I haven't even picked out what dress I'm going to wear!"

"You're usually rather good at that. Surely you must have some idea?"

"I mean, I did, but... I can't do it now because I know you'll hate it."

"Really?" Megumu found herself rather curious now. "Why would that be?"

"Well... I know it's stupid, but... I was sort of thinking of bringing the rainbow dress back?" Chimata looked at Megumu and sighed at her completely impassive face. "I know, I know... not a good idea."

"Actually..." Megumu slowly began to smile. "I think I might like to see it again."

"... really?"

"Yes. It's certainly unique, and in any case..."

Megumu gently caressed her chin, before leaning in towards her once more.

"I couldn't think of anything more perfect for you."

Chapter Text

“And why the heck are you asking me that?” a voice hissed, the source not even looking up from her phone as she sat with her feet up on the teacher’s desk, her thumbs flying across the digital keyboard.  After a beat, her thumbs froze, she cracked a smile, and she hit the lock on her phone.

Flandre Scarlet was a lover of all things dark and twisted.  The sort to clomp to school in black combat boots festooned with buckles, wearing wrinkled plaid miniskirts wash-faded to bring out their crimsons, and loose-fitting tops cinched around the waist and over-draped with jangly rainbow necklaces.  Her nails and eyeliner were black as her heart; her makeup was so white that she looked like she just arose from Nosferatu’s coffin. 

She was the sort that could level buildings with a look—waves of people, teachers and students alike, parted when she walked.  For they all knew: With so much as a ruffle of a spell card or a text to her sister, the Vice-Devil of the Student Council—she could destroy any one or any thing .

She was also known, all around the school, as a complete and utter weirdo.

Always one to stick to her routines, Flandre always hung out by herself after classes in a specific classroom—an old, mostly disused one on the fourth floor.  Room 95, at the very back of the building.  Ordinarily, none would dare set foot near this room—the more fearful girls among them would swear up and down that Room 95 was haunted, and that it was where she, along with the only other member of the “Poetry Club”, did all manner of occult rituals.  According to the student body, they’d conduct seances, perform blood sacrifices, open portals, write sonnets, summon devils—or worse: Make out.

To Shion’s surprise, and slight disappointment, there were no devils to be found in this room (Shion was banking on the idea that a devil could give her better relationship advice than she’d received thus far).  Only Flandre Scarlet, dressed up to the gills and leaning back in the old teacher’s chair, texting idly with her feet up on the desk.

“W-well, why wouldn’t I ask you?” Shion pressed further, after that measure of silence.

“Nobody asks me anything,” Flandre said.  She seemed a little sad for a split-second, before her expression morphed into devilish glee.  “Cuz usually people know I’ll eat them alive if they try!”

“W-well…  I was just, uhm, thinking…  You two have been together longer than most people, r-right?  Since even before you came to school here?”

“Since before I came to school period ,” Flandre replied.  Her phone dinged, and she quickly snatched it up, and started furiously typing a response out.  “It’s not a super interesting story, I’m telling you.”

Shion steeled her meager nerves.  “I-if you don’t mind, I’d…  Really like to hear it…”

Flandre’s thumbs froze.  It was only a split-second, but it seemed to trigger a grin—one of her trademark toothy grins.  Something strained, crooked, where one of her incisors poked askew over her lower lip and she made this strange half-cackle half-breath sound, hee- hoo , hee- hoo , hee- hoo .

“Meh, screw it,” she said, hitting the send button with some gusto before chucking her spiderweb-cracked phone upon the desk.  “I’m bored, Koishi’s not gonna be out of detention for a few minutes now, and you’ve got the guts to come up here, so why don’t I play along for a lil bit?”

Shion duly nodded, awkwardly scooting over a chair to sit while trying to make herself as small as possible (hard to do when you’re pushing five-foot ten and gangly as a skeleton).

Flandre laid back a bit in her chair, put her arms up around her head and her gaze rose to the ceiling, tapping the desk rhythmically with the sole of a boot.  “Okay, so—when the heck was this?  Jeez, a good few years ago, now.  But basically, Remi was having one of her stupid parties.  I was supposed to go too, but I bailed last minute cuz I was super into…what, Blue Blood; Black Blood , I think it was at the time?  Oh yeah, it totally was—god, the last season of that show was so shiiiit I can’t believe it even got made, like seriously, Shiori picking Hanako in the end was so dumb, like Zero-chan was right there —and she even picks Zero-chan in the manga ending, none of that dumb metafictional stuff like Hanako taking control to ruin it.  Like that’s how you can tell they messed it all up—”

Shion cleared her throat.

“Right, uh…  So basically, we got into this argument?  And I locked myself in my room for awhile, but eventually I got super hungry so I came up to get some chips and snacks and stuff…  And y’know, our house is big.  Really big, right?  So there’s this part where Remi keeps all her stupid paintings and stuff, and I have to walk through it to get to the snack kitchen…” Flandre said, trailing off as she spaced out a bit, her eyes tracing patterns on the ceiling.  And all of a sudden, she seemed to still a little bit in remembrance of it, becoming absorbed in the memory, and she continued in a smoother, softer voice than before: “And there she was.  Just…standing there, looking really close at all the paintings.  The prettiest girl ever.”

Flandre blinked, the reverie breaking for a moment as she rubbed her eyes, and she just giggled.  “Though I guess I never really paid attention to that stuff before then.  Or since then!  It’s like, the only time I’ve ever liked someone 3D.  You know what I mean, right?  …meh, whatever.  But like, here’s the thing—I didn’t talk to her at first.  I went right on past her like an idiot, and I remember whipping through the kitchen as fast as I could, cuz I was hoping she’d still be there on my way back, and she was, she totally was…!

“And I come around the corner, right, arms full of snacks and sodas looking like a pig probably and she’s just looking at me, staring right through me with that look of hers, you know, just looking at me.  I-I don’t even know why I talked first, I like never talk first, but I did—I asked her if she liked the paintings and she responded, she talked to me—the weird kid who was too scared to leave her basement, too scared to ever go to real school, too scared to even try it, she talked to me —a-and then after a little bit it was going too well so I turned to bail and I slipped and fell, candy and snacks everywhere, and all she does?  She just kneels down next to me, laughing a little bit, but she just pat-pats my head, just like this, pat-pat-pat…”

And then Flandre Scarlet, the terror of the whole of Radiant High, began living up to her namesake.  She quickly put her hands over her wildly blushing face and looked away from Shion, her voice and demeanor turned to a blubbering mess now, “I-I’m rambling now, I’m sorry…  I’m really sorry, I, uhm…  Usually I don’t talk this much cuz I’m a bother, but when it comes to Koishi-chan…”

“N-no!  No, it’s totally okay!” Shion blurted out, waving her hands to try and pacify Flandre.  “I-I asked, and you answered really well!  It was, uhm…  Very helpful!”

“R-really?” Flandre mumbled, slipping her feet off the desk and onto the floor, where the height of her boots was the only reason she couldn’t swing her feet back and forth like she seemed to be trying to do.  “Like, I don’t really know why you’re asking me, cuz Koishi was basically the one who kept talking to me…  I-I’m really bad at talking, so she usually has to…”

“W-well, you did talk to Koishi first, right?” Shion said.  “You took the first step!  M-m-maybe you don’t have to b-be so hard on yourself?  Maybe?”

Flandre paused, blinked—and from behind her fingers there was the slightest inkling of that smile peeking through again.  “Yeah…  I guess…”

“S-see!  At least you said something!” Shion said, giving a half-hearted smile of her own.  “Not everybody c-can say that…”

And slowly, Flandre’s hands lowered from her face.  She still could not meet Shion’s eyes, but no matter.  “That’s…really nice of you, uhm…  To say…” Flandre mumbled.  “I’m really glad I did, too, cuz…  I-I definitely wouldn’t be here if not for her…like, I’d probably still be doing school at home!  B-but when I heard she was transferring here for high school too, I begged and begged Remi, and sure, I had to study a bit just to pass the entrance exam—but I did it!” Flandre said, giggling in a strangely feminine way for her, “I did it, and now I get to have Koishi-chan help me all the time!  She helps me with what I wear, what I eat, what I do, too—but just being able to write poems and watch horror movies and play danmaku with her…  It’s like I’m in a dream!”

And then, the sliding door clattered open.

There was a moment, three beats, where Koishi Komeiji stood in the doorway motionless, soundless, just staring at the two of them—just as Shion and Flandre both were stunned by her sudden appearance.  But then, the moment melted away, and Flandre leapt from her chair so fast that she narrowly avoided slipping to a heap on the floor.

“K-Koishi-chan!” Flandre squealed, “You’re back!  I was just talking about you, I’m so happy to see you!” she said, running up and half-hugging half-bodyslamming Koishi the moment she took one step into the room.  But during this, Koishi simply stood frozen and expressionless, even as Flandre clung to her, rubbing her head into her chest.

And then, Koishi took one last sip of the juice box she was holding—and she crushed it partially in her fist and dropped it, letting it splatter onto the floor in a tiny shower of orange juice.

Koishi did not react, but Flandre let out a surprised squeak—she quickly broke the hug, crouching to fuss over the mess.  “O-oh no, Koishi-chan!  I’m really sorry, I’ll…!” she said, hopping up all flustered as if she had anything to do with it in the first place.  “I-I think there’s some paper towels in the nurse’s office, lemme go check!”

And just like that, she threw the slider open, and went sprinting down the hall.  Which meant Shion was left alone, shrinking in her seat, with Koishi Komeiji.  The other member of the infamous Poetry Club.  The sort few seemed to notice, and fewer still seemed to actually know, seemingly content to stalk ghostlike through the school, only ever noteworthy when she was hanging off of Flandre.  The only gossip shared about her was spoken in hushed tones, little whispers on the wind—about her uncanny features, her voice tinged artificial, her bouncy demeanor contrasted with her eyes of ice that seemed to see down to your very core—at times, she was even spoken about in the same breath as the school’s other urban legends.  The Bloody Mary, the Red Cape, the Slit-mouth Lady, and then Koishi Komeiji.  For if you weren’t careful around her, she was said to be able to control your very mind…

For a moment, things seemed fine.  Koishi just straightened and clasped her hands behind her back, swaying in place for a moment.  Her lips even curled into a smile.

But that smile did not reach her eyes.

And Koishi wandered up close to Shion—closer, crossing the room and then closer still, until she was so close that all Shion could see were Koishi’s eyes.  Shaped like almonds, pupils nearly a slit, colored a steely-grey, all blanketed in a slight haze as if sightless—they stared at her, unblinking, pierced Shion to her very soul.

“What are you doing with Flan-chan?” Koishi said in a calm, even tone.

“U-uhm, I was just talking—”

“Talking?  What about?”

“Uhh, uhm…—”

“So that’s all you can say?  Awh, that’s cute…” she said, her tone lilting upwards yet without any emotion inherent to it—as if done in calculated mimicry.  “After all, what would you , the school’s most notorious little wretch, have in common with my Flan-chan?”

Shion felt her heartrate kicking up, her voice devolving into terrified squeaks in her mouth, and yet she could not look away—

And then, Koishi blinked, and her face slowly, smoothly shifted into a caricature of a perplexed face.  And she drew away, holding an elbow in a hand and drumming the side of her mouth with her fingers.  “Oh, but I suppose Flan-chan was once in a similar boat—is that why you’re here?  To commiserate over your shared misfortune?”

“N-n-no, I-I—”

“Awh, how pitiful it is to be you…” Koishi said, furrowing her eyebrows.  “I don’t think even poor Flan-chan is as misfortunate.  Certainly, you’re both lonely, awkward people—but at least Flan-chan’s sister can tolerate her.  And is decidedly not a useless waste of space, besides.”

“Wh-wha…?” Shion blubbered out.  “I’m s-sorry, Jo’on wasn’t—"

“Well.  No matter,” Koishi said, her mouth morphing back into her emotionless smile, “Flan has nothing to worry about anymore, does she?  I took that all away.  I gave her everything she wanted, everything she needed , and now her smile outshines even the sun!  Surely you don’t mean to tear that happiness away from her, do you?”

Shion was full-on trembling now, “No!  No, I-I just wanted to know how you both got together!  Th-that’s it, I swear!”

“Ah.  There it is,” Koishi said, her voice lowering into almost sultry affectations as she half-lidded her icy eyes.  “So you came here looking for the same from me, hmm?  Is that it?  Well, don’t think I’ll do that for just anybody.  Or, for that matter, anybody besides my cute Flan-chan…”

“N-n-no, I don’t w-want that!  I-I just…  I just have a…a crush on someone, and I wanna see how other people got together…y’know, for ideas!  I wasn’t trying to step on any toes, I-I swear…” Shion blubbered as Koishi seemed to pause in her assault, thinking.

Koishi then clamped her hands onto Shion’s arms and slammed them into the chair’s arms, putting all her weight on them to pin Shion to the chair.  Quick as a viper she lunged forward to whisper into Shion’s ear:

“Then get the hell away from her.”

In the trembling silence that followed, Shion heard from outside a set of approaching footsteps—and Koishi drew away, snapped back into place like a rubber band as if naught had happened, and she turned towards the sliding door as Flandre ripped it open, carrying a whole roll of paper towels.

“Okay!  We’re good, they had some,” Flandre said, immediately crouching down at the entranceway to start wiping up the remains of the juice box.  “Oh yeah, Koishi-chan!  You’ve met Shion, right?  She’s super nice, actually!”

“She really is, Flan-chan!  Nothing like her sister,” Koishi said, giving an overly-feminine giggle as accompaniment.  “Her and I were talking a whoooooole bunch while you were gone,” she continued, her hand finding its way to Shion’s paralyzed arm, ever-so-gently giving it a squeeze.

Flandre grinned as she picked up the juice box with two fingers wrapped in paper towel, and heaved it into the room’s garbage can.  “Oh, about how we met?  I told her the important bits I think, like how you were looking at all the paintings…  Oh, and how I tripped.”

“Did you tell her about our first date not-date?” Koishi giggled again, letting go of Shion’s arm and wandering over towards Flandre.  “The one at the big art museum downtown.”

“Our first one?  Naw, I didn’t get to that…  But I mean, there’s not too much to tell about that, is there?” she chirped, wiping away the last of the orange into a clump of paper towels, ferrying it over to the garbage can.  “I mean like, yeah it wasn’t technically a date, but I tooootally knew I had you by then!  Especially since you snuck out to see me—like, c’mon, we were basically together from day 1.”  She dropped the mass of paper into the garbage can, letting the swish punctuate her point.

And as Flandre was turning away from the garbage can, Koishi slipped her hand over Flandre’s shoulder—and for a moment, their eyes seemed to meet, still in full view of Shion—and Koishi planted a quick kiss on Flandre’s cheek.

Flandre froze for just a moment, before quickly turning beet-red again, and she started to stammer—but Koishi simply grinned and put her finger up to Flandre’s lips.

“Well, when you meet someone who completes you, what else is it supposed to feel like?” Koishi whisper-spoke, as Shion noticed the edges of Koishi’s eyes seemed to crinkle along with her smile for the first time.  “I’ve only ever wanted to be with you since that day…”

And Flandre broke out into a burst of giggles, and clapped her hands a little bit—she had to stand on her tip-toes to do it, even in her boots, but she placed a kiss of her own on Koishi’s cheek.  “And me too!  I love you so much, Koishi-chan—I have no idea what I’d do without you!”

And the two of them melted into a hug.  Which left Shion, who sat across the room, clutching the rails of her chair-desk with white knuckles—once forgotten, now remembered.  She felt drowsy, almost, even though her heart was beating out of her chest and her breath was escaping her no matter how she tried to draw it in, and her eyes darted around the suddenly featureless room as she moved a toe, then a foot, then an arm, and suddenly a rush of breath filled her lungs and she doubled over, all her muscles relaxing at once as if rousing from sleep paralysis.  She drew herself up quickly, stumbling out from her desk, and looked towards the doorway, towards her escape—only to see Koishi, cheek resting atop Flandre’s head while still they hugged, still watching.  Still observing.

Then the moment broke.  Shion blinked, and Koishi had drawn away from the hug, still holding Flandre’s shoulders as they gazed at each other.

“Oh yeah, I’m really sorry you had to clean that up, Flan-chan…” Koishi said.  “Now that we’re both free, feel like going to see a movie tonight?  I’ll buy you popcorn!”

“It’s okay, it’s okay!  You have to clean up stuff for me all the time, so it’s kinda nice being on the other end for once,” Flandre giggled.  “But I mean, I’ll never say no to free popcorn…!”

Koishi’s hands slid down Flandre’s arms until they were hand-in-hand, and without so much as acknowledging Shion, the two of them turned and crossed the room’s threshold together, disappearing from view.  Listening to their receding footsteps, the weight on Shion’s chest seemed to vanish into thin air.

Then, just before they were about to fully fade—their footsteps stopped mid-corridor.  A moment later, Flandre burst into view, swinging halfway around the door with a wide, toothy grin and a friendly wave.

“Bye-bye, Shion!  It was actually really nice talking to you!” she said.  She blinked, and after thinking for a moment she blurted, “And I hope you learned something useful about us, I guess!” before bouncing away without even waiting for a reply.

Shion weakly raised a hand in lieu of a goodbye.  She…wasn’t sure what she learned, actually.  If anything, she just learned that she needed to go home and sleep…

Chapter Text

The corridors leading away from Room 95 were just as inconvenient to navigate through the second time round. Shion barely had the mental capacity to focus on where she was going at this rate. Being in the presence of those two in and of itself was draining.

Her arms drooped as she walked away absentmindedly. Maybe going there for advice wasn’t the best idea. And to go from the fourth floor to the first would simply leave her even more exhausted. There was still quite a bit of time left before she could collapse at home and sleep her problems away.

Her blood sugar felt kind of low. Maybe she needed something to eat. There weren’t any lessons at the moment, so there was nothing stopping her from going down to the cafeteria, and praying Tenshi happened to be there. Maybe she’d be willing to give her a snack to keep her awake for the rest of the day. That’d be nice.

She wasn’t particularly looking forward to having to go down those flights of stairs, though. Given her current state, either she’d fall asleep midway through or her legs would give in and she’d tumble all the way down like a slinky. But food…

As Shion thought about the horrors that stairs held in store for her, she noticed someone in the corner of her eye. A flash of black and white, though she didn’t recognise who it was. Some students’ lockers were somewhere on the fourth floor. Maybe she was really in a hurry to get something? Shion paid it no mind and kept walking.

She passed by an ongoing class or two. Oddly quiet for this hour, she thought. And a few steps later, right in front of her, she noticed a door left ajar. Peering inside, she saw some cleaning supplies left toppled over on the shelves. A lone bottle of bleach, when Shion was sure that three were supposed to be stocked. Miscellaneous cleaning products left strewn all over. She sighed, arranging them back into the cleaning cabinet she’d stumbled upon.

The more she tried to arrange them, the more stuff kept falling out of nowhere. A mop, standing precariously in the corner, was bumped into and landed squarely on Shion’s head. As she pushed it back up to its original place, a bottle of hand sanitizer fell down to the ground, and conveniently opened itself, spilling the substance all over.

“Um, do you need help?”

Shion spun around to look behind her, startled by the sudden noise. Though she was sat firmly on the ground, a miserable soggy mess by now, she didn’t have to look much higher to meet that person’s eyes.

The first thing she noticed was her cleanly cut purple hair, which Shion couldn’t help but envy with her mess of a haircut. She wouldn’t have recognised her in most cases. But in this position, her attention was drawn to her (lack of) height. Ah… so it was her.

“...Shorty?”

“Shut UP!” She fumed, stomping her foot.

Immediately recoiling, Shion cowered in the corner of the cabinet. “O-Oh, sorry… I d-don’t know your name, but I only hear people call you that…”

By her estimate, she’d be at least one and a half heads taller than this girl at standing height. The butt of a running joke throughout the school stood before her, clutching onto her school supplies.

With a huff, she placed them to the ground. “It’s Shinmyoumaru. Come on, let’s get you the hell out of this mess.”

Shion grabbed onto Shinmyoumaru’s outstretched hand, tugging herself upward. She barely had to lift a finger to clean the spillage, with Shinmyoumaru using… her own school supplies to soak up the mess?

“Thanks…” She muttered timidly, still a bit shaken from her outburst.

“Welp, see ya. I’m off.”

With a wave of her hand, Shinmyoumaru saw herself off, picking up the dry half of her stacks of paper and walking away, leaving the rest behind.

Shion followed suit, walking towards the-

“You BITCH!” A voice screeched from behind her.

“Cry about it, jackass!” Another voice responded.

The thunderous footsteps and raised voices seemed to be getting closer and closer to Shion. The last thing she wanted was to get caught up in more trouble.

And the flight of stairs she was dreading didn’t seem so bad after all.

Shion collapsed at the cafeteria, having practically flown down the stairs with how fast she was running. Maybe she should have signed up for track and field after all.

But there was no Tenshi to seek refuge from. There was no one but Shinmyoumaru, sitting impatiently at a bench.

“I will CLEAVE you in half, I SWEAR TO GOD.”

“Go ahead and try!”

Oh no.

Down came Seija, fleeing from the scene of whatever crime she’d commited.

Down came Meira, bloodlust in her eyes.

Down came all hope of Shion catching a break.

Seija Kijin, infamous in school for her trouble-making antics. Meira, one of the least tolerable people she’d ever come to know of.

And of all places to run to, they picked here. They ran closer, closer, closer, till they were just beside Shion, screaming at each other.

The commotion drew the attention of some students passing by, Murmurs, whispers, and a crowd clustered around them. It was unbearable. An ocean of noise, drowning out Shion’s wish of respite. The anger simmering inside her gave birth to a newfound energy, and she was DYING to let it out.

“SILENCE.”

Her voice silenced whatever discussions or arguments were cluttering the soundscape with endless annoyances. Everyone stared at her, as her glare pierced through the both of them.

“What the HELL are you two bitching about?!”

Meira pointed her finger at Seija, unamused. “This useless troublemaker not only stole stuff from out of my locker, not to mention scattering it everywhere, and using some of it to CLEAN. UP. SANITISER. She also decided it’d be a great idea to mix cleaning products IN MY LOCKER and LEFT IT SHUT.”

“Bleach and ammonia. Chloramine. Was my pleasure,” Seija gave a short little bow, smirking the whole time. “And you belittled Shinmy. You still do. Every damn time you see her in the corridors. Of course I’m gonna get back at you, bitch.”

“Was that word really necessary?” Shinmyoumaru called out from where she sat.

“Calling her ‘short’ is a completely objective statement, is it not?! The fact that she’s dating you of all people makes her so much worse.”

“Wow, sorry I’m dating bitches who actually like me, Ms. I’m-sucking-up-to-Reimu-for-clout.”

“I will mark your grave WHERE YOU STAND.”

Seija threw a punch that landed squarely in Meira’s face, earning a screech from the other as she clutched the part where Seija’s fist had just hit.

“Sorry, we’re all outta danmaku today. Fists up, shithead.”

Shion couldn’t handle it anymore. All she’d done to stop them was temporary at best. She made her way over to where Shinmyoumaru sat, where the noise was slightly more bearable.

“Oh, it’s you. I don’t feel like getting myself involved in this mess anymore, so if anyone asks, I didn’t do anything.”

Shinmyoumaru looked up at Shion, sitting beside her.
“Um… so why did you help Seija do that?” Shion, having placed two and two together, asked. Her anger had mostly dissipated, so Shinmyoumaru felt at ease with her more lethargic tone.

She paused for a moment, still in her seat. A small smile formed on her face.

“Nobody really asks me that kind of thing, you know?”

“Well… I’m looking for advice on how to… erm…”

“Get a girlfriend?” Shinmyoumaru butted in. “Trust me, I didn’t have friends for the longest time, let alone a girlfriend.”

“Seija took an interest in me, though. She was the one person who paid me any mind other than calling her short. I only have her… Can you blame me for doing her a favor or two?”

“That doesn’t sound…” Shion tried to interject. It didn’t sound healthy with how reliant she seemed on Seija, but she wouldn’t stop rambling.

“I owe so much of my school life to her. Imagine how lonely I’d be without her around,” Shinmyoumaru sighed, practically gushing at this point. “She’s pretty cute too. I don’t really mind helping her out if it means she can pay me any mind.”

Shion’s hesitant stutters went unnoticed, Shinmyoumaru still entranced by the mental image she’d created of Seija. Even as she began to get up and walk away, Shion could still hear her spouting nothing but praise and admiration for her girlfriend.

“What is all this?”

A voice boomed before the crowd. Shion could feel chills running down her spine, the ice-cold silence following suit only aggravating that nervousness.

“I swear, I come down to check out what all the fuss is about, and you’re socking each other in the face.”

Shion recognised the voice as that of one of the members of the discipline committee. She couldn’t recall her name, but she looked much more delinquent than disciplinary, with the gold chain dangling from her neck and her aloof aura.

“Deeeetention. Both of you.”

“Ms. Miyadeguchi, Seija was the only one who threw punches!” A voice came from the crowd.

Where on earth was Shinmyoumaru to defend Seija when she needed it? Some dedication… She’d conveniently slipped away, though she did mention she wanted no more part in this.

“Miss! Shion also started shouting at them and made them start punching each other!” Another clueless voice startled Shion.

Amidst Seija’s defiant protests, Shion could only stutter out, “M-M-Me?! But I-I-”

“That’s enough.” The discipline committee member planted her palm over her face, pinching her nose bridge as it returned to her side. “I’m not taking any more talk back from you, Seija.”

“And as for Shion, you’re coming too.”

In spite of her otherwise cold words, she shot her a look of sympathy. Perhaps she didn’t want to stir up more of a fuss by contesting the crowd. Shion didn’t have much to do after school anyways. Detention wouldn’t be much more of an inconvenience than what she’d just gone through…

The two of them followed as the gold-chained, blue-haired woman led them to detention. Given the circumstances, with no one around to interfere, Shion thought it’d be a good idea to…

“Hey, Seija?”

“What do you want?” She grumbled in response, clearly unhappy with how things turned out. “Only landed one damn punch…”

“I suggest minding your tone unless you want to hasten your expulsion.” Cold as ever, Ms. Miyadeguchi’s response rang clear.

“I wasn’t even talking to you!”

They walked up another flight of stairs, Seija dragging her feet as they went.

“So, um… what exactly do you want from Shinmy…? It doesn’t seem normal for this kind of… um…”

“What? She talk to you or something? She doesn’t do that much around other people.”

Silence.

“Doesn’t seem… normal… What, so you think I’m manipulating her now?”

“N-No! I just, uh, uhm, a-”

“Save it. Yes, I guess you could say I’m manipulating her.”

“But why?”

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s not because I’m just using her. It’s because I love her. This world is full of shitheads like Meira. I’m not letting her get hurt by those kinds of people. She’s only got me, and I’m not letting that change.”

Shion didn’t have the energy to argue with that logic. With a silent concession of defeat, she continued walking.

“But it’s not like you can relate. All everyone sees of you is an unfortunate mess. That’s what I hear people say, anyways. ‘Shion Yorigami, that bitch Joon’s sister, oh, she’s so unlucky to have that kind of sister, oh, I wouldn’t want to be her.’ That kind of thing, yanno?”

“SILENCE, Seija. Final warning,” The warden leading them to detention spoke in a voice that firmly rooted her in place.

“Fine.”

Shion wasn’t looking forward to detention. She needed a break, and who knew what she’d be made to do in detention. Writing lines sounded horrible…

Left without a choice, the two of them trudged onward.

Chapter Text

Tick, tock, tick, tock.

Shion Yorigami had found herself in a pretty unfortunate position again. 

This time, it was the detention that she was assigned to earlier today, because of her being a “willing instigator” of the fight that Seija and Meira had earlier today. And the thing is, Shion wasn’t even part of the fight, but rather, she was (for the most part) collateral damage. 

Maybe that was why the current detention officer, a black-jacketed, blue-haired girl with a gold chain on her neck, seemed to not give her anything to do. Well, that’s in comparison to the amount of “I will not fight a person in the cafeteria because they aggravated me.” that Seija is writing on the nearby whiteboards.

“You want something to eat while you’re here, Shion?” The chain-wearing girl asked her, taking a quick glance over at Seija.

“I…I think I’m good.” Shion nodded a bit as she said this, meekly declining the offer.

“It’s my treat. Come on. We all know you weren’t really part of the scrap.” The other woman insisted, to which Seija ended up glaring at her afterwards.

“You’re gonna give her preferential treatment in detention, Mizuchi?! Seriously?!”

“Quiet, Ms. Kijin! Continue writing! You’re not leaving until I see 200 lines on those whiteboards!” The woman named Mizuchi barked with a ghastly tone, a sort of aura flaring from her which spooked the delinquent back into working.

“S-Scary…” Shion muttered.

“Sorry about that.” Mizuchi apologized, sighing as she gave a somber look at the unlucky girl. “So, what’s your favorite fast-food place? The ones nearby are Bento Blue, Patty Palace, Lanakatsu…”

“I’ll- I’ll have a meal from Patty Palace, thank you.” She told the detention officer.

“Aight.” The other blue-haired girl took out her phone, and dialed a number. “Hey, what say we go to Patty Palace after your club meeting’s over? I’ve got a friend to bring along, too. My treat.”

At a Patty Palace joint near Radiant High were three women busy waiting for their order.

Shion looked around the establishment as she slightly squirmed in her seat, waiting for something to pretty much happen. The two fellows across from her were also waiting with her, those being Mizuchi and another person, a pink-haired girl with glasses and a light blue blouse. Unlike Shion, they had something in their hands- a phone for the detention officer, and the other having some sort of novel.

“So, uhhh…y-you’re Satori, yes?”

“Yeah, that’s her.” Mizuchi answered, not looking up from her phone. “Satori Komeiji. Founder of the school’s literature club. Quiet gal, could maybe read your mind if she stared at you long enough.”

“You know that last part isn't true.” Satori looked up from her book, staring incredulously at Mizuchi. 

“Eh, is it?” The paler blue-haired girl glanced back at the person sitting next to her. “You always know what I want, darlin’.”

“Ugh. Such a rag…” The pink-haired reader groaned as she returned to poring over her novel.

“Come on! Don’t be such a sadsack around me, ‘Tori!” Mizuchi piped up a bit, putting her hand over Satori’s shoulder as she laughed a bit, much to the latter’s dismay. “Y’gotta unstick that nose of yours from your book every once in a while! Act cool- we’re a couple with company, after all!”

“I can tell.” The bookworm sighed, not really distracted from her reading material.

“Ummm…well, while we’re on that subject,” Shion still had her eyes lingering away from the duo, staring now at the counter. “Maybe you two can help me with something…?”

“Name it.” Mizuchi offered, sliding her hand off of Satori.

“Well, I was wondering if you guys have any…advice. On relationships.” Shion explained, now looking at the two in front of her. “And you guys look like a couple, so…do you have any-”

“Order 351. Your order’s ready.”

“I’ll get it.” The bookworm got up, only for the detention officer to get up as well and gestured to her seatmate to sit back down, before going over to the fast food place’s counter. 

“Ahhh…so, what were you saying?” Satori opened her book again with a sigh as she sat again, setting the hardcover down on the table and leaving it there.

“Well…” Shion took another look over at the counter, and at Mizuchi making sure their order was right. “…I was thinking that you might have some advice when it comes to relationships? W-With girls?”

“…do you like to take the lead in a relationship?” The bookreader asked in a hushed breath.

“I mean…not really.” Shion answered meekly. “I kind of don’t have a clue with taking the reins all that much.”

“Then always be ready to submit.” Satori nonchalantly followed up with, staring at Shion with a deadpan expression. “It’s better that way, than for the world to be dragging you through the mud. At least with this, someone is taking care of you.”

“And you don’t mind that? At all?” Shion leaned in her seat, confused by the answer. “You’ll just let Mizuchi drag you around?”

“What other choice do I have? Nobody else in the school really likes or cares about me, and even talk more about my whackjob of a sister, my dear sister…” Satori rubbed her eyes, already tired from the conversation. “…agh. At least I can air that much out.”

The unlucky girl looked over at where Mizuchi is, still conversing- or had it become arguing? -with the cashier. Turning back towards the bookworm, she said, “And you still believe you’re better off as being someone’s…someone’s…side girl, or whatever? You’re okay with her being on you like this, or…?”

“And what about you? I know you’ve been obsessing over that popular girl, the Hinanawi girl. One of Mizuchi’s friends.” The pink-haired nerd cracked a sly smile, tilting her head to the left. “And you’re asking for relationship advice because you don’t know how to approach her, don’t you?”

“H-How do you…?” Shion leaned back in shock. She hadn’t even said much about her agenda to Satori, and yet-

“I was feigning falsehood, a little bit. We’re not even the first couple you asked. ” Satori shrugged, closing her eyes and shaking her head with that same sly smile. “You spoke to the student council president and secretary, a few members of the band club, the top brass of the decoration committee, the delinquent and her partner-in-crime, and even my own sister and her girlfriend, too.

Honestly, I shouldn’t be surprised you’d fall for one of the most popular girls in the school. The extent is what truly surprised me, though.” Satori’s smug look only got more smug as she railed onwards, clearly relishing the moment. “You’re enamored, so enamored, that you’re willing to take advice from the worst couples in school just for you. You could’ve asked anyone in a regular relationship, but instead, you unluckily chose those with some…toxicity.”

Shion was just stunned, her entire schedule today laid bare for Satori to see. With trembling lips, she asked, “A-Are you really…are you really…?”

“Just intuition. Nothing more- after all, it feels good to flex it every once in a while, especially if I’m alone…”

Just as nervousness would break out into fear, Mizuchi finally arrived with their meals, panting a bit as she set the tray of food on the table. “Took a while,” she announced. “But I got it.”

“…thanks.” Satori stood up, her expression suddenly becoming darkened. “I’ll go and sanitize myself before eating.”

The face on Shion’s head went from terror to confusion, and then to concern. She watched as Satori absentmindedly entered the establishment’s females-only bathroom and shut the door.

“Ah, it’ll be a minute. She knows she’ll have to be back before the food gets cold.” Mizuchi handwaved it off, before sitting where Satori once sat, taking one of the cups of fries from the tray and passing it to Shion as she took the second for herself. “So, what’s up? Why the face, Shion?”

“…is Satori really okay with you, Mizuchi?” The other blue-haired girl asked the officer, a stern look now as her main expression. “She seemed much happier and freer without you.”

“Whoa. Slow down for a bit, what?” That changed the tone of Mizuchi’s voice, accompanied with a light chewing of a fry. “What’s up with you, dude?”

“What’s up with me?” Shion put her palms down on the table, getting a startle out of Mizuchi. “Well, I’ve been asking couples today for relationship advice, and somehow, all of them ended up getting advice from me, too! And this time’s no different- you haven’t been treating Satori well, haven’t you?”

“I dunno where you’re getting this from, Shion. Were the fries that bad for you?” Mizuchi deflected, raising her hands. “I mean, I can go back and-”

“I don’t care! Have you really seen Satori at all? She’s miserable around you!” She pointed her finger at the detention officer. “I bet you that your position is more than just a way to cover your delinquency- it’s a position of power over her. You want to control her, make her follow your words, and all that, right?!”

“Hey!” Mizuchi stood up, mad at the accusations directed at her. “She’s the only person in the school who has more blackmail on anyone than Meira. That mind reading of hers is no joke, and I’m not about to let that go to waste! When I learned of that in middle school with her, I straightened my act, and that got me here.”

“So you’re basically bullying and blackmailing her into being your girlfriend? You’re no better than Meira, Mizuchi!” Shion barked, now furious at the detention officer. “Keeping her around for that long just because she can spill secrets? And to what end? Are you, like, planning to do something terrible with her?”

“What the fuck are you talking about, damnit?” The detention officer folded her arms, not amused at Shion’s spiel. “You’re crazy! Just because I am aware of someone’s secret like that, doesn’t mean I’m going to commit some terrible crime and use her to keep mouths shut about it!”

“That doesn’t matter! She’s essentially your prisoner, Mizuchi, and you’re a shitty warden!” Shion accused, jabbing a finger at the other girl’s face. “You only care for her for her “safety” and keeping her “secret” to yourself! Is that really it? Is that all she is to you?

“Yes- well, no, but yes! And guess what? If word got out about that secret, she would be called a freak!” Mizuchi hissed back, glaring at the unlucky girl with bright eyes. “A monster, if you will! You know how mindreaders are treated in fiction, don’t you?!”

“So you should be aware of what awaits emotional manipulators in fiction, too.” Shion fired, well and truly pissed. “You’re not some hero, Mizuchi. All you are is a-”

“Stop it!” Satori’s strained voice can be heard nearby, as footsteps approached the table. “What are you both doing?!”

“Shion is accusing me of being a control freak!” Mizuchi informed her tag-along, words laced with venom. “Darlin’, darlin’, she thinks I’m just using you!”

“It’s true!” Shion interjected. “Satori, you have to-”

“Get out, Shion.” The bookreader stared at the unlucky girl with a gaze cold as ice. “And make sure to take your food with you.”

“But-”

“Now.”

All three girls fell silent, and in a huff, Shion picked up her bag from her seat and food on the table, and left. 

As Mizuchi and Satori watched her leave, the former turned to the latter, a somber look on her face as realization hit. “Hey, Satori…?”

“What is it, you oaf?” The bookworm sighed, walking over to the table.

“…well…I’m sorry.” Mizuchi apologized, bowing her head. “Maybe she was right.”

“It’s okay, my warden.” Satori pulled the other girl in an embrace, resting Mizuchi’s head against her chest. “After all…some secrets are best kept to those who love each other, don’t they…?”

“Yeah….yeah…” The detention officer cooed. “…I get it, darling. I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be, baby blue.” The mindreader slowly ran a hand through her girlfriend’s ear. “No matter how other people see us…we’ll always be each other’s secret-keeper.”

Chapter Text

Shion didn’t like the fact that she couldn’t seem to get anything useful in terms of advice, a fact made more poignant by the argument she had with Mizuchi and Satori just an hour or so earlier. To that end, instead of going home, she marched back into the school, deciding to go to the open-air amphitheater and eat her food there instead. After all, she is surprised that she hasn’t dropped any of it yet, even when she got there, so that was quite the unexpected luck she had today.

Unfortunately for her, however, that luck would run dry quickly, as someone found themselves sitting next to her after she got herself situated.

“What are you still doing here on school grounds, Ms. Yorigami?” The person next to Shion asked, staring at her food. “You know Zanmu doesn’t like afterschool loiterers, don’t you?”

Shion turned around, and there was a rather tall woman sitting next to her, draped in green-accented deep violets with a veil over her head. She was resting her chin on the backs of her palms, supported by long forearms that rested themselves on her knees by the ankles. The veil she wore was a thin one, barely showing her face, and adorned with a flower on top of it- to be specific, a large, faux lobelia.

This was the other leading detention officer of the school’s student disciplinary committee- Hisami Yomotsu.

“Don’t worry, I understand your plight. Your parents don’t come back home early enough and often enough. My parents are like that too.” Hisami assured. “It’s why I am here more often as well.”

“Y-Yeah…and they have to deal with Joon as well…” Shion breathed a sigh. “Honestly, it’s a miracle that I’m able to do well in school in spite of that.”

“And I believe that’s because of that…Hinanawi girl. Her name was Tenshi, right?”

Shion froze.

“It’s obvious to me that you love her a lot! You’re not alone, Shi-Shi!” Hisami reached over to the other girl’s head, ruffling her hair. “I myself really, really love Master Zanmu. Ah, she’s so dreamy…!~”

“I can’t believe I’m thinking this,” Shion thought. “But what the fuck?”

“If you need some advice from me,” The taller woman then went on. “Then I’ve got something for you- show off your affection and love for your crush whenever you can! If she is oblivious, try harder! It’s really that easy!”

“Easy for you to say…” The blue-haired girl sighed, taking another bite out of her burger. “...I still have problems when it comes to even doing anything in regards to being near her.”

“Oh,” Hisami moved back a bit. “Well, would you like a bit of a demonstration?”

“What do you-”

Before she could finish her thought, the other detention officer took her by the wrist, dragging her up with her and taking her into the school. “Stick close to me, Ms. Yorigami! I’m going to show you how to love somebody!~”

She held tightly onto her burger as Hisami took her away.

Being in the school while it’s supposed to be closed feels like a spy mission, and Shion is in no way shape or form James Bond.

Yet, here she is, next to Hisami as their backs are pressed against the wall, with the latter peeking through a window to see the object of her affection working in her office. For all intents and purposes, Zanmu Nippaku is school faculty in all but position, as she’s just as much of a senior as Shion and Hisami. And yet, like the other members of the school staff, she is working the night away, making sure that offenses and punishments are processed, as well as making her own preparations for the upcoming prom night.

“Ahhhhhh~ There she is…!~” The tall girl squealed, getting excited already at seeing her superior going over paperwork. “Now, stay here and watch me closely, okay?”

“I- uh- okay, I guess…” Shion shrugged, observing Hisami as she took the handle of the door, pulling it down and entering the office, giggling all the while. With her being alone in the hallway again, she now moved to where the officer once was, and peeked through the window.

“Ah, there you are. Good to see you.” Zanmu greeted Hisami. “How has your day been?”

“It has been woooonderful, Ms. Zanmu.” Hisami bowed, before stepping up to the desk and putting her forearms on it. “And how about you?”

“First of all, I’m doing well, and secondly, please take your arms off my desk.” The brunette ordered.

“Awww…please…? I promise I won’t disturb you any more than this.” The raven-haired girl begged, still looking at Zanmu. “It’s just for a little bit…”

“Hisami, I’m busy here. I’m trying to make sure everything is in order before the cafeteria begins to be prepped for prom in a few weeks. Student council wants to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

“I promise you, nothing will go wrong as long as I’m around, Ms. Zanmu,” Hisami seemed to lean forward. “I’ll make sure of it, definitely!”

“You’re better suited to bring in troublemakers without them realizing it.” Zanmu told her subordinate. “I’d rather have Miyadeguchi be on call for an event like this, even though both of you will be with me standing guard for the evening.”

“But Ms. Zanmu, I swear I can do it! We both know there’s gonna be a lot of people there, and some of them are a bit more troublesome than the others, so I will do my best not to disappoint!”

“Of course you won’t. I know you’ll try…” It looks like Zanmu sighed. “And I know you’ll most likely fail.”

“What, no! Of course I wouldn’t fail you, Ms. Zanmu! That is just wrong of me!” Hisami argued, feigning irateness.

The seated woman seemed to think otherwise. “Oh, really? Then why do you keep failing at doing your job properly when it mattered the most?”

“Because…because I want to be punished just as much as I want praise, Ms. Zanmu!” She declared, which got a shock out of Shion. “It doesn’t matter whether you reward or reprimand me- it’ll all be the same to me, and it’ll only make me love you more!~”

“Heh- such a weird girl, you…” Zanmu sighed again, looking back down at her paperwork. “Speaking of, did you handle the altercation between Kijin and Kutsugi, like I told you to?”

“Errr…it was, well…I…it was Mizuchi who handled that…affair.” Hisami stammered, apparently. 

“Only because you paid her to do so, which she told me to. You know what happens if I catch you bribing her to do your work,” Zanmu stood up, which also got Hisami to stand up. “Don’t you?”

“Eheheh- well, you see-”

Shion witnessed Zanmu suddenly slap Hisami in the face- and instead of hearing a cry of pain as the tall girl hit the floor, she heard…a moan?

“You know I don’t have time for your antics or your love right now, Hisami…” Zanmu walked over to her, staring her down. “But given that you just so happened to catch me with light amounts of work tonight, I may as well discipline you like the useless bitch that you are.”

Shion’s eyes widened.

“Ahhh…~ P-Please do, Ms. Zanmu…” Hisami began to look rather heated and bubbly. “You’re so much better when you’re angry…”

Then, Zanmu began to straddle Hisami-

“Nope! That’s it!” Shion hushed to herself as she turned away, beginning to make her way back to the amphitheater. “That was getting too weird!” 

By the time she had pried herself away from her very brief time as a voyeur, Shion had no more burger to eat, so she simply just held onto the straps of her backpack as she trudged through the halls. Her mind was quick to process what the hell she watched, resulting in questions way more in volume compared to answers. Seeing Hisami get all up with Zanmu like that, flirting and talking, showing herself off, and then even deriving joy from pain, it all just made no sense.

An understanding that only became more resolute as the echoes of moans reverberated through the hall. Shion let loose a long sigh as she went down another hallway.

As she did, though, she came across a row of lockers- one of many that were situated within the school- but for some reason, a few of them were opened, the locks seemingly cut. Shion took a moment to look around, noticing someone running down another hall with a kendo stick on their back and what looked like a gym bag in one hand. Deciding not to bother herself with the runaway, she went over to the open lockers, seeing what’s in them.

Most of them were empty, aside from like a textbook or two, and maybe a mirror attached to the inside of the door. There was one that she immediately recognized as the one belonging to the school’s nice-girl Sanae Kochiya, adorned with shrine imagery, lots of snake and frog stickers, and a photo of her with her moms, Kanako & Suwako. However, the only other one with contents inside of it was a bit more…unnerving in its contents.

Inside of the locker to the far right was just photographs and notebook pages, all lining the walls and the inner part of the locker door. And every single one of the pages and photos featured Zanmu in some way, shape, or form. There were photos of Zanmu in her normal outfit, a tuxedo suit, and plenty in summer clothing and swimwear. The pages’ contents ranged from scrawl and chickenscratch of someone’s love to Zanmu, to poetry and even proper writing about the fantasies this person had with her. There was even a bright purple folder nestled beneath some more pages and photos- a folder that Shion decided to unfortunately take out.

Inspecting the cover, it looked nondescript at first, being just a mere purple folder in a design like something she’d get at a local superstore. However, when she opened it, she found…a multi-page paper? Taking it out, she began to pursue the papers’ contents, seeing first a manifesto, then…fanfiction of…oh, oh dear, Shion’s eyes are dilating as the obvious hit her like a freight train.

Hisami Yomotsu was one hell of an obsessed freak.

She quickly returned the paper into the folder and tucked it back where she got it from, before closing the locker shut and replacing the lock on it. With a heightened breathing rate and knowledge never meant for human understanding, she took off for home, wanting nothing more than to sleep. As she finally made her way off school grounds, someone surprising was there, however, and it’s even more surprising who they’re with.

“Oh, hey, Shion!” Tenshi waved at her as she came to view from across the street. “What are you still doing at school?”

“I was…uh…exploring! Yeah, exploring.” Shion answered in a huff, trying to block out eldritch scripture from memory.

“Gotcha. Well, me and my friends here are off to go bowling.” The other girl explained, gesturing to Suika and another woman, one with long lavender hair tied up in a ponytail with a yellow bow. “We were just looking for Mizuchi. Have you seen her anywhere?”

“Uhhh…I think she was at the nearby Patty Palace, last I checked…” The unlucky girl recalled.

The unknown woman nodded. “Thank you, Ms. Shion! I’m Yorihime, by the way. Captain of the school’s Kendo Club. Friend of Shion’s, like Suika and Mizuchi.”

“H-Hi, nice to see you too, Yori…” Shion greeted back.

“Wanna come with us?” Suika offered, but the other girl shook her head in denial. “Well, we’ll be on ahead, then!”

“Enjoy your evening, Shion!” Tenshi said as she bid farewell, gesturing to her crew to follow her to the nearby Patty Palace.

As she watched her own object of affection leave, something welled up within Shion. A strange feeling, with similarities to love, but it felt…twisted, corrupted, in some way. She moved a hand up to her chest, trying to comprehend the unnatural urges within her while randomly reaching out for the moving Hinanawi. 

She thought about what she’d been up to for the past few years, especially up to now, regarding Tenshi. From that first day of freshman year all the way up to the last few weeks of her time at Radiant High, Tenshi had never left her mind. She always was a person that Shion held close to her heart, and the few friends that she had made throughout her time were very much aware of that crush she held. And it wasn’t just them who knew, as others would often see her be near Tenshi in some way, and ask themselves how she hasn’t had a bout of bad luck yet. 

In fact, she believed that over half the time she spent at school was just simply just staring at Tenshi, hanging out with Tenshi, and being embarrassingly cute whenever Tenshi did something nice for her. Tenshi, Tenshi, Tenshi, Tenshi, the only girl in the world that could truly hold up and deal with a girl like Shion, and Shion herself knew that very well. Her name, her face, her body, her personality, it all made sense to the unlucky Yorigami, that she was a perfect match to her, and despite all of that, she just…doesn’t have what it takes to really tell her that she loved her. Even after all these years, and even after talking to so many people and couples and being given all the opportunities in the world to do so.

Turns out, Shion Yorigami is also a pretty obsessed freak.

Chapter Text

Come the next day, Shion couldn't be more at a loss as to what to do. So far, she'd barely gained anything useful from anyone she met... was it just too much to ask that she find someone with a normal relationship? 

Apparently, it was, since all she had to show for her efforts was a detention. 

Drastic times called for drastic measures, so Shion had decided to do something that was really foolish... but at this point, what else could she do? If she couldn't find people with healthy relationships to get ideas from, then logically, it only made sense to seek out the people with the most unhealthy ones and do the opposite.

Such was how she found herself willingly choosing to sit next to a certain blonde haired girl in her woodworking class, who was carefully carving out a figurine of a fox while pondering her question.

"My relationship? It existed. That's all I have to say," Junko said.

Junko. One of the most enigmatic students at school, she was known for keeping to herself and being impeccably calm in nearly all circumstances. On its own, she wouldn't be interesting... if not for the recent relationship she had.

"Um... I don't suppose you have anything more to say?" Shion asked hopefully. She'd already finished her work and had only nicked herself twice. That was a record for her.

"Not particularly. Why exactly do you want to know?"

"I'm... having some issues myself?" Shion said, trying to be vague. "And I was hoping I could learn a thing or two."

"I see. In that case, why have you come to me? My situation is hardly a good one."

"Uh..." Shion paused, trying to think of how to say it without being offensive. "To learn what not to do?"

She cringed hard at that and instantly feared the worse from Junko. To her surprise, Junko merely chuckled in response.

"Smart. Learning from others' mistakes is always useful." She stopped just as the bell rang and class was dismissed for lunch. "Ah. If you don't have anywhere to be, I suppose I can spare a few minutes."

"S-sure, that'd be great," Shion said, waiting for all their classmates to file out. "Um... so, you were dating Chang'e?"

"CHANG'E."

Shion immediately cowered as Junko's mood did a complete turnaround, with her hissing pure venom out. It was for this reason she was feared — despite her perpetual tolerance, the subject of her once girlfriend completely changed that.

"Never in this world have I come across someone so deplorable as her. She is the incarnation of Hell itself," Junko ranted. "To slice her in a million pieces and grind her bones to dust would not even come CLOSE to the amount of suffering she deserves."

The more she spoke, the more animated Junko got, clutching the figurine she had just made tightly.

"Truly, she is among the most despicable beings in this universe. I cannot think of one good thing to say about her."

"Uh..." Shion had no idea what to even say to that. "Surely she can't be that bad?"

Junko glared at her coldly. "She is."

"But, you dated —"

"JUNKO!"

The door to the classroom burst open, slamming on its hinges from the force as another girl walked in, wearing an elaborately ornate Chinese dress. Known as one of the most beautiful girls in the school, she was essentially the complete opposite to someone like Shion — impeccable clothes, gold earrings, beautiful hair, and not so much as a blemish on her face.

Even as her face was contorted in rage, there was still a distinct beauty to her... though Shion could barely appreciate that given what said girl meant right now.

"Chang'e," Junko growled. "Why have you decided to pollute my eyes with your presence?"

"Like, don't even TRY to pull that on me!" Chang'e said, taking her phone out and slamming it on the table. "What the hell is this?!"

As Junko raised the phone for herself, Shion looked over her shoulder to see what it was — a photo of a locker that had been dented and heavily defaced.

"That's MY locker there!" Chang'e yelled. "And it definitely wasn't like that yesterday."

"My, my... you managed to wreck it that quickly?" Junko laughed softly, shaking her head at her.

"This is YOUR doing, isn't it?" Chang'e hissed. "Like, you're the only one who'd do it, because you're a petty bitch."

"Think of it as... recompense for your past transgressions. Which is to say, all of them, but more recently your theft of my Biology report."

"Huh..." Chang'e relaxed slightly, smiling at the memory. "I totally DID do that, didn't I?"

"I spent hours on it!"

"Sucks, right?" She snatched her phone back out of Junko's hands before she could try to break it. It was then she noticed Shion, frowning at her. "And who exactly are you?"

"O-oh, nobody..." Shion said nervously. "I was just asking Junko about, um... your relationship?"

"Well, she's like the worst person you could ask," Chang'e warned. "If I could make it so I never met her, I'd be like over the Moon."

"Likewise," Junko replied.

"H-how did you two even meet if you hate each other this much?!" Shion cried. She'd seen people at odds, but never to this extent.

"I ask myself that question every night..." Junko muttered.

"See, this is what makes her like the most insufferable thing that's ever existed," Chang'e retorted. "She never answers the question! See, we both had this crush on the same boy, but like, neither of us could ever get with him."

"So... you decided to be with each other instead?" That just confused Shion even more.

"We thought we could find solace that way." Junko's mouth twitched slightly, clearly telling what she thought of that idea now.

Not that Shion was an expert, but such a thing seemed bound to fail in her opinion. There were lots of things people could bond over, but loving the same person usually wasn't one of them. And somehow, she didn’t think what worked for the band would work here…

"Anyway, she's the reason this whole thing fell apart!" Chang'e said. "Not that she'd tell you that."

Junko pounded the table with a fist hard. "I am not the one who committed infidelity."

"Oh, please." Chang'e rolled her eyes. "We're not married — I'd KILL myself if I was stuck with you."

"Wait... you cheated on her?" Shion said, aghast now. She couldn't imagine doing such a thing...

"Like, you have to know the full story!" Chang'e pointed a finger at her frustratedly. "She was just miserable! Every day she'd just insult me over and OVER! I had to find solace somewhere."

"And so, you had to shove your tongue down Houyi's mouth," Junko said sarcastically.

"Oh, you're totally jealous, aren't you?" Chang'e smiled, relishing in Junko's bitterness. "Does it piss you off, Junko? Knowing that I managed to take his first kiss? I KNEW he always liked me more than you!"

"You merely used your wicked wiles to lure him, like the wench you are," Junko spat back.

Chang'e flicked her hair haughtily. "Not my fault I'm so much hotter than you. Or maybe it's just that you're ugly." She gestured over to Shion. "This girl's clothes are about to fall apart, and she's still way prettier than you could ever HOPE to be!"

"Uh... thanks?" Shion wasn't sure whether that was a compliment or not.

"Is that so?" Junko slowly started to walk towards Chang'e, who was still frowning at her. "Then perhaps you should remember that beauty is not eternal."

She grabbed Chang'e by her hair and suddenly yanked her forward.

"OW! What are you doing?!" Chang'e cried.

"Hey, m-maybe you should let go of her!" Shion said, trying to be brave.

"Stay out of this," Junko said, before tossing Chang'e sideways into a desk, where she fell backwards on top of it. Immediately, she shot back up, glaring at Junko furiously.

"Don't you EVER touch my hair again."

"Or what?" Junko taunted.

"Oh, that's it. You're DEAD!"

Chang'e swiped a hammer off the table she was on and threw it at Junko's face — luckily, she ducked just before it could give her a broken nose. As it hit a wall, Shion screamed at the loud bang, immediately hiding under a table.

Junko and Chang'e circled around the room, tossing whatever equipment they could find at each other. Meanwhile, Shion stayed underneath, her eyes darting left and right for an escape route, along with everyone else in the class.

What... what was even going ON?! She'd seen some dysfunctional couples, but none that were trying to hurt each other like this! Neither of them had any care for danmaku at all, insistent on trying to kill each other.

"Watch this, Chang'e!" Junko grabbed her hair again, pulling her towards herself again, this time punching her each time. "I should have done this a long time ago — AH!"

But Chang'e started clawing at her face, scratching it with her nails and forcing Junko to let go. In that brief moment, she put Junko into a headlock, choking the life out of her.

"STOP IT!" Shion yelled, terrified beyond belief as Junko began to gag. "You're gonna kill her!"

"Then that'll be even better!" She laughed gleefully. "This has been the worst year of my life, all because of — FUCK!"

She reeled backwards as Junko spun to the side, punching her hard in the stomach. Whipping her head in rage, she grabbed a chisel and charged back at Junko, trying to stab her with it.

Shion gasped as Junko grabbed Chang'e arm in mid air, putting the two in a brief deadlock where neither could overpower the other.

"You've ruined my hair AND my dress!" Chang'e yelled. "I'm gonna sue your ass for millions!"

"You won't be suing me for anything. Not when you're DEAD!" Junko kicked her in the shin, giving her the edge she needed to take the chisel out of her hand and toss it to the side.

In response, Chang'e grabbed her by the waist, throwing her onto a table where she started to pound down on her over and over again, but Junko reversed it, pulling Chang'e down as she rose back up.

Clutching her neck, Junko slammed her face into the desk hard, before her eyes wandered around the table.

Shion did the same, her eyes widening in panic as she spotted a saw resting by the side. Instantly, her mind put two and two together and she shot up, swiping it just before Junko could.

"Hand the saw over," Junko said calmly, thrusting Chang'e down again for good measure.

"You... get OFF me!" Chang'e yelled.

"W-what are you going to do with it?!" Shion asked, holding it tightly towards her.

"Why, a magic trick," Junko grinned malevolently at her partner. "I've always wanted to see what really happens when you saw someone in two."

"WHAT?! You wouldn't!" Chang'e started thrashing about, but it was no use with the death grip Junko had on her.

"Hand it over," Junko repeated to Shion, holding her hand out expectantly.

"No! Are you both CRAZY?!" Shion yelled. "You can't just try to kill each other over a breakup! In what universe is that healthy at all?!"

"None. But it certainly feels good," Junko replied.

"Yeah? Well, look at you both! Look at this ROOM!"

Both of them paused what they were doing for a moment, looking at the state they were in. Chang'e was a mess, with her hair frizzy and her dress torn in a few places. Junko was no better either, her nose bleeding slightly as she was covered in sawdust.

But neither had suffered as much as the room itself, with tables upturned and tools scattered all about the place. By now, it looked more like a battlefield than a classroom, and one devoid of students besides the three of them.

"Whatever disputes you have, leave others OUT of it!" Shion demanded. "I could have gotten seriously hurt there! Do either of you have ANY spatial awareness at all?!"

Shion huffed and puffed, remembering how Seija and Meira had fought recently, but at least they had kept things contained to themselves… well, mostly.

Throwing a glare at Junko, she said, "Look... I've never been in a relationship, so I definitely haven't been in a breakup. But I'm pretty sure breakups don't involve you trying to strangle someone to death! Or stab them with a chisel either!" She finished, looking at Chang'e.

Surprisingly, Chang'e had the decency to look sheepish at that.

"Yeah... you're like, totally right," she said. "My grudge is with Junko, so I should be more careful there."

"As is the case with me," Junko added. "Chang'e... perhaps we should agree to limit what we do in the future."

"I agree. Let's agree that we only try to kill each other, and not other people as well," Chang'e said, offering a hand to Junko.

"Huh? No, don't try to kill each other either!" Shion interjected quickly. "That's also really bad! You should talk this out or... I don't know, maybe just STOP talking altogether if this always happens?!"

"Then it seems we are in agreement," Junko said, completely ignoring Shion as she shook the hand Chang’e offered — and simultaneously tried to crush it. "Now, get out of my sight."

"Like I wanna see your ugly face anymore..." Chang'e picked up her bag, walking out with little more than a huff.

"Well... that went better than expected," Junko muttered, as she gathered her own stuff as well.

"I, uh... w-what..." Shion could feel her head spin, completely flabbergasted at the events that just occurred. Why... why was everyone in this school insane?

"Thank you for your insight. I hadn't realised the collateral damage we caused," Junko said gratefully. "I do apologise I couldn't lend you any insight of my own though..."

"N-no, that's fine! I... I think I'll be okay!" Shion said quickly. After that, she didn't want Junko's advice on anything...

"Yet, the war against Chang'e still rages on," she continued. "This is a temporary setback for me, but I shall crush her in the end with my trump card."

Did she even want to know what that meant?

Honestly, Shion just wanted to go back home, lie down and forget this ever happened… but part of her was genuinely concerned for Chang'e now — if Junko trying to saw her neck off was just regular tactics for her, she could only imagine what a trump card would be.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked wearily.

"Simple. You see, Chang'e is under the belief that she claimed Houyi's first kiss." Junko began to laugh again, tilting her head to the ceiling. "I can confirm that she did not. And when I reveal that fact to her... it will destroy her once and for all! AHAHAHA!"

Continuing her insane laughter, Junko walked out of the classroom as well, leaving just Shion alone.

... what the hell was wrong with this school? Why was she the only sane person here? She didn't think things could get weirder after Flandre and Koishi... but somehow, these two managed to top that in an instant.

And now, this room was a mess. It wasn't even her fault that it was that way, but she felt bad for whoever would have to clean this.

She began to move the tables back into position — at least she wouldn't be able to mess this up like she did with those cleaning supplies. They were heavy, but she somehow managed.

Next were all the tools, scattered across the floor from the fight. Picking them up was more tedious than anything, if only because of how many there were. Still, it could be a lot —

"Shion!"

Shion jumped up at the sound of her name, wondering if it was some teacher that had come by and was going to scold her for this mess. When she looked over though, she was surprised to see Tenshi standing in the doorway, with Suika by her side.

"There you are! What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Um... just cleaning up?" Shion replied, showing her a chisel.

"Never mind that! You're gonna miss all the fun if you stay here! It's a good thing I remembered this was the last class you had..."

"Fun? What fun?" Shion said carefully.

"There's something going down in the north gym," Suika answered. "It looks like it's gonna be something big too."

"Yeah, we've gotta see it!" Tenshi dragged Shion off the floor, despite her protests.

"W-wait! I can't just go off like that, I have to clean here!" she said.

"Ah, never mind that. Someone else will do it," Tenshi replied dismissively.

Shion sighed to herself — that might be true, but it didn't make it any better.

"Come on, let's go!"

And without giving her any chance to refuse, Tenshi dragged Shion out of the door.

Chapter Text

Shion rushed behind Suika and Tenshi as fast as she could, trying not to trip over her own feet. Being pulled out of the classroom like that was one thing, but these two ran so fast…

"Slow down, you two!" She cried. "I can't keep up!"

"Come on! If we don't make it in time, we'll miss all the fun!" Tenshi called back, eager beyond words. "Don't make me have to come over and carry you!"

Shion nearly did trip and fall at that, barely managing to regain her balance in time. She blushed profusely at the thought... being held in Tenshi's arms, so gentle yet firm... it was a good thing Tenshi was ahead of her and couldn't see her face.

"It's not that much further," Suika reassured. "Still, we don't wanna miss the good stuff!"

As they turned through a corridor, they suddenly ran into Hisami and Mizuchi, nearly colliding into them.

"Woah!" Suika screeched to a halt. "Look where you're going!"

"I could say the same to you." Hisami folded her arms, glaring at Suika. "No running in the corridors."

"But... you were running as well?" Shion countered.

"Apparently, there's something going on. That's why we're trying to be there quickly. Hold on..." Mizuchi eyed the three of them eerily. "You wouldn't happen to be going to this disruption, would you?"

"Uh, nope!" Tenshi responded unconvincingly. "We're just going for an afternoon run. Gotta get some exercise!"

"Hm." Mizuchi smirked at them. "In that case, why don't we join you? I could use some fresh air myself."

"Hey, there's no need for that. It's gonna be very boring," Suika said.

Mizuchi and Hisami simply stared at them in silence, before Suika eventually sighed.

"Okay, we are going there," she admitted. "But you have to be cool about it. You can't stop what might go down."

"That remains to be seen," Hisami replied. "What's going on?"

The short girl uttered one word. "Meira."

"Meira?!" Everyone else not named Mizuchi shouted in unison.

Said student’s blue eyes snapped between Tenshi and Shion. "Why are you two surprised? Didn't you know already?" She asked confusedly.

"Nah, we were just following Suika," Tenshi replied. "She said something was happening."

"Well, if it's got to do with Meira, I have to see this one play out." Mizuchi started chuckling wickedly, rubbing her hands together. "I don't think we'll be intervening here... oh wait."

"What's the problem?" Shion asked.

"Zanmu," Mizuchi replied bluntly. "She'll definitely put a stop to it, and have our heads for not doing so first if she finds out."

"I'll take care of her!" Hisami said enthusiastically. "I'll make sure she doesn't come anywhere near. Just... get me a good video of what happens."

Suika thumped her chest twice, before saluting her. "That's a noble sacrifice you've made. It won't be in vain."

"See that it isn't." Hisami slinked back the way she came, leaving just four of them now.

"Lead the way then," Mizuchi said, gesturing to the corridor ahead.

As the strange quartet continued along their path, Shion realised they were heading towards the gymnasium. Not only that, but they weren't the only ones heading there, for many other girls were also going in the same direction — she even noticed Junko and Chang'e at one point, having caught up to them.

It seemed like they were all going for the same reason... but what was that? Shion was still mostly in the dark, though if it involved Meira... sparks were sure to fly.

The moment they entered the building, they could hear two people yelling at the top of their heads in the main hall. Opening the doors up, they saw nearly half of the seniors inside, forming a massive circle.

As Shion and the others tried to find a place, she wondered what was going on, but there was no mistaking the voices she heard.

"What did you just call me?!" Marisa demanded at the top of her voice.

"You heard me," Meira said mockingly. "There's nothing to be ashamed of — you're a slacker. A complete layabout!"

Marisa snarled at her, only to suddenly feel a hand on her shoulder.

"Marisa, maybe this isn't a good idea..." Alice said.

"Nah, Alice. This has gone on long enough," Marisa replied, wrenching her hand off and jabbing her finger at Meira.

"But —"

"She's been doing this for nearly a year straight! Someone's gotta teach her a lesson."

"Yeah!" Shinmyoumaru yelled from the sidelines. "I've had it up to here with your nonsense!"

Meira turned in her direction, sneering coldly. "That's not saying much coming from you, Shorty.”

Shinmyoumaru let out a choked cry, backing away to Seija's side.

"You gonna kill her or what?" Seija asked Marisa, frowning despite her attempts at sounding bored. "Because I'll do it if you don't soon."

"You hear that, Meira?" Marisa said, cracking a smug smile. "It's not just me you've pissed off. Today's the day you get some justice..."

She slowly walked up to Meira, getting right up into her face.

"Bitch."

There was an eruption of cheers from the audience, everyone applauding and whooping for Marisa, who simply raised her hands and basked in the glory.

"Get her ass, Marisa!" Flandre cheered gleefully, pounding her palm with her fist.

"Make her go insane!" Koishi added.

For her own part, Shion didn't do anything, simply watching the situation go on. The tension was boiling more and more, and the audience wasn't helping that either. What would happen when it finally tipped over...

As the cheering settled down, Meira simply scoffed, flicking her robe to the side.

"Is that the best you've got?" She taunted. "So be it then. I'd rather be a bitch than a butch!"

Fights like this weren't uncommon between the students — after all, danmaku was essentially how all conflict was resolved. And it also wasn't uncommon for a crowd to build up, but usually, they would be rooting for both participants.

... it was telling then, that the only thing Meira got in response was a cacophony of boos and hissing.

"Oh, come off it!" Meira yelled. "You think you're so tough, but you're all just a bunch of pansies! Everywhere I look, that's what I see!"

She whirled around, pointing at Satori. "Like here! Look at you, Satori, nose up to your book in those fantasies! Why don’t you read something useful for a change in your club?”

Next, she pointed at Remilia. "And here! Our beloved student council president has barely done a thing for us all year!”

And finally, she set her sights on Chimata, wrinkling her nose. "And definitely here. You still got that stupid dress, Chimata? Still want us all to wave at you like a princess or something?”

Chimata let out an ear shattering screech, and for the briefest moment, Meira's eyes widened in fear.

"I'll make you see RAINBOWS, you sword swinging slut!" She yelled, shoving two girls to the side as she stomped over to Meira.

"No, Chimata!" Megumu quickly grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back.

"Let me at her!" She started thrashing about in Megumu's arms, clawing at the air in front of her.

Struggling to keep Chimata restrained, she said, "This... this is what I mean by going overboard!"

"I don't CARE!"

"You see, people?" Meira gestured towards Chimata, then to everyone else. "This is the level of depravity we have fallen to because of the prom!"

"Okay, but... none of that has anything to do with you calling me a slacker?" Marisa said, very confused now.

"It has everything to do with that. Look at you, Marisa." Meira sneered at her. "I used to respect you, back when you were a hard worker. People like us… we’re not special at all - we have to earn what we get, and I respected that! Now all you do is spend your time with your hands all over Alice! It's disgusting... and couldn't you have done a little better too?!"

"Meira." Marisa was shaking now, barely containing her rage. "If it wasn't for Reimu, I'd destroy you right now."

"Am I wrong though?"

"Don't you get how insane this is?!" Marisa yelled, thrusting her hands wildly. "How does any of this make sense when you're dating Reimu?! And I don't know if you checked, but she's the queen of slacking!”

“Well, I mean, I…”

“We all know the answer to that one,” Sakuya said, cutting off Meira. “She’s even more of a suck up to Reimu than I am to Remilia. She is what we call, a simp.”

Everyone erupted into cheers and laughter once more, this time at twice the intensity.

“Woah, I don’t think I’ve ever heard Sakuya insult someone like that!” Tenshi praised. “Good on her!”

Shion finally found herself smiling as well, relishing in it. She might be a kind hearted person... but it was common knowledge what Meira was like, and she deserved every bit of it.

Meanwhile, Meira started spluttering in rage as her face went deep red.

"SHUT UP!" She roared. "I won't let you insult me like that!"

"Perhaps you should seek a way to reverse time then,” Sakuya replied dully. “I believe I already insulted you.”

“Thanks for the help, Sakuya, but I’ve got this,” Marisa reassured. 

Sakuya simply shrugged as Meira turned her attention back to her, snarling at her now.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" The crowd chanted in unison.

"Well, who am I to deny the people what they want?" Marisa took a step forward, making a fist at Meira. "Let's settle this here and now, Meira!"

"Sure! And when I pound your face into the dirt in front of everyone, maybe you'll realise I was right!"

"Then stop talking and —"

"What the HELL is going on here?"

Both Marisa and Meira ceased their shouting match at the sudden intrusion, seeing someone shove their way past the spectators towards them.

Shion gasped at the sight, and she wasn't the only one who did so either at the black haired girl who looked very irate.

Reimu Hakurei. A student known by every senior for one simple reason — while she might not be the smartest, the prettiest, or the most popular student around, she was Radiant High's uncontested champion at danmaku.

And right now... she was livid.

"... hey, Reimu..." Marisa muttered awkwardly. "Uh... how are you doing?"

"Good," she replied coldly, before turning to her girlfriend. "Meira."

"Um... hello, sweetheart." Despite her earlier bluster, Meira had been completely browbeaten by Reimu's appearance. "You... look nice today?"

Reimu's mouth twitched slightly, before she turned to the crowd.

"So, was anyone planning to tell me that my best friend and my girlfriend were at each other's throats, or was that just gonna be a fun little surprise for me?" She said casually. "Because I'm not laughing."

Silence reigned throughout the hall, with many of the students looking away guiltily. Shion couldn't help but feel terrible — sure, it was fun to watch... but for Reimu, these were two of the closest people to her, and everyone was just treating like a show.

"Look at you all recording this." Reimu scoffed, glaring at everyone with a phone out. "Do you not have any decency?"

"Yes!" Meira cried. "I knew you would —"

"Shut up."

Reimu continued to survey the spectators, eventually locking eyes with Mizuchi. "What are YOU doing? You're supposed to be stopping fights like this!"

"Fights?" Mizuchi briefly lowered her phone, looking around in confusion. "I see no fights here, Hakurei. Nothing physical has happened... yet."

Reimu scowled even more, infuriated but unable to argue against Mizuchi's logic, as she turned her attention back to Marisa.

"Marisa, this has gone on long enough..." Reimu said wearily. "Every other day you're arguing with Meira! Why can't you just leave her alone for once?! I'm SICK of it!

"Huh?! How is this MY fault?!" Marisa cried.

"Because you always do this! Look, I'm sorry I don't feel the same way about you, but you're seriously trying to ruin my relationship because of that?! That's where you've really gone?!"

"WHAT?!" Both Alice and Meira immediately cried, turning onto their respective girlfriends.

"She asked you out?" Meira yelled. "I can't believe this!"

"W-well, I said no, didn't I?!" Reimu shouted back, getting suddenly flustered. "She's a good friend, but I couldn't imagine having her as a partner!"

"Wow." Marisa tossed her hands in the air. "Seriously, twist the knife further! I don't feel a thing."

"Yes, thank you for that, Reimu," Alice said, frowning at her.

Marisa looked at her adoringly, flattered by her defence. "Alice..."

"You're not off the hook either," Alice interrupted. "How come I never knew about this?"

"It... it was a long time ago," Marisa stuttered. "And anyway, it doesn't matter now! I have you!"

"Oh, you HAVE me now? Is that how you think of me, Marisa?"

"No! Alice, I didn't mean it like..." Marisa groaned frustratedly, whirling in Meira's direction. "Look, this is HER fault! She was the one who came here and started insulting me, and everyone else here! So yeah, I think I've got a pretty good reason to be mad!"

The anger on Reimu's face vanished in an instant, replaced with confusion. She looked at Meira, who had been smiling smugly from her girlfriend's defence.

"... what?"

The entire hall went silent again, with everyone stunned at the tranquil fury in Reimu's voice. Slowly, she took a single step towards Meira, who instantly started to sweat.

"I... she's lying, Reimu!" Meira retorted pitifully. "Like you said, she's always doing things like this! And I'm your girlfriend, so... isn't my word stronger than hers?!"

"You seem to have forgotten the audience around you, not to mention the vast amount of evidence we have," Remilia said calmly. "If it would please the council — and as president, I say it would — will everyone currently recording this hold their phone up?"

Over a dozen phones shot up into the air, and Meira's nervousness turned into panic.

As for Reimu, she looked around, her mouth agape in shock. With this many people watching, Marisa couldn't possibly be lying.

And not only that... this wasn't the first time she'd heard of this. Stories of events like this were common with Meira - after all, she’d heard of her fight with Seija just a few days ago. But never once had she believed them, because she'd never seen them for herself.

Meira had always said the stories came from people who disliked her, but... this many people? It was impossible. And if they all had proof...

"Meira... you said all these accusations were just people spreading rumours," Reimu said, her voice shaky and desperate. "Tell me if I look at one of those phones, I won't see you doing any of that."

"No! I never did any of what they said!"

"Really now?" Flandre cackled maniacally, before glaring at Meira. "So, you didn't say my girlfriend was full of degenerate filth?"

"You didn't insult Chimata's efforts on the dress she'd spent months on?" Megumu added.

"You didn't make me punch you in the face just a few days ago?" Seija said.

"We could go on," Mizuchi said. "I'm pretty sure everyone has at least one story. But right now, I think we all just wanna see you burn."

Reimu finally closed her gaping mouth, unable to deny the truth. She looked down at the ground, crushed by everything.

But just as she wanted to run away, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked over, seeing Marisa by her side.

She'd warned her about this. Told her what Meira was like time and time again, but she never listened... even though she knew she deserved it, she couldn't handle the thought of Marisa shoving it in her face right now.

And yet, Marisa didn't look smug at all. She looked just as crushed as Reimu.

"Reimu... I'm so sorry."

She... she was sorry? Even though it wasn't her fault at all? Even though it was her that let Meira drive a wedge between them for years? Even though she never saw something so obvious?

"No, Marisa, I..." She choked on her words.

"It's fine," Marisa smiled at her, understanding her anyway. "I forgive ya."

And just like that, she forgave her. Like it was nothing at all.

... she didn't deserve a friend like Marisa. But she could start making things right.

Reimu walked towards Meira, her eyes screaming bloody murder. Only now did Meira seem to understand how much this had backfired, her eyes darting around for an escape... but she was completely surrounded, and no one was going to let her leave.

"Explain," she said coldly. "Explain why you thought it was fine to do all this.”

"Reimu, I —"

"Not to mention everyone else. And then, you go and lie about it straight to my face."

"I have a point! This prom is screwing everything up, and you’re all so blind to it! We used to be better than that! All everyone can think about is getting their hands on each other, and it’s getting worse by the second.” Meira pointed to where Kyouko, Mystia and Wriggle were all standing. “Look at those three! I bet they’re all a thing now.”

“Wha… how did YOU know that?!” Kyouko blurted, forgetting that it was supposed to be a secret.

“KYOUKO!” Mystia and Wriggle both yelled. 

“Aha, I was right!” Meira said proudly. “You should all be ashamed of yourselves… it’s absolutely disgusting. Romance is between two people only.”

Kyouko quietly whimpered to herself, as Mystia tried to comfort her and Wriggle glared at Meira.

“Look what you did!” She yelled. “Does that make you happy?!”

“Absolutely. Maybe she’ll learn something, unlike you,” Meira replied. “Then again, maybe not. After all, every relationship is tainted in impurity here.”

“And how exactly is that?” Reimu asked.

“Duh? We’re all girls. I mean, being a lesbian is the root cause, no?”

“... Meira. You’re dating me,” Reimu said blankly. “I’m a girl.”

"Yeah, and I’m straight.”

Dead silence reigned supreme in the following moment, as everyone took that information in. 

"Wha... what did you say?"

"I'm straight,” Meira said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. “I like men."

At Meira's confirmation, mutters started to ripple through the crowd. A student of Radiant High... was straight? It was unthinkable.

As Shion thought about it herself, she tried to remember when was the last time something like this had happened... it had probably been decades. Sure, they had bisexuals, and occasionally people not attracted to anyone at all, but someone liking only men? A complete anomaly.

"Okay." Reimu pursed her lips and nodded. "I get it."

"You... you do?" Meira said, hesitating slightly.

"Well... there is one thing I don't understand..." Reimu paused to take a deep breath in. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE FUCKING STRAIGHT?!"

"Uh... it means I like men?" Meira repeated.

"I know what it means!" Reimu snapped. "But how?! You dated ME! Are you saying you never felt a thing towards me all that time?!"

"Well... I thought I did?" Meira admitted. "And maybe I did at first. But... over time, I stopped thinking you were pretty. I wondered if it was you, but everyone at the school stopped being pretty to me. Then one day, I saw this boy cycling past when I was walking home... and that's when I knew."

"This is insane..." Marisa muttered. "No, it's outrageous! Meira, how can you be straight in an all girls school? Look at her!" She swung her hand out, gesturing to Reimu. "Hair like ebony, perfect skin, beautiful face — OW!"

She yelped out in pain as Reimu and Alice both stomped hard on her feet.

"Stop talking," they said in unison.

"Urgh..." Marisa winced before looking back at Meira. "Look, what I'm saying is this — how could you choose to be straight?!"

"Choose? CHOOSE?!" Meira snarled at her. "I didn't choose anything, Marisa! Look, women are cool, I guess..." she said, though the slight disgust in her voice betrayed her. "But... men."

Meira clutched her hands over her chest, sighing dreamily. "Men are just so... you know?"

She looked around to see if anyone did, indeed, know.

... they did not.

"Look, it's not MY fault!” Meira said, huffing indignantly. "Besides, even if you were all straight, it wouldn’t matter! You’re all disgusting freaks anyway.”

“Meira..." Reimu growled quietly. "Walk away."

"No, I won't! Do you know how difficult it's been for ME?! Pretending to be a lesbian over the past few months... I HATE IT! You all think you're better than me, don't you?"

"Eh, pretty much?" Mystia replied, with the crowd murmuring their agreement.

"Well, why does it matter?! So what if I like men? My sexuality does NOT define me!" She proclaimed proudly. "I'm proud of who I am, and you all should be disgusted!"

"Last I checked, WE weren't the ones insulting everyone for months on end!" Kyouko barked. "What do you have to say about that?! No one CARES about your sexuality.”

Meira chuckled maniacally, pacing around the circle.

"You all deserved every single word. At first, I thought people would grow out of it. Even I wasn't against a little harmless lesbianism," she said, gesturing to Reimu. "It helps you reaffirm the right path... but you all lost sight of it and forgot it completely. And now, you insult me, the only one among you that saw the light!"

"Ooh, please keep talking!" Koishi said, tilting her head cheerfully. "That way, we won't feel bad about making you see it again!"

Ignoring her, Meira continued her rant. "I bet you all think I'm crazy, but I'm NOT! You've all gone crazy — do you think normal people would be as obsessed with Zanmu as Hisami is?! Where is she anyway?”

“Not here,” Mizuchi answered flatly. “Frankly, she’s not missing much.”

“No, I’ll tell you exactly where she is - I bet she’s with Zanmu right now, isn’t she? That’s the only reason she wouldn’t be here now… freak.”  

“Meira… how could you SAY something like that?” Reimu managed to get out. “You… you’ve changed…”

Seija suddenly started to laugh, drawing everyone’s attention to her. “No, she hasn’t. You’re just seeing how much of a two faced bitch she is.”

“Says the two faced bitch herself…” Meira muttered.

“Exactly why I’m familiar with it. The truth is simple - she never cared about you at all,” Seija said, staring pitifully at Reimu. “She just used you.”

Reimu’s head sunk, as she wanted to deny it… but she couldn’t.

As for Meira, she wasn’t perturbed in the slightest, shaking her head contemptuously before whipping it about, and Shion felt her heart sink when Meira locked eyes with her.

"Of course! How could I forget Shion! So obsessed with Tenshi, she can't even concentrate when Tenshi's chewing a stick of gum! She clings onto her day and night! That takes the cake..."

Shion started to shake, wanting nothing more than to crawl into a hole and die alone. How could she be this unlucky to be singled out...

"S... Shion? Is that..."

Abject terror filled her as she looked up at Tenshi, seeing the realisation dawn on her.

"Shion... you like me?"

No... no, this couldn't be happening! Not like this! Of all time for Tenshi to realise... it had to be NOW?!

"... n-no," Shion whimpered back.

But she could never lie to Tenshi, and all Tenshi had to say back was one simple thing.

"Liar."

She wrenched her eyes away from Tenshi, determined to look at anything else — even Meira was a more comforting sight right now. She wasn't done yet, continuing her warpath around the room, her eyes suddenly gleaming when she saw a green haired girl.

"Ah! I hoped you'd be here." Meira marched towards her, making her instantly quiver. "I'll prove it right here! We all think Sanae's a freak, don't we? Well, it's obvious what made her that way — it's the fact that she has two moms! Of course she's completely screwed up!"

Sanae instantly burst into tears, running out of the corridor as fast as she could.

Shion fixed Meira with her harshest glare, and she wasn't the only one to do so, for nearly everyone else did — even among the meanest of students, Sanae was near universally beloved.

To say Meira had crossed a line... it would be an understatement.

Reimu and Marisa both looked positively murderous, the latter choking on sheer rage.

"Motherfucker..." Marisa managed to get out.

"Not me, I don't swing that way," Meira said casually, returning to the centre. "Or were you talking about yourself, Marisa?"

Marisa screamed out, throwing a fist straight towards Meira at lightning speed. But equally quick, Meira swerved to the side, drew her sword out and swiped Marisa across her face.

"Marisa!" Alice yelled, rushing to help her.

Being just a practice sword, it didn't cut her, but Meira swung it with such force that she fell right onto the ground.

"Ohhh..." Marisa groaned, rubbing her back. "Fuck..."

"Did you really forget my strength, Marisa?" Meira smirked down at her condescendingly. "I'm a master of the blade!"

"Uh... shouldn't you be doing something now?" Suika said, nudging Mizuchi slightly. "I'm pretty sure this counts as something physical."

"I should," Mizuchi smirked, clearly having no intention of doing so. "But... I think it's only fair to let Hakurei have this one."

Overhearing the two, Shion looked at Reimu, who... looked completely normal? She didn't seem even a little angry at seeing her best friend being chucked around like that.

But then, a talisman materialised in her hand. She took one look at Meira, tossing it down to the ground before her.

Startled by the sudden noise of something smacking the floor, Meira looked down at the ground to see what it was... then, she looked up at Reimu.

"Pick it up," Reimu said tonelessly.

"You... you're really doing this? You're challenging me, Reimu? Your own girlfriend?" Meira scoffed at her. "I was the person you looked up to!"

Reimu took one step towards her, but didn't betray a hint of emotion otherwise.

Frowning slightly, Meira swiped the talisman off the floor, backing away from Reimu.

"So, this is how it is?" She said. "You choose Marisa over me? I KNEW this would happen! You always said you and her were just friends, but you lied straight to my face! ADMIT IT! You always —"

"Fantasy Nature."

A series of gasps rang out from those words, everyone knowing what it meant. Meira instantly snapped her mouth shut, frozen in terror at the white hot glow of Reimu's eyes.

There were many unspoken rules of Radiant High, but chief among them had to do with danmaku — no matter what, Reimu Hakurei did not lose to anyone in it.

And she wasn't going to start losing to her girlfriend.

The next moment, there was a flash of light and in some unfathomably quick movement that Shion could barely perceive, Reimu appeared at every angle possible from Meira, chucking hundreds of purple and red talismans.

Meira screamed at the barrage, but didn't get more than a second of it out before they all collided with her, sending her tumbling down.

As Reimu reappeared right in front of her, Shion watched in awe... Meira didn't even get a chance to do anything. All this time she'd thought of Reimu as being this unstoppable force... she'd somehow underestimated her.

Yet, as she watched Reimu, looking down at a groaning Meira... she didn't seem happy at all. She tried to look impassive, but Shion could see her eyes glistening with tears, barely kept from freely flowing.

Reimu turned on her heel, walking straight towards the door. The crowd automatically parted for her, everyone continuing to watch her.

"Clean this mess up," she said, not even turning back before she left.

Well... if Reimu was gone, that meant things were surely over now. Neither Marisa nor Meira were in any state to continue arguing.

"Got somewhere to be?"

Shion turned around at the sound of Seija's voice, as did many others. At the corner of the circle, she was taunting Meira, who had somehow managed to get up after Reimu's onslaught. It seemed like she had been trying to sneak away while everyone else was focused on Reimu.

Meira snarled at her for all but a second, before turning around and charging forward, brandishing her practice sword to swipe at anyone that tried to stop her.

"Reverse Hierarchy!"

Suddenly, Meira fell flat on her face, her sword clattering to the side. She tried to get up, but for some reason, she couldn't find her footing.

"I'll take that," Shinmyoumaru eagerly rushed forward and grabbed Meira's sword, holstering it by her side. "You've called me short for so long... but you'll see that being tall isn't all it's cracked up to be! You Grow Bigger!"

Meira yelped again as she felt a strange energy fill her body, before she began to grow in size, slowly becoming twice her height. She tried to get up once more, but Seija's reversal along with being unaccustomed to her new size made that a futile effort.

Seija cackled at Meira's attempts, bending down right in front of her face.

"Fuck you."

"Oh? I thought you said that wasn't your thing," Seija laughed again, before standing back up and addressing the crowd. "It seems like we've got a giant piñata here. And there's only one thing a piñata's good for!"

Seija turned back to Meira, lifting her leg back. Helpless on the floor, all Meira could do was close her eyes and await the inevitable.

"I'm disappointed in you, Kijin," Mizuchi suddenly said.

Seija growled in frustration, putting her foot down. "Miyadeguchi. Trying to stop my fun again?"

"I'd thought you'd have learned from last time," Mizuchi continued, walking over to her. "Or do you want another set of lines?"

"You... you're DEFENDING this waste of skin?"

"Funny. I never said that."

"The fuck are you about?" Seija said, very confused now.

Mizuchi looked over at Meira, who'd briefly regained hope at Mizuchi's intrusion. She'd have to fix that.

"I'm not here to stop this," she clarified, enjoying the subsequent despair in Meira. "But we are better than her, and we have better ways."

"I agree," Remilia interjected. "Proper ladies, such as ourselves, should not lower or disgrace our honour by resorting to such vulgar methods. There are far more elegant methods — is that not what danmaku is for?"

"Exactly." Mizuchi nodded at Remilia. "I'm not here to stop the vengeance — as a member of the disciplinary committee, it's my duty to do sure justice is done. I'm just here to make sure it's done properly. After all, you're not the most wronged here, Kijin."

Mizuchi pointed to Marisa and Alice. "After Hakurei, these two are the ones who deserve vengeance the most. They should get first blood."

Seija gritted her teeth, but begrudgingly conceded the point and walked back over to Shinmyoumaru.

"Well?" Mizuchi looked at Marisa and pointed to Meira. "What are you waiting for?"

"... this isn't a trick, is it?" Marisa said cautiously. "You're not gonna just give us all detention?"

"Why would I? Physical violence is an offence, but danmaku?" Mizuchi smirked at her. "That's perfectly fine. So long as you don't lay a finger on her... I've got nothing to punish."

Marisa walked over to Meira, who was still lying on the floor. She stared defiantly at her, refusing to show even an instant of weakness in her lowest moment.

After all the misery Meira had put her through... finally, she had a chance to return the favour. No one would say she didn't deserve it — in fact, everyone was eagerly watching for it.

And yet...

"... I think I'm good," Marisa said.

"H... huh?" Mizuchi frowned at her, not sure if she heard that correctly. "What did you say?"

"I'm not gonna do it. Not because I don't want to — believe me, I really do, but... for Reimu's sake.  It's too painful for me."

Meira gaped at her wordlessly, unable to comprehend what she was hearing.

"But..." Marisa looked around at the crowd, sensing the lingering resentment towards Meira. "I won't stop any of you either. Just... don't tell me about it."

"I think we'll leave now," Alice said, gently taking Marisa by the arm and leading her out of the hall.

Once more, everyone watched them leave, confused as to why Marisa had denied herself her own revenge.

"Hm. Can't say I was expecting that," Mizuchi said.

"So... what do we do now?" Flandre asked. "I'm not leaving this hall until I get a shot at her."

"Alright. We're all capable of handling this in a polite manner, aren't we? Form an orderly line, and take your shot when you reach the front!" Mizuchi ordered.

Meira's eyes widened in horror as nearly every girl broke off from the circle, forming a line where Mizuchi was standing, before she ran off to join the line herself.

At the front of the line, having been right in front of Meira, were Remilia and Sakuya.

"Remilia, are you sure about this?" Sakuya asked as they walked over to Meira. "It's not right for you to debase yourself like this."

"I will be fine, Sakuya," Remilia chuckled lightly, amused by her partner's concern. "Besides, as members of the student council, we have a duty to stand beside them. And hence, we must also be sure to start this off properly."

"Your orders then?"

Remilia grinned at Sakuya, then to Meira. "Hold nothing back."

"Very well. Killing Doll!"

Meira gasped as a horde of knives materialised around her body, firing at her from all directions — they might not have been real knives, but they certainly hurt.

"Scarlet Meister!"

But just as Sakuya finished her attack, Remilia began hers, pounding her body with scarlet discs and orbs. Though it only lasted for a few seconds, she already felt her body aching... and it had only just begun.

Turning on her heel sharply, Remilia left as elegantly as she came with Sakuya dutifully following, letting the next set of students take their shot.

"Huh. You know... when Shion said we should try doing stuff together, I never thought this would be the first thing we'd end up doing?" Kyouko said, as she and her companions walked up for their turn.

"Well, this isn't really a date, is it?" Wriggle said. "Dates are supposed to be things you enjoy."

"I dunno, this sounds pretty fun for me," Mystia pointed out. "Alright, girls, let's make some noise! Hooting in the Night!"

Feather-like bullets fired off from Mystia's fingers, pecking at Meira's face. Still, she wouldn't go down without resistance, as she flicked her hands in every direction to shake them off.

"Firefly Phenomenon!"

Seeing her chance, Wriggle fired off a bunch of flashing orbs at Meira, dazzling her immediately.

"AH! Stop that!" Meira shut her eyes tightly and covered them with her hands.

"Power Resonance!"

Of course, her pleas went unanswered, and Kyouko dealt the finishing blow — with her hands covering her eyes, there was nothing to protect her ears as Kyouko screamed at the top of her voice, pounding her with sound waves.

Meira couldn't even hear her own screams from how loud it was, along with her ears ringing. She couldn't hear the next person approach... but when she looked up, she saw the lens of a camera.

"Smile!" Megumu grinned, before snapping a picture of her lying on the ground. "Yes, I think that'll make the front page."

"You shouldn't do that, Megumu," Chimata chided, though any seriousness was undermined by her constant giggling. "Save some stories for your reporters!"

"Ah, I really should." Megumu smiled wanly at her. "It's just so difficult to pass up a good opportunity, isn't it? Speaking of which, would you like to go first, darling?

"Oh no, I insist you go first."

"... really?" Megumu looked at her curiously, briefly confused. "She's offended you far more."

"I know, but I need to compose myself so I can truly enjoy this."

"Take all the time you need." Megumu whipped her head to her target, disdainfully calling out, "Wind of Lonesome Emptiness!"

By now, Meira had finally adjusted to her new height and orientation, barely able to stand on two feet. She opened her mouth to declare an attack of her own, but a sudden gust of wind toppled her over once more, sending the audience into peals of laughter.

Yet, despite her earlier state, Chimata didn't join in, remaining perfectly silent as she graced Meira with a truly wicked smile.

"Bullet Dominion."

Hundreds of shards burst out from her fingers, pricking at Meira's skin as Chimata finally lost it and started laughing once again, even as Megumu led her away.

And despite that, Meira knew her nightmare was only beginning, nearly screaming at who came next.

"This'll be fun, don't you think?" Flandre said to Koishi. "We finally get to turn those fantasies into something more."

"Yep!" Koishi smiled at Meira. "You know, we're the perfect couple to do this sort of thing, because we'll take care of you on both ends! Flandre will break your body..."

"And Koishi will mangle your mind!" Flandre finished, cackling madly. "We'll give you it all in one! Lävatein!"

At first, Meira was confused — nothing was happening at all. There weren't any bullets... but suddenly, Flandre's hand began to glow. Instinctively, she raised her hands up, but it didn't stop her from swinging a beam of light, knocking her back.

"AHAHAHA! I might not be able to snap your neck, but no one said anything about magic swords!" Flandre said.

"Ooh, my turn, my turn!" Koishi started jumping up and down like an excited child. "Danmaku Paranoia!"

Rings of purple kunai materialized around Meira, slowly creeping towards her. She shivered as they inched closer... but they weren't touching her at all? She wondered what was going on... and instantly realised her mistake when Flandre grinned again.

She swung her magic sword even harder, and even though Meira was prepared for it, the ring of kunai made it impossible to dodge, forcing her to take every blow.

"Think you're good with a sword, do you?" Flandre laughed as she lashed out even more. "HA! You're nothing! BURN IN HELL!"

"Leave me ALONE!" Meira yelled, starting to tear up. "You think you're better than me?! You're just a pair of sadists!"

At the back, Shion couldn't help but falter for a moment... Meira had a point. Was this really the right thing to do? She'd clearly suffered enough to learn her lesson...

But it didn't seem like it would end anytime soon, especially as Koishi started to pout.

"Aw... she called us sadists." Koishi flicked crocodile tears away from her eyes. "That... that really hurts."

Flandre growled at Meira, raising her hand again. "Now you've upset Koishi. Only one thing I can do to fix tha — HEY!"

"Move it along, I have some work to do,” Mizuchi said, shoving them both out of the way.

"I was in the MIDDLE of something!" Flandre snapped.

"It's okay, Flan..." Koishi said, holding her hand and smiling at her. "We'll find someone else to hurt later!"

Flandre sighed at her dreamily, letting herself be carried off. "You always know how to make me happy..."

Mizuchi turned to the crowd, grinning at them all. “Well, so far, you’ve all done pretty poorly. Time for my date and I to show you how it’s done.”

"Do NOT call me that!" Satori barked, as Mizuchi and her stepped up to the plate.

"Aw, darlin'... you're still so mean," Mizuchi said patronisingly. "And here I thought —"

"Shut up and get on with it," Satori interrupted. "I'd like a chance to lay into the person who's been giving my sister issues before the day is done."

"You..." Meira snarled at Mizuchi. "You're supposed to STOP things like this!"

"You see... that's not true at all. I'm an enforcer of justice, actually,” The detention officer wreathed herself in a deep blue aura. “And sometimes, to get justice...you've gotta throw the rulebook out. Do the honours, Komeiji."

Satori rolled her eyes at being ordered by Mizuchi, but nonetheless complied.

"Camera-Shy Rose."

Roses started to sprout from the ground, surrounding Meira in an instant as their petals began to snap menacingly like a fly trap. As they started to bite away at her, Satori smirked at it all.

"My turn." Mizuchi stepped forward, glaring at Meira. "By the way, as you so kindly pointed out, Hisami sadly couldn't join us today, so this one's for her too. Horrific Rikonbyō!"

Blue flames appeared around Mizuchi, flying towards the rose petals — rather than burning them though, the flames flew inside and possessed them, before exploding into an array of hearts.

"A piece of atonement for you," Satori stated dully. "There is still much more to come."

"And that's our cue to leave!" Mizuchi said, heading to the side with Satori, before the final duo stepped up to the plate — Junko and Chang'e.

"Who the hell are..." Meira said, more weary than anything. "I don't even know either of you."

"To be quite honest, neither do I," Junko admitted. "Still, I heard of a free opportunity to vent my frustration, and it is either that or eviscerating her," she said, inclining her head towards Chang'e.

"Like, shut the fuck up, Junko!" Chang'e spat back. "You're such a bitch! I’m still not over this afternoon!”

"Wrong. I am no ordinary bitch — I am the queen of bitches," Junko said, spreading her arms dramatically. "I am the bitch to end all bitches, BORN from the depths of bitchiness, embodiment of —"

"Seriously, can you stop like, monologuing?" Chang'e groaned, rolling her eyes at her. "It's been two seconds and you've already pissed me off. I'm just gonna like, get to the point. Lunar Enigma!"

"Fine. Simple Danmaku for Cornering a Trapped Rat."

Stars began to rain down on Meira, pelting her one by one. Dodging them would have been easy... if not for Junko cornering her with two continuous streams of lasers, making escape impossible.

"What... what is this GARBAGE?!" Meira shouted. "This is bullshit!"

"I call it... strategy," Junko corrected, as Meira flopped to the ground once more.

"Well, looks like everyone's who wanted a shot's got one," Mizuchi noted.

"Which means now we need to destroy her together!" Shinmyoumaru declared, waving Meira's sword in the air. "No mercy! No forgiveness!"

With her rallying cry, the students collectively cheered as they all started unloading every Spell Cards they had at once. If Meira had felt outmatched before, she was being completely dominated now at the all out assault from every side.

She screamed as she was tossed around the room like a rag doll, but... her pleas went unanswered. United under their shared suffering by her hand, everyone was dedicating themselves to Meira's demise. Everyone... except Shion.

She stood outside the whole thing, watching as everyone took out their frustrations with glee, laughing and cheering all the while... yet, one thing stood out to her more than anything else.

"PLEASE! SOMEONE HELP ME!"

Meira's terror only spurred everyone on more and more.

... she didn't understand. Meira... didn't she deserve this? After all, she'd made life hell for so many people... a comeuppance was surely warranted, justice for all her actions.

But... this wasn't justice. It was pure vigilantism that had gone far beyond what it should have — no one was interested in teaching Meira a lesson, but rather in making her suffer. The things Meira had done to them... they were no better than her now.

Shion's thoughts turned to Reimu... her heart wept for her. To go through that pain, it... she couldn't imagine it. At least if Tenshi rejected her, it would be over before it started... but Reimu had dedicated herself to Meira, all to be betrayed like that. Not only her... but Marisa too.

Despite all that, when presented the chance to finally get payback on Meira... Marisa rejected it. She denied herself her own revenge.

If someone who deserved this more than any of them had turned this chance down... what made any of them worthy in comparison?

... she knew what it was like to be hated and vilified by people, because that's what she went through. No one ever wanted to be associated with her because of her poverty... not until Tenshi came along.

But even if Meira was responsible for becoming an outcast... even she didn't deserve this. No one did.

"STOP IT! STOP IT ALL!"

A shrilling voice cut through the noise of everything else, taking everyone off guard — perhaps because it had come from the only person who hadn't said a single thing so far.

A few people stopped momentarily, looking over at Shion, currently looking distraught and taking heavy breaths.

"Huh? What are you saying?" Mizuchi asked.

"What are we all DOING?" Shion demanded. "We shouldn't be just blasting away at her!"

"Why not?" Flandre said. "She deserves to suffer for everything she's done! This is justice!"

"Justice? This is just plain bullying!"

"Why the hell are you complaining?" Seija looked at Shion, sneering at her. "Didn't she just out you right in front of all of us? You should be taking a swing if anything."

"Wait, Shion didn't get a chance?!" Chimata cried, sounding incredulous. "Everyone, stop what you're doing! We must give Shion what she deserves as well!"

"No, you're not getting it!" Shion cried frustratedly. "None of us deserve this! Only Reimu and Marisa did, and they're both gone. Besides... just look at her."

Shion gestured over to Meira, who was little more than a sniveling mess, tears staining the side of her face.

"Screw that," Seija said. "We haven't done nearly enough."

"You HAVE!" Shion insisted. "And shouldn't we be spending these last days trying to make happy memories, rather than doing this?"

"The two are hardly exclusive," Remilia said. "Although... I suppose this is a little debasing. And it has worn out most of the amusement."

"Hm... I'm satisfied myself," Chimata said, frowning at Meira. "I've got what I wanted."

"... you might have a point, Yorigami." Mizuchi conceded. "Besides, there's only so much I can allow before Zanmu kicks me to the curb. Justice has been done... we can leave it at that."

There was a mixture of agreement and discontent amongst the students, some being happy enough with the outcome, while others still wanted more.

Before they could reach a decision though, Meira made it for them, instantly running from the hall as soon as everyone had briefly let up. With her gone, everyone was forced to give up regardless.

"Phew..." Shion gave a sigh of relief, not expecting that to actually work.

"That was some brawl, wasn't it?" Suika said to her, chuckling lightly. "Well, I suppose you had a point there."

"Wait, you didn't join in?" Shion asked.

"Nah, didn't feel like it." Suika's eyes narrowed as she looked around in confusion. "Hey, where's Tenshi?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Shion looked as well, but... Tenshi wasn't next to them anymore, like she had been before. She wasn't anywhere here either — she'd completely left. But... when? And why? What could have made her do that?

In fact, thinking more carefully about it, she didn't remember Tenshi being there at all when everyone was ganging up on Meira. She disappeared a little before that... no, even further back — before Reimu had let her frustrations out on Meira.

The last time she remembered seeing her was... when Meira outed her obsessions right in front of —

Shion gasped out loud, her heart pounding at the realisation. Did... did she...

"TENSHI!"

She ran out of the hall as fast as she could, leaving Suika behind. Of course, Tenshi was nowhere to be found, long gone by now.

That... that was it. Even Tenshi, dense and clueless as she was, must have realised how Shion felt now. And she was disgusted by it, so much so that she couldn't even bear to be in the same room as her when she found out.

"Hey, what's going on?" Behind her, Shion heard Suika's footsteps. "What was that all about?"

"... nothing," Shion said, trying to hold her tears in. The next moment, she ran again, determined to not let anyone see her like this.

Every day of her life... it was one bad thing after another, without even a moment of reprieve. No matter how hard she tried, her luck would always ruin her in the end.

She didn't mind. She'd gotten used to it all.

Wearing clothes that could fall apart at any second, only being able to afford food that had already expired, tripping on every staircase she came past... it was all fine. And most of all, she wasn't greedy or bitter about it all like her sister was.

She never cared about any of that, because there was only one thing in life she ever wanted.

Was it too much to ask for that one thing... that her crush might just feel the same way about her?

Shion ducked into a bathroom, scoffing bitterly at the answer she already knew.

Of course it was.

Chapter Text

Tenshi Hinanawi was not used to this.  Tenshi was not used to any of this.

She was used to being admired, sure.  The drawerful of confession letters at home proved that—from pithy cardstock letters tied in twine to little scraps of notebook paper with margins dripping with sweet nothings.  Flowers, chocolates, puppies.  One girl even wrote it into a spell card once and threw it up into the night sky.

Rejecting them all kinda sucked, sure, but this…  This was the first confession that actually hurt. 

Why did she feel this way, anyway?  Was it the circumstance?  An awful situation, an awful person outing Shion like that…  Seeing Shion’s face fill up in horror…  The abject fear in it, that her secret had been torn away from her and sprinkled through the air for all to see…  Even now, days later, it made Tenshi’s stomach turn.

She despised Meira for everything she did, of course, but more than that, she felt horrible for Shion herself…  Gods, she didn’t deserve it.  Of all people, she didn’t deserve it!

Such were the thoughts that clouded Tenshi’s mind in the remaining days leading up to the prom, from the day she stormed out of that gym in tears of her own.  Between makeovers and manicures, burgers and bowling, the days passed in a haze; Shion was nowhere to be seen.  Only flashes of light blue hair, glimpses caught between shoulders in the hallway, were proof that Shion had not completely disappeared.  Tenshi tried calling out to her, tried numerous times—but always her voice fell on the deaf ears of the thrumming crowd, a crowd that sometimes collapsed on her just because she was popular-girl Tenshi.

Shion was avoiding her.  Maybe that was what hurt most of all.

And then suddenly, it was prom night.  Only when she stepped into the auditorium and felt the drumbeat in her chest and caught of glimpse of Shion from across the room did it really seem like a reality—dressed in an evening gown the color of sapphires, rainbow ruffles flowing down her body like the waves of the ocean, complete with white lambskin gloves and earrings like jewels, Shion was more beautiful than ever—

“Tenshi! There you are! You’re late!”

The called-out student turned around, and there was her clique- Suika, Yorihime, and Mizuchi. They were also decked out in their similarly impressive promwear, but not to the extent that Shion had. The short blonde approached Tenshi, a cup of fruit punch in each one and passing the one in her right to her.

“What took ya so long, dude?” Suika asked, looking a bit concerned for her friend. “Horiprism’s about to prepare their music set for the evening.”

“Ah, yeah,” Tenshi muttered, still flabbergasted at the sight of Shion. “I needed some help getting my suit ready for tonight, is all.”

“Never thought you’d actually ask Iku for something for once,” Yorihime noted aloud. “Normally you’d brush your older sister off.”

“I mean…this is one of the biggest nights of our lives.” The sky-blue-haired girl spoke sheepishly. “Of course I’d eventually get her help…”

“…and go alone?” Mizuchi piped up, raising an eyebrow as she folded her arms.

“Ehehehe…ehhhh…” Tenshi tried to say something, but all that exited her mouth were jitters. Meanwhile, someone’s date for the event arrived.

“Oh, hey, Miyoi made it! Hold this, Yori!” Suika quickly passed her drink over to Yorihime, before making her way across the expansive cafeteria-turned-prom-venue. 

Mizuchi groaned a bit, but then she took out her phone, staring at it for a moment, then at the other two girls. “Catch you guys later- Satori’s here already.”

“See ya, Mizu!” Yorihime waved as the detention officer headed off to meet with her date. “And now we’re down to two…”

“Yeah…”

The lavender-haired Kendo Club leader stepped over to Tenshi, taking her side as they went out onto the main floor together. It was clear to Yorihime that her sparring partner had not been feeling very well all night, and even beforehand.

“These past few weeks have been weird for you, Tenshi,” Yori started after some silence. “And, for what it’s worth, I can at least say that Meira’s been well-and-truly expelled for her stunt at the north gym, at least.”

“That’s not gonna change anything, Yori,” Tenshi shook her head as she downed the fruit punch in one go. “All this time, I’ve been putting Shion off and seeing her only as a friend, and not realizing her true feelings for me. And when Meira just spilled that all out on the floor that day- w-well, it kinda hit me like a truck. It felt…wrong.”

“Wrong?” Yorihime rose an eyebrow of her own as she took a sip of her own fruit punch. 

“Like, the moment I called Shion a liar then and there, well…i-it felt like I had just cut her down like a tree.” Tenshi further ranted, gripping the plastic red cup in her hand more tightly. “It felt awful, the first time I truly felt like I had done something that I knew was bad. And the worst part? I don’t know if I can even fix it! I bet Shion’s happier without me now, isn’t she?”

The two girls looked over at a corner of the venue, and the girl in question was surrounded by many, many other classmates. They were all admiring her and conversing with her, having a great time as Horiprism’s musical number started, which caught the attention of everyone in the hall. Prom night was now about to really and truly begin, and Tenshi Hinanawi was still partnerless; would she have to force herself to be with Watatsuki no Yorihime for the evening?

It wasn’t as if Yorihime was bad company by any means, but they weren’t equal in their positions right now. 

Yorihime was perfectly happy to be alone. Tenshi was not.

“Seriously, Tenshi. It’s not like you to just mope around like this and do nothing,” Yorihime said, sounding the slightest bit concerned. “Usually, you’ve got no shame and doubts at all.”

Maybe that was true… but it also wasn’t like her to feel this way about anyone. Everything before was dealt with so easily — just some simple words and a smile. Rejecting people had been easy, because she never needed to put much thought into it. 

Had she truly ever meant any of those apologies? Sure, she might have been sorry for the situation, but it’s not like it mattered to her. It was all so superficial to her. 

“That lost, huh?” Yorihime chuckled out loud, and only then did Tenshi realise she’d been silent for the last few minutes.

“H-huh? Oh, I mean…”

“Look, if you wait all night, you’re gonna lose this chance,” Yorihime warned. “And don’t try to make something up, because we all know that’s why you’re here.”

Tenshi scowled at her. “And how can you tell?”

“You dressed up like that for a reason,” she said, pointing to her attire. “And it definitely wasn’t for us. I’m going to get another drink. Do us both a favour and don’t follow me, okay?”

“Hey, wait!” Tenshi yelled, but Yorihime simply walked away, leaving her alone. Now, she really was alone.

What now? All her other friends were with her dates, and she couldn’t just impose on them. It seemed she’d be stuck alone all night then. The irony of it all rang hollow to her — she, who could have had the pick of any student in this school, was all alone here.

And Shion, so detested and reviled, was now the star of it all. It got even more noticeable when Megumu and Chimata walked up to her, the latter having donned her famous rainbow dress. Across from where she was, Tenshi could just make out the conversation they were having.

“Shion!” Chimata squealed, tapping her feet against the floor excitedly. “Oh my gosh, you look SO pretty!”

“D-do I?” Shion fiddled with her hair bashfully. “I don’t think I look all that good…”

“No, you absolutely do! I just KNEW that dress would look great on you! And I didn’t think Megumu would pick out such good jewellery either!”

“I do have some fashion sense, Chimata,” Megumu said, but it lacked any annoyance at all. She looked over Shion, before nodding approvingly. “Yes, the turnaround is impressive — a rags to riches scenario, if you will.”

“Oh, I mean… it’s all thanks to you two, isn’t it?” Shion smiled, bowing deeply before them. “I’m really grateful for everything you’ve done!”

“Ah, it was nothing. Like we said, it’s the least we could do after you helped us,” Chimata replied. 

“And it has paid off rather well,” Megumu noted. “You’re probably the second most beautiful person here.”

“Well, considering who the first is, that’s a compliment then,” Shion laughed. “But, um… thank you so much. I never thought I could be beautiful, even for a night.”

Suddenly, Horiprism transitioned into another song, this one much louder than their first as the drummer let out a mighty cymbal crash. It riled up many of the students, and from this distance, Tenshi couldn’t hear the conversation anymore over the noise.

As Shion continued to talk with Megumu and Chimata, Tenshi took the chance to stare at her, though she was constantly nervous about being seen.

Is this what Shion had done towards her so many times? It was so obvious Tenshi was looking at her now — if Shion even spared a glance in her direction, she’d spot her. And yet, despite all that, she’d never once noticed Shion… it was a testament to her density.

How many signs had Shion shown towards her that she’d just completely missed? How many times has she ripped Shion’s heart to pieces without even realising? How many smiles had Shion given her, just to hide what she really felt?

She despised Meira with every fibre of her being, but even she caught on to more than she did. More than that though… she despised herself.

She hated that she’d run from the gym once Shion wasn’t looking, yet it was all she could think of doing at that moment. And of course, being her usual insensitive self, completely overlooked how that would make Shion feel.

Of course she’d feel hurt by that, and not want to speak to her ever again. What else had Tenshi expected to happen? All this time… she’d taken Shion for granted. 

Now that she’d realised it… it was too late.

The current song drew to a close, and things quietened down enough for Tenshi to overhear Shion again, who suddenly perked upright.

“Oh! I just remembered something… didn’t you say you wanted a photo of me like this?” Shion said to Megumu.

“Ah, thank you for reminding me.” Megumu took out her trusty camera. “Although…”

She looked around in confusion, before leaning in slightly towards Shion. She seemed to mutter something at her, but Tenshi couldn’t make out what. Whatever it was though, it had Shion suddenly blushing and stuttering. 

“I, um… I don’t think she’s coming… d-definitely not after…”

“Ah.” Megumu nodded evenly. “My apologies. Still, it’d be nice to have one of you.”

“Sure! And, uh… maybe I can take one for you both as well?” Shion offered.

“That’d be great! Thank you,” Chimata said.

As Megumu backed up to take some pictures, Tenshi thought back to Shion’s earlier words — how she was glad she could look pretty for just a night.

Shion was beautiful, standing in that radiant dress, her hair hanging down in ribbons, as opposed to it usually being all scrunched up. And while her baggy hoodie and tattered skirt usually hid it completely, the dress Chimata had picked out truly let her lithe figure shine.

But even more, the way she smiled and blushed slightly as Megumu snapped photos of her… Tenshi had never seen her like this. For the first time she could remember, Shion looked comfortable in her own skin.

Tenshi remembered all the times she’d seen Shion laugh or smile, any glimpses of joy she’d gotten from her, and it was then she knew she couldn’t disagree more with what Shion said.

Shion didn’t need that dress to be pretty for the night.

She had always been beautiful by herself.

With a great effort, Tenshi managed to wrench her eyes away from Shion, wandering off aimlessly. What was the point of even coming here? Shion was happy, and… if she truly cared, she should leave her alone. She had her chance, and she wasted it. All because she couldn’t —

“Ow!” Tenshi reeled back, rubbing her head.

“Hey, idiot, use your eyes.” Tenshi looked up, seeing Flandre frowning at her. “You almost knocked us over!”

“My bad,” Tenshi sighed deeply. “Wasn’t looking there.”

“Well… I guess it’s alright. No point holding a grudge on prom,” she replied.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” Koishi giggled mischievously. “We both are!”

“Yeah, I guess,” Tenshi said dully, swallowing bitter feelings down. “It’s a prom, alright…”

“It could be a bit more exciting though. That’s why me and Koishi are gonna shake things up,” Flandre said.

“Actually, Flandre, I think you’ll find that it’s ‘Koishi and I’?” Koishi corrected, in the most over the top posh voice Tenshi had ever heard. “You bring shame and dishonour onto the poetry club!”

“We’re not in school anymore, so I don’t care. Besides, freeform’s a thing, so this is freeform speech!”

“That’s not how that works.”

“Oh, j-just shut up and let me have this joke.” Flandre shoved her playfully.

“What did you mean about shaking things up?” Tenshi interrupted, moderately concerned now.

“Oh, we’re gonna try and spike the punch,” Flandre said casually. “Should be fun and all. We’re having a competition with Seija and Shinmyoumaru to see who can do it first.”

She pointed over to the other side, where the rival couple was standing there, watching them very carefully. Koishi slowly waved at them with a blank smile.

Tenshi looked down at the empty cup she had, feeling a sense of dread kick in. Had she…

“Oh, don’t worry, neither of us managed to do it yet,” Flandre said, noticing Tenshi’s expression. “We’re all waiting for Hisami to give us a good opportunity.”

Tenshi looked over the sea of students, spotting Zanmu and Hisami at one end — the senior detention officer was diligent as always, looking for any signs of trouble. Impressively, she was able to do so even while Hisami was fawning over her.

Unfortunately for these two — or perhaps exactly because she’d expected something like this — Zanmu had stationed herself right next to the punch bowl, keeping an eagle eye watch.

“… honestly, you might as well bribe Hisami,” Tenshi admitted. “She’d probably be down for you to do that — I’m not entirely convinced she wouldn’t spike Zanmu herself there.”

“Of course we thought of that. We’re not idiots! But we agreed to do it fairly — that would just be too easy!”

“But, uh, you probably should warn your date to stay away from that stuff,” Flandre advised. “Just a heads up.”

… two words. Two simple words, and Tenshi’s heart broke at the sound of them.

“My… my date?” Tenshi said, trying to remain ignorant.

“Yeah?” Flandre looked at her, confused that Tenshi was confused. “Shion, right? You two are together, aren’t you? Not that I care, but for her sake, it’d be kind of a shame if not, considering what she went through.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“She tried to steal Flan away from me!” Koishi said indignantly. “Can you BELIEVE the nerve of her?!”

“Steal?” Tenshi rubbed her head in confusion.

“Basically, she asked some questions about how we met,” Flandre explained. “Said she was looking for advice to deal with a crush — didn’t realise until Meira’s little temper tantrum that it was you.”

Shion… had been asking for relationship advice? She didn’t know that at all…

“R… really?”

“Yep., Meira’s an ass, but she did have one good point — that girl’s crazy for you.” Flandre chuckled. “You know, Remi said she dropped in on her and Sakuya too.”

“Huh. I think my sis said something like that as well,” Koishi added.

“Right… uh, I better get back over to her then,” Tenshi lied. “Enjoy your night.”

She slinked away from the couple, now having even more on her mind than before. How many people had Shion sought out for advice… clearly, it had been a few. 

She really went that far for her. That’s how dedicated she was… if she hadn’t thrown Shion’s feelings in the trash like that, would Shion have asked her out to prom? Would she be there with her right now, smiling beside her?

… it was too painful to think about. She stumbled across the room once more, deciding to get another cup of punch before it inevitably got spiked — though, part of her wished it was spiked already. At least then, she could try drowning her sorrow in that.

Perhaps she was being overdramatic, but… it really did feel like the end of the world for her. She knew she was privileged — there wasn’t much in life she wasn’t able to get, but… this seemed to be one of those few things.

Sighing to herself, Tenshi leaned against a wall, swirling her cup of punch about. It wasn’t long before she became distinctly aware of someone approaching her — when she looked up, she was surprised to see Junko of all people, wearing a rather elegant black dress with an odd crown.

“Good evening,” she greeted. “May I join you?”

Tenshi shrugged back. “Go ahead. Not like it’s my place.”

“Thank you.” Junko stood next to her, taking a sip from her own cup, though it was only water. 

“Uh…” Tenshi paused for a moment, wondering what to say to someone like her. “Had a nice night?”

“It has been… adequate. It is enjoyable to see everyone here, if nothing else.” Junko looked over at her. “And yours?”

“It’s been alright. It is what it is, you know?”

“Of course.” Junko nodded, then a second later added, “You’re a rather poor liar.”

“That obvious, huh?” Despite everything, Tenshi couldn’t help but laugh.

“Not many would be up against a wall during prom,” Junko said, the slightest bit of humor shining through her voice. “I assume you’re having romantic difficulties.”

Tenshi nearly choked on her punch then. “H-how do you…”

“It is quite simple. I am here for the same reason, or rather, I am here so that I don’t have to deal with her.” Junko pointed across the room to where Chang’e was. “Look at her… already chatting someone else up. Planning to cheat on Houyi, no doubt…”

Tenshi looked at who Chang’e was speaking with, spotting a familiar tuft of lavender hair. Wait…

“Hey, that’s Yori!” Tenshi said. 

“A friend of yours? You have my sympathies.”

Tenshi laughed in response. “Nah, Yorihime’s not gonna do anything like that on prom night. She’s not interested.”

“Hm. A wise decision.” Junko took another sip of water, before saying, “I couldn’t be happier than I’m free of her. Although… I suppose you are unwillingly in a similar position.”

“… you could say that,” Tenshi said, her voice becoming strained. “I… might have screwed things up badly.”

“That remains to be seen. I will not claim to be familiar with the conflicts in this school, but perhaps you’re not as far off the mark as you assume.”

“Nah, I properly ruined things this time.” Tenshi sighed, shaking her head. “It’s… not good.”

“Hm. It might interest you to know that Shion sought my aid for you actually,” Junko said.

Tenshi stared at her incredulously. Surely even Shion wouldn’t go to those extremes just for advice?

“I was surprised as well,” Junko replied, reading her expression. “Unfortunately, I didn’t have any useful advice for her, given my own situation… however, I might be able to impart some on you.”

“And what would that be?”

“As long as things haven’t progressed to the point where you’ve declared all out hostilities towards her, the situation is not irrevocable.”

“Wow, that’s… uh, that’s pretty on the nose.”

“But accurate. Remember that well.”

Tenshi was about to open her mouth to argue back, but was suddenly distracted by feedback from the speakers on stage. When she looked over, she saw that Horiprism had finished their last number and was leaving the stage, waving to the audience. 

Taking their place was the school band, with Mystia, Kyouko and Wriggle all quickly setting up their instruments. As soon as they finished, Mystia took the microphone and began speaking into it.

“Alright, everyone! Big hand to Horiprism there, but it’s time for us to do our thing! We’re starting off this night with a bang, so I wanna see you all raise the ROOF!”

Everyone cheered and applauded as Mystia strummed a chord on her guitar, letting it ring out for a few moments. Next, Wriggle joined in, adding her bass to it, before Kyouko kicked in with the percussion. 

Before long, they’d begun some sort of rock song — Tenshi never heard this sort of music back home. Most of the students quickly got into it, jumping up and down like it was a mosh pit… that is, except for Shion. Tenshi could barely see her in the centre of it all, but despite being surrounded by so many people, she didn’t feel any inclination to join in.

She felt a bitter sense of jealousy taint her heart — none of those people deserved to be next to Shion. They didn’t really understand her… but then again, neither did she. What right did she have to say that?

Still, it was strange — Shion didn’t seem to want to bask in her newfound popularity. If anything… she seemed uncomfortable with it. At first, Tenshi thought she was seeing things, but she did know a few things about her, and the way she seemed to tense up and flinch when people got too close to her…

It made sense — she wasn’t the type of person most people wanted to be around, not until tonight. She probably wasn’t used to it, and it was making her uncomfortable. 

… she should do something about it, shouldn’t she? If her friend was feeling like that, then… 

She had to. Even if Shion hated her… maybe she’d forgive her a little. From anyone else, Tenshi would have thought it impossible, but Shion had a kindness and patience unlike anything else — she’d put up with her for four years after all.

“Hey!” Tenshi shouted over the noise to Junko. “Look, I know we’re not… like, anything at all, but could I ask you for a favour?”

“If it’s within reason,” Junko answered. “What do you need?”

“Would you mind creating some kinda distraction for me?”

“A distraction?” Junko repeated, looking at her in puzzlement. She then followed Tenshi’s gaze, seeing where she was staring at and smiled. “Ah. Yes, I can certainly arrange that.”

Junko slipped off into the crowd, leaving Tenshi somewhat stunned — she hadn’t expected her to agree just like that. What would she even do?

The band’s current song came to a close, with everyone cheering and applauding for them once more.

“Thank you, thank you!” Mystia said. “We’re gonna be taking a small break before the next one, so sit tight!”

She put the microphone back on the stand, and it was at that moment that Junko decided to strike, striding onto the stage and taking the microphone for herself.

“Hey, what are you doing?!” Wriggle cried. “You can’t take that!”

“Yeah, give it back!” Kyouko said, stomping towards her.

Junko thrust a hand out, instantly stopping all three in their tracks. “Please. I have no desire to hurt any of you, but I can and will throw you off this stage if need be. I simply have an announcement to make.”

The band all backed away, deciding this was one battle not worth fighting.

“Uh… okay, just don’t break our stuff,” Mystia said.

Junko nodded, before turning to the students.

“CHANG’E!”

If anyone hadn’t noticed Junko’s stunt before, her amplified roar most certainly would have drawn their attention now.

“Are you listening, Chang’e?! I know you’re somewhere in the crowd, you skanky bitch,” Junko hissed, scanning the heads of students.. “You probably have your hands all over some lavender haired girl right now.”

“What the FUCK?!” Chang’e yelled from the crowd, with the nearby Yorihime making a face akin to someone after eating a lemon. “Are you like in my head or something?!”

Junko started cackling maniacally. “Of course I am. I am eternal, forever in your mind, no matter what you do!”

“Like, seriously, can you just screw off already, Junko?!” She shouted, with Yori holding one of her wrists to keep her at bay. “This isn’t even funny any more!”

“Oh, I assure you, it is very funny for me. I have something I need to tell you, Chang’e. Something… about Houyi.”

“… what?” Her voice went deathly quiet. “What have you DONE to him, you freak?”

“It’s not what I’ve done, but what I did. And what he did for that matter!”

“Just get to the point!”

Junko didn’t answer straight away, her eyes darting to the right — throughout her entire speech, Zanmu had been slowly approaching the stage, getting close to her now.

“Do you remember how I said he was my friend long ago? And how I was never able to be anything more? I LIED, Chang’e. I kissed him!”

“You… you did WHAT?!”

“That’s right! I KISSED him, Chang’e, and long before you ever got your grubby paws all over! And do you want to know something else? He was far better than you ever were!”

Everyone in the area gasped at the bombshell, as Chang’e broke free from Yorihime’s grip and marched towards the stage with steel in her step.

“You… you BITCH! I’ll KILL you!”

“Then, COME! Come and face me, and let us end this once and for all!” 

With one final glance to the side, Junko set the microphone down and leaped off the stage just as Zanmu charged towards her, as she herself headed straight to Chang’s position.

“Hisami, stop them!” Zanmu yelled, only to realise the futility of it as her partner was halfway across the room. “Ah, god-fucking-damnit. Where’s Miyadeguchi?!”

Huh… now that Tenshi thought about it, Mizuchi had all but disappeared, last hearing from her that she was gonna meet with Satori. Still, she had other things to worry about now, such as the ensuing brawl ahead of her!

As Junko and Chang’e charged out of the halls to settle their feud, Tenshi mustered all manner of dancing and elegance lessons locked deep inside her, forever ignored until this very moment. Yet, she was somehow able to channel it within her, weaving through the crowd elegantly amongst the chaos, until she reached Shion and swept her up in her arms.

“EEK! W-what’s going on?! H-HELP!”

In any other situation, Shion would have been heard immediately, but amongst Zanmu’s shouting and the chatter amongst the students, it went completely unheard. 

As smoothly as she’d entered, Tenshi retreated back, and so flustered by it all, Shion didn’t even realize who her captor was. Eventually, they reached the outskirts of the room, where Tenshi finally stopped moving.

“T… TENSHI?!” Shion yelped, nearly jumping out of her arms. “Was… was that you?!”

“Uh…” For a brief moment, Tenshi felt something rare for her — embarrassment. “I… I guess it was?”

“Oh my… d-damn, you really scared me there,” Shion said, taking deep breaths.

Tenshi paused, her mouth hanging open as she took in what Shion just said.

“What?” Shion blinked at her. “Is… is there something in my face?”

“… did you just swear?” She grinned at her.

“Eep!” Shion squealed, hiding her face with her hands as she went deep red. “O-oh, I’m so…”

“Nah, it’s fine. Damn’s basically not even a swear.”

“Um…” Shion quivered slightly, very surprised at the turn of events that had led to this situation. “Why did you take me like that?”

“Well, I…” Tenshi looked at the floor bashfully. “I… kinda saw you were getting a bit uncomfortable there, and I thought… maybe you wanted some space.”

“O-oh! I… it was getting a little cramped there,” Shion admitted, trying to ignore how distinctly more cramped it was to be in Tenshi’s arms. “So, uh… t-thanks for that.”

“Yeah! And uh, I… was sort of thinking about some fresh air?” Tenshi paused, realizing that she hadn’t actually thought through what she would do with Shion once she retrieved her. “You know, and… I guess you could join too. If you wanted.”

Shion bit down on her lip, looking at Tenshi’s face pensively. Despite her attempting to be cool, Shion could see past that and see anxiety on her face for… had she ever seen Tenshi nervous before? It might very well have been the first time…

She knew that there was a lot to say, and she was surprised because… she hadn’t expected Tenshi to seek her out. Not after what happened on that day. But… here she was now. Holding her in her arms. What… what did it mean? 

She didn’t know… but she wanted to find out.

“… sure,” she said quietly. 

Shion could feel Tenshi relax slightly, as she kicked open the doors to the rest of the school. As they walked through the corridors, Tenshi couldn’t help but appreciate how completely different it was to how they usually were — absolutely silent.

“… hey. D-do you hear that?” Shion whispered.

… or, maybe not. Listening in more carefully, Tenshi heard something as well — it sounded almost like people. Shrugging it off, she walked down the corridors, still holding Shion.

When they turned the next corner, it quickly became evident what the noises were, as they saw Mizuchi pressed up against a wall by Satori, currently engaged in a fierce battle of tongues. None of the four said a single word as Tenshi walked by, even as Mizuchi locked eyes with her and gave her a thumbs up behind Satori’s back. 

“U… um, Tenshi?” Shion started once they got out of earshot. “I… I don’t wanna be rude, but… you’re s-still holding me?”

“Huh?” Tenshi suddenly looked down at Shion and blushed herself, having somehow managed to completely forget that. “Oh! OH! Uh… my bad! I’ll let you down!”

“Wait!” Shion cried. “I, I mean, it’s, um… i-if you wanted to hold me, then I… I guess I… I wouldn’t stop you.”

“No? Well, uh… it’s not like that’s the case, but uh, you’ve been on your feet a lot, and I… I know how frail you are.”

“Y-yeah. I’m not super strong like you, so… you’re…” Shion wrapped her hands around Tenshi’s waist, clutching tightly onto her. “You’re just… making sure I don’t trip or something.”

“Exactly. Knowing you, you’d probably trip over that dress, so… it’s just logical, isn’t it?”

“… yeah.”

Both of them stayed silent for a few moments, neither one wanting to move. 

“Um… I think there’s an exit over there,” Shion eventually said, pointing to one of the doors. “If you still wanna get some air?”

“Huh?” Tenshi blinked, snapping out of her daze. “Oh, good catch.”

With a shoulder, Tenshi shunted open the door to the school’s courtyard.

She stumbled a little bit crossing the threshold—but Shion just wordlessly held onto Tenshi a little tighter, and Tenshi planted a foot forward and steadied herself.  And as the door closed and latched behind them, the ever-present pulse of music and thrum of the crowd quietened to a mere whisper, and suddenly they were completely, and utterly, alone.

Tenshi’s gaze flicked down to Shion, an apology already on her lips—only to catch her eyes, glistening and starry in the courtyard’s path-lighting and upturned at her, simply watching.  She’d known all along Tenshi wouldn’t ever let her fall.

Tenshi’s lips trembled, and she cleared her throat and looked away.

It was a cool night.  Only a tinge of the oncoming summer humidity hung still in the air, and above them laid inky black punctuated by multicolored stars.  Before them, a walking path snaked around the dimensions of the courtyard, tangling in upon itself, before stretching out through a break between the school buildings and veering off around out of sight.

“Uhm, Tenshi?” Shion spoke, breaking Tenshi from her reverie.  “You can…  P-put me down if you, uhm…  Want to…”

“R-right!  Okay!” Tenshi replied, dropping Shion unceremoniously; Shion scrambled a bit and nearly fell, but she clung onto Tenshi’s shoulder just long enough to keep upright.  And all of a sudden, their faces were closer together than ever before and both quickly turned away—

And again, both turned away, their gaze coming to rest on the courtyard walkway.

“...walk?” Tenshi blurted.

Shion thought for a moment, before hunching further and nodding meekly.

The two would put in their first steps onto this walkway, taking it slow as they absorbed the atmosphere around them.

“S-so…  Nice night, isn’t it?” Tenshi started.

“I-I mean…” Shion’s eyes wandered up to the starry sky. “…it is a pretty night, that’s for sure.”

“Yeah, but I mean,” Tenshi took a moment to adjust her suit’s tie. “H-how’s the night treating you so far?”

“It’s…fun.” And then Shion’s eyes lingered down onto the asphalt, counting cracks as she went. “Definitely chaotic, if anything.”

“You saw how Junko leapt from that stage? She was soaring!” Tenshi added on, trying to make light of the situation earlier. “She could easily get into wrestling if she wasn’t a senior.”

Shion giggled. “Yeah, definitely…if she doesn’t get expelled first.” 

The two continued to go down the path, admiring the serenity of the scenery before them. Past the buildings, it curved and joined a larger one bisecting the school, dividing the main buildings and the giant grass fields dedicated to training up Radiant High’s star-studded danmaku athletes.  Usually a hotbed of activity at all hours, tonight the fields lay silent—a darkened expanse of windswept grass, pocked by scorch-marks made by stars and orbs and lasers and all manner of danmaku, stretching far into the distance.

As they walked alongside it, gazing out over the plain, Tenshi noticed Shion walk slower, slower, then stop.  She spied a gate in the chainlink, and so wandered closer and entwined her fingers around the links without opening it.

“So I guess…  This is it, hunh?” she mumbled.  “Finals are done, so…”

A knot of panic swelled in Tenshi’s heart.  “Wh-what do you mean by that?”

“...after graduation, it’s…over,” she said.  After a beat, she added:  “School, that is.”

“I-I mean, there’s always college, right?  R-right?” Tenshi blurted, but Shion let pass a long, heavy pause.

“Where are you gonna go?” Shion replied.  Tenshi couldn’t see her face, but could hear a faint tremble in her voice.

“I dunno…” Tenshi said, coming up alongside Shion.  “I mean, I’ve heard good things about Asajiu Academy, I think?  They have a really good danmaku program there, at least a couple people I know are going there… I mean, I know it’s on Yori’s list, too…

“Ah…” Shion replied, her voice breaking up a little bit, “W-well, you always were really good at danmaku anyway, so you’ll be able to get in…  I know it…”

“B-b-but I don’t know! I don’t know yet!  My parents are all on me, like it’s crazy, they’re all like ‘pick a school already’ and I still can’t decide…  Pathetic, isn’t it?”

Shion had no response for that, only the slightest mutter under her breath.

“...hey, uhm.  That spellcard you were gonna use in finals…  How did it turn out?”

“Oh, that?” Tenshi chuckled, scratching the back of her head.  “Well, it’s still not perfect, but…  The instructor seemed to like it, so that’s good I guess?

“Is that so…”  Shion’s head seemed to hang a little lower.

“Ah, right!  I forgot to tell you!” Tenshi blurted, smacking her hands down onto the chain link fence.  “Or more like, thank you!”

“Th-thank me?”  Shion’s voice perked up at that.

“Yeah!  Like obviously you helped me out a lot when I was developing it, but it was only cuz of you that I finished it in the first place!”

“Hunh?  Hunh?”

“Turns out it was missing a buuuunch of visual contrast, you know?” Tenshi said.  “Like, I was just doing what I normally do for most of it, but nothing was really clicking and I couldn’t figure out why…  Until!”

Shion had fully turned her head towards Tenshi again, those little sparkles appearing again in her eyes.  “U-until?”

Tenshi just turned to her and smiled.  “Well, you’ll see!”

She threw the gate open with a clatter, taking Shion’s hand and whisking her out into the middle of the deserted field, giggling all the while.  The usual floodlights were dimmed, so most of the illumination of the expanse came from the moon and stars above. 

“C’mon, Shion!” Tenshi said, hoping beyond hope that she could see a smile come to Shion’s face before the night was out.  “Never done this before, but y’know, first time for everything!” she said as she let Shion’s hand go.

“T-Tenshi…?  What are you…?” she said, slowing and collapsing into the grass as Tenshi bounded further still away from her.

“For this one, I don’t want you to get hit, okay?” Tenshi laughed as she produced a paper talisman covered in scrawled calligraphy.  “So just stay over there and pay attention, okay?”

“O-Okay…” Shion nodded, standing still as Tenshi stopped at the center of the court, watching her mumble something to herself as she declared her Spell Card.

Misfortune Sign “Eyes Turned Heavenward!”

Tenshi shouted out the Spell Card’s name as she raised the talisman skyward between her fingers; it shimmered pink and burned, converting to a puff of smoke all in an instant.  From it leapt a glowing sword of energy pushing apart her fingers—and with a yell Tenshi plunged it into the Earth below.

And above them there was a crackle of thunder as four bolts of lightning zipped through the air and crashed down around her, flashing a split-second nitrogen blue—storm clouds gathered, streaming from the sword’s hilt and swirling heavenward, till they blotted out the stars above but for a scarlet oculus they orbited.  They trembled, and let forth a downpour of neon blue pin-bullets, shooting down from above, blanketing the grass in swirls of snow white amidst flashes of blue.

And as the spell card matured in the sky, rapidly nearing its zenith, Tenshi could not risk the merest lapse of concentration or her whole waking dream would turn to smoke.  It was all she could do to keep herself focused, mind on the sword planted within the Earth, letting her senses be blotted out by the burgeoning storm.

And then, she felt the spell around her latch into its second phase roar, felt the very air around her crackling with invisible power, all of it weighing down upon her shoulders as she released—

A lone violet bubble.  Emblazoned within it was the character for ‘misfortune’, and slowly it rose into the air, the symbol glowing an ethereal fuschia.  Then, it was joined by another—this one, embodying the character of ‘destitution’.  Then two more, of the characters for ‘tragedy’, two more for ‘adversity’.  And soon they were diffusing outwards, two and four and six and eight at a time, until nearly all ‘neath the swirling heavens was filled with bubbles of roiling purple.  A thousand little misfortunes, spread so thick that Tenshi could see nothing besides—but for the scarlet oculus directly above her head.  For there, in that dead space, there was now an orb.  A mass of pure energy, burning a dull red like a miniature sun.

It swelled, then.  Swelled and crackled, beginning to turn, spin in place filling the air with an electrical whirr until it reached its fracture point.  And suddenly a rain of superdense lozenge bullets sheared off, firing downwards into the bullet field in a beautiful conical swirl.  And when each bullet hit a bubble, it blew straight through, the impact converting both constituents into a spark of light and heat, each bubble reduced in an instant to a lavender will-o-wisp before fading away.

And thus, for but a mere moment, the air all around Tenshi ran thick with millions of particles in a kaleidoscope of purple static, borne of all that misfortune finally meeting the light of the heavens.

And when the clouds finally dissipated, the last of the burning rain had stopped, and the last vestiges of that violet misfortune had been burned away, Tenshi stood lightheaded and panting under her scarlet sunlight still hanging in the air—and she slowly turned her head to where Shion had been sitting.

Shion was crying.

“M-Misfortune Sign?  T-Tenshi, what—”

“I named it after you,” Tenshi said, giggling softly with what breath was left in her body.  “I know how you always talk about misfortune and stuff, and even your danmaku is full of it, so…”

“B-but…?” Shion blubbered, her words devolving into squeaks as Tenshi stretched a little bit, stumbling over to where Shion knelt.  “I don’t understand…?” she finally managed.

Tenshi knelt down in the grass right in front of Shion and cracked a smile.

“Liar,” she said, and Shion gazed back at her with the widest smile Tenshi had ever seen.

Of course, the night wasn’t over quite yet.

Or at least, it wasn’t when Tenshi burst back into the auditorium, filled with that post-confession bravado—of course, with a still-twitching Shion in tow (now, officially, her date).  No, it was a bloody madhouse.

The lights were down and the volume was up to the point Tenshi couldn’t hear herself think, cups were strewn about so that those still dancing were pinging them every which way.  A good majority of the crowd had cleared by now, though more than a few people were just slumped up against the walls or staggering around.  Neither Junko nor Chang’e nor Zanmu were even anywhere to be seen, and neither were Satori and Mizuchi (though that was for more obvious reasons, given that they passed by an open classroom with odd noises coming from it on the way back).  Up on the stage, the three-woman school band was in a similar state—they were never any good even at their best, but now…yeah.

“Tenshiiiii…” Shion whined, basically folding herself in half trying to hide behind Tenshi’s back.  “This is really weird…”

As if to punctuate her point, along came Flandre—she was dashing through the crowd in nearly a full sprint, bobbing and weaving as if all her danmaku practice had led her to this very moment.  She took a hard left to dodge an overturned table and passed right in front of both of them:  “I didn’t do anythiiiiiing!” she whined as she passed.

Hot on her tail was- well, there’s Hisami, looking more than a little disheveled yet with a rather strange smile on her face: “No!  Zanmu’s gonna be so maddddd!”

And finally, came Koishi, pursuing both of them without saying a word, only staring forward with that icy look in her eyes and one of her blank smiles—wait, was she holding a steak knife?

“…well, I suppose someone else succeeded tonight,” Tenshi mumbled.

And then a sudden shout made them both jump out of their skin.

“Oi, Tenshi!  You’re buh-back!” Suika shouted from across the hall, hiccupping mid-sentence as she approached the duo.  Upon her shoulder was draped Miyoi, though she was somewhere between half-asleep and catatonia.  “Heyyyy, atta girl!  Took ya awhile, but ya brought yerself a date!  And a real cute one, toooooo~”

Tenshi blinked, and her gaze slowly lowered to the red cup clasped in Suika’s hand.  Shion ducked down a little more.

“Well, good on ya!” Suika laughed.  “Say, have y’all tried the punch yet?  I ‘unno what’s in it, but this stuff’s great!  Want some?” she said, holding out her half-drunk cup.

Tenshi idly wondered just how many times it’d been filled…  “N-no, I’m…uhm, I’m good…”

Suika frowned.  “Well, more for me I guess,” she said, shrugging and downing the rest of her drink in a single gulp.  “In any case, Tenshi—happy for ya!  And I’m sure Yori will be too, whenever she gets back from chasin’ after that moon girl.  Now if you’ll excuse me…” she said as she turned on her heel, “Sounds like I got a prison break to stage, and you got a prom dance to do.”

“…thanks, Suika.”

Suika just put up the back of her hand in a stoic wave, and wandered off to the punch table (presumably to upturn the dregs into her mouth).

And with that, Tenshi and Shion sighed; somehow, they wee the only isle of sanity in a room rapidly devolving into utter lunacy.  At least the dance floor was relatively open, though the music choice…  Well, currently it consisted of wild drumbeats, off-key buzzing, and occasional guitar shredding (Mystia was down to four strings by now).

“Well, what do you think?” Tenshi said, glancing back towards Shion.  “Shall we?”

Shion half a sheepish smile, and nodded.  “It is our one and only prom, after all…”

“And no matter what happens from now on…”  Tenshi said, stepping forward and pirouetting around, mustering all the grace in her body to take Shion’s hand and gently press the back of it to her lips.  “We have something to look back on, huh?”

Shion nodded again—and the two of them went up to the dance floor hand-in-hand.

And as they entered with eyes only for each other, suddenly that wretched guitar playing stopped short.  “Girls, girls!  Shut up for a minute!” Mystia screamed into the microphone, ripping it from the stand with so much force she nearly stumbled off the stage.

The other two members of the band came to a screeching halt.  So did most of the room, too, in the sudden absence of the noise.

“Whaaaat…?” Kyouko drawled, slumping over her tom all rosy-cheeked and sleepy.

“Why’d we stop?” Wriggle chimed in, similarly reddened but a good bit more lowkey.

“Loooook down there!” Mystia shouted again, pointing a finger at Tenshi and Shion standing opposite one another on the dance floor.  Mystia then cracked a smile, and broke into a cackle.  “She did it, don’t you know?  She did it, the crazy gal really did it!”

Wriggle’s eyes widened, and she followed Mystia’s finger and began to cheer.  “Yay!  She did it, she got the girl too!  I’m so happy for her!”

Mystia nodded sagely, holding up her four-stringed guitar’s neck and giving it a horrid strum.  “Which means we gotta hold up our end of the bargain too, it isn’t just about us anymore!  C’mon girls—let’s really knock their socks off!  …Kyouko!”

“Y-yeah…?” she mumbled, the word sounding less like language and more like a groan.

“Gimme something in 4/4!” Mystia shouted back to her.  “Keep it simple and steady for me, and I’ll buy you that new set of drumsticks you wanted!”

Kyouko lifted her head from her tom with the speed of a demon, drumsticks standing at sudden attention, a fire in her eyes unlike that Mystia had ever seen.

And as the drumming began, perfectly on beat—Mystia turned to Wriggle.  “Wriggle!  Turn up that stupid tone knob already and give me a bassline!  Something in A major, something simple!”

“B-but—”

“Just do it and I’ll kiss you all you want later!” Mystia shouted back.

Wriggle let her shock slip through for but a moment, before looking down at her bass with enough concentration to burn a hole in the finish.  And after a moment of nodding her head along with Kyouko’s drumming, she glanced up, they locked eyes—and Wriggle perfectly transitioned in.

“And now, for the closing act of Choujuukei Gigaku—we have a special song for a special somebody!” Mystia screamed into the mic, her voice echoing through the whole of the auditorium.  “A somebody who made possible the musical trip you’ve all taken with us tonight!  Without her, Chojuukei Gigaku wouldn’t be here tonight!  So everybody still with us, give it up for Shion Yorigami, Queen of the Prom!”

The first chords of Mystia’s guitar were so wonderfully in tune and on beat that it almost covered up the roar of the crowd.  Tenshi and Shion couldn’t tell whether it was a chorus of boos or cheers—perhaps it was both?

Regardless, neither of them even cared.  Arms on shoulders, eyes to eyes, and even with Shion’s height and two left feet, Tenshi just gently matched her movements as they swayed peacefully about the dance floor, all the while the school band played their hearts out.

Nobody knew who threw the first vase—but not even the sound of glass shattering against the front of the stage could snap the two of them out of it.  They simply stepped over the daylilies strewn about the ground around them and continued to dance, back-and-forth, slow and fast.  And soon there were various sounds of tables splintering, silverware clattering, half-filled cups arcing to and fro; sounds of infighting and outfighting, shouting matches and slapping matches, the smell of smoldering talismans and shocks of light, and the two of them were ducking and weaving through half-eaten plates of food and dollar coins and brooch missiles and girly pumps and chintzy crowns and pieces of drywall and lightbulbs ripped from exit signs; they dodged all manner of things the whole of the auditorium could throw at them, for Shion and Tenshi had come much too far for this latest misfortune to dare ruin it.

And in the end, as the band was plucking out their final notes, Tenshi slid her hand around to Shion’s back and they dipped, letting a two-legged chair splinter against the stage behind them, and the two of them ended their first dance together in a kiss.