Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Himari: “Woah! I still can’t believe this is happening!”

The five members of Afterglow step inside Tsukinomori Girls' Academy.

Ran: “Hi-Himari…! Keep it down! How do we even know we’re allowed in here, anyway? We haven’t ran into anybody…”
Himari: “Oh, come on, Ran… Of course we’re allowed! We were invited, weren’t we?”
Moca: “I still can’t believe it~. Such humble Haneoka students, formally invited to the prestigious Tsukinomori~…”
Tomoe: “Hmm… Did we ever find out who invited us? I’m a little freaked out…”
Moca: “Hmm indeed~… It looked official, didn’t it~?”
Tsugumi: “Himari-chan really wanted us all to go…”
Himari: “C-C’mon! It would be rude to turn off an invitation like this!”
Tomoe: “Haha… It just sounds like you wanted t—Woah?!”

A loud, clanking sound interrupts Tomoe. The entryway turns a little darker…

Ran: “W-What’s happening?”
Moca: “Uh oh~. It looks like we’re trapped~.”
Ran: “Moca! D-Don’t mess with us like that!”
Moca: “Whaaaat~? I’m being serious, though~…”
Tsugumi: “The… The electric curtains closed behind us… are you sure this was a real invitation?”
Himari: “O-Of course I am! This must be some sort of mistake…”

As Himari’s voice trails off, the girls hear the sound of footsteps running in their direction.

Touko: “Ah…! No way! We were too late…”
Himari: “W-What?”
Ran: “Touko-chan?!”
Touko: “Ran-san? What are you doing here?”
Moca: “Ooooh~. It looks like all of Morfonica is here too~.”
Tsugumi: “Really…? Let’s see… Touko-chan… Mashiro-chan… Nanami-chan… Tsukushi-chan… and… huh?”
Tsukushi: “Haha…! Uhm… Rui-san had some obligations to attend to, so… uhm… well… Kaoru-senpai is replacing her for today!”
Kaoru: “Haha! What a beautiful day to meet up with such beautiful kittens. I am honoured to take on the role of our dear Rui-chan.”
Himari: “Kaoru-senpai?! You’re here too?!”
Ran: “W-What…? How does that make sense?”
Mashiro: “D-Don’t worry about it!”
Nanami: “Hahaha…”
Touko: “Anyway… if you guys are here too, then… did you receive the invitation?”
Tomoe: “Y-Yes! Do you know anything about it?”
Touko: “I see… Well… About that…”

Chapter Text

Touko: “We were invited as well, but… the school is totally empty.”
Mashiro: “And, and… all the doors began locking one by one…”
Tomoe: “Seriously?!”
Himari: “N-No way…”
Touko: “Ah, but there’s probably some emergency exit or something like that, right? Rui should know where it is.”
Kaoru: “But of course… As a member of Tsukinomori’s esteemed student council, I undoubtedly have access to such information.”
Ran: “Are we seriously running with this…?”
Himari: “Really? We’re saved, then!”
Tsugumi: “Haha… It looks like we are!”
Kaoru: “Yes… The location of the emergency exit… is… fleeting.”
Himari: “Huh?”
Tomoe: “That’s it, we’re toast…!”
Touko: “Whaaat? Come on, guys, it’s fi—Wah…!”
Ran: “Aaaah!”

The lights turn off, plunging the school in darkness – but immediately turn back on, in a spotlight focused on… a large black and white bear.

???: “Upupupu…”
Himari: “M-Michelle?! What happened to you?”
Moca: “Oh no~… Someone painted all over Michelle’s beautiful fur~…”
Michelle: “Upupu… I am not this Michelle you speak of… I am… your new chairwoman!”
Kaoru: “Could it be?! An imposter?!”
Touko: “Oh, well! It can’t be worse than the previous—”
Tsukushi: “Touko-chan! Don’t be rude!”
Tsugumi: “Chairwoman…? Well… I suppose Michelle is a girl…”
Ran: “That’s what you’re worried about?!”
Tsugumi: “S-Sorry…”
Michelle: “Listen to me! I have invited you all to Tsukinomori… because you possess a special talent.”
Moca: “A special talent~? I wonder what that is~.”
Tomoe: “Really? I’d rather… get out of here…”
Michelle: “That’s right! The members of Afterglow… Ran, the Ultimate Lyrics Writer!”



Tsugumi: “Oh, did you hear that, Ran-chan?”
Ran: “That’s… What?”
Michelle: “Tsugumi, the Ultimate Barista!”
Tsugumi: “Ah, that… makes sense, haha…”



Michelle: “Tomoe, the Ultimate Taiko Drummer!”
Tomoe: “Woah, for real?”



Michelle: “Moca, the Ultimate Point Cards Collector!”
Moca: “Haha~. I knew it~.”



Ran: “There’s no way that’s a talent…”
Michelle: “And Himari…”
Himari: “Yes?”

Chapter Text

Michelle: “And Himari… the Ultimate… Cutie.”
Himari: “W… What?”

Ran: “Now there’s no way THAT’s a real talent.”
Tomoe: “Is that weird bear coming onto you?”
Tsugumi: “I… I think that’s a compliment?”
Himari: “Y-Yeah! Of course I’m the Ultimate Cutie! Now that I think about it, there’s no better fitting title for me!”
Moca: “Haha~. She’s taking it as a compliment, after all~.”
Michelle: “All ten of you Ultimates… will be participating in an elimination game.”
Himari: “An elimination game…?”
Mashiro: “Tha-That sounds scary…”
Michelle: “That’s right… In order to escape… you will have to eliminate one of your friends.”
Tomoe: “Eliminate?!”
Tsugumi: “One of our friends?!”
Michelle: “If by the time you all come to classroom 5-C, no one has been eliminated… then… you will be stuck inside the Academy forever.”
Touko: “Classroom 5-C? That’s all the way on the last floor!”
Ran: “Wait, what? I don’t want to play this sick game!”
Himari: “M-Me neither… someone is probably going to come save us eventually, right?”
Michelle: “Upupu… all connection to the outside has been cut off… no one can enter the premises of the Academy… you are my hostages.”
Touko: “Hmm, I don’t really get it, but all we have to do is go to classroom 5-C, right?”
Nanami: “Touko-chan… I don’t think we want to do that…”
Michelle: “Upupu… good luck.”
Kaoru: “Ah! The imposter has disappeared!”
Himari: “A-Already?”
Tsugumi: “Woah… I didn’t even see it leave…”
Touko: “Well… There’s no use staying in place!”

Touko takes off running.

Mashiro: “T-Touko-chan! Wait!”
Tsukushi: “W-We said wait!”
Nanami: “Touko-chan…”
Koaru: “Ah… this is… fleeting.”

The rest of “Morfonica” follows her.

Tomoe: “Uh oh… What is she doing?”
Moca: “Hmm~. I think we should follow them for now.”
Tomoe: “M-Moca?!”

Moca and Tomoe run off.

Himari: “G-Guys?”
Ran: “Seriously…? Now we’re forced to go, too…”
Tsugumi: “I… I hope things turn out okay…”

Chapter Text

The five members of Afterglow run up the stairs and find “Morfonica” mid-conversation.

Mashiro: “Pff… It’s easy for you to feel confident… but I don’t even remember having a talent or anything like that.”
Himari: “…Oh? So you girls have special talents too?”
Tsukushi: “Come on, weren’t you listening? Michelle… I mean… The chairwoman said all 10 of us were Ultimates!”
Nanami: “Though Shiro-chan doesn’t remember her talent…”
Ran: “Wouldn’t you know what it is…?”
Kaoru: “Haha… Let me fill you in, my dear kittens. I am the Ultimate Student Council Member.”
Tsugumi: “R-Right…”
Kaoru: “Our dear Nanami-chan is the Ultimate Artist… Tsukushi-chan is the Ultimate Hairstylist… Touko-chan is the Ultimate Designer… And our beloved Mashiro-chan unfortunately does not remember her talent.”
Mashiro: “I don’t think… I have anything special like that…”
Ran: “Hairstylist…?”
Kaoru: “Of course… Haven’t you noticed she sports beautiful twintails?”
Ran: “And…?”
Kaoru: “It is… but that.”
Ran: “That’s… you know what, whatever.”
Tomoe: “More importantly, what are you doing?! You know we’re not going to that classroom, right?”
Touko: “Seriously? Do you guys want to stay stuck inside a school forever?!”
Nanami: “Touko-chan… if we just head straight to the classroom, then we’ll be forced to stay here forever.”
Touko: “Wait… really?”
Tsukushi: “Yeah! Seriously, Touko-chan… If you don’t pay attention to the rules, you might put us in danger…”
Touko: “Pff… But that bear… It was really creeping me out, y’know? I just really wanted to get out of here!”
Himari: “A-And if we don’t do what she asked… then… how are we going to escape?”
Tomoe: “Himari! You can’t possibly be thinking…”
Moca: “Hmm~… Moca-chan thinks Hii-chan is just looking for reassurance~.”
Himari: “Obviously…!”
Ran: “Hmm… What about an emergency exit? Michelle didn’t mention anything about that.”
Touko: “Oh! You’re so smart, Ran-san! We should totally go check that out!”
Tsukushi: “Hmm… I wish Rui-san had been there to guide us…”
Kaoru: “What do you mean, my dear kitten? I shall be the guiding star you dream of.”
Tsukushi: “Right…”
Ran: “We should start by going back downstairs, shouldn’t we? There’s no way an emergency exit would be located on the second floor.”
Tsugumi: “Ah, guys… About that…”
Nanami: “Uh oh, did something happen…?”
Tsugumi: “The staircase… closed itself while we were talking…”
Tomoe: “Wait, whaaat?”
Touko: “Oh no…! Why would they install those curtains on the stairs in the first place?!”
Mashiro: “I, I never noticed those were there…”
Nanami: “Then… it seems… the only way left is up.”

Chapter Text

The girls have made their way upstairs once again.

Himari: “G-Guys… I’m starting to feel really scared…”
Tomoe: “D-Don’t worry, Himari! W-We’ll probably find a ph-phone or computer we can use to contact the outside!”
Ran: “You say that, but your teeth are shaking as well…”
Tsukushi: “B-But Tomoe-senpai is right! So… don’t feel worried or anything, okay?”
Touko: “Haha, that didn’t sound encouraging at all!”
Tsukushi: “C’mon, it… it wasn’t that bad, right, Mashiro-chan?”

No response. Tsukushi freezes in place.

Tsukushi: “Mashiro-chan...?”
Tsugumi: “M-Mashiro-chan? Where did you go?”
Kaoru: “Mashiro-chan! Where have you gone, my dear kitten?”
Nanami: “Shiiiiro-chan! This isn’t the time to be joking around, you know?”
Touko: “Do… do you think Shiro would joke at a time like this?”
Himari: “Noooo waaaaay!”

Himari breaks up in tears and runs to hide behind Tomoe.

Himari: “Tomoooeee! I want to go home!”
Tomoe: “Aaah…! W-Wait, it’s, it’s probably some sort of misunderstanding, right?”
Moca: “Hmm… This is a little scary…”
Ran: “It’s more than a little scary…!”

Ran tears up as well.

Tsukushi: “W-Wait, guys… It’s going to be fine…!”
???: “Is it?”
Ran, Himari and Tomoe: “Aaaaaah!”
Tsugumi, Moca and Touko: “W—aaah!”

A large shadowy figure appears behind the girls – soon revealed to be the black and white bear from earlier.

Michelle: “U… Upupupupu… It seems Mashiro has been eliminated… Now, if you proceed to Classroom 5-C…”
???: “Stop right there!”
Ran: “What now?!”
Nanami: “Wait… Shiro-chan?!”

Chapter Text

Nanami: “Wait… Shiro-chan?!”
Kokoro: “That’s right!”

Kokoro appears, wearing a stylish black and white superhero outfit and holding Mashiro in front of her as if taken hostage.

Mashiro: “Sigh…”
Kokoro: “We are Hello, Happy World! Happy!”

Two more superheroes appear – evidently, Kanon and Hagumi.

Kanon: “L-Lucky!”
Hagumi: “Smile!”
Kokoro, Kanon and Hagumi: “Yay!”
Kokoro: “Someone tried to eliminate Mashiro, but Hello, Happy World saved her! Everything is fine now!”
Himari: “R-Really? Phew…”
Ran: “…I can’t believe this.”
Kokoro: “That’s right! We’ll even help you escape!”
Tomoe: “Well, that’s a relief…”
Michelle: “Oh no~… You beat me~… My despair-inducing plan has failed~…”
Ran: “Are you kidding me? What the hell was all of this for?”
Tsugumi: “Ran-chan…”
Kokoro: “Aren’t you happy, Ran? You thought everything was all bad, but surprise! A world with Hello, Happy World! is a world full of smiles!”
Tomoe: “Has… Has Kokoro finally lost her mind?”
Touko: “Hahaha… Sorry about all of that…”
Ran: “You were also in on this?!”
Touko: “I said I’m sorry~…”
Tsukushi: “Kokoro-senpai thought of this plan to… have fun and bring you together, I think?”
Kokoro: “That’s correct, Tsukushi! I realised that people are always relieved and happy after a scary story, and since Afterglow is so united, I wanted to see their beautiful smiles and make them feel even closer!”
Ran: “That’s what I thought…! You organised this…!”
Nanami: “Haha… I think Kokoro-senpai has watched too many horror movies…”
Himari: “Th-There’s no way you can say that…!”
Kaoru: “Ah, my beloved kittens… I wish I could have been one of your saviours… But unfortunately, as Rui-chan was unavailable, I had to step in as an actress.”
Touko: “Hahaha… It’s funny how her obligation came up as soon as Kokoro received permission from the student council…”
Kanon: “I’m… not sure they loved our role, though…”
Hagumi: “Whaaat? No way! Did you see their smiles? They were so relieved!”
Kanon: “R-Right…”
Kokoro: “We should do this more often, don’t you think?”
Ran and Tomoe: “Absolutely not!”
Moca, Himari and Tsugumi: “Haha…”
Mashiro: “W-Wait, and what about me? Why wasn’t I given a special talent, anyway?”
Kokoro: “Hmm… I couldn’t think of one! But it’s okay, since you were the star of the last act!”
Mashiro: “S-Seriously?!”

[THE END]
[SILLY BGM PLAYS]