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"That wizard movie yesterday was so exciting, right?" Nirei chattered cheerfully, referring to last weekend when Umemiya randomly invited them to watch a movie at the cinema in the next town.
"Well... I have to say it was good." Suo responded in his usual calm tone. "Sakura-kun seemed to really enjoy it too, didn't he?"
"The popcorn was good." Sakura replied shyly. After all, this was his first time going to the cinema, if they not counting Ori, which was the headquarters of Shishitoren.
"Aaah, you can buy popcorn without going to the cinema, you know? Sakura-chan is so cute. I want to buy you a truckload of it." Kiryuu hugged his plushie affectionately.
"We can try making it at your house too, Sakura-kun. I have the recipe." Suo smiled, and Sakura gave him a suspicious look. "I think it would be interesting to see you handle popping corn kernels."
This kid did have a very obvious evil side sometimes.
"No way!" Of course, Sakura refused firmly, although it wouldn't be surprising if next week his friends actually came to his house with corn kernels and butter.
"But, talking about the movie, what would you guys do if you had magical powers?" Nirei started the interview session, opening his notebook to write down the answers from each person who would respond.
"Of course, I would choose magic that strengthens the body!" Tsugeura replied spontaneously with sparkling eyes.
"Manipulating objects seems practical, I want this plushie to grow to the size of a mattress..." Kiryu voiced the closest thing he could think of.
"What about you, Sugishita-san?" Nirei turned to Sugishita, who was sitting quietly with his head bowed over the table. Lately, he had been trying to get that Umemiya number one fan to blend in more with the class atmosphere, and this light conversation was no exception.
"... Magic that accelerates plant growth..."
This was definitely to help their one senior, without a doubt. Sugishita's loyalty was always amazing to see.
"And Sakura-kun?"
Sakura was silent for a moment. Actually, there was no point in thinking about this seriously, but Nirei's enthusiasm made him feel bad about giving a careless answer. "Maybe, it would be exciting to be able to fly."
"Ooh, that suits you, Sakura-kun." Suo clapped his hands twice, happily imagining his captain grade floating in the sky above Makochi.
"So, how about you, what do you want?" Sakura felt it was unfair that only he was constantly being commented on. Suo always answered casually, so it couldn't even be taken seriously.
"Huh?" Suo tilted his head annoyingly, pretending to forget Nirei's initial question that led them to this kind of conversation.
And Nirei didn't mind repeating the question if it could push his friend to say something relevant. "What would you do if you had magical powers, Suo-san?"
Suo thought for a moment before answering too realistically. "I think I'd be burned."
“We're talking about a fantasy setting, not a massive witch hunt in late medieval Europe!” Even setting aside his respect for his colleague and teacher, Nirei still exclaimed in an annoyed and desperate tone.
Suo chuckled softly. "All right, all right, what do you want to do, Nirei-kun?" Shifting the topic onto someone else was a skill the boy with the eye patch had mastered.
"Well ... probably I might want to stop time?" Nirei replied hesitantly, feeling the curious stares of Sakura and the others fixed on him, full of curiosity.
"Why?"
"Because being with all of you is so much fun, so I want these times to last forever." Nirei expressed his feelings honestly, even though he himself knew it was an impossible hope.
They couldn't stay first-year students forever.
They would grow up, graduate, and continue their lives in different ways.
"... Yeah, I guess we can stay connected forever, right?" Sakura was the first to break the silence in the classroom. "I mean, we have cell phones and stuff."
"Wow, it's weird to hear that idea come from the most technologically challenged person here. Sakura-kun is amazing!" Suo couldn't help but praise him sarcastically.
"Who are you calling technologically challenged, huh?! I already know how to lock the screen, you know!"
"I bet the password is 123456."
Sakura fell silent with a shocked look, which only confirmed the truth of Suo's speculate, which was actually just a guess.
Sugishita grinned quietly, muttering under his breath that it was exactly the same as his grandfather's cell phone password. Sakura, who was annoyed, immediately exploded, and it felt quite normal to see the two of them facing each other with burning gazes.
"Well, these are fun days, huh, Nirei-chan?" Kiryu teased, patting the other vice-captain on the shoulder.
"Don't imply that I enjoy their quarrels, Kiryu-san?!" Nirei whined, clearly objecting.
Tsugeura laughed, folding his arms across his chest as he muttered, "Suo is the one who likes watching them like this the most, haha!"
"Not really~"
Suo's denial was hard to believe, as he had taken a comfortable sitting position to observe the course of Sakura and Sugishita's feud. Somehow, the exchange of words between the two had now escalated to the point where they were preparing to arm wrestle on the nearest table, which happened to belong to Kurita.
"Begin!"
["EVERYONE! LETS GATHER ON THE ROOF! I HAVE GOOD NEWS!"]
Umemiya Hajime didn't mean to, but his timing was too perfect. His announcement was deafening, and in the broadcasting room, Hiragi was fuming while massaging his temples.