Chapter Text
“¿¡YOU WANT ME TO MAKE A MUSIC VIDEO IN JUST ONE MONTH?!”
Yuu was in Crowley’s office with Grim. Both of them had been called in urgently, and from the moment they stepped through the door, the atmosphere already felt suspicious… and annoying. Very annoying.
Yuu was not in a good mood.
Not at all.
In front of them, Crowley was trying to maintain his usual elegance, but it was obvious that something was wrong. His stiff posture, trembling smile, and the tiny drops of sweat on his face gave away his nervousness.
Grim, for his part, remained silent, arms crossed and brow furrowed. For once, he had decided not to say anything… which only meant he was also very angry.
“W-Well, yes, my dear prefect!” Crowley replied, laughing awkwardly. “It is for a very important event… guests from other schools will be coming! And we need… um… an impactful performance. Something like a play… or a music video!”
The silence that followed was heavy.
Yuu stared at him.
They did not blink.
They did not speak.
They just stared.
That look alone was enough to make Crowley immediately avert his eyes, feeling a cold sweat run down his back.
“I-It is a great opportunity…” he added, trying to compose himself. “To show the talent of Night Raven College! And, of course… I have complete faith in you.”
Grim finally scoffed.
“Of course he has faith in us! Because he’s not going to do anything!” he growled, pointing at Crowley. “He wants us to do all the work!”
If looks could kill, Crowley would already be more than dead.
Seeing that the atmosphere was becoming increasingly dangerous for his own well-being, Crowley awkwardly took a couple of steps back.
“W-Well, then… I leave it in your capable hands!” he said quickly, adjusting his cape.
And before Yuu could say another word—
Poof.
“GET BACK HERE, YOU COWARD!” Grim shouted, pointing at the spot where Crowley had disappeared. “YOU CAN’T JUST LEAVE US WITH THIS!”
“WHEN YOU COME BACK, YOU’RE GONNA SEE!” he added, still furious.
While Grim continued ranting, Yuu had gone silent.
.
Completely silent.
.
Their eyes were still fixed on the spot where Crowley had gone poof, but their expression… changed.
Something clicked.
Wait…
Crowley never said what kind of musical.
Not the theme.
Not the style.
Not anything at all.
…
That means—
“…Heh.”
Grim stopped yelling.
“Huh?”
Yuu lowered their head, covering part of their face with one hand.
“Heh… hehe…”
The sound grew.
“—HAHAHAHAHA…”
“I don’t like that laugh at all…” Grim took a step back.
Yuu raised their gaze.
Their eyes shone with a dangerous intensity.
“Oh, this is going to be fun.”
Before Grim could react, Yuu grabbed him and lifted him onto their shoulders in one swift motion.
“Hey—!”
“LET’S GO, GRIM! IT’S TIME TO PUT ON A SHOW!” Yuu shouted as they ran out into the hallway.
“WHAT SHOW?! EXPLAIN FIRST!” Grim protested, holding on so he would not fall.
But Yuu was already completely absorbed in their idea.
As they ran, they pulled out their phone with one hand, quickly unlocked it, and opened the group chat.
Without slowing down for even a second, they started typing.
Grim looked down at the screen from above, confused and worried.
“…This is going to end really badly… isn’t it?”
Yuu smiled without stopping.
“It’s going to be spectacular.”
.
.
.
.
.
It was three in the morning.
Yuu was still awake.
The only light in the room came from the screen of their phone and a desk lamp that flickered occasionally, as if it, too, was tired of keeping up with them.
The desk was an absolute disaster.
Papers everywhere. Half-finished sketches. Coffee cups piled up into a small, unstable tower. Pens… so many pens… half of them already out of ink.
And in the middle of it all—
Yuu.
With dark circles under their eyes.
But smiling.
Smiling way too much.
“…Heh.”
“Heh… hehe…”
“—HAHAHAHAHA…”
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
“Yuu, I really appreciate you and all that, but why did you text us in the group chat saying ‘urgent meeting, attendance mandatory’?”
There stood Ace, Deuce, Epel, Jack, Sebek, and Ortho.
Everyone, except Ortho, looked like they had woken up only a few minutes ago.
Which was completely normal.
Because it was five in the morning.
And there was Yuu, looking suspiciously happy, accompanied by Grim, who was also smiling in a way that inspired absolutely no confidence.
Ace was the first to drop into a chair, his hair messy and his eyes half-closed.
“I’m going to say this on behalf of everyone,” he muttered, rubbing his face with one hand. “This had better be a real emergency.”
“I agree,” Deuce said, though he was trying to stay upright and polite despite his obvious sleepiness. “Prefect, calling a meeting at this hour is a bit extreme.”
“For once, I agree,” Sebek commented, leaning against the wall beside Jack, who was resting his head on his shoulder with a clearly exhausted expression.
Epel yawned without even trying to hide it and collapsed onto the low table, using his arm as a pillow.
“Five minutes…” he murmured, getting more comfortable. “Just… five…”
Ortho, on the other hand, was the only one who seemed fully awake. He floated calmly near the group, observing everyone with curiosity.
“According to my calculations, 83% of those present would rather be in bed right now （＾◡＾）,” he said cheerfully.
“Only 83%?” Ace muttered. “I’d say 100%.”
“Putting that aside,” Yuu said, straightening up a little, “this is really important. Crowley left us with the responsibility of handling this.”
There was a second of silence.
Ace frowned.
“…I really don’t like how that sounded.”
Deuce blinked, now fully awake, and looked at Yuu with some concern.
“Prefect… are you all right?” he asked carefully. “You look… different.”
Epel barely lifted his head from the table, narrowing his eyes.
“…Yeah… weird different,” he muttered. “How much coffee have you had?”
Jack sniffed the air lightly.
“…Too much,” he concluded.
“That’s genius energy!” Grim puffed out his chest.
“That’s problem energy,” Ace corrected without hesitation.
Deuce looked at Yuu again, now more seriously.
“Seriously, have you slept at all?”
Yuu smiled.
That smile.
“…Sleep is optional.”
Silence.
Ace slumped back in his chair.
“Ah, great. We’re being led by someone in critical coffee condition.”
Epel rested his face back on the table.
“…I’m going to die here…”
Yuu, completely ignoring their concerns, continued as if nothing had happened.
“Exactly,” they replied calmly. “This is not a suggestion. It is not an optional idea. It is an official task.”
Epel barely lifted his head.
“…Does that mean I can’t leave?”
“No.”
“Cruel…”
Jack crossed his arms.
“And what exactly are we supposed to do?”
Yuu’s smile widened.
“A music video.”
Silence.
Ace stared at them.
“No.”
Grim pointed at Ace.
“Your opinion has been ignored!”
Ace let out a deep sigh, running a hand through his hair.
“We really don’t have a choice, do we?”
Yuu smiled with complete calm.
“No.”