“A lot of things happened between us, so it was finally the time to have fun and blow off some steam.”

“We deserved to forget everything, even for a short while and no one would be harmed. Right...?”

Part 1

It was finally the day of Shujin's annual cultural festival that had been awaited for quite some time. It was a big opportunity for students to distract themselves from schoolwork and see their school in a new light they didn't normally see.

The hallways of Shujin were amazingly decorated as many stands were scattered along and extended for as far as the eye could see as if it was a festival or something.

Among the crowd of students and the shouts of others to promote their stands, two girls were walking together side-by-side as their eyes lit up while scanning their surroundings.

There was no mistaking that the festival this year was grander than the previous year... it appeared as those students council snobs could do something right. Who would've thought?

"Whoa...!" Emiko breathed out in awe.

"I didn't expect things to be this nice," With her eyes slightly widened, Kyoko remarked.

"The student council really outdid itself."

"Who would've thought?" Kyoko chuckled lightly.

"Where... do we even start?" Emiko looked around her.

"I'll nail that darts game over there and get the biggest prize," The lavender-haired focused her gaze on one of the games prepared.

"And give you the pleasure of victory? Ha, in your dreams."

"Oh?" Kyoko raised her eyebrow in anticipation, then let out a teasing chuckle. "How cute, are you trying to challenge me, Mi-chan?"

"Anytime, anywhere."

"I like your confidence. Don't get too hopeful that you'll beat me, though."

"You sure do talk big, Kyo-chan when we still haven't played yet."

"I can't help it." Kyoko shrugged arrogantly, closing her eyes for a moment. Snapping it back open, she sneered. "I'm too great, I'm afraid I won't show mercy when I crush you."

"We'll see... we'll see..."

The flame of the challenge was undeniable in the girls' eyes as they looked at each other, confidence brimming in their pupils as smirks crept their ways on their lips.

The previous day's events were overwhelming to Kyoko since it was the death anniversary of her mother, and there was also that attempted kiss between her and Ren.

Had she not loved Emiko so much, she would've chosen her heart over her mind which was why her broken image came to the forefront of Kyoko's mind back then.

Yes, she swallowed her pride, her heart, her emotions all because her best friend can be happy. She was no fool and realized that Emiko became softer after knowing Ren which meant that he was making progress in their small "challenge", so taking him away would only worsen her view of men.

Hopefully, all of that would be worth it...

"Um..."

Hearing that awkward and uncomfortable trail, the girls' ears perked up and caused them to look at whoever was standing next to them.

It was none other than Ren Amamiya who was sweatdropping heavily at them, clearly seeing their challenging and 'fiery' aura blazing all over the place.

"Heya, Renren!" Kyoko greeted him cheerfully, pulling a gracious smile.

"Hey, Kyoko." As a response, Ren smiled back, reminiscing the memories they made the day before, a faint blush on his cheeks.

"Oh, hey there." Emiko faked a cough inside of her closed fist while looking away.

"Hello, Emiko." Ren smiled at the other girl as well.

It was that moment when Kyoko felt as if a sword pierced right through her heart... those two were using the first name basis? Since when? And why?

As usual, she masked such thoughts with a mysterious smile.

The blush on Emiko's cheeks intensified as she looked at the dark-haired boy angrily who tilted his head in confusion at her reaction.

"I don't remember allowing you to use my first name, Amamiya."

Ouch... back at his last name again?

"Right, sorry..." A tint of sadness was visible in Ren's voice.

Their small encounter at Leblanc didn't mean anything to her at all? He did open his heart to her and tell her his story after vowing to keep it all locked deep inside of his heart.

He trusted her and thought she was going to change, but that wasn't going to be easy at all, after all. She was a stubborn one and a very tough nut to crack.

"C'mon Mi-chan, you're too cold! It felt like it was freezing!" Kyoko smirked, teasing the other who furrowed her brows in response.

"Anyway," Kyoko caught their attention, "Mi-chan and I were about to head to the dart stand. Wanna tag along, Ren?"

"........!" Emiko's face became colorless.

"Sure, why not?"

The lavender-haired and the dark-haired smiled at one another before they began walking away, already indulged in light conversations and leaving Emiko behind. Kyoko needed to do something, anything to make her forget yesterday's events, and whatever just happened, so darts seemed like a damn good idea.

Or, more like occupy herself so she doesn't unconsiously regret what she did.

On the other hand, Emiko's jaw clenched tightly and felt a sting attacking her chest mercilessly... why the hell she acted too soft and mushy with that boy in Leblanc that day. That wasn't her, that wasn't the Emiko Hayashi she would pull in the public.

That wasn't... her?

Part 2

The girl's royal blue eyes were focused entirely on the target with the dart between her fingers as she narrowed them intensely to measure the correct angle and the amount of strength she needed to put in her throw. The way she handled the dart was so professional that for a moment, they thought she was a pro.

For a moment, they saw Kyoko's lips form a sinister smile along with her eyes that seemed to belong to a killer, causing goosebumps to crawl under their skin.

"Good night."

After everything that must be considered was set, she, without any ounce of hesitation, began throwing the three darts she had on the targets with swift and quick movements that no one was able to keep up with her abnormal speed.

Three bullseyes.

Those were no movements of a normal human!

The students guarding the stand gulped heavily, while the others felt their jaw drop. It was the very first time they saw someone as great and talented as the girl in front of them.

"S-scary..." One of the students mustered as her body began to shake.

"Sweet." Feeling happy about the result, Kyoko shot Ren a satisfied smirk and a light brush on his shoulder as he took her position since it was his turn next.

Similar to Kyoko, he grabbed the first dart with a focused and intense look in those charming grey eyes of his, causing Kyoko to observe him thoroughly to predict what his result would be.

Finally, after a few seconds, the dark-haired boy threw the first dart at the target and followed by the second and third, almost matching her in speed.

Two bullseyes.

He took a deep breath while looking back at Kyoko, chuckling nervously and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, it looks like I lost." Ren chuckled.

"You weren't too shabby yourself." Kyoko smiled proudly at the teen beside her. "You did well, Ren."

Ren can never forget how those words sounded so beautifully from Kyoko's lips.

"You were great, Kyoko." Ren smiled, genuinely complimenting the girl's insane skills.

Upon hearing the compliment, Kyoko felt herself, especially her ears, heating up. Ren never failed to flatter the girl with his sincerity.

"Y-your p-prize, miss." Interrupting their little sweet moment, the head of the stand lent a Jack Frost stuff toy with his shaking hands.

"Whatta bummer, this one's only slightly bigger than the ones I have..." Kyoko muttered after taking the toy then brought it to her chest, slightly disappointed. But then, she smiled sweetly, "Thanks anyways."

The student really didn't expect that kind of response from her, especially after she showed her monstrous side to them. She was insanely strong for a girl, definitely.

"She's probably a femme fatale, and that's scary!" Another student, shivering, nudged their head.

Watching the scene unfold, Kyoko laughed, no longer offended by such words. All those years, she grew insensitive by that kind of insults and even thought that it was a compliment.

Ren, on the other hand, stared at Kyoko tenderly as if feeling the need to protect her after seeing how precious she was... though not exactly, she's pretty scary too but he found that side of her awesome.

"Oh?" The teen suddenly noticed, eyeing Kyoko and the Jack Frost stuff toy the girl held tightly repeatedly. Looking back to the confused Kyoko, he couldn't help but laugh.

Light shone in Ren's glasses, "You two look alike... pfft,"

Did he just laugh?

"W-what?!" Astonished, Kyoko soon became a tomato mess. First, it was a compliment! She found that Jack Frost cute as hell, after all. And... that laugh.

'It felt like it's been years since the last time he laughed.' Kyoko smiled to herself serenely, watching the boy holding out his giggles. He seemed to fail though, as he soon began to burst in conservative laughter, in which Kyoko joined him.

"That felt good," Ren said, a wide smile plastered on his face.

After thinking that the boy in front of her is too precious along with his cute laugh, Kyoko couldn't help but smile. Definitely, she'd do what it takes to make him happy... and she was sure that the other planned the same.

"Eh?" After wandering her eyes instinctively, Kyoko noticed someone missing. "Where's Mikki?"

Did she ditch them at some point?

"A-Are you sure about this?"

Looking at the source of that sound, Kyoko and Ren spotted a male student at what seemed like a ball throwing stand, Emiko was standing there as well with the widest smirk ever on her face.

"Positive. I only need one ball instead of three." The brown-haired replied proudly while throwing the ball in her hand.

"But this'll only reduce your chances of victory--"

"Try me." Emiko placed the money down.

Clearing his throat, the male student took the money and backed away from the girl due to her intimidating aura to allow her to do whatever she was up to.

Along the process, Ren and Kyoko approached the stand and stood next to the girl who was still bouncing the ball in her hand--a smirk planted on Kyoko's face, knowing that the show was going to be hella good.

"DIE!" Emiko shouted on top of her lungs while throwing the ball.

'Die...?' Ren repeated after turning to a comical chibi figure.

"Pfft..." Meanwhile, Kyoko tried her best to quietly laugh at the cuteness of her childhood friend.

Heading in a supernatural acceleration, the ball eventually smacked all the plastic bottles that were placed together like a small pyramid and sent them flying away in all directions, some were about to hit the student's head who was in charge of the stand.

That girl wasn't fooling around at all since what she said was true, all she needed was one ball to knock off all the targets and that was exactly what she did, and in a very dramatic way no less.

"What... the hell was that?" A female student who was passing by whispered to her friend.

"Beats me... this school's full of freaks."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"H-Here's your p-prize..." Terrified, the male student handed Emiko a stuffed panda.

Her eyes immediately lit up as she snatched the toy from his hands and smashed it in a crushing hug as she jumped up and down while squealing childishly.

That sudden change in demeanor had totally caught Ren off-guard as he watched her with wide eyes acting like an elementary kid who got his favorite candy and all from winning a stuffed animal. So, she was secretly one of that kind, huh? And Emiko no less? What a surprise.

But still, it was... cute.

"Impressive. Expected nothing less than that," Kyoko smirked.

"Oh, I knew you would be impressed. Don't even try to hide it."

"Do you want me to clap for you?" Kyoko sarcastically smiled, then clasped her hands as if preparing in case the girl said yes.

"Meh!" Emiko poked her tongue out at her childhood friend.

Wow, seeing that girl acting so... naturally was indeed refreshing. No harsh words, no attitude, no pissed expressions, just... herself.

That thought brought a smile on Ren's face as Emiko hugged her new toy once more, feeling its soft fur with her cheek while giggling every now and then. It really was cute and somehow heartwarming to see.

"Renren!" Someone called out loudly.

A spiky blond-haired boy who had dark brown eyes approached the group with a big and wide grin on his face.

He wore his Shujin's uniform a bit modified. It consisted of the standard black blazer, unbuttoned to reveal a yellow t-shirt with a comic style star symbol, and the word "ZOMG!" And had plaid trousers rolled up to reveal his ankles. His pants had black suspenders that hung down instead of being worn on his shoulders and had a white belt around his waist. His white sneakers also had a rising sun flag motif.

"Ryuji?" Ren called.

"Yo, how's it goin', man? Been a while, eh?" The boy threw his arm around Ren's neck.

"Haha, yeah."

"Who're those?" He looked at the girls before smirking at Ren, "Oh, you're already hookin' up with two chicks? You sly bastard."

"Th-That's not--" At that point, Ren's entire face became red.

"Nah dude, ya got it wrong." Kyoko corrected casually. "We're just his friends."

"Don't assume, bastard~" Hilariously, Kyoko mimicked the blonde's smirk.

"For real...?" The boy lowered his head comically after letting go of Ren, "Man, you're so lame. I thought you already got a girlfriend or somethin'."

"Says who can't even ask Ann out." Ren commented.

"Th-That ain't true!"

"Who the hell are you anyway, bastard?" Emiko asked casually, mimicking Kyoko's nickname for him.

"Stop callin' me that! I ain't like that, y'know." He defended himself before saying, "Anyways, sorry for the misunderstandin' and not introducin' myself an' all. I'm Ryuji Sakamoto, and this guy's classmate. We became friends pretty quickly at the start of the year too."

"Yes, that's right." Ren commented.

"Oh, you must be Mochizuki and Hayashi, he won't shut up 'bout you two."

"Well, I... not all the time." Ren blushed.

"Heh, two people call Amamiya by that nickname who don't even know each other. What are the chances? Are you each other's spirit animals or something?" Emiko asked Kyoko jokingly.

"Wait, you also call him Renren? Are you for real?!" Ryuji exclaimed at Kyoko.

"Yep, I'm for real! Man, you might be a twin I never knew I had." Kyoko said in a mischievous manner. "For real though, it's cute so it suits him."

Ren rubbed the back of his head embarrassingly.

"This guy's a real mystery, he never talks 'bout himself to anyone, not even me. So don't take it personally, kay?"

".........!" Emiko widened her eyes.

'So he's not that different from me, after all.' Kyoko thought to herself quietly.

"Welp, I really should get goin' now. It was nice meetin' you two. See ya later, Renren!" Ryuji waved before running away.

"He seems pretty fun to hang out with. That dude's peculiar." Kyoko commented. "Then again, we're pretty much on the same boat."

"Right."

'Never... to anyone...?' Emiko thought to herself bitterly.

The pang of guilt that attacked her chest was undeniable too. Ugh... she felt like a total bitch by then.

"Well, where to next?" Kyoko smiled cheerfully in order to lighten up the mood.

"I see that you're enjoying yourselves, correct?"

Looking at who spoke to them just now, it was a girl with red eyes and brown hair in a bob cut with blunt bangs and a French-braid styled headband that matched her hair color. Her winter school uniform appeared normal but without the standard blazer. Instead, she wore a black halter vest over a long-sleeve white shirt with a turtleneck which was different from normal turtlenecks for female students. She wore the regulation black and red pleated plaid skirt, black pantyhose, and black-brown ankle boots.

The student council president herself, Makoto Niijima.

"Oh, what pleasure do we owe you, Niijima-san?" Kyoko smiled mischievously.

"I must keep my eyes and ears open for my peers, don't you think? I'm only checking what the other students are thinking regarding the festival."

"You want the truth? It's amazing! I actually never thought that the student council would do anything right." Emiko spoke without any filters at all.

"Since Mi-chan's being straightforward, I might as well be~" Kyoko hummed playfully. "I honestly didn't expect much, but damn it's pretty good."

"You two--" Ren was cut off.

"It's fine, Ren. I appreciate their honesty, I really do. And I understand why they think like that. I'll admit that the council's budget in the previous years was... questionable. But that won't be the case anymore. I'll make sure of it."

The fiery gaze she had in her eyes caught Emiko and Kyoko totally off-guard since they knew at that moment that she wasn't an emotionless robot who only followed the orders as it was rumored about it. Not with those eyes.

"Makoto..." Ren trailed.

"Woah~ you were cool just now." Kyoko complimented.

"You think so?" Makoto chuckled.

"At some point, you and Sae-san are similar." Kyoko smiled, her words bringing shock to Makoto.

"You know my sister?" Slightly astonished, Makoto asked.

"Aw, she never mentioned me? I feel a bit pained..." Kyoko playfully spoke sadly. "Just kidding~ we sort of worked together once or twice."

"Are you perhaps a high school detective like Goro Akechi?" Makoto asked.

"Um, no..." Kyoko trailed sadly, until her father's words echoed in her head.

"You can be the detective you want to be."

A gracious smile formed on the girl's lips, continuing with her sentence. "Not yet."

Upon hearing it, Ren couldn't help but widen his eyes, eying the figure of the playful girl. As far as he can remember, Kyoko's father wasn't exactly supportive of Kyoko's dream of being a detective, but now, it seems like a significant event happened.

The tables turned.

Ren couldn't help but let a small smile crept across his face, his onyx orbs still focused on the girl. It made him feel glad and relieved that finally, nothing was going to hinder her from chasing her dreams. That's what he hoped.

'At least, be happy, Kyoko...' Ren thought to himself. 'Even if it's not because of me.'

'It would've been better if we could live our lives together.'

"I hope that you'll enjoy this festival, really." Makoto said, causing Ren to snap out of his thoughts. "Oh, and I'll stop by Leblanc later for some coffee if that's fine by you, Ren."

"Of course."

"Now, if you'll excuse me." She bowed before leaving.

"I'm... really speechless. I don't even know what to say." Emiko was really blown away.

"That's Makoto for you. She's an amazing friend once you get to know her better." Ren smiled to himself.

"Heh~" Kyoko hummed in amusement.

With that aside, it was now the time to continue the fun.

Part 3

Those two girls were just... a piece of work.

Not only they went so overboard with every game they've tried, but even the haunted house the first-year students set didn't survive from them.

They literally laughed at every stunt in it, calling it lame, clichéd, and so forth... and at some point, Ren swore that Emiko was willing to smack one of the students who was dressed like a ghost who appeared out of nowhere.

So after that one... unique experience was done with, the girls decided to make a stop at a small café that was set in one of the third-year classrooms.

The smell of the freshly-brewed coffee and tea were so tempting to refuse, so they sat at a table while observing their surroundings. While the decorations were simple and not extravagant in any way, they still looked so elegant and beautiful. Whoever set them up knew exactly what they were doing.

"It looks... so nice." Emiko's eyes lit up as she looked around her.

"Props to whoever set this place up. Talk about having a good sense of aesthetic." Kyoko followed.

"And this menu... everything looks good on it too." Ren commented while scanning the menu.

Gourmet coffee, coffee late, jasmine tea, tea with cinnamon... where do they even start?

"Oh, Ren?! What a surprise to see you here!"

That voice belonged to a girl with average height who had chin-length curly light auburn hair and brown eyes. She wore her winter school's uniform modified to her taste: a pink turtleneck cardigan with short puffed sleeves and a long-sleeved white shirt underneath. The cardigan was zipped open up to her navel and had two large pockets on the front. She wore the standard black and red tartan skirt, white tights with a black flower pattern, and black Mary Jane shoes.

"Haru? Wait... your class set this place?" Ren asked curiously.

"Yes, it was my idea to have a small nice café so the students can refresh themselves." She replied with a kind smile.

That menu... how did he not see it?

"Oh, are those friends of yours?" She looked at the two girls, "My, what a pleasure."

"Yo." Casually, Kyoko waved her hand.

"...Hey." Emiko did the same, but with less enthusiasm.

"I'm Haru Okumura, a third-year student. But even so, no need to be so formal with me. It's wonderful to meet you."

"Same here, Senpai~" Kyoko sang before furrowing her eyebrows, "Wait a sec... Okumura? Like in Okumura Foods?"

"Ah yes, my father is the CEO of the company and I'm expected to inherit it. But I'm more into gardening, so to speak."

"Interesting~ I think you'll do well doing what you like, Senpai." Kyoko recommended with a smile on her face, earning a nod of acknowledgement from Haru.

"You're... that guitarist, right?" Haru pointed at Emiko.

"Have we met somewhere before?"

"No, not officially but... I hear you singing quite often on the rooftop whenever I work with the plants and flowers there. I love the way you play on the guitar, it relaxes me when I garden."

"Oh, I... I had no idea. Gee, thanks a lot, Senpai." Emiko rubbed the back of her neck, feeling flustered all of a sudden.

"Heh, looks like you got yourself a fan, Mi-chan. I'm almost jealous." Kyoko nudged her friend's shoulder playfully.

"Yeah right you are." Emiko rolled her eyes. "Says someone who performed a piano recital once."

Ren's eyes traveled to Emiko's figure, recalling his first encounter with her at Inokashira Park when she was playing on her guitar and singing along. Haru wasn't mistaken at all since her music and voice were indeed so majestic and relaxing... honestly, he kinda fell in love with her voice from the first second. He heard Kyoko singing and playing the piano too, and she gave off a nostalgic feeling, but Emiko was different. There was something different in Emiko's case... something he couldn't quite grasp.

"What can I get to you?" Haru adjusted her standing posture.

"What would you recommend?" Ren fixed the position of his glasses.

"For you, I'd say dark coffee is the best. And for you..." Haru pointed at Kyoko, "I'd say lavender tea will be just to your liking."

"I think I'll give it a shot." Kyoko hummed to herself.

"As for you..." Haru looked at Emiko, "Have you ever tried tea with milk before?"

"No, I haven't actually."

"Really? Oh, then I think you'll just love it!" Haru clapped her hands, "It won't take long, so I'll be right back." She excused herself before leaving.

"She seems like a nice person." Kyoko commented.

"She is." Ren nodded.

"I must say, you have an interesting group of friends."

Yeah, she had no idea.

Part 4

The visit to the café was indeed refreshing and the drinks they had were absolutely delicious. Who would've thought that you could mix lavender or milk with tea and it'd give such an amazing taste?

And so, the three spent their lovely time at the café by having their drinks and chatting together and even having light conversations with Haru whenever she was available.

So after feeling good once again, the group decided to go to the art gallery and check out what hidden talents Shujin students might've had.

That school was always a piece of art... literally. Thus, it only made perfect sense for a classroom to hold an art gallery on display, ah the irony of those words would only make anyone laugh.

Humming to themselves, the three teenagers scouted the gallery with each of them covering a different corner or section. Some of those pieces were truly admirable, while some were, well... questionable at the very best. Such pieces made the three high schoolers question the mental state or sanity of whoever made them back then.

As for Kyoko, who was known to be extremely hard to impress, stood in front of a painting that managed to capture her attention.

A piece titled "Hope and Desire" that consisted of a vortex of dark colors swirling around the canvas with a beam of light emerging right from the center from the darkness.

The painting had so many beautiful meanings behind such a simple choice of colors and technique and managed to cause Kyoko's eyes to sparkle the more she thought about it.

"I take it you have taken interest in this piece?"

"Hm?"

Kyoko looked at whoever said those words to see a tall and thin boy who had grey eyes and dark blue hair with parted bangs slightly covering his left eye.

He wore a white gakuran-style shirt embroidered with a fleur-de-lis, fitted black pants, and black loafers. A silver ring, that holds multiple keys, was attached to his belt loop.

"I must admit that the meaning behind the painting is very deep despite how simple it looks. This is how true art should be." Kyoko eyed the painting further.

"And what do you think is the meaning behind it?" The dark blue-haired boy asked, his voice came out deep and polite.

"I think..." Kyoko looked at it again. "If I had to guess, I'd say that it means that there's always light within the darkness. It's always there, but you should just find it."

'A light within darkness, huh...?' Kyoko thought to herself, Ren's image flashing in her mind.

"Hm, what an interesting answer. It is true that every person's perspective of art is different. I truly value your answer, thus I shall keep it in mind."

"Heh, you're the artist, aren't you?" Kyoko chuckled after piecing it all together.

"Indeed, my name is--"

"Oh, Yusuke!"

Ren and Emiko approached the other two with the former waving at the dark blue-haired boy while smiling at him as if they knew one another for a while.

Emiko on the other hand, had a vein popping on her head to see a boy talking with Kyoko while trying to suppress her urge to do something stupid.

"Ah, hello Ren. What a pleasure seeing you here." Yusuke smiled delightfully.

"Yeah, likewise. So, what are you doing here?"

"I was merely asking this fine young woman regarding my piece over there."

"Your piece?" Emiko repeated as she glanced at the painting behind Yusuke and Kyoko. "Whoa, it's amazing!"

"Wait... how did you even submit a piece? You don't even attend here." Ren asked.

"Haven't you heard? Apparently, Shujin decided to collaborate with Kosei for the art gallery at your festival." Yusuke explained.

"Kosei?" Kyoko raised her eyebrow.

"Please pardon my rudeness, I haven't even introduced myself properly yet. My name is Yusuke Kitagawa, a second-year at Kosei High School's fine art division. I am a friend of Ren whom I met once during an art gallery of my Sensei."

"Yusuke Kitagawa... Yusuke..." Emiko closed her eyes as she thought. "Ah! Aren't you Ichiryusai Madarame's pupil?!" She suddenly exclaimed.

"So you have heard of my Sensei?"

"Of course! I've been to his exhibit many times before and saw some of your own works there! No wonder your name sounded so familiar to me!" Emiko's eyes sparkled from excitement, turning to a chibi figure.

Ren could only sweatdrop at Emiko's sudden extremely bright aura while Kyoko was chuckling at her childishness.

"It is my pleasure to know that my works have captured your interest. I intend to capture true beauty; a beauty that no one has seen before! Therefore, I shall always put my heart and soul in every brush on the canvas."

Emiko's eyes only sparkled brighter than before as she began squirming from happiness under her breath.

"Say, would you mind being my model?" Yusuke looked at Kyoko. "Your beauty has truly captured my heart."

"Eh?" Emiko had a comical blank expression on her face.

"Me? A model?" Kyoko questioned.

"She's not posing nude for you, Yusuke." Ren interrupted.

"N-Nude?!" Kyoko nearly screamed, her face turning entirely red.

Any happy aura that surrounded Emiko had completely shattered as the atmosphere around her changed entirely. Her body emitted a devilish dark aura and her eyes gave a deep shade of red--she was more than ready to commit a bloody murder on the spot.

"N-No, that's not what I am--" Yusuke was cut off.

"Relax, I'm just joking." Ren laughed.

And it was that moment that any tension that surrounded the room was completely thrown off the window, and instead had the two girls look at Ren in the same deadly gaze and dark aura, causing him to clear his throat while rubbing the back of his head. It was such a bad idea to joke with them like that.

"Hey, Kitagawa! We need you over here!" A student called.

"Yes, I'm coming! My apologies, but I need to aid with the gallery. It was great to see you again, Ren. And I hope you consider my offer." He looked at Kyoko. "Now if you'll excuse me." And with that, he left.

"Yeah, never..." Kyoko trailed. "Again, what a strange fella you have there, Ren--" She paused her statement when she tried to look over at the boy.

"I'm not forgiving you for this, you understand?!" Emiko grabbed Ren by his collar, shaking him violently.

And that was just the beginning.

Part 5

"Planetarium Presentation?" Kyoko read the sign in front of one of the classrooms on the third floor. It was clearly a first-year classroom.

"Would you like to check it out?" Ren asked Kyoko with a small smile.

"Eh, why not? We've got lots of time to kill anyway." Kyoko said, then her eyes sparkled. "Everything about the sky fascinates me."

"But you love sunsets the most, right?" Ren asked in a mild cocky manner as if bragging how much he knows about her taste.

"O-of course," Kyoko muttered as a faint tint of pink crept across her face.

As the two engaged in light conversations and chuckles, Emiko couldn't help but narrow her eyes and knit her eyebrows as she looked in deep thought.

The name written on the sign of who was responsible for the presentation struck her and grew both her suspicion and curiosity.

'Futaba... Sakura...' She thought. The surname itself was oddly familiar.

Following Ren and Kyoko into the classroom, the trio was caught off-guard upon seeing everyone present in the room murmuring and whispering among themselves at the presenter.

But what truly caught the attention of the two girls was how Ren's fists were clenched tightly along with his jaw, his eyebrows were knitted as he looked forward with an intense gaze.

The way the glimmer in his eyes could change like that never failed to catch the girls' interest before.

The first-year standing by the podium was a short young, bespectacled girl with hip-length bright orange hair with straight-cut bangs and two long strands in the front along with a single small, thin ahoge strand at the top. Her brown eyes also seemed to have some faint purple tones in them, appearing mauve. She wore large black circular glasses and a set of AKG K845BT headphones with red earpads. She had her normal Shujin school uniform on without any modifications, just like Emiko... well, minus the headphones.

"What's wrong with her? I don't get it."

"I wasted my time watching this?! Lame..."

"What were those first-years thinking when they chose her?"

The students' murmurs were more than audible for the three to hear... oh, how shameless they were.

Emiko and Kyoko both clicked their tongues in annoyance as they looked at the crowd of students.

"Damn assholes. If they have the balls to insult, then why don't they replace her instead?" Kyoko, clearly displeased by the remarks the students made, muttered lowly. "I bet they'd do it much worse than her."

"Tch... totally. They talk big but piss in their pants when they're put on the line." Emiko agreed.

"A-And b-because of th-that... V-Venus is the h-h-hottest planet in the solar s-system...!" The poor girl was literally sweating bullets.

Her legs were shaking terribly behind the podium and it felt so hot in there all of a sudden that the bright orange-haired first-year had to pull her turtleneck as she cleared her throat.

It all seemed pitch black in her eyes and the students appeared as faceless white creatures in her eyes with hollow black and wide smiles, causing her to shriek under her breath.

She shook her head a few times before she looked back at the crowd, her eyes catching Ren at the very back of the classroom near the door who gave her a soft and reassuring smile and a small thumbs-up.

It seemed as if all the tension she felt vanished with a blink of an eye as her lips curved upward to a smile of her own before looking back at the spectators, her gaze flaming in determination as she thought that she was going to kill this presentation!

Clicking a button on the projector placed on the podium, the entire room was decorated with a hologram of the galaxy, specifically the solar system, as the image of the stars, the sun, and the planets, caught everyone's eyes and made the classroom fall into silence.

Kyoko and Emiko on the other hand also gasped in awe as their eyes widened open at such an indescribable scene, their eyes sparkled with the holographic stars that enveloped every corner of the room.

"The Solar System consists of eight planets we all know as; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union downgraded the status of Pluto to that of a dwarf planet because it did not meet the three criteria the IAU uses to define a full-sized planet. Essentially Pluto meets all the criteria except one-it ❝has not cleared its neighboring region of other objects.❞" The girl began explaining from the start.

Then, the image zoomed to Venus.

"Although Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system. Why's that? Well, it's cuz Mercury doesn't have any atmosphere, and it can hold and trap heat. Any heat that Mercury receives from the sun is quickly lost back into space. Venus is very close to the actual size of the earth and viewing it has been difficult due to a very thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide. This thick atmosphere makes the surface of Venus hotter because the heat doesn't escape back into space."

By the end of the presentation, the first-year received a massive amount of applause at her remarkable speech and presentation of the solar system through 3D hologram images from the projector.

The students left with big smiles on their faces while talking about everything and every question that was discussed; although geography was a boring subject, that girl managed to make it so enjoyable for everyone. And that hologram was the game-changer that flipped the equation to her favor, so that class's project was a total success!

"Man, I thought I was gonna die..." The girl waddled in her walk.

"Great job, Futaba." Ren approached her.

"Ren, you really came!" She skipped her way toward the dark-haired boy.

"Of course I came, why wouldn't I?"

"Yo! That was an amazing presentation you did there." Kyoko approached her along with Emiko.

The girl quickly hid behind Ren while clinging tightly into his arm.

"She's just shy around people, please excuse her." Ren spoke.

"It's alright, we saw that clearly with our eyes." Kyoko stated, then beamed a friendly smile. "What's your name?"

"F-Futaba... Futaba Sakura."

"She's the daughter of boss. You know, the owner of Leblanc where I'm currently staying?" Ren informed.

"Woah, really?" Kyoko questioned. "So she's like a younger sister to you?"

"Something like that." Ren smiled fondly as he patted her head before she shoved it away.

"Hey... you're Emiko and Kyoko, aren't you? Ren told me a lot about you two." Futaba moved away from Ren, feeling more comfortable. "And I've seen you a lot in Leblanc before." She pointed at Emiko.

"Yeah, I've seen you too but I never thought that you're Boss' daughter. Anyway, nice to meet you, Futaba. That presentation was something else entirely. " Emiko offered her hand.

"Y-Yeah, n-n-nice to meet you too...!" Futaba shook Emiko's hand violently up and down, clearly due to her embarrassment.

"Um, Futaba? You can let go of my hand now." Emiko deadpanned.

"Damn cold." Kyoko turned chibi as a cold sweat rolled down her face.

"Hey!" Emiko snapped at her comically as an angry chibi figure.

"Ah, Futaba-chan!"

Looking at the entrance of the class, the four saw a girl with bright blue eyes and wavy platinum blonde hair styled in bushy pigtails, with parted side bangs on the right side of her face. She accessorizupooed with a single yellow hair clip above her left ear, as well as small circular earrings on both ears.

Her winter school uniform was modified to fit her taste: the standard black blazer over a white varsity-like full-zip hooded sweatshirt, worn long to cover most of her short plaid skirt. Her sweatshirt had a red stripe between two blue stripes at the bottom, an S symbol near the front bottom on one side, and a green four-leaf-clover symbol on the back of the hood. She also wore red tights and brown boots with yellow laces.

"Ann!" Futaba made her way toward the girl. "You watched me too?"

"Of course I did! And man, as much as I hate geography, what you did was totally amazing! Like how the whole class was like the entire galaxy!"

"Not the entire galaxy, just the Milky Way." Futaba corrected.

"Same thing..." The platinum blonde-haired sweatdropped.

"Hey, Ann." Ren waved.

"Ren! How is it going?" She exclaimed happily at him, waving the dessert she was carrying.

"Buying crepes again?" Ren sweatdropped.

"Hey, that's mean! That crepe standing just over the hallway really stuff their crepes with cream! I tried every stand in the school and this one is the best so far!"

"Every..." Kyoko began, turning to a shocked chibi figure.

"...Stand?" Emiko continued, being the same as her friend.

"Hey, you must be Ren's friends, right? My name is Ann Takamaki, nice to meet you!" Ann flashed them a friendly smile.

'Ann...?' The two girls smirked at one another, clearly thinking of the same thing.

What Ren told Ryuji when they ran into him earlier.

"Says who can't even ask Ann out."

Their smirks intensified as they grew comical devil horns and tails. So she was the one Ryuji had a crush on, huh? Yep, it had to be her.

"Oh, a blonde girl..." Kyoko tilted her head innocently. "Hey, Mi-chan! Have you heard that blondes are meant to each other?"

"Yep! I totally agree!" Emiko replied, before the two girls shifted their heads at the same time wearing the same smirk.

"Um... why are you smirking like that? It's kinda creepy." Ann had a cold sweat rolling on her face.

"Oh, nothing." Kyoko smiled devilishly.

"Yeah, nothing at all." Emiko followed.

"Ren, why did you choose them as your friends?" Futaba asked.

"Even I ask myself that question." Ren sweatdropped.

"Hey, Futaba-Chan I saw a VR experience stand on the way here, wanna check it out?" Ann looked over at Futaba.

"Really? Of course, I'm coming!" Futaba walked happily to the door.

"Wanna come along too, guys?" Ann asked the three.

"We'll catch up to you." Ren waved his hand.

"If you say so. Come on, Futaba-Chan!" Ann held the other's arm.

"VR experience! VR!" Futaba's happy cheers could be heard as she and Ann walked out of the class.

"Still as loud as ever." Ren chuckled to himself.

"It must be nice... to have a sibling." Emiko's words hid a tint of sadness behind them.

"Mi-chan..." Kyoko frowned, knowing exactly what her friend was thinking of.

What Ren didn't know about Emiko, is that her mother was going to give birth to a baby boy a few years ago; the brown-haired was going to have a younger brother.

But her cursed man of a father had to shatter that happiness with his constant abuse of his wife, killing the unborn baby while he was still in his mother's womb.

Emiko still didn't get over it until now because she wanted more than anything to be an older sister.

Ren couldn't help the pang of guilt from growing as he looked at Emiko, the way her lips curved upward to a sad smile as the glimmer of joy she had earlier was vanishing from her eyes.

His chest stung as he remembered her crying in front of him in Leblanc after listening to his story regardless of how rocky their relationship began.

That was when he knew that he hated seeing her cry like that and truly wanted to see her happy, he wanted to see more of her laughs and childishness as she did today.

He wanted to see... the real her.

"Hey..." Emiko spoke, catching Ren's attention. "I had a lot of fun today with you and Kyo-chan. It really distracted me from everything and I felt like I could be myself for the first time in a while. So, thank you." She bowed to the boy.

"N-No, no need to thank me, Hayashi-san--"

"Emiko."

"Eh?" Ren questioned.

"Just... call me Emiko. Hayashi-san seems too formal, right?"

It was that moment that Ren's eyes widened at her words as he studied her face, she gave him the softest smile she ever showed so far. It was brimming with so much warmth and friendliness, not her usual smirks or devilish grins... no, that was a pure Emiko smile. A smile only meant for those who managed to have a place in her heart, a smile only for those whom she loved so much.

Ren's smile also widened in the process, his cheeks turning to an undeniable shade of rose pink as he felt a bubbly sensation running through his stomach, not that he minded it at all.

"All right then, Emiko."

"Let's make the best of this day together, Ren."

The dark-haired and the brown-haired both grinned in happiness as they giggled at the sound of their first names rolling off their tongues like that... and it sounded indeed beautiful.

Kyoko was glad, she was really glad that Emiko was finally able to smile so happily like that and have fun after what seemed like ages. She tried to smile and be happy for them too... but her heart felt like it was being stabbed by a thousand swords.

She chose her friend's happiness over her own, after all.

But... was it really worth it?

“I was happy! I was really happy! I didn't want this joy to stop at all! I know I'm being selfish, but I want to be like this forever!”

“But little did I know back then the price I had to pay for not noticing the frown on your face, Kyo-chan...”

A/N: And here's Chapter 9 supposed to give you a rest from all the drama! Nah, just kidding. We know, we know! XD The subtle drama is deadly! 😂

Yep, this chapter focuses on Emiko and Ren's progress in their relationship. You RenEmi fans know how big deal Emiko and Ren calling each other by their first names is. XD

Wait, what do I see up there? KyoRen sinking? XDXD jkjk, don't kill me y'all. Who knows?

Sometimes I wonder too who's the person Kyoko will end up with. XD

With that said, did you enjoy the chapter? Especially the cameo of the Phantoms~ If you did, please leave a vote and comment your thoughts!

The next chapter is going to get REALLY spicy, so look forward to that. Possibly the moment of truth which ships will sail? Or maybe, another intense chapter that'll end with a cliffhanger.

Before I spill more spoilers, I should shut up now and thank you all for reading! XD

xoxo,
Eth.