As Aoto and Akia ventured back into the high school section of the academy, the atmosphere shifted from the lighthearted energy of the middle school to something more grounded, yet still familiar. The hallways were filled with students chatting between classes, the distant hum of activity providing a comforting backdrop to their exploration.

Aoto felt a sense of joy and wonder that hadn't quite left him since arriving at CherryWood Academy. The sights, sounds, and the people he had met so far made him feel like he was part of something much bigger than himself. There was a kind of freedom here that he hadn't felt back on Earth—a unique and welcoming school community that had embraced him, quirks and all.

After about half an hour of exploring the high school section, the two walked by a set of stairs leading down into what seemed like a dark abyss. The sudden drop in light made Aoto pause, and his curiosity piqued as he peered down into the shadows.

"Where's that lead?" Aoto asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.

Akia stopped beside him, glancing down the dark stairwell with a slight grimace. "Oh. That leads to the Dark Hallways and Classrooms." She paused for a moment before adding, "Basically, it's for the Nighter Class."

Aoto raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Nighter Class?"

Akia nodded, folding her arms as she explained. "Yeah. The Nighter Class is made up of Comos with night-vision. They usually sleep underground, like in basements or cellars, and they prefer darker, quieter places. This area of the school is specifically designed for them, where there's less light and more privacy."

Aoto's interest grew, but he couldn't help but feel a slight shiver run down his spine at the idea of a whole section of the school being dedicated to Comos who thrived in darkness. "That's... interesting," he muttered, staring into the shadows.

Akia glanced at him with a warning look. "By the way, don't go down there alone. Some Nighter girls can be a little..." She trailed off, searching for the right word. "Eccentric."

Aoto raised an eyebrow, slightly amused. "Eccentric how?"

Akia shifted her weight, clearly trying to find a way to explain without alarming him. "Let's just say some of them don't get a lot of... daytime social interaction. And they can be, uh, a bit intense when they meet someone who's not from the Nighter Class. Especially if that someone is a human from Earth."

Aoto nodded, taking the warning seriously but still curious. "Noted. So, basically, don't wander down there unless I want to get ambushed by overenthusiastic Nighter girls?"

Akia chuckled softly. "Pretty much. And definitely don't go without a flashlight. They might see perfectly in the dark, but you... not so much."

Aoto took a deep breath, glancing down the stairs once more. The dark, eerie silence from below seemed to almost beckon him, but he knew better than to take unnecessary risks. Akia, being the thoughtful friend she was, pulled out a small flashlight and clicked it on, casting a soft beam of light down the stairwell.

"I figured you'd want to take a look, so let's go." Akia smiled, taking the lead as she descended the stairs, the flashlight bouncing with each step.

Aoto followed closely behind, his curiosity outweighing any nervousness. The further down they went, the cooler the air became, and the sounds from the rest of the school faded into an eerie silence. The dark stone walls seemed to close in around them, but Akia's flashlight kept the shadows at bay.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the hallways ahead were dimly lit, with only a few faint glowing lights spaced far apart along the ceiling. It was clear that this part of the school was designed for the Nighter Class, with its dark and muted atmosphere.

Aoto glanced around, taking in the quiet and eerie surroundings. "Definitely a different vibe down here," he whispered, his voice sounding louder than he intended in the otherwise silent hallway.

Akia nodded, keeping her voice low. "Yeah, it's a lot quieter. The Nighters don't like a lot of noise or light, so this place stays pretty calm most of the time."

As they walked further into the Dark Hallways, Aoto noticed that some of the doors leading to classrooms were marked with signs written in the Nighter Class's language—a mix of symbols and writing he didn't quite understand. It gave the whole area an almost otherworldly feel.

Suddenly, there was a soft rustling sound from one of the side halls, and Aoto instinctively tensed up. Akia turned her flashlight toward the source of the noise, revealing a figure standing in the shadows.

A girl stepped into the dim light, her eyes glowing faintly in the darkness—definitely a Nighter Class student. She had long, dark hair that blended into the shadows, and her pale skin seemed to almost reflect the faint light from Akia's flashlight. Her sharp, indigo eyes locked onto Aoto immediately, and she tilted her head in curiosity.

"A visitor?" the girl asked, her voice soft but with a strange, almost hypnotic quality to it.

Aoto nodded awkwardly, not quite sure what to say. "Uh, yeah. Just... checking things out."

The Nighter girl stepped closer, her glowing eyes never leaving Aoto. "You're not from the Nighter Class, are you? You smell... different."

Akia shifted uncomfortably, stepping slightly in front of Aoto as if to protect him. "We're just passing through. Not looking to disturb anything."

The Nighter girl's eyes flicked toward Akia, then back to Aoto. "Don't worry. We don't bite... much." She smiled, revealing sharp teeth.

Aoto swallowed nervously, forcing a smile. "Good to know."

Akia gently grabbed Aoto's arm, tugging him back toward the stairs. "Come on, we should get going."

As they began to retreat, the Nighter girl's voice echoed softly down the hallway. "Come back and visit us sometime. We don't get many visitors."

Aoto glanced back, feeling a strange mixture of curiosity and unease. He nodded briefly before Akia pulled him up the stairs, the light from her flashlight bouncing with each step as they ascended back into the brighter, more familiar parts of the school.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, Aoto let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "That was... something."

Akia chuckled nervously, clicking off the flashlight. "Told you they could be a little eccentric."

Aoto shook his head with a grin. "I'll take your word for it. No solo trips to the Dark Hallways for me."

Akia smiled, clearly relieved to be back in the light. "Good choice."

The two of them continued walking, leaving the dark hallways behind as they headed back into the brighter parts of the academy, the eerie encounter with the Nighter girl already feeling like a distant memory.

The next day, Aoto arrives at the school courtyard to meet up with Kay and another Warrior Class girl named Izara.

When he got there he saw the two along with Rika... great.

"Ah. Aoto hey! This is Kay Kabara."

"I know who he is, Zara. I spared with him in the gymnasium boxing ring the other day."

Izara looked impressed, "Really? Well aren't you tough, cute and sexy too, huh Aoto~"

Aoto blushes and rubs the back of his head seeing that Izara was very assertive. "T-Thanks..."

"Anyway. I want to show you the coolest place in this school I know!"

Aoto raises a brow, "And that is?"

"The pools!" The three Warrior Class girls said in unison.

The four of them headed towards the pool area, which was located in a separate building near the school's main campus.

As they entered the pool building, Aoto noticed that there were multiple swimming pools of various sizes and depths. Some were regular pools, while others had diving platforms and water slides.

Rika looked at the amazed human, "So, Aoto, this is our school's pool area! It's the perfect place to relax and have fun during summer vacation."

Kay added in, "Yeah, and it's also where the swimming competitions are held for the different classes."

Aoto was impressed, "Wow, this place is amazing! I didn't expect the school to have such a large and well-equipped pool area."

Izara nodded, "It's one of the best features of our school, and it's a favorite spot for many students."

Aoto looked around and saw that the pools were filled with students enjoying themselves. Some were swimming, others were sunbathing by the poolside, and a few were trying out the water slides. "Can we go swimming too?"

Izara smiled at him. "Of course! That's what we're here for!"

The four of them quickly changed into their swimming attire and jumped into one of the pools. Kay and Izara wore a one piece swimsuits, Rika was in a slingshot swimsuit, and Aoto wore swimming trunks.

Kay

Rika

Izara

Aoto

As Aoto stepped into the pool, the cool water enveloped him, providing instant relief from the warm day. He glanced around, noticing that the pool area was even livelier than it had seemed from the entrance. Students from various classes were scattered across the pool, lounging, swimming, and laughing. It was like a miniature vacation spot within the academy, and Aoto couldn't help but feel a bit lucky to be there.

The moment was almost peaceful, until he heard the unmistakable voices of Kay, Rika, and Izara heading his way. Kay splashed into the water with her usual energy, while Izara, ever confident and bold, followed with a smirk on her face. Rika, of course, had chosen her eye-catching slingshot swimsuit, and Aoto did his best to avoid staring, knowing all too well how unpredictable Rika could be.

"So, Aoto, what do you think of the pools?" Izara asked, wading up beside him, her indigo eyes gleaming as she leaned just a little too close for comfort.

Aoto gulped, trying to focus on the water instead of Izara's striking appearance. "It's awesome! I didn't think the school would have something this nice," he admitted. "It's like a mini resort."

Kay, who had already started swimming laps, resurfaced and shook the water from her hair. "You've got to see the diving platforms, Aoto! That's where the real fun is. But first, let's see if you can keep up with me." She flashed him a competitive grin, her Warrior Class instincts kicking in.

"Uh, keep up with you?" Aoto raised an eyebrow, knowing full well that Kay was in another league when it came to physical strength and endurance.

Before he could respond, Kay was already kicking off, gliding through the water effortlessly. Izara chuckled beside him, her eyes still locked on Aoto.

"She's serious, you know. If you're going to swim with a Warrior Class girl, you better be ready for a challenge," Izara teased, crossing her arms over her chest.

Rika floated by on her back, still grinning mischievously. "Don't worry, Aoto. If you get tired, I'll pull you out... or pull you in deeper, whichever's more fun."

Aoto rolled his eyes, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Yeah, thanks, Rika. Real comforting."

Taking a deep breath, Aoto decided to give it a shot. He dove under the water, chasing after Kay's lead. It was no surprise that she was fast—really fast. Aoto kicked as hard as he could, trying to catch up, but it quickly became clear that Kay was built for this kind of thing.

When he resurfaced, breathing heavily, Kay was already waiting for him at the pool's edge, grinning from ear to ear. "Not bad, Earth boy. But you've got a long way to go if you want to beat me."

Aoto laughed, wiping the water from his face. "I'll leave that to the pros like you. I'm just here to swim and not drown."

Izara swam up beside them, resting her arms on the pool's edge. "Well, you survived Kay's test, so that's a good start," she said, her voice dripping with amusement. "But let's see how you handle the diving platforms. Up for it?"

Aoto glanced over at the towering diving platforms on the other side of the pool area. Some of them were incredibly high, and his stomach did a little flip at the thought of jumping from them. But he couldn't back down now, not with the way Kay, Izara, and Rika were looking at him.

"Yeah, why not?" he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "Let's do it."

The group made their way to the diving platforms, each of them ascending one of the lower ones first to test the waters—literally and figuratively. Aoto stood at the edge of the platform, looking down at the water below. It didn't seem too bad from here, but he couldn't ignore the excited churning in his gut.

"Come on, Aoto! Jump!" Kay shouted from the water below, her voice filled with encouragement and challenge.

Taking a deep breath, Aoto pushed off and let himself fall into the cool water below, splashing down with a surprisingly smooth dive. When he resurfaced, the girls were waiting for him with smiles.

"Not bad!" Izara said, applauding lightly. "You've got guts, Aoto."

Rika gave him a sly grin, her slingshot swimsuit barely staying in place as she tread water beside him. "Yeah, you might survive hanging out with us after all."

Aoto shook his head, smiling despite himself. "Survival is the key word here, I guess."

As they swam and enjoyed the rest of the time at the pool, Aoto couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie with the Warrior Class girls, despite their intensity. The pool area was the perfect backdrop for the fun and laid-back side of their personalities, and even Rika, for all her mischievousness, seemed to be having a good time.

It was a good day, and as the sun started to set and they made their way back to the lockers to change, Aoto felt grateful for moments like this. Moments of friendship, fun, and a bit of harmless chaos. He wasn't just learning to survive on Planet Comoros—he was starting to thrive.