The next few days later~

Aoto was walking in a different city after taking the wrong bus.

"I wonder if there's a extraterrestrial cat people?" Aoto said as he accidentally bumps into someone as they both fell. He gets up and is on top of them. "Holy cheese and macaroni! I'm so sorry-Eliza?"

Right underneath Aoto was Eliza Vanders. Aoto then did the smartest thing.

Walk away from her and not looking back.

"Wait!" Eliza called out towards Aoto.

Aoto responded without looking, "Not interested. And most definitely not interested in joining Saint Queen's Academy."

He was then surprised when she grabbed his hand. "You have a lot of potential."

"Potential to be a student or your boyfriend?"

Eliza blushes at the latter, "Maybe."

"...I'm leaving..."

He tries to get out of her grasp, but Eliza in a desperate attempt to capture Aoto. She tackled him.

Or at least she thought she did. "What the what? Aaagghh!"

Next thing for Eliza's bad luck is she fell in the river getting completely wet as Aoto pointed and laughed at her. "Taking a dip, bitch?!"

"Why you!" She was then pulled by the current. "Ahh!" And now, she was swimming with the fishes. "This is all your fault, you stupid pervert!"

As he walked away, he spotted a large wealthy looking academy.

Aoto then looked at the sign.

"Saint Queen's Academy"

"........Nope." Aoto was about to walk away when someone grabbed on to his shoulder. He turns to look at who's touching him to see a tall Giant Class Male student.

"WELCOME TO SAINT QUEEN'S ACADEMY, EARTH HUMAN!! ELIZA TOLD ME ALL ABOUT YOU!!" The Giant Class Male yelled with pride.

Aoto was covering his ears due to the noise, "What?!"

He was then picked up and carried over the Giant's shoulder. "IT'S YOUR LUCKY DAY!!"

This is going to suck.

He was then tossed in the school building and fell to the ground. "Ow." Aoto muttered annoyed.

"Welcome." Aoto turned around and saw a young woman. She was a Human/Como hybrid with brown skin, purple hair, sharp canines, medium breasts, wide hips and wearing make-up. She was wearing the school uniform. "My name is Rhea Kuribayashi, Saint Queen's Academy's student body president."

She's cute, but she doesn't seem like a bad person... yet.

Aoto sat up, rubbing his head, still trying to process the chaos that had just unfolded. Getting tossed around by a Giant Class student and now being welcomed to Saint Queen's Academy was definitely not how he imagined his day would go. He looked up at the tall, confident figure of Rhea Kuribayashi, the student body president, who stood in front of him with a poised smile.

Rhea raised an eyebrow, her voice calm but carrying an air of authority. "Eliza told me a lot about you. Seems you've made quite an impression on her—and, apparently, on the entire academy."

Aoto, still annoyed from being thrown into the school, rolled his eyes. "I'd rather not be here, honestly. I'm not interested in Saint Queen's or whatever potential Eliza thinks I have." He stood up, dusting off his clothes.

Rhea's smile didn't falter, but her eyes narrowed slightly as she took in his defiant attitude. "You're not like most people we encounter, are you? Most would be thrilled to get a chance to even step foot here." She crossed her arms, her gaze still fixed on him.

Aoto, not backing down, crossed his arms too, matching her stance. "Yeah, well, I'm not most people. I'm just trying to live my life without getting dragged into whatever weird plans you guys have going on here."

Rhea let out a soft chuckle. "You're honest, at least. That's rare. But I think you'll find that Saint Queen's Academy has more to offer than you think. We've got resources, connections, and opportunities you won't find anywhere else." She stepped closer, her tone shifting from authoritative to slightly more persuasive. "You could benefit from being here, Aoto. More than you realize."

Aoto wasn't buying it. He could feel the weight of the academy's elitism pressing down on him, and the last thing he wanted was to get caught up in its rigid, suffocating environment. He glanced around at the opulent decor of the hallway, the polished floors, and the pristine uniforms worn by the students passing by. It was all too perfect, too controlled.

Before he could respond, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor. Eliza came rushing in, her clothes still damp from her fall into the river, looking furious and disheveled. Her usually pristine appearance was in complete disarray.

"Aoto!" she shouted, her voice a mix of anger and embarrassment. "This is all your fault! Do you have any idea how much this outfit costs?"

Aoto, barely containing his laughter, smirked. "You're the one who tried to tackle me. Maybe next time, don't dive headfirst into a river."

Eliza growled in frustration, but Rhea raised her hand, silencing the argument before it could escalate. "Eliza, calm down. This isn't the time." She turned back to Aoto, her smile now completely gone. "Whether you like it or not, Aoto, you've become quite the figure of interest here at Saint Queen's. You might want to reconsider leaving so quickly."

Aoto, still unbothered, shrugged. "Look, I get it. You've got a fancy school and a lot of influence. But I'm not interested in being your next project. I'm out."

As he turned to leave, Eliza stepped in front of him, blocking his path. Her anger had subsided slightly, but her pride wouldn't let her back down. "You can't just walk away, Aoto. You don't know what you're passing up. This academy is—"

"—Not my problem," Aoto finished for her, sidestepping around her. "I've got a school, and it's plenty chaotic without all of this."

Just as he was about to make his exit, the Giant Class male from earlier appeared again, blocking the door with his towering frame. "THINK YOU'RE JUST GONNA LEAVE, EARTH HUMAN?! YOU HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN THE BEST PARTS YET!"

Aoto, rubbing his temples, muttered under his breath, "This again..."

Before the situation could escalate further, Rhea held up her hand again, this time with more force. "Enough." Her voice was firm, commanding the attention of everyone in the hallway. Even the Giant Class male backed off, stepping aside with a grumble.

"I won't force you to stay, Aoto," she said, her tone now much more neutral. "But know this—you've already caught the attention of more people here than you realize. Whether you stay or go, Saint Queen's has its eyes on you."

Aoto felt a chill run down his spine at the warning in her words, but he wasn't about to let that shake him. He gave Rhea one last glance, then walked past the Giant Class student and out the door, leaving the school behind.

As he walked down the street, Aoto could still feel the weight of Saint Queen's lingering in the back of his mind. Whatever that school had planned for him, he wasn't going to fall into their trap. He had enough on his plate with CherryWood Academy—adding Saint Queen's drama to the mix was the last thing he needed.

"Guess I'll stick to taking the right bus next time," Aoto muttered to himself, finally feeling the tension ease from his shoulders as he made his way back home. "And stay away from rivers and crazy academy presidents."

As Aoto sat on the bus heading back to his apartment, his phone vibrated several times, signaling a flood of incoming messages. He sighed, pulling his phone out to check. Unsurprisingly, it was from the girls—Matie, Kay, Rika, Mako, and Akia—all of them wondering where he had been all day. Their texts were rapid-fire, filled with a mix of worry, curiosity, and frustration.

Matie:
Hey, where are you??
You weren't at your apartment when I checked... 😕
Everything okay?

Kay:
Yo, Aoto! You better not be hiding from me! 💪😤
I wanna spar!

Rika:
Did you get lost or something, Aoto? 🤨
I miss you! 😘

Mako:
AOTO, COME BACK! I'M HUNGRY! 😭🍩
WHERE ARE YOU?!

Akia:
Where the hell did you run off to??
I thought we were hanging out today! 😡

Aoto chuckled to himself at the chaos in the messages and quickly typed out a response.

Aoto:
Relax, I'm fine. I just took the wrong bus and ended up at Saint Queen's Academy. 😑

Almost immediately, the flood of responses came pouring in again. This time, however, they were filled with... well, hate. And a lot of angry emojis.

Matie:
Saint Queen's Academy?? 😡
I HATE that place! 👿
The people there are so stuck-up!

Kay:
Those Saint Queen's Academy brats? 😤
They think they're so much better than us. 😡
You better not be getting sucked into their bullshit!

Rika:
That academy is full of jerks. 😒
They think they're elite, but they're just snobs. 😠
CherryWood is WAY better. 💖

Mako:
SAINT QUEEN'S??? 😡💥
THEY'RE THE WORST!!
They don't even have good food!

Akia:
Saint Queen's?? Seriously? Ugh, I hate those rich snobs. 😠
Everyone here at CherryWood hates that place. They think they're better than us. 😤
Stay away from them, Aoto. We don't need their drama.

Aoto stared at his phone, raising an eyebrow at the unified hatred everyone at CherryWood Academy seemed to have for Saint Queen's Academy. It was rare for the girls to agree on anything, but this was clearly something they were all passionate about.

Aoto:
Damn, I didn't realize you all hated them this much...
What's the deal with Saint Queen's anyway?

Akia responded quickly.
The deal? They think they're better than everyone. They look down on CherryWood students, especially the Warrior and Giant Classes. 😡

Matie followed up.
They treat us like we're beneath them. And don't even get me started on how they act around Hybrid Class students like me. 😠

Rika:
Basically, they think they run everything just because they have money and connections. 😒
They're always trying to show us up, but CherryWood has way more heart.

Kay:
Next time you run into one of them, just punch 'em. 💪
I'll back you up! 😤

Mako:
I'LL THROW A PIE IN THEIR FACE! 😡🍩

Aoto smirked, imagining Mako actually following through on her threat. He shook his head and decided it was best to keep his head low and avoid Saint Queen's Academy at all costs. Clearly, getting mixed up with them was going to cause more problems than it was worth.

Aoto:
Alright, alright, I get it. I'll steer clear of Saint Queen's. Trust me, I didn't enjoy my time there anyway.
I'll be back soon.

The girls seemed to calm down after that, though the texts kept rolling in.

Mako:
GOOD! WE'RE GETTING DONUTS LATER! 🍩

Akia:
Better hurry back. 😡
We've got plans, and I'm not waiting all day for you.

Matie:
Just be careful, okay? Don't let those rich jerks drag you into anything. 😘

Kay:
And don't forget, we're sparring later. No excuses. 💪

Rika:
Miss you, Aoto! Can't wait to see you! 😘

Aoto chuckled again, shaking his head. Even though his day had been a chaotic mess, there was something comforting about knowing he had a group of people back at CherryWood who genuinely cared about him—even if they all expressed it in their own strange ways.

As the bus pulled up to his stop, Aoto grabbed his things and stepped off, finally making his way back toward his apartment. His thoughts lingered on the weird experience at Saint Queen's Academy, but more than anything, he was relieved to be heading back to CherryWood where, despite the madness, it was starting to feel more like home.

Though he couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Mako charging into Saint Queen's with a pie in hand. "That'd be one way to settle things," he muttered to himself with a grin.

As Aoto made his way back to his apartment, his phone buzzed again, and this time it wasn't just from the usual group of girls. It was from students across CherryWood Academy—ones he didn't even know that well. He raised an eyebrow, confused about how they'd gotten his number, but a sneaking suspicion quickly dawned on him.

"Rika..." he muttered under his breath.

He opened the first few texts:

Student 1 (Average Class):
Yo, Aoto! I heard you ended up at Saint Queen's?! What the hell, man? Don't let those snobs drag you in! 😡
CherryWood is way better, trust me.

Student 2 (Giant Class):
Bro, if you're hanging out with those rich jerks at Saint Queen's, you're gonna lose ALL the street cred you've built here at CherryWood. 😂
Just saying.

Student 3 (Warrior Class):
I heard about the Saint Queen's situation. Let me know if you need backup. We'll march over there and handle it for you. 💪🔥

Student 4 (Softy Class):
You're not really thinking about transferring, are you? Saint Queen's is for stuck-up jerks!
CherryWood for life! 💖

Student 5 (Islander Class):
You think the food's better there? It's not. Our cafeteria may be chaos, but we've got the heart. Plus, more donuts. 😎🍩

Student 6 (Nighter Class):
Saw your name floating around. Be careful with Saint Queen's. They play dirty in more ways than one. 😈

The texts just kept pouring in, and Aoto realized that everyone at CherryWood knew about his unfortunate detour to Saint Queen's Academy. He had no idea how fast word spread in the school, but it seemed that, thanks to Rika, everyone was now fully invested in his whereabouts and decisions.

He sent a quick text to Rika, though he already knew what the response would be.

Aoto:
Did you give my number to the whole damn school?

Rika:
Oops~ 😘
They were just curious about you! And besides, it's not like I gave it to EVERYONE... just the ones I knew would want to check on you!

Aoto sighed, knowing it was pointless to be mad at Rika. She probably thought she was doing him a favor.

But the texts didn't stop.

Student 7 (Warrior Class):
Yo, Aoto, next time you're thinking of heading over there, give me a call. We can make a "friendly" visit. 😏💪

Student 8 (Average Class):
Dude, stay away from those Saint Queen's snobs! CherryWood's where it's at! And honestly, if you left, who'd deal with Mako? 😂

Student 9 (Giant Class):
Heard you ran into Eliza. That chick's bad news. Don't let her get in your head, bro. 😬

At this point, Aoto could barely keep up with the influx of messages, most of which echoed the same sentiments: Saint Queen's Academy was bad news, and CherryWood Academy had his back.

He wasn't used to this level of attention, and while part of him was overwhelmed, another part of him felt oddly... supported. It wasn't just his small circle of friends that cared about him—apparently, CherryWood Academy as a whole was invested in keeping him around and making sure he didn't get dragged into the mess that was Saint Queen's.

As the texts kept coming, he couldn't help but chuckle at the ridiculousness of it all. Who would have thought that taking the wrong bus would turn into such a huge deal?

Aoto:
Alright, alright, I get it. I'm not going anywhere near Saint Queen's again. CherryWood for life. You can all chill now.

He sent the message to the group chat and was immediately bombarded with a flurry of thumbs-up emojis, cheers, and even a few gifs of people celebrating. It seemed that, for now, the student body of CherryWood was satisfied with his response.

Finally, Aoto made it to his apartment. As he unlocked the door and stepped inside, he collapsed onto the couch with a long sigh, letting the silence of the room wash over him. It had been a chaotic day—one that he hadn't seen coming at all—but at least it was over.

Just as he thought he'd finally get some peace and quiet, his phone buzzed again.

Mako:
I'm coming over. I smell donuts.

Aoto:
...how the hell do you smell donuts from that far away?

Mako:
I just can. Open up!

Aoto groaned, glancing at the kitchen counter where a box of donuts sat. "Great. And here we go again."