The younger girl followed after the purple-haired male and the orientation member to the venue. It was located along the field track, numerous tables set up to demonstrate club activities as well as showcase some of the members. Enthusiastic shouts as well as waving papers attached to the arms of positive club members brought a large smile to (Y/n)'s face. The atmosphere was just as she had hoped; young and aspiring for the future.

As she passed, some people gave astonished looks, many of them directing them more so to Hotaka than the (h/c) haired girl, herself. He waved at them with a bright smile, many of them returning the favor ten-fold. Numerous of them even tried to get him to join their club, girls and boys alike latching onto him and trying to give him some flyers or get him to see their performances or showcases. However, he skillfully navigated around it, not hurting feelings or leaving a bitter taste in their mouths. The people skills he had were beyond incredible.

"He's not human, I swear," Kenko huffed playfully, "There's a lot of theories about Hatano Society members, but his is the most believable. People think he's an advanced android or bioweapon or something made by the government. It only makes sense, right? Not only with the skill and smarts, but the people skills, too. No human being can be so happy."

(Y/n) snickered at the thought, watching as Hotaka grinned back at her. While he didn't understand the meaning of her laughter, he nonetheless was delighted to see her smile. Turning back to the people swarming him, the male strained to get away from them, almost swept away if not for the arrival of the other sophomores in the Hatano Society. In fact, the energy around them doubled, but the purple-haired male was allowed more room to move, something he gave a relieved sigh for.

Two individuals came into the spotlight, one of them a quiet girl who shied away from those approaching her. She hid behind the other female who was quite a bit taller but very lean. She was more energetic about the people around her, greeting them with silly gestures and poses. No matter how childish she looked, everyone seemed to adore her entire aura. Then again, it could have been the fact she was an elite member of a worldwide prestigious school that people couldn't get enough of her and Hotaka both. Then again, it didn't seem the same for the other girl.

"Kara!" the purple-haired male shouted, waving over the crowd of people to her.

With an equally energetic response, the girl waded through the people around her and jumped onto the older male, hugging him amiably. The two of them were very close, it seemed, both of them sticking to one another like glue. The other individual from the Hatano Society's sophomore class strayed behind but followed after the friend she had been tailing nonetheless, likely seeking protection from the crowds.

As the (h/c) haired girl looked at the two individuals, she took a close note of their appearance. While the energetic one was tall and lean with long wavy dirty blonde hair and almond-colored eyes, the quiet one was of average height and weight with beautiful jade eyes and curly ebony hair. They were quite contrasting but appeared close nonetheless. There was no other way that could describe the two of them together other than beautiful.

As the smaller one looked over at (Y/n), she tensed and looked at the Hatano Society member with wide eyes. She wasn't entirely sure how to address her or if there was some kind of etiquette. The younger girl didn't even know her name or what she specialized in. However, she felt Kenko's hands on her shoulders, the male trying to relax her. No doubt he understood the star-struck way she felt at that moment.

"This is Miss Sitri of the biomedical engineering division of the school. She's already renowned in the scientific communities across the world for her work in genetic diseases. Being scouted by the Vethelan royal family right now. And, Sitri, this is a primary scholarship student, Miss (Y/n)...Yasojiro, should I call you? We're not really sure of her last name, but that should tell you all you need to know, right?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" both girls said at the same time.

It seemed they had mutual respect for one another, both surprised at the credentials of the other. They bowed to the other as if they could hurt them, but at the same time, they both raised their heads and gave a confused glance. Shy smiles were given to the other and they slowly returned to the state they were in beforehand, their body postured closed, arms tucked in, and eyes staring at the ground. Neither of them were able to truly make the first move to introduce themself or start a conversation, simply overwhelmed by the other.

At that time, Hotaka joined back with the two he had come with and brought along the tall and lean blonde. They gave knowing smirks to the other and patted one another on the back as though they were let in on an inside joke. The two then watched amusedly as the events unfolded, not wanting to interrupt or make anyone of the two girls uncomfortable. Introverts tended to be a little put off by extroverts, after all.

"We're here to make friends," Kenko finally said, noting that neither one of them were going to speak, "so there's no reason for any nervousness, really."

The ravenette gave a shy look and began to fiddle with the edge of her blouse, trying to find any way to avoid the younger girl's glances. Of course, they were not cruel or ridiculing, but rather, admiring. To think that someone so young could be wanted by a family the (h/c) haired girl had come to know carried much influence over even nobles. If Kazuki was any indication of their level of power, the rest of the royal family was fabulously wealthy and overwhelmingly privileged as well as talented.

"She's not going to bite, Sitri," Hotaka hummed, petting the top of the girl's head to ease her nerves, "You should know that Kara is more dangerous."

After much time of awkward staring and avoiding eye contact alike, the ravenette finally gathered the courage to flee from the scene. She pulled her hoodie over her head and sprinted away as fast as she could, the purple-haired male chasing after her with great concern. His empathy could only bring a smile to the remaining three, one of which sprang to the chance to acquaint herself with the young fiancee of the Yasojiro heir. She shook her hand delightfully, bouncing up and down energetically.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Kara. I've always wanted to meet you! Well, since I was told you were coming here, but after that, I was super excited!"

"Do I...live up to your expectations?"

"No, not at all! Ah, not that it's a bad thing! No, no, it's super good! Yeah, you're sweet! I thought you'd be dressed in expensive designer stuff and with lots of jewelry. Half the girls here are like that. The nobles, anyway."

The younger girl gave a sigh of relief. It wasn't that she was astonished that she was accepted or thought of as different from others in almost the same situation as her. She was overjoyed about the fact that she wasn't chastised or ridiculed. While she wasn't entirely sure why that feeling lingered in her heart, but it was something that lay beyond her mind's reach. Sometime in the past, did she struggle making friends? Or even so much as talking to her peers? She scrunched her nose in curiosity.

"You're here for clubs, right?!" the dirty blonde continued, tugging the younger girl's arm to her own, "Here, here, follow me! Let me introduce you to my friends in the ice skating club! No talent or experience necessary!"

Ushering her to the tables where a few individuals were, the girl began to rant about her club, wanting greatly to have her join. It seemed numerous others were crowding around the table, as well, but it didn't look like they truly wanted to join the club. In fact, it seemed more that they wanted to see the special member of it rather than see the club itself. That being said, the (h/c) haired girl took great interest in it.

As she looked over the fliers some of the other girls gave her, she gave a delighted expression. They were all so happy and inviting, wanting nothing more than to have another friend in their club. Smiling to herself, the younger girl was given a jolt of fear as two hands were placed on her shoulders suddenly and without warning. Jumping and letting out a shriek, she immediately turned around and covered her mouth with bright red cheeks.

Even though (Y/n) giggled with delight when she realized it was just one of the club members, the bodyguards were none too pleased. In fact, they had aggravated expressions on their faces, looks of discontentedness directed at the peers around the young mistress. If not for the fact Shota was being ignored by the mistress, the hidden threats - especially that of Hotaka Ishikawa - lurking in the otherwise innocent appearing university students put the guards off. They never knew when to stand on alert, and it was paving way to great stress.

"So, what'd ya say to joining us?!" Kara beamed, spinning around and demonstrating her glee at the prospective new member, "We'd be thrilled to have you here!"

"I...I don't see why not!" the younger girl answered, immediately met with a large swarm of the female members welcoming her with open arms.

They smothered her with affection, happy to have a new member on board. It was always difficult to gather up new members, especially for such a daunting thing as ice skating. That being said, whenever a new opportunity turned up for them, they couldn't help but jump up and down with joy. The action wasn't at all unwelcome to the (h/c) haired girl either, her heart soaring with cheer and excitement. She was even welcomed to stay and invite others to join the club during the rest of the showcase.

"Today was an utter success! I say we go out for drinks! On me, on me!" the dirty blonde squealed, throwing her hands in the air and clapping quickly.

The rest of the club wholeheartedly agreed, lifting their special member into the air with delight. Hotaka and Kenko laughed at the sight, nudging one another and speaking quietly to the other. They would occasionally laugh as they wandered off after the girls, keeping just a bit of distance. (Y/n), on the other hand, was swept along with the girls who began to enthuse about the fun things they would get to do, just like their drinking expenditure.

Unable to refuse such a generous offer, though she had little interest in drinking, she tagged along, following after the girls she wanted to become close to. Though there were boys in the club as well, it was the girls that really welcomed her and made her feel like she had been part of them for years. It was a nice change of pace.

There was something about having other girls around her that gave her hope. Whatever friends she had in the past clearly hadn't stayed around for her, and the red-haired male made it a point to tell her of their lax loyalty. His claims that she also tended to give far more than she received continued to reaffirmed that fact. However, she wanted to improve herself as well as her future and begin with good friends and joyful company.

As they arrived at the bar, there was a sudden quiet surge of atmosphere. People already in the bar were staring at the college students that arrived, namely looking at the three particular members of the group. With special badges on their uniforms, it was easy to spot them out from the rest of those that surrounded them. However, people attempted to go back to how they were beforehand, conversing with one another. Some were drunk, others were not, but all took an interest in the group there with varying levels of intensity.

Seating together in a large booth, the numerous members of the club as well as the other three tagging along beside them squeezed together. Whereas most all of the others were comfortable with the scenery, it seemed that (Y/n) and Sitri were far from it. If their hunched shoulders and downward-turned glances didn't give it away, their quiet natures certainly exhibited the stress imposed on them.

Kara was speaking joyfully and squealing loudly, her friends echoing her thoughts with positive reverberations. Similarly, Hotaka and Kenko entertained themselves by speaking about the crazy events of the orientation committee that had gone about freshman year. It led up to the latter playfully criticizing the former about his absence in the club entirely. That being said, they shook it off with laughs and teasing banter, punching one another with grins.

The sight of the cheerful dirty blonde and two males conversing with such glee compared to the two silent girls really demonstrated the difference in social skills. Feeling uncomfortable with the fact that alcohol was already being served and everyone else was talking, the (h/c) haired girl attempted to converse with the girl next to her. Though she was shy and tended to be as quiet as she could - simply staying because Kara was - she had very much in common with her just from a single glimpse.

"Do you come along to these often?"

The ravenette gave a flinch at the sudden conversation directed at her. In fact, it seemed as though she had never been spoken to in the middle of one of her travels with the dirty blonde. However, she wasn't rudely confrontational nor did she begin to ignore the girl speaking to her. In fact, she attempted greatly to figure out the best way to go about responding to her with a perfect amount of both respect and friendliness.

"As often as I have to, I guess, but they're not really my speed," the ravenette replied, twisting a lock of ebony hair around her finger, "I'd rather be home watching a movie or something. And you, Miss Yasojiro?"

"There's no need to speak formally! I'm not anyone special. If anything in that household, I'm just a freeloader."

"Still, to be in the manor, you must be someone either incredibly talented or special, usually a mix of both. You're a primary scholarship student, aren't you? That should give you an idea of how useful you are. As a freeloader, I'm not quite sure that's the right term for it. An intern, maybe? Or do you do other kind of work in the main estate?"

"In...tern?"

Kenko gave a questioning hum as if trying to piece together what the ravenette truly thought about the girl. In fact, he started snickering at her assumptions, continuing along with longer and louder laughs before he started keeling over cackling. In order to gather attention from his friend, he even punched the purple-haired male next to him who was in the middle of a far from stark conversation with one of the ice skating club members.

"She...intern! My word!"

The ravenette's face burst into a bright red. She didn't believe she had made a supposition without adequate evidence. In fact, based on what she had heard and what she knew of the Yasojiro family, she had believed her answer was somewhere along the truth of the matter. That being said, when seeing she was proved to be quite wrong, it was mortifying. And after worrying about saying something incorrect in front of an important Yasojiro-related individual, she had gone and made an assumption.

Unable to process the revelation that had come to her, she buried her head in her arms with a great deal of horror. The shy thing was even terrified to look up at the (h/c) haired girl, wondering if she would be blacklisted. She had heard that powerful and influential families like that could put an end to even the most talented individuals. No doubt the Yasojiro's could have ruined her future and then some. It didn't help that they had close ties to the Vethelan royal family either.

Hotaka gave a frown at the sight of the young girl terrified of her own words, and Kenko's laughing wasn't helping. Nudging him away from the younger girl, he placed his hand on her shoulder and spoke reassuringly to her. It was quite the change from his typically cheerful disposition but nonetheless suited him to a tee. Lovingly, he comforted her like a lost kitten, eventually coaxing her into lifting her head.

"Nothing's going to happen, I swear. Even if the Yasojiro's were offended, the Vethelan royal family has a hundred times the power and influence," the purple-haired male hummed, braiding the girl's hair behind her head, "(Y/n)'s a sweet girl anyway. She wouldn't ever want to hurt you."

The ravenette's nervous energy seemed to dissipate as the male comforted her. He hugged her with a bright grin, attempting to remove any harmful feelings from her chest. Like magic, she even gave a shy smile as he made a joke for her. Though her emotions changed seemingly on a whim, he could nonetheless handle it with ease, swaying her into a dance of joy. He even ordered her a grilled cheese sandwich and an ice cold soda, something that spoke more directly to her heart than his words.

"I'm sorry," Sitri finally spoke, "I'm blowing this out of proportion."

In truth, the atmosphere around her - namely Hotaka and Kenko - echoed her feelings. Though the (h/c) haired girl may not have fully understood why she had feared making such a simple mistake, she could tell it was not unordinary. On the contrary, even Kara stopped livening up her friends as she eavesdropped on the conversation. She gave a disheartened look before dismissing it with a glass of beer and putting on a bright smile again.

"Don't worry about it," Hotaka sighed, tilting his head as he rested his head in the palm of his hand.

"And I'm sorry to you as well, Miss...Yasojiro. Do you...do you mind if we start over?"

"Y-Yes, please! I'm (Y/n) and it's a pleasure to meet you! I don't have anything going on besides school right now, but hopefully joining the ice skating club will give me the fun I need, right?"

"And I'm Sitri Kalanhande. I spend most of my time in classes for biology, anatomy, etcetera, so I don't have time for clubs but I hope we can still see one another."

Hotaka couldn't help but smile wide at the introductions the girls exchanged with one another. It was entirely pure and though extremely shy, charming nonetheless. The breath of fresh air was completely different from Kara and her group of friends. They were drinking continually and even going towards other tables to envelop and coerce different individuals to party with them. On the other hand, (Y/n) and Sitri were quaintly speaking with delighted expressions.

It was never the purple-haired male's nor Kenko's intent to introduce the younger girl to Sitri. On the contrary, they had intended to acquaint her with Kara who was always a fan favorite with the new transfer students. Still, as she was more than happy to speak with the quiet and timid ravenette, no one dared say a word. The two males just enjoyed watching the girls get along, not even bothering to drink.

However, as Kara continued to rave about how good the drinks were, the (h/c) haired girl was all but roped into drinking as well. While she took as little as she could, it was quite clear she had no idea how much she could truly handle. Within as little as half an hour, she began to get woozy, her head falling over as she tried to fight her sleepy eyes. Her bodyguards kept a close eye on her, and while they had tried to warn her, they clearly were lacking in their words' power. Shota was much more suited to keeping her from such harmful devices.

Whereas they had no effect on the younger girl, as soon as Kenko and Hotaka stepped in, she began to lay off of the alcohol. However, it came at a price, the girl falling asleep on Sitri's shoulders with a hum. Her eyes closed slowly and before she knew it, her head was falling forward towards the table. However, she was quickly found in Hotaka's safe arms, the male chuckling at the way she lacked experience in bar-going.

Though attempting to stir her to wake up, she was unable to lift an eye. Rather, she wanted nothing more than to fall asleep, doing so without another person's say so. As she continued sleeping past the loud noise Kara made, the purple-haired male decided it was time to help her home. And whether or not it was purposeful, one of the bodyguards was tipped off to something.

The man motioned to the other, nodding his head as he reached for his gun. He followed what he heard, his ears leading the way for him as if he were a bloodhound. Though leaving his mistress behind, he had no oher choice, at the very least, allowing one behind to guard her. As he looked out of the bar, he held his gun close to him, hearing the rustling in the alley behind the building. Following after it, he held a stern expression, following the imminent threat to the (h/c) haired girl's safety.

As Hotaka watched the (h/c) haired girl, he, too, was aware of the sights set on her. He wasn't entirely sure who it was nor was he aware of why. However, he chose to escort the defenseless girl out of the bar as opposed to following after the threat. Picking her up on her back, he snickered as she hugged onto him. Somewhat gone, somewhat there, she knew he was helping her, but she didn't know anything else. It was quite cute.

The bodyguard that continued to remain by her side gave the male a harsh look and stepped forward, attempting to take her away from him. It wasn't in his best interest to allow the heiress to be in the hands of a potential threat. After all, he was working for a rival company as well as a bodyguard for a young man known to be harsh and blunt with a clear discontent for Shota. It was not a reassuring combination.

That being said, it was more than difficult to separate the two. The (h/c) haired girl was far more comfortable with the lively and cheerful young man she had come to know than the somewhat emotionless and robotic bodyguards that followed her around like a shadow. Still, the difference between them and a shadow was the fact that a shadow wouldn't have smothered her.

Hotaka helped her into a taxi, the bodyguard making a call before entering beside them. The entire ride, he kept his eyes on the purple-haired male. It was uncertain what his goal was in taking her back to the Yasojiro manner, but it couldn't have been anything savoury. As such, there was a keen and sharp focus on any and all movements he made, even if it was something as simple as helping the younger girl get comfortable on his shoulder.

The ride was far from cozy, but (Y/n) was far too sleepy to understand the truth of the matter behind it. Rather, she focused on sleeping as much as she could before she was jolted away at the sound of the car door next to her opening. She was then yanked out with great force, pulled into strong and possessive arms. At that point, she couldn't help but open her eyes, giving a quiet yawn.

Shota had been waiting at the front door for, what seemed like, ages. Though he gave violent coughs, he was nonetheless standing there with a protective grip on the younger girl, glaring daggers at the male she had arrived with. While he tried to ease his anger while petting and stroking her hair, it still conveyed his anger, somewhat harsh and demanding. She gave a small whine at that, making him give a worried sigh.

"Okura, please escort (Y/n) to my room. She's...drunk...so please be delicate."

The ginger-haired man nodded assuringly, placing his hand on the small of the girl's back. He pushed her gently, humming to her that she would be able to sleep soon. The girl was then helped all the way to the bed and laid down with the utmost of care. And in the meantime, Shota dealt with the situation before him. One of his bodyguards was missing and another was in a car with Hotaka Ishikawa of all people, allowing him in the younger girl's presence.

"You, leave," the red-haired male growled, directing his statement to the bodyguard, "And you...what do I even say to you?"

"I'm not here for a fight, really. I hadn't intended to intrude, but she was drunk, and there were...complications. Someone seemed to be after her so I tried to help, but I'm sorry if it's unwelcome."

"It truly is. I'd appreciate it if you left my darling alone."

Hotaka gave a shy expression, one almost akin to a bashful emotion. He kept calm, however, continuing to have a kind look. It was difficult to stand in front of a noble, let alone one known worldwide for their impressive and ever-lasting lineage. That being said, it seemed the purple-haired male was able to keep up with the unwelcome words thrown at him with spite, exuding his typical kind demeanor.

"Furthermore, don't you ever poison her with alcohol again. The rules in your household may be different, and certainly, your employer doesn't have the wherewithal to inform you of proper etiquette, but here, in my house, under my roof, with my protection, I demand decency. Don't you dare seek to take advantage of her just because she doesn't know any better!"

Hotaka couldn't even utter an apology. Though none of it had been his fault, and he had only meant to help, there was an aura around the red-haired male that prevented even the slightest bit of condolences from being uttered. As such, he could only bow his head and give a taken aback expression, stepping back into the taxi with a withdrawn posture. Though he had attempted to see if he could catch a glimpse of the (h/c) haired girl to confirm her safe return, he was only given a door slammed in his face.

It was clear, no matter how hard he tried to make amends with the red-haired male, he wouldn't let him so much as open his mouth. It was a similar feeling to someone he knew well, not that he had expected the similarities to be so uncanny. As if right on cue, the male almost jumped at the sound of his personal cell ringing loudly. Giving a sigh, he flipped it open and pressed it to his ear. No doubt he was in for further scolding.