[b]Leiko Hamada: Warakuma High- Library[/b]

"I wonder what happened though."

The hushed words of Leiko's friends crowded around her as the girls leaned closer over the small oak table that they shared. "He was gone for days. Even his brother was out looking for him. Did he just run away from home?"

"And I heard he's in hospital right now. Maybe he caught pneumonia or something? He probably slept rough-"

[B]Bam.[/b] The solid thunk of Leiko's textbook hitting the wooden surface of the table jostled them into silence, shared looks of confusion amongst them as they watched Leiko warily. "Umm...Hamada-chan?" 

[color=fff200]"We're supposed to be studying, not discussing Yamamoto",[/color] Leiko reminded them with a steely look. "[color=fff200]If I realized that we were just gonna gossip about people we don't know, I would have suggested the mall."[/color]

"But aren't you even a little curious, Hamada-san?" One of her friends spoke up as she met Leiko's line of sight boldly. "I mean, Noboru-kun always seemed so happy. People really liked him. Why would he even do something like this?"

Honestly...Leiko would be lying if she denied being curious about the Drama clubmate's recent whereabouts. To show up so suddenly (and if the rumours were to be believed, in hospital) had stunned her as soon as she caught wind of it, and she found her thoughts helplessly drifting back to his first audition and his flawless, confident, practised performance. Acting was in his blood, she supposed, but in the end, that was all it was. There wasn't a shred of Yamamoto to be found on that stage, and she could still remember the shadows of doubt that lingered in her mind back then.
And then he disappeared. 

[color=fff200]"I'm not."[/color] Leiko suddenly broke her own silence, turning a corner of her page purposefully as her eyes drew back to the desk.[color=fff200]"Now can we get back to studying?" [/color]

In any case, she would most certainly give him something to think about if he missed Drama Club again tomorrow. 

---

[b]Saya Ueno: Warakuma High- Archery Range[/b]

The Vice President made a funny expression as Saya caught his attention, as if he was trying to place her face from the growing amount of archery club members. Saya couldn't really blame him for that, and she opened her mouth to follow suit with an introduction, but he cut her to the quick with a straightforward answer to her question. "A tournament?" Saya reiterated with a blink, glancing over to where the boy was pointing. Indeed, people were loading their bows with arrows and standing in an orderly line for one of the lanes.. So the 'preliminaries' were already over, apparently. Well, it would have been nice to have practiced instead, Saya thought with a slightly dejected pout. There was no way she was ready to take part in some kind of tournament, let alone win any 'prizes'. It was a shame, but at least she would have the chance to watch Rokoru-senpai in action again.

And then the Vice President's next words made Saya's fleeting fantasies grind to a screeching halt. "What?" She gasped, her eyes widening like saucers at the fact that her name had been opted in [i]already,[/i] without her consent. "B-But wait! I haven't practiced! A-And I suck!" She protested with a wild shake of her head. "Ahh, but I can't just tell Rokoru-senpai [i]that![/i]" She despaired, more to herself to the boy in front of her as she looked over at the Club President standing proud over the other members. If she refused now, Rokoru would think she was just completely pathetic for not even trying. And then he would never like her back.

"[color=skyblue]And speaking of Rokoru, he’s going right now.[/color]” The Vice President's words jolted through her like a live wire as Saya broke out of her panicked thoughts, her mouth slightly agape as she watched her senior make his way to the marked line. He looked as ruggedly handsome as he always did in her eyes, and the thick frame of his body straining in the tight cotton of his damp shirt did not go unnoticed. However, as Rokoru started to sling his arrows, Saya's mind went into overdrive. Everyone would be watching her. Counting her shots, judging her every move. It was so much pressure that Saya wasn't even ready for yet. Informal or no, this was still a test of her skill, and Saya had practically none so far.

Skin turning ashen, Saya watched silently as Rokoru stepped away from the line, the Vice President following through with some kind of joke. Honestly though, Saya had barely paid attention to what Rokoru had actually scored. She was too busy being distracted by his wet shirt and her own impending doom to even care. 

Once Rokoru started calling out the next archers, and inevitably reached her name, Saya felt like the world was about to end. So much for having a chance in hell with him now. She was going to make a complete fool of herself in public, and he would never take her seriously. Her shoulders sagged dejectedly, and only the Vice President's punch on her shoulder broke her out of her slump. His encouraging words, as well meaning as they were, felt a little hollow to her, but Saya was still strong enough to press a smile on her lips. "Thanks. They're gonna have to suck really badly though," she laughed self-deprecatingly, her eyes glancing down at the range warily. "Well, I guess-"

[color=Cyan]"With this bunch, you might even pull off an upset. Pending you don't shoot someone. Then again, you might even get extra points for it."[/color]

"Huh?!" Saya jumped, very nearly knocking over her Vice President in the process as she whipped around to the voice that sprung behind her. "Y-You!" She gasped at the sight of Akira, the boy that had upset Rokoru-senpai before, and the guy that had caused her so much trouble in the first place. His words were highly sarcastic, accompanied by a a teasing gleam in his eyes as he waited for her reaction. She swallowed thickly, trying to keep her cool as best she could in front of Warakuma's famed delinquent. "Y-Yeah? Well, maybe that's your approach to things, Kirigakure-san," she sniffed. "But I don't want to hurt anyone. And...And I don't want Rokoru-senpai to get the wrong impression if he sees us talking," she added in a hushed whisper, her eyes fraught with dread as she looked over the lanes once again. "A-Anyway, I...I have to go."

Taking a deep breath to motivate herself, Saya rewarded the other boy with a grateful smile before marching down purposefully to where a small line was forming. Standing at the very back, Saya noted the way that the other members were conversing and laughing like this was any other club day. Perhaps it was, and she was just overreacting? Yes, perhaps that was it.

Two names later and that attitude was quickly starting to wane. The ones before her were hardly slacking on their shots, and Saya could swear she could feel eyes burning into her from everywhere. Her stomach knotted with nerves as she felt a wave of nausea wash over her, reminiscent of that one and only time Hama-chan had forced her into the Drama Club. She had to recite a play by some Greek guy, and within ten words of her soliloquy, she was throwing up more than just words. 
Needless to say, Hama-chan didn't invite her to the club again. 

One more person left, and Saya was really starting to feel the pressure. Her body was starting to tremble, her palms were becoming clammy, and she was pretty sure she was as pale as a ghost. Still, she refused to back down in front of the guy she liked, and when it was finally her turn, Saya stepped up to the mark with an almost impressive degree of determination. When she got there however, she immediately felt the need to bolt away and never come back. The target looked impossibly far away, the arrow felt slippery on her sweaty hands, and she felt like a million eyes were watching her every move. Letting out an audible gulp, Saya raised her bow and arrow, her arms shaking from the combined force of the taut string and her own shot nerves, and after an excruciating second, let go of the arrow with a weak twang. 

The arrow didn't even reach halfway the lane, and Saya couldn't feel any more embarrassed. Refusing to look or listen to anyone around her, Saya quickly turned and reached for the second arrow, desperate for the moment to end so that she could curl up under a rock and cry. Loading her bow with the second arrow, Saya tried to blink back the tears as she vainly attempted to line up the sight of the target with the point of her arrow. Biting her lip, Saya shut her eyes as she let go of the straining arrow with as much force as she could muster. 

A distinct thunk against wood told her that the arrow had found its target, and Saya's eyes immediately snapped open at the sound. What she did see however, made her pinch herself in disbelief. 

The arrow was securely lodged in the dyed red centre of the target. The more Saya stared at it, the more impossible it was to deny it. It was her shot, and it [i]was in the centre.[/i] 

Numbly, Saya slung her equipment back over her shoulder and walked away from target lane, completely shell shocked and unable to comprehend what had just happened.