[b][i] – Ara (A)[/i][/b]

He listened and nodded every so often as Carmen explained why she didn’t really need money. Then hearing her string of questions Ara made a face in discontent, but he answered her anyway. “Yeah… I’d imagine it’s pretty rare to meet someone with a doppelganger. I guess it’s possible, since my doppelganger and I both exist right now.” [i]‘Technically speaking.’[/i] He thought, and continued, “Myth-wise I think most people think of doppelgangers as just another person that’s identical to them, but from what I know they’re actually completely a different species from regular humans. Imagine something like a death god with a horrible hobby of playing copy-cat.”

Finishing the rest of his drink, Ara thought for a moment of how he wanted to explain this. “So normally only of us would ever be the ‘doppelganger’, and both of us would know it. But… So amidst all the messed-up stuff both of us got a pretty bad case of amnesia.” At this, he laughed a bit. “Sounds cliché, I know. But because of that this doppelganger of mine also insists that she’s the real one, but know that she’s lying. I’m the real one, and she’s the doppelganger. Don’t listen to her if she says otherwise.”

Pushing his empty glass away from him, Ara asked Carmen, “Want to come along with me to see what else this island has to offer? Or are you still working on that drink?” While waiting for an answer, he accidentally overheard a rather interesting sentence directed at the two students that had just arrived at the bar near them. [b]"It is not that rare to see engaged students entering the bar. Anyway, give me your orders, and I shall get you your products immediately."[/b] Raising an eyebrow, he looked at Carmen with a quizzical look. “Do a fair amount of students get engaged during school now or something?”
---
[b][i] – Kathy[/i][/b]

Smiling at the recollection of the first day Kathy asked, “You still remember that?” Now she was quite glad she had been hit on the head with a drumstick. Otherwise she probably would’ve just reflexively apologized for bumping into him before hurrying on her way. [b]“I’m glad I met you though”[/b]. Feeling warmth spreading through her, she nodded in agreement. “Me too.” Then enjoying the slight anxiety that was on his face, her grin grew a little as she became more determined to ask Mercy for ‘advice’. “Nothing~! I just think I’d really like to see Mercy again soon.”

At the bar, she looked at Crash quizzically as she saw him pinch the bridge of his nose. [i]‘Did something happen between the two of them?’[/i] Kathy looked back and forth between Nikola and Crash, not seeing any hints of what may have happened, especially since the teacher didn’t seem all too bothered from seeing Crash. She was about to just Crash directly if something was bothering him when-

[b][center]"It is not that rare to see engaged students entering the bar. Anyway, give me your orders, and I shall get you your products immediately.”[/center][/b]

“Huh?” It seemed that Kathy’s subconscious processed those words faster than her conscious mind could, because the blush started appearing on her cheeks before she could even repeat the words to herself. Staring blankly at the teacher with her mouth slightly open, she stood for a moment in shock before waving her hands out in front of her in denial. “N-No, that’s not-!” She glanced up at Crash, noting that he didn’t seem nearly as flustered. Unfortunately for her, that made her feel even more embarrassed and delivered the finishing blow. [i]‘Am I the only one that interpreted it that way? Am I?! Aaaah, I’m so embarrassed!’[/i] She went over to the counter and knocked her head down onto the surface, producing a rather alarming [i]THUNK!![/i] sound on impact. She protectively wrapped her arms around her to cover the bright red shade now on her face, the shade that had nothing to do with the stinging she felt on her forehead. Kathy was blushing so much that even her ears were coloured red now. [i]‘Did Mr. Lovelock mean something else? Engaged students as in… L-Like, students that are actively participating in class? But that doesn’t make sense in this context!! Then why is Crash so fine with it?! Did they plan this? Is this another evil trick from Crash?!!’[/i] She didn’t know what was what anymore, and at the moment she didn’t really care either.

… She only knew ‘Fruit Loops’ as the colourful cereal with an irrelevant blue toucan printed on the box, but she wished whatever Crash was asking for as an alcoholic drink. There was nothing more she wanted to do than to just down something strong and knock herself out. But unfortunately, she doubted that. Especially with a teacher being the bartender. Finally, she reached out beside her and gently tugged on the edge of Crash’s shirt. Peeking out from beneath her arms with just one eye, she weakly mumbled out, “... Aren’t you going to deny it…? Please don’t tell me that I’m hearing things…”