[b]Kotori Shirohane - Warakuma High School | Saturday, July 11 2015 - After School[/b]

As the bell rang, the usual hectic hustle and bustle broke out - even if everyone seemed a little more apprehensive given that it was the last day of regular school before the finals began in earnest next week. Whilst some had already given up hope of avoiding the remedial classes, others seemed to have taken a particularly keen interest in their studies - some had adopted meticulous note-keeping, much like Kotori had been doing all year round, whilst others seemed to be rushing off to the library or other study group - at least, that's how Kotori interpreted the odd change in habits of some of her classmates including Mako.

As for herself, she mostly kept up her usual routine - including today, as she finished her notes from the last class and began packing her things in the by now noticeably emptier classroom; albeit whilst glancing about to see if any more of her classmates or even students from other classes happened to be approaching - with the exams drawing ever nearer, not one day went by without someone asking her for help in their studies. Much to Kotori's chagrin, she'd had to apologise and explain that that was unfortunately - mostly citing things like club activities or helping out at home.

Though these weren't untrue, in truth she also felt far too nervous at the prospect of actually trying to teach someone else - which only served to give her more of a guilty conscience every time she declined such a request. It was a times likes these that she really wished that the results from the mid-terms hadn't been announced for everyone to see - perhaps then she might have been able to stay unnoticed more easily. A small sigh escaped her lips as she headed out of the classroom - thinking on all this wasn't exactly going to help her in any way, she realised and tried to push the thoughts to the back of her mind, limited success though she may have with it.

As she made her way to the school entrance, Kotori passed by several other students who were still hanging about. Though she didn't mean to eavesdrop, it was difficult not to hear the occasional words of ongoing conversations - but unlike at the start of the week, it seemed that the kidnappings had been dropped out of the pool of topics in favour of the upcoming exams or the summer break thereafter. Pushing open the main door, Kotori slowed after just a few steps as she thought on what to do with the rest of the day - besides having set aside some time later in the evening to keep up with her regular studies, she realised that she didn't have anything planned.

Thus Kotori found herself standing not far from the school entrance, internally debating whether to pop into the local library or to head home and hopefully finish the novel she'd been reading for the past few days.