[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220404/3d8f0badc25b644d0f5abaeab7c64d90.png[/img]

[b][color=B7CEEC]MENTIONS:[/color][/b] [color=D1D0CE][color=B7CEEC]Munehisa[/color] [[@Solace]], [color=B7CEEC]Nagi[/color] [[@Psyker Landshark]][/color][/center]
[color=D1D0CE]
[h3][b][i][color=B7CEEC]April 26th, 2025.[/color][/i][/b][/h3]
[b][i][color=B7CEEC]Aprile’s[/color][/i][/b][/color]

[color=D1D0CE]If Asumi could describe her day at school, she would have said it was… interesting.

She knew something was wrong when she went to the library. It was a small and quaint place filled with dusty books, but the purpose of her visit was to see if she could get any history books that matched the era Okamoto was teaching them. The library attendant, a nervous boy named Tanaka, had always been friendly to her. But this time, his bespectacled eyes had widened upon seeing her, and his stammers had increased tenfold when she asked if he could help. At the end of the day, he told her that no, they did not have any history books that would aid her in her studies, and it would be best if she asked Okamoto for help. The thought frightened her, and so she begged him to at least let her look around the library, but he didn’t even allow her that. Tanaka came up with some stuttering excuse about how the library was being renovated (when there wasn’t any sign of such a thing) and that she couldn’t be roaming about in such a dangerous environment. When Asumi opened her mouth to question him, Tanaka’s voice became firm, and he even went so far as to threaten to call the student president or even the principal to take care of the situation. She left without any problem, but her rampant thoughts wracked her brain and she was sure her heart rate increased with every passing moment. The hell was that all about?

She was certain she felt something… weird between Nagi and Munehisa. Asumi didn’t know what it was, but she didn’t like it, and her emotions only soured further when they went off on their own way after school. Whatever. She was hungry, anyway, and she told herself that she should treat herself with some yummy somethings from Aprile’s. But her trip there was only flooded with thoughts of what happened at school. Days were ticking by. She wasn’t sure if anyone was going to rat out Munehisa over his drawing, no matter if that meant they would all be expelled. Then there was the library. Tanaka was always stuttering and over-exaggeratory, but for him to treat her as viciously as he did… the combination was strange altogether. She wondered if the whole library fiasco was Okamoto’s doing. Maybe she could ask Akira or Chen if they were being restrained from entering as well.

Her thoughts persisted throughout her patrol of Aprile’s aisles. Everything looked good enough to eat, and the smells that permeated the food court were delectable, though nothing caused a hungry twinge in her gut. Asumi found herself with no motivation, no appetite, and little to no appreciation of Aprile’s large selection of foodstuffs. The coldness of Aprile’s refrigerated section sent a shiver up her spine. [color=B7CEEC][i]I should just go home. I’m not really as hungry as I thought,[/i][/color] Asumi thought with a lowly glance towards her empty basket. [color=B7CEEC][i]I could just eat those leftovers in the fridge.[/i][/color]

[b]”Asumi!”[/b]

Her head shot up in response. Was that..?

[b]”Over here!”[/b]

It [i]was[/i] Yuri. The girl stood behind a small table near the end of the refrigerated section. She wore an Aprile’s uniform, complete with the baby blue undershirt and white apron with the blue pinstripes. Asumi twisted her lip and cocked her head, but headed over to the stand anyway. 

[color=B7CEEC][b]”Oh, hey Yuri. Working at Aprile’s now?”[/b][/color]

Yuri blinked at her. [b]”Huh? This was always my first gig. [i]Obi’s[/i] my second.”[/b] She waved off her question. [b]”What’s up? I didn’t see you with Muney and Nagi at school today. Everything okay?”[/b]

Asumi shuffled her feet and looked down at the tiny paper cups that were neatly lined up in front of Yuri. They looked like miniature soldiers topped with blobs of matcha ice cream. [color=B7CEEC][b]”Ah… no, I was trying to go to the library while they went somewhere else I guess.”[/b][/color]

The other girl’s slight smile wavered. [b]”You okay? You look kinda down…”[/b]

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but she forced them back. Her eyes became downcast for a long moment. [color=B7CEEC][b]”Things’ve been tough at school. Like really tough. And the semester’s just started…”[/b][/color] Asumi finally raised her eyes to meet Yuri’s grayish ones. [color=B7CEEC][b]”You know Ms. Okamoto?”[/b][/color]

A light flickered across Yuri’s gaze before they steeled. The girl’s smile disappeared from her lips. [b]”I’ve heard about that. You’re in her class, right?”[/b]

[color=B7CEEC][b]”Mhm.”[/b][/color]

[b]”It was Muney who drew her like that, huh?”[/b]

Asumi’s shoulders tensed up and she turned her eyes away. Yuri raised her hands and shook her head slowly. [b]”Don’t worry. I’m not telling anyone.”[/b]

[color=B7CEEC][b]”Yeah…”[/b][/color] Asumi’s voice was a whisper. Her lip quivered, so she sunk her canine into her bottom lip to try to keep the tears at bay. At this point, they might as well come. She felt the first of them roll down her right cheek; the salty liquid was hot against her skin as her lip wiggled beneath her teeth. [color=B7CEEC][b]”Yuri… I don’t wanna get expelled… no one’s gonna want me, and then I– I don’t even know if I’ll even get to the college I wanna go to. I d-dunno what to do…”[/b][/color]

[b]”Wanna know something?”[/b] Yuri’s sudden change of tone drew her attention back to her. The other girl’s eyebrows had knitted together, and her lips wrenched downwards in a scowl. 

[color=B7CEEC][b]”M-mhm?”[/b][/color]

[b]”I wouldn’t rat my friend out for something stupid like that. Not even if I was going to get expelled. Not [i]ever[/i].”[/b] Yuri told her in a blaze of passion. [b]”There’s no way that the principal’s gonna let Okamoto’s plan slide. Everyone’s parents are gonna freak once they find out what’s been happening at school. He’ll put her in her place [i]real[/i] quick. So don’t worry about it. By this time next week, you’ll have nothing else to be scared about. You’re hearing me, right?”[/b]

Asumi watched Yuri’s face as she spoke, the tears still pouring down her face like a lukewarm waterfall. Sniffling, she raised a hand to wipe her face, but Yuri was quick to hand her a bunch of napkins. [color=B7CEEC][b]”T-thanks…”[/b][/color] she murmured. [color=B7CEEC][b]”And not just for the napkins.”[/b][/color]

[b]”Don’t worry about it. I’m just telling you the truth and I [i]hate[/i] to see a friend cry,”[/b] Yuri said. [b]”Oh, before you go, wanna try out this ice cream? It just came out and it’s matcha flavored. If you like it, I’ll buy you a tub to take home.”[/b]

Turns out that the matcha ice cream didn’t taste half bad. Yuri kept to her promise and bought an extra large tub of it for her to lug back to her place. Asumi’s heart weighed half as much as it did before. Yuri’s words made sense, and they sure made sense. Maybe the principal already knew about the situation and was working on the case. It was best if she didn’t let the negative thoughts ferment any longer. [color=B7CEEC][i]It’s still early, but I’m tired,[/i][/color] she thought with a weary glance towards the sky. It was probably around four or five, but to her it felt like it was midnight. Perhaps she would feel better once she got something in her stomach. 

Asumi set off at a brisk pace back towards school with the intention of heading to the residential district, but a movement at the end of the street caught her eye. She immediately recognized the two figures as Nagi and Munehisa, and she was more than surprised to see that they were headed back to school. [color=B7CEEC][i]What’re they doing?”[/i][/color] she thought to herself. For a moment, she wondered if she should follow them. If she did, the ice cream in her bag would surely melt by the time she made it back to her place. Curiosity was a pain, though. She ducked behind a shop corner, hoping that she hadn’t been spotted. When they turned the street that led back to the school grounds, she set off after them at a half-trot half-lope. Just what were they up to? Were they finally going to take the time to study for that test?[/color]