[sup][h1][center][color=black] 一 色 み か こ - I S S H I K I  M I K A K O[/color]
[color=goldenrod]一 色 み か こ - I S S H I K I  M I K A K O[/color][/center][/h1][/sup]
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The time crawled by at a snail's pace for Mikako. She wanted to talk to Suzuka. She wanted to talk to Suzuka [i]so much.[/i] But it seemed like the world was actively conspiring her doing so. Whenever there was a spare minute, someone else would approach her for some reason. Would she be there that afternoon for broadcasting club? Of course she would, she told Reiko, what kind of vice president would she be if she didn't? What about kendo club? She couldn't be there the [i]whole[/i] time, but of course she'd show up, Minato. It wasn't quite as important, since, after all, she wasn't much of a player there, but of course she'd make time. Did she want to get a celebratory meal after school? No, sorry, she told Kyouko, she need to stay after for longer because of the first student council meeting, and she was busy after that. An barrage of questions that left her no spare time. 

It wasn't that she didn't value the people in her classes or clubs, quite the opposite. But at that exact moment, all she wanted to do was celebrate the fact that Suzuka was back in her life. But as she dutifully scratched down notes for another class, it would seem that chance wouldn't come until lunchtime. And lunchtime was SO FAR AWAY!

It felt like years had passed by the time the last morning class had ground to a halt and it was finally, [i]finally[/i] time. So she pulled her gleaming bento--the lacquer polished until it shone--and chopstick case from her bookbag and placed them delicately on her desk. But simply in doing so, she realized by the sudden chorus of voices that it was [i]too late:[/i] the Transfer Student Inquisition had reached her first. 

Before Mikako could so much as say a word, a wall of people had divided her from Suzuka. She craned her neck in some frustration, trying to peer through the gaps between to see Suzuka's reaction. Undoubtedly, it wouldn't be--

[color=#2596be]"So noisy. Wouldja mind going one at a time? Y'all are makin' my head hurt."[/color]

Ah. Wouldn't be the most tactful of responses. But the resulting quiet gave Mikako the chance to [i]FINALLY--[/i]

[b]"Ohohoho, well-spoken indeed!"[/b]

Mikako's head jerked back to the front of the room, eyes wide open in the sudden deafening silence that had followed in Arashiyama-senpai's wake.

She wasn't exactly sure what the third-year had against her. Or, well, [i]if[/i] she had something against her. She'd heard [i]rumors[/i] from some of the people that spent a lot of time around Junko, but nothing from the woman herself. But...it was enough. It was something about the way she looked at her that made Mikako feel more self-conscious than most things could prompt. Consequently, she was a rather intimidating presence for the younger girl. No matter how out of her way she went to make friends, even if she'd never actually [i]done[/i] a thing to Mikako, Arashiyama was someone that she did her best to [i]avoid.[/i]

Like, for example, just then. As hard as it was to tear her eyes off her when she entered a room--she carried an undeniable [i]presence[/i]--that also meant that everyone [i]else's[/i] eyes were on her at the moment. And so as the dissatisfied crowd dissipated under the sheer force of her personality, Mikako was finally afforded access to Suzuka.

...Who currently had no food in front of her even though it was time for lunch, and was opening and closing her back like she was hoping the food fairies would come each time.

A soft sigh escaped her lips, and with no preamble she transferred her bento and chopsticks to Suzuka's desk and followed it with a sunny smile, if just [i]slightly[/i] strained. Because she could SWEAR Arashiyama's eyes were on her, [i]in particular.[/i]

"[color=goldenrod]Still forgetting your bento here and there, ne? You must be hungry after coming all the way down from Hokkaido. Made fresh this morning~![/color]"