[h1][center]Ariyoshi Nagase[/center][/h1][hr][hr]
[i]Thorned Hearts: After Dark

Which magical boy will be yours? Decide who to pursue, but remember: your choices matter.

The long-awaited full release of the dark horse otome game…This sensational hit has rapidly gained a cult following…An enchanting visual novel stylized as a classic dating sim, its promises of a darker twist have more than delivered. Romance and fantasy mesh with psychological thriller…

Featuring new player character options, dozens of added scenes, optional challenges, hidden secrets to uncover, and one brand-new ending for each romance target! Updated concept art booklet available to order now…!

The first episode of the recently announced promotional anime adaptation is scheduled to air on…[/i][hr][center][h3]Morning[/h3]
Music: [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQEUGxngQN4]Good Morning World[/url][/center]
A loud, persistent beeping shook Ariyoshi out of his coma. [b]“Hwue-rgh?”[/b] By instinct, his hand sought out the phone, rote memory guiding its path. He emerged from the cocoon that were his bed covers, and shambled to the bathroom.
A cold shover later he felt…

Well, hell. Like the exhaustion was really setting in now. But at least he wasn’t a fucking zombie anymore. Maybe 30% closer to human?

[i]But did I start at zero or in the negatives?[/i]

As he brushed his teeth, sluggish thoughts crawled through his head with all the speed of a confounded escargatoire of snails. 

He ventured into the kitchen in his underwear only – an easy indulgence to fall into for a guy living alone most of the time. First things first, he put on a kettle of water to heat up. While waiting, he tapped through the tablet on the counter, randomizing one of his morning playlists. Soft humming followed as he ground his beans, trying to get into a morning mood.  He made his coffee by pouring it through a filter; he’d have a cup now, and put the rest into a thermos bottle. 

Parts of lyrics were sung under his breath as he put rice into a cooker, and started making omelettes. They were folded into neat little squares to easily fit into his bento box. Then, a bit of steamed veggies, some fresh ones sliced for accompaniment, and pickled ginger and cucumbers for that extra zing.

Ariyoshi looked at the time: 20 minutes left. Yeah, just enough for a quick morning workout. It was a relatively simple routine of warm up, strength exercises, then stretching before he went in for an even quicker shower, threw on his uniform, and grabbed his backpack.
[center][h3]To school[/h3]
Music: [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVOImtJY7po&list=RDDVOImtJY7po&start_radio=1]Ride The Lightning[/url][/center]
Then it was off to the bus; ear buds and sleep mask in place, timer ready to ring in half an hour, he was all set for his nap. He was knocked out to the muted sounds of Metallica within a minute – a skill he was damned proud to have perfected.

Ariyoshi trundled into Masuda High as a singular particle of the deluge of incoming students. Unlike so many others, he had no reason nor desire to linger outside.

Their homeroom teacher, Mr. Hagino, was a man he empathized with deeply. He glanced at the teacher’s blanket covered form, saying nothing on the way in – no point disturbing the man. It wasn’t the first time that Ariyoshi considered what it’d be like if [i]he[/i] had his own blanket.

The pluses? He’d be comfier. A [i]lot[/i] comfier. He bet he'd nap [i]so much better.[/i]

The minuses? Carrying it around all the time. The hit to his image. 

Worst of all? What if he became the kinda person who’d rather sleep over at work? Ariyoshi shuddered at the thought. No matter how little time he had, he’d rather [i]not[/i] ever have his workplace become his home, n[i]o thank you.[/i]

So, as much as he sympathized, he also figured Mr. Hagino had a screw or two loose.

That said, Ariyoshi sat at his desk, folded his arms on top of it, then laid his head down on the makeshift pillow, dozing till class started. 

He was just like their teacher in that he moved only when the final bell rang; stretching with a yawn, he removed his earbuds, and placed the book, notebook, pencil case, and thermos in front of him in quick but orderly fashion. He opened their history book to chapter 26 as soon as the teacher said so, and replied with a, [b]“Here, sir,”[/b] when his name was called. For all that he had slept before this, Ariyoshi appeared as a proper student should, spine straight, gaze set on the teacher, ready for the lesson.