[center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/aef3087a-5b67-4c7a-b700-3c45c3052f60.png[/img] [color=tomato]"I’m not smiling, you’re smiling!"[/color] [color=888888]— Suki Oyama[/color][/center] So Kiyo was in a good mood too? Hmmm… Suki listened in to her conversation, but mostly kept to herself as the girl’s friends listened along. She had been injured for some time, so it wasn’t that out of the ordinary for her pain to clear up, was it? Though with Kiyo being so, well, Kiyo most of the time, it was hard to figure out what bothered her from moment to moment. It was just nice that Suki wasn’t the only one in a good mood today. Of course, Suki wasn’t the only one to notice her mood was better today. [color=ff6347]"Am I?"[/color] The smile ran from her face. Suki hadn’t considered herself an open book, but with barely a glance, Kiyo seemed to have the entire thing figured out. Though Suki wasn’t oblivious to the fact that she could have been the person who put the note there. Kiyo’s attendance at the school was spotty, and she wasn’t one to arrive anywhere early, but it wouldn’t have been hard for her to leave a club meeting with Rei and slip a note in Suki’s locker. They had the same classroom, so it wouldn’t have been hard. Regardless, it wasn’t a good idea to talk about it. Because if everyone knew, everyone would want her to read it. Kiyo’s cool exterior would crack, her friends would make fun of both of them, and then Kiyo wouldn’t like Suki anymore. And if Kiyo didn’t like Suki, that would mean that she’d have to work closer with Roche, and that just wasn’t very good at all. [color=ff6347]"Ahh, well, I got some good news today."[/color] The smile returned. She could not pretend to be chill with something so big resting inside her text book. [color=ff6347]"Oh, I gotta use the bathroom real quick. I’ll be right back."[/color] Without putting down her textbook, which had the letter inside, she hurried down the hall to find a restroom. She flung the door to one of the stalls open, only to shut it as soon as she was inside. Then she sat down, flung open her text book, and gave the letter a closer look. Had Kiyo done this? It felt a little understated. Even if she was trying to be mysterious, surely she would pick something a little flashier. Maybe a light pink envelope or something with a heart on it. Who could say? As soon as she pulled out the letter, she noticed something was written on the outside page. With beautiful calligraphy like writing, someone had written [color=ffffff]"READ IMMEDIATELY."[/color] It was a weird message to hide inside an envelope, but Suki’s curiosity was no less piqued now. She opened the letter and scanned the words on the page. Everything was written in the same, beautiful calligraphy style as the outside message. [indent][i]Suki, my sweet, I do not know what you will make of this letter. You have a tendency to be hard on yourself and think the worst. However, nothing that I’m going to put here is intended to mock you. This is not a joke, and you shouldn’t try to read between the lines. I’m writing this because I am not yet strong enough to tell you how I feel in person, but I also wish to ease the burden of loneliness that you think you’re carrying. Suki, we have known each other for a time. I know it isn’t what others would call long, but it’s been long enough for me to see the type of person you are. The club is filled with attractive girls, but none are as uniquely special as you are. I love the way you talk, the way you think, and the way you make me feel. Sometimes I think about how horrible the world is and start to cry. Sometimes, I think this world is hell. But then I remember that you are in it. I cannot possibly be in hell if i’m some place where you are near. That is the opposite of what hell would be to me. It might be a mistake to tell you this, but I love you. Even now as I write this I want to do things with you. I want to go to plays with you. I want to listen to you read those fairy tales. I want to hear about your observations about those things. I want to lay in your arms and listen to you whisper things into my ear. I want to do so much with you Suki. It’s distracting. So I’ve decided that I will tell you how I feel today. If I delay much longer, someone else is going to scoop you up. At lunch I’ll be wearing a blue ribbon and using a silver fork instead of chopsticks. I hope you’ll sit across from me. With Love, Your Admirerer [/i][/indent] If the look on Suki’s face was dumb before, it was really dumb now. She couldn’t help but laugh. Of course Suki had been tricked by ruses like this in the past, but they were never so carefully constructed. Maybe a text message or a hastily scribbled note, but nothing with this level of class. Once she returned to her seat and plopped down, she sighed. Her smile was stretching all the way back to her ears. [color=ff6347]"Did I miss anything?"[/color] [b]"No?"[/b] one of Kiyo’s friends laughed. [b]"Did we?"[/b] [color=ff6347]"You’ll know before the day is over."[/color] The other girls immediately started grinning at each other. [color=ff6347]"Hey Kiyo."[/color] Suki chose to drop the nickname this time. [color=ff6347]"Have you been practicing your calligraphy by any chance?"[/color] [hr] Regina shook her head. [color=ff0000]"That’s not what I meant. That was a weird day, and the particulars aren’t worth getting into. Point is this has become something far larger than it had a right to, and I’d like to make it right."[/color] Roche pointed out the very obvious problem with Ashbringer joining the club. [color=ff0000]"Fair enough."[/color] She sighed. [color=ff0000]"But I don’t think I need to join the club as Ashbringer to make a difference around here. The problem is in the mundane world, so there has to be something I can do to help."[/color] She rubbed her chin. [color=ff0000]"I could be someone you used to know. Maybe pose as an old or current flame of yours if not some distant relative. Maybe both? I don’t know, if you don’t want me walking around as Ashbringer there are still tons of ways we can work together."[/color] [hr] Haruna could feel Saundra smile on the other end. [color=pink]"It ain’t no big thang! Am ah big grill, eye can take da blame if somethin’ goes wrong."[/color] She laughed. [color=pink]"Tings are in motion. If ya don’t wanna lie ta da GEMs, I’ll do it. Dis makes it easier fa both of us, yah? Just keep ‘em from blowing up anything elze and nuthin’ ‘ill come of it. Oh, an letz have pancakes again dis week some tiem."[/color] After cheerfully bidding Haruna a wonderful day, she hung up. But not before Haruna said something in return. [hr] After Norika finished getting prepared, the moment finally arrived. But something felt off as soon as they arrived. With an exception to Roche, none of her tutors were ever pleased to be teaching her. Their steps were firm and heavy, like they were pissed off before even meeting her. In contrast, this one’s steps were much lighter. The hallway floors barely creaked as they approached, and they knocked on the door to announce their arrival. [color=daa520]"Are you ready for your lessons?"[/color] Boy, that voice sounded familiar. It was a bit muffled though. It didn’t matter, asking for permission before entering her chambers was little more than a formality. She [i]was[/i] going to be taking these lessons regardless if she wanted to or not. The sight that greeted her was a little different than what she expected. While Norika was a sickly child, it was rare for her tutors to be in a complete [url=https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/035/130/708/large/rino-park-2.jpg?1614177357]hazmat-like[/url] suit to interact with her. The outfit was bulky and, quite frankly, ridiculous. It was almost impossible to see the eyes of the person inside due to the tinted lenses on the mask, which gave the hazmat suit an almost insect-like appearance. There were a few butterfly insignia here and there, and some English words written on the suit, but none of it meant much to Norika. It looked to be something custom, and clearly wasn’t something the tutor had been given by her parents. [color=daa520]"Today we’re going to learn about Linear transformations and matrices, and get introduced to our friends I-hat and J-hat!"[/color] The tutor unstrapped a backpack and placed it on the floor. Then they reached inside and pulled out two sticks. Each stick had a cardboard cutout of a hat on it, each having an I and J on it respectively.