Perfect smiles.

Perfect hair.

Perfect posture, manners, behaviour.

And yet they were the devils in disguise.

"Kasumi, why are you glaring at the Student Council so hard?"

I recoiled from the wall I was cowering behind, my eyebrows lifting from the glare I was pointing in the distance. As they strode through the halls, the four members were elegantly laughing away to something. Their serenading voices wafted throughout the school building as they turned blind eyes to the countless rows of girls and boys alike bowing at their feet with dramatic hearts in their eyes.

I squinted again, as dubious as before. They were the same people I'd always known—those of an entirely different status from me. People who were way out of a hooligan like moi's league. The angels of the school and city...

Did yesterday really happen?

Were they really as two-faced as I'd come across? It felt so much like a dream considering how casual they were acting right now—as always.

I couldn't see it. And because I couldn't, it put me more and more on edge.

These people were freakin' terrifying!

"Hikari, they're fake!" I cried, swivelling around to face my best friend. We were hiding out on our typical staircase—the only place out of the way of other students and staff members, considering the Student Council members always walked through the north wing of the building at this time of day. Even in getting to lunch these guys were scarily punctual. "They've wrapped everyone around their fingers to chew up and spit out!" I went on. "Like the beasts they are!"

The girl of petite stature hummed as she picked up yet another balloon from the bag beside her. A stream of colourful ones hovered in her vicinity. She was blowing them up on the request from a teacher for an upcoming event.

A blue balloon in her mouth, Hikari peeked up at me with her caramel coloured eyes. "They are very angelic, right?" she murmured.

She inhaled a good breath before inflating the very balloon.

I gritted my teeth. "They're not angels!" I hissed, knowing full well to keep my voice down in case those from their fan clubs could hear me. I whipped my head around to ensure there were no witnesses and after ensuring the coast was clear, continued, "I confirmed the truth with my own eyes while I was in the SC sanctuary yesterday!"

"Kasumi, you said you'd help me blow up balloons," she responded, extending the bag towards me with puffed cheeks. "At this rate I won't finish before lunch ends!"

"Hikari, this is more important than balloon blowing!" I said but snatched the bag from her fingers anyway. I heaved as I flopped down onto the space beside her, bringing my face closer for emphasis. "I know you attended Rokura High School longer than I have and were kind enough to approach me on my first day of school three months ago, but these holy saints aren't saints after all! We always joke around saying they're hiding a secret and yesterday I finally found it!"

Spotting that I hadn't yet done anything productive, Hikari took the initiative to slip a pink balloon out of the bag and stuff it into my mouth. I curled my hand around it, retreating it in newfound annoyance.

Hikari Nagamasa was a cool person all around—kind and on the good side of practically everyone in the school—but her indifference when focused was the only disconcerting thing about her. She was a good listener, sure, but with her naturally impassive features when she set out to do a task, it made it difficult to tell if I was really getting through to her most of the time.

"The Autumn Dance is coming up, Kasumi," she finally said. "The dance my parents went to and promised to spend the rest of their lives together! You know how important this is to me!"

I made a face. She'd already talked my ear off about what a magical event the annual Autumn Dance was to her and her family, along with other cliched and unimaginable rumours. Nonetheless, it was the primary reason why she joined the Events Committee and was also the one responsible for directing this event to success. Nevertheless...

Just as I opened my mouth, Hikari shushed me with a pointed look. She beckoned for me to start blowing and I relented with a sigh.

But I didn't give up.

"Teens are expectedly immature, I know, but those Student Council bastards have weird, weird fetishes. Like, you wouldn't believe me if I tried to explain." I gasped between breaths into the balloon as she inflated a red one. "But I found it! They're obsessed with extremely vulgar things!"

"Should you really be talking about 'vulgar'?" Hikari returned. "Your vocabulary puts sailors to shame."

"My vulgar vocabulary is nothing compared to their sadism and masochism fetish!" I reasoned.

"Ah, I see—" She cut herself off with a gasp. Her balloon slipped through her fingers, allowing it to blow up and slap my face.

Feeling traces of saliva, I put my palm to my cheek in disgust. "Why'd you do that—"

"You went to the Student Council sanctuary, Kasumi?" Hikari grasped me by the shoulders with a vigorous shake. "No way! I miss one day and you— How was it inside? Did you talk to them? How are they like? What do they like? Don't tell me the place is really that super futuristic hideout everyone's been talking about!"

She sucked in for air and I wiggled out of her grasp to pat her shoulder. She tended to hyperventilate rather easily.

"Hikari," I instructed. "Breathe!"

She soon regained her poise. Putting a hand to her chest, her countenance once again came to life. Then, she jostled me. "I also heard rumours that you punched Mr. Jael yesterday!" Now that her concentration had broken, she was back to her regular, proddy self. "Is it true? I know it's true because it's you! Kasumi, you're really crazy you know that! Do I really have to keep you on a leash all the time?"

My complexion paled all at once. I couldn't halt an unintentional shudder. "Don't mention leashes in front of me! Otherwise those monsters will—"

"Kasumi!"

The cheerful shout was something I momentarily disregarded. At least, until an arm was thrown around my shoulder, locking me in place. I placed my fingers over the arm, bug-eyed, but when I caught sight of the luminous black hair and kind smile, I blanched to snow. Even Hikari before me gaped with her mouth wide open.

Shitcakes. I let my guard down! Why did I ever think that since they'd never concerned themselves with me during school hours they wouldn't start now?

"J-J-Juuna Muramoto?" Hikari exclaimed, appearing ready to hyperventilate again.

Animated hushes erupted all around us. Fangirls crowded our secluded area, animosity oozing as they glowered daggers at me from a safe distance.

"Master Juuna is touching somebody!"

"She's so blessed!"

"How dare she...!"

"Let's go have a little talk, Kasumi. Since you skipped out on coming to this morning's meeting." Juuna smiled, tightening her grip. Her eyelids settled upon our company, tension elevating the slightest. "You're Hikari Nagamasa aren't you? It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Pleasure? M-mine." My friend appeared on the verge of faint. "You're so pretty."

Juuna placed a hand to her cheek with a titter. "Oh my, is that a confession?"

Hikari blushed further and dropped her head. "Ah, what am I even saying? I-I'm sorry! I voice my thoughts without thinking but y-you really are beautiful up close, Upperclassman J-Juuna!"

Juuna's left eyebrow twitched, but she didn't correct her the way she did for me yesterday. She preferred the cocky honorific 'Master' after all.

I shook my head furiously, opening my mouth to yell at my closest friend to get me free. But Juuna reacted, seizing my arm and pushing it so that my hand clasped over my mouth instead. She then grasped my other hand by my side. Her grip was tighter than I anticipated. And it was at such an awkward angle I couldn't budge it at all.

"If it's not any issue, do you mind if I take Kasumi with me for a while?" Juuna said.

I struggled, squirming against her hold to free myself but she didn't flinch. I muffled a rebuttal, staring directly into Hikari's eyes with the hope that she'd understand my necessity to be rescued. But the girl was lost in a daze. Grinning from ear to ear, she mutely giggled once again, bashfully shifting her weight.

Why oh why was even my best friend under their bewitching spell?

I should've anticipated this. Hikari had a strong dislike towards guys due to the past and her ex-boyfriend, so if it were any other Student Council member she would've been more levelheaded. But since it was the princess, Juuna Muramoto, she was completely heart-eyed like the rest of her minions.

The ones who believed this girl to be normal.

"Aww, thank you, Hikari," Juuna chuckled as if amused by her awe. "Then, I hope you have a splendid day."

"Too you," Hikari spoke, fumbled. "Pretty you are. Like you I really do."

My chest ached for air. I scuffled harder under Juuna's grip and inwardly screamed at my friend. When Juuna finally released me, I crouched over, inhaling heavily to recover my breath. I peeked at Hikari, only to grow more incredulous as a result. Did she seriously not see her choking the life out of me?

One discreet glare at Juuna proved that notion true. The girl was merely tittering at my unheard struggle.

The sick demon!

"Then we'll be off," Juuna said, fastening her fingers over my wrist. All those currently watching this gasped and animatedly began yelling out their vexation.

As Juuna tugged me forward, I flailed for Hikari's arm. I latched on and with my barely caught breath, hissed, "No! H-help!"

Hikari blinked back to reality, and chewed on her lower lip. "You're so lucky, Kasumi. Being able to go to heaven like that!"

I gaped as Juuna overpowered me. My fingers slipped from Hikari's sleeve and I stumbled after her with much haste. "No! Hikari! There is no heaven. I'm going to hell. S-save me! I'm not ready to d-die! No—"

But Hikari had gotten too far when I finished my shout, as were the fuming girls and boys chewing on their respective handkerchiefs symbolizing their envy. Waiting around the corner was the typical red carpet laid out in the direction of the cafeteria. It was only ever rolled out when the Student Council walked through the school building, and the students in charge of it always made sure to keep regular students off it. With the rest of the Student Council gone—most likely chowing down at their designated table in the cafeteria—this entire corridor was left to only Juuna and I...

I swallowed, hard.

Just how screwed was I?