"Kasumi, I'm glad you decided to show up."

"I'm not. When can I leave?"

Per usual, the venom in my tone didn't successfully wrap around Shuuhei's neck and suffocate him into silence. He only produced a merry laugh, beckoning me forward towards the large table where the rest of the SC were seated.

"Kasumi, you're here!" Juuna sprung from her seat and rushed towards me. Scooping up my arm, she grinned and guided me to where the rest of them were gathered.

The only startling thing—there were five of them instead of four.

I blinked. Wait, how could that be possible?

There in the biggest chair straight through the middle to represent his importance was the weirdo with a nasty personality and dominance fetish, Shuuhei Okabe. Then off to the side drinking their tea were both brothers of opposite poles—the boisterous Kakeru Horie and faint-hearted Wateru Horie. And last but not least, clasped onto my arm with enough force to snap it in half was the princess of the school, Juuna Muramoto.

So why was an unfamiliar male seated at the far end of the table?

In only the timespan of a heartbeat I digested his appearance. A rattled burgundy uniform, heavy eyebrows and ample face. His wild yellow hair sprung out from each direction, amber eyes narrowed into a fierce glare, smeared in discontent.

He wasn't a member of the Student Council, I knew that for certain.

I also could recognize in my next heartbeat that this was the creepy peeping Tom from earlier today. Back before I'd gotten asked out by the most amazing boy to ever have walked the city of Tokyo.

I still wasn't over it. Oh, trust me, there was no way I was going to ever be. It was seriously a dream come true.

Junto Anzai asked me, Kasumi Yonamine, out on a date.

Cue the flipping of tables, stream of curses and stereotypical giggling.

Of course, that was the furthest from what actually happened. As soon as Junto had said what he did, I'd stopped breathing entirely (nearly fainted on the spot, too) to which Junto worriedly held my arm and guided me to the infirmary. Thankfully, I did manage to Yoda my way a yes, so now we were officially going on a date this Sunday.

In all of my seventeen years of living, this was probably the best thing that's ever happened to me. I mean, excluding when I learned of a cup holder umbrella since my older sister bought me one last Christmas. But outside of the raining seasons and occasional wintry snowfalls, for my fragile maiden in love self, this was the best, hands down.

Take that, Hikari! You thought I was wasting my time by jumping to conclusions, but he noticed me too! Junto Anzai. Kasumi Anzai... So wonderful. I wonder what kind of names our children would have—

Wait. Hold up. What was I thinking about again? When Junto filled my mind I always blacked out, but...

"Kasumi." I peered upwards to find Juuna had retreated from me and was politely standing before the blond hooligan. "Meet your newest friend."

"Friend...?" I echoed, fluttering my eyelashes.

The said male shifted his gaze elsewhere, bottom lip extended in the form of a bitter frown. The other SC members wore matching, shit-eating grins.

Apprehension knitted my gut.

"Um, my only friend is Hikari Nagamasa," I told Juuna as kindly as possible. "I thought you knew this?"

"It's never too late to make friends, silly," she reprimanded, playfully socking my shoulder. I stumbled, wincing as I placed my hand to the spot. Damn this girl packed a punch. "Kasumi Yonamine, this is Koga Ashikaga," she introduced, gesturing between us. "Koga, Kasumi."

He snorted through his nose in response. I automatically frowned.

Kakeru sprung from his seat, slamming his palms onto the tabletop. The teacups wobbled to near spill. "Koga here is a peeping Tom!"

Koga instantaneously lurched forward, jaw slack. "A-am not! I only entered the girl's locker room to find my sister's hairpin!"

He held up a flower shaped hairpin for emphasis but Kakeru only laughed. "It's okay if you wanted to see the fragile body of a maiden, Koga. I get it; the curious mind of a hormonal male is like that. But that's why you stick with the discreet porn stash hidden in every male's room—"

"I SAID I'M NOT INTO THAT STUFF!" Koga's shout was loud enough to quake the entire room. The innocent chirping of birds outside came to a halt also, proving his solemnity. He was up on his toes in a matter of seconds, his lean physique and beet red face incapable of backing up his pathetic rebuttal. "It was lunch time! I didn't think people were inside, and—"

"Now, now," interjected Juuna.

Her sweet smile only gave off menacing vibes as she ushered Koga back into his seat. With utmost reluctance, he complied, and Juuna ruffled the top of his head.

"It's all right, Koga." She stared directly into his eyes, similarly as she had done for me at lunch, and he was already looking entranced. "It happens to the best of us. But you don't need to raise your voice like that. You have to learn to keep your hooligan behaviour in check—be polite—or else we'll fail the principal won't we? You don't want to get suspended, right?"

Suspended? My brows pinned together in confusion, my skin gaining a crawl. I had to have the wrong idea. There was no way...

After leaving Koga dazzled, Juuna rounded to send Kakeru a fierce glare. He promptly began sweating buckets. "Kakeru, you went out of line, too."

He raised his arms in defence. "What's wrong with stating the truth?"

"Truth...? Kakeru, if you so dare tease either Koga or Kasumi with foul mentions like that again..." With the flick of her wrist, her skirt rode up. Just above her thigh garters, against her thigh, was a small holster which sheathed a whip. She pulled it up to her face and smiled as innocently as a lamb. "I'll whip you."

Holy fudging globbies.

I rubbed my eyes as incessantly as I possibly could, praying to my erratic heartbeat that what was in front of me was not a weapon of terror, but a fake, harmless coil.

I was not given that reassurance.

Fumbling out of his chair, Wateru hurried to his brother's aid, holding out his arm in defence. His hair brushed against his nose, lips pressed firmly together. "Master."

"Wateru," Juuna enunciated, fiddling with the leather whip, "I always tell you to stop protecting your older brother."

Wateru visibly swallowed and Kakeru gratefully slunk back into his seat.

Juuna lost her smile entirely as she recoiled the whip, allowing for a fearful snap of air. "If you make a mistake, you get disciplined. That's my rule of thumb, remember? Now return to your seat."

Wateru's knees buckled but he didn't retreat.

"B-but," he stammered. He grounded his teeth for a moment but eventually mustered the courage to sputter, "I always disobey you and you never whip me! Why do you never whip me senseless, Master?"

My throat closed up as Wateru dropped to the floor and crawled up to Juuna's legs. I could imagine sparkles rising from around him as he clasped his hands together in a pleading manner.

"You never pat my head or insult me either! Am I not good enough for you, Master?"

Juuna sincerely smiled and crouched to her knees.

"Of course that's not the case, Wateru," she said, setting her fingers to his shaggy hair. "How many times do I have to tell you not to be selfish?"

Wateru's hair lifted the slightest under her mussing, exposing a glimpse of his striking green eyes. "Oh will you please hit on me only a little?"

"You want some of my love don't you?" She tilted her head to the side with a forced smile slapped onto her face. "How pathetic. You scumbag."

Wateru's shoulders jolted, as if in undeniable pleasure. His tongue fell out, like a puppy. "Insult me more, Master."

"Do shut your mouth whenever you're talking to me," relented Juuna, gladly. "Your voice nauseates me."

He teetered. "M-more," he panted.

Wateru succumbed to a rather disturbing state, for me at least, but there Juuna was, chuckling and absorbing his dramatic gasps.

Wateru Horie... Was this the true colours of the cool and cryptic prince? I mean, before I fled to save my life yesterday he went and showed me his collar collection. I should've anticipated this then. However, due to his typically silent nature—the constant voice of reason for the Student Council—I'd never picture he'd ever plead on his hands and knees like this. Much less for a means of abuse I was too terrified to picture...

I took a peek Koga's way to see if he at least were on my side to this all. Relief sucked the tension from my shoulders when I did find him gawking, as petrified as I was.

Kakeru sat beside a composed Shuuhei, bantering freely without a care for the madness occurring before them. Seeing that confirmed all my previous doubts of what I'd seen yesterday.

The Student Council was a warden of secrets—deceitful, sadistic and masochistic facades I was frankly too afraid to uncover further.

And to think I was stuck with these lunatics for a time limit that wasn't yet official...

I resisted the urge to shudder.

"Kasumi, why don't you take a seat?" Shuuhei's voice woke me from my dread. He had risen to his feet, beckoning to the spot beside him. "Let's formally begin our discussion about you and Koga's behaviour, and your means of discipline."

My heart missed an entire beat. Body stiff, I swivelled Koga's way, finger outstretched the exact moment he'd spun towards me.

"You mean, he also—"

"She also—"

"Due to the means of your actions that have undermined the school's regulations, on orders from Principal Jael Ootori, second-years Koga Ashikaga and Kasumi Yonamine will be kept under the Student Council's care until their behavioural improvement."

Juuna and Wateru had also gathered at the foot of the large table where the four oppressing demons were hovering above us with looming murderous intent.

I heard myself swallow.

"From today forth," Shuuhei continued, as all their lips (with the exception of Wateru) simultaneously quirked up into a simper, "you are to obey our orders by any means necessary, or else it's expulsion for all of us. Do you understand, Kasumi?"

I nearly sprung from my skin at his pointed mention. I bit on my lower lip. Oh, flying fucks. I had no way of defying his authority.

As if grateful I hadn't raced off like yesterday, Shuuhei smiled and approached me. In his palm was that malicious device from yesterday.

I didn't require even a second before disgust overwhelmed me. More so, when he scooped up my hand and dropped it inside.

"Since you up and left before you could chose for yourself, we've taken it upon ourselves to pick your collar for you. We've given Koga's some serious thought as well." His grey eyes flickered towards Koga who immediately grew rigid, like I was. "Oh, no need to be afraid. Wateru was kind enough to allow you the best from his collection. I'm sure you'll both find these objects oh so very... useful."