"Yonamine!"

He looked so fine in casual clothing, too...

I pushed through the throngs of animated civilians and pets until I arrived at the entrance of the movie theatre where the most gorgeous human being stood. His smile was charming. Especially so, when I came to a halt before him and he sheepishly played with the hair on his nape. "That dress really suits you."

My heart melted to goo—literally—and it felt like I'd lost all strength in my legs. I glanced down at the floral dress I was wearing—an outfit I wouldn't have worn for the life of me if my older sister didn't force it upon me—and was straightaway grateful. It was uncomfortable, and the breeziness of my legs from the shortness was hard to accept, but come on! Junto Anzai just complimented me!

"Th-thank you," I stammered out.

I'd fervently practiced over and over with my trusted bedroom wall, testing out potential questions Junto would ever ask—all to avoid a repeat of what had happened on Thursday.

I still didn't know what kind of rumours Junto had heard about me—probably terrible ones about me sucker punching the principal—but that was exactly the reason I had to prove him wrong. I had to behave in the way of a regular high school girl. A regular...

Wait, what in name of flipping shits did a regular high school girl do? What type of girl did Junto like? There was no way he would sincerely like someone as foul-mouthed and uncouth as me—we'd never even had a real conversation before Thursday! Although I so desperately wanted to ask why he'd gone and asked me of all people out on a date, I guess I'd have to save that question for later.

"Shall we go inside?" Unlike the panicking mess I was inside, Junto's composure still hadn't cracked. He gestured with his arm towards the entrance, blinding grin in place.

I stiffened and did my best to return the expression. "O-oh, yes!"

Side by side we made it to the front doors where Junto politely held it open for me. When we approached the counter he'd also paid for our tickets to see the latest action movie we'd agreed on. I'd vehemently insisted the popcorn and drinks be on me, and after a bit of back and forth, he relented.

The littlest of gestures—him allowing me to sit first or laughing at my cringe-worthy of jokes; even our fingers brushing when we reached for the popcorn... My nerves malfunctioned at each and every gesture, every smile; the sound of his voice—laugh. His gentlemanly poise made me utterly swoon.

Was having a crush this frenzied? Having to course through countless emotions merely because of a single person... To feel so high on cloud nine one minute before wishing the demons of hell could open a rift in the earth to save me from insurmountable mortification the next.

It was frenzied, sure, but it was also fulfilling.

Why couldn't those guys in the Student Council be as kindhearted as Junto? He had the looks, the charm, an honest personality—he was even the captain of the school's kendo team. And yet those freaks were getting a kick from making me and Koga suffer by enforcing some deluded means of discipline.

People like Junto deserved to run the school. And hands down, that probably would've added so much more to his already potent magnetism. Well, Junto could've been apart of the chess club for all I cared and he'd still be as captivating as he was now.

"Yonamine?" Junto broke the silence.

I was snapped back from my daze, and only then did I realize I was ogling at him. My cheeks flared with heat and I promptly faltered a step. "O-oh, um, sorry! I—"

—was admiring your handsome and charming self. Again!

My voice died in my throat.

Junto's gaze from on top of me didn't waver, only inducing more nervousness throughout. I typically carried myself with such confidence and yet look at me now. Practiced, my ass! What good did it serve if I couldn't even put it into action? Sure I wasn't a bumbling fool anymore, but I was still bumbling. And a slight fool, but admitting that wasn't going to help me.

After a period of time of me berating myself, Junto glanced around our surroundings.

His eyes lit up. "Let's do that, Yonamine."

I wasn't given anytime to figure out what because just as my neck rotated, he'd already darted to the closest crane game at the nearby arcade. When he beckoned me over to join him, I snapped out of my surprise to do so. He inserted money and it took little to no time for him to skillfully manoeuvre the crane and drop the stuffed toy down the hatch.

"I did it!" he cheered.

When he extended a small, white cat, smile in place, my body became stricken.

I received it from him, eyeing it in astonishment. It was my favourite character from the movie we'd just seen. "A plush?"

His features softened the slightest. "Am I possibly doing something uncalled for? You've been a little stiff all day so I was kind of hoping it'd cheer you up..." His face was consumed in a sudden blush. "B-but a stuffed plush is a little too childish after all, huh? I—"

"No." My fingers enclosed around the plush, toning down my wide-eyed look. The corners of my lips quirked up and I broke out into a tiny laugh. Junto stood there, frazzled, but I waved him off with a grin. "I really am being unnecessarily awkward today. Sorry. How about we kill some time at a cafe near here?"

Junto stared at me, silent and bug-eyed for awhile. I cocked my head to the side to ponder why. But all was answered when he broke into a gleeful beam.

"You should smile more often, Yonamine. It's extremely cute."

...Cute? I clenched the fabric above my chest—the place his words now had straight fired.

"But that idea sounds lovely. Let's go," he said. It was as if he'd stated what he did because he knew how bad it'd be for my heart.

Nevertheless, I fumbled after him as he guided me down the street. I eyed his broad shoulders—the way his hair curled at his nape—and exhaled dreamily.

"Kasumi is head over heels for that bastard!"

The weak shout stopped me in my tracks. My head jerked backwards in confusion but aside from the gaggle of citizens, nothing reached my ray of sight. Puzzled, I rose an eyebrow and picked up my pace to pursue Junto. Was it my imagination?

"How dare he play with Kasumi's feelings! She's supposed to obey nobody else's commands but mine!"

"Master, calm down."

This time, the shouts had become more prevalent.

A sliver of fear left me deathly still. No. There was no way.

"So she dresses ordinarily when push comes to shove, huh? She's pretty cute like that."

"Did I really have to be here?"

Behind me, three steps to the left.

In the span of a heartbeat, I twisted and fixed a glare in that direction. Waiting to greet me with their heads poking out from an alleyway (donned in obvious disguises, mind you) were all four Student Council members.

Straightaway, they jerked back into hiding. But it was a moment too late. Koga's pallor complexion remained visible for a while longer before he too was yanked down beside them.

What the hell! Those idiots followed me on my date! How long were they tailing us?

"Yonamine?" Junto hollered.

Although I wanted to run over and purposefully ignore those creeps, the notion that they had bore witness to my googly-eyed behaviour towards Junto blew the notion away. This was an invasion of my privacy!

"Um, give me a minute," I told Junto with a feigned smile.

Then, without even waiting for his response, I spun on my heels and hastened towards their hiding place.

"Oh no, she's coming!" I pinned Kakeru was yelling. "Save yourselves!"

The clattering of garbage cans being knocked over and footfalls resounding in a hurried escape stood no chance against my speed. I skidded into the corridor and grabbed the first two shirt collars I could snatch. Shuuhei and Koga had both begun to shudder, and a horribly disguised Kakeru, Juuna and Wateru ahead were evidently discomforted by the glower that had scrunched up every portion of my face.

"You freakin' assholes!" I bellowed, my fingers tightening into fists. The animosity that'd surfaced with their presence was unparalleled to anything I'd ever felt towards them before. "Why the hell are you here?"

"Kasumi," Shuuhei said, his smile twitching. He slipped his black shades off, revealing his guilty grey eyes. "Fancy seeing you here."

Koga, on the other hand, struggled against my hold. "These guys are the ones that brought me here against my will!"

"Hey!" Kakeru cried. "You were curious about the guy Kasumi had a crush on too!"

"Was not! I couldn't care less about you people!" He thrashed his arms. "Let me go!"

I did what he requested and shoved him to the ground and into the pile of garbage they had created by spilling the bins. Then I gave the timid Shuuhei his own boot on top of him, evoking a yelp from Koga below.

I didn't mean for it, but it had resulted in a rather awkward position. Shuuhei with his arms placed at either side of Koga's head, flushed lips inches apart from one another.

"Oh my, oh my, oh my." Juuna had gained a gleam in her eye. She whipped out her cellphone for a picture. "The BL. Go ahead and k-k-kiss—"

"No!" shouted both boys with red faces as they automatically lurched away from each other.

I aimed my hostility towards Kakeru. "Whose idea was this?'

Kakeru sweated buckets, arms up in defence. Considering the crazy rumours he must've heard about me, it wasn't an odd reaction. He looked towards his brother for help. "Wateru—"

"What's a nice piece of rope doing in this garbage?" He was on the floor, marvelling the said rope. But unlike all of them, he was wearing a collar around his neck as an accessory. "Such a waste. Think of all the great things that could be done to you, too..."

I slammed my fist onto the brick wall beside me, and it crumbled when I retreated my fist. The alarming crunch had gathered their focus at once. "Which. One. Of. You. Guys. Planned. This?" I enunciated.

Kakeru was stiff—they all were—until he randomly burst into laughter.

I was momentarily discouraged. "What?"

"You seriously are as batshit as everyone says!" He grinned. "Took Mr. Jael out with that didn't you?"

Juuna was elated as well. "So feisty. Plus, you're dressed so cutely today, Kasumi."

I promptly glared daggers into him then her from afar.

"My," she drawled, "isn't she so adorable growling at me with those bloodthirsty eyes?"

"What!" I shouted, flabbergasted. "That's clearly n-not adorable! I'm seriously gonna— Leave right now!"

"Kasumi, we cannot leave," Shuuhei said, picking himself up from the ground. "Your date isn't over yet."

"And why does that matter?" I exploded. "Stop tailing me!"

"Master, Master," Wateru whispered in the background.

He approached Juuna with the rope he'd found, smiling wholeheartedly.

She paid him curt heed. "Wateru, you want me to tie you up again? But I tied you up on our way here." A chuckle parted from her mouth as she licked her lips. "Wouldn't you rather you prefer my whip instead? How about you, Koga? We had to tie you up to drag you with us but in truth you like being shown my affection, right?"

"Hell no! Get away from me!" Seeing Juuna reaching for her whip, Koga's blush heightened. "I-It was just a little comfortable! That's all it was!"

Holy flying birds, these guys already had the poor guy wrapped around their finger!

They were such bad, bad news!

"Kasumi, do you really like Junto Anzai?" Shuuhei asked.

I scowled at him, ignoring the blush worming its way onto my cheeks. "Whoever I like doesn't concern you."

"We're your masters, and yet you are showing loyalty to another man. I'm pretty sure it does concern us."

"Masters?" I scoffed. "I am not your slave!"

His eyebrows dipped, as if he were unable to comprehend my words. "You don't like me?"

"Like you?" I demanded. "Why the fuckity fuck would I? You're about as pleasant as an itchy butthole!"

Shuuhei faltered, but unlike usual, he didn't scowl back. A look of wonderment had overtaken his features, sending my skin crawling.

"Anyway!" I hissed, pointing a finger to each and every one of them. "You better get the hell out of my face and leave me alone. I mean it! I don't care what you say but I'm enjoying this date. Alone!"

With one last nasty scowl, I stomped back the way I came.

Flipping bird shits! Those numbskulls seriously needed to get their sanity together. Perfectionists, my ass. Holy creatures, my butt! They were messed up teenagers. Granted, I couldn't really say that because I was one messed up one myself, but these guys were in their own league!

If it meant not getting involved with them, maybe expulsion would've been the brighter alternative after all!