Chapter LXXIV: A Day at School, Part 2
The sun rises on another school day, casting a warm glow over the city. Gin and Tengen arrive at the train station early, chatting casually as they wait for the train to take them to school.
"You think today will be as boring as usual?" Gin asks, stifling a yawn.
Tengen shrugs.
"Who knows? At least we have the memories of the prom to keep us entertained."
Meanwhile, Hanako is abruptly awakened by the sound of her phone buzzing. She groggily reaches for it, squinting at the screen. It's a message from Tengen:
"U up?"
Groaning, Hanako rolls out of bed and stretches.
"Barely," she mutters to herself, rubbing her eyes as she makes her way to the bathroom.
In another part of town, Akiko steps into the bathroom to take a bath. The warm water helps her wake up fully, and she finds herself smiling as she remembers the magical night of the prom.
Asahi, on the other hand, is still fast asleep, sprawled face down on his bed. His alarm clock blares, but he remains oblivious, lost in dreams.
Enmei strolls through the school gate, nodding in greeting to a few classmates. He takes a deep breath, enjoying the crisp morning air, ready for whatever the day might bring.
Back at his house, Kota is busy in the kitchen, expertly flipping an omelet for breakfast. His phone sits propped up on the counter, and he occasionally glances at it, scrolling through YourBook.
"Kota, you're going to burn that if you don't pay attention," his mother calls from the other room.
"Got it, Mom," Kota replies, quickly focusing back on his cooking.
After a while, they all make their way to school. Gin and Tengen are deep in conversation, with Gin squinting at Tengen's phone.
"What are you looking at?" Gin asks, trying to get a better view of the screen.
"Just some memes," Tengen replies with a grin.
"You know, to start the day right."
Once they all arrive at the classroom, they settle into their seats just as the door opens. Ms. Soumei walks in, her warm smile greeting them.
"Good morning, everyone," Ms. Soumei says, setting her laptop down on the desk.
"I hope you all had a wonderful time at the prom."
The Class Representative and Toshiro exchange a knowing look, their smiles broadening.
"It was enchanted!" the Class Rep exclaims, her eyes shining with joy.
The rest of the class chimes in with their own remarks, the room buzzing with excitement as they reminisce about the prom night.
"It was amazing," Enmei says, leaning back in his chair.
"I don't think I've ever had that much fun."
"Totally," Gin agrees.
"I mean, who knew dancing with a chair could be so entertaining?", Enmei says chuckling.
"Oh please, glad I had a lot of fun with a chair", Gin says proudly.
Hanako giggles, her cheeks turning pink.
"I still can't believe I asked Tengen to dance," she admits shyly.
"And you were great," Tengen assures her with a smile.
"I had a lot of fun."
Asahi finally enters the classroom, looking slightly disheveled but wearing a contented grin.
"Morning," he greets everyone, slumping into his seat.
Ms. Soumei claps her hands together, bringing the room to order.
"I'm glad to hear you all enjoyed yourselves. Now, let's get started with today's lessons."
As the students take out their modules and settle in, they can't help but continue to share snippets of their favorite prom moments, the memories still fresh and vivid in their minds.
During a lull in the lesson, Kota leans over to Akiko, whispering,
"I still can't believe how beautiful you looked that night."
Akiko blushes, nudging him playfully.
"And you were quite the charmer, Monsieur."
Kota grins, feeling a rush of affection for her.
"I'm just glad we got to share that night together."
The Class Rep glances over at Toshiro, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before they both look away, smiles tugging at their lips.
As the morning passes, the classroom is filled with a mix of focused attention on the lessons and quiet exchanges of fond memories. The atmosphere is light and cheerful, a stark contrast to the usual hustle and bustle of a typical school day.
During lunch break, the squad gathers in the cafeteria, their trays loaded with food. They find a table and sit down, continuing their lively discussion.
"Do you remember when Gin started dancing with that chair?" Enmei asks, laughing.
"That was hilarious!"
"Hey, it was the best dance partner I could find," Gin jokes, taking a bite of his sandwich.
Akiko nudges Kota.
"And you, Monsieur, you were quite the romantic that night."
Kota smiles sheepishly.
"C'mon, I just wanted to make it special for you."
Hanako, her shyness momentarily forgotten, joins in.
"It was such a perfect night. I don't think any of us will ever forget it."
Tengen nods in agreement.
"Absolutely. It was a night to remember."
As they eat and chat, the squad's bond feels stronger than ever, their shared experiences creating a tapestry of memories that will last a lifetime.
Later in the afternoon, as the school day comes to an end, Ms. Soumei stands at the front of the class, and asks them about their prom experience again.
As they pack up their things and prepare to leave, Kota takes Akiko's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"Ready to head home?"
Akiko nods, smiling up at him.
"Always, as long as I'm with you."
With their hearts full and their spirits high, the squad leaves the classroom, ready to face whatever comes next, secure in the knowledge that they have each other and the memories they've created together.
The next day, Kota wakes up early, feeling a sense of pride as he puts on his organizational shirt. It's a special day for the senior high students, and they've been instructed to wear these shirts to school. Kota grabs his backpack and heads out the door, ready to face the day.
When he arrives at the school gate, he notices a group of students being stopped by the guard. Enmei is among them, looking frustrated. Kota joins the group, trying to understand what's going on.
"Bro, what's the hold-up?" Kota asks, looking at Enmei.
"The guard won't let us in," Enmei replies, exasperated.
"He says we're supposed to be in uniform today."
"But Ms. Soumei told us last night in the group chat that we should wear our organizational shirts," Kota says, trying to reason with the guard.
"There must be a misunderstanding."
The guard shakes his head.
"I don't care what your teacher said. The principal recently issued an order that everyone must wear their uniforms today."
Kota sighs and pulls out his phone.
"Let me call Ms. Soumei. She'll clear this up."
Enmei, however, has had enough.
"I'm going home to change," he mutters, turning on his heel and heading back the way he came.
Kota dials Ms. Soumei's number, hoping she'll pick up quickly. After a few rings, she answers.
"Kota? What's wrong?"
"Ms. Soumei, we're at the gate, and the guard won't let us in because we're not in uniform. But you told us to wear our organizational shirts today."
There's a pause before Ms. Soumei responds.
"I'll handle it. Wait there."
Minutes feel like hours as Kota and the other students wait at the gate. Eventually, they see Ms. Soumei walking briskly towards the principal's office, accompanied by a few other senior high teachers. Kota watches anxiously, hoping they can resolve this quickly.
After what feels like an eternity, Ms. Soumei returns with a relieved smile.
"You can all go in now. The principal has agreed to let you in wearing your organizational shirts."
The students cheer and start filing into the school. Kota breathes a sigh of relief and heads to his classroom. Just as he's about to enter, he notices Enmei walking back through the gate, now wearing his school uniform.
"Hey, Enmei," Kota calls out.
"You didn't have to change after all. Ms. Soumei sorted it out."
Enmei groans, throwing his hands in the air.
"Of course. Just my luck."
Kota chuckles.
"Well, at least you look sharp. Come on, let's get to class."
As they enter the classroom, the other students are already seated, chatting animatedly about the morning's confusion. Ms. Soumei stands at the front, waiting for everyone to settle down.
"Good morning, class," she begins, her voice calm and reassuring.
"I apologize for the confusion this morning. There was a last-minute decision by the principal, but everything's been sorted out now."
The class murmurs in response, and Ms. Soumei continues.
"Today, we have a lot to cover, so let's get started."
Throughout the day, the students can't help but bring up the morning's incident, laughing about Enmei being the only one in uniform. During lunch, the squad gathers at their usual table, teasing Enmei good-naturedly.
"You really went all the way back home to change?" Hanako asks, giggling.
Enmei rolls his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. At least I followed the rules."
"But seriously, props to Ms. Soumei for standing up for us," Kota says, taking a bite of his sandwich.
"She really went to bat with the principal."
"She's the best," Akiko agrees, smiling.
"We're lucky to have her."
The conversation shifts to lighter topics, and soon they're laughing about memes and the latest anime episodes. The camaraderie among them is palpable, and the morning's stress fades away.
After lunch, they return to their classrooms. Kota finds himself daydreaming about the prom and the moments he shared with Akiko. He glances over at her, and she catches his eye, giving him a warm smile.
As the day comes to a close, Ms. Soumei addresses the class once more.
"Before you leave, I want to remind you all about the upcoming school events. Make sure you check the announcements regularly."
The students nod, packing up their things. As they exit the classroom, Kota walks alongside Akiko, their fingers brushing as they walk.
"You know," Kota says, "today was kind of crazy, but it reminded me how important it is to stick together."
Akiko nods, leaning into him.
"Yeah. And how lucky we are to have teachers like Ms. Soumei who care about us."
They leave the school grounds, the day's events bringing them even closer. Despite the challenges, they know they can rely on each other and their friends to get through anything.