Private/Closed Ambrose Academia

[kageyama]

Areum stood up and dusted off her skirt. “I could probably get better at basic physical strength,” she admitted, recalling back to any fighting skills of hers that had room for improvement.

Hatsuo laughed through his nose at the enthusiasm and acceptance by his now tournament partner. “Excellent. Let me know if you believe there’s any training you think should be done before we sweep out all competition,” the teenager said to his comrade. With that, he dismissed himself off of the field with another smirk and a salute with two fingers - as if to say, “Ciao!”

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Kenji nodded at Areum's request and walked over to his backpack, taking out two striking pads. He wrapped the circular pads around his wrist and headed back to Areum and held them up. "Here's what we're gonna do. Get into a stance, and aim two punches, one with each hand, at the opposite pad, yeah?"

Ryohei nodded as Hatsuo walked off and turned back around. His hands suddenly ignited with purple and red flames as he smirked once more, the excitement about the tournament still lingering.

 

[kageyama]

Areum loosened herself as she shifted into an offensive position. Her hands lingered near her chest before she jutted and swung a quick punch at one of Kenji’s hands. Then, Areum did the same action vice versa - her left hand delivering a hit with as much focus as she could. “How was that?” the girl asked, looking up at Kenji with her head narrowed slightly down.

Hatsuo arrived at his home with his bag in a matter of minutes. The laid-back male whistled as he entered the distraught living room. Books and couch cushions lay astray, and a clutter of “rock” magazines sat on the coffee table. Hatsuo continued the tune before reaching his bedroom, which was dim and rather empty. However, a light glowed inside a large, glass tank against the wall on the dresser. Hatsuo approached the tank and crouched a bit to reach eye-level with the ball-python that was coiled up inside. He cooed at it before sinking back to his bed and abruptly flopping down on the mattress.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Kenji watched as Areum delivered the punches to the pads and answered the question that followed. "Could use a bit more shoulder and hip rotation. If you just snap out, the only momentum comes from your elbow, right? So if you twist into it, you deliver much more force." Deciding to show her, Kenji dropped the pads and walked up behind Areum, gently grasping her shoulders and returning her into the stance she had assumed earlier. He then-- also quite gently-- gave her shoulders a slight turn, a hand on her right arm which he extended, so the girl now delivered a punch to the air. "Just like that."

Ryohei entered his home and tossed his bag on the couch, throwing off his tank top and hurling it into the nearby laundry bin, revealing his muscular upper body, eight-pack and all. His arms were-- as the kids say-- jacked, and he flopped onto his bed, pulling out his phone and scrolling through social media for the time being. Suddenly, a giant, white Samoyed leaped onto the bed Ryohei was occupying and assaulted the teen with a flurry of licks. Ryohei laughed and attempted to cover his face with his hands, but to no avail. "Whoa there, Ghost!" He smiled and ruffled the dog's dense fur coat as he sat up. "It's good to see you, too."

 

[kageyama]

Areum complied as Kenji adjusted the equilibrium of her stance. The punch to the air, truthfully, felt less strained than the two she delivered before. Nodding once, she continued to train and take in everything Kenji bestowed to her. For this upcoming tournament, she knew all of her abilities would need to be heightened for a strong chance of winning.

Hatsuo let out a monotonous sigh before hoisting himself back up and exiting his bedroom. His phone in his back pocket, he crept down the stairs and into the basement, where cold air filled the room. A well-used punching bag stood near the middle of the room, while a speed-punch bag hung from the rafters of the ceiling. Hatsuo hummed and grabbed the tape that sat on the stairs’ railing, wrapping it around his knuckles before tossing his jacket aside and going straight to town on the punching bag.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Training went on for the next two hours until the sky began to darken, slowly becoming tinted with dark orange and indigo, and Kenji sighed and put away all the equipment they had used. "Well, looks like it's getting dark, so we'll end here, okay?" He walked over and locked his lips with Areum's, holding the embrace for a couple of seconds before slowly pulling away and grinning. I'll see you tomorrow." Kenji waved as he began to walk back to his home and breathed in the crisp, now-evening air.

Suddenly, while Ryohei was caught up in a Japanese graphic novel, his phone next to him vibrated as an alarm rang out throughout the room. The alarm read: "Workout", and after reading it, the teen hit the shut off button and headed down to the basement, where all kinds of exercise equipment sat. Heading to the pull-up bar that hung on the top of the door, Ryohei grabbed the handlebars and began his regimen.

 

[kageyama]

Areum was quick to make her way home, especially with the growing chill that was to come over the shift into cold weather. On arriving home, she showered, dressed and read for the remainder of the evening before tucking herself into bed.

Hatsuo, on the other hand, didn’t sleep until 2 AM sharp. His evening was him knocking the leather and tattered speed bag with immense speed, as well as hastily using a whip-like jump rope. At about 1:30 in the morning, he stretched his sweaty arms back while calmly humming. He abandoned his shirt quickly into the workout, and it was evident that the male spent time taking consideration into exercising often. Though he was lean, he was undoubtedly toned. Hatsuo scooped up his clothing and head upstairs, where he showered, brushed his teeth, and crept into bed.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Kenji arrived at his abode and took a quick shower, putting on a sleeveless shirt and athletic shorts before pulling open the window next to his bed. The room was immediately filled with the cold evening breeze, but chilly weather was something that Kenji had very much preferred over warm weather. He turned off the light in his room and flopped onto his bed, deciding to go to sleep early and tucking himself in before falling into a deep slumber.

Ryohei, unlike Hatsuo, only exercised until about 12 AM, and by the time he was done, sweat dripped from his face and down his back as he stood in the middle of the workout room, panting rather heavily. Wiping his face with a towel, he then draped the same towel over his shoulder before heading out of the basement and taking an ice cold shower, which was quite ironic given his power. After stepping out and toweling off, Ryohei slipped into a pair of joggers, leaving his upper body bare as he headed into his bedroom, turning off the light and collapsing onto his bed with a soft grunt. Ghost promptly jumped onto the bed next to him and curled up into a sleeping position as Ryohei, too, slowly fell asleep.

 

[kageyama]

Throughout the next couple weeks, not only did Areum and Kenji continue training, but Hatsuo and Ryohei both improved in their own time as well. Soon enough, the day of each local tournament came, and both stadiums were nearly filled to the brim with excited participants and onlookers.

It was a Saturday morning, and the tournament would occupy the entire weekend. Areum showed up at the desired stadium where her district would participate in - and was one of the first students to even arrive. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she was wearing the provided jumpsuit that was handed out to each student. Kenji and her battle would be the third fight to take place.

Meanwhile, Hatsuo awaited in his tournament with a drowsy composure while sitting in the stands. He was quite early - almost “Areum-early” - to the entire spiel, and received a limp five hours of sleep the night before. Of course, it was his own fault for staying up late. Nevertheless, Hatsuo slid back in the arena seat he occupied, pale eyes staring down at his phone screen. He, too, wore an issued jumpsuit, and his bleached hair was messily arrayed on his head. Blowing out air, Hatsuo checked the tournament schedule on his phone. Ryohei and his battle was the fifth to take place, so there was quite a time gap yet.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Kenji arrived at the convention center in which the tournament would take place, registered at the front desk, put on the jumpsuit, and headed to the stands. Looking at the tournament layout he had been given upon registration, it seemed that he and Areum would be fighting in the third round, which gave him time to stretch and meditate. After finding Areum from his periphery, Kenji waved to get her attention and grinned. Taking the seat next to her, he reached out and intertwined his fingers with hers. "Hey! You ready?"

Ryohei sat in the chair next to Hatsuo with a grunt and leaned back. "Well, it's finally here. You ready to win this thing and go to regionals?"

 

[kageyama]

Areum glanced to her partner as he sat down by her and gently twisted their fingers together. She smiled, and to his statement she responded with, “Undoubtedly.” Unfortunately, she did have some jitters scattered throughout her system, but she remained cool and calm.

Hatsuo turned his head to his counterpart, and a charming smirk grew on the male’s face. “But of course, my trusty comrade,” he said with delight and looked onward to the battlefield. “Et tu?” Hatsuo added, quite laid back as he sank in his seat.

About two hours later, the second battle had wrapped up in the district that Ambrose participated in. Shaking her hands to wrack away nervousness, Areum squared her shoulders and took a deep breath before turning to Kenji. “Ready to win?” she asked with growing confidence.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Kenji smirked as he stood up, heading to the holding area. "Of course." He was still holding his girlfriend's hand, and the two began to make their way to their destination. Upon arrival, the two also came upon their opponents, who had hailed from a different school. The referee approached them and gestured for them to follow him into the ring. Kenji took a deep breath and began to walk.

Ryohei laughed heartily. "Without question." The battles progressed rather quickly, and soon, it was time for him and Hatsuo to make their way to the holding area. "Well, let's go."

 

[kageyama]

Areum trailed shortly behind Kenji and listened to the rules that the referee explained. She examined their opponents - a twin set of girls who were nearly identical, but one had hair that was just a bit shorter than her sister. “Watch out for any mixing up they might attempt. I’ll take the one with longer hair,” Areum said under her breath the Kenji. With that, the whistle blew and the match began. Areum fell back into a readied stance, and her opponent - named Hailie - did the same. Almost instantly, the girl jutted her hand out and created an abundance of fiery projectiles that sped at Areum. Quickly, she hopped to the side and just escaped the shots unsinged. Narrowing her eyes, Areum dropped Hailie’s awareness for as long as possible. In the few moments the girl was dazed, Areum whipped up an illusionary now and arrow, shooting the girl clean in the shoulder.

Hailie’s response, of course, was a yelp in pain and a wobbly shift of her balance. Hastily remembering what Kenji told her, Areum approached Hailie with speed and twisted her arm before socking her in the nose. She fell back whilst cradling her shoulder and clutching her nose. Areum glanced to Kenji and his take in the battle. From what she quickly gathered, the other twin had and ice ability. When the opponent stayed down and Areum was declared winner, she helped Hailie back up and patted her on the back.

Meanwhile, Hatsuo walked with faint swagger across the field with his partner. The referee walked through the rules as Hatsuo dimly gazed their opponents - a built looking male and a thin female. “I got the gal,” Hatsuo chirped to Ryohei before the whistle blew.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

While Areum took her opponent on, the other twin gave Kenji a sweet smile. "Hey, there; you're pretty hot. Mind if I cool you down for you?" Her gaze then flashed with malice as she thrust out a hand and fired multiple icicles with breakneck speed. Flaring up his aura, Kenji wrinkled his nose as he fired a wide blast of aura at the incoming projectiles, the sheer force of the energy whittling the icicles to small bits that fell to the ground and melted rather quickly. "That pun was.. absolutely terrible." He then lunged forward as time began to slow around them due to the comparison in speed between the two. Kenji aimed a swift chop at her collarbone, and it was over. Seconds after the strike, the girl crumpled to the ground, unconscious. "Good try."

Ryohei nodded as he ignited his hands with red and purple flames. "Don't bust the lady up too hard, yeah?" He asked with a smirk as he waited for his opponent to attack. The other boy, whose name was Erik, lunged at him with a hand encased in metal in a wide right hook. Ducking under the swing, Ryohei lunged out with a flurry of flaming punches and ended the combo with a kick to the side. The boy groaned with pain but attempted to swing out in a last-ditch attack... to no avail. Ryohei avoided the attack once again and ended the match with a swift hook to the jaw, knocking Erik to the ground unconscious.

 

[kageyama]

Areum and Kenji were declared the winners and were swept of the field to keep the schedule running smoothly. “Our next spar is in two battles. Nice job, by the way,” Areum said looking ahead as she walked and tightened her ponytail.

Hatsuo chuckled. “No promises,” he said in a soft, singsong voice. As Ryohei dove into the match, Hatsuo eyed the girl with interest. “Can I get your number after this?” the girl queried with a coy smile. Hatsuo grimaced. “Sorry little lady, but I’d much rather prefer a fella,” Hatsuo said in a hushed tone so that only she could hear him. At his amused smirk, she shrugged and said, “Worth a shot.” She seemed rather confident as she stepped back and clenched her fists. Immediately, jagged rocks thrust up from the ground in a speedy line towards Hatsuo. “That’s no good,” he sighed before quickly falling back into a shadow like presence. He disappeared and left the girl, named Farrah, in a confused state. She surrounded herself with pointed spikes before Hatsuo appeared behind her, a couple feet above her in the air. With a twisted grin, he reared his hands back and burst freezing water at her. She shrieked as Hatsuo landed on the ground and the stones around her crumbled down. As she frantically wrung out her jumpsuit, Hatsuo grabbed her collar from behind, lifted her up, and threw her hard on the ground. She blew out air before passing out cold.

Dismissed from the field, Hatsuo slapped Ryohei on the back as they walked away from the next match. “Oi, nice fighting. This’ll be a piece of cake,” Hatsuo grinned. Their battle would be immediately after the one going on at that moment.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

"Likewise," Kenji responded as he wrapped his arm around Areum's shoulders while the two walked off. Thankfully, he hadn't expended too much energy during the fight, so he didn't need to worry about the next match. He took a seat on a nearby bench in the holding area and leaned back, relaxing before the next fight.

Ryohei chuckled and nodded. "Same to you; I haven't a doubt." The two waited in the holding area, as they would be fighting any second now.

 

[kageyama]

Areum sat down next to Kenji and sank down a bit, relieving and destressing herself as she rested her head in her hand. She sighed warmly as they waited.

After a mere amount of minutes, Ryohei and Hatsuo were beckoned back onto the field where they were met with two males, both averagely built. “Eenie, meenie, minie, you!” Hatsuo quipped and pointed to the shorter, a boy named Jamis. The whistle screeched and Hatsuo immediately sank into the abysmal-like aura that he summoned behind him. His approach for this fight would be incredibly snappy and to get it out of the way. As he reappeared behind the nervous Jamis, he pointed his finger like a gun at his opponent’s back and shot searing hot water in a sharp stream out of his hand. The liquid brought immediate pain in Jamis, setting off his ability - a series of sharp, stone-like plates erupting from his back and arms. “Oh?” Hatsuo chimed with amusement. Jamis swung around angrily and aimed a hard punch at Hatsuo, who ducked down and delivered a low sweep to the male’s legs.

Jamis toppled onto his back, and seizing the opportunity, Hatsuo lurched forward and rutted a hard punch into the boy’s face. He was knocked out almost instantly, and Hatsuo stretched back with a pleased smirk.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Kenji and Areum sat on the bench, the former gently patting the latter's head. "Let's not stress too much about this tournament, yeah? We're definitely making it to regionals, so let's worry about that when it comes. The local tournament's gonna be a pushover."

As Hatsuo tackled his own opponent, Ryohei launched into his own fight. His opponent fired multiple blades of wind, which were taken by Ryohei's bulk with ease. He charged forward and grabbed the boy in a choke hold before slamming him into the ground, knocking the air from his lungs and leaving him gasping for air. Ryohei then leaned over and aimed a swift right hook at the jaw, ending the fight. All too easy.

 

[kageyama]

Minutes passed all too soon as Areum and Kenji were summoned to the field. The stands were filling up slowly with onlookers and students alike, cheers growing loudly as each battle contestant walked on. Before Areum and Kenji stood a boy and a girl, both having similar features. It was a dead-ringer that they were siblings, and as the whistle blew, Areum claimed the sister.

Hatsuo walked off of the sward with Ryohei, a satisfied glint in his eyes. “Next fight is in two matches,” he said simply, hands behind his head as he gazed ahead.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

The brother had a martial arts uniform on with a black belt in whatever art he studied. After giving a curt bow of respect, the brother-- his name was Tendo-- got into a stance before saying. "Let us have an honorable match. No powers to give the edge in battle to the other." Kenji relaxed his aura upon hearing the statement and assumed a fighting stance as well. "As you wish."

Ryohei nodded in response to what Hatsuo had said and shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked. "Yup."

 

[kageyama]

Quite the opposite of her male counterpart, the girl sneered at Areum. Needless to say, the match between the two females was similar to a cat fight - with Areum standing triumphant.

The day traveled on with fight after fight in both district tournaments. Both Areum and Kenji and Ryohei and Hatsuo climbed viciously to the top of the bracket, and both sets of students stood before their opponents for the championship. Against Areum and Kenji was two girls, one with a built figure, and the other a nimble one. On the other hand, Ryohei and Hatsuo were faced against a male and a female, both relatively fit with straight posture and calm exposures.

And both whistles blew, signaling each pair’s fight for superiority.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

As the fight began, one of the girls instantly lunged toward Kenji, attempting to land a powerful swipe at his face with sharp claws growing from her fingernails. Flaring up his aura, the teen ducked under the swing and whipped out a quick straight to the girl's stomach, pushing her back with a powerful strike. After rolling backwards a few times, the girl got up on all fours, snarled with a feral rage, and leaped toward him in a pounce-like fashion. Suddenly, the girl seemed to stop instantly as Kenji reached out and grabbed her by the throat, not enough to choke her, but enough to keep her from moving. He then smirked before slamming the girl down onto the ground, knocking her out instantly.

Ryohei lunged toward the male, signalling for Hatsuo to go for the girl, and aimed a swift kick at the opponent's side. However, the attack was quickly blocked and countered with a jab to the stomach. The pyrokinetic managed to block the punch, and the two became locked in a flurry of strikes and blocks at breakneck speed. Not budging an inch, Ryohei's eyes began to glow with scarlet and purple fire as his hands became ignited in the same flames, increasing his attack power. His opponent began to weaken slowly but surely until he aimed sloppily at Ryohei's jaw. The teen immediately caught the other's fist, wrenching it back and ending it with a powerful hook to the jaw, knocking the boy to the ground out cold.

 

[kageyama]

Areum and her opponent wasted no time and leapt into battle. The latter extended thorny whip-like vines from her hands and lashed at Areum, who incredibly quickly summoned an illusionary dagger. In turn of the thorns lunging at her, Areum, slashed violently at them, cutting them out of the way. Then, lowering the girl’s awareness, Areum lunged at her and kicked her square in the chest, knocking her back. Not taking any chances, Areum then threw the dagger down into the girl’s shoulder, where she screamed and faded out of consciousness.

Hatsuo’s enemy immediately rested back before bursting into an animal like rage, accompanied with strengthened muscles and brute force. “The Incredible Hulk!” Hatsuo teased with amusement on his face. She snarled and charged at him, but was slowed down from the “transformation” and gave Hatsuo plenty of time to shift out of reality. As she skidded to a halt, Hatsuo reappeared behind her and launched a ruthless punch into her spine. She hunched forward in pain, whipping around and delivering a low sweep to Hatsuo’s legs. He stumbled back with a surprised chuckle, but fell into his own shadow before hitting the ground. Once again, he reappeared behind her, but sent a lethal line of blisteringly hot water down her back. With a screech, she clawed at her back before tripping on herself and heading her head on the ground, this knocking herself out. Hatsuo blinked slowly before sighing softly. “Well, I suppose that’s one way to do it.”

Each pair, at their own selective tournament, was brought onto a pedestal in the center of the field, and awarded with medals and applause. Areum took Kenji’s hand as they accepted the praise, and Hatsuo shoved his hands in his pockets - a smirk on his face as he occasionally glanced at Ryohei.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

As the medal was hung around his neck by a facilitator, Kenji smiled as he looked up at the audience, now on their feet as they whooped and hollered. He gave Areum's hand a gentle squeeze as the two stood proud, the awards ceremony drawing to a close a few minutes later. After changing back into his normal clothes and tossing the uniform into a nearby bin, Kenji emerged out into the lobby where he sat at a nearby bench, waiting for Areum.

Ryohei stood tall and proud, smiling at the audience as the gold medal hung from his neck. He didn't catch the glances Hatsuo had made at him as the two stood, however. As the two exited the competition area, Ryohei clapped a hand on his partner's back and grinned. "I'll see you at regionals." With that, he changed into his old clothes, left the convention center, and began the short walk home.

 

[kageyama]

Areum, as well, departed from the stadium’s field and changed into a fresh t-shirt and leggings. She let her hair fall to her shoulders as she walked to the lobby, catching the eye of Kenji and approaching him. She stood closely in front of him as he sat, looking down at him with a smile. “Well, onto the next tournament, then,” Areum said simply.

Hatsuo lingered back for a few seconds as Ryohei marched right out of the center. Hatsuo stuffed his hands in has pockets and sighed before doing the same, murmuring along the way. “How clueless,” he breathed with a defeated smile. He changed and hustled off to his home, where he showered and promptly laid across the floor, sprawled out and scrolling through his phone.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Kenji looked up at his girlfriend with a small grin and nodded. "I guess so." Suddenly, a competition facilitator dressed in a black suit and tie approached the two and cleared his throat before reading off a piece of paper. "Kenji Miura, Areum Cricket, congratulations to the both of you are in order for placing first at this year's local tournament. As such, you will be granted the opportunity to compete at the region-wide level, whereupon you will be presented with the chance to compete at the state level competition, should you place first once again." After his announcement, he handed the two the form to register for the regional competition. Kenji thanked the man, who nodded in response and walked off. The teen turned to face his partner once more and shrugged with yet another grin. "I guess that's that. Anywhere you want to hang out? Your place, my place, some other location?"

Ryohei arrived at his home, where he flopped onto the living room couch with an exhausted sigh. Ghost bounded over to him and licked his face, though the boy was too tired to respond. After a few minutes of.. simply laying there, the teen got up, showered, and changed into a tank top and shorts before laying down on his bed and beginning to read a novel from his bookshelf. The gold medal from earlier now hung on his wall.

 

[kageyama]

Standing prompt, Areum accepted the certificate and watched as the man walked out of view. Then she turned back to Kenji, rocking on her heels as he asked her what their plans for the rest of the day were. “The museum is open,” she said softly after thinking for a minute. She’d been to the local museum several times, and going was often a fond memory of hers. “It’s about four right now, and the museum closes at nine. I’ll need a shower, too, so I’ll have to run home and do that,” Areum said, already planning out the remainder of the evening.

Hatsuo was exhausted. As soon as he stepped into his shower to wash off the grime, his eyes fluttered shut and he leaned against the wall. He woke up briskly after a few minutes, forgetting his location for a few seconds before resuming to clean himself. After stepping out, drying off, and getting dressed, Hatsuo trudged to his bedroom and crumpled onto his mattress, snoozing almost instantly.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Kenji nodded. "I'm down. We can meet there at.. maybe 5:15 ish?" He set a reminder on his phone and turned back to face Areum. "Sounds like a plan; I'll see you there." He quickly leaned forward to plant a small kiss on her cheek before heading out, hands in his pockets. After a few minutes of walking, he finally arrived at his home and took a brief shower. Kenji then threw on a white shirt and light blue jeans along with a bright flannel button down shirt on top before sitting on the living room couch and opening his laptop. As he scrolled through the weekly local news, he was surprised by an article about the competition that even included a picture of him and Areum on the top pedestal, holding hands and smiling at the crowd. A small chuckle escaping his lips, Kenji copied the link on his phone and texted it to Areum, along with the caption: "Huh, that's a surprise lol". After the message was sent, he checked the time; 4:26. He would probably head to the library at about 4:50.

 

[kageyama]

Areum shortly made her way home. She thoroughly showered, getting all of the grit and scrapes washed off. Several bruises littered her legs, arms, and back. Feeling like a sack of bones, she took some aspirin and head off to get dressed. Areum settled with a white, ribbed long-sleeved shirt underneath a red corduroy overall dress, and tied her hair into a loose French braid.

It was about 5 o’clock when Areum slipped on a pair of white sneakers and head outside to walk to the museum. She had a small, black purse hanging neatly at her waist as she traveled. Not living very far away, Areum arrived at the entrance of the museum at about 5:10. She shrugged her shoulders back as she waited for her partner, hoping to ease some of the creakiness she felt in her body.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Kenji arrived at the museum and, upon walking in, he noticed Areum standing near the door. He grinned and waved, hoping to get her attention before walking toward her. "Hey! You look great today." The teen pat her shoulder softly before leading her to the admission desk, buying two tickets and giving one to his partner next to him. The woman at the front of the desk gave them a smile before motioning for them to proceed, and Kenji thanked her as he, still holding Areum's hand, walked into the main area where the exhibits were being shown. At this point, he waited for Areum to find interest in something; after all, this was her night. Although he wasn't as excited about museums as it seemed Areum was, he wanted to make sure he had fun, so he would be the one led by her for today.

 

[kageyama]

Areum’s hand gently squeezed her counterpart’s as her eyes scanned the exhibits displayed and littered around the building. As per usual, she felt herself leading Kenji to the prehistoric exhibit that contained all of her favorite dinosaurs and other fossils. Despite the numerous times Areum visited the museum, every display seemed to dazzle her more and more each time she laid eyes upon it. Currently, she stood ahead of the velociraptor skeleton that she proudly claimed as her favorite spectacle, hand still holding Kenji’s.

She turned her head over her shoulder to look at him. Areum smiled sweetly before returning to the velociraptor, then heading off and leading the duo to view different exhibitions throughout the museum.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Kenji chuckled softly as Areum led him around the exhibits, her eyes aglow with fascination and joy. As he observed the displays his girlfriend showed him, the teen watched the look on her eyes with fondness and love. The exhibits were interesting as well; Kenji never knew he'd come to enjoy the fossils and other historical odds and ends, but it was a first time for everything. Soon, the two had explored every inch of the museum and its displays, and they found themselves standing near the front doors. Kenji grinned at Areum, hand still holding hers. "Well, that was surprisingly fun. You have a good time?"

 

[kageyama]

Areum nodded, thumb rubbing circles over the small keychain she held in her open fist - a little memento she had snuck off and bought during their expedition around the museum. She took Kenji’s other, free hand and spread his fingers out so his palm was open. Areum placed the keychain, decorated with an image of a t-rex skeleton and the name of the establishment, onto his hand with a smile, looking up at him. “Thanks for spending the rest of the evening with me,” she spoke gently, beaming with all sorts of warm and fuzzy emotions.

Hatsuo woke up for one reason - dinner time. It was roughly 7:20 PM, and he hadn’t eaten anything since before his few-hour nap. Blonde hair spiked up and out, he ran his hand through his hair and emerged from his bed. He threw on a navy and white windbreaker over his black tee, then put a sleek pair of joggers on. Because his hair was still quite “bed head-ish”, he grabbed a white cap from his doorknob and head out to get his shoes. White sneakers on, he grabbed his wallet from the table and departed outside for a bit of fast food.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Kenji smiled as he received the key-chain Areum placed into his palm, pocketing it after briefly observing the design. "It's no problem at all," He replied to his partner's expression of gratitude as the two made their way outside in front of the entrance. "The honor was all mine; I had a great night." He grinned warmly once again as he put a hand on Areum's cheek before leaning in to kiss her.

Ryohei continued to read for a few hours, burning through many novels in the series he was currently immersed in. After finishing the 9th volume, he set it down next to his bed and walked downstairs into the kitchen, Ghost padding up beside him. A large pot of chicken and vegetable curry sat on the stove, and Ryohei turned the knob controlling the burner on which the pot sat, setting the heat on Medium. As the curry began to head, the teen opened the nearby steam rice cooker that had been set to Keep Warm and scooped a considerable amount of rice into a plate. Once the curry had been heated through, Ryohei took a ladle and poured two ladle-fuls of the soup over the rice, closing the pot and turning off the stove afterward. Taking a metal spoon, the pyrokinetic then took the plate to the desk in his room before digging in, leaving a few treats for Ghost as well.

 

[kageyama]

Areum kissed him back for a few moments before smiling and murmuring a goodbye, turning on her heels and going down the block to get home. It took her an average amount of time, and when she arrived home, she prepared herself a sandwich and slumped down to watch a movie on the couch.

Hatsuo arrived at the local Lactose Queen restaurant, entering inside and ordering a basket of chicken strips and a medium blizzard. He seated himself at one of the few tables there, pulling out his phone boredly. It didn’t take him long to finish the “meal” and depart from the building. Hatsuo decided to take a longer way home, winding down different blocks with ease. At one moment, a stray tabby cat approached him with a chirp and abruptly head butted his shin. Hatsuo crouched down in the middle of the sidewalk, hand playfully scratching the feline with a blank expression on his face.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Time passed by, and the two aforementioned pairs continued to blaze through the regional and state competitions, and preparation for the national tournament was in progress. Kenji and Areum's relationship remained ever so stable if not stronger, as Ryohei and Hatsuo's friendship grew increasingly closer.

One Wednesday during school...

Kenji was getting his things at his locker, unbeknownst to him that Areum had been nearby. A random girl walked up to the teen and poked him in the middle of his chest, beaming at him in a flirtatious manner. "Hey, remember me? PE all those months ago; you absorbed my electricity and used it against me, although that's not important right now. I remember calling you cute and saying we should go out sometime, and my offer still stands, even after you so ruthlessly rejected me; you wanna go out?" One thing that had changed about Kenji over the months since the relationship between him and Areum began (it had taken him a while to notice) was that he had become more human, a direct contrast from his former emotionless self; because of this, he found himself mockingly acting as if felt the same, flashing her a goofy grin as he wrote in his hand discreetly before answering (inconveniently audible to Areum), "Oh yeah, sure thing, cutie! Let me just get your number--" Kenji immediately dropped the facade as his face flashed to one of a cold monotonous stare, holding up his hand to where the palm was facing the girl. The words written in washable ink read: Piss off. Seemingly eliciting no reaction from the girl, she continued to smile sweetly before promising, "I'll have you someday," and walking off.

 

[kageyama]

Areum was not far down the hall when she witnessed what felt like getting punched in the stomach. Her heart fluttered weakly as her face contorted with confusion and anger. “Oh yeah, sure thing, cutie! Let me just get your number-” was all Areum heard before she turned on her heels the opposite direction, knuckles white as she squeezed her bag strap hard. She felt betrayed and as if she had done something wrong, wondering if it was her fault Kenji would ditch her so. Her eyes started to burn as her vision came increasingly blurry and wet. Ruthlessly, she swiped at her tears and continued to walk down the hall, no real destination in her head.

The bell had rang after a few minutes as Areum mindlessly stood in the middle of one of the hallways. She was far from her classroom, and ignored the fact that she was late for the first time ever. Instead, she felt numb and enraged, thoughts racing increasingly. Areum stood still for a moment before storming to the nurse’s office and convincing her to let her go home.

Nationals came with little to no warning. Areum hadn’t spoken to Kenji for days despite any attempts to reach out to one another. As she woke up early on the day of nationals, she appeared stone cold as if she was back to her “original” self. She was terrified of losing, but kept it discreet as she tied her hair into a ponytail and stepped into her kitchen. Areum awaited the assigned vehicle to show up at her house to drive her to nationals. She zipped up her sweatshirt as it pulled up, and went outside to enter it. The driver emotionlessly greeted her, then explained that he had to pick up Kenji as well. Areum stiffened, turning her head and lowering her awareness.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

After the whole ordeal, Kenji turned to where he had seen Areum, only to find she wasn't there. Disregarding the thought, Kenji assumed she had left for her class and went on about his day (until he found she wasn't there, either). One thing that confused him, however, was her constant failure to answer his calls or text messages. On top of that, she had not shown up for practice after school, despite the approaching national competition. Any attempt afterward to reach out to her in person was blatantly ignored, and Kenji still had no idea what was going on. It obviously seemed like she was angry at him, but the teen didn't know what for.

Soon, the day of nationals arrived, not a single minute of practice having been done by them in the time between. Kenji found himself slowly becoming more and more irritated, still confused as to why their relationship had deteriorated so. The thought still on his mind, he slowly got ready, dressing into a white v-neck tee, navy jeans, and white sneakers before heading out where the vehicle assigned to pick him up came into view. From the looks of it, Areum was already in the car, and not wanting to cause the driver any discomfort, Kenji occupied the seat next to Areum, saying nothing about the situation. He would bring that up when they got there.

 

[kageyama]

The car pulled to a halt in front of a large stadium, one that held highly attended games and performances. Areum opened the door and quickly stepped out, ponytail swishing as she stoicly walked to the entrance of the building. The pair had been given passes to prove their contribution to the tournament, and Areum quickly flashed it to the ticket lady at the doors. The woman gave her a jumpsuit like the previous tournaments, but this time it was a grey-olive color with white stripes going horizontal along the sleeves.

Hatsuo woke up several minutes before his and his partner’s assigned vehicle arrived at his home. He quickly tidied up his bleached hair and pulled on a graphic tee and navy joggers. A granola bar was stuffed in his mouth as he opened the car door when it pulled up, and he wolfed it down as the driver head off to Ryohei’s location.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Upon receiving his jumpsuit, Kenji slung it over his shoulder before hurrying over to Areum. Gently taking hold of her wrist, the teen led her to an empty corner where they wouldn't be noticed and faced her. "So, there an exact reason why you've been avoiding me all this time? I hope you've been practicing." Her eyes looked cold and stoic, just like they had been when the two had first met.

Ryohei entered the car that now pulled up in front of his house and greeted his teammate as the the car drove off to the site of the competition. He cracked his knuckles and smirked in anticipation for the contest that lay in wait.