I woke up to the announcement once again. I went ahead and dress up to go to the dining hall. Surprisingly, I was the last one to arrive.

Taka: Is this... everyone? It feel a little... small. Even the table looks bigger, somehow. 

Celeste: I assume that is because three people are dead, and two are abstaining.

Makoto: Yeah, with five people missing, I guess it *would* feel kinda empty.

Aoi: Still... I know Byakuya's whatever, but shouldn't we go check on Toko?

Yasuhiro: I vote no. She's super annoying. 

Celeste: How can you be so cold? You are like a piece of rock candy.

Taka: What!? No, rock candy isn't cold! It's sweet!

Mondo: Anyway, Byakuya's the real problem. If we don't keep and eye on him, he might really kill someone. You can see it in his eyes... We got no choice! Get some rope! We're gonna hafta keep him bound and gagged!

Makoto: I think that's going a little overboard...

Taka: He's right! In this situation, there's nothing scarier than when an ally turns loose cannon! It's  just like when we were kids, and someone would go crazy at sports day or whatever!

Mondo: What the fuck are you talking about!? You gonna use the rope to do tug of war or something!? Idiot!

Taka: I'm not an idiot...! YOU'RE an idiot!

Mondo: Who are you callin' stupid!?

Makoto: Huh? What's wrong. Chihiro? You don't look so great...

Chihiro: Oh, I'm just going through a little... self-loathing. 

Makoto: Huh? Self-loathing?

Chihiro: Well, after what Byakuya said to me yesterday... I just got so nervous, I locked up. I couldn't say anything. Mondo ended up having to help me out. And even *he* said I was someone who "can't fight back"... I...I hate how weak I am.

I was confused by what was going, but right after I left they probably kept somehow of a discussion going.

Aoi: Ahh, I see. So Mondo made you depressed. 

Mondo: What!? How's it *my* fault!? I wasn't tryin' to be mean! Besides, girls are just naturally weak anyway right!?

Chihiro started to cry. I crouched beside him and  dried his tear with my glove.

Asu: Don't listen to him. Remeber what I told you yesterday.

Mondo: A-Are you... crying...?

Aoi: It's cuz you were screaming like a lunatic!

Mondo: Hey, c'mon, don't cry... I-It's my fault, okay? I won't yell at you anymore...

I took and handkerchief out of my pocket and handed to Chihiro so he could wipe his tears.

Aoi: Really? Not sure I can believe that...

Mondo: J-Just shut up... I got it! I'll make you a promise as a man! 

Chihiro: Promise... as a man?

Mondo: Maybe I mentioned this before, but... Ever since I was a kid, there was one thing my brother told me over and over again... He said that no matter what, a real man ALWAYS keeps his promises. That's what he left me. 

Hifumi: Left you...?

Mondo: Oh, yeah... My brother's dead. 

Makoto: Oh... I see...

Mondo: Anyways, I don't wanna talk about it. Don't wanna make all you guys cry, so you can trust me when I make that promise. So you don't gotta cry anymore! 

Chihiro: O-Okay. Thank you... Mondo.

Seeing his smile filled my heart with joy. I also saw that Mondo was blushing a little. I stood beside him.

Mondo: S-Sure... 

Chihiro: But... I still don't like how I am right now. I have to get stronger... If I'm so weak anything can make me cry... that's not good. 

Makoto: Still, don't stress out too much about having to get stronger.

Chihiro: No... I *want* to get stronger. Maybe I should... start working out... 

Sakura: In that case, I would be happy to help you out anytime.

Hifumi: B-But then Miss Fujisaki would get smashed into a billion pieces! 

Aoi: Shut up, you.

That made Chihiro laughed which felt good to hear.

Yasuhiro: Ohh, finally cracked a smile, huh?

Chihiro: Y-Yeah... Everyone... thank you.

After we all finished eating breakfast, which everyone made sure I ate. Pretty sure everyone is going to remind me of that. I decided to head to the girls locker room. I need to do something physical and I decided to train for a bit. As I was training for a bit I heard the door open and saw Sakura. 

Sakura: Asu, I didn't know you trained. 

I looked at her. 

Asu: I do just only when I want. 

Sakura: Perhaps do you want to train with me and Hina sometimes. We usually meet up in the afternoon. 

Asu: Sure. 

We kept going and after an hour she left me alone. I decided to stretch a bit. I heard the door open again, but this time the voice suprised me. 

Celeste: What are you doing?

Asu: Stretching.

Celeste: Why is that?

Asu: Because it's relieving.

Celeste: Well that doesn't matter. I would like to get to know you. Perhaps we should meet in the bathouse later. 

Asu: The bathhouse? Why that place in particular?

Celeste: You're all sweaty and I just guessed that a bath after training would do good. 

Asu: Just say that I smell bad. 

Celeste: You smell horrible. 

She let a giggle behind her hand which caught me off guard... I wasn't expecting such a brutal answer. She walked out the door glancing a last look at me. 

Celeste: Meet me there in 10 minutes.

And just like that she walked away. This girls was weird. Not only did she had a permenant poker face, but she was just and odd character. Although she was nice to me. I walked to the bathouse. 

I started walking towards the bathhouse, Celeste was already there and had simply a towel around her. 

Celeste: Finally you're here, well I'll be waiting for you on the other side.

And she left me alone again. I got undressed and put a towel around me. I put my hair up in a bun. My scars were all exposed. 

Celeste was already in the water. I noticed her drills weren't on her head anymore, I doubt they were stuffed under the towel... She looked up and noticed me staring.  

Celeste: My drills are fake Darling they are simply clip ons. 

I noded. She also seemed to notice my awkwardness. 

Celeste: Is there something wrong Asu? You seem nervous. We're both girls it's fine isn't it. 

Asu: I guess you're right... 

I stood beside  her in the water. I stared right infront of me, because I just felt nervous being around her. I wasn't sure why though. 

She placed her hand on my shoulder and I looked at her. 

Celeste: I simply wanted to ask you why you wear that mask? 

Asu: I-

Celeste: Before you say anything, I will know if you lie. 

This was a very "out of nowhere" type of thing. 

Asu: Well, I guess it's mostly to help me conceal my facial expressions. I have a hard time showing no emotions like you or Kyoko. 

Celeste: I see, talking about Kyoko. You seem very close to her. 

Asu: Well we're not that close... 

Celeste: Would you consider her a friend? 

Asu: I guess so. 

Celeste: I've seen her look at you. She seems to care about you more than she wants to show it. 

Asu: How do you know that for sure. 

Celeste: I know, that's all, but these scars of yours... they intrigue me. Why do you cover your hands. 

She took my hand in hers, drawing with her finger over them. 

Asu: I just feel like they are in the way of my daily life.

Celeste: Is that all. Well, there's something else. It seems the bear is taking a little too much interest in you. I just want to make sure everything is fine.

Asu: I'm sure he's just being annoying. 

Celeste: I don't think it's the truth, your motive video was the only one out of all of us to not have a clear motive. Don't you find it odd. 

Asu: I do.

We both stood there. She was asking such random questions, it made me kind of nervous. I felt like I was being interrogated. 

Celeste: Darling, there's one more thing I have to ask. How come you still decided to listen to Byakuya that evening of the trial. You could of said no anytime. 

Asu: I'm still not sure... 

She got closer to me and my heart skipped a beat. This was definitely getting weird and I was very much uncomfortable. 

Celeste: You look nervous Dear, what's going on. 

Asu: I-I have somewhere to be... 

I got away from her and got out of the bath. I changed and ran to my room. Celeste was making me feel weird in there... What't going on with me.

I tried to calm myself down, from the panic I just went trough. After a good 15 minutes I headed to the dining hall. I made myself something to eat and look at the "window". They were simple paintings, but they seemed so real. I looked down at my plate as so as I heard a pair of heels enter the dinning hall. I already knew who they belong too, but I didn't raise my head from my plate. I heard them going into the kitchen and coming back in the dinning hall. She sat right infront of me and placed a deck of card.

Celeste: I'm afraid I might of upseted you, perhaps settling our differences with a card game might fix things or at least help ease the tension.

Asu: Do I have a choice?

Celeste: No actually.

I raised my eyes from my plate and met her piercing red eyes. 

Asu: Fine then. 

I pushed my plate to the side.

Celeste: Great. Perhaps a game of poker could interest you.

Asu: Sure.

After a while of playing, she won the game, obviously.

Celeste: It seems I have won, now since we do not have anything to bet I want you to do something for me.

Asu: What?

Celeste: I'm not sure, I will come back to you with an answer later. 

I looked at my empty plate that was on the side and got up to clean them up. I felt less anxious, but drained. As I was washing my plate Celestia came into the kitchen. I looked up from my plate and saw her with her tea in her hand.

Celeste: You seem anxious Dear. 

I didn't answer, I knew I couldn't trust my voice at that moment. I felt her get closer to me. She set her tea aside and came behind me. I wasn't sure what she was doing when I felt her hands on my shoulders starting to massage them. 

Athea: W-What are you doing?

Celeste: Relieving the tension.

The spots she was massaging hurted so bad, but it hurt less and less the more she did. After ten minutes that flew by she stopped.

Celeste: If you need anything I will be in somewhere around the school.

She walked away leaving her cup of tea empty. I finished washing the dishes and headed to Chihiro's room. I hope he could make me ease up a bit from what had just happened. I knocked on the door and not long after he answered.

Chihiro: Oh hey Asu! Can I help you?

Asu: I was hoping we could hang out a bit together.

Chihiro: Sure! Come in.

I watched him code Alter Ego while we were talking, he let me code a bit also, but he did most of it. After a couple of hours, I went into the dinning and was surprised by what I saw.

Taka and Mondo were trying to convince Makoto to judge their little battle. I stayed at the door listening in trying not to laugh. 

Mondo: C'mon, Makoto. You gotta be our witness!

Makoto: Witness to what..?

Mondo: This guy's been talkin' shit about me since day one. Callin'  me a coward and shit like that...

Taka: You *are* a coward! That's why you turn your violence to solve your problems! That's why you can't do what society asks, why you walk around dressed like that!

Mondo:.. The fuck you say?

I walked over to the table closest to the door and sat down. Makoto seemed to have noticed me. 

Mondo: You dunno shit.

Taka: You've already lost to yourself, but you're such a coward you don't even realize it!

Mondo: So what, you sayin' you're *not* a coward? You think you're tougher than me?

Taka: I *know* I am!

Mondo: Okay, then let's throw down. Prove you got what I don't got!

Taka: I accept your challenge!

Mondo: So that's what's happening', Makoto. You gotta be our witness!

Makoto: Youre gonna... throw down? You're not gonna like... start punching each other, are you?

Mondo: There's a bathhouse on the 1st floor of the dorm, right? With a sauna inside?

Taka: I see... a simple endurance contest, is it? We're going to see who can stay in the sauna the longest, am I right!?

Mondo: Goddamn straight!

Then they both drag Makoto out of the dining hall. I laughed a bit when I walked over to the kitchen. After I finished eating I headed back to my room. I simply read for a while and showered. I felt happy, though how long would it stay as such.

Today was definitely good, even if the interaction with Celeste was rather nervwrecking, I guess I still had a good time. Chihiro and I grew closer and he was working hard on the computer. 

My eyes slowly closed and I slosly drifted off to sleep before the announcement could even be heard.