A chilled atmosphere enveloped us as Natsume and Calliope engaged in a light-hearted argument and teasing. Mikan, Hotaru, Ruka, and Haru walked together, witnessing the exchange between the two.

"YOU FLIRTY FOX! YOU SHOULDN'T JUST SHOUT THE FUCKIN NICKNAME YOU GIVE ME!!" Calliope exclaimed, flustered.

Natsume smirked, responding, "Then your nickname is Ugly Rabbit Girl?" His response causing Calliope to roll her eyes.

They continued hurling playful insults at each other, Natsume calling her

"Rabbit," while Calliope responded with

"Fox."

As the exchange between them continued, a girl with ice blue hair watched from afar, her eyes partially covered. Alongside her stood a man whose features remained hidden in shadows.

'I always felt Natsume was a person who never laughed,' the girl thought, her impression of him firmly rooted in her mind.

Meanwhile, a man stood beside the girl with ice blue hair, and she turned to him, inquiring, "Sensei, could you tell me about the girl at Natsume's side?..."

The man promptly responded, "Ah, that girl on Natsume's side is his partner." He revealed, "Her name is Miyamizu Calliope."

Her expression was a mix of contemplation and curiosity. She thought, 'Could it be that Natsume has found something in this seemingly endless black hole that is Calliope Miyamizu? Something that he could not find in anyone else?'

The girl, lost in admiration, whispered softly, "She's so pretty..."

Calliope, sensing someone observing her, turned her gaze towards the window. Yet, there was no one to be found. Shrugging off the strange presence, she redirected her attention.

///

Narumi shared the plans for the Christmas ball, explaining that the decorating team would handle sprucing up the venue and a giant tree, while the cake team would create the giant Christmas cake.

A girl approached Calliope and inquired, "Calliope, tomorrow the preparations for the Christmas ball will begin. Which group will you join?"

Sweatdrop formed on Calliope's forehead. She responded, "I don't know yet..."

The girl comforted Calliope with a reassuring smile, explaining, "Don't worry, Calliope-chan. The groups are divided based on volunteering and nominations. I know your skills are top-notch!"

Relieved, Calliope nodded and smiled

The group split into teams according to the drawing lots method.

On the Cake team, Calliope found herself alongside Mikan, Hotaru, Inchoun, and Anna, each possessing the Alice of cooking.

Mikan enthusiastically greeted Tsubasa with a joyful wave, exclaiming, "Tsubasa-senpai!"

Tsubasa surveyed the Cake team, recognizing familiar faces. He commented, "Wow, everyone on the cake team is someone we know well."

Tsubasa then teased Natsume and Ruka, remarking, "Natsume and Ruka, Haru in the cake team? I must say, I didn't expect either of you to have a soft spot for cake-related activities!"

Natsume and Tsubasa engaged in teasing banter, with Natsume retorting, "Shut up, Shadow. The groupings were determined by drawing lots."

While the two continued their witty exchange, Tsubasa glanced at Ruka, who had a different motive for participating in the team. He explained loudly, "Ruka-pyon, Haru-Kun isn't here just for the cake—you both joined the group because of Mikan and Calliope isn't? ."

Ruka attempted to assert himself, but his tone didn't come off as commanding. He stuttered, "Sh-Shut up, Baldy!"

"Ah, this Shadow" Haru mumbles with smile as he hit tsubasa's back

Tsubasa and Misaki saw through they're attempt and continued their playful teasing, much to his chagrin.

///

"What a big structure!" Mikan exclaims as they arrived to the buliding used for the Christmas ball.

they entered the building and were once again shocked to see a big tree in the building which is supposed to be Gakuen Alice's Christmas tree.

"Such a big tree, how they get it in every year is a mystery" Tsubasa interprets. All of them took off their coats and spotted Permy, are decorating the Christmas tree.

Mikan's eyes widened as the group arrived at the building for the Christmas ball. She gasped, "What a big structure!"

They walked inside and discovered a massive Christmas tree towering over them.

Tsubasa pondered aloud, "What a big tree, I wonder how it's brought in every year."

Then, they removed their coats, revealing Permy and other students who were busily adorning the Christmas tree with decorations.

Ruka was now part of the decorating team, working with Piyo. Natsume joined them to assist with the oven issue, while Anna sought help from her senpai to move a chocolate tower that was about to collapse. Fortunately, Tsubasa arrived just in time to lend a hand.

Meanwhile, Mikan felt disheartened, believing that her Alice had no practical use to offer. She wept inconsolably in Iinchoun's presence, expressing her feelings of inadequacy.

Calliope reassured Mikan, her voice filled with positivity. "Don't worry, cheer up. Let's check every corner; they might need our help."

Mikan responded, feeling her negative emotions dissipate. She remarked, "Calliope-chan is like a soothing melody to the soul, helping to alleviate my worries. But I know you'll be helpful because your Alice is incredibly useful."

Calliope chuckled softly and humbly replied, "Sometimes, even an elemental Alice can come in handy."

Calliope and Mikan set out to explore the building, determined to find areas where they could provide assistance.

As they ventured further, they discovered a commotion in the storage room. One of the cake-carrying trolleys had tipped over, causing the precious cakes on it to fall. This led to a mixture of panic and despair among the chefs who had put a lot of effort into their creations.

Calliope raised her finger toward the fallen cakes, uttering a single word, "Restore."

At her command, the cakes that had toppled over began to lift from the ground and reassemble themselves as if they had never fallen at all.

The chefs watching in awe gasped in surprise and relief, thankful for the timely intervention that prevented their hard work from being wasted

"Woah calliope thanks god your here" The chef says as calliope smiled

"I hope that Mikan and I can be of assistance to the cake team," Calliope stated confidently.

The cake team member nodded in agreement, expressing the need for their help. "Absolutely, we do need your help. We are currently in the process of spreading icing onto the sponge cake, but we face a challenge since the sponge cake has just come out of the oven and is still hot. If we apply the icing directly on the hot sponge cake, it will melt."

Calliope and Mikan eagerly agreed to provide their assistance.

The cake team member expressed their necessity for their help, explaining that they also needed them to keep track of the time and turn the cake over.

Mikan's eyes sparkled with excitement, eagerly offering her assistance. She beamed with enthusiasm, exclaiming, "Okay, we'll help!" Calliope nodded in agreement.

They switched to their new outfits and commenced the task, both Mikan and Calliope diligently working alongside the cake team.

During the process, Calliope's attention was drawn as an ice-blue haired girl accidentally bumped into them. With her quick reflexes, Calliope caught the girl before she could fall.

"Are you alright?" Calliope inquired, concern flickering in her eyes as she gently helped the girl stand up.

"I'm perfectly fine," the girl responded, her voice tinged with a touch of uncertainty. She offered to assist the cake team, explaining, "I mean, I can help the cake team...if you want..."

With a warm smile, Calliope replied, "Of course, you can help! First, though, please tie your hair and wear this hat." Calliope graciously handed the girl a hat, the friendly gesture accompanied by a reassuring smile.

As Calliope observed the ice-blue haired girl, her thoughts wandering. She recognized the striking features, particularly the ice-blue eyes.

"Thank you..." the girl murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You're welcome pretty." Calliope responded as she added

"Please wait here, and I will assist you with your coat." She turned away for a moment, picking up the coat and returning to the girl's side.

Her thoughts continued to swirl. "Blue hair, ice-blue eyes... wait, could it be Nobara?" Calliope pondered silently.

With the coat in hand, Calliope approached and offered it to Nobara.

"Here, your coat," Calliope said, her voice filled with a hint of curiosity. "By the way, what's your name?"

Nobara replied, "I'm Ibaragi Nobara."

A subtle smile played on Calliope's lips as she briefly contemplated their prior encounters. Deciding to maintain the illusion for now, she responded, her tone warm and genuine.

"Your name is lovely, just like your face. I'm Miyamizu Calliope; it's a pleasure to meet you."

'Haha, why is it that I am the one who has to meet her?' she pondered quietly. Yet, she maintained her warm smile.

Nobara was captivated by Calliope's smile, finding it mesmerizing.

"Calliope-chan's smile is so captivating, like it could rival the brilliance of the sun, no, even brighter," Nobara voiced her thoughts.

Calliope responded gracefully, her voice tinged with a note of genuine appreciation.

"Thank you; you flatter me."

Suddenly, Mikan approached, her curiosity piqued. With a smile, she asked, "Calliope, who's she?"

Calliope answered, her tone carrying a hint of familiarity, "This is Ibaragi Nobara."

Mikan's response was instant, a soft murmur escaping her lips. "So cute." Introducing herself, she said, "I'm Sakura Mikan; it's nice to meet you."

"I'm Ibaragi Nobara nice to meet you" she says as she smiled as three of them did they're task

While they worked, Nobara shared that she possessed the Ice Alice. Mikan proposed a clever idea.

"why not have Nobara cool the air rapidly, thereby helping the sponge cakes to cool down more quickly?

Calliope, equally enthused as Mikan, encouraged, "Can you give it a try, Nobara-chan?"

With determination, Nobara replied, "I'll try..."

The anticipation was palpable as Calliope and Mikan, their excitement uncontainable, shared in the moment.

Nobara attempted to use her Ice Alice on the sponge cakes, but her efforts were in vain. Instead of simply cooling them down, all the sponges cakes now lay frozen before them, leaving the three of them stunned and speechless.

"What happened?!"

"The sponge cakes are all frozen?!"

"Don't worry I'll use my elemental alice to melt it instead " Calliope says as she stood up

Concern filled Mikan's voice, cautioning, "Calliope-chan, be careful; you only recently received your Alice, and you might exhaust yourself."

With a reassuring tone, Calliope reassured her, "Don't worry, I'm absolutely fine!"

Just then, Natsume appeared on the scene, swiftly melting the frozen cakes with his Fire Alice. The seniors were duped into thinking the cakes had never been frozen in the first place.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, a sense of immobility washed over Mikan, Calliope, and Nobara. Just then, Natsume approached them, and Nobara's voice came out hesitantly, uttering, "Natsume-kun..."

Natsume's gaze fixated on them, particularly on Nobara, and he asked, his voice laced with a subtle coldness, "What are you doing here?" The situation took on a slightly tense undertone as the trio faced Natsume's questioning.

"Ah...", Nobara murmured, her voice faltering.

With an icy tone, Natsume instructed her, "Return to your cocoon," before walking away, leaving Nobara visibly taken aback.

Calliope reached out to Nobara, her reassuring words offering comfort. She gently took hold of Nobara's hand, comforting her with a soothing smile.

"Ignore him. It's perfectly alright to make mistakes once in a while," Calliope said, her voice filled with understanding and encouragement.

"Exactly, everyone makes mistakes," Mikan affirmed, her voice filled with determination. "I possess the Nullification Alice, let's give it another go! When we combine our powers, we can precisely regulate the temperature to cool the cakes."

Calliope turned to Nobara, asking with a hopeful smile, "Are you ready to try again?"

Nobara hesitated then nodded, a sense of anticipation building.

A flicker of warmth spread within Calliope; she pondered to herself, "It's true, when I'm with Mikan and them, I feel like a child again than being 20 year old "

With a shared determination, Mikan and Nobara combined their Alices in harmony to lower the temperature of the sponge.

As they succeeded, they leapt with joy, feeling a sense of newfound camaraderie and accomplishment.

The team acknowledged their contributions and requested further assistance, and Nobara beamed with newfound contentment. For the first time, she felt genuine happiness from helping others, just like Mikan.

To Be Continued

Enjoy your Monday! The next two chapters will be an exciting part for me. Keep an eye out for them!