Monday morning Kyo's last alarm went off, "Mmm, what time is it?" he reached to grab his phone from the desk. The time was 7:48, twelve minutes before school started. "Crap! I gotta hurry!" Rushing to get his uniform on he didn't bother to comb his hair before running out, the time was now 7:51. Kyo ran to school as fast as he could while tired, usually a ten minute walk, became a 3 minute sprint, however, he didn't look at the time, he just assumed he was late. Running from the sidewalk taking a fast turn onto the school's main walkway and into the entrance. Quickly taking off his shoes, placing them in his locker, and putting on the required indoor shoes. After he changed shoes, he started to sprint again, going right past Yuuki.
"Morni - hey don't run in the halls!"
Realizing people were still walking to class, and hearing Yuuki's voice, made him realize that he was, in fact, not late. Making him come to a complete stop, turning around towards the president. "Sorry Yuuki, it won't happen again." He slowly walked to his home room class trying to catch his breath.
"Hey Kyo, you look winded." Kimori said poking fun at him.
"I woke up late,"
"I can tell" pointing to the bed head. "How late were you up?"
"We are in week three of school, teachers can give us a pop quiz any day now, so I stayed up late studying."
"Seriously, that over-preparation of yours when it comes to anything test related will be the death of you." Kimori was used to Kyo's test anxiety at this point, but was still concerned for his friends' well-being over anything. Mr. Shindo walked into class a few seconds later. "Alright everyone, we have a pop quiz today."
"I told you!" Kyo said to Kimori in a very quiet, yet loud whisper.
During lunch, Yuuki met up with Kyo, "is everything ok? You were running quickly this morning, and you seem tired now." Yuuki was worried about what might have happened, and her dream from Sunday about Kyo leaving the student council was not helping her stress levels. "Huh? Oh yeah I'm fine, I just woke up late this morning plus we had a quiz in homeroom that I didn't feel prepared for."
"I see. How do you think you did on the quiz?"
"I got all the questions right." He said more relieved than excited.
"Nice! So why are you so tired if you got more sleep and passed?" Yuuki was puzzled by his reaction.
"Exams, tests, quizzes, and the like have always taken it out of me." Kyo said this seeing no problem in it, and started to eat as though this fact about himself was simply normal. For him it was. "You have test anxiety!" Yuuki was shocked by this however.
"Yeah, why is that so surprising?" Kyo didn't understand why that blew everyone's minds when he first tells them. Hiro, Kimori, Himori, Tsu, teachers, even his own aunt were all surprised by this fact. Yukki was just the next person to find out.
"Well, you're a top student right?"
"I guess so" Despite Kyo being the second ranked person in academics at his old middle school for all three years, and him getting into Hanabira with great marks, he never once viewed himself as a 'top student' just a guy who works hard. "You guess?? You really are something else Kyo."
"Aren't you a top student as well, Yuuki?"
"Nope."
"You're not?!" This surprised Kyo just as much as he surprised Yuuki.
"I maintain just high enough scores in my classes to keep my position, and that's all I aim for." One of the many requirements in order to be in the student council was having and maintaining above average scores. If you start to fall below average or start failing you are put on temporary leave until your scores go back up. The president was no exception to this school rule. "In fact, I have the lowest grades out of anyone in the council, and I am about average in every subject."
"If you would like, I can help you study sometime, it would help me as well." Kyo said this with confidence. Kyo was so scared of tests that he would study ahead of his year in preparation for when he takes those classes. He was a fifteen year old first year in high school, but in terms of academics he was capable of taking second year courses with relative ease. His test anxiety was the only thing that kept him from being ahead. "That sounds nice, we can study for midterms after the welcoming festival is over."
"Sounds like a plan."
"Also Kyo, I know we don't have an official student council meeting until tomorrow, but do you mind coming up after school for a minute?"
"I can do that, why?"
Why? I can't tell him yet, think Yuuki, think, sweat started to roll down her face. Yukki was a bad liar. "I-I need some help moving some boxes is all." "I can help with that." He bought it, she thought. Kyo however, did not by her excuse.
After school, Kyo walked up to the student council room. As he opened the door Ryuji was laying down on the right couch, Miura was sitting on the far left seat of the left couch, Yuuki was at her desk, and Nyuga was at his. All four of them yelled:
"Congratulations!" "Congratulations!" "Congratulations!!!" "Congrats."
This caught Kyo off guard, "wait, what did I do?"
"You're now officially the student council's treasurer! Last week I had you meet with everyone, that is part of your job, yes, but there is a lot more to it, and I needed to see how you worked with others. Last week was more like a trial run." Yuuki explained.
"I see, can I ask why you didn't tell me it was just a trial?"
"Because, if we did inform you, you wouldn't act like your true self." Ryuji said. This all made sense to Kyo, as he stood there.
"In that case I accept the offer. Thank you for having me." Kyo was sincere in his words, as much as he hated clubs before, and his worries about it all, these last two weeks had been the most fun for him. Yuuki was relieved as well, in her dream Kyo rejected being in the council, thankfully that premonition didn't come true.
"We're glad to have you aboard." Miura said.
"During tomorrow's meeting we will give you a full rundown of your responsibilities and expectations, but for now you should celebrate." Yuuki said happily.
"Right, thank you! Mr. Nyuga, can I ask you something?" He looked at me with approval but didn't say anything. "Were all the keys you gave me fake?" Nyuga smiled, tossing Kyo a singular key, it was gold with a black triangle at the end. Kyo walked over setting the giant key ring on Mr. Nyuga's desk. "Arianagi, catch." Ryuji tossed a metal pin over to Kyo, it was a pure gold triangular pin with the letters SC engraved on the front of it. "We don't usually have them on since we only get one each, but it proves you're an official member of the student council." Ryuji explained.
"Anything else that I need to get or know while I'm here?" Kyo asked, concerned that there was more going on that he didn't know about.
"Not at this moment, no." Miura said. Kyo was waiting for others to confirm Miura's answer. "Well then thank you all, see you tomorrow." Kyo left, closing the door behind him. After he got home he flopped onto his bed, holding up the key in one hand and the pin in the other with a smile on his face. A knock on the door then interrupted his admiration. "One second!" He yelled getting out of bed.
As he opened the door, his aunt walked in without warning, she was in a long purple dress, plenty of makeup, with various fancy accessories on, "It's been quite some time Kyomeowta, how have you been?" Kyo was not that surprised by his aunt suddenly showing up out of the blue, this was normal for her. "I am doing good, how have your trips been?" Kokoro Arianagi travels all around Japan for her work. "Exhausting, honestly I'd rather not talk about work right now. Tell me what you have been up to."
It had been about two weeks since they last saw or spoke to one another. She left the weekend before school started, came back, and immediately left again. She was so busy it was hard for her to find the time and ask Kyo how he was doing, and it would have been equally as hard for Kyo to reach her. "I am fully moved in now, school has been pretty fun, I hung out with friends last Saturday going to the park and getting lunch, I got full points on my quiz this morning, and …
"And?" Kokoro said due to the long pause.
"I joined the student council at Hanabira … as their treasurer."
Kokoro loved her nephew more than her sister (his mom) loved him. Kyo hesitated to tell her that he joined the council out of fear of her disapproval. After all her advice was to play the role of a perfect child until he graduated for the sake of his mother not forcing him to come back home. Kyo joining a club meant more chances for mishaps and falling behind in his studies. Kokoro saw her nephew's fear, she knew her sister would always tell her children "no" or demand things from them, an abusive amount of pressure that would impact Kyo and his sister for the rest of their lives. However, Kokoro and her sister were two entirely different people, she did not get mad at him nor did she disapprove, instead she hugged him tightly.
"I'm sorry Kyo. I am really sorry. I am glad you have friends! I am glad you joined a club! Please enjoy these years, and don't look at me for approval, you will do great things!" Kyo felt like a weight had been taken off his shoulders, he knew he would have to tell his family at one point or another, but he had been scared of what they would say or do, so for over the last week he had pushed off telling anyone who would tell his family. This weather he wanted to or not, was probably the only time he could tell only his aunt the truth.
"Thank you, aunt Kokoro. I owe you a lot and I know that, but thank you for allowing me to stay in the student council." Kyo was secretly really excited to have officially joined the club, it was like his inner child came out for a moment since this was the first extracurricular activity he had ever been a part of that his mother didn't take him away from. He even showed Kokoro the pin he had received. After their special moment, Kyo went back to being his ordinary self and so did his aunt. The two had dinner together and continued to catch up on life. Kyo informed her that a festival was coming up soon, and she promised to be there. For one night, Kyo felt like he had a normal family dinner.
"Congratulations again Kyomeowta!"
"Stop calling me that stupid nickname!"