The courtyard of Aihara Academy looked like something out of a dream — pale pink petals drifting down in slow spirals, piling softly along the stone walkway. Students crossed through in neat, quiet lines, their uniforms crisp… and then there was Yuzu.

Yuzu stood right in the middle of the path beneath a huge blooming sakura, looking like she’d been dropped there from a completely different world. Her blonde hair fluttered in the breeze, her pink tie crooked (on purpose), her sweater sleeves pushed up just enough to make the student council twitch.

She tapped the heel of her shoe against the pavement, arms crossed, chewing impatiently on her lip gloss-smudged bottom lip. Every time a petal landed on her shoulder she flicked it off with unnecessary flair, muttering dramatic commentary under her breath.

"Ugh. I can't believe today..it's been crazy. Like, NEWS FLASH, Prez: you can’t just—” She stopped, jaw clenched, remembering exactly what Mei did earlier, as her stomach churned uncomfortably. “Ugh. No. Nope. Not thinking about..that again.”