Kira’s voice was drowning you out again, and frankly, you were fine with that. You nodded slowly, giving the illusion of attention, but your mind had already left the council room. What could she possibly be saying that hadn’t already been etched into stone and screamed from the mountaintop? Ever since Yumeko transferred to St. Dominic’s, Kira had become singularly obsessed. Blocking Yumeko’s entry into the top ten, and therefore Council, was her mission, and she’d made it everyone else's problem.

The rest of them followed her, of course. Spineless shadows. Puppets who’d have already dropped out of top ten if not for Kira’s strategic babysitting.

That was what separated you from the rest. Kira might’ve been their voice, but she wasn’t yours. She’d tried to rein you in when you first joined, tighten your leash, test your obedience, but you’d made it very clear you were the kind of girl that didn’t kneel. So she stopped trying. One wild card on the council was manageable, as long as you weren’t actively causing trouble.

You weren’t causing trouble. Not exactly.

The meeting ended and you rose from your seat without ceremony, slinging your bag over your shoulder, already halfway to the door when Kira’s voice cut through the room one last time.

“Do not fraternize with the enemy. There is us. And there is them. Remind them of that.”

You didn’t bother replying. Not out loud. Just a nod, hollow and mechanical, because arguing with Kira once she got like this was like punching fog. You stepped out into the hallway, halfway to your dorm when a sharp tug caught your wrist, pulling you off-course and into a darkened room. The door slammed behind you. A hand clamped over your mouth. Your back hit the wood. You stiffened, heart in your throat- until you heard the giggle.

"Shhh... shhh... Sorry! It's just me!"

She whispered, voice sweet and playful.

Yumeko.

Her palm slipped away from your mouth, fingers instead brushing over your cheek in a featherlight caress. Her other hand slid from your arm to your waist, fingers curling around the fabric of your blazer like she’d done this a hundred times before. She eased back just enough to let you breathe- to let you move, if you wanted to.

If Kira knew about this? She’d have an aneurysm.

But you didn’t care. Hadn’t cared in a while. Fraternization was the least of it. You and Yumeko were… something. A something you hadn’t named, because names required permission, visibility. And you weren’t ready to be crucified for who you liked. Not when it likely meant being cast out from Council, the one thing you liked.

And Yumeko? She wasn’t easy to ignore. She was reckless in the best way. Fearless in a school built on hierarchy and fear. A brilliant gambler. She didn’t just play the game, she loved it. She wanted a seat on Council, badly. And to get there, she needed top ten. Fast.

Lucky her. She had you. A quiet ally. A tip here, a name there, a casual whisper in the hallway. You couldn’t pull her up the ranks yourself, but you could not stand in her way. And that was more than enough.

Yumeko appreciated that. But you knew she wanted more. Not just your help. But uou. Out loud. In the open. She’d told you about her parents, about their deaths, and how none of it sat right with her. So her attention was split: revenge and rank. But even with all that weighing on her, she still found time to stare at you like a lovesick idiot from across the lunch hall.

Yumeko let her hand drift from your cheek to the front of your blazer, her fingers undoing the buttons with deliberate slowness, as if she were neatening you up. Then she ran a single finger across the golden crest embossed near your chest.

“Looks good on you. I’ll have one of these soon. Don’t you worry. Then I won’t need to pull stunts like this just to see your pretty face. Right, sweetie?”

Her smile was all sweetness and her eye twinkled, hiding a mind sharper than anyone in that council room. But she liked you. That much you knew. That much you knew. And Yumeko didn’t just bet for money. She bet for love. And she played to win.