{WARNING: MAY CONTAIN FOOD PUNS}
...Man.
The sun's starting to set, and all I've got to my name is pocket change and a bag of soggy chicken nuggets.
"Hey," I turned to the boy next to me, with hair spikier than Kn*ckles the Echidna. "'Jello'! It's v...
"And why are you all still so depressed?!" Alice rallied as she blazed a path through the snow, the sullen group of first-years trailing behind her. They'd spent days following their friends' train via bus plus one ferry-ride and had finally arrived at Rebun Island. "You came to cheer them on, didn't you?!"
"But Alice-cchi..." protested Daigo.
"We promised each other to survive together, but we all lost," Marui lamented.
But Hisako had the worst of it as she began to spiral in her anxiety. "How can I show myself to Erina-sama?" she croaked, freezing at the mere thought of it.
"Stop feeling so down, Miss Secretary!" came Alice's harsh command.
"Don't call me thaaaat...!" The pinkette sobbed into her sleeve.
On the opposite end of the spectrum sulked Hayama, who trailed the rear of the group in a sullen manner. "Why do I have to be here?" he grumbled. "I betrayed you all once—"
"You want to say you have no right to be here?" Alice frowned, crossing her arms. Hayama exhaled at her stern expression.
Oh, not this again! she thought. She would be having none of his gloomy mood! Gloom was for losers! And she promised to deliver a gloom-free Hayama to her dear (Name)! "I'm tired of hearing that! We share a bond as classmates." His eyes widened as she approached him, and he grunted in surprise when she seized him by the arm.
"And above all," she declared, proceeding to drag Hayama and Kurokiba behind her in similar fashion to the Moon Festival, "the bond we share as the White Coat Quartet is absolute!"
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"I know. Thanks," Hayama assured her as he stumbled and regained his footing. He was both touched and embarrassed by Alice's forwardness, and in front of so many people, too.
Her method was direct yet effective as Hayama was successfully shaken from his stupor. It was certainly better than Kurokiba's method, which was to call Hayama a 'freakin' b*stard' anytime he so much as suspected Hayama was thinking of Homura. And he was oddly good at predicting that, too. Hayama might've guessed it was Kurokiba's unique way of defending her, but he also attributed it to the male's innate desire to call him a b*stard, regardless.
But he was more concerned with how the energetic Nakiri continued to tug him along. "...You can let me go now."
But Alice continued to drag them along, a determined set to her jaw. "Besides, I promised (Name)-chan I'd reunite the White Coat Quartet once again! You don't wanna break your promise to her, do you?"
"Homura..?" Hayama softened at the mention of the girl. He'd already disappointed her once before—he'd hate to make the same mistake again. Hayama had to admit Alice was right; he couldn't leave now. Not when Homura needed him. "Of course not." Alice released a satisfied huff and let go, as if she knew he'd react that way.
