Angel Grace and Lilin Heart

Tricks and Treats

"For the last time, I'm serious! I am not wearing this!"

"Oh, please! This is what you get for not contributing during preparations - I don't know how you didn't see this coming, Idiot Shinji!"

Shinji balled up the fabric in his fists angrily. "'Not contributing?!' I wrote all of the recipes for what we're serving tonight! They're all hand made, and they took me days to come up with!"

Asuka scoffed, scribbling something on a clipboard. Her and Hikari had been chosen as the lead organizers for their class since no one else volunteered, and since she knew it would mean she'd be in near total control of all the details, however small. Details which included making Shinji dress up in this stupid costume.

"Yeah, right. 'Cuz baking cookies in the kitchen all day is soo difficult. Hikari and I were working our butts off for days making costumes - you think telling someone else how much flour your cakes need is on nearly the same level?"

Shinji bustled around his classmates, following Asuka. Everyone's tone was generally excited as they filed about the classroom, filling it with chatter. If Shinji wasn't so stressed about his particular arrangement, he might've understood why everyone was so excited. Culture festivals didn't come around so often.

"You told me to write those recipes! I was just doing what you asked!"

Asuka made a check mark on her clipboard, eyeing the group of students putting up fake cobwebs near the ceiling. "Yeah, well, it's not like you ever offered to help me. You'd think living in the same house as me, you'd notice how sore I was getting from hunching over a sewing machine. But noo, you were just too busy. I can hear when you're playing video games through the wall, you know!"

Shinji's face tinged slightly red. "But do you seriously have to get back at me like this...? Asuka, you have to understand how embarrassing this is!" He looked around, lowering his voice. "There are plenty of other people who contributed even less than me, so why do I get the short straw?"

They'd walked away from the most crowded part of the room. Asuka sighed, giving him a grudging look. "Okay, listen. Obviously, you're oblivious to this, but - God I can't believe I have to be the one to tell you - you're more popular than you think."

Shinji blinked. He didn't know what she meant, nor what that statement had to do with the costume. "Um, th-thanks...?"

She scoffed. "Ugh, you're so clueless! What I'm saying is that a lot of girls in this place actually think you're really cute; I'll never understand their taste." She continued, not giving Shinji the time to recover from his shock, "And I mean a lot - I've even heard some girls on other floors talking about you."

Shinji's voice cracked as he blurted out, "Th-that's not true! No girl has ever liked me before!"

Rolling her eyes, Asuka looked back down at the clipboard. "God, boys are always so stupid. You need to get a clue." She checked off another item on the list, writing a note next to it. "Whatever, the point is, since you're getting so popular with girls, and since we need to attract attention to our class exhibit, I figured I could use your popularity to my advantage." She smirked. "If I make you wear that doofy outfit, girls will be squealing whenever they pass - they won't be able to resist coming in! You're the perfect eye candy."

Shinji flushed a deep red. "Are you serious?! You're gonna objectify me just so our class can win the vote?!"

She shrugged, still smirking. Shinji felt more humiliated than ever. "Well, not just you. There's someone else who'll be out there with you attracting customers. I figured you'd make a good double act." She glanced across the room. Shinji warily followed her line of sight, his heart twanging oddly when he realized who she was looking at.