𝒦𝑜𝓃𝑜𝒽𝒶 𝐻𝒾𝑔𝒽

𝓢𝓲𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓣𝓮𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼

⸻⸻⋅☾🎊 ☽⋅⸻⸻

The week's finally over, and it's Friday. The tension between Dad and me is still there, and I'm having a hard time adjusting to him being around. We're managing, though, mostly for Mum's sake. Surprisingly, he's been making an effort to spend more time with me, but I've been distancing myself. With the week wrapping up, the teachers have taken it as an opportunity to pile us on a shit ton of homework , so I've been using that as a reason to stay out of the house more.

...

After a morning shower, I washed my face with moisturizer and face wash. Then, I followed my usual makeup routine, got dressed in my uniform shirt, flared jeans, and a short school black blazer, finishing off the look with some jewelry.

I've been so caught up with everything lately that I've neglected staying organized, like remembering to pack my bag. I quickly grabbed my laptop, the work I was doing last night, my pencil case, phone, AirPods, charger, notebook, water bottle, and a few other essentials.

When I came downstairs, Dad was sitting at the kitchen table while Mum was busy cooking.

"Good morning," she said.

I smiled in response and grabbed my lunch.

"Do you need a ride?" Dad asked out of the blue.

"It's fine," I replied.

Before he could say anything, Mum added, "Actually, it looks like it's going to rain soon. You should let your father drop you off if you don't want to get soaked."

I sighed and motioned for Dad to follow me out the door.

...

The car ride was silent.

As I looked outside the window, I spotted Iwabe Yuino, Denki Kaminarimon, and Metal Lee running down the road, using their backpacks to shield themselves from the rain. When they noticed me, they smiled and waved.

I was about to reciprocate  when Dad's voice cut through.

"Are they bothering you?" he asked, his voice sharp, though still carrying his usual tone.

"No, they aren't. It's called having friends. I know you wouldn't understand," the words slipped out before I could stop them.

He didn't respond, just stared ahead, his gaze and expression unreadable.

I turned back to wave at Iwabe, Denki, and Metal.

...

The council was in the middle of deciding on a social event to kick off the year, and so far, we had settled on a school dance. Parents would be invited, but honestly, that was just a cover to have them act as chaperones.

"Speaking of which, what's the theme for the dance?" Shikadai asked. "We still haven't decided. Any suggestions? And remember, it needs to be family-friendly."

"How about a disco theme?" ChoCho suggested enthusiastically.

"A little too corny", Shikadai replied, prompting ChoCho to scoff in response.

"What about 'An Evening in Paris'?" Sumire proposed.

"Classic, but kinda cliché," Shikadai said, shrugging.

"How about 'A Starry Night'?" Metal chimed in.

"We've done something like that a thousand times," Shikadai sighed.

"How about a masquerade?" I suggested.

"Now that's actually not a bad idea," Shikadai said, smiling. "Plus, we've never done anything like it before, so the rest of the school will definitely like it." Everyone else seemed to agree, nodding in approval.

"Alright, Sumire, you're in charge of making the announcement," Shikadai said, glancing around the table to ensure everyone was focused. "ChoCho, you're on food duty, so make sure the snacks and drinks are taken care of. The rest of us will handle the decorations and setup, making sure everything runs smoothly. As for me, I'll take care of the financials and the budget".

...

When I got home, I told Mum about the dance while Dad sat quietly, listening. Mum was excited and immediately started encouraging Dad to join us, while I headed upstairs.