seven reasons to fall | hitachiin

Second

SHE called her stupid that day, and although Shiori thought she could handle it, she ended up breaking down in tears the moment the student council meeting drew to a close.

Seika Ayanokoji had always been mean, but her already hot temperament only became worse days before, when she had walked into the student council meeting late and sopping wet. There was a look of pure fury in her eyes; unadulterated rage that could be felt from where Shiori sat in the corner, and she spit venom when she said, "We need to shut down the Host Club."

The room was silent, only for a moment, but the answer was an overwhelming 'no'.

And as days passed, she grew even more hellish with wrath.

The student council met every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each week, and Shiori, eager to spend time with her new friends, showed up early to every single meeting. Even if her timeliness meant having to share the room with Seika, the social chairperson and single member of royalty in the group.

When Shiori stepped in as fundraising officer, the tension was almost immediate. Ayanokoji hadn't hated her immediately, though, but instead made it obvious that she hated all First Years, regardless of who they were.

This didn't sit right with Shiori, who was firmly against hating in general, and in an idealistic leap of faith she decided that she would always be nice to the princess.

"Good afternoon, Ayanokoji-senpai!" Shiori chirped, if only to be polite. She felt that it wasn't too hopeful to expect a greeting back, even if it were a simple grunt in acknowledgement, so instead of tidying up the room in the way she always would, she looked on patiently.

Instead, her response was, "That's sama to you, Shiori."

"Uhm, it really isn't, but--"

Seika's reaction would have been explosive had Giichi not walked in, with two other student council members in tow

Hirohito Ueno was always smiling, even when spending finances were low and Ayanokoji did her best to waste them all. The boy always had a barrage of jokes at the ready and they always made her laugh, even if they were terrible. Jobon Futuri was a stark contrast to this, always being the first to resort to a blunt delivery; often known for cutting things off at the roots. At first, Shiori found him too intimidating to talk to, but the day she joined he was eager to hit things off. 

The two of them were introduced to her by Giichi, their president, who was pleasantly surprised to find how swimmingly all three of them got on.

"Alright, ladies, what's up?" he asked, as innocuously as possible in order to keep everyone at peace. "These two wouldn't leave their classrooms, and were actually this close to getting a detention before I swept in to save the day, as usual!"

"You're a real hero, Giichi-senpai!" Shiori laughed, genuinely and happily. "Seika and I were just saying our hellos, so you didn't miss out on much--"

Before Shiori could even realize her own mistake, Seika's scowl deepend into a hellish glare, knocking Shiori's train of thought off track. 

"Which one of us here said you could drop the formalities?" She snapped, immediately, and the boys winced. They all knew the question was rhetorical, and after a shy cough from the younger girl, she continued, "When you talk to me, don't talk to me as if I am a friend. I am your superior, stupid, and you ought to treat all of us as such."

She gulped shakily, blinking the tears back, and finished with a respectful nod her way. "Yes, sorry, Ayanokoji-senpai."

Seika coughed.