SAFE

III

"Your task today is simple—something that even an eleven-year-old would be capable of doing, that is, if it weren't for physical appearances."

Ayuzawa Misaki let out a tired sigh as she watched her professor from her seat that was situated next to a window, and to her so-called "luck", next to the new talk of the SAFEhouse: Usui Kaito.

She was about to grab her notebook when she felt something small land on her arm, and knowing that it was another attempt of his to get her attention, she growled. 'Usui—'

"Ne, Misa-chan, let's go to the food station again."

She could imagine his playful smirk in her head as he gracefully tapped his fingers on the table, as lightly as one could do so. The same playful smirk that she, for one, would like to wipe out with the equally graceful sway of her sweet, sweet fist.

Rubbing her temples with one hand, she tapped her fingers with the other, low enough so that she wouldn't be heard, but loud enough for the student next to her that grew more irritating as the seconds passed by, to hear.

Three words.

Three words she had been dying to say.

"Shut up, Usui."

"Everyone will go to the simulating chamber for this task, and I will be reading the names for each group."

"I'm impressed, Miss Ayuzawa. I tried the tap code on the others earlier, and yet you were the only one to respond. As expected of you."

Her brows furrowed as she glanced to her right. A fleeting look—and with that she was able to see his calm demeanor, annoyed that he actually seemed engaged in Professor Morrison's lesson whilst being able to happily tap his fingers away. Her on the other hand—she was aware that she had a pretty scowl donning her face right now.

Why was she no good with façades?

"Do you like my nickname for you? Misa-chan?"

"Shut up and listen."

The raven-haired actually felt guilty, knowing that her irrational attitude towards the blond was only caused by her gut—a sickening feeling lived in there, and she could only puke it out by displacing her anger on the other teen.

"You'll regret it later, Misa-chan. You might not like what the food station will be serving."

She might just apologise later, if only he wouldn't be such an asshole.

○○○○

"Ne, Misaki! I'm so glad I got in a group with Shizuko and you! I'm also happy that we're in a group with guys that we actually know", Sakura said. "I wonder when Kuuga-kun, Kanou-kun, and Usui-kun will come though."

Misaki nodded, forcing a smile as she tugged on the outfit—it was rather skimpy for her tastes, she noted, before wearing the headdress carefully. She wore her special necklace, ignoring how the numbers would tend to change. They never stopped after all.

"Those idiots. They better do their roles right. But why a maid though?"

"You can't wear a man's outfit, Misaki. The chamber was designed so that it'd be exactly like The Outside. Your cover would get blown, and there goes your straight A's", Kaga Shizuko reasoned, reminding her of the record that she had to maintain. "Ah, I'm feeling a bit dizzy."

"But I personally think it suits you the most, Mi-sa-ki", Sakura sang, her voice slightly slurred, though no one pointed it out, brushing it off as her tendencies to get bubbly in such circumstances. "The maid outfit looks good on you."