Special Alice (Gakuen Alice / Alice Academy FF)

SA 18 - After party pt.1

{Author}

Misaki's day began with the groan of her alarm clock, a sound she promptly silenced before getting out of bed. As she stretched and fixed her bed, she contemplated the fact that it was the last day of the Alice Festival, a bittersweet realization.

" Another day," she mumbled to herself. Her school uniform neatly arranged, she made her way to the bathroom for a quick shower. Dressed and ready for the day, she couldn't help but feel a mixture of anticipation and resignation. With the Alice Festival coming to a close, a sense of finality was in the air.

Her solitude was broken by a familiar voice at the door, and she knew it was Mikan. Every morning, Mikan knocked on her door, signaling the start of their routine. As expected, Hotaru was right there with her.

" Good morning, Misa-chan~." Mikan greeted with a beaming smile, her usual infectious enthusiasm on full display.

" Looks like someone's in a good mood today, right Hotaru?" Misaki observed with a light chuckle, turning her attention to the more reserved of her two friends. Hotaru nodded in agreement, acknowledging Mikan's uncharacteristic cheerfulness.

But then, Hotaru didn't mince words. " She's really noisy," she stated matter-of-factly, prompting a comical reaction from Mikan, whose nose flared in response.

Misaki couldn't help but laugh at the playful exchange between her friends. She patted Mikan's head affectionately. " Don't sweat it, Mikan-chan. Let's get some breakfast."

The trio made their way to the cafeteria, where most of their classmates were already enjoying their meals. After breakfast, they proceeded to their classroom, where the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement.

Their classmates were animatedly discussing the legend of the last dance at the after-party, which supposedly held the key to a lasting romance. Girls were gleefully chatting about the prospect of dancing with their crushes, and Misaki couldn't help but smile at the girls' collective excitement. Romance was in the air.

" Did you hear the legend that says that if two people dance together at the last dance of the party, they will be together forever?" One of her classmates squealed with delight, playfully hitting her friend's arm in her enthusiasm.

Mikan, however, seemed taken aback by the concept. " There is such a legend here?" she asked, genuinely surprised.

" You didn't know, Mikan-chan?" Another girl inquired. Mikan shook her head, admitting that she was oblivious to this peculiar tradition.

An eager classmate chimed in, " Who do you want to dance with?" They couldn't contain their curiosity, and the anticipation of the event had everyone talking about potential dance partners.

Misaki glanced around the room, taking in the lively discussions and the girls' dreams of dancing with their crushes. She couldn't help but observe that she couldn't fully relate to the romantic fervor that had overtaken her classmates.

The conversation took an unexpected turn when Hotaru mentioned the school's "seven wonders" and described the ghostly encounter in the junior division bathroom. It was the kind of macabre story that might give some people the creeps, but it added a layer of mystique to the academy.

Their friend Inchou couldn't hide his discomfort, shivering at the eerie tale. " Stop it, Imai," he implored.

The idea of the after-party dance being one of the three major romantic events at the academy amused Misaki, although she couldn't quite grasp the same level of excitement as her classmates. Their focus on the festivities and the potential romantic connections that might arise left her a bit detached.