We et up to go over this bullshit the next day.
The gym’s dead silent except for the sound of Haruka’s gum popping.
[This is awkward as fuck.]
We’re all sprawled out on the bleachers. using Haruka’s lap as a pillow while she plays with my hair, Reina sitting properly two rows up, and Lily... well, being Lily. Standing there in her perfect uniform looking like she’d rather die than be here.
"So," Reina finally breaks the silence. "Any of you done partner dancing before?"
"Nah," I stretch, purposely rubbing my head against Haruka’s dick. "Can’t dance for shit unless it’s grinding at a club."
Haruka snickers.
"You should see her try to follow TikTok dances. It’s like watching a drunk giraffe."
"Bitch, you said I was getting better!"
"You are! You only fell down twice last ti."
I reach up to pinch her thigh, but stop when I notice the looks Reina and Lily are giving each other. Lily’s got this annoying smirk on her face, but what surprises is even Reina’s trying (and failing) not to smile.
"The fuck you two looking at?"
"Well..." Reina starts.
"She ans actual dancing," Lily cuts in, that smirk growing wider, one brow arched up high. "You know, with magic?"
[...what?]
I sit up, frowning.
"The fuck you an ’with magic’?"
Reina and Lily share another look.
"Allow to explain," Lily says, and I already know I’m not gonna like whatever cos next. "It’s basically like the Paired Resonance," Lily explains, pacing in front of us like so discount middle school teacher. "Except instead of syncing our mana, we’re going to have to move our mana in unison, and instead of two people, it’s going to be all three of us."
I imdiately flop back onto Haruka’s lap.
[I’m way too fucking stupid for this.]
"So like," I mumble into Haruka’s thighs, "we gotta make our magic kiss or whatever?"
"That’s... actually not entirely wrong." Reina sounds surprised. "Though I wouldn’t put it quite so crudely."
"Course you wouldn’t," I turn my head just enough to stick my tongue out at her. "You probably call it sothing fancy like ’essential mana harmonization’ or so shit."
"Actually," Lily’s voice drips sweetness, "it’s called Triadic Resonance Manipulation. Instead of just matching frequencies like in Paired Resonance, we have to create a perfect triangle of mana flow." She draws a glowing triangle in the air. "Each of us takes a point, and our magic has to flow together, perfectly in sync."
"With that being said, can we try to focus up, ladies? We need to learn how to move our mana around each other without-"
"Without what?" I pull Haruka closer. "Without having fun?"
"Without causing an explosion," Lily snaps. "If even one of us pushes too hard or pulls back too much, the whole triangle collapses. And when that much mana suddenly destabilizes..." She lets the triangle dissolve into sparks. "Boom."
[Oh. Well shit.]
"So what you’re saying is..." I stretch out across Haruka’s lap again. "We gotta learn to dance together or we all die?"
"We won’t die," Reina sighs. "But we would feel horrible irritation for like, the rest of the day. Think of it like... three rivers eting. If they flow together perfectly, they create sothing beautiful. If they crash into each other..."
"We get wet?" I waggle my eyebrows.
"This is serious, Nakamura," Lily snaps. "The Honda Guild’s probably been practicing this for months. We have a week."
"Cool cool cool." I close my eyes. "I’ll work super hard. Promise."
"Nakamura, I swear to god-"
"What?" I peek one eye open at Lily. "Do I not sound like a hard worker to you?"
"The only thing you seem to work hard at is fondling your girlfriend."
"Nah," I cut her off. "Pretty sure my thod of sucking her dick is even better."
Haruka nearly chokes on her bubble tea.
My phone vibrates.
[Ruka💕]: BABE
I smirk.
[]: what? it’s true
[Ruka💕]: I an yeah but still
"God help ," Lily throws her hands up. "You are actually so infuriating."
"And you’re a stuck-up bitch, yet here we are." I sit up, sighing. "Look, I get it. We gotta make our magic do a little dance, make a little love, basically get down tonight. But like, can we do this tomorrow? My brain’s fried from trying to understand all this triangle shit."
"The exhibition’s in a week," Reina points out.
"Yeah, and?" I stretch. "That’s like, seven whole days. We got ti."
The look Lily and Reina share makes think maybe we don’t got as much ti as I think.
---
The next day...
[We’re so fucking dood.]
Our tenth attempt at this Triadic whatever-the-fuck isn’t going any better than the first nine. My mana’s flowing like a waterfall, Reina’s doing her best to keep up, and Lily... well...
"You’re pushing too hard again," Lily snaps, breaking our triangle for like the millionth ti. Her uniform’s perfect as always, not a hair out of place even though we’ve been at this for hours. "It’s not about raw power, Nakamura." So of us actually studied proper technique instead of just relying on natural talent."
"Well, I’m still gonna do better than you," I roll my eyes. "Maybe if you had any actual talent you’d be able to keep up."
The room goes silent.
Lily’s face does this thing where it just... empties.
It’s kinda like soone hit a switch and turned off all the lights. Her hands clench at her sides, and for a second, I think she might actually throw a spell at or sothing.
Instead of swinging, she just turns and walks away. Her footsteps echo through the gym until the door slams behind her.
"What?" I look at Reina and Haruka. "She started it-"
"Akari," Haruka’s voice is soft but firm. "That was fucked up."
"How? She’s always going on about proper form this, proper technique that-"
"Because she has to," Reina cuts in. "So of us weren’t born S-Class, you know. So of us have to work twice as hard just to keep up."
[...]
Well, don’t I feel like shit now.
"Fuck."
"Yeah," Haruka squeezes my shoulder. "Fuck is right, babe. You should probably apologize."
"Since when do I apologize to her?"
"Since you went for the jugular maybe?" Haruka raises an eyebrow. "And like, you’d be pissed if soone went after you like that."
Tapping my foot against the ground, I groan.
"Fine," I run a hand through my hair. "I’ll go find her."
"Good," Reina nods. "Because we’ve got six days left, and I really don’t want to explode."
I start heading for the door, then pause.
"Any idea where she’d go?"
Reina shrugs.
"Try the courtyard? That’s where all the drama queens go to sulk."
"Right." I take a deep breath. "Well, hopefully I don’t get my head lopped off. BRB."
The halls are pretty empty this ti of day. Most students are either in class or off doing whatever rich magic kids do after school.
? I’m walking around like an idiot, trying to figure out where the fuck Lily went.
[Why are all the pretty ones so dramatic?]
A couple Class 2 girls whisper as I pass. Can’t bla them - probably looks weird seeing the S-Class gyaru wandering around without Haruka attached to my hip. But right now I’ve got bigger problems than gossip.
Like finding one pissed off princess before she decides to file a complaint or whatever.
I check the library first, because that seems like a Lily thing to do. Nothing but so nerds studying and this one couple definitely not studying behind the stacks.
[Kinda wish that was and Haruka right now... But, no. I have so apologizing to do. Focus.]
Finally, I hit the courtyard. It’s that ti of day when the sun hits just right, making all the cherry blossoms look extra as fuck.
And there she is.
[Of fucking course.]
Lily’s perched on one of those fancy stone benches, right under the biggest cherry tree, with her knees pulled up to her chest.
[Yeah, okay ani protagonist.]
I stand there for a minute, trying to figure out what to say.
So Class 1 guys notice hovering and start whispering. Guess I better do sothing before this becos another rumor.
Taking a deep breath, I start walking over. Each step feels heavier than the last.
Lily notices coming and imdiately her whole body tenses up. Her face goes from sad to scowl so fast it’s almost impressive.
"What do you want, Nakamura?"
[Great fucking question.]
I shift my weight from one foot to the other, suddenly very aware that people are watching us. A few more students have stopped to stare, probably hoping for another show.
"Look," I start, then stop.
[Why is this so fucking hard?]
"Look what?" Her voice could freeze hell over. "Co to point out more of my shortcomings?"
"No, I-"
"Because you were right, you know." She uncurls from the bench, standing up. Even pissed off, she manages to look perfect. "So of us weren’t born special like you."
[This is going great.]
"That’s not what I-"
"Not all of us can just wave our hands and make magic happen." She’s getting louder now, taking steps toward . "So of us actually have to work for every single spell, every single day, while you just-"
"Can you shut up for like two seconds?" I snap. "I’m trying to apologize, you dramatic bitch."
"... Well, you’re doing a terrible job of it."
For a mont we just stand there, cherry blossoms falling between us. I take a mont and regain my bearings.
"Yeah, no shit." I finally break first, dropping onto the bench. "Look, what I said was fucked up. I shouldn’t have-"
"Save it." She turns away, but not before I catch sothing in her eyes. Sothing that looks a lot like tears.
[Jesus...]
"You were right anyway. I don’t have talent. I just have..."
She trails off, and for a second, just a second, I see past the perfect uniform and stuck-up attitude. Past the snark and the proper posture.
The crowd’s starting to disperse, probably disappointed we’re not throwing spells at each other.
"Hey, look." I try again. "We don’t like each other, but-"
"What ever gave you that impression?"
"-But, we’ve got six days to figure this shit out. And like, I don’t wanna explode. Do you?"
She scoffs, shaking her head.
"You have such a way with words, Nakamura."
"I’m serious. Do you?"
"No."
"So, we’ll have to work sothing out, huh?"
Lily looks up at . For a mont, it’s just my pink irises eting her green ones.
She sighs, straightening her uniform.
"We will. I’m heading back to the gym."
She drops that casual statent and starts walking.
Suddenly, I’m the one left standing in the cherry blossoms.
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