Come Friday at the Autumn Dance, Hikari wasted no time to tackle me into a constricting hug.

"Oh gosh, Kasumi. You were right!"

She swung my dear body right and left, and when she withdrew with the biggest smile slapped onto her face that even reached her brown eyes, I could only laugh.

"Something tells me you saw them."

"They're gorgeous," she gushed, spinning me around.

In the hallway we were standing in, Hikari's eyes were locked on the gorgeously decorated gymnasium ahead of us where the dance was taking place. Students were having fun, twirling around in elegant dresses or suits, the DJ playing a catchy pop song that made your feet tap.

The chilly breeze spilling into the gymnasium from the opened window grazed my bare legs. I peered down at my simplistic pink dress and frowned. "I still can't comprehend how you talked me into wearing this dress."

Hikari met my eyes with a laugh. "You're still wearing your sneakers," she pointed out, her finger darting to the floor. Then she reached up and touched my side ponytail. "At least you tied up your hair the way I told you."

"I'm also wearing that lip gloss you harassed upon my lips."

"It suits you." She smiled suggestively. "Besides, you can never be too prepared. Did you see Upperclassman Anzai yet?"

Heat enveloped my cheeks at the mention. I batted her away. "Not yet. Why?"

"Oh, please," she giggled. "Didn't you tell me he liked you back?"

"But that was way back—"

She stopped me with her hand. "If you're suggesting he dropped his feelings as simple as that in the span of a week, you're delusional."

As Hikari's hand fell by her side, I made a face. I bit on my lower lip. "But that entire situation was bogus."

"I'm sure he still likes you." She waved at the passing males who were sending us winks, and even those around us who had their eyes glued on us. "And even if he doesn't," she went on, nudging me, "I'm sure plenty of dudes would want to dance with you. You proved the News Department—all the students and staff here—wrong and brought the SC and dance back together."

"'Proved wrong' seems a little too credited," I said, unable to fight back a snort. Since I was an outcast here and used to garnering looks of displeasure and horror, the attention I'd received after that day with Koga was surreal. "I called that pervert out."

"And now the News Department's been temporarily suspended and he and Juuna Muramoto are getting punished. I hear they're stuck scrubbing down tables in the cafeteria with the principal breathing down their necks."

"Sounds like an amusing sight," I admitted.

Laughing, she gave my shoulder one last pat. "I'm going to join that crowd over there so I could try to talk to Kakeru and Wateru. Want to come?"

I peered over to what she was talking about, and there by the punch bowls was a boisterous and talkative Kakeru conversing with the guys around him, and an awkward Wateru with a crowd just as big, full of fawning girls. As if feeling my gaze and using their brotherly telepathy, both boys shifted their gazes in my direction. Kakeru sent me a wink, Wateru a starry-eyed nod.

Hikari latched onto my arms and waved dreamily back. "You are so lucky you're President of the Student Council now. Having those dreamy guys at your beck and call—"

"Now, now." I shooed her off of me, adjusting my armband. "This role is only temporary. Besides, Mr. Jael thinks of it as being his way to repay me."

Hikari chuckled. "Say what you will, but I know you like the importance. Even Shuuhei Okabe is under your ranks."

"Amazing, isn't it?" Taking the cup of fruit punch from her hand, I took the sip I needed and beckoned her off. "Now, you have your fun. I'm gonna patrol around and make sure everything's okay."

She dramatically shuddered. "Since when did Kasumi Yonamine get so responsible?"

"You told me I'd get treated to free pastries if I followed through with this today," I told her. "And Mama wants her pastries."

Recognition flickered in her eyes, as well as undeniable amusement.

"'Mama' 'ought to cure her sweet tooth if I have anything to say about it."

I resisted the urge to chuckle. "Over my old and wrinkly body."

Hikari shook her head and with a thankful smile, hurried off to mingle with those twins. I couldn't help but smile as soon as she arrived and was reduced to her dazzled, sputtering self alongside the other students. With a head shake of my own, I tipped even more juice down my throat and made my way around the back alleys of the hall, past twittering females and whooping males.

Adolescents and parties were in a world of their own all right. And when I was stripped naked and brought to this new school to start over four months ago, I wouldn't have ever dared to imagine I'd be apart of it.

Even now, thinking that I did anything better than Juuna and Koga wasn't high on my gloating list. Sure they took the SC's secrets as their scapegoat and demolished the balance for selfish gain, but the SC wasn't free of sin either. And yet I went and gave the two of them consequences they didn't fully deserve while the SC received a huge apology in front of the student body during assembly.

The path I took wasn't the best, and I agreed with that. But the fact was, I wasn't the goody-two-shoed heroine that never made mistakes. I slipped up. I fell and stumbled. I even ended up expelled on multiple occasions. But for the first time in seventeen years, I could feel a sense of accomplishment for not screwing up entirely.

Dad and Shizuka could still look at me with pride; the school didn't exactly see me as a freak show. And other than nearly knocking the principal out cold, I didn't injure anybody too seriously. At least that deserved some means of praise and a good pat on the back. Right?

It was toward the end of the hall I spotted a familiar blue haired male fervently jotting in his handy journal.

Swallowing down whatever nerves I possessed (moreover, reassuring myself that what had happened in that dream that night would strictly remain to secrecy), I ambled forward until finally arriving by his side.

He didn't notice me straightaway, and even as I leaned against the nearby wall, his murmurings successfully left me speechless.

"Would she say yes if I asked her to dance? But she hasn't talked to me since that day, and I'm sure there are plenty of guys who she'd rather pick from. Someone like me of all people can't expect to be seen as an equal. I write unspeakable things for cripes' sake!"

It didn't take a genius to figure out he was referring to me. I inwardly aww-ed and stifled an unexpected giggle by biting on my lower lip.

"I'll just come up with the perfect scenario," he rambled on, picking up his journal and shielding his face. "Come on. A good thing to say first...!"

"I'm thinking maybe "hello" would work," I said.

Junto's reaction was quite comical. As if he had been shot, he recoiled, over the chairs that were so conveniently placed there and onto the floor. The crash had caught a few eyes, but not too many. Laughing under my breath, I knelt to a groaning Junto who, once I did, had stiffened like a statue. Up close, I took a better look at his features—widened blue eyes and uniquely styled hair swept up and tumbling over the right side of his face.

Nonetheless, Junto had blushed to an ultimate shade of red.

"Y-Yonamine... You heard?"

"Your inner monologue should really remain inner," I responded, then grinned. "But it's nice to see you after so long, Upperclassman Anzai."