Because finishing previously existing and currently unresolved stories is for nerds.
Wine
Underage Connoisseurs
It's past school hours on a Saturday afternoon, which makes us some of the few people still in the main building. The majority of the students have gone back to the dorms to begin their weekends, and most of the teachers have no doubt gone home. Naomi and I, however, have decided to stay behind in the main building, favouring the silence over the bustling dormitories. Not much can be heard over the tikk-takking of laptops in our empty classroom.
I steal a glance at my friend across from me, hard at work on Page Four of the Yamaku Journal. She's doing that cute little pout she has when she's concentrating, the one she denies even exists. She starts to speak before looking up, giving me a chance to quickly pretend I wasn't watching her.
"Have you read Hanako's report on the roof?” Her eyes flick between me and the text a few times as she speaks. "It's really not that bad, we could probably do with more of it".
"I admit, it's just what we need to fill the last gaps of space. LeLouch's... Departure left quite a few holes in our pages.”
“It’s a shame he’s gone, yeah.” Neither of us were that close to him, but his book reviews were excellent way to meet page quotas. Naomi looks up to me again, a bright idea suddenly forming in that scatterbrain of her's. "She isn't in any clubs at the moment, is she?"
"Nah, pretty sure she just hangs around with 3-2's rep and the newbie."
Naomi rubs her hands together and meets me with a mischievous grin I know far too well. "Let's get her."
I can't help but snicker at her. After a few more minutes of discussion and planning, we get back to work. Fix a few spelling errors here and there... and I'm done with the front page! An article on the Yamaku Book Burglar, with a few 'crime scene' photos of the Library in police tape. It seems Misaki can have a sense of humour when she wants to!
Eventually, one of the school's cleaners comes in and tells us to finish up. We've lost track of time and apparently we're practically the only reason the staff haven't already locked up. Crap, we've still got to go over the whole paper one more time for mistakes! I'd never live it down if I spell someone's name wrong again... There's only one thing left to do.
"I'm gonna head back to my room and finish this, you in?"
Naomi looks up, a half-eaten pastry dangling precariously from her mouth. She shrugs and nods, making a muffled grunt. That's a yes, by her standards.
---
We stand in the elevator, slowly ascending to the first floor of the girls’ dorms. It's supposed to be for wheelchair access only, but my knees are in agony at the moment. I'd rather risk a detention than creep up a staircase right now.
Being early evening on a Saturday, with no school tomorrow, there's a moderate buzz of muffled chatter and laughter behind closed doors. We shuffle at a leisurely pace down the main corridor, discussing anything and everything. I’ve come to learn that a conversation with Naomi can change topics with each sentence. Halfway through a rant about the choice of carpet, Naomi stops me and points down one of the branching halls.
I’m shocked to see Ikezawa leaning against the wall, alone and swaying to-and-fro. She looks far from alright... Naomi has probably had some of the most conversation with her from the rest of our class, so I suggest we go and see if she's okay. As we get closer, we notice some things. For starters, she's laughing to herself. Loudly. That is beyond usual for the girl. And now she's noticed us, she... She's approaching us? Something's really quite off; I've never known her to move in such a care-free manner, with her arms freely dangling by her sides.
"Helloooo~" she slurs, waving sloppily at us. She has a grin plastered on her face, accentuated her unusually rosy cheeks. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she almost looks like she's drunk…
"Hey, Hanachan!" On the bright side, Naomi doesn't seem phased by her out-of-character demeanour at all, and goes in for the conversation. "You seem quite upbeat today!"
Her grin grows slowly and she chuckles, like she knows something we don't. It's a little creepy, especially since it's coming from a girl who I admittedly barely know.
"...Yes,” I eventually speak, when it becomes clear she’s not going to reply. I might as well ask her about joining us now. She's actually not flinching with every word, so this may be the best chance we get. “Anyway, we were actually looking for you! You wrote the piece about the School Roof and its dangerous fencing, didn't you?"
Hanako's face goes blank for a few seconds, before the vacant grin gradually comes back. "I did, didn't I? Y-Yeah!"
"Well, we loved it!" Naomi throws her arm around my shoulders and gives our out-of-character friend a little thumbs-up. I continue our proposal.
"We could definitely use more material like that. It was detailed, well thought-out and surprisingly fun to read! We were wondering, if you'd be so kind as to supply us with another article later on? Next week, perhaps?"
"Sooooo... Like, s-so you want me to join in with you two?"
Her face is a combination of sleepiness and poorly hidden joy.
"Sure!" Naomi answers before I get a chance. I don't mind her joining, but I wasn't going to offer full-on membership just yet. There'll be a lot of form-filling I'll need to do...
"Okay! I like you two, you're both best girls!" It seems her grammar has deteriorated, too. She starts swaying again, smiling away like it's her eighth birthday, when she suddenly brings her hands up to halt us. "W-Wait! I know, I know! Let's celebrate!"
She goes into the room next to us and apologises profusely to someone unseen, all the while sounding absolutely ecstatic. She comes back out with... A bottle of wine? What is she doing with wine? How did she get the wine in the first place? I'll be honest, I'm about as surprised as I think I could be. I'd imagine Miura or Enomoto with such contraband. Hell, even Maeda. Certainly not Ikezawa!
"Why, Hanako! I had no idea you were holding out on us!" Naomi snatches the bottle from her hands, inspecting it thoroughly.
"W-What?" I know Naomi's no saint, but she certainly surprised me with that one. The blonde gives a knowing wink and continues to read the back label... I swear, she is going to be the end of me.
Ikezawa laughs, but suddenly begins shushing the three of us, herself apparently included. Taking the wine bottle and poorly hiding it under her shirt, we begin walking. She details where the bottle came from; apparently 3-2 Rep's older sister is a bit laid-back when it comes to the law. Naomi begins detailing all we probably needed to know about the wine. She seems to be quite the connoisseur! Well, as much of a connoisseur as one can become with three teenage brothers who would drink whatever they could get their hands on.
I'm not too sure about this, but I also don't want to be the killjoy... I suppose a bit won't hurt? Sure, just a glass. We make our way to my room, and I can already guarantee that tonight is due to be interesting.
Oh dear...
"I'll never need a weapon as long as I have you" 
