4th August

“So, this courtyard here leads from Block A to the training grounds, then to Block B,” Naomi began, gesturing casually as she explained the layout of the Academy to Yuki. “At the far end, the city complex starts, and the cafeteria is on the west side of the dorms.”

As they stepped outside the humid confines of the Academy, they were greeted by the warmth of the sun mixed with a refreshing breeze. The wind caught the frilled tiers of Naomi's boho peasant dress, making them flutter slightly. The soft pink fabric reflected the sunlight, and the dress's wide, round neckline highlighted her collarbone.

It’s nice that we can wear casual clothes after school hours, Yuki thought, walking beside her. It makes everything feel less restrictive, and you can get a sense of people's personalities by how they dress. He recalled how Antonio was still dressed in his uniform, while Naomi had clearly embraced the freedom of casual wear.

Yuki’s eyes wandered down to her feet, noticing her light pink sneakers paired with opaque white stockings. His gaze naturally trailed back upward, and as the breeze swept through Naomi’s short brown hair, something caught his attention. Behind her ear, golden stud earrings in the shape of four-leaf clovers sparkled in the sunlight.

Before he could stop himself, Yuki was staring. Naomi quickly caught on and blushed in embarrassment, snapping, “WHAT are you staring at?”

“N-nothing,” Yuki stammered, his face heating up. “I just thought y-you had really nice e-earrings.”

“Oh, these?” Naomi said, her voice softening as she touched one of the golden studs. “They were a gift. From someone really close to me.”

“I see.” Yuki nodded, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere before she could press him on why he'd been staring. “So, is this Black Moon Café usually crowded?”

“Yeah, it gets pretty busy,” Naomi explained, her tone returning to normal. “But it's also called the Big Café for a reason. Even with a lot of people, it doesn’t feel cramped—there’s enough space for everyone. It’s always lovely but still feels... spacious, if that makes sense.”

Yuki nodded, imagining the scene Naomi described. A lively, bustling café, yet large enough that people didn’t feel like they were on top of each other—a comforting thought. He glanced up at the sky, where the sun was beginning its slow descent, painting the courtyard in warm hues. The breeze had a calming effect, and for a moment, Yuki forgot the anxiety of meeting new people, starting at a new school, or even the exhausting day he had just gone through.

“You know,” he started, feeling a little more relaxed, “I think I’m actually looking forward to this. Meeting Antonio properly, seeing the café, getting to know more about this place.”

Naomi smiled at him, her earlier embarrassment replaced with a soft expression of approval. “I think you’ll like it. Antonio seems like an interesting guy, and who knows, maybe you’ll make a good group of friends here.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Yuki replied, his own smile growing as they continued walking toward the café, side by side.

The sun, now lower in the sky, cast long shadows behind them, but ahead, the path seemed clearer. For the first time that day, Yuki felt like he might actually be able to settle into this new place. Even though there were still many challenges ahead, right now, in this moment, he felt okay. He wasn’t alone, after all.

As they reached the edge of the courtyard, Naomi gave him a light nudge. “Come on, slowpoke, we don’t want to keep your new friend waiting.”

With a chuckle, Yuki quickened his pace, catching up to her. “Right. Let’s not keep Antonio waiting.”

“Ha ha ha, so you got caught up with that bully, John?” Antonio laughed, leaning back in his chair.

“Yes! He was really annoying!” Naomi added, her excitement bubbling over as she animatedly recounted the story to Antonio. In her eagerness, she hadn’t even remembered to introduce herself. “But then Yuki, like a complete idiot, tries to act cool, pulls out his hand and—puff!—knocks John out cold, and then knocks himself out right after! Honestly, it was hilarious! And of course, Miss Yuan had to come and scold all of us.”

Antonio chuckled, amused by her lively recount. “Ah, that sounds like quite the scene,” he said before remembering something. “Oh, right! We haven’t even introduced ourselves properly.” With a graceful motion, he leaned forward slightly in his seat, placing his hand over his chest in a gentlemanly manner. “My name is Antonio Giò Prada, but you may call me whatever you wish. Piacere di conoscerti.”

Naomi blinked for a moment before laughing. “Oh, right! I got so caught up in the story, I forgot too. I'm Sasaki Naomi, nice to meet you.” She mimicked his gesture with a playful flourish, adding her own touch of dramatics.

“You two seem to be getting along really well.” Yuki remarked, feeling somewhat left out as he sat between them at the small round table. The three of them were in a cosy corner of the Black Moon Café, each with a cappuccino in front of them. Naomi and Antonio sipped their drinks casually while Yuki stared into his, swirling the foam with his spoon.

“That's because we have better social skills than a certain shut-in who barely knows how to talk to people.” Naomi teased, nudging Yuki’s arm playfully.

Antonio grinned, sipping his cappuccino. “She has a point, you know. Not everyone’s cut out for socialising.” he added, clearly enjoying Naomi’s ribbing.

“Hey! I’m not a NEET!” Yuki protested, though his weak defence only made Naomi laugh harder.

“You so are. Don't even try to deny it.” she quipped before turning back to Antonio.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“Anyway, enough about that. I wanted to ask you something, Antonio.”

“Of course, how can I help?” He replied, always polite.

“You mentioned you were from Italy, right? Which part of Italy?”

“Ah, sì, I’m from Veneto.”

“Venice?” Naomi asked.

Antonio chuckled and shook his head. “No, no, not from Venezia. I’m from Vittorio Veneto, a town a bit further inland.”

“Ohh, tell me more about your hometown! It sounds interesting.” Naomi’s eyes sparkled with genuine curiosity.

As Naomi and Antonio dove into their conversation about Italy, Yuki found himself drifting away from their chatter, his attention wandering around the café. The place was more stunning than he had realised. It was designed like a grand, upscale restaurant, its elegance far beyond what he had expected for a school canteen. The main hall was enormous, almost the size of his classroom, with a high ceiling and tasteful lighting that cast a warm, inviting glow over everything. There was an upper floor as well, with golden railings that overlooked the main area below, and a giant clock was mounted on the front wall, its polished surface gleaming under the light. Two curved staircases, one on the left and one on the right, led up to the second level, adding a touch of old-world grandeur to the modern space.

In the back of the café, there was a self-service counter lined with an array of foods from different cuisines, each more tempting than the last. Even though the place was filled with students, chatting and eating, the space was so well-designed that it never felt overcrowded or chaotic. There was room to breathe, to enjoy, and Yuki found himself relaxing into the atmosphere.

He was so absorbed in taking it all in—the architecture, the ambiance, the quiet luxury of the place—that he didn’t notice someone approaching their table. Standing just behind him, a tall figure cast a shadow over their conversation.

“Heyyy, how are you guys doing?” boomed a deep, feminine voice right above Yuki’s head, startling him. The speaker clearly hadn’t noticed him sitting there.

Everyone at the table turned to look up at the person who had suddenly joined them. It was a muscular girl with a menacing aura. She stood just a bit shorter than Yuki, wearing a striking black double-breasted shirt adorned with gold embroidery and two golden shoulder buttons. Unlike the other girls, she wasn’t wearing a skirt but black pants that perfectly matched her uniform. Her blonde-brown hair was partly tied in a Dutch braid that rested on her left shoulder, while the rest flowed down her back, the ends dyed a bold purple.

Yuki couldn’t help but think this was the second person he’d met who seemed to radiate a special energy—though with her, it was obvious why. She wore a completely different uniform from everyone else, marking her as someone of importance.

Yuki recalled Naomi’s words: “There’s a group of students selected for the Disciplinary Committee. They have special privileges and wear black uniforms with gold embroidery. You don’t want to get on their bad side.” His eyes drifted to her waist, where a knife with a brown handle and brass pommel was strapped to her belt. He swallowed nervously, feeling a sudden chill run down his spine.

“Joyce! You didn’t tell me you were coming here either.” Antonio exclaimed, his face lighting up as he greeted the newcomer.

“I had some free time, so I thought I’d check out your new friends, dear Tonio.” Joyce replied, her voice dripping with a playful taunt as she addressed Antonio.

That’s when Joyce seemed to realise Yuki’s presence. She glanced down at him, gave him a quick once-over, and then, with an exasperated sigh, said, “Ugh, another frail-looking pretty boy. Why aren’t there any real men at this academy?”

Did... Did she just call me pretty?

And just like that, she dismissed Yuki again, turning her attention to Naomi.

“Oh, Naomi~chan! Long time no see! How’ve you been?” Joyce greeted Naomi enthusiastically. “Weren’t you sent on a scouting mission recently? Ugh, that job was the worst when I had to do it. How did it go for you?”

“Long time no see, indeed, sweetheart,” Naomi replied, matching her energy. “And yeah, scouting was terrible. But at least I got the new guy here,” she gestured toward Yuki. “Don’t think I’ll be volunteering for that job again. How about you? How’s life in the Disciplinary Committee?”

Joyce groaned, leaning over Yuki’s chair in frustration. She completely missed how uncomfortable she was making him, her chest resting over the back of his chair. “Ugh, don’t even get me started,” she said. “Every other guy thinks he’s some cool delinquent from a movie, causing all sorts of trouble. The trend is finally dying down, though. Hopefully, it’ll be over soon.”

“Looks like we both have a tiring duty. Any news you got? Any new good students?” Naomi enquired with curiosity.

“Actually, yeah,” Joyce responded, standing up a bit straighter. “There’s this girl, Christine Austin. Newcomer. She’s smart but really shy. She picked up all the rules about auras in just one day.”

Yuki blinked, her name sparking something in his mind. Austin… Why does that name sound familiar?

“She sounds like a prodigy,” Naomi said thoughtfully, before pausing. She glanced at Yuki, noticing how tense he was, and—knowing him—was just waiting for him to blurt out something awkward. And right on cue—

“Are you Naomi and Antonio’s friend? Are you in the Disciplinary Committee? What year are you from?” Yuki asked Joyce in rapid succession, his excitement bubbling over as he tried to prove to Naomi that he wasn’t socially inept.

Joyce blinked down at him, seeming to remember he existed. For a second, she flushed, then quickly composed herself, clearing her throat. “Ahem. Err… yes. The name’s Joyce Joyner. I’m from Stamford and a part of the Disciplinary Committee. I’m a third-year student. And you are?”

“Right! I’m Tachibana Yuki. I’m from Saitama Prefecture, and I just joined today as a first-year. Nice to meet you.” Yuki replied, a bit too eagerly.

“So, you’re the new student Naomi brought in,” Joyce mused, eyeing him again.

“Yes, that’s me!” Yuki nodded enthusiastically.

Joyce paused for a moment as if weighing something in her mind. “Nice to meet you too.” she said slowly, before Naomi interjected with her usual teasing.

“Don’t mind him, Joyce. He’s a bit… off. Probably from being a shut-in for so long.” Naomi’s voice was sweet but cutting.

“I’ve told you a million times, Naomi, I’m not a NEET!” Yuki protested, but the damage was already done.

Joyce smirked and sat down between Naomi and Yuki. “So, Yuki,” she began, resting her chin on her hand and looking directly at him. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

“W-what? Why would you ask something like that all of a sudden?” Yuki stammered, completely caught off guard.

“Why not? I’m curious,” she said, leaning a little closer. “You seem like an interesting guy, now that we’ve talked. So, do you?”

“I-I don’t see why you need to know about my personal life.” Yuki stuttered, clearly out of his depth.

Joyce produced a smug smile and then started laughing, “Yeah you can't have a girlfriend, not if you are like this hahaha,” Joyce giggled, “Hehe, you're cute Yuki.”

SHE SAID IT AGAIN!

“But,” she added with a playful wink, flexing her arm, “I’m not into cute guys. I like men who are strong.”

Yuki didn’t know what to say, his brain completely fried from the sudden barrage of interactions.

“Y-yes, I understand… glad I met you.” he mumbled weakly.

“I’m glad I met you too,” Joyce said, standing up. “But I’ve got to run now. This was just a quick chat. See you all later!” She waved as she left the canteen.

As she disappeared from sight, Yuki sat there, his head spinning, unable to process what had just happened. Though he was with his friends, all he could think about was that surreal encounter. Now, sitting in class later that day, his thoughts drifted back to the café, where everything had started to change for him.

<17 - FriendsーEpisode 2 - Fin>