"Maki-chan!" Hanayo called to Maki, waving a hand above her head. Maki spun around, smiling a bit as Hanayo ran to catch up to her.

"Hanayo,"

Hanayo's eyes glowed with excitement as she babbled about this year's Proelio Royale. "Maki-chan, are you planning on entering?"

Maki's hand involuntarily scratched the side of her neck. "I'm not sure I want to, Hanayo."

"But! Maki-chan, you're the best one in our whole country! Even Queen Ayase is praising your power. And she's the most powerful of all four countries in the world!" Hanayo said, excitement clear in her voice.

Maki smiled. Hanayo was a big fan of the Proelio Royale, which is held yearly to test all the brave people and trainees from around the world with different classes. Every year, they change a rule from the original rules to make it more exciting. Last year's was that nobody was allowed to prepare for the tournament to see if they were always alert and strong. This year, the contestants need to be in pairs.

When a person gets seven consecutive wins, he/she is up against a member of the royal family or one of the royal guards, if all three of the royal family are unavailable.

Maki was always dragged along to each and every Royale that has been held since she and Hanayo were kids. Every one of the fights were interesting in their own way. Some were a graceful dance of magic and swords, shields and daggers, while some were a brutal fight of two classes, swords clashing, spells being cast, daggers being thrown.

The loud ding-dong of a giant bell was heard in the distance, signifying ten minutes left until the school closed its gates. Maki wordlessly grabbed Hanayo's hand and sprinted.

"Ueh?!" Hanayo exclaimed as Maki ran at incredible speeds. "S-somebody...help me!"

"Nishikino, why the hell are you late, again?" Their teacher asked with that glint in her eyes. Trouble and dire punishment was brewing in those eyes, Maki can tell.

She sighed. At least I got Hanayo to her classroom before her teacher came in.

Maki distinctly remembered climbing a fucking tree just to get Hanayo through the window. She also remembered the branch of said tree breaking, giving her multiple bruises on her limbs and a terrible back ache.

Maki rubbed her arm, where the bruises were, and answered in her most bored tone. "I fell off a tree."

The class burst out laughing. Maki swore that she saw a vein pulse in her teacher's neck. She gulped and prepared for the verbal onslaught that was about to come.

It didn't come, though. Instead, the teacher gave her a two-hour extra magic endurance training.

Not like I can't handle it though. Maki thought as she trudged up to her seat and sat down ungracefully in her chair. With one last pointed glare directed at her, the teacher went back to teaching whatever she was teaching before.

Maki propped up an elbow on her desk and listened to the lesson.

Hanayo sighed as she packed up her things, got out her lunch, and went to seek out Maki. Which wasn't very hard since Maki had a constant spot for anything and everything. Maki sat with her back leaned against the trunk of an old sakura tree at the back of the school. Few people come here so it was no wonder Maki liked it here. Hanayo walked up to Maki and sat down beside her.

"Maki-chan, aren't you going to have lunch?" Hanayo asked upon seeing no signs that Maki brought food with her.

"What?" Maki looked around. "Shit. I forgot my lunch at home."

Hanayo giggled as she opened her lunch box. "Want some of mine?"

Maki rubbed her hands together and put one hand on Hanayo's forehead. "Hanayo, you're not sick, are you?"

Hanayo's face immediately went beet red. "Maki-chan!" She pouted. "Is it really that odd for me to share my food?"

"Since Rin describes you as a glutton, I'd say...yes, it is odd that you would share food with me. Or with anyone, for that matter."

Almost as of summoned by Maki herself, Rin made her presence known.

"Oi, Maki! Kayo-chin!" Rin called as she jumped down from one of the sakura tree's branches.

Hoshizora Rin was one of the school's most notorious troublemakers, as well as Maki's most trusted partner-in-crime. Wearing the school's prescribed uniform wasn't something Rin followed. She wore the boy's pants and red sneakers, as well as a white button down shirt with a red sports jacket over it.

"Ah!" Hanayo gasped as Rin landed beside her, dirt shooting up in the air. "Rin-chan!"

Rin sat down beside Hanayo and looked over Hanayo's shoulder. "Oho, is that ramen I see? Yes, it is." Rin put on her best puppy face. "Kayo-chin, can you give me some? Pwetty pwease with sugaw on top?"

Maki wanted to face palm. No, scratch that. Maki wanted to face plant on the ground. "Rin, that's Hanayo's lun-"

"Sure, Rin-chan, I'll give you some." Hanayo smiled.

Rin fist pumped in the air. "Yes! Thanks a bunch Kayo-chin!"

Rin greedily dug into the ramen while Hanayo took out a second lunch box.

How many fucking lunch boxes does this girl have? Maki thought as Hanayo offered the box to her.

"Here, Maki-chan, for you." Hanayo handed the box over to Maki who reluctantly accepted.

Hanayo then took out a third lunch box and began eating.

I don't want to even... How the..? I can't. I just can't anymore.

"Itadakimasu!"

All three ate in silence, Rin filling most of the gaps of silence with chatter about her latest prank plans on Sonoda Umi.

"So, I've thought of this one where I make Kotori fake scream in pain. Of course with Umi in vicinity. When she hears that scream, she'll come rushing and I'll make her trip, falling into a trap pit." Rin explained, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Uh, Rin," Maki said, hiding behind Hanayo, as the girl wouldn't get hurt in any way at all.

"What?" Rin asked smugly. "My plan too brilliant?"

"No. Your plan's busted. And your ego'll get busted as well." Maki said.

"What?"

Maki pointed at a spot behind Rin's back. "Look behind you."

Rin did just that. And found a wild Umi.

Rin immediately put down the lunch box devoid of ramen. She faced Hanayo and said, "Thanks for the f-food, Kayo-chin."

Rin stood up quickly and ran away, shouting over her shoulder, "You'll never get me alive, Umi!" Followed by a cackle.

Umi wordlessly ran in pursuit of Rin, eyes gleaming with murderous intent.

"Well, that was interesting." Hanayo said, finishing off her lunch.

"Indeed, my dear Hanayo, indeed." Maki patted Hanayo's head.

This'll be a long, long, day for Maki. She can feel it.