[B][I]-Wednesday 15th April, 2015- After School[/i][/b]

[b]Saya Ueno: Warakuma High School: Class 2-1[/b]

Unease had settled within Saya Ueno as she sat in class, her eyes drifting to the empty seat directly in front of her.

Leiko Hamada hadn't come to school that day. Not only that, but she wasn't even returning Saya's increasingly panicked messages.  Her friends merely dismissed it as part of Hama-chan's 'aloof, devil may care' attitude, but Saya knew better. Hama-chan's attendance record was near flawless. Why would she disappear without a trace?

Her eyes flickered to the boy sitting on the other side of class; Noboru Yamamoto. Saya didn't really know him directly, but he had a sort of notoriety about him after his disappearing act the past few days. He seemed like a nice guy, but not without his secrets. It appeared as if no one knew the true reason why he disappeared. It was strange, that was for sure.

So Hama-chan's absence couldn't be linked to that, could it? 

"Hey, Saya-chan, I heard about what happened in Archery! Is it true about you and the Club President?" One of Saya's friends had approached her desk with a sly smile as the bell rang for the end of classes. "Wow, girl. You work fast!"

"Umm...I'm gonna skip Archery today, actually..." Saya murmured vaguely, barely hearing a word her friend said as she reached for her school bag and headed for the door. "See you tomorrow..."

"Huh? Saya-chan?"

[hr]

[b]Saya Ueno: Hamada Residence[/b]

[i]Ding dong![/i]

Pale fingers tapped impatiently on the leather strap of Saya's bag as she fidgeted at Leiko's doorstep, the blood drained from her face. [i]Oh god, please be here...please answer the door![/i]

The door finally answered after the third bell, a sigh of relief escaping Saya's lips as a middle aged woman with auburn hair answered the door. It was nearly too easy to mistake the woman for Leiko, had it not been for the lines on her face, and the strange expression she wore as she greeted Saya with a wafer thin smile. "Oh, hello. Leiko's friend, I assume?"

The woman's breath smelled of stale wine, and it was all Saya could do to resist wrinkling her nose as she smiled a little too brightly in response. "Ah, yes! I was wondering if Hama-cha-ahh, I mean, if your daughter is home? She didn't come to school today."

"Hmm?" The older woman frowned for a moment, then glanced up the stairs. "Ah. Well, umm, that's probably it..." Her answer was so vague it made Saya's eyebrows fly up in disbelief. "Would you like to go up and check on her?"

"Umm...yes, I would actually. Thank you, Hamada-san." Saya bowed respectfully before slipping off her shoes and entering the house. Leiko's mother on the other hand, didn't even bother to close the door as she headed off towards the kitchen. She was certainly a little weird, that's for certain. No wonder Hama-chan didn't like talking about her.

Discarding her slightly judgemental thoughts for now, Saya made her way up the stairs, and towards Leiko's room. Admittedly, she didn't really come to Hama-chan's place that often. Her friend was a pretty private person, really. She never talked about herself that much; not her family, not her fiance, not even her aspirations for the future. It was more than a little frustrating.

Saya stood to a halt outside Leiko's door and rapped her knuckles on the solid wood tentatively, her breath hitching from the suspense.

[color=fff200]"What is it?"[/color]

Hama-chan's blessed, sulky-sounding voice made Saya sigh in relief, no longer taking a moment's hesitation as she forced her way through the door and flung herself on Hama-chan's bed. "Hama-chaannnn!"

[color=fff200]"H-Hey!"[/color] Leiko's startled voice became less muffled as her head appeared out of her bed covers, her face flushed hot and eyes glaring angrily at Saya. [color=fff200]"What are you doing here? And stop bouncing on my bed, my head is killing me...",[/color] she added irritably as she pressed her hand against her burning forehead.

"I'm just glad you're okay!" Saya squealed, ceasing her bouncing for a moment only to shoot Leiko a hurt look. "Do you realize what you've been doing to me? You didn't answer any of my texts!"

[color=fff200]"I was [i]ill,[/i] Saya. I was kind of too busy throwing up to keep up my social life..."[/color] Leiko grumbled, sliding back under the sheets and away from view.[color=fff200]"Besides, I'm still coming to school tomorrow, so you would have seen me then."[/color]  

"Yeah, well, I didn't want to take any chances!" Saya protested, an uncharacteristic scowl on her face as she pulled the covers back from Leiko's face. "After what happened with that Noboru guy? You [i]really[/i] didn't think that no one would be worried?"

[color=fff200]"I doubt that anyone else possesses the same level of paranoia as you,"[/color] Leiko growled, wrapping her arms around herself as she shivered from her burning fever. "[color=fff200]I inhaled too much dust last night and had a reaction. I hardly 'disappeared'." [/color] She clicked her tongue disapprovingly. [color=fff200]"But still...I suppose you were just looking out for me."[/color]

"You bet. And next time you decide to disappear, send me a text first, okay?" Saya grinned widely, patting the slightly disgruntled Leiko on the head before retrieving her notebook from her bag. "I got my notes with me. We can catch up together if you want?"

[color=fff200]"That...would be pretty helpful. Thank you."[/color] Leiko looked up at Saya with a hint of a smile as she took the notebook gratefully. [color=fff200]"Hmm, isn't it Archery Club today though?"[/color]

"Yeah, well..." Saya's eyes fell to the mattress with a hint of a blush on her cheeks. "Kinda a long story, but I'm a bit embarrassed to show my face there anyways."

[color=fff200]"I don't suppose it has something to do with 'Rokoru-Senpai <3', does it?"[/color] Leiko said with a deadpan expression whilst holding up Saya's rather decorative notes. [color=fff200]"Only a wild guess but-"[/color]

"J-Just shut up and study!"

[hr]

[B][I]-Thursday 16th April, 2015- After School[/i][/b]

[b]Leiko Hamada: Warakuma High School: Auditorium[/b]

"You know, it really would be okay if you wanted to cancel Drama Club today, Hama-chan," Saya frowned, tapping on Leiko's shoulder as they packed away their books. "You're still not completely over your fever yet, and people wouldn't judge or anythi-"

[color=fff200]"No."[/color] Leiko's answer was firm and absolute as she shrugged off Saya's concerned touch. "[color=fff200]We can't afford to just 'miss' a club session. I'd keel over and die first."[/color]

"Judging by how you look, that wouldn't be an impossibility..." Saya muttered under her breath. "Well, I-"

"Hey, Saya-chan! We're heading to the Mall! Wanna come?"

"Ahh, w-well, hold that thought, okay Hama-chan?" Saya shot an apologetic smile as she cocked her head towards the friends waiting for her by the door. "Take care of yourself! Don't work too hard!"

Leiko merely sighed as she watched her friend bound off like an excitable puppy, picking out a vanity mirror from her bag and glancing at her features. She looked vastly better than she did the day before (with a dripping nose, hot red flushed face and bloodshot eyes, Leiko really had been a sight to behold), although the faintest pink flush remained on her cheeks. Overall, however, it was back to business as usual.

And speaking of business, Leiko couldn't help but spot that Yamamoto boy getting up and packing his things. He was a mystery, certainly, but more importantly- was he planning to attend Drama Club today?

Squaring her shoulders, Leiko approached his desk, tapping his shoulder gently as she gauged him with a guarded smile. "[color=fff200]Yamamoto-kun. I didn't have the chance to say how glad I am to see you're back in school. And when I say you're 'back', is it safe to assume you'll be coming to club today?"[/color]