Collab Post between Demon Shinobi and I
Pre Festival Time SkipWith everything having been more or less settled between Asuka, Yuki and Luca all that was left was to take Yuki up on her advice and head home to change. Asuka did this with not real trouble. She didn't have much of anything to do that would hold her back and could handle things rather quickly. She bathed, had a small bite to eat and dressed herself in her
Yukata. It was long, elegant. She tightened it just right and did her hair. She was ready. She wasn't really one for make-up either which helped a good deal.
"I suppose now is as good a time as any to be going." She smiled before leaving. She locked up her home and was one her way.
"
Yup, I'll see you around, Aloise-chan," the Korean repeated, measured steps driving him towards his own destination for the sake of preparating for the festivities later that night. The eagle-eyed bowman took note of the underclassman's slight facial twitching and filed that away for later use. The two speakers were so reasonably far away that the girl might have thought he couldn't see her suppressing her cheeky little grin or the subtleties of her body language, but before Hideaki was a skilled archer, he was a skilled actor. A liar. A
fake. His life had been built on recognizing and replicating the ways of others. Admittedly, he should have noticed the signs sooner. That's what he got for remaining compliant, he supposed. Nevertheless, in spite of the glasses on his face, the archer's sight was unmatched. Not all glasses were made for fixing eyesight, after all, and nothing escaped the eyes of Minase Hideaki. The archer rubbed the back of his head lazily as he walked towards his home.
'Ara... Looks like I've met another troublesome woman... Just my luck,' he thought dryly.
Shortly Before the Summer FestivalNamimori seemed so much more wonderful during a night like this. A night where everyone was coming out. It was fairly early. Of course it had to be. She secured a location and began setting up the booth alone. She only needed the others to help with keeping up with orders and making sure ample profits were earned.
Hideaki walked to the site of the festival, far earlier than most. Everyone was still preparing their booths for the festival that was to occur soon, as would his objective be doing. It didn't take too long to find the student council president and the shitty excuse for booth that she was trying to put up on her own. If there was a downside to having eyes like his, it was that noticing the very irksomely incongruous details, like a painting being slightly crooked or tiny splatter dots on what would have been a lovely painting. But that was just a digression. It wasn't a surprise to find Asuka in one of the most advantageous spots in the area, what with her being a opportunistic scavenger and all. He approached the student council president, politely waving at the other people assembling their own booths as he passed them by.
"Hm? I certainly wasn't expecting to see you here." Asuka said calmly with a small smirk as she continued working. It was Hideaki. She could just sort of tell. Most likely thanks to her father's teachings.
"
What of it, fox?" the archer asked bluntly with any pretense of the 'nice guy Hideaki' that had interacted with Akane completely thrown out the window, "
Am I not allowed to help someone as pathetic as you? Or are you going to be the cool guy and say that you don't need my help to protect your pitiful semblance of pride? Let's not pretend here, Asuka. You aren't going to make it by the festival at this rate." The ever-popular, ever-two-faced captain of the Archery Club was clad in a very plain yukata as was custom, nothing but solid olive green robe adorning his body and maroon obi around his waist. He inelegantly tossed his kinchaku to the side and roughly kicked off his geta, getting down on his own patch of booth and getting to work without a word. Of course, his true intent for going on this venture was unspoken, but knowing him, Asuka could probably tell what it was.
Asuka chuckled slightly hearing Hideaki.
"There is no shame in asking for help." She said calmly.
"Of course, my pride would surely take a blow after being called pathetic by a perverted cowardly archer such as yourself." She smiled at him, though it wasn't the usual warm, peaceful smile she usually gave. It was cold, fierce.
"Still with you here it'll make things progress more quickly. Though I do hope you don't corrupt me or the two who'll be coming to help me. It'd be such a shame to see anybody become even the least bit close to someone as disgusting as yourself." She could gauge his motives. But she wouldn't bring it up. The help, even from him was useful. Geez, why was he so bent on insulting her. Ever since they were young. But now wasn't the time to fight. The festival and making sure all went well and smoothly was more important. Which would surely be the outcome. The booth was almost set. It would be complete soon.
"
Pfft. Me? Perverted?" the blue-haired young man scoffed, hauling some boxes of materials to where they'd be useful. "
It seems someone is being a hypocrite here," he sneered, placing the box down and getting to work setting up the front of the booth. "
I wouldn't be worried about me corrupting any young minds tonight with my disgusting personage, my lewd class president," he teased, a malicious-yet-completely-genuine grin on the archer's face. It was almost therapeutic being able to mouth off to his heart's content, and Hideaki savoured every second of it. None of that 'conceal, don't feel' bullshit he had to do almost 24/7. He picked up a box labelled 'secret ingredient' containing a quantity of undefined substance within it. "
...What is this shit anyway...?" he mused, setting it with the rest of the rice ball and chocolate banana ingredients. Though they threw out such venomous words to each other, the booth was coming along very nicely. Asuka's unrelenting work ethic combined with Hideaki's downright ruthless nitpicking created a very efficient, effective environment, with each member of the work force trying to one-up the other and make sure there were no weaknesses in their construction. In the end, the... 'healthy competition' between the two culminated in a very professional-looking, organized food booth.
"
That ended surprisingly well," Hideaki remarked, wiping the sweat from his brow before crossing his arms triumphantly. "
No thanks to you, of course," he quipped, "
Did you see how crooked your placement was?"
"Hypocrite? Ha~" Asuka laughed a bit.
"I am honest with my myself and show my true self to the students or friends when appropriate. But I never allow it to get in the way of completing my duties. The students know who I am, and I they." She scoffed. Of course, her little eroge collection at home was still kept secret from EVERYBODY. And it would remain that way.
"Unlike a certain four eyed insect." She smirked as she took a breath looking over their work once it was complete.
"And to think. Somebody like you is the admired among the student body. If anybody knew your true nature... Well... I suppose it's better this way. A snake is always best kept hidden, less it corrupt the rest of it's surroundings." She smiled before beginning to set up the rest of the ingredients.
"Though I guess I should thank you. Your idiotic perfectionist OCD did come in handy this time around." She glanced at him momentarily. The chocolate was ready. There were some bananas cooling to be ready for the for the customers. Next she could begin preparing a few riceballs.
"If setting up was as far as your commitment goes you can leave. I wouldn't want you driving customers away with that attitude. Unless you'll be playing polite around even me to keep our patronage. Oh lets not forget my coming help." She smirked. Could Hideaki keep up the act? With the bananas near completion, they could always make more as they sold. Now she was making some rice balls. It was necessary after all. Wouldn't wanna only be able to sell half of their product.
"
Yes, because I haven't been playing nice since pre-school," Hideaki deadpanned, "
It must just be my magnetic personality, charming good looks, and appreciation for others that keeps everything running smoothly." He shrugged exaggeratedly. "
I just can't tell," he said straight-faced before breaking out into a light-hearted laugh. He waved off the student council president's insults like they were nothing. Which, to be completely honest, they were. Hideaki was a two-faced bastard, but he was a two-faced bastard who could admit he was a two-faced bastard. No use denying such a thing in front of someone who knew.
"
But obviously I'm going to keep helping," he answered resolutely, "
You of all people should know me better than that." As Asuka began preparing the bananas, Hideaki washed his hands off to prepare for work. "
If you want something done right, you see it through to the end," he stated sagely, rhetorically wondering, "
I wonder who I paraphrased that from," as he did so. "
But to think that I'd forget something so important," he bemoaned overdramatically as he seized the necessary materials for the riceballs and began working on their own.
"
It's a pleasure working with you, Argento-san."
And Thus, The Summer Festival Begins