The door on the far side wall opened, the sound of a few clicks punctuated with the last one signaling that whoever was coming through had missed the receiver of the phone a few times. Once he finished, the man stepped out and held the door, likely to prevent it from just slamming against the hinges. He was generally unremarkable with a mess of black hair and dark eyes blankly staring ahead, albeit he was definitely on the paler side. Unlike Maki, he wore a black polo and slacks, a nametag pinned to his left lapel reading the name Yamada Taro with a capitalized 'MANAGER' sitting underneath.

Right before the door closed, the phone rang again. Taro took a step backward to pick the phone up, only to place it back where it was before fully stepping out again. He approached Maki with a few papers in hand, though he noticed the trio of kids gathered around. "Welcome," He gave them a brief greeting before focusing on Maki. "Jirou won't be coming in anytime soon, said he ended up somewhere bad and ended up getting shot in the leg. If you want the extra hours, they're yours. But I'm going to need an extra pair of hands or two in the meantime," He stated as he let himself out of the cashier's area.

He placed down a 'help wanted' advertisement on the counter, smoothing it out. "I'd prefer a full-timer, but it'll probably be easier with more bodies," He mused out loud, hand scratching his neck and revealing the tip of what looked like a tattoo as he scratched, though once he stopped, it was easily hidden by his collar.

Sora smiled sheepishly at Oka's comment, albeit he wisely chose to stow his gear away to avoid distractions. He chose to listen as she spoke, though before he could contribute, the last member they waited for arrived. He perked up considerably at Oka's introduction of him, bowing his head to Emi. "Ah...nice to meet you," He stated, moving to stand, though he saw that was pointless as he noticed that there was an empty seat across from him.

"Sit wherever, Ueno-san. This is just a casual meeting for us to touch base," Sakuya stated as she pulled the seat next to hers back. "I was just saying that the Vice Principal has asked that we assist with the rise in delinquency and briefly touched on budgetary changes. They're significant enough that the club leaders are aware that there are going to be some unwanted changes."

Taking a page filled with braille, she slid it over to Emi. "It's precisely around forty percent across the board. We do have the option of shifting some from lesser needed clubs and those that don't have enough members that'll probably end up disqualified, but this is what it looks like for now," She explained, looking at her own notes. "It's not too surprising considering how expensive the renovations were, but I mistakenly assumed that it wouldn't be this much."

"Forty percent? That's a lot," Sora said, surprised. "Mmm...it could just be that we're just unlucky this year?"

Anzu let out a giggle of agreement--she was glad to see she wasn't the only one that had seen the new bows as redundant. She did, however, lose a little bit of her smile at Yori's comment. While it was a little comforting to see not too much had changed, she was all too aware of how much she chafed with the other members. However, Yori's question completely flipped a switch in Anzu, the older girl openly rolling her eyes.

"I'm actually a little shocked she's only infamous in our grade. All the third years know that Hinotori's Tyrant is Nakano Sakuya," Anzu huffed. "I've had the misfortune of being in the same class as that bossy know-it-all three years straight--she was always our class leader and now she's the council president. Unlike Natsuhime-san, she's completely rigid and never compromises. She used to clash a lot with uh..." She trailed off, trying to remember.

"...with...ugh, I don't remember who," She shook her head, but returned to her angry rant right away. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. Giving someone who's so obviously power-hungry a position of power is a terrible mistake, and if I can't convince her to cut us some slack, we'll probably be in trouble."

"If you have to do a tracheotomy, a knife should be preferable to a spoon," Taro replied nonchalantly, glancing at his watch. "Though you're right about Jirou, I'm pretty sure he'd struggle to pour water out of a boot with the instructions on the heel."

He let out a small sigh, slowly shaking his head. Jirou was a good guy, but his antics probably made things harder in hindsight. Ito probably wouldn't be the only one happy to hear he was gone. He had his two full-timers covering the graveyard and morning shifts, so if he stepped in to help during the afternoon and evening, he figured he could fill in the holes with a few part-timers. It'd be a rough time until he got some help, but he figured most of the locals were patient enough to suffer through one cashier for a while.

The thought didn't go too far as he was approached by one of the schoolboys he had greeted previously. The flyer had done the trick in record time, it seemed. He turned to face the kid fully, giving him a quick look. He didn't look like he'd struggle with merchandise and not dumb enough to get into the alcohol all at once, so it was a start.

"It's twelve hundred yen an hour. Flexible schedule--come in whenever you feel like getting paid. Ito here's pretty good at setting things up," He jabbed a thumb Maki's way. "You look like you've got a decent head on your shoulders. Just don't go eating the inventory and you should be fine."

He paused for a second, scratching his chin. "...you move here recently?" He suddenly asked, but as quickly as he did, he ended up dismissing it. "Not that it matters. I just tend to at least recognize everyone that comes in, though your face is new."

"Ugh, this is why I don't trust the weatherman! He said it would be sunny all week!"

"It looks like it's gonna pour any second. I totally forgot my umbrella, too..."

The general grumbling escalated as the school day came to an end. Despite the soul-sucking drain of school, no one was quite eager to leave just yet. Thick, gray clouds covered the entire sky, a stark contrast from the previously sunny morning. Thunder rolled off in the distance, signaling a storm. Some students debated whether to leave now or wait it out, unsure of just how much it would rain. Some club leaders had decided to make things easier by canceling sessions, though others insisted the storm would pass by the time they finished. Regardless, it was universally agreed that the sudden weather change was downright weird.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't the only thing that was weird. The gym had been closed off without explanation, with a myriad of rumors circling around as to why. Some say a random cat had trapped itself in there, others claim there had been faulty wiring that had caused a panic in the staff, but the truth was much less exciting. A few students had poked their heads in and had seen one of the floor-length mirrors on the wall had fallen and shattered, and so it was left until some professionals would come to dispose of and replace the broken mirror. Still, the truth did little to deter the rumors.

Meanwhile, a majority of the faculty had gathered to meet. While they would be otherwise indisposed, Sakuya was all too pleased to get to kendo practice. There would be a council meeting today, but she wouldn't be surprised if no one ended up showing up--the weather was looking pretty bad and she wouldn't blame anyone for deciding to go home. Personally, she was hoping to catch a certain someone before they left the building, but she wasn't sure if she'd catch the girl. It wasn't a total loss, as she had happened to catch Sanada-san and had gotten herself a shinai to take home. While taking out equipment from the gym normally wasn't allowed, apparently, they had planned to get rid of it, and she was all too happy to take it off their hands.

With bag and shinai in hand, Sakuya left the council room and ascended the stairs. Day two was going much better than day one, and she was actually happy--no, not happy per se, but being genuinely untroubled was a relief. Ueno-san's determination to save all the clubs and get through the financial crisis was a massive relief. While everyone would be stretched thin, it was better than the alternative. She was glad her council was serious, with Kinoshita already working to find a good day to collect all the club leaders for a meeting. One less thing to worry about, she supposed.

As she climbed, she spotted a pair of students a little too close to one another. She really wished she had a hose or something to spray them, but she figured telling them to knock it off would at least get them to relocate somewhere she wouldn't have to see them. Once she got closer, however, she noticed it was less of a makeout session than she had initially assumed.

"I said, let go!" The girl made an attempt to pull back her arm, wincing as the boy's grip tightened.

To Sakuya's shock, Yamamoto was the one keeping her there, a look of anger on his face. "I'm not finished talking to you yet," He insisted.

Their conversation yesterday immediately came to mind, and without hesitation, Sakuya approached the pair, clearing her throat loudly. The two froze, with Yamamoto loosening his grip. The girl slipped out and away, stumbling as she held the rail. "I--I have to go," She muttered, hastily taking her leave without another word.

Yamamoto looked ready to chase her down until Sakuya stepped into his line of sight. She was surprised to see the complete look of fury etched on his face, his eyes outright glaring daggers at her. It was a little unsettling if she was being honest, but his actions were inexcusable regardless of what happened.

With that in mind, she regained her footing. "Harassment is inexcusable," She reprimanded him. "Whatever happened, you shouldn't--"

"What, is it suddenly a crime to talk to someone?" He snapped, cutting her off.

"Conversations happen with words, not by grabbing someone's arm," She replied cooly. "Whatever the case may be, it would've reflected poorly on you had a teacher seen."

Scoffing, Yamamoto raised a hand to his head. "You're overreacting and sticking your nose where it doesn't belong," He grumbled. After taking in a deep breath, he seemed to have calmed himself down somewhat, leveling a look at the girl. "You said you didn't have time yesterday, but can I assume you have time today to talk?"

She would rather stick pencils in her ears, but that is indeed what she stated yesterday. Despite clearly knowing that there would be nothing positive about this conversation, Sakuya ended up nodding. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"I'm a little concerned with how you're going to be handling your position going forward."

For the love of all that is holy, why? No, she had no one to blame but herself for this. "That concern seems to be misplaced considering I hadn't had the chance to actually do anything yet," She couldn't help her dry response.

"True. But I was speaking of your father," Yamamoto said. "I don't believe there are many who would know about it, but I believe his trial is coming up. How would it reflect upon the school if people were aware a criminal's daughter was Student Council President without earning the position?"

This was the absolute last thing she wanted to talk to anyone about, let alone this pompous idiot. Still, it was bound to come out sooner than later, so maybe dealing with it once and for all would settle the matter. A naive thought, for sure, but it was worth an effort. "Get to the point. Are you asking for my resignation?" She outright asked.

Fortunately, for whatever reason, Yamamoto was completely calm now. "No, no...the school has suffered enough change. But I would like to make an offer."

"An offer," She repeated in disbelief.

"Don't act so high and mighty, your reputation is already in shambles," He cut her off again, raising his voice as he took a step closer. "The truth of the matter is you're no better than--no, you're the absolute bottom of the barrel. Someone like you doesn't deserve to be here, you're nothing but a stain on the otherwise perfect reputation Hinotori has!"

To his credit, Sakuya was completely speechless. Had he lost his marbles? She would've laughed if it wasn't for the terrifying look of anger on his face. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't the only one angry. Snapping her mouth shut, she leveled her own glare at him. "What are you, stupid? Don't waste my time with such nonsense," She had enough of the conversation, turning around and descending the steps. No way was she sticking around--he looked about ready to do something reckless.

Stretching out its limbs, the cat let out a soft mewl of happiness. Sitting on the shoe lockers, it stared down at the many students. Most students ignored it, though the few that approached it were widely unsuccessful at getting it down. Its mismatched eyes and blonde coat indicated that it wasn't a stray, or at least it was a little smarter than most. The way it kept searching people's faces made it seem like it was looking for someone, though it lacked any collar to indicate who it belonged to. Occasionally, it would look up and stare at the ceiling, but otherwise stayed put.

The faculty meeting was generic and dull as always. A return to form meant relearning the same things they normally did every year with little variation. Despite the shiny new coat slapped onto the building, it was painfully superficial and a topic most of the adults had the wisdom to avoid talking about too much. The excess of wealth thrown around felt largely unneeded, but with a majority of the structural issues solved with a bulldozer, there wasn't much point in complaining too much.

Eventually, there was a brief lull, and several teachers grouped up to have separate discussions. Suzuki let out a tiny sigh, rubbing her temples as she took advantage of the break and looked over her lesson plans. She would have liked to skip the meeting altogether--she swore these things could be summed up and better retained in an email--but working together as a team after a tumultuous end was what it was all about. At the very least the media stopped coming around, even if she was sure that the mother of one of the victims of the case was bound to pop up sooner or later. Not that she blamed her; closure was difficult to attain and the police reports did little to convince her of her daughter's fate.

At that point Taniguchi approached her, taking the open seat next to hers. "I was hoping to speak with you a moment, Suzuki-san," He spoke apologetically but went straight to his point. "I heard about the mishap that occurred in your homeroom. yesterday."

"Ito Maki's graffiti?" She asked.

"You already know the culprit?"

"Nakano-san's not very popular, but the students recognized Ito was in the wrong this time," She replied, closing her notebook. "Some of them quietly informed me of what happened since the evidence was gone. I was planning to bring this up to you and Wada afterward."

"I appreciate the initiative," He replied. "The things young people do...it was a shame, I was told Ito's talents would have put her on a good path. But a rotten apple spoils the bunch."

"Pushing back too hard could also result in good intentions backfiring," She pointed out. "I was considering referring her to Counselor Miyamoto, but I'm not sure how effective that would be."

Taniguchi fell silent as he watched Suzuki for a moment. After some contemplation, he shifting forward in his seat. "It's shown that having good peers to surround the troublemaker proves to be a good thing. Why not have her join Nakano's council?" He asked.

Suzuki's eyebrows shot up. That sounded like a terrible idea. For one, such a punishment would more likely result in sabotage than anything. And for another, it was up to them to correct Ito's behavior, wasn't it? "The council isn't a disciplinary committee," She said slowly. "I've heard you've placed Hoshino Noriaki under her care as well. You'd have her look after two problem children?"

"Hoshino?" A nearby Momoji overheard the conversation, stepping before the pair. "Hoshino hasn't shown any troublesome behaviors, why is Nakano looking after him?"

"Because Nakano is an exemplary student and a good influence," Taniguchi sighed.

Suzuki narrowed her eyes at the man. "Pushing problem children onto Nakano would harm more than help," She said. "Not to mention with Nakano Hiroshi's trial coming up..."

"Besides, Asakura Kazuyoshi has been looking after Hoshino," Momoji said. "I saw them together yesterday at a pet store."

"That's arguably worse," Taniguchi sighed, shaking his head. "Asakura's accident has drawn ire to us as well. Putting him along with the other two under Nakano's care--"

"With all due respect, Vice Principal, why are you pawning off responsibility onto a teenager instead of letting the adults handle it?" Suzuki couldn't help but cut him off. "You expect someone who should be thinking about her future and getting ready for college to take care of three unruly students?"

"They're not unruly," Momoji frowned. "But I agree."

Letting out a sigh, Taniguchi stood from his seat. "Ladies, there are times where you have to prioritize. The three of them need to be set straight one way or another. At the very least, we know Ito and Asakura have been problems in the past. Nakano will continue to look after Hoshino, and the other two will be called here so we can let them know how they're to act going forward."

They were running around in circles, it would seem. Suzuki let out a sigh of annoyance, shaking her head as the vice principal walked away towards the loudspeaker. "I can't believe this..." She muttered, crossing her arms.

"Attention. Ito Maki and Asakura Kazuyoshi, please report to the faculty room," The announcement rang out through the entire school, much to Suzuki's annoyance.

Momoji also let out a sigh. "I don't know why he's doing this," She said, dismayed. "If you punish students for something they haven't done, what does that say about us?"

Suzuki didn't have an answer for that, unfortunately.

The cat looked down at the boy calling to it, tail slowly curling as she stretched her limbs out. Peeking over the edge of the lockers, she stared at her own reflection in his glasses. She watched his movement for a moment, ears perked and alert, but evidently decided he had a point. Hopping down and landing seamlessly on her feet, she wrapped herself around his legs, looking up at him.

As Noriaki stopped at his locker, however, the cat immediately took notice of him, letting out a rather loud meow as she made a beeline towards him. She nuzzled his legs, stepping between them and tangling herself around them. She meowed repeatedly, looking up at him.