“Hey—Whoa! What?!” Aoi froze, arms flailing slightly in surprise“Thank you, Aoi! Really... no one’s ever said that to me—except my dad and big sis,” Ayane said, her voice warm with laughter and tears.

“O-Okay, okay! I got it—can we have a little personal space now?!” Aoi muttered, face now a deep pink.

Ayane let go with a sheepish laugh, brushing her bangs back. “I feel a lot better now. Thanks.”

Aoi cleared her throat, trying to regain composure. “Well... I did promise your dad I'd look out for you.”

“Wait, Dad told you that?” Ayane asked, blinking.

“Not exactly. He didn’t ask me to fight for you, just said I should keep you out of trouble. Said you’re kind of hot-headed and easy to rile up.”

Ayane chuckled, scratching her cheek. “Heh, guess he wasn’t wrong. I did kind of snap back there, huh? Hehehe....”

Aoi sighed, sweat-dropping a little at her change of demeanor.  “Understatement of the year.”

..............

Outside the entrance of the elderly home, Aoi stood a few meters behind Ayane, who carefully, with a bow, handed the bags of baked treats to an elderly woman.

“Please forgive us for taking so long, and for how crumpled they look now. We ran into a bit of trouble along the way,” Ayane apologized, bowing deeply. Aoi stood beside her, one hand in her pocket and the other carrying the rest of the gifts.

The old woman simply smiled and waved her hand dismissively. “It's fine, dear. What matters is that you took time out of your busy day to bring these to us. We're very grateful.”

“Yes!” Ayane straightened up with a bright smile as the elders waved them off. She waved enthusiastically with both hands, while Aoi gave a smaller, casual wave. The two girls turned and began walking away, Ayane strolling by Aoi's left side.

“Phew! I'm glad that's taken care of,” she sighed, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. Aoi glanced over and held out a white bag to her.

“Here. Your dad gave us some snacks for the road,” Aoi said. Ayane's eyes sparkled as she eagerly took the bag.

“Really?! Oh, sweet!” she exclaimed, rummaging through it and pulling out a piece of dorayaki. She immediately took a bite, savoring the taste, while Aoi selected a piece of mochi.

“Mmh! Mmh! So good! Dad's treats are the best!” she giggled happily. Aoi chewed her mochi calmly, staring ahead. Ayane then noticed the extra load in Aoi’s hand — two or three small bags dangling from her fingers.

“Huh? You’ve got a lot more stuff there, Aoi,” she commented, nodding toward the items.

Aoi glanced down at them. “Picked them up from some vendors. They wanted to thank me for yesterday,” she said casually, still chewing.

“Heh~ I see now. I bet you’re feeling pretty good about yesterday, huh? Judging by all these gifts, it must’ve been an epic fight,” Ayane said teasingly, causing Aoi to blush.

“Well... it was a big brawl,” Aoi muttered, looking away.

Ayane grinned and added, “Are you sure you wanna carry all that to school? It might get in the way.”

“Hm, you’ve got a point,” Aoi said thoughtfully. Without missing a beat, Ayane slipped off her backpack straps and bounced to stand in front of her.

“Well then, you can put them all in here,” she offered, opening her bag wide.

“Huh? But... won't it be too heavy for you?” Aoi asked, hesitating as Ayane collected the bags and neatly arranged them inside.

Wearing her backpack again with an easy smile, Ayane shrugged. “Come on, I’m the most flexible one between us. It’s not like it's gonna break my bones or anything.”

Aoi watched her, a bead of sweat sliding down her temple. Right... she’s got a point, she thought as Ayane turned her back to her.

“Besides, it’s only two or three little bags. No big deal,” she said, holding the straps and glancing over her shoulder, her eyes closed in a playful grin. “After all, that’s what friends do, right?”

Aoi’s eyes widened slightly, a faint blush creeping up to the tips of her ears. She quickly brushed past Ayane, muttering under her breath, “Do whatever you want.” Ayane blinked in surprise, then broke into a smile and jogged to catch up, matching Aoi’s pace at her side.

“So, tell me more about yourself, Aoi,” she said brightly, pulling out a small notebook and pen as they walked. Aoi glanced at her, eyebrows raising slightly.

“What's gotten you so hyped up? And why are you holding a notebook and pen too?” she asked, glancing at the name written on the pink-coloured book, Strike Notes: Ayane’s Combat & Chaos Chronicles? she mused.

“Huh? Oh, this?” Ayane said, holding up her notebook. “It’s my combat diary. I collect data on people I look up to — and who are awesome, too. Figured I might pick up some skills along the way.”

Aoi walked beside her, peeking at a few drawings and scribbled notes of people she didn't recognize. She's pretty good... it's like she's making her own manga or something, Aoi mused.

“You already have skills,” Aoi said, glancing at her. “Why bother?” 

“I just want to keep getting stronger," Ayane answered easily, her voice carrying a quiet determination. Aoi inhaled softly, turning her eyes forward. Ayane jogged ahead, walking backward to face her.

“Enough about me!” she grinned. “Let's talk about you. Since you asked why I came to Sayonaki High, it’s only fair. You’re from Urban Tokyo, right? Why’d you move here?”

Aoi stiffened at the question, her gaze fixed forward. “I just wanted to,” she said softly. “And... like you, I thought I’d try my luck at Sayonaki High and aim to become a Nightingale.” She bit her lower lip, unwilling to reveal the real reason she was here in Sokyoshi.

“I get that,” Ayane said, scribbling something in her notebook with a light smile. “And hey, you must've made a big impression yesterday too. What did the people who gave you those gifts say?”

Aoi looked at her, then up at the sky. “They thanked me... wished me luck on the exams. Said they were rooting for me to become a Nightingale.” She turned her gaze back to Ayane. “You guys keep talking about the Nightingales. What are they exactly?”

Ayane flipped through her notebook with a smirk. “Ah, right. You're new. Guess you wouldn't know how things run around here,” she teased, making Aoi grumble under her breath.

“I don't know everything,” she admitted. “But I'll tell you what I've got so far.” Aoi listened intently.

“The Nightingales are the students of Sayonaki High who protect this town. The first leader created the group a long time ago. No one really knows where she came from — rumors say she wasn’t from Sokyoshi either. When she arrived, she turned the tides around in this town. She was really strong; all the gangs feared her strength. They say she was a master of most fighting techniques… and that made her unbeatable.”

“Do you know her name?” Aoi asked curiously.

Ayane shook her head. “Nope. Nobody does since it all happened 19 years ago. Only the first members might know, but they disbanded after she left. Reina’s the only one around here who supposedly met her... or so they say.”

Aoi hummed thoughtfully as Ayane went on. “The Nightingale name comes from the bird. The structure matched the bird’s body — the leader was the head, two secondaries were the wings, and four tailed rectrices represented the tail instead of twelve. Seven of the strongest fighters at Sayonaki High, all working together.”

“Hunh, I see now,” Aoi muttered, digesting the information. Ayane closed her notebook with a soft sigh and came to a stop, causing Aoi to pause beside her.

“Ah! That's that about that,” she chirped, clapping her hands lightly. “Honestly, Sayonaki's the best place I could be right now. I’m so excited to finally attend. Can’t wait to meet new faces, too!”

“Y-Yeah...” Aoi muttered, her fingers instinctively reaching for the locket resting against her collarbone. Her gaze dropped to the floor.

“Huh?” Ayane tilted her head, noticing the subtle movement. “Hey, is that a locket?”

“Yeah... my sister gave it to me,” Aoi answered softly, her voice drifting, her mind somewhere far away.

“It's precious, huh?” Ayane said, smiling gently. She touched the strap of her backpack in a mirrored gesture, her smile growing faint but warm. She caught herself before prying further, turning away to give Aoi a moment.

“Right! Let’s go. Don’t wanna be late on our first day!” she chirped, taking a few steps forward. Aoi lingered for a second, fingers curling around the locket before she tucked it beneath her shirt and followed, slipping her hands into her shorts’ pockets.

Ayane tugged her phone from her pocket and froze, her eyes widening. “Ahhh! Oh man! I can’t believe it! Is that really the time?!”

Aoi blinked at her outburst, lifting an eyebrow. “What happened?”

Ayane spun around and thrust her phone in Aoi’s face. “It’s 10:15! The entrance exams start at 11! We can’t be late!”

Aoi closed her eyes, exhaling a small scoff, then tilted her head lazily. “So what? That’s like... forty-five minutes.”

“It’s not just forty-five minutes, Aoi!” Ayane cried, hands balled into little fists. “Punctuality is everything at Sayonaki! Especially for first-years! Especially for future Nightingales!”

“What’s the big deal? We are closer to the school, aren’t we?” Aoi looked past her, spotting the school not too far off — its tall structure looming with a dark-navy blue flag, a bird stitched in flight carrying a flower in its beak. The same crest as on their uniforms. She pointed lazily. “I can clearly see the building right over there.”

“And?! That doesn’t matter!” Ayane huffed, following her gaze before stomping her foot. “Come on, we’ve gotta hurry!”

“You can go ahead if you’re that desperate,” Aoi said, half-lidding her eyes in boredom.

“And leave you behind? Not a chance,” Ayane grinned. “Besides... It's way better to walk with someone — especially a new friend.” Aoi blinked, caught off guard by the warmth in her voice. Her heart gave a tiny thud as Ayane suddenly grabbed her hand.

“Come on, Aoi!” she laughed, yanking her forward.

“H-Hey! I can walk just fine, damn it! Quit dragging me!” Aoi protested, cheeks flushed pink.

“Nuh-uh! You’re stuck with me now, whether you like it or not!” Ayane laughed louder, tightening her grip.

“Ayane! Let go of me this instant!” Aoi cried, but it only made Ayane laugh harder. Together, they raced toward Sayonaki High, weaving past other students who stared at them with mild surprise. But Aoi barely noticed — part of her heart was too busy reeling from the unexpected, stubborn warmth of a friend who refused to leave her behind.