Part D:

Preparation of the party

After School...

The Gift:

Lokki, Roc and Maple are in the school convenient store looking for a present for their advisor Diana Free.

Lokki is at the E.D (electronic disk) section looking for a game as a present, Roc is at the ammunition section doing some window shopping and Maple is at the sweets section piling up some sugar free chocolates in her shopping basket.

Lokki noticed that the other two wasn't doing what they're supposed to do and scolds them.

"Hey guys! We're here to buy a present, not to look around and do whatever we want!"

"We could do that later man!"

"Yeah what he said!"

The two responded.

"Look guys! We only have like thirty minutes left till the party starts. We better buy something fast."

Lokki tried to persuade them.

Roc and Maple stops what they were doing and starts searching for a gift in a lazy manner.

After few minutes...

"AAAAH EVERYTHING HERE IS CRAP!"

Maple screams out of frustration.

"You dare disrespect my merchandise?!"

The convenience store who looks like a space pirate questioned Maple.

"YOU CALL THIS MERCHANDISE!? EVERYTHING HERE IS JUST A BUNCH OF BULL SH- HMMM! HMMM! HMMM!"

Before Maple was able to finish her sentence, Roc quickly went behind her and covers her mouth while Lokki apologizes.

"Sorry about that! She just had too much sugar. Ha ha ha..."

The convenience store owner didn't say anything and glares at them as a response.

Lokki and Roc became nervous because of that while Maple is struggling to say something.

"So you guys haven't found a gift yet despite searching for almost an hour?"

The convenience store owner suddenly asked.

"Yeah man! We can't find anything."

Roc answered him.

The convenience store owner glares at them again.

The two boys start panicking again.

Lokki tries to calm the convenience store owner down.

"I-it's that we can't find anything, it's just that we don't know what to get."

"Don't know what to get huh..."

The convenience store owner said while rubbing his hairy chin.

He silently stares at the trio intending to assess them.

"The black hair kid doesn't seem to have much credits on him so as the blondey. On the other hand, the shorty with the big mouth is the daughter of the Free Mafia boss. When it comes to credits, she's probably on par with that Silvercrest kid who's a regular here." (The convenience store owner's inner thoughts.)

"Well then! If you couldn't find anything that meets the eye, let's go to the back room, shall we?"

The convenience store owner said like a shady salesman.

"Back room?"

The trio reacted.

The convenience store owner pressed a hidden button that is under the counter where the touch screen panel is.

Pshooooo*

Suddenly, the wall behind the convenience store owner opens up slowly like an elevator door and a room with a white dim light has been revealed.

"Follow me!"

The convenience store owner said and enters the "back room".

The trio follows him.

Inside the back room, there are bunch of expensive looking items being displayed on top of counters, inside glass casings and shelves that are hanging on the ceiling and on the walls.

"These are my prized collection."

The convenience store owner declares with pride.

He starts walking around the room while giving the trio a lecture while the trio follows him.

"As you can see here, every single one of these items are the loots from my treasure hunt when I was a space pirate."

The convenience store owner suddenly grabs an old fashion looking riffle that was on the hanging shelf and shows it to them.

"You won't find one of these babies in any museum."

Suddenly Roc reacts.

"Holy crap man! Is that a musket?!"

"Oh? You know what a musket is?"

The convenience store owner said being intrigue by what has Roc said.

"Of course man! That the first riffle that ever existed!"

Roc said like he was boasting.

"It's good to know that a young lad like you knows the history of guns."

The convenience store said like he was pleased.

"As expected for a gun freak."

"Meh! I like beam rifles better!"

Lokki and Maple reacted.

The convenience store owner returns the musket back on the hanging shelf.

"So you guys are looking for a gift for your advisor huh?"

The convenience store owner asked intending to change the subject.

"Yeah! We want something that our advisor will appreciate."

Lokki answered him.

The convenience store owner stops walking and turn towards a glass casing.

He place his right hand on top of the glass casing and a green line like laser suddenly appears and takes the shape of his hand.

After few seconds, he takes his right hand out and the top part of the glass casing slides open.

After that, he takes out a white crystal pendant with a gold chain that was inside the glass casing and shows it to them.

"Well then! How about this?"

The trio looks closely at the pendant.

"What you see here is a mood crystal. As it's name, the color of the crystal changes according to the wearer's mood. For example, if you're happy, the color of the crystal changes to yellow. If you're sad, the color changes to blue. Try wearing it and see for yourself."

The convenience store owner puts the pendant on Maple.

As he did, the mood crystal changes it's color to gray.

"Gray means that you're bored."

The convenience store owner explained.

"Ooh!"

The trio got astonished by the mood crystal and because of that, the color changes to yellow.

"I'll take it!"

Maple screamed.

"Wait! Are you sure about that?"

Lokki asked.

"Of course!"

Maple responded with full of confidence.

"But wouldn't that be expensive?"

Lokki asked once again.

"I'm rich so no worries! Bwahahaha!"

Maple said while puffing up her chest and started laughing evilly.

"If that's the case we'll take it."

Lokki said to the convenience store owner.

"Pleasure doing business with you."

The convenience store owner said while grining.

Maple started grinning as well.

"Now I will know what Diana's thinking Bwahahahaha!" (Maple's inner thoughts)

The Cake:

Inside the Cafeteria 2, Wren is mixing the batter of the cake while the cooking club members watch her from a distance except for Clarissa who's currently interrogating her while slicing the strawbanana into little round pieces.

"So what's your relationship with Bat Man?"

"I already told you! I don't know who you're talking about! So shut up!"

"I saw you together with Bat Man the other day. Why is that?"

"You're so annoying! I already told you how many times that I don't know who you're talking about! So quit bothering me and shut up!"

"Do you like Bat Man?"

"I said SHUT UP!"

"I heard that you call Bat Man weirdo. Why is that?"

Wren's face became flush red as she heard the word "weirdo".

Clarissa takes notice of Wren's reaction and decided to press on.

"Is the reason why you call Bat Man weirdo because you have feelings for him?"

"Y-y-y-you!"

Suddenly, Wren's whole body was set on fire and glares at Clarissa while her face is still flush red.

The cooking club members start panicking as they saw that while Clarissa didn't flinch.

"So you really do have feelings for him."

The fire that's surrounding Wren's body grows a bit larger.

Feini, who has been a bystander all this time, grabs Clarissa from behind and covers her mouth.

"I'm so sorry about Clarissa behavior. Please don't mind her at all. We will be right outside the kitchen if you need us. And also when you're done, please inform us so we could start cooking the food for the party okay?"

Wren didn't respond to Feini and disperses the flame that surrounds her.

After that, she returns to what she was doing.

Feini drags Clarissa out of the kitchen and the other cooking club members leaves as well.

The Venue:

"So this is where you spend most of your time after school."

"This place is so beautiful..."

"Dude! Killer view!"

I brought Ace, Aeris and Zack to the observatory deck which I chose for the venue of the party.

Ace doesn't seemed to have much reaction while Aeris was awestruck and Zack was being his usual self.

Mathias was supposed to come along as well but he said he had some other business to attend to so it's just the five of us here including Eri.

"After the party, make sure to clean up the mess before you all leave."

Eri kindly reminded us.

"Don't worry we will."

I responded.

"Now then! I'll be tending the garden so if you need anything, don't hesitate to call me."

Eri said with a smile on her face and walk towards the shack that is located at the far end of this place.

"So where do we start? The decorations?"

I asked everyone.

"No need for decorations. This place is good as it is already."

Ace answered me.

"Dude! Let's just find a good spot and bring the stuff already!"

As Zack suggested.

Looks like someone is in a hurry.

"I can't believe something so beautiful as this exist in this school."

And Aeris is still awestruck.

That's the reason why I join the gardening club in the first place aside from trying to divert Wren's attention who was trying to kill me.

Memories of Wren smiling while talking to a flower floods in. That was one of the weirdest things I have ever seen in my entire life besides a trick or treating Santa Claus.

Anyway, that's enough reminiscing for now. Time to prepare for the party.

"Let's start bringing the stuff we need for the party before we waste more time."

I told everyone.

"Yeah let's" (Ace)

"Finally dude!" (Zack )

"Right!" (Aeris)

The three respond.

We walk towards the elevator.

By the way, I wonder why Zack is in a hurry.

"Party! Party! Party! Party!..."

Figures...

While we are walking towards the elevator...

Ding*

The door suddenly opens and Kana comes out of it with a hover trolley following her.

On top of the hover troller is a bunch of speakers and a holoscreen.

That must be the entertainment.

We move away from where we are to give way to Kana.

After Kana passed by us, we continue walking towards the elevator.

???:

In a dark corridor at an unknown location in the Academy, Mathias is walking aimlessly.

While he was walking, he suddenly spots a silhouette of a tall and macular man who is leaning on a wall while smoking a cigarette.

He approaches the man fearlessly.

"I have a favor to ask of you."

The man took the cigar from his mouth and talks in a low volume.

"What's the catch?"