A Little Favor From Her Friend

Time - Friday, Hope's Peak Academy, Nearly Getting Dark Outside

By now, two days have passed since you and Seiko met up together. In these past two days, you didn't get too much of a chance to see Seiko very much, since you had to work on some other things in the meantime, like finding your next deep sea diving expedition for your research. You at least managed to get a few minutes to talk to her, which was better than none. She told you that she was working on her latest project for another student, so she didn't have much time to socialize. She hasn't given you any details about it yet, and you aren't sure what it's about. Right now, you're trying to finish up your work for the night. You're looking forward to that meeting tomorrow, and thought about it as you finished your homework. I better prepare my street clothes for tomorrow, then, you thought.

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At the Chemistry Lab in the Old Building Section of Hope's Peak Academy (I had to check which part of Hope's Peak had the chemistry lab, so sorry about not including that info before)

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Seiko was putting away her chemicals, test tubes and racks back into the cabinet. She took out detergent and hot soapy water to properly clean them. A few of the chemicals needed to be cleaned with ethanol, too, to completely remove the substance. She was starting to get a little sleepy from her long day of work. Recently, one of the students from Class 77-B asked her if she could make some kind of special cooking drug. All he said to me was that he was in desperate need of them for his 'exquisite delicacies', so I figured, why not? Teruteru may be a pervert, but he hasn't been acting strange around me at all lately. Besides, I think he knows if he tries anything, he's getting a visit from Sonosuke.

Teruteru Hanamura was what you would probably call a sleaze-ball. Seiko didn't know him too well, but she heard from the other students in Class 77-B that he was known to be quite vulgar and inappropriate at times. That being said, though, you couldn't deny the man's talent of cooking. He was the Ultimate Cook (yet he prefers to be called the Ultimate Chef), and rightly had a reputation for his skills in the culinary arts. He's a bit shorter than the other boys and kind of plump, too. He usually has a usual white chef outfit with a red apron and a red hanker-chief around his neck, and a little chef's hat, with dark brown hair where he combed it to the left. (But enough about that guy now. He's not even in this chapter.)

Not only that, but she also spent the day trying to create a new drug she hoped would be good for her upcoming practical exam. At Hope's Peak Academy, the students attending were encouraged to grow and expand their talent to new heights, and this was measured through a process by which the academy called "practical exams". They took place halfway through each school year, where each student would have to present their growth in their talent. This was measured by a group of judges, who would determine if the given presentation truly showed any growth or success in the student's talents. Failure was not an option. Failing the practical exam could mean getting expelled from Hope's Peak, so naturally, every student was usually nervous every time the exams came around.

It's certainly going to be hard and long to make this, but I'm willing to accept a challenge. I've been through worse, she thought. While she trying to put away the test tubes, she accidentally dropped one onto the floor from her drowsiness. The tube shattered across the floor, leaving a sharp glass mess. Seriously? She grabbed a small box to dispose of the broken glass carefully. You could get cut easily from broken glass if you weren't careful, especially in a lab. She finished up putting back the rest of the equipment.

She went back into the main lab and sat down. Maybe Y/N was right about my work. I've been working so much that I'm dead tired. Maybe I should try to take a break now, she thought. She found herself almost falling asleep, so she tried to slap herself to wake up again. For a moment, she couldn't help but have a slight daydream about Y/N. She didn't know how to explain it, but she longed for Saturday, mainly for the chance to get to talk with him on a more personal level. She knew she should try to stay awake, yet she couldn't get her mind off of him in that moment. Why am I so obsessed with this?

Then, like a cry of thunder, she could hear immensely loud knocking coming from the door. Seiko jumped slightly out of shock before turning around. That definitely woke me up, she thought. "Hey, Seiko, it's Ruruka! I'm just bringing along Yoi-Yoi with me for something quick, that's all!", she heard.

I should've expected this earlier, Seiko thought. She opened the door and let Ruruka and Sonosuke inside. It looked like Ruruka had slightly bloodshot eyes. She also looked a little drowsy, too. "She's been feeling like this all day. I'm getting worried about her," Sonosuke explained.

"What's wrong? You look awfully tired," Seiko told her, trying to examine her. "What kind of symptoms do you have?"

"I've been having a shitty headache for the past day. I haven't been able to focus at all. Not with that piercing pain. You think you can give me some aspirin for that?", Ruruka said, in a shaky tone.

"Oh, sure thing." Seiko handed over a small container of aspirin for her. "Just try to take two of those and you'll probably be fine. Don't go over that amount, though. You might feel nauseous if you do."

"Thanks, gal-pal," she tried to say. "I really needed this. Thank goodness there wasn't anything important today. Still was a pain in the ass to get through, though. At least tomorrow we've got the day off, you know. Hey, now that it comes across my mind, remember that Y/N guy? I remembered that he asked me about you. Said something about wanting to meet you and where to find you. What was that about, anyway?" Ruruka looked at Seiko curiously.

"O-Oh, Y/N? He just dropped in for a little bit. We talked for a bit about each other and our talents. I don't know why, but I have the feeling that he's good to keep around. He seems like a genuinely nice guy. He even was interested in my work. You don't mind if he comes along with us tomorrow, right, Ruruka?"

Ruruka froze for a moment before bursting out. "He what?! You want to bring him with us? During our free time? Seiko, I thought this was between the three of us. You know, me, you, Yoi-Yoi, all three of us together. This is our special time together. You really want to bring along Y/N with us? Why?" Ruruka didn't mind if Seiko did anything with Y/N. It was the fact that she wanted him to come along to their hangout, which was only supposed to be between the three of them.

Sonosuke didn't exactly have the best expression on his face. He tolerated Y/N, but he wasn't exactly quick to trust him. He was sitting away from the girls, sharpening his blades. "I'm not entirely sure. I can tolerate Y/N, but there's something about him that feels off," he said.

"Yoi-Yoi, I know you don't trust many people, but he doesn't seem malicious or anything," Seiko told him.

"Come on, Seiko, you know me. Trust isn't something I just give out. If you want my trust, you have to earn it. And when that trust is broken, it's broken forever. Both of you have my trust, but Y/N hasn't done anything to earn mine. So I'm keeping an eye on him in the meantime," Sonosuke said.

Seiko turned to Ruruka to explain. "Look, Ruruka, you know that you're my best friend, and you too, Sonosuke. We've been through a lot together. It's just that...well, I...how do I say this...I wanted to try to make a few more friends here, you know? At times, I feel lonely and tired without anyone around to talk to. And Y/N seems like a very nice guy. He said he was concerned about me. I can't remember the last time someone other than you two or my family has even bothered to ask if I was okay. I want to get to know him better. Do you understand what I mean, Ruruka?"

Ruruka looked at Seiko with a somewhat dirty look on her face. "Sounds to me like he likes you, Seiko", she told her with a smirk. "From what you've told me, it sounds like he obviously cares about what you're going through. Although, I haven't noticed him looking at you with goo-goo eyes in class before."

Seiko immediately blushed red and panicked. "W-What?! No! We only first met a few days ago! He hasn't even made a move on me yet! There's nothing romantic going on here between us right now! There's no way he would find me-"

"I'm just messing with you, gal-pal. Although, if he looks at you the same way that Yoi-Yoi looks at me, that's probably the first big sign you should look out for," she told Seiko.

"I-I just wanted to invite him to hang out with us, that's all. I wanted to know more about him, so I thought we could talk together. And who knows? Maybe you could get to know him, too. To see if you think he's good or not, I mean."

Ruruka considered this for a moment. Sonosuke was waiting in the back waiting for her response. "You sure you two are just friends? Nothing serious going on between you?"

"Y-Yes! Wait, I wouldn't use the word 'friend' j-just yet! We're more like, u-uh... uh...!!" Seiko found herself stumbling on her own words. She reverted back in a blushing and stuttering mess. Ruruka gave her yet another dirty look as she seductively whispered into her ear.

"So, you're telling you wouldn't mind if he... oh, I don't know... kissed you using his tongue?"

THAT was the boiling point for the pharmacist. Seiko started mumbling incoherently in mix between an angry and embarrassed outburst at Ruruka. At that point, Ruruka couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, I'll stop, Seiko. Sorry, it's just funny to see you get so flustered! That's something I don't see from you very often."

"Do you think playing with my emotions is funny?", Seiko sternly asked her.

"Of course not! Look, if it means that much to you, I'll gladly let Y/N come along with us tomorrow. I promise I won't make any lewd jokes between you and him while we're there, okay? Besides, I want to see if he is good for you, too. I can't just let my bestie get into something without some help," she replied.

"W-Wait, really?", Seiko and Sonosuke said simultaneously. "Alright, if you're okay with him going with us, then I'm fine with it. We'll see if he's really a good person or not," Sonosuke told Ruruka, putting his knives back inside his trench coat.

Seiko formed a big smile underneath her mask. Ruruka could tell.

"Actually, there's another favor I would like you to do for me, Seiko. It's not very much. In fact, it's pretty simple."

"Oh, sure, what do you need from me?"

Ruruka pulled out a strange box from her treat basket. "Oh no, you don't need to give me anything. Think of it as thanks for the painkillers, Seiko." She handed the box to her. Inside, there was a few varieties of chocolate candies, from a few fancy brownies to peppermint bark to who knows what else. She let out a huge sigh.

"Ruruka, how many times do I have to tell you? You know I can't eat your sweets. That stuff will practically make me suffer. Sugar doesn't mix with my medication," Seiko told her.

"Oh no, it's not for you. This is for Y/N. I made these treats a few days ago. With all my homework going on, I forgot about them, so I didn't get the chance to make them fancy or to decorate them too much. I want you to give him one of these treats tomorrow, and tell him that you made it for him. It's good, but not TOO good, so he won't tell that I made it," Ruruka explained.

"So you want me to give him one of these candies? That actually sounds like a good idea! But what if Y/N suspects that you made them?"

"Just tell him that I helped you understand how to properly bake. That I taught you, but you're the one who did all the hard work. I'm sure he'll feel wonderful knowing that you made a treat just for him, you know? Don't you think so?"

Seiko thought about it for a few moments. I don't want to lie to Y/N, but what's the harm in giving him a treat if Ruruka wants me to? He might thank me for giving him one of these treats, and he'll probably enjoy it. "Okay, I'll do it. I'll try my best not to make it clear that you made these."

"Perfect! For tomorrow, just tell him what time we're going to meet up and where, and pick out one of these treats to give him! I wouldn't recommend more than one, though, otherwise he might pick up the trail. Oh, and also, make sure you don't get too carried away with him, too. This is supposed to be for all of us, so we're going to talk with him as well," Ruruka told her, before giving Sonosuke the signal to leave. "Anyway, Yoi-Yoi and I are gonna head on our way back to our dorms. I really need to get a good night's sleep. See you tomorrow, gal pal!"

"S-See you tomorrow, Ruruka! Thanks for your help!" Seiko said, as the couple left the chemistry lab. This could actually work, she thought. If I play my cards right, this could work out wonderfully. Well, I better head back to my dorm now. I really need a good night's sleep before tomorrow. I've definitely earned it.

To be continued in Chapter 3...