June Buggs, Age 18, Born on July 14th.

  She was a know-it-all bookworm who preferred solitude over socializing with others.

  Throughout middle school, she became the target of relentless bullying, which only deepened her status as an outcast amongst her peers.

  In the early days of high school, she tried to reinvent herself, shedding her old persona to blend in with the popur crowd.

  For a while, it seemed to work. She got friends, status, and even a boyfriend—until a certain traumatizing incident pushed her back into the shadows. Nowadays, she keeps to herself, a loner with every reason to avoid people.

  Her Role was Entomologist, someone who studies insects.

  This is what ran through Mako’s mind as he recalled everything he knew about her—which, surprisingly, wasn’t much, despite attending the same middle school as her before moving to Sac High. To June, Mako was little more than a passing acquaintance. Their only shared experience was being the primary targets of bullying back in the day, often paired together to share the brunt of the humiliation.

  So as far as he could tell, June despised him. To her, he was just a constant reminder of everything she loathed about her former self—weak, unpopur, and disgusting in some regards.

  Which made it all the more bewildering when he noticed a red thread connecting her to him

  Though she no longer dressed up like her former "gal" self, June kept her distance from everyone, especially him. Their st direct interaction had been in an incident in the previous year, and since then, she’d remained silent. Mako understood why she didn’t want to bring it up. Her mind hadn’t been in the right state back then, so maybe she didn’t remember all the details—or at least, that’s what he hoped.

  Mako shook his head, a mix of sadness and relief washing over him. In a way, her not remembering everything was a small mercy. While he had been trying to help, he’d rather the more explicit parts of that day stay buried with the police reports.

  He gnced at the thread again,assuming it was more a lingering feeling of gratitude than love. Maybe she vaguely remembered and felt some appreciation for him, but being head over heels? That was a stretch.

  The barely visible thread was proof enough of that.

  Even then, it wasn’t like they’d have another chance to talk. They weren’t on speaking terms, after all. So what were the odds they’d be forced to interact?

  "Alright, css," Mrs. Turner’s voice cut through the room, yanking Mako from his thoughts. "Your first project for this month will be a book report on one of Shakespeare’s works. You’ll be paired up for this."

  Pulling out a jar filled with names, she plopped it onto her desk, and drew two slips with practiced nonchance. "Mako Fisher, June Buggs—you two are partners."

  Mako blinked, his brain briefly buffering as it struggled to process what had just happened. His gaze drifted across the room to June, who met his veiled eyes for a fleeting moment before returning to her book.

  As his brain finally caught up, he let out an exasperated sigh, realizing with a touch of irony that the odds were, in fact, quite high.

  He really needed to remember that Dynamic Luck was a thing.

  "Hey, so, how have you been?" Mako attempted to sound casual as he broke the silence.

  "I'm doing fine, thanks," June replied, her eyes barely lifting from the packet they’d been given.

  Shortly after Mrs. Turner assigned partners, everyone shuffled from their seats to begin discussing the assignment. While the rest of the css quietly mingled and deliberated over their projects, Mako and June had spent the st ten minutes enveloped in awkward silence.

  To be honest, Mako wasn’t sure why he had expected anything different when he approached June to start their project, but he had hoped for at least some kind of banter to break the ice. Instead, they were stuck in this awkward social limbo, where neither seemed willing to bridge the gap.

  In fairness, Mako had spent the past ten minutes in silence, trying to figure out how to approach her and psyching himself up so he wouldn’t look stupid. Unfortunately, all that mental prep had only amounted to a simple greeting that bombed in less than a nanosecond.

  He scratched his head, wondering how he could mess up socializing this badly. He wasn’t normally like this with Buddy, and he’d been pretty casual with Ashita, whom he had just met today. Yet, the moment he tried to talk to a semi-new girl, he tripped right at the starting line.

  Maybe it was because he vaguely knew June that his communication skills were failing, but it was still embarrassing nonetheless.

  What was he supposed to say to a girl who didn’t exactly like him?

  Your bug collection is cute?

  That kind of compliment from him would come off as shallow.

  Do you like me?

  She didn’t know that he could see visible affection, and telling her would just make him sound like a creep.

  I’m sorry the police got involved st year?

  Yeah, that one was practically begging for a punch to the face.

  Scratching his head more vigorously, he gripped his locks in frustration.

  Why is small talk such an insurmountable hurdle? he mentally groaned.

  “Hey, are you even listening?” Mako snapped back to reality as June’s voice breached through his thoughts. Turning his head, he found her giving him a scrutinizing look, ced with a hint of judgement.

  “S-Sorry, I zoned out for a second.” He ughed awkwardly, trying not to seem too suspicious.

  “Sure…” June squinted at him skeptically, but she let it go, realizing he wasn’t going to offer any expnation for his behavior. “Anyway, to catch you up, we have three options: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Antony & Cleopatra, and Romeo & Juliet. Any preference?”

  “Well…” Mako rubbed his chin thoughtfully before shrugging. “Romeo & Juliet sounds like the easiest, so let’s go with that.”

  “Alright, works for me.” June nodded, plopping the packet back onto the desk. “Have you read any versions of it before?”

  “Me and my mom watched that modern remake starring Leonard Carpe Diem.” He answered bluntly. “...She’s into trashy soap operas.”

  June gave him an irritated look before lowering her head in disappointment, letting out a heavy sigh. “Fine, just head to the library after school and grab one of the copies there.”

  Mako nodded but quickly realized there might be a slight problem with that idea. “...The library is near the Role Course Department, right?”

  “Yeah, so?” June gave him a puzzled look. “Didn’t you want to go there before?”

  Mako pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a low sigh. While it was true he had once dreamed of joining the Role Course, that dream had long since been crushed by the Role Test and the weight of his reputation as a pariah.

  Many of his peers—most of whom couldn’t stand him—had secured coveted roles, earning their pce in the prestigious department he had once aspired to join. Among them were his worst tormentors, like Boli, who prowled the department’s halls like predators, eager for any excuse to strike.

  Even on his first day back at Sac High, Mako didn’t need any warnings to know he should avoid that part of the school by as much as he can. His instincts were loud and clear: stay far away from the lion’s den. His enemies were there, lurking in the shadows, waiting for those brief, unguarded moments between csses to make their move.

  Simply put, a trip to the library might as well have been an invitation to get ambushed. And while Mako considered expining this to June, another, more pressing question suddenly crossed his mind.

  “How did you know I wanted to be in the Role Course?” he asked, his tone curious but tinged with suspicion.

  June blinked from his question, her eyebrows slightly raised. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, how do you know that’s what I wanted?” He leaned his head on his hand. “Sure, it’s true, but I never outright said it. And let’s be real here—we haven’t exactly talked much since starting High School. So how do you know that?”

  For a moment, June froze, her pupils shrinking slightly before she averted her gaze, her tone growing sharp and defensive. “W-Well, isn’t it obvious? Everyone in the Standard Course looks like they’d rather be anywhere else. And you used to care so much about getting a role. I just figured you’d want to be in the Role Course, unlike these flunkies.”

  Mako squinted beneath his locks, but after a moment, he shrugged. “Fair enough…”

  Her expnation seemed logical enough on the surface, but something about it didn’t sit right with him. The logic appeared sound, yet there was one gring contradiction he couldn’t ignore. Leaning forward slightly, his curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to press further. “That does bring up a bigger question, though, June.”

  “...What do you mean?” she asked, her head tilting slightly, confusion flickering across her face.

  “What are you doing here?” Mako asked, his tone gentle but direct.

  “...Come again?” June’s eyes widened, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of her face, as she began to fiddle with one of her braids.

  “I said, why are you in the Standard Course?” Mako rested his chin on his hand, his veiled gaze sharp as he studied her carefully. “Shouldn’t you be in the Role Course with the rest of the elites? So why are you here, stuck with the rest of us so-called flunkies?”

  Upon Mako’s accusation, June fell silent for a moment before scowling at him. “Well, it’s not like I got anything fshy. My Role is Entomologist, after all.”

  “Bullshit,” Mako replied firmly. “It might not be fshy, but it’s a Scientist Role. There are tons of research careers tied to Dimension H, especially with Belzebugs. Your Role would be perfect for studying them.”

  “Studying stuff from Dimension H is dangerous, even with the Hazard Pay,” June said, narrowing her eyes at him. “And even if the Grand Design gave me that Role, what makes you think I’d want to study something as gross as bugs?”

  “Well, I know for a fact you used to bring all sorts of critters to school back in middle school,” Mako replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

  June blinked in surprise. “You seriously remember that?

  “It’s kinda hard to forget, considering your tarantu jumped on my face one day,” he said grimly, the memory of that eight-legged nightmare crawling through his hair still vivid even now.

  June winced and turned away awkwardly. “O-Oh… right. Sorry about that.”

  Her voice tried to sound dignified, but she was beginning to stutter her words. “W-Well, I’ve grown up since then. I don’t need to funt some childish hobby of mine. Besides, what makes you think I’m still into bugs?”

  Mako chuckled softly, thinking how cute she looked acting like this, before giving her a warm smile. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but even during your gal phase, you still wore that moth-shaped hairpin. So, you clearly had some appreciation for them. And besides…”

  He reached over to her bag, plucking out the book partially sticking out of it. With a faint smirk, he held it up to her, the title in bold letters:

  Belzebug 101: The Complete Encyclopedia for Demon Insects

  “I saw you reading this earlier, didn’t I?”

  June’s face turned crimson in an instant. Quickly snatching the book out of his hands and stuffing it back into her bag with a huff. “Don’t you know it’s rude to touch a girl’s stuff?!”

  “Sorry,” Mako said, scratching the back of his head. “Just wanted to prove my point that you still care about this stuff.”

  June scowled at his accusation but quickly defted, letting out a long sigh as her shoulders slumped in resignation. “Okay, fine, you’re right. I still like bugs. But that doesn’t mean I ever wanted to join the Role Course.”

  Mako tilted his head, curiosity evident in his expression. “Why not? That pce seems perfect for someone with your interests. They’d give you all the resources and support you could ask for.”

  June hesitated, her eyes darting away. Her voice wavered as she muttered, “W-Well… maybe I have my own reasons for staying away, alright?”

  Mako studied her face, noticing how her expression darkened. A realization dawned on him, and his voice softened. “Oh… is this about your old fri—”

  “They’re not my friends,” June snapped, cutting him off sharply. Her gre pierced through him, and for a moment, the air between them turned ice cold.

  “Right, sorry…” Mako muttered, turning his gaze away, cursing himself silently for bringing it up.

  Everyone at school knew about st year’s incident. It was the kind of scandal that spread like wildfire, and June had been at the center of it. Though she had cut ties with the popur girls she once called her friends after uncovering their true nature; the fallout had been ugly, leaving her reputation in tatters and her mood soured by any mention of them.

  Most of those girls had faced little more than a sp on the wrist—brief suspensions that barely left a dent in their charmed lives. And, by the time the new school year rolled around, they were back as if nothing even happened in the first pce. To add salt to injury they managed to cim coveted Roles from their angels, securing spots in the prestigious Role Course and continuing their pursuit of success without facing any real consequences.

  June, on the other hand, wanted no part of their world anymore, refusing to risk running into them to reopen old wounds. So the Standard Course, home to the so-called "rejects" and overlooked students, offered her the perfect refuge—a pce where she could disappear from their view entirely.

  An awkward silence lingered between them after her outburst. June busied herself with the packet in her hands—not because she was reading it, but to give her restless fingers something to do until css was dismissed. Her distant expression made it clear her mood had soured, weighed down by the memories that he had unintentionally resurfaced.

  Mako rubbed the back of his neck, his mind racing for something to say. He didn’t want to make things worse, but leaving the conversation unresolved didn’t sit right with him either. A nagging guilt tugged at him—his meddling back then had pyed no small part in June’s current situation.

  If there was any way to help her, he wanted to try, even if he wasn’t sure how. But, with no better pn, he decided to trust his instincts and let the first words that came to mind slip out.

  “...You know,” Mako began, his tone measured, “you’re not the only one with enemies in the Role Course.”

  June gnced at him, her brows knitting together. “What do you mean?”

  He exhaled through his nose. “It’s not exactly a secret, but a lot of the people who used to torment me ended up in the Role Course too. If I so much as step foot near that pce, I’m basically painting a target on my back.”

  Her expression softened as she tilted her head. “...Is that why you were so reluctant to go to the library?”

  Mako shrugged, letting out a small groan. “Yeah. I prefer to pick my battles carefully, and walking into what’s basically enemy territory doesn’t seem worth the risk.”

  June studied him for a moment, her gaze thoughtful. “So... why are you telling me this?”

  “Well...” He hesitated, scratching the back of his head nervously. “I guess I just wanted you to know you’re not the only one dealing with this kind of stuff. That’s all.”

  A brief silence followed, the weight of their shared frustrations hanging in the air. Mako worried his words might’ve sounded hollow, but then June spoke, her voice quieter than before.

  “...Thanks,” she murmured, gncing away as a faint trace of warmth flickered across her face.

  Mako paused, before letting out a soft chuckle. “...You’re welcome.”

  The air between them shifted after that. The awkward tension from earlier was gone, repced by a lighter, almost comfortable atmosphere.

  Not much happened after their conversation, but just as css was about to end, June suddenly spoke up.

  “Hey, not sure if you’ve noticed, but… you smell,” she said, her tone a mix of confusion and concern.

  Mako tilted his head, puzzled. “...I smell? Like what?”

  For a fleeting moment, his mind leapt to a bizarre conclusion. Could it be something to do with the Mating Pheromones? If so, it would confirm his earlier analysis about that sub-skill.

  Sadly, her answer shattered that train of thought before it could reach the station.

  “You smell like rotten fish.”

  Her blunt statement hit like a bee on his ass, leaving Mako frozen, mouth agape, not unlike a goldfish caught mid-bubble.

  “Rotten fish…?” Mako repeated, tilting his head in confusion. But as he sniffed the air, the unmistakable stench hit him like a truck. Armed, he quickly checked himself, following the rancid trail to… his pocket.

  Reaching in, he pulled out a thawed, slimy piece of salmon.

  His stomach dropped. It was the same fish he’d used earlier to calm the swelling from his morning mishap. His mind scrambled for an expnation for how it got there, and then it hit him—he’d completely forgotten about it after getting his Role. Leaving it in his pocket, the once-frozen fish had spent hours basking in the warmth of his pants, slowly defrosting into a smelly, soggy disaster.

  June’s eyes widened as she stared at the fish, her expression caught between disbelief and disgust. “Why—why do you even have that?” she demanded, her tone sharp and incredulous.

  “Well, there was an incident this morning, and I needed this fish to—”

  “MR. FISHER!”

  Before Mako could finish, Mrs. Turner’s sharp voice sliced through the cssroom. Both he and June froze, turning to face the teacher as her icy gre zeroed in on them.

  “Are you eating in my cssroom?!” she accused, her tone dripping with fury.

  “W-Wait, I’m not—” Mako stammered, awkwardly waving around the fish like it wasn’t some kind of incriminating evidence.

  “Detention!” Mrs. Turner barked. Her finger snapped toward June next, her eyes narrowing. “And your partner, too!”

  “What?! But I didn’t even do anything!” June excimed, her voice full of disbelief and indignation.

  “Do you want me to make it two detentions this week?” Mrs. Turner shot back, her tone brooking no argument.

  June cmped her mouth shut, her hands curling into tight fists. Realizing there was no escape, Mako let out a defeated sigh and slumped back in his chair.

  Beside him, June crossed her arms, muttering something under her breath before giving him a quick gnce. Her expression was unreadable—neither furious nor forgiving—before she turned her head away, clearly done with the situation.

  “...Sorry,” Mako mumbled, slipping the soggy salmon back into his pocket with a defeated sigh. His voice carried a note of pleading, hoping for some form of forgiveness. But all he got in return was a muffled grunt.

  Scratching his head, Mako groaned inwardly. He had screwed up again, flipping the once-warm atmosphere back into the awkward chill they started with. And, as if to rub salt in the wound, the bell rang, cutting the period short and leaving everything on a sour note.

  Mako grabbed his things and gnced at June as she packed her bag. Hesitating for a moment, he decided to bite the bullet and say one st thing before they part ways. “Detention’s in the library. Just… head there after school.”

  He turned away, scratching his cheek. The irony wasn’t lost on him after their brief heart to heart. June eyed him for a moment, then let out a soft sigh.

  “...Thanks. See you ter, then,” she said quietly, her tone subdued but not entirely cold.

  Yeah…” Mako nodded, raising a hand in a small wave before heading to his next css.

  As he walked through the halls, Mako cursed under his breath. Yet again, he felt like he had blown it—not just with another girl, but also in making any progress with one of his sub-skills.

  Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the slimy, defrosted salmon and stared at it with utter disdain. While he’d been talking to June, he wasn’t just trying to get to know her better; he had also been subtly checking her reactions to see if his scent triggered anything reted to Mating Pheromones. Sub-skills like Unmatched Lover and Power of Love were too abstract to gauge, but at the very least, he had hoped to figure out what he might smell like when the pheromones kicked in. Unfortunately, the fish’s pungent stench had drowned out any chance of that experiment succeeding, and now he was stuck with detention on top of it.

  He gripped the salmon tighter, half-expecting it to mutter an apology for all the trouble it had caused. Of course, it didn’t, and Mako quickly realized how ridiculous he was being. Letting out another sigh, he tried to push the frustration aside, only for his stomach to rumble loudly in protest.

  Mako paused, recalling the light breakfast he’d had that morning. He hadn’t eaten much all day, and lunch was still a period away. His eyes drifted back to the fish in his hand. He groaned audibly, the corners of his mouth tugging into a reluctant grimace.

  Seafood wasn’t exactly his favorite, but his aversion to wasting food outweighed his pickiness. With a resigned sigh, he muttered, “Well… guess sushi’s on the menu today.”

  And with that, he took a bite out of the raw, rotting salmon. The texture was slimy, the taste as revolting as he’d expected, but he forced himself to chew and swallow. As he trudged onward, he silently prayed this would be the st unwelcome surprise of the day.

  Back in the cssroom, June lingered for a moment, carefully packing her things while keeping her head down. She avoided the bustling crowd of students filing out into the hallway, her movements measured and deliberate. As the chaos of the Standard Course swirled around her, she navigated through it like a fly, unnoticed by most. To anyone who spared her a gnce, she was just another quiet, withdrawn figure blending into the noise.

  But if anyone cared to look closer, they might have noticed the faint blush creeping across her cheeks.

  “I really messed up, didn’t I?” she muttered under her breath. “Was I too harsh on him? Did he take it the wrong way?”

  Her thoughts raced as she repyed the conversation in her head. “What if he’s offended that I joined the Standard Course? He’s Roleless, after all… maybe he resents me for not taking the chance he’d give anything for…”

  June shook her head, trying to dismiss the thought. “No, he seemed a lot happier today than he’s been in weeks. Maybe he’s finally made peace with it. Even still…”

  She groaned, burying her face in her hands. “I’m such an idiot, aren’t I? A whole year’s passed, and I still haven’t talked to him properly about it. And then I blew up when he mentioned my old friends…”

  June gritted her teeth, clenching her fists tightly. “Come on, June! You didn’t transfer to the Standard Course just to keep running from your past. You’re here to fix your mistakes! So toughen up and talk to him properly!”

  Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders, summoning every ounce of courage she could muster to hype herself up. “You’ve got detention with him, so that’s your chance!”

  While it was true that she had come to the Standard Course to escape the shadows of her old life, that wasn’t the only reason. There was another, deeper motive—one she hadn’t told her new study buddy.

  Something she couldn’t tell him. Not yet.

  Lost in her thoughts, June barely noticed another girl walking toward her until they collided. Both of them dropped their belongings, papers, and books scattering across the floor.

  “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” June said, clutching her head.

  “No, no, it’s my fault,” the other girl replied quickly, gathering her things. “I should probably get going.”

  Before June could say anything, the girl vanished into the crowd, slipping away before June could even catch a clear look at her. Letting out a sigh, she started to move on when something on the ground caught her eye— a small slip of paper, left carelessly behind.

  Curious, she bent down and picked it up, intending to call after the girl. But her words caught in her throat as she saw what was on the paper.

  Her gaze lingered, her brow knitting in confusion. “That girl… Why does she have a picture of Mako?”

  Charlie_Bones