them • kakegurui x female reader

♪²⁴

after the two of you had put on a jacket and glanced outside to see the sun going down, you both ran downstairs to find the rest of the group.

"oh, y/n! i was just helping the staff clean up after dinner." sayaka greeted, her eyes flicking over to mary's face. it seemed like she was at first going to ignore the blonde, like everyone had done earlier, but upon seeing the red marks on her face from her own fingernails and how puffy her cheeks were from crying, she froze.

"oh- mary, what happened to you? are you okay?"

"i'm fine." she answered curtly, then hesitated. "thank you.. for your concern."

"the others went outside for a walk, they're planning to come back when it's dark. do you want to go after them?"

you glanced at mary, who hesitated.

it was clear she wanted to see ririka in private, but she didn't want to delay either.. but she really did only want to talk to ririka.

"ki- the president said the large part of the meteor shower happens during the midnight hours, and there's also supposed to be a comet around one thirty a.m.. but there's going to be strays that happen earlier, as well as just stargazing in general, so we're going to go up right after they come back. forgive me, i almost called the president by her casual name."

"does she not like it when you use her first name?"

".. well, not really." sayaka sighed, piling lunch-trays into her arms and putting them on a multi-shelved cart, most likely so she could being them to the kitchen where they could be washed and put away properly.

"wait, going up?"

"oh. you weren't here for the dramatic unveiling- ms. president said that instead of watching it on the lawn, she got clearance to use the roof. we get to be on the roof."

"isn't the roof.. slanted?"

"well, technically, but there are multiple horizontal parts that you can't see from below and the top of the roof has about a meter of space that's flat at the top for construction. so although you should be on guard, everyone should have enough space to walk."

"how many of these horizontal parts are there?" mary inquires, and you know she's asking so she can find one to be on with ririka privately later.

"there's one long panel a few meters from the opening onto the roof, and multiple smaller ones around. maybe thirteen total in counting, but just the ones from this building, not the other ones."

"ah. good. thank you, sayaka." the blonde nods her thanks, and she starts picking up plates and putting them on the cart sayaka was controlling to help out.

"'tis what i am here for." the diligent girl nodded to herself, glancing in satisfaction at the emptied table. "alright, i'm going to bring this to the back. they took the east loop around the pond, you should be able to catch up with them if you hurry."

"alright! thanks sayaka!" you cheer, waving your thanks before beginning towards the door.

"do you mind if i just hang around and.. help you clean? i'm not sure, i don't want too.. " mary fumbles behind you, and sayaka raises an eyebrow at her.

"oh? of course, come with me. table fourteen hasn't been cleaned yet.. "

you wave goodbye to mary too, who looks very downcast, but has decided firmly she wants to be alone with ririka when she talks to her, certainly not with other people.

running out to the cafeteria door, you push it open, taking a breath of the fresh air that greets you. the sun is still in the sky, but just barely- in due time, due time being a few minutes, the sun will skin before the horizon and the stars, meteors and comet which everyone wished to see would be visible.