The Ace of Her Heart

10

Happy Valentine's Day! (Yippee! 😔🤙)

Anyway here ya go! I already had it all written since the last post except the last paragraph. (Kinda sucks tbh, it's not sitting right with me)

Next chapter? Who knows! 😃

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One more day. That is all Sayaka has to endure. One more day before the weekend allows her to relax. She can avoid the President one more day. Simply state that this illness is really messing up her senses. Surely it is believable, yes it is... but come Monday morning & she is not there at the gate waiting for her it would get complicated. She cannot simply run forever. She needs to escape her little fantasy world & get it over with. Monday. That would be the day. Yes, the day she marches up to the council room & hands in her resignation letter. Maybe Tuesday? Wednesday doesn't sound too bad. It's not that far off. No no! She cannot let this get too far, if it's anything other than Monday then how can she avoid the President? She still has work to do. The electoral campaign runs with her in charge, simply failing to do her job would cause the President to put all her focus on her. Sayaka dreads the arrival of Monday before the weekend even has a chance to start. Why must this be so complicated? Sayaka knows that she lacks the courage to do what must be done. She highly doubts that by Monday morning, she'll have said courage. "You think so loudly, that I can hear you from the couch." Sayaka jumps up at the voice. Her eyes landing on Midari casually leaning against her door frame. "How long have you been there & don't you know how to knock?" Midari shrugs & walks away. "Let's watch a movie before you spiral down into another mental breakdown." Sayaka huffs in annoyance but follows the other. "By the way, I ordered pizza from the cafeteria. I figured it best instead of attempting to cook something myself." Sayaka sits next to her, grabbing a nearby pillow & holding to her chest. "Rather than you attempt to burn down the dorm.. Again. That's fine." Midari rolls her eye. "How was I supposed to know that the microwave is not spoon friendly?" Now it's Sayaka's turn to roll her eyes. "Maybe common sense? Or maybe if you had paid attention in middle school instead of trying to stab that boy's hand, you would've figured it out." "Tsk. He deserved it & I don't think they explained the war between spoons & microwaves anyway." Midari responds back as she reaches for the remote on the table. "What are we watching?" Midari shrugs as she flips through apps. "Horror. Something gorey maybe." Sayaka hums in response. It doesn't matter really. She's not much for horror, unfortunately her mind is too logical to enjoy the silly displays of mediocre jumpscares.

"How'd you know I was awake?" Midari's stomach growls as she finally lands on a random horror flick. "I could hear you tossing & turning. Doing those sad dog sighs over & over." Sad dog sighs? "Dog sighs? Excuse me? You know what? Nevermind." Sayaka returns her gaze to the film, mindlessly reading the red words that pop up. "I just don't know how to approach this." She says after a bit. "I can avoid her tomorrow. She thinks I have a cold. The elections are running a little slower than usual without me in charge, but come Monday morning I cannot fake this illness anymore." Midari tosses the remote onto the table, it lands with a thud as she readjusts herself on the couch. "Well are you planning on Monday being the day?" Sayaka brings her knees to her chest, pushing the pillow further into herself. "Maybe? I just feel like I should do this as soon as possible. I can't avoid her forever but I know myself well enough to know that Monday I'll be too cowardly to do anything. I want to be free. I wish it could resolve itself on its own. That by Monday morning, I'm suddenly a regular student & not the council's secretary." Midari hums in response, as a woman's scream from the screen fills the silence. "Just do it Tuesday or even Wednesday." Sayaka turns to her with a frown, "But- "Look. Monday is too soon for you. That's clear enough. So Tuesday or Wednesday, you can figure out how to resign. In the meantime, just do your job from afar. Like I told you the first time. Do the simple electoral things. Keep things in control but stick with me. I mean as long as you're doing your job it's fine no?" Midari interrupts, her lone gaze fixated on the unnatural amounts of blood spewing everywhere on screen with a wicked grin. Sayaka hesitantly nods. It should be. It's not like she saw much of the President anyway. "Then just stay with me & do your job as the secretary. Literally just the requirement. Don't overdo it. Don't go out & beyond what is really required. Yeah that might arouse some suspicion but as long as the election runs then no harm no foul. It might look a little weird sticking together but we're friends. Even if we don't interact much beyond these doors, some of those knuckleheads out there have seen us talking since middle school anyway." That in itself might pose a problem. The sudden appearance of the council's secretary hanging around the council's local lunatic might bring some unwanted attention, aka the President's. Especially, since she wasn't planning on wearing the ribbon anymore. Hanging out with Midari & changing her appearance will surely cause heads to turn & rumors to arise. However, it's a plan. Better than what she had, which was nothing. "Okay." She says in defeat, as she watches some poor dude get hacked by a chainsaw. The knock at the door makes her curl further into herself as Midari gets up to grab the food. A problem. Oh how all of this could've been avoided had she just stuck to her schedule. Not gone out & about to hear that dreadful conversation. What a stupid way of thinking. How was any of this avoidable? Sure, she might not have found out that way but the day the President deemed her usefulness finished then what? By what she had heard, it was only a matter of time until she was discarded anyway. "Stupid." she mumbles to herself. "Stop wallowing in self pity. Are you thinking about how you could have avoided this if you hadn't heard what you heard that day?" Midari says with her mouth full as she flops back into the couch, her arm stretched out handing Sayaka a slice. Who uncurls herself, taking it with a slight surprised look. Midari scoffs as she returns her gaze back to the poor unfortunate soul that has encountered the killer in the film. "I've known you for a while, Sayaka. I know that look. You couldn't have avoided it. By what you told me, it was a matter of when rather than how. You know it & I know it." Sayaka hums & hesitantly takes a bite. She isn't very hungry. Her stomach is still a pit of nerves filled with anxiety & dread of what's to come. However, she knows the first step is to take care of herself. Losing sleep & causing her body harm will only prove how weak she truly was to Momobami's grasp.

That won't do anymore.

🂱

Yumeko's day couldn't have gone any better despite this morning's little mishap with Igarashi-san. She had even run into the President earlier. The other woman, of course, had simply ignored her pleas for a gamble, leaving her in the middle of the hallway with not even a second glance. Perhaps another day. "Hey! Yumeko!" A voice calls out behind her. Yumeko turns to find Mary semi-sprinting her way till she stops just in front of her. "I've been calling you for a while! Pretty sure you could hear me halfway across the damn academy!" Mary exasperatedly says, trying to catch her breath. "Sorry." Yumeko responds with a cheeky smile, "I was thinking about something but nevermind that, What is so important that you chased me down?" Yumeko continues her walk down academy halls, as Mary clears her throat beside her. "I just had a thought about the election. Perhaps a way for you to gamble with the President. Though I haven't worked out all the details-" Yumeko turns, grabbing the blonde's shoulders, giving her an excited shake. "What do you mean!? A way to finally gamble the President? Oh Mary! That's wonderful! Well? What is it?" Mary pulls away, "Well, I was thinking of the secretary. We saw her this morning about to collapse right? I haven't worked out the details but there's a way to benefit with the secretary seemingly falling apart in random classrooms. That woman worries more about the President than her own health, so.." Mary pauses hoping the other has caught on to her half thought out plan. No luck. A blank stare is on the other's face. Not a single thought behind those eyes. Mary clears her throat before continuing her walk down the hall. "Anyway.. What's the best way to knock someone off their high horse? Take out the supporting beams, in this case the secretary. She's the strongest pillar that holds the President up. By the looks of how she overworks herself, I assume that most things wouldn't run so smoothly without her." Another pause, hoping Yumeko would give her input on the idea. Yumeko's face is no longer crazily intrigued, instead it holds a slightly confused frown. "So, your plan is to..ask Igarashi-san what's the best way to take down the President?" Mary lets out an exasperated sigh. "Ugh no no.. I haven't worked out all the details but that damn pet of hers has more knowledge of that crazy woman than any of us do! I was thinking of trying to get information out. Look I'm not sure! I haven't worked out any details & Ririka didn't want to help, so I came to you!" Yumeko hums & offers a small smile. "Well that doesn't make any sense. Of course she wouldn't help you, you don't really have a plan." Mary gives her a sharp glare in response. "I want to check in on Igarashi-san anyway, if you want to tag along & develop your plan then that's fine. I'm just curious about her, we became good friends during that Tower gamble!" Mary rolls her eyes at this, mumbling an "I don't think so.." under her breath. Yumeko clasps their hands together & gives a bright smile, "Oh I'm so glad Mary! Let's find Igarashi-san tomorrow & see how she's doing! Hopefully she'll arrange a gamble between the President & I, as a friendly favor of course!" Irritated, Mary agrees as she pulls her hands out of the tight grasp. Whatever has the secretary worked up will be helpful. Despite what Ririka & Yumeko think. Why else would the President seem more irritated? Why else is Igarashi avoiding the electoral duties? Mary knows the answers she seeks are just within reach, she just needs to find the secretary.