Oliver turned just slightly, his gaze falling on Akari, and his eyes widened. He had thought he'd see the same scene he's always seen, but right behind him wasn't the girl he was used to—
She was fair-skinned; her blond hair, usually tied into low twin-tails that gave her an almost impish look, was now long, loose, and curly. Her sharp, mischievous eyes that were always shifting, making it difficult to read what was going on in her mind, weren't present, marked with pink eyeliner.
And right now, though, he could tell from the glint in her eyes that she was about to share something interesting, or perhaps something that would get them both into trouble, as she used a blue scrunchy to tie her hair up in a ponytail.
He blinked. "Akari...?" he asked, looking at her unfamiliar appearance, his eyes narrowed. His face twists in confusion; he had spent his time looking at the other strange girl with similar dream powers and hadn't noticed the changes around him.
"What's with your look?" She asked, "Don't you trust my tastes anymore?" She pouted, shaking her rack as her tight shirt held her breasts in perfect shape. "I feel like we've grown apart more recently, like you don't even like me anymore."
"Is this... a new style?" He asked, and she looked at him.
"What are you talking about? This is how I normally dress." Akari spoke, fixing her hair, and then looked at him. "So what happened last night? You were supposed to come over and make a good impression."
"Don't you mean a bad impression?"
"?? " She looked at him like a weirdo. "Why would you make a bad impression on purpose? I invited you over so that my family would finally meet my boyfriend. But you didn't even come over; I had to make an excuse that I might have given you a wrong address."
He looked at her and noticed she wasn't joking. Has she been replaced? No, how or why? We all had dream pattern rituals, so this could be her drawback, like how I was supposed to forget about the seclusion forest when I left it.
Has she been put under a similar effect, or was it that girl? Then why be this blunt with a change to someone so close to me?
"What did you find now, Akari?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Let's play along for now.
Akari leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I found this really great manga. It's... well, let's just say it's got some pretty wild scenes in it. I can't wait to show you after class, in the Asian Culture Club. You'll love it."
Oliver blinked at her for a moment, already prepared for whatever came next. "Oh, really? Is it one of those... you know, those kinds of mangas?" He asked, his lips curling into a half-smile.
Akari's eyes sparkled mischievously. "What kinds of mangas?"
"Akari," he said, leaning back in his chair with a knowing look. "If it's something you'd recommend, I'm sure I'd end up in jail if anyone found it. You and your recommendations..."
Akari giggled, her expression far too innocent for the thoughts clearly running through her head. "Maybe you're just not adventurous enough, Oliver. C'mon, you're always so uptight. You have to loosen up and try something new."
He scoffed, shaking his head. "I don't need anything that could land me in the police station. You really need to think about what you're recommending sometimes."
"Oh, come on, don't be such a buzzkill," she teased, poking him lightly in the shoulder. "It's just for fun. You'd be surprised at what you're missing out on." She said it with a tone that made it clear she was fully aware of the kind of mischief she was instigating.
Oliver chuckled, shaking his head. "I'll pass this time. You're on your own with this one, Akari. Maybe next time I'll join in... but only if it's... less illegal." His grin was half-amused, a compromise for their usual back-and-forth banter.
Before Akari could respond, the classroom door suddenly swung open, and a student poked his head in, scanning the room. "Uh, Oliver? The principal wants to see you."
The classroom fell into a brief silence as all eyes turned toward him. Oliver froze for a second, then sighed. He gave Akari a fake apologetic look before standing up from his seat. "Guess that's my cue."
Akari's grin faltered for just a moment, then returned as she gave him a wink. "I'll still be waiting to corrupt your innocence later, Oliver. Don't think I forgot."
Oliver just shook his head, making his way out of the classroom. He had no idea what the principal wanted, but he could already feel the weight of whatever it was looming over him. As he stepped into the hallway, he glanced back at the classroom door. Whatever trouble was waiting for him now, he wasn't looking forward to it.