The school garden was bathed in warm sunlight, the soft hum of bees buzzing around flowers filling the air. The group had gathered in their usual corner-a shaded area near the fountain-Snowball nestled comfortably in Lumine's lap, purring softly as she absentmindedly stroked his fur.
Amber sat cross-legged on the grass, twirling a flower between her fingers. "Okay, okay, hear me out," she began, breaking the peaceful silence. "What if... at the prom... your dance partner takes you by the hand, leads you to the rooftop, and then you dance under the moonlight while the stars shine above you?"
Venti, lounging dramatically on the grass with his head propped up by his hands, raised a brow. "Amber, are you writing a romance novel in your head again?"
Amber huffed, flicking the flower petal at him. "Shush! Let me have my moment!"
Kazuha, sitting calmly beside Albedo, chuckled lightly. "It's quite a poetic image, Amber. I'm sure many would appreciate such a moment."
Ayaka, her cheeks slightly pink, smiled softly. "It does sound... very romantic."
Albedo pushed his glasses up, his analytical mind kicking in. "Though, statistically speaking, accessing the rooftop during the prom would be restricted by school regulations."
"Albedo," Amber groaned, "you just sucked the magic out of my scenario."
Lumine giggled while Aether rolled his eyes. Scaramouche, sitting slightly away from the group with his arms crossed, muttered under his breath, "What a load of cheesy nonsense."
---
Venti smirked, clearly unable to resist adding fuel to the fire. "But imagine this-Amber, wearing a sparkling gown, her partner dramatically removing their blazer, throwing it onto the floor, and saying, 'For you, milady, anything.'"
Amber's face flushed bright red. "VENTI!"
Before anyone could react, Amber smacked him on the back of the head with her notebook.
"OW!" Venti yelped, clutching his head and flopping dramatically onto the grass. "The betrayal! The violence!"
Snowball startled slightly at the commotion, hopping off Lumine's lap and trotting over to Scaramouche, who absentmindedly scratched behind the kitten's ears.
---
Aether chuckled, tossing a pebble into the fountain. "Honestly, Amber, your scenario sounds more like something out of a drama series than an actual high school prom."
"It could happen!" Amber argued, pointing her finger accusingly at him. "You just have no imagination!"
Ayaka spoke up softly, "I think... if it did happen, it would be a very beautiful moment."
Kazuha nodded in agreement. "Moonlit dances have a timeless charm. Sometimes reality can surprise us in ways fiction cannot."
Scaramouche scoffed from his corner. "You're all acting like prom is some magical fairytale event. It's just a bunch of teenagers in uncomfortable outfits stepping on each other's feet while badly played music blasts in the background."
Amber gasped dramatically. "You, sir, are no fun."
"Never claimed to be."
---p
Lumine leaned back on her hands, tilting her head slightly. "Well, I think... even if it's not exactly like Amber described, a rooftop dance under the stars does sound really nice."
Scaramouche's gaze flickered toward her for a brief moment before looking away with a huff. Snowball, still sitting in his lap, meowed softly, drawing his attention back.
Venti, still rubbing the back of his head, perked up. "Hey, hey, what if Lumine gets her moonlit rooftop dance moment, huh? Who would be her partner?"
The group collectively turned to look at Lumine, who froze, her face instantly heating up.
"W-Why are you all staring at me like that?!" she stammered.
Amber smirked. "Now that's a scenario I'd love to see."
Ayaka smiled shyly. "I think Lumine would look lovely under the moonlight."
Aether's protective instincts flared immediately as he crossed his arms. "Okay, that's enough daydreaming about my sister."
---
While everyone continued to tease Lumine, Scaramouche remained quiet, his sharp gaze drifting between Lumine and the others. His brows furrowed slightly as his fingers absentmindedly traced over Snowball's fur.
Something about the image-a rooftop dance, moonlight, stars reflecting in Lumine's eyes-lingered in his mind, and he couldn't quite push it away.
Snowball tilted its head up at him and gave a soft meow, as if sensing his momentary distraction.
---
After a while, the group's chaotic energy mellowed out as they stretched and prepared to head back inside.
Amber twirled her notebook again. "Okay, fine, maybe my rooftop scenario is a little unrealistic, but it's still cute, okay?"
Venti snickered. "Sure, Amber. We'll see if your prince charming shows up."
"Venti, I swear-"
Lumine picked Snowball back up, the kitten curling comfortably in her arms as she walked alongside Ayaka.
Kazuha walked ahead with Albedo, the two chatting about the probability of certain prom themes.
Aether lingered near his sister, throwing suspicious glances back at Scaramouche, who trailed silently at the rear of the group, hands shoved into his pockets.
---
As the group disappeared into the school building, Scaramouche paused briefly at the garden's edge, looking up at the clear sky.
The faint image of moonlight and stars danced in his thoughts again before he shook his head and muttered to himself, "Ridiculous."
Snowball peeked over Lumine's shoulder from up ahead and meowed faintly, as if in response.
Scaramouche sighed, running a hand through his hair before following the group back inside.
The chaos might have calmed for now, but with prom on the horizon, everyone knew it was only the calm before another inevitable storm.