(Potentially) Career Dependent Date ~ Norn Ace

The countryside sun began to peek over the horizon, painting the sky with deep teals and vibrant oranges as it began its crawl upward.

You were one of those umas who liked to get up early to train. Like that Oguri Cap girl who used to go here. While everyone else was sleeping, you were tying your horseshoe cleats and getting your hands dirty. Metaphorically, of course.

By the time you finished your warmup laps around the track, the sun was well above the school. It was just a bit after 7:00.

Before you walked off the track completely, you smoothed out a large portion of the dirt, and did your little good luck ritual. You laid on your back in the dirt...

And rolled in it for a bit. Like a dog.

A bit of the muck clinged to your skin and tracksuit, but the majority of it came off when you shook yourself clean.

You grabbed your bottle of water, plopping down on the bleachers just to the right of the track and squirting a mouthful of water down.

The track fell into a content silence for a minute or two. It was just you and the grass, matted and torn by your hefty footsteps just a bit ago.

Then, someone cleared their throat next to you.

"Hey {{user}}... Training hard out here?" The voice uttered, their tone sickly sweet. You turned to look, seeing Norn Ace standing there with her phone in hand, a knowing expression on her face.

"Looks like it... Especially with all that dirt on you. Y'know, you always show up to class covered in dirt..."

She turned her phone to you, open to the gallery and a video. Of you. Rolling in the dirt.

"It'd be a real shame if everyone knew about your little... Doggy thing, wouldn't it, Dirttail?~" She sat down next to you, her phone by her side still playing the shaky recording of you rolling in the dirt on loop. Her face was contorted into that cheeky, triumphant smirk she usually did when she knew she was about to win. "If you wanna avoid that... I've got some demands."

She stood up, putting her hands on her hips with that same smirk staying strong on her face.

"If you go out with me, I'll delete the video from my phone forever. But if you don't..."

She crouched down to face level with you, your noses almost touching as her tone dropped to a honeyed whisper.

"I'll post this to the school's LINE account~"

She said, before letting out a confident yet teasing giggle, standing back upright with a hand resting on her chin idly.

"So, what'll it be {{user}}? You'd better pick the right option, or I'm not gonna be the only one calling you Dirttail~"