Well, no time for a side story, but a little more Olesa nonetheless. I'm always open to suggestions. But I think it will take a little while longer for Kaname and Momomi to sort themselves out; Kaname's still in the "now that's just wierd" state of mind and Momomi's not substantially advanced either...
“So you’re finally admitting your reservations, eh?” Momomi frowned at her rival, disappointed with Olesa’s eternally impassive visage.
“Wrong. If you picked out the literature club purely to expose one of my perceived weaknesses, you will be sorely disappointed. I am fully capable of both analysing and writing fiction.”
“Analysing’s the word, but when you talk like that, there’s no way you’ll be any good at this,” Momomi said, shaking her head. “You’re way too precise and scientific about everything.”
“Precise, incisive phrasing is an advantage even in writing.”
“Well, in theory, yes, but not to the degree where you sound like a thesis in physics.”
“You shouldn’t worry about me. Be more concerned about your own abilities. Your grades clearly show that you are only average to comprehension.”
“That’s because I don’t try,” Momomi replied. “I get those results with little to no effort, so you can rest assured that when I go all out I’ll be able to beat even your best.”
“That’s a famous excuse for mediocrity, but I’ve always seen it as an absolute, independent of the reasoning.” Olesa folded her arms. “If you can do something but do not, the end result is the same as if you can’t do it. In this instance, it is your effort and discipline that has prevented you from doing well, but you have still failed.”
“The difference is that it’s hard to fix a true lack of ability, but effort’s more easily forced. And I intend to force it now, because I have a very good reason to excel. Don’t worry about that.”
“I wonder whether your mind is as disciplined as you think it is,” Olesa noted.
“We’ll see for sure, but I could work as hard as you do if I liked. That’s just too boring for words, though, so I won’t.”
“Once again, the fact that you have chosen not to is proof that you cannot.”
“Well, whatever. It’s a moot point. We’re nominally on the same side here, remember.”
“I understand. But I still wish that we were joining a more useful club.”
Momomi sighed audibly. Be that way. I guess I’ll shoot for civility. “What kind of books do you like, Olesa-san?”
Olesa gave her a suspicious look, as if trying to see the trick. “Wouldn’t you say that someone like may has no time for anything but technical manuals and books on the stock market?”
“No, actually, you don’t strike me as someone who’s entirely like that,” Momomi said. “Well, is that all you read?”
“No.” Olesa frowned slightly, then gave up. “But I come fairly close. I occasionally read science fiction books for pleasure, that’s all.”
“Oh, really? I guess that’s consistent with your character.” Momomi closed her eyes for a moment, picturing Olesa with a 700-page long futuristic epic of some kind. “Yeah, that’s very much you.”
“I will take that as a compliment,” Olesa said guardedly.
“I read romantic fiction, myself. I’ve never quite been sure why. Kaname always mocks me for that.”
“That’s moderately surprising,” Olesa said. “But books like that are just wish fulfilment, aren’t they? Many such scenarios are romanticised at best.”
“Well, that’s more a matter of bad writers, which you get in every genre,” Momomi said. “Sci-fi, too, I suspect. Isn’t the worse kind just technological gratification and big explosions?”
“The point is well made. But I don’t read those books, and I hope you in turn don’t read the worse subsets of the romantic genre.”
“For the most part, no, but I do dip into it from time to time. Precisely because it’s a dream-like thing.” Momomi sighed. “Neither of us have to be told anything about how harsh reality is, after all.”
“I won’t welcome any attempts to create fellow-feeling between us.”
Momomi just laughed at that. “I was thinking aloud, that’s all. I really could care less whether you enjoy my company or not. But we might as well at least get on.”
“I don’t have any desire to get on with you. I should say that now.”
Momomi rolled her eyes. “You really have an axe to grind, don’t you? It gets a bit stupid at times.”
“Ohtori-san feels the same way about Kenjou-san. Even knowing that, I do not change. But in a strange way I should thank you. You are a source of much of my determination.”
“Well, that’s all wonderful, but doesn’t it get boring? To be that driven, don’t you just want to relax from time to time?”
“I cannot afford to relent. I am not like you, who can be as complacent as you like without consequence.”
“Kaname has an even harder background than yours,” Momomi reminded her. “By a long way. But she doesn’t go on like that.”
“Kenjou-san needs only look after herself, because she lacks any other lingering ties,” Olesa said. “Someone of her intelligence will always be able to scrape by, so she can relax.”
“And you? Your mother, right?”
“My mother to the standard she is accustomed to,” Olesa said simply. “Myself and Amiki to acceptable standards. More than that, too, I have ambition.”
Momomi shook her head. “It must be annoying, having to work yourself so hard. But, you and Amiki… what are you two?”
“Alicia is my handmaid, my bodyguard and my best- only- friend.” Olesa stated this factually, as if describing a chemical formula.
“Well, you two are always around each other,” Momomi said. “All the time, when I think about it. Do you miss her?”
“Do you miss Kenjou-san?”
“Of course not,” Momomi said. “It would be too stupid to miss her after having seen her in the Church earlier. So you’re the same, I guess.”
“No, I miss Alicia.”
Momomi blinked at this admission, staring at her taciturn rival with renewed interest. “How long have you two been together?”
“Since we were five, to the best of my recollection.”
“That’s a long time,” Momomi said. Well, of course. Today in stating the obvious…
“Like I said before, Alicia was born with the intention of serving me in mind,” Olesa said. “Like her mother and my own. Such resources as we have are spent maintaining those ties, even if we have nothing else left.”
“I think Amiki would stay by you even if she wasn’t paid for it.”
“Perhaps, but I could not forgive myself if she did that.”
“Eh?”
“It is a matter of dignity, and a matter of duty,” Olesa said ambiguously. “Not things I would expect a Phareli to understand.”
“You take yourself way too seriously,” Momomi said, without rancour. “You should learn to relax a little and accept things like that without considering yourself a failure for them.”
“From the child of the man who made us like this, who wants for nothing, that’s not very convincing.”
“You know, tell me something. What do you think of me as a person? I find it annoying to be judged because I’m my father’s daughter.”
“You are lazy, selfish, apathetic and annoying. Briefly.”
Momomi laughed at that description. “Well, I suppose those are all true. But just because you hate me, you shouldn’t forget that I have my own battles to fight. Against my father, and how he will seek to control me, that makes my future more uncertain than you seem to think. And I’m always aware of the privilege I have, associated with him, and not comfortably, either.”
“Why are you seeking understanding from me? We are rivals, and I almost ruined your friendship with Kenjou-san. Validation from someone such as me means nothing at all.”
“Mostly, it’s just good practise. There’s more to gain from being liked than there is from being disliked, even if I lack the will to follow my own advice. But…” Momomi smiled. “Wouldn’t validation from you mean more precisely because you’re my enemy?”
Olesa glanced at her but made no reply.
Momomi was almost disappointed when they reached the literature clubroom. It’s not like I enjoy talking to her, or anything, but getting under her skin is kinda fun. And really, for all her cold façade, she does like to talk about herself, if someone’s willing to listen. She’s definitely not invincible. She knocked on the door.
“Come in,” a familiar voice instructed.
Momomi opened the door, stepping into a mostly empty room. Tables had been lined up in a large U-shape, presumably to facilitate formal discussion. There would probably be twenty people or more in here, but now there were only three third-years.
“Glad you could make it,” Shion said, waving.
“What are you doing here?” Momomi demanded.
“Well, I’m a club member, of course. Someone had to greet you and bring you up to speed.”
“You could have said you were a member! I might have chosen a different club, for a start.”
“I thought you’d know.”
“I knew, and made the same assumption,” Olesa added.
Momomi gave her an impatient glance. “Okay, so what next?”
“Come and sit down, both of you,” Shion ordered. She turned to her peers. “The noisy one is Momomi Kiyashiki-san, and the quiet one is Olesa Perez-san. I’ve told you about them.”
“A pleasure, Momomi-chan, Olesa-chan,” the first said. “I’m Tsukimi Eida.”
“Etsu Hirai,” the second said quietly.
“Hirai-san is another member of the club, along with me,” Shion explained. “But she’s also our chief proof-reader. Eida-san, on the other hand-”
“Is directing the third year-and-below Spica play this year,” Tsukimi said enthusiastically.
“Huh? What’s that got to do with the literature club?” Momomi sighed at the look in Shion’s eyes. I have a sinking suspicion that she’s started something overcomplicated again.
“Now, now, we’ll come to that later,” Shion said, with the confidence of a magician conducting an intricate trick. “First things first, the Literature Club. Hirai-san?”
“Yes,” the girl said quietly. She pushed a book and some photocopies across the desk. “We’re currently studying I am a Cat by Natsume Soseki, so if you were to read that… and I’ve copied my notes on what we’ve done so far for you to reference… and there’s a reading list of what we covered earlier in the year, if you have any spare time.”
“Hmm,” Momomi mused. “Well, I could probably read them all in time, but only if I did nothing else. I’ll look them up instead.”
Etsu frowned. “Are you sure this is…”
“Don’t worry about it, Hirai-san,” Shion said. “There’s no harm done, and we may even get a new member. You can borrow the book from the library, they’ll probably have a few spare.”
“Understood,” Olesa remarked, shifting through the notes.
“And remember, Hirai-san, these two are good and long-term members of our club, right?”
“Okay,” the girl said, still looking uncomfortable.
Momomi frowned. Shion really is always distant…I wish I could see why. It’s not like she lacks confidence, quite the reverse, she has too much of it, but she still keeps people a little apart. Such a strange girl. “So this is everything?”
“Well, everything on short notice. We do creative writing as well, poetry and stories and so on, so bear that in mind.”
“Hmm? Well, I suppose I could knock off a poem or two, and Olesa can write about quadratic equations or whatever.”
“We’ve got something better, though,” Shion said, grinning. “Eida-san?”
“Shion-chan tells me you two are good at reading English,” Tsukimi said. “Is that right?”
“Like a native,” Momomi said cockily.
“I’m the same. It’s a necessary skill.”
“Well, I suppose Europeans would be like that,” Tsukimi noted. “But the thing is, we all know the major school play, right? The Etoiles and the upper years basically dominate it, and people our age hardly get a look in, but that’s bad for our young actors. So here at Spica’s theatre club we figured we’d put on our own performance as well.”
“Don’t let Eida-san fool you.” Shion closed her eyes for a moment, grinning. “She just wants an excuse to stage a big play for the sake of it.”
“Well, of course. I suppose you’ve heard the major play this year, though?”
“Romeo and Juliet,” Momomi said. “Right? With the Etoiles in the title roles, undoubtedly.”
“Exactly. Pretty generic on both counts. So we thought we’d try something a little more obscure from that Shakespeare guy. Etsu suggested Twelfth Night. Have you heard of it?”
“My mother liked it,” Momomi said. “I can’t say I remember much about it.”
“Well, that’s our play, anyway, it sounds fun,” Tsukimi said. “But we haven’t got a Japanese copy of the text and in any case it would be dull to just work from that. So we want you two to work on a translated adaptation.”
Momomi stared. “You want us to do that? That’s so much work!”
“Kiyashiki-san,” Shion said, leaning forwards. “Do you remember, a little while ago now, I promised to back you to the hilt in your little venture?”
“Yes,” Momomi said, suspecting what was coming and not liking it one bit.
“Well, in return, I gained the privilege to drag you into one of my projects. This is it. I want you two to work on an adaptation. Together, mind you. It has to be ready for December, so we can start practising for a March performance. Try and cut it down to about an hour to an hour and a half, we don’t want to have too much to learn. And feel free to add personal touches, as well.” Shion tapped her lip. “Was there anything else, Eida-san?”
“That’s about everything. Well, will you do it?”
Momomi considered and sighed. “It doesn’t look like I have that much choice. But I have a lot of studying to do as well. This is going to be a very busy term.”
“I don’t suffer under any such debt to Shion-senpai,” Olesa noted. “I’m not sure why this should involve me.”
“Simple,” Shion said. “If you don’t help her, Kiyashiki-san will have twice the workload.”
“You’re doing this too, Olesa!”
The Spaniard frowned slightly, then shrugged. “Very well. It looks like I have no choice, either.”
“Oh, come on,” Shion said. “This could even be fun, you two. In any case, it sounds a lot more accomplished and impressive than writing a few poems.”
“You have way too many evil schemes,” Momomi said.
“And you remain uncharitable,” Shion said. “It’s just a pity you have to miss our meetings proper, what with the Church thing and all.”
“I notice your interest in that faded quickly,” Momomi remarked.
“I was just arranging this for you. You should be grateful.” Shion turned away before Momomi could reply. “That’s everything, isn’t it?”
The others nodded their agreement.
“Then let’s go.”
Momomi sighed and stood to follow. I knew there was a good reason why I kept myself aloof… the alternative is being dragged into stuff like this. But it’s also nice to feel wanted. So go figure. Right now, I want a shower. I’ve been looking forwards to that. And Kaname will be back as well, and I can shove her in after me, and then we can talk-
“Kiyashiki-san,” Olesa said quietly.
Momomi blinked. “Hmm?”
“If you see Alicia, tell her I’m at the paddock.”
“The paddock?”
“She’ll understand, and it doesn’t concern you, no?”
Momomi sighed at the still blatant hostility. “Fair enough. If I see her.” She fell into reverie again.
Kaname snorted and ran forwards, thrusting out with her shinai-
“Stop that!” A rather longer bamboo sword descended onto her head in forceful reproach, shaking her through her heavy helmet. “For the last time, Kenjou-san! Students are not allowed to use thrusts, and even if they could, you can only aim them at the throat!”
“Why? If I stab someone in the chest, they’re still dead.”
“There’s no why about it,” the sixth year, Maya Hazama, snapped. “That’s the way kendo is. If you don’t like it, leave.”
“Damn stupid rules,” Kaname muttered, retreating and tugging at her helmet. And blasted uncomfortable clothes, too. How can they stand fighting like this?
“And Rivera-san, shouting what you just did is not an acceptable form of kiai,” Maya continued, tapping her shinai against the dojo floor. “I know you have more discipline than this, so I expect you to show it.”
“It’s this girl being here,” Amiki said. “She isn’t taking this seriously at all.”
“No excuses!”
“Yes, yes.” Amiki backed off as well, returning her sword to guard.
“I’ve been asked for miracles before, but this is ridiculous,” Maya said. “Getting you to a decent level in three days isn’t going to happen.”
“She doesn’t have to be good good,” Amiki said. “Just good enough to fool a westerner who knows nothing about Kendo. It doesn’t matter if her ki-ken-tai-ichi isn’t up to scratch.”
“If I’m doing this at all, I want to do it properly,” Kaname said, gritting her teeth. “Even if I have to go through with a bunch of illogical fencing rules, that’s what’s expected of me and that’s what I’ll give.”
“That’s the first sensible thing I’ve heard you say so far,” Maya said. “Remember it. Now, try again.”
Amiki sighed, raising her shinai. “Give it your best, Kaname, I’m half-asleep here.”
Kaname gritted her teeth and moved forwards, slashing her shinai towards Amiki’s head.
The girl blocked easily, pushing her weapon away. “Kiai, Kaname.”
Kaname scowled again, shouting raggedly as she brought her weapon round for a second attack. Damn stupid rules… seven target areas, shout on contact, stamp forwards, correct direction of movement, situational awareness… what the hell is this? If this was a real sword, situational awareness wouldn’t matter because she’d be dead! As if I’d have a sword on me to fight a sword-armed foe in this age anyway. She frowned in frustration, trying to split her mind between all the necessary conditions for a successful attack while aiming to pierce Amiki’s guard. Unfortunately, the other girl was blocking everything thrown at her with an infuriating casualness. Annoying. Kaname attacked faster and with less precision, not so much aiming to hit a target point any more as to land a good blow, any good blow, anywhere on her foe’s body. Amiki twisted her sword and pushed Kaname’s shinai away from her right side, then stamped forwards with a sudden shout, sweeping towards her foe’s head. Kaname ducked back ungracefully, desperately blocking the attack, then twisted and tried to stab out-
“Again!” The shinai bounced off her helmet. “Just accept this and go back to real training,” Maya snapped. “As it stands, you won’t score even if you do hit her. The technique is complicated and you’re way too arrogant.”
Kaname threw her shinai down in disgust. “Well, it’s not my fault you have so many ridiculous rules. How much of this matters in a fight? Shouting? Don’t make me laugh, it’s a waste of breath. Stamping and striking these little targets and all the rest, what does it matter, provided they’re dead? It’s a ludicrous sport anyway.”
“Then I suggest you leave,” Maya said.
“You know, I think I will.” Kaname pulled off her helmet and threw that down as well.
“I never knew you gave up so easily, Kaname,” Amiki said. “It’s quite a pathetic sight to behold.”
“Say what you like, someone like you should know what I mean. It’s not real fighting.”
Amiki took off her own helmet, looking at her. “You know, you’re right. It’s not real fighting.”
Kaname snorted and turned away, trying to unlace her chest plate.
“But it does prepare you for real fighting. I’m saying that. You know why?” Amiki walked forwards. “Because it teaches something you don’t have, Kaname, discipline. When you fight you don’t care what you do provided it works, but that attitude will get you killed.”
“I’m still alive, aren’t I? Wooden swords won’t teach me anything.”
“Well, they’ve taught me a lot of things, but maybe I have more imagination than you. Sometimes you have to hold back, not least because you don’t want anyone to die. More frequently than that, it’s good to be in control of your motions. The shouting, the stamping, the entry movement and the continual awareness, they’re all the same, discipline and unified concentration brought to a point. That’s ki-ken-tai-ichi.”
“Excessively poetic, but not a bad summary,” Maya sniffed.
“I told you, it’s all still worthless to me.”
“If you can control yourself, you’ll be stronger,” Amiki said. “And if you’re open to teaching, you’ll be stronger. Running away because you can’t be bothered to learn a new technique isn’t strength, now is it?”
“Why are you so enthusiastic, all of a sudden?” Kaname demanded through gritted teeth.
“Because I intend to kick your ass until you learn that lesson,” Amiki said. “Right now, you’re just being stupid. Is that all you have? What about your promise to Momomi? Is that broken so easily? You make me sick.”
“You piss me off,” Kaname growled. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them. “But fine. I’m not beaten that easily. So teach me this beloved art of yours.”
“You finally get it, don’t you? That you can’t just walk in here and be good at it because of who you are. I wonder whether that’s a novel experience.” Amiki picked up her helmet. “Well, whatever,” she said, face disappearing behind her visor. “As long as you know who’s the senior here.”
“That would be me, actually,” Maya said. “I’m very unhappy, though, Amiki-chan. At that rate I might have got to go back to my room instead of wasting my time with this farce.”
“So you’re not up to it, then?” Kaname asked, replacing her own helmet. “That’s fine. We’ll manage without you.”
“Yeah,” Amiki agreed. “There’s no need for you to be here.”
“Like hell there isn’t! I’m not letting you two murder each other while it’s my responsibility to stop you.” Maya sighed and picked up her shinai. “Right. Now what?”
“Show me the movements again,” Kaname said. “How you score a point.”
“Hmm?” Amiki asked. “No more sparring?”
“You said it yourself, I get it already,” Kaname muttered.
“Well, victory certainly tastes sweet,” Amiki replied.
“Don’t get too cocky,” Kaname said, pointing her weapon at her rival. “By the end of this year, I’ll have beaten you, so look forwards to it.”
“Fighting words from someone who was going to leave in a petulant huff a minute ago.”
“Enough,” Maya said, sounding bored. “Shall we begin the actual exercises?”
Fifteen minutes later she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, picking up a towel and drying herself quickly. Still no Kaname. What the hell happened to that girl? Pity she’s not here, I just love it when I can boss her around. That’s probably not weird or anything. I could phone her up, but there’s no point. She’s probably still prodding Amiki with a glorified stick, instead. Momomi checked her watch then changed back into her uniform, hair still slightly wet. Too wet to comb. Well, it’ll be fine. She dragged it out of her eyes, smiling slightly at a certain memory, and put on her shoes, stepping out of the door. There was only an hour to curfew, after all, and once again it would be up to her to drag Kaname back and teach her the meaning of the world responsibility. Momomi hummed slightly as she walked. I enjoy doing that. But I’m amazed I can be so sanguine considering what’s coming up… and of course I just jinxed it. She frowned, an uncomfortable knot tightening in her stomach. Now that’s an awkward sensation I’m getting far too used to. Something like having a tennis ball wrapped in wire stuck in my gut. Now aren’t I lucky? Well, it’s fine. I can definitely handle something that simple, and I even have help, not that I need it. I can handle that bastard myself. She scratched her nose. And now I’ve got myself all worked up again. Relax, Momomi. Life isn’t that bad, is it?
There were shouts coming from the dojo when Momomi approached, so she stuck her head round the doorway with a sense of caution. Amiki, Kaname and a sixth-year she didn’t recognise. So Kariya’s not there this time. Pity, I’d like to see her doing her sword thing. But I guess she’s busy conspiring with Serané, or trying to relax and forget the need for conspiracy in between. A bit like Kaname and I, I suppose… though our relaxation phase is probably a lot less interesting. She smiled at the sight of the two younger girls training. I’ll forgive you for being late this time, Kaname. Work hard and become the best like you want to, I’ll always support you in that. Then she remembered the message she was supposed to give, knocking on the door and stepping in. “Amiki! Olesa says she’s at the paddock, okay?”
One of the two armoured figures- it was hard to tell them apart- nodded in acceptance. “I hope you haven’t been saying weird things to her, or I’ll kick your ass.”
“Mind your own business,” Momomi snorted. “She was the one being rude to me, that’s all I can say.”
“The paddock?” Kaname cocked her head. “What the hell is she doing there?”
“Horse riding, you idiot,” Amiki said emphatically. “Whatever else do you do there? Well, I know what you do-”
“I didn’t know she rode, either.”
“Don’t you?”
“Well, I do, but I don’t.” Momomi shrugged. “If you know what I mean.” I never found it very exciting and it hurts my legs.
“Well, it’s a stupid hobby,” Kaname said. “Just another aristocratic pretence.”
“Far better than you, sitting around in a room doing nothing-”
Maya coughed, instantly stilling the bickering girls. Then she smacked them on the head, one after the other, with two decisive blows from her shinai. “Get back to work!”
Momomi raised her eyebrows. How violent. No wonder Kariya joined this club. She waved cheerily and turned away, leaving them to it.
Of course, now I don’t have anything to do, and no Kaname to not do anything with, if that makes sense. Mutual tedium is a lot more entertaining than being bored and alone. I wonder whether Kaname was like that in her first year here…just whiling away the hours sitting around and doing the work she has to. That must have been dreadfully dull. Well, truthfully, I found my own life before I came here equally stultifying, so I suppose I know the feeling. The sure and certain knowledge that tomorrow will be the same as today which was the same as yesterday, and that the day that’s being repeated is in itself dreary, without interesting people or enjoyable activities to take note of. Of course, I used to feel a lot like that about the school now, but Kaname does make things more interesting, somehow. I wonder what that talent is, because it’s a peculiar one. More people should learn it, then I wouldn’t be so bothered when she’s off being Kaname. And I don’t have any books, which is my usual way of killing time. I’ve been too distracted in recent times. It’s probably good for me, I’m sure they rot my mind anyway. Momomi sighed. I could go the library, but that just feels stupid right now.
It was at that point that she woke up and realised that her feet had picked up their old habit of taking her somewhere while her mind was completely absent. In this instance, they’d taken her outside, where the quiet at least was soothing. Once again she was struck by that recollection of her mother. She’ll be back here soon. I wonder what she’ll feel when that happens. Joy? Sadness? I’ve no idea. I wonder how much this place has changed, as well, but I don’t have the time or inclination to ask her. Momomi frowned slightly under the night air. Well, whatever. I’m close, so I might as well go and bother Olesa again. I’ll get her to be civil to me even if it kills me. Somehow it feels like her hating me for my father is just another way in which he exerts himself over my life. It’s… bloody annoying, mostly. She turned and walked through the forest, this time skipping the turning that lead to the lake. This wasn’t a route that she took often, though Kaname used it a lot more. She reflected on that as she emerged from the trees, leaning against one and just watching.
Amane was riding ahead, leading the way, while Olesa and her horse followed obediently behind. Momomi shook her head, amazed that the blue-haired girl was still here, even at this time. She really does obsess over her horses. But I never thought Olesa would be someone like that. Well, really, she’s not. I do wonder whether she’s doing this to fulfil her own preconceived notions of the gentility she’s lost, rather than because she actually enjoys it. Or perhaps she likes Amane’s company, who knows? She glared at Amane with annoyance and a tinge of jealousy, but of course the other girl didn’t notice. Less so recently, but it’s hard to forget the amount of time Kaname spent here, staring her down with that melancholy expression of hers, as if brooding about something or other, and… I don’t know… dissatisfied. With herself and with the world. That’s always frustrated me. At the time I thought that I disliked Amane for being Amane, but I don’t think so. It’s because she makes Kaname look so insecure, when she should be bold and strong. She’s a frustration to her and so to me as well. But it’s a little more than that. There’s something about Amane that keeps bringing Kaname back here, even though it hurts, and I’m not quite sure what it is. Perhaps it’s just masochism on the part of my friend, I don’t know. But she really is so very beautiful and very cold, and she somehow gets to everyone just being who she is. For someone like me who has to be someone else entirely if I want to get on with people, it’s unforgivable. Even Kaname, even Olesa, it’s all the same, two people who should know better still get drawn to her? What is that quality? Good looks? A cool personality? Whatever it is, it doesn’t work on me, which just makes the situation even more frustrating…
“Kiyashiki-san,” Olesa said, halting at the closest point to her rival. “I’m surprised. Normally it’d be Kenjou-san here.”
“Sorry to disappoint you,” Momomi replied, walking forwards. “She’s busy kicking your sidekick’s ass at kendo.” She leaned on the other side of the fence, frowning.
“I doubt that, but you can say what you like.”
Momomi frowned. A little more forthright than usual. “In my own turn, it’s a surprise to see you on horseback, even if you tell me about it. It’s not a mental image that fits.”
“Do you ride?”
“A little, but not now,” Momomi said. “It got wearying. What’s the horse called?”
“This is Ganymede. She belongs to Ohtori-san, who is kind enough to lend her to me.” Olesa’s face was mask-like. “We had to sell all our own horses, so this is the only way I can ride. I’m indebted to her.”
Sore subject, eh? Momomi sighed. “Ganymede, eh? That’s an appropriate name for a school like this. But I’m glad for you. I wish I could take pleasure in activities like that.”
“Well, we’re welcome to switch places,” Olesa retorted, annoyed. “I don’t like people who don’t appreciate what they have until it’s gone.”
“Well, would you fancy leaving your mother in my care?” Momomi replied. “Aren’t you the one with a duty to do where you stand?”
“You have no right to remind me of that.”
“Perhaps not, but all the same, a person who has chosen their own destiny must bear that burden. That’s something I’m going to have to learn, so I expect you to teach me.”
“You have to learn alone. That’s the point.”
“You brought Amiki with you, so you’ve never been alone,” Momomi said. “Remember that.”
“You don’t know anything about either of us,” Olesa said, turning Ganymede back towards Amane. “You in turn should remember that.”
“Good luck,” Momomi said. “I’ll be watching.”
She smirked at her rival’s bemused expression, watching as the two girls carried on their trotting round the paddock. It must be very frustrating for them. The horses want to ride freely, but they’re stuck in this tiny space in the middle of a forest. And somehow, the girls are just the same. It’s a very mediocre picture of life, really, if this is what it comes to. But we’ll struggle on, because somewhere beyond the fence there has to be freedom.
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