There's something about the food scenes. They're just useful, I suppose. A natural weather gauge of our characters and their relationship. Speaking of that, Momomi's fallen first for two reasons. In the series, she always took the initiative romantically, so I thought I'd keep her one step ahead in the past too. Secondly, Kaname has suffered-in-silence in the pre-row "is she my friend?" phase. Now Momomi must mirror her in the "is she my lover?" phase...
“Oi, you lazy sod! Wake up, already!”
Kaname’s eyes fluttered open. She took a few deep breaths, trying to focus and prevent herself from sliding back into comfortable oblivion. After all, Momomi would only wake me, this time with a slap. Such a cantankerous girl, sometimes…
“You’re as lazy as ever,” Momomi said, standing over her with a hand on her hip. “I hope you haven’t forgotten what day this is.”
“I know, already,” Kaname said, throwing herself up and pushing off the covers. “I hope you got a good night’s sleep yourself, you’re the one who will need it most.”
“Of course I did.” Momomi turned away, sniffling slightly, as Kaname struggled to her feet.
She yawned hugely and glanced at the dresser mirror opposite them. “Your eyes look a little red, you know.”
Momomi scowled and flounced off without looking back, slamming the bathroom door shut.
“Grumpy again.” Kaname sighed and walked towards the dresser, noting with moderate surprise that Momomi hadn’t laid out her clothes for her. Well, I shouldn’t be too surprised. She’s got plenty enough to worry about as it is, and it’s up to me to keep her going. Even if she says she’s my mother or something stupid, I still have to support her just as much. She opened her drawers and selected clean white underwear, dressing quickly. She stretched and yawned, feeling the stiffness in her limbs. They were slightly painful, something she was rapidly getting used to. Kendo really takes it out of you, I’ll admit that much. Those bamboo sticks are heavier than you’d think; I can’t imagine what it feels like to wield a true sword. Well, it’s irrelevant, really. She pulled up her skirt, wishing she could get away with trousers today. But, no, today had to be proper, and that meant the knee-length skirt, the stockings, the shoes, the blazer, the necktie, all of it. I hate that uniform… well, it’s better than the alternative, I suppose.
Momomi walked out of the bathroom as she was shrugging on her blazer, sitting on the bed wordlessly. She’d probably washed her face again.
At least she practises what she preaches. Kaname turned to her, expecting a chiding, but the girl didn’t say anything. She’s probably fretting herself to death, after all. “Hey, is my necktie okay? I’m still not confident about that.”
Momomi glanced at it. “It’s too lose. Draw it in a bit, and shift it slightly to the left, too, you have it off centre.”
Kaname frowned, trying to adjust the length. “Like this?”
Momomi smiled dryly, standing and shaking her head. “No, totally nothing like that. You’re hopeless.”
“You do it, if you’re so smart. Isn’t that what you do?”
“I guess I don’t have any choice.” Momomi stepped forwards, fiddling with the tie for a few seconds, then sighing with exasperation. “You tied it wrong, after all. We’ll have to redo it.”
“I told you before, I’m not used to wearing superfluous clothes like this.”
Momomi undid the tie, pulling it free. “Turn around,” she said crisply. “I’ve told you before, as well, you’re going to have to get used to it if you get anywhere in life. It’s one of the major stumbling blocks in life to people like you.”
Kaname turned around, smiling slightly as Momomi moved around her and started to tie the cloth round her collar again, working from her eyes and the mirror with quick, sharp motions. “It’s a complete mystery to me,” she admitted.
“That’s why I’m here.” Momomi frowned slightly. “I can teach you about things like this, so you can get where you deserve to be.”
“Right now, that’s to impress your parents for you,” Kaname reminded her. “So it’s for your own good, as well.” It was a bother in a way, but it was also vaguely enjoyable to go through this simple routine. I suppose I’m a little gratified at her attention, even if she’s finding fault with me. I wonder whether she’d do this even if my tie was fine.
“I know that, which is why I’m going all out. You have to look perfect.” Momomi completed the bow and drew it tight, stepping back and inspecting her handiwork for a moment. “A little to the left…”
She adjusting it, tugging gently, while Kaname faced upwards. I might even let her get away with that. It makes her feel important, after all, and there’s no harm in it. “There’s always something wrong, isn’t there, though?”
“Well, you aren’t perfect, that’s the point.” Momomi walked round her, looking over her shoulder and checking the reflection. “Nor am I, but I try harder.”
“Waste of effort, if you ask me.”
Kaname sighed and stretched, yawning again. “Now what? Can we go now?”
“Wrong!” Momomi said, pushing her towards the bathroom. “You need to brush your teeth and wash your face and brush your hair and preferably become a lot more polite and dignified, but I’ll settle for the first three if nothing else.”
“Yes, yes. I’m going, already. No need to shove me.” Kaname faked a deep sigh, tottering into the bathroom and inspecting her own reflection idly. She didn’t look that bad, as far as she was concerned, but whatever. She poured some cold water and splashed her face in a desultory manner, then cleaned her teeth. She kept half an eye on Momomi’s reflection, trying to work out the exact moment where she should stop. How about-
“Way too short,” the brown-haired girl snapped.
Kaname sighed and returned the brush to her mouth. “Yoo know-” she began, mumbling around the obstruction, before coughing and waiting until she was finished. “You know, I never used to bother cleaning my teeth in the morning, only in the evening. Always worked fine for me.”
“That’s a really careless attitude,” Momomi snapped, leaving the bathroom for a moment to fetch a brush. “Cleaning your teeth is important, especially after a night’s sleep. It makes them look better, but more important it keeps them healthier. You’re only going to have two sets in a lifetime, after all, it’s stupid to suffer later for the lack of a few minutes every day now.”
“Very responsible, aren’t you?” Kaname said, taking the brush and beginning to comb through her tangles. “Well, there was a time when I didn’t think I’d live that long… and I’ve never had a sweet diet, then or now.”
“Though you don’t like sweet things,” Momomi noted. She winced as Kaname hacked at a particularly insistent clump of hair. “Stop that already! You’re only going to damage it!”
“For someone who was supposed to hate balls and things, you’re very aware of appearances,” Kaname said. But she handed over the comb without further protest; leaning forwards subtly so it would be easier for the shorter girl to brush her hair.
“Honestly, I wish I knew how you manage to get it messy like that,” Momomi sighed, running the brush under the tap. “I sort it out every day, only to find that you’ve sprouted a new privet hedge the next day.”
“Looks like you’re not as good as we’d hoped with these things,” Kaname said.
“Hey, it’s hardly my fault that your hair is the consistency of bramble.”
Momomi sighed, running the brush through Kaname’s hair with smooth, gentle strokes, and probing for tangles with her other hand. Kaname closed her eyes. When exactly did this routine start? After my story and after hers as well… some time, about when we heard that she was going to leave, was it? I can’t remember now. It feels like an infinite time before now, way back then, even though it can’t have been more than a few weeks. I suppose that’s because so much has happened, and things have changed so much, and we’ve changed so much. It’s been an interesting time. Momomi gently teased out a particularly stubborn lock, moistening it with the brush and smoothing it flat. I suppose that’s why a routine like this is so comforting, as well as the enjoyment of her fussing over me. Even if I pretend to be cool and aloof- exactly because I pretend to be cold and aloof- I enjoy it when someone takes an interest in me. Momomi does, and she isn’t ashamed of that, even if she’d have me believe that she’s ashamed of me from time to time. I should be glad.
“Honestly,” Momomi muttered. “How can someone have natural blue hair, anyway?”
“I’m not the only one, you know. It’s from my mother’s side in my case, thankfully, I’d had to be branded by my bastard father’s features.”
“Guess how I feel every time I look in the mirror. However you look at it, the European in me has triumphed over the Japanese blood.”
“Ha. Well, considering your weird fetish for this place, it looks like he hasn’t pierced your soul. I wish I knew why you’re so keen on the place.”
“Well, the place, as you put it, is a very long way from my father. I’ve said that before. Plus you guys are interesting. I mean… blue hair?”
Kaname sighed. “Just call me a freak of genetics, or something.”
“And then there’s Kariya, too, and others as well. Go figure.” Momomi sighed. “Perhaps some of them do dye it, to look different and because of their beloved Kariya-sama. It’s hard to tell.”
“Who knows?” Kaname smirked. “Hey, do you remember the second day after we’d met? You insisted that I used hair dye.”
“And I held you under the shower and scrubbed your hair with a coarse brush to try and prove my point,” Momomi said. “I know, already. It’s not like you couldn’t have escaped if you wanted to.”
“I decided the look on your face when you finally realised that it was real was worth the annoyance.”
Momomi frowned. “That’s such a typical response from you. If I recall correctly, it looked more like you were too bewildered to respond properly. Well, I’m done. Here.” She threw her friend a towel and run the comb under the tap again, before laying it aside.
Kaname dried herself off, rubbing the soft material up and down her hair, then dropping it and shaking her blue strands out like a dog.
“Just a big animal,” Momomi muttered, coming in with another comb.
“Yeah, yeah. Dogs are smart animals, you know.” That always gets her. It’s as much a tradition as her brushing my hair in the first place…
“Not really. They’re loyal but fairly dumb, really. That somewhat suits you, though you’re not really very faithful in that sense of the word.”
“No, that’s Amiki,” Kaname replied. “Loyal but dumb is totally her.”
Momomi started to repair the damage done by her friend’s casual gesture, moving swiftly and confidently. “Oh? And what animal are you, then?”
“I’m a wolf. Strong, cunning and fierce, with a predator’s instinct.” Kaname smiled, admiring Momomi’s handiwork in the mirror. “”You should know that.”
“Well, that’s like you, but wolves generally hunt in packs. You definitely don’t.”
“Of course not. I’m a lone wolf. They’re the worst kind, because they have no one to count on. So they have to be the strongest, just like me.”
“Ah, but you’re not alone any more, are you?” Momomi pointed out, putting down the brush. “You can count on me, if only because it’s entertaining for me to help you.”
“Perhaps. But my strength doesn’t fade away, even if that’s the case. That’s what I’ve come to believe.”
“It’s a sensible attitude. Truthfully, even if we were strong apart, we couldn’t use that. In Olesa’s words, if that’s the case it doesn’t matter whether you have ability or not. Without inclination, it’s useless.”
“Oh? She said that, did she?”
“She did. Criticising me, of course, but she makes a reasonable point.”
“I suppose so.” Kaname glanced at the mirror again, watching as Momomi tidied everything up. Doing that was easier and less obtrusive than looking right at her. “So, if I’m the lone wolf, what does that make you? A cat, ostensibly cute and calculating and independent?”
“Close, but not quite.” Momomi glanced at the mirror and smirked, making Kaname turn away. “I’m a panther. The only cat who shares territory with the wolf and takes them on, one on one, if it comes to that.”
“I suppose that’s our relationship, isn’t it?” Kaname mused, looking at the desk. “The wolf and the panther lying down together.”
“That sounds about right,” Momomi said, fiddling with her own hair. “Well, it makes things interesting, if nothing else.”
Kaname checked her watch. Just on time for breakfast. Of course, I’ve had to get used to waking up earlier when Momomi started “looking after her”, as she puts it. But I guess I don’t resent it, somehow. I generally go to sleep early enough, as I don’t have much to do in the evenings. “We’d better go.”
“Okay,” Momomi said. They stepped back into their room, slipping on their shoes and walking out of the door. She was silent for a few moments as they moved quickly towards the canteen, then she spoke again. “Okay, breakfast now, then I go to the front gate of the school building itself. They’ll be here at nine, but I should be there early. We talk, then I give them a tour, and during breaktime we sit down in the canteen and Olesa and Amiki approach and I introduce them. Then after that we’ll probably go to my room to show them that, then a private room for a chat, and a meeting with the Superior in the afternoon. Hopefully one of the Etoiles at least will back me up there, and then-”
Kaname put a hand on her shoulder. “That’s enough, already. Just stay calm.”
“I’m not panicking.”
“You look a little flustered,” Kaname explained. “Besides, you’ll be doing that crap all day anyway, right? So why talk about it now? It’s only going to be dull, so we should talk about something interesting.”
“Like what?”
“Well, I don’t know? How annoying Olesa is? How stupid Amiki is? How bigheaded Shion is? Stuff like that?”
Momomi giggled. “The worst thing is I’m sure you could wax lyrical on all those things.”
“Of course. Shall I show you?”
“No need, no need.” Momomi waved her hands rapidly. “I’ll be fine, I can assure you.”
“Well, if you ever want to hear it, don’t hesitate to ask,” Kaname said seriously.
She smiled at her friend’s laughter. I guess she really is nervous. It’s not like her to be get like that, but I suppose it’s inevitable, her family situation is… tense. By all accounts, it’s worse with Olesa around. And on top of that there’s so much riding on these few days. When I think about it, I get ill myself. If she had to leave the moment I was getting the hang of friendship again…I wouldn’t accept that. But what am I going to do? Follow her to Italy? I can’t speak the bloody language! And I know- I think- I hope, at the very least, that she’s worried about the same things too. If we screw this up, it’s the end for us, even if her father has to drag her home kicking and screaming. Well, not in person. He can probably pay people to do that. So I’m nervous too, especially as I’ll have to meet the kind of person I love to hate, but this time I have to make a good impression. It won’t be easy for someone like me to please Momomi’s family. I guess when it comes to it I’ll just stay quiet and act loyal and friendly. Like Amiki, though I hate the comparison. Though her father sounds like the kind of Victorian bastard who thinks children should be seen but not heard, so with that attitude I stand a chance.
Out loud she kept up a stream of babble, about History and generals and whatever sprang to mind, all to make sure that Momomi relaxed. Soon enough they were seated at their table and halfway through breakfast. “But yeah, what’s that line… I gave them their orders and they wanted to stay and discuss them? For once I know where Welly-kun is coming from. Government would be a lot simpler if it was run along military lines. The Prime Minister would be the general, basically, and his cabinet officers under his command… and the speaker would be the Sergeant, shouting at all the mere privates and making sure the leader’s will be done with most efficiency. A lot more sensible than all that hot air discussion and stuff like that.”
Momomi smiled thinly. “Are you sure? I’m sure you’d suffer horribly in an environment where you couldn’t argue back with barefaced cheek?”
“Well, that’d never be a problem,” Kaname said. “I’d be the general, of course.”
Momomi laughed. “I’ve said it before, you as a world leader is far too scary a prospect.”
“And I’ve replied, I’d do a lot better than what we have now. Especially in a military environment. I’d whip this country into shape in no time at all.”
“Good luck getting elected on your kind of platform.”
“I’m sure my charisma and force of personality will shine through. But who said anything about being elected? A military coup’s more my style.”
“Hmm. With you around planning this, perhaps sticking around wouldn’t be such a good idea…”
“Oh, come on. You could be my propaganda officer.”
“A tempting offer, I’ll admit.”
“But that’s another thing about the military,” Kaname said. “It’s a relatively pure meritocracy, as far as I can tell. Nowadays, individuals of excellence can generally climb the ranks with sufficient effort. That suits my style.”
“And the violence, too.”
“And the violence.”
Kaname leaned forwards, looking concerned. “You’re picking at your food, you know.”
“I’m fine.” Momomi forced a smile. “I’m not hungry.”
“You should eat. You have to look after yourself, don’t you know?”
“It’s okay, I tell you.”
“Hmm. Momomi is quite the hypocrite. As her friend, I can’t let this slide.” Kaname raised her chopsticks and picked through her own food. “Well, fish won’t do, so I guess I have no choice. I’ll have to sacrifice some of my precious egg, you’d better be grateful.” She held it up to Momomi’s lips. “Say ahh.”
“What?”
“Eat,” Kaname instructed crisply. “I’ll poke it down your throat if I have to.”
“But… you don’t have to-”
“Eat. My arm’s starting to ache.”
Momomi leaned forwards and swallowed the egg, blushing furiously.
Kaname raised her eyebrows as she returned to her plate to find another piece. “What’s this? Momomi embarrassed? I should take a picture.”
“It’s just… you know… with everyone watching.”
“Never stopped you before,” Kaname said, picking up the next morsel. “You know, being your friend is great. I finally get a chance to tease you, as well as vice versa. So be a good girl and say ahh.”
“It’s fine! I’ll eat my own breakfast, already!”
“Hmm, that’s a lot of fluster from the person who invented this game,” Kaname said. “Now stop fussing and accept my gift. Don’t get used to this, because today’s a special day. Enjoy it while you can.”
Momomi just nodded mutely. After the second bite, she busied herself with her own food, presumably to ward off the threat of my baby feeding.
Kaname felt a certain smug sensation rise in her stomach. Just as planned.
“Kaname…” Momomi said eventually, interrupting her friend in mid-flow.
“Hmm?”
“I want you to go with me. To meet my parents.”
Kaname nodded. “I got it. If they don’t show proper respect for you, I’ll kick their asses, too.”
“Only if you want to get rid of me, you mean girl.”
“I’m a passionate individual, not a human computer like Olesa.”
“Then feel the emotion that’s called fear,” Momomi said. “If you mess this up for me, I’ll make you die a thousand deaths.”
“If your father doesn’t see sense, I’ll make him die eight million. So don’t worry about it.”
“After that, how can I help but worry?” Momomi shook her head and smiled.
“Don’t worry, I’m perfectly restrained. If I want to, I can just hurt people.”
“You need to be restrained like a feral dog or a manic, as you seem to be both.”
“Well, an endangered species like you, Homo Aristocratus, belongs in a zoo with a mate. That way you can hope for new specimens.”
“That’s what happens to us already. Look at Serané for the mate thing, and as for the cage… that’s far more true than you think.”
“I hope you don’t intend to take a life like that lying down.”
“Of course not,” Momomi said, standing with her face set. “That’s why I’m going now. Some of us intend to escape from our cages.”
“I’ll help you with that, if only because I hate zoos. A rabbit bit me at a petting zoo when I was a child and I haven’t forgiven them since.”
Momomi laughed. “Was the rabbit called Serané, I wonder?”
“Perhaps. What does that make Kariya? The world’s bitchiest, most hormonal hare?”
Smiling like this, laughing like this, that’s how things should be. Kaname’s muscles tensed in her face despite her smile. I’ll do anything that proves necessary to defend it.
They walked to the gate in relative silence. It was getting harder for Kaname to come up with her usual stream of banal chatter, mostly because her own nerves were being stretched taut in painful anticipation. But standing outside was even worse. The other students walked past, chatting about nothing in particular and heading for their lessons, and Kaname felt an odd mixture of jealously and irrational hate. To be able to afford such casual attitudes and soft certainty, it’s way too annoying. They don’t know how lucky they are. But she didn’t say anything, and neither did Momomi.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning,” Kaname said, without looking round. My mood’s degrading fast and the red-haired wonder won’t help any.
“Good morning, Etoile-sama.” Momomi’s tone was forced, but she managed a smile. “No Serané-sama?”
“She’s sleeping in today,” Kariya said, as if this was self-explanatory.
“Huh?”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry. You have plenty of your own problems, don’t you?”
“Thanks for reminding me.”
“It’s best to bear your own burdens in mind. No one else will.”
“In any case,” Kaname interrupted, “you’ll be meeting your girl’s fiancé within a few minutes. How does that feel?”
“That girl is Serané-sama to you,” Kariya replied. “And they’re not engaged yet, it’s just heavily suggested. I’m not worried, though, because I trust her.”
“Well, isn’t that sweet?” Kaname muttered rhetorically. “What’s the plan?”
“Well, my instinct is to go in all guns blazing, and rip this guy new ventilation through his stomach lining,” Kariya said. “But Serané was against that, so it’s been relegated to the last resort strategy. I wouldn’t hesitate, though. I’m not going to let my Shizuru be taken from me by some prissy aristocrat she doesn’t even know.”
“That’s an admirable resolve,” Momomi whispered.
“Well, I’m the same,” Kaname said, missing the way her friend’s head shot up at her words. “I won’t lose my friend to a bastard toff. It’s the first time in a long while that I’ve had one, after all. A friend, that is. Not a bastard toff.”
Momomi smiled weakly, earning a funny look from Kariya. “And what would you do, Etoile-sama? If she somehow fell for this man.” She raised her hands to still any protests. “Just a hypothetical situation. Would you stand back and let her be happy?”
“Only an idiot martyr would do that,” Kariya snapped, folding her arms and raising her chin. “I’d take her back, or break myself trying. Love is something we fight for, Kiyashiki, with every resource available to us. Serané taught me phrase, all’s fair in love and war. I agree with that.”
Kaname sniggered at the rhetoric. “Only where we have the Geneva Convention to regulate war, there’s no international treaty on love.”
“That’s an… interesting attitude,” Momomi said quietly.
Kariya snorted. “Learn this well, people make their own happy endings. If you want one, you’ll have to fight. That’s the way life is.”
Momomi gave her an uncertain glance, only to snap her head round as Kaname whispered “they’re here.”
Kariya’s eyes narrowed. “So that’s the brat? What a runt. I could take him without my sword.”
“We’re not all martial arts freaks,” Momomi said absently.
Kaname narrowed her eyes, taking in the scene before her. There was Momomi’s sister walking on one side, unmistakable kin, with the same brown hair and the same brown eyes, glittering but with a surprising depth and intensity to them. She was dressed surprisingly casually, with a jacket thrown over a shirt, but where Kaname would have worn trousers she’d opted for a knee-high skirt. On the other side was Momomi’s mother- presumably. There wasn’t much resemblance, except perhaps the slightly soft, childlike face. She was dressed in a kimono, as if she wasn’t unmistakably Japanese to begin with. A little behind the family was the brat Kariya referred to, about sixteen but fairly unremarkable except for, Kaname supposed, a handsome face. And in the front and centre, striding confidently ahead, was the father. Kaname’s face broke into an instinctive scowl at the sight. He had a boyish face and boyish, curling brown hair, neither of which sat well with the light in his eyes. They aren’t soft and gentle, like Momomi’s. I’m more used to seeing that hard, narrow gaze in the eyes of someone packing heat and coming for protection money. She chuckled at the thought. Perhaps that’s nearer to the mark than I’d like.
“Oh, God…” Momomi whispered involuntarily. Something in Kaname’s chest snarled at the sound.
And then, somehow, they were face to face, and Momomi was bowing deeply. “Welcome to Astraea, mother, father, sister, cousin. It’s been a while.” She spoke in Japanese, to Kaname’s relief.
“It’s wonderful to see you, dear,” her mother said, moving forwards and hugging her tightly. Momomi was slow to return the embrace, which lasted a few moments before she stepped back.
Her sister followed, hugging her briefly and stepping back. “You’ve grown up fast without me. Not quite as short now, I see.”
Araldo just waved. “Long time no see, Momomi.”
“Well, quite,” her father said absently. “Shall we get onto the introductions?”
Kaname gritted her teeth as Momomi forced a smile. She’d been doing that far too much, today. “Of course. This is my friend, Kaname Kenjou. We’re roommates, and she’s done a lot to help me out. Kaname, the Phareli family. Luigia Phareli, my sister, Yukaho Phareli, my mother, my cousin Araldo, and of course my father, Rodrigo Phareli, Master of the Family.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Kaname bowed briefly. “I owe you a very important thing, Rodrigo Phareli-sama.”
The Phareli nodded politely, then Rodrigo turned to the Etoile. “And you would be?” he asked.
Kariya bowed with almost theatrical depth. “Kariya Nakano, the first of this school’s two Etoiles. I’m pleased to make your acquaintance. If you ever need anything, please come to me.”
“Nakano? I don’t seem to recall that family…”
Yukaho blanched.
Perhaps at his atrocious pronunciation Kaname reflected.
“Oh, really?” Kariya asked innocently. “Well, my father is an important businessman operating in the Aichi region. Principally Kariya, of course, hence my name. He has stakes in a wide variety of economic interests in that city, supported by around one thousand well-trained associates.”
“Really?” Rodrigo said with barely concealed disinterest. “And where is the other Etoile, Deralna? Is she here?”
Kaname gritted her teeth. That terrible accent is starting to grate on me.
“I’m most sorry.” Kariya bowed again. “She was delayed by unavoidable circumstances. She told me to assure you that she would be down as soon as possible to greet you all.”
“I see,” Rodrigo said shortly.
“But I must say, it’s good to see Astraea again after all these years,” Yukaho said, clapping her hands lightly. “It hasn’t changed as much as I would have thought. So you’re one of the Etoiles? It’s a privileged position, with a great tradition.”
“I know,” Kariya said, smiling politely. “I’ve always been honoured by it. But it’s a lot of work too, of course.”
“Oh, of course. I used to help out with the Etoiles in my time. They worked so terribly hard, just like you said. Sometimes I wondered who were the showpieces, the Etoiles or the Superior.”
“We often wonder the same thing, though that may be a little uncharitable of us,” Kariya remarked. “But I take it you were the one who recommended Momomi-chan go to this school?”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s a wonderful place, and I thought she’d benefit from the atmosphere of this place. Do you know her well, then?” Yukaho sounded delighted at the thought.
“Somewhat. We’ve interacted with her frequently enough, and she’s always been interesting.”
“In a good way, I hope?”
“Of course. Sometimes we’ve had to provide help, but that’s part of our duty. You have an intelligent and determined daughter, Phareli-san, allow me to congratulate you on that.”
“You’re too kind…”
Kaname wondered whether she was going to cry. There’s something about this family that makes it cynical…must be Momomi’s pained expression.
Kaname winced and wondered what price Kariya would demand later. Possibly blood. She has to dye that hair somehow, after all…
“Sorry!”
Kaname turned with the rest of the small group to face the sound, and saw a very sight. Serané running. But it was… different. Graceless. She’s running without holding her skirt, and almost tripping over herself. It doesn’t help that her hair’s a mess, either. Not usual from the girl who has enough grace to walk on water.
She managed to draw even with them, leaning down and resting her hands on her knees and breathing heavily. “I’m so very sorry that I’m late,” she said, looking up and smiling vapidly. “I slept in late, I’m afraid, and tripped over myself falling out of bed. It took a while for me to sort myself out.”
“I see,” Rodrigo replied in his curt way. “And you are?”
“Serané Deralna,” the girl said. “Pleased to meet you. Now, which one of you is Araldo-kun?” She made a show of looking around the group.
Momomi stepped in, repeating her introductions.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Araldo said, stepping forwards expectantly.
Serané raised her hand until he’d begun to dip his head, then grasped his hand instead, shaking it enthusiastically. “So you’re Araldo-kun!” she beamed. “I’ve heard so much of you from mama!”
“I see,” Araldo said, looking puzzled. “I’ve heard a lot about you as well. You match and exceed my expectations.”
“You’re too kind!” Serané exclaimed, hugging him tightly. He looked over her shoulder with a dazed expression.
“Serané, I think you’re being a little overbearing…” Kariya somehow kept a straight face through the role reversal inherent in her words.
“Oh, am I?” Serané stepped back instantly. “I’m so sorry! I just get a little carried away, that’s all!” She bowed again.
“No, it’s fine,” Araldo said. “I mean, there’s nothing to apologise for.”
“Really? That’s good!”
“In any case,” Yukaho said, casting a glance at her rapidly darkening husband. “Momomi-chan can show us around the school, and perhaps you can do the same with Araldo-kun, Serané-chan?”
“That’s a wonderful idea!” Serané exclaimed, taking Araldo’s arm. “Come on, Kari-chan, let’s show him around!” She began to drag the boy away.
“Right,” Kariya said, casting the family an apologetic look and walking after them.
Momomi, relatively unnoticed as the Phareli stared after the Etoiles, sidled up to Kaname. “A penny for your thoughts.”
“I feel sick.”
Momomi nodded. “All I can say is, I now know why she has a lead role in the play…”
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