Light like snow and fluffy like cotton candy... it's time for a soft chapter. But I tried to put in a few chewy bits, as well.
Momomi scratched her nose. “You know, I know exactly what you mean… it’s not like I’m not grateful, but at the end of the day it feels like I’ve just contracted another debt to that miserable bastard.”
Kaname rolled her eyes. “I was joking. Hey, don’t be so gloomy! This is still brilliant!” She threw herself forwards like a blue-haired ballistic missile, wrapping her arms round Momomi’s waist. “We win, we win, we win!” She lifted a struggling Momomi up and whirled her round and round. “I told you, didn’t I? Never say die! People like us never lose!”
Momomi tried not to blush and fought hard to get her legs back on solid ground. Of course, she lost; Kaname was far taller and far stronger. “Stop it! You’re making me dizzy!”
“Well, you’re spoiling the moment!” Kaname replied, grinning inanely. “We’ve been waiting like a month for this, you know, and it wasn’t the easiest month. But good things happen to bad people, and we’re here after all! Right now I feel like running twenty marathons, then bashing in your father by the way of thanks! I have way too much energy right now!”
Momomi laughed, stopping herself from fighting and hugging Kaname tightly. Then she drew back and stared at her with amused eyes. “So, what happened to the old Kaname Kenjou, who was always so cool and apathetic and didn’t get emotional about anything at all?”
“Who the hell is that? Never heard of her,” Kaname deadpanned. “Well, screw her, that’s what I say. I’m way too psyched up to listen to any staid dingbat.”
“God, you’re more excited than me. A kid before Christmas.”
“Well, isn’t that the way?” Kaname said, smiling back. “I mean, you still have to worry about your freaky weird deceptive bastard father and this and that… I just have to enjoy the fact that he’ll be separated from us by several thousand miles of sea soon enough, but we’ll be here.”
“How about if we start acting like the Etoiles?” Momomi teased. “You’d have to visit my parents in summer and be very polite and genteel despite their hostility. How about that?”
“Not really my style,” Kaname said. “By and large, I prefer to pretend that I was a project of virgin birth, or that I sprang to life fully formed in the dark, dank crypts of Astraea Hill.”
“Sadly, that defence doesn’t hold up in a court of law. Even if you say it’s your religion.”
“Too bad. Shall we finally have some breakfast?”
Momomi glanced at her watch. “You mean an early lunch? No, a fairly late lunch actually… my, my.”
“Whatever, I just need to shovel food into me before I drop dead. Being excited requires lots of energy. At this rate my body will start to cannibalise itself and all my hair will fall out.”
Momomi smirked. “That happens anyway, you know. I get blue hairs all over my bed whenever you sit on it.”
“And no doubt you collect them and are planning to put them in a silver locket to treasure forever.”
Momomi scratched her chin. “I have a distinct feeling that I’m being mocked.” She’s using those lines far more often now…well, this is Kaname. Don’t take it too seriously.
“Besides, for all your big talk, you’re no better,” Kaname remarked.
“Soon we’ll be able to swap lockets,” Momomi remarking, poking her friend on the chin. “Until then, I’ll feed you in the vague hope that it will shut you up.”
They set off, heading for the canteen. Momomi scratched her nose, wondering where to take the conversation next. “Oh… before I forget… I want to thank you, Kaname. There’s no way I would have been able to do it without you.”
“It’s not a problem. Remember, I’m always following my own selfish agenda, right?” Kaname grinned. “It’s just that occasionally we’re going in the same direction. The only pity is we didn’t really get to show a rich bastard where he gets off, as he said it himself.”
“Well, to be fair, I did shout at him rather a lot.”
Kaname nodded. “I suppose that counts. No, that also reminds me…” She slapped her fist into her hand. “And here I was almost forgetting. Your family leaves tomorrow morning, right?”
Momomi nodded uncertainly. “That’s right.”
“Excellent. I still have plenty of time left to take care of it.”
“You’re not planning on lurking in a dark place and stabbing him with Kariya’s katana or something weird like that, are you?”
“Don’t worry, I’m not planning anything I’ll be sent to jail for,” Kaname assured her. “Probably. Considering this was about us being together, that would be a little counter-productive.”
Being together, huh? “And that’s another thing I need to thank you for. Without you, I wouldn’t have any inclination to stay, either. But because you were here with me, I had a reason to fight, and I’ve discovered a lot of interesting things. So, truly, thank you, Kaname.”
Kaname rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. “Hey… I’m no good with this sincerity… but that’s to say, I should think to. Considering how much you need me to protect you, I should damn well think you’d be grateful!”
Momomi giggled. “Sorry, but it looks like I’ll be looking after you for a while longer after all. So you won’t be able to sleep in the mornings.”
“Yeah, yeah. I got it, already. Don’t mess up my hair too badly, alright?”
“It can’t get much worse than it’s natural state anyway, so don’t worry.”
“Oh, and thanks too,” Kaname muttered.
Momomi smiled. “Oh? Sorry, but I didn’t catch that.”
“Thanks for making my life interesting, too.” Kaname gave her a warning glance. “I won’t say it a third time, so don’t push your luck.”
“You’re as bashful as ever,” Momomi teased. “Does it hurt so much to admit that the big, tough Kaname needs me?”
Kaname looked away, blushing. “Don’t be ridiculous… you shouldn’t overestimate yourself, you know…”
“Kiyashiki-san! Kiyashiki-san!”
Momomi turned to see an excited Shion running towards them. “What in the world-”
“I heard! You did it!” Shion jumped onto her, hugging her energetically then stepping back just as fast as she’d come. “Congratulations.”
“Ugh… this isn’t so good… all my friends are acting weird.” Momomi rubbed her face. “If Olesa hugs me, I’ll scream.”
Kaname looked at her senpai thoughtfully. “Forget that. What I’m scared about is how fast this little stalker knew about this.”
Momomi blinked then gave Shion a very dirty look. “You were hiding in the lake, weren’t you?”
Shion blinked politely. “Sorry?”
“With a little bamboo pipe for breathing, just drifting along beneath the surface of water, where you could overhear the conversation. That’s the only way you could know so fast.”
Kaname nodded. “That makes sense… my other explanations all involved Shion being literally omniscient or able to gather data through mobile phones using a psychic power.”
“Let’s not get too silly, Kaname,” Momomi teased.
“Well, sorry to disappoint you,” Shion said, smiling brightly. “But it turns out that I met your father when he was walking back from something, and thought to plead your case. He told me rather gruffly that you could stay here, where you can rot for all I care, I think it was.”
“Oh.”
Kaname sighed. “I don’t buy that explanation. That just seems implausible.”
Shion laughed. “I feel like I really am disappointing you… perhaps I should start acting for you. I could start a cult.”
“No need,” Momomi said quickly. “You’re overbearingly you even when you’re not trying. I don’t think I could take it if you acted even more strangely.”
“Even in victory, you’re far from gracious, Kiyashiki-san,” Shion chided. “Here I am, a faithful ally, and not a word of thanks.”
“Well, as it turned out, not much of that stuff was very useful,” Kaname replied. “Only the really vital people get thanked.”
“So thank you, Shion-senpai.” Momomi smiled. “Just to make sure Kaname doesn’t get too up herself.”
“You really are as uncharitable as ever…” Kaname grumbled.
“Well, you’re welcome, as you owe me. Now, tell me your secret,” Shion said, leaning towards Momomi with excited eyes. “How did you bend that tenacious and stubborn man to your will? Were you so obnoxiously offensive he simply couldn’t bear you thought of having you in the house? Did you get down on your knees and beg, with womanly tears? Did you blackmail him with the wealth of dirt you must know about him?” She frowned. “Actually, he’s a bit hard to blackmail, by all accounts. Rodrigo Phareli is not a man who cares about such things.”
“Well, I can’t tell you. It’s a trade secret.”
“Oh, come on. I demand you tell all. I want these weaknesses to go in my new file on him.”
“You’ve started a file on him?”
“Well, I’ll drop a hint,” Kaname offered. “It was mostly the obnoxiously offensive thing.”
“Ah, I thought that might have been it.” Shion smiled. “You don’t look it, Kiyashiki-san, but I can see how a forthright girl like you might have an easy time offending a man like him.”
“Well, it’s just the ancient attitudes he holds, which makes it easy,” Momomi bluffed. Well, this way sounds more impressive than what actually occurred. Besides, it’s not entirely inaccurate. “He’s practically pre-Victorian on a lot of things, so all it takes is enough guts to cut past his bluster.”
“Hmm. All the same, he strikes me as a man who prefers a direct approach to dealing with such things. To a man of his pride, isn’t this just running away?”
“Well, I’ve no idea how he sees it.” Momomi shrugged. “If he considers it running away, that suits me just fine. I’m happy to be left alone.”
Kaname cut in before Shion could say anything else. “In any case, we were going to gab some lunch. I didn’t get breakfast, so I’m hungry.”
Shion made tutting noises. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you know. I’m surprised you let her skip it, Kiyashiki-san.”
“I know it’s bad,” Momomi replied. “But it was a case of the measures required in desperate times.”
“Hey, don’t talk about me as if I’m her husband,” Kaname said sharply. “No, come to that, don’t talk about me as I’m not there.”
“In any case, I said I’d treat you before. Now appears to be a very appropriate time.”
“Are you sure?” Momomi asked. “I certainly don’t intend to contract a new debt straight away.”
“It’s on me,” Shion replied. She smiled. “Don’t worry, those who are well-informed can make a very good living out of it. I don’t want for anything.”
“Then feel free to teach me the art of turning stalker-like behaviour into gold.” Kaname adjusted her blazer thoughtfully. “That’s modern-day alchemy.”
“Sadly, you don’t have the necessary… how do I put this… Kenjou-kun’s direct and uncompromisingly honest personality is probably better suited to a different vocation.” Shion cocked her head and smiled again, receiving a slightly cynical look in return. “In any case, it will be my treat. And the term is journalism, not stalking.”
“Same difference, right?” Kaname muttered.
Momomi shook her head. “We’ve been over this, Kaname, there’s a huge difference.”
“Thank you, Kiyashiki-san.”
“Journalists get paid to do it.”
Shion sighed. “You should thank God that you have such a kindly senpai. Most of my contemporaries would have told you off and ignored you a long time ago.”
Momomi laughed. “You know you like it really. Why fight it? You don’t strike me as the type who wants us to speak respectfully and bow a lot anyway.”
“I suppose so. That’s why I’ve no time for Miator’s outdated systems, though.” Shion ran a hand through her blonde hair. “Seniority means next to nothing, we should judge people by merit and results, not age or manners. That’s what counts.”
“I’ll second that, forehead-senpai,” Kaname said enthusiastically. “One of the most sensible things you’ve ever said.”
Shion faked an exhausted sigh again, looking up the heavens as if asking what she’d done to deserve this. “Well, your support for that motion isn’t very encouraging, Kenjou-kun. If we are to be judged by manners, you’d be in an extremely difficult situation, and you know it.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
They walked into the canteen. Shion grinned, putting her hands on their shoulders. “Now, you two just sit down. I’ll get your lunches. Oh, and don’t mope in the corner this time, either. Go and sit with Olesa and Amiki, okay?”
Momomi frowned. “You’re pretty scary when you’re being generous, though. It’s like an estate agent or a loan shark or something. They may be very nice now, but you just know that they’ll be different before long.”
Shion flicked her on the forehead. “One day I’ll find a way to do you two a favour without you insulting me. Now, go and sit down.”
“Okay, okay.” Momomi walked away. “Well, how sinister can free food be?”
“Pretty much,” Kaname admitted. “I have a knack for these things, but even I’m having difficulty thinking of a trap less conclusive than poison. Presuming she’s not yet that far up the criminal food chain, we should be fine.”
Momomi nodded distractedly, looking dubiously at Olesa and Amiki’s table. For a moment she was inclined to walk on by, but then she remembered her own promise to get through to her rival. So she stopped.
Olesa looked up. Insofar as her face ever showed any emotion, she was a little surprised. “Hi.”
“So, it’s the lovebirds again,” Amiki noted, folding her arms. “What do you guys want now?”
“Tips from a more mature couple, of course,” Momomi quipped, ignoring Kaname’s glare. “Can we sit down?”
“It wouldn’t be proper to stop you.” Olesa sounded as if she vaguely resented that fact, but that was the closest she ever got to an emphatic yes anyway.
Momomi sat opposite Olesa, with Kaname next to her. She stared at Olesa for a second, then reached into her blazer and pulled out her phone. She flipped it between her hands for a second, then placed it on the table without saying a word.
Olesa narrowed her eyes. “So it’s finished?”
“It’s finished. And I’m cutting you loose, even though you didn’t actually do anything.” Momomi looked closely at her rival. I wonder, should I have taken that fact as a bad excuse to continue like this? It probably wouldn’t work anyway, but it would be annoying if she just walked away.
Olesa nodded, disputing neither fact. “Of course, after all this time I don’t feel particularly threatened myself. The Etoiles really did know anyway.” She took out her own phone and put it down as well.
They slid their phones across the table, taking each other’s without a word. Momomi searched through, locating her recorded conversation on the nature of rivals and another on their original deal brokering. With that done, she put the mobile down, resisting the temptation to ferret through and look for other interesting things. From the look of it, mind, she doesn’t get much use out of it anyway. As if I’m not the same.
Olesa frowned. “Where is it?”
“Hmm?” Momomi smiled slightly. “Where’s what?”
“The record of my conversation with you, when I ordered Amiki to hurt you,” Olesa elaborated. “Where is it? Did you delete it already?”
“Oh, that?” Momomi rubbed the back of her head in mock embarrassment. “I never did have a recording of that, you know. It’s really very hard to operate a phone blind unless you’ve practised.”
“You mean to say there’s no recording because you screwed up?” Olesa asked.
“Pretty much. I was bluffing.” Momomi frowned again, wondering how her rival would take it.
Olesa said nothing for a few moments, her face stiff, eyes still staring at the phone.
Amiki looked worriedly at her. “Ojou-sama…”
Something snapped, and Olesa laughed. Actually, it was more of a giggle, and even though she put a hand over her mouth and smothered it quickly it was still there. It was the kind of sound that echoed, even without echoes. “As expected of an idiot like you, Momomi.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Momomi replied, biting back any retaliation. Best not to push her too far. Besides…Olesa laughing? Olesa calling me Momomi? Olesa being a graceful loser? Olesa laughing?!
“So that’s a completed matter. For better or for worse.” Olesa pushed Momomi’s phone back to her.
“Right.” Momomi picked up Olesa’s phone, holding it out.
Her rival hesitated for a moment, then took it from her outstretched hand. “It was… interesting, doing business with you.”
“Likewise.” Momomi looked at Shion queuing up and scowled. So it’s like that, is it?
“Of course, we still have a play to write. I’ve only known Tomori-senpai through you, but she is very difficult.”
“You do know that your involvement in that was guaranteed by my blackmail?” Momomi wasn’t sure why she said that. Probably just to push things along.
“I am not the kind of person who will leave a task I have begun unfinished,” Olesa replied. “Least of all to put it in your hands.”
“Man, it’s always a blast to watch you two,” Kaname remarked. “It’s like table tennis or something. First one way, then the other.”
“You’re hardly one to talk.” Amiki rolled her eyes. “You two lovebirds don’t do anything but that, because you’re so dishonest and hypocritical.”
Kaname snorted. “So, doubles now?”
“With you around, it’s mixed doubles.”
“Olesa.” Momomi looked steadily at her rival, who gazed back just as evenly. “I’d almost forgotten, but I have something important to say.”
“Then say it.”
“You told me, a while ago, about who you are and what you intend for yourself. Well, I’ve been thinking about that.” Momomi flicked a strand of hair out of her eyes. “And I’ve decided, your attitude is all wrong.”
“Oh, really?” Olesa kept her voice light, but there was a hint of cold there that had been absent before.
“You’re going to sacrifice yourself to fulfil your mother’s expectations, and make her happy. That’s a stupid way to live.” Momomi leaned forwards. “It’s something I learned from a good friend, but there’s no point in that. If you’re playing, play to win. Take everything. You should be your own person, marry whoever you please and still come through. That’s what I expect of anyone who wants to call themselves my rival.”
Olesa stared at her for a moment. “You have an endlessly optimistic attitude, don’t you? It’s very naïve.”
“Well, perhaps that is naivety, but I prefer it to cynicism. It’s hard to respect someone who martyrs themselves without even struggling.”
Olesa shrugged. “Well, it’s not really your business how I live my life.”
“Just think about it. That’s all I ask.”
“That’s all I promise.”
“I’m back!” Shion said effusively. “Here, my treat!” She put two bentos on the table, one for each of the two girls. They opened them and stared.
“Sushizume and Hinomaru,” Olesa said, raising her eyebrows.
Momomi glared at the box packed full of sushi, then she turned her gaze to Shion. “I suppose you find this amusing?”
“Hmm… just a little,” Shion admitted, sitting down and opening her own lunch.
Kaname, on the other hand, had picked up her chopsticks and was obsessively prodding one of the umeboshi. “Nothing but umeboshi and plain rice… people eat these? How depressing. Life feels very futile right now.”
“Oh, don’t be a drama queen.” Momomi swapped their boxes round, picking up her chopsticks and grabbing some rice. She glared at Shion again before tucking in. “So much for that.”
Shion sighed theatrically and put a hand over one eye, the way she did. “Oh, dear. My beautiful plan to have you two feed each other all lunchtime has been unravelled. You’ve got no sense of romance in you at all.”
“Well, dream on,” Kaname snapped, picking up a piece of fish. “If you think we’d do something like that for your convenience, you aren’t so good at data gathering after all.”
Momomi sighed deeply, fussing over the rice with her chopsticks. Why does everyone tease us like that? Is it simply the done thing in Astraea Hill? Or am I that easy to read? I mean, Amiki has always been Amiki, but Shion as well…it’s a little worrying. Especially as there’s a chance that if people say it enough, Kaname would take it seriously, and realise. I don’t want that to happen.
“It’s a little ironic, when you tease me all the time, but you can’t handle it very well in reverse,” Shion said thoughtfully. “Well, both of you have bentos entirely to your tastes now, and that’s an improvement on the usual. I’ll buy you ice cream afterwards, as well.”
“For us, too,” Amiki insisted. “We contributed about as much as you!”
“Alright, alright. I guess I’ll let you take advantage of me, because I’m such a generous upperclassman,” Shion replied, closing her eyes and shrugging her shoulders. “You should be thankful.”
Momomi rolled her eyes, tapping her free hand on the table. “You do enjoy being a senpai… anyway, that reminds me. I’ve won, so you need to go and meet up with that Isae of yours.”
Shion folded her arms and cocked her head. “Not yet. You still have to pass the scholarship exams, you know. Then I’ll be obliged to hold up my part of the bargain.”
“Well, I’m halfway through, so you should at least phone her up or something,” Momomi replied. “Be fair.”
Olesa frowned. “Isae?”
“It’s nothing.” Shion got back to eating.
“When I slept over in her room, I found out, she’s all mopey and a loner and a stalker because of this girl Isae-chan,” Momomi explained. “She used to be her roommate, and they got on really well, only Isae-chan had to go to a foreign school far away or something, and they lost touch. So Shion started sulking and became the unbalanced and slightly disturbed individual she is today.”
“I object to that. I’m not disturbed, just consciously different. I’m sure Kenjou-kun would say the same thing.”
“So poor Shion-senpai is lovesick?” Kaname asked. “Man, that explains so much…”
“You’re misinterpreting things in a consciously dramatic way.” Shion spoke with a slightly pained dignity, her eyes closed.
“Look, she’s going all defensive on us…” Momomi teased. “In any case, it’s a bet of ours. So phone her already!”
“Have you any idea what international rates are?”
“Ten minutes ago you were telling us, and I quote, I don’t want for anything.” Momomi looked at her senpai with amusement, delighted at how the usual tables had turned. “So that excuse won’t cut it. Come on, you know you want to really.”
“Well, if you’re going to insist on it, I may think about it. But I’m not making any promises. It’s not like she’ll actually want to hear from me anyway…”
“Don’t think like that,” Momomi said. “All you have to do is act sincerely in your feelings, right?”
Shion gave her a loaded look. “Oh? Is that such an easy thing, Kiyashiki-san?”
Momomi winced, hearing her own words. “Yeah… I guess not…”
Shion counted on her fingers. “Fear of rejection. Fear of misunderstanding. Fear of changes for the worse, even wishing for changes for the better. Fear of coming across as too desperate, too friendless, too obsessive. There’s many reasons why life isn’t so simple as all that.”
“Oh, stop making excuses,” Kaname sighed. “It sounds like you want to be forced. I’ll stand there and push you, if that’s what it takes.”
“And I expect a full report afterwards, so I know you haven’t chickened out,” Momomi said quickly. “It’s not enough to pretend and make up some vague things. I’ll want to hear every last detail. It’s only fair, when you take such an interest in me as well.”
“Sometimes, I wonder why I bother.” Shion glanced at Kaname. “How about you, Kenjou-kun? What would you do in this situation?”
Kaname folded her arms. “I’d just get it over with. I hate people who are wishy-washy about these things.” She broke from her dramatic pose to eat another piece of sushi.
Momomi paused for a moment, feeling slightly shaken. Well, I shouldn’t expect Kaname to say anything else…not bothering to understand is how she comforts people. But still-
“You say that very easily, but I can guarantee it.” Shion looked haughty for a moment. “If it were you in my place, you wouldn’t be so blunt. The truth is that things like do what feels right and always make your feelings clear are very easy things to say, but almost impossible in practise. There are too many uncertainties. A shy and reserved person like you would be worse than most, in fact.”
Kaname frowned. “Yeah, alright, maybe you have a point. But I still find it irritating in other people. Isn’t that a natural thing? Hypocritical or not doesn’t come into it, it’s the way everyone is.”
“Unfortunately, that’s true enough,” Shion said, looking round the table. “But when I look at you, I think you’d all be the same. So don’t lecture me too zealously.”
“The only one lecturing zealously around here is you,” Momomi muttered. “You don’t have to be so defensive.”
She looked surreptitiously round the table. So there’s me, who likes my best friend and… well… all the things I said I’d like to do to father, I kinda meant them. Thank God Kaname hasn’t caught on, I said that in Japanese… what was I thinking? And then there’s Shion and her uncertain relationship with this Isae girl, and her inability to follow that up. On top of that, I’m still not totally convinced Amiki is innocent as well. The only thing worse than falling for your best friend who’s the same sex as you would probably falling for your best friend who’s the same sex as you who’s also your employer and master. That’s just plain awkward. Of course, it’s hard to tell with Amiki, she’s difficult to read…but she strikes me as the martyr type as well. At least when I decide I won’t tell Kaname my feelings it’s for my own selfish pragmatism. I don’t think it’s noble or anything. But I may be reading too much into this. Perhaps I’m just projecting my own insecurities and messed-up situation onto other people to pretend that I’m not weird and alone? It’s impossible to tell. Angsting too much about these things really reminds you of how difficult it is to ascertain anything, especially about oneself.
“Well, if it isn’t our other meddling upperclassmen,” Kaname remarked, looking up.
“Be grateful, the Etoiles really do offer you more support than either of you deserve.” Shion shrugged. “Not that I’m complaining or anything, it means you bother me less.”
Momomi turned and watched as they entered together. Kariya simply walked past the queue and joined the front as if that was the most natural thing in the world, while Serané looked around, spotted them, and walked up to them. “I heard the good news, Kiyashiki-san.”
Momomi nodded. “It looks like I got lucky for once.”
“In any case, I’m very glad for you.” Serané folded her hands and smiled down at them. “Congratulations.”
Momomi just nodded. “And how about you two?”
“Nothing is concluded yet, but it looks like I’m being pressurised a little less.” Serané shrugged. “Truthfully, that’s an optimal outcome. If this matter is pushed to an indeterminate future, it’s the best I can hope for. If I’m rejected outright, my parents will just find another suitor to harass me.”
“That’s hardly an ideal outcome, though.” Kaname swallowed another piece of sushi. “I still don’t get why you can’t just tell them to get stuffed and be done with it.”
“I’d rather not be disowned. I quite like my parents, despite everything.”
“If they can’t even accept that much about you, what kind of parents are they?” Kaname demanded.
Serané frowned. “Sadly, Kenjou-san, otherwise reasonable people can be very illogical on this point. It’s my policy to try and work around such differences as best I can, rather than hold an aggressive and uncompromising position. And I do quite like my parents.”
Kaname folded her arms. “Well, whatever. It’s your problem, after all.”
“Quite. But I had intended to talk to you about something else, as well.” Serané smiled. “Under the circumstances, isn’t a little celebration in order?”
Kaname pointed. “We have sushi. Well, I have sushi. Momomi has rice and the world’s vilest fruit. And then ice cream.”
Serané gave her a puzzled look. “Well, I don’t quite follow… but what I meant is the possibility that we can get tomorrow off for you all.”
Momomi blinked. “You can? That’d be amazing…”
“Doesn’t sound like something Kariya-sama would approve of,” Shion said, amused.
Serané gave her a coy look. “Oh, I’ll make it up to her.”
Momomi winced. No dirty thoughts. Dirty thoughts are proof of a dirty mind. Or are they proof of a firm grasp on reality right now? “Well, that would be great. I could do with a holiday after a very stressful few days.”
“Well, leave it to me.” Serané looked at them all. “I’m glad.”
“What do you suggest we do with the time?” Momomi asked.
“Well, you can go anywhere you can get to and back in one day…” Serané said thoughtfully.
“With a budget so tight you could knock in nails with it,” Momomi clarified.
“Ah, of course. Well, in that case, there’s always the town. It isn’t much, but it has a park, a library, restaurants and plenty of places to go shopping. I’ve spent perfectly pleasant time there myself.”
“I can second that,” Shion agreed. “Well, half that town’s economy is based on fleecing us on weekend days, so there’s always plenty to do.”
“Sounds like a bother.” Kaname rubbed her face. “But I guess it’s better than lessons.”
“I’m glad you think so. Well, Kari-chan’s calling.” Serané stepped back and nodded. “Enjoy yourselves.”
Momomi frowned. “So we can all go together, is it?”
“To a raise another subject,” Amiki remarked. “Is it just me, or are we receiving a fair few thousand-yard stares?”
Momomi looked round and realised that they’d just had a short but friendly and familiar conversation with one of the school’s great idols. “Well, people have been executed for less. And we’re repeat offenders.”
“This is a little unfortunate.” Olesa returned the hostile stares in her usual cold way. “I never got to write a will.”
Was that another one of her jokes? It’s so hard to tell…Momomi just sighed and ate some more rice.
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