Momomi tapped her foot against the ground impatiently, waiting for Kaname to come out. She’s seriously slow, but I’ll forgive her. It’s fun to assemble these outfits for her. It’s a strange thing, because I never took much interest in this stuff for myself. No, truthfully, my sister took interest in this stuff for me, and so I gained knowledge of it myself, I suppose. And now I’m propagating the cycle by “taking care of Kaname”. She’s the best kind of doll, a human one, because she lets me play with her hair all the time and adjust her clothes, and now it’s dress-up outright. Just like those dating sims. I doubt life’s as convenient and ridiculously over-sexed as them, though, so I’ll concentrate on making her look nice. Showing her off can wait until she has something to show off. It’s a lot of fun, but it also makes me feel needed, and it gives me a small sense of possession, of ownership. I suppose that’s a sign of affection beyond that of a friend’s in itself, that I want to monopolise her time and her person. But don’t friends feel that about each other as well? I wonder…but what makes me happy isn’t what I do. It’s that she lets me do it, she consents to that possessiveness, and she even seems to enjoy it. At the very least, she’s never made any serious protest, though she’s never said she likes it, either. But this is Kaname, so that’s to be expected. I’ll have to settle for her tacit consent. Now that’s the kind that’ll get you sued and hung out to dry…
Kaname hesitantly pulled back the curtain and stepped out again. “Are we done yet?” She winced. “Do you have to squeal?”
“I didn’t squeal.” I’m Momomi. I don’t do squealing. I’m not an Etoile fangirl, who make ecstatic noises and swoon whenever they pass by and pay ridiculous amounts of money for photos and fanbooks of dubious legality. That was a noise that denotes my enthusiastic approval and a healthy appreciation of my work. It was definitely not a squeal.
“That was a godamn squeal. No point in lying.”
“If you say so,” Momomi said diplomatically. Not important right now. I need to enjoy this sight while I still can.
Kaname was dressed in jeans, a long-sleeved blue shirt that was tight around her and an unzipped black jacket. The top two buttons of the shirt were open and she hadn’t bothered to tuck in her shirt either. “Well?” she asked, slightly awkwardly.
Momomi closed the gap, tucking her shirt in on the left side but leaving it out on the right. “There. I love it. Casual chic, it’s pure you.”
“What the hell is casual chic?”
Momomi scratched her nose. “Well… that. You look like a male model. If they had male models aged thirteen, but it scales well enough.”
“That word again,” Kaname growled.
Momomi smiled. “I’m just teasing you, you know, because I’ve worked out that it’s easy to get a rise out of you that way. I never knew you had such a retiring, feminine soul.”
“I am about three inches away from kicking you out of this store,” Kaname warned.
“My, my. You sound like the manager.”
“I wouldn’t be as polite as him. Are we done now?”
“For now, I suppose. We’re taking that set and the other three I picked out, the rest can go back.”
“You make so much work out of this…” Kaname grumbled, going back to change into her old clothes.
“It’s good to be thorough,” Momomi retorted automatically. Now this is what free time should be like.
Kaname took a few minutes getting dressed again, while Momomi just tapped her feet and waited for her to come out. Finally, Kaname emerged, flicking a strand of her hair back into place. “Shall we go?”
Momomi just nodded, helping her put all the clothes back. There was more for Kaname than there was for Momomi. For all her enthusiasm, she doesn’t quite know where to begin. Which suits me just fine. Perhaps I’ll have to expand my wardrobe later to match but in the meantime I have only one day to enjoy. I’m going to pack it from left to right with Kaname. When they were done, Momomi paid for everything that had elected to buy, ignoring Kaname’s slight wince at the extortionate prices. All mother’s money, which is to say all father’s money. It’s best to exorcise it by spending it on Kaname and myself without any sense of responsibility. “Okay,” Momomi said, smiling and handing one of the bags over. “Now get changed. Wear the first outfit.”
“What?”
“Don’t look too confused. Now that we have all these nice clothes, there’s no way I’m going to let you stay in those old ones. Come on, I’m getting changed as well.”
“I’m getting sick of this…”
Momomi grabbed Kaname’s hand and dragged her back to the changing rooms again. “We can cut the tags off later, but we’ll just have to wear them as-is for now. Hurry up.” She pushed Kaname into the changing rooms with more force than was strictly necessary, then stepped into the second herself, quickly discarding her old clothes and too-short skirt. She dressed in one of her new purchases, white leggings, a knee-length black skirt and a white turtleneck sweater. The female clothing. And Kaname, of course, wears trousers. Luckily that’s her preference, but I’d force her into it anyway. We make a good couple. Actually, we could probably pass for a bona fide heterosexual couple with an effete male provided no one looks too closely…anywhere but here. Considering this town is under Astraea’s aegis, it probably has our number. As if our relationship actually was like that.
She stepped out and waited briefly for Kaname, who was always slower, dressed in jeans, a lilac shirt and a comfortable dark-blue hoody. “You know, as much as I despise that style in principle, it does suit you.”
“And I hate skirts, but they look good on you,” Kaname said. “The art of fashion is forcing people into things they wear for other people, not themselves. I’m glad I’m the one who gets to wear the practical clothes.”
“Well, I find it a lot more comfortable to dress like this,” Momomi replied evenly. “Probably because I’m used to it, and I’ve never really worn trousers. It probably just comes down to experience.”
“Somehow I feel skirts wouldn’t suit me even if I’d worn them all my life,” Kaname mused. “Somehow.”
“Ah, but if you had worn them all your life, you’d have longer hair and would generally look more like a girl,” Momomi teased.
“That again… I can’t imagine the inconvenience of longer hair. I’ve no idea how you cope, for a start.”
“Oh, I’m not suggesting it,” Momomi said, waving her hands. “You look better like this…”
Kaname snorted. “Whatever.”
“Like shorter hair. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to tease you about it.”
Kaname sighed. “I’ve been way too indulgent just because this is your special celebration, but I think I’m going to have to retaliate.”
“I’ll be waiting for you to assert your masculine authority, then.” Momomi caught her hand and dragged her towards the entrance. “Come on, let’s go.”
“What now?” Kaname asked wearily.
Momomi frowned. “Let’s see… I definitely want to get you at least three scarves, some for me as well, but they didn’t have any good ones… we need new shoes as well… and I want to go around all the other clothes stores and see if they have any other good things that one didn’t.”
“So this is the fabled female shopping spree…” Kaname muttered.
“You shouldn’t speak as if you aren’t involved, you know.”
“Well, I don’t give a damn about this stuff. I’m just being dragged around by you.”
“And you want me to call you a woman,” Momomi said, huffing righteously. “But in the first instance, we need to eat lunch. I’m getting hungry.”
“Now that’s a plan I can get behind.”
Momomi nodded. “Want to go to the same place as before?”
Kaname rolled her eyes. “And spent another half hour discussing sensitive topics under the ears of a bored man? I’d really rather not. Can’t we go somewhere with a little more energy?”
“You just can’t appreciate small-town time when you see it,” Momomi chided. “Back in Italy, I had to go thirty miles to reach the first town big enough to support a restaurant, when we were at our country villa. The city house was close to nothing but obnoxious chain restaurants..”
“Well, I’m not sure you suffered from that,” Kaname said pointedly. “You could eat a four-course meal every day anyway, right?”
“Every meal of every day, actually.” Momomi sighed. “Actually, that’s less fun than it sounds. Even good food gets old, until you start to appreciate bad food for all its little qualities. That goes for anything you have too much.”
“Sounds bizarre.”
Momomi shrugged. “Or it could just be me, of course.”
Kaname nodded. “I suspect that’s just you. You have this obsession with being poor, after all…”
“I do not have an obsession with being poor! Being independent is not the same thing as being poor.”
“And how about that time you wandered here and there and nearly got kidnapped?”
“That was different!” Momomi protested. “I was young and stupid!”
“Well, it’s not like I blame you or anything,” Kaname said. “Other people’s experiences always appear to be more interesting than your own. That’s probably one of the reasons why I came to this school, after all.”
Momomi gave her a cunning look. “Could it be that Kaname’s a closet aristocrat fetishist?”
Kaname snorted. “Hardly. Hatred at worst. Morbid fascination at best. And above all, a desire to equal and exceed them.”
“I’m sure you wouldn’t aim to overcome something you didn’t give a damn about,” Momomi pointed out. “Amane, for example.”
“I do not give a damn about Amane!” Kaname snapped. “Amane is the worst kind of feckless little pinhead with no apprehension of her own luck. That’s why I’m determined to beat her, so I can beat into the her the fact that not everyone’s so damn spoilt by fate.”
“You mean her intellect, physical fitness, handsome good looks and all-around perfection?” Momomi asked.
Kaname gave her an unpleasant glare. “Don’t start sounding like one of her many stupid fangirls.”
“No. What I was going to say is those are all qualities you share with her. Not particularly from hard work, either, you were born with them. You’re lucky, Kaname.”
“Yeah, so I have talent. That’s not the point.” Kaname stuck her free hand in her pocket, but kept the other one out, holding Momomi’s. “Amane doesn’t need to be talented. She could be a babbling idiot and she’d still live a better life than ninety-five percent of the population.”
“And you hate her for that?” Momomi asked quietly. “That goes for me as well, doesn’t it?”
“It’s not that exactly,” Kaname said slowly. “It’s more like… her attitude. She acts like she doesn’t care about anything or anyone. I’ve never seen her make a friend or take any interest in her array of talents and fans. She spares most of her affection for her horse. It’s so… godamn, stupidly pointless! She has that life, I have my life, and she doesn’t enjoy it! What I’d do in her position-”
“What would you do in her position?” Momomi asked quietly. “What is there to do in her position? You said yourself, she could be anyone and still live a fine life. She has nothing to work for and nothing to prove.”
Kaname snorted. “Sure, so she doesn’t have to do anything… what a horrible life. I’m crying, I really am.”
“It’s not that. I’m not saying she suffers,” Momomi said. “But she doesn’t have any reason to care. She was born to a role, she’ll fulfil it, her husband will be selected for her and she will marry. That’s all. She has incredible talents and no need to put them to use. No, there’s no point in her doing so. In a sense, there’s no point in her life.”
“Well, that doesn’t excuse anything.” Kaname gave her an annoyed look. “If she has no purpose, she should find one. She shouldn’t just sit around and take everything for granted. She should do something, anything, she should live. Purpose isn’t thrust on you by the heavens! You’re supposed to find your own goals and meaning, and she doesn’t. Even though she could do anything, she does nothing at all.”
“What do you do, know you’re here?” Momomi asked. “What did you do for the long year and a half that preceded my father’s intervention in my life? Did you throw yourself into anything? Did you get make any friends or get stuck into anything at all?”
“I didn’t, but that’s not the same,” Kaname said. “I never belonged here and I wasn’t very stable to begin with. Besides, no one would care even if I excelled. My mother wouldn’t give a damn, and the other students wouldn’t either. Amane has a bloody fanclub.”
“If you actually tried, I’m sure people would pay attention. At the very least, because you haven’t tried, you can’t say people wouldn’t.”
Kaname gave her friend an annoyed look. “Why are you defending her anyway? It’s annoying.”
“Because I know what she must feel. Just a little.” Momomi closed her eyes for a moment. “A peripheral cousin of the main Ohtori family. The second daughter of the Phareli. We’re property to be auctioned off at the proper age, that’s all. I spent half my life struggling with that, the shadow of my sister, the fact that my pretty, well-educated, expensive life had no purpose at all… and you drift. Just like you did. You simply continue to exist, no more and no less.” She looked directly at Kaname. “I was saved from that by you.”
Kaname gave her a surprised look. “You were? News to me.”
“Thanks to you, I found a reason to struggle when my father tried to drag me back. You gave me something important to me, a way in which I could be hurt, and so you gave me something to defend. You’re my purpose.” Momomi looked away. “Amane doesn’t have anyone like that. Perhaps she will one day.”
“You make her sound like some kind of martyr,” Kaname muttered, rubbing her head in embarrassment. Using the hand that she’d thrust into her pockets.
“It’s nothing that dramatic,” Momomi said steadily. “But as you do have an interest in Amane, and I know you do, I thought I’d give my opinion.”
“You’re as theatrical as ever.”
“In any case, that’s a long way from our conversation on the relative merits of restaurants,” Momomi reflected. “How did we get to Amane anyway?”
“I forget. You always drag us off on tangents.”
“I do? You’re the one who raised my family meals!”
“Well, you’re the one who talked about Amane, and you know I have far too much to say about her. Don’t blame me.”
“Just because I made one casual comment, you didn’t have to go on a huge tirade!”
“Just because I aired my usual grievances, you didn’t have to keep arguing back,” Kaname replied. “It made you sound like one of her fangirls.”
“Well, you’re the one who’s being immature by… wait.” Momomi put a hand over her eyes. “Restaurants. Restaurants, okay?”
Kaname sighed. “Restaurants. A busier one, okay?”
Momomi nodded. “Okay. We’ll look around.”
They were still holding hands. Momomi resisted the temptation to squeeze; she was being incriminating enough as it was. It does feel good, and I can pretend this is all part of the betting game. But more than that, I’m letting my feelings show, just a little. And while I was seriously worried about that before, I’ve decided. If I don’t tell her at some point in the very near future I will burst like an overblown balloon. That’s what I am, really, too full of pent-up emotions and mental confusion to tolerate continuing in this way. It’s no longer even a matter of getting with her or not getting with her, I just have to settle this. One way or the other. But this is Kaname I’m talking about, the self-professed emotional cripple. On top of that she’s either oblivious or in denial about my feelings. I can’t just drop it on her, she’ll need a twenty-meter running start and a triple jump before she’ll even understand the question. So if I hint at it in little ways like this, step by step, flirty comments and casual touches and everything else, perhaps she’ll begin to get the idea. And then she’ll freak out inside and then she’ll angst and then she’ll double and triple and quadruple check her logic to make sure she understands the situation, and then, finally, after everything else, she’ll actually consider her own feelings, the answer she has to give. I know this because I experienced the same thing myself, starting when I saw her get out of the shower a few days ago. And through all this painful thinking she won’t say a word to me, to protect her pride, just in case she’s wrong and her suspicions were weird. Of course, I’m the weird one. And then I’ll tell her and she’ll be able to reply and that will be that. Momomi bit her lip. Sounds wonderful. So why does it feel like I’m just stalling to give myself time?
Then Kaname squeezed her hand. “Momomi.”
She stared at her friend, then followed her gaze and stopped dead. She released Kaname’s hand quickly. If I hadn’t, she would have done so herself, even if it pains me to admit that. “We should go back.”
Kaname put a hand on her shoulder. “No. You should go say goodbye.”
“But-”
“Since when did you run away?”
“That’s easy for you to say,” Momomi began, but it was too late. Araldo had spotted them, waving obliviously, and then the family turned as one and saw them. Momomi forced herself to wave back, walking uneasily towards them.
They were in front of the station; clearly, Rodrigo had unbent enough to take the common train out of this very isolated part of the country. Of course, he’d still rented a car and found two manservants from somewhere to do the actual heavy lifting. He appeared to be so busy complaining to them that he hadn’t noticed Momomi. Seconds after she formed that thought she realised that wasn’t it. He’d simply decided to ignore her for now. Very mature, father. “So, you’re all off,” she managed.
Luigia gave her a suspicious look, glancing between her and Kaname in a slightly worrying fashion, then abruptly relaxed and smiled. “We’re off. You look good, Momomi. Are those new clothes? I don’t remember sending them to you.”
Rodrigo grunted and threw Yukaho a dirty look before looking away again.
“Yes, that’s right. I just brought them so I thought I’d try them out,” Momomi said. “The Etoiles gave us a day off, for once, so I thought I’d so some clothes shopping.”
Luigia nodded. “Don’t they let you out on weekends?”
“Well, they do, but I don’t go then.” Momomi shifted slightly on the balls of her feet. “Clubs and things, you know? Besides, it’s a funny thing, but scheduled free time is somehow less exciting than exceptional free time. If you know what I mean.”
“In any case, you look lovely, darling,” Yukaho said. “And your friend, too.”
“Thanks.” Momomi gave her a blank, innocent look. When we saw each other last, the things she said and the things I said, especially those things I said…I’m amazed she still considers me a daughter. Perhaps she got by in denial, pretending I hadn’t said anything at all. I don’t know. I don’t care.
“I don’t know anything about this stuff, so I’m in your daughter’s hands,” Kaname said, her voice slightly rough. “I owe her, I guess.”
“Well, I’m glad she’s finally taking an interest in her appearance,” Luigia replied, smiling. “When she was younger I-”
“Momomi.” Rodrigo turned around and everything stopped. He still had that effect on people. “Why are you here?”
“I- well,” Momomi found herself getting tongue-tied despite herself. Damn him and his bloody, hopeless, unchanging, irredeemable- she saw a flash of the Rodrigo in the forest, and felt thoroughly displaced. Who is he? What kind of man is my father? “I came to say goodbye. That’s perfectly natural, isn’t it? More than that, isn’t it my duty-”
“I told you.” Rodrigo glared at her. “I didn’t want to see you again. I don’t want to see you know. Come back to me in five years when you’re actually mature enough to know who you are.”
“It’s precisely because I know who I am that you don’t want to see me,” Momomi muttered, glowering back.
“If you can still say that with a straight face and that impudent tone, get out of my sight. I’ve no interest in such a daughter.”
“Dear, do we have to part like this?” Yukaho beseeched. “It’s so unpleasant…”
“Have you forgotten the things she said?” Rodrigo asked acidly. “I haven’t forgotten, myself. And I certainly haven’t forgiven. Until such time as she’s an adult, I have no second daughter.”
“Until such time as you sell me off, you mean,” Momomi snapped, with nothing much to lose.
“If I bother to do that much, you should be grateful,” Rodrigo warned. “But don’t even count on that, it’s more than a disgrace like you deserves.”
“Well, it’d suit me just fine if I disappeared here forever, and never had to see you again,” Momomi retorted angrily.
“Momomi, don’t say that,” Luigia began. “We’re still family-”
“Don’t interrupt, Luigia,” Rodrigo ordered. “I want to hear every word this louse of a girl has to say.”
Momomi was about to retort angrily when Kaname placed a hand on her shoulder. She shook her head slightly. Momomi deflated and took a step back; to her intense surprise, Kaname took a step forwards.
To Momomi’s even more intense surprise she pulled her fist back and hit Rodrigo square on the nose, as hard as she could. “If you’ve got anything to say, say it to me, you inbred bastard. Unlike Momomi, I could care less about whatever crap you’re talking about, and I care less about you.” Kaname drew herself up. “That’s all.”
The family had gone into a state of shock. Rodrigo just clutched his nose with one hand and stared in wordless, incoherent rage, then drew his hand back to hit back. Momomi just closed her eyes and prayed to a probably non-existent God to kill her there and now.
“Humph.” When Momomi looked again Rodrigo was staring at Kaname, as if taking her apart with his eyes. “And why would a teenage brat take it upon herself to assault me, of all people? You have a lot of guts to pull that and stand here.”
Momomi stared. She may have made a small, surprised noise. Did I miss something here?
“I’ll protect Momomi. That’s all. There’s nothing more to be said.” Kaname’s tone was clear, clipped and impassive, her face completely calm, her arms folded but in a more relaxed way than usual.
Rodrigo snorted, long and hard, then shrugged and turned away. “Do what you like. It’s not like she’s redeemable, no matter what company she keeps.”
Kaname nodded and turned away, grabbing Momomi’s hand. “Let’s go.”
“Good-bye,” Momomi sad weakly. The rest of the family looked faint, which wasn’t very surprising, so no clear reply was forthcoming. She settled for walking after Kaname.
By exerting superhuman restraint, she managed to avoid asking questions until they were well out of earshot. But after she stared openly at Kaname for several seconds, who didn’t even turn to acknowledge her, something snapped. “What the hell was that?”
“What?”
“Don’t give me that!” Momomi snapped. “What the hell was… well… everything!”
“Didn’t you remember?” Kaname asked.
“Remember what?”
“A long time ago, you promised me you’d slap my mother. And I said I’d punch your father. I don’t do your ladylike slap thing.”
“You followed through with that? Are you crazy?” Momomi walked faster, trying to face her. “You’re insane! He was about this far from completely losing it! And he can punch, he really can.”
“He didn’t, though, did he?” Kaname pointed out. “So it’s fine.”
“Well, yes, but that’s not the point. It was still far too dangerous! Why did you do that anyway?” Momomi gave her a strange look. “Not even you’d do something like that based on such a stupid reason, so don’t try the same excuse twice.”
“To protect you,” Kaname replied. “That’s simple enough, isn’t it? Besides, I’d do it a thousand times over if I could. He deserves worse, because he made you suffer and cry. Perhaps you’re kind, Momomi, but I haven’t forgiven him and I’m not afraid of him.”
“Well, you should be! He’s strong and short-tempered and don’t forget, powerful!”
“Exactly.” Kaname gritted her teeth. “Bastards like him think they can say what they like because of who they are! Well, I don’t give a damn! I won’t let anyone talk to you that way, so if you’re pressuring me, that’s why.”
“So you want to suffer to protect me?” Momomi replied. “Very idealistic, but no-one asked me.”
“You don’t come into it. I’ll do what I please.”
“So this is a martyr’s self-satisfaction to you, is it?”
Kaname folded her arms. “My satisfaction is derived from the fact that it stopped there. You’re not hurt. Perhaps you wouldn’t understand those feelings.”
“You’re the one who doesn’t understand!” Momomi gave her a frustrated glare. “It was my family! My business!”
“If someone hurts you, I’ll make it my business. I don’t care what you say. It’s for me, not you.”
“Well, think about yourself sometimes! You could have been hurt!”
“Who cares if I get hurt?” Kaname asked. “I know I don’t. It’s not unusual-”
“I care.” Momomi snorted. “So stop being stupid. No one should be sacrificing themselves just for this. We should live life so neither of us gets hurt. That’s what makes the most sense, right? And what hurts you, hurts me, so stop thinking you can protect me at your own expense! It’s a very male attitude, and it’s annoying!”
Kaname just sighed. “You’re as forthright as ever. I guess there was no need for me to worry.”
Momomi decided to accept this for the peace offering it probably was. “And what was with that, anyway? He should have crucified you!”
“Bastards know bastards. It’s in the eyes.” Kaname shrugged. “If you ask me, he decided I wasn’t worth hitting.”
“Have you any idea what my father’s like?” Momomi demanded. “I thought you knew, he’s as arrogant as the pharaohs and as short-tempered as the vikings!”
“Well? So am I.”
“Then surely you should kill each other before coexisting.”
Kaname snorted. “Well, even if I’m me, I’m a thirteen year-old Catholic schoolgirl. Beating me up would be a waste of effort. I’m not his daughter, after all.”
Momomi winced at the inference. “I thought we’d settled that-”
“It explains your high pain tolerance,” Kaname reflected. “It also explains why I wanted to beat him to death with a chair from the first moment I set eyes in him. Instincts.”
“Well, that’s in the past. Mostly.”
“Mostly.” Kaname growled to herself. “This is why I’m furious, but not for the same reasons as you. I know I didn’t go far enough.”
Momomi took her arm. “It’s okay, you went far enough for me. And I am kind of glad that you stood up for me.”
Kaname sighed theatrically, though her lips were twitching into a smile. “Well, just as long as you understand,” she managed.
“In any case, this is a completed matter,” Momomi declared. “I’m still going to have a good day, and I’m going to forget all about that.” As If I’m going to be able to forget Kaname assaulting my father.
Kaname shrugged. “Suits me just fine.”
“So now we can have a decent lunch,” Momomi declared. “I’m hungry as well. And then after that, we’ve still got a lot of shopping to do. Scarves, shoes, more clothes… anything else we need? Hmm, I might look in some bookstores, see if there’s anything good. Astraea’s library’s a little on the old side, to say the least.”
“More romances?” Kaname asked.
“More romances. Anything wrong with that?”
“It’s not how I’d spend my time, but whatever.”
“You should be more romantic, Kaname,” Momomi teased. “It would make you a lot more interesting.”
“I’m not sure I want to be more interesting in that sense,” Kaname replied. “It’s all pretty silly, anyway.”
“So you don’t believe in finding happiness with someone else?”
“I don’t have to believe in it. I know it happens. But it’s not a certain, ideal, or perfect thing.” Kaname shrugged. “In a book or a film, the outcome is all but assured. They’ll stretch things out with drama and angst and misunderstanding, but on some level we all know that there will be a happy ending. People aren’t that convenient. For too many people, there’s not going to be a happy ending, or things will work out after the so-called end that hurt them even more. Adultery. Divorce. Domestic violence. Life isn’t anything like the books, in short.”
“You say that, but the charm of those books is precisely because life isn’t anything like them,” Momomi pointed out. “It’s not like I’m not aware of that. It’s a wish fantasy, just like the actual genre fantasy, just like science fiction, crime and everything else. Can’t you let people dream from time to time?”
“Well, dreaming is fine, provided you can remember reality.”
“For a lot of people, reality’s hard to forget,” Momomi said sadly. “If they could dream a little more and have a little more courage, they might have more happy endings.”
“But there’d also be more sad ones.”
Momomi looked up a the sky. She didn’t think she could face the ground. “That’s true. But.”
“But?”
“But people still have to believe in their happy ending. Even if it’s against the odds, hope against hope, a pointless thing… they have to believe to have a purpose in life.” Momomi watched the clouds for a moment. “That’s the only way we can live.”
Kaname glanced at her. “You’re right, I suppose. It’s not like I’m any different.”
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