Momomi gently unfolded the envelope, pulling out the letter and opening it up. “Let’s see… Thank you for attending the auditions. We have elected to give you the part of Olivia. Please pick up your script at the first rehearsal, from five-thirty to six-thirty today. So that’s how it is. It looks like you’ll have to skip the first half of Kendo, right?”
Kaname nodded. She was slumped against the wall, scowling and looking gloomy.
“What did you get?”
“Sebastian,” Kaname grunted. “Just my luck. I have to play the stupid, annoying guy.”
“Look on the bright side. You get with me at the end of the play, right?”
“Tch. Wouldn’t it be more fun if I got to do that with someone else?”
“Cheaters are stabbed to death and dumped in the lake with lead weights round their feet,” Momomiwarned, smiling amicably.
“Something to look forwards too.” Kaname closed her eyes. “So they did the twin thing, right?”
“Probably, yeah. It works quite well, don’t you think?”
“Amane as Viola. She gets the best part, of course. Well, apart from Feste… his way of tricking and destroying Malvolio is genius.”
“Of course. It presents problems to an ethical modern audience, though.”
“Ethical? So, not either of us, basically.”
Momomi chuckled. “I suppose so. But when we were writing I rebalanced the two Twins as much as possible, to make them relatively even as roles. If it’s going to be you two performing it, that’s only appropriate.”
“So you anticipated this result?”
Momomi shook her head. “Not at all. I just thought this would be more interesting if things carried on. Whoever got one part or the other, it’s definitely better if the fight’s dragged out for longer, right?”
“God. Doing unnecessary things like that…”
“But it’s fun!”
“Tch. No one asked me,” Kaname grumbled, closing her eyes. “What was with that, though? Suddenly being that good at public performance is just irritating.”
“Well, she’s an Ohtori,” Momomi replied. “Knowing her, she’s had the same kind of time-wasting training as me, because it’s a done thing. Against that kind of opposition, it’s only natural to feel a little daunted.”
“I’m not daunted. It just pisses me off, that’s all.” Kaname grunted. “It’s not like anyone’s surprised by this, not after that performance of hers. But if she’s sitting on talents like that, it just makes it even more unforgivable for her to be so damned lazy.”
Momomi giggled. “I know what you mean. Well, we’ve still got a long way to go before the final performance. We’ll just have to see whether or not she can put the effort in to succeed with that.”
Kaname snorted. “She’ll just swan in at the last moment and do it perfectly, right? Even I can see that. The lucky bitch…”
Momomi frowned, pursing her lips. I guess this reaction is to be expected, under the circumstances…“In any case, we’d better go for breakfast, right? There isn’t much time left in the morning.”
“Fine. Let’s get going already.” Kaname pushed herself off the wall and kneeling to grab her schoolbag. She slung it casually over one shoulder and walked towards the door.
“Hey, wait up!” Momomi spluttered. She hurriedly folded the letter and stuck it in an inside pocket of her blazer, then snatched up her bag and followed her girlfriend. “Don’t rush, already!”
“Aren’t you the one who said that we didn’t have much time left to eat breakfast?”
“Yeah, but my legs are shorter than yours are. It’s hardly fair, right?” Momomi grinned, walking faster. “You’re making my legs hurt.”
“This is what you get for staying indoors all the damn time,” Kaname noted.
“You mean you didn’t?”
“Just while I was at this school, and even then, I was never that bad. At home I did plenty of running.”
“Track running, or running from people?”
“A little of both.”
“Oh, well.” Momomi sighed dramatically, rubbing her forehead with her hand. “In any case, this is going to a big bother, right? Are we rehearsing every day?”
“Obviously. You should have thought of that before you dragged me into this,” Kaname complained. “Or didn’t you think at all?”
“It’s not that I didn’t think,” Momomi replied, pouting. “It’s just that I didn’t specifically think about just how much time a lot of time is. That’s all.”
“Idiot.”
“Oh, be quiet and let me moan already! Our days are stressful enough as they are, right?”
“You’re telling me?” Kaname asked, sounding annoyed. “As it is now, there’s nothing I do that isn’t troublesome. And Kariya is going to kill me for missing so much kendo time. She’ll scream something about commitment or whatever. Annoying.”
“Just have a word with Serané,” Momomi suggested. “She understands the situation after all, more or less. I’m sure she’ll be able to moderate Kariya’s excesses.”
“I wish I could be so sure of that… besides, going crawling to that pretty girl is far too undignified.” Kaname scowled. “They already know far too much about us as it is, without us running to them.”
“Oh? So you are embarrassed about that, huh?”
“I’m not embarrassed! It’s just annoying, that’s all.” Kaname scowled at her. “How about you? It’s not like you don’t have that kind of moment.”
“Well, I guess so,” Momomi agreed. “So I suppose I broadly agree with you. But still, they’re pretty discreet, don’t you think?”
“Like hell I think that. They tell everything to each other, for a start, which is bad enough. On top of that, I’m still sure that Shion blackmails them.” Kaname stuck her hands in her pockets. “That’s the only good explanation for why they turned up on Saturday, for a start.”
Momomi sighed. “I doubt it’s anything so dramatic. It’s probably at Serané’s suggestion, to be nice, more or less. Don’t you think?”
“Yeah, well, someone has to have told her about it.” Kaname snorted. “That’s another thing, too. Watching everyone fangirl over these two was annoying, seriously. They walk into the room and everyone’s swarming all over them.”
“Apparently. Kariya-sama somewhat less, of course.” Momomi smiled. “I can’t think why.”
“I mean, they’re the most famous couple in the school, who’ve been together since they were in nappies or whatever,” Kaname complained. “Maybe before that, perhaps they went to visit each other’s wombs in the summer holidays or whatever, but the point stands. And under those circumstances, it makes sense how that seventy-five percent of the school is crushing on them? Talk about a waste of energy.”
“The attraction of the unattainable, perhaps?” Momomi suggested. “Or the fact that they’re so obviously playing the right game, so to speak, or the mystique of the title… you know, I have no idea.”
“Even if it has reasons, that doesn’t mean it makes sense,” Kaname snapped. “It’s like crushing on Amane, isn’t it? No matter how much poetry you write nothing’s going to happen at all! It’s impossible.”
Momomi giggled. “I suppose that’s true. Amane-san isn’t in a long-term relationship, though, so she’s a little different.”
“Of course she’s in a long-term relationship.” Kaname shook her head irritably. “With the bloody horse. That’s where her heart belongs.”
Momomi smiled at her. “If you say so. You sound a little irked, though?”
“Hardly. Well, a little,” Kaname admitted. “But that’s the way whenever I think about her, isn’t it? It’s like everything she says and does shows her laziness and ingratitude.”
“Doesn’t that kind of logic also go for the girl with your abilities who locked herself in her room for a year and a half?”
“Only half a year, actually,” Kaname grunted. “I spent first year trying to shoot that bitch down. Looks like nothing’s changed.”
“If you really believe in people realising their potential like that, wouldn’t it be more productive if you worked for your own good?” Momomi shrugged. “Amane is hardly important, is she?”
“She’s the goal I need to beat to know that I’ve grown.” Kaname glanced at her, eyes flinty. “Besides, if you’re chasing after someone, you’ll get better faster. You should know that, right?”
Momomi shrugged “I suppose so.”
“Whatever the circumstances, you should always have a rival. That’s another thing that makes Amane so damn annoying. She refuses to pay any attention to anyone.”
“You’re still sore about that, aren’t you?”
“It doesn’t have to be me,” Kaname muttered. “It could be Kariya, if that made her happy. As it is, she’s far too casual about everything.”
“Hmm. We need another good horse rider in the school.”
“Don’t look at me, already. It’s her problem, isn’t it?”
When they arrived at the canteen, Momomi’s gaze swept the room and settled on their table. Predictably, Amane was there. Just today, that’s a little inconvenient. Kaname’s in a bad mood, after all. She looked sidelong at her girlfriend.
Unsurprisingly, Kaname was using her trademark death glare on an indifferent Amane, who waved vaguely then returning to her breakfast. “Arrogant little…”
“You are rather agitated, aren’t you?” Momomi inquired. “Are you jealous?”
“Of course not. Like I said, it’s nothing I didn’t expect.”
“Oh, well. Let’s leave it at that.” Momomi gave her a teasing look, starting to queue up for food. “Just don’t get too angry, okay?”
“Naturally. What’d be the point in that?” Kaname asked. “Doesn’t mean I’m not annoyed, though.”
Momomi sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Well, fine. As long as you don’t start ‘practising’ on trees again. You’re not a manga hero, you know.”
“Ha. Damn right, I’m not. Who wants to be something as brash and reckless as that kind of character?”
“Slicing through rocks with your bare hands would be nice, though.”
“And you’d have big breasts and no brains at all,” Kaname grunted. “You fail on both counts.”
Momomi put a hand on her hip, flushing furiously. “Hey! I’m a growing girl, you know!”
“Yes, yes… at least I said you were smart. What do want me to do, lie?”
“Even if it’s true, you shouldn’t talk like that, you know,” Momomi complained. “It’s impolite. You just don’t know how to treat a lady!”
“I’m pretty sure you’re no lady, so you’ll probably cope with the trauma.”
“Possibly. No thanks to you, though.” Momomi closed her eyes for a moment, thinking. “In any case do they also grow faster if I’m chasing after someone?” she asked, opening her eyes and looking at Kaname’s stiffening face. “I’ll have to think hard of Serané-sama, then. And you can visualise Kariya, too.”
“Shut up!”
“You started it.”
Momomi coughed, noticing they were getting slightly bemused looks from the people in front of that. “In any case, moving on. What are we revising today?”
“Physics, probably,” Kaname muttered, staring fixedly at the floor. “Though I’m open to suggestions. You shouldn’t just lean on me for all this stuff, it gets annoying.”
“Sorry. But you’re the one who’s done this for two years in a row, right?”
“That’s true. Even so, we can afford to vary the order a little, right?”
“There wouldn’t be much point, though. Your order is as good as any, isn’t it?”
“I guess so.”
Momomi looked around sighed. “We got too loud again, didn’t we?”
“Yeah. We did.”
“Why does that always happen here, of all places?”
“Who knows? I blame it on God, myself.”
“I thought you were an atheist?”
“Well, I don’t believe in him right up until moments like this. Then I’m sure there’s a Devil, at least.”
“Fair enough.”
A few minutes later, they were sitting down. “Good morning,” Momomi said politely.
“Good morning,” Shion replied.
“You know, I have a plan-” Amiki began.
“Don’t you dare,” Kaname warned.
“What we need to do is follow those two around, and whenever they do something particularly entertaining, we hold out a hat,” Amiki continued. “That way we could collect a small fund for the purchase of props for our play, or something, I’m sure of it.”
“Shut up.”
“Now, now, Rivera-chan, it isn’t nice to tease your friends,” Shion warned, clasping her hands. “You should be more polite.”
Momomi nodded, breaking open her chopsticks and picking up a lump of rice.
“After all, insecurities like these are a serious business,” Shion continued. “But that kind of thing doesn’t matter as long as you’re confident about yourself-”
“Chopsticks. Nostrils. Take fair warning,” Kaname muttered, glaring.
Shion giggled. “In any case, you two are still entertainingly chaotic. It’s quite endearing, actually.”
“Oh, wonderful.” Momomi groaned. “I’m glad we’re amusing. Shall we do a little dance number, too?”
“Sounds good to me,” Amiki said. “But can Kaname really dance? Someone with big feet like her hardly appears graceful.”
Olesa frowned. “That’s not necessarily true, Alicia. The most ungainly of people can prove to be good dances with practise.”
“In any case, what I was actually going on to say is that the fact that you two are so flamboyant has allowed another interesting thing to occur almost undetected,” Shion continued. “I was just telling Ohtori-san about it.”
Two of the five suddenly busied them themselves with their breakfasts, looking firmly downwards. “What are you talking about?” Momomi asked.
“These two spent their free time together in town after the auditions on Saturday,” Shion explained, pointing to the Spaniards. “And a little bird assures me there was a definite date-like atmosphere going on.”
“Nothing like that was happening,” Amiki protested unconvincingly. “We were just going out as friends, that’s all. You shouldn’t get more excited.”
“Even if it’s only that, isn’t it something to celebrate?” Shion queried, smiling. “After all, prior to this you two hadn’t left the campus at all in six months…”
Amiki winced. “Really? It felt like it was shorter than that.”
“Really, really. So I’m sure you had a special, important reason,” Shion replied, leaning forwards and resting her chin on her steepled hands. “That’s quite the diversion from routine, after all.”
“Nothing so exciting,” Amiki said edgily. “We just felt like it. Can’t we have whims now?”
“And of course there are a few other things I’ve heard from little birds…”
“Your first years have no sense of privacy,” Olesa noted. “You shouldn’t encourage them.”
“Well, what else am I do, when my friends are so evasive?” Shion asked.
“Don’t we have private lives?” Amiki demanded.
“It’s fine, Alicia.” Olesa closed her eyes. “We went on a date. That’s all, right? The rest is something we can tell or not, as we please.”
Shion pouted. “You’re all so boring. In any case, now I feel quite lonely, compared to you four. How about it, Ohtori-san? Shall we make up the numbers?”
“Thank you, but I’m busy with various things,” Amane replied absently.
“Ouch,” Momomi noted. “That was blunt.”
“See? None of you have any sense of humour, either.” Shion shook her head mournfully. “What am I going to do with you all, that’s what I want to know.”
“In any case, we’re all taking part in this play in some respect, aren’t we?” Amiki observed. “That’s all because of your dragooning, so I’m sure you can rest assured that you keep us more than busy.”
“That’s true, isn’t it? I have done well…” Shion grinned. “Well, it should be fun. I’m counting on you all.”
“You mean you’re going to personally benefit from our hard work?” Kaname said. “Well, that’s nice to know.”
“It’s for Spica, and the younger years, and for yourselves as well,” Shion observed. “Everyone benefits. Even if the way they benefit is different, that’s still true. Just because what I gain is different from yours doesn’t mean that’s exploitation, Kenjou-kun.”
“Ah.” Amane nodded briefly. “It’s a co-operative effort, is it not? That is the point.”
Shion nodded. “Exactly.”
“Somewhat a strange concept. In horse-riding, of course, I merely rely on myself and my mount.”
Kaname groaned. “Alright, whatever. So some people notice I exist, wonderful. It’s not like I ever cared much for that goal anyway.”
“You should,” Momomi chided. “Staying as we are would be far too boring.”
“Boring is fine, isn’t it?”
Shion shook her head. “Of course, this is why I’m going to have a very difficult job. There’s not one person on this table here who has any grasp of co-operative effort.”
“On the contrary, I always back up Olesa,” Amiki protested. “And Kaname and Momomi are another pair, right?”
“Considering the way you four treat everyone but each other, that doesn’t count, I’m afraid. But this is precisely why this play will be good for you, I’m sure of it.” Shion smiled cheerfully. “However good you are as an individual, if the play itself fails it’s your failure as well. So you can’t just lean on your respective talents.”
“That’s fine as far as it goes. But how about you? Aren’t you competing with plenty of people?” Kaname closed her eyes. “The older students, the other schools, and even other people in your own year to some degree… you just pick out broader groups of people to compete with. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s slightly more natural, though. The tribal unit is historically strong.” Olesa shrugged. “We would represent lone wolf types, who were less successful on the whole, and generally shunned…”
Shion groaned. “Don’t overanalyse. Play equals teamwork. Teamwork is good. Okay?”
“If you say so,” Momomi said dubiously. “But-” She caught Shion’s look and went silent again.
“Let’s start again, shall we?” Shion asked brightly. “It should be fun. I’m counting on you all.”
“Tch. Don’t bother.” Kaname leaned back. “Now I’m involved, I’ll do well for myself, not for you. That’s my pride.”
“I’ll do my best,” Momomi said. “But I have my own reasons too.”
“We’re just working backstage, so it’s not even a big deal,” Amiki commented.
“Besides, we’re doing this so we can see what happens.” Olesa shrugged. “No more, no less. There’s no need to feel like this is a favour to you, or be indebted.”
“I know,” Shion replied. “As if you’d let me forget it. But for our own reasons, we can still work together, isn’t that right? After all, we have one thing in common.”
“Oh?” Kaname asked, sounding bored. “What’s that? Love? The power of friendship?”
“Ridiculous, blatant, shameless and aggressive self-interest.” Shion laughed at the expression on their faces. “Well, am I wrong?”
“Not as such,” Amiki muttered. “But saying it’s a little much, that’s all.”
“Even so, I suppose you’re right. Rather than cute ideals, I’ll rely on that.” Shion laughed, shaking out her hair. “To our mutual efforts, our mutual success and our mutual benefit. Something like that?”
Kaname smiled thinly. “Sounds good enough to me.”
“Agreed.” Amiki smirked. “That’s something we can get behind.”
“Quite.”
“What do you think, Momomi?”
“Hmm? Oh, right. That sounds fine.” She was busy staring at the fifth, who was apparently oblivious to their conversation, lying back in her chair with her eyes closed.
The others followed her gaze. Without looking, Momomi could see their frowns and feel their puzzled thoughts. So, for all that, where does she come into this? That’s what we all want to know. But if it’s what Amane intends or wants, none of us know where to begin.
Momomi sighed and turned away, checking her watch. So I suppose it’s something I’ll have to find out.
“Hi, again.”
Amane glanced at her, frowning slightly. “Hi.” She turned back to Starbright.
Momomi shrugged off her jacket and exchanged it for her borrowed riding jacket. “How have you been?”
“Well. You?”
“Pretty good, yeah,” Momomi replied, tying her hair back with the ribbon she’d been given. “After so long doing nothing, I’m doing so much at once. Even if it’s tiring, it is an exhilarating feeling.”
“Ah.”
“And this play should be good, too. Even though I’d normally hold out little hope for such things, if it’s you, Kaname and I, it’ll definitely be interesting.” Sol whinnied expectantly at her, and she patted the horse gently on the nose. They’d been working together well recently, as Amane would put it. Momomi smiled at the thought. “And Shion, Eida and Hirai strike me as better than the average calibre of this school, too.”
“Ah.” Amane frowned. “You aren’t very modest…”
“Is there a point in being modest?” Momomi asked. “I’m just stating things the way things are, that’s all.”
Amane snorted gently. “Ah. I see.”
“In any case, I look forwards to working together with you.” Momomi smirked. “Won’t it be good for you to do something but riding for a change?”
“Ah. Perhaps.”
“Of course, I like riding as well,” Momomi remarked, rubbing Sol’s flank. “You’re softening me to it, or rather this beauty here. We’d better get going, though. Break is very short.”
Amane stopped. “Momomi. Can I ask you something?”
Momomi frowned, surprised by the use of her name. Apart from her just now, who else calls me that? Olesa? Kaname…“Of course. What?”
“Why are you still here?”
Momomi sighed. “Didn’t I answer this one before? You’re still an interesting and mysterious person.”
“Wouldn’t you rather spend the time with Kenjou?”
“There’s such a thing as too much of a good thing, you know. Though I’m sure you’d argue that Kaname is a bad thing… never mind. You certainly remind me that she’s very interesting, though.” Momomi smiled, putting a hand on her hip. “If I was pressed, though, it’s probably for the same reason that Olesa talks to you. You’re a very good confidant, Amane-san.”
“Ah… thank you,” Amane replied, sounding uncertain. She began to walk Starbright out of the stables. “We should go.”
Momomi enjoyed the tang of the cold air against her skin, savouring breaths of fresh air as they rode out. “This is a good atmosphere, too. After spending so much time inside the school for various things every day, I enjoy getting out.”
“Ah. That’s understandable.” Amane shrugged. “I, too, find it claustrophobic.”
“It’s also novel for me, though. I’ve always been an extremely indoorsy kind of person. Well, for a start, we were forbidden from leaving the grounds of the Phareli estate for as long as I can remember. I used to stay in almost all the time here, as well.” Momomi chuckled. “Not that I’ve been dissuaded by any of that. To be honest, I have an almost unhealthy obsession with the outside world on principle… I just rarely choose to be in it.”
“I see.” Amane frowned, glancing at her. “Is this because I am a good confidant?”
“Not really. This isn’t anything I’m excited or worried about.” Momomi stroked Sol’s neck, looking round idly. “I’m just making conversation, that’s all.”
“Ah. That’s a strange thing.”
“What?” Momomi asked, puzzled.
“Conversation. People think they always have to be talking. But silence is fine too.”
“I suppose so, in theory, but not always in practise. After all, they’re called awkward silences.”
“I see. So that’s what you want to avoid, when you talk to me?”
“Hardly. Your contributions to my conversation is for the most part an awkward silence,” Momomi teased. “It’s just the done thing. I guess I’ve been trained that way.”
“So you’ll always talk with everyone?”
“No. I’m not stupid either.” Momomi shrugged. “And sometimes, silence can be comfortable. I’m aware of that as well.”
“With Kenjou?”
“Not just her, you know. I do know more than one person.” Momomi looked down thoughtfully. “Kaname’s one such person as well, though. Luigia, too, and to some degree Olesa. I guess those are people who are important to me, so that’s why.”
“Luigia is your sister, yes? You have told me about her.”
“Precisely.”
“I understand.”
“But can you answer a question of mine, Amane-san?” Momomi asked.
“Hmm?”
“Why am I still here?” Momomi waved a finger vaguely. “That’s to say, why do you continue to tolerate my company?”
Amane shrugged. “It would be effort to send you away.”
Momomi giggled. “Oh, is that so? Not as much as coming to our table every morning. You’re as bad as Kaname.”
“Should I be unhappy with you?”
“I know I’ve disappointed your expectations on some level,” Momomi replied. “That’s why.”
“No, I-”
“I know that’s true. I’m not ashamed, either. That’s the way things are.” Momomi chuckled. “I’m just uncertain of why you continue this, bearing that in mind. There are plenty more people willing to take my place.”
“Testing you and discarding you is far too cynical,” Amane replied quietly. “That’s obvious.”
“This is a modern age, isn’t it? That kind of behaviour is normal. I’d do it myself.” Momomi shook her head in amusement. “It’s hard to believe that an Ohtori would be so kind.”
“I’m not defined by the name.”
“You let it define you, though,” Momomi retorted quietly.
Amane shook her head silently.
“Don’t you think so? Because I do. Your uncertain past, your very certain future and your family appear to have a very great hand in your present.” Momomi adjusted the reigns slightly. “Your life has very little superfluous qualities in it. No friends or hobbies that you’ve spoken of, but Olesa, I and horses.”
“That’s just my own choice.”
“If you say so, but it’s still true, isn’t it? You just let live wash by.”
“Not really. Some things, I take an interest in.”
“The play, for example?” Momomi asked.
Amane frowned for a moment. “Ah.”
“That’s another thing I wonder about. It’s not like you to get involved in anything.”
“It looked interesting. That’s all there is to it.”
Momomi smirked. “It looked interesting? Well, that’s strange enough in itself. Why the play? Why not anything else that happens at this school?”
Amane shrugged again. “It was a whim. So I don’t know. Perhaps there was no good reason. It wouldn’t be necessary to have one.”
“What do you want to achieve, then? We all have something prove, so it makes sense for us. But for you, demonstrating yet another talent isn’t going to bring you anything but inconvenience.”
“I don’t have a goal.”
“Then why bother? You, who does so little but this, are well-aware of the possibilities presented by simple inactivity.”
Amane shrugged. “Who knows?”
“You do,” Momomi retorted. “But you’re being defensive. It’s not like I’m not prying, though, I suppose.”
“Ah.”
“For me, of course, it’s because I want people to know my name. I want people to acknowledge me, so I have to have some kind of triumph.” Momomi sighed. “Kaname is the same as well. She has something to prove, as I said before. But she’s less enthusiastic about it.”
“Really?”
Momomi nodded. “Sometimes, anyway, that’s true. She has mood swings.”
“I see.”
“But for her, it’s a matter of identity, I suppose. Even more than me. Kaname defines the world in terms of winning and losing, which is a little simplistic, to say the least. She doesn’t relish struggle, but she also sees it as the only way to grow. I think, it’s a little confusing.” Momomi grinned. “And of course, she sees you as her perfect rival.”
“If there was a conflict between us, you would side with her, wouldn’t you?”
“Of course. Even if she was being stupid, that’s still what I would do. Disappointed?”
“No. I knew that already.”
“But I don’t understand you, Amane-san. You say you feel nothing and aspire to nothing, but that’s a lie. Or at least, a simplification.” Momomi glanced steadily at her. “Talking to me, listening to my friends and taking part in the play. You do yearn for something. And it’s more than merely getting better at riding.”
Amane frowned. “I still have no clear desires. That hasn’t changed. But there is something I’ve become interested in.”
“So I was right.” Momomi’s lips curled into a smile. “Is it Kaname? You took an extremely theatrical course of action on Saturday, after all.”
“That was an innocent mistake.”
“Oh, really?” Momomi laughed. “Even for you, that’s a little unlikely, isn’t it?”
Amane didn’t reply.
“Well, I should give you fair warning, I suppose. As I said before, I’ll always support Kaname. And if you hurt her too much or too casually, I won’t forgive you.”
“Is she someone who needs your protection?”
“Yes, actually. In the same way you, too, need protection of a kind.” Momomi touched her hair thoughtfully. “It’s the same sort of protection, actually. Both of you adopt an act and a façade to protect yourselves from the outside world, and yourself. Calculated indifference, asocial behaviour and so on. But all the same, you do cling to those who approach you.”
“I don’t appreciate that sentiment.”
“If you were to thrust me away just for that, it would only serve to prove my point,” Momomi replied. “In any case, I’m talking about myself. It’s how I live. But is’ very lonely, isn’t it? Dull and tiring and lonely.”
Amane shrugged. “I am not lonely. I am fine like this.”
“When Kaname’s in a funk and regretting the play outright, that’s what she says. Sometimes it’s not even that. Sometimes it’s about you, or my friends, or things like that. And it feels like she’ll still be sad at times however hard I struggle.” Momomi sighed, looking away mournfully. “That’s very annoying. I could give up everything and spend all the time I have with her, but even then, I’m sure she’d still have such moments.”
“That Kenjou?”
“That Kenjou. My Kaname.”
“Surprising.”
“So I don’t believe you if you just say that you’re not lonely. If you ask me, everyone’s lonely all the time. That’s just how life is. Sometimes people let you forget that.”
Amane nodded. “But as I am now, that’s the case. There are people who let me forget that I am lonely. It’s still irrelevant.”
Momomi nodded. “And the play?”
“Is of no special significance.” Amane closed her eyes. “Viola, however, is a character that suits me well in some respects.”
“I can understand that.”
“But truthfully, your part fits me better.” Amane turned Starbright towards the stables again. “We should to say. We only have two minutes left.”
Momomi nodded briefly before she spoke again. “So, what do you think about competition?”
“It’s irrelevant.”
“I see… and one more question.”
“What are you going to do, if not even this serves to forge bonds with the people around you?”
“I won’t do anything unnecessary. Bonds aren’t necessary, either.”
“You still want them with all your heart, though, don’t you?” Momomi walked Sol into the stables. “That’s why I’m here.”
“No. It’s a matter of something simpler.” Amane peeled off her riding jacket. “You’re interesting. I’m surrounding myself with interesting things, because that’s enough for me. There’s no need for anything else.”
“If you say so.”
“I do say so.”
Momomi sighed deeply. “I’m still sorry. I think I understand, on some level. If it had been you, not Kaname, I’d come to understand first-”
“That’s not important. It’s not anything to worry about. But…” Amane glanced at her, crimson eyes bright. “You should be careful, Kiyashiki-san. To be everything to everyone, in the hope that you could help them all, is a futile life in itself. That won’t make anyone happy.”
Momomi snorted, folding her arms. “Who said anything about that?”
“And I won’t let you act that way. That’s final.” Amane shrugged on her jacket, grabbed her bag, and walked away.
Momomi watched her go, frowning deeply. She’s wrong. I’m not trying anything as dramatic as that. I just want her to be happier. It would be nice if she smiled a little more. Kaname… after everything I did to Kaname, she has to understand that situation.
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