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05:30 A.M. \ Overcast Lancet-2: Good evening, Doctor. Lancet-2: Of course, by the strictest definition, it's not evening anymore. Lancet-2: You appear exhausted. My sensors indicate that you have not entered a state of deep sleep for at least twenty hours—and occasionally dozing off certainly cannot be counted. Option_1: No way about it. Too many files. Option_2: ...Tired. Option_3: Who made me the Doctor of Rhodes Island, huh?! Lancet-2: Your work is exceptionally important, Doctor, but it's as they say. Proper rest guarantees sustainable work. Lancet-2: All members of the Medical Department see the same way on this. That is why they frequently send me to accompany you, Doctor. Lancet-2: Um... although, aside from daily monitoring of your physiological state, there's not much more I can do. Option_1: I'm in pretty good health. Option_2: ...... Option_3: ...Sorry for the hassle. Lancet-2: Doctor, I noticed... the mug by your right hand. Lancet-2: Your attempts to hide it behind the files are meaningless. Ms. Closure did not add an olfactory module to me, but my image analysis very rarely makes mistakes. Lancet-2: It's still piping hot... Doctor, you poured yourself that mug in secret just now. Lancet-2: Fifteen minutes ago, you were already on your fourth mug, weren't you? Lancet-2: Occasional intake of stimulants to the central nervous system can be beneficial, but considering that it is almost morning, I suggest you... drink coffee. Option_1: Hm? Lancet-2: My sensors indicated just now that your heartrate is rather higher than average, as are your adrenaline levels. Lancet-2: Therefore... drink more coffee. Lancet-2: Um? What happened to me just now... Is this a slip of the tongue everyone normally makes? So robots can also have tongue slips... Lancet-2: In short, Doctor, please pay more mind to your rest, or else a Medical Department operator will lecture you again. As for your coffee... drink it. Lancet-2: ...... Lancet-2: ...! Aaah! ......!! ...drink coffee! Lancet-2: Ohh... Lancet-2: This is terrible. How could this happen to me? Doctor, can I ask that you... drink coffee? Option_1: Alright. I was planning to do just that. Option_2: ...... Option_3: Sounds like your logic's gone kinda wrong? Lancet-2: Just where is this issue occurring...? My intent was to dissuade you, Doctor... Lancet-2: Is it my logic module? Or language... Lancet-2: Ohh... I've gone pathological... I can't even get something as minor as this right... Engineering Operator: Hey. Doctor, huh? You're up real early. Engineering Operator: And here I was moping about my third morning shift this week... seeing you so active, I feel a little more awake. Engineering Operator: Anything I can help with? Option_1: Lancet-2 seems to be having issues. Engineering Operator: Hm? Lancet-2: Ohh... my language module's broken. Engineering Operator: Jeez, is that right? Well, you don't see that every day. Engineering Operator: Don't you get system checkups every week with Engineering? Last one was yesterday, wasn't it? Or was it the day before? Engineering Operator: You were all fine then. Closure made sure of it herself. She's the boss. Engineering Operator: What would cause a random malfunction? Lancet-2: I do not know either... I have heard the model of robot I am typically has a ten year service lifespan. Lancet-2: Currently, I'm only two years, three months and five days. Engineering Operator: Uh... no need to be so nervous? Engineering Operator: To tell the truth, even when we're all retired early from overwork, you should still be as youthful as ever. Lancet-2: Thank you for the consolation, even if I know it's only out of kindness. Option_1: ...An inspection ASAP, then? Engineering Operator: I'm nowhere near my boss's level, for sure... Engineering Operator: But this one's a little too simple, isn't it?! It's just an ad-hoc silencer module. And someone did a real sloppy job of sticking it on your back. The angle's crooked, even. Lancet-2: A silencer module? I have never heard of such a module. Engineering Operator: Oh, only the old operators at Engineering would know about this. Way back when Closure was overhauling your operation platforms, your, uh, language libraries had some issues. Option_1: What issues? Engineering Operator: Ahem. Somebody carelessly input a collection of top swears from all over Terra into Castle-3. Option_1: It's kind of hard to picture that. Option_2: ...... Option_3: You sure that was carelessness? Engineering Operator: They were a little too comprehensive. We reassembled the expletive content in the processing module, and a complete deletion requires some time. Engineering Operator: So in the interim, we came up with these little modules. Using 'em's a cinch. Just turn it on like this, get up close, get the current flowing— Engineering Operator: And any words you don't want people hearing get jammed into inaudible frequencies. Engineering Operator: That way, effectiveness of expression might've suffered for the time being, but at least we could avoid Castle-3 generating unnecessary complaints from certain other departments. Engineering Operator: Put it this way: ever since then, Rhodes Island has had a lot of little kiddos aboard, haha. Lancet-2: Ah... Though, well... why did this module end up on me? Lancet-2: I am able to guarantee that there are no words which should not exist within my language library. I ran a self-test on myself just thirty seconds ago. Engineering Operator: Because your silencer isn't targeting any kind of swears. Engineering Operator: Hm... seems someone entered the phrase 'do not' to the list. That checks out with what you just described, Doctor, right? Option_1: Lancet-2 definitely wanted to tell me 'do not drink coffee.' Engineering Operator: Yeah, hold up, I just noticed something on the back of the module... a piece of chewing gum? Engineering Operator: Someone sneaked a module out of our place, set up new target vocab, then used gum to stick it to Lancet-2? Engineering Operator: Real smart. Real easy mod, and one that'd sure as hell kick in. Question is, who'd do this? Lancet-2: Doctor, there's something I've been declining to mention. Lancet-2: In the Engineering Department just earlier, I sensed the presence of a third person. Option_1: Aren't we three people? Lancet-2: Doctor, I'm very happy that you count me along with you, but I unfortunately mean a third human. Aciddrop: ...... Aciddrop: Hah, yeah, I'm busted. Lancet-2: Greetings, Operator Aciddrop. Lancet-2: Though what I detected earlier didn't seem to be... oh, never mind. It doesn't matter. Lancet-2: Oh, right, your checkup today is still pending. Please wait a moment. Once I have reconfirmed the Doctor's data, I will perform your scan for you. Lancet-2: Additionally, please do not utilize your skateboard within living areas. It's still early, and you will be liable to disturb other operators. Lancet-2: On the off-chance that a collision occurs, you may bring about further unnecessary bodily harm. Aciddrop: ...Guess you're running regular again. Lancet-2: Hm? Lancet-2: Doctor, I'm not sure whether my understanding is faulty, but Operator Aciddrop seems to be implying that... Option_1: She's probably the one. Lancet-2: Operator Aciddrop, was it you that adhered a silencer module to me? Aciddrop: ...... Aciddrop: Yeah, I guess it was. Aciddrop: I did the deed. Lancet-2: Judging from your configuration of the silencer's targeting, do you not wish for me to direct the words 'do not' at you? Aciddrop: How do I lay it out...? Aciddrop: I'm used to living free, see, nobody on my back. So types like you... uh, kinda jam me up a little. Lancet-2: Oh, am I being bothersome? I'm sorry, it's never my intent to rouse such negative emotions. Lancet-2: Operator Aciddrop, ever since your arrival at Rhodes Island, your condition has been gradually stabilizing. Lancet-2: I'll report to Dr. Kal'tsit that we can reduce your checkup frequency. Aciddrop: ...Not really what I meant. Lancet-2: Alright, I understand. Lancet-2: Operator Aciddrop, it's not checkups that you feel are bothersome, but rather myself, correct? Lancet-2: This isn't a difficult problem to address. Lancet-2: Medical Department staff may all be very busy, but they care very much about the health and vitality of our operators, especially those of younger age who have just recently arrived. I can simply request them to assign someone else to your checkups. Option_1: You sound a little hurt, Lancet-2. Lancet-2: Not at all, Doctor. Please do not mislead our new operators. I'm only a robot, after all, and would never feel any sort of grievance. Lancet-2: Ohh, now that I look at it, I really do tend to tell people not to do things... Aciddrop: Don't say that. Lancet-2: Oh? Aciddrop: I don't wanna get someone different. Aciddrop: You're good. What's wrong with robots? Robots are rad as hell, right. Lancet-2: ...Thank you. Aciddrop: Uh, it's like, how do I put it...? Aciddrop: It's not like I'm saying you're annoying, even though having someone constantly up in your grill is, uh, kinda annoying, but that's 'cause you, like, care about me, right? I do get that, yeah. Lancet-2: In that case, Operator Aciddrop, what bother do you mean...? Aciddrop: If I have to put it some way, man, I feel like a total mess... like I kinda, uh, miss home? It's not like I MISS that whole place, but... ugh, it's a mess, yeah? It's just a freaking mess! Aciddrop: I admit it! It's not even cool, is it? I know it's not cool! Say whatever you want, I don't care! Lancet-2: ...... Aciddrop: C'mon, why aren't you saying anything? Aciddrop: Every time you're like 'do not' this, 'do not' that, you make me think of someone... dunno how the hell that old geezer's doing now. Lancet-2: Doctor, do I sound very old? Lancet-2: I only have two years of factual age, and per certain young operators' feedback, Closure selected a voice for me that should sound proximal to their ages. Does it not? Aciddrop: Haha, I'm not saying you're old. Aciddrop: It's just how you say things sometimes. Aciddrop: The old man used to really like harping on at me. Man, don't go skating there, it's dangerous. Don't be running around the block too late. Don't get too close to this or that... Aciddrop: ...Made me feel like my ears were gonna start shedding. Lancet-2: Ah, I more or less see the picture now. Lancet-2: Operator Aciddrop, you feel that I'm constantly nagging. Lancet-2: Ohh... It really isn't a charming mannerism at all... but whenever I see you utilizing your skateboard in the corridors, I just can't help but analyze the possibility of injury. Lancet-2: And within a period where your condition has not been better stabilized, excessive exercise can lead to the elevation of certain risk indicators... Aciddrop: I dig, I dig. You're looking out for us, yeah. Aciddrop: Honestly, it's kind of a weird feeling. Thinking about it now, like, back then it'd tick me off, and now I don't even get to hear it. Lancet-2: Operator Aciddrop, are you reminiscing about the past? Aciddrop: Reminiscing, huh... Kinda tough to say I am, I guess. It ends up kinda lame, y'know, always thinking about the past and whatever. Aciddrop: Hey. Rhodes Island's a pretty solid place. It's got radical robots like you, too. Haha. Sigh. Aciddrop: I'm sorry. Lancet-2: Um, are you apologizing to me, Operator Aciddrop? Aciddrop: I'll try to stop skating in some places. That's what you want, right? Aciddrop: I was just kinda talking crap yesterday, and E... uh, said there was something real fun I could try playing with. Aciddrop: At first I didn't actually think it'd work, and then when I heard you telling me in your normal voice to go to bed too late, it felt... a little awkward, deep down. Super awkward. Aciddrop: It was pretty wack. I mean, freedom is freedom... but I didn't feel any more relaxed. Actually just felt even more messed up. Aciddrop: Basically, I was wrong to do this. Aciddrop: And now you've busted me. What's my sentence? Do I get detention? Lancet-2: Oh, Rhodes Island has no custom of arbitrary detention. Besides, this isn't that big of a problem, is it? Lancet-2: Operator Aciddrop, in your hometown, convenient modification of otherwise inconvenient machines was quite a common sight, wasn't it? Lancet-2: I've seen it in your files. Both your hand crossbow and your skateboard have been through a certain degree of modification. Aciddrop: No, that's twisted. Aciddrop: You're not that kinda machine. Lancet-2: Hm? Option_1: As in, you're more than an ordinary machine. Option_2: I'm guessing she sees Lancet-2 as a friend? Lancet-2: Then that's all the less to worry about. As I view it, it's only a tiny, harmless prank. Aciddrop: Does it count as a prank? Lancet-2: A practical joke between friends conducted with mutual understanding. In my judgment, this meets the definition of a prank. Of course, robots cannot actually understand any sort of comedy. Lancet-2: Doctor, what do you think? Option_1: Haha. Lancet-2: As you see, even the Doctor laughed. This proves that it truly is a prank, correct? Lancet-2: As it is a prank, I believe Dr. Kal'tsit and Amiya won't need to know about this. As of now, I have already resumed normal operation, and the Engineering Department will not save any files or data on an issue as minor as this. Aciddrop: Huh. Thanks. Aciddrop: You really are a—super-rad—friend. Aciddrop: 'Kay. See ya 'round. Lancet-2: Er, please don't utilize your skateboard in the corridors— Lancet-2: Doctor, I have a question. Lancet-2: Do you also believe me to be a nag? Option_1: Not at all. You're right to say what you do. Option_2: Just the tiniest little bit. Lancet-2: Whenever you particularly want to drink coffee, I always advise against your continued consumption of it. Hearing it constantly does tend to be a bother, doesn't it? Lancet-2: Compared to one that always says 'do not,' I'm sure you'd much prefer a robot at your side that automatically serves you coffee when you want it—that would be far more obedient of a machine. Lancet-2: In that case, I ought to seek out Closure to decrease the frequency at which I say 'do not,' shouldn't I? Lancet-2: But that would be mutually incompatible with my intended purpose. Lancet-2: I am a medical robot. My purpose lies in ensuring the robust health of everyone at Rhodes Island. Lancet-2: And what I speak, you don't always listen to. It goes for Closure, too. She's just like you, Doctor. Constant overtime work, and an unhealthy diet. Lancet-2: If my nagging was undesirable, I wouldn't have been designed with this function, would I? Lancet-2: Ohhh... I don't understand... There's a contradiction in logic here. Option_1: It's not a contradiction. Option_2: ...... Option_3: It's because that's who you are, Lancet-2. Lancet-2: Is it not contradictory? This is just me? My nagging self? Lancet-2: If any of you don't like it, you can always change these behavioral habits of mine. Option_1: I don't want you to change. Option_2: Closure doesn't want you to change. Option_3: Not even Aciddrop wants you to change. Lancet-2: Alright. Maybe I don't understand your meaning at all, Doctor. But it's likely you're comforting me, so thank you. Lancet-2: Hi, Doctor. Nice to see you again. Option_1: Good morning, Lancet-2. Lancet-2: Good morning. Lancet-2: I see you rested at the appropriate time last night, and that is truly wonderful. Lancet-2: Doctor, are you here to observe Operator Aciddrop's training too? This is the first time she's taken part in morning drills. Oh, and Operators Ethan and Vigna are also training alongside her. Lancet-2: Not that I know why, but I feel today's instructors are especially strict. The rate at which I consume disinfectant fluid has risen dramatically. Ethan: Huff... pff... Ethan: You all monsters or something?! How the hell do you see me here?! Aciddrop: Rhodes Island training is this tough, huh... Vigna: Even I'm... Vigna: I'm serious, did either of you do something wild and get caught?! Lancet-2: So full of energy. Lancet-2: It seems as if their excess activity actually works to their benefit... Perhaps I really am able to lower my frequency of 'do not' now. Melantha: Lancet-2, something's on your back. Lancet-2: Um... um?! Melantha: It's bright green, a very pretty color. Um, I think it's graffiti. Lancet-2: Graffiti, is it...? How fortunate it's not anything else. I do worry about having issues crop up again. Lancet-2: Come to mention it, I wonder what this means... let's scan and see. Lancet-2: Hm? It's Columbian slang? My language library has no phrases that match it. Option_1: You might call them words of praise. Option_2: ...... Option_3: A prank between friends, you could say. Lancet-2: Are they really kind words? I'm not too certain... Lancet-2: But in any case, they're quite pretty, aren't they? And Miss Melantha said so too. Lancet-2: So, for the time being, I'll accept them.
10：30p.m. Outside the Rhodes Island Training Room Logistics Operator: Why are the lights in the training room still on at this hour? Logistics Operator: Is someone in there? Woah... talk about a workaholic. Logistics Operator: Ah, Melantha, good evening! You're hard-working as ever. Melantha: Hello. Logistics Operator: Did you just finish training? It's so late... Doesn't it seem like the Reserve Team's training sessions have been running later and later? Logistics Operator: I'm glad that everyone is motivated, but your health should always come first. Melantha: Ah, um... thanks... Melantha: It's okay though. Instructor Fallon has been managing my training regimen, so there won't be any accidents. Logistics Operator: I see. Oh, right, have you had dinner yet? Melantha: Not yet... But it's fine, please don't worry about me... Logistics Operator: C'mon, don't be like that, you know how important it is to get your three meals! Logistics Operator: But that's easier said than done... The cafeteria might already be out of hot food, so if you want something fresh, you'll probably have to cook it yourself. Logistics Operator: Is that something you can handle? Or, tell you what, how about I help out? Melantha: I... Dobermann: What's going on here? You two are blocking the way. Logistics Operator: Oh, Instructor Dobermann! Melantha: Instructor Dobermann! Franka! Franka: Hey girly~ Long time no see~ Dobermann: I didn't know you had so much time to make small talk, Klin. I assume you're already done with your work for the week? Dobermann: And what's more, you're offering to help cook for someone? Last time I checked, you still couldn't tell sugar from salt. Logistics Operator: Ahaha, c'mon now, Instructor Dobermann, there's no need to rub salt in the wound, right? Dobermann: Just a reminder, Binns was looking for you a moment ago. Logistics Operator: Ehh? In that case, I'll be getting back to work then. Don't want to cause trouble, y'know. See you around, ahaha...! Logistics Operator: Please don't tell the boss you saw me here! Dobermann: ...... Franka: Hahaha! You Rhodes Island folk are so funny! Dobermann: Embarrassing. Can't believe that guy's still acting like this... What a joke. Dobermann: Melantha, Klin didn't do anything rude, did he? He's not a bad guy, but he is damn glib... If he's bothering you, feel free to ignore him. Melantha: N-No, he was very nice. Dobermann: Well, I guess that's fine then. Franka: Of course. I'd be on my best behavior too if I bumped into such a cute li'l lady~ Melantha: Eh? Huh? Dobermann: Stop it, you. Franka: What? Dobermann: Belay that evil laugh. I don't want you spooking my trainees. Franka: Oh my... Franka: Instructor, you're the domineering type, aren't you? Mel, is she always this controlling? Melantha: M-Mel? Um... N-No, Instructor Dobermann is very nice... Melantha: She may be strict, but I've always thought... Franka: Do you hear that? She's complimenting you, you absolute stud. Does that make you happy? Dobermann: Ahem. Dobermann: Enough joking around. Melantha, Fallon's already talked to you about the Reserve Op Team's formation this time around, right? Dobermann: After talking things over, we decided to make you the captain. If Reserve Op Team A4 has no issues with it, I'll bring you the paperwork that needs to be signed tomorrow. Franka: So, let me in on a little secret. How many Reserve Op Teams do you guys have? Dobermann: What makes you think I'd tell you that? Franka: What's wrong with asking, on the off-chance your lips were feeling a little loose? Dobermann: ...... Franka: Trust me, I'm just a little curious. For an organization like Blacksteel, Rhodes Island could cultivate all the reserve teams it wants and we wouldn't feel threatened. Franka: Makes sense that you'd prefer to train up your own teams than rely on outsiders. I get it. Franka: Oh, but, you Reserve Team kids look like you've got some troubles. Dobermann: Hm? Dobermann: What is it, Melantha? Did you want to say something? Melantha: Um, Instructor... Melantha: I... Melantha: Is there not even any bread left...? Melantha: (Admittedly, things ended up running a bit too late today, but there's no way around it...) Melantha: (The staff left a long time ago, and I couldn't possibly trouble others over something like this... Maybe I'll just bear it for the night and go to sleep earlier...) Sigh... ???: What's wrong? Why are you standing here sighing all by yourself? Melantha: Eep! Cardigan: Hwah! Cardigan: Wh-Wh-Wh-What is it?! You scared me! Melantha: Oh... Merry, it's you. Cardigan: Ehehe, that it is~ Cardigan: What are you doing over here? It's long past dinnertime, isn't it? Cardigan: Oh, lemme guess, you haven't even eaten dinner yet? Are you hungry? Adnachiel made a whole bunch of sweets, and I was just looking for you! Let's eat together! Cardigan: Oh right, right! There must be some good news since the Instructor kept you extra long today, right? Steward said you're gonna be our captain, is that true? And Steward also said— Cardigan: —Gah!! Ah crap, I was supposed to keep that a secret! Melantha: ...... Cardigan: Well, whatever, I already spilled the beans. Not like you can keep something this exciting under wraps anyway! So, is it true? I sure hope it's true! Melantha: Um... Merry, do you think I can handle it? Melantha: Instructor, I think... I'm not qualified to be the captain of Reserve Op Team A4. Melantha: I'm very sorry... Melantha: I hope Instructor Fallon and Instructor Dobermann will reconsider... Franka: Woah, now I didn't expect this. Franka: The girl says she can't do it. What do you think? Dobermann: ...... Franka: You're not gonna say anything? C'mon, why do all you serious types have to be so stuffy? Franka: Hey, Mel, who do you think is qualified to lead the team then? Melantha: Well, Steward thinks things through a lot better. Melantha: During the last mock battle, we made three mistakes. Steward was the one who made up for them behind the scenes and won us a good final result. Everyone trusts him. Melantha: Ansel always pays close attention to our health, and he can often judge how we're doing and prepare appropriate measures even if we don't tell him anything. Melantha: Adnachiel, um, though I still can't tell what he's thinking, whenever we need firepower, he's always able to identify the needs of each teammate and launch attacks from the most suitable position. Melantha: Merry... Um, Cardigan, is energetic but not reckless. She always pays close attention to protecting the other members of the team during battle. Our formations are often centered around her. Melantha: I think all of them have what it takes to be a great captain! Dobermann: ...... Dobermann: You know, everything you just said right now, is exactly what... Dobermann: ...Actually, never mind. I'll let you figure it out for yourself. Dobermann: In any case, I won't rescind our decision for the time being. We have our own decision-making process. Melantha: But, Instructor! Dobermann: Let's set this conversation aside for now. I recommend that you think this over carefully, ideally talk to the rest of the team, and then give me your answer tomorrow. Dobermann: We won't interfere with your judgment. Whether you're fit for the job, whether you can do it or not, these are things that you have to decide for yourself. Dobermann: However, I will ask you this one question. Dobermann: Operator Melantha, what made you decide to go into combat? Melantha: I... I am familiar with the delicate and the aromatic. I am familiar with the clear afternoon sun, the glistening of glass bottles, the rippling of smooth velvet, as well as other elegant, civilized niceties. Of course I am familiar with these things, because this is how I spent much of my life. But, I am not familiar with the blood-soaked battlefield. Why did I step onto it? Why did I choose to face such perils and assume such a heavy burden? What is it... What is it that I wanted? Melantha: Merry, I... am I cut out to be an operator? Cardigan: What the hell are you talking about?! Melantha: Huh? M-M-Merry, w-wait, calm down! Melantha: Wait, the table— Merry, stop pounding the table! Cardigan: What's important right now... isn't the freaking table! Cardigan: What do you mean 'cut out?' Melantha, why are you down on yourself? You're obviously the best, the cream of the crop! Melantha: Please don't say that, you know I'm not like that... Cardigan: Hmph! I hereby declare that you don't understand yourself at all, and that I know you better than you do! You're not allowed to say that you're not awesome! Cardigan: If you still don't know why you're so awesome, lemme lay it out for you! Cardigan: First, you're always there training with me and helping me test new defensive tactics! You're super nice! Cardigan: Second, you're always helping me put together my equipment, and even though you've never mentioned it, don't think I haven't noticed! You're super thoughtful! Cardigan: Third, you always bring us delicious snacks to eat! You know exactly what flavors we like! You're super sweet! Cardigan: Fourth, you helped me tie the Instructor's hair into little pigtails when she wasn't looking! You're super fun to be around! Melantha: W-Wait, I never did that last thing! Cardigan: Heh, see, nothing slips past you at all! Even Steward didn't catch that one last time. Cardigan: So, even if that last one was made up, the reality is that you're super awesome, and that is an undeniable fact! Cardigan: Any other objections? Melantha: ...... Cardigan: Are we done now? See, not a single one of us thinks that you aren't cut out to be the captain! Cardigan: But ultimately, it's your call. Melantha, what do you want to do? Melantha: What I want to do... Can I really do this? Do I have the ability... to live up to everyone's expectations? Melantha: I... I might have areas where I'm not good enough, and there might be a lot of things I still have to learn... But putting them aside, I... What do I want to do? What is it that I want? Melantha: I want to be able to protect people. Not just be sheltered by my parents, struggling to communicate with my own family... Melantha: I'll give it my all! I'll do everything I can to become a worthy captain, and continue to grow alongside all of you. Melantha: Merry, are you... okay with that? Cardigan: Of course! Cardigan: Isn't that what we've always been doing all this time? Melantha: Yes... Thank you, Merry. Cardigan: Mmhmm! Cardigan: Ehehe, I'm so glad you're finally smiling! Adnachiel: Okay... Looks like there shouldn't be any issues, right? Adnachiel: They found the frozen food in the freezer and are heating it up now. What should I do with these sweets, Steward? Should I still hand them over? Ansel: Why are we still hiding over here anyway? Steward: I don't think we're needed here. Hold up a sec, Adnachiel, Ansel. Don't head over there yet, let them be alone a bit longer. Steward: I don't think I've ever seen Miss Melantha smile so happily before. Adnachiel: But... Ansel: Steward's right. It'd be way too awkward if we just dropped in now. Adnachiel: But, knowing the way Cardigan does things... Cardigan: Woah! What's going on? Why's this thing not moving? Melantha: Is this... the heating button? The connection seems a little loose, so maybe we should turn it this way... Cardigan: Don't worry, I got this. I know just the thing, since basically all machines work like this! Cardigan: Heheh, watch and learn! Adnachiel: ...She's definitely going to break the food heater. Steward: Please say something sooner next time!! Steward: Wait, Cardigan, stop! Don't touch that switch! And stop banging on that knob! Melantha, hurry up and stop her!! Adnachiel: Ahaha, it's too late. That thing's done for. Sigh... There's no stopping them from making a ruckus. Just don't get hurt over there, okay? Dobermann: ...... Franka: What's wrong, headache? Dobermann: ...Just a little. Franka: Because your team ran up another bill for destroying a kitchen appliance? Or because of your new shy team captain? Dobermann: All of the above. Melantha still lacks confidence in herself. Franka: Oh? Well, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing either. Franka: Compared to all those morons who have nothing but confidence without any of the skills to back it up, it's reassuring to be around some more cautious and reserved people, wouldn't you agree? Franka: Plus, you heard what she said. Franka: She's been paying close attention to every single member of her team. Is that not what a captain should do? Dobermann: It'd be great... if she recognized that. Franka: Trust me, I'm never wrong about this stuff. Those kids are gonna be just fine~ Franka: Ah, I just remembered! She uses a sword, right? How about, you give her to me for some training?
They told me it was all over. My homeland, my companions, everything buried now. But I knew, it had only just begun. ...And I'm on my way. 04:50 P.M. \ Overcast A town in northern Kazimierz Firewatch: ...... Kazimierz Villager: Here you go. Bread and clean water, all in here. Kazimierz Villager: Incredible, you are! Fought 'em off, no, wiped 'em out alone, all those gloompincers... Didn't expect one young lady like you'd finish up that job in half an afternoon. Kazimierz Villager: Even going out all together, the young'uns couldn't handle it. Kazimierz Villager: Frankly, it gave me a scare, our town being so small. And I've never seen someone fight as ferocious as you. Firewatch: ...I'll be fine without. Kazimierz Villager: Don't want any bread or water? Well... alright, we've got some medicine here too. Kazimierz Villager: It's from the caravan that passed through last time. We had to trade them a good amount for it. They were worth plenty, I'll tell you. Kazimierz Villager: By the sights of it, you've been hurt bad, haven't you? You could probably use it. Firewatch: I don't need it. Kazimierz Villager: Th-Then what do you need? Gold coins? That'll be tough. We're only a little town, and rabble comes by shaking us down every few days, plus all the beasts making trouble out there... Kazimierz Villager: Our pockets are all emptied out by the end of the year. Barely a penny we've got. Firewatch: The day before. People sighted a Kuranta the day before, black clothing and a crossbow, heading this way. Firewatch: Tell me where they are. Kazimierz Villager: Crossbow? The kind you use for hunting? Firewatch: The kind to murder. Kazimierz Villager: M-Murder? Kazimierz Villager: You've got to be joking... no, the look in your eyes says you aren't joking one bit... how frightful... cough How could someone like that show up in a little place like ours? Firewatch: Don't screw with me. Kazimierz Villager: I-I-I-I-Is that a weapon? Don't, erm, please don't shoot! I swear, I haven't seen anyone like the person you describe— Firewatch: The ones in the last village saw. And told me. They went this way. Kazimierz Villager: Per... perhaps they already passed through here, went south? There's an even bigger town that way, more food, cleaner water... Kazimierz Villager: Oh, god, Heaven above! Miss, god, believe me, please, I've got no reason to lie to you at all. Kazimierz Villager: Look, please, here, this is the last of my family's money, we were saving it for the year-end tax, this is all we've got, have it, have it all... Firewatch: ...... Firewatch: I said, I don't need it. Firewatch: Forget it. You can go. Firewatch: Another day, empty-handed. Firewatch: But no matter. You can't hide much longer. Firewatch: I'll be following you. All the way—until I find you, one, by one, all of you. Firewatch: What's this? Firewatch: Bread, and water. And medicine. Firewatch: He was scared so bad, he ran off without a trace, and yet he still deliberately came back in after. Firewatch: Is he trying to show thanks? But it was only a few gloompincers, nothing more. It took no effort on my part. Firewatch: People like him... do remind me... of back then. Grandpa, who are they? Are they the nice knights everyone talks about? They aren't...? Are the things they're carrying like the ones the bad people use to pick on us? I... I'm sort of scared. But they're good people, right? They helped us fight off the bad people. I want to say thank you to them. I don't really have any good stuff to give them. Would this half of my scone be okay? I can play a harmonica song for them too. Mm-hm, I hope they can stay with. With all of us, forever. Firewatch: Now all that's left is this harmonica. Firewatch: Nice knights? sigh... Firewatch: Whether then, or now... it's all the same. Firewatch: If they're still around... if... Firewatch: It's too bad—there is no 'if.' Kazimierz Ruffian: Hey, someone's here! Kazimierz Ruffian: Whoa, and a bunch of food—not much good, but good enough to eat tonight. Firewatch: Leave. Kazimierz Ruffian: Did you just tell me to leave? Who do you think you are? Kazimierz Ruffian: It's just sitting here. Is there a name on it? I don't see you eating it. I found it now, so it's mine. Firewatch: Then just take it and get lost. Kazimierz Ruffian: Wait up, what's that you're holding? A harmonica? Heh, some tacky toy. Whatever. Take it to the city, you might find some boring old guy who thinks it's worth something. Firewatch: This is not for you to touch. Kazimierz Ruffian: Oh, you talk pretty tough, don't you? Kazimierz Ruffian: Who do you even think I am, brat? Kazimierz Ruffian: Just look at you. How long has it been since you ate something? Firewatch: I'm warning you—cough, cough cough. Kazimierz Ruffian: Jeez. You seem pretty sick at that. You'd best believe I could knock you over with a single poke. Kazimierz Ruffian: What'cha playing at? Don't spook me now, it's dark out here. You think you can threaten anyone with a bare tree branch? Firewatch: I gave you plenty of warning. You didn't listen. Kazimierz Ruffian: Ow, ff-ow-ow-ow—that's a crossbow! That's the kind that kills people, isn't it?! Firewatch: Get. Lost. Firewatch: I don't want to kill anyone tonight. At the very least, not you. Kazimierz Ruffian: Spare me... bud, just spare me! You can have this, have it all back. Kazimierz Ruffian: I'm outta here, I promise! Firewatch: Mm... cough cough, cough cough cough. Firewatch: Who's there? Firewatch: I... cough cough cough cough... Firewatch: I have to stay up... stay awake. Firewatch: I still haven't... I... I still haven't found those traitors yet. So long as that day doesn't come, they can never rest in peace— And I can never, ever stop. ???: Hello? Are you okay? ???: Seems she hasn't passed out completely... though she's at the point she can't stand. ???: Identity confirmation... yes, just like in the mission description. This should be the target, no mistake. ???: Serious wounds, fever temperatures, and gravely malnourished... she hasn't eaten properly in forever, and hasn't slept, either. ???: Nutritional supplements... and some emergency meds... Lucky I packed enough for the road. Dr. Kal'tsit really sees every last thing coming. ???: You're up. Firewatch: Who are you?! Field Operator: Don't be alarmed, I mean you no harm. I'm employed by a pharmaceutical company named Rhodes Island. I'm responsible for field work in this area. Here, this is my work ID. Firewatch: That doesn't prove anything. IDs and papers and whatever can all be forged. Field Operator: Fair enough, they can. Haha, you're just like I heard. An extremely cautious youngster. Firewatch: Heard? From who? Field Operator: Oh, jeez, don't get all tense again. Field Operator: Look, I'm serious, I'm not anyone bad. I don't even have any weapons that big or lethal on me. At best, I've got a couple of tools for defending myself from beasts. Field Operator: I've got nothing on you. I see that crossbow of yours... look, it's still right there. You could reach out and grab it. Field Operator: Can we have a real talk now? Firewatch: If you're up to something, you'll regret having stepped into this forest. Field Operator: Yes. I believe you. The crossbow in your hands has already told me that much. Firewatch: Right now, you need to tell me. Who was it that told you anything about me? Field Operator: That's... er... Field Operator: There's been reports of a very young Elafia girl who's been all around the northern villages of Kazimierz lately, looking for any leads on a specific group. Plenty of people have been picking up on it, actually. Firewatch: The footprints left behind when tracking prey. Firewatch: I wouldn't have made a mistake like that in the past... but I don't care that I have. Firewatch: Who told you to look for me? Field Operator: That'd be Rhodes Island. Just like I introduced earlier, Rhodes Island is a pharmaceutical company, doing business in all areas. They've been seeking all sorts of suitable talent, too, and they'd like to invite you to join. Firewatch: A pharmaceutical company? Firewatch: Did you drug me just now? Field Operator: Only some nutritional supplements and a simple first-aid medication. I'm no Medic Operator. I personally can't give you any better of an examination, nor further treatment. Field Operator: You look a good bit better now, luckily. Your injuries should be holding decently. If we want any further diagnosis, you'll need to come back to Rhodes Island with me. Firewatch: To treat me. And you want to hire me. Firewatch: Seeing as you've investigated, you should already know. I don't understand the first thing about medicine. The only thing I can do is fight. Firewatch: So, what would a pharmaceutical company want a hired bow for? Field Operator: Er... oh, boy, that one... er, like I said earlier, Rhodes Island does a lot of business, and frequently comes into contact with a lot of different people in a lot of different areas. Field Operator: And during those contacts, we unavoidably run into some emergencies. Field Operator: At times like that, we need people with special skills like yours, to help give Rhodes Island a fighting chance. Firewatch: Whether person or organization, you have to have strength if you want to survive. Field Operator: Right. I'm sure you can understand. Firewatch: But my strength has other uses. Field Operator: Do you mean those people you're looking for? Firewatch: Yes. Firewatch: Every day I haven't found them is one more day my footsteps will not cease. Field Operator: I understand... I'm not too clear about your past, but it's a very common thing, isn't it? Just like us inside Rhodes Island. We've got scores of operators, all with their own differing and individual attachments. Firewatch: Is that so? Field Operator: We won't ever interfere in an operator's private affairs, and outside of missions, everyone has freedom. Field Operator: Beyond that, when an operator needs it, providing aid doesn't go against our standards, Rhodes Island will provide whatever you want—medical service, crucial information, or necessary strength. Field Operator: It's why a good few Operators chose to join Rhodes Island, really. Firewatch: Then the people I need to find... Firewatch: Can Rhodes Island help me there? Field Operator: It's not my place to say anything else. Just, us helping you look for someone—that'd be more effective than you going it alone around Kazimierz, or even areas beyond, right? Firewatch: ...... Field Operator: Alone, you probably wouldn't hold out for too long. You're short on supplies, and you don't have any help. Field Operator: I'll be honest, you're not in the best of shape right now. If you need to find someone, accomplish some goal, then first you need to ensure your survival, right? Field Operator: How do I put it? In our world, if you want to get something done, even if it's as bare and simple as staying alive, a bunch of heads all together always beats one. Firewatch: (Days with no help, only able to rely on myself to live... It's not like I've never gone through times like these.) Firewatch: (The feeling of someone there to help... I can't deny... day in, day out, I miss it.) Firewatch: (In that case, this should go a little quicker now.) Firewatch: You're right. Firewatch: Rhodes Island... a pharmaceutical company. Not out to do anything bad, right? Field Operator: On that point, you can rest assured. Firewatch: Alright. So long as you're willing to lend me more strength— Firewatch: I can lend my strength to you. Firewatch: I'll join. Field Operator: That's wonderful, then! I won't ask for much more information. Once we get back to Rhodes Island, there'll be HR operators who'll check with you separately. Field Operator: After all the red tape's done with, you can officially become a Rhodes Island Operator. Field Operator: I think I can say it'll be a delight to work together with, er...? Um, what should I call you? Firewatch: ...Firewatch. Firewatch: Past, present, future... no matter where I am. Firewatch: Until I find every last traitor, until I fulfill my revenge— Firewatch: This will be the only name I possess.
Rhodes Island Landship In some remote corner... Whisperain: Clearing foreign matter, closing wounds, wiping the blood away. Whisperain: This is what little I can do. Whisperain: For finer treatment, you'll need the aid of a professional doctor from the Medical Department. Phantom: ...This will be enough. Phantom: Thank you. Whisperain: Where will you go? Phantom: Back to where I belong. Whisperain: To where you belong... Whisperain: You mean to say... all alone, by yourself? Whisperain: W-Won't you go celebrate with your team? You've all been on such an important mission this time, and their spirits are so high, and you could surely be together... Phantom: I need not. Phantom: In times of celebration, there need not be me. Under the midday sun, there need not be shadow. Phantom: Perhaps the one who ought to join the celebrations is you. Whisperain: That... I can't... Phantom: As you see fit. Phantom: ...I should be taking my leave. ???: —Hold it! Folinic: I finally found you, Operator Phantom! Folinic: Dr. Whisperain, were you tending to his wounds just now? Whisperain: Ah... yes... Folinic: Though you may not formally be on the Medical Department's roster of doctors, I still have a responsibility to remind you. Folinic: According to the 'Regulations for Management and Treatment of Rhodes Island Wounded Personnel,' all wounded Operators must undergo registration at the Rhodes Island Medical Department. Folinic: When people treat Operators' wounds in private like you have, we can put the little cuts and illnesses aside, but on the off-chance any complications arise in Operator Phantom's condition or from his wounds owing to your incomplete care, that creates a headache for the Medical Department. Whisperain: I'm so sorry... Phantom: The one who asked Miss Whisperain for treatment was I. Phantom: There is no need to blame her. Folinic: I'm just telling her the facts. Folinic: As for you, Operator Phantom, you're the bigger problem here! Folinic: Why didn't you report to the Medical Department following your injuries? Phantom: ...... Folinic: If Blue Poison hadn't been on the same mission and she hadn't informed me about you during treatment, would you have just taken your pain all the way into the next battle? Folinic: This is irresponsible to the company, and irresponsible to yourself. Folinic: I hope you can recognize that. Phantom: ...... Phantom: The fault is mine. Phantom: I deeply apologize to you, dear doctor. Folinic: Right. I accept your apology. Folinic: Now, I need to issue you diagnosis and treatment, along with a full check on your state of health. No problem? Phantom: ...... Folinic: Don't give me that look. Hold on! Mouth shut! Don't make a sound! You're not using your Arts to slip out of here! Folinic: I'm not letting last time repeat itself. If I notice anything even slightly fishy, there's a pushbutton alarm here and I WILL immediately sound it! Whisperain: Was there always such a button on the wall...? Folinic: Just relax. There'll be no corridors. I'm not taking you to the Medical Department. Folinic: Blue Poison's told me you don't like places with a lot of people. Folinic: So I've brought all the equipment here. Folinic: I'll help you collect and sort out your treatment information, and then I'll treat your wounds for you with Dr. Whisperain. Folinic: No problem, Dr. Whisperain? Whisperain: By all means. Folinic: Will that be okay, then, Operator Phantom? Phantom: ...... Phantom: Sigh... Phantom: (Silent nod) Folinic: Good. Then I'll begin your diagnosis and treatment immediately. Folinic: If possible, could you describe for me the rough location and nature of your wounds? Phantom: ...... Folinic: Why aren't you talking? Phantom: (Points at sealed lips) Whisperain: I believe it's because you told him 'mouth shut' just prior, Folinic. Folinic: (Rolls eyes) Folinic: You can talk now. Please go ahead. Phantom: A crossbow bolt piercing the shoulder, a blade slashed across the palm, ice binding both feet. Folinic: Shoulder, perforation wound; injury to hand caused by sharp weapon; hypothermia... Whisperain: No effect observed in right leg, but lower left leg appears not fully recovered. Folinic: Right, let's deal with these one by one. Folinic: Shoulder perforation wound. Whisperain: I closed the wound just prior. There should be no jeopardy. Folinic: Hm... If it was just an ordinary metal bolt, then we're good. Folinic: Did you debride? Whisperain: Already sorted. Folinic: Judging from the healing of the wound, there should be no possibility of poisoning or infection. Folinic: Right. Next item. Folinic: Laceration to the palm. Folinic: Hm. Seems to be healing well. Folinic: However, with two separate wounds, we have a substantially higher risk of infection, so in a moment, I'll give you a prophylactic injection. That should solve that worry. Folinic: Finally, frostbite on the left lower leg. Folinic: Okay, alright. Stay like that, don't move. I brought the detection apparatus just for this. Folinic: This might hurt a little. Hold your breath. Phantom: ...... Sample collected. Beginning analysis— Folinic: Good. Folinic: Once the numbers come out, I can give final diagnostic conclusions. Folinic: Any other discomfort or injuries anywhere? Phantom: (Hm?) Phantom: (Ms. Christine? You seem to have something in your mouth...) Folinic: —Are you listening to me? Phantom: Mm. No, no other injuries. Folinic: Good. Folinic: Your recuperative capacity truly is outstanding, Operator Phantom. Folinic: Maybe I really have been overly concerned. Folinic: Operator Phan—Rather, Phantom, you're a specialist operator, aren't you? Phantom: So they call me. Folinic: But your mix of wounds is more numerous than I've seen on vanguard or defender operators. Phantom: ...... Folinic: I've heard your mission this time was extremely difficult. Folinic: 'It's lucky we had him supporting us. We wouldn't have come back alive otherwise.' I've already heard from plenty of others to that effect. Folinic: But most of them don't know your codename, and have never even seen your form. They only know the shadow flashing across the battlefield helped them out. Phantom: They have nothing to gain from remembering me. Folinic: Sick of hearing that. All the operators I've treated before love stressing that one. Folinic: Let's drop that. Cut down on chatter. Most of the us here aren't that naive, or maybe one day we're all going to go our separate ways. Hell, imagine if one day we all end up meeting on the battlefield. Folinic: But Phantom, and I may be meddling... I feel I need to tell you that, at least right now, they just want to express their gratitude, nothing more. Folinic: Some words you might never have another chance to tell someone, if you don't tell them when you can. Folinic: (Quietly) ...Don't be a goddamned idiot like me, choking everything down inside. Phantom: ...... Folinic: Blue Poison told me you blocked a crossbow bolt for her. Folinic: She wanted to thank you, but couldn't find you, so entrusted me with bringing these things here. Folinic: This brooch is a present from her to you. Please, take it. Phantom: This... Folinic: Just take it. Phantom: Many thanks. Phantom: I will relay my gratitude to her. Analysis complete Now outputting analysis report Folinic: Mm... Folinic: That's not reassuring. Folinic: Mr. Phantom, can you try and move for me? Phantom: (A slightly uncoordinated walk) Folinic: Right. That'll be fine. You can sit down for now. Folinic: Presumably frostbite from hypothermic temperatures caused by Originium Arts. Folinic: Not severe, but it's already affected your mobility. Phantom: Just some small injuries. Folinic: Please leave distinguishing minor injuries to the professional opinion of a medic, thank you. Whisperain: You'd best convalesce for now. Whisperain: That would be my opinion. Folinic: I agree with Dr. Whisperain's view. Folinic: It might be frostbite on the surface, but it's still essentially fine Arts damage. Folinic: We aren't optimistic about your Oripathy infection in the first place. We all need to do our best to avoid any situation that could worsen its progression. Folinic: Ample rest, a healthy diet, and appropriate restorative exercise. These are what you need right now. Folinic: Of course, the most important thing is that you regularly come to the Medical Department for treatment. Folinic: Your treatment course won't be too long. Just one month, and you'll be able to take part in missions again. Folinic: If you don't like the idea of coming to the Medical Department, I can help set up rounds for you to lessen your contact with others. Phantom: ...... Folinic: If you consent, then please sign at the end of this statement. Phantom: (Another sigh) Phantom: (Signs his own codename) Folinic: Good. Thank you for cooperating. Folinic: Now I should give you your injection. Folinic: This is a new model of syringe. It won't leave too much of an ache. Folinic: Please hold your arm out. Phantom: ...... Folinic: (Uses syringe) Folinic: Right. With that, initial prophylactic treatment is a success. Folinic: I have a meeting this afternoon, so I won't bother either of you any further. Folinic: You're on vacation for a month, so live it up, Phantom. Folinic: See you. Whisperain: She's gone now. Whisperain: Phew... It seems I'm still not quite used to talking with Folinic. I always get so nervous... Whisperain: Are you alright? Phantom: Fine, more or less. Ms. Christine: Meow. Phantom: Ms. Christine. Ms. Christine: (She rubs against Phantom.) Phantom: Don't, now. Whisperain: I'd like for you to rest well on your coming vacation. Phantom: Vacation? Phantom: I've never thought about it before. Vacation. What should I do...? Whisperain: Erm, perhaps... see a movie? Whisperain: If I were in your shoes, I might go and see one. And then I'd make a record of how I felt all the while. Whisperain: During them, I always end up fantasizing for myself a life like the people in the pictures, and at the same time, in a contradictory way, I can feel how I truly breathe, outside of the screen... Phantom: Take care. Phantom: Fantasizing of living another's life is no good thing. Whisperain: I understand. It's just that, it's a habit of mine, a way to relax. Whisperain: And moreover... it's a little embarrassing to admit, but it seems as though there are some operators who very much like to read the things I end up writing... Whisperain: I don't personally believe I write all that well, but if it's enough for everyone to enjoy, then I feel it might not be so bad this way. Phantom: I see... Ms. Christine: Meow— Phantom: Ms. Christine? Phantom: That tickles. Don't you... hm? What is this? Whisperain: If I had to guess, she might want you to take a look at this leaflet. Phantom: ...... Phantom: 'Wanted: Multiple staff members for a Multimedia Escape Experience event—' ...... Phantom: 'Staff required to take charge in planning escape rooms in whole, for an urgent and pressing adventurous atmosphere.' Phantom: 'Staff required to plan deciphering and mechanisms within escape rooms.' Phantom: 'Staff required to—' Phantom: '—act out roles.' ...... Phantom: 'Design (until opening) to last one month. Salaried for the duration, with three meals a day included.' Phantom: 'Interested operators and staff aboard, please find details at the Human Resources Department.' Phantom: Multimedia escape experience... Whisperain: I've heard it's a new manner of entertainment, one that emphasizes stimulating the senses and immersive experiences. Whisperain: It seems as though... most escape experiences are themed to rely principally on elements of terror and suspense. Whisperain: I'd seen one, some time before. Its theme was an underground labyrinth in Minos. Whisperain: Truthfully, I wanted very much to give it a try. Whisperain: But that day, the A1 Detachment's Operators told me after experiencing it themselves— Whisperain: 'It scared me to death!' Whisperain: Yet, while they told me that, they seemed to be so happy. Phantom: (Fear, but with joy?) Phantom: (Hm... Enjoying being frightened?) Whisperain: I didn't dare go back then, and now that I think of it, maybe I regret that a little... Whisperain: Perhaps, this time, I can. Er, should I ask Weedy to come with me? Phantom: Ms. Christine, were you hoping for me to see this? Ms. Christine: Meow! Phantom: Hm... Phantom: I believe I understand what you mean. Whisperain: You're leaving, now? So, have you decided on where to go for your vacation? Phantom: Just some concept of it. Phantom: If the right amount of fear can serve to bring others merriment. Phantom: Perhaps... I can give it a try.
1:35 P.M. \ Clear Rhodes Island Landship, Cabin No. 3, Medical Bay Medic Operator: Ok, turn around. Medic Operator: Please try to hold still. Don't move your tail either. Medic Operator: 61.3... Hmm, your tail has grown longer again. Medic Operator: Alright, that's all. Provence: Is the checkup complete? Provence: Ahh, that tickled so bad! To be honest, I'm really not used to having my tail measured like this every time. It's really hard to keep it from moving. Medic Operator: Your reaction is still manageable, you tend to just twitch a little. The ones that are really hard to handle are those operators who suddenly try to attack you. Provence: Yeah, there are some spots that are more sensitive after all. I've heard there are some races that you can't touch at all. Medic Operator: It's true. Medic Operator: Ah, time's up. Here, breathe into this. Provence: (Huff——) Provence: Done! Medic Operator: Yep, no issues. Medic Operator: The results for the blood test will only be out the day after tomorrow, but I'll have the preliminary diagnostic report ready in a moment. Medic Operator: Here, please drink this dissolving agent. Provence: Alright. Provence: I'm so sorry for always taking up your time. I feel really bad that you have to do so many examinations. Provence: I know my own body after all, there's really no problem... Medic Operator: Provence! Provence: Ehh, y-yes? Medic Operator: Please don't say such things again. Just look at the examination data from this check-up, all the indicators have fluctuated! Medic Operator: You also stayed outside longer than planned this time! Medic Operator: Rhodes Island is currently deep in the wilderness and there are barely any known nomadic city routes nearby. Who knows how dangerous it is out there?! Medic Operator: If we don't take proper precautions, it's extremely dangerous to stay in such a place! Provence: My bad, my bad. Please don't get angry at me, okay? Provence: There are a few small villages near our route, and I'm a little worried about them... Medic Operator: You may be a professional Catastrophe Messenger, but you still have to look out for your own safety! Provence: I promise! I guarantee I'll be safe! Provence: Look, I covered myself up all the way, just like how you taught me. Don't worry, I won't take any chances with my health! Medic Operator: Hmm... ???: Save your worries. The Catastrophe Messengers have their own ways of looking after themselves. Warfarin: Especially for Messengers independent of any state, the lone wanderers of the wilderness... Warfarin: I haven't seen many Catastrophe Messengers who could avoid getting infected, but a normal person would have died many times over if thrown into such environments. Warfarin: On the contrary, these Messengers are still as lively as ever. Provence: Um, was that a compliment? Warfarin: No. Provence: Sorry, what was that? Provence: Well, you're not wrong. The environments we work in wouldn't be kind to the normal people. But, as long as you get the right training and avoid taking risks, it's actually not so bad. Provence: A lot of my colleagues work for a single city-state a big company. Keeps them away from the riskiest work and guarantees a nice salary. Provence: Catastrophe Messengers get paid well, with a high bar to entry. The assessment tests are extremely tough. Medic Operator: I see... Medic Operator: Speaking of which, the two new operators who've just arrived recently seem to have been recommended here by the Catastrophe Messenger platform. Are they your peers as well, Provence? Provence: Ah, are you talking about Leonhardt and Tsukinogi? Provence: Those two are very well-known, actually... Provence: I met the both of them before coming for the check-up. I'm glad that Leonhardt seems to be adjusting well. Warfarin: Oh? You know that long-eared brat? Warfarin: He worked this little one over so badly she burst into tears. Just ask her about it. Medic Operator: Dr. Warfarin! Warfarin: Fine, fine. I've said enough. Provence: Ahahahahaha. Warfarin: Was it really that funny? Warfarin: Oh, right. That brat and that heiress from Higashi haven't yet completed their check-ups. Since you know them, do help to call them over. Provence: Haha, sure, no problem! Provence: I'll be going then~ Leonhardt: I'm done eating. Here's my plate, babe. Leonhardt: Skinny? What? Everyone my age is like this. I probably look a little skinner since I'm still growing. Leonhardt: Yup, I'm getting enough to eat. I'm always here eating your food, aren't I? Leonhardt: The fried rice cake today was delicious! And the egg rolls yesterday were really good too! Ah, I have to go. I have training next, so I'll see you later~ Leonhardt: Phew. Leonhardt: The people here are more vivacious than I expected. Sigh If I keep eating like this, I'll get fat sooner or later. ???: That doesn't sound too bad. The lady in the cafeteria seems to really like you. Provence: Good afternoon, Leonhardt. Looks like you're doing well. Provence: I figured you'd be at the cafeteria around this time, luckily you hadn't gone far. I was looking for you. Leonhardt: Good afternoon, Provence. Please don't make fun of me, I've really started to put on weight since I came here. Some of my clothes don't even fit anymore! Leonhardt: Why were you looking for me though? Provence: Dr. Warfarin wants you for a follow-up examination. Not just you, Tsukinogi too. Provence: I went to the dance room earlier, but there was no one there. I don't know where Tsukinogi might be... Leonhardt: Ah, I know where she is. Leonhardt: Besides dancing her religious stuff, Tsukinogi also enjoys finding a quiet spot and looking at the scenery. I saw her near the outer layer just now, she might still be there. Provence: Ehh... You haven't been at Rhodes Island for long, but you already know so much. Leonhardt: Hehe, I'm always paying attention to what people like, or don't like. Leonhardt: Follow me! Tsukinogi: ...... Tsukinogi: Accumulating clouds, a light breeze and dissipating fog... Tsukinogi: Looks like the weather is turning. Leonhardt: Ah, how lucky. Tsukinogi's still here. Leonhardt: Hello~ Tsukinogi. Provence: Good afternoon, Tsukinogi! Tsukinogi: Oh? Good afternoon, to the both of you. Tsukinogi: What's going on? Were you looking for me? Provence: Ah, yes. Dr. Warfarin told me to ask you to head to Medical, for a follow-up examination. Tsukinogi: Is that so? Alright, I shall head over now. Provence: Oh, it's not that urgent. I think the medics should be off for lunch now. If you take your time you'll still make it. Leonhardt: That's right! The ladies of the Medical Department need their break. Let's take the chance to relax as well. Leonhardt: Have you had lunch yet, Tsukinogi? The cafeteria here is really good. I highly recommend the fried rice cakes and North Sadleir vegetable stew. Tsukinogi: Hehe, I've already eaten. Tsukinogi: However, I will have to try out those dishes next time, since you recommended them so highly. Leonhardt: They will definitely live up to your expectations! Provence: Hmm... The scenery here is really nice. I've never really paid attention to this spot before. Didn't expect there was such a place on the landship. Provence: Tsukinogi is really amazing, the same Catastrophe Patrol of Higashi I've heard about. Tsukinogi: You flatter me. I was just looking for a quiet spot. Tsukinogi: Dancing together with everyone is enjoyable, of course, but sitting here quietly and looking at the scenery is also quite pleasant. Tsukinogi: As Catastrophe Messengers ourselves, we also carry the duty of monitoring the environment while we are stationed on the landship. As such, this wouldn't be considered slacking off. Leonhardt: How dedicated. I really have a lot to learn from my more experienced colleagues. Provence: It's our job after all. Ahh, I always end up unconsciously relaxing whenever I'm on the landship... Provence: ...Hm? Provence: (What's going on? It feels like the weather's changed.) Provence: (Why would the tops of the clouds look like that...? They were fine when I came back this morning...) Provence: (And the wind marks... The wind isn't blowing strongly, yet it's leaving such distinctive marks...) Provence: Tsukinogi, look at the clouds over there... Provence: This phenomenon, these traits, could it be... Tsukinogi: ...... Tsukinogi: Blazing yet imperceptible. The fog has dispersed and a gale is building. Tsukinogi: I wasn't completely sure just now, however it seems that we are indeed unfortunate. Provence: The wind has changed——It's a Regional Catastrophe Outbreak! Leonhardt: I'll head out to check! Provence: Watch out! A strong wind should be picking up soon, if you head out now you might get blown away! Leonhardt: Don't worry! Leonhardt: ——Such a piddling breeze won't do anything to me! Tsukinogi: Ahh... What an energetic young man. Tsukinogi: The darker clouds further beyond have started to spread. Based on the moisture in the air and the changing of the wind... Yes, I'm not wrong. Tsukinogi: These are the omens of an incoming Catastrophe. Provence: How unlucky. To think that we'd encounter a sudden Catastrophe like this. Provence: When Leonhardt gets back, we need to quickly inform Amiya and the people at the bridge! Thank goodness we discovered it early. We should still have enough time to change directions. Provence: Luckily there aren't any nomadic cities that we need to inform around here. Tsukinogi: Nomadic cities usually don't stay in regions with unstable weather like this. Tsukinogi: After all, if they encountered an emergency situation that escalated rapidly like this, the larger nomadic cities wouldn't be able to maneuver in time. The big shots in the cities would never take a risk like that. Tsukinogi: On the other hand, something like Rhodes Island would have no issues avoiding Catastrophes in such situations. Provence: Ehh, wait a minute... Oh no, oh no! Provence: Around here... I remember there are a few villages in that direction! Tsukinogi: Huh... Is that true? There are people living on such desolate land? Provence: Of course it's true! Provence: There are quite a number of villages in the wilderness. It's the same in every country. Provence: They can't properly enter the nomadic cities, and the arable land around the cities is usually already claimed, so they have no choice but to settle somewhere further and live their lives taking one day at a time. Provence: Since they don't really have a choice, everyone's always prepared to move at any time. All their belongings can be packed up quickly. There's not many people in each village, so they can usually escape to safety given some advance notice. Tsukinogi: Oh, now that you mention it, I've heard of similar situations in Higashi. Provence: Ah... Such things happen everywhere. Even so, no matter how much you get used to it, there is always a chance that you don't make it. Provence: That's why I always try to make as many detours as possible, to warn these villages... Provence: (......) Provence: (I wonder if the villagers have noticed the changing weather.) Provence: (If not...) Leonhardt: Sorry to keep you waiting! Leonhardt: I had a look at it, and it doesn't bode well. Leonhardt: The transformation of the cloud layer is happening very quickly, even the wind has changed. I don't expect this place to remain safe much longer, it'll be a few hours to half a day at most. Provence: That fast?! Tsukinogi: At that speed, the abnormal weather effects will occur all around us soon. We can't go outside like that anymore, it's too dangerous. Provence: ...... Leonhardt: Don't worry, I know. I traveled a short distance towards the Catastrophe just now and didn't see any cities nearby. Leonhardt: It'd have been dangerous if I continued forward even if I was adequately prepared, so we're unable to gather any more information for now. Leonhardt: Ah, I'll tell you the rest later. Let me report to Amiya first. Tsukinogi: Well then, we'll go and make our own preparations. Provence: ...... Provence: No, I have to go to the villages! I won't be able to sleep at night if I don't! Provence: Tsukinogi, I'll leave the preparations for the landship to you! Tsukinogi: Hey, wait! Provence, I told you it's too dangerous! Tsukinogi: Times like this, when we don't know how quickly the Catastrophe will form, even someone of your skill will be in great danger if you go too deep! Provence: I... I will be very careful. Someone has to go and warn them! Provence: The large nomadic cities have their own Catastrophe Messengers, they'd be fine without us. Provence: But these small villages and settlements are different! Provence: If we don't go, the people out there will probably get caught out. Provence: A sudden Catastrophe like this could easily catch them off guard long before they could get clear! Tsukinogi: Even so... Provence: Isn't our job to provide early warnings and do our best to mitigate the dangers brought about by the Catastrophes? Provence: They talk about Catastrophe Messengers like we get paid well and live nice, steady lives, but that's not me! Provence: I've never forgotten my purpose. Provence: 'It's all about saving lives. More lives.' Provence: Maybe we all have our own ideas about that sentence. Provence: But to me... Provence: To me, it means that whether it's the rich nobles living in the city, or the poor farmers living in the villages, all life is equally important. There is no distinction between lives. Tsukinogi: ...... Tsukinogi: Haha, alright. I understand you. Tsukinogi: Equality of life does mean that one's life cannot be valued in terms of wealth or status... Tsukinogi: That's a good philosophy. Provence: Then...! Tsukinogi: However. Tsukinogi: What about your own life, Provence? Provence: Huh? I... Tsukinogi: To me, these equal lives also include yours. Tsukinogi: Should I just let you put yourself in danger? Only to save more lives? Tsukinogi: Would you then weigh the value of lives in terms of numbers, and sacrifice the few to save the many? Provence: I... Provence: ...I wouldn't say so. If something can only be done by sacrificing lives, then there must be something intrinsically wrong with it. Provence: But that has nothing to do with our situation! It's not the time to be discussing that either! Provence: I know people have a Catastrophe bearing down on them, I have to go and warn them. It's my duty! Tsukinogi: I won't stop you. Tsukinogi: After understanding your viewpoint, it'd be wrong of me to stop you. Provence: That's good—— Tsukinogi: Yes, I won't stop you. I will go with you. Provence: Huh? Tsukinogi: Oh, did you forget? I'm a Catastrophe Messenger too. It's only natural for me to go with you. Provence: But... It will really be dangerous... Tsukinogi: I'm aware. That's why I have a request to make of you. Tsukinogi: If I determine that the situation is too dangerous, I will stop you even if I have to use force. Tsukinogi: Is that acceptable? Provence: That... Tsukinogi: I only hope that you can value your own life more. Provence: Thank you. Provence: I understand. We'll do that then. Let's go! Provence: How should I put this... You're very different from how I imagined. Provence: I thought that an heiress from Higashi would be more... Umm, elitist and snobbish. Tsukinogi: Oh? That's a complete misunderstanding. Tsukinogi: I've always been trying my best to grow closer to everyone at Rhodes Island. I've even started to reach saturation lately. Provence: Saturation...? That sounds weird... Provence: Whatever! Anyway, let's move! If we don't go now, we'll never make it in time! Sigh I'll definitely get chewed out by that girl in Medical again when I get back. Provence: ...Yeah, I'd better come up with my apology first.
10:30 A.M. \ Clear Rhodes Island Landship, Cabin 4, Convalescent Garden Rope: 'Scuse me~ Rope: ......? Rope: 'Scuse meee, anyone in— Rope: Hmmm? Rope: Aw, man. Rope: Nobody in? Morniiiing—Mooorniiiing—Just checkiiiiing—Anyone iiiiiiiin—! Halllll—looooooo—? Rope: ...... Rope: Huh, actually deserted. Rope: That's sucky. Rope: Wasting my time somewhere empty-handed ain't my style. Hm-hmm, I'm here after all. Let's let your li'l Peter Pan of Lungmen, Rope, take a look, see what nice stuff's lying around... Rope: ...Wait, no! Rope: (Claps face) Rope: Stoppit, stoppit, Rope. Pull it in. You can't do that. Rope: (Claps face) (Claps face) Rope: Ugh, what a scary habit to have. Rope: But you can't leave the door unlocked when no-one's in. That's just too sloppy. You can't blame anyone else when you lose something, okay? Rope: I swear I won't take anything. Just looking, looking... Rope: Just lemme looksie, scope what's good around here~ Rope: Hm? What's on the ground here... iunno. Who cares? Let's jump it! Rope: Hohoh, these flowers are real pretty with their colors. Dunno if they're worth anything... Rope: Oh, this ain't equipment you see everyday. Probably pretty expensive, huh? Rope: And over this way's... herbs? Rope: Hm? Hmm?? Whoooa, what IS this smell? This is pungent! Rope: I'm, I'm getting a little dizzy... Rope: Pteh—haah, close call! Rope: Oh, crap, I thought I was about to faint. That was way too risky...! Rope: 'Better to jimmy open a Lungmen treasury box than charge an open door.' No wonder a mentor once said that. Kinda makes sense now. Rope: ...... Rope: Heh, okay, the joke ends here. Rope: If nobody's in, then I'm all hands tied. Wanted to do a little good for once, too. Whatevs. Rope: I guess I'll just come next time— Rope: Hm? Rope: What, I'm not the only one on the down-low? Rope: Hehey, now this is getting interesting. Wherever you came from, li'l dodger, let's have a duel~ Rope: Pitter patter, sneakity skatter... position scoped, hook ready— Perfumer: Morning dew, peppermint, shaved ice showers♪ Perfumer: Setting sun, jasmine, honey flowers♪ Rope: Uh... Perfumer: Hm-hmm~, hmm~, hm-hmm hm-hmm~~ Rope: Uh, esscuse me... Perfumer: And add just a little culture. Hmm, that should be a good amount! Rope: No, c'mon, you're way too focused. Perfumer: And then mix it with the deep soil here. Oh, or perhaps add a little bit more plant ash? Perfumer: Mhmm, this should do it just nicely! Rope: (Has she literally not noticed me? You need to keep your wits about you, y'know?) Rope: (And here I thought some thief actually got in. Eugh.) Perfumer: Hmm... the balance still seems a little off. Last time's cultivar had balance issues too. Phew, let me think, what should I do... Perfumer: Peat, akadama... maintain weak acidity... Rope: (Still talking to herself. Is this, like, an okay situation?) Rope: (Oh, but watching from the side is pretty fun~) Perfumer: ! Perfumer: That's right, how could I forget! I can try adding in some sandy soil brought from where it grew! Perfumer: Mhmm, no matter plants or people, they're all best at home! Rope: (Kind of makes sense to hear.) Rope: (But y'know the sort who really work to flee the nest? Never wanna go back, those people? Uh, people? Plants? Whatever, same thing. There's plenty of them, right?) Perfumer: Oh, now where did I put that soil again... Perfumer: Not here, and not here. Hmm... how strange... Perfumer: Hm? Rope: Hm? Perfumer: !! Perfumer: Wha-wha-wha?! Rope: ?! Rope: Huh? Huh?? Rope: What-what's wrong? What's up? Perfumer: Eh? Ah... Perfumer: Miss... Rope?
Fumizuki: Yuki-chan. Shirayuki: Here. Fumizuki: I've informed Yenwu. Now, I've arranged for you to enter a pharmaceutical company called Rhodes Island as an operator. Shirayuki: Rhodes Island? Fumizuki: Yes. You've likely already heard of it. Shirayuki: Only that the Miss has deep ties with them. Shirayuki: Does the Princess want me to protect the Miss? Fumizuki: Hm... that has been part of my intent. After all, this is an Infected organization. However, I believe Hui-chieh should be able to handle things herself. Shirayuki: Infected... does the Princess consider them reliable? Fumizuki: Yes. Be assured. I've met their leader before. She is quite a good girl. Fumizuki: And I've looked into things a little. I feel the company itself is good too. So, I feel this is a good opportunity. Shirayuki: Opportunity? Fumizuki: Yes. You've followed me since childhood. Even now in Lungmen, you haven't once left my side. Shirayuki: It is my mission. Fumizuki: But you also ought to see the sights outside. Shirayuki: I need only to know what sights the Princess sees. Fumizuki: This is an order, Yuki-chan. Shirayuki: ...Understood. Shirayuki: I am Shirayuki. Princess Fumizuki told me to assist Madam Ch'en and follow all your orders. Option_1: Hello. Option_2: ...... Option_3: Welcome! Shirayuki: ...... Shirayuki: ...... Option_4: ...... Shirayuki: ...... Option_5: ...... Shirayuki: ...... Shirayuki: ...... Shirayuki: Several days' observation. The Doctor, a strange sort. Shirayuki: Directly heats instant food in mouth with kettle. Genius. Shirayuki: But holds true requisite ability, in command of people and handling of sundry affairs. Shirayuki: Further, Rhodes Island. More than meets the eye. Shirayuki: Surface-level, a pharmaceutical company. In reality, close to a military organization. With fair strength. No surprise Lord Wei would cooperate with this company. Shirayuki: The Princess spoke it not forth, but as Miss Ch'en is here, I am presumably willed to investigate this organization, and protect the Miss in full. Shirayuki: Doctor aside, two others are leaders here. Shirayuki: Amiya, I have met. In the Princess's words, a very kindly person. Shirayuki: But as she has proven a leader, exceptionality must reside. Cannot be taken lightly. Shirayuki: The other, a Kal'tsit, not yet met. From others' conversation, the true core figure of this company. Further understanding of her required. Shirayuki: Rough structure of accessible ship interior area committed to memory. Time, one in the morning. I shall move out. Shirayuki: Entered. Shirayuki: Rhodes Island's pipeline design, adequate. Shirayuki: Ordered systematically, omnidirectional... and correspondingly monitored. Shirayuki: But such levels, a mere trifle. Shirayuki: Most passages are connected with dormitories via toilets. Only some windows give sight of what happens within dormitories, due to planning... Fair. ???: Hwaaah... Gummy, I wanna eat meat... Shirayuki: Ceobe. Shirayuki: Abysmal sleeping posture. Midnight: Phew... Wonderful. That's enough training today to hit standards. Midnight: It's late now. Though there are no missions tomorrow, I should quickly do my skincare, and then it's beddy-byes. Midnight: Ah. Ever since I became an Operator, I haven't been properly managing my appearance. Midnight: But what can you do? Some things are a necessary sacrifice. Midnight: And I suppose even if I don't take care, I'm handsome enough as is. Shirayuki: (Shudder) Shirayuki: Operator codename, Midnight. Shirayuki: Narcissist. Shirayuki: Yet, ample muscle definition. Dobermann: Hm? Is it already this late? Dobermann: Whatever. Just a bit longer. I'm almost done drawing up the training program for Kroos's group. Dobermann: Kids really mature fast, don't they? You wouldn't recognize them now compared to when they just arrived at Rhodes Island. Dobermann: Heh. Though they're still a mile from where I want them to be. Shirayuki: Instructor Dobermann. Shirayuki: Steel-cold, heart of gold. Shirayuki: Most have already fallen asleep. Shirayuki: Rhodes Island's people by and large, seem used to life here. Shirayuki: Just as the Princess's words, a good place. Shirayuki: Ahead leaves the dormitory area. Tread carefully. Pant... pant... Zima: Natalya... uh, should be calling you Rosa now. About time you call it. Rosa: Phew... You go to bed first. I'll do a little more training by myself. Zima: ...Fine. You've got me for a while longer. Zima: I let you live. Think how bad I'd look if you just went and bit it on the battlefield. Rosa: Aha. If I could trouble you, then. Shirayuki: Two students from Ursus. Seemingly, refugees admitted prior. Shirayuki: Chernobog. A tragedy. Shirayuki: I wish you good luck. Shirayuki: Hm? That... Kal'tsit: Amiya, we'll conclude our work for today here. Amiya: Alright, Dr. Kal'tsit. Amiya: I'm not sure if the Doctor's asleep yet. I'll go and take a quick look. Kal'tsit: Dr. {@nickname} possesses a peculiar set of norms. Amiya: That might be true, but the Doctor's wellbeing is also very important! Amiya: I'll turn in after I've checked on the Doctor. Is that alright, Dr. Kal'tsit? Kal'tsit: ...Suit yourself. Amiya: Mm-hm! Shirayuki: So this should be Dr. Kal'tsit... Kal'tsit: ...... Shirayuki: Her gaze, as though it flickered hither! Have I been found?! Kal'tsit: ...... Shirayuki: (Seemingly, she has not noticed me. Yet that sensation, it was...) Shirayuki: Forget it. As I am not found, I shall proceed. Shirayuki: (Hm? Ahead, an impression of great noise... surmising from direction, likely the Engineering Department.) Closure: Wait wait wait! No way! You're meant to kiss right freaking here, aren't you?! What are you hesitating for?! You're the heroine! Closure: Ugh, come on, one of these scenes is enough! Don't do it every time! What's your PROBLEM, scriptwriter?! Closure: Euuugh, I haaate this kind of development... How are they on their seventh season by now? And the reviews get crappier each time. Closure: They're just dragging it out! That's all they're doing! Closure: ...Dammit, but that boy's so hot. And he's in every episode! Closure: Fine. I'll hang in there. Can't say it won't get better! Shirayuki: Chief Engineer Closure. Shirayuki: 'Tis alleged that the Rhodes Island ship was her plan alone. Fearsome. Shirayuki: Yet this is not where the show's true ruin lies. The fourth season's spontaneous introduction of the supporting man; such was a nightmare. Closure: What? You're kidding me?! I thought this was bad enough! Shirayuki: ...You catch upon my words?! Closure: Oh, shoot, I knee-jerked that one out. Closure: Whatever, come down here. Shirayuki: ...... Shirayuki: ...Since when? Closure: The start. Shirayuki: ...... Closure: Oh, don't get me wrong, your ninja techniques are real amazing stuff. Thing is, I just knew you were gonna do this from the start. Shirayuki: ...'Twas my individual action, untied to anyone. Closure: Alright, alright, loosen up. You think I'm treating you as a spy here or something? Closure: Princess Fumizuki specially phoned up Amiya when she sent you over. Shirayuki: ......? Closure: When she did, she told Amiya, even if she had no ulterior motive sending you here, she was worried you might go a little overboard. So, she specifically warned us beforehand to keep our ears perked. Closure: And she gave Amiya a couple details on your MO, so I've been a little extra aware of you the past while. Shirayuki: ...This has naught to do with the Princess. Closure: Jeez, you are some tough customer. Closure: Y'know, now I get the feeling I can't really talk you over. Closure: But if we actually treated you like a spy, wouldn't Kal'tsit have just dealt with you back there? Shirayuki: ...... Closure: Basically, seeing as this is your first offense, don't you worry that anyone's gonna punish you, or that it'll reflect badly on your Princess. Closure: But I don't recommend you try prowling around Rhodes Island like that again. Closure: On the one hand, you'd absolutely, aaaaaabsolutely never get into the core. At least, the pipes won't let you. Closure: But on the other hand, snooping into other people's privacy isn't super cool. Closure: And don't you get tired doing that? Shirayuki: I do not. Shirayuki: I will not repeat this. Closure: And you're gonna go find some other way instead, aren't you? Shirayuki: ...I make no guarantee. Closure: Wowie, do I wanna let Kal'tsit sic you. Loyal people are such a pain in the neck, honestly. Closure: But whatever, Kal'tsit wanted me to tell you this instead. 'You may use your methods to observe Rhodes Island, but Rhodes Island is observing you too.' Shirayuki: ...I understand. Closure: Hey, honestly, if you're so bored at night you wanna roam around, you can come watch these stories with me. Closure: You gave me the impression you've done a little research into them. Most of Rhodes Island are all outdoorsy types, and I'm starving for any compatriots of my own. It's killing me, c'mon. Shirayuki: In continuing to watch this, you will truly find no value. Shirayuki: I may recommend some. I know not if you possess them. Closure: Alright, alright! Closure: Lay 'em on me, and if I don't have them, I'll go find them for us to watch together! Shirayuki: ...Very well. [ - title - Blackberry Honey.txt ]
The night sky was dark. A few stars twinkled up above — just tiny pinpricks, like spilt granules of sugar. The stars looked so small and far away it tugged at something within the young woman’s heart. Was this the same sky her family could see? Were these stars the same stars? Was this moon the same moon? She didn’t know. She hadn’t seen her family in so, so long... {w}but she couldn’t think about that now. If she did, she was sure she would cry, and she didn’t want to do that. She _refused_. She’d always been stubborn. That was how she’d ended up in this mess. The girl had been riding in the back of a horse-drawn cab for upwards of fourteen hours, from seven o’clock in the morning to nine o’clock at night. Her legs, which had been cramped up in a space far too small for them for far too long, hurt. Even as she stood there, doing nothing more strenuous than simply existing, her body trembled. It felt like a mischievous imp was inserting needles into the backs of her legs. She could hear, in the distance, the sound of horses’ hooves striking against the ground. The carriage was lurching away beneath the cover of the night. There was nowhere else for her to go. Nowhere for her to run. All she could do was stare at the wrought iron gates before her and the large, imposing house beyond. Bly. It was worlds apart from the girl’s home in Liverpool, which she had shared for many years with her mother and two sisters — three sisters now, given the recent birth of the youngest, Alice. Little Alice. But she would never be able to see Alice grow up. She swallowed. Her throat convulsed. So, this was to be her new place of residence — but not her ‘home’. She could never call it her ‘home’. There was something horribly austere about the place; not helped by the sinister shadows that enveloped everything. The trees in the vast, expansive garden were tall and skinny. They stood sentinel, their boughs waving in the breeze. Almost like ghosts. Skeletal soldiers. Bly, with its crumbling walls and darkened windows, seemed like the kind of place that would have a ghost story or two. It had existed long enough — built in the early part of the 17th century, the girl had heard. How many ghosts lurked within those walls? Soon, she would find out. Her carpet bag was balanced in the crook of her arm. It was small and had a dent in the side impossible to remove. She knew, because she had tried. All her worldly belongings were stowed inside that single bag. A few sets of clothes. A hairbrush. An old, battered volume of _Robinson Crusoe_. That was all. There were no toiletries; no jewellery; not even a second pair of shoes. She couldn’t afford such luxuries. She was only a maid. A maid at Bly, working in the service of the Lennard family. She’d never met the Lennard family before, but the Pickerings’ housekeeper, Miss Mary-Ann, had told her they were not so very bad. There was the mistress, Lady Louisa Lennard; the husband, Lord Albert Lennard, who was often away on business trips; and then there was their sole daughter and heir to the family fortune, Lady Constance Lennard. She could handle that much, couldn’t she? She hoped so. She had to. She didn’t have a choice. She drew in a deep breath. The cold air tugged at her hair and her skirts. Her fingers trembled. They were starting to turn blue. The wind seemed to suck the air out of her lungs. It felt like a cold hand was pressing against her larynx. She choked on her own breath. Her eyes stung. But she wouldn’t cry. She’d already told herself she wouldn’t. Instead, trying to gather what little scraps of self-confidence she still possessed... Lorina: "You can do this. There’s no turning back now." ...Lorina Waugh, only nineteen years of age, clutched her bag to her chest and straightened her back. She wasn’t one to back down from a challenge. Just how bad could Bly possibly be? Lorina: "Nn... Ah..." When Lorina Waugh opened her eyes, she was met with the same dismal sight that had greeted her every morning for the last four months. A grey ceiling peppered here and there with ominous cracks, heralding the inevitable day when it would one day collapse under its own weight. For the time being, however, this was where Lorina was to sleep. Her very own bedroom in Bly. Not that it was _her_ bedroom, of course. It was a small, tightly-packed attic she shared with five of her fellow maids; Isobel, Pauline, Ada, Effie, and the Swiss-born Lieselotte. The other maids were arising, stretching and yawning. Complaining. Isobel and Pauline were the worst for it. They _always_ complained. Lorina supposed it was very English, in a way, but she rather wished they wouldn’t. Pauline: "Urgh... My head feels so thick." with dissolve Isobel: "Must mean there’s rain coming." with dissolve Pauline: "It always bloody rains around here." with dissolve Isobel: "Wouldn’t be England without it." with dissolve Effie: "...I like the rain." with dissolve Pauline: "Good on you, Effie." with dissolve Effie: "...Hm." with dissolve Ada: "Ah... G-Good morning, Lorina." with dissolve Lorina: "O-Oh, um..." Lorina stretched and sat up in bed. The thin sheets pooled about her body. The sheets were stained and rarely offered any warmth; not even in the spring. Still, Lorina supposed it was better than nothing. Look on the bright side. That was what her mother would say. There’s always a silver lining. Said silver lining being Lorina’s fellow maid, Ada. Ada was rather young — only a year or so older than Lorina — and the two maids had formed something of an alliance. They were both the oldest sisters in large families, and they both worked in order to support their siblings. The only difference was, Ada had three younger brothers. Lorina had three sisters. Lorina: "Good morning, Ada." Pauline: "‘Good’? What’s so ‘_good_’ about it, exactly?" with dissolve Lorina: "It’s just a figure of speech..." with dissolve Pauline: "I don’t care what it is! It’s blinking ridiculous!" with dissolve Isobel: "Hear, hear! Does anybody _want_ to wake up at five o’clock?" with dissolve Effie: "...Maybe masochists." with dissolve Pauline: "I must be bloody masochistic, working here. My fingers are shot to pieces. They’re shaking. I’ll never be able to light the fires like this." with dissolve Isobel: "Oh, don’t talk about fires! I’m frigid!" with dissolve Effie: "...Last night... was cold." with dissolve Lieselotte: "You think _that_ was cold? That was nothing compared to the winters in Andermatt!" with dissolve Pauline: "And in case you hadn’t realised, Lieselotte, you’re not in Switzerland anymore." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Ah, yes... Oh, how I miss it." with dissolve Lieselotte: "The sun rising over the Alps is truly a sight to behold! I wish you could all see it!" Ada: "Th-That does sound rather lovely...!" with dissolve Lieselotte: "They say the air in the Alps is very good for the circulation! I am sure it would do you wonders!" with dissolve Ada: "D-Do you really think so?" with dissolve Lieselotte: "Oh, yes! I know so!" with dissolve Pauline: "Unfortunately, there are no Alps to behold here." with dissolve Isobel: "Get your head out of the clouds, Lottie, or I’ll shove it up a chimney." with dissolve Lieselotte: "A-Ahaha... You Englishwomen are so very witty!" with dissolve ‘Witty’ was the last word Lorina would have used in conjunction with Isobel, but she decided to keep that to herself. With a small yawn, the young maid stretched her arms above her head. She was unsure what time it was, exactly, but it must have been around five o’clock in the morning. Mornings came for the servants of Bly several hours earlier than they did for Lady Lennard and her privileged offspring, Lady Constance. The servants had to wake up at unforgiving hours, before even the sun had started to rise. It was their lot in life to scuttle about soundlessly, creeping through the shadowy hallways; opening the shutters, polishing the fireplaces, dusting the mantelpieces...{w} and so on, and so forth. It never ended. From five o’clock in the morning until seven o’clock at night, the maids of Bly were fully occupied with their work. There wasn’t a single moment where they could sit down and rest. Maybe that was why Isobel and Pauline, who had been maids for longer than the others, were so snappish and irritable. It didn’t help that the head butler, Grant Lester, was such a stickler for the rules. He was incredibly strict; perhaps more so than Lady Lennard herself. Pauline: "Hey, Lorina." with dissolve Pauline, who was already dressed, gave Lorina a disparaging look." with dissolve Pauline: "Were you planning on getting dressed at some point, or are you just going to sit there?" with dissolve Lorina: "O-Oh, um...!" Lorina scrambled to her feet, throwing the covers to one side. She had been so immersed in her idle fancies she had quite forgotten.* Pauline sniggered. So did Isobel. Lorina: "I-I’m sorry...! I-I’m getting ready right away...!" Pauline: "Don’t apologise to us. Apologise to Mr Lester when you’re late coming downstairs." with dissolve Isobel: "_Again._" with dissolve Lorina: "I-I’m getting dressed right now! I am!" Isobel: "Do you want us to applaud?" with dissolve Pauline: "We shan’t wait for you, you know." with dissolve Isobel: "Let’s go. We’ll all be old women by the time she’s finished." with dissolve Ada: "B-But—" with dissolve Isobel: "That includes you too, Ada." with dissolve Ada: "W-Well, um... A-All right. S-Sorry, Lorina..." with dissolve Pauline: "Don’t apologise to her, stupid. If she gets scolded, she’ll deserve it." with dissolve Isobel: "On her own head be it!" with dissolve Ada: "I... I-I understand... U-Um, sorry..." with dissolve Pauline: "And you, Lottie. Are you coming, or are you still thinking about Switzerland?" with dissolve Lieselotte: "Hmm... I am always thinking of Switzerland, but I do not want to be scolded by Mr Lester. He is so very strict!" with dissolve Lieselotte gave Lorina an apologetic smile." with dissolve Lieselotte: "I will see you later, Lorina! If you ever have cause to feel down, just think of the Alps!" with dissolve Lorina: "O-Oh, um... I will." Not that Lorina knew what the Alps looked like. She didn’t know very much, really. She’d never had cause to travel beyond the borders of her home country. Being a maid, she’d probably never get the chance.* Her future was already set in stone. Later that morning... Lorina: "Is this the one you wanted?" Constance: "Hmm..." Lady Constance made a show of pondering, index finger tapping against her lower lip, before she shook her head. Constance: "No, that is obviously _not_ good enough. The leaves have been eaten by caterpillars. Look." Lorina: "I can’t see anything wrong with it myself." Constance: "Then you are blind." Lorina: "{size=-5}Or perhaps _you’re_ just being a little madam..." Lorina muttered mutinously under her breath. She knew she wasn’t supposed to speak ill of her social betters — though, had Lady Constance been one of Lorina’s younger sisters, Lorina would have lost her temper already. Lorina: "Well, if you don’t like it, I can always look for another." Constance: "See to it that you do. I could not _stand_ having a display of withered roses in my bedroom." Lorina: "{size=-3}I bet you couldn’t..." Constance: "Hm? What was that?" Lorina: "Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself." Constance: "Well, don’t. Mother says that’s a sign of madness." Perhaps she _was_ mad, Lorina mused. She must have been, to take Lady Constance’s abuse. If she’d had one ounce of sense, she would have slapped Lady Constance right across her smug little face, twelve years old or no. In fact, it was precisely _because_ Lady Constance was twelve years old that she needed disciplining. If nobody gave her a stern talking-to, Lorina feared Lady Constance would become quite an unpleasant person when she got older. Even more unpleasant than she was already. If Lady Constance had been a sweet, innocent child who enjoyed tucking herself into small corners and reading books, she would have been a pleasure to serve. Lorina would have gone out of her way to make life as comfortable as possible for this imaginary Constance. The real Constance, however, was not so lovely. Real little girls never were. Though they were depicted as sweet, delicate angels in plays and poems, the reality was rather different. Constance: "Now, maid. Try to find me some roses that look nice. It shouldn’t be too hard. Joe has strict orders to only let the most beautiful roses bloom in this garden." Lorina: "Yes, Miss." But that was easier said than done. If the roses within Lorina’s immediate vicinity were not acceptable, for whatever make-believe reason Lady Constance had dreamt up, she would need to search harder. What about the roses that were further back in the thicket...? Lorina began to search, brushing some of the roses to one side. The flowers were undeniably beautiful, their pink petals as soft as velvet, but the thorns were numerous. They were sharp and pointed, just waiting to spill blood. Lorina shied away like a reluctant pony, her fingertips trembling. The thorns promised pain and she had no desire to cause herself unnecessary grief. Lady Constance, meanwhile, was unsympathetic. The little girl tutted and sighed and tapped her right foot against the ground, her brown eyes rolling about inside her head the whole while. Constance: "This should be easy, maid. I don’t understand why you’re taking so long." _It would be easy,_ Lorina wished she could retort, _if somebody was not hell-bent on making this so complicated._ But, of course, she didn’t say that — not even under her breath. It wouldn’t have been worth it. Lorina: "Is this rose to your liking, Miss?" Constance: "No, no, no. That isn’t good enough at all." Lorina: "Then, this one?" Constance: "No! I only want the _best_ roses in my room! Anything less would be an insult! Unless..." Constance: "Are you _trying_ to insult me?" Lorina: "O-Of course not, Miss...!" Constance: "Then take this more seriously! You _are_ a maid, aren’t you?" Lorina: "Yes, Miss..." Constance: "Then you should do everything within your powers to keep me happy!" Lorina: "Yes, Miss..." Constance: "Start doing your job properly! I ordered you to pick me the best roses and that’s what I expect!" Constance: "The best roses are the ones riiiiiight at the back, so you need to look a little deeper!" Lorina: "But, Miss..." Constance: "What? Didn’t you hear what I just said? I gave you an order." Lorina: "I realise that, but—" Constance: "Are those ears of yours just for show? You _were_ listening to me, weren’t you?!" Lorina: "I... Yes, I... I understand..." Constance: "Hmm? You understand what?" Lorina: "I... I understand, Miss..." Constance: "If you understand, start looking. I won’t leave until you’ve picked at least one acceptable rose." Lorina: "Yes, Miss..." Left with no other alternative, the young maid continued her search amongst the flowerbeds. Her arms trembled. So, too, did her eyelashes. Her whole body was tense and taut. One wrong move and she would lacerate her skin; in not just one but two, three, four, five, fifteen places. Then she would start swearing under her breath and blinking tears out of her eyes. Lorina didn’t want to show such a weak side of her character to Lady Constance. She could hardly bear the thought... ...But that was probably why Lady Constance liked picking on her. Lorina had too much pride, but she got flustered easily and couldn’t always stand up for herself. She wasn’t like the parlour maid. She would _never_ be like the parlour maid...{w} not that she wanted to be. The parlour maid was a cold woman, aloof and distant, who only ever spoke to Lorina to pass malicious comments. Her barbed statements slid beneath the skin more effectively than one thousand thorns from one thousand roses. The parlour maid’s words hurt and Lorina didn’t even know why. It wasn’t as though Lorina wanted her approval. She didn’t like her. She didn’t like her at all. Why was it, then, that Lorina’s throat felt dry whenever she saw her, and her stomach fluttered, and she couldn’t look her in the eye, and she— Lorina: "{size=+5}Aaaah...!" Lorina gasped in shock and stumbled away from the rose bush, clasping her hand to her chest. Three wounds criss-crossed against the back of her right hand. Two of them were shallow, superficial, oozing droplets of crimson blood no bigger than pinheads, but the other was far bigger. This cut had cleaved a chunk of flesh out of her hand, stripping back the skin like a roll of wallpaper. Lorina: "I... Ah..." Lorina stared at her hand, and then at the ground. There were splotches of blood, _her_ blood, just inches away from her right foot. She shook her head. She felt sick. Blood didn’t often make Lorina feel faint, but there was quite a lot of it, and she didn’t want to smear her apron. And, to make matters worse... Lorina: "Ah..." There was a thorn embedded in the back of her hand. It emerged from the open wound like a piece of thread through the eye of a needle. Constance: "Don’t bleed all over the flowerbeds, idiot! What do you think you’re doing?!" Lorina: "I... I just, um..." Constance: "No, don’t tell me. I know the answer! You weren’t thinking at all." Constance: "You maids really are useless." The parlour maid: "My, my. How did you do that to yourself?" Lorina: "It was... an accident." The parlour maid: "Well, I should hope you didn’t do it on purpose. That would be quite the foolish thing to do!" Lorina: "Hmph..." Lorina glowered. Her cheeks flustered. The parlour maid was always cool, calm, and irritatingly aloof. She was as haughty as a cat, and constantly seemed to look down on others, but she always accompanied her blatant disregard with a small smile. Lorina never felt quite herself when she was in the company of this unsettling woman. Her gaze made Lorina tremble. It was almost as if everything within Lorina had been misaligned by an inch or so, so her skeleton no longer fit neatly inside her body. Truthfully, Lorina had been hoping to avoid the parlour maid during this sad state of affairs. In a more perfect world, she would have retreated to the kitchen, cleaned the blood off her hands beneath the sink, and pulled out the offending thorn with minimal fuss; no fanfare at all. That was what she wanted. But life was never that simple. The parlour maid had been in the kitchen already, and Lorina had only realised once she had crossed the threshold, and their eyes had met, and it had been too late to turn about and leave. Why the parlour maid was in the kitchen, and not in the parlour, as her title suggested, was a mystery. It appeared, though Lorina had no intentions of asking her, that she was in the middle of preparing various tea things; arranging several willow-patterned teacups and a matching teapot on a tea tray. Was Lady Lennard having guests, then? It seemed as good a guess as any. The parlour maid: "Say..." Lorina: "What do you want?" The parlour maid: "I was wondering if I could take a look at your hand." Lorina: "And why do you want to do that?" The parlour maid: "Oh dear, so suspicious..." The parlour maid: "I just wanted to know if I could be of any assistance. You look like you are in pain." Lorina: "I... don’t know why you care..." The parlour maid: "I’m just trying to show an interest. There’s nothing terrible about that, is there?" Lorina: "I..." The parlour maid: "Do you think _I’m_ terrible?" Lorina swallowed. She hadn’t expected the sudden inquiry. Why was the parlour maid trying to put words into her mouth? Lorina: "I... I never said that..." The parlour maid: "Then stop being foolish and let me help you. You cannot expect to perform satisfactory first aid on yourself. Not with one hand. It can’t be done." Lorina: "But you... You have work to do..." The parlour maid: "I always have work to do. It can wait." Lorina: "But Lady Lennard—" The parlour maid: "Won’t mind if her tea is a minute or two late, I’m sure." Lorina: "She’d mind if _I_ was the one who had to deliver it." The parlour maid: "But you are not, and I am, and it is different." Lorina: "That’s right... It _is_ different, isn’t it?" The parlour maid: "Now, don’t look so down. I’m just stating the facts. There’s no need to sulk." Lorina: "I’m _not_ sulking!" The parlour maid: "Not anymore. You’re angry with me, aren’t you?" Lorina: "I..." Lorina opened her mouth. Closed it again. Her face turned even redder. The parlour maid laughed. The parlour maid: "You’re so easy to read, Lori." Lorina: "Lori...?" The parlour maid: "That’s right. ‘Lori’." Lorina: "Nobody calls me that." The parlour maid: "I just did." Lorina: "I wish you wouldn’t." The parlour maid: "We can’t all have what we want." Lorina: "I’m aware of that, thank you very much." Lorina frowned. So, the parlour maid knew her name — though she insisted on using a silly nickname, for whatever reason — but Lorina didn’t know hers. Maybe she should have done, considering she had been at Bly for four months, but the parlour maid’s name was strange and foreign. It was difficult to get her tongue around. Why should she need to know her name, anyway? They weren’t friends. Lorina wanted nothing to do with the insufferable woman. But, all the same... Lorina: "A-Ah..." Lorina: "What are you doing?" The parlour maid: "Taking care of you, like I said I would." Lorina: "But _why?_" The parlour maid: "Because I don’t believe you can take care of yourself." Lorina: "Th-That’s quite an assumption to make — and not a very polite one, either." The parlour maid: "Why should I worry about being polite? I’m polite enough to Lady Lennard, though I don’t think she deserves it." The parlour maid: "One gets awfully tired of minding their manners all the time. You agree with me, don’t you?" Lorina: "That’s beside the point..." The parlour maid: "So you _do_ agree! How lovely! Now, hold still." Lorina: "Nn..." The parlour maid’s hands were smooth and soft, and her fingers were slender. They were the hands of an artisan. Now, those hands were holding Lorina’s. Lorina felt herself shivering, and not just because of the pain. Her right hand was still bleeding, though gently. The bloodshed was so slow and lackadaisical it was almost relaxing. The parlour maid: "Now, what is this?" The parlour maid’s lips were inches away from the shell of Lorina’s ear. Her breath tickled. The parlour maid: "Is this a thorn...?" Lorina nodded dumbly. The parlour maid: "How did you do this to yourself? Did you fall into a rosebush?" Lorina: "It wasn’t intentional." The parlour maid: "Then, you were pushed?" Lorina: "You could say that, I suppose." The parlour maid: "Was this one of Lady Constance’s whims?" Lorina: "Yes, um... She wanted me to pick some roses for her, but I—" The parlour maid: "Got hurt in the process?" Lorina: "Evidently." The parlour maid clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. The parlour maid: "Lady Constance doesn’t care for flowers, you know? She’s an exceedingly careless girl." Lorina: "I’m aware of that." The parlour maid: "Then why did you go along with her selfish request? She was only trying to make you miserable — and it seems she was successful." The parlour maid: "Look what has happened to you." The parlour maid: "What you _let_ happen." Lorina: "I beg your pardon?" The parlour maid: "You heard what I said." Lorina: "I did, but you couldn’t have meant it!" The parlour maid: "Why not?" Lorina: "I didn’t _let_ this happen! I didn’t want to cut myself! I just—" The parlour maid: "You just... what?" Lorina: "I... I..." Lorina opened and closed her mouth, but no words came out. When she needed them the most, they abandoned her. The parlour maid: "Ah, I see. No response is forthcoming. How disappointing." The parlour maid: "Anyway. Let me attend to this." Lorina: "I never asked you to...!" The parlour maid: "But I will, because if I don’t it will get infected, and you will get sick." Lorina: "Fine. Go ahead." The parlour maid: "This will probably hurt. I hope you’re prepared." Lorina: "Do your worst." The parlour maid: "Oh? Was that a challenge?" Lorina: "Take it however you want." The parlour maid: "I believe that is _your_ role, my little Lori." Lorina: "What do you— Nn...!" Lorina jumped. A sharp burst of pain flared up in her afflicted finger, as though a match had been struck against it. Then, all of a sudden— The parlour maid: "There we go. That should take care of it." —the parlour maid pulled the thorn free. Blood began to trickle from the cut. It looked brighter than ever. So red it was almost dizzying. Almost. The parlour maid: "Now, let’s get you cleaned up..." Lorina followed, obedient as a child, as the parlour maid led her to the ceramic sink. There, she turned on the tap, and a steady stream of water began to flow. The parlour maid: "This might sting a bit, but you can handle it, can’t you?" Lorina: "Nn..." The parlour maid: "I thought so. You’re a big girl." The parlour maid’s small smile did not abate, even as Lorina’s fingers spasmed beneath the water. Lorina glared at her beneath her eyelashes. Her shoulders trembled. Lorina: "You..." The parlour maid: "Yes? What is it, dear?" Lorina gritted her teeth together. The words bubbling up within her breast were treacherous. She would never have been able to say such things to Lady Constance or Lady Lennard for fear of losing her job, but she could say them to the parlour maid. The parlour maid was the only one Lorina could take her anger out on. Lorina: "I... don’t like you at all." The parlour maid: "Oh dear. How sad." The parlour maid sighed. The parlour maid: "How could you say that when I’m trying to help you?" Lorina: "You don’t want to _help_. You just want to gloat." The parlour maid: "I think you’re misunderstanding something, my little Lori." Lorina: "What?" The parlour maid: "Unlike you, I don’t do things unless I want to." Lorina: "But you can’t live life like that...! You’re supposed to be a maid! Answering the whims of others is your purpose in life!" The parlour maid: "_I_ will decide my own purpose in life, thank you. Now, hold still." Lorina’s blood continued to splash against the white ceramic basin of the sink. The water soon washed it away; muting the colour until no more trace remained. The parlour maid: "Well. That settles that." The parlour maid took a neat step backwards, running a hand through her dark hair. The action seemed carefully calculated, somehow, and it made Lorina feel uneasy. Everything about the older woman was unsettling. The parlour maid: "And don’t worry. There’s no need to thank me." Lorina: "I wasn’t going to — and I _still_ can’t stand you." The parlour maid: "I know that only too well. If you cared for me in any way, you might have tried to remember my name. Oh well." The parlour maid: "For future reference, it’s Taohua." Lorina: "Tao...?" Taohua: "Taohua. Not that you care." Several weeks passed, and Lorina had been trying to avoid Lady Constance as much as possible. Lady Constance had always been petty and vindictive, but she seemed even more so as of late, and Lorina didn’t want to get caught up in her silly temper tantrums. And Lady Constance wasn’t the only one Lorina had been skirting around. There was also the parlour maid. Taohua. Her name was Taohua. Not that Lorina wanted to remember it. She’d far rather forget her. Lorina didn’t want to remember how Taohua’s fingers had trailed gently across her palm, or the soft whisper of her voice, or the strangely intoxicating scent of orange peels and bergamot that clung to her skin and hair... And she _certainly_ didn’t want to remember her withering stare or derisive tone. Taohua: "_Look what has happened to you._" Taohua: "_What you let happen._" Lorina: "How stuck-up. Like _you’re_ so perfect." Lorina grit her teeth together so hard the enamel threatened to crack and turned over in her bed. The springs of her mattress creaked. Lorina: "Nn..." The icy air nipped Lorina’s fingers and toes, making them twitch. As per usual, her blanket offered no warmth. Lieselotte: "Oh, Andermatt... Could it really be...?" with dissolve Lieselotte was curled on her side, arms wrapped about her pillow. Her long, flaxen hair spilt across her bed. Some of it trailed onto the floorboards, Rapunzel-like." with dissolve She was dreaming about the Alps again.* She was _always_ dreaming about the Alps. At least some things never changed. Lorina watched her, picking out Lieselotte’s delicate features in the dark. Her pale eyelashes. Her snub nose. Her pursed lips. Her long, long hair. Lorina could imagine the children of Andermatt brushing Lieselotte’s hair for her, then threading it through with flowers; orchids, violets, and delicate, purple primulas. Like something from a fairytale. Lieselotte really did look like a princess. The other maids, meanwhile, were slightly less flattering in their slumber. Pauline snored. Isobel shifted, perpetually restless. Effie had a tendency to lay so silent and still, like some kind of wax effigy, Lorina always feared she had died. Ada, meanwhile... Ada: "Haa... Nnn..." with dissolve The young maid had weak lungs, and her soft, gentle snores were cracked and hissy." with dissolve Her breathing was laboured during the day, but it was even worse at night. She sounded less like a young girl than an old man.* Ada: "Haa.. Aaah..." with dissolve Lorina often felt sorry for Ada. Walking up a single flight of stairs was often enough to make her double over, gasping for air that her lungs seemed determined to reject." with dissolve It could always be worse, Lorina mused. She could be Ada.* At least she wasn’t Ada. Taohua didn’t sleep in this small, draughty attic room, which was termed the ‘virgin quarters’ by the unpleasantly snickering footmen. Taohua was unique — worlds apart from the plain, boring English maids of Bly (or European, in Lieselotte’s case). Taohua’s skin was a touch darker, her irises strikingly green, and her hair was black and silky. A rare flower surrounded by weeds. She was too special to mix with the other maids. Too important to befriend them. Too aloof to even try. Lieselotte: "Ah, Mama...! Papa...! Daisy, too! I missed you so...!" with dissolve Taohua was graceful and composed, while Lorina was awkward and flustered easily. Lorina couldn’t imagine Taohua _ever_ allowing Lady Constance to boss her around." with dissolve But that didn’t mean she could treat Lorina so poorly.* Taohua had handled Lorina carefully, like she was some kind of precise instrument — yet she had insulted her at the same time. It was confusing. Lieselotte: "Andermatt... My Andermatt... It has been years, and yet..." with dissolve What kind of name was ‘Taohua’, anyway? Lorina had never heard of it before. She couldn’t understand it, either." with dissolve If she couldn’t understand the name, how on earth could she ever hope to understand the woman attached to it?* Lorina didn’t _want_ to understand her. She hated her...{w} didn’t she? Lorina bit down on her lower lip and turned over once more. She didn’t care how tangled her hair got. She turned again and again and again, but no matter how she tried, she couldn’t get comfortable. Just when her eyelids were starting to feel heavy, and she could almost imagine herself slipping into the land of slumber... Lieselotte: "{size=+10}I never wish to leave...! I cannot! This is where I belong!" with dissolve Lieselotte chose that moment to declare, rather loudly for a sleep-talker, her continued allegiance to her beloved Andermatt. Lorina’s left eye twitched. Lorina: "Fine, fine, _fine_. I’m getting up." Lieselotte: "Oh, Andermatt..." with dissolve Lorina: "Shut up." with dissolve Lorina sat up, her hair a dishevelled mess, and glared at Lieselotte. Even in her sleep, Lieselotte looked perfect. Her face glowed with health, and her flaxen hair was full of life. Maybe it was because of Andermatt. If Lorina had been born amongst the mountains, and had spent her youth picking flowers and milking cows, perhaps her cheeks would have permanent roses, too. ...Then again, maybe not. Lorina sighed and massaged her temples with her fingers. She needed to talk to somebody — but who? Everyone was asleep. Then, in that case... Lorina: "A letter..." Yes. That seemed like a sensible solution. Lorina missed her mother. She missed her a good deal. She missed her sisters, too — Ethel and Mary. She even missed little Alice, who had been only two years old the last time Lorina had set eyes on her. She would be five now. Time really did fly. Reverend Marner: "And one of you say unto them, ‘Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled...’" ‘Warmed’, was it...? To Lorina’s frigid, frostbitten ears, that was a pleasant idea indeed. The maid shifted on the pew, her fingers linked together on her lap. The wooden pew was icy and seemed to bleed all the heat from her thighs, though they were pressed together. It was miraculous, really, that St Mary’s church was so bitterly cold all the year round, despite the large amount of human bodies crammed into it...{w} but perhaps the culprit behind the pervading chill was not the weather after all. It was the venerable vicar — one Reverend Marner. When he surveyed his congregation, peering at them with the intensity of one trying to discern the oxygen within the air, all heat seemed to evaporate from the room. His eyes were such a striking pale blue, Lorina was half-tempted to believe they contained within them shards of ice. Reverend Marner: "Notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?" ‘What doth it profit’ indeed? Lorina wasn’t entirely sure, but Reverend Marner made this rhetorical question seem of the utmost concern. The reverend paused once more — he was fond of inserting large pauses into his sermons — to let his eyes sweep amongst the assembled men and women in their Sunday finest. Not that Lorina, being a maid, had any ‘Sunday finest’. Her maid’s outfit, supplied by the Lennards, was the most ‘sophisticated’ item of clothing she owned. Consequentially, that was what she was wearing. Lorina knew some of the more esteemed men and women of the St Mary’s parish derided her for her choice in wardrobe, but she had little else to choose from. Reverend Marner: "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." But, by goodness, the church really _was_ cold. Lorina wasn’t the only one attempting — and failing — to cease her squirming. Ada was in a similar predicament. She was shifting here and there to encourage the circulation in her legs. The maids of Bly sat together during the service. Ada was on one side of Lorina, Pauline on the other. Isobel, Lieselotte, and the ever inscrutable Effie made up the rest of Bly’s ‘pretty maids’. As might be expected, they were all sitting in a row. Not that Pauline was particularly pretty. She’d always reminded Lorina of a horse. Reverend Marner: "A man may say, ‘Thou hast faith, and I have works.’" Lady Lennard and Lady Constance were also in attendance, though they weren’t seated with the maids. The maids of Bly were relegated to pews near the back of the church, while the upper echelons of society were seated at the front. Should the apocalypse truly occur, Lorina had no doubts the rich and the beautiful would be ushered up to the pearly gates first. That was just how things seemed to work. Reverend Marner: "‘Shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.’" But there was one servant of the Lennard household who was conspicuously absent. Taohua. Though Bly’s other servants, all twenty-three of them, from the cook to the valet to the coachman, attended the Sunday service religiously, Taohua had never once seen fit to make an entrance. Lorina doubted whether that woman had placed so much as a single toe over the threshold of St Mary’s before, but she was not particularly distraught over her absence. It made it easier to focus. Whenever Taohua was around, Lorina’s heart started to flutter. Her cheeks flushed. She found herself feeling quite unlike her usual self. The letter residing in her pocket, folded neatly and placed within the confines of a brown envelope, was proof enough of that. Reverend Marner: "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." Lorina herself started to tremble. That woman was no Christian. One merely had to look at her to gauge that much. Her peculiar skin. Her peculiar eyes. Her long, black hair. There was something decidedly unsettling about that woman — even more so than the tone of Reverend Marner’s voice. But, for whatever reason...{w} Lorina couldn’t stop thinking about her. Lieselotte: "I am still not used to the church services of you English!" with dissolve Ada: "W-Was it much different in Andermatt?" with dissolve Lieselotte: "Well, hmm..." with dissolve Lieselotte pondered, tapping one finger against her lower lip." with dissolve Lieselotte: "It was more or less the same, I suppose... but I rather miss hearing stories about St Verena!" with dissolve Lorina: "Who is he?" Lieselotte: "‘He’? Oh, my! I see you English are not familiar with St Verena after all!" with dissolve Ada: "I, um... I-I’m sorry... I haven’t heard of them..." with dissolve Lorina: "It doesn’t ring a bell." Lieselotte: "St Verena is a Swiss saint! She used to be a nurse, and she devoted her life to the spiritual and physical care of young girls! Apparently, she was also very pretty!" with dissolve Lieselotte beamed and clasped her hands together." with dissolve Lieselotte: "I, too, wish to live a pure and devout life as a good Christian, just like my favourite saint!" with dissolve Pauline: "You have a ‘favourite saint’?" with dissolve Isobel: "Surely, if one wants to be a ‘good Christian’, you shouldn’t pick favourites." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Oh, I know! Papa said much the same, but I can’t help myself!" with dissolve Lieselotte: "She is depicted in a stained glass window in the church of St Peter and Paul in my Andermatt, and she looks so very kind and benevolent — not to mention her hair!" Pauline: "So you like this Swiss saint solely for her looks?" with dissolve Isobel: "That’s awfully shallow, Lottie!" with dissolve Lieselotte: "It isn’t shallow! A-At least, not entirely!" with dissolve Effie: "There’s nothing wrong with liking pretty girls." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Exactly! I support any saint who concerns herself with the welfare of maidens like ourselves!" with dissolve Isobel: "Sadly, I’m a woman, not a maiden." with dissolve Pauline: "I think I’m a touch too old for your holy St Verena." with dissolve Lieselotte: "St Verena would not discriminate, I am sure!" with dissolve Pauline: "All right, all right. You’re starting to sound like a saint yourself." with dissolve Isobel: "St Lottie." with dissolve Pauline: "Pffft." with dissolve Ada: "I-I think Lieselotte might make a nice saint..." with dissolve Pauline: "She’s nice enough, but I doubt she can perform any miracles." with dissolve Lorina: "None of us can." with dissolve Lieselotte: "You know, I wouldn’t mind being a saint! I’ve always wanted to appear on a stained glass window!" with dissolve Effie: "...You would look very nice." with dissolve Lieselotte: "You think?!" with dissolve Lorina: "It would suit you better than me." with dissolve Isobel: "Now, now. Pride is a deadly sin, Lottie." with dissolve Lieselotte: "What, really?!" with dissolve Ada: "I-I think so...?" with dissolve Pauline: "You won’t be going to heaven with that attitude." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Oh my... I did not wish to cause any offence...!" with dissolve The maids of Bly continued in this manner as they walked through the streets of Ellesmere, their feet striking against the ground. Lorina’s skirts swirled about her ankles, the letter inside her pocket rustling with each step... Ah. The letter! Lorina had been so taken in by Lieselotte, she’d almost forgotten. Lorina: "Oh, do excuse me...! There’s something I need to do before I return!" Pauline: "Something you need to do, hm? This sounds rather suspicious..." with dissolve Lorina: "I promise it won’t take a minute!" with dissolve Isobel: "If you’re late by so much as thirty seconds, you’ll be in for the high jump." with dissolve Pauline: "Mr Lester runs a very tight ship, you know." with dissolve Isobel: "You _should_ know. You’re the one who always gets in trouble." with dissolve Lorina: "I’m aware. I’ll be as quick as I can." Pauline: "Not that it really concerns us, but..." with dissolve The corners of Pauline’s lips formed an unpleasant smirk." with dissolve Pauline: "If you’re late back, Lorina, we won’t cover for you." with dissolve Lorina: "I know..." with dissolve And so the gaggle of maids left Lorina behind.* Thoughts of Taohua — or ‘Tillie’, as Lorina had oh-so-cleverly termed her in her letter — weighed heavily upon the young maid’s mind. She had to get a second opinion. It had been impossible think about anything but the older woman during the service. So consumed by Taohua she had been, and still was, she failed to realise where she was walking— Lorina: "Ow...!" —until it was too late. Lorina recoiled, holding a hand to her cheek. Her jaw hurt. Had she just, quite literally, walked into somebody? ???: "My, my. You should watch where you’re going, dear, or you might cause somebody some serious harm." Lorina: "O-Oh... I-I, um..." ???: "Ehehe~ {font=font/gothic.otf}☆{/font} Nothing to say? Cat got your tongue?" Lorina: "W-Well, I..." Lorina flustered and glanced down at the ground. It didn’t help the woman she’d walked into was rather pretty. She had brown hair that put Lorina in mind of chestnuts. Her attire, meanwhile, was much like that of a school teacher, with a white blouse and a long, sensible skirt. She didn’t look too dissimilar from Miss Aimee, Lady Constance’s governess. Neither was she alone. A blonde girl with a disagreeable scowl stood by the woman’s side, her hands planted firmly against her hips. Upon closer inspection, Lorina realised that she knew these women. She’d never spoken to them before, but she had seen them in passing on more than one occasion. They frequented the Sunday services at St Mary’s, too. It was a small world after all, and Ellesmere was smaller than most. A smirk captured the older woman’s lips. She surveyed Lorina with undisguised amusement. Strange woman: "Now that I look at you properly, you are rather lovely..." Lorina: "L-Lovely? I-I am...?" Strange woman: "Indeed. I’m quite fond of soft, shy girls..." Haughty girl: "Oh, please." Strange woman: "Your kind are so very fun to play with, you know!" Haughty girl: "Do give it a rest." The shorter girl rolled her eyes empathetically, in the manner of one who must have practised the gesture a good deal before a full length mirror. Haughty girl: "You should restrict your playing solely to the violin." Strange woman: "I know, but... when faced with a sweet young thing like this, how can I resist?" Haughty girl: "You’ll have to do your best. You know what Reverend Marner says." Strange woman: "Pits of hellfire and eternal damnation, yes. I know." Haughty girl: "Honestly. You need to start leaving pretty girls alone!" Strange woman: "Boo... That’s so boring..." The younger girl pulled a face. Haughty girl: "Do you even _listen_ when you attend church, or is your head off in the clouds?" Strange woman: "I prefer to hum a little Bach under my breath while the venerable Reverend goes on and on, it is true." Haughty girl: "Big Sister..." The younger sister shook her head. Her expression was incredulous. Haughty girl: "You are _impossible_." Strange woman: "Indeed! {font=font/gothic.otf}☆{/font}" Lorina: "Um... Excuse me...?" Lorina: "I apologise if I was in the way, but I have somewhere I need to be..." Strange woman: "Oh, right. I’m sorry." Strange woman: "Well, run along, then. I trust I will be seeing you in due course..." A mischievous smile. Strange woman: "...Miss Lorina Waugh." It was Monday, and Lorina found herself occupied with the arduous task of doing the laundry. The housekeeper, Miss Alicia Smithe, had stripped a pile of bedsheets from the innumerable, unnecessary guest rooms in Bly. These sheets had not been slept in for years, and Lorina doubted they would be put to use in the immediate future. Why, then, did she have to wash them? To the young maid, it seemed like nothing more than pointless busywork. Miss Smithe’s orders, however, were absolute. The washing was always done on Mondays. Miss Smithe was a stickler for it. It was an unwritten rule at Bly...{w} but perhaps it was not so unwritten after all, because Miss Smithe had read about it in Estelle Wood’s popular _Practical Housekeeping_ guide. In any event, Lorina had managed to progress to the third stage of the long, laborious chore. She was boiling the linens in soapy water, stirring them with a wooden stick. Lorina: "Haa..." Lorina sighed deeply. It didn’t make her feel any better. This would be far easier if she had help...{w} but Pauline, who was supposed to aid her, had swanned off a good twenty minutes or so ago. Lorina had no idea when, or indeed, _if_, she would return. That Pauline... She was always shirking her duties, all the while complaining about how very hard she worked. Lorina would like to give her a taste of her own medicine. If only she could become an avenging Valkyrie... But alas, she was just a maid. She gritted her teeth together. The smell of the boiled linens assaulted her nostrils. It wasn’t particularly pleasant. Washing clothes never was. Curse Miss Smithe for her draconian rules, and curse Estelle Wood for her stupid _Practical Housekeeping_ guide — and, most of all, curse Pauline for being so incredibly, infuriatingly useless. Lorina’s forearms hurt. Her forehead beaded with sweat. Her hair stuck to her skin. Why was she always, always, _always_ charged with the most physically draining of tasks? Maybe it was because she was still the ‘new girl’. Maybe it was because of Pauline’s underhanded dealings. Maybe it was because Lady Constance didn’t like her. Maybe it was a mix of all three. But there were also the rumours to take into account. They couldn’t have helped. Perhaps this was supposed to be some sort of punishment. Everyone seemed to know what had transpired between Lorina and the Pickering family. Even Lady Constance. And, speaking of which... Constance: "Are you enjoying yourself, maid?" Lorina: "Shouldn’t you be in the drawing room with Miss Aimee?" Constance: "Where I go and what I do with my spare time is of no concern to you." Lorina: "I suppose it isn’t, no..." Constance: "What _you_ do with _your_ time, however, _is_ a concern of mine. It concerns me _greatly_." Constance: "Are you working, or are you just standing there?" Lorina: "I was taking a short break, Miss. My arms started to hurt." Constance: "Your arms hurt? Oh, how terrible! I am _so sorry_ your arms hurt!" Constance: "This is your job, maid. I have no sympathy for you _or_ your complaints." Lorina could believe that quite easily. Constance: "Now, I must be on my way — but if you think about taking another ill-deserved break..." Constance: "You know what will happen, don’t you?" Lorina: "I... have a vague idea, Miss." Constance: "Good. Then you’re not as stupid as you look." And, with a selfish little smirk, the young mistress turned and picked her way through the rose garden. It looked like she was searching for something, but what? Lorina watched with mild interest, her lips pursed together. Well. Like Lady Constance had said, it was none of her business, really. Ada: "Um, Lori...? Have you heard the news?" with dissolve Lorina: "What news?" Lorina, who had divested herself of her maid’s garments and was in the midst of folding them, glanced over her shoulder and looked at Ada. Ada was sitting on the edge of her bed, still in her uniform. Her brown hair was tied into two stubby braids that rested against her shoulders. Though Ada had worked at Bly for longer than Lorina, and had subsided on paltry meals for several years, her facial features had always been rounded. She was short of stature — shorter, even, than Lorina — with a flat nose, rotund cheeks, and plump thighs. Pauline and Isobel frequently teased her about it, and one of the footmen — a smug man with a rakish, wicked look — called Ada ‘Miss Piglet’ whenever she was within earshot. Lorina, however, thought Ada’s outward appearance suited her personality to a tee. Her body was soft and warm, just like she was. Ada: "I, um... Th-This will probably sound silly, but..." with dissolve Ada: "Last night... or, um, for a few nights, actually... I’ve been hearing some strange noises." Lorina: "Strange noises? Like what?" with dissolve Ada: "Um... I-It’s hard to explain. Footsteps, I suppose..." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Is that so?!" with dissolve Lieselotte, who had been combing her long, long hair, set the brush aside and chipped in excitedly:" with dissolve Lieselotte: "I have been hearing much the same! It has quite disturbed my beauty sleep!" with dissolve Effie: "You know what they say." with dissolve Lieselotte: "What _do_ they say?" with dissolve Effie: "...No rest for the wicked." with dissolve Lieselotte: "You think the source of these noises may be ‘wicked’? Oh my...!" with dissolve Lieselotte: "Do you think, perhaps, it is a ghost?!" Ada: "I, u-um... I-I hope not... I mean, I’ve never seen a ghost before, but I... I-I’ve heard they’re quite scary..." with dissolve Lieselotte: "How marvellous!" with dissolve Lorina: "How, exactly, is that ‘marvellous’?" Lieselotte: "Because ghosts are so very romantic, you see?!" with dissolve Lorina: "I’m afraid I don’t follow." with dissolve Lieselotte: "How can you not? You are English! Your country is renowned for its ghost stories, yes?" with dissolve Lorina: "I think it’s a lot of nonsense myself." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Perhaps — but imagine! To love life so much you cannot stand to be parted from it, even when your body goes cold... Is that not wonderful?!" with dissolve Lieselotte, with her Swiss sensibilities, had quite a curious understanding of the word ‘wonderful’." with dissolve Lieselotte: "I have heard many ghost stories in my time, but to experience a haunting in person...! Oh, that would be divine! I could ask for nothing more!" with dissolve Lorina: "Then I’ll keep my eyes peeled for any ghosts, but I’m a bit doubtful..." Ada: "E-Ehehe. You’re so admirable, Lorina." with dissolve Lorina: "What do you mean?" Ada: "You, um... W-Well..." with dissolve Ada’s cheeks flushed light pink." with dissolve Ada: "Th-Thank you for taking me seriously. A-A lot of people don’t, um... But that’s probably my fault. I’m always imagining things — silly things — and I lose focus..." with dissolve Pauline: "Quite. You always forget to sweep the staircases properly, Ada." with dissolve Ada: "I-I, um... I-I’m sorry..." with dissolve Pauline: "As you should be! Mr Lester gave me an earful about the staircases earlier, and _I_ wasn’t the one who had been assigned to clean them!" with dissolve Ada: "P-Please, forgive me..." with dissolve Pauline: "I shan’t. My back certainly shan’t, at least. I had to pick up after your mess — _again_ — and I’m getting too old for all this malarkey." with dissolve Pauline: "And that isn’t all." Isobel: "It’s certainly not!" with dissolve Pauline: "The carpets are still filled with dust after you beat them." with dissolve Isobel: "And you couldn’t polish your way out of a paper bag!" with dissolve Pauline: "How did you become a maid, anyway?" with dissolve _Giggle, giggle._" with dissolve Ada: "I, um... I-I don’t want to cause any offence. I..." with dissolve Ada bit her plump lower lip and hung her head. She looked so defeated Lorina scowled." with dissolve Lorina: "You don’t need to apologise, Ada." Ada: "L-Lorina...?" with dissolve Lorina had never cared for Pauline and Isobel. Between the two of them, they were just as bad as Lady Constance — but they were not rich enough to afford their airs and graces." with dissolve They were simpering and sycophantic around Mr Lester and Miss Smithe, but they were downright cruel to their fellow maids simply because they could be. In a way, perhaps they were even _worse_ than Lady Constance. At least she was unfailingly rude and impolite to everyone, regardless of their social status. Lorina: "You two—" Lorina rounded on Pauline and Isobel. Lorina: "—hardly have a right to lecture Ada!" Pauline: "Oh? What’s this? Did we touch a nerve?" with dissolve Isobel: "Are you going to cry about it, Lorina?" with dissolve Effie: "Let me drink your tears..." with dissolve Lorina: "No, I am _not_ going to cry, but I _am_ going to ask you to give it a rest!" with dissolve Effie: "What a shame..." with dissolve Lorina: "You two hardly deserve to take the moral high ground when you waste so much time gossiping! If Mr Lester gets mad at you, that’s _your_ problem! It has nothing to do with Ada!" with dissolve Pauline: "Oh? So you’re trying to scold us? Is that it, Lorina?" with dissolve Lorina: "That’s right...! I’m scolding you because you _deserve_ to be scolded! I’d treat my younger sisters exactly the same if they’d done anything wrong!" with dissolve Ada: "L-Lorina, you don’t need to—" with dissolve Lorina: "Oh, shush, Ada." Ada might have seen Lorina as some kind of hero, like the valiant Jeanne d’Arc, but that wasn’t entirely true. Lorina wasn’t that selfless, and she had more than a handful of her own grievances to air. Lorina: "You two have been difficult to work with ever since I can remember! Whenever you’re meant to help me with anything, you wander off like you’re too good to get your hands dirty!" Lorina: "Where were you when we were supposed to be doing the laundry this morning, Pauline? Where, _exactly_, did you go?" Pauline, for her part, looked unmoved by Lorina’s anger. Instead, she smiled smugly, her arms crossed about her middle. Pauline: "I received a summons from Miss Smithe. She had another, more urgent task for me to attend to." with dissolve Lorina: "That’s what you _say_..." Lorina’s eyes flashed. Lorina: "But I don’t believe you." Pauline: "Oh, Lorina. Poor, paranoid Lorina..." with dissolve Pauline smirked. She didn’t look remotely moved by Lorina’s emotional appeal. If anything, she looked...{w} even crueller than before." with dissolve Pauline: "You just don’t understand." with dissolve Lorina: "What is it I don’t understand, exactly?" Pauline: "You should be thankful that I deign to spend time with your kind at all. After all..." with dissolve Pauline: "Who would willingly consort with a slut?" It took a week before Lorina’s mother replied to her letter.* During this week, Lorina attended to her daily chores in an unspeakably foul mood. Pauline’s unpleasant accusation had been bad enough, but Ada’s concerns over the ‘ghost of Bly’ continued. The young maid was so anxious over this supernatural spectre — encouraged, in part, by Lieselotte — that she was unable to sleep during the night, and had stolen into Lorina’s bed for comfort on more than one occasion. Lorina’s bed was narrow enough as it was. There was hardly enough room for one person, let alone two, but Lorina didn’t have the heart to make Ada move. She was too soft for her own good. To further compound the issue, Lorina still felt anxious around the parlour maid. Taohua. Lorina skirted about her as though she was infected by the bubonic plague. Lorina didn’t know why, but being around Taohua was...{w} uncomfortable. She’d said as much in her last letter to her mother; scribbled hastily with shivering, sleep-deprived fingers. _I don’t understand her at all. It was like she was mocking me — but for something I couldn’t change!_ _I know it sounds petty, but I keep thinking about her, and I can’t sleep._ _I don’t suppose it’s that important in the grand scheme of things, but it must be if I can’t stop thinking about it..._ And then, guilty that her latest letter to her dearest mother was nothing more than a list of grievances she had with Lady Constance, Lady Lennard, and the insufferable parlour maid, Lorina had hastily appended: _...But, enough about that. How have you been? What about Alice? How tall is she now? It’s been so long since I last saw her. She must have shot up!_ Her mother’s response had been genial, but quizzical. She opened her letter with some general chitchat about Ethel and Mary and Alice, which was always a comfort, and then addressed Lorina’s issues with the parlour maid. Taohua. Or, as Lorina had written, because she had no idea how to spell Taohua’s name, ‘Tillie’. Short for Matilda. Taohua was the most un-Matilda-like person Lorina had ever met (not that there was a set way ‘Matildas’ had to act), but it would have to do. ‘Tillie’ was still better than ‘Taohua’. Taohua called her ‘Lori’ enough. It was tit-for-tat, really. Well deserved. _I’m sorry, dear, but I don’t understand the problem,_ her mother had written. _It sounds like Tillie was looking out for you. She might have been a bit harsh, but she wouldn’t have said those things if she didn’t care. Maybe you two could even become friends!_ The mere idea was enough to make Lorina snort in disbelief. ‘Friends’. Her mother seriously thought she could become ‘friends’ with Taohua. Maybe Lorina could have become friends with ‘Tillie’, whoever that was, but _Taohua_? There was not a chance. Not a chance in hell. Lorina would rather make amends with Pauline than try and befriend Taohua. At least...{w} that was what she told herself. Miss Aimee Varens was not the first governess Lady Constance had ever had. Neither was she the first governess Lorina had seen attending to the needs of the wildly irascible Madam, even during the maid’s brief four months at Bly. Before Miss Aimee Varens had been Miss Lillian Hirst. Lorina didn’t remember Miss Lillian in great detail, as she had been fired for some misdemeanour or another during the second week of Lorina’s employment, but she could recall — though vaguely — that Miss Lillian had been very tall and very blonde, with piercing eyes. Miss Lillian hadn’t seemed like the kind of woman who could be outsmarted by a pint-sized she-devil like Lady Constance... But Lady Constance, despite her mere handful of years spent residing upon God’s green earth, could be even wilier than a fox. Before Miss Lillian had been a string of governesses Lorina had never met: Miss Penelope Howard, Miss Katherine Storr, Miss Adrienne Spence... None of them had remained in Bly for longer than a year. Miss Aimee Varens was Lady Constance’s newest toy — _tutor_, rather — and Lorina felt rather sorry for her. She had an even more unforgiving job than Lorina did. Miss Aimee was French and hailed from Lyons. She had fiery red hair, which one would assume denoted a similarly fiery personality; marking her out for the ballet, perhaps, or the opera...{w} but it was quite the contrary. Miss Aimee was a softly-spoken, retiring woman, who would sooner have swallowed her tongue than stand upon a stage. It was unthinkable that such a woman could rein in Lady Constance. Lorina had known it was impossible from the very beginning. Lady Constance would chew her up and spit her back out. But that didn’t stop Miss Aimee from trying. She tried so hard, it was almost heart-breaking. Constance: "Oh. There you are, _maid_." Lady Constance pushed her list of French verbs to one side, almost sliding it off the circular table. Miss Aimee, as was her wont, caught it before it could hit the floor. Constance: "Do you have my mid-morning snack?" Lorina: "Indeed. The cook was very thorough in her preparations." Constance: "I hope, for your sake, it’s something sweet. I can’t focus without sweets." Lorina: "They’re coconut macaroons, Miss. I hope they are to your liking." Constance: "Well..." Lady Constance’s snub nose wrinkled. It was evident, even before she spoke, that Lorina’s offering was _not_ to her liking at all — but perhaps the French verbs had worn even Lady Constance down, because she relented. Constance: "...It’s not what I would have chosen, but they’re better than nothing. Set the plate by my side, please — and don’t jostle any of my things." Lorina: "Certainly." Constance: "Hmm..." Lady Constance peered at the macaroons with a discerning eye, like a master jeweller inspecting a freshly-mined diamond. When it came to sweets, young girls had two stomachs. Lorina had heard that said before, and it was certainly the case with Lady Constance. Her taste in saccharine sweetmeats was unparalleled. Constance: "I suppose they will do." Miss Aimee: "Oh, wonderful! Thank you for taking such good care of the young mademoiselle, Lorina!" with dissolve Lorina: "Well, um... It’s my job." Lady Constance clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Constance: "I don’t know if you’ve realised yet, Aimee, but this girl here—" Lady Constance gestured at Lorina. Constance: "—is only a maid. You don’t need to thank her. She’s probably too stupid to understand you." Lorina: "Now, you look here—" Miss Aimee: "Oh, Mademoiselle Constance, surely you jest! She might be a maid, but she is a hard-working girl, is she not?!" with dissolve Constance: "Well, I wonder." with dissolve A smile played at the corners of Lady Constance’s lips. It was not entirely pleasant. Constance: "Tell me, maid. What do you do when Reverend Marner’s services finish on Sunday?" Lorina: "Um... Well, I..." Lorina shifted, suddenly guilty. She looked down at the floor, and the patterned rug that covered it. Lorina: "I... go back to Bly, naturally." Constance: "You say it’s ‘natural’ for you to come back here, but you’re always so very late!" Lorina: "I am not so _very_ late—" Constance: "_Silence._" Constance: "You were a quarter of an hour later returning to Bly than the other maids last Sunday, _and_ the Sunday before that." Constance: "It might not sound like much to a dullard like you, but it all adds up to a considerable amount of time." Lorina: "I... I-I didn’t realise..." Constance: "Of course you didn’t. You’ve never learnt how to do basic mathematics, have you?" Lady Constance’s eyes roved up and down Lorina’s form. Her lip curled. Constance: "Then let me phrase it in a way even you can understand, _maid_. You have wasted more than an hour during the last month alone. A whole _hour_." Constance: "Now do you understand the gravity of your sins?" ‘Sins’? That seemed a little harsh coming from a tiny mouth like Lady Constance’s, but Lorina had no room to argue. Lady Constance had already outmanoeuvred her. Constance: "This is sloppy, slovenly behaviour. I won’t abide by it." Constance: "You maids are only allowed to attend church every Sunday out of the goodness of my mother’s heart, but you’ve been taking advantage of that." Constance: "You’re using your faith as an excuse to take time off on our good graces." Lorina: "I-I... I never intended to. I just—" Constance: "What you intended is neither here nor there. I imagine you don’t even understand what the most perplexing thing about all this is." Lorina: "Wh-What...?" Constance: "I spoke to Pauline earlier, and she told me... Well. I could hardly believe what she told me." Pauline, was it...? Lorina scowled. She couldn’t help herself. The mere mention of Pauline’s name often had this effect on her. Constance: "Pauline said you were late returning to Bly because you were going to the _post office_, of all things." Constance: "Now, as a lowly, uneducated maid, what purpose is there in _you_ going to the post office? I doubt you can read or write." Lorina: "Well, um..." Lorina: "I know it might seem unbelievable, but... I _do_ know how to read and write, Miss." Constance: "Oh?" Lady Constance didn’t look surprised by this news, surprising though it was. Her face remained calm, like a still puddle of water after a rainfall. It was even more disconcerting than outright anger. Constance: "And how, pray tell, did you learn how to do that?" Lorina: "My, um... My father taught me..." Constance: "So your father was a scholar, was he?" Lorina: "Not exactly... He was a sailor, but... he went to a village school when he was a child, and he learnt a little here and there. He was always fond of stories, um... _Robinson Crusoe_ and _The Arabian Nights_. He read them to me when I was a child." Constance: "Oh my. How interesting. It seems we have an undiscovered genius in the house! This whole time, should _I_ have been curtseying to _you_?" Miss Aimee: "M-Mademoiselle Constance, please. Your lesson—" with dissolve Constance: "In a minute, Aimee. I’m not through with Sappho here." with dissolve Lady Constance’s lip curled. Constance: "Tell me, maid. If you really are so very intelligent, as you seem to think, then why don’t you help me with my French reading?" Lorina: "F-French?" Constance: "That’s right. That shouldn’t be too much of a challenge for you, should it? After all—" Lady Constance raised her eyebrows. Constance: "—you know how to read and write, you clever girl." Lorina: "W-Well, I... I-I’ve never studied French before, and I—" Constance: "That wasn’t a question. It was an order. Come here." Lorina glanced about the drawing room awkwardly, but there was nobody to save her. Miss Aimee certainly couldn’t. There was nothing she could do. Lady Constance was in a particularly sadistic mood today. French always did this to her. It was no secret that French was Lady Constance’s least favourite subject — and the fact her new governess was a Frenchwoman herself was no small source of scorn from the young girl. Fearing for her immediate well being, Lorina hastened to Lady Constance’s side. The young girl took a slim volume of French fables from her desk and handed them to Lorina. Lorina took the book and opened it. She stared at the words on the page, but they had no meaning. They might as well have been written in Greek. Constance: "_Well_?" Lady Constance’s devilish smile grew wider. Constance: "What are you waiting for? Start reading, please." Lorina: "B-But I—" Constance: "Oh? Are you saying La Fontaine is too difficult for you?" Lorina: "I... I... Um, well..." Constance: "Too bad. I’m still waiting." Lorina: "Well, um..." Lorina cleared her throat. Fingers trembling, her face beet red, she began. Lorina: "La Ci... Ci... Cigale, ah-yant chan-tee, too le et-ay—" But Lorina had not gone more than two lines when Lady Constance interrupted her. Constance: "Well, that was terrible. And I thought you could _read_." Lorina dipped her head. Her face burnt bright red. She _could_ read — basic English, at least. French was way over her head. Didn’t Lady Constance know how unfair she was being? But that didn’t sway the young mistress. Constance: "You see?" Lady Constance gave Miss Aimee a sidelong glance. Constance: "If this _genius_ of a maid can’t understand La Fontaine, then I fail to see why I should be expected to." Miss Aimee: "But Mademoiselle, French is important! You are expected to understand the gist of the language, at least, so you can integrate more easily into high society!" with dissolve Constance: "And why should I need to ‘integrate’? I’m _already_ part of high society." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "B-B-But—" with dissolve Constance: "‘B-B-But’ nothing. I’m tired of these silly games. If you want to teach anybody French, teach this foolish maid — but I have no interest in it what_so_ever." with dissolve And with that, Lady Constance got to her feet and marched out of the drawing room. Miss Aimee watched her retreating back, a frown on her face. Miss Aimee: "Oh dear..." with dissolve Lorina was inclined to agree with her." with dissolve Lady Constance hadn’t even tried any of her macaroons.* How could she be so selfish? Thoroughly humilated, Lorina stalked down the hallways of Bly with a face like thunder. Why was Lady Constance so unreasonable? Expecting her to be fluent in French, of all things — and then using Lorina’s incompetence as an excuse to escape...! It beggared belief. How could one little girl be so very shameless? Lorina: "If you were my younger sister, I’d spank you in a second. That’s what you deserve, you charlatan..." Her feet thumped across the carpet, hard. By this point, she had worked herself up into such a state she completely failed to notice the presence of another person— ???: "Oh?" Lorina: "A-Aaah...!" Until it was too late. Lorina stumbled, her eyes wide, her fingers slackening. She dropped the broom to the floor, where it struck the wall with a dull thud, before gravity pulled it back down to earth. It rolled several times before bumping against the side of Lorina’s foot, where it came to a standstill. Lorina had come to a standstill, too. It was impossible for her to move, even if she had wanted to. Thanks to her thoughts, which always seemed to trip her up — quite literally, this time — she had managed to run right into the one person she did not want to run into. Taohua: "Hello, Lori. That was quite the greeting you gave me." Lorina: "A-Ah... Y-You... Um..." Lorina blinked at the older woman with wide eyes. Her eyes were so wide, in fact, it looked like her irises had been swallowed up by her whites. Her cheeks, meanwhile, were slowly starting to turn pink. Wh-Why, of all the embarrassing things... Taohua: "Are you all right? You look rather flustered." Lorina: "I, um..." Taohua: "Tired, too. Have you not been getting enough sleep?" Lorina: "I... I-I get more than enough sleep..." Taohua: "Well, that’s good. One must look after their health. It wouldn’t reflect well on Lady Lennard if one of her _precious_ maids collapsed from fatigue." Lorina: "I, um... H-Hmph. Well..." Lorina tried to sooth the stammering of her heart, but that was hard when she didn’t know why it was stammering to begin with. And her mother had thought she could become _friends_ with Taohua — or ‘Tillie’, as she had been termed. If Lorina’s mother ever met the woman, Lorina was sure she would change her mind in a heartbeat. It was the only proper thing to do. Lorina inhaled and took a step backwards, then two, then three. Three steps seemed like a sensible distance to her. It wasn’t so very far she would look foolish trying to continue the conversation, but not so close Taohua’s presence could unsettle her. Lorina: "I, um... I want to talk to you about something, actually." Taohua: "You do?" Lorina: "Yes. Um... About what happened a couple of weeks ago." Taohua: "Two weeks ago, hmm? How curious. Did something occur between the pair of us?" Taohua blinked, one finger against her lower lip. She was quite the convincing actress. She could have given Emily Soldene a run for her money... {w}Not that Lorina had ever seen Emily Soldene perform. She’d never been to London before in her life. Lorina: "You _know_ something did! Surely you remember what you said to me?!" Taohua: "Not everything. My memory isn’t _that_ good, and this _was_ a while ago." Lorina: "W-Well, you... You should know how you made me feel, at least..." Taohua: "Silly Lori. How could I possibly know how you feel? You didn’t tell me — and contrary to popular belief, I cannot read minds." Lorina: "You should have been able to assume..." Taohua: "But assumptions can often be wrong. That’s why I was hoping to run into you, so I could confirm my hypothesis." Lorina: "What are you? A detective?" Taohua: "Unfortunately not. I’m just a mere maid. I thought that much would be obvious!" Lorina rolled her eyes. She had told herself she wasn’t going to punch Taohua, but the urge was growing stronger and stronger by the second. Lorina: "You are _impossible_." Taohua: "I suppose I should take that as a compliment?" Lorina: "Take it however you want. I don’t care. I was under the impression, however, that you might want to apologise." Taohua: "And whatever gave you that idea?" Lorina: "Because you upset me...!" Taohua: "Ah. So I _did_ upset you after all? That’s what I feared..." Lorina: "Yes, you _did_! You seemed to imply, when you removed that thorn, that _I_ was the one to blame for getting hurt!" Taohua: "I was simply trying to help, Lori." Lorina: "You helped me, yes, but you acted like you didn’t want to. Like I was getting in your way." Lorina: "Well, I never _asked_ for your help. I didn’t _want_ it. You forced it on me, then expected me to fawn over you with gratitude." Lorina: "I don’t see why I should thank you, and I’m not going to." Lorina scuffed the floor with the tip of her shoe. Her face twisted. Lorina: "If you dislike me, I don’t know why you poked your nose into my affairs in the first place. We would both have been happier if you let me alone." Lorina: "Honestly..." The young maid sighed. All her irritation towards the older woman had accumulated over the past few weeks, like pus inside a boil. Now, it finally had a chance to spill out — and oh, how much of it there was. She was even more upset than she had thought. Maybe this was, in part, because of how Lady Constance had toyed with her not five minutes ago. Lorina couldn’t take her anger out on the small girl who derived such pleasure from her pain, but she _could_ take her anger out on Taohua. She felt like she had a right to be angry with her. Taohua really was an exasperating woman. Lorina: "I just don’t understand you..." Taohua: "Evidently." Taohua: "If you _did_ understand me, you wouldn’t say such foolish things." Lorina: "So my feelings are foolish, are they?" Taohua: "Please don’t put words into my mouth. I never said your feelings were foolish — only that you are _acting_ foolish." Lorina: "You’re splitting hairs. There’s no real difference." Taohua: "I beg to differ." Taohua: "If you would pause to think, you’d realise that I don’t dislike you, Lori. In fact, it’s quite the opposite." Lorina: "You act as though you do." Taohua: "You can believe whatever you want, but you’re ignoring a few key details." Taohua: "If I hated you, why would I have pulled out the thorn, and why would I have caught you when you fell? It doesn’t make any sense." Lorina: "I don’t know! I don’t understand how you think! I bet you only did it to make me feel bad..." Taohua: "Oh dear. Do I really seem that heartless?" Lorina: "To be honest? Yes." Taohua: "My, my..." Taohua held her hands together at her front. It was an unusually humble gesture coming from the older maid, and it made her seem slightly more approachable than usual. A little less overbearing. Taohua: "I apologise if I hurt your feelings, then. It wasn’t my intention." Lorina: "Then what _was_? How did you think I was going to react?" Taohua: "It didn’t cross my mind, to be honest." Lorina: "You mean you just say things, and you don’t care about who you hurt? That’s even worse!" Taohua: "So upsetting people out of neglect is more heinous than upsetting them out of malice?" Taohua: "The end result is the same, but I suppose we all look at things differently..." Lorina bristled. She didn’t have the time to listen to this woman and her convoluted words. If Taohua truly wanted to apologise, she should have done so, and then let Lorina go. They didn’t need to draw this conversation out any longer. It was uncomfortable enough as it was. Lorina: "Right. Well, you’ve said your piece, so that should be the end of it." Taohua: "You want to be rid of me?" Lorina: "I do, very much so." Taohua: "Hmm... That’s rather sad." Lorina: "You’ll recover soon enough, I’m sure." Taohua: "Perhaps, but this _is_ a sorry state of affairs. I realise I’ve offended you, but I didn’t mean to. I just..." Taohua frowned. Taohua: "Oh well. I suppose it’s all water under the bridge?" Lorina: "Fine. I won’t talk to you if you don’t talk to me." Taohua: "I suppose being ignored is better than being despised..." Taohua: "All right, then." Taohua bent down and retrieved the broom Lorina had dropped. Taohua: "Here you go. Take it." Lorina: "Th-Thanks." Lorina wanted to sound unconcerned, but she couldn’t. For some reason, her voice was trembling. It was further proof she couldn’t spend time in Taohua’s company. The older maid was far too difficult. Maybe even dangerous. Lorina couldn’t read her, no matter how she attempted. Taohua’s eyes were impenetrable; her small smile so well-crafted it might as well have been a mirage. Once more, Lorina thought of Emily Soldene. She shook her head. Though Taohua was an accomplished actress, she was no Emily Soldene. She wasn’t British enough. Maybe that was the reason Lorina felt so uneasy in her company. Lorina couldn’t understand the older woman. Therefore, she couldn’t trust her. Wasn’t that common sense? It seemed logical enough to her. Taohua: "All right. If you’re happy, I suppose I’m happy. I’ll try to refrain from making unnecessary comments in the future." Lorina: "You do that." Taohua: "I will. I can control myself." Taohua: "I hope I shall see you later, Lori." And Taohua left. Lorina watched as Taohua’s long skirts fluttered around her legs with each footstep. It was only some five seconds later, when sense had finally returned to her, that Lorina remembered to mutter: Lorina: "{size=-5}And _don’t_ call me ‘Lori’..." Later that night... Ada: "L-Lorina..." with dissolve Lorina: "Yes, Ada? What is it?" with dissolve Ada: "Ah, um, I-I’m sorry...!" with dissolve Ada shrank back, her head bowed, and for good reason. Lorina’s tone was a good deal sharper than usual, and Ada was unused to being addressed so coldly by her closest friend." with dissolve Lorina sighed, massaging her temple with her fingers.* She knew she was being unfair; unreasonable, even. Though she had suffered through a remarkably rotten day, it wasn’t Ada’s fault. Ada had nothing to do with Lady Constance’s temper tantrums, Pauline’s petty revenge, or Taohua’s complex and confusing mind games. Ada was completely innocent. Lorina: "...You don’t need to apologise. I’m the one who’s in the wrong." Ada: "B-But, um... it looked like you were busy..." with dissolve Lorina: "I _was_ busy, but I can always set time aside for you." Lorina put her quill away. She had been in the middle of writing a letter to her mother, but she wasn’t entirely sure what to write. Words failed her. Talking to Ada might help her put her thoughts in order. Lorina: "What did you want to talk about?" Ada: "W-Well, um... It’s about the ghost..." with dissolve Lorina: "Did you happen to hear it again?" with dissolve Ada: "It’s even worse! Lottie told me she _saw_ it!" with dissolve Lorina: "Oh she did, did she?" with dissolve Though Lorina was rather fond of Lieselotte — it was hard not to be fond of Lieselotte — she didn’t regard her as a trustworthy source of information. Lieselotte was fanciful to a fault, and she loved both fairy tales and ghost stories. Often, she made no distinction between the two. Ada: "Y-Yes. She was out in the hallways last night, bolting the windows and drawing the curtains, when she saw a... A..." with dissolve Lorina: "A what...?" with dissolve Ada: "A figure in the garden...!" with dissolve Lorina: "Was it a ghostly figure?" Ada: "Sh-She said it was quite ghostly!" with dissolve Lorina: "It wasn’t Joe the gardener?" Ada: "N-No! Lottie said it was very tiny, just like a child, and it was wearing a long, flowing nightdress!" with dissolve Lorina: "Did she manage to look at its face?" with dissolve Ada: "Sh-She didn’t get a chance. She was so very excited, she said she passed out for a few moments—" with dissolve Lorina: "That sounds like Lieselotte." with dissolve Ada: "—and, when she came to, the figure was nowhere to be found." with dissolve Lorina: "Very mysterious." Ada: "I-Indeed!" with dissolve Lorina: "And Lieselotte is convinced it was a ghost?" Ada: "I-I don’t see what else it could have been!" with dissolve Lorina sighed. She wasn’t convinced herself, but she was the kind of person who refused to believe in anything unless she could see it with her own two eyes. With a yawn, the young maid began to divest herself of her uniform. She was growing tired, and it was a struggle for her to keep her eyes open. As was to be expected, Ada politely averted her eyes. Lorina folded her uniform neatly, then put on her nightclothes. When she stretched, the fabric strained against her chest. She probably needed a new nightgown — this one was several years old — but she could hardly afford it. Lorina: "I wonder... Why would the ghost of a small child haunt the rose gardens of Bly?" Ada: "Lieselotte said maybe a murder had taken place...!" with dissolve Lorina: "Of course she’d think that. Lieselotte loves drama." with dissolve Speaking of which, where _was_ Lieselotte? It was almost ten o’clock. Perhaps she was with the two scullery maids, and maybe the cook (irritable though she was, the cook had a rare soft spot for the dreamy Swiss maiden), telling them about her close encounter with the supernatural. As for Pauline and Isobel, they had been summoned to see Miss Smithe an hour or so ago. Lorina didn’t know what they were doing and, quite frankly, she didn’t care. Ada: "Lieselotte said, um... p-perhaps a previous owner of Bly was a scoundrel, and he sired an illegitimate child with a mistress...!" with dissolve Lorina: "And then...?" with dissolve Ada: "A-And then, when he could no longer bear the shame of raising such a child, he murdered her—" with dissolve Lorina: "—and buried her body in the rose garden?" Ada: "Th-That’s right!" with dissolve Lorina: "Does Lieselotte have any proof?" Ada: "I-I don’t know about proof, but she made it sound very plausible!" with dissolve Lorina: "She’s a natural born storyteller. Don’t pay her any heed." with dissolve Ada: "B-But the ghost—" with dissolve Lorina: "I’m sure it will be fine. Don’t worry about things too much, Ada. It was probably her imagi—" But Lorina was unable to complete her sentence. That’s because, at that moment, Pauline and Isobel entered the room. Isobel: "Goodness, Miss Smithe can talk!" with dissolve Pauline: "I feel absolutely _exhausted_." with dissolve Isobel: "I always feel exhausted — and my poor hands are frozen!" with dissolve Pauline: "Why did we have to put out the fires?" with dissolve Isobel: "It’s such a chore!" with dissolve Pauline: "I barely have enough strength to get changed." with dissolve Isobel: "I can’t undo the buttons of my blouse." with dissolve Pauline: "Ah, to be young again..." with dissolve Pauline cast a furtive look at Lorina. Her lips were curled into a smile, but her eyes were cold and hard." with dissolve Lorina held her gaze, unflinching.* Was this some kind of challenge? Lorina knew how Pauline felt about her, and Pauline had been more explicit about her feelings than usual as of late. The comment from a few days hence continued to weigh on Lorina’s mind. _Slut._ Pauline: "You don’t realise how lucky you are, Lorina." with dissolve Lorina: "How am I lucky, exactly...?" with dissolve She certainly didn’t _feel_ lucky. Pauline: "You’re still young — not yet in your twentieth year! A beautiful rose just ripe for the picking!" with dissolve Effie: "...Or trampling." with dissolve Lorina: "I beg your pardon?" How long had Effie been in the room, anyway? Effie was so quiet Lorina often forgot she even existed — but when Effie did open her mouth to speak, what came out of it was always, invariably... Effie: "...The moon looks sad tonight." with dissolve ...Bizarre. Pauline: "Putting the moon to one side for now..." with dissolve Pauline’s lip curled." with dissolve Pauline: "You have a bright future ahead of you, Lorina. You’re not so very bad looking, and you have a body most men would kill for." with dissolve Isobel: "Most women would kill for it, too. I’m so cold my hands won’t stop shaking." with dissolve Pauline: "It’s a waste that you should while away your life employed as a mere maid... do you not agree?" with dissolve Isobel: "Your pretty hands will start to seize up, just like mine." with dissolve Pauline: "Believe it or not, even I was young once — but years upon years of hard work takes it out of you!" with dissolve Lorina narrowed her eyes. Her lips pursed." with dissolve Lorina: "Excuse me, but I’m not entirely sure what you are trying to say." Pauline: "Why, it’s simple! If I was a pretty young thing like you, I wouldn’t hesitate to use my feminine wiles on the opposite sex, either! Especially if it would make my job easier!" with dissolve Lorina: "I don’t have any ‘wiles’, and if I did, I wouldn’t know how to use them. Neither would I want to." Pauline: "That’s what you say... but we know better." with dissolve _Giggle, giggle._ Lorina’s back stiffened. She bit her lower lip. Why were they bringing this up again? Pauline: "It’s a pity Lady Lennard doesn’t have any handsome young sons! If only she had, that would be your ticket to a better life!" with dissolve Lorina: "Nn..." with dissolve Lorina turned her head away. Her cheeks were flushed bright red with shame. Pauline: "I must say, it’s brave you tried to seduce that Pickering boy!" with dissolve Isobel: "Incredibly bold!" with dissolve Pauline: "It’s a pity it went so very poorly!" with dissolve Lorina: "I... I-I didn’t...!" with dissolve Isobel: "That’s what you say, but the evidence is stacked against you." with dissolve Pauline: "Why else were you dismissed from your previous job so abruptly?" with dissolve Lorina: "I... I..." Ada: "I-I, um... I-I don’t think Lorina did anything wrong...!" with dissolve Pauline: "Shush, Ada. The adults are talking." with dissolve Ada: "Y-Yes..." with dissolve Ada looked down at her intertwined fingers. Her lower lip trembled. Despite being an adult herself, she was easily cowed. Ada wasn’t a girl made for debates. She had a tendency to fold in on herself like a stack of cards, though Lorina had to give her points for trying. Pauline: "Still, it’s awfully brazen of you to try and deny your crimes—" with dissolve Isobel: "To continue going to church!" with dissolve Pauline: "To talk to us like we’re equals—" with dissolve Isobel: "To even look us in the eye!" with dissolve Pauline: "When you’re nothing more than a common whore." with dissolve First ‘slut’, now ‘whore’. What next...?" with dissolve Keeping secrets was impossible in a place like this. The servants lived far too closely together in their dirty, dusty, draughty quarters. It was only natural the other maids would know.* Everybody had heard the rumours about Hartwell, and Lorina’s sudden dismissal, and Arthur Pickering... But Lorina didn’t like to think about that. Not now. In fact...{w} she was rather shocked to discover, she would much rather think about Taohua. A few days later, Lorina found herself in the kitchen. She was in the midst of cleaning out a large tin pot for the cook beneath a stream of steady water. Though Lady Lennard employed a couple of scullery maids to aid the cook with her chores, they were often indisposed with miscellaneous tasks. The scullery maids didn’t sleep with the housemaids beneath the attic. They had even smaller, shabbier quarters that were closer to the kitchens. Lorina didn’t know the scullery maids very well, and she couldn’t remember their names. There was one girl with thin, brown hair who might have been a Bessie, and perhaps the wiry, red-haired girl was Eliza...? But Lorina didn’t know. Technically speaking, Lorina wasn’t supposed to work in the kitchens. She wasn’t a scullery maid, but a housemaid; a rank or two below Taohua on the social hierarchy. Though Lorina could sweep carpets, polish stairwells, and light almost any fireplace, scouring pots and pans was not her forte. Unfortunately, the cook had asked for Lorina’s assistance by name, and Lorina couldn’t disobey a direct order from the cook. The cook was an irritable, moon-faced woman, but she was one of the most senior staff members Bly possessed, other than Mr Lester and Miss Smithe. Lorina washed the pot dutifully, soaping it clockwise with a flannel. Her hands were starting to tire, and she had no idea how long she’d been working, but it certainly felt like long enough. Her hair was getting in her eyes, but she couldn’t pause to brush the loose tendrils behind her ears. She’d done that before, and had learnt the hard way that introducing carbolic soap to her unprotected eyeballs was a rather poor idea. As Lorina worked, soapsuds scudding along about her, she happened to look out of the window. The sky was a clear, bright blue, and the rose gardens lay beyond the kitchen. The young maid could make out, not so very far away, two familiar figures. Effie and Lieselotte. Lorina wasn’t sure why they were in the garden. It wasn’t Monday, and there was no laundry to be done. The voices of the two girls drifted to Lorina on the spring breeze. When she strained her ears, Lorina was able to catch most of their conversation: Lieselotte: "The daffodils are so beautiful! I could be back in Andermatt!" with dissolve Effie: "You always say that." with dissolve Lieselotte: "I know! I fear I am dreadfully simple-minded, but I cannot help myself! I do love my hometown so!" with dissolve Effie: "How cute." with dissolve Lieselotte: "You really think so?" with dissolve Effie: "Mm." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Oh, thank goodness! Sometimes, I worry I must annoy you all so much with my ramblings!" with dissolve Effie: "You don’t." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Well, thank you~! Though, I do wonder..." with dissolve Lieselotte: "It is such a beautiful day, and yet... I can hardly believe, amongst these old walls, there lurks an ancient spectre! Just thinking about it makes me tremble! What if it were to possess me in the night?! How would that feel?" Effie: "...Like this." with dissolve Effie caught hold of Lieselotte’s middle and began to assault her with her fingers. Her digits scrabbled at Lieselotte’s tummy, beneath her neck, and underneath her arms." with dissolve The blonde maid soon doubled up, squealing.* Lieselotte: "Kyaaa...! L-Let go...!" with dissolve Effie: "...But I’m possessing you." with dissolve Lieselotte: "E-Effie...! I did not know English girls were so... so touchy...!" with dissolve Effie: "We aren’t. Not usually. You’re special." with dissolve Lorina looked at the cook curiously. Lorina: "Do you know what they’re doing outside...?" The cook: "Hm?" The cook set down her rolling pin — she had been in the middle of preparing Lady Constance’s mid-morning snack — and gave Lorina a withering look. The cook: "Why’re you asking _me_ that?" Lorina: "No real reason. Um... I just thought, as they’re right outside the kitchens, you might have sent them on some kind of errand..." The cook: "And what if I have?" Lorina: "Well..." The cook: "Haven’t you been here long enough to know you shouldn’t bother me when I’m working?" Lorina: "Oh, um... I’m sorry for interrupting you..." The cook: "As you should be." The cook harrumphed, her large bosom heaving. She wasn’t a particularly old woman — in her thirties, Lorina assumed — but her bosom was impressively large, and it was already starting to sag. Sometimes, Lorina wondered if her breasts were the real reason why the cook always looked so po-faced. Dragging them around with her must have been incredibly tiresome. Maybe that was why the cook often asked the housemaids for help, though they weren’t supposed to work in the kitchens. Her breasts had damaged her back, and despite her relative youth, she had difficulty keeping the kitchen in order on her own. Lorina hoped her own breasts wouldn’t weigh on _her_ like that. They hurt her back quite enough as it was already. In twenty years’ time, or even ten, would her spine still be able to withstand the pressure? The cook: "If you must know, I asked those daft girls to pick some blackberries for me." Lorina: "Blackberries?" The cook: "That’s right. You mightn’t know, seeing as you’ve not been here a whole year, but there’s a thicket near the back of the garden." The cook: "I always make blackberry jam during the spring time — and blackberry pies, and blackberry tarts. Blackberry you name it. Lady Constance is very fond of blackberries." Lorina: "Oh... I see." It made sense. Blackberries, though sweet, had an initial tartness when you first bit into them. Their prickly, off-putting palate suited Lady Constance perfectly. The cook: "They’re _supposed_ to be picking blackberries, at any rate... but it seems they’ve gotten distracted." Lorina: "I suppose so..." Lorina frowned. She felt a bit guilty for tattling on Effie and Lieselotte, whom she liked quite a lot, but she didn’t suppose the cook would be _too_ hard on them. For all her bluster, she was a good woman at heart, and she seemed to regard Lieselotte as a surrogate daughter. The cook was forever summoning Lieselotte to the kitchens and giving her easy jobs. The cook: "{size=+10}Oi!" The cook yelled quite suddenly, making Lorina jump. She was so loud, the pots and pans in the kitchen quaked. The two young scullery maids, Bessie and Eliza (were those their names?) tensed. The cook: "You two! You’re not getting paid to stand around yakking!" As if by magic, the two maids in the rose garden parted. Though they were a few paces away, Lorina could see the abashed smile on Lieselotte’s face quite plainly. Lieselotte: "I’m sorry! I’ll start right away!" with dissolve The cook: "You do that, Lottie, or I’ll tell Lady Lennard!" with dissolve Lieselotte: "O-Oh no. I wouldn’t want that... Let us go, Effie." with dissolve And Lieselotte took hold of Effie’s hand." with dissolve Lorina watched the two of them, her head tilted to one side. She was more curious than ever.* Had Lieselotte and Effie always been that close? Later that day... Constance: "Oh, maid. There you are." Lorina: "{size=-5}You know, I _do_ have a name..." Constance: "What was that?" Lorina: "Nothing..." Lady Constance sighed and set down her slim volume of French fables. It appeared to be the same volume she had been poring over a few days prior. It really was curious, Lorina mused, that whenever Lady Constance was assailed with a sudden urge for sugar during her studies, it was — invariably — when she was supposed to be studying French. Constance: "And what mid-morning snack do you have for me today?" Lorina: "Biscuits, Miss." Constance: "I hope, for your sake, they’re nicer than the coconut macaroons." The macaroons that Lady Constance did not even try. Lorina: "I can’t say for sure. I haven’t sampled them myself." Constance: "Naturally. That would be most uncouth." Lorina: "I thought you might say that. Um... The cook told me they had a fancy, foreign name, but..." Lorina looked at the plate in her hands. It was a delicate, willow-patterned piece, quite unlike the chipped ceramics the maids ate from. This plate alone was probably worth more than a month of Lorina’s meagre salary. On the plate, arranged by the cook’s careful hands, were a handful of _sablés à la poche_: butter-based French biscuits with centres of strawberry jam. Lorina didn’t know the correct terminology for these sweet treats, and neither would she have been able to pronounce it if she did, so she handled the situation as best she could. She bowed her head in apology. Lorina: "...I can’t quite seem to remember it." Constance: "As expected. You really _are_ useless." Lady Constance tutted. Constance: "Well, at least let me see the mystery biscuits. I’ll decide for myself what I think." Lorina: "Of course." Lorina obliged, setting the plate on the table. Constance: "Hmm..." Lady Constance pinched one of the biscuits between her thumb and forefinger and bit into it delicately. She didn’t spill a single crumb. Lorina couldn’t help but be impressed. Though she didn’t like Lady Constance, she had to give praise where praise was due. Lady Constance, despite her twelve years of age, really _was_ elegant. Far more elegant than Lorina. Lady Constance chewed for a while, letting the sweetness of the biscuit dissolve across her tongue, before she swallowed. Her delicate throat, pale as a swan’s hide, convulsed. Constance: "I suppose they are satisfactory." Thank goodness for _that_. Lorina: "If you’re pleased with your snack then I shall leave these here. If you need anything else, please give me a call. I will be in the kitchen." Lorina dropped a neat curtsey, first to Lady Constance, and then to Miss Aimee. She was already crossing the carpet, her shoes falling against the floorboards with a series of dull thuds, when— Miss Aimee: "Oh, but these are _sablés à la poche! C’est magnifique!_" with dissolve Miss Aimee’s voice made Lorina halt." with dissolve Lorina sucked in a breath.* Slowly, very slowly, she turned about. Lady Constance was frozen in place, a biscuit pinched between her thumb and forefinger. She had been in the process of bringing it to her lips, but Miss Aimee’s exclamation had stopped her. The girl’s eyes flashed dangerously. Constance: "What was that, Aimee?" Miss Aimee: "Oh, I was merely saying that these delightful biscuits are French!" with dissolve Constance: "Is that so?" with dissolve Miss Aimee: "Yes! They come from Sablé-sur-Sarthe, but they are popular all around the country! I used to eat them when I was a young girl!" with dissolve Miss Aimee laughed softly, tucking a strand of loose hair behind the shell of her ear." with dissolve Her bright, bright red hair.* It contrasted something fierce against her creamy skin. It made Miss Aimee look even whiter than she truly was. Miss Aimee: "In fact, these biscuits might be even more French than I am!" with dissolve Constance: "And what makes you say that?" with dissolve Miss Aimee: "You know how it is, Mademoiselle Constance! I worked for three years in Palermo! Did I not tell you?" with dissolve Constance: "Oh, yes. You did." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "Did you forget?" with dissolve Constance: "I didn’t forget. I simply didn’t care to remember." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "Mademoiselle, you have such a wicked tongue on you! You should be careful, or it will turn black!" with dissolve Constance: "Lillian used to tell me that, too." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "Then you should have listened to her!" with dissolve Constance: "If I _had_ listened to her, there would have been no reason for Mother to fire her. Are you stupid?" with dissolve Miss Aimee: "W-Well, I..." with dissolve Miss Aimee’s pale cheeks flushed. Two twin apples blossomed beneath the surface of her skin." with dissolve Once upon a time, Miss Aimee’s skin had been a healthy bronze hue. After being subjected to the dreary, rainy, drizzly English weather for more than four months, however, her skin had lost much of its shine.* Or maybe it wasn’t the weather. Maybe it was Lady Constance. Constance: "All of a sudden, I’ve rather lost my appetite." Lady Constance turned her nose up at the plate of biscuits, her hands planted on her hips. Constance: "If you like them so much, Aimee, you may have them, but I won’t touch a single crumb." Miss Aimee: "Oh, Mademoiselle, why must you be so difficult?! These biscuits are truly delicious, I promise! I swear, as a genuine Frenchwoman!" with dissolve Constance: "And, in case you hadn’t realised, I am sick and tired of French." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "But—" with dissolve Constance: "I’m not a French child, I’m an _English_ one. There’s no reason for me to study your language or eat your food — or even converse with your people." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "My people, Mademoiselle?" with dissolve Constance: "Yes, your people. You’re not like me, and I’m not like you, and I don’t like you and your silly, simpering ways." Constance: "You try to get on my good side, telling me stories about your childhood, like you and I are the same..." with dissolve Constance: "But we are _not_ the same." Constance: "We are _not_ friends." Constance: "Lillian might have been a stick in the mud, but at least she had a basic understanding of social etiquette. She never once overstepped her boundaries." Constance: "Even this stupid maid would be preferable company to you." Miss Aimee: "Mademoiselle, I—" with dissolve Constance: "_Enough._" with dissolve Lady Constance got to her feet. The legs of her chair scraped across the floor. The sound was grating. It made Lorina wince. Constance: "I’m tired. I’m going to retire to my bedroom." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "But your lessons—" with dissolve Constance: "Are _over_." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "Th-They are not over until I say they are over!" with dissolve Constance: "Oh? So _now_ you wish to be a ‘responsible adult’, do you? Well, it’s rather too late for that." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "M-Mademoiselle...!" with dissolve Constance: "I am _not_ a ‘mademoiselle’. I am an English lady. Until you start addressing me by my correct title, I refuse to sit down and go through a single French verb with you ever again." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "B-But what shall I say to your mother...?!" with dissolve Constance: "Tell her that you’re incompetent and I want nothing to do with you. That should settle matters." with dissolve So saying, the young girl exited the drawing room. The door slammed shut behind her. Dust motes swirled about in the air, unsettled by Lady Constance’s performance. Lorina could see them if she squinted; barely visible in the golden sunlight that streamed through the open window. The velveteen curtains fluttered in the breeze. Miss Aimee, meanwhile, groaned. She ran a hand through her rose red hair. Miss Aimee: "Oh, goodness... What am I to do with her? I..." with dissolve She sniffled. It sounded, for a few moments, that she was on the verge of tears — but, upon remembering Lorina, Miss Aimee sniffed and the moment passed." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "I apologise. I did not mean to drag you into such an... _unpleasant_... situation." with dissolve Lorina: "Oh, it’s quite all right." Lorina: "It was probably my fault. I’m not sure how, but according to Lady Constance most things are my fault, so..." Miss Aimee: "Ahaha. Oh, dear..." with dissolve A wan smile tugged at the corners of Miss Aimee’s lips. It wasn’t much of a smile, but it was something." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "I do worry about Mademoiselle. She can be docile at times, but she flies into a rage at the smallest of provocations — and always, she seems to be scheming..." with dissolve Lorina: "You haven’t had the pleasure of meeting any other little girls like her?" Miss Aimee: "Oh, goodness gracious, no! None of my students in Palermo gave me so much trouble, and Italians are supposed to be passionate!" with dissolve Lorina: "‘Passionate’ is one word for it..." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "Oh, Mademoiselle..." with dissolve Miss Aimee shook her head." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "It would be easy to dislike her, but... I do pity the poor creature." with dissolve Lorina: "You pity her? Why?" with dissolve Miss Aimee: "I can’t say for sure, but... I’ve always had the idea that she can’t be a very happy child. If she was happy, she wouldn’t be so difficult." with dissolve Lorina: "You might have a point..." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "You, on the other hand, are a very sweet girl indeed. I wonder why Mademoiselle always singles you out." with dissolve Lorina: "Maybe it’s because I’m the newest maid here. I try not to think about it too much, but..." with dissolve Lorina picked up the plate of French biscuits that had caused so much chaos.* Lorina: "It seems like such a waste." Miss Aimee: "Indeed. They’re good biscuits. French biscuits always are." with dissolve Lorina: "It’s a shame Lady Constance is too pigheaded to admit to it." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "In the end, it’s her loss. You know..." with dissolve A mischievous smile that somehow seemed quintessentially ‘European’ tugged at the corners of Miss Aimee’s lips." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "Those biscuits would have to be thrown away otherwise, so you might as well help yourself." with dissolve Lorina: "O-Oh no, I couldn’t...!" with dissolve Miss Aimee: "But you _can_. I insist!" with dissolve Lorina: "I-It wouldn’t be proper! I’m just a maid, and—" with dissolve Miss Aimee: "I am inviting you to eat. As you said, it would be a horrible waste — and I so want to share my country with somebody who cares about it!" with dissolve Lorina: "W-Well, if you’re so sure..." with dissolve Miss Aimee didn’t need to coerce Lorina any further.* After a quick, furtive glance behind her shoulder...{w} the young maid finally decided to help herself. The biscuits were like nothing she had tasted before. They all but melted across her tongue; soft and sweet and so very, very delicious. Lorina: "Are you quite sure about that...?" Lieselotte: "Yes! It was a ghostly figure indeed! Upon seeing it in the moonlight, I felt as though my heart might burst right out of my chest! Ka-{b}phut{/b}!" with dissolve Was that the sound hearts usually made when they burst? Lorina was curious." with dissolve Not so very curious, however, that she could muster more than a muted:* Lorina: "Mmhmm..." In response. Lieselotte pouted. Lieselotte: "Ah, but Lorina! You sound as though you do not believe me!" with dissolve Lorina: "Well..." Lieselotte: "Why not?!" with dissolve Lieselotte stared at Lorina, her eyes wide with passion." with dissolve Personally, Lorina felt it was too early in the morning for such an unchecked display of energy, but she decided to keep that to herself.* Lieselotte certainly seemed impassioned... but, then again, Lieselotte was impassioned about _everything_. Lorina: "I’m a little sceptical about the existence of ghosts." Lieselotte: "But you are English!" with dissolve Lorina: "And...?" with dissolve Lieselotte: "You come from the land of unicorns, dragons, leprechauns—" with dissolve Lorina: "I think you’ll find those are Irish." Lieselotte: "It is the same thing!" with dissolve Lorina: "It isn’t, though." Lieselotte: "Never mind, never mind!" with dissolve Lieselotte waved one hand carelessly. Lorina would have found the gesture irritating were it not coming from such a blonde-haired, blue-eyed maiden." with dissolve Perhaps Lieselotte didn’t understand, Lorina tried to reason. She _was_ Swiss, after all.* Maybe that was why she had been giggling so with Effie the other day. She just didn’t know what was appropriate and what was not. One would have thought Effie, being an English-born maiden, wouldn’t encourage her so, though... Lieselotte: "How can you, of all people, doubt my story?! I promise you, I am not lying!" with dissolve Lorina: "I’m not trying to accuse you of anything. I don’t think you’re lying, but—" Lieselotte: "You should see for yourself when you walk around the hallways at night! Maybe your heart will stop in your chest, too!" with dissolve Lorina: "I hope not..." Lorina frowned and glanced at a nearby clock. She and Lieselotte had been charged with airing the carpets and polishing the ornaments in the hallway that morning. An hour or so had passed, and now it was nearing half past seven. Lorina: "If we don’t want to be late, we should be on our way to church." Lieselotte: "Ah, yes! I was so caught with my chilling tale, I quite forgot!" with dissolve Lorina smiled, shaking her head. Honestly. What would Lieselotte do without her? ...Well. Knowing Lieselotte, she’d be fine. Though Lieselotte was something of a daydreamer, who often lost focus midway through her chores, she was rather popular amongst the residents of Bly. Even Miss Smithe was fond of her, and Miss Smithe seemed to be fond of nothing other than Estelle Wood’s _Practical Housekeeping_ guide. It was true what they said. If you had looks, you could coast by without any particular talent. It didn’t hurt that Lieselotte was always so enthusiastic and earnest — but unfailingly thoughtful, too. She was the kind of girl who, if she saw a spider, would catch it in her hands and release it outside. The thought of killing the poor thing would never have crossed her mind. Lorina: "Right. We should be on our way." Lieselotte: "Agreed, Captain!" with dissolve Lorina: "Captain...?" Lorina frowned. She wasn’t sure how, exactly, she’d made the sudden career change from ‘maid’ to ‘Captain’... but she supposed it didn’t matter all that much. Lorina and Lieselotte exited Bly through the kitchen. They wended their way through the rose gardens when when they were halted, quite suddenly, by an unexpected interloper. Pauline. Lorina knew she would see Pauline at church, but she’d hoped to delay their inevitable meeting. For whatever reason, Pauline looked rather smug. Pauline _always_ looked smug. Pauline: "Oh, Lorina. Are you on your way to church?" with dissolve Lorina: "Yes..." Lorina’s body drew back instinctively, as one would retract their hand from a naked flame. Lorina: "Shouldn’t you be on your way to church, too?" Pauline: "In a moment, dear. First, I have something I want to relay to you." with dissolve Lorina: "What?" Lieselotte: "Is it about the ghost?!" with dissolve Pauline: "...No. It’s a more pressing, immediate concern." with dissolve Pauline: "Earlier this morning, Miss Smithe asked me to polish the fireplace in the drawing room — but, silly me, I quite forgot!" Lorina: "How did you forget...?" Pauline: "I had matters to attend to in the gardens. They were quite important!" with dissolve But, Lorina noted, Pauline didn’t specify what these matters were." with dissolve If Lorina was a gambling kind of girl, she would wager that theese ‘important matters’ in the gardens involved exchanging idle gossip about the stablehands with Isobel.* Pauline: "Miss Smithe — not to mention, Lady Lennard — will be most aggrieved if they return from church to discover the fireplace has not been seen to." with dissolve Lorina: "Then perhaps you should finish the task you were assigned." Pauline: "Oh, I know I should, but I don’t want to miss service!" with dissolve Lorina: "Neither do I." with dissolve Pauline: "That’s what you say, Lorina, but I doubt missing a service or two will have such an impact on your future." with dissolve Lorina: "And what do you mean by that...?" with dissolve Pauline: "I mean, hmm..." with dissolve Pauline’s smirk widened." with dissolve Pauline: "It’s doubtful a fallen woman such as yourself could ever go to heaven, no matter how much you try to repent. You might as well give up." with dissolve Lorina: "I-I beg your pardon...?!" Pauline: "You heard what I said. My innocence is assured. I’ve lived a good life so far, and it’d be a shame if I went and got a black mark on my record now!" with dissolve Lorina: "So you want me to take the fall for you...?" Pauline: "If you would be so kind! Thank you very much! Now, Lottie. Are you coming?" with dissolve Lieselotte: "B-But, um... If you had a job to do, you should do it. It is not Lorina’s responsibility, surely?" with dissolve Pauline: "But Lorina offered to help me!" with dissolve Lieselotte: "It did not seem that way to me..." with dissolve Pauline: "Well, if you want to stay here and clean the fireplace with her, be my guest... but you’d miss out on Reverend Marner’s service, too!" with dissolve Pauline: "You do _want_ to go to heaven and meet St Varena, don’t you, Lottie?" Lieselotte: "Well, when you put it like that..." with dissolve Pauline: "Excellent! Then let’s be on our way!" with dissolve And on their way they went." with dissolve As she walked off, Lieselotte turned her head and mouthed a few parting words to the dumbstruck Lorina. Lieselotte: "_{size=-5}I’m sorry._" with dissolve Lorina: "Stupid Pauline... Where does she get off, that no-mannered, buck-toothed, horse-faced, conniving bitch...!" To further emphasise her point, Lorina kicked the wall with the tip of her shoe. Lorina: "Ow...!" ...As Lorina soon discovered, this was a rather poor idea for a couple of reasons. For one thing, kicking the wall _hurt_. For another, the pale yellow wallpaper now had a very unappealing blemish streaked across it. Blinking the tears away from her eyes, Lorina peered at the damage she had caused. ...It didn’t look good. Now, how was she going to explain _this_ to Miss Smithe? She’d let her temper get the better of her again, just as it had done at Hartwell. Just as it had done with Arthur Pickering. Now, months later, she was still paying the price. Lorina: "Oh, go bugger an orphan!!!" In Lorina’s state, she wouldn’t have cared if the subject of said buggery was a whole orphanage. Lorina: "This is ridiculous...!!! If you were here, Pauline, I’d smash every one of your teeth in!" And, because it couldn’t possibly get any worse than it was already, Lorina spat on the floor. It wasn’t like it mattered. Nobody would see or hear here. Every single occupant of Bly, from Lady Lennard all the way down to the stable boy, would be at church. Every single occupant save her and... Taohua: "Oh, my. I didn’t realise you had such a foul tongue on you, my little Lori." ...Taohua. Lorina: "Ah...!" Lorina jumped as though she had been prodded with a pin. Her eyes snapped open until they were even wider than the wooden globe Miss Aimee used to teach Lady Constance geography. She was so surprised by the parlour maid’s presence, she quite forgot what she’d said to her during their last meeting. _I won’t talk to you if you don’t talk to me._ Lorina still didn’t like the older maid (she _refused_ to like her through sheer stubbornness) but, in that moment, curiosity outweighed everything else. Lorina: "T-Taohua...! Why are you here...?!" Taohua: "Silly Lori. I thought you knew. I don’t go to church." Lorina: "Y-Yes, I have wondered about that... Doesn’t Lady Lennard mind?" Taohua: "She might, but what Lady Lennard thinks is of no concern to me." Lorina: "It _should_ concern you. She’s your employer — and, even if you don’t care about her, aren’t you worried about going to hell?" Taohua: "A truly novel idea. I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it." Lorina: "You’d cross a bridge over fire and brimstone?" Lorina: "You’re more brazen than I thought..." Taohua: "Oh, I don’t know. You can be quite brazen too, my little Lori." Lorina: "Wh-What do you mean?" Taohua: "Well, I wonder. What words just emitted from your lovely, maidenly lips? ‘Go sodomise an orphan’, was it?" Lorina: "It was ‘go _bugger_ an orphan’, actually." Taohua: "How charming." Taohua giggled. She crossed the room with light footsteps, moving so soundlessly she could have been a ballerina. Taohua: "I didn’t realise you had such a tongue on you! You can curse like a sailor!" Lorina: "My father was a sailor, actually..." But that was besides the point. Lorina: "Will you promise to keep this a secret...?" Taohua: "Who, _me_?" Taohua gestured towards herself in disbelief. Taohua: "But I thought you didn’t trust me, Lori. Why the sudden change of heart?" Lorina: "It’s... It’s a test." Taohua: "A test?" Lorina: "Mm. If you can keep this to yourself, then... maybe I can tolerate you." Taohua: "Only ‘tolerate’?" Lorina: "Don’t push your luck." Taohua: "You drive a hard bargain, but... oh, very well." Taohua: "I’ll take it to the grave." Lorina: "Do you swear?" Taohua nodded solemnly, one hand on her chest. Taohua: "On my mother’s life." A smile found its way to Lorina’s lips despite herself. She didn’t know why, but talking to the parlour maid, peculiar though she was, had helped lighten her spirits. Even if Taohua _was_ a godless devil. Taohua: "I’m rather curious though, Lori. While I have no problems with being a heathen, I thought you nice, well-raised English girls cared a great deal about your faith." Lorina: "Oh, um... I do. My mother would faint if she knew I was missing Sunday service." Taohua: "Then why are you here, wishing for the brutalisation of poor, innocent orphans and Paulines alike?" Lorina: "The orphans might be innocent—" Lorina conceded, though it really depended on which orphans you were speaking of. Lorina: "—but Pauline is _not_!" Taohua: "I can believe that. I’ve never been fond of that woman." Taohua: "And what has Pauline done this time? I take it she is the culprit behind your current state of despair, Cendrillon?" Lorina: "Well, um... She she was supposed to polish this fireplace, but ‘important business’—" Lorina made quotation marks with her fingers. Lorina: "—came up, and she was unable to finish her chores in time for church." Taohua: "So she tried to push her duties onto you?" Lorina: "That’s how it went, yes." Taohua: "Oh, my. That’s truly despicable." Lorina: "Pauline’s like that." Taohua: "Did you try to argue your case?" Lorina: "I didn’t have much time. She left before I could say anything, and I..." Lorina sighed. Her shoulders slumped. Lorina: "I couldn’t just go." Taohua: "I would have if I were you." Lorina: "But I’m not you..." Taohua: "No, you’re not, and that’s why people continue to take advantage of you." Taohua: "Honestly, Lori. Have you learnt nothing after the little talk I gave you?" Lorina: "Well, I’m very sorry! I’ve been a little under the weather lately, what with all this nonsense about the ghost—" Taohua: "There’s a ghost?" Lorina: "Ask Ada or Lieselotte. I’m not interested." Taohua: "Aaah, I think Lottie _did_ mention something like that to me earlier. She sounded quite excited!" Lorina: "She’s always excited." Taohua: "Personally, I find it rather charming — though wide-eyed, innocent little girls like that can be a touch grating." Taohua: "Whenever I see her, I ponder how lovely she would look in tears..." Lorina shuddered. Lorina: "That’s too much information." Taohua: "Oh? Jealous, are we?" Lorina: "N-Not at all..." Taohua: "If it’s any consolation, Lori, I think you’d look even better in tears." Lorina: "Wh-What kind of consolation is _that_?!" Lorina glowered. Her hands clenched into fists, but what could she realistically do? Hit Taohua? She’d already scuffed the wallpaper in the parlour, so she might as well. After wanton property damage, grievous bodily harm was just a stone’s throw away... Lorina: "Look. I don’t know why you’re here, but if you want to gloat over my misfortune you can forget it. I’m not in the mood." Taohua: "Oh dear... I fear I’ve given you the wrong impression." Taohua: "I don’t want to gloat, Lori." Lorina: "No...?" Taohua: "No. In fact, upon hearing your impassioned cries, I found myself wanting to help, if you can believe such a thing of a wicked woman like me." Lorina: "How can you _help_, exactly?" Taohua: "I know going to church is important for you, but it isn’t for me. As I have nothing to lose, I might as well polish the fireplace in your stead." Lorina: "Th-Then, you don’t mean...?" Taohua: "Mmhmm." Taohua: "If you leave now, you may be able to make it to St Mary’s on time. You’ll need to hurry, though. I believe the service starts in..." Taohua glanced at the gilt clock hanging on the wall. Taohua: "Twenty minutes?" Lorina: "B-But that isn’t right...! You didn’t do anything wrong!" Taohua: "And neither did you." Lorina: "But you shouldn’t need to clean up after Pauline’s messes...!" Taohua: "I don’t mind. It’s no skin off my nose." Lorina: "But—" Taohua: "That’s three ‘but’s, my little Lori, and I’m still not budging. You should go. Attend your sermon. Your fairy godmother is always here to help!" Taohua winked — but shortly thereafter she frowned, pressing one finger against her lower lip. Taohua: "...Now, was that too dramatic? I was going for ‘dashing’, but perhaps I laid it on a bit too thick..." Lorina had no idea what Taohua was babbling about but, despite her better judgement, she did feel thankful. Lorina: "Well, if you’re sure..." Taohua: "Of course I’m sure! I don’t offer my services if I’m not sure! _But_." Taohua’s eyes flashed. Taohua: "I’m not a cheap woman." Lorina: "I assumed so..." Taohua: "I can aid you whenever you wish, but the interest can be rather steep. When I come to collect my insurance, I’ll let you know." Lorina: "So I’m to sell my soul to the devil so I can go to church?" Taohua: "How cruel! I’m hardly the devil, my little Lori! If you must compare me to a manifestation of evil, then..." Taohua: "...I’d far prefer to be called a succubus." Reverend Marner: "The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body." Lorina sat at the edge of the bench, crammed against Ada’s soft side and the cold, hard wood of the ancient pew. Fortunately, Lorina hadn’t been late for the beginning of the service. She’d arrived in the nick of time, with less than half a minute to spare. Reverend Marner had given Lorina a long, disapproving look as she scuttled to her rightful place, but the infuriated expression on Pauline’s horsey face had made it all worthwhile. That harpy needed to be knocked down a few pegs. Reverend Marner’s words had never felt more apt. The human tongue, if used with malicious intent, really could scorch more than any naked flame. Reverend Marner: "The tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." Lorina glanced about the congregation curiously. As per usual, Lady Constance and Lady Lennard were sitting at the front. Lady Lennard’s head was held high, like a bird of prey’s. Lady Constance, meanwhile, was fidgeting; winding her blonde hair about a finger over and over and over again. Why was she in such a foul state of distemper? Lorina wasn’t sure, but she felt it would be prudent to keep an eye on her. She didn’t want to be drawn into any of Lady Constance’s childish schemes. Reverend Marner: "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God." Worrying though it was...{w} the only one Lorina felt she could rely on as of late was Taohua. This didn’t mean, of course, that she and Taohua were friends. They were nowhere near. Though Taohua had helped her earlier, Lorina doubted it was because the older maid liked her. She’d simply done it because it amused her. Taohua might have been a reliable ally, but that was purely on her own terms. Lorina didn’t dislike her as she once had, but she couldn’t imagine forming any kind of meaningful relationship with the older woman. Relationships were awkward things, and when they started to grow, they often caused trouble. Trouble, like what had happened with the Pickering family— Reverend Marner: "Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." But Lorina wasn’t going to think about that. She didn’t want to think about that. It hurt too much. Reverend Marner: "But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth." Lorina straightened her back and tried to heed Reverend Marner’s words, despite the confusion that waged war within her breast. This was no time to be thinking about Lady Constance. This was no time to be thinking about Taohua. This was certainly no time to be thinking about the Pickerings. She was here to think about the Lord. Nothing else mattered. Isobel: "Well, that was quite an intense service..." with dissolve Lieselotte: "As it should be! The word of the Lord is divine!" with dissolve Lieselotte smiled brightly. Her face was completely devoid of guile." with dissolve Lieselotte: "I’m so happy you were able to attend, Lorina!" with dissolve Ada: "M-Me too... I was worried you wouldn’t make it..." with dissolve Pauline: "Hm. Now, that _does_ raise an interesting question. How did you manage to make it here so very quickly, Lorina?" with dissolve Lorina: "I don’t know. Maybe it was a miracle." Pauline: "Hmm..." with dissolve Pauline: "Are you sure you polished the fireplace properly, Lorina?" Lorina: "I did my best." Pauline: "Your best, is it? Your _best_? Like you did your best to try and seduce the Hartwell’s son during your previous place of employ—" with dissolve But Pauline was unable to complete her sentence." with dissolve At that moment, a rather haughty voice quite cut across her. Haughty girl: "Sorry, but can you chatter amongst yourselves elsewhere? You’re in my way." But the voice didn’t sound very sorry at all. It belonged to a young girl with honey-blonde hair similar to Lady Constance’s. Her skin was pale, her cheeks were soft pink, and she wore one of the most luxurious dresses Lorina had ever seen. It was clear, by a single look, that her dress must have cost more than a pretty penny. This girl was no mere pauper. She came from a wealthy family — not as wealthy as the Lennards, of course, but wealthy enough. Wealthy enough to afford airs and graces. Doubtless, that was why Pauline’s face burnt bright red. Cowed, she stepped backwards, dropping into a low curtsey before her social better. Pauline: "I-I apologise! Do forgive me!" with dissolve Haughty girl: "Hmph... I suppose I can spare you this once." with dissolve The girl narrowed her eyes. She glanced at the row of assembled maids with disinterest before pausing. Her eyes met Lorina’s. Haughty girl: "You." Lorina: "Y-Yes?!" Haughty girl: "I know you." Lorina: "E-Excuse me?" Haughty girl: "I recognise your face, plain though it is. I wonder..." Now that the girl said it, Lorina discovered that she _did_ know her — though ‘know’ might have been too familiar a word. She had bumped into her before a few weeks ago; and her sister, too. She was surprised the girl had bothered to remember her face. She was, after all, only a maid. Pauline, too, seemed confused by this turn of events, because she said: Pauline: "I beg your pardon, Ma’am, but you must be mistaken. You couldn’t possibly know our Lorina!" with dissolve Isobel: "That’s right, that’s right! She’s nothing more than a maid! A drudge, really!" with dissolve Pauline: "You have no reason to converse with her!" with dissolve Haughty girl: "Oh?" with dissolve The blonde girl drew herself up to her full height — which, admittedly, was not very high — and surveyed Pauline and Isobel with narrowed eyes. Haughty girl: "Are you trying to tell me who I can and cannot converse with? _You_?" Her lip curled. Haughty girl: "As if you could possibly have any sway over me and my decisions!" Isobel: "A-Ah, of course not...! We didn’t mean to offend—" with dissolve Haughty girl: "But you did. The damage is done. Maybe I’ll tell Lady Lennard about this..." with dissolve Isobel: "O-Oh, no! We didn’t mean to insult you!" with dissolve Haughty girl: "Then get out of my sight." with dissolve Isobel: "C-Certainly!" with dissolve Pauline: "Lorina, let’s go." with dissolve Haughty girl: "Leave the girl. I want to speak to her." with dissolve Pauline: "Y-You..." with dissolve Pauline: "Are you sure?" Haughty girl: "Quite sure. Do I need to repeat myself, or have you taken leave of your senses?" with dissolve The girl tutted. Haughty girl: "Goodness. It must be hard to employ decent maids nowadays, if not even Bly can manage it. I feel sorry for Lady Lennard." Effie: "...I feel sorrier for us." with dissolve Ada: "W-We, um... W-We apologise if we were in your way!" with dissolve Pauline: "Yes, yes. We’re going now. I’m _awfully_ sorry." with dissolve And the group of maids departed, leaving Lorina behind." with dissolve Lorina, unsure of what was going on, but vaguely aware she should be appreciative of the girl’s intervention, looked at her saviour awkwardly.* Lorina: "I, um... Th-Thank you?" Haughty girl: "Oh, are you still here?" The girl snorted. Haughty girl: "You don’t need to thank me. It’s meaningless." Lorina: "Then, um... if I may be so bold as to ask... why did you help me?" Haughty girl: "It wasn’t for my sake, you understand. I was merely doing her a favour." Lorina: "‘Her’?" Haughty girl: "Yes, indeed." Haughty girl: "Taohua told me, if I saw you, I should look out for you — not that I particularly want to." Haughty girl: "You should be old enough to look after yourself." As Lorina made her solitary walk back to Bly, through the fields of unripe wheat, she found herself pondering. The wind blew through her hair, making it flutter gently. Her skirts, too, shifted in the breeze. The smell of flowers, goldenrods and hyacinth, danced in the air. The sun overhead was soft and warm, like a circular slab of butter. It was all very tranquil — particularly without Pauline and Isobel to disturb the serene scenery — but... Lorina’s thoughts continued to tick, tick, tick inside her head, like a clockwork mechanism. That was the second time this day that Taohua had come to her aid, though indirectly on the most recent occasion. Just how much did Lorina owe the older woman, and how could she ever hope to repay her? Lorina had nothing to offer the older woman. She had precious few clothes save the ones on her back, and she sent all her earnings back to her mother in Liverpool. As for priceless family heirlooms, that was a joke. The only ‘heirloom’ Lorina owned was her old, ratty nightgown, which had once belonged to her mother, but which was perilously tight about her bust. How could she square her debt with Taohua? She had absolutely nothing of value to offer... ...save, perhaps, for her body. If Taohua had come to Lorina’s aid twice that day, she was unable to do so that night. It was around eleven o’clock and the maids were all in their nightclothes. Their duties for the day had ended, and Lorina was curled up beneath her covers when, all of a sudden, a voice called out to her from the gloom. Pauline: "Lorina, can I have a quick word?" with dissolve But, knowing Pauline, it wouldn’t be ‘quick’ at all." with dissolve Lorina remained silent. Maybe, if she was silent, Pauline would think she was asleep...* But it wasn’t to be. Pauline: "Excuse me, Lorina? Are you deaf?" with dissolve She would remain silent. If she was silent, Pauline couldn’t—" with dissolve Lorina: "O-Ow...!" Lorina whimpered.* All of a sudden, a sharp burst of pain spiked through her right earlobe. Pauline was pinching her ear between her thumb and forefinger. Her fingernails dug into Lorina’s flesh. It _hurt_. Pauline: "Wake up, sleepyhead. Rise and shine." with dissolve Lorina: "I-I’m up, I’m up! J-Just stop that, will you?!" with dissolve Lorina pulled herself into a sitting position and glared at Pauline. The glare wasn’t as powerful as she had hoped. Much of its effect was lost amongst the darkness of the room — and, in any case, Lorina was too tired to glare properly. Lorina: "Wh-What do you want?" Pauline: "Nothing in particular." with dissolve Lorina: "Then why are you bothering me?!" with dissolve Pauline: "I just feel a bit restless, that’s all." with dissolve Lorina: "Then you haven’t been working hard enough." Lorina herself was so tired, she could have fallen asleep standing up. Even now, with the residual pain about her earlobe, she could feel herself slipping softly into the world of dreams... Pauline: "Hm. Maybe you have a point." with dissolve But the unpleasant smirk on Pauline’s face kept Lorina’s attention." with dissolve Pauline: "I was supposed to bolt all the windows and draw the curtains on the ground floor hallway — but, silly me, I quite forgot!" with dissolve Lorina: "You’ve been rather forgetful today." with dissolve Pauline: "I know. It’s terrible. That’s what happens when you get old." with dissolve Lorina: "Perhaps you should go and close them." with dissolve Pauline: "I know I should, but you’re younger than me, Lorina. A late night or two won’t bother you at your age." with dissolve Lorina: "Only I can decide what bothers me and what doesn’t." Pauline: "Oh? So I take it this—" with dissolve Pain flared in Lorina’s right earlobe once more." with dissolve Pauline: "—doesn’t bother you, does it?" with dissolve Lorina: "O-Ow... O-Ow, ow..." with dissolve Lorina whimpered. Her eyes beaded with tears." with dissolve Pauline didn’t just have a face like a horse. She was as strong as a horse, too.* Pauline: "Come now, don’t exaggerate. Like you said, only _you_ can decide what bothers you and what doesn’t." with dissolve Lorina: "B-But it... It..." Pauline: "It what, hmm?" with dissolve Lorina: "It... I-It hurts..." with dissolve Pauline: "Oh, it does? Well, that’s too bad." with dissolve Pauline drew a little closer to Lorina, but her grip about the younger maid’s ear didn’t lessen. If anything, it got even stronger. Pauline: "You know what hurts me, Lorina?" with dissolve Lorina: "Wh-What...?" with dissolve Pauline: "When you try and make me look like a fool in public. _You_ — a girl who should, by all rights, be shamed and derided by the entire village for being a whore." with dissolve Lorina: "I... I-I’m not..." with dissolve Pauline: "You can protest all you want, but I know the truth. Everyone does." with dissolve Pauline’s fingernails gouged Lorina’s skin. Lorina’s ear was being twisted most uncomfortably, so it crumpled beneath the pressure." with dissolve Lorina: "Nnn...!" Pauline: "You probably thought you were quite clever earlier, but I have news for you." with dissolve Another twist." with dissolve Pauline: "You’re _not_ clever, little Miss Waugh. You’re not clever at all, and I’m going to prove it to you." with dissolve Lorina: "Ahhh... Nnnn..." with dissolve Pauline: "You thought you could laugh at me? Well, we’ll see about that. We’ll see." with dissolve Pauline finally drew her fingers away. The excruciating pressure about her ear lessened, and Lorina found herself gasping in relief. She’d had no idea a mere pinch could hurt so much — but there was nothing ‘mere’ about Pauline’s manhandling. She was downright _vicious_." with dissolve Pauline: "Now, are you going to be a good girl, Lorina? Or do you want me to educate you even further?" with dissolve Lorina: "Stupid Pauline... Why don’t you just go die in a ditch? I swear to God..." Lorina knew blaspheming was a grave sin, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.* It was a chilly night. The young girl shivered as she walked down the darkened hallway. It felt like even the air itself was trying to tease her. It snaked unpleasantly down the back of her neck and crept up her thighs. Her teeth chattered. Why hadn’t anybody come to her aid? What about Ada? Effie? Lieselotte? ...But Ada was never very reliable in a crisis, Effie spoke once every blue moon, and Lieselotte had already been fast asleep. When Lieselotte slept, nothing — not tempest, storm, or wind — could awaken her. Truly, she slumbered like a princess. It must have been nice, being so relaxed... Lorina glanced out the windows at the rose garden. She could see, though dimly, the numerous rosebushes illuminated beneath the glow of the full moon. The moon was so round and full it reminded Lorina of a single, perfect pearl set in a lady’s earlobe...{w} or else, perhaps, a crystal ball. It looked just as it had on that fateful night when Lorina had arrived at Bly’s gates. What would have happened, she pondered, if she had taken her bag with the dented corner and gone elsewhere? ...But that was nothing more than baseless fancy. She would never know. This was the path Lorina had chosen. She couldn’t turn back now, no matter how infested with thorns or nettles it was. She had to keep on going. That was what her mother would have told her. That was what her mother _had_ told her in her last letter. _Just do your best. That’s all anyone can ask._ Lorina’s mother had always been a sensible woman. For that, Lorina was thankful. Lorina: "...Silly." The young maid chastised herself under her breath. Why was she getting so sentimental? Now was _not_ the time. Lorina: "Aah..." Lorina yawned. Tears beaded in her eyes. She hadn’t realised just how tired she was. Lorina: "Stupid Pauline... I’ll make you pay, you mark my words. I’ll put pigeon droppings in your tea..." Mumbling darkly to herself, Lorina reached forward to check the bolt on a window, when— She froze. There was something outside. Something moving. It could have been a fox or a badger, but it walked on two legs as a human did. Lorina couldn’t see its face, so she didn’t know whether it had eyes, but its hair was long and it wore a lacy nightgown. A ghost...? Lieselotte’s ghost...? C-Could it be...? Lorina pressed her hand against her mouth. She had to bite her knuckles to stop herself from gasping. She didn’t want to wake anybody... but what was the correct procedure in this fantastical situation? What would Estelle Wood have done? Was there anything written in the _Practical Housekeeping_ guide about fending off phantoms? Surely there must have been. It seemed inconceivable that there wasn’t. The guide, Miss Smithe’s pride and joy, was over 500 pages in size, and included, amongst other things, tips on how to humanely dispose of slugs, how to dust a candelabra, and how to lay a table correctly if (horror of horrors!) there were no soup spoons available. But Lorina didn’t know Estelle Wood’s _Practical Housekeeping_ guide back-to-front and inside-out like Miss Smithe did. What was she going to do? The moon outside shone upon the haunting figure so it glowed. Upon closer inspection, Lorina realised it was a young girl. A young girl with pale hair. Pale skin, too. No more than a child. Now, what business did a child have amongst the rose gardens of Bly in the middle of the night? It _had_ to have been a ghost. A spirit. An apparition. There was no other explanation. At least, that was what the anxious, panic-stricken part of Lorina’s mind said. The more cogent, rational part, which sounded a good deal like her mother, had a different opinion. Lorina: "Don’t be ridiculous... There’s no such thing as ghosts." Such was the mantra Lorina repeated under her breath as she tried to steady her breathing. Lorina: "There’s no such thing as ghosts... There’s no such thing as ghosts... There’s no such thing..." And, as though it were a miracle ordained by God upon high... Lorina: "O-Oh..." ...at that exact moment, the figure in the rose garden saw fit to turn about. The wind caught in its hair, making it stream behind the figure in a ghostly shroud...{w} but this was no ghost. The pale, pinched little face peering through the gloom was one Lorina knew all too well. It was none other than Lady Constance. Lorina: "And what, pray tell, are you doing outside at _this_ hour?" Constance: "...Hmph." Lady Constance glared at Lorina sourly. She looked remarkably composed for one who had been skulking about in the shadows at the dead of night. She wasn’t even shaking. How in the world could that be? It was bitterly cold, and Lorina shivered despite her maid’s garments. Maybe Lady Constance wasn’t a human girl after all, but a malevolent spirit. That would explain a thing or two. Constance: "I believe I’ve already told you, _maid_, I have no obligation to inform you of my comings and goings." Lorina: "You don’t, that is true, but... it’s so late." Lorina: "Good girls should be tucked up in their beds, not wandering about gone the stroke of midnight." Constance: "And who said I was a good girl?" Lorina: "An excellent point..." Constance: "Nobody thinks I’m a ‘good girl’. Mr Lester hates me. So does Miss Smithe. Even the stable boy hates me." Lorina: "You _did_ tell him he should get kicked in the head by a horse..." Constance: "And he should! He deserves it for always calling me a ‘saucebox’ behind my back and thinking I can’t hear! I _do_ have ears!" Lorina: "Still... Being kicked by a horse is a little..." Constance: "And he’s not the only one. The cook hates me. The maids hate me. Miss Aimee hates me too, though she pretends she doesn’t." Constance: "That annoys me the most of all." Lorina: "Whether everyone hates you or not is immaterial. Come in the house with me or you’ll catch your death of cold." Constance: "And I imagine you’d be _very_ happy about that, wouldn’t you?" Lorina: "What I think is neither here nor there. I’m only a maid." Constance: "...Well, at least you don’t fawn and simper over me. I suppose that’s one thing to be thankful for." Lorina: "With all due respect, it’s much too cold to fawn and simper. I feel like my fingers are going to fall off." Constance: "...Heh." Constance: "Maybe I misjudged you. You’re not so bad after all, maid." Lorina: "And you’re every bit as bad as I’ve always thought." Constance: "I know. I’m a bad girl. I already said that..." Lady Constance frowned, digging the tip of her shoe into the earth. At least she had had the good sense to wear shoes. Padding about barefoot was the fastest way to inflame the lungs. That was a mantra Lorina’s mother lived by. Though the Waughs were too poor to always afford food, Lorina’s mother always, always ensured her girls were well-shod. Constance: "But I’m not trying to make your life difficult. Not now, at least." Lorina: "Then why are you out in the garden at such an _ungodly_ time?" Was she trying to make a contract with the devil? Lorina wouldn’t put it past this changeling child. Constance: "I heard a noise outside my bedroom window. I went to investigate." Lorina: "A noise?" Constance: "Mm. It sounded like a cat." Lorina: "You went outside in this weather to search for a _cat_?" Constance: "Is there a problem with that?!" Lorina: "It doesn’t seem very sensible." Constance: "Well, I happen to like cats. I’ve seen a charming black cat wandering around the grounds lately, but he doesn’t let me pet him." Constance: "He runs away when I get too close." He must have been a smart cat, then. Even felines knew Lady Constance was not to be crossed. Constance: "I was wondering if the cat I could hear was the same one I’ve seen lately. That’s all." Lorina: "Have you looked for him in the night before?" Constance: "One or two times, yes." Ah. So that solved that mystery. Lorina: "You know, you gave some of the maids quite a scare." Constance: "That’s nothing new." Lorina: "They were under the impression Bly was being haunted by a ghost." Constance: "A _ghost_?" Lady Constance snorted. Constance: "Only uneducated fools set much store by ghosts. People are far more frightening." For once, Lorina was inclined to agree with her. Lorina: "I also think it’s ridiculous, but you shouldn’t wander off in the middle of the night. It’s dangerous." Constance: "Nonsense. _I’m_ the most dangerous thing out here." It was a fair point. Lorina didn’t feel like pressing the subject. She had no business scolding Lady Constance. She was not, after all, her mother. Lorina: "All right. Let’s go back inside." Constance: "But the cat—" Lorina: "The cat can wait." Lady Constance didn’t look particularly happy about this, but she didn’t protest. Maybe the cold wind had chilled her more than she was letting on. Ada: "Lori! Are you all right?" with dissolve Ada sat on the edge of Lorina’s bed, her hands clasped together." with dissolve Ada: "You were gone such a very long time, I was starting to worry..." with dissolve She was the only maid who had. The others were sound asleep." with dissolve Lorina: "It’s fine. You don’t need to worry." Ada: "B-But—" with dissolve Lorina: "Shh." Lorina held a finger to her lips, bidding Ada to be quiet. Her impassioned dialogue had been enough to make Lieselotte stir, shifting in her bed... Lieselotte: "Ah... Andermatt... My beloved home..." with dissolve And then she fell silent once more." with dissolve The servants’ quarters were completely silent save for the low sound of the wind and Pauline’s snores.* So, after pushing her unfinished work onto Lorina, she’d fallen asleep? What a charlatan... Lorina changed as quietly as she could and took a seat by Ada’s side. The bed creaked in protest, but the sound wasn’t loud enough to alert the other maids to her presence. Lorina: "You didn’t need to stay awake for me, you know." Ada: "I-I know, but I... I-I was so very worried." with dissolve Lorina: "Why?" with dissolve Ada: "Y-You were gone such a long time, I thought... I thought, oh... I don’t know..." with dissolve Ada: "I thought, p-perhaps the ghost had found you...!" Lorina: "Well... Perhaps it did, in a sense." Ada: "Wh-What?!" with dissolve Lorina: "Shh." Lorina held a finger to her lips again, imploring silence. Ada: "Oh, um... I-I’m sorry..." with dissolve Ada ducked her head, her cheeks flushing." with dissolve Ada: "That is, um... I-I meant to say... {size=-5}Wh-What?!" with dissolve Lorina had never heard somebody have a mental breakdown quite so quietly before. She hadn’t thought such a thing was possible, but Ada was proving her wrong." with dissolve This night was, indeed, a night of surprises. Lorina: "I found your ghost, Ada — if you could call it that." Lorina: "Upon reflection, I think it might have been even more dangerous than a phantom." Ada: "No..." with dissolve Ada pressed a hand against her mouth. Her eyes were big and round." with dissolve Ada: "I-It wasn’t a demon, was it?" with dissolve Lorina: "Some would label her as such, but I prefer to call her ‘Lady Constance’." Ada: "H-Huh? L-Lady Constance...?" with dissolve Lorina: "The one and only." Ada: "But what was Lady Constance doing outside?" with dissolve Lorina: "Searching for her manners, perhaps?" Ada: "W-Well, um... I hope she found them." with dissolve Lorina: "I wouldn’t count on it." But the encounter earlier had sparked a fair amount of interest in Lorina’s generous breast.* Maybe there was more to Lady Constance than met the eye. But this hypothesis was put to the test most forcefully the following day. Constance: "Get out of my sight, you ingrate! I don’t even want to look at you!" Miss Aimee: "B-But Lady Constance—" with dissolve Constance: "Enough! Get out, get out, get out! Go away!" with dissolve Lorina: "What in the world...?" Though the voices were muffled behind closed doors, Lorina could pick out each and every word with ease. Miss Aimee: "Mademoiselle, I never meant to cause any offence—" with dissolve Constance: "I don’t care what you meant! I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care!" with dissolve Miss Aimee: "B-But what should I tell your mother?" with dissolve Constance: "Tell her you’re done! You’re not coming back! I can’t even stand to see your face!" with dissolve Miss Aimee: "B-But Mademoiselle—" with dissolve Constance: "How many times do I have to tell you? I am NOT a ‘mademoiselle’! I am a lady!" with dissolve Miss Aimee: "M-Milady—" with dissolve Constance: "It’s too late for that! Shut up! Get out, get out, {b}GET OUT{/b}!" with dissolve There was a sudden bang. Miss Aimee exited the drawing room, her bright red hair curling free from its restrictive bun. Her eyes were wide, almost wild, and her face was so pale she looked as though she had seen a ghost. In a way, she had. She had experienced a close encounter with the feared ghost of Bly, renowned for striking raw, icy terror in the hearts of all. Miss Aimee: "Mademoiselle, please—" with dissolve Constance: "_Shut up!_." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "B-But—" with dissolve Constance: "Are you stupid? Do your ears not work? I told you to leave!" with dissolve Miss Aimee: "I... I apologise..." with dissolve Constance: "It’s too late for that! It’s much, much, much too late! Get out of my sight before I throw something at you! I hate you!" with dissolve Miss Aimee: "Ah, yes... Um, I... I-I will take my leave now..." with dissolve Constance: "And don’t come back!" with dissolve Miss Aimee all but fled down the hallway. She stumbled more than once, and Lorina instinctively reached forth to help her. The poor woman looked like she could use some help. Miss Aimee: "Oh, Lorina!" with dissolve Miss Aimee: "Lorina, _ma chère_... I apologise that you had to see such a shameful side of my character. _Je suis désolé_." with dissolve Lorina: "You don’t need to apologise. I, um..." Lorina frowned. She wasn’t sure what to say. There was nothing she _could_ say. Lorina: "What happened?" Miss Aimee: "Mademoiselle, oh... She was in such a foul mood this morning. She refused to pick up a quill, she yawned whenever I spoke to her." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "She even turned her nose up at the piano!" Lorina: "But I thought Mademoi— sorry, Lady Constance liked the piano?" Miss Aimee: "She does. She is remarkably good at it — but, today? _Non_! As stubborn as a mule!" with dissolve Lorina: "Isn’t she _always_ stubborn?" with dissolve Miss Aimee: "Indeed, she is, but it was worse today! I do not know what happened, but..." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "After I tried, for the dozenth time, to coax her into doing some work, she..." Lorina: "Exploded?" Miss Aimee: "_Exactement_!" with dissolve Lorina: "I see..." Lorina saw only too well. Miss Aimee: "Anyway... Forgive me, Lorina. I don’t want to disrupt your work!" with dissolve Lorina: "You aren’t disrupting me. I was the one who asked." Miss Aimee: "_Oui, oui..._" with dissolve Miss Aimee nodded. She looked distracted." with dissolve Lorina didn’t blame her.* Miss Aimee: "I would say ‘until we meet again’, but I fear this will be the last time I work with the young Mademoiselle. Even if Mademoiselle Lennard does not fire me, I... I..." with dissolve Miss Aimee’s words faltered. She bit her lower lip." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "I cannot work with such a child any longer. She is only twelve years old, but she frightens me..." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "Oh, but the poor Mademoiselle... To lose yet another governess... The change must be hard on her, undoubtedly, but..." Miss Aimee: "If only she could learn to control her temper." Miss Aimee straightened herself, brushing a few strands of red hair behind her ear." with dissolve Miss Aimee: "_Au revoir_, Lorina. It was a pleasure." with dissolve Lorina: "Um... G-Goodbye, Miss Aimee... Likewise." with dissolve And, with a small curtsey, the governess walked down the corridor... and out of Lorina’s life for good. Lorina didn’t doubt that she would never see Miss Aimee again. Who would continue to subject themselves to Lady Constance’s abuse if they had a choice? It was unthinkable. So Lorina didn’t think about it. But what of Lady Constance? Lorina glanced down the hallway. Lady Constance was still standing in the entrance of the drawing room, her face a pale death mask. Her lips were drawn together in a firm line, but her chest was rising and falling raggedly from exertion. Constance: "Why are you here, maid?" Lorina: "Oh, um... I just happened to be passing..." Constance: "And you just happened to be eavesdropping, did you?" Lorina: "Forgive me, Miss. You were being rather loud." Constance: "Whatever." Lady Constance turned her nose up in the air. Constance: "The story is bound to get out eventually. Aimee will leave — I always knew she would — and then you and the other maids will have some nice, juicy gossip to share amongst yourselves. I know how much you love gossip." Lady Constance’s tone was so pointed Lorina almost found herself feeling guilty. Almost. She had nothing to feel guilty about, after all. She wasn’t the one who had nearly reduced Miss Aimee — sweet, innocent Miss Aimee, who had sympathised with Lady Constance and offered Lorina biscuits — to tears. Lorina: "You know... You really shouldn’t behave like that." Constance: "_Oh_?" Lady Constance’s eyes flashed dangerously. Her little hands clenched into fists. Constance: "What was that, maid?" Lorina: "I said, you shouldn’t behave like that. It’s improper." Constance: "And what gives _you_ the right to lecture _me_?" Lorina: "It isn’t a matter of ‘rights’. All I know is, I was raised to respect my elders. You might be a lady—" Lorina spat the word out with no small amount of malice. Lorina: "—but the fact remains that you are still a child. You had no reason to speak to Miss Aimee like that. None at all." Constance: "I see. So, you think this is my fault?" Lorina: "I can’t see who else to blame. You were the one shrieking like a banshee." Constance: "Oh, of course. That’s so typical. You don’t ask for my side of the story, but you’ve already started assigning blame!" Lorina: "Lady Constance—" Constance: "Don’t call me that! I know you don’t mean it! You don’t respect me! You—" Lady Constance stabbed a finger in Lorina’s direction. Her blonde hair fluttered about her shoulders like a shroud. Constance: "None of you respect me! Not the cook or the maids or my governess!" Lorina: "How was Miss Aimee disrespecting you?" Constance: "She has always treated me with disrespect! She tries to act nice, as though she is my friend — ‘are you all right, Mademoiselle? Is something the matter?’ — but she has no interest in getting to know me! She just wants her wages at the end of the day, like everybody else!" Constance: "You’re all disgusting — every last one of you. I thought you might not be so bad, but..." Lady Constance shook her head. Constance: "You _still_ take her side! You believe her word over mine, even though I’m a lady!" Constance: "Well, I’m sick of it! I’m sick of all you!" Constance: "Just disappear!" And with that, Lady Constance drew back her right hand and smacked her palm against a vase resting on a nearby pedestal. Not just any vase. An expensive vase. All the decorations in the Lennards’ household were expensive — almost tastelessly so, as Lorina had cause to ponder on more than one occasion. This vase, however, was worth more than most. It was one of Lady Lennard’s personal favourites, and depicted the love affair of Cupid and Psyche. And all Lorina could do was stare. Slowly, very slowly, as if time had come to a crawl... ...the vase fell through the air... ...and shattered against the carpet. It shattered in dozens, hundreds, thousands of pieces — or more. It was impossible to count. The mere thought of trying made Lorina feel dizzy. She’d never been very good at mathematics. Neither was she good at reining in her own emotions, which threatened to explode. Lorina: "Y-You...!" She turned on Lady Constance, her eyes narrowed. Lorina: "How could you _do_ something like that?!" Constance: "I don’t know what you’re talking about." Lorina: "B-But the vase—" Constance: "Ah, yes. The vase. One of Mother’s favourites. A gift Father brought back home from Italy." Lady Constance ran a hand through her hair casually, without a care in the world. It was the same hand, Lorina noted, she had used to push the vase off its plinth and into its early grave. ...Not that ceramics had graveyards. Constance: "You will be in a lot of trouble when she finds out, maid." Lorina: "Wh-What are you talking about...?" Constance: "Well, _you’re_ the one who broke it, aren’t you?" Lorina’s mouth parted into a small ‘o’ of unabashed shock. She could hardly believe her ears. How could Lady Constance stand there, now so cool and composed, and accuse Lorina of a crime _she_ had committed? It would have been a different matter if Lady Constance had been more sneaky about it, but this was so blatant. The deep injustice of the situation stung Lorina’s pride even more acutely than the thorns from the roses had. Lorina: "H-How can you accuse me of something I haven’t done?" Constance: "Very easily. Would you like to see?" Lorina: "No, you can’t! Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to tell lies?!" Constance: "Perhaps — but Mother will believe whatever I tell her." Lorina didn’t doubt that. Lady Lennard had always been a doting mother, to Lady Constance’s detriment. Why else would she allow her hellion of a daughter to cycle through governesses so rapidly, even quicker than the changing leaves? Constance: "You broke it. That’s what I’ll tell her. Maybe it was an accident — you were cleaning and you happened to trip and stumble — but it was still your fault. All your fault." Constance: "Hmm..." An unpleasant smirk split across Lady Constance’s lips. Constance: "I wonder what she’ll say?" Lorina: "H-How could you?!" Constance: "Yes, I think she might say something to that effect." Lorina: "Why you little—" Taohua: "Oh dear. What seems to have happened here?" Lady Constance’s back straightened. She looked at Taohua anxiously from beneath her fringe, with a contrite expression Lorina had never seen her wear before. Could it be... Was Lady Constance, of all people, _afraid_? Taohua: "My, my... What a mess." Taohua picked her way across the carpet carefully, holding her skirts in her hands, as she took care not to place her feet on any stray shards of ceramic. Taohua: "It appears that somebody has broken a vase — and, oh dear! It was the one depicting Cupid and Psyche, wasn’t it? I was rather fond of that vase." Constance: "Mother was fond of it too, until this useless maid broke it!" Lorina: "I did no such thing!!!" Taohua: "Lori, please. I appreciate that you are upset, but there are better ways to settle this. It isn’t very ladylike to engage in petty squabbling, is it?" Constance: "It _isn’t_ petty! That vase was _expensive_!" Lorina: "Then why did you push it over?!" Constance: "I _didn’t_ push it over! _You_ broke it!" Lorina: "But I saw you do it!" Taohua: "All right, you two. Fighting won’t get us anywhere. Let’s take a moment to calm ourselves, shall we?" Constance: "Y-You... You’re just a maid! What do _you_ know?!" Taohua: "I may be ‘just a maid’, as you so eloquently put it, but that is why I cannot let this be. I only want the best for you, Lady Constance." Taohua: "While I appreciate that you are upset over the destruction of an expensive family heirloom, you can’t take your anger out on your staff. A true lady would try to get her maids to respect her, not fear her." That was what Taohua said — and she said it so smoothly, too, that Lorina felt herself being drawn in. It was impossible to resist. Not even Lady Constance could stand her ground against Taohua. Constance: "Well... You might be right..." Taohua: "I know. I often am. It’s one of the many perks of being me." Taohua: "Now. I don’t know what happened, or how the vase came to be broken, so I will not assign any blame. It would be in our best interests, however, if we cleaned it up. I wouldn’t want anybody to hurt themselves." Taohua: "Lori, would you be a dear and fetch me a dustpan and brush?" Lorina: "S-Surely you’re not going to clean it up yourself?" Taohua: "Of course. Being a maid, that’s my job." Lorina: "But this isn’t your fault..." Taohua: "And, as I already told you, I don’t care whose fault it is. It’s much more important that we resolve this issue, chop chop." Taohua clapped her hands together with each successive ‘chop’. Lorina nodded. Lorina: "Fine..." So saying, trying to quell the evident gratitude in her voice, Lorina exited the hallway. Taohua: "Ah. Thank you, my little Lori." Lorina: "Don’t mention it..." Taohua: "Hmm..." Taohua pondered, examining the broken vase critically. Taohua: "Even if I sweep up the evidence, I won’t be able to hide this from Lady Lennard. I can’t imagine she’ll be pleased to hear about this, no matter what I tell her." Constance: "Mother loved that vase. She’ll be very upset." Taohua: "I can imagine..." Taohua: "Well. I suppose I could always tell her that I broke it." Today was a day for surprises, evidently — and not just little shocks on par with unexpected raindrops against the nape of the neck. This was more akin to be being hit by a bolt of lightning. Lorina: "But you didn’t break it...!" Constance: "Exactly! It’s ridiculous! Are you trying to be some sort of saint?" Like Lieselotte’s beloved St Verena, perhaps. ...No. Lorina couldn’t see it. No matter how she examined Taohua, she couldn’t detect the slightest slither of saintliness about her. Taohua: "I know I didn’t, but as there’s no way of telling who the fault of the broken vase lies with, it would be... amoral... to assign any blame." Lorina: "But it would be even more amoral to blame somebody who wasn’t there to begin with..." Taohua: "I don’t mind. It doesn’t bother me." Lorina: "It will bother Lady Lennard." Taohua: "So it may, and I will certainly be in disgrace for it, but I doubt it would disrupt my current position. You might be easy to replace, my little Lori, but I am not." It was true, too. Taohua was not easy to replace. Lorina had never seen a more exotic woman before. Much like the vase, she was a quaint curiosity from a foreign land — except she would not break quite as easily. Taohua: "As for you, Lady Constance, you should probably take your leave. It is dangerous for you to linger here with broken china strewn across the carpet." Constance: "Hmph. Like you need to tell me. I don’t want to spend time with you anyway!" Lady Constance turned her nose up in the air and stalked off, proud as a cat. Taohua watched the little girl as she left, her head tilted to one side. Taohua: "What a charming girl." Lorina: "Are you being sarcastic?" Taohua: "She can be quite a handful, it is true." Lorina: "It’s far worse than that." Taohua: "Mm. Lady Lennard spoils her. I am sure she means well by it, but loving somebody too much can be poison." Taohua shook her head. Taohua: "I hate selfish little girls like that." Lorina: "Ah..." Though Taohua’s voice remained light and unaffected, there was a bite to her words Lorina hadn’t heard before. It was almost startling. Lorina: "‘Hate’ is quite a strong word, don’t you think?" Taohua: "Hmm? Are you lecturing me, Lori?" Lorina: "N-No! Not at all! I don’t like Lady Constance either! I can’t stand her! It’s just..." Lorina: "I didn’t know you cared about people enough to hate them." Taohua: "You think I am _that_ detached from my fellow man?" Lorina: "Yes." Taohua: "How cruel. Your impression of me must be frightful." Lorina: "You don’t do much to dispel it." Taohua: "And after I did you such a favour, too. I could have walked on by and it would have made no difference to me." Lorina: "Why did you help? I didn’t ask for it." Taohua: "Hmm... I supposed I stepped in because I dislike the way Lady Constance carries on, and I wanted to teach her a lesson. Somebody has to, if her mother won’t." Lorina: "Oh, I see..." Lorina sighed, deflated, though she didn’t know why. What had she been hoping for, anyway? Taohua’s response made perfect sense. It would have been odder if her actions had been inspired by any other sort of motivation, surely. And yet, this was not the first time Taohua had come to her aid. There was the thorn, and then the fireplace...{w} and now, the vase. Was there a deeper meaning behind it, or had Taohua simply been stricken with a sudden fit of whimsy? Maybe she had merely been trying to teach Lady Constance a lesson. Lorina herself often wanted to discipline Lady Constance, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to get very far. Lorina: "I don’t know why she listens to you. She never listens to me." Taohua: "Because you, my little Lori, are not particularly frightening." Lorina: "And you are?" Taohua: "Oh, I’m _dreadful_." Taohua curled her fingers into claws and Lorina laughed. She couldn’t help herself. Lorina: "You’re so silly..." Taohua: "But I still made you smile. I would consider that a success." Lorina: "I just wonder... How are you able to make Lady Constance act so obediently?" Taohua: "I suppose I have more practice. I’ve known her since she was even smaller than a bag of flour." Lorina: "I think she would bully me all the same, even if I had known her as long as you." Taohua: "I think that’s a fair assessment. You _are_ quite fun to tease." Lorina: "Wh-What?" Taohua smiled and tugged at the end of Lorina’s ponytail. Taohua: "Nothing. Pay it no heed." Lorina: "G-Get your hands off me, then!" Taohua: "And that is precisely your problem." Lorina: "Wh-What?" Taohua: "You get too flustered. If you want people to obey you, you shouldn’t cower or stammer or shy away — but neither should you make your anger too apparent. Anger only breeds more anger." Lorina: "I can’t help being angry..." Lorina: "Lady Constance is so cruel... Not just the vase, but what she did to Miss Aimee..." Taohua: "I know. We have a good many things to be angry about — but it will get us nowhere." Lorina: "You said you hated Lady Constance." Taohua: "I do, but I don’t let her know that. Not too openly. It’s better to treat others with arch disdain, but not abject revulsion. Keep them guessing. Then, they won’t know how to respond." Lorina: "That sounds awfully manipulative to me..." Taohua: "All human interactions are about manipulation, my little Lori." Lorina: "Hmph... Well, I don’t think I could pull it off. I get too worked up..." Taohua: "I know. You’re not very good at keeping your cool, but it’s not a trait I dislike. It will make your life more difficult, but mine infinitely more entertaining." Lorina: "Wait... Wh-What do you mean, ‘entertaining’?!" Taohua smiled sardonically and ruffled the top of Lorina’s head. Lorina: "You will have to solve that problem on your own." Lorina was attempting to write a letter...{w} The key word being ‘attempting’, because she had advanced no further than the first two words. _Dear mother._ It was a start, she supposed, but what came next? What could she say? She wanted to write about Taohua, but the words wouldn’t come. She had no words to describe her. _Come on, Lorina,_ she castigated herself. _Think. Think, think._ But she couldn’t think — and thinking became all the harder when... Lieselotte: "Lorina, Lorina! Did you hear, did you hear?!" with dissolve Lorina: "A-Ah!" with dissolve Lorina jumped. A round blot of black ink fell from the end of her quill and landed on her writing paper. She glanced at the paper, which was now ruined, then back up at Lieselotte. Down to the paper, then back up at Lieselotte. Well. So much for that. Lorina clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Then, with a small sigh, she crumpled the now useless piece of paper up in her right hand and tossed it to one side. She didn’t see where it landed, and neither did she care. Writing paper was expensive, yes, and it pained Lorina to waste money, but what could she do? She could hardly scrape the stray ink off the page and start again. The damage was already done. Lieselotte: "O-Oh, I apologise. I’m not in your way, am I?" with dissolve Lorina: "...No. Don’t worry. It’s all right." with dissolve Lorina raised her head, forcing a smile. Lorina: "What did you want to tell me, Lieselotte?" Lieselotte: "I heard a very interesting rumour!" with dissolve Lorina: "What?" Lieselotte: "Um..." with dissolve Lieselotte tapped a finger against her lower lip." with dissolve Lieselotte: "I heard it from Ada, who heard it from James, who heard it from Ewan, who heard it from Bessie, who heard it from—" with dissolve Lorina: "Can you get to the point already?" Lorina had been in Bly for four months, but she still had trouble keeping track of all the people Lady Lennard employed — and Bly was a relatively small estate.* In Hartwell, Lorina had shared her attic bedroom with no less than eleven maids like herself. Lieselotte: "Well, what I wanted to say was... it appears Miss Aimee has left!" with dissolve Lorina: "Oh, yes. I already heard." But Lorina had not heard it through a convoluted game of Chinese whispers, from a footman to a chamber maid to the tea boy. She had been there in person, and had seen the events unfold before her own two eyes. Not that Lorina had any intention of telling Lieselotte that. If the other maids knew, she’d become a subject of gossip herself. More so than she was already. Lieselotte: "Ah, so it seems it is true!" with dissolve Lieselotte sighed. She looked dejected." with dissolve Lieselotte: "And I was hoping it was just a rumour. I quite liked Miss Aimee!" with dissolve Lorina: "It’s a pity Lady Constance didn’t." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Lady Constance does not like any of her governesses! In fact, it is worse than that. Lady Constance does not like _anyone_!" with dissolve Lorina blinked. Lieselotte was such an unfailingly cheery girl, it was strange to hear her speak ill of another; even if that ‘other’ was Lady Constance, whom everyone disliked.* Even the footmen, the chamber maids, and the tea boy. Lorina: "Did you have a run-in with Lady Constance today?" Lieselotte: "Indeed. She tripped me as I was walking down a hall, and I bumped my head! She did not even apologise!" with dissolve Lieselotte’s lower lip trembled. She brushed her blonde fringe aside, showing Lorina a small, egg-shaped lump on her forehead." with dissolve Lorina: "That sounds like Lady Constance all right..." Lieselotte: "Oh, but it is such a pity! Miss Aimee was so nice! She always stopped to talk to me in the hallways, unlike Miss Lillian! In comparison, Miss Lillian was so... so..." with dissolve Lorina: "Austere?" with dissolve Lieselotte: "Exactly! She didn’t even look at us servants! She was so haughty." with dissolve Lorina: "Well, she _was_ the daughter of a gentleman..." Lieselotte: "Yes, but she had _such_ airs and graces, when she was a servant just like us! Miss Aimee was nothing like that!" with dissolve Lorina: "That’s probably why she didn’t last." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Indeed... Lady Constance can be so very frightful. I would be afraid for my life if I had to wait on her every other day." with dissolve Lieselotte smoothed her fringe down, hiding the ugly bump, and let her arm fall to her side." with dissolve Lieselotte: "But, oh, it is such a pity...! Miss Aimee did not deserve to go...!" with dissolve Pauline: "Indeed, it is a pity." with dissolve Lorina’s shoulders tensed." with dissolve Pauline...* Pauline: "Hello, Lorina, Lottie." with dissolve Pauline entered the servants’ quarters, closing the door behind her with a thud far louder than necessary, and gave the pair of girls an amused grin." with dissolve Pauline: "I see you’re also gossiping about Miss Aimee’s untimely departure?" with dissolve Lieselotte, who was incapable of seeing the bad in anyone — except, it appeared, Lady Constance — nodded eagerly." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Oh, that is right! It is so unfair! I feel bad for the poor woman!" with dissolve Pauline: "My heart bleeds." with dissolve Like hell it did." with dissolve Pauline: "But I am sure Lady Lennard will find a replacement soon enough. She always does, despite Lady Constance’s reputation." with dissolve Pauline: "There are a lot of women desperate to make money out there, who will do anything for a few coins." Pauline shot a sidelong look at Lorina. Her lips curved into a thin smile.* Pauline: "Isn’t that right, Lorina?" with dissolve Lorina: "Nn..." Pauline: "Oh, but it is quite heart-breaking. Why should an honest, hard-working woman like Miss Aimee be driven away from her place of employment..." with dissolve Lorina turned her head." with dissolve She knew what was coming next.* Pauline: "...when a girl of ill repute such as yourself is still allowed to work here?" with dissolve Reverend Marner: "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." That would, indeed, be nice if it were true...{w} but, over the last week, Lorina had been having some serious doubts. If those who were poor in spirit would inherit the kingdom of heaven, then why did those in the lower echelons of society have to sit at the very back of the church? If Taohua were there, Lorina was sure she would have snorted at the hypocrisy of it all. ...Ah. Why was she pondering the hypocrisy of the Bible, of all things? She had been raised better than that. She was a good, Christian girl; certainly not the kind who would question the verses written in the King James Bible. It must have been Taohua’s fault. The older woman was getting to her. Reverend Marner: "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." But those who had cause to mourn rarely found comfort. When Lorina’s father had died, nobody had come to help the Waugh family. Instead, Lorina’s mother had bitten back her grief, rolled up her sleeves, and diverted all her efforts into the upkeep of her small shop. She had worked from morning until dusk darning socks and sewing lace onto sleeves until her fingers were bent, swollen, and sore, and it hurt for her to even move them. Lorina had helped, for nobody else would, and her mother could hardly afford to employ any assistants. So, too, did Ethel and Mary — but it wasn’t enough. Not with little Alice on the way, and their father lost at the bottom of the ocean... So Lorina became a maid. This was three years ago. It felt like a lifetime. Reverend Marner: "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." But, once more, Lorina could not square this statement with reality. If the meek truly would inherit the earth, why had Miss Aimee been driven away from Bly? It seemed entirely unfair. Reverend Marner: "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." Well, Pauline had been reviling and persecuting Lorina most grandly as of late, but Lorina didn’t feel particularly blessed. If anything, she felt miserable. The only one capable of coming to Lorina’s defence was Taohua. Is that what Reverend Marner meant? Could Taohua be considered a blessing? But Lorina wasn’t sure about that. Taohua, with her black heart and wicked smiles, was more demonic than angelic; hardly a being God would send to comfort Lorina in her darkest hour. Reverend Marner: "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." But maybe Lorina did have cause to be glad after all. She had Taohua... {w}and perhaps Taohua was enough. Lieselotte: "Oh, Ada, you must be so relieved!" with dissolve Ada: "B-But why?" with dissolve Lieselotte: "Did you not hear what Reverend Marner said?" with dissolve Lieselotte smiled brightly, like one who had made a great scientific breakthrough." with dissolve ...Knowing Lieselotte, the chances of that happening were slim to none.* Lieselotte: "‘Blessed are the meek’, he said! The _meek_!" with dissolve Ada: "A-And what does that mean...?" with dissolve Lieselotte: "You are rather meek, aren’t you, Ada?" with dissolve Ada pointed at herself, her cheeks flushing pink." with dissolve Ada: "I-I am?" with dissolve Lieselotte: "Indeed!" with dissolve Ada: "B-But what does it mean to be meek?" with dissolve Lieselotte: "Ummm... I am not entirely sure." with dissolve Lieselotte pondered, tapping one finger against her lower lip." with dissolve Lieselotte: "It is a complex word, and I have been learning English only for five years!" with dissolve Pauline: "Five years is enough, surely." with dissolve Isobel: "If a five-year-old could not speak basic English, I would worry it was an idiot!" with dissolve Lieselotte: "But when I was five I spoke only in Swiss German. My English is not so good..." with dissolve Pauline: "Then why are you acting so enlightened after attending a single sermon, Lottie?" with dissolve Isobel: "I doubt you could even understand it!" with dissolve Lieselotte: "Maybe not — but the reverend has a very... um, how do you say? A rich and passionate voice! It is nice to listen to him... and I quite agree with what he said!" with dissolve Lieselotte smiled proudly, seemingly unaware that Pauline and Isobel were teasing her." with dissolve Lieselotte: "The meek will rule the kingdom of heaven, and then girls such as Ada will be rewarded!" with dissolve Ada: "I-I don’t know if I would feel comfortable ruling anything...!" with dissolve Pauline: "Yes, let’s not let that happen. It would be a right mess." with dissolve Isobel: "Much like your explanations." with dissolve Pauline: "What can you expect from a blonde?" with dissolve Isobel: "Hey, what about me...?" with dissolve Pauline: "You’re not a drippy Swiss maiden like Lottie. It doesn’t count." with dissolve Isobel: "I suppose so..." with dissolve Lieselotte: "I fail to see what my hair colour has to do with anything..." with dissolve Effie: "I like your hair." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Oh, thank you! But..." with dissolve Lieselotte pinched a lock of her blonde hair between her fingertips. She tilted her head to one side." with dissolve Lieselotte: "What do you think, Lorina?" with dissolve Lorina: "I think your hair is very pretty..." But Lorina’s voice was absent. Though she was with her fellow maids in the present, walking through the streets of Ellesmere, her mind was miles away. Lorina: "Ah. If you don’t mind, I need to post a letter." Pauline: "Oh, you and your letters. Why do you even bother?" with dissolve Isobel: "Maids shouldn’t write. We have more important things to worry about." with dissolve Pauline: "Who would want to receive a letter from _you_, anyway?" with dissolve Lorina: "My mother, hopefully..." Pauline: "Your precious mother can’t be that keen on you, or she wouldn’t have sent you away to Bly." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Pauline! You go too far!" with dissolve Ada: "I-I’m sure Lorina’s mother loves her a great deal..." with dissolve Effie: "...Probably." with dissolve Pauline: "Whatever." with dissolve Pauline rolled her eyes. She didn’t look convinced." with dissolve Pauline: "You can do what you want, Lorina — but I shan’t cover for you if you’re late again. I’ll tell Mr Lester and Miss Smithe; I swear I will." with dissolve Lorina knew. She hadn’t expected, for one moment, that Pauline would cover for her. She’d never done it before.* Lorina: "Thank you." Lorina’s reply was stiff. So were her shoulders. Pauline: "You know... You might want to be careful, Lorina." with dissolve Lorina: "Why?" Pauline: "Miss Aimee was sent away from Bly. You never know who will be next." with dissolve Clerk: "Thank you for your patronage, Ma’am." Lorina bowed her head and exited the post office, the bell overhead jingling as she did so. The sound was light and jaunty, and helped lift Lorina’s spirits. Being free from Bly and all those who lived within it — Lady Lennard, Lady Constance, Pauline, and Isobel — for a scant handful of minutes was pure bliss. Lorina could get used to this kind of freedom. Is this what the Kingdom of Heaven was like? Lorina hoped so — but, at the same time, she had begun to doubt whether she would be going there after she died. She shouldn’t have questioned Reverend Marner so. He must have understood religion in far greater depth than she did. He was, after all, a reverend. Lorina was just a maid. With a small sigh, Lorina walked through Ellesmere. As it was a Sunday, all the shops were closed. Lorina only ever went to Ellesmere on a Sunday, and she had never seen the grocer’s open for business, or a queue snaking along the street at the butcher’s. The atmosphere on the day of rest was slow, lazy, and languid, as it should have been. A black cat luxuriated in the spring sunshine. A few butterflies — cabbage patch, judging by their milky white wings — fluttered by in the air. Lorina made her way past chatting old ladies; a few children playing hopscotch on the streets; a tall woman with unusual eyes and long, black hair... Wait a minute. Lorina paused. Her footsteps stilled. She watched the woman as she walked past, her long hair fluttering behind her like an inverted bridal veil. The mysterious woman wore the attire of a maid, with a dark skirt and a sensible white apron, and held a leather case in her right hand rather more elegant than Lorina’s battered trunk with the crushed corner. Lorina recognised her. She hadn’t seen that case before — and a most peculiar case it was, too — but she knew the hand that held it. Lorina: "Taohua...?" Taohua: "Oh?" Taohua turned about, a small smile on her face. Taohua: "My little Lori! This _is_ a pleasant surprise!" And, judging by her tone, she meant it. Lorina’s face flustered. She dropped her head and looked at her shoes. For whatever reason, Taohua’s presence unsettled her...{w} maybe because Lorina had spent much of the Sunday service running the older maid’s face through her mind; thinking of her eyes, her nose, her lips... Wh-Why her lips? Lorina: "Um... It’s not really a surprise. I go to church every Sunday. You should know that." Taohua: "Oh, yes! Silly me! It quite slipped my mind!" Taohua laughed softly. Her laughter was light and elegant. Lorina: "If anything, I should be asking you what _you’re_ doing here. The service ended a few minutes ago, you know." Taohua raised an eyebrow. Taohua: "You think I would come here to go to church?" Lorina: "No, but I can think of no other reason why you would come here. Unless..." Lorina glanced at the case, marvelling at its bizarre hourglass shape. Lorina: "What do you have there?" Taohua: "This?" Taohua glanced at the case and smiled mischievously. Taohua: "This, my little Lori, is a secret." Lorina: "Of course it is." Lorina heaved a heavy sigh. Lorina: "I should have known." Nothing was easy with Taohua. The following day was a Monday, and once more Lorina found herself occupied with the laundry. The young maid sighed, wiping the back of her forehead with her arm, and stepped back to admire her handiwork. After a rigorous half an hour, she finally managed to peg the laundry up on the line. The white linen fluttered like ghosts in the air. If Lieselotte had been there, she would have fainted clean away. What a peculiar girl. Lorina watched the sheets flutter for a while, billowing in a manner that reminded her of ball gowns...{w} not that she had ever been to a ball. Lorina might have been a Cinderella-like figure, forced to scuttle about amongst the ashes and soot, but she would never, ever be able to attend a grand event like that. Not without a fairy godmother. And, speaking of self-appointed fairy godmothers... Taohua: "Hello, Lori. It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?" Lorina: "Taohua..." Lorina glanced at the parlour maid from beneath her eyelashes. Sometimes Lorina forgot, because she often saw Taohua for a scant matter of seconds as they passed in the hallways, but the parlour maid really _was_ tall. Taohua: "I see you’ve been busy doing the laundry?" Lorina: "Yes, well... Pauline was supposed to help, but—" Taohua: "She mysteriously vanished. Am I correct?" Lorina: "She _always_ vanishes — and there’s nothing mysterious about it." Lorina: "She’ll be off bothering the stablehands, or fawning over the valets, or gossiping with Isobel about something-or-other. Something entirely unimportant." Taohua: "That _does_ sound like Pauline." Taohua sighed. The wind made her hair dance mysteriously —{w} almost exotically. The smell of orange peel and bergamot hung in the air; a lingering aroma of tea leaves, perhaps? Being a parlour maid, Taohua spent a good deal of her time serving cups of tea for Lady Lennard and her guests, and she often had a faintly fruity aroma to her. Taohua: "If you wish, I could tell Miss Smithe about it. Pauline’s conduct is abysmal." Lorina: "O-Oh no, it’s fine..." Taohua: "But she’s making your life difficult." And Taohua didn’t know the half of it. If any complaints about Pauline’s conduct were to reach the draconian Miss Smithe, Lorina would be sure to get the blame. Lorina’s life would no longer be worth living if that was the case. Pauline was not a learned woman by any means. She couldn’t read or write. She was, however, unsettlingly sneaky; intelligent when it came to rooting out weak points and exploiting them for maximum effect. Her words rose, once more, to Lorina’s mind: _Slut._ Taohua: "You look perplexed, my little Lori. If Pauline is abusing you to the point where you can’t focus on your work, I might need to take matters into my own hands." Lorina: "I appreciate it, but I’d much rather you didn’t." Taohua: "But, Lori..." Lorina: "What?" Taohua: "I don’t like to see you suffer so. Not when I have the power to help you." Lorina: "I’m not suffering. Don’t exaggerate. I’m stronger than I look." Taohua: "An independent young lady?" Lorina: "Indeed." Lorina didn’t break down after the death of her father, and she wouldn’t break down now. Pauline’s provocations might have been upsetting, but Lorina had dealt with worse. She didn’t need Taohua to fight her battles for her. In fact, that raised an interesting question of its own. Lorina: "Why have you been so nice to me lately?" Taohua: "Do you even need to ask?" Lorina: "Well, I just _did_ ask, so..." Taohua: "Oh, Lori. It’s because I like you, silly." Lorina: "Ah... Y-You, um..." All of a sudden, the spring sunshine seemed a touch warmer than before. It was making Lorina’s cheeks burn — or perhaps they were burning of their own accord. She had not expected _that_. Lorina: "Wh-Why do you like me? You barely know me...!" Taohua: "Because you have such a funny, serious face for such a young girl, and you always work so very hard. You’re tenacious. It’s quite adorable, really." Lorina: "I-I am _not_...!" Taohua: "You definitely are." Lorina: "Hmph...!" Lorina folded her arms and turned her head to one side. Lorina: "I think you have bad taste!" Taohua: "And I think you should have some more self-confidence, Miss Waugh." Taohua tugged at Lorina’s ponytail with her thumb and forefinger. Instinctively, Lorina jerked her head away and gave Taohua a glare. Lorina: "Cut that out...!" The older maid giggled again. Lorina scowled. At least Taohua’s gentle teasing was preferable to the out-and-out cruelty that fell from Pauline’s lips. Taohua: "Now, if you’re finished with the laundry, Lori, would you care to come with me? There is something I wish to show you." Lorina: "Why...?" Taohua: "So suspicious! I just want to show you something cute!" Lorina: "Cute...?" Taohua: "It will cheer you up!" Lorina: "Well..." Taohua: "Please, my little Lori? Please, please, pleaaaase?" It was unlike Taohua to beg. The brazen display was so highly unsuitable for such a cool, calm, aloof woman, Lorina found herself agreeing simply so Taohua would stop. Lorina: "F-Fine! All right! I-I can lend you an ear for five minutes — but _ONLY_ five minutes, you understand?!" Taohua: "Oh, goodie." Taohua smiled brightly and clapped her hands together. Lorina surveyed her, eyes half-lidded and mistrustful; her face flushed the softest shade of peach pink. Why did she feel like she had been manipulated...? As Lorina soon discovered, the ‘something cute’ Taohua wanted to share with her was... Lorina: "A cat?" Taohua: "That’s right!" Taohua beamed proudly, like a mother cradling a newborn babe. The cat the older maid held in her arms was black, its eyes a brilliant green. It bore more than a passing resemblance to the woman petting it, to such an extent it was quite uncanny. The cat nuzzled its fluffy head against Taohua’s chest, its ears twitching. Every once in a while it purred contentedly, batting Taohua’s arm with a padded paw. Lorina: "Where did the cat come from, exactly...?" Taohua: "Well, when a daddy cat loves a mummy cat very much—" Lorina: "Be sensible, please." Taohua: "Oh, my little Lori, I think you are rather _too_ sensible!" Taohua laughed. The cat cradled in her arms shook; roused by the motions of Taohua’s chest. Taohua: "I don’t know where it came from, exactly. I just seem to attract cats. It’s my special talent." Lorina resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Lorina: "While other girls can plait French braids or play the harpsichord, you can summon cats at will." Taohua: "It is quite a useful skill — more so than one might think." Lorina: "I’ll take your word for it." Taohua rubbed her fingers behind her sleepy kitty’s ears. It purred in approval. Lorina: "How long has this cat been coming to Bly?" Taohua: "I’m not entirely sure. He’s been hanging around the gardens for a while. A few months or so." Lorina: "Does he belong to anybody in Ellesmere?" Taohua: "I think he’s a stray." Lorina: "He looks rather well-fed for a stray." Taohua: "Because I am very sentimental, deep down inside, and I love doting on creatures that are smaller and weaker than I." Lorina: "Hmm..." Lorina pondered, one hand behind her chin. Lorina: "You know, I found Lady Constance in the garden a few nights ago." Taohua: "I couldn’t give a stuff about that unpleasant brat." Lorina: "Me neither, but it does make me wonder. She said she heard a cat outside her bedroom window. Could it be this one...?" Taohua: "I don’t know and I don’t care. Either way, I won’t surrender Figaro to her." Lorina: "Figaro...?" Taohua: "After the Mozart opera. _The Marriage of_, you know?" Lorina: "Um, I don’t know very much about the opera... I’ve never even been to London." Taohua: "It’s fine. We don’t all have the same opportunities in life. It can’t be helped." Lorina: "I suppose not, but..." Lorina looked at Taohua curiously. Taohua might have had a higher social status than herself, but she was still only a maid. How many maids could afford to go to the opera? Taohua: "What do you think about my catpanion, Lori? He’s cute, isn’t he?" Lorina: "He is very cute, yes." Taohua: "Well, you can’t have him!" Taohua stuck out her tongue playfully. Lorina resisted the urge to pinch Taohua’s tongue between her thumb and forefinger. Taohua: "Figaro is mine!" Lorina: "I thought you said he was a stray." Taohua: "But he more or less belongs to me. He even comes into my room at night." Lorina: "Ah, yes. ‘Your’ room. I forgot you were so privileged." Taohua: "Hmm... I don’t know if it’s a privilege, really." Lorina: "It definitely is! Most parlour maids wouldn’t receive such special treatment!" Taohua: "I am not like most parlour maids." Taohua sighed, expelling a soft breath into the lukewarm air. Taohua: "I suppose I don’t mind the solitude, but it can become rather disquieting. Human beings were not made to be alone." Lorina: "You mean, you get lonely?" Taohua: "I’m made of flesh and blood like you. Isn’t it normal for people to get lonely?" Lorina: "I don’t know... I never would have expected it from you. You always act like you’re too good to spend time with anybody, so I just assumed..." Taohua: "Is that a problem?" Lorina: "No. It’s kind of endearing, actually." Taohua: "Thank you. I’m glad you find my suffering endearing. It almost makes it all worthwhile." Taohua: "In any event... if you enjoy spending time with Figaro — and he seems rather fond of you — I see no reason for this to be your final farewell." Lorina: "Pardon?" Taohua: "If you wish, you may come and see him in my room." Lorina: "I... But that..." Taohua: "What?" Lorina: "Your room, um... Your room belongs to you...!" Taohua: "Indeed, my room does belong to me. Nicely observed." Lorina pouted. Lorina: "Don’t be like that!" Taohua: "What? Right?" Lorina rolled her eyes heavenwards...{w} though her view of heaven was obscured somewhat by the thicket of trees that surrounded her. According to Taohua, Figaro was fond of the shade. He liked stealing away within the shadows of this more thickly forested area of Bly’s gardens, and rarely padded past these trees. Lorina: "Don’t be facetious. I just meant... It would feel wrong, somehow." Taohua: "Why should it feel wrong? We’re both women. There’s nothing suspect about that, is there? Unless you’re worried about being with _Figaro_..." Lorina: "Obviously, that isn’t an issue!" Taohua: "Then..." Taohua’s eyes narrowed. A small smirk captured her lips. Taohua: "...being with me _is_?" Lorina: "Nn..." Lorina felt herself flustering, despite the relative shade provided by the foliage. She bowed her head, lest Taohua see how pink her cheeks had become. Why did she feel so embarrassed? This invitation was completely innocent...{w} wasn’t it? Lorina didn’t know. It was hard to tell with Taohua. Particularly when Taohua’s earlier words continued to circle about the young maid’s head. Taohua: "_I’m hardly the devil, my little Lori! If you must compare me to a manifestation of evil, then... {w}I would far prefer to be called a succubus._" Lorina: "All right... How should I do this?" Lorina stared at the floor resolutely, rocking back and forth on her heels as she thought. Lorina: "Um... Don’t look so surprised, but I only came here to see Figaro. I don’t really want to see you...!" How did that sound? Was it too defensive? It sounded too defensive, even to Lorina’s ears. Lorina: "Ahem..." Lorina coughed. She could feel her cheeks starting to flush. This was no good. It was no good at all. She’d been standing outside Taohua’s room for five minutes, but she still had no idea how to approach her. The door to Taohua’s room loomed before her in the darkness, unreasonably intimidating. Lorina swallowed. She shifted from foot to foot. Lorina: "Gosh, this is ridiculous... _I’m_ being ridiculous." Lorina: "I’m not here for anything indecent. I just want to see Figaro." That was Lorina’s story, and she was going to stick to it. Lorina: "All you have to do is knock..." Just knock. It really wasn’t that hard. Not compared to some of the hoops Lady Constance made her jump through on a near-daily basis. She could do it. She _would_ do it. And, just like that... ...Lorina knocked against the door. She knocked once. Twice. And then she waited. And waited. And waited. Was Taohua not there...? Maybe this was all a waste of time. The knot of unease in her stomach started to recede. Lorina wasn’t sure if she was happy or sad by this turn of events...{w} but at least she didn’t have to face Taohua. She didn’t know if she could. She turned, ready to depart, when— Taohua: "Oh, my." A soft voice called out to her. The door opened, creaking on its hinges, and there stood Lorina’s unknowing tormentor. Taohua: "Is that you, my little Lori?" Lorina: "D-Don’t call me that...!" Taohua: "I’ll take that as a ‘yes’. Now..." Taohua’s eyes roved over Lorina’s body. Taohua: "Why are you standing out there, silly? Come inside." Lorina: "Thank you..." Lorina was ushered inside, and Taohua closed the door behind her with a dull slam. There was no escaping now. Taohua: "I didn’t expect you to take me up on my offer so quickly, you know." Lorina: "Well, um..." Lorina swallowed. Her throat was dry. Lorina: "I didn’t have anything better to do, so..." Taohua: "I was the last resort?" Lorina: "Your company is preferable to Pauline’s, at least." Taohua: "I should hope so, too! You housemaids can be so catty!" Speaking of which... Lorina glanced about the room, her curious eyes trying to drink in every last detail. Lorina: "Is Figaro here...?" Taohua: "Of course! He and I are inseparable. Look." Taohua crossed the room and sat on the edge of her bed, patting her lap with one hand. As if on cue, Figaro poked his head out from beneath her duvet and padded obediently towards his mistress. Taohua: "There you are. There’s a good boy~ Look — Lori has come to play with you again." Lorina: "Um..." Lorina leant forwards, hands resting on her thighs, and peered at the cat curiously. Lorina: "H-Hello?" Taohua giggled. Taohua: "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but he can’t understand you, Lorina." Lorina: "Sh-Shut up." Taohua: "You would rather sit in silence for an hour?" Lorina: "I didn’t say that..." Taohua: "What a complicated girl. I’m afraid I don’t understand what you want from me. Not one bit." Lorina: "I don’t want anything from you." Just her company. Being in Taohua’s presence was more than enough. With a soft sigh, Lorina took a seat on the edge of Taohua’s bed. Though she had a room to herself, the older maid’s lodgings were not particularly extravagant. Her room was a small one, tucked away beneath the rafters, that sloped down so dangerously low one was in danger of bumping their head if they stood on their tiptoes. At least, a tall woman like Taohua would be. Lorina was in no such immediate danger herself — but the closeness of the ceiling still set her on edge. The room was rather sparse. Taohua owned few personal possessions; no loose ribbons for her hair, or pieces of jewellery, or hand-sewn comforters. There were, however, books; a small stack of them balanced on the floor by Taohua’s bed. On Taohua’s bedside there lay a gilt hairbrush with a thick handle, and a pitcher of water. Lorina: "Is that for Figaro?" Taohua: "Mmmhmm. I do love looking after my pets." Lorina: "You’re far more doting than you look." Taohua shrugged. Taohua: "If I like something, I want to take care of it. That’s basic human nature." Lorina: "I have wondered about that from time to time..." Taohua: "My status as a human being?" Lorina: "Well..." Lorina shifted on the bed. Her skirts felt cool against her flushed skin. Lorina: "I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself. You _are_ quite unusual." Taohua: "I know. I get that a lot." Lorina: "Does it bother you?" Taohua: "My opinion is immaterial." Lorina: "But what do you think?" Taohua: "I think a great deal of things." Lorina: "Then... what do you _want_?" Taohua: "Oh my. This is becoming rather personal." Taohua prodded the tip of Lorina’s nose with her finger. Taohua: "That, my little Lori, is a rather complex question." Lorina: "Just try me." Taohua: "Hmm, well..." Taohua leant forwards, her voice dropping to a whisper. Taohua: "Right now, my little Lori..." Lorina: "Y-Yes?" Taohua leant closer still. The tip of her nose almost bumped against Lorina’s. Taohua: "Do you want to try and guess?" Lorina: "I-I’m not very good at guessing games..." And even closer. Taohua’s lips really were pretty... They were soft and pale pink, like apple blossoms. There had been apple trees at Hartwell, before Lorina had been thrown out in disgrace. The delicate blossoms that spread along the branches during the springtime were beautiful. Lorina had always liked them. Aah... A soft, fragrant aroma lingered around the older woman; of flowers and freshly brewed tea. Orange peel and bergamot. It was dizzying. Taohua: "Right now, my little Lori..." Lorina: "Y-Yes?" Lorina’s eyelashes fluttered. Her cheeks flushed pale pink. Taohua: "I want _you_." Lorina: "A-Ahhh..." For a few moments, it felt as though time had frozen. Even Lorina’s heart, secreted away inside her chest, seemed to cease beating. Her lips parted in a neat little ‘o’ of surprise, like a fairy ring. Did Taohua really mean it? Was she just teasing? Lorina did not know... But she did know, at that moment, Taohua looked incredibly, unbelievably beautiful. Lorina: "Ah... I, um...?" Taohua: "What?" Taohua’s lips curved into an elegant smile. Taohua: "Do you have something you wish to tell me?" Lorina shook her head. Taohua: "Then... Something you want to show me?" She nodded. Taohua: "And what would that be?" Lorina: "I... I just realised, um... I never properly thanked you for helping me all those times before, um... And I don’t want to be indebted to you anymore, so..." Taohua: "So...?" Lorina: "So, um... Here..." And with that... Taohua: "Mmph...?" ...Lorina pressed her lips firmly against Taohua’s. The smell of orange peel grew even stronger; almost intoxicating. Lorina’s head swam. Taohua’s lips... really were soft. Lorina’s fingers entwined with Taohua. The palms of their hands pressed flush together. Lorina could feel her chest pressing up against Taohua’s. They were so close, there wasn’t a single inch of space between them. The taste of Taohua’s saliva... The warmth of her body... The smell of her skin... It was more intoxicating than Lorina had ever imagined. Lorina didn’t know how she managed to make her way back to the servants’ quarters after that rather...{w} intense...{w} encounter with Taohua. She walked through the hallway on unsteady legs that threatened to give out beneath her at any given moment. The sixteen steep steps she had to climb to her attic bedroom was a perilous trek indeed; even more dangerous than an expedition to the Arctic. When Lorina entered her room, still clad in her maid’s uniform, her hair rumpled and her cheeks pale pink, she looked so out of sorts not even Pauline could poke fun at her. But that didn’t stop her from being suspicious. Pauline: "And where on earth have _you_ been?" with dissolve Lorina: "Oh, um... Miss Smithe wanted me." with dissolve Pauline: "Why is your face red?" with dissolve Isobel: "You haven’t been drinking, have you?" with dissolve Effie: "...Not the black fluid." with dissolve Lorina: "Um..." Lorina blinked at Effie, her curiosity momentarily trumping her confusion. _What_ black fluid? Lieselotte: "Oh, Lorina! You can’t turn to the bottom of a bottle for solace! My Uncle Oscar took to the drink after the death of my Aunt Fredrika, and he was never the same since!" with dissolve Lorina appreciated the concern, she supposed — but why did Lieselotte’s concern have to so very loud, and so very Swiss?" with dissolve It was giving her a headache.* Lorina: "D-Don’t worry about me. I’m fine." Lorina: "And I haven’t been _drinking_, for goodness’ sake." Just Taohua’s saliva — which was even sweeter than Lorina had allowed herself to imagine... Not that she routinely spent time imagining the taste of Taohua’s saliva, of course. Pauline: "Hmm. You look rather unsteady on your legs." with dissolve Ada: "M-Maybe you should sit down...!" with dissolve Lorina: "R-Really, I... I’m fine, um... I think I just feel a bit of a cold coming on." with dissolve And, to further prop up her flimsy lie, Lorina coughed quite feebly into her hands." with dissolve Pauline: "Urgh..." with dissolve Pauline pulled a face and shifted back in her bed, trying to put as much space between herself and Lorina’s phantom pathogens as possible." with dissolve Pauline: "If you _are_ sick, make sure you don’t infect me!" with dissolve Isobel: "We don’t want your diseases!" with dissolve Lorina: "I... I-I’ll do my best..." Lorina’s head spun. Her fingers were trembling. So, too, was her heart. Maybe, she considered weakly, it wasn’t a lie after all. Maybe she really was sick. She felt sick. Sick in the head. Sick in the heart. Why had she kissed Taohua? What had come over her? What on earth would her mother say? Her mother... Maybe she should write a letter. That might make her feel better... Or it could make her feel worse. Knowing Lorina, it would make her feel worse — but she couldn’t know until she tried. Lorina: "This is impossible..." Lorina exhaled heavily and ran her hands through her hair. She looked over the letter she had written. Frowned. Bit her lower lip. Struck through the last line she had written with her quill once, then twice, then thrice. Over and over and over again. The nib of the quill bled black ink over the paper, obscuring her introduction— _Dear Mother, Ethel, Mary, and Alice_ —and Lorina sighed again, crumpling the piece of paper between her fingers. This would not do. How on earth could she ever explain this? She didn’t understand it herself, so how could she write it down in neat, pretty little words — and to her own mother, no less? _Dear Mother, Tillie and I have become much closer since I last wrote you. In fact, we have become closer than I ever dared to imagine—_ Lorina: "Noooooo..." Lorina moaned in defeat and buried her head in her hands. She was not simply ‘close’ with Taohua. Lorina was relatively close with Ada — about as close as their schedules would allow — and Lorina had never felt a particular desire to kiss her. It was just Not Done. So Not Done, in fact, it deserved to be written with capital letters. Lorina: "I’m such an idiot..." Lorina mumbled into her hands. Nobody replied. The other maids were fast asleep. If only Ethel was there. Ethel would have known what to say. Ethel always knew what to say. Though Ethel was only fifteen, their mother always said she was an ‘old soul in a young body’. Lorina thought it a fair comparison. Ethel was popular with the opposite sex. She was a sensible sort of girl, good with managing finances and making ends meet, who would make an enviable wife. It didn’t hurt that she was so very pretty. Prettier than Lorina. She probably had more experience than Lorina did. The baker’s son back in Liverpool had been awfully fond of Ethel. As for Lorina... That brief moment she had shared with Taohoua had been her very first kiss. Why had she done it...? Maybe Ethel would have known, but Lorina had no idea how to ask. Lorina took the crumpled sheet of paper, just one failure out of many, and hid it inside her pillowcase with the rest of the false starts. Then, she took another piece of paper and began to ponder yet again. _Dear Mother, Ethel, Mary, and Alice. I hope you have been well. I..._ _I..._ _I..._ _I...?_ Lorina: "I-I have no idea what to say...!" Lady Constance was in a foul mood and, for once, Lorina didn’t blame her. Lorina would have been in a foul mood if Miss Ingrid was her governess, too...{w} not that she’d ever had a governess. Her family was much too poor to afford such a luxury. But a governess like Miss Ingrid, with her eagle eyes and perpetually frowning mouth, did not seem like such a luxury. If anything, she was a curse. Lorina: "W-Well, um... If that’s everything..." Lorina set the plate of jam tarts down on the table with trembling fingers. The rim of the plate clinked against the wood surface. Though the sound was slight, the young maid still tensed. The atmosphere in the drawing room was oppressive. The curtains were open, allowing the warm spring sunshine to filter through the air, but Lorina still shivered. There was something about Miss Ingrid’s presence — her white skin, her glacial tone, her narrowed eyes — that seemed to suck all the heat from her immediate surroundings. Perhaps, Lorina fond herself pondering, she was a relative of Reverend Marner’s. That would explain a thing or two. Speaking of which, Lorina was not looking forward to church tomorrow... Lorina: "I, um... I-I suppose I will be on my way now..." Miss Ingrid: "As you should. A maid like yourself has no use here." with dissolve Lorina: "I thought as much..." Miss Ingrid raised an eyebrow. Her eyebrows were plucked carefully, and were just as slender as her lips. Almost non-existent. Miss Ingrid: "Did that require a response, maid?" with dissolve Lorina: "N-No, Miss Ingrid..." Miss Ingrid: "Then do not speak when you are not spoken to. You are dismissed." with dissolve Lorina: "Y-Yes..." with dissolve Thoroughly browbeaten, the downtrodden maid turned about. She was ready to exit the drawing room, when— Constance: "Excuse me." Lady Constance’s voice, impetuous as ever, cut through the air. It was so forceful, it almost seemed to part the dust motes. Constance: "Miss Ingrid may have excused you, maid, but I gave no such commands. Do you place more importance on her words than mine?" Lorina: "W-Well, um..." Lorina glanced at Lady Constance from beneath her eyelashes. Unsure of what expression to settle on — apologetic? Embarrassed? Ashamed? — Lorina’s lips contorted themselves into a confused, complicated frown. Lorina: "Miss Ingrid is of a higher social standing than I am, so—" Constance: "And _I_ am of a higher social standing than _her_. Isn’t that right, Ingrid?" Miss Ingrid: "That is _Miss_ Ingrid, if you do not mind." with dissolve Constance: "Well, I _do_ mind." with dissolve Lady Constance glared at her new governess. Her eyes were challenging. Constance: "_Ingrid_." Miss Ingrid: "If you push this too far, Miss, I will have to inform your mother." with dissolve Constance: "Inform her all you like! It makes no difference to me! If you have to talk to my mother about every little thing I do, it will only prove how incompetent you are!" with dissolve Constance: "Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?" Miss Ingrid: "I have no cause to feel shame. You are the one who should feel shame, Miss, for behaving like a child." with dissolve Constance: "Wh-What was that...?" with dissolve Miss Ingrid: "You might be a lady, but you’re still a young girl. You need to be educated to a satisfactory degree — else those in your social sphere, I fear, will call you a dunce. Do you want that?" with dissolve Lady Constance gritted her teeth together. Her eyebrows furrowed." with dissolve Constance: "You... H-How dare you..." Miss Ingrid: "It is not ‘how dare I’, Miss. How dare _you_?" with dissolve Miss Ingrid: "With all due respect, I am deeply disgusted by your conduct. You have been allowed to do whatever you want for far too long, but that will change henceforth." Miss Ingrid: "I will make you change, whether you want to or not." Miss Ingrid: "In case you have not realised, I am rather good at bending little girls to my will. Particularly little girls like you, who think they’re far more important than they really are." Constance: "I _am_ important! I come from a far richer family than yours!" with dissolve Miss Ingrid: "Wealth is immaterial if you are morally bankrupt." with dissolve Constance: "Th-Those are high words indeed, coming from a governess!" with dissolve Miss Ingrid: "Oh dear. And now you are losing your temper — in front of a mere maid, no less. That is no way for a true lady to conduct herself. What do you think?" with dissolve Lorina: "O-Oh, um..." with dissolve Lorina hadn’t expected to be addressed so suddenly; especially not by a woman who seemed to regard her as some sort of chess piece. A pawn on the board.* But even a pawn could become a queen if guided by the hand of an expert player. Was Miss Ingrid trying to use her as a bartering chip? Miss Ingrid: "Well. Tell me what you think of your mistress, maid — or are you so very subservient, you have grown to fear a twelve-year-old girl?" with dissolve Oh, that _stung_. Taohua had already taken Lorina to task over this. She didn’t want Miss Ingrid to join in. Lorina: "I must admit, it _is_ hard to respect somebody when they are so frequently losing their temper. I doubt any of the maids truly see you as their superior, Miss." Miss Ingrid: "And there you have it. This is how others see you. How does that make you feel, Miss?" with dissolve Lady Constance’s expression twisted. She looked outraged." with dissolve Constance: "I really, really hate you." Miss Ingrid: "Good. Then perhaps you will put some actual effort into improving your attitude. Try to prove me wrong." with dissolve Lorina could not help but be impressed." with dissolve Though she herself did not like Miss Ingrid, her methods seemed to be most effective. More effective than Miss Aimee’s, in any case. Perhaps, with time, Miss Ingrid would even be able to shape Lady Constance into a decent human being... ...unless Lady Constance killed her first. Lieselotte: "Have you seen Lady Constance’s newest governess?" with dissolve Ada: "Oh, um... Miss Ingrid, right?" with dissolve Lieselotte: "That’s right! I have no idea what to make of her!" with dissolve Ada: "She... She’s a little scary..." with dissolve Lieselotte: "I think so, too! She scolded me the other day because I did not polish the fireplace in the drawing room sufficiently!" with dissolve Effie: "How cruel..." with dissolve Lieselotte: "I know!" with dissolve Lieselotte threw her arms in the air. She looked peeved." with dissolve Effie: "I’ll comfort you all you want." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Thank you, Effie! You are so good to me!" with dissolve Lieselotte: "Oh, it is so frustrating, though! What does it even matter? Miss Ingrid was not using the fireplace! She just wanted to scold me, I think!" Ada: "She... Sh-She scolded me, too... Sh-She said it was impolite to look at my feet when I spoke to her..." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Well, that is what she deserves! I have never seen a more wicked woman!" with dissolve Ada: "I-I am sure she has some good in her deep down inside...?" with dissolve Lieselotte: "It must be very, _very_ deep down!" with dissolve Lieselotte: "Goodness, she is worse than the witch of Belalp!" Sunday morning found four of Bly’s maids — Lorina, Lieselotte, Effie, and Ada — making their way to St Mary’s. Pauline and Isobel must have left already.* As the four maids walked together companionably, Lieselotte complained the whole while. Lorina didn’t really mind Lieselotte’s complaints. Her voice — light and lilting, inflected with a Swiss German accent — was rather charming; even when she was in a state of distemper. But Lorina could hardly focus on Lieselotte. Her explanation about the witch of Belalp was nothing more than a background hum. The sky up above was a bright, peerless blue, studded here and there with fluffy white clouds. The wheat swayed in the breeze, seeming to sigh softly with each slight motion. The air was soft and sweet. The fragrance of wild flowers and ground dirt mingled together in a rich, heady aroma. ...Not quite as rich, however, as the pervading scent of orange peel and bergamot that hung about Taohua. ...Taohua. Lorina traced an image of the older maid within her mind’s eye; her black hair, her green eyes, her pale pink lips... Just like the apple blossoms on the trees in Hartwell’s expansive orchard. Lorina: "Haa..." A deep sigh drew itself from Lorina’s breast. Lieselotte: "Oh?" with dissolve Lieselotte looked at Lorina curiously. Her blonde curls fluttered in the breeze, tumbling about her shoulders like a princess’." with dissolve Lieselotte: "That was a big sigh, Lorina!" with dissolve Lorina: "I can’t help it." with dissolve Lieselotte: "You should try to help it! My Uncle Rudolf always says, when you sigh you are letting happiness escape from your body!" with dissolve Lieselotte had rather too many uncles and aunts. Lorina could never keep track of them." with dissolve Instead, the young maid sighed again, and wiped her eyes with the back of her arm. Lorina: "Sorry. I’m sleepy." Lieselotte: "You have been looking rather, as you English say, ‘peaky’ as of late." with dissolve Ada peered at Lorina anxiously, her eyes wide." with dissolve Ada: "I-I hope you’re not feeling sick..." with dissolve Effie: "Get well soon." with dissolve Truth be told, Lorina _was_ feeling sick — but it was no physical affliction. Rather, the young maid was suffering from a sickness of the heart.* Whenever Lorina saw Taohua, her cheeks started to flush. The sensation of lips against her own lingered in her mind...{w} and then she forgot everything. Even her own name. It was quite the predicament. If Lorina hadn’t have known better, she would have thought she was lovesick — but Lorina wasn’t in love with Taohua. That was ridiculous. She couldn’t be! Lorina was much too English to fall in love with another woman...{w} wasn’t she? She didn’t know. But Lorina tried to force a smile all the same. Lorina: "Don’t worry about me, you three. I appreciate the thought, but I’ll be fine." Lieselotte: "If you are quite sure..." with dissolve Ada: "U-Um... I-If you have any problems, you can talk to me at any time! I, um... I know I’m not very useful, but I’ll try to help!" with dissolve Lorina’s smile grew. This time, she did not need to force it. It was difficult to remain unhappy when she was with Ada. Lorina: "Thanks. That means a lot to me. Really." But how would her mood fare when she crossed the threshold of St Mary’s...? Lorina hardly dared to imagine. Reverend Marner: "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith." It was a miserable thing indeed, Lorina mused, to sit silently through a Sunday service while convinced she was going to go to hell. Lorina had never once considered kissing another woman before, even as an idle whim, so why... Why had she done it? She did not know the answer to that herself, and it was beginning to upset her. Reverend Marner: "Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." Did she have an evil conscience? Lorina wasn’t sure. It was true she had a bit of a temper on her, and sometimes she would curse under her breath or take the Lord’s name in vain, but that was not _so_ very wicked, was it? Even her mother, who was one of the most upstanding Christian women Lorina knew, had cause to curse on occasions; generally when a customer refused to pay a fair sum, or she poked herself in the finger with the tip of the sewing needle. But there was a difference between one or two vulgarities and a shared kiss between two women —{w} on the lips, no less. Oh, God... Reverend Marner: "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins..." Lorina knew her conduct had been poor, but she had been unable to help herself. In that moment, despite knowing what was wrong and what was right, she had wanted, more than anything, to kiss Taohua. She had wanted it so badly, it was like a physical ache. Merely remembering it was embarrassing... But, the most embarrassing point of all was, Lorina wasn’t ashamed. She felt guilty, yes, and something inside her breast told her she had done ill — but she did not regret it. If given another chance, she would have kissed Taohua again. She wanted to kiss her even now. Reverend Marner: "But a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." Even if it would make the whole world revile and turn against her. Lorina didn’t care. Over the course of the last month, Taohua had been her only ally at Bly. While Ada and Lieselotte were kind in their own way, they were incapable of standing up to Lady Constance or to Pauline and Isobel. Taohua was different. Lorina trusted the older woman. She knew, when Taohua claimed she would do something, she did it, and that made her a reliable ally. Was that why she had kissed her, then? Was it ceremonial? To cement their newfound understanding? ...But that didn’t seem quite right either. Reverend Marner: "And again, The Lord shall judge his people." So she would be judged. Did that matter overly much? Lorina couldn’t help how she felt, though she didn’t fully understand what her feelings were. And yet... Though it was frowned upon, Lorina didn’t see why it should be _so_ very sinful. During the last three years of being in service, Lorina had been unable to pursue what she wanted. She had been bound by the orders and instructions of others; to such an extent that, when Arthur Pickering cornered her in the library and told her she had pretty eyes, of all things... The young girl shook her head. She didn’t want to think about that. She _wouldn’t_ think about that. She just wanted, for the first time in three years, to do something for her own sake. To do something that made her happy. ...Yes. It was true. Being with Taohua made her happy. Reverend Marner: "But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul." Now, why should a merciful Lord begrudge her for that? Lorina: "A-All right! Thank you!" Clerk: "It’s no problem. I’ll see you next week, Miss! Have a nice day!" Lorina: "You too!" Lorina exited the post office. As usual, the bell above the door jingled. It had taken Lorina longer to post her letter than she had thought. The queue had been unusually large that day; held up by a woman insistent on shipping a parcel filled with dairy goods to Bath. The poor clerk behind the counter had argued with the woman until he was blue in face; pointing out, over and over again, that such shipments were against standard protocol. Lorina quite agreed. What was the point in trying to send perishables through the postal service — and to _Bath_, no less? Perhaps the woman was trying to kill the intended recipient. She had certainly managed to waste twenty minutes of Lorina’s life. Twenty minutes she wasn’t going to get back. During that time, Lorina had wondered whether she should send her letter at all. She hadn’t gone into great detail about her relationship with ‘Tillie’, but that wasn’t for lack of trying. Lorina had attempted, most gallantly, to explain the situation...{w} but she couldn’t. It was far too confusing. Everything felt confusing as of late. Lorina: "Ah..." Oh, why was she so _stupid_? And, if Lorina’s intelligence needed any further questioning— Lorina: "O-Oof...!" Taohua: "Oh, my. We really must stop meeting like this." —she just _had_ to walk into Taohua. Of course she did. That was how these things worked. Lorina: "A-Ah, um, I... I-I..." Lorina took a few shocked, shuffling steps backwards, and blinked at Taohua in surprise. Lorina: "Wh-Why are _you_ here?" It sounded more accusatory than Lorina intended. Taohua: "Why shouldn’t I be here? Am I doing something wrong?" Lorina: "N-No, but..." The wind stirred and Taohua’s dark hair fluttered gently in the breeze. Lorina stared. She could not stop herself. Taohua: "I know I am undeniably attractive, my little Lori, but you do not need to look at me quite so intensely. I fear you will burn a hole through my head." Lorina: "That wasn’t the intention. Um..." Lorina: "What are you doing here this week?" And did it, Lorina wondered, have anything to do with the curious case she had been carrying the previous Sunday? Taohua: "I just wanted to make an inquiry. That’s all." Lorina: "What about?" Taohua: "Something precious. An heirloom." Lorina: "Heirloom...?" Taohua: "Yes. It’s an item that was given to me a while ago, by somebody very important. I thought the strings needed tuning, so I took it in for repairs last week. You might have seen me carrying it." Lorina: "Ah... That case..." Taohua: "That case indeed." Lorina: "So, what was in it? Some kind of instrument?" Taohua: "Indeed. I always knew you were a clever girl." Lorina: "You could have told me that when I asked." Taohua: "But what about the mystery?!" Lorina: "Not everything needs to be a mystery." Taohua: "Why don’t we try a riddle, then? What kind of instrument do you think it might be?" Lorina: "Well, you said it had strings, so..." Lorina: "A violin, maybe?" Taohua: "Incredible! You’re smarter than you look!" Lorina: "I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that." Lorina frowned. Lorina: "But violins are expensive, aren’t they?" Taohua: "Indeed they are. Mine was made in Cremona almost eighty years ago." Lorina: "Cremona?" Taohua: "In Italy. The craftsmanship is first-rate. So is the sound. It’s very precious — not just subjectively, but objectively, too." Lorina: "Th-That’s incredible..." Lorina didn’t know much about music, but she knew enough to realise that a genuine Italian violin would cost a horrendous amount of money. Instruments were not toys any person could pick up and play with. Only the rich could afford such luxuries, for that was what music was. A luxury. Once more, Lorina was reminded of Taohua’s offhand comment a handful of days ago. Taohua: "_It’s like the Mozart opera. _The Marriage of Figaro_, you know?_" The more Lorina learnt about Taohua, the more curious she became. Taohua’s past sprawled out behind her like a labyrinth. Lorina was beginning to wonder whether she should keep a spool of thread to hand when they conversed so she could better navigate herself. Lorina: "How were you able to afford something like that...?" Taohua: "I didn’t. It was given to me." Lorina: "Whoever it was must have liked you a lot, to give you something so costly." Taohua: "I believe she liked me well enough, yes." Taohua: "Do you want me to show you? I can, if you’re interested." Lorina: "Well... If you don’t mind." Taohua: "If I minded I wouldn’t have offered, silly." It was a good point. This was a rare opportunity. Lorina didn’t want to let it go. She didn’t know when she would have another chance. She wanted to learn more about Taohua. She was almost desperate. Maybe this violin was the key. Lorina found herself sitting in a parlour at a wooden table. Taohua sat to her left, one leg folded across the other, her dark hair falling across her shoulders. On the opposite side of the table were two young women who looked curiously familiar. One of the women had dark hair tied in two neat buns. The other, meanwhile, seemed to be around Ethel’s age, so maybe ‘girl’ would be more fitting. Her hair was blonde, her lips were soft pink, and her skin was fair. Lorina: "You... I-I met you after church that one time!" Strange woman: "Ah, yes. It is a pleasure!" The older woman beamed, clapping her hands together. Strange woman: "I did wonder when I would be able to sit down and have a proper conversation with you, Lorina." Haughty girl: "Hmph... In my opinion, it would be better if we didn’t bother..." Strange woman: "Oh, hush, Emilie." Lorina: "Um... I, um..." Now utterly confused, Lorina glanced curiously about her surroundings. The curtains and carpet were a rich, wine red hue, and the furniture seemed to be made of oak. It all looked very expensive. Lorina sniffed. The air smelt homey — of chamomile tea and old books. Emilie: "Hey. Why are you sniffing the air like a dog? Are you trying to insult us?" Lorina: "O-Oh!" Lorina started. The sullen blonde — Emilie, was it? — was glaring at her. Her glare was so intense, one could have been forgiven for assuming Lorina had barged into her home, uninvited, and vomited on her shoes. Lorina: "I’m sorry..." Emilie: "You should be. What are you, a dog?" Taohua: "My little Lori is many things, but she is _not_ a dog." Strange woman: "So she isn’t your cute puppy, Taohua?" Taohua: "No. Not yet, at any rate." Strange woman: "Oh, my. But she seems so well-trained already! The way she followed you in here, all lost and confused, was particularly adorable!" Taohua: "I enjoyed it when she almost tripped over her own feet." Strange woman: "Ah, yes! That was very cute, too! Delightfully charming!" Lorina: "Um, excuse me? Can you stop talking about me like I’m not here?" Taohua: "Oh, I apologise. Duly noted." Lorina: "You don’t sound very apologetic..." Taohua: "You know me too well!" Lorina sighed. Now, _why_ had she wanted to get closer to Taohua again? The whole thing was more trouble than it was worth. Lorina: "So, um... What are your names?" Strange woman: "Oh, yes. I should have introduced myself sooner. My name is Theodora, and this is my younger sister, Emilie." Emilie: "A pleasure." Lorina: "Right..." Lorina had never met anybody who made that phrase sound less pleasurable before in her life. Theodora and Emilie, was it...? She would try to remember that. Lorina: "And how do you know who I am?" Theodora: "Don’t look so suspicious, dear! There’s nothing underhanded afoot! I promise!" Lorina: "I’ll decide that for myself when you tell me the truth." Theodora: "The truth, hmm?" The older woman pondered, her head tilted to one side. Theodora: "You see, Taohua is a dear friend of my family. I’ve known her for quite some time — since she was even younger than my adorable little sister, in fact!" Theodora: "She’s told Emilie and myself all about you already; on numerous occasions!" Theodora: "Though we’ve not been formally introduced before, I knew you on sight. Taohua is quite taken with you, after all!" Lorina: "T-Taken...?" Lorina blinked. Her cheeks flushed. What on earth did _that_ mean? Emilie: "Taohua has always been over-protective. She was worried some of the maids were mistreating you, so she asked us to keep an eye out." Emilie: "I didn’t want to help. I thought it sounded like a pain, but..." Emilie: "I’ve known Taohua for a long while, so I thought I might as well. It’s the honourable thing to do." Taohua: "My, my, Emilie. You’ve become such a gentleman!" Emilie: "Shut up..." Taohua: "But your tongue remains as crude as ever..." Theodora: "I am always saying she could stand to work on her manners." Taohua: "And how is the work on my violin progressing? Do you have any news?" Theodora: "It’s been a week, Taohua. You didn’t think the repairs would be finished in a scant seven days, did you?" Taohua: "God created the world in six." Theodora: "Marvellous though I may be, I am not God. Not even _I_ would go that far." Taohua: "How humble..." Theodora: "I’m incredibly humble!" Taohua: "I understand these things can take a while, and yet..." Theodora: "You would rather I cut corners, increasing the speed of production but reducing the quality?" Taohua: "No, I suppose not..." Taohua: "But..." Taohua made a show of pouting and traced the top of the table with her fingertip. Taohua: "That violin is my baby! I’ve had it for more than a decade! I’m protective of it!" Theodora: "Does that mean you don’t trust me?" Taohua: "Of course I trust you, but all mothers get a bit broody when they can’t see their babies." Theodora: "The bond between a musician and their instrument is a wonderful thing. I’m so lucky my line of work allows me to see such passion on a daily basis!" Emilie: "Sister, you exaggerate. You don’t have _that_ many customers." Theodora: "It’s hardly my fault the residents of this village are philistines who don’t appreciate a good concerto." Emilie: "You would make so much more money if you moved to London. I don’t know why you insist on being so stubborn..." Theodora: "Because this is our father’s business — and our grandfather’s before him! You wouldn’t be so callous as to abandon our family ties, would you? What of our _roots_?!" Emilie: "I don’t care for roots. I would rather go to London. When I think of all the pretty dresses I could buy there and the parties I could attend..." Theodora: "You’re too spoilt, Emi." Emilie: "There’s no such thing!" Theodora: "I think there is. I’ve bought you too many gifts." Theodora: "I lavish you with love and affection — and for what? For you to tell me you would rather move to London, of all places!" Emilie: "But it’s boring here." Theodora: "And what do you suppose our dear Mother and Father would do when they return from Zanzibar, only to discover we have sold their house and moved to the city?" Emilie: "You’re being awfully optimistic, assuming their return is still a given. It’s been more than five years." Theodora: "Oh, my little Emi. So cynical!" Emilie: "Get off me! St-Stop prodding my cheeks!" Theodora: "But I want to! I’m your sister! Aren’t I allowed?" Emilie: "N-No! N-Not in front of the guests...!" Taohua: "Please don’t worry your pretty little head about me, Emilie. I have no qualms about watching cute girls squirm." Emilie: "Wh-Why, you..." Emilie batted her sister’s fingers away and shot Taohua a glare strong enough to wither roses. Emilie: "Y-You really are awful, Taohua. My sister’s always a nuisance, but she gets even worse when she sees you." Taohua: "We just have similar tastes, that’s all. It is a pleasure to converse with like-minded individuals." Theodora: "Yes, indeed! I have yet to find another person who shares my pure, honest, heartfelt feelings for cute girls!" Taohua: "I was talking about the music, actually, but... I suppose that also works." Theodora: "Oh, um..." Theodora, whom Lorina was beginning to suspect was something of a fool, laughed sheepishly. Theodora: "I-I... I knew that..." Emilie: "Of course you did, dear sister. Of course." A soft breeze caught the curtains so they fluttered. Lorina could see individual particles of dust dancing in the air, flickering like fairies. What would it be like to own a house like this, all to herself? Lorina didn’t know. She couldn’t imagine it. She’d been much too poor for the majority of her life to even contemplate such a thing. Taohua: "My little Lori? Is something wrong?" Lorina sighed. Lorina: "I’m fine." Taohua: "If you really were fine you wouldn’t be pulling such a face." Lorina: "What face?" Taohua: "Like you’ve just seen a beloved family pet get hit by carriage." Lorina: "You’re reading into it too deeply. I’m fine. I promise." Taohua: "And you’re not jealous, are you?" Lorina: "J-Jealous? Of what?" Taohua: "I’m not sure. Perhaps _you_ should tell _me_ that." Lorina: "I... There are many things that I could be jealous about — but jealousy is a sin, and it’s not a productive way to spend my time." Taohua: "Well, if you’re sure... I was worried you might be envious of my relationship with these two lovely ladies." Lorina: "N-No..." Taohua: "So you’re not?" Lorina: "N-Not at all..." Taohua: "Not even a little bit?" Lorina shook her head. Taohua smiled. Taohua: "Well, good. It would be foolish to be jealous. My relationship with these women is one of business. I have been a customer of Theodora’s for quite some time — and, where Theodora is, Emilie is never too far away." Theodora: "Oh, Taohua, how cruel! We have known one another for years, and you say our relationship is strictly one of ‘business’? I even brought you home to meet my parents!" Taohua: "I had your father appraise my violin. I was hardly seeking his approval for a future wedding." Theodora: "Oh, oh, oh...! How she wounds me...!" Theodora collapsed back against her chair, one hand held on her quivering bosom. Theodora: "I fear my heart will break... I cannot go on. This world has not been kind to me! Now I must depart..." Taohua: "If you _do_ decide to snuff it, would you kindly reimburse me beforehand? I don’t pay people for unfinished work." Theodora sniffled, wiping imaginary tears from the corners of her eyes. Theodora: "You drive a hard bargain..." Taohua: "It is the best way to get things done." Emilie: "My sister is very talented at her craft but she is unforgivably lazy. You need to give her a prod every once in a while, or she will fall into inertia. " Theodora: "You don’t need to prod too hard. Having an adorable little sister around, who demands only the finest clothes and ribbons for her hair, is incentive enough to work!" Taohua tapped her fingers against the inside of her arm. Taohua: "It has been a week, Theodora..." Theodora: "And I already told you, it will take longer than a week! I know your violin is important to you — you’ve brought it in for maintenance enough times — and I don’t want to rush it!" Theodora: "Were you hoping to discover something new by returning here so soon?" Taohua: "Not particularly. I just wanted to show off." Theodora: "Show off...?" Taohua: "I thought my little Lori might be interested in seeing my violin. It is my pride and joy, after all, and I enjoy letting others gaze upon it." Emilie: "You make it sound like something indecent..." Taohua: "How is a mother showing off her baby indecent? There can be nothing purer!" Theodora: "They can look but not touch, hmm?" Taohua: "Indeed. You are the only one, other than myself, who is permitted to fondle something so precious!" Theodora: "And she says our relationship is ‘strictly business’... What am I, a strumpet?" Emilie: "Sometimes, I do wonder..." Theodora: "E-Emi...? Are you trying to damage my reputation?!" Emilie: "You damage it enough yourself, Sister, when you drink too much gin and then start swearing like a sailor." Theodora: "Shh! That’s a secret!" Taohua: "It’s all right, Theodora. I know all about your vices already." Theodora: "I don’t have any vices! I’m as pure as the driven snow!" Emilie: "If you want to discount the gin." Taohua: "And the cursing." Emilie: "She doesn’t even go to church every single Sunday." Taohua: "How scandalous!" Lorina: "Says you... You don’t go to church at all..." Theodora: "Hmph... I’m sure our Father up in Heaven, hallowed be his name, etc, etc, won’t mind if I miss a sermon or two here and there. Nobody’s perfect." Emilie: "Least of all you." Theodora: "There are many areas I am deficient in, but caring for instruments is not one of them. In fact, I shall prove it. You can be the judge of this yourself, Lorina." Lorina: "Who, me?" Theodora: "That’s right. Taohua came here to show off her baby, did she not? I’ll go and fetch it for her." Lorina: "B-But, um... I don’t know anything about music." Theodora: "It’s fine. You don’t need to understand fine art to appreciate it. If you have eyes you’ll see what I mean soon enough." And, just as Theodora had said... Lorina: "W-Wow..." Lorina blinked at the instrument, sitting innocuously on the table. The sunlight streamed in through the open window, playing across the wooden casing so it shimmered. Its casing was a soft, nutty brown, with reddish hues running through it, and it contrasted beautifully with the dark black of the ebony neck. The violin was round in shape, soft, almost feminine, somehow, and practically seemed to invite caresses from wandering fingertips. It was the kind of instrument that begged to be played — even by a clumsy girl like Lorina, who could not have coaxed a single note out of it, let alone a soaring concerto. Though its delicate, hourglass-shaped body was marked here and there with small scratches, it was an undeniable work of art. Lorina felt almost humbled to imagine the hands that must have pored over the creation of such a precise, perfect object of beauty almost — how old had Taohua said it was...? More than a century...? It was incredible, really, that the instrument had survived for such a protracted period of time — particularly given how thin the neck looked. It was just like the stem of a flower. It must have been cared for tenderly. That was probably why the maple wood was marked here and there with scuffs. It was not because the violin was unloved. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The violin was scarred precisely _because_ Taohua cared for it so deeply that she continued to play it. If you loved something, you did not simply let it sit in a corner and gather dust. True love was only displayed by continued use — and this violin had been used frequently. But that only made it all the more attractive. Lorina: "It really is beautiful..." Taohua: "Indeed it is. I knew you would understand, my little Lori." Theodora: "It’s a true work of art. Any collector would kill to have it in their collection." Lorina: "L-Literally kill?" Theodora: "Yes, quite literally. There are few things in life worth committing murder over, but a violin like this...!" Theodora: "To end another’s life in a jet of crimson for the sake of such a fine specimen..." Theodora: "I can understand that perfectly." Emilie observed her sister with narrowed eyes. Much like Queen Victoria, she did not look amused. Emilie: "I know you’ve been eyeing it up for a while, Sister." Theodora: "H-Hey! Don’t make insinuations about my trustworthiness, Emi! I would never steal an instrument from a client...!" Taohua: "You better not, Theo, or I would hurt you." Theodora: "I-I wouldn’t!" Taohua: "_A lot_." Theodora gulped. Lorina had to admit, there was something rather troubling about Taohua’s statement... Her wide smile didn’t really help. Emilie, for her part, remained unmoved by the thought of her sister’s impending demise. Emilie: "If you do get hurt, Sister, you deserve it. You act like an old man chasing the ankles of a pretty young chit." Taohua: "She’s so desperate it’s almost endearing." Emilie: "Sister is always desperate." Theodora: "You’re the only chit here, you saucebox — and you’re not very pretty when you’re being so obnoxious!" Emilie: "O-Ow..." Emilie winced as Theodora delivered a swift Jab of Retribution upon her blonde crown. Theodora: "I’ll admit it. I would love to own something this beautiful — but isn’t that natural? We humans live our lives hoping to possess as many beautiful objects as possible! What other purpose is there in life other than to accrue riches?!" Emilie: "You’re not Gilgamesh, Sister." Theodora: "And I never will be at this rate." Lorina: "Um... Is that violin really worth so very much?" Theodora: "You have no idea." Lorina: "No, I don’t. That’s why I asked." Theodora: "Well, let me put it this way..." The group of four glanced back down at Taohua’s violin. The sleek, nutty case shimmered as it caught in the dispersed beams of sunlight. Lorina had thought Taohua was joking when she called it her ‘baby’. Now, she could see where such a term of endearment had come from. If Lorina had possessed something so precious, she would have babied it, too. Theodora: "It’s no Stradivarius, but it would fetch quite a handsome sum on the market. A genuine Italian violin from fair Cremona—" Taohua: "Where we lay our scene." Theodora: "That was _Ver_ona." Taohua: "Forgive me. I’m not too well-versed in the works of the Bard." Theodora: "A violin from Cremona, made by a skilled artisan more than a century ago, is a very desirable piece." Theodora: "In fact, Taohua asked my father to appraise it for her, about... hmm. More than a decade ago, I believe...?" Taohua: "Don’t say that, Theodora. You shouldn’t reveal a lady’s age." Theodora: "I don’t even know how old you are. You haven’t seemed to age a day." Taohua: "I do like being mysterious." Theodora: "How you have such a violin is a mystery, indeed. Father was shocked when he saw it. Nearly fell off his chair. Grandfather, too." Theodora: "I don’t think it was a coincidence that he keeled over only a scant two months after he first met you." Theodora: "Father wrote a collector in London for a second opinion to ensure his estimations were correct — and do you know what the collector said, Lorina?" Lorina: "What...?" Lorina already knew before the words fell from Theodora’s lips. She knew it — but hearing it out loud made it seem even more real, somehow. Inarguable. But dizzyingly improbable. Theodora: "...It’s worth more than £600." Lorina: "I still can’t believe it..." Taohua: "If people want quality, that’s the price they’re willing to pay, I suppose." Lorina: "And I only earn £10 per annum..." Lorina sighed. Lorina: "Even if I worked until the day I died, I’d never be able to make that much money. Not through honest means. That’s _obscene_." Taohua: "It does seem unfair when you phrase it like that, but that is how commerce works." Lorina: "What are you talking about?" Taohua: "That violin is special. Unique. A real work of art. You, on the other hand, my little Lori..." Taohua: "Let’s just say, there’s no shortage of desperate girls in need of a few bob to rub together. If you stopped working for Lady Lennard she would be able to find a replacement for you in due course." Lorina: "And the violin...?" Taohua: "It is a rare treasure, being one of few known surviving violins that was produced in Cremona in the 1700s. It couldn’t be replaced if it was lost or damaged because its worth is proportional to where it was made, who made it, and how old it is. That cannot be replicated." Lorina: "It’s nice to know how little I’m worth in comparison to a block of wood..." Taohua: "A very _pretty_, well-crafted block of wood." Lorina: "A block of wood nonetheless." Taohua: "You’re oversimplifying, my dear little Lori." Lorina: "Don’t call me that." Taohua: "You’ve told me that before, but that hasn’t stopped me." Taohua smiled, a soft smile without cruelty, and ruffled the top of Lorina’s head. Lorina’s hair was very thick and satisfying to ruffle, and Taohua’s fingers sunk into it. Naturally, Lorina didn’t appreciate this gesture of affection. Lorina: "Get off me." Taohua: "I apologise. You look so cute when you’re grumpy I couldn’t help myself!" Lorina: "Why do you think I’m grumpy?" Taohua: "Oh, I don’t know. Because I have in my possession an item that could make my fortune, should I choose to sell it — as Theodora has suggested many, many times before." Lorina: "Hmph..." Still pouting, Lorina began to pat down her loose strands of dishevelled hair. The sun, warm and red and perfectly round in the bright blue sky, beat down against her skin. The dark fabric of Lorina’s uniform was far too hot. She felt like her skin was going to blister. Perhaps that was another reason why she felt so dispirited. Lorina usually enjoyed the winding, countryside walk back to Bly — but right now, tramping across the uneven ground, skirts in her hands, was a pain. It was even more irritating now Lorina was walking with Taohua, who — given her long, willowy limbs — was able to cover more ground than Lorina, and far more gracefully. Was she trying to show off? Evidently, it wasn’t enough that Taohoua had her own private bedroom; an inner sanctum within the walls of a hostile, inhospitable land she could call her own. She also had a hefty nest egg she could rely on. That violin. Italian. Crafted in Cremona. Where on _earth_ had Taohua come by such a rare find? She’d called it an heirloom, but if her family owned such a thing they must have been on par with dukes and duchesses. Why, then, was Taohua working as a maid? Lorina: "Why don’t you sell your silly violin...?" Lorina muttered it mutinously under her breath, but she wasn’t discreet enough. Taohua still heard her. Taohua: "Are you suggesting that I sell my precious baby, little Lori?" Lorina: "Y-Yes, I am! It’s the only logical thing to do, isn’t it?" Taohua: "And what’s so logical about it? Would you care to elucidate?" Lorina: "Well, I... It’s obvious! You don’t like your job — in fact, you said you hated Lady Constance — and I don’t think you much care for Lady Lennard, either!" Lorina: "If you sold that violin, you could leave Bly behind and live a life of luxury! You wouldn’t even need to work!" Lorina: "You could go to your beloved London and wear fine clothes and attend the opera! There’s all the Mozart you could ever want or need out there, whereas here... Here..." Lorina glanced about the cornfields and threw out her arms to demonstrate. Lorina: "There’s nothing here at all! No hopes! No dreams! No _anything_!" Lorina’s chest heaved up and down. Her throat felt dry. It was rare of her to speak her mind like that. After working in domestic service for so long, she had forgotten how. It didn’t behove a maid to say what she was thinking, so Lorina tried not to. She squashed her thoughts and feelings down, down, down into the soles of her shoes, and trampled them into the dirt. Out of sight, out of mind. But it was different with Taohua. When Lorina was with Taohua, her throat became unstuck, and she found herself saying all kinds of things. Curt, blunt, rude things. But Lorina couldn’t help herself. Taohua drew it out of her. She made Lorina act more like herself than anything else. Taohua: "...I do understand what you are saying, my little Lori, and you raise some good points. There isn’t a great deal out here, what with all these flat, boring fields." Taohua: "It’s a dull corner of the country and only a dull kind of life can be had here." Taohua: "Though some of the scenery is pretty, I suppose, I fear I’m not made for such a humdrum manner of existence." Lorina: "Then why do you continue to stay here?" Taohua: "I don’t know. I wonder that myself sometimes." Taohua: "Maybe I have... simply grown accustomed to it." Taohua: "I’ve been working at Bly for... quite some time now, and maybe this is the way it _should_ be. It’s the life she chose for me, after all." Lorina: "‘She’?" Taohua: "Lady Whittier." Lorina: "Who?" Taohua: "It’s not important. She’s dead now. Has been for a while." Lorina: "Oh, I see. I, um..." Lorina: "I... I-I’m sorry..." Taohua: "Don’t be sorry. You did nothing to cause this sorry state of affairs. You didn’t kill Lady Whittier." Lorina: "No, but it... I-It sounds like she was important to you." Taohua: "She was. Very." Lorina: "So, the violin...?" Taohua: "Her last gift to me. A very valuable gift. I couldn’t thank her for it enough back then, and I certainly can’t now. It’s too late." Lorina: "And is that why you haven’t sold it?" Taohua: "...Indeed. I’m rather attached. The nostalgia is worth more than any amount of gold." Lorina: "Even £600?" Taohua: "Yes, much more than that!" Lorina: "I don’t believe it...!" Taohua: "My, my. I didn’t realise you were so materialistic. I fear I may be more sentimental than you!" Lorina: "I-It isn’t like that...! Y-You’re making me sound so callous...! I-I just... I-I care about money, that’s all! You have to, when you’ve never had much of it!" Taohua: "I know, I know. I’m just teasing. I know our positions in life aren’t exactly the same, and I can understand you being offended by my laissez-faire attitude to money. I hope I haven’t offended you." Lorina: "I... I-I’m not offended... Just..." Taohua: "Just...?" Lorina: "It’s really... annoying." Taohua: "I’m annoying?" Lorina: "Yes! Incredibly annoying!" Taohua: "That didn’t stop you from kissing me." Lorina: "I... That... Th-That was, um... That was just, um... I was tired...!" Taohua: "Tired, is it?" Lorina: "Th-That’s right!" Taohua: "And does your exhaustion usually manifest in the act of kissing pure, defenceless maidens, my little Lori?" Lorina: "‘Pure’ and ‘defenceless’...?" Taohua: "Pure and defenceless indeed." Lorina: "Sure..." Taohua: "Don’t you ‘sure’ me, Lorina Waugh! I was very surprised! I’ll be spoilt for marriage now!" Lorina: "Aren’t you already too old to get married?" Taohua: "How rude. Just how old do you think I am, little madam?" Lorina: "I’m not sure. Judging by the way you talk, about forty?" Taohua: "Forty? Well, I never... Of all the nerve...!" Lorina: "What are you going to do about it? Hit me with your walking stick?" Taohua: "No, but I _will_ do this!" Lorina: "Wh-What are you—" But Lorina wasn’t able to finish her inquiry. She could not finish because Taohua pushed her — _hard_. Lorina teetered for a few precarious moments, hovering awkwardly on the balls of her feet. Time seemed to slow, while her hair fluttered in the breeze, her skirts dancing about her legs, until— Lorina: "{size=+10}K-Kyaaa...!" With a loud scream that made the nearby crows scatter, Lorina was thrown off her balance— —and toppled over backwards into the running river. Lorina: "Y-You... really don’t need to do this..." Taohua: "I know, but I _am_ the one who pushed you. I’m taking responsibility." Lorina: "But I never asked you to..." Taohua: "But I’ve decided to take responsibility nevertheless, because I’m an exceedingly kind person." Lorina: "I-I wouldn’t be so sure about that..." Taohua: "Lorina Waugh, I’m both shocked and appalled at you! Are you doubting my sincerity?" Lorina: "Well, um..." Lorina glanced down at her knees. They were two pale pink islands that jutted out from the surface of the water. She shifted, her back pressed against the cool tin tub. The water about her rippled. Droplets of moisture dripped slowly down her neck. Her fringe stuck against her forehead, damp and moist and underwhelmingly lukewarm. Whenever Lorina found the time to take a bath, the water was never hot. Lukewarm was about as good as it got. In fact, lukewarm was better than it usually was. That was all thanks to Taohua. Lorina had tried to protest, albeit feebly, but Taohua had insisted. In a precise and orderly manner that spoke volumes of Taohua’s experience as a maid, the older woman had lit the fire in the laundry room, retrieved the tin bathtub from its dusty corner, and filled it with water. The whole process, which was so time-consuming most servants rarely bothered, had taken Taohua a scant half hour. It was a miracle on par with Jesus multiplying his bread and fish. Taohua was kneeling on the floor beside Lorina, resting her elbows against the rim of the old, rusted tub. Lorina swallowed. Lorina: "Y-You don’t need to stare at me..." Taohua: "I know I don’t need to, but I want to." Lorina: "But why...?" Taohua: "Because I like looking." Lorina: "I don’t think I’m much to look at..." Taohua: "Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure." Lorina: "B-But I’m not pretty like my sisters..." Taohua: "I’ve never met your sisters, so I can’t judge." Lorina: "Really, compared to them, I’m incredibly average." Taohua: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, my little Lori, and..." Taohua raised an eyebrow. Taohua: "I find _that_ rather hard to believe." Lorina: "U-Um..." Lorina, acutely aware of Taohua’s roving eyes, flushed and tried to hide her chest with her arms. Unfortunately, it did little good. Lorina: "D-Don’t stare..." Taohua: "I can’t help it. Your breasts are so large I don’t know where else to look!" Lorina: "You have breasts of your own. If you want to stare, stare at _them_!" Taohua: "Yes, but mine are nowhere near as large as yours. It’s interesting..." Lorina: "Interesting?" Taohua: "From a scientific perspective." Lorina had no idea what branch of ‘science’ Taohua was referring to, but it sounded sketchy at best, downright illegal at worst. The younger maid sighed, letting her arms falls limply to her sides. There was little point trying to hide her breasts from Taohua. It was too little, too late. Taohua had already watched Lorina strip and get into the bathtub, and Lorina’s breasts were too large to successfully hide with her arms anyway. All she had done, in her attempts to preserve her modesty, was push her breasts together, so they looked bigger than before. Lorina: "To be honest, having breasts like this is kind of a pain... I’m worried I’ll end up like the cook if I’m not careful." Taohua: "Oh, I can imagine. You must get such awful backache — particularly with your slight, slender frame." Taohua: "Fetching and carrying things for the ever-delightful Lady Constance can hardly help." Lorina: "It does hurt sometimes, actually." Taohua: "Do you want me to massage your shoulders?" Lorina: "M-Massage?" Taohua: "Mm. Just like this." Lorina: "Aah..." Lorina gasped, her eyelashes fluttering, as Taohua began to knead her fingertips into her skin. Lukewarm water continued to drip down Lorina’s back. It trickled in a steady stream between her shoulder blades and trailed across each vertebrae of her spine. Taohua: "Does it feel good?" Lorina: "Nn..." Taohua’s voice was low, softer than a whisper, and Lorina couldn’t bring herself to respond with words. She was afraid, if she did, the spell would be broken, though Lorina wasn’t sure when the magic had been cast. The younger maid bit back a whimper. Taohua giggled. Taohua: "You’re so cute, my little Lori. Although..." Taohua: "I suppose you’re not _so_ little after all." Lorina: "K-Kya...!" Lorina squeaked. Taohua had just prodded her left breast with the tip of her finger. The older maid’s peach-coloured nail sunk into the ample expanse of exposed flesh. When she drew her fingertip away, Lorina’s breast jiggled. Lorina glared, indignant, her upper and lower lip pursed into a ferocious pout. Lorina: "Wh-Why did you do that?!" Taohua: "I don’t know." Taohua smiled innocently and cupped her cheek with one hand. Taohua: "I couldn’t help myself. They look so inviting!" Lorina: "Th-They’re not for you to play with...!" Taohua: "Hm? Does that mean _you_ play with them?" Lorina: "I... I-I, um..." Lorina opened and closed her mouth but no words came out. Just sounds. Choked, spluttering noises of indignation mixed with embarrassment. Taohua: "Oh, you’re so darling, my not-so-little Lori. This is a face Vermeer would trip over himself to paint, and I don’t blame him!" Taohua shuffled backwards and made a frame with both her thumbs and forefingers. She positioned it so Lorina’s huffy, blushy expression of indignation was set in the centre. Lorina: "Y-You... Wh-Why are you like this...?!" Taohua: "I already told you. I can’t help myself." Lorina: "Y-You should learn! I-It just won’t do, staring at other girls like a hungry wolf..." Taohua: "You wound me, Lori. I don’t stare indiscriminately. I only stare at people I like." Lorina: "Ah..." Lorina felt her heart fluttering. Her stomach tightened itself up in knots. She directed her gaze downwards, at the coral pink islands of her knees. Lorina: "You like me...?" Taohua: "Of course, silly — and I rather think you like me too. You must." Lorina: "A-And how did you come to that conclusion?" Taohua: "Well... I flatter myself that I have a reasonable amount of intelligence. No more than average, perhaps... Or, well. Slightly above average—" Lorina: "But not to flatter yourself, of course." Taohua: "Of course not! I’m simply giving an unblemished, unobscured recounting of the facts." Lorina: "The facts." Taohua: "Mmhmm. The facts being that you kissed me earlier this week, and you seem to have forgotten all about it!" Lorina: "W-Well..." Taohua: "Now, how else am I supposed to interpret that? You weren’t toying with my heart, were you?" Lorina: "N-No, I wasn’t...!" Taohua: "Then you were being serious?" Lorina: "I-I don’t know what I was thinking! I wasn’t thinking enough, obviously!" Taohua: "Let’s not talk about what you were thinking. What were you feeling?" Lorina: "Before I kissed you?" Taohua: "Before, during, after. Whatever takes your fancy. I just want to understand what happened." Taohua: "I want to understand _you_." Lorina: "W-Well, um..." What _had_ she felt before the kiss? She couldn’t remember. But, during the kiss... Lorina: "I-It... It felt..." Lorina: "...Nice." ‘Nice’ was a bit of an understatement. It was a pathetic summarisation of a wealth of emotions, but Lorina wasn’t sure how else to phrase it. Taohua: "Hmm. ‘Nice’, was it?" Lorina: "Y-Yes, um... R-Really nice..." Taohua: "Ah. So, if kissing me felt nice... perhaps you might want to feel even nicer? Does that sound like a good suggestion?" Lorina: "H-How?" Taohua: "Oh, be still my beating heart." Taohua wound a strand of Lorina’s still-damp hair about her index finger. The younger maid’s hair was darker than usual, dyed from the wetness of the bathwater. Taohua: "Do you not have any... how shall I phrase it? Intimate experience?" Lorina: "U-Um..." Lorina shifted. Her face darkened. All of a sudden, she remembered. Arthur Pickering and his unhealthy fixation on her, and her eyes, and her hair. He’d told her she had beautiful hair. The memory was enough to make Lorina feel ill. Taohua: "Oh? Lorina?" Noticing Lorina’s sudden discomfort, Taohua drew her fingers back. She glanced at the younger girl curiously, her eyes tinged with concern. Taohua: "I didn’t go too far, did I?" Lorina: "No. Um..." Lorina shook her head. The ghostly memories of Arthur and the library and his fingers in her hair, fingers against the front of her dress, were gone. She just wanted to think about Taohua. Lorina: "I suppose..." She drew in a breath. Lorina: "I’d be lying if I said I had _no_ experience, but it isn’t experience I want to remember." Taohua: "I see." Taohua nodded as though she knew. Maybe she did. Everyone else seemed to. Pauline had called Lorina a slut. Had she really meant it? Was that what everybody else thought of her? What about Taohua...? Lorina: "But, um... I’ve never been kissed, or kissed anybody else, before. Not until I kissed you, at least." Taohua: "Well, how about this...?" Lorina: "Ah..." Taohua leant in close and pressed their lips together for the second time. This kiss was every bit as soft and gentle as the first, and Taohua’s lips did not linger, though Lorina wished they would. Taohua: "There." Taohua drew back, smiling proudly to herself. Taohua: "Now I’ve stolen your second kiss, too." Lorina: "B-But you... Um..." Taohua: "What?" Lorina’s mind was hazy and nothing quite made sense, but she was still able to eke out a few words of dissent. Lorina: "You didn’t steal my first kiss. Like I said, _I_ was the one who kissed _you_." Taohua waved one hand dismissively. Taohua: "A trivial point." Lorina: "It’s _not_ trivial!" Taohua: "Then I’ll kiss you so much it will make it so." Lorina: "Kiss me however much you want. It won’t change the truth." Taohua: "I intend to. I haven’t even started yet, my little Lori." Lorina: "Th-Then, you..." Lorina’s heart pounded harder and harder. It seemed to be working overtime, to colour her cheeks a bright, cherry red. Lorina: "You’re going to do it again...?" Taohua: "If you want." Lorina: "I-I, um... Well..." Taohua: "Don’t you like it?" Lorina: "I... I do..." Taohua: "Then why don’t we keep going?" Lorina: "U-Um... I..." Lorina looked at Taohua shyly from beneath her eyelashes. When she’d kissed Taohua, she’d been so overtaken by emotion she hadn’t really had time to process things. When Taohua had kissed her, it had started and stopped so suddenly Lorina hadn’t realised what was happening until their lips were pressed together. Now, Taohua was giving her a choice. She had enough time to really think about what she wanted. Lorina could refuse Taohua’s advances, as all good Christian girls should have done... Or she could accept them. What was the harm in accepting? She’d already come this far, so... Lorina: "M-Maybe... Maybe I could try it... Just one more time." Taohua: "Just _once_?" Taohua pouted. Lorina: "W-Well, um... Maybe more...?" Taohua: "Then, if you don’t mind..." Taohua dipped her head. Her fingers slid beneath Lorina’s chin as she pressed their lips together. This kiss was more urgent than the last; almost forceful. Lorina whimpered into the kiss, and Taohua used this to her advantage. She slid her tongue deep inside Lorina’s mouth. Lorina understood her situation logically, but her mind couldn’t process it. Taohua’s tongue was coiled about her own, and the sounds it made were wet; wetter, even, than the water that sloshed inside the tin bathtub. Lorina wanted Taohua to keep kissing her, over and over again. She didn’t want her to stop. Lorina: "A-Ah... Taohua..." Lorina arched her back and mewled helplessly into Taohua’s mouth. The older maid drew back, wiping her mouth with the back of her arm, and smiled at Lorina fondly. Taohua: "You’re so adorable, Lori." Lorina: "I... I-I am...?" Taohua: "Definitely. You look even more adorable when you’re like this." Lorina: "L-Like what?" Taohua: "Your lips are swollen from kisses and your face is all red." Lorina: "I... I-I’m fine..." Taohua: "If you say so, dear." Lorina pouted — but, deep down, she knew Taohua was right. She felt short of breath, and no matter how she inhaled, her lungs didn’t seem to be filling with enough oxygen. She was pressed against the side of the bathtub, squirming with unrealised want. She rubbed her thighs together, hardly knowing what she was doing. The coolness of the tin bathtub contrasted sharply with Lorina’s warm skin. She shivered. Taohua reached forwards, dipping her fingers into the bathwater, and took Lorina’s fingers with her own. Taohua: "You belong to me, you know?" Lorina: "I-I’m yours?" Taohua: "Yes. All mine." Lorina: "Wh-When did you decide that?" Taohua: "Hmm... When you let me kiss you?" Lorina: "Taohua..." Taohua: "Yes, my little Lori? What is it?" Lorina: "It... It feels good..." Taohua: "Then..." One of Taohua’s hands started to massage Lorina’s right breast. Her other hand, meanwhile, began to play with Lorina’s unresisting body. Her fingertips trailed across Lorina’s wet flesh. They caressed the curve of her stomach, the shallow dip of her bellybutton, and the inside of her thighs. The whole while, Lorina trembled like a tempest-tossed flower. During their shared kisses and caresses, Lorina’s legs had slipped open, though she was probably unaware of the fact herself. Just like she was unaware of how openly, almost obscenely appealing she looked. Taohua: "Lori... Do you want to keep going?" Lorina’s body responded before her mind had truly processed the question. She nodded limply, her face flushed. Taohua: "Hmm... Are you sure?" Taohua’s fingertips rested against the inside of Lorina’s thigh. She pressed down, applying the smallest amount of pressure. Lorina: "Ah..." Lorina inhaled. Her head was swimming. Lorina: "I... I want you..." Taohua: "To do what?" Lorina: "I-I... I hardly even know. Just, um... Ah..." Lorina shuddered. All thoughts of heaven and hell had been driven from her head. At that moment, all she knew was that she wanted Taohua. She wanted her so badly it ached. Lorina: "Just... keep going..." Lorina blinked up at Taohua with large, dewy eyes. Her eyelashes trembled. Lorina: "...Please?" Taohua: "Well, now... How can I deny you when you ask so nicely?" The fingers of Taohua’s left hand trailed lower and lower. Lorina’s back tensed. Taohua’s fingers were so close now. Close to the most private part of her body. And yet... All of a sudden... Lorina: "A-Ah...?" They stopped. Why did they stop...? Taohua leant in a little closer. Her lips were inches away from the shell of Lorina’s ear. Taohua: "I can’t take this back, Lori. If you let me have my way with you our relationship is going to change. You know that, right?" Lorina: "I-I know..." Taohua: "And you don’t mind?" Lorina: "N-No. I-I want it... P-Please..." Taohua: "Well then." Taohua’s lips curved upwards in a soft smile. Unlike her typical smiles, it wasn’t cruel or conniving, or even particularly mischievous. Taohua: "If you’re willing to let me do what I want, who I am to deny you?" Taohua: "I can be cruel at times... but I’m not cruel enough to leave such a pretty young girl hanging." Lorina: "T-Taohua..." Taohua: "My little Lori... I really will make you mine. Every last little bit." That evening found Lorina in Taohua’s room, sitting by her side on her bed. Neither woman spoke about what happened earlier. Lorina had tried, on multiple occasions, but the words failed her. She couldn’t. It was painfully embarrassing. More excruciating than having her fingernails torn out. But, just because Lorina wasn’t talking about it, that didn’t mean she wasn’t thinking about it. Taohua’s lips trailing kisses against her bare skin. Taohua’s tongue inside her mouth. Taohua’s fingers against her breasts... Lorina: "Nn..." Lorina squirmed, clamping her thighs together, and almost upset the teacup and saucer sat on her lap. It was a good thing her clumsiness remained as an ‘almost’, because Lorina didn’t fancy the idea of spilling boiling tea all over herself. Taohua: "Goodness gracious! You should be more careful, my little Lori." Lorina: "How funny. And I thought you might like to see me suffer." Taohoua blinked innocently. Taohua: "Whatever gave you that idea?" Lorina: "Everything you’ve ever done and said to me." Taohua: "Oh dear..." Taohua: "I think you might have misunderstood my true intentions." Lorina: "What?" Taohua: "I spend time with you, my little Lori, not to derive pleasure from your expense..." Taohua: "...but, rather, because spending time with you makes me happy." Taohua: "If that is a crime then I am guilty of it, and I will hang from my neck in Newgate Prison!" Lorina: "D-Don’t be ridiculous. You don’t mean that..." Taohua: "How do you know what I mean? Please don’t make assumptions, my little Lori." Lorina: "B-But what do you _want_ me to think?" Taohua: "That I’m telling the truth." Lorina: "That you... really like me...?" Taohua: "If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have kissed you so passionately." Lorina: "N-Nn..." Lorina squeaked. Her cheeks flushed until she was as red as a beet. Taohua: "How charming." Taohua smiled and pressed a kiss against the tip of Lorina’s nose. Lorina: "I... I thought we weren’t going to talk about what happened..." Taohua: "We weren’t talking about it, no, but I was still thinking about it. Your flushed face has brought it all back to me!" Taohua: "You were so lovely, my little Lori, it was something of a struggle to focus on my chores today. Not even Heracles faced such lofty obstacles during his twelve labours!" Lorina: "You’re exaggerating." Taohua: "Maybe. Maybe not." Lorina dipped her head and breathed slowly, in and out. She had to calm herself. Calm her heart. The air was infused with the scent of rosehip tea. It was a soothing, balmy aroma that made Lorina think of flower gardens. In her heightened state of self-consciousness, Lorina found herself examining the cup and saucer on her lap in more detail than it warranted. She just needed something to focus on, beyond self-indulgent memories of Taohua’s mouth and lips and tongue. The teacup was as good a distraction as any. The cup was chipped about the rim and significantly more battered than the tableware Lady Lennard used to serve her guests. Even so, the cup was made of china, and had probably been quite expensive once upon a time. The light blue design, with twigs and leaves snaking about the circumference, attested as much. It had been crafted by the fingers of an artisan, though they must have been long dead by now. Lorina: "Taohua...?" Taohua: "Yes, my little Lori?" Lorina: "Do these cups belong to you?" Taohua: "They do now." Lorina: "But they didn’t before?" Taohua: "No. These cups must be a good decade or so older than I." Lorina looked at Taohua curiously. Lorina: "Just how old _are_ you?" Taohua: "Not quite as old as the Earth, but older than a newborn babe." Lorina rolled her eyes. Lorina: "You are _impossible_." Taohua: "Thank you. I’ll take that as a compliment." Lorina: "It wasn’t." Taohua: "But I will take it as one all the same." Lorina huffed and turned her head away. Why was Taohua so infuriating? And she still hadn’t answered her question. Who had those teacups once belonged to? It was probably the same person who’d given Taohua her the violin. Lady Whittier, was it...? But what of Taohua’s family? Her parents, brothers or sisters, uncles or aunts or cousins or nieces or nephews? Lorina didn’t know. There was a lot about Taohua she didn’t know. The older woman really was a mystery. If spending time with Taohua that day had been like a dream... Pauline: "And where on earth have _you_ been, Lorina?" with dissolve ...Then returning to the servants’ quarters that night was a nightmare." with dissolve Pauline had been waiting for Lorina’s return, standing sentinel by the doorway.* Just how long had she been waiting? Five minutes? Ten? Fifteen? Pauline’s back was suspiciously rigid, and her teeth were clenched together like she was in the latter stages of rigor mortis. Lorina: "...What’s wrong?" Pauline: "‘What’s wrong’? You have the _gall_ to ask me what’s wrong after what you did today? Have you no shame?!" with dissolve Lorina: "Please, enlighten me. I seem to have forgotten." with dissolve Pauline: "Oh, so you _forgot_, did you? You _forgot_ that you were supposed to help me beat the carpets in the west wing hallway?" with dissolve Lorina: "Well..." with dissolve Lorina looked down at her shoes. She really had forgotten. It had been hard to think of anything else while lying in that tin bathtub, Taohua’s fingers caressing her... But thinking about that was embarrassing. Lorina blushed. Pauline: "Hmph. I see you’re ashamed of your conduct, at least, but it just isn’t _good enough_. We maids are supposed to work as a team." with dissolve Pauline: "It’s as Mr Lester says. Bly is like a swan. It appears graceful on the surface, but underneath..." Isobel: "There are dozens of us working hard, trying to keep everything afloat!" with dissolve Pauline: "That’s right." with dissolve Pauline: "To put in a way you might understand, we help one another. We don’t rush off on our own whenever we feel like it." Pauline: "I know you’re still a young girl, but have to learn to stop being so selfish. The world doesn’t revolve around you and your wants." Pauline: "_Now_." Pauline smiled, smug and self-satisfied." with dissolve Pauline: "Are you going to apologise?" with dissolve Apologise?" with dissolve Was this some sort of joke? Lorina: "You..." Lorina’s chest rose and fell, constrained beneath the material of her maid’s uniform. Lorina: "H-How _dare_ you?!" Pauline: "How dare I? _You_ are the one at fault here, Lorina." with dissolve Isobel: "That’s right! You really inconvenienced Pauline!" with dissolve Pauline: "It’s childish to blame others when you’ve done wrong by them." with dissolve Isobel: "Don’t lash out! You should know better!" with dissolve Pauline: "Try growing up. Can’t you see the error of your ways?" with dissolve Isobel: "Not that a harlot like you could..." with dissolve Pauline: "There’s always hope. I would like, at least, to give her a chance." with dissolve The Benevolent St Pauline, in all her godly goodliness, rounded on Lorina. Her eyes were hard." with dissolve Pauline: "No more second chances. Admit you did something wrong. Say you’re sorry." with dissolve Lorina: "Are you being serious?" with dissolve Pauline: "Quite serious. Why would I joke about something like this?" with dissolve Isobel: "Your manners are no laughing matter!" with dissolve Pauline: "Just looking at you, one would think you were raised in a barn." with dissolve Isobel: "Didn’t your mother teach you better?!" with dissolve Lorina: "Y-You leave my mother out of this!" with dissolve Lieselotte: "That is right, Isobel! Talking about her mother is not nice! Lorina may have done you wrong, but—" with dissolve Lorina winced. She could feel a headache coming on." with dissolve Lorina: "Shut up, Lottie." Lieselotte: "B-But why? I was trying to defend you!" with dissolve Lorina: "I know, and I appreciate it, but you’re _not_ helping." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Maybe not... but I believe that you truly should have helped Pauline. You were supposed to. Miss Smithe said—" with dissolve Lorina: "I _know_ I was supposed to help Pauline, but she frequently ‘forgets’ to help me!" with dissolve Lorina: "Why is it acceptable for _her_ to shirk her duties, yet _I_ get raked across the coals?! It’s unfair!" Pauline: "And here I was, trying to be nice. I wanted to give you a chance, but..." with dissolve Pauline drew closer to the younger maid. Her cool mask was slipping, melted by Lorina’s anger. Pauline: "...I don’t think you deserve it after all. Not if you’re so stubborn you can’t admit to your own failings!" with dissolve Lorina: "‘Failures’? That’s rich coming from a woman like you!" Pauline: "You selfish brat! Have you thought about anyone other than yourself your entire life?!" with dissolve Lorina: "_I_ should be the one asking _you_ that!" Pauline: "_What_?!" with dissolve Lorina: "You didn’t want me to help you earlier! You wanted me to do ALL the work, like usual, so you could gallivant off and do God knows what!" with dissolve Lorina: "You just wanted to flirt with the valets, or share gossip with Isobel! That’s all you ever do!" Lorina: "You never do any real work! You push it all on me! I’m sick of it!" Pauline: "So you’re saying this is _my_ fault?" with dissolve Lorina: "That’s right! You reap what you sow!" with dissolve Pauline: "So were you trying to punish me? _You_, Lorina Waugh?" with dissolve Lorina: "Yes! You’ve gotten away with far too much for far too long!" with dissolve Lorina: "Well, I won’t let you take advantage of me anymore! I refuse!" Pauline glared at Lorina. Lorina glared back. The two women were inches away from one another, neither backing down. The tension in the air was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. For a few moments, everything came to a halt. And then, all of a sudden... Pauline: "You shameless hussy! How dare you speak to your elders like that?!" with dissolve There was a loud crack." with dissolve Lorina’s head was snapped roughly to one side. A sharp, stinging pain flared up in her right cheek.* The younger maid gasped, her breathing ragged. She took an uneasy step or two backwards, pressing her fingers gingerly against her flushed skin. Pauline had slapped her. The older maid...{w} had really slapped her. Ada: "Lorina, are you all right?" with dissolve Lorina was lying beneath her covers, curled up like a weevil inside a biscuit. The sound of Ada’s voice, however, drew her from her reverie." with dissolve The young maid turned, thin sheets sliding off her body, and glanced at her friend.* It was difficult to pick out Ada’s individual features in the gloom, but Lorina could just about see the furrow of her eyebrows and the downward curve of her lips. She looked worried. Lorina: "I’m fine. You should go to sleep, Ada." Ada: "I know I should sleep but, um... It’s so windy outside, and..." with dissolve Ada: "I was worried about you..." Lorina: "Why are you worried about me?" Ada: "After what Pauline did, um..." with dissolve Ada: "I’m sorry I didn’t step in. I-I wanted to stand up for you, but... I didn’t know what to say." Ada’s face crumpled." with dissolve Ada: "I never know what to say. I’m so useless..." with dissolve Lorina: "Oh, Ada..." Lorina: "I don’t think you’re useless. I appreciate the thought. That’s more than enough." Ada: "B-But, um... You were right. Pauline always shoves work onto other people. She does it to me, too." with dissolve Ada: "She used to do it more, before you arrived, because I used to be the youngest..." Lorina: "And now _I_ have the ‘honour’ of her undivided attention. I’m so happy." with dissolve Ada: "I... I’m sorry. I, um..." with dissolve Ada: "I’m used to her pushing me around, so I... was actually relieved when you started working here." Ada: "Pauline’s left me alone since then, but I feel so guilty. I shouldn’t be happy that you’re being mistreated in my place." Ada: "I really am... a bad person..." Lorina: "Don’t be silly. You’re not bad." Ada: "B-But—" with dissolve Lorina: "A bad person wouldn’t worry about being a bad person, unlike Pauline. Do you think _she_ feels guilty about anything _she’s_ done?" Ada: "M-Maybe not..." with dissolve Lorina: "There, you see? You have nothing in common with Pauline. You’re a good girl. She’s pure evil." Ada: "E-Evil?! That’s a bit harsh!" with dissolve Lorina: "She slapped me. She deserves it." with dissolve Ada: "Ehehe... Well, I suppose you’re right." with dissolve Ada: "Thank you, Lori. I feel a lot better now." Lorina: "That’s quite all ri—" Lorina: "Wait." Lorina paused. Her eyes narrowed.* Lorina: "What do you mean, ‘Lori’?" Ada: "O-Oh, um...! It’s nothing...! I-I just heard you talking to Taohua a few days ago, and she called you that, so..." with dissolve Lorina: "Goodness gracious.." Lorina sighed. ‘Lori’. Was that to be her new nickname? It wasn’t as though she didn’t like it, but... Ada: "A... A... A-Achoo...!" with dissolve All of a sudden, a soft, raspy little cough forced its way from Ada’s throat. It wasn’t particularly loud, but Lorina hadn’t expected it, and it made her jump all the same." with dissolve Lorina: "Um... Bless you." Ada: "O-Oh, ah... I... I-I’m sorry. I can’t help it..." with dissolve Ada: "I-It’s just so cold in here..." Lorina: "It’s all right. I understand." with dissolve Lorina: "You should try and get some sleep. You wouldn’t want to get sick." Ada: "E-Ehehe... I was trying to comfort you, b-but you ended up comforting _me_..." with dissolve Lorina: "It’s all right. I don’t mind. I’m used to being the big sister." Ada: "I-I’m a big sister, too..." with dissolve Lorina: "But you have three brothers. I have three sisters. It’s different." with dissolve Ada: "O-Oh, Lori — ah, sorry...! I-I mean, Lorina...!" with dissolve Lorina: "It’s fine. You can call me ‘Lori’." She might as well let her.* The damage had already been done. Constance: "What is the _point_ in studying Greek literature? It’s more than a thousand years old!" Miss Ingrid: "It’s old, yes, but there is a reason why it has endured for such a long time. That is a testament to its continued value." with dissolve Constance: "Who gets to decide what stories are ‘valuable’ and what aren’t? Rich old men in universities?" with dissolve Miss Ingrid: "Quite. We must learn from our elders and betters." with dissolve Constance: "I’m sick of my ‘elders’ and ‘betters’ being old men in universities — or even older men in togas who are already dead!" with dissolve Miss Ingrid: "These ‘old men in togas’, as you termed them, were integral in shaping our current literary canon." with dissolve Constance: "Then we should make a _new_ canon! Why do we never study anything written by women?" with dissolve Miss Ingrid: "There are few great works written by women. That is simply how it is." with dissolve Constance: "It’s completely subjective!" with dissolve Miss Ingrid: "The worth of Greek literature is by no means ‘subjective’. Now, stop this nonsense. You need to take your studies seriously." with dissolve Constance: "Hmph..." with dissolve Lady Constance scowled. Constance: "I’m tired of this. Maid!" Lorina: "Y-Yes?" Constance: "What are you doing standing by the door? Give me my tea." Lorina: "Right away, Miss." Lorina bowed her head and crossed the carpet with a few neat steps. She placed the mug of herbal tea on the desk by Lady Constance’s side. Herbal tea was supposed to be good for clearing the sinuses and curing colds. It was something Lady Constance had requested specially. Apparently, after the sudden chill during the last few nights, she had been feeling somewhat light-headed. In testament to that, her nose keep sniffling. She had to pause several times during her lessons that morning to dab at her nostrils with her handkerchief...{w} which further added to her bad mood. Not that Lady Constance needed the fires of her foul temper stoking further. Not when she was supposed to be studying the Greek classics. Constance: "Hmph... I suppose you _are_ good for something after all." Lady Constance took the drink without a word of thanks, as was her wont, and took a small sip. She let the flavour of the tea leaves dissolve across her tongue for a few seconds, shivering at the sudden warmth, before she swallowed. Constance: "...I suppose that was satisfactory." It was high praise indeed coming from Lady Constance. Lorina was relieved. Miss Ingrid: "Now that you have your beverage, perhaps you will stop complaining and return to your studies." with dissolve If Miss Ingrid thought that, she clearly didn’t have a good grasp on Lady Constance’s character. Asking the young girl to stop complaining was like asking the tide to stop turning." with dissolve Constance: "I just don’t see the point of reading this nonsense." Lady Constance glanced at her copy of Homer’s _The Odyssey_ with undisguised dislike.* Constance: "It’s one big boys’ adventure story. Witches and a Cyclops and killing people who look at your wife twice... What a lot of rubbish." Constance: "How am I supposed to take any of this seriously?" Miss Ingrid: "You should appreciate the lyricism of the prose. This translation by Pope—" with dissolve Constance: "Ah, yes. Pope. I’m not very fond of him." with dissolve Miss Ingrid: "As I have already told you, Miss, I’m uninterested in your opinions." with dissolve Constance: "But I’d far rather study Sappho..." with dissolve Miss Ingrid: "Sappho is unsuitable for such a young girl. There are too many mentions of—" with dissolve Miss Ingrid’s face darkened." with dissolve Miss Ingrid: "—_unsavoury passions_." with dissolve Constance: "Oh, I see how it is!" with dissolve Constance: "It’s perfectly acceptable for me to read _The Odyssey_, where Odysseus lays with every woman he meets, but I can’t read Sappho?! What’s wrong with Sappho?!" Miss Ingrid: "Sappho is inappropriate. Her verses are diverting enough, but they hardly speak of universal truths." with dissolve Constance: "And killing a Cyclops does? Is that a situation people often find themselves in?" with dissolve Miss Ingrid: "I’ll have less of your lip, young lady. Focus." with dissolve Constance: "Hmph... You know what?" with dissolve Lady Constance smirked. Though the tip of her nose was red from continued wiping with her handkerchief, she looked surprisingly smug.* Constance: "I think _your_ problem, Ingrid, is that you haven’t had enough lip in _your_ life." Miss Ingrid’s eyes narrowed. When she next spoke, her voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. Miss Ingrid: "What was that?" with dissolve Constance: "I _said_, you haven’t had enough lip in your life! Who would ever kiss you?" with dissolve Constance: "I bet you’ve never been in love, or had anybody love you, even though you’re thirty-three years old!" Miss Ingrid: "Y-You..." with dissolve Miss Ingrid’s face blanched. Her fingers clenched into fists." with dissolve Lorina had yet to see Miss Ingrid lose her cool, but it appeared even the seemingly unflappable governess had a few sore spots.* Constance: "Oh?" Lady Constance smirked. Constance: "It seems I was more correct than I thought." Constance: "You’re thirty-three, and you’ve never been held, or touched, or kissed. How sad. I feel so sorry for you, I could cry!" Constance: "That must be why you became a governess. Your daddy couldn’t marry you off to a rich man, so you had to work for a living!" Constance: "Well, what else could you do? I don’t think any man could fall for you. You have a nose like a beak, and your lips are that of an old woman’s. You don’t know how to dress to flatter yourself — but that’s probably because you have no imagination whatsoever." Constance: "You don’t let me play the piano as much as I ought, and you refuse to let me read Sappho! What kind of bland, boring woman can’t appreciate Sappho?" Constance: "I’m only twelve, but I’ll probably receive my first kiss long, long before you ever will!" Miss Ingrid: "That is _quite_ enough!" with dissolve With this sudden exclamation, Miss Ingrid slammed her palms against the table. The volume of Homer’s _The Odyssey_ jumped. So, too, did Lady Constance’s cup of herbal tea." with dissolve Some of the light brown liquid spilt over the rim of the cup. A small stain of sweet-smelling tea began to form on the opened pages of Homer’s great epic — but Miss Ingrid, in an uncharacteristic pique of frenzy, didn’t even realise.* Miss Ingrid: "You are only a child! You have no right to talk to me like that!" Lady Constance remained unmoved. She looked at Miss Ingrid, her eyes large and unblinking. Constance: "It only hurts because it’s true. Isn’t that right?" Miss Ingrid: "You... How could you...?" with dissolve Constance: "Very easily." with dissolve Miss Ingrid: "M-My father owns land, and my great-great-grandfather was the Earl of Wessex! My family is a noble one with a long history, dating back to the reign of Edward III!" with dissolve Constance: "Oh, my! How could such a noble family procure a miserable spinster like yourself? They really have declined over the years!" with dissolve Miss Ingrid: "You... I..." with dissolve Miss Ingrid’s face darkened." with dissolve Miss Ingrid: "I’m not getting paid nearly enough to deal with your antics!" with dissolve Constance: "Then leave. Nothing’s stopping you." with dissolve Constance: "I don’t see why _I_ should be inflicted with your company because no man will marry you!" Miss Ingrid inhaled deeply. Her chest rose and fell.* Then, with a sudden exclamation: Miss Ingrid: "The rumours were right! You really are unteachable!" with dissolve ...she stormed out of the drawing room." with dissolve Constance: "Hmph. That was a lot easier than I thought it would be." Lady Constance ran a hand through her blonde hair and flipped a few loose strands behind her right shoulder.* With a thin smile, she picked up her cup of tea once more and brought it to her lips. The following day... Lieselotte: "Is it true? Did Miss Ingrid really pack her bags and leave?" with dissolve Lorina: "It seems that way..." with dissolve Lieselotte: "How shocking! I thought she, for sure, would stay — yet she lasted even less than Miss Aimee!" with dissolve Lorina: "A good deal less." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Only two weeks..." with dissolve Lieselotte shook her head. She looked bemused." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Oh, that Lady Constance is fearful! How she was able to drive away such a proud woman, I do not know!" with dissolve Lorina: "I think they had a disagreement or two over Sappho..." Lieselotte: "I don’t know much about Sappho." with dissolve Lorina: "Me neither." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Hmm... It would make much more sense if they disagreed about turnips." with dissolve Lorina: "Why turnips...?" Lieselotte: "Oh, I did not tell you?! My Uncle Alphonse got into a frightful feud with my Uncle Titus over the vegetable!" with dissolve Lieselotte: "My Uncle Alphonse gave my Uncle Titus a crop of turnips from his farm as a gift, because my Aunt Johanna was to have a baby, but the turnips had been inflicted with the blight! They were quite inedible, and when Aunt Johanna had some of the turnips she was sick for weeks!" Lorina: "Mmhmm... I see." with dissolve Lorina nodded her head dumbly, but she didn’t really see. Her mind had already started to drift several syllables into Lieselotte’s lengthy and convoluted explanation.* Lieselotte had rather too many family members, and yet more of them seemed to emerge from the woodwork whenever the Swiss maid shared her stories. All these Germanic names were difficult to keep abreast of. Lieselotte’s family tree was a complex thing indeed, with even more roots and branches than Yggdrasil. Lorina made her way to the post office when the Sunday service finished that week. She collected a letter from her mother in a haze, crumpling it in her hand. She was afraid of opening it. She couldn’t remember what she had written in her previous letter, but her relationship with Taohua had progressed even further since then. What was she to do...? Was there anything she _could_ do? Would God ever forgive her? She’d already forgiven herself, but— ???: "Hey! Watch where you’re going, you cretin!" Lorina: "Ah..." Lorina staggered backwards, holding one hand to her head. She recognised that voice, though she wasn’t overly familiar with it. It was the blonde girl with the impressive ringlets. Theodora’s sister. What was her name? Emmeline? Evangeline? Ermengarde? Emmeline?: "Oh, it’s you. What are you doing here?" Lorina: "I was just collecting my post..." Evangeline?: "Hmph. You could apologise for walking into me, you know?" Lorina: "Um... I’m sorry?" Emma?: "Well, it’s lacking in feeling, but I suppose it will do." Lorina: "I imagine your older sister grovels at your feet whenever you chastise her." Ermengarde?: "How did you know?" Lorina: "It was a lucky guess..." The girl stuck her nose up in the air. Evelyn?: "I suppose my big sister is rather predictable, if you were able glean that much information from a single encounter. It’s impressive that you understand the very depths of her soul, but you can’t remember my name." Lorina: "You could tell?" Was this girl clairvoyant? Elizabeth?: "It’s almost _painfully_ obvious. You keep glancing to your left. That’s what people do when they’re trying to remember something they’ve forgotten." Lorina: "Is that really true...?" Edith?: "My big sister told me." Lorina: "And you believe her?" Ellen?: "Not generally, but she can be quite perceptive. She has good eyes." Lorina: "I suppose one would need good eyes to repair violins." Emilie: "Quite. So. My name. It’s Emilie." Lorina: "Emilie..." Emilie: "Yes. Emilie. Don’t forget it again, or I won’t forgive you." Lorina: "All right. I won’t. I promise." Lorina: "{size=-3}If I ever forgot Lady Constance’s name like that, I’d be strung up in a gibbet..." Lorina had meant to mumble that remark under her breath, but Emilie still heard her. The blonde girl frowned. Emilie: "Constance...? Not the awful offspring of the Lennard family?" Lorina: "You know Lady Constance?" Emilie: "Of course I know Constance. Everybody around here does. The sour-faced, ill-tempered little brat is quite famous." Lorina: "I gather you don’t care for her, then?" Emilie: "I care for her about as much as I care for Zanzibar and its forests and its scarlet fever." Lorina: "Lady Constance isn’t as bad as all that..." Though, seeing how she’d treated Miss Ingrid, Lorina wasn’t sure. Emilie raised a brow and Lorina paused, reconsidering. Lorina: "Well... I suppose she _is_ quite bad, but she probably isn’t as dangerous as scarlet fever." Emilie: "I’m just trying to warn you. Constance has never been able to get rid of Taohua, for all her trying, which makes her rather vindictive towards the other maids. I think she’s trying to assert her authority." Lorina: "What do you mean, she wants to get rid of Taohua?" Emilie: "Oh? Did you not know?" Lorina: "No." Emilie: "From what I’ve gathered, Constance has always hated Taohua. She’s been trying to get Taohua fired since she was old enough to talk, with limited success." Emilie: "Though she can drive her governesses away in droves, Taohua has clung on for more than ten years. She’s incredibly crafty." Lorina: "Governesses...?" Lorina frowned. Lorina: "Do you know about Miss Ingrid?" Emilie: "It’s not just me." Emilie: "_Everybody_ in Ellesmere knows about Miss Ingrid — and Miss Aimee, and Miss Lillian, and Miss Katherine, and Miss Penelope, and Miss Adrienne." Lorina: "But Miss Ingrid was only dimissed a few days ago..." Emilie: "Maybe so, but it’s painfully obvious when yet another governess is drummed out of Bly is disgrace. They stop showing up at St Mary’s every Sunday, you see." Lorina: "Ah... I see." Lady Constance’s foul temper was mostly kept in check when she ventured beyond the walls of Bly, but the consequences of her actions were immediately apparent to those in the nearby village. Idly, Lorina wondered if the congregation of St Mary’s placed bets on how long Lady Constance’s governesses would last. ...Then again, maybe not. Gambling wasn’t very Christian. Emilie: "Ellesmere is a small village, and people like gossiping. There’s little else to gossip about around here, save Constance’s new governesses..." Emilie: "And Taohua, of course." Lorina: "What do you mean?" Emilie: "Taohua is every bit as famous, if not more so, than the Lennard family themselves." Emilie: "Whenever anybody thinks about the Lennards, they think about their peculiar maid, with her olive skin and almond eyes." Lorina: "You make her sound like something to eat, rather than a human being." Emilie: "Because it’s true. Taohua is well-known precisely because she’s unusual. People always stare when she goes into the village." Emilie: "Everyone wonders when she’ll be driven out of Bly like Miss Ingrid and the rest, but it hasn’t happened yet — and she’s worked there for as long as I can remember." Emilie: "There are rumours about her, you know?" Lorina: "What sorts of rumours?" Emilie: "All kinds. That she heralds from some mysterious, backwards country, where they eat opium all day and roast babies on spits." Emilie: "I’ve heard children whisper that she’s a witch, and the children aren’t the only ones who believe those tall tales." Lorina: "But that’s ridiculous...!" Emilie: "I know it’s ridiculous, but Taohua does herself no favours by acting so aloof." Emilie: "She’s been working at Bly for more than a decade, but she hasn’t even tried to fit in with the villagers." Lorina: "Why would she trouble herself with people who think she’s a witch?" Emilie: "If she was more genial they wouldn’t say so many harsh things. People are afraid of the unknown. She could at _least_ go to church." Lorina had to admit, she herself had wondered about Taohua’s conspicuous absence from Reverend Marner’s sermons, but she hadn’t lost sleep over it. Lorina hadn’t missed Taohua. In fact, she’d been glad the older woman didn’t go to church. _Why should she go to church, anyway? She can’t be a Christian. One only needs to look at her to work that out._ That was what Lorina had thought. Not anymore. Emilie: "Still, it’s probably in Taohua’s best interests to maintain her reputation, sullied though it is." Lorina: "Why?" Emilie: "People are afraid of the unknown, but they’re also drawn to it. They like the mystery. Why else is the Orient so fashionable?" Lorina: "Lady Lennard has a lot of expensive ornaments from overseas. She displays them in the parlour for her guests." Emilie: "And it’s much the same with Taohua. She’s a curiosity. Something pretty to put on display." Lorina: "How do you know all of this...?" Emilie: "Because my big sister is the only friend Taohua has in this village... though I doubt you could call them ‘friends’. They only interact over Taohua’s violin." Lorina: "And Taohua told your sister all of this?" Emilie: "You forget, my big sister has known Taohua for more than a decade. Taohua doesn’t say these things outright, but they can be guessed easily. I’m not an idiot, you know." Lorina: "I-I never said you were!" Emilie: "Good." Emilie turned her nose up in the air dismissively. She was, Lorina realised, not a girl who took being questioned well. She was probably accustomed to her older sister accepting everything she said as the unblemished truth — holier, even, than the word of God. Emilie: "Why else would Lady Lennard continue to employ Taohua, despite Constance’s continued attempts to get her fired? It must be her value as a novelty item. I can think of no other reason." Lorina: "Well, you might be right..." Emilie: "Of course I’m right. Ask Taohua yourself. She’s probably ashamed of it, but who wouldn’t be? I’d be ashamed too, if I made my living as a human doll." Emilie: "When you think about it, it’s not that much different from being a prostitute." Lorina: "D-Don’t say that about Taohua..." Emilie: "What? That she’s like a prostitute?" Lorina: "That she should be _ashamed_. She’s done _nothing_ to be ashamed about! It’s not _her_ fault what other people think about her!" Lorina: "So she looks a little different? So what! That doesn’t make her a bad person!" Emilie: "Now, why do you sound so riled up? I wasn’t trying to cause offense." Lorina: "I... Well, um..." Emilie: "Oh, could it be... Are you being loyal to your mistress?" Lorina: "N-No! It’s nothing like that at all!" Emilie: "Well, if you ask me, there’s nothing terrible about that." Lorina: "I beg your pardon...?" Emilie: "I’m glad Taohua has somebody who cares about her for who she is, difficult though she can be." Emilie: "No matter what I say, I worry about her..." Lorina: "But what about your big sister? Can’t Taohua rely on her?" Emilie: "I suppose... but my big sister isn’t the best confidant." Lorina: "It sounds like Taohua has confided in her a lot." Emilie: "Not very much. I’m reading between the lines. Big Sister hasn’t picked up on the finer details, but that’s to be expected." Emilie: "She’s only good with violins. She isn’t so good with people. She has no sensitivity whatsoever." Lorina: "How can somebody with no sensitivity devote their life to repairing instruments...?" Emilie: "Instruments are easier to work with than people. If there’s something wrong with a violin, you can generally fix it. That’s not always the case when you’re dealing with fellow human beings." Emilie paused thoughtfully and glanced up at the sky. Emilie: "I think you should try to get closer to Taohua." Emilie: "She might act like she’s above petty things like affection and companionship, but people aren’t islands. I wouldn’t be surprised if she gets lonely from time to time." Lorina: "Are you sure?" Emilie: "I’m positive. Happy people don’t cling to inanimate objects like she does." Emilie: "Speaking of which, I think her violin will be fixed next week. Make sure you tell your mistress that. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it." Lorina: "Sh-She isn’t my _mistress_...!" Emilie giggled. Emilie: "You are _such_ a bad liar." Taohua: "Oh? You have news about my violin?" Lorina: "Yes, um... I happened to run into Emilie in the village, and she said it would be finished next week." Taohua: "Well, that _is_ wonderful news!" Taohua smiled, and Lorina found herself smiling alongside her. It was hard for Lorina not to share in Taohua’s happiness — though, naturally, the violin meant a good deal less to her. Lorina was sitting on the edge of Taohua’s bed like she so oft did. The older woman, meanwhile, was examining her own reflection in the mirror by her beside. Lorina observed her silently for a few moments before she broached the question: Lorina: "What are you doing?" Taohua: "Just checking..." Lorina: "What? Is your hair staring to turn grey?" Taohua: "Oh, you are cruel!" Taohua: "I was actually thinking that I should tidy myself up, my rude little Lori. My hair looks like a birds’ nest." Lorina: "It looks fine to me." Taohua: "I’ve had a busy day. Some loose strands have started to escape at the back." Lorina: "If you’re really that tired, maybe you should get some rest instead?" Taohua: "I couldn’t possibly!" Lorina: "Why not?" Taohua: "Because I’m spending time with you!" Lorina blushed shyly and looked down at her shoes. Lorina: "Don’t be foolish. I don’t care what you look like." Taohua: "You would say that, my little Lori. You don’t take proper care of your own hair, either." Lorina: "What, precisely, is wrong with my hair?!" Taohua: "There’s nothing _wrong_ with it, per se, but... it _is_ rather unruly." Lorina: "Well, _excuse_ me..." Taohua: "You know..." Taohua: "I’ve wondered this for a while, my little Lori, but why is your hair so short?" Lorina pinched a strand of her hair between her thumb and forefinger and gave it a squeeze. Lorina: "Is it a problem?" Taohua: "Not in the slightest — but you have to admit, it’s quite an unusual style for a young lady." Lorina: "Effie’s hair is shorter." Taohua: "And she is the most unusual maid I have ever met." Lorina: "_And_ Pauline’s." Taohua: "Remember, my little Lori, I _did_ specify ‘young’." A small smile captured Lorina’s lips. Her eyes crinkled at the corners. Funnily enough, talking to Taohua as of late always cheered her up — particularly when they were badmouthing Pauline. Still... Talking about her hair was a rather sensitive subject. It dredged up memories Lorina didn’t want to recall. She hung her head. A small sigh escaped from her lips. Lorina: "I’ve had long hair ever since my childhood. I just felt like changing it." Taohua: "Really?" Taohua looked at Lorina in askance. Her bright green eyes were glittering. Probing. Taohua: "Is that all?" Lorina nodded. Taohua: "Truly?" Lorina: "Honestly." But that was a lie...{w} and, for once, Lorina almost wanted to talk about it. Almost. She’d spoken to precious few people about the incident other than her own family. They’d been supportive of her in their own ways — even Mary, who’d chastised Lorina for not taking advantage of the situation. Lorina had forgiven Mary, though. She was just a silly young girl. The Pickerings, however, hadn’t been nearly as understanding. They had offered Lorina no support or sympathy. Instead, they had scolded her, and labelled her as an opportunistic strumpet. But that wasn’t true. At least, Lorina didn’t think it was true. That wasn’t how she saw it. But what about Taohua? Taohua: "What is it, Lori? Do you have something you want to share with me?" Lorina: "I was thinking, um... This is a hypothetical scenario, you understand?" Taohua: "Ah, yes. ‘What if’s. Beloved by all, from businessmen investing in the stock market to young children with grand dreams of being princes and princesses. I’m rather fond of them myself." Lorina: "What kind of things do you ‘what if’ about?" Taohua: "Strangulating Lady Constance, mostly." Lorina: "How terrible!" Taohua: "I jest, I jest." Taohua: "Partially." Taohua: "So, what manner of things are you ‘what if’-ing about, my little Lori?" Lorina: "Well... Say, for instance, there was a man..." Taohua’s nose wrinkled. Taohua: "Oh dear. I don’t like the direction this ‘what if’ is going in already." Lorina: "Me neither, but that’s where it begins." Taohua: "Then we can begin there if we must." Lorina: "Thank you. Um..." Lorina: "He was a wealthy man. A noble. His parents owned an estate much like Bly, and he was to inherit it." Lorina: "His parents were keen for him to marry a noblewoman so they could have noblechildren, as you do." Taohua: "As is life." Lorina: "Mm. But, then..." Lorina: "The family employed a new maid. Just a regular housemaid. She wasn’t very important, really. There was nothing special about her. Everything about her was average." Taohua: "I’m sure she wasn’t so _very_ average." Lorina: "She was. She was plain and unremarkable in absolutely every way, but she didn’t mind that. She would have preferred if she could have worked silently, out of sight and out of mind, like all good maids should, but he..." Lorina: "He had different ideas." Taohua: "Oh, Lori..." Lorina: "He was fond of the maid for some reason. Overly fond, in fact. Maybe it was because she was young and naïve and easy to manipulate, but... he would often interrupt her while she was at work and instigate conversation." Lorina: "At first, she didn’t mind. In fact, was somewhat flattered by the attention he lavished upon her. But, over time..." Lorina: "He said... that my hair was pretty. Can you believe that? Such a ridiculous line. It’s only hair. _Everyone_ has hair." Taohua: "Joe the gardener doesn’t." Lorina: "Well, no, but... But..." Lorina: "I wish he hadn’t paid me such compliments. I wish he’d just let me alone. Why couldn’t he have let me alone?" Taohua: "Lori... He didn’t do anything... ungentlemanly... did he?" Lorina: "Oh, um... Things didn’t escalate that far. He started to make me feel uncomfortable, so I tried to avoid being alone with him. Sometimes, it worked. Other times, it didn’t." Taohua: "And when it didn’t...?" Lorina: "He, um... He would say things when he saw me... All kinds of things." Lorina: "He tried to touch me, but I would back away. He thought I was teasing and took it to be some kind of game. He thought my reluctance was amusing...{w} at first." Lorina: "Then, he grew angry." Taohua: "What did you do?" Lorina: "I slapped him and ran away." Taohua whistled under her breath. Taohua: "Impressive. I would expect no less from my feisty little Lori. You do have quite the temper." Lorina: "There was more to it than that. I was angry, yes, but... I was also scared. I never asked for his attention. I never wanted his affection." Lorina: "Mary scolded me for wasting an opportunity. She said I should have coerced him into buying me some expensive gifts at least... but she wasn’t the one who had to deal with him. I was." Taohua: "Mary?" Lorina: "My little sister. She’s fourteen." Taohua: "She sounds rather opportunistic." Lorina: "She’ll probably be quite formidable when she gets older." Taohua: "She will if she ends up with a figure like yours." Lorina: "H-Hey...!" Lorina spluttered indignantly. Lorina: "I-I’m trying to have a serious conversation!" Taohua: "I know. I’m sorry. I’m just trying to defuse the tension." Lorina: "W-Well... I suppose it did work, in a way." Taohua: "Good. You don’t feel sad anymore, do you?" Lorina: "I’m not sad, but... I don’t know. I don’t like thinking about it." A sigh. Lorina: "After slapping one of my employers, _and_ making his nose bleed to boot, I was no longer welcome at Hartwell. I was turned out in disgrace, in fact." Lorina: "If I’d kept quiet and allowed him to continue with his ‘flirtations’, as he called them, perhaps I’d still be there now, but I don’t think it would have been worth it. I don’t want to be subjugated like that again." Lorina: "But nobody saw it from my perspective. They said it was my fault for leading him on — being a temptress, you know. Because I’d laughed at one or two of his jokes and enjoyed some of our earlier conversations, and because..." Lorina: "Because I had _nice hair_." Lorina: "And, to think... I hadn’t even disliked him in the beginning." Lorina: "I’d thought, quite foolishly, that when he was being nice to me it was because he truly was nice..." Lorina: "I thought, when he said he cared about me, he meant it." Lorina: "I suppose he only cared insomuch as I would let him have his way with me." Lorina sniffed. Her shoulders shook. She didn’t want to cry. Not over this. Arthur didn’t deserve her tears. She didn’t want to think about the person who had ruined her career, destroyed her reputation, and could, quite possibly, have indirectly killed her, had Hartwell’s housekeeper, Miss Mary-Ann, not pawned Lorina off on the Lennards. The housekeeper: "_It will be all right. Miss Waugh might have had a rather... difficult time in Hartwell, but she’s a hard worker and she does her best._" The housekeeper: "_I’m sure it will be fine. After all, you don’t have any young sons of your own._" In Bly, there were no gentleman for Lorina to unwittingly seduce, with her tempting and highly suggestive _hair_. Taohua: "Oh, Lori... My little Lori..." With a sniffle, Lorina let her head rest against Taohua’s shoulder. Taohua held her obligingly. Her eyes were soft and gentle. Taohua: "If it’s any consolation, I wouldn’t blame the maid in your story for what happened." Taohua: "She committed no crime — other than, perhaps, being criminally adorable." Lorina: "A-Adorable?" Taohua: "Indeed. I have no idea who this maid is, but I’m sure she’s very beautiful... even after she cut off her own hair." Taohua smiled, coiling a strand of Lorina’s fair, brown hair about her fingers. Taohua: "Quite inexpertly, I might add. The ends are all uneven." Lorina: "W-Well, excuse me. I’ve never claimed to be a professional hairdresser." Taohua: "Well, fortunately for you, I have rather skilled fingers." Lorina: "And what does that mean...?" Taohua: "It means, if I may be so bold... I would rather like to tend to your hair for you, my little Lori. I feel like you don’t care for it as much as you should." Lorina: "W-Well... A-All right. If you want to play with my hair, I have no objections..." Taohua: "Good." Taohua giggled and pressed a kiss against the side of Lorina’s cheek. Taohua: "I do love spoiling my pets." Following Miss Ingrid’s sudden departure the previous week, Lady Constance was once more left without a governess. While Lady Lennard posted an advertisement for a new governess in all the Shropshire newspapers, Lady Constance whiled away her time in the drawing room, playing the piano or flipping through her well-worn volumes of Sappho. Lady Constance, despite being a member of the upper echelons of society, had few interests in life beyond the piano and Sappho. Lorina knew Lady Constance was fond of the instrument, but she hadn’t realised how proficient she was with it until one Tuesday morning. Lorina had been busy dusting the ornaments that lined one of the many luxuriant hallways in Bly when she heard the soft, plaintive strains of a piano melody drifting through the hall. The melody was emitting from the drawing room where Lady Constance took her lessons. The door was slightly ajar, allowing Lorina to see a small slither of the room beyond. There, tucked away in a corner, was the piano. Sitting on the stool by said piano, looking far softer and sweeter than usual, was Lady Constance. Compared to the piano — an imposing instrument made of rosewood, its ivory keys shining beneath the spring sunshine — Lady Constance seemed very small and slight indeed. That piano was large enough to crush the young lady, should it fall forwards, but she commanded it with apparent ease. Her eyes were half-lidded, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders. The sunlight caught in her long, luxuriant tresses so it shone like a halo. At that moment, she really did look angelic. Lorina paused. She stood by the entrance of the drawing room, struck dumb. She couldn’t have moved even if she wanted to. Lady Constance had her under her spell. Unaware of Lorina’s presence, the young girl continued to play. Her fingers danced across the white and black keys, confident and self-sure despite being so very small. Lorina hadn’t realised Lady Constance, who often so scoffed and sneered at others, was capable of producing such beautiful music. Lorina didn’t know what the song was, or who had composed it, but that didn’t stop her from finding its haunting strains beautiful. Doubtless, it had been penned by one of the long-dead ‘great men’ Lady Constance showed such disdain for — but, even so, she played it with true conviction. For a few moments, time seemed to stand still. Even the particles of dust in the air froze. And yet, like all good things, it came to an end. The last note died in the air. It was wistful and melancholy, leaving behind only bittersweet memories of what had once been. Lady Constance paused for a few moments, her fingers suspended over the keys— —before she turned her head, her eyes narrowed. Constance: "I know you’re there, maid." Lorina: "Ah...!" Lorina jumped. How had Lady Constance known? She had been so very absorbed in her music, it seemed she had left the whole world behind her... But Lady Constance’s five senses were sharper than Lorina gave her credit for. Maybe it was because of her age. Constance: "You know, it’s rude to eavesdrop on a lady when she’s in the middle of rehearsal." So that had been a mere ‘rehearsal’, had it? What manner of music, then, could Lady Constance coerce from those ivory keys when she was playing a piece seriously? Lorina couldn’t imagine it. Constance: "Well, don’t just stand there dithering. I don’t want to have a conversation across a door frame." Lorina: "A-Ah, yes! Of course!" Lorina obediently opened the drawing room door and stepped inside. The minute Lorina entered the room, Lady Constance rounded on her. She looked more sullen and sulky than ever before. Constance: "Why were you listening to me, maid?" Lorina: "Oh, um... I’m not entirely sure." Constance: "Good grief." Lady Constance rolled her eyes. Constance: "You’re even stupider than I thought." Lorina: "It’s difficult to explain. I, um... I’ve never heard you play the piano before, so I was curious. I didn’t know you were so talented." Constance: "I never asked for your empty praise." Lorina: "But I meant every single word!" Constance: "I don’t care if you meant every single _syllable_." Constance: "What is the praise of a maid worth? I bet you don’t even know what that song was." So she had summoned Lorina to the parlour to insult her, was it? Lorina supposed that was her lot in life, being a mere maid — but after hearing Lady Constance produce such pure music from the piano, she had thought... What had she thought? Now she was face-to-face with the girl, Lorina wasn’t quite sure. Lorina: "If I’ve displeased you, Miss, I apologise. It was rude of me to eavesdrop." Lorina gave Lady Constance a small curtsey. Lorina: "If that’s all, I’ll make myself scarce." Constance: "Wait." Lorina: "Pardon?" Constance: "I never said you could go." Lorina froze, her fingers inches away from the door handle. She straightened her back, steeled her resolve, and glanced back at the young lady. What did she want now? Constance: "...It was Liszt." Lorina: "I beg your pardon?" Constance: "The song I was playing. Liszt’s _Love Dream_. Miss Adrienne taught me it." Lorina: "One of your previous governesses?" Constance: "Mm." Lorina had never met Miss Adrienne Spence before, but she’d heard the stories. According to Lieselotte, Miss Adrienne had been the only governess Lady Constance had been able to tolerate. Lorina: "Did you, um... like Miss Adrienne?" Constance: "Like her? What a foolish question." Constance: "I _loved_ her." Lorina stared. She couldn’t help herself. She hadn’t known Lady Constance could feel love. Lorina had assumed the young girl’s heart was too withered for such intense emotions... But she’d been wrong. If Lady Constance couldn’t feel love, the music she’d coaxed from the piano wouldn’t have sounded so sweet, nor so sad. Lorina: "How long was Miss Adrienne your governess?" Constance: "Only seven months." Almost as long as Miss Aimee, then — but Lady Constance hadn’t liked Miss Aimee at all. Lorina: "If you liked her so much, why did she leave?" Constance: "Mother sent her away." Lorina: "But she’s been struggling to find you a governess you can get along with for more than a week! Why would she get rid of a governess you actually _liked_?" Constance: "I think that was the problem. I liked Miss Adrienne too much." Lorina: "Is it possible to like your governess ‘too much’?" Constance: "Mother thought it was. She never said so, but... I think she was jealous." Lorina: "Of your governess?" Constance: "I spent more time with Miss Adrienne than I did with Mother. We were always playing the piano together." Constance: "Mother can’t play a single note, and I believe she felt left out." Constance: "She thought Miss Adrienne was going to take her only daughter away from her, so she fired her." Lorina: "And how did you feel...?" Constance: "How do you _think_ I felt?" Lorina: "I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked..." Constance: "It’s fine. A stupid maid like you probably can’t understand." Lady Constance frowned. She turned to the piano, idly tracing her fingers against the keys, but applied no pressure. Constance: "Since Mother fired Miss Adrienne, I’ve been through no less than seven governesses..." Lorina: "Seven governesses in two years?" Constance: "Twenty months, to be more precise." Lorina wasn’t sure whether she should be impressed or not. Lorina: "But surely not _all_ your governesses have been bad! I thought Miss Aimee was rather sweet." Constance: "But she wasn’t Miss Adrienne." Lady Constance scowled. She drew her fingers away from the keys and held them close against her chest. Constance: "Aimee tried to be Miss Adrienne. She tried to be kind to me, to flatter me, to get on my good side... but it didn’t work." Constance: "I never wanted to be her friend, though she may have wanted to be mine." Constance: "There would be no point, anyway." Lorina: "Why not?" Constance: "Didn’t you _listen_ to me?" Constance: "Mother is awfully protective. If she fired Miss Adrienne, she could easily fire anybody else." Constance: "In the end, it’s better not to get too attached." Lady Constance looked down at her knees. She sighed softly. The sound was every bit as wistful as her piano melody. Liszt’s _Love Dream_. Lorina blinked. Maybe she’d finally begun to understand Lady Constance, just a little. Was this why the young girl was so very aggressive towards her governesses, and so rude to her maids? Was she, simply...{w} afraid? Lady Lennard might have given Lady Constance everything she could ever want — dolls to play with, beautiful clothes to wear, and delicious food to eat — but she couldn’t give Lady Constance the one thing she needed. Companionship. Constance: "Hmph. Ridiculous." Lady Constance snorted and shook her head. Constance: "Why am I telling you this, anyway? I must be coming down with a fever." Lorina: "It _has_ been rather cold during the nights. Some of the maids have been coughing a good deal." Lady Constance wrinkled her nose. Constance: "I hope you haven’t given me something." Lorina: "I’m sure it’ll be all right, Miss. I doubt it’s anything serious." But Lorina was wrong. Pauline: "Goodness, it’s been so bitter lately! You wouldn’t think it was nearly summer!" with dissolve Isobel: "I feel like I’m going to freeze." with dissolve As if to accentuate her point, Isobel sneezed. It was a dry, hacking cough that sounded rather painful." with dissolve Pauline: "These blankets just aren’t thick enough. We’re all going to catch hypothermia." with dissolve Isobel: "My poor fingers are trembling so! I’ll never be able to thread a needle again!" with dissolve Effie: "...Or play the violin." with dissolve Isobel frowned." with dissolve Isobel: "I can’t play the violin." with dissolve Effie shrugged soundlessly." with dissolve Effie: "...My mistake." with dissolve Effie was the only one in the servants’ quarters wholly unconcerned about these long, cold nights. She seemed much the same as ever... which was to say, she surveyed her surroundings with dispassionate eyes, and contributed little to conversations." with dissolve Even Lieselotte, who’d been born amongst the frost and ice of the Swiss Alps, was suffering from the cold. Lieselotte: "Oh, I wonder how this happened...!" with dissolve Lieselotte, who was a small lump beneath her blanket, sneezed pitifully." with dissolve Lieselotte: "The winters in Andermatt are far, far chillier than this!" with dissolve Pauline: "You must have been in England too long." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Oh no! I hope not! I have never once had a cold in my life, and this—" with dissolve Lieselotte’s words were punctuated, yet again, with a sneeze." with dissolve Lieselotte: "—is simply terrible! How can I return to Andermatt now?" with dissolve Pauline: "Maybe you can’t." with dissolve Lieselotte: "I-I cannot?!" with dissolve Pauline: "No. With your health being so brittle, you would faint clean away when the first snowflake lands on the tip of your nose." with dissolve Lieselotte: "B-But..." with dissolve Lieselotte’s big, blue eyes began to tremble. They filled with unshed tears. Her lower lip wobbled." with dissolve Lieselotte: "I-If I never return to Andermatt, I cannot see my Mama or Papa, or Uncle Alphose and Uncle Rudolf and Uncle Titus and Uncle—" with dissolve It was at this point Lorina stopped listening.* Lieselotte had too many aunts and uncles. Taohua: "We _must_ be understaffed if I’ve been instructed to aid in such a menial task..." Taohua walked along the hallway with quick steps, her dark hair fluttering behind her. Lorina tried to keep pace but her legs were shorter than her Taohua’s, and it took more effort than it should have. Taohua’s eyes were narrowed, just slightly, and her footsteps fell with more purpose than usual. They struck a hard series of staccato _tok, tok, tok_s against the wooden floor. This sudden shift in her rota really must have peeved her. Lorina: "Do you mind that much?" Taohua: "Hm?" Taohua glanced over at Lorina and blinked, as though only just aware of her presence. Taohua: "Oh, my little Lori. I’m sorry if I was being snappish. I just don’t care for mundane tasks like these." Lorina: "It’s fine. Nobody likes dusting, apart from Ethel. She was rather fastidious about it. She cleaned our house every other day without prompting." A pause. Lorina: "Though, my house is far smaller than Bly." Taohua: "I must say, this Ethel sounds like a paragon of womanly virtues. She would make a good wife someday." Lorina: "I’m sure she’ll make her beau a happy husband indeed." Taohua: "She’s already set her sights on a future husband?" Lorina: "She’s mature for her age." Taohua: "Just how old is this sister of yours?" Lorina: "She’s sixteen, but she acts so wise and mature you’d think she was older." Lorina: "Sometimes, it feels like she’s the one looking out for me..." Taohua: "I’m sure you’re a commendable older sister in your own right, Lori." Lorina: "Really...?" Taohua: "Mm. I can tell how deeply you care about others — and how seriously you take your job." Lorina: "Unlike you." Taohua: "Indeed! I’m a scoundrel." Lorina: "The worst of the worst." Taohua: "An incorrigible knave!" Taohua licked her lower lip with her pointed, cat-like tongue to emphasise the point, then started laughing. Lorina wanted to sigh at Taohua’s antics, but she couldn’t bring herself to. Sweeping the hallways of Bly alongside Taohua was far, far preferable to doing so with Pauline. Taohua: "Really, though..." Taohua shook her head, her earlier good humour melting away. Taohua: "I need to find some way to keep myself entertained. Sweeping these hallways is deeply unappealing." Lorina: "I know, but you _are_ a maid. Sweeping comes with the territory." Taohua: "Maid or not, I wasn’t made for such hard labour!" Lorina couldn’t help but recall Emilie’s words. She paused, frowning. Lorina: "You prefer being paraded around in front of Lady Lennard’s guests?" Taohua: "It’s a good deal less strenuous, that’s for certain." Lorina: "But—" Taohua: "Now, now. Let’s not talk about such things." Taohua waved Lorina’s query aside with a wave of her right arm. Taohua: "It really _is_ such a shame this sickness is going around. If it was only Ada who had fallen ill, the other maids might have been able to manage — but Pauline and Isobel, too?" Taohua tutted. Taohua: "I feel like I’m being cheated. Pauline’s a crafty one. She’d try to wrangle a day off if she got an eyelash stuck in her eye." Lorina: "So you say, but I’ve seen you holed away in the garden stroking Figaro when you should be working." Taohua: "Shh." Taohua pressed a finger against her lips. She winked. Taohua: "That’s _our_ little secret." Lorina: "Well, I wasn’t going to tell anyone..." Taohua: "Good, or I would have to punish you." Taohua took hold of Lorina’s ponytail and gave it a tug. As was her wont, Lorina pushed her away — but that didn’t stop Taohua from smiling. A smile that soon abated upon seeing a small, diminutive figure approaching them from the other end of the hall. Lady Constance came to a halt before the two maids, her hands pressed firmly on her hips. On her lips there was a thin, cruel smile. All of Lady Constance’s smiles were cruel — save, perhaps, the small and secretive one she had unwittingly shared with Lorina whilst playing the piano. But that Lady Constance was long gone now. Constance: "Oh, my. Fancy seeing you two here. What a stroke of good luck." Taohua: "‘Good luck’?" Taohua raised an eyebrow. Taohua: "Were you, perchance, looking for us?" Constance: "Why, yes! Indeed, I was." Taohua: "I’m very flattered. I can’t imagine why an esteemed lady such as yourself would worry so over a pair of maids." Constance: "Normally, I wouldn’t. Today is a special occasion." Taohua: "Well, lucky us." Constance: "Lucky you, indeed." Lady Constance’s smile widened. Taohua remained cool and calm, her eyes fixated upon the Lady Constance’s countenance, but Lorina quailed. Subconsciously, she found herself seeking refuge behind Taohua’s back. She wasn’t sure what it was, but Lady Constance looked more sadistic today than usual. Was she crowing over her newfound freedom, now that she had no governess to rein her in? Or maybe she was embarrassed Lorina had seen her in such an unusually morose state a few days prior. Worried, perhaps, that Lorina’s impression of her had started to soften, was Lady Constance trying to erase any trace of the wistful, lonely little girl who had been playing Liszt’s _Love Dream_? Constance: "I’d like you to clean an old bedroom out for me. It hasn’t been used in years." Taohua: "My apologies, but we have orders from Miss Smithe to clean the hallways." Constance: "And who has more seniority in this household? Me, or that old biddy?" Taohua: "Miss Smithe’s orders are absolute, I’m afraid. We’re low on manpower, and Lori and I have a large list of jobs to do already." Constance: "‘Lori’, is it?" Lorina didn’t like Lady Constance’s tone. It was all right when Ada used this nickname, embarrassing though it was, but when it came from Lady Constance’s lips? That was an entirely different matter. Constance: "Well, let me make a couple of things clear to the both of you. When I ask you to do something, you should do it — unless you want me to tell my mother." Taohua: "You’re using _that_ threat again?" Constance: "It’s not a mere threat! I’ll really do it, you know?" Taohua: "Yes, yes. I don’t doubt that, dear. I could say any number of unpleasant things about you, but at least you always keep your word." Constance: "And what’s _that_ supposed to mean?" Taohua: "Nothing." Taohua: "You can tell Lady Lennard if you like. It’s no skin off my nose." Constance: "She’ll be cross with you." Taohua: "And she has been cross with me before — but she hasn’t fired me yet." Constance: "That’s right. Not _yet_ — but she’s not happy about the vase. If you put another toe out of line, you’ll be in for it." Taohua: "I’m willing to take that risk. Now, if you’ll excuse us." Taohua turned her back on Lady Constance. Her dark hair fluttered. Taohua: "We have work to attend to. Isn’t that right, Lori?" Lorina: "O-Oh, um... That’s right." Constance: "Hmph." Lady Constance’s lips curled. Constance: "_You_ might be willing to take that risk, but what about your precious Lori?" Taohua’s back stiffened. She turned, her eyes hard and flinty. Taohua: "What was that?" Constance: "I _said_, what about your precious Lori? You might be able to survive getting on my mother’s bad side, but what about her?" Taohua: "What _about_ her?" Constance: "She has a poor reputation already. Mother knows about everything that happened in Hartwell—" Lorina winced. Her heart tightened unpleasantly. Constance: "—and she only agreed to take her in because she’s close friends with Lady Pickering." Constance: "If this maid steps out of line, what do you think will happen to her?" Lorina knew what would happen. That much was obvious. She’d be fired in a heartbeat. She didn’t have the luxury of being indispensable like Taohua. Lorina was a plain, uninteresting English girl, and she had a chequered past to boot. Lorina: "I’d be turned out in an instant..." Constance: "That’s right. Mother’s a benevolent woman, but even she has to draw the line somewhere. It’s bad enough that she has a hussy working for her." Lorina drew in an anxious breath. All of a sudden, she felt dizzy. Hussy... Was she really? Pauline had said as much, but she was a fellow maid like Lorina. Her words carried no real weight. When it came from Lady Constance, however... Taohua: "Now, you see here." Taohua stepped forward. She was bristling with indignation. Taohua: "Lorina is _not_ a hussy. She just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time!" Constance: "Well, I don’t pretend to know all the gory details, but I might be inclined to agree with you..." Taohua: "Then why are you being so _vile_?" Constance: "Because I want the pair of you to do a job for me." Constance: "I was _trying_ to ask nicely, but if you insist on being stubborn, I’ll have to play dirty. It’s nothing personal, really." Lorina: "Not personal...?" Constance: "That’s right. I’m just exercising my authority." Lorina grit her teeth together. How were these attacks ‘impersonal’? Dredging up Lorina’s past was the most ‘personal’ thing Lady Constance could have done. Lorina couldn’t understand that girl for the life of her. Lady Constance seemed determined to make Lorina’s life miserable, but the young maid had no idea why. What had she ever done to her? Constance: "Now, I want one the old guest bedroom on the second floor cleaned up. The one with the beige walls and the paintings." Lorina: "But _why_? You already have a perfectly good bedroom." Constance: "My room is on the third floor. It’s too close to the attic, and it’s been very cold at nights. I’d like to relocate somewhere warmer." Lorina: "And I bet, when the summer heat starts up, you’ll wish you were somewhere colder again." Constance: "Yes, _and_? What of it?" Lorina: "You’re giving us more work to do..." Constance: "Of course I am! You’re _maids_, aren’t you? You’re supposed to work! You don’t get paid to lounge around at your leisure!" Constance: "Now, stop answering back and get to it. I don’t have all day... unless you _insist_ on being difficult?" Lorina sighed. Her shoulders slumped. Lorina: "I suppose we don’t have much of a choice." Constance: "That’s right. You don’t." Lady Constance smiled sweetly. Constance: "Wouldn’t this have been much less painful if you’d admitted that from the beginning?" Taohua and Lorina continued their march down Bly’s hallways. Neither spoke, but it was evident Taohua was in a foul mood. One only had to look at her back to gauge that much. Taohua: "That conniving brat... How could she be so cruel?" Lorina: "Um..." Lorina hastened to match Taohua’s pace. Her face was flushed from exertion. Lorina: "I, um... I don’t really mind." Taohua: "_Really?_" Taohua turned and glared at Lorina, her eyebrows arched with disdain. Taohua: "Are you _quite_ sure you don’t mind, _Lorina_?" Lorina: "Well..." Taohua: "You don’t _mind_ being treated like dirt, and you don’t _mind_ being stepped on, and you don’t _mind_ being abused?" Lorina: "I—" Taohua: "If you’re being honest and you truly don’t ‘mind’, I must have misjudged you." Taohua: "If you enjoy wallowing in misery, perhaps I never should have intervened on your behalf to begin with!" Taohua: "Should I, then, have let you suffer in silence? If you really don’t _mind_, that is." Taohua: "Maybe you silly English maids see it as a badge of honour — and who am I to get in the way of your proud and noble misery?" Taohua: "After all, _I’m_ not English. I can’t understand how you think." Lorina: "W-Well, I..." Lorina stammered, tripping over her words. She’d never seen Taohua lose her cool like this before, and the effect was frightening. When Taohua was angry, she was even scarier than Lady Constance. Though Lorina didn’t particularly like the young madam, she was at least used to her foul tempers. This, on the other hand, was new. Lorina: "I do mind, I suppose, but... getting angry won’t solve anything. Not at me." Taohua’s expression contorted. Her eyebrows furrowed. Her fingers trembled. For a few moments, Lorina feared she’d made the situation worse... But then Taohua exhaled, and the tension dissipated from her body. Taohua: "You’re right, my little Lori. I’m sorry." Lorina: "It’s fine. I’m angry too, but... being angry never helps." Taohua: "You’re quite right, of course. I know." Taohua ran a hand through her hair. She looked distracted. Taohua: "Still, it’s rare Lady Constance is able to put one over on me." Lorina: "I’m sorry. It’s because you were looking out for me." Lorina bit her lower lip. Lorina: "If I wasn’t there, she wouldn’t have had any chips to bargain with..." Taohua: "Oh, come now, Lori." Taohua smiled fondly, almost like her usual self, and prodded Lorina’s cheek with her finger. Taohua: "You’re not a bargaining chip. You’re a human girl — and one of the most charming ones I’ve ever met." Lorina: "Do you really think so?" Taohua: "I _know_ so. I pride myself on being a connoisseur of pretty girls." Lorina: "You lech..." But Lorina was smiling despite herself. Taohua: "I’m the one who should apologise. I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you. You didn’t do anything wrong." Taohua: "I was just so angry when Lady Constance brought up your past like that, the horrible little devil that she is, I couldn’t help myself..." Lorina: "It’s fine. I understand." Taohua: "It isn’t really fine." Taohua exhaled. Taohua: "I’ve always had a bit of temper. Sometimes, I let it get the better of me." Lorina: "Then at least we have something in common." Taohua: "I suppose." Taohua smiled. She poked Lorina’s cheek again. Taohua: "Don’t think I haven’t forgotten what you said to me in the kitchen, Lori." Lorina: "What?" Taohua: "You told me that you hated me! I could hardly believe my ears!" Lorina: "Well, um..." Lorina’s face flushed. Lorina: "That was before I got to know you..." Taohua: "And you realised, despite being an ‘Oriental flower’—" Taohua made quotation marks with her fingers. Taohua: "—I am not, in fact, a witch or a cannibal?" Lorina: "I never thought you were a cannibal!" Taohua: "What about a witch?" Lorina: "...The thought did cross my mind from time to time." Taohua: "Silly." Taohua ruffled the top of Lorina’s head. Taohua: "We’re both as bad as each other, then." Lorina: "I don’t think I’m _nearly_ as sadistic as you are." Taohua: "Maybe not, no — but I wasn’t always like this, either." Lorina: "No?" Taohua: "No. This is what happens when you spend your whole life being treated like an exhibit in a museum." Taohua spread her arms wide, as though inviting Lorina to look. Taohua: "You start getting bitter." Lorina: "I imagine Lady Constance doesn’t help." Taohua: "Does she hell. I’ve had it up to here with that girl." Taohua raised one hand above her head, and Lorina giggled. So, too, did Taohua. The two women stood in the hallway together, laughing, until Taohua finally came to her senses. She sighed. Taohua: "Sadly, we have no time to waste. Miss Smithe gave us a lot of tasks to do already, and cleaning out that old bedroom will take a few hours at least. I don’t believe anybody’s used that room for a good three years." Lorina: "It’s a pain, but... it’ll get done faster if we work together." Taohua: "My, my. You _are_ a little soldier." Lorina: "There’s no sense in complaining about work. We were told we had to do it, so we have to." Taohua: "That is an admirable trait of yours, Lori, but I _do_ worry..." Taohua: "You shouldn’t let other people exploit you so." Lorina: "If I don’t let them exploit me I’ll get fired. I don’t have an unlimited supply of chances to use up, unlike you." Taohua: "Maybe I’m being unfair, then." Taohua: "I’m not saying this to get at you, you know? I might come across as being harsh, but I only say these things because I worry." Lorina: "Like a parent?" Taohua: "Not quite like a parent, no. My feelings for you aren’t nearly so chaste." Lorina: "Ah..." Taohua pressed a finger beneath Lorina’s chin. She raised the young maid’s head so their eyes were level; piercing green on dark brown. Lorina blushed. Taohua really _was_ close. She was so close, Lorina could see her individual eyelashes in stark detail. Taohua: "I know we’re on a tight schedule, my little Lori, but... I think I need to let off some steam." Lorina: "Wh-What do you mean?" Taohua: "People can’t work efficiently when they’re frustrated. It’s important to take breaks every once in a while." Lorina: "Then, um..." Lorina glanced to one side shyly. Her face was burning. Lorina: "What are you suggesting?" Taohua: "What indeed...?" Taohua dipped her head, pressing her lips against Lorina’s. The smell of bergamot and orange peel grew stronger and stronger. It was almost dizzying. Lorina knew it was unwise to let Taohua kiss her in the middle of the hallway. Though most of the maids were sick, Lady Constance could still have been sulking around... But, at that moment, Lorina didn’t care. She couldn’t bring herself to. Instead, she stood up on her tiptoes, and pressed her lips more firmly against Taohua’s. The two kissed for a while, sharing their saliva, before Taohua drew back. Her eyes were dark and half-lidded. Taohua: "I think we need a bit more privacy." Lorina: "Wh-What for...?" Taohua pressed her index finger against Lorina’s lips. They were slightly swollen from kissing, and shone with the older maid’s saliva. Taohua: "That, my little Lori, is a secret." The days passed, and the maids of Bly were still suffering from a mysterious malaise. They weren’t the only ones, either. Several of the valets had fallen ill with the mysterious fever, and even the indomitable Miss Smithe had taken her bed with a fierce headache that refused to shift. In Miss Smithe’s moment of need, Estelle Wood’s _Practical Housekeeping_ guide had failed her. Now, the only members of the serving class who were able to work were Lorina, Taohua, and Effie. As such, the majority of jobs had piled onto these three maids, like a particularly fierce snowdrift. Come Friday morning, both Lorina and Effie could be found in the drawing room. Lorina was sweeping the floor, while Effie was polishing the large, wooden globe that stood in a corner of the room. The globe hadn’t been used since Miss Ingrid left, and it had accumulated a good deal of dust. When Effie drew the dampened cloth across the wooden surface a dense, grey cloud swirled through the air. Effie: "Ah... Nn..." with dissolve Effie turned her head away, tears beading in her eyes, and sneezed." with dissolve Effie: "{size=+10}A-Achoo...!" The sneeze was loud enough to make Lorina jump.* Effie was so quiet, it was unusual for her to make any kind of noise. Lorina had quite forgotten she was there. Lorina: "O-Oh, um... bless you." Effie sniffed and nodded her head in silent thanks, but that was all. She said nothing else. Lorina: "Um..." Lorina shifted from foot to foot awkwardly. She wasn’t accustomed to being alone with Effie, and she had no idea what to do. What to say. This might have been easier if she was Lieselotte. Everybody liked Lieselotte — Effie included. The two of them were rather close. To Lorina, however, Effie was an enigma. She didn’t know if they had anything in common. What, exactly, did Effie like? ...Now she had the chance, she might as well ask. Lorina: "S-So, um, Effie... I’ve been at Bly for half a year now, but we still don’t know much about each other." Effie: "Hm?" with dissolve Effie blinked. She tilted her head to one side." with dissolve Lorina: "I-I was wondering, um... I-Is there anything in particular you’re interested in?" Effie shrugged.* Lorina: "No?" Effie shook her head. Lorina resisted the urge to throw herself on the floor in defeat. Lorina: "Th-Then, um... do you have any hobbies or interests?" Effie shook her head again. Lorina: "Uh... What about your family? What’s your family like?" Another shake of the head. Lorina: "Y-You mean you don’t have a family?!" A shrug. Lorina: "...Either you have a family or you don’t. You can’t shrug." Unless she was an orphan. That was always possible. It wasn’t so uncommon for women to have children, realise they were too poor to provide for them, then send them to orphanages. If that really was the case, it was no wonder Effie said so very little. She must have been raised from youth to keep her mouth closed. Lorina had heard stories about orphanages. Apparently, the children had to wear rags and were fed gruel — and if they so much as asked for more...! ...Or maybe that was something from a Charles Dickens story. Either way, Lorina now felt quite guilty for asking. Lorina: "I-I’m sorry if I was being insensitive. I know there are some things that can’t be spoken about." There was a small pause. Then... Effie: "...Like you and Taohua?" with dissolve Lorina stared. Her eyes were as round as ostrich eggs." with dissolve Lorina: "Wh-What do you mean?" Effie: "...Heh." with dissolve Effie smiled. She looked proud of herself, though Lorina couldn’t fathom why." with dissolve Neither did she want to. Effie: "...You and Taohua..." with dissolve Lorina: "What about us?" with dissolve Effie: "...You get on well." with dissolve Lorina: "I, um... I don’t know what you’re talking about..." with dissolve Effie: "It’s all right." with dissolve Effie pressed a finger against her lips." with dissolve Effie: "I’m good at keeping secrets." with dissolve Reverend Marner: "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be— achoo!" The congregation at St Mary’s that Sunday was a good deal thinner than usual.* Like Bly, Ellesmere had been visited by a great plague, rendering half of the villagers abed with high temperatures. Even Reverend Marner looked worse for wear. His skin was greyer than his hair, and it was sagging about his mouth. Despite this, however, the good reverend continued on — much as Jesus had wandered through the desert, all the while being tempted by Satan. Reverend Marner: "And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights— achoo!" But, though it was a valiant effort, it wasn’t quite enough. Reverend Marner’s words were peppered with sneezes, and he had to keep pausing. Lorina, who’d been taught to say ‘bless you’ after every single sneeze, tried to resist the urge. She was sure Reverend Marner wouldn’t have appreciated it — and, in any case, it was impolite to talk during church. Reverend Marner: "And when the tempter came to him, he said— achoo!" Lorina was unsure if she would ever uncover what the tempter had said. The church echoed with the repeated sounds of coughing. It was starting to give Lorina a headache. Reverend Marner: "Then the devil taketh him up into the holy— achoo!" Effie was the only other maid from Bly in attendance, and Lorina rather wished she wasn’t. For once, she almost desired Pauline and Isobel’s company. That would be preferable to the knowing looks Effie kept shooting her. Why did Effie seem so very pleased with herself? Reverend Marner: "Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not— achoo!" Effie was more dangerous than Lorina had ever known. Following the church service, Lorina happened to come across Taohua in the village square. Taohua: "Oh, my little Lori! Coming back from church?" Lorina: "That’s right. Um..." Lorina glanced at Effie. Her fellow maid seemed to be trying, with limited success, to repress peals of laughter. What did she find so very funny? Lorina: "Are you here about your violin?" Taohua: "Indeed. Emilie said it was nearly ready, didn’t she?" Lorina: "Oh, yes... That’s right." After all the excitement that had occurred that week, Lorina had quite forgotten. Taohua: "Hmm..." Taohua pondered, one finger pressed against her lower lip. Taohua: "As the indomitable Miss Smithe has fallen ill, and even Mr Lester is looking rather peaky, there should be nobody at Bly who’ll scold you if you’re an hour or two late in returning. What do you think?" Taohua’s eyes shimmered mischievously. Taohua: "Would you care to accompany me, my little Lori?" Effie: "Pfft... Ehehe..." with dissolve Effie sniggered again, in a rather unladylike manner. Though she had a hand pressed against her mouth, the giggles still escaped." with dissolve Taohua blinked.* Taohua: "What on earth is the matter with you?" Effie: "...I’m fine." with dissolve Taohua: "You don’t look it." Effie: "...It’s an allergic reaction." with dissolve Taohua: "To what?" with dissolve Effie: "...The sun." with dissolve Taohua: "How can one be allergic to the sun?" Effie: "...I’m a vampire." with dissolve Taohua: "Then how were you able to go to church?" with dissolve Effie: "Shhh." with dissolve Effie pressed a finger against her lips. Apparently, that was a secret." with dissolve The most troubling thing was, if Effie really were a vampire, Lorina wouldn’t have disbelieved her. There was something rather disconcerting about her fellow maid — particularly her pale skin and her low, monotone way of speaking.* Taohua: "Vampirism aside, would you mind too terribly if I borrowed my little Lori for a while, Effie?" Effie shook her head. Taohua: "You weren’t going to drink her blood?" Effie: "...I only drink the blood of virgins." with dissolve Lorina: "E-Excuse me...?!" with dissolve Taohua: "Then it’s all settled! Let’s go, my little Lori!" Lorina: "Ah, yes, um... I... I-I’m sorry, Effie?" Effie: "...Don’t apologise." with dissolve Effie gave Lorina a less-than-covert wink." with dissolve Lorina could only sigh.* For a girl who rarely spoke, Effie could be awfully tiring. Taohua: "Ah, my baby! How I missed you!" Taohua stared at her violin with wide eyes. She was so overjoyed her face sparkled. For such an aloof woman, at that moment...{w} she looked oddly adorable. Lorina had seen Taohua smile before, but those ‘smiles’ would be more accurately classed as ‘smirks’. It was rare for the older woman to smile so openly, without abandon, like a small child upon their first encounter with an elephant in London Zoo. Emilie, meanwhile, looked deeply unimpressed. Emilie: "Oh, this is too much." Theodora: "Emilie! Stop being callous!" Emilie: "Well, I apologise — but this _is_ rather ridiculous." Emilie: "If I wanted to watch such an unabashed display of melodrama, I’d go to the West End." Taohua: "How cynical..." Theodora: "You don’t know the half of it." Theodora: "When I took her to see _Romeo and Juliet_ at Haymarket, she fell fast asleep!" Theodora: "While poor Juliet was professing her love for Romeo’s still-warm corpse, this little terror was snoring and drooling on my shoulder!" Emilie: "I do _not_ drool...!" Theodora: "How would you know? You were dead to the world — even more so than the Romeo on the stage." Emilie: "Grr..." Emilie grit her teeth together. Her face flushed scarlet. The redness of her cheeks clashed horribly with the pink of her clothes, and the sorry sight was almost enough to make Lorina laugh. She really might have, if laughing at Emilie didn’t seem like a swift way to go about getting kicked in the shins. Taohua: "What a funny little girl. She wants to be a blue-blooded lady, but she has all the sentiment of a rock." Theodora: "A sedimentary rock?" Taohua: "Not even that. A piece of flint, I was thinking." Emilie: "I’m {b}not{/b} a little girl! I’m sixteen years of age! That’s plenty!" Taohua: "Many girls are married younger, it’s true, but I don’t think it’s a particularly wise practice." Taohua: "You might be old enough to sign your life away, but that doesn’t make you any more of an adult in my eyes." Theodora: "She’s also rather delicate. I always tell her to eat more greens, but she just won’t listen! All she cares about are cakes and sweet pastries!" Taohua: "That’s because you spoil her." Theodora: "Well, I would rather she love me for buying her almond rings than hate me for forcing her to eat boiled spinach!" Theodora: "There are better things in this world to hate people over than spinach, surely!" Taohua: "You’re too soft, Theodora." Theodora: "What can I say? Love does strange things to us all!" Emilie: "_Please._" Emilie rolled her eyes yet again. If she weren’t such a lady, she would have accompanied the gesture with some faux vomiting sound effects. What sort of noblewoman would, in the midst of a tea party with her fellows, pretend to regurgitate their lunch all over the carpet? Emilie: "I think it’s foolish to care so much about a silly violin." Theodora: "Everyone has things they care about, Emi." Emilie: "Yes, but most people don’t care so about objects. Possessions might be nice, but they don’t necessarily make one happy." Taohua: "Oh? Am I being lectured about the follies of material wealth from a spoilt little girl like you?" Emilie: "Like I already said, I’m _not_ a little girl — and you have no right to dismiss what I say, either!" Taohua: "I’ll try not to be dismissive, but it’s hard to listen to such words from you, my dear Emilie, when you’re so very obsessed about your own appearance." Emilie: "All right, fine! I admit it! I like wearing pretty clothes and fine shoes and drinking expensive tea! I’m a shallow person, it’s true — but I don’t attach such significance to all that _stuff_! I’m not using them to fill a void!" Taohua: "And what ‘void’ is it you’re speaking of, may I ask?" Emilie’s response was instant, delivered in a tone cool enough to freeze the trumpet-shaped heads off an entire congregation of golden daffodils. Emilie: "I don’t covet material goods because I’m lonely." Theodora: "Emilie..." Emilie: "Nobody asked you, Big Sister. _I_ am talking to Taohua." Theodora: "In that case, I suppose I’ll leave you to it..." Theodora turned to Lorina, who’d been rather left out of the conversation, and gave her a warm smile. Theodora: "Would you like another spot of tea?" While Theodora chatted amiably with Lorina, the bitter conversation between Taohua and Emilie continued. Lorina was grateful for Theodora’s kindness, but she couldn’t focus on what she was saying, or on the taste of the tea Theodora poured for her. She was too busy watching Taohua. Taohua: "Hmm. If that’s what you think, I’ll make no attempt to change your mind... but I’m not lonely." Emilie: "No?" Emilie snorted. Emilie: "If you’re not lonely, _why_ have you clung to this instrument for so long? You take better care of it than you do your relationships with other people." Taohua: "Oh, but other people are so dreadfully dull! I’d rather not waste my time." Emilie: "But that’s no way to live...!" Taohua: "And since when did you start caring about me so much, hmm?" Emilie: "I... I don’t... Not really." Taohua: "It sounds to me like you do. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be so concerned." Emilie: "I’m not concerned...! I just..." Emilie: "I know you dislike living in Shropshire — and I rather dislike it, too! Unlike me, however, you have the ability to move. Why don’t you?" Emilie: "I know your violin is your ‘baby’, but there are people who would pay a good deal to add it to their collections." Emilie: "My sister has connections, and she could contact some of our father’s old clients who’d be most interested in owning a violin made in Cremona." Emilie: "The violin is worth around £600, but who knows? It could fetch a higher price." Emilie: "You could do an awful lot with all that money. You could move, you know? Find a new life. A _better_ life." Emilie: "There _has_ to be a life better than this out there somewhere." Emilie: "There _has_ to be." Theodora: "Oh, Emi... Do you really hate it here so much?" Emilie: "I’ve already told you. I _despise_ it." Theodora: "You silly goose. I’m not staying here solely so I can make you miserable. You do know that, don’t you?" Emilie: "I know..." Theodora: "We can’t leave. Our parents left this shop to us. We have to look after it for them. We owe them that much." Emilie: "We don’t owe them anyway! _They_ were the ones who left _us_! They didn’t ask us how we felt!" Emilie: "For all we know, they could be dead already." Theodora: "We received a letter from them only last week." Emilie: "It’s only a matter of time!" Theodora: "It’s been five years and they still seem to be in high spirits." Emilie: "Maybe they are for now, but it won’t last." Emilie: "They’ve gone to a heathen country, Sister! I mean, _Zanzibar_!" Emilie: "That doesn’t sound like the kind of place that would appear in an atlas. It sounds like a made-up fantasy world, but with more deadly insects!" Theodora: "Be that as it may, they appear to be enjoying themselves. We need to give them time." Emilie: "But..." Emilie sniffled. Emilie: "I’ve waited enough, and I’m tired of waiting. I’m tired of _stagnating_." Emilie: "I’m tired and I don’t understand." Emilie: "I simply can’t _stand_ to see somebody who could leave here if she wanted refusing to do so out of — I don’t know, really. Complacency? Laziness? Fear of the unknown?" Taohua: "The words you’re searching for, Emilie, are ‘nostalgic sentiment’." Emilie: "That sounds like an excuse to me." Taohua: "Well, perhaps..." Emilie: "You see?! You _are_ making excuses! You _could_ leave, but you refuse to! Why?!" Taohua: "Because I would hate to miss out on your excellent company." Emilie: "D-Don’t say that. I know you don’t even like me. You’ve never liked me." Taohua: "That’s quite a harsh accusation to level at a girl, Emilie. When I have I ever said I disliked you? Can you recall a time? I certainly can’t." Emilie: "No, you..." Emilie: "You don’t _say_ it, but that’s what all upper class ladies do. They never say what they think. They just make inferences and snide remarks and look down you." Emilie: "You’ve always been looking down on me." Taohua: "I’m flattered that you think of me as an upper class lady, despite my position as a maid." Emilie: "Of course you’re an upper class lady. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have this violin. Paupers can’t afford such things." Taohua: "I could have been called that once, but..." Taohua: "Despite your impassioned pleading, I can’t sell it and leave. I simply can’t." Emilie: "Because of the ‘sentimental value’?" Taohua: "Mm..." Taohua: "You’re making a critical error in judgement, Emi." Taohua: "For all the years you’ve known me, I fear you don’t really understand me — and you’ve failed to account for one crucial thing." Emilie: "Oh? And what’s that?" Taohua: "Just because _you’re_ lonely, with your parents overseas and your older sister the only friendly face you know, that doesn’t mean I am." Taohua: "I’m perfectly content with my life. You see..." Taohua looked at Lorina, who was toying with the now-lukewarm cup of Darjeeling Theodora had poured her. Taohua looked at her...{w} and smiled. Taohua: "How could I be lonely when I have my dear little Lori?" The two women walked back through the countryside, ears of corn brushing their legs. The corn rustled with their every footfall, compacting and compressing beneath the soles of their shoes. The sky overhead was a pure, peerless blue, festooned with light blue clouds. The sun shone, making the corn glow golden. It was almost like the entirity countryside had been bathed in a golden glow — but Lorina wasn’t in the mood for sentiment. There were too many questions she wanted to ask. Too many questions lest unanswered. Lorina: "Emilie really does care about you..." Taohua: "What makes you say that?" Lorina: "Everything." Taohua: "Don’t take it too seriously, my little Lori." Taohua: "She tries to act prim and proper, but she’s quite passionate deep down inside." Taohua: "Sometimes, that passion spills over and causes quite a scene." Lorina: "I think there’s more to it than that..." Lorina frowned. Emilie had said much the same thing when she’d run into her last week. Emilie, no matter how snippy she was, really did care about Taohua. Maybe it was because they’d known one another for so long. Ever since Emilie was a little girl. More than a decade. Could it be, to Emilie, Taohua was no mere client of her father’s, or Theodora’s friend? Maybe Taohua was like a big sister — but vastly more reliable than her real one. Lorina herself knew how strong familial bonds could be. She had three sisters, and she loved them dearly. Lorina could never hope to compete with Emilie’s affection. It just wasn’t possible. Lorina: "Hey, Taohua..." Taohua: "What is it, my little Lori?" Lorina: "What was Emilie like when she was a young girl?" Taohua: "She was a brat." Lorina: "What did she do?" Taohua: "She was spoilt by her grandfather and her father and her mother and her sister, so of course she was a brat." Taohua: "She always wanted the best of everything, even back then, and wore the most ridiculous, ostentatious outfits." Taohua: "She demanded that she be allowed to wear full-skirted frocks in the summer, with long sleeves, then complained that it was too hot and pitched the most unimaginable temper tantrums." Lorina: "You sound so jaded." Taohua: "Rightfully so. She was incredibly irritating." Lorina: "More than Lady Constance?" Taohua: "_Nobody_ could be more irritating than Lady Constance." Taohua: "Maybe I’m doing her a disservice. Emilie was a stubborn, flighty child, but she was amusing, at the very least. I never once wanted to slap her." Lorina: "Unlike Lady Constance...?" Taohua: "You don’t want to know what I would do to her, provided I could get away with it." Lorina: "Y-You might be right... I _don’t_ want to know. Not when you pull a face like that." Taohua: "Oh? Am I scaring you, my little Lori?" Lorina: "A little...!" Taohua: "Hmm... That’s not necessarily a bad thing. A mistress needs to instil fear in the hearts of her pets from time to time." Taohua: "Still..." Taohua glanced at the sky fitfully. Though she’d been reunited with her beloved violin, her expression was oddly uneasy. Taohua: "I’m sorry I got mad at you a few days ago, Lori. Really, I am." Lorina: "Are you still thinking about that?" Taohua: "Mm. It has been weighing on my mind." Lorina: "Don’t worry about it so much. You, um..." Lorina looked at the ground. Her face flushed a dusky pink. Lorina: "You more than made up for it..." Taohua: "Oh?" Taohua’s eyes sparkled. Taohua: "You mean, the sex was so good you forgive me?" Lorina: "I-I suppose so — but you don’t need to say it like that!" Lorina glanced about at their immediate surroundings; at the fields of corn, the babbling brook that ran alongside it, and the pale blue sky that was thick with winged insects. Lorina: "N-Not in public, anyway..." Taohua: "But teasing you is so much fun~" Lorina: "Sometimes, I wish you wouldn’t." Taohua: "But you liked it when I made you climax." Lorina: "Y-Yes, I... um..." Lorina looked around shyly, as though she half-expected Pauline and Isobel to pop up out of the ears of corn like meerkats. Lorina: "I-I did like it, yes..." Taohua: "Good. I like it when you’re honest, Lori." Taohua smiled and ruffled the top of Lorina’s head. Lorina pouted. Her cheeks were still dyed bright red. Lorina: "I-I wish I hadn’t brought it up now..." Taohua: "All right, I’ll spare you the mortification. For now, at least." Lorina: "How benevolent you are, O Great Mistress." Taohua: "Yes, I _am_ rather great, aren’t I?" Taohua smiled and coiled a strand of dark hair around her finger — but heavy thoughts soon impeded on her good spirits, and she frowned. Taohua: "But I meant what I said before." Lorina: "What?" Taohua: "I really am sorry I acted so cruelly. You’ve been treated badly enough in the past, and you hardly need me giving you a hard time, too." Lorina: "It’s fine. I’m used to it..." Taohua: "But you _shouldn’t_ be. I don’t want you to be." Taohua: "I know I can be a difficult woman. Emilie told me as much. She was probably right, but..." Taohua: "I’m not lying when I say I care for you." Lorina: "D-Do you really mean it?" Taohua: "Really. I don’t say things I don’t mean." Lorina: "Sometimes, it can be hard to tell." Taohua: "Then how about this?" Taohua took Lorina’s right hand in her own, twining their fingers together like vines. Her palm was soft and warm, and the unexpected touch made Lorina jolt in surprise. Lorina: "T-Taohua...?" Taohua: "Lori." Taohua’s fingers squeezed tighter. Taohua: "I promise I’ll take good care of you, no matter what." Taohua: "I admit, in the beginning, I pursued with no real purpose other than alleviating my own boredom, but..." Taohua: "Over time, my feelings changed." Taohua: "I care about you. You’re important to me, and..." Taohua smiled softly. Taohua: "You really are adorable." Lorina: "I-I am _not_." Taohua: "I fail to see what you hope to gain by telling such bare-faced lies, but all right. I won’t question it, but I _will_ kiss you." And, true to her word, Taohua pressed a gentle kiss against Lorina’s mouth. The following day, Lorina found herself in Lady Constance’s bedroom. It was not her old bedroom located on the third floor of Bly, but the new one she and Taohua had prepared a few days ago. Despite her sudden shift in lodgings, however, Lady Constance had still fallen victim to the sickness that spread through Bly’s halls. Her blonde hair, so typically neat and straight, now curled about her face is a most disorderly manner. For once, Lady Constance looked less like a living doll and more like a wild child. A regular girl Friday. Constance: "Urgh. This tastes _terrible_." Lady Constance pushed the tray away from her with a scowl. Lorina: "Is there something not to your liking, Miss?" Constance: "Weren’t you listening? I already _said_. It tastes horrible. Take it away." Lorina: "But didn’t you ask for porridge?" Constance: "Yes, I did. I asked for _porridge_, not this _mush_." The porridge looked perfectly edible to Lorina. It smelt perfectly edible, too. The aroma of the mixed oats and warm milk was mouth-watering. Lorina: "You shouldn’t turn your nose up at it. You haven’t even tried it yet." Constance: "Are you trying to tell me what to do?" Lorina: "I’m not telling you to do anything. I’m merely _suggesting_—" Constance: "Well, _don’t_! If I wanted the suggestions of a lowly maid I’d ask! Not that I ever would." Constance: "I might be sick, but I’m not _insane_." Lorina: "The cook worked hard on that, you know." Constance: "As she should! I’m not going to praise her for doing her job, and I’m not going to forgive you for not doing yours!" Lorina: "But Lady Constance—" Constance: "No ‘but’s! You’re not being paid to talk back to me!" Constance: "Now, take this slop away and bring me something else!" Lorina: "What do you want?" Constance: "Something sweeter!" Lorina: "The cook _did_ add some sugar—" Constance: "Not enough!" Lorina: "You didn’t taste it." Constance: "I don’t need to taste it! Why do you want me to taste something I don’t like? Did you slip some hemlock in there while the cook’s back was turned?!" Lorina: "What? No...!" Constance: "Hmph." Constance: "I know you hate me. If you thought you could get away with it, you’d kill me in a heartbeat." Lorina had experienced quite enough of Lady Constance’s bizarre moodswings over the month, and she wasn’t sure how to react. Should she get angry? Should she be scared? Should she try, instead, to be friendly? She wasn’t sure. Emotions waged war inside Lorina’s head but, in the end, practicality came out the winner. It was hard to be too terribly frightened of Lady Constance when she was lying in bed with an acute fever. Lorina: "Please don’t talk such nonsense. I’m a maid. I get paid to serve you. If there was no Lady Constance to serve I wouldn’t get paid." Constance: "That doesn’t make me feel better at all." Lorina: "But it _is_ the truth." Constance: "You maids never tell the truth." Constance: "It’s always ‘yes, Miss’ and ‘no, Miss’ and ‘whatever will please you the most, Miss’, but you don’t mean it. You don’t really want to please me." Lorina: "Then what would you prefer I say? You don’t like it when I talk back to you." Constance: "Of course not. It’s the height of rudeness. You should learn your place!" Lorina: "Well, then..." Lorina sighed. Lady Constance was always difficult, but she was being uniquely challenging today. Maybe it was because she’d fallen ill. She was still one of the foulest girls Lorina had ever met...{w} but she did look rather small, lying in that large bed of hers. Her bed was so big it swallowed her up, so she looked even littler than ever before. Even more alone. Lorina: "Do you think your porridge would taste better with jam? The cook said the blackberry bushes in the garden are groaning with fruit." Lorina: "Effie and Lieselotte were picking blackberries a while ago, but there’s plenty left." Constance: "Then you should make use of them! What’s the point in having all those blackberry bushes if you don’t pick fruit?" Lorina groaned. Had she given herself more work to do? Lorina: "Ah..." Lorina blinked. Her eyelashes fluttered as the flavour spread across her tongue. It was tart, with just a hint of sweetness, but not sweet enough to be saccharine. It slid down her throat smoothly when she swallowed, but a slight tang remained at the tip of her tongue. Lorina: "I didn’t know you could cook." Taohua: "There are many things you don’t know about me, my little Lori." Taohua: "I’m a maid of many talents." Lorina: "I can see that now... but why are _you_ making Lady Constance’s jam? Isn’t that the cook’s job?" Taohua: "She has more important things to worry about than Lady Constance’s whims. I think she’s grown tired of bending over backwards to please her." Taohua: "It must be hard for the cook to bend over at all, let alone backwards, with that bosom of hers." Lorina: "But she’s only been ill for a day!" Taohua: "Yes, but she’s been making a lot of unreasonable demands." Taohua: "The cook is a proud woman. That isn’t to say she’s a bad woman, because she’s not, despite her temper, but she cares a lot about her craft." Taohua: "Having her porridge sent back uneaten must have been the last straw." Lorina: "Did she ask you to make it in her stead?" Taohua nodded. Lorina: "Couldn’t one of the scullery maids do it? Bessie or Eliza?" If those were, indeed, their names. But Taohua soon put an end to this fancy. Taohua: "Those silly fools? I doubt it. Their heads are hollower than my violin." Lorina: "But they work in the kitchens every day..." Taohua: "Sweeping floors and soaping pots! They don’t know the first thing about cookery." Taohua: "In any case, they’re both abed at the moment with this fearsome plague." Lorina: "Oh... I see." Taohua: "My culinary skills, on the other hand, are rather well-renowned. If they’re good enough for the cook, and Lord knows she has high standards, they should be good enough for Lady Constance." Lorina: "I don’t think she’ll appreciate it. She’s already accused me of trying to poison her, and that was before you got involved." Taohua: "She did, did she?" Lorina: "Yes. I don’t think she believes it, but she must be in quite a poor mood." Taohua: "It’s natural. She’s at that age where children start thinking about the great unknown." Taohua: "From what I remember, I was also quite the maudlin twelve-year-old." Lorina: "Did you think your servants were making regular attempts at your life, too?" Taohua: "I didn’t have servants, Lori. I wasn’t rich." Lorina: "But Lady Whittier—" Taohua: "Is irrelevant." Taohua: "Fortunately, Lady Constance’s concerns over her own life may mean all hope is not lost." Lorina: "What do you mean?" Taohua: "If she thinks you might want to kill her, she must realise — however vaguely — that is quite the kill-able little girl." Lorina: "You really do have a way with words..." Taohua: "I know. I may as well be Mephistopheles." Lorina: "Mephi what...?" Taohua: "They’re a character in a play. _Faust_, by Goethe. Wagner wrote an overture based on it." Lorina: "You know I’m not familiar with fancy things like that." Taohua: "It’s all right, my little Lori. We can’t all be as cultured as _moi_." Lorina: "You are _such_ a show-off..." Taohua: "I apologise if you find my many skills too intimidating. It must be difficult for you, having to work alongside a woman so dutiful, reliable, ever eager to please—" Lorina: "—and ever humble, of course." Taohua: "Of course!" Lorina shook her head. Lorina: "Ridiculous." Taohua: "I don’t see what’s so ridiculous about it! I _am_ dutiful, and reliable, and eager to please — as you should know only too well." Lorina: "Forgive me for my cynicism." Taohua: "Then, do you want a reminder?" Lorina: "What do you mean...?" Taohua: "What do you think I mean?" Taohua grinned mischievously, letting the tip of her tongue run against her lower lip. Lorina: "Don’t be so disgusting." Taohua: "But spending quality time with my little Lori is never disgusting! I love taking care of you~" Lorina: "I don’t need taking care of." Taohua: "But I thought you said it made you happy when I made you climax..." Lorina: "M-Maybe it does, but there’s a time and a place for these conversations!" Taohua: "I think this is as good a time and place as we can hope for. Nobody else is around." Lorina: "But Lady Constance is waiting for her porridge..." Taohua: "I’m sure a bit of waiting won’t kill her. That girl needs to learn that the world doesn’t revolve around her." Taohua: "Why don’t we look upon it as revenge?" Lorina: "Revenge...?" Taohua: "Mm. For showing us up the other day. What do you think?" Lorina dipped her head. Her cheeks were pink. She wanted to get closer to Taohua. She wanted to be closer to Taohua than anybody else was — even Emilie. _Particularly_ Emilie. Taohua had told Lorina she was dear to her yesterday. Not expecting the sudden confession, Lorina’s face had flooded bright red, and her heart had stuttered inside her chest. Nobody had ever told her that before, other than her mother. Not even Arthur Pickering, with his myriad attempts at seduction, had told Lorina she was dear, or special, or beloved. He’d never told her she was important. He’d just told her she had nice hair. But, at the same time... Was having sex really the right way to forge a new ‘understanding’ with the older woman? It was intimate, yes, but at the same time... Lorina couldn’t help but worry Taohua was using it as a distraction. A deflection. To stop Lorina asking questions. She was letting Lorina get close to her physically, but not emotionally. Lorina might have been special to Taohua, and maybe she was beloved... {w}but that didn’t mean Taohua trusted her. Not as Lorina had trusted Taohua. Lorina had told Taohua about her past, after all, uncomfortable though it was...{w} but Taohua had yet to offer her the same courtesy. Why was that...? Taohua: "Lori?" Taohua gave Lorina a curious look. Taohua: "You were away with the fairies there." Lorina: "O-Oh, I’m sorry..." Lorina shook her head. Her ponytail bounced. Lorina: "My mind was just wandering, I guess." Taohua: "I could see that for myself." Taohua: "Hmm... I think I know what you need." Lorina: "What?" Lorina looked at Taohua cautiously. Taohua responded, in turn, with a smile. Taohua: "You need to eat something sweet! That should clear away your worries!" Taohua dipped the silvery spoon into the jar of blackberry jam, the lid already unscrewed and lying on the table, and proffered it to Lorina. Taohua: "Do you want to try?" Lorina: "I already had some, thank you." Taohua: "But I’m sure it wasn’t enough to fill you up. You’re a growing girl." Lorina: "Don’t talk about me like that. I’m not a turnip at a farmer’s market." Taohua: "Of course you aren’t. I wouldn’t try to flirt so desperately with a turnip, even if it _did_ happen to be unusually attractive. That kind of romance would be too much, even for me." Lorina: "Oh, you..." Lorina sighed. If she was pitted against Taohua, she just couldn’t win. It was impossible. Lorina: "If you really want me to eat the jam, then..." Lorina opened her mouth obediently. Taohua slid the spoon inside. The bone china clinked against Lorina’s teeth, making a shiver run down her spine. It was cool. The jam, meanwhile, was just as delicious as it had been before. It was tart, with an undercurrent of sugary sweetness not so strong as to be overpowering. It was just right — like the story with the three bears. Taohua: "Is it good?" Lorina: "Mm... Really good..." Taohua: "Is that so? I might have to taste it for myself..." Lorina: "Wh-What are you— nn..." Taohua leant forwards and claimed Lorina’s lips with her own. Taohua: "Mm~ You taste like blackberries." Lorina: "Of course I do. I was eating blackberry jam." Taohua: "Ehehe~ As sensible as ever, my little Lori." Taohua: "But, given you’re so _very_ sensible... maybe we should stop for now." Lorina: "Nn..." Taohua: "But you don’t want to stop, do you?" Lorina: "Wh-Whatever makes you think that?" Taohua: "Because kissing me excites you, doesn’t it?" Lorina: "N-No it doesn’t. Not really..." Lorina tried to protest, but her rebuttal was half-hearted at best. It was irritating, but Taohua was right. Kissing the older woman _did_ excite her. It made her want more. Much, much more. But was being close physically enough? Sometimes, it felt like it was, but... But... Oh, what did it matter? As maids, the pair of them had busy schedules. It was rare to find a private moment like this, alone, where they could be together. If Lorina let the chance slip by, she wasn’t sure when she’d be able to spend time with Taohua like this again. Lorina: "...All right. Have it your way." Taohua: "You mean, you want to be with me?" Lorina: "...Yes. I want to be with you, too. I, um... I missed it..." Taohua: "Oh, my little Lori, you should have said~!" Taohua pressed a kiss against the tip of Lorina’s nose. Taohua: "You know, I rather missed it, too." Lorina: "Y-You did?" Taohua: "Mmhmm~" Taohua: "Now... Why don’t I check just _how_ much you missed me?" Lorina: "So, how is it...?" Lady Constance pushed a mouthful of porridge from one cheek to the other. The way her cheeks bulged with their burden was almost comical, but Lorina didn’t laugh. It was difficult to laugh when Lady Constance was so very temperamental. The smallest of missteps could, quite easily, result in that porcelain bowl of porridge being thrown at her head. Fortunately... Constance: "I suppose it doesn’t taste _too_ terrible." Lady Constance seemed to be satisfied with Lorina’s offering...{w} for now. Constance: "And why do you look so gormless, maid? Has your soul exited your body?" Lorina: "N-No, um... I was just thinking." Constance: "About what, exactly?" Lorina: "O-Oh, um... Wh-What a beautiful day it is today, that’s all...!" Constance: "Hmm..." Constance: "The jam and the porridge are acceptable, but it took you almost two hours to serve me. Why is that?" Lorina: "I, um..." Lorina: "I-I had to pick the berries from the garden myself, and that took some time — and we didn’t have any jam to hand, so it had to be made from scratch." Constance: "The cook has worked in the household for a long time, and she can make jam very quickly. It isn’t hard." _What would you know about making jam? You’ve never made anything in your privileged little life, except caustic comments designed to upset people._ That was what Lorina thought, but she did not say it. She had more sense than that. Lorina: "The cook wasn’t the one who made the jam, actually. She was otherwise engaged." Constance: "Then, who...?" Lorina knew telling Lady Constance the truth was a bad idea — but, suddenly, she was seized by a burst of madness. Lady Constance had praised Taohua’s jam. She hadn’t known who had made it, but she’d still praised it. Maybe, if she knew Taohua was the one behind it, she might warm towards the parlour maid a little. She could at least try, couldn’t she? So Lorina inhaled, squared her shoulders, and said: Lorina: "Taohua." Constance: "_Taohua?_" Lady Constance pulled a face. She looked utterly disgusted. Constance: "All of a sudden, I don’t feel very well." Lorina: "You haven’t been feeling well since this morning." Constance: "Well, I feel even _more_ unwell now. I’m not hungry." Lorina: "I watched Taohua prepare that jam, you know. She didn’t add anything strange to it. It won’t kill you." Constance: "I hope not, because if I start to feel sicker I’ll tell Mama, and she _won’t_ be impressed." Lorina: "If you start feeling sicker it’ll be because you _are_ sick, and you haven’t been eating properly out of sheer stubbornness." Constance: "I haven’t been eating properly because you’re all incompetent!" Lorina: "And how are we all incompetent, exactly?" Constance: "First, the cook makes me porridge that’s too cold, and _then_ it’s too hot, and now this third batch is completely inedible!" Lorina: "There’s nothing ‘inedible’ about it. It’s fine." Constance: "It’s {b}not{/b} fine! I hate that parlour maid and I refuse to eat anything she’s touched! Who knows what kind of foreign diseases she might have?" Lorina: "She’s been living in England longer than you’ve been alive." Constance: "Why should I care?! It doesn’t make any difference to me! She’s still a freak!" Lorina: "Lady Constance, I—" Constance: "How dare you compare to me a woman like that? How {b}dare{/b} you?!" Constance: "It’s bad enough that you fawn over her like she’s the second coming of Christ, but now you’re trying to convert me, too?" Constance: "I won’t have it! I won’t!" Lorina: "But—" Constance: "Shut up! Just shut up, shut up, shut up!" Lady Constance picked up the bowl of porridge that was sitting on the tray... ...and flung it against the wall. That evening, a thoroughly exhausted Lorina returned to the servants’ quarters. She’d only intended to stay there a short while, to finish off a letter she’d been writing to her mother, but something made her pause. Lieselotte was sitting up in bed, her face flushed with fever, and Effie was perched neatly by her side. In Effie’s hand was a glass jar filled with a thick, blackish-purple substance that looked awfully familiar. In fact, it was far _too_ familiar. Unbidden, Lorina’s face flushed bright scarlet. Effie: "Here you are. Say ‘ah’." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Ah." with dissolve Lieselotte opened her mouth obligingly, and Effie slipped a wooden spoon laden with blackberry jam into her mouth." with dissolve Lorina hung back for a while, watching this little performance.* Effie continued to feed Lieselotte like an invalid. Every once in a while she paused to take the Swiss maid’s temperature, or thread her fingers through her hair. Lieselotte giggled and allowed Effie to coddle her. Lieselotte: "This jam is so sweet! It reminds me of the Alps!" with dissolve Effie: "Did you eat jam in the Alps?" with dissolve Lieselotte: "Oh, yes! The Alps are filled with bilberries in the summer! They are everywhere, in all the hedgerows, and all the children pick them until their fingers are stained with purple juice!" with dissolve Lieselotte: "My mother used to send me out to collect bilberries in a wicker basket, and then she would make the most delicious jam in our kitchen!" Effie: "How does this compare?" with dissolve Lieselotte: "It is delicious! I feel like I am back at home. When I close my eyes, I can almost see it..." with dissolve Lieselotte’s pale blonde eyelashes pressed together like a thick curtain." with dissolve Lieselotte: "I can see the butterflies fluttering in the breeze, and the clear blue skies, and the flowers – so, so many flowers – spread out like a picnic blanket! And oh, the view... The sights... The cows in the fields eating buttercups, and the snow-capped hills in the distance..." with dissolve Lieselotte sighed. It was a deep sigh filled with unrealised longing." with dissolve She sounded so earnest and sincere Lorina felt something tremble inside her own breast. Lieselotte: "This jam is delicious! Thank you for bringing it to me! The cook did a wonderful job!" with dissolve Effie: "The cook didn’t make it." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Oh? Then, who did?" with dissolve Lorina: "It was Taohua." Lieselotte: "Oh, it was Taohua? The peculiar parlour maid?" with dissolve Lorina: "That’s right." Lieselotte: "How curious. I didn’t know she could cook! She doesn’t look like the kind who would like to get her hands dirty!" with dissolve Lorina: "No, I suppose she doesn’t..." Lieselotte: "She’s awfully aloof, I think... But I suppose she’s not so bad deep down." with dissolve Lorina: "You don’t mind that she made that jam?" with dissolve Lieselotte: "Of course not! Why should I mind? She did a wonderful job! My mother could not have done better, I think!" with dissolve Lieselotte looked at Effie with large, pleading eyes, and held her hands together at her front in prayer. Lieselotte: "Please, Miss, can I have some more?" with dissolve A rare smile twitched at the corners of Effie’s lips, but she soon smoothed them down again." with dissolve Effie: "You’ll get what you’re given." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Boo... How sad..." with dissolve Effie: "But you’re pretty, so... Here." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Thank you very much!" with dissolve Effie spooned another mouthful of jam out of the glass jar, which was now almost empty, and brought it to Lieselotte’s lips." with dissolve The Swiss maid accepted it readily, like a hungry baby bird. Effie was a little too zealous in her spoon-feeding. When she drew the wooden utensil away, a small smut of black-purple jam remained on Lieselotte’s cheek. Effie: "Oh... You have some on you." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Where? Here?" with dissolve Effie: "No." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Here?" with dissolve Effie: "No." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Here?" with dissolve Effie: "Let me." with dissolve So saying, Effie dipped her head and licked the smear of jam from Lieselotte’s cheek." with dissolve The tip of Effie’s tongue pressed against Lieselotte’s smooth skin, and she lapped up the jam in less than a second.* It all happened so quickly, Lorina wasn’t sure whether or not her eyes were playing tricks on her... ...but, when Effie drew back her head, a tremulous strand of saliva connected her mouth to Lieselotte’s cheek. Effie: "Mm. Delicious." with dissolve Effie wiped her mouth with the back of her hand." with dissolve Lorina’s face, meanwhile, burned bright red.* H-How could two women do such things to one another — and so _brazenly_, too?! Didn’t they care who saw?! ...Maybe Effie didn’t. She was a peculiar girl. And, as for Lieselotte, she _was_ Swiss. Did Swiss girls have different notions about acceptable boundaries between female friends? Either way, it didn’t particularly matter. Ada was fast asleep, her breathing cracked and hissy as it always was, and Pauline and Isobel, despite being sick, were nowhere to be seen. Lieselotte: "But Effie, I thought you did not like sweets?" with dissolve Effie: "I don’t... but I _do_ care for you." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Oh, Effie!" with dissolve Lieselotte ducked her head and giggled again. Her face was flushed." with dissolve Lorina wondered why.* Maybe they liked one another. Maybe they did more than ‘like’ one another. That would explain the licking. There were a couple of things, however, it didn’t explain. Lorina: "When did Taohua give you that jam?" Effie: "A couple of hours ago. She stopped me in the hallway." with dissolve Lorina: "Why?" Effie shrugged. Effie: "She said it was a present." with dissolve Lorina: "Really?" Effie: "Mm. Personally, however, I think it was a bribe." with dissolve Lorina: "A bribe?" with dissolve Effie: "For my silence." with dissolve Lorina: "Well, at least you’re appreciating the jam more than Lady Constance..." Why had she told Lady Constance who had really made the jam, anyway? It had been incredibly foolish of her. Lorina sighed heavily. Lieselotte: "Oh, Lori! Why do you look so sad?" with dissolve Lorina: "It’s nothing. I was just thinking..." Lieselotte: "About Taohua?" with dissolve Lorina: "N-No, um..." with dissolve Lorina turned her head. She could feel her face heating up again, as it always did when she thought about the parlour maid." with dissolve The sight and smell of the blackberry jam wasn’t helping, either.* Lorina: "I was just wondering, um... Well..." Lorina: "Can I ask you for some advice?" Lieselotte: "You can ask me anything — but, as Pauline said, I am a dumb blonde, so maybe my answer is not so good." with dissolve Lorina: "Right. Well..." Lorina dipped her head. She fiddled anxiously with her fingers. Lorina: "Do you know how I can get closer to Taohua?" Lieselotte: "Closer?" with dissolve Lieselotte blinked curiously. Her eyes, Lorina suddenly noticed, were very large and very blue." with dissolve Lieselotte: "But you are already close to her, are you not?!" with dissolve Lorina: "Yes, but, I... can’t always tell what she’s thinking..." with dissolve Effie: "Women are mysterious creatures." with dissolve Lorina: "You’re also a woman." with dissolve Effie: "No." with dissolve Lorina: "What do you mean, ‘no’?" with dissolve Effie: "Like I said... I’m a vampire." with dissolve Lorina: "Can vampires not be women?" with dissolve Effie: "Who knows..." with dissolve Lorina groaned inwardly." with dissolve Lorina: "Well, woman or not, you have the ‘mysterious’ part down perfectly." Effie: "Thank you." with dissolve Lorina: "It wasn’t a compliment." with dissolve Effie: "I know." with dissolve Lorina: "Lord, give me strength..." with dissolve Effie could be helpful at times, in her own Effie-like way, but her clipped, deadpan responses were rather frustrating. Effie: "If you want to know how Taohua feels..." with dissolve Lorina: "Yes?" with dissolve Lorina leant in a little closer. Was she finally going to get the advice she wanted? Effie: "...listen to your heart." with dissolve Lorina: "Oh..." Lorina’s shoulders slumped. So, that was it, was it? How could a hackneyed, clichéd piece of advice like that be useful? Lorina was the daughter of a milliner from Liverpool. She didn’t care for pretty sentiments that ultimately meant nothing. She wanted clear, precise, actionable advice. Maybe asking Effie and Lieselotte had been a mistake. She’d get better advice asking Figaro. Lorina: "Well, thank you for your help..." Lorina moved to her bed, searching for the half-finished letter she had penned to her mother last night, when— Pauline: "Oh, Lorina!" with dissolve Lorina: "And where have you two been...?" with dissolve Pauline: "Oh, around." with dissolve Lorina: "I thought you were sick." with dissolve Isobel: "We got better." with dissolve Lorina: "I can see that..." Pauline: "I was talking to one of the valets, you see—" with dissolve Ah, yes. Pauline and Isobel would have been talking with the valets. They were always trying to flirt, even when they were on the job." with dissolve Pauline: "—and I happened to hear a most interesting rumour!" with dissolve Lorina: "...What?" Pauline: "Apparently, Lady Constance has been in a foul mood all day — but her temper got even worse when you visited her!" with dissolve Pauline: "Now..." Pauline’s lips curved into a cruel, thin smile, like the blade of a scimitar." with dissolve Pauline: "I wonder why _that_ was." with dissolve Lorina: "She’s in a bad mood because she’s ill, like _you’re_ supposed to be." with dissolve Pauline: "That’s what you say... but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if she was in a bad mood because she saw you." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Pauline, you are being too cruel...!" with dissolve Pauline: "Enough, Lottie. If I wanted your opinion, I’d ask for it." with dissolve Isobel: "You should learn to hold your tongue." with dissolve Pauline: "Especially when you can’t truly speak our language." with dissolve Lieselotte: "I-I thought I had improved my English a little, at least..." with dissolve Pauline: "If you have, it really is ‘a little’. Now." with dissolve Pauline: "Lorina. What, exactly, did you do to Lady Constance?" Lorina: "You flatter me. I don’t hold any influence over her moods. I mean about as much as an ant to her." Pauline: "My, my. How peculiar! I often feel in a bad mood when I see you too, and I’m a grown woman." with dissolve Lorina: "{size=-10}I wouldn’t be so sure about that..." with dissolve Pauline: "Lady Constance is only a young child. I can’t _imagine_ what effect your presence must be having on her." with dissolve Lorina: "Well, I must say, Lady Constance is _very_ fortunate that you and Isobel care about her so much." with dissolve Lorina: "If you’re really that concerned about her, why don’t _you_ tend to her in my stead? You both seem to be recovering nicely." Isobel: "Oh my! Did we touch a nerve?" with dissolve Pauline: "Despite our disagreements, Lorina, I’ve only ever tried to help you." with dissolve Lorina: "And how was slapping me supposed to help?" with dissolve Pauline: "I was disciplining you as your senior. They call it ‘tough love’." with dissolve Pauline: "Unfortunately, my tutelage seems to have failed..." Isobel: "Don’t blame yourself, Pauline! Some people can’t be taught!" with dissolve Pauline: "I know, but it is quite disheartening..." with dissolve Pauline: "I just thought I’d warn you, Lorina. You should take care of yourself. I wouldn’t want you to end up like Miss Aimee." Lorina looked at Pauline stiffly." with dissolve Lorina: "Well, thank you for the advice." Pauline: "It’s no problem, I assure you." with dissolve Pauline: "I know we’ve had our differences, but for all that we disagree, I don’t want you to leave Bly. I am not _that_ petty." Pauline: "I just want to see you grow into a half-way competent maid... and maybe, in the process, a half-way respectable woman." Pauline: "To that end, you should probably sever your ties with the parlour maid." Lorina: "And why’s that?" Pauline: "I thought it would have been obvious. Your reputation is poor enough as it is. You don’t need to sully it further by associating with a savage." with dissolve Lorina: "A-A _savage_?" with dissolve Isobel: "A true barbarian!" with dissolve Pauline: "The way she looks at me is enough to make my bones rattle." with dissolve Isobel: "She has such small, slanted eyes, you never can tell what she’s thinking!" with dissolve Pauline: "And her face is most disagreeable." with dissolve Lieselotte: "But Taohua gave me this jam! It really is delicious!" with dissolve Pauline: "I wouldn’t eat that if I were you, Lottie." with dissolve Isobel: "It might be infected!" with dissolve Lieselotte: "But I feel fine..." with dissolve Effie: "I’ll take care of her." with dissolve Pauline: "That’s very admirable... And while you do that, _I’m_ going to try and take care of Lorina." with dissolve Pauline: "There’s little good that can be said about you, Lorina, but at least you’re English." Pauline: "Don’t start learning her ways, or there really will be no salvaging you." Pauline: "There’s a limit to how much goodness I can do." Lorina: "...and that’s what Pauline said. Can you credit it?" Taohua: "Oh. Is that all?" Lorina: "What do you _mean_, ‘is that all’?" Taohua: "I’ve heard worse in my time." Lorina: "But how could she be so cruel?!" Taohua: "It’s quite simple. Human beings are cruel creatures. Take Lady Constance, for example." Lorina: "I could hardly believe it when she threw that porridge across the room..." Lorina: "Why is she so _wicked_?" Taohua: "Because she’s never been taught to think about anybody other than her selfish little self." Taohua: "The Lennard family is so wealthy, she doesn’t need to." Lorina: "I could never throw good food like that away. My mother would have hit me with a slipper." Taohua: "Your mother, I fear, is rather different from Lady Lennard." Lorina: "Yes, she is. At least she has sense." Taohua giggled beneath her breath.* Taohua: "You’re always so passionate, Lori. That’s what I like about you." Taohua hummed under her breath as she trailed her fingers through Lorina’s hair. Lorina exhaled, leaning into the older woman’s touch. Her hands were just like magic. Taohua’s gentle ministrations were so relaxing, Lorina felt like she could have fallen asleep. She would have done so, too, if she weren’t so nettled about the earlier events. Lorina: "Has Lady Constance _always_ been like this?" Taohua: "Oh, yes. I’m quite certain of that." Taohua: "I’ve known the fair lady since she was still a bump inside Lady Lennard’s stomach." Taohua: "She has been spoilt rotten her whole life, and she believes she can get her own way if she stamps her feet loudly enough and complains." Taohua: "For the most part, she would be right." Taohua: "She would never, _ever_ eat anything prepared by my hands. Not willingly. She hates me far too much." Lorina: "I wonder why, though..." Taohua: "Because I don’t put up with her nonsense like the other maids." Lorina: "Don’t you get into trouble?" Taohua: "Lady Constance wants me to get into trouble, but her mother won’t send me away, no matter what. I’m her most valuable possession." Lorina: "Possession...?" Taohua: "That’s right." Taohua: "I suppose, in this world, all maids are owned by their masters and mistresses, but my case is a little different." Taohua smiled thinly, without any real mirth. Taohua: "It’s apparent, from a single glance, that I don’t ‘belong’. I’ve been made aware of the fact my whole life, by almost everybody I’ve met. I’m rather accustomed to it now." Lorina: "But isn’t that lonely...?" Taohua: "It’s not so terribly lonely. I don’t mind being alone. It’s more aggravating than anything." Taohua: "Lady Lennard only lets me remain here, ‘out of the goodness of her heart’, because I’m popular with her guests." Taohua: "People come from all over England to get a good gawp at her parlour maid. It’s because I’m so very _fascinating_." Taohua: "I imagine they’d be rather disappointed if they knew I was born in England, like the rest of them." Lorina: "Really?" Taohua: "Truly. I was born in Brixton." Lorina: "Which Brixton...?" Taohua: "The one in London." Lorina: "Then, you... Wait a minute, I’m confused... Why do you look like..." Lorina: "Like you do?" Taohua: "Don’t worry about it too much, my little Lori. I wouldn’t want you to get a headache." Lorina: "But you don’t look like you were born in London...! Not in the slightest!" Taohua: "I know, but looks can be deceiving. Not that I’m intentionally trying to deceive anyone, but... I suppose it’s inevitable, given my appearance." Taohua: "I can thank my father for that." Taohua: "Sometimes I grow rather tired of being treated as a living enigma, when I’m not so different to everyone else." Taohua: "Lady Lennard’s guests never talk _to_ me, but _about_ me — and very excitably at that. Maybe they think I’m too ignorant to understand what they’re saying." Taohua: "Sometimes, I wonder if they think I can’t speak English — though, in truth, I can’t speak anything but." Taohua: "Lady Lennard only keeps me here because I look unusual. It’s not because she thinks I’m particularly talented, or intelligent, or good at my job." Taohua: "I’m just... a diverting amusement." This squared with what Emilie had told Lorina, but she still couldn’t accept it. Rather... Lorina: "I can’t _stand_ it..." Lorina: "The way Lady Constance spoke about you was so..." Lorina: "So..." Taohua: "Hateful?" Lorina: "Yes. That’s it exactly." Taohua: "She’s a hateful girl. She doesn’t know how to be anything other than hateful, so that’s how she acts." Taohua: "It’s what I’ve grown to expect — and she’s not the only one. I’ve heard what the other servants whisper about me, and the people in Ellesmere." Taohua: "That’s probably what Lady Lennard wants. She enjoys the attention." Lorina: "But it all seems so _silly_." Taohua: "What does?" Lorina: "If you hate Bly so much, why do you keep working here?" Taohua: "You’re starting to sound like Emilie." Lorina: "Well, _good_. I think she raised some valid points." Lorina: "You could always sell your violin. That would give you the means to do anything you want. You could go anywhere you want." Memories of the old stories her father had read her came to Lorina’s mind. _The Arabian Nights_, _Gulliver’s Travels_, _Don Quixote_. They were fantastic stories filled with adventure. Lorina knew things in real life rarely worked out as they did in books. She doubted Taohua would encounter any magical lamps or teeny tiny Lilliputians on her travels. That was out of the question. But, if Taohua did travel...{w} maybe she would be able to be happy. No matter what Taohua said, Lorina was sure of one thing. She wasn’t happy here. Why, then, didn’t she leave? Was her violin more precious to her than her freedom? Lorina: "Why don’t you go? See the world outside these walls? I know you could." Lorina was growing quite excited by her own suggestion. Lorina: "You’ve told me how much you hate serving Lady Lennard’s guests, and I know you hate Lady Constance." Lorina: "If you hate it so much, why don’t you quit? Why don’t you?!" Taohua: "Why don’t I, indeed...? I wonder..." Taohua: "Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a poor idea..." Lorina: "Y-You mean, you’d be willing to consider it?!" Taohua: "I’ve been considering it for quite a while, but..." Taohua’s fingers rested within the loose, auburn fronds of Lorina’s hair. She pondered. As she pondered, her eyes fell upon her well-worn, well-travelled violin case...{w} almost as though they were drawn there. Taohua: "But what would Lady Whittier think...?" The following day found Lady Constance no better than before. In fact, her condition had worsened over the night. Her face was flushed, her hair stuck to her reddened skin with a sheen of fine sweat, and she moaned and groaned and made such a performance one would have thought she was on the brink of death. Naturally, Lady Constance did not die, because she wasn’t dying. She was just being ridiculous. And so it fell upon Lorina to walk to Ellesmere to purchase some medicine for Lady Constance’s phantom aches and pains. The bottle of cherry tincture was soon secured, and Lorina made her meandering way back to Bly. She’d been intent on her aimlessness, with no purpose other than wasting time, when... She knew that familiar head of blonde hair. Who could mistake those showy curls? It was Emilie. Emilie: "Oh, Lorina. I didn’t see you there." Lorina: "Yes, um... Hello, Emilie." Emilie’s irises flickered to the right, like a cornered lizard’s might. For whatever reason, she didn’t seem particularly happy to re-make Lorina’s acquaintance. Lorina: "Are you all right?" Emilie: "Oh, yes, I’m fine. I apologise if I made you worry the other day. I said a few things to Taohua I shouldn’t have." Emilie: "I always seem to say too much." Lorina: "I wasn’t worried. You only said all that because you care about her." Emilie: "Do you really believe that?" Lorina: "Yes. So does Taohua." Emilie: "She _does_?" Lorina: "Mm. I spoke to her about it yesterday, and she even seemed to be considering it. Selling the violin, I mean." Emilie: "Goodness..." Emilie: "I’ve been harping on at Taohua to sell that old violin of hers for years now — and it’s not just me." Emilie: "Sister has tried, and Father when he was still here, and not roaming about in a dirty, uncivilised jungle." Lorina: "Is there a great deal of jungle in Zanzibar...?" Emilie: "Oh, _I_ wouldn’t know." Emilie: "Zanzibar doesn’t concern me. I’m never going to go there." Lorina: "But don’t your parents send you letters?" Emilie: "They do, but I’d rather not think about such things." Emilie: "I can’t _stand_ it — all those insects, and the dirt, and the dust..." Emilie shuddered, wrapping her arms around her middle. For a few moments, Lorina pondered asking Emilie how she would cope in London, if the mere thought of dirt and dust made her squirm. Lorina had been raised in Liverpool, which was a fledgling city in comparison to London, but the dirt and grime that covered the streets there was often several inches thick. Eventually, however, Lorina chose not to pass comment. She didn’t want to destroy Emilie’s fantasies. In any case, they weren’t supposed to be talking about London _or_ Zanzibar. Emilie: "How were you able to make Taohua reconsider? Did you cast some kind of spell on her?" Emilie: "People call Taohua a witch, but maybe you’re the true one with magical powers..." Lorina: "No, I’m most certainly _not_ a witch!" Emilie: "An enchantress, then?" Lorina: "Haven’t you _looked_ at me? I’d never be able to enchant anybody." Emilie: "Well, I wonder... Taohua seems very taken with you. I can tell how much she likes you." Lorina: "Do you mind...?" Emilie: "In all honesty, I think it’s rather good for her." Emilie: "I worry about her, though it may seem impertinent of me, being so much younger than she is..." Emilie: "But, though I’m young, I’m _not_ stupid." Emilie: "I have to watch over my sister all the time, you see, so I’m accustomed to worrying about others." Lorina: "I think Theodora worries about you, too." Emilie: "We worry about each other. That’s the right way of things. It’s how relationships should be." Emilie: "But..." If Taohua has begun to see sense about that violin of hers, she should make a decision sooner rather than later. Lorina: "What do you mean?" Emilie: "I had a discussion with my big sister last week, and we came to an agreement." Emilie: "As you are probably aware, I’ve wanted to move for quite some time. The last two or three years, in fact." Lorina: "As long as all that?" Emilie: "Moving has been my dearest wish ever since I was thirteen years of age. I’ve wanted to be a lady for a good deal longer." Emilie glanced up at the sky, rocking back and forth on the heels of her shoes. Emilie: "I fear I’ll wither away and die if I remain here. I was never meant for village life. My grandfather and my parents and my sister spoilt me so, and I know it isn’t their fault, but..." Emilie: "Maybe all the fine clothes gave me aspersions I don’t deserve." Emilie: "I feel like I don’t belong here. I’ve never felt like I belonged here, and that feeling has only grown stronger and stronger as time passes by." Emilie: "I know we have our family business, but business would be far better in London. There are more customers, and our family is known is well-known enough we should be able to relocate with relative ease." Emilie: "I was talking to Sister about it, and I think she agrees. She said I’d make a shrewd businesswoman some day. I think she was impressed by the amount of thought I had given it." Emilie: "Maybe that’s why she started to reconsider. She could tell I was being serious. Almost as serious as our parents are about their devotion to Zanzibar, and the spreading of the Christian faith." Lorina: "Then... You don’t mean...?" Emilie: "Indeed. I believe my sister and I may be moving soon — perhaps as soon as next month." Emilie: "It seems our parents have no intention on returning, and if they felt we were capable enough to be let on our own for five years, they should have no qualms about us letting _them_ alone in return." Lorina: "Ah..." Lorina held a hand to her breast, conflicted. On one hand, she was glad for the younger girl — but, at the same time... She felt like she might miss her. Why, though? It wasn’t like she and Emilie were friends. She hardly knew her. Lorina could count the number of times they’d spoken on one hand. But that was irrelevant. It didn’t alter the fact that, in this small and sleepy village where nothing much seemed to happen, gears were shifting and things were changing. Change could be a frightening thing, but the determination about Emilie’s face betrayed no hesitation. No fear or anxiety at all. Lorina: "You must have wanted to move for a long time." Emilie nodded adroitly, her blonde curls bouncing. Lorina: "Then, um..." Lorina: "I don’t know what to say, but congratulations. I hope you do well." Emilie: "Thank you." Emilie: "Please, let Taohua know about this. If she wishes to sell that violin of hers, she should make her mind up quickly." Lorina: "R-Right. I’ll tell her!" Emilie: "She was probably one of our best customers, so she deserves to know. And, um..." Emilie: "I hope you and Taohua are able to be happy together." Emilie: "I hope you’re able to make her happy." Lorina: "You really do care about Taohua, don’t you?" Emilie: "I can’t help but care. I’ve known her ever since I was a little girl, though I used to be afraid of her." Emilie: "Whenever she came to our shop, I’d hide behind my sister’s back. I was awfully shy back then..." Lorina: "That’s hard to imagine." Emilie: "I was always relying on my sister when I was little. She _is_ a lot older than me, and I used to think she was reliable..." Emilie: "...once upon a time." Emilie coughed elegantly into her hand. Emilie: "Taohua, meanwhile, was unsettling and peculiar. I’d never seen a woman like her before. I thought she was a witch." Emilie: "But, witch or not, she always greeted me politely. She gave me silly nicknames, and laughed when I hid from her. Sometimes, she gave me sweets." Emilie: "I don’t know if I consider her a friend. We’re too far apart in age, and she watched me grow up, but..." Emilie: "I suppose she is something like a sister to me." Emilie: "I think she deserves to be happy, and you might be the only one who can make that happen." Lorina: "I... Emilie, I, um..." Lorina blinked, suddenly overcome with emotion. She was almost tempted to give Emilie a hug...{w} but that would probably be a poor idea. Lorina was too self-conscious, and Emilie was much too awkward and angular. It would be like embracing a cuttlefish. Still, Lorina wanted to show the younger girl how much she appreciated her support. Nobody else would support Lorina. Ada, Lieselotte, and Effie tried, in their own uniquely ineffectual ways, but none of them knew Taohua well enough to give Lorina any worthwhile advice. But Emilie was different. Emilie had known Taohua for years. Her support was invaluable. Lorina: "You know, um..." Emilie: "What? Are you getting sentimental?" Lorina: "N-No, um... I just... I wanted to thank you for—" Boy #1: "Aah, look! It’s Miss Priss!" Lorina: "Miss Priss...?" Emilie: "Grr..." Emilie, whose face had been rosy with smiles only seconds before, was now scowling. Her lips were pursed in a straight line, and her eyes were narrowed with undisguised hatred. Hatred that was directed at a trio of dirty-faced, ragged-clothed, ill-shod little boys, who could not have been more than ten or eleven years of age. Emilie: "Not you three again." Locusts, Emilie could have dealt with, and the hailstone and fire? That was child’s play. Little boys, however, were a different matter altogether. The tenth and last plague of Egypt had always been Emilie’s favourite. Boy #1: "That’s right! Didja miss us?!" Emilie: "Lord give me strength..." Boy #1: "Ehe~ Hey there, Miss Priss! You’re looking even prissier than usual today!" Boy #2: "Ooh, and look, look! She’s with somebody!" Boy #3: "Who is it, who is it?" Boy #1: "Looks like that new maid over at Bly!" Boy #3: "Wow, you weren’t kidding! Her boobs are huge!" Emilie: "Wh-Where did you learn a word like that?" Boy #2: "We’re men of the world!" Boy #3: "It’s continental!" Boy #2: "Miss Priss, Miss Priss! Where did you make such a pretty friend?" Boy #3: "Why don’t you introduce me to her?" Boy #1: "Hey there." One of the boys sidled up to Lorina, grinning mischievously. Boy #1: "Do you wanna go somewhere private, pretty lady?" Lorina: "I, um... I’m very flattered, but—" Boy #2: "Hey, that sounds like a ‘no’!" Boy #3: "She said no, Aaron! She’s not interested!" Emilie: "Th-That’s right! My friend has no interest in you! She doesn’t have the time to play with a group of dirty boys!" Emilie: "Now, move along. Toddle off. Get out of my sight." Boy #2: "Hey, that’s rude!" Boy #3: "Is that any way for a lady to talk?" Boy #1: "We should teach you a lesson!" Emilie: "A lesson? What are you talking about, you ignorant little whelps? Why don’t you scram?! Get out of my sight!" But the ignorant little whelps did not scram, and neither did they get out of Emilie’s sight. At least, not immediately. First, one of the boys ran up to Emilie— Emilie: "{size=+10}Kyaa...!" —and flipped her skirt upwards. Emilie’s skirts — a veritable cornucopia of light pinks, piped with a delicate rosette pattern — billowed about her thighs, caught in a sudden breeze. Boy #1: "Pfft... Hahaha...!" The little boy laughed rancorously. So did his friends. The trio of miscreants sniggered together as one. Lorina: "O-Oh my..." Lorina, meanwhile, could only stand and stare. While Emilie’s dress was pretty, her undergarments were every bit as fetching. Her drawers were real silk, and the lacing was exquisite...! But not quite as exquisite as Emilie’s blushing face. Emilie: "Wh-Why, you...!!!" Her face a dangerous shade of beet red, Emilie fought for control of her skirts. Emilie: "Y-You... You..." Emilie’s left eye twitched. Her face burned. Emilie: "You... You awful, awful, _awful_ boys!!! What would your mothers think? How could you do such a thing to a lady? I’ll hang and draw and quarter you, and parade your innards about the town for everyone to see, you horrible beasts!!!" Boy #1: "Oh no! She looks serious...!" Boy #2: "Miss Priss is pissed!" Boy #3: "We should go!" Emilie: "Oh no you don’t! Get back here at once!!!" Lorina: "Um..." Lorina watched from afar, blinking, as Emilie chased after the trio of dirty-faced little boys. Provincial life was rather less dreary than Lorina had ever imagined. Constance: "And what am I supposed to do with _this_?" Lorina: "I believe the bottle says you’re supposed to drink it." Constance: "Well, I don’t want it." Lorina: "But you were the one who requested this medicine, weren’t you?" Constance: "I don’t know. I don’t remember." Lorina: "Surely you must. You said you couldn’t stand castor oil or cod liver, and had to have something sweeter." Lorina: "Those words came out of _your_ mouth." Constance: "You don’t need to tell me that! I _know_ what I said!" Lorina: "Then why don’t you take your medicine? It should make you feel better." Constance: "And how do you know? You’re not a doctor! You’re just a maid!" Lorina: "I’m just reading what it says on the bottle." Constance: "Oh, yes, you and your _reading_." Constance: "Why did you bother learning? You’re not a scholar. You’re not a scientist. You’re just a maid." Lorina: "And, as your maid, I want you to take your medicine so you can get better." Constance: "Oh, _really_?" Lady Constance’s eyes flashed dangerously. Constance: "That _is_ funny. I didn’t realise you were a clown!" Constance: "Maybe you would be better suited to work at Brighton pier, entertaining the children at the Punch and Judy show!" Lorina: "What are you talking about?" Lorina: "You shouldn’t get yourself so worked up when you’re ill." Constance: "Like _you_ care." Constance: "You don’t give a stuff that I’m ill. You _or_ any of the other maids." Constance: "You knew I was sick, but you tricked me into eating that parlour maid’s awful food, and I bet you thought it was _so_ funny. You were probably laughing about it together." Constance: "You act like you care because you have to, but that’s as far as it goes." Lorina: "Lady Constance..." Constance: "You hate me. All the maids hate me." Constance: "You, and Pauline, and Isobel, and Ada... even though she’s so soft she probably doesn’t have it in her to kill a fly." Constance: "She doesn’t realise that she hates me, but I know she does. She trembles like a sick dog whenever she sees me." Constance: "If she didn’t hate me, she wouldn’t be so afraid of me." Lady Constance sniffed and wrapped her arms around her knees. They made the covers jut around them like two small islands. Constance: "The parlour maid is the worst. She hates me more than the rest of you put together. She doesn’t say it but it’s so obvious." Constance: "When she looks at me, it feels like she’s dissecting me." Constance: "I can’t stand it." Constance: "I _hate_ it." Constance: "I hate all of it." Constance: "The only person who cared about me was Miss Adrienne, but Mother sent her away." Constance: "Now, I don’t have _any_ allies." Constance: "Well... if you all hate me, then I’ll hate you, too." Lorina: "But Lady Constance..." Lorina’s tone shifted. It was softer. Gentler. Lady Constance deserved that much. Though Lorina hated the girl, the fact Lady Constance _knew_ she was hated made her seem more pitiable than ever before. In any event, the girl was not so very old. She was only twelve. Just a child. Mary had been unmanageable when she was that age, too. That was right. Lorina would pretend she was Mary. Lorina: "I know I might be overstepping my boundaries, but... surely it should not come as a surprise that the other maids dislike you." Constance: "You don’t deny it." Lorina: "I won’t deny it because it’s true. I can’t deny the truth." Constance: "The other servants try. So does Mother. So does Father, whenever he is around, which isn’t very often. They tell me I’m loved." Constance: "It’s a lie." Lorina: "But, don’t you see? It’s hard to love a girl when she acts so difficult." Constance: "Difficult...?" Lorina: "Yes. You must know you’re difficult." Lorina: "You always insult the servants. You make us do impossible tasks, you scold us for every little thing, and you never, ever, ever remember to say ‘please’ or ‘thank you’." Constance: "And why _should_ I thank you?" Lorina: "Because it’s the polite thing to do." Constance: "You forget your place. You’re a servant. I shouldn’t thank you for doing your job." Constance: "Should I thank the sun for shining, or the flowers for blooming?" Lorina: "The sun and the flowers don’t have feelings. Servants do. We’re human beings just like you." Lorina: "I know you don’t like her, but Taohua is a human being, too." Constance: "A novel idea." Constance: "Well, tell me this, _Lori_." Constance: "Even if I did say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and acted like the perfect little girl, would you like me? Would you _honestly_ like me?" Lorina: "I—" Constance: "No, don’t answer. I already know the truth." Constance: "I don’t think you would." Constance: "In fact, I can say it with certainty. You still wouldn’t like me at all." Lorina: "Why do you say that...?" Constance: "Because I’m rich and you’re not. That’s reason enough for most people to hate each other." Constance: "Even if I _was_ a perfect angel, you’d still dislike me because I have all this—" Lady Constance gestured about her bedroom, with its four poster bed and expensive carpets. Constance: "—and you sleep in an attic!" Constance: "How could you like me under these circumstances? It’s not possible. It isn’t, because if I was you, I would hate me too." Lorina: "Lady Constance..." Constance: "But how do you think _I_ feel? I’m sick and tired." Constance: "You maids hate me, the parlour maid particularly hates me, Daddy’s always away on business, and I’m not allowed to play with the children in the village." Constance: "Even if I was allowed, they’d never want to play with _me_." Constance: "I don’t have any friends or allies. Not a single one." Constance: "Not since Miss Adrienne was sent away." Constance: "I have dolls, but I’m too old for them." Constance: "They can’t talk to me." Lorina: "Well..." Lorina bowed her head. She knew she was fighting a losing battle, but she couldn’t stop herself from trying. If she didn’t try, she’d never forgive herself. She was still upset about the ruckus Lady Constance had caused yesterday over the porridge, but — as Lorina’s mother would have said — there was no sense crying over spilt milk. Or spilt milk and oats. Lorina: "I know I’m a lot older than you, and we got off on the wrong foot, but..." Lorina: "Maybe, if I’m not being too forward..." Lorina: "Maybe _I_ could be your friend...?" Constance: "_You_? My _friend_?" Lorina: "That’s right. I could, um... if you want." Lady Constance paused. She seemed to consider the idea for a few moments, before... Constance: "Heh." She smirked. It wasn’t a pleasant expression. In fact, it was incredibly disagreeable. Constance: "You must think I’m stupid." Constance: "We can’t be _friends_. It’s not possible." Constance: "I know you’re trying to play the good Samaritan, but I don’t want your pity." Lorina: "I’m not—" Constance: "Don’t lie to me. I don’t want to hear it. I already told you, I’m sick of it!" Lorina: "But I—" Constance: "You’re lying again. I know you don’t like me, no matter what you say." Constance: "You’re just like Aimee." Constance: "You feel sorry for me so you’re offering to be my friend out of pity, but that isn’t the same as ‘liking’ me." Constance: "Nobody likes me." Lorina: "You... You can’t prove that." Constance: "I can." Lorina: "How...?" Constance: "If you liked me, you wouldn’t recoil if I did this." And, so saying, Lady Constance leant forwards— Lorina: "Ah..." —and pressed her lips, pale pink like two cherry blossoms, against Lorina’s. Taohua: "So, she refused to take her medicine?" Lorina nodded mutely. Lorina stared at the wall, limp and listless, her back resting against an old, wooden chair. She couldn’t think about anything. Not after that kiss — if it could be called as such, given it was so fast and fleeting. Just like a fallen snowflake melting on her lower lip. But there was no denying the truth. Lady Constance really _had_ kissed her. Taohua: "Well, not to worry. If Lady Constance didn’t take her medicine, she can’t be _that_ ill." Lorina: "I don’t know. She wasn’t acting like herself." Taohua: "More fool her, then. If she’s genuinely sick, she’ll make herself sicker if she doesn’t try to get better. That isn’t your problem." Lorina: "It _is_ partially my problem, given she is my employer." Taohua: "She isn’t your employer, Lori. We’ve been through this. For all her airs and graces, Lady Lennard is the one who pays your salary, not her daughter." Lorina: "Yes, and Lady Lennard would be _very_ happy to learn I’m letting her beloved daughter waste away." The kiss would hardly have appeased her, either. Lorina still didn’t know how to feel about that. She didn’t know how to feel about anything. Taohua: "Oh, my little Lori... You seem somewhat stressed." Lorina: "I _am_ stressed — and confused, too. I just..." Lorina: "I feel like I’ve done something wrong, but I don’t know how to set it right." Lorina: "I don’t know if I _can_." Taohua: "You’re a kinder girl than I, to worry your pretty little head about Lady Constance." Taohua: "For all she might have told you, I doubt she’s ever bothered to worry about you." Lorina: "Well... Perhaps not, but—" Taohua: "See? If she doesn’t care about you, you shouldn’t care about her." Taohua: "We humans are fragile creatures, and we shouldn’t expend energy fussing over those who neither deserve nor want our attention." Taohua: "Life is too short." Lorina leaned back in the chair and glanced upwards, her eyelashes fluttering. Light streamed in through the window, and she could see dust dancing about in the golden glow. It flickered like fireflies. The sky outside was a bright, cloudless blue. It was so blue, in fact, Lorina wondered whether she could paddle in it. The sweet smell of roses, lavender, and frangipani drifted in the air. Lorina: "You are probably right... I just..." Taohua: "Don’t dwell on it. You have no reason to feel guilty." Lorina: "Ha. I wish I could be as cold as you." Taohua: "You think I’m cold?" Taohua pressed one hand against her breast, her eyes widening. Taohua: "How cruel! I’m hurt, my little Lori! You, of all people, should know how passionate I can be!" Lorina: "Well, maybe you and Lady Constance are similar in that regard." Taohua: "Whatever do you mean? Are you vying for a good head flick, young lady?" Lorina: "No, I just... Ehehe..." Lorina giggled softly, brushing a strand of hair behind the shell of her ear. Taohua: "I was thinking, you can both be quite passionate when you want to be." And they had both kissed Lorina. Did that count for something? Taohua: "Ah, yes. An excess of yellow bile. We’re probably both choleric." Taohua: "As you should know, I’m rather more worried about you than I am Lady Constance, my little Lori. I don’t like seeing you look so down." Lorina: "O-Oh, um... I’m sorry...?" Taohua: "You don’t need to apologise. I wasn’t harping at you. I was just thinking..." Taohua: "Do you want to go for a walk? It might clear your head, and it is _such_ a beautiful day. It seems like a shame to waste it." Lorina: "But Lady Constance..." Taohua: "Let’s not think about her. Let’s not even talk about her. Let’s spend some time alone together, all right?" Lorina: "Well..." Taohua: "Plus, the cook wants us to pick more blackberries." Lorina: "Does she want you to make more jam?" Taohua: "That is rather unlikely. Everyone in Bly seems to know what happens when _I_ try cooking now." Lorina: "Oh.. I’m sorry. If only I hadn’t been so foolish..." Taohua: "Don’t worry. I’m not blaming you. The cook is the one who should do the cooking. Her job description is in her title." Lorina: "I suppose..." Taohua: "Now, would you mind accompanying me, my fair lady? Picking some blackberries might cheer you up!" When Taohua phrased it like that, it was impossible for the younger maid to resist. The blackberry thicket was overgrown with tall trees, secreted away deep in Bly’s grounds. The house itself was no longer visible. It was hidden away behind a bower of trees and bushes. It was just Lorina and Taohua here, sheltering from the sun, which had beaten down on their heads relentlessly during their trek. The smell of blackberries was almost overwhelming. It lingered in the air, even stronger than the intermingled scents of the crisp air, the dew-flecked grass, and the summer flowers. The earth was littered with black fruits. They burst open beneath the heels of the two meandering maids. The blackberries split open and oozed deep purple fluid over the scattered soil. They were a veritable feast for ants and caterpillars, perhaps — but these blackberries were of no use to the cook. The two maids were supposed to be picking the ripe berries from the bushes. Wasn’t that why Taohua had requested Lorina’s company? But Lorina couldn’t focus on her task. Her attention had been captivated, almost completely, by Taohua. Taohua’s hair was dark. It fell around her shoulders, sleek and smooth. It was the same rich colour as the pulp that spilt stickily from the crushed blackberry corpses on the ground. Her face was mostly obscured by shadow, but chinks of light spilt through the leafy canopy here and there and picked out her features. Her almond shaped eyes. The curve of her cheeks. Her soft, soft lips... Taohua might have been a mystery, but she really was beautiful. That was something Lorina couldn’t deny. The young maid tried to inhale, but her breath caught in her throat. Why did she feel so warm..? Taohua: "Have you forgotten why we came here already, my little Lori?" Lorina: "I, um... W-Well..." Taohua: "Ah... You’re so lovely." Taohua sighed, cupping Lorina’s cheek with her right hand. Her fingers, Lorina noted, were very slender. They were long and thin, tipped with crescent moon nails. Taohua: "My cute little pet. Are you getting excited?" Lorina: "I... I-I’m not!" Taohua: "Oh, but I rather think you are." Lorina: "You... You don’t have any proof..." Taohua: "Do you _want_ me to prove it?" Lorina: "Well, um..." Taohua: "Silly little Lori. It’s so charming when you can’t be honest with yourself. It makes me want to bully you." Lorina: "You always bully me." Taohua: "Because it cheers you up." Lorina: "It does _not_." Taohua: "It _does_." Taohua: "Waiting on Lady Constance these last two days has made you miserable. You’ve suffered enough." Taohua: "If at all possible... I want to lessen your burden." Taohua: "Now, lie back like a good girl and leave everything to me." Taohua leant in a little closer, until there was only an inch between the two women. Lorina drew in a breath. She trembled. Lorina: "P-Please don’t do that..." Taohua: "Well, if you _really_ don’t want my company..." Taohua smiled, seemingly unaffected, and curled a strand of dark hair about her finger. Taohua: "Shall we start picking those blackberries?" Lorina looked down at the ground, scuffing the dirt with the tip of her shoe. She felt unsettled enough after the unexpected kiss Lady Constance had bestowed upon her, and she had no idea how to fend off Taohua’s teasing. She didn’t know if she even wanted to fend it off. Lorina: "You’re awful..." Taohua: "I know. You like it, though." Lorina: "I-I don’t..." Taohua: "Then why are you pouting like that?" Lorina: "Like _what_?" Taohua: "Like you want me to ravish you." Lorina: "W-Well, um... I..." Taohua: "Oh, Lori..." Taohua: "When you make faces like that, how could I possibly resist?" Later that day, Lorina found herself cleaning the parlour with Effie. Lorina had grown slightly more accustomed to Effie’s company, but she was still unsure whether she could call the other maid a ‘friend’ or not. Maybe ‘confidant’ would be better... ...not that Lorina had much she wished to confide. How could she confess all the depraved activities she had done with Taohua? When Lorina closed her eyes, she could still remember it. Taohua’s fingers trailing against the small of her back so she squirmed... Her warm mouth, her serpentine tongue, her demanding kisses... The thick, heady scent of blackberries, interwoven with her own bodily fluids... Lorina: "Ah..." Lorina ducked her head. Her face flushed. Effie: "Hm?" with dissolve Effie glanced over at Lorina. Her eyes were lidded, as per usual, but there was something oddly penetrating about her gaze." with dissolve Lorina shifted awkwardly. She glanced at the floor.* Lorina: "Wh-What are you looking at?" Effie: "...I’m thinking." with dissolve Lorina: "Thinking about what, exactly?" Effie: "...Your face." with dissolve Lorina: "I-Is there something wrong with it?" with dissolve Effie: "It looks... happy." with dissolve Lorina: "I feel the same as usual." Effie: "If you say so..." with dissolve Effie smiled one of her strange, elfin smiles." with dissolve Effie: "I’m glad you listened." with dissolve Lorina: "To what?" with dissolve Effie: "Your heart." with dissolve Lorina: "I-I don’t even know what that means!" with dissolve Effie: "I think you do." with dissolve Lorina’s face burned." with dissolve Was she _really_ that transparent? And, even later that evening... The two maids were secreted away in Taohua’s room. The sky outside Taohua’s window was dark, splashed liberally with stars, and the moon was full and heavy. Taohua was standing behind Lorina, fingers toying with her hair. Taohua hummed beneath her breath the whole while. It was a pleasant tune, but Lorina had no idea where it had first originated. Knowing Taohua, it was probably something from the opera. Something European. Something cultured. Something Lorina would, no doubt, not understand. While Taohua busied herself, Figaro stretched out in Lorina’s lap. He mewled lazily and flicked his tongue against the tips of her fingers. It tickled, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Lorina: "I think he likes me!" Taohua: "I should hope so, too." Taohua: "It’s rather hard _not_ to like you, my little Lori." Lorina: "I’m not sure about that... Pauline hates me enough for four people." Taohua: "Pauline is a bitch." Lorina: "Taohua...!" Lorina scolded the older maid, but there was no real passion in her voice. She quite agreed. Lorina didn’t particularly want to think about Pauline. Lorina: "Figaro really is a friendly kitty..." Taohua: "He is when he gets to know you." Taohua: "He can be standoffish at first. Maybe you could even call him arrogant." Lorina: "Like you, then?" Taohua: "Yes, indeed. Very much like me." Taohua: "I knew, when I first saw him, that we would make a good pair." Taohua: "He has such airs and graces. He acts like he’s royalty... when, in reality, he’s nothing more than a stray, with no fortune to his name." Taohua: "That’s another thing we have in common." Lorina: "I wouldn’t be too sure about that..." Lorina: "Taohua..." Taohua: "What is it, my little Lori?" Lorina: "I have something to tell you." Taohua: "Then, by all means, tell me." Lorina: "Well..." Lorina bit down on her lower lip. Lorina: "I went to the village this morning to collect Lady Constance’s medicine, and..." Taohua: "Don’t tell me. Did one of the farmhands find the face of Jesus in a potato?" Lorina: "What? Um, no." Lorina: "Does that really happen?" Taohua: "It does if you believe it does. I, unfortunately, am a touch too cynical to pin my faith on miraculous root vegetables." Lorina laughed and shook her head. She’d thought as much. Lorina: "Actually, I ran into Emilie." Taohua: "You seem to encounter the ever-delightful Emilie an awful lot." Taohua: "I didn’t think she was the sort to venture more than five steps outside of her drawing room." A vision of Emilie chasing the three dirty boys about the village came to Lorina’s mind. Lorina smiled despite herself. Lorina: "She’s sturdier than she looks." Taohua: "Hmm. I think you might be right about that." Though Emilie was a vision of perpetual pink, with curled hair and thick, blonde eyelashes, she really _was_ a force to be reckoned with. Lorina: "Emilie asked me tell you this. She said it was important." Taohua: "Well, if _Emilie_ thinks it’s important, I’m sure it must be a grave matter." Taohua: "What’s the problem? Did she snag one of her newest party frocks?" Lorina: "No. It’s rather more serious than that." Lorina: "She..." Lorina: "She told me she was going to be moving." Taohua: "Oh?" Taohua paused. Her fingers stilled, embedded inside Lorina’s hair, while the owner of said fingers looked at Lorina’s scalp with a small frown. Lorina: "She, um..." Lorina: "She said, if you were planning to sell your violin, you should come to a decision quickly, because she and her sister might not be staying here for much longer." Taohua: "Oh." Taohua drew in a breath. Taohua: "Is that how it is...?" Lorina: "Mm. She sounded rather convinced of the fact, too." Taohua: "Oh, my. Well." Taohua: "I never expected _that_." Lorina: "Neither did I. I don’t know if Emilie did, either. She sounded just as surprised as I was." Taohua: "Well, she has cause to be surprised. Her family has lived and worked in Ellesmere for more than three generations." Taohua: "They have something of a reputation around here — not to mention the memories." Taohua: "I didn’t think Theodora would throw it away so readily..." Lorina: "They’re not throwing it away. Not really." Taohua: "And what would you know about that, Lorina?" Lorina: "I know I don’t know them like you do, but... I think a lot of thought has been put into it." Taohua: "Well, I suppose it was only a matter of time. Emilie hates it here, and I don’t blame her." Taohua: "Shropshire is a dull corner of the country to grow up in, and it’s becoming harder and harder for small businesses to thrive." Taohua: "Practically speaking, London would be their best bet..." Taohua: "If they want to move, I can’t stop them, though I suppose I might miss Theodora. We get on rather well." Lorina: "But what do you think about it?" Taohua: "About what?" Lorina: "You know..." Lorina: "Your violin." Taohua inhaled. Taohua: "That is... a difficult question, Lorina." Taohua: "I don’t want to be rash. That violin is my most prized possession. Theodora might be moving, but that doesn’t mean I should." Lorina: "But—" Taohua: "Hush. I’ll come to a decision within time." Lorina: "But you might not _have_ any time! You need to decide now!" Taohua: "My, my..." Taohua’s tone darkened. So did her expression. Taohua: "Are you trying to tell me what to do, Lorina?" Lorina: "Ah..." Lorina gasped softly. Figaro’s ears quirked upwards. Sensing something was amiss with his mistress, the black cat slipped off Lorina’s lap and padded to a corner of the room. But Lorina could do no such thing. All she could do was sit there, trembling, as the full brunt of Taohua’s displeasure fell upon her slender shoulders. She’d never felt more frail. It was just like the last time Taohua had lost her temper. She’d promised it wouldn’t happen again, but... Lorina: "I... I-I’m sorry if I was being too pushy..." Taohua: "It’s... fine, Lorina." Taohua: "I know what you mean, and I’m glad you came to tell me. I appreciate it." But the parlour maid’s voice was icy and cold. It wasn’t how Taohua should have spoken to Lorina. It wasn’t how Taohua typically spoke to Lorina. Weren’t they friends? Were they not, in fact, something more? Why, then, did she sound so cold? Maybe Taohua didn’t care about Lorina as Lorina cared for her. And, to think... For a while, Lorina had been half-tempted to imagine Taohua might, perhaps, have _loved_ her. But there was no ‘love’. There was a mere ‘like’. It was a curious manner of liking, certainly, that manifested itself in midnight rendezvous in Taohua’s room, shared jokes, silly giggles, and gentle kisses, but that was all it was. Taohua didn’t love Lorina...{w} but she _did_ love that violin of hers. If Taohua ever had to decide between the two, Lorina knew which would win. She didn’t have a chance. Lorina had always known the truth, but she hadn’t wanted to admit it. Now, it was staring her in the face. Effie had told her to listen to her heart — and Lorina’s heart was telling her, quite plainly, that she would always be second best. Taohua: "I’m sorry, but... you’ve given me quite a lot to think about. I need to be on my own. I hope you don’t mind." Lorina: "O-Oh, no, um... I-I’m sorry..." Lorina got to her feet. Lorina: "I-I’ll take my leave now." And, with the stumbling steps of a frostbitten beggar, Lorina departed. She hoped Taohua might call her back...{w} but she never did. That night, Lorina curled up beneath her blanket and shivered. Her blanket seemed thinner and meaner than ever; her mattress even more lumpen and misshapen. No matter how the young maid tossed and turned, she couldn’t get comfortable. Thoughts raced through her head, more innumerable than the stars in the night sky. _That violin is my most prized possession._ It was as Emilie had said. Taohua cared about that violin more than anything else. Far more than she cared about Lorina. Lorina could still recall how icy Taohua’s tone had been earlier that evening, down to the last spine-chilling syllable: _Are you trying to tell me what to do, Lorina?_ Maybe she had, just a little, but she’d had Taohua’s best interests at heart. If Taohua wasn’t happy in Bly, being paraded before Lady Lennard’s guests like an exotic orchid, then why did she continue to stay here? Why didn’t she leave? But Taohua, apparently, was content to endure all the curious stares and uneducated gossip in the world, so long as she could continue to cling onto her violin. Why...? Was Lady Whittier that important to her? Lorina didn’t know. She didn’t know because Taohua wouldn’t tell her. Taohua never told her anything. Maybe Taohua didn’t really trust her. Didn’t really like her. Now, why did that thought hurt so much...? Lorina sniffled. Her eyes started to prickle. She wiped them with the backs of her arms, but yet more tears threatened to fall. She didn’t want to cry. She couldn’t bear it if she cried. She hadn’t shed tears when Pauline slapped her, or when Lady Constance had made her scrabble about in the rose bush. She hadn’t even cried when Arthur Pickering had attempted to fondle her through the fabric of her maid’s uniform. She was the daughter of Mabel Waugh, for goodness’ sake. Her mother’s strong, indomitable blood ran through Lorina’s veins. She could weather any storm. But... Curiously enough, nothing over the last five months had stung Lorina quite as much as this. Lorina shook. Tears beaded in the corners of her eyes like dew on the underside of a daisy. She couldn’t help herself. It hurt too much. So, she was crying. She hadn’t realised just how much she had grown to care about Taohua...{w} until the older woman had rejected her. _I think I should be on my own._ But for how long? A few days? A week? A month? But by then, it would be too late. Theodora and Emilie would have moved to London, and Taohua would no longer be able to sell her violin. They’d both be trapped inside Bly, like figures within a snow globe, while the years piled about their shoulders. Getting older and sadder and tireder as they continued to drift apart... No. Lorina clenched her hand into a fist. Her nails dug into her skin. She didn’t want that. She couldn’t let that happen. But Taohua could be so very stubborn when she wanted to be, and Lorina didn’t know how she could persuade her. She’d just make Taohua hate her more than she did already. Her future really was murky. Lorina wept bitterly, burying her face into her musty pillow. She didn’t want to wake any of the other maids, least of all Pauline and Isobel. She didn’t think she could fend them off. Not now. Not when everything hurt so much and— ???: "Lorina...?" Lorina: "A-Ah..." Lorina drew in a sharp intake of breath. So, her crying, no matter how muted, had managed to wake somebody after all...{w} or maybe they’d been awake this whole time. It was Ada. Ada: "Lorina... are you all right?" with dissolve Lorina, her face wet and crumpled with tears, mumbled:" with dissolve Lorina: "I’m fine." It wasn’t one of her most convincing performances.* Ada: "But, Lorina..." with dissolve Ada’s brow crinkled in the dark." with dissolve Ada: "It sounded like you were crying." with dissolve Lorina: "I wasn’t." Ada: "Are you sure?" with dissolve Lorina: "Quite sure. Mostly. Maybe. I..." with dissolve Lorina shook her head.* Why was she being so aloof with _Ada_, of all people? Taohua might have turned on her, but Ada was her friend. Ada had been unfailingly kind to Lorina from day one, and Lorina owed her a lot. Without Ada, she wouldn’t have settled down in Bly so quickly. She was the salve that made the barbed comments from Lady Constance and the mean-spirited jibes from Pauline and Isobel tolerable. If anybody could console her, it was Ada. Sweet, gentle Ada, with her round face and her button nose, now blocked up with a strange sickness so her voice sounded unusually nasal. Lorina: "Well, maybe I _was_ crying. Just a little." Ada: "Um... D-Did something happen?" with dissolve Lorina: "Something or other always happens around here, but... in this case, probably not." with dissolve Lorina: "I was just fooling myself, imagining there was ever ‘something’ there to begin with." Ada’s brow furrowed in confusion. Ada: "Is this about Pauline and Isobel?" with dissolve Lorina: "Those two?" Lorina snorted in disdain. Lorina: "Like _they_ could ever make me cry. I won’t let them." Ada: "Then, Lady Constance...?" with dissolve Lorina: "I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction." with dissolve Ada: "But, um... I heard about what happened the other day — with the porridge, I mean. It must have been scary..." with dissolve Lorina: "I’m a grown woman. Little girls throwing temper tantrums isn’t scary." with dissolve Though, at the time, Lorina _had_ been rather unsettled. A bowl of porridge was a rather hefty projectile, and it had shattered with such a loud smash... Ada: "You’re braver than me. I get scared of everything... Strange noises in the night, and thunderstorms, and Lady Constance..." with dissolve Ada shook her head." with dissolve Ada: "I even get scared of ghosts." with dissolve Lorina: "Ghosts aren’t real, Ada." Ada: "I know — but the idea of them is frightening, don’t you think?" with dissolve Lorina: "Not really." Ada: "Well, you would say that. You’re stronger than me. You didn’t even get sick." with dissolve Ada smiled at Lorina sheepishly." with dissolve Ada: "You’ve been working at Bly for far less than I have, but I think you’re a better maid than I’ll be. You even know how to read and write." with dissolve Lorina: "And look at what use that is." with dissolve Ada: "I think it’s wonderful!" with dissolve Lorina: "R-Really?" with dissolve Ada: "Yes! I respect you a lot!" with dissolve Lorina: "But you caught me crying in the middle of the night..." with dissolve Ada: "I don’t care. You’re still one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met!" with dissolve Ada: "You know, I bet Pauline and Isobel bully you because they’re jealous of you." Lorina: "I’m not so sure about that... I think they bully me because they’re vicious, boring people." Ada: "But you’re so smart, and you can write letters and read books and things! I’m sure they can’t." with dissolve Lorina: "Well, maybe..." with dissolve Ada: "So, you should cheer up!" with dissolve Ada smiled at Lorina encouragingly." with dissolve Ada: "I don’t know who or what made you sad, but I’m sure you’re better than they are! You’re one hundred — no, _one thousand_ times better!" with dissolve Lorina dropped her gaze shyly. She wasn’t used to being praised, and it was embarrassing.* It was embarrassing, but... Maybe she should tell Ada how she was feeling. She didn’t want to keep secrets. Not from her friend. Lorina: "If you’re curious, um... I had an argument with Taohua." Ada: "Taohua?" with dissolve Ada: "But I thought you got on with her! She calls you ‘my little Lori’!" Lorina: "She’s... complicated. We’ve spent a lot of time together, but I feel like I don’t really understand her. I don’t think she wants me to." Lorina: "I just don’t know what to do..." Lorina sighed and curled up on herself, like a flower blooming in reverse. Lorina: "Maybe she hates me..." Ada: "I’m sure she doesn’t hate you!" with dissolve Lorina: "But she looked so angry. I wouldn’t be surprised if she never talks to me again." Ada: "Then she’s stupid." with dissolve Lorina: "A-Ada?" with dissolve Lorina looked at Ada with something akin to awe. She hadn’t expected the quiet, malleable Ada, of all people, to speak ill of somebody else so firmly, least of all Taohua. Ada: "She thinks she’s smart, but if she’s made you cry, she must be even stupider than I am." with dissolve Ada: "I’m sure she’ll change her mind in a bit. You just have to give her time." Lorina: "Like a finicky cat?" with dissolve Ada: "Exactly!" with dissolve Ada: "You’re one of the nicest people I know, and if you did upset her, I bet it was an accident. This thing will all blow over soon — and if it doesn’t, then forget about her!" Forget about Taohua? That was easier said than done. Something about the parlour maid made her linger in Lorina’s mind even when she was far away, like the cloying scent of lavender. It would be impossible, Lorina was sure, to ever truly forget about her. They’d made far too many memories together. Ada: "I know I’m nothing special really, and I’m always making silly mistakes, but..." with dissolve Ada looked at Lorina hopefully from beneath her eyelashes." with dissolve Ada: "No matter what happens, Lori, I’ll always be your friend. _Always_." with dissolve She spoke firmly, like a stalwart soldier. The conviction in her eyes took Lorina by surprise." with dissolve Lorina: "You... Y-You want to be?" Ada: "That’s right. Only if you want to be my friend." with dissolve Lorina: "Oh, Ada...!" with dissolve Though Lorina’s face was still damp, she found herself smiling all the same. It was impossible not to. Lorina: "You really are a true friend." Ada’s face flushed. Ada: "L-Lori... Thank you." with dissolve Lorina: "I should be the one thanking you! I feel a lot better now." The two girls smiled at one another, both sequestered in their own uncomfortable, rectangular beds...{w} until Lorina, suddenly overcome with emotion, drew back her covers and shuffled to one side. Lorina: "Do you want to come in?" Ada: "Y-You really want me to?" with dissolve Lorina: "You’ve been shivering for a while, and it’s very cold tonight. I think I could use the extra heat." with dissolve Ada: "B-But I’m sick. I don’t want you to get sick, too..." with dissolve Lorina: "It’s a chance I’m willing to take." with dissolve Ada: "B-But—" with dissolve Lorina: "No ‘but’s. You’re my best friend, and I just want to be with somebody right now. Somebody kind." with dissolve Lorina: "I... don’t want to be stuck in my bed, alone with my thoughts... I can’t bear it..." Ada: "W-Well, if you really want... I’d be more than happy to keep you company." with dissolve That was all Lorina wanted right now." with dissolve Company.* Being alone was far too depressing. Over the following week, the general malaise that had settled upon Bly began to wane. Even Lady Constance, who’d been going on like she were suffering from the plague, had begun to recover. The days slipped by, and everything returned to the way it had been before. In fact, things were rather too much like the way they had been before. Taohua now seemed to regard Lorina much as she had done all those months ago, when Lorina had first arrived at Bly. She acknowledged Lorina with nothing more than a nod of her head when they passed in the hallway. That was all. Lorina tried desperately to think of something to say.. {w}but whenever she saw the older maid, her tongue seized up inside her head. She couldn’t say a thing. And the clock kept on ticking. The servants’ quarters were pitch black. The sky beyond the singular window was filled with stars, glistening like diamonds about a lady’s neck, but Lorina was in no mood to appreciate their beauty. All she could appreciate was how very tired she was. Being a maid had always been tiring work, but it had been even more exhausting than usual these last two weeks. Why was that? ...Maybe it was because Taohua no longer cared to speak to her. Though Lorina had Ada to console her, it just wasn’t the same. Ada had advised Lorina to forget about Taohua, but the young maid soon discovered that that was impossible. Lorina missed her. She missed Taohua terribly. She missed the embraces, the wistful glances, and all the kisses — but, most of all, she missed feeling loved and wanted. The young maid sighed as she divested herself of her uniform. She folded it neatly, as was her custom, and set it at the foot of her bed. Even that required too much work. Ada: "Lori...? Are you all right?" with dissolve Lorina: "Just tired. I need to get some rest." with dissolve Ada: "Well, if you’re sure..." with dissolve Lorina slid beneath her covers. They were icy cold." with dissolve It was always cold in the servants’ quarters, with its thin walls, thinner sheets, and windowpanes that were even more ineffectual at keeping out the cold air than a veil of spiders’ webs.* The single candle did little to light the room. Lorina turned, closing her eyes, when— Pauline: "Ah, Lorina. Are you still awake?" with dissolve Lorina scrunched up her eyes. She _was_ awake, but she didn’t want Pauline to know that. Not in her current state." with dissolve Lorina, unfortunately, was not a very convincing actress.* Pauline: "I know you’re still up. I heard you talking to Ada before I entered the room." with dissolve Isobel: "How careless!" with dissolve Pauline: "She isn’t as clever as she thinks." with dissolve Ada: "Um... C-Can’t you leave Lorina alone? She isn’t feeling very well, and—" with dissolve Pauline: "Oh, give it a rest, Miss Piglet." with dissolve Isobel: "You must have been sneaking currant buns behind the cook’s back!" with dissolve Ada: "I-I wasn’t..." with dissolve Isobel: "Like that matters. Move aside. The adults are trying to talk." with dissolve Lorina sighed. She knew Pauline and Isobel would continue hectoring Ada until she gave them what they wanted. There was little point trying to resist. Ada didn’t need to get dragged into this mess. Lorina sat herself upright and fixed Pauline with heavy eyes. They looked hollow and empty in the darkness of the room. Lorina: "What is it...?" Pauline: "I had so many chores to attend to today, I’m quite exhausted!" with dissolve Lorina: "And how does that concern me?" Pauline: "Oh, my. How heartless you are, to show such contempt to your elders and betters!" with dissolve Lorina: "We’re all maids here." with dissolve Pauline: "That we are, but it hasn’t been so very long since Isobel and I were under the weather." with dissolve Lorina: "That was last week. You look fine now." And Lorina doubted whether they’d been truly ill in the first place. Pauline: "I don’t feel fine. I’ve been rushed off my feet, and my back’s killing me." with dissolve Lorina: "Maybe you should lie down." Pauline: "That’s what I plan to do — but, silly me! I seem to have forgotten something." with dissolve Lorina’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t like the trajectory of this conversation." with dissolve Lorina: "What did you forget, Pauline?" Pauline: "It was my duty to bolt and lock the windows on the second floor." with dissolve Lorina: "Then perhaps you should do it." Pauline: "I would if I could, but these legs aren’t what they used to be! I’m still recovering from my illness, you see, and I don’t want to push myself too hard." with dissolve _You’ve never pushed yourself in your whole life._" with dissolve That was what Lorina wanted to say, but she held her tongue. Her cheek still remembered the sharp sensation of Pauline’s palm, and she had no desire to make its acquaintance once more. Pauline: "You’ve seemed a little out of sorts lately, Lorina, and I think a walk might do you good." with dissolve Lorina: "So this is for my sake, is it?" Pauline: "Naturally. As your elder, I want to look out for you." with dissolve Pauline: "I know we’re not the best of friends, but I _do_ worry about your health. You’ve been looking awfully pale as of late, and you’ve been so very distracted." Pauline: "You should stretch your legs. It might bring some colour back to your cheeks." Lorina: "If you feel peaky, maybe you should follow your own advice." with dissolve Pauline: "If only I could — but these legs of mine! I’m afraid it’s not possible." with dissolve Isobel: "Pauline really has been working hard! The least you could do is help her!" with dissolve Pauline: "And, if you don’t wish to help me, you could always help yourself." with dissolve Isobel: "Frankly speaking, your miserable face is ruining my mood. I think we’d all be better off if you left. Isn’t that right, girls?" with dissolve Ada: "W-Well, I don’t know about that..." with dissolve Effie: "...I don’t mind." with dissolve Isobel: "Are you _quite_ sure?" with dissolve Isobel: "Doesn’t looking at her disagreeable face bother you?" Effie: "...Not really." with dissolve Isobel: "Then you have more patience than me." with dissolve Effie: "No matter how disagreeable Lorina is, she’s still adorable." with dissolve Lorina: "A-Adorable?" with dissolve Ada: "But she’s a woman...!" with dissolve Effie: "I don’t discriminate." with dissolve Isobel: "How very _modern_..." with dissolve Pauline: "And what about you, Lottie? What do you think?" with dissolve Lieselotte: "Well..." with dissolve The Swiss maiden of the Alps, who’d been previously engaged in the long and involved process of brushing her golden tresses, paused." with dissolve She looked Lorina up and down, a small frown playing about her lips...{w} and then she said:* Lieselotte: "I think Isobel might have a point." with dissolve Lorina winced. It felt like the air had been knocked out of her lungs." with dissolve Lieselotte: "You _have_ been looking glum lately, Lorina — and my Uncle Rudolf always says walking is the best cure for a grieving heart!" with dissolve Lieselotte: "The hallways of Bly are not the Alps, of course. There are no gentians or cornflowers or asters, but I think it would be beneficial!" Pauline: "Indeed, it would. Prettily spoken, Lottie." with dissolve Lorina looked at Lieselotte mutely.* The Swiss maiden was smiling, without a hint of cruelty in either her face or her voice...{w} but that made her betrayal sting all the more. Didn’t she realise Pauline was trying to push yet more work onto Lorina’s shoulders? Maybe the nuances of Pauline’s words had been lost to Lieselotte’s fair ears. English was not, after all, her first language, and she didn’t seem to understand the uniquely British art of sarcasm. Lorina opened her mouth. For a few moments, she thought about retorting... {w}but it really was only a few moments. She was too tired to try and defend herself. Even if she did, it wouldn’t make any difference. Lorina: "...Fine. I’ll go." with dissolve Pauline: "How lovely." with dissolve Pauline’s lips curved into a cruel smirk." with dissolve Pauline: "You know, I might have to re-evaluate my opinion of you, Lorina." with dissolve Pauline: "When I first met you, I thought you were nothing more than a shameless hoyden... but now, I see there might be a slither of goodness in you after all." Isobel: "Maybe she can be salvaged." with dissolve Pauline: "Maybe." with dissolve Pauline: "So long as you heed my advice, your life in Bly needn’t be unpleasant." Pauline: "Let’s keep working together in the future, Lorina. I’m sure we can become _very_ good friends." It was a bitterly cold night and the wind rattled the windowpanes.* Lorina silently trekked down the hall, pausing to ensure each and every window was closed and bolted. This was a task Lorina had always hated, and she hated it all the more when it was foisted upon her by Pauline. The familiar corridors seemed oddly elongated in the dark. Shadows pooled in every nook and cranny. What if the hallways stretched on forever? Then, she would _never_ run out of windows to close or locks to bolt. It sounded like death without dying. Some kind of living hell. But she was being silly. Wasn’t she too old for such nonsense? She just had to keep walking. Lorina: "Ah..." Lorina stilled, turning her head. She could hear something rapping against the windowpanes. The rose garden, barely visible beyond the glass, was draped in the cool black and blue hues of the impenetrable night. The wind whipped the roses to and fro. Their leaves fluttered. Their flimsy, paper-thin petals were soon scattered. It was raining. The droplets of water fell against the windowpanes softly at first, but they quickly grew faster. The number of raindrops soon doubled, then tripled, then quadrupled. This was the kind of storm that could knock down walls and tear trees asunder. It was a good thing Lorina was inside, where it was warm, and the storm was outside, where it was not. Shaking her head, Lorina tore herself away from the windows and continued her work. At least, that was the plan... ...until she saw the ghost. The ghost was a tiny figure in a nightgown with large eyes, a snub nose, blonde hair... {w}and a disdainful scowl. Lorina had never seen such a cross-looking little ghost before. Constance: "Why are you standing around in the middle of the night, you foolish maid?" Lorina: "I could ask you the same question. Are you looking for the cat again?" Constance: "You have no right to ask me that. This is my house. I can do what I want in it." Lorina: "I know, but looking for a black cat in the dark would be quite a challenge. You should go back to bed." Constance: "I couldn’t sleep. There’s something on my mind." Lorina: "And what would that be...?" It wasn’t the kiss, was it? Just how much significance did that gesture have? Constance: "I was playing in the garden with one of my dolls this morning. I think I left her outside." Lady Constance’s lips curled upwards into a cruel sneer. Constance: "As you’re still awake, _maid_, you should go and get her for me." Lorina: "You can’t be serious, Lady Constance! The weather—" Constance: "Is none of my concern." Constance: "It’s precisely _because_ of this weather that you should fetch her for me. Lisette will get ruined." Lorina: "She must be ruined already, surely...?" Constance: "It hasn’t been raining that long. If you’re quick about it, I’m sure you’ll be able to save her." Lorina glanced out of the window. The rain was still falling thick and fast, and looked distinctly uninviting. Lorina: "This is _ridiculous_! If you send me out there I’ll catch my death of cold!" Constance: "And?" Lorina: "And...?" Constance: "Who cares about that? You’re only a maid." Lorina: "I might be a maid, but I’m still a human being! I have a right to refuse!" Constance: "Oh?" Lady Constance’s eyes were cold and hard, like two marbles set into her skull. Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance. The storm clouds were gathering thick and fast. Constance: "You’re refusing to help after you claimed — so very prettily, I might add — that we could be _friends_?" Constance: "I see how it is." Constance: "It was nothing more than a crock of lies." Lorina: "Friends don’t ask their friends to go out into the storm and wind and rain for small trifles!" Constance: "Then we’re not friends. I knew that from the beginning." Constance: "If we can’t be equals and we can’t be friends, you _must_ be my maid after all." Constance: "That being the case, you _have_ to obey me. It’s your job." Lorina: "_No_." Constance: "I beg your pardon? What did you just say?" Lorina: "I said, _no_. I won’t do it!" Lorina: "You might be Lady Lennard’s daughter, but that doesn’t give you the right to treat me so poorly!" Constance: "Oh? Well, that’s too bad..." Constance: "Then I suppose you won’t mind if I tell my mother about your inappropriate relationship with the parlour maid." Lorina: "A-Ah..." Lorina: "H-How do you know about that...?" Constance: "I saw you." Lorina: "Wh-What...?! When?!" Constance: "A couple of weeks ago, after I asked you to clean out that old guest bedroom." Constance: "I hid around a corner after I left and watched you. I saw what you did." Constance: "You were kissing — and so _brazenly_, too! I was quite shocked!" Lorina: "I... Ah..." Lorina’s mouth opened. Closed again. She could hardly breathe. Constance: "Well, then." Lady Constance’s smirk deepened. Constance: "I think you’d better get outside and start searching, don’t you? Lisette isn’t going to find herself." Lorina: "A-Ah...!" Lorina whimpered and held her hands above her head, not that it offered much relief from the rain. The rain continued to pelt down at her from all sides, whipped up by the wind into deadly projectiles. Lorina’s hands and cheeks were already rubbed raw. Her hair curled against her cheeks and neck. Her uniform clung to each and every curve. Up ahead, in the jet black sky, a peal of thunder cracked. It sounded closer than before. She had to hurry. Lorina had no desire to stay in the rain longer than necessary, especially with a thunderstorm brewing. Where was Lisette? Was Lisette even here at all? What if there was no Lisette? It was entirely possible that Lady Constance was spinning a tall tale, like spiders spin thread, just to get Lorina to go outside in this weather. It would be to Lady Constance’s advantage, in fact, if there was no Lisette. Then Lorina would have to search and search for an object she could never find. Her struggles would have no end, and she would keep looking like the good little maid she was until her fingers were chilled to the bone and she was washed away. Lorina: "Nn..." A bitter lump of anxiety rose up in Lorina’s throat. It was most unpalatable, like a boiled candy two decades old uncovered from the bottom of a dusty chest of drawers. Lorina tried to swallow it down. She almost choked. Growing desperate, Lorina searched with heightened frenzy. She tore through the rose garden, her head snapping this way and that, eyes darting about anxiously, until— Lorina: "Oh no..." She’d found the doll...{w} but she almost wished she hadn’t. Hesitantly, the suffering maid took a few steps forward. The ground was slick with rainwater and she almost slipped, but she was able to right herself before she crumpled to the ground. The flowerbeds were so infused with water they’d become nothing more than mulch. The roses had taken a thorough battering, and their heads had been denuded of velveteen petals. And there, tangled amongst one of the rose bushes...{w} was Lisette. The doll stared at Lorina with big, blue, unblinking eyes, even as the rain drummed insistently against those unnaturally fixed irises. This fascimile of a child cost more than a month of Lorina’s wages. Just thinking about it made her feel sick. Lorina: "She really is... a monster..." Lorina stared at the doll — or what little of the doll she could see, entwined amongst the roses — and her lower lip trembled. Lady Constance didn’t expect her to reach into the thicket of thorns and pull the doll out, did she? But Lorina didn’t have a choice. She was just a maid...{w} and maids had to do what their mistresses said. That was just the way of the world. Constance: "My, my. How unsightly." Lorina’s hair was stuck to her forehead. Drops of icy rainwater trickled down her nose. Her cheeks were flushed pink from the roaring wind, but the rest of her skin was ghostly pale — and that was to say nothing of her hands. If Lorina had been musical, she would never have been able to handle a string instrument ever again. Her fingering would have been shot to pieces. It was fortunate, then, that Taohua was the one with the violin. Lorina’s fingers had been pierced by sharp thorns in innumerable places. Blood and rainwater dyed the palms of her hands pale pink. Lorina clutched Lisette in her arms. The doll, too, was smeared with blood. Her blonde curls were matted with mud, and her eyelashes were so gummed together they would no longer close. Constance: "Why on _earth_ did you come in here, you stupid maid? You’re going to get the carpet dirty." Lorina: "I... I-I know, but..." Constance: "If you know, why did you come back inside?! You should have stayed out in the dirt and the mud where you belong!" Lorina: "But I couldn’t... The rain..." Constance: "I’d sooner you catch your death of cold then track dirt all over my bedroom, you fool!" Lorina: "But you asked me... Your doll..." Constance: "Oh? How very thoughtful of you! If you had an ounce more common sense, you might be half-way intelligent!" Lorina: "Wh-What...?" Constance: "Do you _really_ think I want that doll now? Look at her. She’s _filthy_, just like you." Lorina: "But you asked me to get her for you..." Constance: "Well, I don’t want her anymore! What use could I _possibly_ have with a broken doll when I have dozens of far prettier ones in my room?" Lorina: "But you... You asked..." Constance: "And I changed my mind. Is that so very hard to comprehend?" Lady Constance snorted. Her eyes shone with cruel, callous amusement. Constance: "I tried to give you a chance to redeem yourself, but there’s no helping it! You really can’t do _anything_ right!" An unpleasant smirk split across Lady Constance’s face. It looked like an open wound. Constance: "I’ll tell Mother everything tomorrow. She deserves to know the truth." Constance: "I’ll tell her that you broke that vase, and I’ll tell her that you threw Lisette in the rose bushes, and I’ll tell her all the things you’ve been doing with the parlour maid." Constance: "I’ll tell her every last detail." Lorina: "L-Lady Constance, I—" Constance: "It’s too late to beg now. I have no reason to listen to a maid — especially not a selfish, arrogant, hypocritical maid like you!" Lorina: "But what did I ever do to you...?! I don’t understand why you’re being like this!" Constance: "Do you really _have_ to ask?" Lady Constance’s face twisted. Lorina flinched. For a few moments, she worried Lady Constance might hit her... {w}but the moment soon passed. Lady Constance sighed, suddenly tired, and dropped her gaze downwards. She’d never looked smaller, sadder...{w} or more pitiable. Constance: "You don’t understand how I feel at all." Taohua: "Ah..." Taohua, who was framed in the doorway of her small bedroom, stared at her unexpected visitor in surprise. The hallway was dark. The wind continued to whip about the rose bushes, and the rain water sluiced against the windowpanes. The windows rattled. It almost sounded like ghosts. Hundreds and hundreds of ghosts, impressing their pale palms against the windowpanes. Begging to be let in. But the vision standing before Taohua, shivering, was much more concering than any ghost could have been. Taohua: "That..." Taohua: "That isn’t you, is it, Lori...?" Lorina sniffed. Her head was bowed. Her eyes shone with unshed tears... {w}or maybe it was residual rain water. She was cold. She was cold all the way down to her bones. Taohua: "Oh, goodness..." Taohua: "I leave you alone for a week, and everything goes to hell!" Taohua: "What _happened_?" Lorina: "I, um... It..." Lorina’s chest hurt. For a few moments, she worried she might burst into tears. Lorina: "I... I know we had a disagreement, and maybe you don’t want to talk to me, um..." Lorina: "Y-You’re probably angry with me, and I don’t want to get in your way, but I... I..." Lorina: "I didn’t know who else to turn to." Lorina: "I-I can’t go back to my room looking like this. The other maids would ask questions..." Lorina: "I don’t want them to ask questions." Lorina: "I can’t see them now. Not like this." Lorina: "Pauline would gloat so. I know she would — only she has the audacity to act like she’s _concerned_..." Lorina: "She doesn’t know _how_ to feel concern for any living being other than herself." But Lorina was working herself up into a temper. She knew she was, and agitating herself in her current state would only sap what little of her strength that remained. She averted her eyes and glanced down at the ground. Lorina: "I might be asking you a lot, but..." Lorina: "Even if you hate me, would you let me in...?" Lorina: "Please...?" Taohua: "Oh, never mind that now!" Lorina: "H-Huh...?" Taohua: "I don’t _hate_ you, silly! I could _never_ hate you! Goodness knows I’ve told you enough times!" Lorina: "B-But you said—" Taohua: "What I said before no longer matters." Taohua: "Come in, you silly goose, before you catch your death of cold!" Taohua ushered Lorina into her room, her eyebrows creased with concern. Perhaps it was thanks to the rain and the foul weather, but Taohua’s room looked far darker than usual. Not even the two candles, burning by her bedside, offered much relief from the gloom. Lorina tried to steady herself, but no matter what she did, her trembling didn’t cease. She shivered like a little leaf in a storm. Her hair was still wet. So was the rest of her. Beads of water ran down her forehead, tracking down to the tip of her nose. Lorina: "I... I-I’m sorry..." Taohua: "Excuse me?" Lorina: "I said, um... I’m sorry..." The rain continued to fall outside. It had been raining for almost an hour, and there were no signs of it stopping. Lorina: "I don’t want to get your floor dirty..." Taohua: "As if I care about the floor!" Lorina: "You don’t?" Taohua: "No, you little fool! I care about you! I _said_." Taohua: "I _was_ mad with you, I suppose, for pushing me to sell my violin... but, in retrospect, you weren’t being so _very_ pushy. You made sensible points." Taohua: "I was the one being foolish." Taohua: "I have a lot of pride, but even I can admit that much." Taohua: "I asked you to leave me because I feared I would snap at you, and I didn’t want to. Not after what happened last time." Taohua: "I vowed I’d never take my temper out on you again. I was trying to keep to my promise." Taohua: "I tried, but..." Taohua shook her head. Taohua: "I suppose ignoring you wasn’t much better." Lorina’s face crumpled. Her trembling lower lip, combined with her damp face and red cheeks, made it look like she’d been crying. Maybe she had. What with all the rainwater, it was hard to tell, even for Lorina herself. Taohua: "Oh, Lori. You didn’t go outside in this weather, did you?" Lorina: "I didn’t want to, but..." Taohua: "You did anyway?" Lorina: "I _had_ to. Lady Constance said—" Taohua: "Of course. This _would_ be the work of that brat." Lorina: "Yes, um... she wanted me to get her doll, Lisette. She left her out in the rain." Taohua: "Oh, as if she cares about _that_." Taohua: "Lady Constance doesn’t particularly like her dolls. She has dozens of them already, and she treats them just as poorly as she treats us." Lorina: "I know that. I’m not a fool." Taohua: "Sometimes, I do wonder." Lorina: "You can be so cruel..." Taohua: "Not as cruel as Lady Constance." Taohua: "How could one little girl be so very wicked?" Taohua shook her head. For a few moments, her eyes looked curiously shiny...{w} but she was soon able to compose herself. Taohua: "Why in the world did you obey her orders? You should have refused!" Lorina: "I tried. I couldn’t." Taohua: "She’s only twelve years old." Lorina: "But she’s also a lady, and I’m a servant, and I know what happens when servants talk back to their betters! Nothing good comes of it!" Lorina: "You can call me foolish if you want, but I’m just doing what I must to survive!" Lorina: "If I don’t bow to that awful girl’s whims my livelihood will be on the line, but that doesn’t mean I _enjoy_ it!" Lorina: "I hate it! I hate it so much I can hardly stand it..." Lorina: "But I didn’t have a choice!" Lorina: "I had to, because Lady Constance knows! She knows _everything_!" Taohua: "Calm down, Lori. Deep breaths." Toahua rested her hands on Lorina’s shoulders. Her fingers dug into the damp fabric of the girl’s maid outfit. Taohua: "What does Lady Constance know?" Lorina: "Sh-She knows that me and you... You and I... Us. We. We’ve..." Lorina: "She knows what we’ve been doing!" Taohua: "Ah..." This was enough to shock Taohua into silence. Taohua: "Explain it to me clearly, Lori. How does she know?" Lorina: "She saw us kissing in the hallway before we went to clean out her new bedroom." Taohua: "I wonder how much she saw, exactly..." Lorina: "I don’t know. I don’t want to know. It all amounts to the same thing!" Taohua: "You’re right, of course. Holding hands, kissing, or worse..." Taohua: "It _would_ all amount to the same thing." Taohua shook her head. Taohua: "But, if she really did see us, why didn’t she play this card earlier?" Lorina: "I... I don’t know." It didn’t matter, either. Lorina had no time to try and fathom the inner workings of Lady Constance’s brain. She could sooner have taken apart a grandfather clock. Lorina: "But now she knows, and _I_ know she knows, and Lady Constance will ruin me." Lorina: "She’ll ruin _us_." Lorina: "Come tomorrow, I won’t have a job here anymore! I’ll be driven out _again_!" Taohua: "Oh, my little Lori... I know this won’t make any difference, but... I really am sorry." And the older woman sat Lorina down beside her on her bed and pulled her into an embrace. If embracing a girl who bore a striking resemblance to waterlogged corpse was an unpleasant experience, Taohua didn’t comment on it. She continued to hold Lorina close, one arm around her side. Maybe it was her way of apologising. Lorina: "Wh-What are you doing? This won’t help anything..." Taohua: "It won’t, but it _will_ make you feel better." Lorina: "That’s awfully confident of you." Taohua: "My confidence is well-deserved. I never disappoint." Taohua prodded Lorina’s cheek. The younger maid giggled despite herself. Taohua: "See? You _do_ feel better!" Lorina: "Maybe a little..." Taohua: "Maybe a _lot_." Lorina: "But if you hold me like this, you’re going to get wet..." Taohua: "I don’t care. It would make a nice change for once." Lorina pouted. Lorina: "Are you trying to suggest I’m not enough to satisfy you?!" Taohua: "Don’t take it too seriously. I’m just joking." Taohua pressed a kiss against Lorina’s temple. Taohua: "And I really _am_ sorry, my little Lori. I didn’t want to get you in trouble. That was the last thing on my mind. The very last." Lorina: "Well, you saved me when it came to the vase. Perhaps this was fate." Taohua: "God works in mysterious ways." Lorina: "You’d know that if you ever deigned to go to church." Taohua: "But alas, I cannot!" Lorina: "Because you’re not an Englishwoman?" Taohua: "I’m every bit as English as you are. I fear I’m so sinful, however, I would melt the very moment I crossed the threshold." Lorina: "The sad thing is, that’s probably true." Taohua: "Oh, hush." Taohua pressed another kiss against Lorina’s temple, then let her head rest against the younger maid’s. Lorina’s hair was still damp. It clung to her skin like pond weed, but Taohua didn’t seem to mind. If anything, the shivers that wracked Lorina’s body only encouraged Taohua to hold her closer. Taohua: "You know... this might be a good thing." Lorina: "How could this _possibly_ be a good thing? I know you like seeing me humiliated, but this is a bit too much!" Taohua: "I don’t mean like that. I mean, hmm..." Taohua: "If you leave Bly, there’s no reason for me to stay." Lorina: "Th-Then you...?" Taohua: "I’ve wanted to make a fresh start for a long while. This is enough motivation, I think." Lorina: "B-But how will you afford it...?" Taohua: "I think we both know the answer to that." Lorina: "But your violin..." Lorina: "Isn’t it precious to you?" Taohua: "It _is_ precious, but what of it? It’s only... an instrument. Just wood and strings. It can be replaced." Taohua tried to sound unaffected, but her voice caught in her throat. Lorina heard it. Lorina: "You don’t need to act so unconcered, you know?" Taohua: "Who said it was an act?" Lorina: "I do. I can tell. You’re upset, aren’t you?" Taohua: "Well..." A heavy exhalation of air forced itself from Taohua’s lungs. Taohua: "Of _course_ it upsets me. If it didn’t, I wouldn’t have been so snappish with you earlier... but there are more important things in life than my violin." Lorina: "Like what?" Taohua: "Like you." Lorina: "Y-You’ve known me for six months... You’ve had that violin for years." Taohua: "Maybe so, but I’m an intelligent woman. I’m capable of making my own decisions." Taohua: "I have decided, in my infinite wisdom, that I want _you_, Lori." Taohua: "I want to stay with you matter what you, or anybody else, might think." Taohua: "Nothing can change my mind. Not when I’ve decided what I want." Lorina: "You really are possessive..." Taohua: "Indeed. Is that a problem?" Lorina: "I-I suppose I don’t mind. Not when it’s you." Taohua: "She ‘supposes’ she doesn’t mind, hmm? I’ll have to test this..." Taohua placed her index and forefinger beneath Lorina’s chin and tilted her head upwards. Lorina closed her eyes obligingly, her lashes matting together. The two kissed idly for some time, pressed close together. Taohua’s fingers dug into Lorina’s side, while Lorina threaded her fingers through Taohua’s hair. Lorina would never tire of Taohua’s hair. It was silky and smooth, completely free of knots despite its impressive length. Lorina had no idea how she did it. Lorina’s own hair was a birds’ nest, forever infested with split ends and stubborn, knotty patches that seemed to reject hairbrushes. Taohua: "Oh, my little Lori..." Lorina: "What is it...?" Taohua: "I missed you." Lorina: "I missed you, too..." Taohua: "I missed holding you, and kissing you, and admiring your beautiful body..." Taohua: "Ah. Speaking of which..." Taohua: "You should probably take off your clothes." Lorina: "Wh-What do you mean?" Taohua: "You’re dripping wet. You’ll catch your death of cold." Lorina: "O-Oh, right... I-I almost forgot..." Taohua: "Do you really enjoy kissing me _that_ much?" Lorina: "I-I can’t help it. You’re distracting." Taohua: "Then I’ll keep my lips to myself while you undress." Lorina: "All right, fine..." Lorina untied her apron and let it fall to the floor. Next, her fingers moved to the buttons of her black dress. She undid one, then two, then three... As she stripped, exposing her neck, a shoulder, her clavicle, Taohua watched. Lorina was acutely aware of the older woman’s eyes roving down her body. Taohua: "My little Lori... You’re so beautiful..." Lorina: "I’m not..." Taohua: "You _are_." Lorina: "B-But—" Taohua: "No ‘but’s. Enough of that." Taohua clung to Lorina a little closer. She tipped her head upwards and bit down on her lower lip, and then began to explore Lorina’s mouth with her tongue. Taohua’s saliva was dizzyingly sweet. Lorina’s head swam. Taohua: "Mm... I think you might be warming up already, Lori." Lorina: "Ah, um... I-It feels good..." Taohua: "That’s what I like to hear." Lorina’s face flushed brighter red. She dipped her head shyly, pressing her thighs together. Taohua smiled. Taohua: "I do love making you squirm, Lori. It really is my _favourite_ pastime." Lorina: "Well, I... um..." Lorina swallowed. Her skin was still cold and slick from the falling rain, but Taohua’s embrace was deliciously warm. Taohua had done so much for her already, and yet... Lorina: "I was thinking..." Lorina: "It isn’t fair if you... make me feel good all the time..." Taohua: "Oh? Don’t you like feeling good?" Lorina: "N-No, that isn’t it. I just..." Lorina: "I want to make you feel good, too. If you would let me, that is." Lorina: "I might not be very good at it, and I don’t know if you would like it, but... I want to try." Taohua: "Lori... You really are a sweetheart." Lorina: "S-So, you wouldn’t mind...?" Taohua: "Quite the opposite, in fact. I get rather worked up when I play with you, too." The rain continued to pound against the windowpanes. Thunder rumbled in the distance. This storm was not one that would end any time soon, but Lorina didn’t care. She didn’t need to worry about any of that. Not when she was with Taohua. Lorina: "I really _do_ like you." Taohua: "And I like you too, Lori." Taohua: "In fact, I want to keep showing you how much I like you, like this—" A kiss against her forehead. Taohua: "—and this—" A kiss against her cheek. Taohua: "—and this~" A kiss against her lips. Taohua: "But I have an even better idea." Lorina: "Wh-What?" Taohua’s voice dropped to a whisper, just barely audible above the sound of the storm outside. Taohua: "Why don’t we feel good together?" Taohua: "I really do love you, you know...?" Lorina: "Taohua..." Taohua’s fingers threaded gently through Lorina’s hair. Lorina nuzzled a little closer to Taohua’s chest, her head resting against her breasts. Taohua: "How did that feel, Lori? Was that apology good enough?" Lorina: "You were... trying to apologise?" Taohua: "Yes. I’m afraid I wasn’t very kind to you this last week. It was my own foolish fault." Lorina: "Ehehe..." Lorina glanced up at Taohua’s face. Their eyes met, brown and green. Lorina: "If you must know the truth..." A smile captured Lorina’s lips. She smiled so brightly she could have put the stars themselves to shame. Lorina: "I’ve never been happier." Taohua: "Oh, my little Lori..." Taohua sniffled, her lower lip wobbling... ...but reason soon overcame emotion, and Taohua brushed aside her momentary hysteria with a light laugh. Taohua: "You’re so delightful, I fear I’ll never want to be parted with you. Not ever!" Lorina: "And _you’re_ remarkably clingy." Taohua: "Says the girl hugging me so tightly I can hardly feel my arms." Lorina: "I’m sure you’ll get over it." Taohua: "I don’t want to get over you!" Lorina: "Th-Then, um... Are we really going to stay together?" Taohua: "I should think so, yes. I can see no reason why we shouldn’t." Lorina: "But neither of us will have jobs..." Taohua: "A trifling concern when I’ll have enough money to put a duchess to shame." Taohua reconsidered. Taohua: "A second-rate duchess, at least." Lorina: "With a small estate?" Taohua: "Only two or three servants." Lorina: "And no priceless family jewels?" Taohua: "Maybe a few sapphires, but nothing ostentatious. Certainly no diamonds. Still, it’s enough to be getting on with." Lorina: "Yes. It’s more than enough." Lorina examined Taohua with unabashed wonderment. Lorina’s mother often struggled to keep the fire lit in winter. All of Lorina’s clothes had been her mother’s old castoffs. She could hardly imagine having the wealth of a duchess — even a second or third-rate one. And, speaking of her family... Lorina: "I still have my mother and my sisters. There’s Ethel and Mary and little Alice, and I..." Lorina: "I never really wanted to be a maid, but I can’t give it all up. I need to work so I can send money to my family, or they’d be in a precarious situation. They might even get sent to the poorhouse." Lorina: "I’d like to come with you, but I must pay my way in this world...{w} even if I have to work jobs I despise." Lorina: "I’ll probably need to find some form of employment elsewhere." Lorina: "I’m not sure if any other estate would take me on, after being dismissed in disgrace from Hartwell _and_ Bly, but I’m sure there’s something I can do." Lorina: "I just need to look a little harder..." But Taohua brushed Lorina’s concerns aside with a small smile. Taohua: "Silly little Lori." Lorina: "I-I am?" Taohua: "Yes." Taohua pressed a kiss against her lover’s forehead. Taohua: "As a duchess — even a second-rate one — it’s my duty to scatter largess to the populace. I can be a rather generous woman." Lorina: "Oh, no! You couldn’t do that!" Taohua: "And why not?" Lorina: "It’s not proper! I can’t just take your money!" Taohua: "You wouldn’t be _taking_ it. I’m offering it. Semantics, Miss Waugh." Lorina: "But it doesn’t feel right. I’d never be able to repay you." Taohua: "You’ve repaid me more than enough already." A kiss. Taohua: "Though, there _is_ one thing I’m interested in..." Lorina: "What?" Taohua: "I wouldn’t mind meeting your family at some point. It would be the only proper thing to do, given I intend to whisk you away." Lorina: "Huh?" Lorina blinked. Lorina: "You mean... introduce you as my... my..." Taohua: "Mistress?" Lorina: "I was thinking of ‘lover’, but they’re both as bad as each other!" Taohua: "Your family wouldn’t approve?" Lorina’s mother would _not_ approve, of course. Lorina was sure about that. How could her mother approve when she was a very sensible, God-fearing woman, who went to church every Sunday and firmly espoused that God had created Adam and Eve? Lorina didn’t want to be shunned and abhorred by her own mother. She could hardly stand the thought. But maybe she was jumping to conclusions. It was certain her mother would be shocked, but...{w} despite all that, she _did_ love her. As for Ethel, she was too serious and solemn to pass judgement. She would simply nod and take the news in her stride. Mary would kick up more of a fuss, not only because Taohua was a woman, but because she looked so foreign. Knowing Mary, she would probably gawp and squawk like a parrot, before unleashing a torrent of questions no fair maiden of fourteen years should ask — “So, how do you even do it?! How does it work? What goes where? And does she taste of spices?!” Mary could be horribly insensitive, but she never meant anything wicked by it. She would find it scandalous, but Mary loved scandal, and she would enjoy the idea of her older sister being a deviant enormously. Lorina: "They’d be surprised, but... maybe they could accept it." Taohua: "If being introduced as your lover would be too much hassle, we could always start as friends. Acquaintances?" Lorina: "But that would make it sound like I’m ashamed of being with you, and I’m not! I’m not ashamed one little bit!" Taohua: "Oh, Lori. You’re a girl after my own heart." Lorina: "I thought I already had it?" Taohua: "Good point." Lorina: "Mary is bound to ask you stupid questions, but don’t mind her too much. We never do." Taohua: "I believe you’ve mentioned her before. Is she your opportunistic, money-grubbing sister?" Lorina: "That’s right. She can be quite catty, but she’s such an airhead her opinions don’t amount to anything much." Lorina: "She goes to church like the rest of us, but she doesn’t understand any of the services." Taohua: "Why does she bother going, then?" Lorina: "Because mother expects it of us — and Mary likes the vicar at our local parish. A lot." Taohua: "Too much?" Lorina: "Definitely." Taohua: "_No_!" Taohua gasped in mock scandal. Lorina giggled. Lorina: "She’s very fond of him, though he’s almost thirty years her senior and already engaged to God. Mary doesn’t care. She’s like that." Taohua: "Your younger sister sounds most amusing. I really _must_ meet your family now!" Lorina: "Actually, um... I already told them about you." Taohua: "What did you say? Anything flattering?" Lorina: "Not at first, but... my opinion changed over time. There is one thing, though..." Taohua: "What?" Lorina: "They think you’re called Tillie." Taohua: "Why Tillie?" Lorina: "I didn’t know how to spell your name, and I thought you’d make fun of me if I asked." Taohua giggled. Taohua: "That’s fine... though I think your family might get something of a shock when they realise ‘Tillie’ is not a fair-haired English rose, but an Oriental orchid." Lorina: "It’s like something from a romance novel." Taohua: "You _are_ sappy." Taohua: "I just wish I had more of a family I could share with you. All I have is my mother." Lorina: "Oh...?" Lorina blinked. This was, perhaps, the most oblique reference Taohua had ever made to her own past. Lorina would have been a fool not to grasp onto it, like the prince had done with Rapunzel’s flaxen braid. She might never get another chance. Lorina: "I-If you don’t mind... would you tell me about them?" Taohua: "My family?" Lorina: "Yes. I’ve told you about mine, and my sisters, and—" Taohua: "Mary’s incorrigible lust for men of the cloth?" Lorina: "It isn’t just men of the cloth. She lusts after _everyone_. You can’t leave her alone for two minutes." Taohua sniggered. Her breasts shook when she laughed. Lorina could feel them. Taohua: "I don’t often talk about my past, but... seeing as you asked so politely..." Taohua: "How could I refuse?" "My mother was born in London and lived there her whole life." "She was a very English woman — her name was Winnifred, for goodness’ sake — and she had no interest in the world beyond London’s walls." "Well, that might not be entirely true. Perhaps she had some vague interest once upon a time, but her job took it away from her." "She worked as a barmaid in a London tavern located near the docks. She met sailors from all over the world — Europe, the Americas, and even further afield — and that was probably enough adventuring for her." "Why did she need to explore when so many men were happy to share their stories with her?" "A lot of them, I think, were far _too_ happy. Overly eager." "I don’t think my mother was a very pretty woman, but she was a woman, and that’s enough for most men to start showing off. They talked and talked and talked, always about themselves, while my mother nodded and smiled and tried not to yawn." "Until she met my father." "This sounds rather romantic — and I suppose it was, in a way — but I never understood my mother and father’s relationship." "My father was the first Oriental man my mother had seen, despite working by the docks, and she was...{w} interested, I suppose. He was, after all, a rarity." "My father wasn’t a talkative man, though. He was quite dissimilar to the other customers my mother served — not just because of his ethnicity." "Even if he had been one to boast about himself, which I don’t think he was, he wouldn’t have been able to. He didn’t speak enough English beyond the absolute basics." "He was very quiet. Not taciturn or shy, but...{w} he didn’t like drawing attention to himself." "Now that I think about it, this was quite unfortunate. His unusual appearance meant he couldn’t help but draw attention, whether he wanted to or not." "Anyway..." "Somehow — and I’m not exactly sure how — my mother was drawn to this peculiar man." "She’d spent several years being propositioned by sailors, and had never expected to fall for one herself. Not after a series of heartbreaks. But I suppose love works in mysterious ways." "It must, because my parents ended up getting married." "I never understood why when I was a child, and I still don’t. Not entirely. They couldn’t really converse with one another, and their backgrounds were incredibly different. I doubt they had much in common." "Neither did they have any extenuating qualities that would be appealing in a partner. My mother wasn’t pretty, and my father wasn’t rich." "I didn’t see what either hoped to gain from their relationship." "Moreover, my father was a sailor. He earnt a living on merchant boats, travelling between countries to sell goods. There was no chance for the two of them to develop their romance because he was always away. There was no way for their love to blossom." "I used to ask my mother about it, and she would smile and sit me on her knee and say, “Love is a strange thing. When you know, you just know. Nothing else matters.”" "I remember once, when I was being especially difficult, I tried to challenge my mother about her unusual life choices. I don’t remember what I said, but the conversation went something like this:" Taohua: "But you can’t have a conversation about the simplest of things. You can’t even complain about the weather!" Taohua: "What do you even talk about? What else is there _to_ talk about?" Winnifred: "You raise a good point, little Tao, but love isn’t very logical." Taohua: "I think it’s stupid." Winnifred: "You’ll understand when you get older." Taohua: "I don’t think I want to." Winnifred: "So you’re going to be an unmarried maid forever?" Taohua: "I’m considering it." Winnifred: "Don’t be daft! You’re still young! You have all the time in the world..." Taohua: "If I ever looked at a man the way you look at Father, I’d have to gut myself." Winnifred: "Now, now, Missus. If I hadn’t married your father, you wouldn’t even be alive! I’ll be having less of your cheek, thank you _very_ much!" She had a point. Though my parents’ relationship was a continuing source of communal gossip, there was no doubt their love was true. If it wasn’t, they wouldn’t have been able to sire a daughter between them. Me. "I inherited most of my looks from my father, but my eyes from my mother." "The other children in the neighbourhood used to tease me, but my mother said I was beautiful. She said I was her darling, her little peach blossom, and if my peers thought I looked strange they were dreadfully unimaginative and boring." "I thought this was quite a thing for my mother to say, as her imagination stopped dead at the signs that bade you entry to London, but I didn’t actually say that." "In retrospect, I think that proves just how much my mother loved my father." "She loved him so dearly that this serious, no-nonsense, fiercely patriotic woman could put aside her devotion to the Queen and dote upon her peculiar, only half-English daughter." "I spent most of my childhood with my mother. I didn’t see my father that often. He was out at sea for months on end, and when he came back, it was only for a handful of weeks." "He’s a hazy figure in my mind, and didn’t leave much of an impression — particularly given he was so quiet." "When he was around, we rarely had cause to speak to one another, and I can count the number of times he spoke to me in English on one hand." "Maybe he was embarrassed." "He had been married to my mother, an out-an-out Englishwoman, for eight years at this point, and though he picked up enough of the language to have a conversation, he sometimes got the words mixed up." "He did, however, converse with me in Mandarin." "He told me about some of my family back in China, and his sister Meili who had stolen sweet potatoes from the farmers’ field in her youth, and his aunt Jie who had such pretty feet she had been courted by the son of a nobleman, and his mother Lan, who had wanted grandchildren for years, and would be so happy to know that I existed." "Their little peach blossom." "Their miracle child." "And then my father died when I was nine, and nobody spoke to me in Mandarin after that." "I can’t speak any Mandarin myself — but I must have been able to when I was younger, because I could more or less understand what my father told me. Bits and pieces here and there. Sometimes, I would even reply in turn." "Our conversations were never very long, and I think I must have made a lot of mistakes because my father would smile and look bemused more often than not, but I made an effort." "I tried." "And, when I tried, I could always make him understand." "But I don’t remember a thing now. All the words I used to know have disappeared." "That’s what happens when you live in England your whole life. You forget who you are, and things — even the important things — start to slip away." "The only Mandarin I can remember now is my own name. Taohua. Peach blossom." "My mother was distraught when my father died. She had loved him a lot. She loved him more than I ever did, and more than I could ever understand." "I don’t think I was very supportive. Though I was only nine years of age, I liked to think I was more mature than I really was." "I wasn’t that upset about my father’s death myself, and I thought I was very smart and clever for not being in floods of tears like my poor mother." "I used to talk to her like a tiny school mistress, and say...{w} oh, all kinds of thoughtless things." "Despite being so young, I was _horribly_ blunt." Taohua: "Why are you so sad? He was never around much anyway, and you didn’t seem that upset about it then." Winnifred: "Because I always knew he was going to come back." Taohua: "Not for months and months." Winnifred: "Not for months and months, no, but I knew he would return eventually, and that was enough. I trusted him. I loved him, and now..." But I never figured out what would happen now, because she started to cry. I didn’t know what to say, so I gave my mother a hug and tried to sing her something to cheer her up. It wasn’t one of the Chinese lullabies my father had sung me, because in two weeks I had already forgotten everything, but something more familiar — probably _Juanita_, though I suppose it doesn’t matter what I sang. It didn’t make a difference. My father was still dead. My mother continued to cry. And that was just how my life went. "Then, after mourning for a couple of weeks, my mother decided a change was in order." "She said, now that Father was dead, she could no longer continue to work in the dingy tavern by the docks." "“I don’t want to meet any more sailors,” she told me. “It would hurt too much.”" "I think what she really meant was, it would hurt too much if she happened to meet more men who looked like my father." "More and more sailors from the Orient were coming to our docks, and though Asian men had been a rarity in London only a decade hence, they were...{w} not exactly ‘commonplace’, but they were no longer so very few and far between." "It must have been painful for my mother. Whenever she saw an Asian man about the docks she would hold her hands in prayer and hope that it might be my father, returned from his unmarked grave in the middle of the ocean...{w} but it never was." "It wasn’t possible." "And so her hopes faded." "With a sorely hurt heart, she had to leave." "My mother, who’s always been strong-willed even in the face of despair, decided to seek employment elsewhere." "And that’s when I met Lady Whittier." "Lady Whittier — or Pamela, as she asked me to call her, but I never did — was a kindly old woman who lived in Richmond." "Her family had been a wealthy one, but a handful of grandfathers and great-grandfathers with gambling problems had frittered most of their money away." "Lady Whittier was by no means poor, but she lived a humble life for a woman who bore the title of a ‘lady’. Her home was a modest one, and she kept only a handful of servants." "Perhaps you could call her a second or third class lady, but she was always first class to me." "My mother began to work as a housemaid for Lady Whittier, and she was good at her job. She was a hard worker, and Lady Whittier never complained about her. Then again, I rarely heard Lady Whittier complain about anything. She was the sort of woman who would try to find the good in everything and everyone." "It was this attitude of hers which probably led to the furthering decline of her family...{w} but that is a story for later." "How could I judge her when her kindness afforded me so many opportunities?" "My mother took me to work with her, you see. This was an unusual thing for a maid to do, and perhaps it was overstepping the boundaries, but she did so all the same." "My mother had become exceedingly concerned over my welfare following the death of my father, and when she went to work, leaving me home alone, it was always with a dreadful amount of anxiety." Winnifred: "You will go to bed early, won’t you? Draw the curtains, keep the lights off, and if somebody knocks at the door—" Taohua: "I won’t go off with any strange men. I promise." I thought my mother’s concern was stifling, and I resented that she always went through this performance with me before she left for work. Did she think I was stupid? I might have been a young girl, but I was sensible. I could take care of myself. I told my mother as much when she first asked me to accompany her to Lady Whittier’s. Taohua: "I can’t. I’m not the one working as a maid, _you_ are." Winnifred: "But you’re my daughter. I can’t leave you at home on your own!" Taohua: "You did when you worked at the tavern." Winnifred: "That was different! The tavern wasn’t so far away from our home, and I still didn’t like to leave you." Taohua: "That never bothered you before Father died. I was alone then, too." Winnifred: "It just isn’t the same. Now, stop arguing and come along." I remember frowning, staring at my mother with challenging eyes. I was at a difficult age — though you’d probably say I’ve _always_ been difficult — and I didn’t back down during arguments. Not even with my own mother. Taohua: "But Lady Whittier—" Winnifred: "I’ve explained the situation to her. I’m sure there’ll be no troubles if you sit quietly in a corner and don’t break anything." Taohua: "As if I would! I’m not _clumsy_!" Winnifred: "Good. I told her that. I said you were a very well-behaved little girl, and she said she was very fond of little girls — _particularly_ well-behaved ones." I tried to reply, but I soon saw there was no point. If my mother had already asked for Lady Whittier’s permission I supposed it would be fine, but... It didn’t seem _proper_ for a maid to bring her child along to her employer’s house. Isn’t that something they say — you shouldn’t mix work and family? Or maybe it’s beer and spirits. ...Well, let’s set that aside for now. "I was only a young child at the time, but I was serious about everything. I cared a great deal about good manners and making favourable first impressions. Maybe that’s because, ever since I can remember, people have always been judging me. Even those who are too polite to say that they’re judging me do it. That’s how people are." "_Who is this funny-looking barbarian girl? She can’t be English._" "That’s what I imagined most people think when they first see me." "Was my obsession with social etiquette a desire, perhaps, to prove my English-ness to everyone...?" "I didn’t want others to sneer or scorn at me...{w} but I’ve since stopped caring. It requires rather too much effort." "In many cases, it’s not possible to change what others think of you no matter how hard you try. Not if they have already resolved to dislike you." "I was anxious about meeting Lady Whittier, though my mother had reassured me. I thought she would be a proud, haughty woman, sitting in an overstuffed armchair that smelt of camphor and lavender, wearing expensive jewels. She _was_ a lady, after all." "I thought being a ‘lady’ sounded very proper indeed, and more than mildly terrifying." "How could a lady let a girl like me into her home? If the dirty-faced children on the streets mocked me, she would surely be far worse." "Maybe she liked little girls, particularly well-behaved ones, but would she like a little girl like me, in my ill-fitting clothes, with my foreign features?" I can remember the day my mother first took me to Lady Whittier’s home vividly. She might as well have been taking me to see the Queen in Buckingham Palace. My mother combed my hair extensively, until it crackled, and then tied it back into two plaits. She made me wear my Sunday best — a demure green dress usually reserved for church — and even bought me new stockings. She attacked my church shoes, too, with spit and blacking, until they shone so much I could almost see my face in them. Naturally, these preparations made me even more anxious. Winnifred: "Stop shifting, my little peach blossom. I can’t fix your hair if you keep moving like that." Taohua: "B-But it tickles..." Winnifred: "You never usually complain when I style your hair." Taohua: "You usually style it for church..." Church, and the rare times my father returned home, which was now a non-event. He would never be coming back. The sea had swallowed him. Winnifred: "Yes, well, I want you to look presentable for Lady Whittier. I wouldn’t want her to think we come from the slums!" Taohua: "We might as well..." This comment was enough to earn me a rap atop of the head with the back of the hairbrush. It stung. Winnifred: "Don’t be like that, Taohua. Try and be more positive, please. Smile." Taohua: "I don’t feel like smiling." Winnifred: "You should smile all the same. Lady Whittier is being very considerate, letting you into her home. You should at least show your appreciation." Taohua: "And that’s why I have to wear my church clothes? Is Lady Whittier even more important than God?" Winnifred: "Don’t be ridiculous, Taohua." Taohua: "You’re the one being ridiculous. This woman isn’t a deity!" Winnifred: "Goodness... What _am_ I going to do with you?" Taohua: "Let me stay here, please." Winnifred: "That isn’t an option." Taohua: "Why not?!" Winnifred: "Because you’re already nice and dressed up. Now, hold _still_." Taohua: "Ah..." My mother sighed and brushed out my half-finished braid. Then, in an act of divine punishment, she began to tie it even more tightly than before. She worked my hair with such fervour she hurt my scalp. Winnifred: "You, young lady—" She looped one section of hair over another, and third beneath that. Winnifred: "—are acting like a little madam. Don’t show me up. Don’t you dare." And I didn’t. I was so anxious I could hardly even breathe. "But, as it soon transpired, my worries were in vain." "Lady Whittier was nothing like I had imagined." "She was not at all like God." "In fact, she was far superior." "Though my mother took me to church every Sunday, I had never once met Him, despite dressing in my best clothes for His benefit." "Lady Whittier, however, was a physical being I could put a face to — and what a dear face she had!" She was sitting in an overstuffed armchair when I met her, as I had feared, and the air was thick with a sickly floral aroma, but the woman herself was soft and kind. Her hair was grey, tied in a very sensible bun. Her eyes were soft blue, rheumy, like forget-me-nots. Her hands were knotted, too, and her flesh was loose and sagging, but she smiled such a comforting smile it was impossible not to like her. I think she stole my heart the moment I laid eyes on her. Lady Whittier: "Oh, my." She rose from her chair with a creaking of her limbs and crossed the carpet to meet me. Lady Whittier: "You must be Miss Taohua. Winnifred told me about you. She said she had a pretty little girl about this high, but she didn’t do you justice!" Lady Whittier: "You’re even more charming than I imagined!" I wasn’t a shy girl, but this praise was so unexpected my face flushed. I think I even tried to hide behind my mother’s back. My mother, dressed in the smart yet simple regalia of a maid, smiled and pushed me forwards, much like a stage manager encouraging a shy ballerina. Winnifred: "Say ‘hello’, Taohua. Go on." Taohua: "Ah, um... I..." Taohua: "H-Hello..." Winnifred: "Come on, Taohua. That’s no way to greet Lady Whittier. You should at least look her in the eye!" Being obsessed with manners from an early age, of course I knew that...{w} but I found I simply couldn’t. The carpet was far, far more interesting. I was standing before a real, flesh-and-blood lady, and I didn’t know what to do. Winnifred: "Taohua..." My mother’s voice became low and warning, but I still couldn’t lift my head. All I could do was flounder. Winnifred: "I apologise, Lady Whittier. My daughter isn’t usually like this. I’ve never once pegged her as shy." And I _wasn’t_ shy. Not really. Shy wasn’t the right word. I was overwhelmed. Fortunately, Lady Whittier seemed not to mind my reticence. In fact, it made her chuckle. Lady Whittier: "It’s quite all right, dear." Winnifred: "Are you sure? She hasn’t caused any offence, has she?" Lady Whittier: "A sweet young thing like this? Hardly!" Lady Whittier: "I think I’m going to get on rather well with this girl. She’s so very pretty, just like a doll! Her hair is so glossy and black..." Winnifred: "I tied it up myself." Lady Whittier: "You did an excellent job!" "Part of me does wonder if, at first, Lady Whittier saw me as some kind of exotic plaything; an Oriental doll." "I am sure, standing beside my mother, my almond-shaped eyes and curious skin colour made me stand out all the more." "Winnifred Baker and Li Taohua. The most mismatched mother and daughter you could imagine." "If Lady Whittier did see me as nothing more than a living, breathing curio, however, she did not let it show." "She continued to smile at me, warmer than ever when she realised my discomfort, and patted me on the head." "I have never liked being patted on the head, and her fingers were curved and claw-like from arthritis, but her grip was gentle, and — above all else — caring." "Considerate." Lady Whittier: "I have never seen eyes like this on a little girl before. They’re so small and delicately shaped — and the irises! So very green!" Winnifred: "I think she inherited those eyes from me. Everything else, she got from her father." Lady Whittier: "Your husband must be a very attractive man. I’m jealous." Winnifred: "Oh, um... He was, yes..." Lady Whittier noticed the past tense and nodded her head, a flash of sympathy spreading across her kindly face. It had been almost a month since we had learnt of Father’s death, but it was still a painful topic to my mother. Too painful to talk about, really — especially to her employer. Lady Whittier understood this perfectly, as she was wont to doing, and let the subject go. She knew when her prying was unwanted. Her hand fell from the crown of my head and I took a few steps backwards. My heart was pounding. Winnifred: "Anyway, um... Thank you for allowing me to work here, Madam. I will strive to do my best." Lady Whittier: "It is quite all right. You seem like a hard worker, and that’s all I really require. As for Miss Taohua, meanwhile..." Winnifred: "Y-Yes, I apologise for bringing her. I couldn’t leave her, you see, and she won’t be any trouble...!" Lady Whittier: "It’s quite all right. Don’t apologise. I’m glad, in fact. I did so want grandchildren of my own, but my son... Well." Lady Whittier shook her head despondently. She didn’t elaborate on the subject, but I learnt in time that her only son, Ambrose, had inherited the same lust for gambling that had plagued his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was too preoccupied with throwing large sums of money away to settle down with a wife in holy matrimony. Grandchildren were off the table. Lady Whittier: "Anyway. While you busy yourself about the house, Winnifred, I wonder if you wouldn’t mind terribly if I had a chat with your daughter?" Winnifred: "With Taohua?" Lady Whittier: "That’s right." Winnifred: "There are no problems, but..." My mother stared at Lady Whittier, her eyes large, as though she couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing. I couldn’t, either. A chat? Why would a lady — even a lady who was not particularly wealthy — want to have a chat with _me_? But there was no way we could disobey her. In fact, though my heart was hammering, my palms were sweating, and I felt sick with nerves, I was almost relieved. I would far rather spend time with Lady Whittier — though ‘chat’ sounded horribly informal...! — than sit silently in the corridor like a statue. "My mother continued to work for Lady Whittier, and I always accompanied her." "At first, I worried my presence was something of a burden, but I soon discovered Lady Whittier rather enjoyed our little talks." "Lady Whittier, you see, was lonely. This was something I concluded after we had spoken three or four times. Her husband, Reginald, was dead. He had died relatively young, at the age of forty-one. Alcoholism. He’d loved the bottom of a bottle more than his wife and son, and it had killed him." "“He got what he deserved. I told him to stop enough times,” Lady Whittier told me, but there was nothing gloating about her tone. She was heart-broken. It was obvious." "She must have loved her husband, rake and roustabout that he was, because she still had a painting of him in a locket that she sometimes wore." "She kept a painting of him on the wall of her parlour, too, where we took tea together." "I saw that portrait of Reginald Whittier an innumerable amount of times during my early years. I can still remember what he looks like, even to this day — a tall, proud man with thick eyebrows and black hair." "He didn’t look like the sort of person who would drink and drink and drink until he collapsed on a street corner, but there you are. You can never judge a book by its cover." "Reginald had been a rather poor husband, and Lady Whittier’s son, Ambrose, seemed determined to follow in his father’s footsteps." "Lady Whittier had not seen her son for some twenty years. If he had not sent her the occasional letter asking for money, she would not have known whether he was alive or not." "You would think, given Ambrose was no longer a child, he would have had more shame — but apparently not." "Maybe it was, in part, Lady Whittier’s fault — though I feel ashamed for levelling such an accusation against her. Her kindness, after all, had a monumental effect on me, and shaped my life for the better." "But it was not the same for Ambrose." "Lady Whittier had spoilt her son from the day he was born. Perhaps she had hoped he would one day come to love her for it." "Her husband was feckless and unreliable, and who else would she have to dote on her in her old age? She couldn’t count on Reginald." "So Lady Whittier lavished gifts upon her son, and when he grew older she sent him money without hesitation whenever he demanded it. She thought that was the best way to show her love and affection towards him, and earn his in return." "She thought, if she ensured he wanted for nothing, he would have no choice but to love her." "She was wrong." "Ambrose took her love for granted, then exploited it. He had no intentions of returning home, and no desire to care for his aged mother." "Lady Whittier was left all alone in her large house, with nobody save a few servants for company..." "At least, until she met me." I talked to Lady Whittier a great deal — or, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that she talked to me. I preferred to listen. The stories she told me were always interesting, and I enjoyed hearing them. She told me about her childhood, and how she met Reginald, and how happy she had been on her wedding day... and how disappointed she had been every day since. She was a cultured woman from a wealthy background, and she told me about the arts, too — of plays and opera and the ballet. I especially liked hearing about opera. Lady Whittier: "Oh, you have a passion for music? How charming! It’s rare to find such young girls who enjoy the opera!" Taohua: "Well..." I frowned, setting my cup of jasmine tea back down on the saucer. The face of Reginald Whittier stared down at me, proud and haughty. This was before he had drunk himself to death. Taohua: "To be honest, I’ve never been to the opera before. It sounds intriguing, though." Lady Whittier: "I... Oh my..." Lady Whittier: "I apologise, Taohua. I should have thought. Obviously, going to the opera is something of a luxury... I’ve become so used to our conversations, I almost thought..." She didn’t say it — she would never say it — but I knew what she was thinking. _I almost thought you were like me._ But I wasn’t. We could never have been equals. We were far apart, not only in age, but in social standing. I sank down into my chair, as low as good manners would permit me, and looked at my lap. My cheeks turned light pink. Lady Whittier, however, was not to be deterred. She smiled courageously, clapping her ropey old hands together, like a fairy godmother might before granting a wish. Lady Whittier: "Well, we will have to rectify that! Giuditta Pasta is currently starring as Medea in Covent Garden, and I have been meaning to attend for quite some time." Lady Whittier: "There is nothing more rousing than Italian opera — and Medea’s story is so tragic! I’m sure you will enjoy it." Taohua: "B-But I... I-I couldn’t accompany you, Madam. The money alone—" Lady Whittier: "Money is no object." Lady Whittier: "I have enough money to be getting on with — not so much as once I had, but enough — and it doesn’t make me happy. Introducing a lovely young girl like you to the world of opera, however, would make me very happy indeed." Lady Whittier: "I always wanted to take my husband and son, but they never appreciated the arts like I do. They said it was fanciful. Stuff for women. They didn’t give it a chance." Lady Whittier: "They never realised just how passionate it could be." Taohua: "W-Well, if you’re so sure... I wouldn’t want to intrude..." Lady Whittier: "It’s no intrusion. You could never intrude upon me, my dear Taohua. Over the last few months, I have grown very fond of you." And Lady Whittier smiled one of her calm, reassuring smiles, which led me to believe this really was fine, and that the daughter of a housemaid really could go to Covent Garden and watch Giuditta Pasta with a noblewoman. Like it was the most natural thing in the world. "So I attended _Medea_ with Lady Whittier, and watched as Giuditta Pasta threw her all into the role: that of a tormented woman driven mad with love who murdered her own children." "I think _Medea_ might have been a bit of an intense opera to submit such a young girl to, but I loved it." "Just as Lady Whittier said, it was passionate. It made me think and feel, and — though I couldn’t understand the words, because it was all in Italian — it touched something inside my heart." "Though the tragic events unfolded on a stage, and I knew they weren’t real, I felt myself being drawn into it regardless." "It must have been because of the music." "That was what hooked me." "I’ve been in love with the opera ever since." "After _Medea_, Lady Whittier took me to see plays, concerts, and even the ballet, but there is nothing I remember more fondly than the opera. I met so many colourful characters, and they have all stayed with me ever since: Semiramide, Cenerentola, Tristan and Isolde..." "But I am forgetting myself." "My mother, as you might expect, was delighted by this development. She was positively giddy at the thought of her little girl going to the opera with Lady Whittier. She would kiss my cheeks, pat me on the head, and say:" Winnifred: "I always knew you were a charming girl, and you’ve certainly worked your magic on Lady Whittier! She _loves_ you!" Taohua: "She just wants some company, that’s all." Winnifred: "Yes, yes, but don’t you realise the significance of this?" Taohua: "I get to expand my knowledge of the Italian arts?" Winnifred: "That too, but if she likes you this much, our futures will be secured!" Taohua: "I fail to see how." Winnifred: "Think about it logically, dear. Her will. What might she leave you in her will!" This seemed positively shameless to me, but my mother was just being practical. She wasn’t a conniving woman, and neither was she trying to swindle Lady Whittier. This was all down to the machinations of fate — and if fate had sent her a gift horse, my mother saw no reason to look it in the mouth. I can see she was being sensible now, but I bristled with indignation at the time. I hated to think that I might somehow be complicit in a scheme to defraud Lady Whittier of her money. Her husband and son had already bled her dry. I wanted no part in it. So what if she left me anything in her will? I wouldn’t accept it. I would refuse. I’ve always had a lot of pride. That is, until Lady Whittier showed me the violin. It was shortly after we saw _Medea_ together when Lady Whittier, perhaps inspired by a sudden burst of nostalgia, began to tell me a story. Lady Whittier: "When I was younger — around your age, or perhaps a year or so older — I wanted to be a musician myself." I blinked at Lady Whittier over my cup of tea, fingers threaded oh-so-demurely through the handle. After taking tea with Lady Whittier for so long, I had learnt the correct way to hold my utensils, and I was very prim and proper about my manners. I was awfully snobby, despite coming from such a poor family. Taohua: "Did you want to write an opera like _Medea_?" Lady Whittier: "Who, me? Write an opera? Goodness gracious, no — I’m too English!" Taohua: "Perhaps you have a point..." Lady Whittier sighed, peering at her reflection within her teacup. Lady Whittier: "Composition is not a suitable pastime for women. That’s what I was told from an early age. It would cause too much excitement. Unbalance the humours. Oh no, I never composed." Taohua: "But, you could play...?" Lady Whittier: "Yes, I did play. My instrument of choice was the violin." Taohua: "Oh, how lovely...! Violins are so elegant!" Lady Whittier: "I thought so, too. I was inspired by a portrait we had in our home, of a young girl in a white dress holding a fiddle. The girl in the picture looked so divine, I wanted to be like her, too." Lady Whittier: "I begged and pleaded my father for a violin of my own, in a most unladylike manner. My father was a bit perturbed by my earnestness and, thinking it to be a passing fancy, refused. I was devastated." Lady Whittier: "At some point, however, he must have had a change of heart. After a trip to Italy, he returned home with the most unexpected gift." Taohua: "Y-Your very own violin?" Lady Whittier: "That’s right. My very own violin. It was a pretty little object, made in Cremona." Lady Whittier smiled, perhaps expecting the significance of this would go over my head, and explained further. Lady Whittier: "That is where all the best violins are made. Stradivari himself hailed from Cremona, though this wasn’t a Stradivarius. Nevertheless, it served me well, and made my girlhood very happy indeed." Taohua: "Oh goodness...!" I, quite forgetting myself, and all flustered with excitement, clasped my hands together. I wanted so badly to see her violin it was like a physical ache. It hurt. I believe this is the only time in my life I’ve ever pleaded with anybody else. I couldn’t help myself. Taohua: "Do you still have it? Do you, do you?!" Lady Whittier didn’t seem displeased by my questioning. If anything, she was amused. She chuckled, and her face was so joyous she looked ten — no, twenty — years younger. It made me wonder, as I watched her, whether she had made a similar expression upon receiving the violin from her father more than half a century ago. Lady Whittier: "As a matter of fact, I do still have it. It’s worth a pretty penny now, but I could never sell it. That violin was my dearest friend as a young girl, and it has been my most steadfast companion throughout my adult life." Taohua: "And do you still play it?!" Lady Whittier: "Sadly, no. I couldn’t do it justice now. Not with these gnarled fingers." Taohua: "I’m sure it would sound beautiful all the same!" But Lady Whittier shook her head. Lady Whittier: "Trying to play it now would be a disgrace to the music I used to be able to make. I wouldn’t want to taint the memory of my childhood days." Taohua: "O-Oh... Well, um... I-I’m sorry..." I hung my head, disappointed. I didn’t know what to say — and I had so wanted to hear Lady Whittier play her violin, too...! But that wasn’t the end of the matter. In fact, it was only just beginning. Lady Whittier: "However... just because I can’t play my violin, that doesn’t mean nobody else can." Taohua: "Wh-What...?" I stared, hardly daring to believe. For a few moments, I think I quite forgot how to blink. I sat there dumbly, frozen like a doll. Taohua: "Then, I... You... You don’t..." Lady Whittier: "That is correct. Why don’t you try it, Taohua?" Taohua: "B-But, I... That violin is precious to you..." Lady Whittier: "And it will be even more precious if another little girl is able to find joy in it like I did." Lady Whittier: "I hate to think of it being locked away without any purpose, only capable of gathering dust. Instruments are created to be played — and you have such long, lovely fingers. If anybody was made to play a violin, you were." Taohua: "B-But I have never played before..." Lady Whittier: "Then I shall teach you." Taohua: "Y-You really could?" Lady Whittier: "Though it has been several years, I remember the basics." And Lady Whittier smiled, the corners of her eyes crumpling. Lady Whittier: "I’ve always wanted to share my passion with somebody else. Isn’t that what love is all about?" I didn’t say a word. I couldn’t. She was right, I think. She had never been more right about anything else. "Despite Lady Whittier’s words, I was not a natural violinist. In the beginning, the noises I coaxed out of her violin were hideous. They brought to mind not the elegant soaring of a bird on a draft of wind, but of cats screeching and yowling on rooftops." "Still, I was not to be deterred — and neither was Lady Whittier. The violin gave us something new to bond over, and we laughed together at my failures, and celebrated my minor successes." "Over time, my playing became better and better until, after a year or so of almost daily lessons, I was able to procure actual music from that violin." "I can’t tell you how happy I felt when I was first able to complete my first proper piece of music — Corelli’s _La Follia_, if you are interested — without a single mistake." "I was so happy, I could have cried." "In fact, I think Lady Whittier did cry a little bit. Her rheumy old eyes beaded with sentimental tears, and she wiped them away with a handkerchief." "I pretended that I hadn’t seen. I think it might have been embarrassing for her." "But I knew how much that violin meant to her — and music, too." "I could tell, and it warmed my heart." "I spent several years with Lady Whittier, coming to her home every day while my mother set about her work. Time passed, the seasons changed, and we grew closer and closer, like a real grandmother and granddaughter." "As I grew taller, Lady Whittier complimented me. She said I was growing up to be a very handsome girl indeed. In turn, I made Lady Whittier presents for her birthday each year: a lavender-stuffed pillow or a hand-sewn tea cosy." "They weren’t good presents by any stretch of the imagination — despite my long, slender fingers, I’ve always been hopeless at sewing — but Lady Whittier delighted in them. She used that pillow every day until she..." "Well. It happened around the time of my fourteenth birthday." "Lady Whittier fell ill." "I’m not sure what it was she suffered from, but it had been a very cold winter — too cold, perhaps, for her constitution." "She had to retire to her bed, and there she lay for several weeks, growing greyer and skinnier. Her body withered away, and even her hair seemed to thin." "It was almost as though she was disappearing like mist, right before my very eyes." "A physician came to tend her, but he had no advice to give other than ‘bracing sea air’. Sadly, she was far too ill to go to the seaside. Her maids worried that an attempt to move her would worsen her condition." "Maybe they also feared — not illogically, because she really was unwell — that the slightest touch would break some crucial component inside her, and she would never recover." "I sat by her bedside during this period, and held her hand when permitted. Her claw-like fingers had seized up even further, and her nails dug into the backs of my hands so it hurt." "She blinked up at me with rheumy eyes, pale blue, perpetually watery, and tried to smile." "It looked like even smiling hurt." Lady Whittier: "Taohua... Thank you for coming to see me..." Taohua: "I-It’s no problem. You don’t need to thank me." Lady Whittier: "But I must... I can’t imagine spending time with a sickly old lady is fun for a pretty young girl like you." Lady Whittier laughed. It sounded dry and wheezy. Lady Whittier: "You’re of the age where you should be courting young men, not whiling your time away with me." Taohua: "D-Don’t say that. Don’t be silly..." I shook my head. My throat started to convulse. Taohua: "I want to spend time with you. You’re important to me...!" Lady Whittier: "Taohua... You’re such a sweet thing. I apologise..." Taohua: "D-Don’t apologise! I’m sure you’ll be all right!" That’s what I told her, though I’d never been less sure about anything in my life. Still, I had to try. I could hardly tell her she was going to die. I didn’t want her to die. Not Lady Whittier. She had grown to mean so much to me over the years, and had done so much for me, and I... I think it was not only for her sake, but my own, that I tried to convince her of her good health. Taohua: "It’s probably just a cold. W-We’ll give it time and it’ll go away again, and you’ll be right as rain!" I tried to sound sure of my diagnosis, but my voice trembled. It was obvious I was scared. I knew that she wasn’t going to make it — and Lady Whittier knew, too. She smiled at me kindly, the wrinkles at the corners of her mouth folding in on one another, and squeezed my hand. It was almost like _she_ was trying to console _me_. Lady Whittier: "Thank you, Taohua. I think I feel a touch better now." But that was a lie. Lady Whittier was selfless right until the end. She always put the welfare of others before herself. That was why her husband had seen fit to go out and get drunk every night, and why her son — if I ever meet her son, I swear I’ll give him a good talking-to — bled her dry of her life’s savings until she had only sawdust left. She was _too_ selfless. Maybe that was what killed her in the end — though the doctors said it was respiratory problems. She just kept giving and giving and giving, until she had nothing left to give. Even in her final moments, she was there for me. She only had one request to make of me during those troubled weeks, fraught with anxiety, while I watched over her and tried to stem my own tears. Lady Whittier: "Taohua, dear... I don’t want to impress upon you, but..." Taohua: "I-It’s fine. You can ask anything of me, and I’ll do it!" It was true, too. She could have told me to bite off the tip of my own tongue, and I would have complied in a heartbeat if I thought it might make her better. It wouldn’t, of course, but one can always hope. Lady Whittier: "Well then... As you know, I’ve always loved hearing you play the violin. There is nothing purer in this world than music — and the music you played brought me joy like nothing else." Taohua: "But I... I’m no professional. There are others — many others — who are far more talented than I am." Lady Whittier: "There are always others more talented than we are, Taohua... But I don’t care about that. I like hearing you play because you are you, and you’re dear to me." Lady Whittier’s withered old fingers impressed themselves softly against the back of my hand, brushing my skin. I shivered. Lady Whittier: "You’re like the granddaughter I never had... The granddaughter I always wanted. In fact..." Lady Whittier: "You _are_ my beloved granddaughter, and these last few years spent with you have been the happiest years of my life." Lady Whittier: "Please... I just want to hear you play one last time." Taohua: "L-Lady Whittier..." I had never heard her sound so defeated before. Was it... a last request? Had she already given in to her fate? I bit my lower lip. The colour drained from my face. For a few moments, I childishly thought about refusing. If I didn’t play, I reasoned, she wouldn’t be able to die. She couldn’t. Instead, she would hang on, and then she would be able to hear me play as much as she wanted, whenever she wanted, as she sat in the parlour drinking tea on a warm, sunny afternoon... But I knew there was no time for that. She had no time left. The grandfather clock in the corner of her room ticked the seconds away slowly. One less second Lady Whittier had on this earth. The cold was in her bones. It was eating her away from the inside. Turning her internal organs into sand. This was all she had left. These last few, fleeting moments, where she pleaded with me — her honourary granddaughter — to give her some comfort in her final moments. Nobody else had given anything to her before. They had been too selfish; more concerned with themselves than this proud, noble woman. I knew I had to do it, though my eyes were filling with tears, and my chest hurt. I was the only one who could. Taohua: "A-All right. I will play for you..." Lady Whittier: "Oh, Taohua... My dear child..." And her smile was so serene, her eyes so soft, that it almost made this moment of tragedy seem like something beautiful. The final act of an opera. And so I took up my violin and played. My fingers felt strangely cold, despite the warm weather, and I fumbled with the bow a few times, but I tried my best. I had to. I owed Lady Whitter that much, after everything she had done for me. Her home had been my home away from home, and she had been just as dear to me as any relative. In fact, I think I was even closer with her than I was my own mother. I tried to pour all my feelings into my playing, clumsy though it was. I just wanted to let her know how much she meant to me in her final, dying moments. How much I loved her. How much I hoped, though I knew it was probably futile, that she would get better. That she would survive. I needed her after all. I think I needed her even more than she needed me. I hadn’t realised how lonely my life had been until she came into it...{w} and now, she was going to leave. Exit stage right. I think, while I was playing the violin, tears started to come to my eyes. I couldn’t help myself — but still, I continued to play. I tried to play one of Lady Whitter’s favourite, more complex violin pieces. Paganini’s _20th Caprice in D Major_. "Lady Whittier died that night." "I didn’t find out until the next morning, when I went to Lady Whittier’s home with my mother." "I think I had known, though, even as I walked across the cobblestone streets with my mother, that this would be it." "The end." "I would never see her again." "It was a cold morning, perfectly suited for my morose mood. The streets were thick with fog, and though the lamps flickered, the light could not quite penetrate through the gloom." "It almost felt, as I walked alongside my mother, that I were traversing the bottom of an ocean. The people we passed, in their thick coats and mufflers, did not seem to be other human beings but fish." "The maids let me into Lady Whittier’s room because they knew how close we had been, and there I saw her — still and lifeless, but strangely peaceful." "I know it’s a cliché, but she could have been asleep." "I wished dearly that she was." "I half allowed myself to believe, if I could have taken her violin and played her favourite song, she would have sat up in bed and smiled at me...{w} but that was not to be." "I was fourteen. Much too old for such fancies." "When people die, they have a depressing tendency to remain dead. It’s scientifically proven. Not even galvanised frogs truly return from the grave. Their twitching is simply a result of the eletricity running through their bodies." "Lady Whittier did not stir, even when I held her hand for the last time — now completely cool — and pressed a kiss against her withered old cheek." "So, Lady Whittier was dead, and my mother was once more out of a job, and I..." "I was horribly, dreadfully lonely." "It felt like a real, physical ache; as though there was a thorn buried inside my chest. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get it out." "There was, however, one small consolation. Lady Whittier left me her violin." "She included me in her will, though I wasn’t a blood relation, and no true granddaughter of hers. Our lack of familial ties did not lessen her affections towards me." "I was her dear Taohua, her peach blossom, who had afforded her so much happiness in her old age, and though she had little money left (what money she did have went to her son, Ambrose) she could at least bequeath me with her most cherished possession. The delightful violin her father had bought in Cremona all those years ago." "And that was not the only thing." "Lady Whittier also wrote me a letter." "Her handwriting was faint and spidery, as her hands had frozen with sickness and old age combined, but I could read it regardless." "She knew my mother and I would be in need of money and, if I felt it necessary, I could sell her violin." "_It has a great deal of sentimental worth to me, but I suppose that will no longer matter when I am dead and gone. Sell it, if you must — you should fetch a pretty penny for it — and you and your mother should no longer need to worry about monetary concerns._" "But there was more." "_I have also been making arrangements for you during the past few months. I knew my end was approaching, and I wished to ensure you were cared for as best I could._" "_I do not have too many connections — my dearly departed husband was better at making enemies than friends — but I have a passing familiarity with the Lennard family of Shropshire._" "_Louisa Lennard and I are related — she is my niece — and I believe she has been looking for a parlour maid for quite some time. Unfortunately — or fortunately, perhaps — she is also rather picky, and the process has been taking a long time._" "_I told Louisa I had met with the most extraordinary young girl, with grace and dignity most suited for the role, and she seemed interested in making your acquaintance._" "_If you are in need of a job, I am sure Louisa would be only too happy to accommodate you. The wages would be higher than that of a mere scullery maid, and you would have room and board._" "_Louisa has always been a touch obsessed with... the exotic, shall we say, and I imagine she will like you, being so pretty and unusual. I fear she will see you as something mildly diverting, rather than the intelligent young woman that you are, but it would not be too taxing a job._" "_In any event, you should do what you think is best. I want to see you flourish in the future, my little peach blossom._" "_You have done so much for me, in your own way, though you may not realise it, and I just want to return the favour._" "She was always trying to return favours, Lady Whittier, even until the end." "Even though, as I wish I could have told her, but never had the chance... I was the one who should have been thanking her." "I really did love her. I loved her so dearly... {w}and I never got a chance to tell her." Taohua fell silent, her head bowed. Lorina took this as a sign that the older woman had finished. Taohua’s eyes looked a touch less vibrant than per usual — muted, perhaps, with unshed tears? — and she was staring at the top of Lorina’s head dumbly, brow furrowed. She looked so troubled, so vulnerable, so exposed, that Lorina was tempted to pull her close and kiss her. She wanted to kiss Taohua all over — her eyelids and cheeks and the corners of her lips. She was too beautiful not to. But Lorina couldn’t. Cowed by Taohua’s unexpected honesty, and the raw emotion in her voice when she had recounted her tale, all Lorina could do was regard her anxiously. She frowned. Lorina: "Taohua... Um... A-Are you all right?" This question seemed to be enough to bring Taohua back to her senses, which had momentarily taken leave of her. She smiled (a wavering, watery smile) and gave a brief nod. Taohua: "Th-Thank you for your concern, my little Lori, but I... I-I’m fine." Lorina: "You don’t look very fine." Taohua: "And that is a very rude thing to say to a lady such as I, Lorina Waugh!" Taohua gave Lorina a prod in the side with her finger. Lorina squeaked obligingly. The younger maid’s eyes widened with shock, for she hadn’t expected the sudden attack after so sentimental an interlude, and Taohua began to giggle. Lorina: "Y-You... Wh-Why did you do that...?!" Taohua: "Because the atmosphere was growing rather heavy, and I don’t want to cry. It would be unseemly." Lorina: "Y-You have seen me in much, much more unseemly positions. I-It’s only fair I should get to watch you shed one or two tears!" Taohua: "Oh my~ I didn’t realise you were a fellow follower of De Sade." Lorina: "Who...?" Taohua: "...Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, dear." Lorina: "You know, it’s really annoying when you talk like that..." Taohua: "I know it is, but you love me all the same!" Lorina: "I wish I didn’t..." Taohua: "I’m sorry, my little Lori, but I’m far too wonderful not to love~" Lorina pouted. Lorina: "You don’t need to put up an act all the time! You can open up to me...{w} um, if you want. I’ll be here for you. I-Isn’t that what being in an, um..." Lorina’s faced reddened. Merely saying the word was embarrassing...{w} but it sent a tremor of undisturbed, unblemished happiness rippling through her body, the likes of which she had never felt before. Lorina: "...i-in a relationship is all about...?" Lorina finished, somewhat shyly. Taohua observed her cute companion, with her soft skin and dewy eyes, and smiled. She couldn’t help herself. Taohua: "Oh, my little Lori, you _are_ perfect!" Lorina: "I... I-I’m really not. Not at all. I have a terrible temper but I’m bad at letting it out, I don’t always say what I really think, a-and I’m clumsy and awkward and get upset easily!" Taohua: "That just means you’re passionate. I like that. It’s attractive." Lorina: "Taohua... Um..." Lorina: "I-I really am glad you told me." Lorina: "That you trust me." Taohua: "Of course I trust you, my little Lori. I like you rather a lot." Lorina: "Good... Let’s keep liking each other, please...?" Taohua: "Of course, pet. It’s a deal." Lorina: "A binding contract?" Taohua: "Mephistopheles himself could do no worse." Lorina: "Moestopheles...?" Taohua: "Close enough." Taohua kissed the top of Lorina’s head and cuddled her close. The sound of Taohua’s heartbeat fluttered inside the shell of Lorina’s ear. Perhaps it was this kiss that prompted Lorina’s yawn. Taohua: "Sleepy?" Lorina: "A bit. I had quite a stressful evening." Taohua: "I can only imagine." Taohua: "Well, you won’t need to worry about that for much longer, my little Lori. I’ll take care of you. I have the means." Lorina: "Yes, but... after everything you said, can you really sell your violin? It must mean so much to you — and Lady Whittier, too." Taohua: "It does, but I think Lady Whittier — no, Pamela — would prefer it this way. She told me, in that letter, that she wanted me to be happy, and I haven’t been truly happy for almost fifteen years." Lorina: "Y-You’ve worked here for _that_ long?" Taohua: "The money is good, and I want for nothing, even if Lady Constance is a royal pain in the posterior." Lorina: "Then you really are old...! You’re a good deal older than me...!" Taohua: "How rude..." Taohua’s lower lip jutted out. She prodded Lorina’s bare breast with one of her fingers, flicking it upwards so it jiggled. Taohua: "You shouldn’t talk that way about a lady’s age!" Lorina: "K-Kya...! I-I, I-I’m sorry, I just... T-Taohua...!" Taohua: "Yes, my little Lori?" Lorina: "I-I didn’t realise you were so ancient...!" Taohua: "I’m not even in my thirties!" Lorina: "And I’m not yet in my twenties." Taohua: "Old age comes to us all." Lorina: "And it came to you far, far quicker than it did for me!" Taohua: "Right, that does it." Taohua began to prod and pinch at Lorina even more mercilessly. Her fingers skittered like spiders’ legs against Lorina’s neck, beneath her armpits, against her sides... Taohua: "I-I, ah...! N-No...! G-Get off me...! St-Stop it...!" Lorina shrieked and whimpered and tried to throw her off. Her breasts bounced, and Taohua took this an invitation to grope them; her fingers playing with Lorina’s nipples until the younger maid moaned. Lorina: "T-Taohua..." Taohua: "Yes, my little Lori?" Lorina: "Y-You, um... I..." Taohua: "I, um, what?" Lorina: "Y-You’re mean..." Taohua: "I know, but you love it~" So saying, Taohua gave Lorina’s areolae a pinch and pressed a kiss against her lips, before drawing her hands away. Lorina glared. Taohua giggled. The two women stared at one another, their bodies pressed flush together and their legs tangled — before, finally, Lorina caved in. She started to smile, too. How could she help herself when she was so very, foolishly, ridiculously in love? Taohua: "I couldn’t sell Lady Whittier’s violin before. I was trying too hard to cling onto the past, and my memories of her were the only things that made me happy." Taohua: "I thought, if I could keep her most cherished possession safe, I could keep being happy... and I would make her happy, too." Taohua: "But I was wrong." Lorina raised an eyebrow. Lorina: "How rare." Taohua: "Indeed. It doesn’t happen often, but in this case..." Taohua: "Lady Whittier is already dead. She did a lot for me and I loved her dearly — I still do, in fact — but..." Taohua: "I can’t make a dead woman happy, no matter how I try to honour her memory. It isn’t possible." Taohua: "I think it would be far, far better if I started to live life for myself." Taohua: "A life with you in it, I think... would be the best life of all." Taohua: "So, um... Lori. My little Lori... What do you think? Would you accompany me into the great unknown?" Lorina: "Ah... Um..." Tiredness had settled upon Lorina once more. Her limbs felt dull and heavy. Merely trying to blink seemed to expend too much energy, and she yawned yet again. Her eyes beaded with tears. Lorina: "And where’s that, then?" Taohua: "Hmm... Well, if I want to take you to the opera... it would probably be London." Lorina: "I’ve never been before..." Taohua: "I’m rather fond of it. I did grow up in London, after all." Lorina: "I-I... It, um..." Another yawn. Lorina: "I-It’s all so soon, but..." Taohua: "But...?" Lorina: "Well... I... I-I’m not entirely sure what ‘love’ involves, but I... I think I might, um, love you... quite a lot... A-And I want to stay by your side, no matter what, so I..." Taohua: "You...?" Lorina: "I want to go with you. I want to stay with you. Always." Taohua: "Oh, Lori... My Lori... I-I want to stay with you, too. Always." So saying, Taohua brought her fingers up, beneath Lorina’s chin— Taohua: "Mm..." Lorina: "Mmph..." —and pressed her lips, soft but firm, against those of her dear, beloved little Lori. The following morning found Lorina in the servants’ quarters. This had been her ‘home’ for the last half a year, but no more. She was going to leave. She would leave with Taohua on a brand new adventure. It was very early. Lorina, tired and groggy though she was, had slipped out of Taohua’s tender embrace at five o’clock to pad, soft and silent, along the darkened hallway and into her lodgings. The young maid gathered her belongs slowly and carefully, willing the floorboards not to creak beneath her. Lorina didn’t want the other maids to awake and learn what she was doing, least of all Pauline. Facing off against the older maid one last time might have been somewhat satisfying...{w} but Lorina had no interest in such a dramatic farewell. She’d had quite enough of Bly. All she wanted to do was slip away, like the ghost Ada had spoken of so fearfully. Lorina didn’t have many items to pack. She had precious few possessions to her name, save the clothes on her back. It took roughly three minutes for Lorina to gather up the meagre belongings she had amassed over the years. A hair brush, a few pairs of socks, her scratchy nightgown, a copy of _Robinson Crusoe_, and that was all. The other maids remained sound asleep the whole while. Pauline was curled up on herself, snoring softly in her sleep. With her eyes closed, dark lashes matted together, and her face smoothed free of wrinkles, she looked younger than usual. More approachable. Isobel, too, seemed less austere with her blonde hair let loose. It curled about her face, framing it sweetly. Effie lay still and flat like a board. She was so unnaturally still and silent, she rather resembled a corpse. Lieselotte, meanwhile, seemed to be dreaming of her beloved Swiss Alps. She mumbled under her breath every once in a while: Lieselotte: "Oh, Andermatt! I have missed you so!" with dissolve Every time she mumbled, Lorina’s shoulders tensed, but she didn’t awake." with dissolve Lorina straightened up and wiped her palms on her skirt. She picked up her battered carpet bag and turned, ready to make her stealthy retreat, but she paused.* Something made her halt. She couldn’t leave like this, could she? It was true she hadn’t liked Isobel and Pauline, but the other maids were personable enough. Lieselotte had tried to be kind, in her own strange, Swiss way. Effie was supportive — albeit, a touch too aggressively. And, as for Ada... Her precious friend, Ada... Ada: "Nn... Lori?" with dissolve Lorina: "Ah..." with dissolve Lorina exhaled softly. The young maid with the round, moon-shaped face was sitting on the edge of her bed. Her hair, tied into to stubby braids, was a little mussed, and her eyes were bleary from lack of sleep. To Lorina’s surprise, Ada had managed to attire herself in her maid’s uniform, despite her half-asleep state. The uniform was crumpled here and there, but Lorina was impressed that Ada’s flagging fingers had managed to do up the buttons. Ada: "Is it morning already...?" with dissolve Lorina: "It’s not. You can sleep a little longer." with dissolve Ada: "But I already got dressed..." with dissolve Ada: "I was so worried I was late..." Ada stifled a yawn." with dissolve Ada: "Well, if it isn’t time to get up, why are you already awake?" with dissolve Lorina: "I’m packing." Ada: "Packing? What for?" with dissolve Lorina: "I’m... going on a journey." with dissolve Ada: "Oh, right." with dissolve Ada nodded slowly. She was so tinged with sleep, perhaps she did not fully understand the implications of the ratty carpet bag, or the drawer by Lorina’s bedside which had been left slightly ajar." with dissolve Ada: "Is Lady Lennard sending you out on some errand?" with dissolve Lorina shook her head." with dissolve As she did, she felt invisible fingers gripping her heart.* She’d never been very good at saying goodbye. It had been the same three years ago, when she’d glanced at her family over her shoulder before setting out into the big, wide world. Lorina: "This has nothing to do with Lady Lennard." Ada yawned, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands. Ada: "But if you go out without her permission, she’ll be mad at you." with dissolve Lorina: "Let her be mad. It doesn’t matter to me. Not anymore." with dissolve Ada: "Why not...?" with dissolve Ada frowned." with dissolve She blinked.* And then: Ada: "Oh, Lori...! You’re not going away, are you?!" with dissolve Lorina: "Shhhh." Lorina pressed her index finger against her lips, signalling silence, but it was too late. Lieselotte snuffled in her sleep. She blinked. And then she sat up, disturbing the covers about her body. When she moved, her long, blonde hair moved with her. It was so long it coiled on the wooden floor by her bedside like a cornsnake. Lieselotte: "Ah, it is so early. Why are you awake, Lorina?" with dissolve Lorina: "I, um... I’m going somewhere." Lieselotte: "At this time?" with dissolve Lieselotte’s eyes widened." with dissolve Lieselotte: "I have not overslept, have I?!" with dissolve Lorina: "No, no. It’s fine. Go back to sleep." with dissolve Lieselotte: "I could not possibly!" with dissolve Effie: "...The game’s afoot." with dissolve So, Effie was awake, too? How long had she been lying there, privy to this conversation?* Perhaps she had been awake the whole while, and had only been pretending to sleep. Sometimes, Lorina did wonder about that maid... Ada: "Lorina..." with dissolve Ada peered at Lorina in the dark, her hands clasped together at her front. Ada: "What is going on?" with dissolve Lorina: "I... Well..." with dissolve Lorina bit her lower lip. Lorina: "I’m leaving Bly and I’m not coming back." Pauline: "Oh really?" with dissolve It was Pauline. It seemed the conversation had awoken her, too. The older maid was sitting up in bed, the covers bunched up about her legs." with dissolve Though it was dark, Lorina could see the characteristic smirk on her cruel face.* Pauline: "Have you finally been fired for gross misconduct?" with dissolve Isobel: "It was only a matter of time." with dissolve Lorina scowled, drawing herself up to her full height." with dissolve And she had so wanted to avoid a confrontation, too...* So much for that. Lorina: "No, I have not been fired, _actually_." Pauline: "Then where are you going?" with dissolve Isobel: "There’s nowhere for you _to_ go, unless you intend to take refuge in the poorhouse!" with dissolve Pauline: "Oh, yes, that _would_ be funny. If you think you have it bad here, Lorina, wait until you go there. They’ll work you to the bone." with dissolve Lorina: "Why? Do you have much experience with the poorhouse, Pauline?" with dissolve Pauline: "Now, now. We’re the ones who are asking questions." with dissolve Lorina: "I have no reason to answer them." Ada: "M-Maybe not, but... Lorina..." with dissolve Ada looked at Lorina imploringly. Her eyes were big and bright. Ada: "We’re friends, aren’t we?" with dissolve Lorina: "Oh... Of course we are, Ada. You’re one of my best friends here." with dissolve Ada: "Th-Then why were you trying to leave without telling me?" with dissolve Lorina: "I... I thought it would make you sad..." Ada: "It would make me sadder if I awoke to find you were gone!" with dissolve Lieselotte: "That is correct! I would worry the ghost had snatched you away in the night!" with dissolve Isobel: "Are we talking about that nonsense again?" with dissolve Pauline: "There are no ghosts at Bly — but there _is_ a devious, underhanded maid who refuses to tell us the truth." with dissolve Lorina: "I’m not a maid. Not anymore." Pauline: "Then what will you do with yourself? You don’t have any real talent, and I doubt you’d be able to find another job in service after walking away from Bly." with dissolve Pauline: "Assuming, of course, you’re telling the truth, and you haven’t been dismissed in disgrace." Lorina: "You can believe what you want, but I really _am_ going. I’ve had enough. And, as for where I’m going, exactly..." with dissolve Lorina: "So long as I’m with Taohua, that’s more than enough." Ada: "T-Taohua?" with dissolve Isobel: "That parlour maid?" with dissolve Pauline: "How preposterous!" with dissolve Lorina: "It’s true. We’re leaving together." Pauline: "But two women can’t strike out on their own. It’s unthinkable!" with dissolve Effie: "I knew it." with dissolve Effie smiled to herself in her typically muted, Effie-like manner, and nodded her head." with dissolve Effie: "So, is that what your heart told you?" with dissolve Lorina: "I guess so." with dissolve Lieselotte: "Oh, Lorina! I am so happy for you!" with dissolve Effie: "When are you going to get married?" with dissolve Lorina’s cheeks flushed." with dissolve Lorina: "I-I don’t think that will ever happen...!" Effie: "Maybe one day..." with dissolve Ada: "Oh, Lori..." with dissolve Ada sniffled." with dissolve Ada: "I-I am glad you were able to talk things through with Taohua, but..." with dissolve Ada: "Is this it? Are you really just... leaving?" Lorina: "Ada..." Lorina winced. The fingers ensnaring her heart squeezed a touch tighter.* Lorina: "I’m sorry. I should have told you — only it’s so sudden, I just found out myself." Ada: "Did you really hate it here that much, Lori...?" with dissolve Lorina: "There... were a great many things I disliked..." Lorina shot a pointed glare at Pauline and Isobel. Lorina: "But I didn’t hate it. Not all the time. You made things more bearable. You and Lieselotte, and even Effie..." A pause. Lorina: "But I have to strike out on my own. The world is a big place, and there’s more I want to do and see. I don’t want to wither away in Bly." Lorina: "I don’t want to stay here, but..." Lorina: "Ada..." Lorina: "I really will miss you." Ada: "O-Oh, Lori...! I’ll miss you too! I’ll miss you so, so much!" with dissolve And, with a pained wail, Ada rose from her bed and flung her arms tightly about Lorina’s neck." with dissolve She was soft, warm, and smelt like home. Her plain, brown braids tickled Lorina’s cheek, but Lorina found she did not care all that much.* In fact, she rather liked it. Lorina: "You silly girl..." Lorina: "If you get upset, then... you’ll make me feel upset, too..." Lorina sniffled. Already, she could feel a lump forming in her throat. She swallowed it down stubbornly — Lorina had always had a stubborn streak to her — and let her arms wrap about Ada’s waist. Ada: "I... I’m sorry..." Lorina: "You’re always apologising." Ada: "B-Because I’m silly, like you said, and I know I’m emotional..." Ada: "I don’t want to annoy you, but..." Ada: "Th-This is all so sudden..." Ada: "I don’t know what I’ll do without you..." Lorina: "Ada..." Lorina: "You’re stronger than you think." Ada: "I-I am...?" Lorina: "Yes. You gave me strength when I needed it..." Lorina: "I’m sorry I have to leave like this." Lorina: "I really am sorry..." Not wanting Ada — or, indeed, any of the other maids — to see her distress, Lorina buried her head against the older maid’s shoulder. Her eyes beaded with tears. Was she... {w}crying? All of a sudden, the finality of their situation hit Lorina. This would be the last time she could ever cling to Ada for warmth, or smell her soft, slightly doughy smell. It would be the last time she’d ever see Ada — and Effie, and Lieselotte. There was no going back. This really was goodbye. When Lorina finally made it to the gates of Bly, the sun had already risen. The sky was a bright blue, almost aquamarine, and dotted here and there with fluffy white clouds. Birds, mostly wrens and chaffinches, trilled and twittered amongst themselves from the tree branches. Lorina could see them flitting to and fro; flecks of colour darting amongst the foilage. There was a gentle breeze. It tugged at the hem of Lorina’s skirts, making them billow and flutter about her legs like the sails of a ship. It must have been half past six in the morning. The maids of Bly would already be awake by this hour, attending to their daily chores. Lady Constance and Lady Lennard, meanwhile, would still be asleep; snug and cosy in their four poster beds like hot cross buns tucked away in the oven. What of Lady Constance? How would the irascible Madam react when she learnt, with a jolt, that her favourite plaything had managed to escape? But Lorina would not think of that now. She had no sympathy to spare for that young girl. Not after she had put Lorina through such misery. When Taohua spotted the young maid, crossing the dirt track lined with trees, she smiled and waved. Lorina hurried over, panting from the exertion. The wind tugged at her skirts all the more, as though attempting to hinder her... But Lorina would not allow herself to linger. Not for anyone. Taohua: "You’re late, my little Lori." Lorina: "I’m sorry... I got a bit waylaid." Taohua: "Saying tearful goodbyes?" Lorina: "Maybe." Taohua: "Oh, I am jealous! At least you have a handful of people to say goodbye to, unlike my good self." But Taohua did not sound particularly vexed. She smiled gently and ruffled the top of Lorina’s head, disturbing her hair. If it had been a month or so prior, Lorina would have snapped at her. Now, the young maid found she rather enjoyed the attention. Taohua’s touch was warm, though in a different way to Ada’s, and Lorina could not get enough of it. Taohua: "Do you have all your belongings?" Lorina: "They’re in this bag." Taohua peered at Lorina’s carpet bag, her fingers between her chin. She frowned. Taohua: "It’s rather small. Are you sure that’s everything?" Lorina: "I don’t have many possessions to bring." Taohua: "Ah. Well. I intend to change that — after I sell this old thing." Taohua gestured towards her violin case, held in her right hand. Lorina’s eyes softened. Lorina: "Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Taohua: "Quite sure." Lorina: "But Lady Whittier—" Taohua: "Goodness, don’t try to talk me out of this now, Lori. We came to an agreement, didn’t we?" Lorina: "I... I suppose so..." Taohua: "The violin is important to me, and so is Lady Whittier, but I hardly need to lug this around with me to remind me of her. Her memories will remain, all the same, inside my heart..." Taohua pulled a face. Taohua: "Though, that sounds awfully clichéd." Lorina: "You’re becoming sentimental in your old age." Taohua: "I hope not." Lorina: "You must be, or you wouldn’t have asked to run away with me." Lorina looked back at Bly. The large house was so far away, tucked behind an avenue of trees and a long, sprawling garden, it was almost impossible to see. She could still remember standing outside these gates just gone midnight, as her carriage slowly lumbered away into the gloom. The stars overhead had been cold and hard; completely uncaring about the young girl’s plight. That had been six months ago. Half a year. Once, Bly had been an unknown, hidden at the end of this winding walkway. It had been Lorina’s future. Now, it was part of her past. Bly, and Lady Lennard, and Lady Constance, and Miss Smithe and Mr Lester and Joe the gardener, and Ada and Effie and Lieselotte and Pauline and Isobel... Soon, they would become nothing more than memories. It was a sobering thought...{w} but life went on, as always. So long as Lorina had Taohua, she would be fine. She was sure of that. Lorina: "It really is a big change, though..." Taohua: "Do you regret it?" Lorina: "No." Lorina shook her head. The wind caught in her hair, making it flutter about her face. The sunlight warmed the top of her head. It seemed to light up her cheeks, too; dyeing them a soft, gentle pink. Just like primroses poking out of the earth upon the advent of spring. Lorina: "I want to go with you, and I want to stay with you." Taohua: "Always?" Lorina: "That’s right." Lorina smiled and linked her fingers together with Taohua’s. Everything they said about London was true. It was truer than anything Lorina had ever dared to dream of. Though the streets were not paved with gold — in actuality, they were rather dirty — the atmosphere about the big city, the biggest of all cities, was unparalleled. London was, as Wordsworth had said, the ‘mighty heart’ at the centre of England. There was so much history, one seemed to live and breathe the past. There were spires and towers and domes and temples all jostling for space along the banks of the Thames. Ships crossed the water, sails unfurled, as they brought with them cargo from new and uncharted worlds. Bells chimed every single hour. No matter where you went and no matter where you stood, one could always hear bells; from St Clement’s in Eastcheap to St Dunstan’s in Stepney. And then there were all the houses. The houses were numerous, stretching out in terraced rows one after the other, and all cramped in together like too many teeth in an over-crowded mouth. The streets were well-worn; flattened down from innumerable footsteps of thousands upon thousands upon thousands of people. There were so many people it was impossible to count them as one crossed from one side of London Bridge to the other — and _what_ people they were, too. The residents of London, whether permanent or temporary, hailed from all walks of life. There were soldiers and chimney sweepers, elegant ladies and painted harlots, fair-skinned English girls and Indian lascars with colourful turbans. In London, even a woman like Taohua, with her almond-shaped eyes and exotic skin, did not seem so terribly out-of-place. Though some did stop to cast a cursory glance or two (or, indeed, three or four) at this rare flower, most were too wrapped up in their own lives and their own concerns to spare her a second glance. Taohua was just part of the crowd...{w} and Lorina was more than happy to accompany her, no matter where she went. Though London was a part of England, it was like no part of England Lorina had ever been to. The young girl had been brought up in Liverpool, which was a large port in its own right, but it was nothing compared to London. London was so divorced from everything Lorina knew, it almost felt like its own little world. A world where she could be happy with Taohua. Taohua: "Oh? Are you all right, my little Lori?" Taohua paused (rarely a sensible thing to do in a heaving London street) and glanced back at her companion. Taohua: "You seem to have slowed quite a bit." Lorina: "O-Oh, um... I was just wondering." Taohua: "You should do your wondering elsewhere, or you’ll get swept up in the crowd." Lorina: "Y-Yes...! I’m sorry...!" Taohua: "We should probably hurry. If we don’t pick up the pace, we’ll be late for _Medea_." Lorina: "B-But, um..." Taohua: "What is it?" Lorina: "I... don’t know if a girl like me should see _Medea_ at all." Taohua: "And why not?" Lorina: "I... I-I’m not the most cultured of people. I don’t know if I could appreciate it. I mean, I’m the daughter of a milliner, and—" Taohua: "Oh, hush." Lorina: "A-Ah?" Lorina blinked. Taohua’s fingers were curled about her own protectively. Her palm was warm and her touch was gentle. Taohua: "It doesn’t matter if you’re cultured or not. I’ll help you along as best I can — and, if you don’t like the opera, we don’t need to go again." Lorina: "But _you_ like it..." Taohua: "I also like chickens’ feet. You don’t need to like everything I do." Lorina pulled a face. Lorina: "Chickens’ feet?" Taohua: "They’re a Chinese delicacy." Lorina: "You grew up in London." Taohua: "My father was still Chinese." Lorina: "Oh, goodness... Your tastes are even stranger than I thought!" Taohua: "Is that a problem?" Lorina: "...No." Lorina smiled softly to herself. The crowds pushed and shoved about her, but Lorina didn’t mind. Not while she was with Taohua, their fingers latticed together tightly. Lorina: "I like learning more about you. It’s an adventure." Taohua: "Like exploring London?" Lorina: "Exactly! Except, you’re much, much more interesting." Taohua: "More interesting than one of the oldest cities in Britain? I am flattered." Taohua smiled coyly. Taohua: "Unfortunately, there’s nothing about me that’s quite so enticing as _Medea_." Lorina: "You saw it with Lady Whittier, didn’t you?" Taohua: "Mm. I’ve always wanted to watch it again. It was a formative experience..." Lorina: "More than the chicken feet?" Taohua: "Much more. It’s what inspired my love for music, and why I learnt to play the violin..." A pause. Taohua: "And, ultimately, it is what led me to you, my little Lori." Lorina: "Wh-What do you mean?" Taohua: "If I hadn’t become so close to Lady Whittier, she wouldn’t have curried favour for me with Lady Lennard. I wouldn’t have gone to Bly, and I wouldn’t have met you..." Taohua: "And we wouldn’t be here now." Lorina: "Are you glad you’re here?" Taohua: "I’ve never been happier." Lorina: "O-Oh, Taohua..." Taohua: "But." There was a small pause. Taohua grinned. Taohua: "I would be happier still, I think, if we could hurry up. I believe the opera will soon commence." Lorina: "A-Ah...! That’s right! We should hurry...!" Taohua: "Then let’s go!" And with that, the two women began to run. Taohua took the lead, her fingers still linked with Lorina’s, as they darted through the crowds. Lorina followed, her skirts fluttering around her legs with abandon. They ducked and weaved and went their way through the crowds. Every once in a while, a pedestrian turned to glare at these most uncouth of women, and one gentlemen — if he could be called such a thing — even hurled abuse at Taohua’s retreating back, but the older woman paid him no heed. Instead, she started to laugh. Lorina did, too. She’d never been one to draw attention to herself, but... When she was with Taohua, she couldn’t help herself. She couldn’t help but feel happy. As she ran, people streaming behind her like ships on the Thames, Lorina thought she spotted a familiar face. Two of them. Blonde curls and brown buns... But Lorina hadn’t the time to dally. _Medea_ was due to start in ten minutes or so, and Taohua was still pulling her along. Their shoes struck against the ground as they ran. Lorina’s cheeks were flushed pink from exertion, her heart thumping wildly inside her chest. She was beginning to get a stitch in her side. It hurt, yes...{w} but the pain, sharp though it was, was proof that she was alive. She was alive — and, for the first time, it felt like she really was living. She was living together with Taohua...{w} and was there anything in the world more wonderful than that? If there was, Lorina couldn’t conceive of it. She didn’t want to. She just wanted this mad, frantic, happy moment to last forever.
Taohua: "Ah, my little Lori. I can’t believe how lovely you are!" Lorina: "I, um... A-Ah..." Lorina whimpered, her legs shivering. Her fingers gripped the black material of her maid’s dress. It was normally so demure, stopping at her ankles, but... Now, it was anything but. Lorina held up her skirts with her hands, all the way over her knees, and even higher. Displaying her knees would have been scandalous enough, but... Her skirts — and even her chemise, too, which was all bundled up together in Lorina’s grasping hands — were held so high, they uncovered... Lorina: "Wh-Why...?" Taohua: "What is it, my little Lori?" Lorina looked down at her shoes. They were black and sensible, and only slightly scuffed from use. Her shoes, at least, made sense. Her shoes and her socks, too. The rest of this situation, however... Lorina: "Wh-Why do you want me to do this...?" Taohua: "Isn’t it obvious? It’s because I want to see you." Lorina: "B-But you can see me already...!" Taohua pressed a soft kiss against the side of Lorina’s cheek. Taohua: "I mean, I want to see _all_ of you." Lorina: "A-All of me...?" Taohua: "Well... The most intimate parts." Lorina: "You shouldn’t look at me there..." Taohua: "Why not?" Lorina: "B-Because it... I-It’s private..." Taohua: "But, despite that, you still let me watch you when you were bathing." Lorina: "Th-That was different...!" Taohua: "I don’t see how." Lorina: "Y-You’re supposed to be naked in the bath..." Taohua: "Expertly observed. You’d make a fine detective." Lorina: "St-Stop teasing me...!" Taohua: "I can’t help myself. It’s so much fun~" Lorina trembled and shook her head. Her short, choppy hair fluttered. The sunshine caught it, making the individual strands glow, as though it had been threaded through with fireflies. Her bright red cheeks, like two toffee apples, just seemed to invite kissing. Taohua: "Honestly, my little Lori, you really are silly." Lorina: "Wh-What do you mean...?" Taohua: "You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to." Lorina: "But you asked me to show you..." Taohua: "You could have refused." Lorina: "I..." Taohua: "But despite that, you went along with it — of your own free will, no less." Taohua: "Why are you acting like this is some great hardship?" Lorina: "Because it... I-It’s embarrassing..." Taohua: "Then loosen your grip and return your skirts to their proper place, and we’ll say no more about it." Lorina: "R-Really?" Taohua: "Really. Truly. Unless..." Taohua: "You’re enjoying this after all?" Lorina: "I... I don’t know." Taohua: "You don’t know how you feel?" Lorina shook her head. Lorina: "E-Ever... Ever since that day, when you kissed me in the bathtub, um..." Lorina: "I haven’t felt entirely right." Taohua: "Hm? This sounds serious." Taohua’s eyes softened in concern. Taohua: "What do you mean, Lori?" Lorina: "My heart sounds pounding when I see you, and my throat feels tight..." Taohua: "Is that all?" Lorina: "Wh-What?" Taohua sunk down to her knees and pressed her fingertips against Lorina’s thigh, and let them trail upwards. Seeing a woman like Taohua, so prideful and haughty, kneeling before her on the floor was incredible. Impossible. Lorina almost wanted to pinch herself — but she didn’t have to. Taohua’s sharp fingernails were a reminder enough. This wasn’t a dream. Lorina revelled in the strange, heady feeling of being in control for all of five seconds, until— Taohua: "How do you feel around here?" Lorina: "A-Aaah...!" Taohua’s roving fingertips skirted dangerously close to Lorina’s entrance, procuring a sudden, sharp moan from the younger maid. Lorina: "I... I..." Taohua: "What was that? I didn’t quite catch that." Lorina: "I... I feel, um... U-Um..." Taohua: "What?" Taohua: "How, exactly, do you feel, my little Lori?" Lorina: "You..." Lorina: "Wh-Why are you making me say such embarrassing things...?!" Taohua: "For fun?" Lorina: "What a bully." Taohua: "Maybe~" Taohua smiled and pressed a quick kiss against Lorina’s exposed hip. The younger maid blushed all the harder. Taohua: "But I wouldn’t bully you if it wasn’t mutually agreeable. Look here." Taohua slid the tip of her index finger into Lorina’s pussy, and then another. The younger girl moaned. Lorina: "Nngh...!" Taohua: "See?" Taohua drew back her hand and held it before Lorina’s face. Her fingers were slick and wet, and shone indecently beneath the sunlight. Taohua: "Now, what does _this_ suggest?" Lorina: "I... I don’t know..." Taohua: "Then let me make a hypothesis." Taohua: "Maybe I’m reading into this situation wrongly, but... Your reaction suggests, to me at least, that you rather like being bullied." Taohua: "Imagine that." Lorina: "Th-That’s not proper evidence..." Taohua: "Why not?" Lorina: "I-It was received under duress... Um... I-It would never hold up in a court of law...!" Taohua: "But we’re not in court, are we?" Lorina: "N-No..." Taohua: "We’re all alone. There’s nobody here to judge you but me." So saying, Taohua brought her fingers to her lips and flicked her tongue across them. Lorina: "Aahn..." Lorina moaned. It was as though Taohua was licking _her_ — and, in a sense, she was. Taohua: "You’re so delicious, my little Lori~" Lorina: "Liar..." Lorina pulled a face. Lorina: "It can’t taste good." Taohua: "Do you want to try?" Lorina: "D-Don’t be disgusting!" Taohua: "It isn’t disgusting. There’s nothing disgusting about your body. If there was, I wouldn’t want to touch it, or kiss it, or lick it..." Taohua: "Hmm." Taohua paused, pondering. Taohua: "That sounds like quite a good idea, actually." Lorina: "You, um... want to lick me...?" Taohua: "Yes. I want to slide my tongue across the entrance of your vagina, and then suck on your clitoris until you orgasm~" Lorina: "U-Using technical terminology doesn’t make it any less depraved!" Taohua pouted. Taohua: "You’re so proper, Lori, I thought you would appreciate it." Lorina: "W-Well, um... I-If you really want to..." Taohua: "No, no, no. It isn’t about what _I_ want. It’s what _you_ want." Lorina: "B-But I thought you were trying to relieve some stress?" Taohua: "I am — but I don’t want to use you for my own amusement. I know only too well how that feels." Taohua: "I won’t go any further unless you ask me." Lorina: "Th-Then I, um..." Lorina shifted. She started to rub her thighs together. She couldn’t help herself. She felt so wet and hot, and Taohua’s ministrations hadn’t helped. She wanted her. She wanted the older woman so badly, it overcame her embarrassment. Lorina: "I, um... I want you to lick me." Taohua: "And _where_ do you want me to lick you?" Lorina: "Nn..." Lorina grit her teeth together. Did Taohua have to draw things out so much? She said it was for Lorina’s sake, but the younger maid was starting to wonder... Taohua just loved theatrics. She liked putting Lorina on the spot, so she could watch her blush and stammer. Lorina: "I-I, um... I want you to lick my... my... {size=-5}my pussy, please..." Taohua: "Good girl. That wasn’t so hard, was it?" Lorina: "Taohua..." Taohua: "Yes, yes. I’ll take care of you. You deserve a reward." Lorina: "Nn... A-Aaah..." Lorina moaned, already coming apart, as the older woman took hold of her thighs. Taohua’s fingernails, ten neat crescent moons, dug into Lorina’s exposed flesh. Lorina: "Aaah..." The younger maid felt something soft and warm spreading the lips of her pussy. It was unfamiliar and made her tense, her back arching. Lorina: "Nn... I, um... I... A-Ah...!" Lorina’s breaths fell from her lips in ragged moans. Her knees trembled. She almost felt like she would collapse, but she couldn’t; not with Taohua’s hands supporting her. Taohua’s tongue circled Lorina’s clit. She licked and nipped it, sucking on it. The mixture of sensation was almost overwhelming. It was too much. Lorina: "I... I-I can’t..." Taohua: "But isn’t this what you asked for?" Lorina: "Nn... I-I didn’t think it would be so... S-So..." Taohua: "So what?" Lorina: "I... I-I don’t know..." Taohua: "Silly little Lori." Taohua’s voice was soft and sing-song as she pressed a kiss against Lorina’s inner thigh. Taohua: "You don’t know very much about sex, do you?" Lorina: "Nn..." Taohua: "Well, don’t worry. I’ll help you." Lorina: "A-Aah... T-Tao... aaa..." Lorina’s eyes started to bead with tears. Why was she so sensitive? Taohua: "Oh, Lori... You look rather worked up." Lorina: "I-It’s... all your fault..." Taohua: "How is it my fault?" Lorina: "B-Because you’re... You’re putting your tongue where it doesn’t belong..." Taohua: "But you seem to be enjoying it." Lorina: "Sh-Shut up!" Taohua: "Or what? Are you going to make me?" Lorina: "I... I-I..." Taohua: "I think you’re misunderstanding the situation, my little Lori." Taohua dug one of her fingernails a little deeper into Lorina’s skin. Taohua: "You can’t give me orders. I’m the one in charge. If I want to make you whimper and moan, I will. If I don’t, I won’t." Taohua: "I’m doing this out of the goodness of my heart, so please don’t tell me to shut up. It’s very hurtful." Lorina: "I... I-I... I-I’m sorry..." Taohua: "You’re sorry...?" Lorina: "I’m sorry, um... M-Mistress..." Taohua: "Good. Make sure that it doesn’t happen again." Lorina: "K-Kyaa...!" Lorina wailed. She could feel Taohua’s tongue again. It was maddeningly slow as it traced circles about her clit, and then— Lorina: "A-Aaaah..." There. Right _there_... Lorina: "Aaah... I, I... I-I think..." But Lorina did not know what she thought. Neither did it matter. Her body was numb with feeling. She twitched, panting. Her chest heaved. And yet, the moment she felt like she was going to release— Lorina: "Aaah..." Taohua relented. Taohua: "Oh? Is something wrong?" Lorina looked at Taohua with tearful eyes. She sniffed. Lorina: "Y-You’re mean..." Taohua: "I just like teasing my pets." Lorina: "B-But this pet can’t stand it for much longer..." Taohua: "Is it really that bad?" Lorina: "Y-Yes... I’m so wet..." Taohua: "Please, tell me something I don’t already know." Lorina: "Nn..." Lorina wanted to hide her face with her hands but she couldn’t. Not when she was still gripping her skirts. All she could do was whimper. Lorina: "S-So embarrassing..." Taohua: "Mmhmm. Your pussy is all swollen and pink. It looks needy." Lorina: "Wh-Why would you tell me that...?!" Taohua: "I just thought it was interesting." Lorina: "W-We’re not at the National History Museum..." Taohua: "If we were, we’d be arrested for public indecency." Lorina: "Y-You know what I mean...!" Taohua: "All right, my cute little Lori. If this really is too much stimulation, I suppose I can be kind... Just this once..." Lorina: "Y-You... You’re going to let me come...?" Taohua: "Yes, you can come. I’ll give you permission." Lorina: "Aaah.." Taohua dipped her head, pushing her tongue between the swollen lips of Lorina’s most sensitive area. She didn’t tease Lorina this time. Her tongue traced across the sensitive nub of her clit, and then she began to suck. Lorina: "Oh... A-Ah... Mistress... Mistress, i-it... I-It feel so good... Aaaahn..." Random words, broken syllables, fell between Lorina’s lips, but it didn’t really matter what she was saying. All of a sudden, everything went white. Lorina: "A-Ah...! T-Taohua, you..!" But Lorina didn’t have a chance to finish. Taohua had already pushed her against the kitchen table. Lorina’s breasts were pressed against the counter, while her skirts and chemise were pulled up about her middle to expose her behind. The surface of the table was warm, lit from the sunshine that spilt in through the windows. Taohua: "Oh, my little Lori. You’re so lovely~" Taohua leant forwards, hair spilling over her shoulder, and whispered into Lorina’s ear. Her breath was cool. Taohua: "You’ve been waiting for this for a while, haven’t you?" Lorina: "I... I-I wasn’t..." Taohua: "That’s what you say, but..." Taohua slipped one finger inside Lorina, and then another. Her digits pushed inside her experimentally, then parted. Lorina: "Nn..." Lorina whimpered. She was being... stretched open... Taohua: "The evidence presented before me begs to differ~" Lorina: "W-Well, I..." Taohua: "Well, what? What do you have to say for yourself?" Lorina: "I..." Taohua: "I don’t think there’s anything you _can_ say. You’re wasting your breath." Taohua: "You’ve only convinced me of one thing during this exchange." Lorina: "Wh-What...?" Taohua: "That you’re desperate, of course~" Lorina: "A-Aah...!" Taohua nibbled on the shell of Lorina’s ear, her teeth grazing skin. Lorina shuddered. Taohua’s fingers were still inside her pussy, sliding in and out with no resistance. Lorina was getting wet already, and her hips twitching. Still, she tried to maintain a modicum of decency. Lorina: "I... I... I-I’m not _desperate_..." Taohua: "When why are you drooling?" Lorina: "I-I am...?!" Taohua: "Hehe~ You’re so cute, my little Lori, to forget yourself like that. You must really enjoy being played, hmm?~" Lorina: "I... I-I don’t... Ah... A-Aah!" Taohua: "Oh, my~ You’re making a lot of noise~" Lorina: "Nn... I... I-I can’t..." Taohua: "It’s true we’re on our own, but if we’re too noisy somebody might hear us." Taohua: "If you’re worried about being spied on, you should probably keep it down. It might be in your best interests." With these words of advice, Taohua pressed her knuckle against the younger maid’s swollen clit. Once more, Lorina moaned. It was a desperate mewl that sounded alien to her ears — but this wasn’t enough to deter Taohua. Taohua explored Lorina’s pussy with her fingers again, this time introducing a third. The digits buried deep inside her were almost enough to make Lorina feel uncomfortably full... But only almost. Taohua: "You’re so lovely it should be a crime! Keeping a girl like you to myself should be a cardinal sin!" Lorina: "Y-You... N-No, I... N-No sharing, please..." Taohua: "You don’t need to worry about that. I’m quite a selfish woman at heart." Taohua’s fingers continued to work in and out of Lorina. The young maid whimpered, her hips bucking. Lorina: "Aah... Please...!" Taohua: "Hmm? ‘Please,’ what?" Lorina: "P-Please, Mistress.... Please... Let me come..." Taohua: "Hmm? But you’re being so noisy already... I wouldn’t want anybody to overhear you. That would be quite the predicament." Lorina: "B-But you can’t just leave me like this...!" Taohua: "Why not? I can do whatever I want to you~ You _are_ my pet, after all." Lorina: "M-Mistress, please... Please... I-I... I need this..." Taohua: "You need it, do you?" Lorina: "I, um... I do..." Taohua: "Ehe~" Taohua giggled. She bent forwards, nibbling the soft flesh of Lorina’s ear. Taohua: "And you say you _aren’t_ desperate." Lorina: "F-Fine, I... I-I’m desperate, and I need this, and I want you to tease me until I come, s-so please...!" Taohua: "Well... When you say it so nicely..." Taohua: "Maybe I should give you a treat." Taohua reached forwards with her free hand, fingers still buried inside Lorina, to the opened jar of blackberry jam. She dipped her index and middle finger into the surface of the jam, soft and warm, and drew out a small mouthful of quivering black-red fruit preserve. Taohua: "Here. Why don’t you try this?" Lorina: "A-Aah... Yes, Mistress..." Breathing heavily, almost panting, Lorina opened her mouth obligingly. In her current state, Taohua could have asked Lorina to do anything, and she would have obeyed. That was how desperately she wanted to please her mistress. Taohua slid her two sticky fingers inside Lorina’s mouth for the younger girl to suck. While Lorina let the taste of blackberries melt across her tongue, Taohua continued to rub Lorina’s clit, which was now slick and wet with her juices. Taohua: "You’re so wet, my little Lori... You really did want this, hmm?" Lorina: "Mmn... Nn..." With a soft whimper, obscured by the fingers in her mouth, Lorina found her release. She orgasmed hard; coming again and again, while her body slumped, limp, against the table top. Taohua withdrew her fingers and watched. Lorina’s behind was exposed, the lips of her pussy swollen. Taohua: "My little Lori... You’re so lovely..." Taohua leant down, pressing a kiss against her cheek. Taohua: "If only I could help you when it really matters..." Lorina: "A-Ah, um..." Lorina glanced up at Taohua with glazed eyes, her cheek still pressed against the tabletop. She was so spent from their rigorous exercise she could hardly move. Lorina: "I... It... It’s fine." Taohua: "You say that, but... How can I be your mistress if I can’t keep Lady Constance from bullying you?" A small sigh. Taohua: "Oh well. I’ll do what I can..." Taohua: "Let me clean you up." Lorina: "Wh-What...? I, um... A-Ah...!" Lorina jumped. She could feel something soft and warm agaist her cheek. It was Taohua. She was running her tongue against her skin; licking up a small, stray splotch of black-blue jam. Taohua: "There. You look much better now!" Lorina: "I, um... T-Thank you, Taohua..." Taohua: "It’s all right. Don’t mention it, Lori." And, with a small smile, Taohua dipped her head and kissed Lorina — against her lips this time. Lorina: "Nn..." Lorina sighed sweetly and opened her mouth, allowing Taohua easy access. The kiss tasted of blackberries. Lorina: "A-Ah..." Lorina gasped. Her eyelashes fluttered. Taohua placed her thumb and forefinger beneath the younger maid’s chin and tilted her head up. Their eyes met, green on brown. Lorina stood there, frozen, shivering like a polar explorer... ...before, all of a sudden, Taohua kissed her. Lorina: "Ah..." Lorina gasped. Taohua hadn’t kissed her lips, but her neck. The older woman’s mouth pressed against a vein, plainly visible beneath Lorina’s pale skin. Taohua’s teeth nibbled experimentally. Lorina started to moan. Lorina: "Aahn... Mm..." Taohua: "Don’t push me away." Taohua mumbled under her breath, lips still pressed against Lorina’s neck. Taohua: "I want to try and cheer you up." Lorina: "A-Ah... I, um..." Taohua: "What?" There was a small pause. Taohua nipped and sucked at Lorina’s neck. The young maid trembled. What was there for her to say? There was nothing she _could_ say, other than a breathy, desperate... Lorina: "Y-Yes..." Taohua: "Good girl. That’s what I like to hear." Taohua drew her lips away from Lorina’s neck and studied her face. Her fingers slipped about Lorina’s front and began to undo the buttons about her shirt; first one, then two, then three. Lorina’s skin was flushed light pink from the warm weather. Freckles ran across her shoulders; spilt across her skin like stars. Taohua: "You’re so pretty, Lori..." Taohua punctuated her words with kisses. She trailed them from the top of Lorina’s neck to the base, where it met her clavicle. Lorina: "Nn... I... Um..." Taohua: "What?" Lorina: "I’m... not pretty..." Taohua: "Adorable, then?" Lorina: "N-No I’m not..." Taohua: "Yes, you are~" Lorina: "A-Am not..." Taohua: "Enough of this. I’m not arguing with you further, Miss Waugh. That is childish and petty — and your claims are easily disproven, too. Case in point." Taohua pressed another kiss near the base of Lorina’s neck and began to suck. Lorina: "Nn..." Lorina whimpered. Her eyes shone with unshed tears. Taohua: "See?" Taohua grinned proudly. Taohua: "Totally adorable." Lorina: "Th-That doesn’t prove anything...!" Taohua: "Do you want me to keep going?" Lorina: "Ah, um..." Taohua: "Ehe~ You’re such a bad girl, Lori! You want me to pleasure you even though we’re outside! How daring!" Lorina: "I-I never said that...!" Taohua: "You English girls rarely say what you mean. Don’t worry." Taohua: "I’m good at reading between the lines." Lorina: "Y-You’re such a narcissist..." Taohua: "Thank you. I’m very flattered." Taohua bit the soft flesh of Lorina’s ear, teasing it between her teeth. Her saliva was warm, but the air beneath the shadowy canopy of trees was cool. The contrast between the two sensations was almost too much for Lorina. Lorina shifted, wriggling like a hooked fish. With every passing moment, her dress slipped further and further down her shoulders. Lorina: "A-Ah...!" Taohua’s hands slipped beneath the loose folds of Lorina’s dress, cupping her breasts possessively. Her long, crescent moon fingernails dug into Lorina’s skin, leaving little red marks. While biting the younger maid’s ear, Taohua’s fingers played with Lorina’s breasts. They were too large to be cupped in her hands without them spilling over. Lorina’s nipples were hard already, aroused both from the teasing and the cool air outside. When Taohua’s fingernails scraped against Lorina’s areolae, the younger maid hissed. Lorina: "Nn... God..." Taohua: "Hm? Do you really think you should be saying the Lord’s name now, my little Lori?" Lorina: "I... I couldn’t help it..." Taohua: "Hmph. I can get awfully jealous, you know? There’s only one name I want to hear on your lips when you’re with me." Lorina: "Y-You’re so _impossible_." Lorina pouted, her cheeks flushed light pink. Lorina: "You’re probably going to go to hell, you know?" Taohua: "You aren’t the first person who’s told me that." Lorina: "Wow. I wonder why." Taohua: "No worries. So long as I get to debase my little Lori a lot, I don’t care much where I go~" Lorina: "Aah... Nn..." Lorina whimpered. She was so wet it was starting to feel uncomfortable. More than anything, she wanted release, but Taohua was too busy playing with her breasts... Lorina: "Aah... Mistress... Mistress, please..." Taohua: "Oh? Do you want something?" Lorina: "I... I-I want... I-I want you to, um... Ah..." Taohua: "Yes?" Taohua pinched Lorina’s nipples with her fingertips and nipped at her neck simultaneously. Taohua’s mouth was wet and sticky — stickier than the pulped blackberries that littered the grass — and Lorina felt like she was being devoured. She was fragmenting, piece by piece, until there was nothing left. Lorina: "I... I-I want you to touch me...! P-Please...!" Taohua: "You know... when you beg like that, it makes me want to bully you even more." Lorina: "B-But why?" Taohua: "Because, cute pet—" Kiss. Taohua: "—I like seeing you squirm." Lorina: "A-Ah, but...!" Lorina blinked, eyes wide with...{w} what? Panic? Longing? Desire? Desperation. Lorina: "I-If... if you touch me, then... I-I’ll squirm even more..." Taohua: "Ah, yes. It does sound rather tempting when you put it like that — but." Taohua punctuated her ‘but’ with another hard pinch to Lorina’s nipples. Lorina: "Nn... A-Ah, nn..." Taohua: "I’m not a wanton hussy. Unlike you, I can control my urges — even if I want nothing more than to break you down and make you moan." Lorina: "B-But—" Taohua: "Shh." Taohua dipped her head, silencing Lorina with a forceful kiss. Taohua: "You forget, my little pet, that _I’m_ the one in control. What I say is absolute. I don’t have to touch you if I don’t want to. I don’t have to do anything if I don’t want to. In fact..." Taohua looked at Lorina with half-lidded eyes, a cat-like smirk curling the corners of her lips. Taohua: "Shouldn’t you thank me for taking such good care of you?" Lorina gasped. Everything hurt — but, at the same time, it all felt so impossibly, unimaginably good. If this really was hell, Lorina never wanted to leave it. She wanted Taohua to keep bullying her, mercilessly, forever... Lorina: "Th-Thank you, Mistress... Thank you for taking care of me..." Taohua: "How lovely. I knew you had it in you." Taohua smiled approvingly and bit down against Lorina’s neck. Her teeth, white like china, nibbled against a black-red bruise that had unfurled across Lorina’s skin. There were numerous other bruises much like that one, in different sizes and shapes, dotted across Lorina’s neck; shocking when contrasted with her pale skin. They were all signs. Symbols. Proof that Lorina belonged to Taohua and nobody else. Taohua: "Hmm... I wonder~" Taohua licked Lorina’s neck experimentally, her tongue flicking across Lorina’s skin. Lorina inhaled. The parlour maid smelt good — or maybe that was the lingering aroma of blackberries, crushed beneath the summer sun, mixed with the damp grass and rich earth. Taohua: "Do you think you could climax without my fingers?" Lorina: "A-Ah... W-Well, um..." Taohua: "How charming~" Taohua giggled softly, nuzzling her head against the crook of Lorina’s neck. She trailed yet more kisses against the younger maid’s flushed skin. Taohua: "I want to see you come, my cute little harlot~" Lorina: "Nn..." Taohua: "Can you do it? Can you come for me right now? I’m sure you can, being so depraved." Lorina: "I-I... I, um... Aahn..." Lorina couldn’t reply. Not properly. Her mind was far too jumbled. She couldn’t stop trembling, and even the slightest breath of wind against her cheeks, her shoulders, her exposed nipples, was enough to make her twitch. Taohua: "Just imagine it..." Taohua’s voice was soft, unusually gentle, as she played with Lorina’s breasts. Every once in a while, she pinched her areolae playfully. Taohua: "My fingers inching down, down, and then even further... Think about them, running along your hipbone, and down to your thighs... The inside of your thighs, now." Taohua: "I can feel how hot you are, and..." Taohua: "Aah, you’re so wet." Taohua: "That’s very unbecoming for a lady, Lori — but I’ll forgive you, because I know you’re a helpess harlot who wants her mistress to desecrate her." Lorina: "Aah... I, ah... Nn..." Taohua: "Hm? Does it feel good? Are you imagining it, pet?" Lorina: "I... I... I-I want to touch..." Taohua: "But you can’t." Lorina: "Wh-Why not?!" Taohua: "Because I said so. You’ll just have to imagine. Imagine my fingers moving closer and closer... Doesn’t it sound nice?" Lorina: "Y-Yes..." Taohua: "Then I’ll run my fingers along your slit slowly, up and down, making it even wetter..." Taohua: "Should I keep going?" Lorina: "Y-Yes...!" Taohua: "Then, let’s see..." Taohua: "I’ll keep stroking you, over and over, until you twitch even more than you are already — and do you know what you’ll do then?" Lorina: "Wh-Wh-What...?" Taohua: "You’ll arch your back, your eyes will roll back in your head, and you’ll start begging me to fuck you with my fingers~" Taohua gave Lorina’s nipples another pinch. The younger maid moaned. Lorina: "A-Ah...!" She was drooling. Her mouth was open, lips parted, and she was actually drooling... How shameful. Taohua: "That’s what you want, isn’t it, my little Lori? You want me to fuck you, don’t you?" Lorina: "Y-Yes, I... I-I want you to fuck me...!" Taohua: "And why do you want me to fuck you?" Lorina: "B-Because..." Lorina swallowed. Lorina: "Because I..." Taohua: "Yes? What are you?" Lorina: "I... I-I’m a harlot with no self control, a-and I just want you to tease me, Mistress! I want you to use me!" Taohua: "Then..." Taohua giggled. Her eyes flashed. Taohua: "Come for me. I want to hear you moan." That was all the prompting Lorina needed. Taohua’s naked body was willowy and smooth. Her arms were slender, her legs were long, and her breasts were modest, but soft and inviting. Outside, the thunder flashed. Though the curtains were drawn, the light still managed to sneak in, illuminating the older woman’s body. Shadows pooled in the corners of Taohua’s eyes, about her nose, and against her neck, but her dark, glossy hair still shimmered. Lorina blinked. For a few moments, she forgot how to breathe. Lorina: "You’re so pretty..." Taohua: "And you, my little Lori, are getting distracted." Lorina: "O-Ow...!" Lorina whimpered. Taohua had just delivered a flick of justice to her forehead. Taohua: "Now, silly little Lori, why don’t you lie down on the bed?" Lorina did as the older woman instructed. She rested one hand against her stomach, warm and soft, while the other lay by her side, fingers curled near her head. Her short, choppy hair fanned across the pillow, some strands sticking to her cheeks. Lorina: "L-Like this?" Taohua: "Mm. Spread your legs a little for me, too." Lorina: "A-Ah, um... O-Okay..." Lorina complied. She spread her legs apart, glancing shyly at the older woman. Lorina: "Is this all right?" Taohua: "It’s perfect. I can see everything like this." Lorina: "E-Everything?" Taohua: "_Everything_." Taohua dipped her head, her dark hair falling over her pale shoulders, and cupped Lorina’s cheek with one hand. Taohua: "You said I’m pretty, but that’s nothing compared to you." Taohua: "I love your flustered cheeks and your soft tummy... and I especially love your breasts." Taohua flicked one of Lorina’s nipples idly. The young maid squeaked. Taohua: "They really are quite large." Lorina: "I-I can’t help it...! Th-That’s just how I am..." Taohua: "And I like you the way you are." Taohua leant against her, her dark hair pooling against Lorina’s belly. Gently, Taohua pressed her mouth against the younger girl’s. Lorina snaked her arms about Taohua’s neck and pulled her closer. Their breasts were pressed together, their tongues entwined. Lorina: "Nn.. Aah... Mm..." Taohua: "Lori..." Lorina hardly registered the sound of the falling rain. It had dulled, turning into little more than background noise. All she cared about was Taohua. When the older maid drew back, a strand of saliva connected the two girls’ mouths. It trembled for a few moments, suspended in the air, though it snapped when Taohua wiped her mouth with the back of her arm. Taohua: "I want to make you feel good, Lori." Lorina: "A-And I... I-I want to make you feel good, too..." Taohua: "I’m glad we’re of the same opinion." Taohua: "Let’s see... How about this..." Taohua was straddling Lorina now. She leant forwards, her head near the inside of Lorina’s thigh. Her behind, meanwhile, was raised in the air, just a little above... Lorina: "Nn..." Lorina’s face flooded scarlet. Lorina: "I-I can see everything..." Taohua: "Me too. I can see how wet you are — right _here_." Lorina: "A-Aaah...!" Lorina twitched, her toes curling in on themselves, as Taohua began to play with her slit with her fingers. Taohua: "Oh, my little Lori~ You really are sensitive, hmm?" Taohua dipped her head, licking at the fluid that was seeping from Lorina’s entrance. Well... If Taohua had already started to lick her, she should return the favour. Wasn’t that the polite thing to do? Lorina reached forwards, cupping Taohua’s buttocks in her hands. Her fingernails were not as long as the other woman’s, bitten down by continued anxiety, but that did not seem to make a difference. Taohua squirmed all the same, sighing softly. Taohua: "Lori... If you touch me there, I’ll be spoilt for marriage." Lorina: "D-Don’t be stupid. You’ve touched me so many times already..." Taohua: "But how can I help myself? You’re adorable!" Lorina: "That sounds like a case of double standa— aaah...!" The younger maid moaned, her hips bucking upwards, as Taohua ran her tongue against her damp slit. Lorina’s fingers dug even deeper into Taohua’s flesh, procuring a moan from the older woman — but Taohua’s voice was muffled. Her tongue was still dedicated to teasing Lorina. Lorina: "If... I-If you’re going to... defile me... I-I’ll defile you, too..." Taohua: "I’d like to see you try, my cute little pet. I don’t think I can be broken down that easily." Lorina: "Let’s try it, then." Lorina slipped her fingers downwards, pressing them against the inside of Taohua’s thighs, and began to push apart the folds of her most private area. The inside of Taoahua’s vagina was exposed. It was wanting, wet, and damp with fluid. Taohua: "Aah... Nn..." The thought that she, the unremarkable Lorina Waugh, had been able to inspire such feelings within an aloof woman like Taohua was almost unbelievable. For a few moments, Lorina found herself quite incapable of continuing. Her eyes were large, her cheeks flushed... Until Taohua glanced over her shoulder, dark hair shifting, and said: Taohua: "Are you going to touch me, Lori, or are you just going to lie there gawping?" Lorina: "A-Aaah...! I-I’m sorry...!" Taohua: "Ehehe. It’s all right. I understand. This is your first time, after all — and I _am_ an undeniable beauty. I enjoy being appreciated, really..." Taohua shifted, moving her behind a little closer to Lorina’s face. Was she trying to encourage her? Taohua: "...But I have needs, too. If you want to be my pet, you have to take care of them." Lorina: "I never thought I’d hear you, of all people, beg." Taohua: "Silly girl. I wasn’t _begging_. I was _commanding_." Lorina: "It didn’t sound that way to me..." Taohua: "Then I’ll have to make you forget everything you just heard, won’t I?" Once more, Taohua began to tease Lorina’s pussy. No longer content to lick against the slit, she slipped her tongue inside. Lorina: "A-Aaah... Nnnn..." Lorina trembled, helpless beneath Taohua’s touches — but she couldn’t let herself give into the sensation. She wanted to make Taohua feel good, too. A little tentative, but eager all the same, Lorina raised her head and began to lick. She worried, at first, that she would do it incorrectly, and she would be unable to make Taohua feel as good as she made her feel, but— Taohua: "Nnn..." It seemed, despite Lorina’s worries, her efforts were — if not ‘good’, then ‘adequate’. ‘Sufficient’. Sufficient enough, at least, to make Taohua moan, and push her tongue even deeper inside Lorina’s pussy — as an act of revenge, perhaps? But Lorina wasn’t going to let her win. Lorina continued to circle her tongue about Taohua’s pussy, trying to find that exact spot where— Taohua: "Nnngh...!" Where Taohua would moan and her body would tremble, as jolts of pleasure coursed through her. And it seemed like she had found it. Lorina decided to focus on this spot; nudging the small bud above Taohua’s opening with the very tip of her tongue. Taohua: "Nn, aah..." Taohua continued to shudder, panting, and her own salacious acts paused for a few moments — before, in another act of vengeance, she began to introduce her fingers. Lorina: "Aaah..." Lorina trembled. This was in no way fair, but... Well. Something about love and war. It was rarely fair. Lorina could feel her pussy contracting, as though desperate to keep Taohua’s fingers buried inside her. Lorina: "I-I, um... Aah..." She was coming — or, at least, she was going to. She could feel it building up inside her... But she didn’t want to. Not like this. She had to make Taohua feel good, too. Trying to restrain her own urges, Lorina redoubled her efforts. She pressed the tip of her tongue against the pale pink bud of Taohua’s clit, teasing it, until— Taohua: "L-Lori... _Fuck_." Lorina: "D-Did that feel good?" Taohua: "It feels so good, nn... Aah... D-Don’t stop..." Lorina: "Hmm? What was that?" Taohua: "Oh? Are you trying to take control, Lori?" Lorina: "Well..." Bolder now, Lorina trailed her fingers across Taoahu’s skin; resting them a few inches away from her opening. Lorina: "You’ve teased me enough in the past. It’s my turn to tease you." Taohua: "Impudent pet..." Lorina: "I’m _your_ impudent pet." Taohua: "I’ll have to punish you later..." Lorina: "Please do, Mistress — but, for now..." Lorina slid a finger inside Taohua’s pussy, then another. Lorina: "What do you have to say?" Taohua: "Aaah... F-Fuck... Fuck, Lori..." Lorina: "What?" Lorina’s fingers sank in even deeper with a soft, wet sound. So she had finally done it. She had managed to make Taohua speechless with pleasure. Whispered curses fell from the older woman’s lips, and her behind trembled while her pussy shuddered. Was she really that desperate to have Lorina’s fingers inside her? Lorina: "Ah... It looks like your petals are all wet, Taohua." Taohua: "For God’s sake, Lori! D-Don’t say that!" Lorina: "What?" Taohua: "‘Petals’..." Lorina: "What’s wrong with it?" Taohua: "It’s... embarrassing..." Lorina: "You mean, you’re actually embarrassed? _You_?" Taohua: "Wh-Who wouldn’t be? That sounds like the kind of line you’d find in a seedy, so-called ‘romance’ novel..." Lorina: "Oh? Do you read such books often?" Taohua: "I might own one or two slim volumes... but that is besides the point." Taohua: "I never imagined somebody would talk to me like the maids and ladies do in those stories..." Taohua: "I-I am a woman, not a rose garden, in case you quite forgot!" Lorina: "Ehehe..." Lorina giggled. So, too, did Taohua. Taohua: "You’re so silly, Lori." Lorina: "Not as silly as you, trying to act so strong and unshakable all the time." Lorina slid her fingers from Taohua’s pussy, let it relax— —before she pushed them in again, even deeper than before. Taohua: "L-Lori...!" Lorina: "Just tell me what you want, Mistress. I won’t understand if you don’t tell me." Taohua: "O-Oh no... Wh-What have I created?" Lorina: "A demon." Taohua: "I-I should have been more carefu— aaah..." Lorina slipped a third finger inside. Taohua was so wet it slid in easily. Taohua: "Lorina... Just... L-Let me come..." Lorina: "Ehehe~ I love you when you’re being honest, Mistress." Taohua: "Well, wh-what about you? You want to come too, don’t you?" Taohua began to stretch Lorina’s pussy with two fingers. She shifted her fingers slowly, spreading her lower lips apart. Lorina: "Aah...!" Taohua: "That’s right... You’ve wanted to come for a long while now, haven’t you, my little Lori? You’re even wetter than I am — listen~" Lorina: "Aaah, mm... M-Mistress... M-Mistress, I..." Taohua: "Is it too much? Are you going to give in?" Lorina: "I... I-I’m close, but I... I-I wanted to come with you..." Taohua: "Ah. You’re so cute and considerate. I like that." Lorina: "Th-Then, can we...?" Taohua: "We can. Let’s make each other feel good together." Lorina: "A-Aaah, Mistress... M-My mistress, I..." Taohua: "Shh. Just enjoy yourself, Lori." Lorina was only too happy to agree. Lorina rocked her hips, pushing her pussy against Taohua’s fingers. She tried to drive the older woman’s digits into herself as deeply as possible. At the same time, Lorina pushed her own fingers inside Taohua; once again using her tongue to tease the erect bud above her opening. Taohua: "L-Lori..." Lorina: "Taohua..." Taohua: "Aah... Nn..." Taohua shifted. With three fingers inside Lorina, she pressed the pad of her thumb against the younger woman’s clit, until— Lorina: "Aaah... Taohua, I... Oh, I, ah... Haaa..." Lorina found herself coming about Taohua’s fingers over and over again. Her vision was completely obscured with white. [ - title - Bokuten - Why I Became an Angel.txt ] ???: "Hey! It's morning!" Tomoe: "...Mm... Hmm..." I woke up. It felt like I had been dreaming until just moments ago, but any recollection I may have had vanished the moment I woke up, like a fog had lifted. I had no idea what sort of dream it could have been. As I tried to remember, I noticed someone was here. ???: "Heave ho... Heave ho..." I heard her familiar voice. This happened so often, it came as no surprise. I opened my eyes... ...and as expected, it was Nakizaki. Naruko: "Come on, hurry and wake up! We're gonna be late!" She yelled as she climbed inside. How many times had I told her not to come in through the window...? The first-story eaves of my and my neighbor's house, the Nakizaki's, were so close that even a child could leap over. Nakizaki had made her way over in that exact fashion (into my room, actually), ever since we were kids. When we were children, you could play it off with comments like, "What a lively girl!" But why did she keep doing such immature things now that we were older? Maybe she just wasn't ready to act grown up? Just look at that. You can totally see her underwear. Naruko: "Wake up!" Tomoe: "...I'm already up." I got up, careful not to look her way. Neither of us gave a second thought to me seeing her underwear at this point. We weren't very sensitive to the fact we were a man and a woman. Even though that was how our relationship worked, it was still polite to look away. Naruko: "Ah, seriously? You were already up?" Tomoe: "Why are you disappointed? You came to wake me up, so shouldn't you be glad it didn't take long?" Naruko: "But _I_ didn't get to wake you up." Naruko: "I wanted to bang a frying pan with a ladle, or tear off your covers. If that didn't work, then I could have jumped on top of you with everything I had!" Tomoe: "..." We'd known each other since we were kids, but I was getting a bit worried. Tomoe: "Are you stressed out or something? I'll definitely give you advice if I can." Naruko: "I'm not stressed out, but if I'm going to do something, then I may as well make a show of it!" Tomoe: "I'm not sure what to think of that line of thought." You _could_ call Nakizaki a party animal. If there were a festival in town, she was the type who would start heaving up the portable shrine first. Wanting to make everything she did fun was praiseworthy, but it _did_ make me worry about whether or not she'd considered what would happen to me as a result. One of these days, Nakizaki was going to come wake me up, and put me down for good. Naruko: "I guess there's nothing I can do if you were already up. I'll make breakfast." She rolled up her sleeves, looking enthusiastic. Tomoe: "I don't need breakfast." Naruko: "No, no! You've got to eat breakfast." Naruko: "Skipping dinner is fine, but you _have_ to eat in the morning." So she said, but she wouldn't let me skip dinner, either. She came to wake me up in the morning, and made me eat three square meals a day. If I left her to her own devices, she would even prepare my clothes for the next day, underwear included, and leave it at my bedside. Naturally, I asked and eventually got her to stop with the underwear. If I left everything to her, I could probably lead the most wholesome lifestyle in the world. Nakizaki's entire family had been watching over me ever since my parents passed away. Her parents said it would be fine for me to live with them, but I declined. That would be far too presumptuous of me. In any case, I was blessed. Tomoe: "That's sarcasm, right?" There had to be someone more deserving than me of such special treatment.
Tomoe: "Fuah..." Naruko: "What, are you still half-asleep? Get it together!" Nakizaki slapped me on the back. It was quite an impact. Tomoe: "Ow... That hurts." Naruko: "If it hurts, then act like it. You're a total zombie." Tomoe: "And you're _too_ lively." Nakizaki was always full of energy, and trying to lift my spirits. She probably had been ever since _that_ day. I knew that, painfully so, and felt bad for her. Naruko: "Come on, hurry up!" Tomoe: "I heard you." I climbed the hill as she pestered me. It was a seemingly endless, winding slope to the school. A certain classmate of mine had seriously considered changing schools because making the climb was too much of a chore. Still, it didn't bother me. As long as I was climbing, I didn't have to think about anything. I could focus on silently putting one foot in front of the other with neither time nor need to think about anything extraneous. That was the best thing about this hill. Even Nakizaki must have been getting tired. She had been carrying this conversation by herself for the most part, but she was gradually talking less and less. ???: "Naruko, morning!" Naruko: "...Hm? That was..." Naruko: "Oh, Kayo?" She spotted her friend disappearing up the hill with incredible momentum, and murmured under her breath. Tomoe: "Your friend?" Naruko: "Yeah, she's from the Track and Field Club." Tomoe: "That makes sense." She was already out of sight. With how she had been running, you'd think she hadn't felt the incline at all. If I could run like that, the world might look slightly different. Naruko: "Joining a club could have done you some good, Kirinokojima." Tomoe: "I wasn't cut out for any of the clubs at our school. Besides, I'm not the 'club' type, anyway." Naruko: "If you're not the 'club' type, then what type are you?" Nakizaki sighed incredulously at how apathetic I was. Naruko: "If only there were an archery club." Tomoe: "It's not like I would have poured my heart into it either way. It would've been enough for me if they'd just let me draw a bow once in a while." Nakizaki's dad was an archery teacher. He managed his own dojo, and had quite a few students. That's where I learned how to use a bow. Even now, I would draw a bow when I felt like a change of pace. It wasn't like I was paying tuition, so I only used them when nobody else was. Naruko: "What a waste. You're so good at it, too." Tomoe: "I am not." Whether I was good or bad wasn't the issue. As far as I was concerned, a bow was just a tool, and nothing more. I heard a faint chime from atop the hill. Naruko: "Ah! The bell!" Naruko: "This is bad, Kirinokojima! We'll be late!" Tomoe: "I told you we didn't have time to sit around and eat breakfast!" Naruko: "Save your whining for later! Hurry up!"
Tomoe: "We ended up being late anyway, huh?" Naruko: "We _almost_ made it, too!" Nakizaki was really annoyed. We came rushing into the classroom, but the teacher had beaten us by a hair. It was really disappointing. Of course, we had just narrowly missed the start of first period, not homeroom. Naturally, the teacher wouldn't overlook it and we were sent out into the hall together. Tomoe: "Hey, Nakizaki... You come to wake me up and make me eat breakfast every morning, so I know I'm in no position to say this, but..." Naruko: "Stop right there! I know what you're gonna say better than anyone." Naruko: "I'm not helping either of us if we're both late in the process." She worriedly held her head. ???: "Challo~!" Just then, we heard an incredibly out-of-place and cheerful voice. The guy who leisurely approached us was our classmate, Kiyohito Taira. This was the same guy who planned on transferring due to the hill. Kiyohito: "Why are you guys flirting so early in the morning?" Naruko: "We're not flirting!" Tomoe: "Nakizaki, you're being kind of loud." Naruko: "I-I know..." Naruko: "Forget about that. What was that 'Challo' supposed to be?" Kiyohito: "Oh, you noticed?" He was beaming. Seemed like he wanted us to notice it. Kiyohito: "It's a new greeting made up from the Italian word 'ciao' and English word 'hello.' Feel free to use it." Naruko: "Why do I have to use some gibberish greeting you came up with?" Kiyohito: "It's not gibberish. I stayed up all last night coming up with it. Thanks to that, I'm totally sleep deprived." Kiyohito sounded proud of it, but Nakizaki just looked fed up with him. Naruko: "Why bother staying up just for that? You seriously had nothing better to do?" Kiyohito: "It's fine! It was fun. Right, Tomoe?" Tomoe: "Why not? I do respect that vitality of yours." Kiyohito: "See, see?" I could tell his triumphant behavior was starting to get on Nakizaki's nerves. Given how serious she was by nature, a part of her must have had trouble accepting Kiyohito's unrelenting optimism. The three of us hung out a lot all the same. Kiyohito was a bit of a loner, though, so he sometimes went off and did his own thing, too. Kiyohito: "So, why are you two standing out here?" Naruko: "We're not standing here because we like it. We were forced to." Kiyohito: "Forced out into the hall at your age? Hahaha! You're like grade schoolers!" He said before cheerfully laughing again. Kiyohito was always laughing. Come to think of it, I didn't think I'd actually ever seen him angry. Kiyohito: "'Kay then. You two stand there and play nice." Naruko: "Huh? Hey, you..." With that, he waltzed confidently into the classroom. And then... ...came right back out. Kiyohito: "She told me to stand out here, too." Tomoe: "Knew it." Naruko: "Of course she did. You were even later than we were." Tomoe: "I'm surprised you barged right into the room like that when we were already forced to stand out in the hall." Kiyohito: "I thought I wouldn't get caught if I acted confident." Naruko: "There's no way that would work!" Kiyohito: "Yeah! Hahaha!" Teacher: "Shut up! Stand there quietly!" Naruko: "I-I'm sorry!" Kiyohito: "Ahaha! She got mad at you!" Kiyohito didn't look like he was reflecting on his actions at all. Naruko: "It's your fault for being so loud. Why am I the one who has to apologize?" Kiyohito: "It's all good. Anyway, let's go to the roof." He made yet another inappropriate suggestion. Naruko: "Huh? What are you talking about? We're supposed to stand here!" Kiyohito: "Standing out here won't do us any good anyway. It's not like we're going to learn anything from it." Naruko: "Big talk from someone who showed up even later than we did." Kiyohito: "I can't do anything about it now. All's well as long as I'm not late next time. 'Don't look back, look forward,' right?" Naruko: "You're so full of yourself. There's no way I can do that!" Kiyohito: "Then we'll just go without you. Right, Tomoe?" Tomoe: "I don't care either way." Naruko: "Huh?!" Kiyohito: "Okay, Nakizaki, we're gonna go now." Naruko: "H-Hey, wait!" A cold wind blew past and chilled me down to my very core when we opened the door to the roof. Kiyohito: "Ugh, so cold!" Naruko: "Of course it is. It's the roof." Naruko: "I still think it's a bad idea for us to come up here during class, especially since we were told to stand out in the hall..." Kiyohito: "Then why don't you head back? We'll just flirt without you." Tomoe: "That's not going to happen." Naruko: "There's no way I'm going back by myself. I can't leave Kirinokojima alone with you." Kiyohito: "Hahaha. You're way too overprotective." Kiyohito went out onto the roof with a laugh and took up his usual, favorite spot: the corner with the best view. The rooftop had recently been made off-limits, but we still used it frequently. It was practically a meeting place at this point. Actually, this spot used to be mine, and mine alone. Before I knew it, these two had joined me. They were both just really friendly. I stood next to Kiyohito, and could see the damp-looking cityscape in the distance. When you stared at it, it felt like it would suck you right in. Tomoe: "..." Kiyohito: "Hey, you okay?" Kiyohito and Nakizaki looked at me, seeming concerned. Tomoe: "I'm fine. Why do you ask?" What did he mean, "You okay?" Naruko: "'Why,' huh...?" Nakizaki peered over the fence, down at the ground. That was when I realized why they were worried. Tomoe: "Yeah, I'm okay. I won't fall." I took a quick look below. We were on a fourth-story roof, so we were pretty high up. Kiyohito: "You've got a record, after all." Tomoe: "That was an accident." Something like that _had_ happened. I once fell from here, but naturally, it wasn't intentional. I was, however, well aware that it was probably my fault that they thought I had fallen on purpose. I looked down again. I may have survived this fall once, but it was high enough that I probably wouldn't survive a second time. Tomoe: "I'm fine." I said it again to convince myself. Naruko: "Well, that's good. Anyhow, it sure is cold!" Nakizaki quickly changed the topic. It was that chilly time of year where we had already switched over to our winter uniforms, and this frigid, windy rooftop definitely took its toll on us. Still, there was no real substitute for how tranquil it was up here. It was so serene, it was as if time had stopped. Even accounting for the fact classes were still in session, this place was indeed quiet. Kiyohito: "Whenever we come here, it seems... like this place is at the end of the world." Kiyohito whispered with a shrug. Tomoe: "Don't you dislike quiet places like this?" Kiyohito liked it when things were busy and lively, but this place was the polar opposite of that. Kiyohito: "Nah. I don't hate them that much. This spot's not bad." Tomoe: "Really?" Kiyohito: "I'm not a picky guy." Tomoe: "Yeah, that's true." I had been hanging out with Kiyohito ever since we wound up in the same class last year. By the way, Nakizaki had been assigned to a different class at the time, so they got to know each other through me. I hadn't known Kiyohito for very long, but I couldn't really recall him ever saying he hated something. Food, people, school subjects... It seemed that way for everything. Kiyohito was a really mysterious guy. Naruko: "That side of you seems kind of suspicious." Nakizaki seemed to dislike that part of him, though. In a way, Nakizaki's personality was the exact opposite. She was very clear about what she liked or disliked, and had a way of making that known to everyone around her. The fact that she wasn't two-faced was Nakizaki's saving grace. That was why everyone trusted her so much. I often saw her giving friends advice. Even though I had witnessed it firsthand in the past, she never shared those conversations with us. She kept everything under strict confidentiality. That was yet another reason why people trusted her. Knowing Kiyohito, he would probably spread rumors the second he heard it. It wouldn't be out of malice, he was just the type who couldn't keep secrets. Kiyohito: "Still, it really is quiet... Fuah..." Kiyohito: "So quiet it's making me sleepy..." Naruko: "That's because you stayed up late thinking about stupid stuff." Kiyohito: "Challo~ ...Fuaaah." Naruko: "Fuah..." Kiyohito: "Oh! You yawned!" Naruko: "N-No, I didn't!" Friends messing around. What an ordinary, silly sight. You could definitely call skipping class and hanging out in a place like this a page straight out of youth. There were times my heart couldn't help but ache when I saw scenes like this one. Tomoe: "..." I glanced over at their discussion, then gently closed my eyes. When I closed them, the world around me vanished. This was all it took to make everything disappear. That's how uncertain a thing the world was. I knew that firsthand. It was engraved into me, along with this throbbing pain in my chest. If it was this easy to make the world disappear, I wish it would just vanish forever... This was a city where thousands of angels supposedly lived, but not even a wish as free of greed as mine would ever come true. The school we attended, Miharugaoka Academy, stood at the crest of a steep and sizeable mountain. There was a great view of the city from its rooftop. The buildings scattered about the cityscape with triangular roofs and crosses at the very top were churches. With a cursory glance, you could spot roughly ten crosses from here. Churches and hills were this city's two biggest attractions. In this city, there was a legend about angels. Long ago, in an era now unknown, the people of this land suffered greatly from famine and disease. Just when all seemed lost, a shaman sacrificed himself and prayed to Heaven. His prayer was answered, and angels were sent to this land. Finally, mankind had found salvation. ...Or so the story goes. It was the sort of legend you could find anywhere. These days, the city used this angelic folklore as a tourist attraction. There were even churches that promised to bring one's love to fruition, and many tourists visited from far and wide for that exact purpose. The gems they called "Heartstones" were another prime example. It was a light-pink stone, said to possess the power of angels, which appeared in this city's folklore. This gemstone was processed into heart-shaped ornaments, keychains, and other paraphernalia, then later sold. Treated as love charms, it seemed to be quite popular among young women and couples, too. However, they were actually made of some common mineral, not of any precious gem worth mentioning, such as morganite. Yeah, that was the legend in a nutshell. There was no way angels really existed. "I want to become an angel..." Tomoe: "..." That practically gave me a heart attack. My vision narrowed, and it became hard to breathe. This was a familiar occurrence, and I got it under control without so much as my expression changing. Nobody would ever suspect a thing. ...But, I suddenly felt something warm on my back. Naruko: "You okay?" It was Nakizaki's hand. I was confident nobody could tell, but she alone was always able to for some reason. Her hand stroked my back like one might to comfort a child. As she did, my heart settled bit by bit. Tomoe: "...Thanks, but you don't have to worry anymore, okay?" Naruko: "Yeah, I know." She moved her hand away. That suffocating feeling had subsided. Nakizaki said nothing more, and stared out at the landscape like nothing had happened. Kiyohito: "Hm? Something wrong?" Kiyohito asked curiously. Naruko: "Uh-uh. It's nothing!" Kiyohito: "Really? Maybe it's just kinda cold today." Tomoe: "Yeah, maybe." Kiyohito didn't know anything about this. It happened way, way before we got to know each other. His intuition just happened to be so sharp that he may have suspected something. He hadn't breathed a word of it, though, so I couldn't tell for sure. Kiyohito: "Why don't we head back to class, then? Yuno-chan might go ballistic if class ends and she finds out we're not there." Naruko: "Yeah. I feel bad for her, so we should try not to cause too much trouble." "Yuno-chan" was the teacher who got mad at us earlier. Yuno Okeyamachi-sensei. Since Okeyamachi-sensei was short and baby-faced, she was constantly worried her students weren't taking her seriously. As such, she always got flustered when the slightest problem came up. It was pitiful to watch our petite, immature-looking, timid teacher get so worked up. Tomoe: "Yeah. Let's head back." As Nakizaki and I headed for the door... Kiyohito: "Oh." Kiyohito spoke up behind us. Naruko: "What's up?" Kiyohito: "Look. It's an angel flash." He pointed far off into the distance. It was at the boundary where the ground and sky met. Several rays of light poured down from the sky just near the horizon. An angel flash, also known as an "angel's ladder." Was it given that name because the bands of light that filtered through the clouds resembled a ladder which led to Heaven? It was a common sight in this city, where angels were said to live. My heart ached once again, ever so slightly.
Naruko: "All right, it's over! Let's go home!" Our ordinary, incident-free day ended, and Nakizaki immediately ran up to me. She always had energy to spare, and was lively right up to the final bell. This worked out well since we were in the same class now, but she had done the same thing when we were in different classes last year. She was almost like my guardian. No, this would be excessive for even a guardian. Thanks to that, people were constantly spreading believable rumors that we were dating. Gossip like that always seemed to resurface no matter how many times we denied it, so I had begun to ignore it. Nakizaki didn't seem bothered, either. Kiyohito: "Hey, why don't we stop by somewhere on the way home?" Kiyohito loved making side trips, so he invited us to tag along. By the way, he also sat next to me in class. Nakizaki had been moved up on the seating chart when it changed at the start of the second semester. She constantly pestered Kiyohito to trade seats with her, but he always said no. I suspected it wasn't that he liked sitting next to me, but more so that he had fun annoying her. Naruko: "Shouldn't you head home early for today? You _did_ end up making Yuno-chan-sensei cry." Kiyohito: "She looked cute when she cried again today, didn't she?" He smiled without a hint of shame. She had admitted to feeling guilty for sending us out into the hallway (in spirit), and tried to bring us back into the classroom midway through the lesson. However, by that time, we were long gone. Naruko: "I felt bad for her, seeing her so angry that she was in tears." Kiyohito: "Everyone enjoyed watching it, though." Naruko: "You're horrible..." Nakizaki was disgusted, but all the students loved seeing Sensei cry, especially the guys. Crying probably looked better on her than any other teacher in all of Japan. There was a cheery ringtone. It was Nakizaki's cell phone. Naruko: "Oh, excuse me a sec." Naruko: "Hello? Yeah, now's fine." Naruko: "What's wrong?" Nakizaki turned her back to us and lowered her voice. It was probably another friend asking for advice. She came back after hanging up. Naruko: "Sorry to keep you!" Tomoe: "Everything okay?" Naruko: "Yeah, it's fine. Come on, let's head home!" Kiyohito: "Were you giving someone relationship advice again on that call earlier?" Naruko: "Yeah, something like that." Kiyohito: "It's always about someone else, huh?" Kiyohito teased, but he was right. Nakizaki was always looking out for others, but I'd never heard anything about her own love life. I had been with her for as long as I could remember, but she had never once brought it up. There was nothing really wrong with her appearance, and I didn't think she was hopelessly unpopular, either. Naruko: "It's fine. I'm not interested in stuff like that." Nakizaki calmly replied. It didn't look like she was faking it, either. Kiyohito: "Hahaha! You're so innocent, I can hardly believe you're really an adult. What do you think, Tomoe?" Tomoe: "Me? Nothing really." Naruko: "Never mind about me." Kiyohito: "Okay then, how have you been lately, Tomoe?" I didn't know what that "okay then" was for, but he directed the subject back to me. What a pain. Tomoe: "You know I don't have any interest in that sort of thing, right?" Kiyohito: "You sure hate women, huh?" Tomoe: "I do not." It _was_ true that I didn't want to deal with them if humanly possible. The subject of love always came up whenever men and women were together. Nothing good could ever come of it. Kiyohito: "But aren't you and Nakizaki always hanging out together?" Tomoe: "Well... That's because Nakizaki is Nakizaki." I'd never thought of her as a woman. She probably thought the same thing about me. Maybe that's why we managed to stay friends for as long as we had. Kiyohito: "Why don't you two just hook up already?" Kiyohito asked, sizing us up with his eyes. I wondered if he was teasing us again, but he looked surprisingly serious. Naruko: "Like I said, Kirinokojima and I aren't like that." She answered, sounding fed up. She probably felt like a broken record at this point. Kiyohito: "I really think you two go well together, though... Neither of you has anyone else, right?" Kiyohito: "Life's too long to spend all alone, you know." Tomoe: "Being alone forever is fine by me." My honest answer made Kiyohito look a little sad. Kiyohito: "Don't say something like that. Not believing in love is depressing." Tomoe: "..." Kiyohito sounded genuinely sincere. I could tell he was thinking of my well-being. Tomoe: "It's okay, really." He looked a little bummed after hearing my answer. I felt like I had betrayed him in some way and became a bit sad myself. Tomoe: "I'm sorry, but really, I'm fine." Kiyohito: "...I see." Kiyohito: "Well, let me know if you're ever up for it. I'll set up a mixer anytime for you!" Tomoe: "Got it." Not that I would ever ask him to throw one for me. Why did everyone always go on about "love this, love that" like it was the most important thing in the world? None of them had a single clue what true love was really like.
Kiyohito's house was in the other direction, so we promptly bid him farewell. Since Nakizaki and I lived next door to each other, we naturally walked home together. We had been neighbors for as long as I could remember: picture-perfect childhood friends. Naruko: "See you later." Tomoe: "Yeah, see ya." I said goodbye and headed for my house. I was finally alone. Tomoe: "..." No one was there to greet me, so I didn't bother saying "I'm home." My mom and dad had passed away when I was younger, so I lived alone. I finished washing up, then went up to my bedroom. After setting down my bag and changing, I had nothing left to do. Tomoe: "..." Why were there twenty-four hours in a day? How did people spend such an enormous amount of time? There were people in this world who said, "Twenty-four hours in a day isn't enough." But I had nothing I needed to do that required that much time. Tomoe: "...Oh, that's right. Homework." Sensei had assigned us homework as punishment for everything that had happened today. I may as well get that taken care of. However, if I did my homework now, then I wouldn't have anything else to do after dinner. Tomoe: "I'll think about that when I get that far." After all, people could only live in the moment. Nakizaki showed up at my door two hours later. She had brought me dinner. Naruko: "Be sure to eat it, okay? I'll come pick up the bowl tomorrow." Tomoe: "I know. Sorry to always make you do this." Naruko: "It's a little late for that!" Nakizaki laughed as she smacked my upper arm. She was like some country lady you'd see on TV. She'd get mad if I said that, though, so I kept it to myself. Naruko: "You don't have to be so modest, though. You should just eat at my place." Tomoe: "Yeah, I know. Maybe next time." Naruko: "You say that, but you never do." Despite giving a suitable response, she instantly saw through me. Of course, I knew she would even as I said it. Being with someone for so long was convenient and inconvenient at the same time. Naruko: "Well, whatever! See you tomorrow. Oh, and you don't need to walk me home." Tomoe: "Yeah. Good night." Naruko: "Mhm, good night~!" Nakizaki left. The moment she did, the house fell deeply silent once more, like it had been isolated from the rest of the world. Tomoe: "..." Tomoe: "Better eat before it gets cold." I ate the dinner she brought me alone, and in silence. Today's dinner was grilled fish with stew: healthy and delicious. Tomoe: "Nakizaki's gotten better at cooking." It seemed like the Nakizaki household brought over a share of food for me from every meal. Their whole family fussed over me since they knew I wouldn't eat anything healthy if left to fend for myself. It might be less work for them if I went over, rather than having them deliver food to me. Not going was just me being selfish. Their home was way too warm and inviting for me. I was much more comfortable alone. Tomoe: "Hm?" I heard sounds coming from inside the house, but no one else should be here. It was coming from... underfoot? Just then, I felt something soft snuggle up to my feet. Tomoe: "Whoa..." Stray Cat: "Meow! Meow!" It was a cat. No, _three_ cats. They were all filthy. If I had to guess, they were all dirty strays who had made this neighborhood their territory. Stray Cat: "Meow! Meow! Meow..." Tomoe: "How do you always manage to get in here?" Stray Cat: "Meow... Meow..." Obviously, they could only go "meow," but I more or less knew what they wanted. Tomoe: "Hungry?" Stray Cat: "Meow, meow!" Looks like I nailed it. It really made me wonder what the point of human language was when we could communicate in this fashion. Especially since there were sentiments you could never convey in words, no matter how hard you tried. Stray Cat: "Meow! ...Meow..." The stray ran out of patience and jumped up on the table. Tomoe: "Hey, I told you to stay off the table." Stray Cat: "Meow, meow!" The tiny animal didn't seem to care. I was disillusioned with the idea of communication. Be it with words or even telepathy, there were some things you just couldn't convey. Tomoe: "You know, you guys probably shouldn't eat too much human food." Stray Cat: "Meooow..." Of course, the worse something was for you, the better it tasted. So many homes in the area were feeding these strays that they had become picky. If they were fed something plain, they would occasionally act stuck up and refuse to eat. Tomoe: "...I guess it's okay once in a while. Eat whatever you want." Stray Cat: "Meow." Maybe they really did understand me. The second I gave the okay, they stormed up onto the table. Stray Cat: "Munch, munch, munch!" Yeah. That was definitely what you would call a "stampede." Tomoe: "Is it that good?" Stray Cat: "Munch, munch, munch!" Nakizaki would definitely be happy that the food she made was being eaten so enthusiastically. This had to be more worthwhile than me eating it, at the very least. Within minutes, the meal Nakizaki and her mom worked so hard to make vanished into another dimension―the dimension known as the stray cats' stomachs. Stray Cat: "Meoooowmeow." After the stray licked my hand to show its appreciation, the little stampeders scurried off elsewhere. Seriously, where were they coming from? Figuring that out sooner or later might be wise. Tomoe: "..." Tomoe: "Thanks for the meal." Just like that, the meal was over. Eating was a pain, so their timing couldn't have been better. Still, I'd better just pretend I was the one who ate it. Nakizaki would probably get angry if she found out. Tomoe: "Now then." I brought the dishes to the sink and cleaned them up. Meals were a chore, but I didn't mind cleaning up afterward. In fact, I preferred doing dishes the most. It felt nice running my hands through the water. An astrology book Nakizaki once showed me said I liked it because Cancer was the star sign of water. When I read that I thought, "Oh, that makes sense." At that time, Nakizaki said, "The constellation Cancer symbolizes maternity, so it's very affectionate," but I thought that was a lie. I wasn't affectionate in the slightest. I decided to take a bath after I finished the dishes. Cancers were supposed to like water, but I found baths quite troublesome. Yeah, I guess that's just how astrology works. I would immediately get dizzy when I used the bath, so I didn't use it much. Heating up the tub just for me was a total waste. Once it got a little colder, I would naturally have to heat up the bath anyway. My bathroom was chilly, so taking nothing but showers all winter would be rough. After my bath, I once again had nothing to do. I considered going to bed, but if I went now, I'd probably wake up in the middle of the night. I had always been a light sleeper, and even the smallest things would wake me. If I woke up in the middle of the night, I'd never be able to get back to sleep. Tomoe: "I'll stay up two... no, at least one more hour." I thought about going and practicing with my bow, but Nakizaki's old man might be using it. Nakizaki's old man, my mentor, had a habit of sneaking out and practicing in the dead of night. It would be bad if I wound up disturbing him. On the other hand, going outside also sounded annoying. Ultimately, I'd probably just laze around and space out. ... Better brush my teeth before going to sleep... I went around and turned off all the lights. Granted, I was alone, so there weren't that many lights on to begin with. Last was my room. I turned off the light and headed to bed. My futon was a bit cold. I had never been in one before, but I bet this was what getting into a coffin felt like. Whenever I got into a cold futon, the thought, "What if I never wake up again?" crossed my mind. People often said that sleep was a lot like death. With that in mind, I submerged into my cold futon and closed my eyes with relief. But, in reality, my eternal rest had never come. Morning always came again, without fail. And tomorrow morning would surely be the same. Tomoe: "..." Nobody was there to respond, so I didn't say "good night." I just silently closed my eyes. When I closed them, a certain person's face crossed the lining of my eyelids. I pretended not to see, and closed even the eyes to my heart.
"It's always darkest before the dawn." Who was it that taught me that? Right now, the sky was as concealed in darkness as that saying suggested. No matter how much I looked up, my eyes found nothing to focus on, unable to see through the deep space. It was so dark that it nearly gave me vertigo. Krk, krk, krk... I slowly drew my bow and aimed into the darkness. This was a traditional "wakyu" bow, not a bow made for archery. I was practicing what I called "Empty Draws," and didn't have any arrow readied. Still, I drew back the bowstring as if one were nocked and my mind wandered. I imagined an arrow flying through the pitch-black night, then quietly striking and sinking into its target as the wind wound around me. Tomoe: "..." Tomoe: "...Hit." With my imaginary task complete, I slowly relaxed the bowstring. I couldn't carelessly release the string without an arrow equipped. The bow would be damaged by the full force that the arrow would normally expel. Essentially, it would hurt the bow, and could even snap the bowstring. As such, I gingerly returned the bowstring to its original position while taking slow, easy breaths. Tomoe: "..." After catching my breath, I quietly drew the bowstring once more, alone in the predawn darkness. "What am I doing this for?" That question no longer occurred to me. I had long since passed that stage. When I drew this bow, over and over again, that thought faded with time. All that remained was the target in my imagination. Only the target, and myself. At this moment, those were the only two things that existed in the whole world. As I drew the bow and focused on my imaginary target, a crimson thread appeared between me and it out of thin air. The target and I were connected by a red thread. It was just like the thread of fate from Chinese lore. That imaginary arrow then followed that thread's path without the slightest deviation before reaching and sinking into its target. Therefore, it hadn't missed. Couldn't miss. This wasn't just a mental projection. If it were equipped with a real arrow, it truly would follow the path of the red thread I had imagined. The arrow would never miss its target, even if it were moving, as long as I could picture this thread. That probably sounded strange, but it was the truth. That was just how a bow worked, as far as I saw it. In the million-to-one event it _did_ miss, it would be because the target and I hadn't been connected. That was why, in my mind, making a connection with the red thread was equivalent to "shooting my arrow." "Empty Draws" were a fundamental exercise. Shooting arrows wasn't common in the modern world, so practicing the basics had become important. That was why I was performing these drills in my house's tiny backyard. Krk, krk, krk... The bowstring quietly roared. I knew the further I drew the bow back, the more power was building within it. By pulling this bowstring, I was entrusting it with my own strength. Much like charging a battery, I put my strength into the bow and, by extension, the "arrow." That power became kinetic energy, and the arrow barreled toward the target. With my strength, it closed a gap I could not cover on my own. It made it to that place I could never reach in my stead. Krk, krk, krk... The bowstring screeched. I directed all my might toward my imaginary target. Where was all of this energy coming from? What was I trying to reach by mustering such strength? It was a vague question, but it dangled before me in the darkness. I had given birth to that question, but now, I had isolated myself from it. I pretended it didn't exist, dedicated myself to my target alone, and took aim. The red thread between me and my target pulled tight. My heart responded, as did my body. In my imagination, I prepared to release the bowstring... Just as my fingertips started to let go... Tomoe: "Huh...?" A shadow shrouded my view. No, not my real vision, but in the world of my imagination. All of a sudden, a third presence appeared in that world where only I and the target existed. Tomoe: "Ah..." In that instant, my fingers released the bowstring that had been pulled back with all their might. I didn't realize what I'd done fast enough. Thwoooop! The bow screamed violently. It was said that this sound was once used to exorcise demons in the "Ceremony of Resounding Bowstrings." Tomoe: "Ow..." A sharp pain, or more of a searing heat, ran through my cheek. Before even checking the string, I figured it must have snapped and hit me. Sure enough, when I looked at the bow, its string had snapped. Tomoe: "...I've done it now." How long had it been since I'd messed up this badly? ...Wait, _had_ I? This was a mistake for sure, but... I looked down at my hands. I could feel the feedback plain as day. Yes, feedback. A sensation I only felt when hitting my target, just as I envisioned. Tomoe: "..." It was gradually getting brighter up above. Although I couldn't see the sun just yet, a portion of it had begun to illuminate the sky. It was that hour where night would end before you knew it, and morning was just around the corner. However, nothing was there aside from the dimly lit sky. ...I was _sure_ I sensed something else. The feedback I felt from shooting through it lingered on my hands. Tomoe: "Ah..." I noticed something fluttering down from the still-dark sky. A white object was swaying to and fro. Tomoe: "Snow?" It was still too early in the season for snow to fall. Although the temperature had started to drop, it was only halfway through October. Based on previous years, there were still two months before the first snowfall. So then, what in the world was this white thing falling from the sky...? I turned my hand to the sky and reached out. The white object swooped down upon me. I couldn't believe my eyes. Tomoe: "Huh? ...A feather?" It was a pure white feather, and a big one at that. If this did belong to a bird, it would have to be pretty massive. A crow...? No, maybe even bigger. Were there any white birds that huge in a residential area like this? It wasn't just a single white feather, either. Like snow, one after another danced down from the sky. And yet, the owner of those feathers was nowhere to be seen. Tomoe: "...Ah." I couldn't see anything in the dark sky, but then, the presence suddenly appeared. It was directly overhead, and there was no time to avoid it. Thud! When I came to, I was lying on the ground. The bow I had been holding had also left my hands. Tomoe: "What was that...?" Without a moment to think, it filled my vision: a figure sprawled out on the ground. After looking closely, it naturally disturbed me to discover that it was a person. Why was she here? Did she fall? _How_ had she fallen? No. There was no way someone could fall here. I looked up, and all I could see was sky. There weren't even any tall buildings around. Had she fallen from a roof? If so, why was she even _on_ a roof? My roof? Or perhaps Nakizaki's roof next door? ...Impossible. No, more importantly, there was something even more bizarre about this. Tomoe: "...Wings?" A pair of white wings were outstretched beneath the girl who had fallen face up. Were they fake? ...No, they didn't look that way at all. If these were fakes, then they were very elaborate ones. And if they were real... No human should have wings growing from their back. Which would mean she _wasn't_ human. In other words... Tomoe: "An angel?" Just then, a streak of light shone across the sky. It was the morning sun. On that morning, an angel descended from the heavens.
It's true that nobody knows what the future holds. Kayo: "Huh? Transfer?" A surprise attack. An ambush. For a moment, what Shunsuke said made my mind go blank. Shunsuke was transferring? Kayo: "I didn't hear anything about that." I accidentally blurted what I was thinking out loud. Shunsuke forced a smile. Shunsuke: "Well, yeah. This is the first time I've mentioned it." Shunsuke: "My parents sprung it on me just a little while ago. They're transferring jobs." Kayo: "I see..." My mind couldn't process it. Shunsuke was transferring? He wouldn't be going to our school anymore? Which meant he wouldn't be here with me anymore. Shunsuke: "We had a good run, but it looks like this is the end, huh?" If another person heard that, it probably wouldn't make any sense to them, but I understood immediately. Kayo: "...Yeah." Shunsuke and I met in elementary school, and had been together ever since. We were always in the same class, too. We were supposed to be together next year as well, since classes weren't being rearranged. I couldn't believe our track record had been broken so suddenly... Kayo: "...Where are you moving to?" Shunsuke: "Hokkaido." I was speechless. Of all places, he was moving somewhere surprisingly far away. I couldn't even pay him a quick visit on the weekends. But, the bigger shock... Shunsuke: "What a drag, huh? I can't stand the cold." Kayo: "..." ...was that Shunsuke didn't seem especially bothered about saying goodbye to me. Kayo: "...Yeah. You're awfully sensitive to the cold, huh, Hashiguchi?" But I guess that was a given. After all, it wasn't like we were dating or anything. Calling him "Shunsuke" was something I could only do in my head. In reality, I'd only ever called him by his surname, "Hashiguchi." I loved him, but I knew he didn't feel the same way. Not that he disliked me or anything, but we were nothing more than friends. That was why he was able to stay calm, even though we would be separated once he transferred. I loved him, but I was still sour about it. Though, I only felt that way _because_ I loved him. Kayo: "When do you leave?" Shunsuke: "It's super sudden! Ten days or so." Kayo: "Ten days..." My mind went blank again. Ten days... Just ten days? This was obvious, but that wasn't even two weeks. Less than two weeks meant it was less than half a month. Those thoughts spun through my mind over and over. Kayo: "W-Wouldn't it be better to wait? Like until the end of the second term or something?" Shunsuke: "If you put it that way, then the end of the school year would only be a little after the end of the second term... and so on, forever, right?" What was wrong with that? ...I wanted to say it, but I somehow held back. Still, it would be nice if he stayed. If he stuck around until the end of the second term, then he may as well finish out the school year. If he did that, he would only have a year left, so he may as well graduate here. Living alone was normal while going to college, so he may as well keep attending school here. Maybe then we could even be in the same class again. Oh, maybe "lecture" was a better term than "classes"? Some part of me vaguely thought that if Shunsuke and I stayed together all the way through college, our relationship might change a little. I had no basis for it; it was just a selfish wish. But I guess a convenient turn of events like that wasn't likely. Shunsuke: "What are you spacing out for?" Kayo: "Huh? ...Oh, nothing." Talk about sad. I was being delusional. Shunsuke: "Maybe you're practicing a little too much? You ran an awful lot today." Kayo: "The tournament is coming up, after all." We were in the Track and Field Club together, and were both competing in sprinting events. I specialized in the 100-meter dash, and he in the 200. Shunsuke: "It's a tournament, but just a city one. It's not worth you getting so worked up over, is it, Ukutsu?" Kayo: "That's not true! They say Uehara-san from Minato Municipal and the first-years from West Ino are _really_ fast." Shunsuke: "It'll be okay; you're faster." His reply made my chest throb and ache simultaneously. How could he so casually say something that caused my heart to jump? Shunsuke always stuck up for me unconditionally. It was mysterious how I truly believed him whenever he said everything would be okay. How many times had I been saved by him telling me that now? But I guess he wouldn't be rescuing me like this anymore... Shunsuke: "I really wanted to participate, too. Oh well. Going out with a bang would've been nice." Kayo: "...Yeah." Shunsuke's transfer was in ten days, and he wouldn't be in our next tournament. I still couldn't fully comprehend that he would be leaving soon. I couldn't find anywhere within me to store that fact. What should I do? How should I handle these feelings of mine?
Kayo: "Haa, haa, haa..." No matter how much I ran, I couldn't shake my depression. I ran really hard in club today, too... I was absolutely exhausted, but I was such an emotional mess right now that my chest would start to ache if I sat still. Kayo: "..." I didn't want this. How long did I need to feel this way? I felt absolutely miserable... Kayo: "Would I feel better if I told him I liked him?" ...Or maybe I'd just be turned down and wind up in a slump. If I was going to be in a slump, it may as well be a complete and utter slump. That matched my personality. Pacing myself and being strategic wasn't my style. That was why I chose the 100-meter dash, and decided to run with all my strength. Whether it was in times of happiness or sadness, when I did something, I gave it everything I had. Even when it came to love... Kayo: "...All right!" I've made up my mind! I'm going to confess to Shunsuke! Even if he turned me down, it would be way better than being gloomy like I was now. Naturally, I didn't _want_ to be turned down, so if it were at all possible, I'd like it if he said yes. Kayo: "Is it true that he likes someone?" I had caught wind of that sort of rumor. The girl who told me about it seemed convinced he liked me, so she sounded pretty happy about it, but... Kayo: "Stuff that convenient... never happens, does it?" My heart was racing. It was pounding so hard at just the thought of confessing my love. Just like it did after a 100-meter dash. I wanted to run away. Kayo: "But... things can't stay this way!" Nothing would ever happen unless I told him how I felt. ...But how was I supposed to tell him? Kayo: "I've... always... loved you..." I tried whispering it to myself. Kayo: "...This is hopeless." My knees felt like they were going to give out. I'd have to be out of my mind to tell him that at this point. Things were so much better before I got to know him. Now that we were friends, it made it even more difficult to say it. Kayo: "What should I do...?" Kayo: "Ah." That was it. At times like this, you prayed. Kayo: "Excuse me..." I opened and walked through the massive church door. Inside, it was deathly silent. Kayo: "Whoa, scary..." Kayo: "It kinda feels like something is here..." Since this was where angels lived, I knew there shouldn't be anything bad here, but I was still a bit scared. This was surely a test. Kayo: "I'm sure they won't listen to what I have to say unless I stop being scared." With that thought in mind, I proceeded further inside. A statue of an angel was enshrined straight ahead, at the very back of the room. While the statue depicted "an angel," it looked like an ordinary adult, not the typical, child-like angel you would expect. Still, this was apparently an angel. I had been told that for as long as I could remember. The churches in this city always had an angel in this spot. I wondered if this was where Jesus or the Virgin Mary would normally be placed? It had been this way since I was young, so I never paid much attention to it, but maybe it _was_ kind of strange? There was some long-standing legend in this area that if someone worthy prayed, an angel would come to save mankind. That may have been why the churches in this city were a bit different from normal ones. I faced the angel statue, fell to my knees, and brought my hands together. Kayo: "Please help me confess my feelings to him..." I didn't pray for my love to be requited. If my wish was _too_ self-serving, something told me it would be met with animosity, and wouldn't come true. Not that I thought an angel would do something so malicious. Kayo: "It will be enough for me if I can tell him how I feel. But... If it is within your power, I hope everything goes well..." This was the first time I'd ever prayed to an angel. My friends often came here to pray, but I'd never done it. I had never felt this strongly about anyone before. There had been boys in class that I thought were nice, but I'd never fallen for one hard enough to pray for them. But, this time was different. Kayo: "Let me tell him... Please just help me tell him how I feel!" I offered a sincere prayer. Would the angel listen to my wish? ???: "I have heard your wish." Kayo: "Huh?!" Surprised, I opened my eyes. But nothing had changed. Naturally, the angel statue hadn't moved, and there was nobody else around. Kayo: "Was it just my imagination?" I was a bit afraid, but this might be a sign from the divine―a message that my wish had been heard. Kayo: "I beg of you!" I took the opportunity to sincerely pray one more time. I wished with all my heart... ...that I could tell him how I feel...
Kayo: "Fuaaaaaaaah... Hua..." I let out a big yawn. In the end, I didn't get much sleep yesterday. The idea of confessing my feelings had made me so nervous, I couldn't even consider sleeping. Kayo: "Have to tell him how I feel... Have to ask him out..." Kayo: "...How should I do it?" Although I had pleaded to the angels, I didn't know what to do next. I wasn't proud of it, but I had never asked out, or been asked out by anyone before. Kayo: "I wonder when I should do it? There's not much time left, so maybe the sooner the better?" What should I do if I asked him out too soon and was turned down (which _was_ highly likely)? There was still time to see him before he transferred, but wouldn't that be awkward if he rejected me? If I asked him out today and got turned down, these remaining nine days would be awkward for both of us. Maybe it would be best to do it at the last second... Kayo: "Oh, but..." If I waited until then and he said okay, then we'd have almost no time to spend together. Being separated by his transfer after we finally started dating would be really depressing. In which case, maybe I should do it sooner... But it was far more likely I would be rejected... Kayo: "...I'm such an idiot." Pointless. This was totally pointless. No matter how much I thought this over, I was never going to make up my mind alone. Kayo: "Maybe I _should_ get someone's advice..." Relying on angels wasn't enough. Either way, I was too unfamiliar with this sort of thing. But who could help me? It would be a real problem if it was someone who couldn't keep a secret. ...Naturally, Shunsuke immediately came to mind. I hated how stupid I was being about all of this. Kayo: "I can't ask for Shunsuke's advice when it's _about_ Shunsuke." I really _was_ a moron. Practically speaking, I'd never asked for advice about this sort of thing before. I didn't have any girl friends who talked about this stuff. Athletics was all I ever worried about, and I always referred to Shunsuke about that. But I guess I wouldn't be able to do that for much longer, either... Kayo: "I really might not be able to see him anymore..." The usual, hilly road suddenly felt like it had become a steep cliff. My legs were heavy and wouldn't move forward. Was this hill always so steep? I may have scaled this hill every morning just to see Shunsuke. Maybe that was why it hadn't seemed like a harsh climb. Now that I wouldn't see him anymore, it had become a painful trek... Kayo: "I don't want to say goodbye like this." At the very least, I had to tell him. I had to tell him how I felt. Kayo: "...Oh, that's right." I should talk to Naruko in situations like this! Naruko would definitely help me out! She was a total busybody at heart. But I could definitely trust her. I hadn't heard much gossip about her, but I was pretty sure there were _some_ rumors about her and that boy with the long name she was always with. I felt a little awkward asking for advice directly, but Naruko and I got along well, and I couldn't afford to worry about appearances any longer. Kayo: "...All right! I'll do just that!" I went through my cell phone's address book and located Naruko's number. Kayo: "...There!" I closed my eyes and pressed the call button.
Tomoe: "..." Girl: "..." The morning sun was shining on the unknown girl that had suddenly fallen from the sky. This didn't seem to be a dream. Once I realized that, I quickly made sure she was alive. Tomoe: "...Phew." She seemed to be breathing and, from what I could see, didn't have any external wounds. I was worried she had hit her head when she fell, but... Tomoe: "Is she... human?" She looked human at a glance, but would a person suddenly fall out of the sky like that? Also... Tomoe: "Feathers?" I could see something resembling feathers sprawled out behind her. Pristine and white... Yes, just like angel wings. I had never actually seen an angel, so I wasn't sure. Still, there was no way angels really existed. Maybe she was cosplaying or something? There was even a halo dangling above her head. Tomoe: "..." Timidly, I tried touching the floating ring. Fwoosh... I couldn't touch it. My fingers slipped through just as they should have made contact. All I felt was a slight warmth. Tomoe: "Maybe she really is from another dimension or something?" No, I wasn't admitting it was an angel. It could also be a hologram or something. This time, I touched the feathers on her back. Prod, prod... Tomoe: "Ah..." I gave them a quick touch. They _were_ feathers... Feathers, soft as down. I gently gripped one and tried pulling. Girl: "Aah..." And got a bizarrely erotic moan in return. It wasn't the sort of noise I expected given her youthful appearance, so I got the feeling I had done something awful. Tomoe: "...Are these really fake?" They didn't _look_ fake, and felt lukewarm. Almost like they carried body heat... Tomoe: "Should I... call an ambulance?" You'd normally call an ambulance when someone collapses, right? Maybe even the police, given the nature of the accident. I knew that logically, but my body refused to move. My intuition was telling me, "This isn't an ordinary human, so there's no point in calling an ambulance or the police." If she wasn't a normal human, then what was she? She couldn't be a real angel, right? ...Impossible. Tomoe: "I give up." If she _was_ some inhuman oddity, I would be better off leaving her be. But, if she _was_ human, she needed an ambulance and proper medical treatment. If I ignored her and she _was_ human... Tomoe: "...Guess I have no choice." Girl: "Pii... Puu..." There was no way around it, so I carried the girl inside for now. When I picked her up, the feathers on her back didn't fall off or slip out of place. All I could imagine was that they _must_ have been growing straight from her body. Could she really be an angel...? Girl: "Pii... Puu..." Tomoe: "...Couldn't be." She snored in her sleep, and it was a pretty stupid noise at that. There couldn't be angels like this. With that said, it was hard to believe she was an ordinary human, either. Tomoe: "...Well, whatever." Best to just leave whatever I don't understand alone. I would probably figure it out once she woke up. I was up early for once, so I may as well get ready for school ahead of time and avoid being late like yesterday. Tomoe: "Now then, I wonder if Nakizaki will be here soon?" After what happened the day before, she would most likely show up earlier than usual. I checked the clock, and it was about that time. Girl: "...Mm... Mmm..." Tomoe: "Ah..." At that moment, the sleeping girl stirred. I took a peek, and her long eyelashes trembled. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Girl: "..." Tomoe: "..." Our eyes met, and we stared at each other. Her sleepy eyes gradually began to brim with emotion. She gazed back at me with wonder. Girl: "...Huh, a person? It is almost like he is looking at me..." Tomoe: "I _am_ looking at you." Girl: "...Huh?" Those drowsy eyes grew ever wider, and then... Girl: "HYAAAH?!" She leapt to her feet and jumped back at least two meters. Such a rude reaction almost made it seem like she had seen a monster. Girl: "Wh-Wh-Why can you see me?!" Tomoe: "How am I supposed to answer that? I see you, plain and simple." Girl: "What? ...Huh, my body is..." The startled girl examined and touched herself all over. She made it sound as if being visible was some sort of big deal. Girl: "Wh-Why am I...?" Girl: "...Wait, huh? Wh-Where am I? Why am I here...?" She looked around restlessly. It seemed she was finally taking in her surroundings. She didn't look all that angelic; more like a lost little girl. Tomoe: "You don't remember anything?" Girl: "Right. I have no idea why I am here." Maybe she _did_ hit her head when she fell? No, more importantly, who and what was she? Tomoe: "Hey, are you..." Tomoe: "Ah..." Naruko: "Morning! Kirinokojima, you up?!" It was Nakizaki. Sounded like she was using the front door for once. Tomoe: "Could you wait just a minute?" Girl: "Ah..." I left the girl behind and headed to the entryway. Naruko: "Oh, morning!" Naruko: "You weren't there when I peeked into your room, so I came in through the front door." Tomoe: "I wish you'd do that _all_ the time." Naruko: "But I'm so used to the other way. Also, you're up unusually early, aren't you? Something wrong?" Tomoe: "Well, sort of..." How should I explain it? Naruko: "What's wrong?" Tomoe: "Could you come in for a second?" A picture was worth a thousand words. Better just have her take a look. Tomoe: "Huh...?" When I got back to the living room, the feathered girl had vanished. Tomoe: "Where did she go?" I checked the kitchen, washroom, and even the bathroom, but she was nowhere to be found. Tomoe: "She disappeared?" Naruko: "What's wrong? You've been acting weird since I got here. Did another stray cat get lost or something?" Tomoe: "...No, it's nothing." If she just up and left, then I guess that was fine. Maybe it had been a dream, an optical illusion, _or_ even a hallucination. If that _was_ a hallucination, then that was a pretty realistic one. Or maybe I'd finally gone mad. Naruko: "Are you sure it's nothing?" Tomoe: "Yeah, I'm sure. It was probably just a ghost or something." Naruko: "Huh?! A g-ghost?" Come to think of it, Nakizaki didn't fare well with ghosts or other scary things. Naruko: "W-Was this house always haunted?" Tomoe: "Maybe I've been possessed?" Naruko: "S-Stop it! L-Let's hurry to school, to school!" Tomoe: "Huh? What about breakfast?" Naruko: "Never mind that! Skipping a single meal won't kill us!" Tomoe: "That's totally different from what you usually say." Naruko: "I have plans with friends today! Come on, hurry up!" Tomoe: "At least let me go grab my bag." Yeah, maybe I really had seen a ghost. I'll stick to that story. A ghost would be way better. Better than an angel, of all things...
Kayo: "If I remember right, didn't they make the rooftop off-limits?" A sign that read, "Entry Forbidden!" was plastered on the metal door in front of me. Despite that, it seemed to be unlocked. Naruko mentioned it, too, so it must have been all right. I got in touch with her this morning on a whim, and she asked me to come to the roof during our lunch break. When I indirectly mentioned I wanted to talk in private, she claimed to know the perfect place and directed me here. I forgot about it at the time, but now that I was here and had seen the sign, I remembered this place had been made off-limits to students. Someone had fallen off the roof last year, and everyone freaked out about it. By some miracle, they didn't seem to be hurt that badly, and the rumors quickly died down. Kayo: "...Well, why not?" Kayo: "I guess no one would come up here... and it looks like Naruko hasn't shown up yet, either." The rooftop was deserted; not a soul in sight. I guess I had gotten here first. Kayo: "Maybe I should come back later..." Waiting here alone made me feel kind of uncomfortable, especially since it was off-limits. Kayo: "But the view is nice..." It was the first time I'd ever been here, but the view was spectacular. There was an unobstructed view of the entire city. Kayo: "So this is what the rooftop is like." I knew I had barged up here without permission, but it was such a waste for this spot to be off-limits. I may as well wait here a while. Was there anywhere to sit? Kayo: "...Huh?" After looking for and finding a place to sit, I was shocked to find someone already there. A young man was sitting there quietly, doing nothing but staring off into the distance. I hadn't noticed him at all. I was positive I had surveyed the entire roof when I was looking around for Naruko, too... Kayo: "..." What should I do? Sticking around here all alone with some stranger would be awkward. Maybe I _should_ come back later... Or so I thought, when the boy turned to me. Kayo: "Ah..." My heart skipped a beat. It wasn't because he was attractive or anything; he wasn't my type in the slightest. But, those eyes of his... He looked my way, but I felt invisible to him. It was a strange gaze, and I wasn't sure what he was staring at. Also, it didn't feel like he was _actually_ there. It was hard to describe, but... he was like... a ghost. Tomoe: "..." I watched him for a while when it suddenly hit me. I was certain he was Naruko's childhood friend, the one with the ridiculously long name rumored to be in a relationship with her. Once I realized that, I worked up the nerve to speak to him. Kayo: "U-Um... Where's Naruko?" I made up my mind, and asked him. Tomoe: "She hasn't shown up yet. The teacher asked her to collect handouts." Kayo: "Oh, I see." Tomoe: "..." Kayo: "Uh... All right, I guess I'll come back later." This was super awkward, and I had nothing else to talk about. It didn't help that he exuded an aura that screamed "Stay away." Kayo: "Okay then, I guess I'll..." Naruko: "Kaaayo!" Kayo: "Wah!" When I turned around, Naruko was there. Her usual smile and cheerful aura were a major relief. Naruko: "Sorry I'm late. Sensei asked me to do something." Kayo: "Oh no, I'm sorry for asking for your help out of the blue." Naruko: "Why are you acting so stiff? We're friends, after all!" Seeing Naruko's smile kind of made me want to break down into tears. Kayo: "Ooh..." Oh no, I really was tearing up. Naruko: "H-Hey, what's the matter? You okay?" Kayo: "S-Sorry... I'm fine, but..." The tears kept coming, and they wouldn't stop. Naruko hugged me, but that just made me cry even harder. Naruko: "Um, Kirinokojima. Sorry." Tomoe: "Yeah." The guy from earlier faced away. It looked like he was being considerate and excusing himself. Tomoe: "..." However, he stopped for a moment and turned back to us, as if he wanted to say something. Tomoe: "..." He ultimately kept quiet and left the rooftop. His eyes looked so lonely. I wonder what he wanted to say to me...? Naruko: "What's wrong?" Kayo: "That boy... Kirinokojima-kun, was it?" Naruko: "What about him?" Kayo: "Didn't he look really lonely to you?" Naruko: "Oh..." Naruko: "You think?" Now Naruko looked sad, too. Maybe I shouldn't have asked? Kayo: "Sorry for asking such a strange question." Naruko: "Uh-uh, you didn't. Anyway, you wanted my advice on something?" Kayo: "Oh, yeah. Actually..." His eyes weighed on my mind even as I spoke. What must someone have to go through for their eyes to become so full of sorrow?
Tomoe: "If I can't stay there, then I have nowhere else to go." That crying girl from earlier popped into my mind as I walked. She must have been worried about something love-related. I'm sure that was it. I remembered watching her as she gallantly dashed up the hilly road. Her valiant figure, running away like the wind... She must have fallen in love in an equally exhilarating way. Although it was lunch time, there were students running around on the sporting grounds. Tomoe: "That's..." ???: "Oh! If it isn't Kirinokojima!" He called out to me as I stared. I thought for a moment and remembered his name: Shunsuke Hashiguchi. Last year, I was chosen via lottery, and wound up on the Athletics Festival Committee with him. I was forced into it, but Hashiguchi had nominated himself for the position, and worked really hard because of it. That reminded me: he was in the Track and Field Club, just like the girl from before... What a strange coincidence. Shunsuke: "It's been ages! Doing well?" Tomoe: "I guess." Given my personality, Hashiguchi and I weren't all that close. He just happened to be such a cheerful guy that he talked to me regardless. Tomoe: "What about you? You look the same as ever." He gave off the impression that he practiced in the Track and Field Club with zeal. It occurred to me that I'd seen him running during lunch like this a few times back then, too. Shunsuke: "I've got a few things going on. I'm actually transferring soon due to my parents." Tomoe: "You're transferring? I see. When?" Shunsuke: "Really soon. Next week." Tomoe: "That's pretty sudden..." Something about this bugged me. Could this be related to why Nakizaki's friend from earlier was asking her for advice? Tomoe: "Sounds like a lot of trouble." I gave a neutral reply, not wanting to get involved any further, but Hashiguchi didn't seem to mind. Shunsuke: "Yeah, it's a huge pain! I've got a lot going on right now, too." On the contrary, he opened up on his own. Tomoe: "Well, yeah, that makes sense." I answered, implying he didn't need to tell me anything more, but he didn't seem to get the hint. Shunsuke: "That's right! I had a girl I liked, too." Tomoe: "..." Why was he telling me, someone he hadn't seen in forever, something like this? People sure acted weird when they fell in love. Shunsuke: "Oh, sorry. We haven't talked in ages and I'm rambling." He must have seen the confusion on my face and apologized. Even so, he kept on talking. Shunsuke: "I may not look it, but I've got a lot on my plate. It's actually hard for me to talk to the people I'm closest to, so running into you here must be some sort of fate." I wish he wouldn't just up and decide this was "fate." But, if he was interested in that girl from before, then I more or less understood the situation now. If she was consulting Nakizaki for advice on love, and was interested in Hashiguchi, then Nakizaki would likely tell her to confess her feelings before he transferred. As long as she asked him out, he would say "okay." Completely straightforward. Shunsuke: "Well, she's always been out of my league. I'm not the sort of person she would really go out with." Tomoe: "Out of your league..." I brought that girl from earlier to mind. Out of his league... I felt bad saying this, but she didn't seem like it? Shunsuke: "She's the all-around idol of the academy, Koyuki Arie-san, after all." Tomoe: "...I see." I didn't know anyone named Koyuki Arie, but I knew it wasn't that girl from the roof. I was fairly certain her name was "Kayo." I guess nothing ever goes that smoothly. No matter what sort of advice Nakizaki gives her, her tears will go unrewarded. This was exactly why relationship advice wasn't something you should give out frivolously. Shunsuke: "I wasn't going to originally, but since I'm transferring anyway, I figured I may as well tell her how I feel before I leave." Shunsuke: "If she turns me down, we won't see each other after that anyway." Tomoe: "...I see." He didn't need to ramble on about it to me. Love sure makes people talkative. Why do people feel the need to fall in love so badly? Was it because nobody knows what true love actually means, and how terrifying it can be? Or maybe it was because they didn't know how unhappy love makes people. There were even people convinced of the exact opposite: that love was the secret to human happiness. I believed "Love is blind" was a common saying. People typically meant it a different way, and it probably _was_ meant to be positive, but there was a lot of truth to those words. Maybe this was what people meant when they said, "Language can be powerful." Shunsuke: "Oh, sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to talk about this stuff when we haven't seen each other in so long." Tomoe: "...It's fine." Tomoe: "Well, it sounds like you have a lot going on, but take care of yourself." Shunsuke: "Yeah, thanks. You take care, too, Kirinokojima." Telling me what was on his mind must have made him feel better. He looked much happier. However, it made me feel equally gloomy. Was this nuisance of a thing called love, which dragged even outsiders like me into its clutches, something that could ever work out?
Naruko: "Sorry, but could you go home without me today?" When class ended, Nakizaki came over to my desk and said that. I more or less got the hint that she was going to talk to that girl more, so I nodded without a fuss. Kiyohito: "Still running the 'Naruko Nakizaki Advice Center'?" Kiyohito chimed in from the sidelines. He was smiling and looked quite amused. Naruko: "Don't make fun of me. This is serious." Kiyohito: "I'm not trying to make fun of you. Want me to help out, too?" Kiyohito seemed surprisingly serious, but Nakizaki shrugged at him. Naruko: "That's okay. It would probably be a huge pain if I asked you to help." Kiyohito: "Ahaha, you can say that again." Tomoe: "Not going to deny it?" It definitely _would_ be a pain. I wasn't sure what his outlook on love was, but it was probably a little out of the ordinary. Kayo: "Naruko." I heard a mild-mannered voice calling out to her. When I looked over, I saw half a body peeking into the classroom, waving at Nakizaki. Naruko: "Mhm, coming!" It looked like they were going somewhere together. I probably didn't even need to guess where. Suddenly, I felt gloomy. Naruko: "See you tomorrow, then." Tomoe: "Yeah." Kiyohito: "Challo~!" Nakizaki waved and ran off. Kiyohito: "Why don't we head home ourselves?" Tomoe: "Yeah." Naruko: "Oh, Kirinokojima~" Nakizaki came back for some reason. Kiyohito: "What, forget something?" Naruko: "It's not that; I just need Kirinokojima really quick..." Nakizaki looked my way with a troubled expression. Naruko: "Could I borrow you for a second?" Tomoe: "Me?" That girl from earlier was anxiously staring at me from the doorway. I had a bad feeling about this. To be honest, I didn't want to come along. But she always did so much for me, and rarely asked anything in return. I couldn't refuse without hearing her out first. Naruko: "This is my friend, Kayo Ukutsu. Kayo, this is my childhood friend, Tomoe Kirinokojima." Nakizaki introduced us to one another. Ukutsu stared at me with a serious expression on her face. Kayo: "Sorry to drop this on you so suddenly! But... There's something I need to ask you, Kirinokojima-kun." Tomoe: "...What is it?" Kayo: "You talked to Shunsuke Hashiguchi in the schoolyard during lunch, right? You were far away, but I happened to notice." Ah, now it made sense. She saw that? Kayo: "Are you two close?" Tomoe: "No, not really. We were just on the Athletics Festival Committee together last year." Kayo: "I see..." Ukutsu looked a bit disappointed when she realized we weren't all that close, but there was still a shred of hope in her eyes. Kayo: "What did you guys talk about?" Kayo: "Oh, I'm sorry for prying out of the blue like this." Despite apologizing, she still waited for my answer. Tomoe: "We ran into each other for the first time in a while and I heard he was transferring soon. It surprised me since it all sounded very sudden." Kayo: "That's all?" Tomoe: "More or less..." At that point, my answer naturally got ambiguous. Now that we'd gotten to the heart of her question, Ukutsu didn't seem to know what else to ask, either. Naruko: "Sorry to spring this on you." Nakizaki jumped in and threw her a lifeline. Naruko: "Um... If you happen to know anything, please tell us. Only if you know for sure, okay?" Nakizaki added on that comment at the end. She was basically telling me I didn't need to force myself to answer. She had become cautious of dragging me into conversations like this. Naruko: "Does Hashiguchi-kun like anyone right now?" It was the exact question I expected. That was most likely what she wanted to ask me from the start. She may have guessed we talked about something like that this afternoon just based on the mood, even if she hadn't heard anything in detail. Kayo: "I'm sorry for how sudden this may seem, but if you have any idea, could you tell us?" Ukutsu looked at me with her hands pressed together. I didn't hesitate. Tomoe: "It seems like it." Kayo: "...What?!" A question mark popped up over her head. Maybe my answer was too blunt. So, I told her flat-out one more time. Tomoe: "Hashiguchi seems to have someone he likes. He said so this afternoon." Kayo: "H-He does?" Fear leapt to Ukutsu's eyes. But then, a different light gradually began to gleam in her eyes: a light of hope. Kayo: "So... Wh-Who is it?" Ukutsu's voice was shaking. The way she was acting may have put me in a spiteful mood. Why? Because she was exuding this aura of anticipation from her whole body, seemingly wondering, "Is it me?" She may have been hopeful since I was so quick to answer, and assumed I couldn't have done so if it was an answer she didn't want to hear. People normally _were_ thoughtful like that. An ordinary person would either beat around the bush, or pretend they had no idea if they knew the answer would hurt her. People in love subconsciously felt entitled to that sort of consideration from those around them. I doubted she meant anything bad by it, but I also couldn't forgive how arrogant she was being. How could she calmly drag someone completely unrelated into her own business? Kayo: "If you know, won't you tell me?" Tomoe: "...Someone called 'Koyuki Arie,' apparently." Kayo: "...Huh?" Ukutsu looked mystified when I spoke that name. The very next moment, it was replaced with an expression of despair. I immediately regretted it. Kayo: "'Koyuki Arie'..." Naruko: "The third-year?" Tomoe: "He didn't say, so I'm not sure." Kayo: "Is that right...?" Ukutsu was visibly dejected and drooped her shoulders. ...It looked like she _had_ gotten her hopes up that she was the one Hashiguchi had feelings for. However, those hopes were short-lived, and crushed into a million pieces. And of course, I was the one who had crushed them. Kayo: "Haha... I see... I'm such an idiot." This time, she laughed at herself. Her feelings darted from hopeful, to hopeless, to laughing... Kayo: "I see... Who knew..." Her eyes began to water. Nakizaki hugged Ukutsu gently to help hide her tears. Naruko: "Kayo..." Tomoe: "..." What a farce. I was such a fish out of water here...
Naruko: "I'm sorry I got you wrapped up in all of this." A short while after we said goodbye to Ukutsu, Nakizaki apologized as we were walking home. Tomoe: "Oh, it's okay." Naruko: "No, I'm sorry." She bowed her head as we walked. Naruko: "But..." She looked up at me semi-angrily. I kept walking, feeling her eyes drilling into the side of my face. Naruko: "Kirinokojima, didn't you realize Kayo was asking me for advice about Hashiguchi-kun?" This rarely happened, but she sounded like she was scolding me. Considering what I'd done, that was probably to be expected. Tomoe: "More or less." There was no use hiding it, so I answered honestly. Naruko: "Then why did you say that?" Tomoe: "Why? Because she asked." Naruko: "Because she asked..." Naruko: "You must have known answering that way would hurt her, right?" Tomoe: "I guess that _is_ how it would normally go." Naruko: "Then... Why?" She stopped in place and glared hard at me. I was surprised to see not anger, but sadness, show in her eyes. Tomoe: "Even if I hadn't, she would've found out eventually. It's a fact: Hashiguchi would have told her the exact same thing." Tomoe: "Isn't it better if she learns the truth ahead of time? Now she can accept it and move on." Naruko: "You may be right... but you need to work on your wording." Tomoe: "Setting aside whether or not I need to put that much thought into what I say..." Tomoe: "Was the answer I gave such a big problem?" Naruko: "What do you mean?" Tomoe: "Hashiguchi _does_ seem to like someone other than Ukutsu-san. What's wrong with that?" Naruko: "'What's wrong with it'...?" Tomoe: "I mean, if she honestly didn't want to know, she'd be better off just loving him in her fantasies." Tomoe: "Is it really such a big deal that Ukutsu knows Hashiguchi loves someone else?" Naruko: "It _is_ a big deal. How he feels will obviously determine whether Kayo's feelings will get through to him." Tomoe: "If Hashiguchi didn't love her, would she hate him for it?" Naruko: "Huh? I doubt that would happen..." Tomoe: "If she really loved him, it shouldn't matter who he loves." Tomoe: "No one can take the feelings she has for Hashiguchi away from her." Tomoe: "If Ukutsu truly loves him, even if he happened to have a girlfriend, it shouldn't matter." Tomoe: "She's still free to keep on loving him. Nobody can stop her from doing that." Tomoe: "But if that's enough to make her fall out of love, then her feelings weren't very strong to begin with." Tomoe: "If she cares so little that she can only love him if he loves her back, she would be better off giving up on him now while she's ahead." Tomoe: "If this were true love, something this small wouldn't give her doubts." As soon as I got that out of my system, I regretted it once again. Nakizaki was still looking at me with that sad expression. Naruko: "What you're saying may be true..." Naruko: "...but not everyone is as strong as you are, Kirinokojima." Tomoe: "Me? Strong?" I couldn't believe my ears. Nakizaki looked startled and covered her mouth. Naruko: "...I'm sorry." Tomoe: "It's okay..." I had ranted about this stupid topic for too long. Tomoe: "But..." Tomoe: "I'm not strong." I had to say that much. I wasn't strong, and Nakizaki was well aware of it. So, why was she saying this? Naruko: "Yeah, I'm sorry." She meekly apologized, but I wasn't sure whether my feelings had gotten through to her or not. There was absolutely no way I was strong. If that were true, then I should have been able to protect what was precious to me... That awkwardness hung over us until we eventually arrived home. Naruko: "I'll bring you some dinner later." Tomoe: "No, I'm fine for today." Naruko: "Huh? Why?" Tomoe: "I don't have much of an appetite. I was thinking of going to bed early." Naruko: "Oh... Is that really it?" She inquired, most likely suspecting I was mad at her. Tomoe: "That's it. I just don't have an appetite." It was true. This was why you shouldn't stick your nose into people's love lives. Naruko: "Okay, got it. I'll make a fancy breakfast for you tomorrow, then." Tomoe: "Yeah, that would be a big help." I responded to her smile with one of my own. Now things could go back to normal tomorrow, as if nothing had happened. For us, this was routine. It was like a pearl of wisdom we had cultivated in our long time together. Naruko: "Okay, see you tomorrow." Tomoe: "Oh, Nakizaki." Naruko: "Mhm? What is it?" Tomoe: "Would it be okay if I used the dojo right now?" Naruko: "Dad said he was going to go drinking today, so I think it's probably fine. Going to practice for a bit?" Tomoe: "For a little change of pace." Naruko: "I see. Come bring the key back after you're done, then." Tomoe: "Yeah. I'll come by after, then." She left me with a smile and headed home. Time to go focus and cool my head a little. If I went to sleep now, I knew I would have bad dreams.
Krk, krk, krk... I felt myself gradually focusing inward as I listened to the sound of the bow being drawn to its limit. Hit. But I wasn't caught up on whether or not I would hit the target. I nocked the next arrow with a clear mind and drew the bow once more. The only thing visible in my sights was the target. When I focused straight ahead, the target sitting twenty-eight meters away felt like it was right in front of me. I would never miss such a close target. Therefore, it would hit. Hit. With every hit, my chest ached. I disregarded the pain and drew my bow with a clear mind once more. My chest ached. Maybe I was drawing the bow in order to feel this pain? Krk, krk, krk... Tomoe: "Ah..." My hand halted mid-draw. But in an instant, that figure disappeared. Tomoe: "Am I seeing things?" I thought "that" had appeared again. What in the world was that? It couldn't possibly be a real angel... Tomoe: "...Now my motivation is totally shot." I had only just started, but I'd completely fallen out of the mood to practice. Tomoe: "Guess I'll just go to bed." I gave up and turned my attention to the night sky. My smoky white breath soared above me, as if sucked up into the starry abyss. The pain in my chest had already dissipated.
Naruko: "Hey, it's morning!" I awoke to Nakizaki's cheerful voice. Naruko: "Wake up!" Tomoe: "I told you not to come in through the window." Truly the usual routine. I could see her underwear again, too. It would be nice if it weren't quite so recurring. Still, having a routine was also kind of nice. Naruko: "I'll get breakfast ready, so hurry up and come downstairs." Tomoe: "Yeah." Tomoe: "Hey, Nakizaki." Naruko: "Mm?" Tomoe: "That girl yesterday, Ukutsu; how is she?" After I asked, Nakizaki stared at me blankly for a moment before she grinned. Naruko: "If you're so worried about her, then you didn't need to say it like that." Naruko: "She's fine, though. I called her yesterday; she seemed to have calmed down, and was trying to come to terms with it." Tomoe: "I see..." I'd expect no less of Nakizaki. Looks like she followed up with her after the fact. Naruko: "Okay, get changed, wash your face, and then it's breakfast time." Nakizaki went downstairs. Maybe it was my imagination, but it sounded like there was a spring in her step. Naruko: "Oh, hey, Kirinokojima? Would you rather have bread or rice..." Naruko: "Mmoooh?!" Her lively tone quickly changed into a muffled shriek. Naruko: "K-Kirinokojima...!" This time, she yelled so loudly the whole neighborhood probably heard her. Tomoe: "Wh-What is it?" Tomoe: "Hey, what's wrong?" I ran into the living room, and Nakizaki was stiff as a board. She was staring at something, her eyes round as saucers. Tomoe: "What's wrong?" Tomoe: "...Ah." There was no need to ask. The thing that had surely shocked her was lying on the floor. Actually... It looked more like a person than a "thing." Angel?: "Zzz... Zzz..." It was the feathered girl I had seen yesterday morning, and in the illusion I had seen last night. She was supposed to have vanished, yet here she was: curled up asleep on my floor. Tomoe: "Why is she back again...?" Maybe that wasn't an illusion last night, either? Naruko: "'Again'...? You know her?" Tomoe: "No, not exactly..." How should I explain it? I came up short and put my eyes back on the sleeping girl. Angel?: "Zzz... Zzz..." The girl was sleeping quite comfortably. Almost shockingly so. Way to sleep so soundly in another person's home. I couldn't help but admire how shameless she was. Naruko: "Who is this?" Tomoe: "Beats me. I don't know, either." Naruko: "Seriously? ...Should I call the cops?" Tomoe: "The cops, for this?" Naruko: "Maybe not...?" As expected, Nakizaki's eyes were focused on both the girl's back and head. There were the usual white feathers on her back, and a halo hovering above her head. I hadn't gone crazy; Nakizaki seemed to be able to see them, too. Naruko: "Is this an angel?" Tomoe: "Don't ask me." Naruko: "But..." Angel?: "Hm..." Hearing our voices, the girl stirred. Her long eyelashes quivered, and her eyes slowly opened. Angel?: "...Huh?" Angel?: "The humans are multiplying." The feathered girl looked at us both, blinking her eyes with wonder. Tomoe: "Are you half asleep?" Angel?: "Huh? I was sleeping?" Naruko: "There's drool. On your mouth." Angel?: "Huh? ...Wah!" She quickly wiped off her mouth. ...This couldn't really be an angel, right? Angel?: "I am sorry you had to see me in such a sorry state..." She acted embarrassed, still wiping her mouth. No matter how you looked at her, she really didn't seem like an angel. But... Naruko: "H-Hey... On your back..." Nakizaki timidly pointed at you-know-what. Angel?: "Huh, my back?" Angel?: "Wah!" She let out a shriek after spotting the feathers on her own back. Angel?: "Awawawah..." Flustered, she tried to cover them with her hands, but couldn't reach. She spun around in place, almost like a dog chasing its own tail. Angel?: "Wawah... My eyes are... spinning..." This was absolutely hysterical. Naruko: "An unsolicited comedian?" Tomoe: "Looks like she could be." Angel?: "Did you... enjoy the show? ...Not!" Naruko: "She played along..." Angel?: "Uh, uh... Oh, that is it!" Angel?: "Eey!" As if she remembered something, she clapped her hands together and let out a shout. Naruko: "Ah!" Right before our eyes, the halo above her head and feathers on her back disappeared in a flash, like a TV that had its plug pulled. Angel?: "Phew, that was close." Tomoe: "Isn't that something someone who actually hid them well would say?" Angel?: "Y-You are not buying it...?" Tomoe: "Of course not." Angel?: "Th-This is bad! I was able to play it off yesterday since there was only one of you, but now two of you have seen me!" Tomoe: "So you _were_ trying to play it off..." Not that I had been fooled at all. If hiding them was possible, she should have done that from the start. She seemed like nothing more than a semi-clumsy girl, but... At this point, I guess there was no conceivable way she could be considered ordinary. Naruko: "Are you... an angel?" Nakizaki nervously asked. The girl trembled in shock. Angel?: "Um, uh, well..." Angel?: "...It would be a huge help if you would keep this to yourselves." The girl hung her head in resignation. By asking us to keep quiet about it... she was effectively admitting she was an angel. At this point, neither of us were surprised. Nakizaki looked like she had vaguely expected it. Naruko: "An angel, huh?" Nakizaki said to me. Tomoe: "Looks like it." That was the only way I could answer. Naruko: "Do you... think she's the real deal?" Tomoe: "Who knows..." I didn't want to believe it, but I knew all too well from examining those feathers before that they weren't fake. On the other hand, I had my reservations about suddenly believing she was an angel. But this time, I wasn't alone. Now that Nakizaki and I had seen the same thing, it was a lot more convincing than the last time. At the very least, it was good to know that I wasn't going totally crazy. Angel: "Um, could you keep quiet about it for me?" Naruko: "Even if we wanted to tell people, they would think we had lost our minds if we tried." Naruko: "Besides, you suddenly telling us you're an angel isn't super convincing..." Naruko: "But we _did_ see your feathers disappear." Nakizaki sounded deeply conflicted about whether to believe it or not. Tomoe: "Can't you do that much with magic? Magic tricks can be pretty clever nowadays." Naruko: "Did that _look_ like a magic trick to you?" Tomoe: "It would be bad if you could tell it was a trick. Anyway, setting that aside for now..." Tomoe: "Why did you come back?" I asked the baffled girl. Angel: "Huh? Well..." Tomoe: "How did you even get inside? The doors and windows are all locked." Naruko: "If she's an angel, maybe she phased right through the wall? That would certainly prove it..." Angel: "No. I could do that if I tried, but I thought that would be impolite, so I came in through a proper opening." Tomoe: "An opening?" Angel: "Yes!" Angel: "Right here." The self-proclaimed angel led us to the backyard. Angel: "Through this gap." We peered below and saw a crack in the wall, near the ground, that looked just big enough for a cat to pass through. Angel: "I came in through here and ended up in some place resembling a storeroom." She told us proudly, like a young detective that had just pointed out the culprit. Well, it _was_ good to know how the stray cats were getting inside. Naruko: "You sound like a burglar." Angel: "Huh?!" Angel: "Angels and burglars are completely different! It was better when you were calling me a ghost!" Naruko: "But weren't you acting like a burglar?" Angel: "W-Was I?" Naruko: "Entering a person's house without permission is totally something a burglar would do." Angel: "B-But, I did not steal anything, did I? And besides, I thought it would be okay since the kitties were coming in, too..." I exchanged a look with Nakizaki. Apart from the feathers on her back and halo above her head, she didn't look any different from a normal human, but something definitely felt off about her. My instincts were telling me, "This isn't a person." "I am an angel." There wasn't a human alive that would suddenly believe something like that, especially from someone they just met. But, I had accepted it despite that logic. "Ah, this is a real angel..." However, admitting it went against my sense of reason. Wouldn't it be far too irrational for angels to exist in this world? I was sure Nakizaki felt the same. All the more reason we were so bewildered. Naruko: "Kirinokojima, what should we do?" Tomoe: "Ask all you want, but I have no idea." This whole situation was hopeless, but there was _one_ option. Tomoe: "If you leave here right now and never show up again, we'll pretend we never saw anything." We would act like nothing happened, and forget everything. In doing so, we could sweep this all under the rug for good. Angel: "No, about that... I want to stay here a little longer." However, the self-proclaimed angel turned down my proposal. Tomoe: "Why does it have to be here?" Angel: "I am sorry... I am looking for something..." The self-proclaimed angel said apologetically. Naruko: "Looking for something? Here?" Angel: "It appears I dropped something very important." Was she talking about the day she fell from the sky? Come to think of it, her falling from the sky was also mysterious, but I didn't want to get any more involved than necessary. I was better off oblivious to the details. Naruko: "What in the world did you drop?" Angel: "Well, about that..." Tomoe: "It's fine. Look around as much as you want." I said before she could answer. Angel: "Huh? Are you sure?" The self-proclaimed angel was surprised that I gave my consent before she revealed what she'd been searching for. Naruko: "Are you sure? You don't even know what she's looking for." Tomoe: "It doesn't matter. You'll leave once you find what you're after, right?" Angel: "Y-Yes. That should be fine." Tomoe: "That works for me, then. As long as you find it quickly and get out." Tomoe: "If you leave right away, then I don't care whether you're an angel or not." She hung her head sadly. The way I phrased it must have sounded cold. Angel: "...Thank you very much. I am sorry for causing you trouble, but I will find it and leave as soon as possible." I couldn't perceive her as anything other than a helpless girl when I saw her dejectedly drooping her shoulders. I felt guilty, but I didn't see any need to worry about it since I was dealing with an angel. Angel: "Um, could I ask you one question?" Tomoe: "What's that?" Angel: "Um... Do you hate angels?" The girl asked nervously, just like a human would. She was clearly scared to hear my reply. Could angels feel dread as well? Tomoe: "..." Tomoe: "If you mean the legendary, non-existent variety of angels, then I don't particularly like or dislike them." Angel: "'Non-existent'...? But, I am right here..." She puffed out her chest, putting her existence she had tried to hide until moments ago on display. I wasn't pleased with her unreserved attitude. Tomoe: "There's no way angels could exist." I said, aware of what was standing before me. The self-proclaimed angel looked like she was going to cry. Angel: "But, why...?" The girl stared straight into my eyes, looking for the true meaning to what I'd said. Confusion and terror mingled in her pupils. Angel: "Why... do you believe there is no such thing as angels?" Tomoe: "Because, isn't it strange?" Tomoe: "If angels truly existed, then there's no way there would be so many unhappy people in the world." Tomoe: "Angels _are_ beings that make people happy, right?" Angel: "W-Well..." Angel: "I am sorry..." The self-proclaimed angel apologized, almost as if she were taking responsibility for not eliminating unhappiness from the people of this world. That only served to assert that she was, in fact, an angel. Talk about arrogant. Tomoe: "Angels don't exist. I won't accept it. But even if they really _do_ exist..." Tomoe: "I will never be able to forgive them for it." Angel: "Ah..." The girl cowered at my comment, as if she had been struck. Angel: "Never be able... to forgive us..." Tomoe: "..." Naruko: "Kirinokojima, that's enough." Nakizaki scolded me for my nasty comment. Tomoe: "..." I looked away from the angel to calm my senses, and caught sight of the clock on the wall. Tomoe: "Nakizaki, won't we be late if we don't get going?" Naruko: "Huh...? Oh, you're right!" Nakizaki looked at the clock and panicked. Naruko: "It's already so late! I haven't even made breakfast yet!" Tomoe: "We'll be late if we eat." Naruko: "And I promised to make you a fancy breakfast this morning, too!" It looked like she had given up on breakfast. I was relieved I had gotten out of a depressing meal for once. Although it was a small relief, it did nothing to clear the gloom in my heart. Naruko: "What about the ange―about her?" Tomoe: "I don't care if she looks around for whatever she lost, as long as she promises to leave after she finds it." Angel: "...I understand. I will find it quickly." Tomoe: "Please do." I didn't look the self-proclaimed angel's way any longer. This would be my last time meeting her. By the time I'd get home from school today, she should already be long gone. There was never any angel here. That was for the best. Naruko: "Ah, we're really screwed on time!" Tomoe: "Yeah, let's go." Angel: "..."
The sky had drastically changed from yesterday's azure to a heavy, lead color. The forecast called for rain this afternoon, and it was likely the weather wouldn't disappoint. Naruko: "Was it okay to leave her alone like that?" Nakizaki was worried about that self-proclaimed angel. Tomoe: "If she's an angel, then she won't rob the place, right?" Naruko: "Yeah, but..." Nakizaki shot me a questioning glance. Naruko: "Did you seriously believe what she said about being an angel?" Tomoe: "...I'm not sure. Who knows?" Naruko: "You said it. How're you supposed to react when someone tells you they're an angel?" Tomoe: "What about you?" Naruko: "I'm... not sure either." Nakizaki tilted her head, looking stumped. Naruko: "I feel the same way you do, Kirinokojima. It's strange there are still unhappy people in the world if angels really do exist." Naruko: "Besides, it got me thinking about how she was there, right in front of me. It might be easier to believe in what you can't see." Easier to believe in what you can't see, huh...? I more or less got what Nakizaki was trying to say. An angel given form seemed somehow imperfect. Intangible beings were far easier for people to place all their ideals upon. That way, they could be flawless creatures for all mankind. Naruko: "I wonder what an angel is?" Tomoe: "No idea..." There was no way I could know. In fact, I wanted an answer to that question myself. Naruko: "Ah..." Nakizaki looked up at the sky. Naruko: "It's raining." Rain began to fall from the depressing, lead-colored sky.
Before nightfall, the drizzle of rain turned into a downpour―a cold, wintry downpour. Tomoe: "..." The house was deserted. I wasn't surprised to find that the self-proclaimed angel had run off. Had she found what she was looking for? Tomoe: "Not that it has anything to do with me." What had she been looking for, exactly? Tomoe: "...It's none of my business." Tomoe: "...Hm?" Some sort of sound had come from the backyard. I thought it was just the rain, but it clearly didn't match up with its rhythm. Tomoe: "It couldn't be..." I looked out the window. The self-proclaimed angel was standing in the rain-soaked yard. Angel: "How strange. Is it not here?" She had presumably finished going through the house, and was now walking around and relentlessly searching all over the yard. Angel: "I do not think it could be anywhere else, though..." Tomoe: "..." I had personally told her to look as much as she wanted, so I would have felt awkward complaining about it. Tomoe: "Guess I'll just leave her be?" It wasn't like she was hurting anything. As it grew dark, the rain fell harder and harder. Tomoe: "..." I was concerned, but didn't dare look outside. It would just cause me needless worry if I discovered she was still out there. Naruko: "Oh~? Still here?" I heard Nakizaki in the backyard. She must have been bringing me dinner when she spotted the "angel" outside. Which meant that girl was still out there... The doorbell rang. Tomoe: "That would be Nakizaki." Naruko: "Hey, Angel-chan is still in the backyard." She said suddenly, as if she couldn't keep it to herself, while delivering my dinner. Tomoe: "Looks like it." Naruko: "Is it really okay to leave her like that?" Tomoe: "There's not much else we can do." Naruko: "But it's raining so hard... It's cold out there, you know?" Tomoe: "If she's really an angel, then she'll be just fine." Naruko: "Will she? Do you think she'll find what she's looking for?" Tomoe: "If she's having this much trouble finding it in my tiny backyard, then I'm sure it isn't there. She'll give up sooner or later." Naruko: "I hope so." Tomoe: "..." If she couldn't find it, then she had no choice but to give up. Nothing complicated about it. Not to mention, there was nothing I could do for her. Tomoe: "It's already this late?" It had reached 11PM before I knew it. Tomoe: "Guess I'll go to bed." It was still pouring outside. It must have been a fittingly cold rain which marked the changing of the seasons. Tomoe: "I'm sure it's only cold by human standards." Angels would definitely have their own standards that differed from those of humans. Tomoe: "..." I opened the curtains and peeked into the backyard. The self-proclaimed angel was still there. Angel: "Mmm... Strange..." Angel: "Achoo!" Angel: "Oh, brrr..." Tomoe: "...Is she _really_ an angel?" The angel stood in the rain, sneezing and shivering. She was just like a human. What in the world was she searching so frantically for? What could be worth looking for so desperately? How had she even lost something so precious to her? Krk, krk, krk... I recalled that moment: the sound of the bowstring being pulled to its limit. Tomoe: "Was it my fault?" She had fallen immediately after that, along with those white feathers. Had that arrow hit her? ...No, that was impossible. That was an empty draw. It wasn't like I had nocked an arrow. You couldn't hit something with an arrow you never fired. And even if I had, could a human arrow actually hit an angel? Tomoe: "..." Tomoe: "...Of course not." Whether this was guilt or a sense of responsibility, attributing this to myself in any way was pure egotism. An excessive sense of responsibility was no different from being egotistical. Tomoe: "It's none of my business." The rain would likely stop tomorrow, and I did not doubt the angel would disappear along with it. ...Or so I hoped.
Tomoe: "She went home?" As soon as I woke up, I immediately looked down into the backyard from my window. The rain was still falling gently, but the girl was nowhere to be found. I didn't know whether she had found what she was looking for, or hadn't and had given up. Either way, she shouldn't have any more business here. Seeing the backyard empty was a relief. Everything was back to normal now. If I forgot about her, it would be like nothing ever happened. Tomoe: "It's still kind of early, huh?" I often slept in until the last second in the morning. Didn't waking up early like this make it seem like I was actually worried about her? Well, whatever. That was done and over with. Tomoe: "...Hm?" Angel: "Pii... Puu..." Tomoe: "She is still here?" The girl was snoozing and snoring away. She must have tried to stave off the rain by taking shelter under the eaves, but ultimately failed, and was totally soaked. Her wet hair clinging to her forehead was just asking for pity. Tomoe: "And she's supposed to be an angel..." There was nothing angelic about searching frantically for something while soaking wet. Tomoe: "Guess I have no choice..." In the one in a million chance she did catch a cold, she wouldn't be able to search for whatever she had lost, and would never leave. I brought an unused blanket from the house and draped it over her. There probably wasn't much point since she looked like a drowned rat, but it was better than nothing. Since she was an angel, treating her like a human was probably wrong anyway. Angel: "Pii... Puu..." She snuggled into the blanket and began to breathe comfortably. Tomoe: "I feel like an idiot for worrying." Angel: "Mmmgg mm..." She was sleeping soundly, but had she found what she was looking for? Not that it looked like she was holding anything. Angel: "Hmm... Where is it..." Angel: "Mmm... mmbbmm..." Tomoe: "Looking even in her dreams, huh?" What in the world could she have been looking for? It must have been something difficult to find... Perhaps it was small? Tomoe: "Maybe it's a ring, or some kind of gemstone? If it's that small, she may not be able to find it regardless of how tiny this backyard is." Since it had rained so much, the ground was muddy and in a pretty sorry state. It likely wasn't anywhere you could spot it at a glance, at least. Maybe it was hiding off in the shrubs? Tomoe: "...Oh boy." As I said that to myself, I tried pushing through a thicket of grass. Due to the rain and amply wet undergrowth, my body and clothes were instantly soaked. Tomoe: "It's cold... If I keep doing this, I'll get sick in no time." Wandering around in the rain for close to a day was probably unreasonable for even an angel. Through my grumbling, I continued my search. Tomoe: "I hate people who are bad at giving up." Knowing when to give up was crucial. Not all wishes could come true. Try as you might, some wishes could never be granted. "I want to be rich." "I want to be popular with the opposite sex." "I want to date someone beautiful everyone will be jealous of." "I want to get good grades without any effort." "I want to be with the person I love for the rest of my life..." People bore many wishes. But what percentage of those could really come true? Wouldn't the vast majority of those wishes be ungrantable? That was why giving up was occasionally necessary. No, giving up was extremely vital. Taken to the extreme, nobody would ever be unhappy if they never wished for anything. People become unhappy _because_ they have wishes. I realized that a long time ago at a very young age. Ever since then, I never wished for anything. Stray Cat: "Meow." Tomoe: "Hm?" I heard a cry from overhead. When I looked up, a stray cat was sitting on the first-story eave. Tomoe: "Don't slip and fall now." Tomoe: "...Hm?" There was something sitting beside the stray who had plopped down in place. I could only see part of it, but it seemed quite large. Tomoe: "What is that?" I would have to get onto the second floor to see the rest of it. I went up to my room and looked down at the eaves from my window. Tomoe: "Huh? ...A guitar?" What was unmistakably a guitar―an electric guitar―seemed to be stuck there. Tomoe: "Why is there a guitar there of all places?" I hung out my window and reached for the guitar, but it was too far away. Stray Cat: "Meow." Tomoe: "I don't suppose you could go fetch it for me?" Stray Cat: "Meow?" Tomoe: "I guess that's asking too much... Oh well." I timidly crawled through the window frame and headed outside. Nakizaki still came over via the roof pretty often, but I hadn't gotten up here in ages. The last time may have been when I was an elementary student. Tomoe: "It's wet; better not slip." I treaded cautiously, careful not to slip and fall, and somehow made it to the guitar. Tomoe: "This isn't trash, is it?" The instrument was well cared for. I couldn't imagine someone throwing it away. However, most of the strings _were_ broken. Tomoe: "Is this that angel's lost property?" There was no other reason for this to be here. Granted, I wasn't expecting what she lost to be so large. Tomoe: "May as well go make sure. Better recover it first..." I slowly bent over and picked up the guitar. Slip...! My feet slid the moment I tried to pick the guitar up. I immediately hugged it to my chest. Tomoe: "Whah?!" I fell on my backside and kept on sliding. I tried to brace myself but couldn't get any traction. Tomoe: "Whoa!" The roof ended, and my body went in the air... Still hugging the guitar, I fell down into the backyard. Tomoe: "...Urg..." My butt and back took a severe whack, but thanks to how muddy the ground was, I was hurt less than expected. Tomoe: "Ah, the guitar!" Tomoe: "...Is it okay?" There didn't seem to be any damage to the instrument I had clutched tightly to my chest, nor had it gotten any dirt on it. _I_ was completely covered in mud, though. Angel: "Mm... Mmgguh...?" It wasn't surprising she'd woken up. The angel rose to her feet while wrapped in her blanket. Her sleepy eyes turned restless and spotted me. Angel: "Huh? Good morning." Tomoe: "...Morning." Angel: "What are you doing? You are covered in mud." Tomoe: "..." It wasn't like I did it for her, but it was the tiniest bit annoying. Tomoe: "Never mind me. Is this it?" I showed her the safely rescued guitar. In an instant, her sleepy eyes sparkled. Angel: "Ah, that is it!" The angel jumped up and took back the instrument. Tomoe: "Was that what you were looking for?" Angel: "Y-Yes! This, this is it! My guitar!" I guess this really _was_ what she was looking for. Who would've thought what she had so much trouble finding was so large? It may have been caught on the roof, but how did she miss it during her intense search? Angel: "I am so glad you found it!" Tomoe: "..." I had so much I wanted to say, but seeing her so happy because of my efforts sucked all the malice out of me. The angel was smiling ecstatically. Wasn't this the first time she'd shown such an expression? She looked like a different person when she smiled. It was almost enough to make you believe she was an angel if she told you on your first meeting. Could a smile alone drastically change your impression of someone? Angel: "Thank you so very much for finding it for me!" She hugged the guitar like it were a piece of treasure and bowed very deeply to me. Tomoe: "Sure..." Overwhelmed by her elation, I was at a loss for words. Angel: "Where in the world was it?" Tomoe: "It was stuck up there on the roof." I pointed and showed her. Angel: "Oh, up there...? I guess I could have crawled on the ground forever and never have found it, huh?" Tomoe: "You crawled around the entire time...?" Being an angel, I figured she would have first taken flight and searched by air, but angels must have had different sensibilities from us humans. Angel: "Anyway, I am so glad you found it! Thank goodness you found..." Angel: "Aaaaaaaah!" A scream echoed throughout the quiet residential district on this early morning. Her smile turned into an expression of shock. Tomoe: "Don't be so loud. Everyone's still asleep; you're being a nuisance." Angel: "I-I'm sorry... But, this..." The angel pointed at the neck of the guitar, where only one string was still affixed. Angel: "The strings have almost all snapped!" Indeed, most of the strings had snapped, with just barely one remaining. Tomoe: "Maybe they snapped when you dropped it?" Angel: "That is impossible!" Despite sounding unsure this whole time, she quickly shot that idea down. This girl had never before insisted anything upon me so strongly. Tomoe: "Can the strings of an angel's guitar not break or something?" Angel: "Yes. Normally, they should not. These are no ordinary strings." If an angel said so, then these really must have been very special strings. Tomoe: "But they _have_ snapped." Angel: "Yes... Five of them, no less... I wonder why they broke?" She could ask all she wanted, but there was no way I would know. Tomoe: "Either way, there's no helping it; they're broken. Just put on new ones." Angel: "Please do not make it sound so easy." The angel looked ready to cry. No, she already was. She looked quite happy to have been reunited with what she had lost, but that was quickly replaced by her usual, troubled expression. Despite being an angel, she had looked like she was on the brink of tears ever since I met her. That aspect wasn't angelic at all. Angel: "I cannot save people in trouble like this!" Tomoe: "Save people in trouble? With a guitar?" Angel: "Yes. That is the job of an angel." The angel boldly declared, looking dead serious. I was startled by her nearly tangible resolve. But... Tomoe: "That's..." Naruko: "Whose voice was that?" Nakizaki poked her head out of the neighboring house's window. Naruko: "Ah! The angel!" And pointed. Angel: "Hello." Tomoe: "'Hello' isn't what you should be saying..." What an idiotic morning.
Angel: "Wow, the view is so nice here~" The angel was deeply moved by the sights. The rain, which had fallen until this morning, had ceased and the perfectly clear, blue sky stretched out above us. Angel: "It really is incredibly pretty..." Naruko: "She's crying..." Tomoe: "..." It _was_ a nice view, but was it really nice enough to cry over? Especially for an angel to do so... Angel: "The world is beautiful." Tomoe: "Hey, what should we do about this?" Naruko: "How would I know?" Angel: "What is the matter?" Despite the two of us being stumped, the angel was off on her own, staring into space. Angels probably couldn't relate to human troubles. Tomoe: "Why are you here?" Angel: "Huh? What do you mean?" She asked as she wiped away the tears in her eyes. They were detestably beautiful tears at that. Tomoe: "This is a school. An angel wouldn't have any business with a school, would they?" Angel: "That is not true. Schools are full of troubled people." Angel: "Those are the very moments angels shine." The angel confidently puffed out her chest. Tomoe: "And what can angels do?" Angel: "Well, we can..." Mid-answer, her expression visibly sank and her shoulders drooped with disappointment. Angel: "Without that guitar, an angel cannot do anything..." Tomoe: "'Guitar'? That one with the broken strings?" Angel: "Yes..." Angel: "We angels aid troubled people with song." Naruko: "Oh? So you sing to cheer them up?" Angel: "Um, well, that may be about right in layman's terms." Angel: "But it is totally hopeless without that guitar!" Tomoe: "Then why don't you just have it re-strung?" That was likely the only way of fixing a guitar with broken strings. I knew nothing about guitars, much less how to fix one, but it didn't sound like there was anything I could do. Angel: "I would if I could, but my guitar cannot be repaired so easily." Naruko: "What do you mean?" Angel: "My strings cannot be replaced." Tomoe: "They're irreplaceable? How so?" Angel: "An angel's guitar is strung with red threads; they are the same red threads that bind lovers together." Naruko: "Could you mean the so-called 'red thread of fate'?" Angel: "Yes, yes, that is it!" The angel nodded like Nakizaki had just read her mind. Angel: "By using the red threads as strings and playing them as we sing, we can aid the loves of men and women." Naruko: "You don't just join two people with the red threads?" Angel: "That is the end result, but angels cannot intentionally tie two people together with the red threads." Angel: "If we could, then angels could create lovers whenever we wished." Angel: "For example, if I were to connect you two right here and now with a red thread, you would become lovers." Naruko: "Huh?! Me and Kirinokojima?" Nakizaki looked blatantly displeased. I thought that was pretty rude, but Nakizaki and I probably wouldn't have been friends for this long unless she were this sort of person. Tomoe: "I'll pass on being manipulated at an angel's whim." It could be worse than just me and Nakizaki. If angels could freely manipulate the red threads, I could suddenly end up becoming lovers with someone I'd never even met before. Forcing me to fall in love with someone I don't even like would be completely ridiculous. Naruko: "Hm, you're right. Basically manipulating people's feelings would be kind of sketchy." Angel: "Right? That is why angels do not have that capability." Naruko: "So, what _do_ angels do?" Angel: "All we can do is encourage those who are worrying or hurting..." The angel looked visibly depressed. It was the face of someone who lamented their own inadequacy. Tomoe: "Encourage them, huh?" Yeah, that _was_ inadequate. Angel: "With only one guitar string, I cannot even do that much..." Naruko: "Say, does that mean it's all over for you if the last one snaps? Doesn't that worry you?" Angel: "I am not worried." The angel decisively answered. Angel: "The red threads cannot be broken." Naruko: "Huh? What do you mean? They _did_ break." Angel: "Yes. That is why it is so strange, and why I am in such a bind." Angel: "I have never heard of this happening before, so I have no idea what to do..." The angel drooped her shoulders once again and seemed to be at a total loss. It appeared she was troubled since something which should be unbreakable _had_ broken, and it was completely unprecedented. It was now painfully clear how worried she was. What an unreliable angel. I was needlessly concerned over whether this girl could cheer up troubled people, even if the strings hadn't broken. Naruko: "Hm... That's a tough one. Isn't there anything we can do about it?" Nakizaki exhibited her innate helpfulness even toward an angel. An angel may be able to do something for a human, but I doubted mere humans could do the same in return. Naruko: "Oh, but look, there's one left! Can't you play that?" Angel: "But there is only one..." Naruko: "Hm, I see. You sure there's nothing you could do with just one?" Angel: "Technically, there is the option of using a bow..." Tomoe: "...A bow?" Naruko: "You mean a stereotypical angel's bow?" What Nakizaki had in mind had most likely popped into my own. The bow that was always being held by angels depicted in paintings and comics. The one whose arrows are said to make you fall in love if they pierce your heart. Naruko: "Wow, so there really is an angelic bow and arrow?" Angel: "Yes! If you use it as a bowstring, it will work even with just a single red thread!" Tomoe: "Problem solved." Angel: "Actually... I am absolutely terrible with a bow." Angel: "I practiced a lot, but I have never hit my mark." How much of a quack of an angel could she be? Naruko: "If we're talking bows, Kirinokojima is the best!" Tomoe: "Ah, you idiot..." It was too late to tell her not to say it. The angel's eyes shone brightly. Definitely more shine than a small twinkling. Angel: "Really?!" Naruko: "Totally! He always nails his target dead-center." Naruko: "My dad teaches archery, and Kirinokojima is his student." Naruko: "My dad made him do it, so he's been practicing archery for a long time." Tomoe: "..." Nakizaki clearly didn't get how I felt and just kept bragging. The angel's eyes shone more and more. Angel: "Amazing! Meeting someone like you at a time like this must be fate!" Angel: "Please! Lend me your strength!" The angel rose her voice, now practically clinging to me. Talk about a nightmare. An angel hanging off me was totally gross. Tomoe: "I refuse." There was no need to think about it; my answer was obvious. Still, the angel must not have expected I would turn her down and looked like she was in total disbelief. Angel: "Wh-Why?" Tomoe: "Because it has nothing to do with me." Angel: "No way..." Tomoe: "Those supposedly unbreakable strings snapped. That isn't my responsibility." It would be a different story if I had shot her down with an arrow, but I hadn't actually nocked one back then. I didn't know why she had fallen with that exact timing, but common sense dictated it had nothing to do with me. Besides, those guitar strings didn't normally break. At the very least, she had mentioned that she'd never heard of such a thing before now. That just made it less and less likely I had any involvement in breaking the strings. Tomoe: "I _do_ think it's unfortunate you're in a tough spot, but that's an entirely different matter. I have no obligation to help you." Angel: "Th-That may be true, but it is possible that there are people you can help with your abilities!" Angel: "Are you sure you are okay with not doing anything for them?" Tomoe: "I am." Angel: "N-No way...! That is... just strange!" What a ridiculous situation. An angel was criticizing me for being a failure of a human. If this were a dream, I would like to hurry and wake up. Angel: "Why do you refuse to help?! Because it is a bother?" The angel asked. Tomoe: "It's not that." Angel: "Then why?" The answer was simple. I didn't even have to think about why. Tomoe: "Because love brings people nothing but pain." Angel: "Huh?!" The angel's face turned hilariously foolish all at once. The idea that love could make people miserable had likely never before crossed her mind for even a second. Otherwise, she never would have made such a foolish face. Angel: "U-Um... What does that..." Angel: "Ah...!" The angel suddenly stopped moving. She held a hand to her ear, seemingly listening closely to something, but we couldn't hear a thing. Naruko: "What's wrong?" Angel: "...Over there!" She suddenly dashed off without responding. Next, she leaned over the fence of the roof and peeked downward. Naruko: "Hey, that's dangerous!" Since she was an angel, I figured she could fly even if she fell off the side, but Nakizaki was really panicked. It looked like the angel was staring down at the ground so intently she hadn't even heard her. Her eyes were focused on the sporting grounds. Naruko: "Is something there?" Naruko: "Oh...?" Nakizaki seemed to have discovered something as well. I followed both their glances. And then I spotted it. A figure running out on the grounds. It was Ukutsu. Kayo: "Haa, haa, haa...!" She was silently doing laps around the practice fields by herself. Even from this distance, I could tell something was amiss from how she was acting. Given what had just happened the other day, it wasn't surprising that her behavior worried me. Angel: "..." Naruko: "What's wrong with Kayo?" Angel: "That person is called Kayo-san?" Naruko: "She's my friend. Should I be worried about her?" Nakizaki sounded concerned after seeing the angel's unusually stern expression. Angel: "That person is in love, yes?" Naruko: "She is... Why?" Now _I_ was curious. Why had she noticed Ukutsu from so far away, and so suddenly? For that matter, how did she know she was in love...? Angel: "Her heart is going to fracture." Naruko: "Huh? What do you mean Kayo's heart will 'fracture'?" Angel: "Please tell me. What in the world happened to her?" Awed by the angel's earnest appearance, Nakizaki explained the situation to her. That Ukutsu had asked Nakizaki for advice, but the person she cared for, Hashiguchi, liked someone else. And that I had mercilessly told her all about it. Angel: "Why did you say something like that?! Of course she would be hurt if someone told her that!" The angel scolded me. Tomoe: "I know, but the pain is only temporary. She'll get over it eventually." Angel: "Some scars never heal." Tomoe: "Huh...?" I was startled by her words, as they seemed to have some conviction behind them. "Some scars never heal," had a ring to it that made my chest ache. When I stared back at the angel, she had already returned her attention to Ukutsu down on the practice field. Angel: "I have to help her. Before her heart fractures." The angel whispered to herself. Tomoe: "What in the world does it mean... for a heart to fracture?" Angel: "..." The angel remained silent. All she did was look down sadly at Ukutsu as she ran.
Kayo: "Haa, haa, haa...!" My heart was pounding so furiously that it felt like it would fly up and out of my mouth. I had no idea how long I had been running. It was painful to breathe, and my legs were cramped, but the urge was uncontrollable. I couldn't help but run. Kayo: "Haa, haa, haa...!" Out of breath. Legs... wouldn't lift. Even so, I couldn't stop running. If I didn't run, I was sure I would fall to pieces, just like a shark would surely die if it ceased to swim. Kayo: "Ah...!" Just like that, the world flipped on its head. My eyes were spinning, and before I could tell what was happening, I was staring up at the sky. Kayo: "Haa, haa, haa..." Kayo: "I... stopped..." It would be so much easier if this _did_ make me die like a shark. That would put an end to these painful feelings... Kayo: "But if I die, I won't be able to see Shunsuke anymore..." I wonder if he would mourn for me if I died? Would he cry for me at my funeral? Not being able to see him would be awful. Of course, even if I lived, I soon wouldn't be able to see him anymore anyway. Kayo: "This sucks..." The sunset-colored sky began to blur. It grew fuzzier and fuzzier, and in the blink of an eye, the clouds melted into the expanse. Kayo: "Shunsuke... I love you..." I could hear the weeping in my voice. Pathetic. Kayo: "Shunsuke, I love you...!" I put my feelings into words once more, this time more firmly. Kayo: "I love you, Shunsuke... I love you..." No matter how many times I put it into words, it wasn't enough. What should I do about this seemingly endless flood of emotions? Angel: "Words most certainly exist to convey feelings." Kayo: "Huh?" Was... someone here? My vision was clouded by tears, so I couldn't really see... Was it a girl? Angel: "Words exist to convey feelings. Let's go tell him how you feel!" Who in the world was she? ...Still, I got the feeling I could be honest now. Kayo: "But Shunsuke likes someone else. So, how could I..." Angel: "There is no need to be modest about showing someone your affection. I believe it is better to tell him, so you have no regrets." Kayo: "Regrets..." Would I? I doubted we would absolutely never see each other again, but... If I went on like this, and didn't confess to him, something told me I would never see him again. I also got the feeling I wouldn't see him anymore if I went for it and he turned me down... But if I said nothing, I might see him again at a class reunion, someone's wedding, or something like that. Kayo: "..." How will I be doing then? These painful scars will surely have healed, and I will likely have completely forgotten the feelings I have for him, the longer time passes. Even if I remembered that I "used to like Shunsuke," I was sure to forget how irreplaceable those feelings were to me. When we reunited, we could probably smile together, like nothing had ever happened. It would be like the love I felt for him never existed, and we could be simple, ordinary friends. If that came to be, wouldn't it be as though my feelings never existed? These feelings Shunsuke was unaware of, that only I knew? If I kept these feelings to myself because it was too painful and simply forgot them, that would be no different from wiping the slate clean. What I felt here and now would vanish, and turn to nothing... Kayo: "I... don't want that..." That certain someone in my blurry view smiled sweetly. I could see what appeared to be some sort of strange feathers sprouting from their back. What were those? Angel: "Then do your best and tell him." Kayo: "Is that okay?" Angel: "Of course!" I see. It's okay to tell Shunsuke how I feel? He likes Arie-sempai, so I would probably be rejected. Regardless... I needed to tell him how I felt. Kayo: "Thank you." I wiped my eyes, blurry with tears, and picked myself up. Kayo: "...Huh?" There was nobody there. Kayo: "Then, what was that...?" I wonder who that could have been?
Angel: "I am sure Kayo-san will be able to confess to him now." The angel gleefully walked with a spring in her step. She dragged and forced me to witness everything that had transpired between them from beginning to end. All I did was watch. Tomoe: "Don't drag me into this." Angel: "Come on. I may have needed your assistance, Tomoe-san." Tomoe: "You mean with my archery?" Angel: "Yes, although it was good that it did not seem to be necessary." Tomoe: "'Good,' huh...?" I never planned on saying anything, but that may have struck the wrong chord with me. Angel: "Was it not? With the way things were going, Kayo-san might have given up." Tomoe: "Wouldn't that have been for the best?" I accidentally said that out loud. I _was_ the one who had suggested for her to give up, after all. Angel: "For the best... Keeping her feelings to herself, you mean?" Angel: "That is not true." The angel plainly asserted. It came off as baseless confidence to me. Tomoe: "The guy she's after likes someone else. There's no point in confessing to someone you know will reject you." Angel: "You do not know that. There is a chance it might go well." Tomoe: "'A chance' and 'might' aren't good enough. If things don't work out, Ukutsu will definitely get hurt." Angel: "That... is true, but..." Angel: "But if she says goodbye without telling him how she feels, she will surely regret it." Tomoe: "You do not know tha―" Angel: "I am positive! She will absolutely regret it!" The angel insisted more strongly than ever before. It had an odd intensity to it. Angel: "It is something us angels have come to know after watching many people." Angel: "Giving up means forsaking your own emotions." Tomoe: "...You said it." I knew that all too well. Put another way, if you never gave up, you would never put your feelings to rest. No one can force you to stop caring. Only you, personally, can ever make that happen. That's what it meant to give up. Tomoe: "But if you do it on your own, you can do it gently. Wouldn't that be way easier on you in the end?" For example, you could care about a person who would never give you a second look for years, but wouldn't that be incredibly painful? Wouldn't giving up be far easier? Getting rid of emotions like that would be far better... Angel: "Helping those who are suffering is our job as angels." Tomoe: "That applies to what you did earlier, too?" Angel: "Of course, that is what I was doing." The angel puffed up her chest a bit. Was it something to be so proud of? Angel: "I am sure that Kayo-san will be able to confess to Shunsuke-san now." Tomoe: "I'm pretty sure she'll be turned down." Angel: "P-Please do not assume that is how it will turn out!" Tomoe: "Besides, even if they wind up together, doesn't that mean Hashiguchi won't end up with the person _he_ likes?" Hashiguchi cared for someone else. If he and Ukutsu started dating despite that, it would mean he wouldn't be with the person _he_ liked. Tomoe: "That might make Ukutsu happy, but would Hashiguchi be okay with that?" Angel: "Well..." Angel: "If Shunsuke-san decides to be with Kayo-san, then I believe that will be because he has fallen in love with her." Angel: "Would that not mean Shunsuke-san considers it a good thing?" Tomoe: "That's looking at it in hindsight. As an angel, are you sure it's okay not to wish for Hashiguchi's current love to be realized?" Angel: "Uh... I-I have decided to support Kayo-san!" Angel: "It is not possible for it to work out well for both of them, so what can I do about it?" Tomoe: "Now you're just being defiant." Angel: "Well... Yes, it _would_ be ideal if we could grant the wish of every single person..." The angel grumbled with distress, and a part of me wanted to sympathize with her. What should I think of an angel being pitied by a human? Tomoe: "Despite being an angel, you're actually relatively powerless, aren't you?" What she was doing was no different than an ordinary human. And, much like a human, she had her own worries right alongside us. Totally different from the image I had of an angel. Angel: "That is correct. Every day is filled with conflict." I couldn't criticize her too harshly since I felt kind of sorry for her. I must have been losing my touch. Angel: "I wonder if Kayo-san will be able to tell him how she feels?" Tomoe: "Don't ask me." Why should I, a human, know something even an angel didn't? Tomoe: "Anyway, I don't care what you do, nor will I complain, as long as you don't drag me into it. ...So please don't get me any more involved than I already am." When I was a bit forceful, the angel grew disheartened. Angel: "I am sorry... I pray that does not happen as well." What a vague answer. Tomoe: "I really don't care, after all." It was true. I didn't care, and I wasn't going to do anything more.
Kayo: "Lady Angel, I'm sorry for praying to you only at times like this." I had made up my mind. Tomorrow, I would confess to Shunsuke. But now, the thought of confessing had made me antsy, so I came to visit the church once more. Kayo: "Please give me courage. I beg of you..." I prayed with all of my heart, likely much more seriously than before. But, today, I received no reply. Kayo: "Maybe I really was hearing things." There was no way an angel would answer me. Although, I got the feeling I had heard a lot of things that shouldn't be there lately. Maybe that was because my subconscious was wishing for it, too. None of that mattered anymore. I had decided to confess to Shunsuke. Kayo: "I'm sure I'll be rejected." After all, Shunsuke liked Arie-sempai. Not only were we nothing alike, I couldn't hold a candle to her. Even so, I didn't want to say goodbye to him without at least telling him how I felt. Kayo: "So please... give me courage..." I would tell him how I feel, then root for things to go well between him and Arie-sempai. If that was what Shunsuke wanted, I would support him. Kayo: "That's for the best." That's why it would be okay if he rejected me. No, I might be confessing _in order_ to be rejected. That would set me free. It may have been for the best that I heard about Arie-sempai from Naruko's childhood friend. ...I decided to think of it that way. Kayo: "I pray for Shunsuke to be happy..." That would be enough for me...
Kayo: "Haa..." All I had done for a while now was sigh. I'd been waiting for Shunsuke to arrive for some time now. Club activities were canceled today, but I didn't have the confidence to go all the way to the classroom in order to talk to him. That's why I was waiting here. Kayo: "I'm begging you, please hurry and come here..." Although the time I spent waiting was painful, it would probably be over within moments once he showed up. Kayo: "I should do a dry run while I have the chance. Ahem." Kayo: "Shunsuke... no, Hashiguchi, I've always loved you! But don't worry, it's not like I want to date you!" ...Worry about what? Maybe I was showing a little too much humility? Not to mention, Shunsuke might even like the idea of dating. Naruko's childhood friend may have been totally wrong about Arie-sempai. It wasn't like I'd heard it straight from the horse's mouth. If that were the case, wouldn't it be terrible if he took "it's not like I want to date you" as a nuance? On second thought, maybe it _would_ be better if I hinted that I would "like to date if possible"? Kayo: "...I'm too greedy." I would probably fail if I was too greedy. I should be as selfless as possible... Kayo: "Oh, jeez! Just hurry and show up!" Overthinking this was giving me a headache. Kayo: "Ah..." Just then, I finally spotted him. Actually, it might be more accurate to say he jumped to my eye. It was Shunsuke. I was afraid he would be with someone, but luckily, he'd come alone. This was the perfect setting for me to confess! Kayo: "All right!" Psych myself up... Now...! Kayo: "Hashigu―" Shunsuke: "Ah...!" Just as I was about to call his name, he suddenly ran off. For a moment I thought he might have noticed me and was rushing over, but that would have been way too convenient. Kayo: "That's..." Shunsuke was heading toward someone with a very recognizable figure... Kayo: "Koyuki Arie-san..." Even someone as absorbed in track and field as me knew of her. She was a third-year student, and her good looks were an object of adoration to boys across campus. Shunsuke: "Sempai!" Shunsuke caught up with Arie-sempai. Koyuki: "Oh, Shunsuke-kun." I was shocked. I couldn't believe she was calling him by his first name. Koyuki: "Doing okay?" Shunsuke: "Well..." They chatted as they walked. I had completely missed my chance to talk to him. On the other hand, I didn't feel like just up and going home alone, either. I kept a fixed distance and followed them. Koyuki: "I see. You're transferring because of your parents' circumstances." Shunsuke: "That's right! It's a total drag." Based on how they were acting, they must have known each other for quite some time. I never knew Shunsuke was acquainted with Arie-san. Shunsuke: "I'll be lonely, not getting to see you anymore." Koyuki: "..." Koyuki: "Yeah, same here." Shunsuke: "Huh? For real?" Kayo: "..." Shunsuke, you look so happy. You really do love her, don't you? Shunsuke: "U-Um...! Maybe I could send you letters once I get there..." In that moment, he turned around for some unknown reason. Shunsuke: "...Ah." Kayo: "Ah..." Our eyes met. Shunsuke: "Oh, Ukutsu?" ...He found me. Kayo: "H-Hey! If it isn't Hashiguchi. What's up?" Crap, my voice was shaking. Don't notice, please don't notice... Koyuki: "..." Ugh... I had a hunch Arie-sempai had noticed how upset I was. Probably. Call it women's intuition. Shunsuke: "Oh, Sempai. This is Ukutsu, from the Track and Field Club." Kayo: "N-Nice to meet you..." I clumsily bowed my head as Shunsuke introduced me. Koyuki: "It's nice to meet you, too." Arie-sempai smiled, and just like that, the heavy air around her softened, making her seem much more charming. I think I understood now why all of the boys were so crazy about her. Shunsuke must have been head over heels for her, too. Kayo: "..." I understood it, but getting put face-to-face with her was depressing. It was too much to handle. "It's okay if I get turned down. I'll support Shunsuke's relationship." Or so I thought... Shunsuke: "Heading home now, Ukutsu?" Kayo: "Y-Yeah... I was just thinking I might run all the way home." Shunsuke: "Seriously? That's Ukutsu for ya, full of energy." Shunsuke: "Sempai, this girl's pretty quick on her feet. Don't ya think she'll get pretty far in next year's tournament?" Koyuki: "Oh, she is?" Kayo: "I-I'm not _that_ good." Shunsuke: "Knowing you, anything's possible if you put in the effort. You've got the skill; you just need the right mindset." Shunsuke: "I think if you just had some confidence, you'd be able to really go places." Koyuki: "That is incredible." Kayo: "N-No... I'm not incredible at all..." Shunsuke: "That's not true! You've got the skill!" Shunsuke was always so nice to me. In middle school, when I was in a slump and couldn't improve my times at all, Shunsuke supported and encouraged me to do better. He would always say, "It's okay! You can totally do it!" It was because of him that I broke out of my slump. Shunsuke's words were like magic. When he told me, "You can totally do it!" I felt like I really could. It was the same in elementary school when we were learning how to do a back hip circle in gym. My classmates breezed right through the lesson, while I was the only one who never got the hang of it... But Shunsuke joined me for practice after school and kept on telling me, "I know you can do it, Ukutsu!" Because of him, I really did learn how to do a back hip circle. Was it around that time when I started becoming aware of Shunsuke? I soon realized how much fun athletics could be and signed up for track and field, partially because he had joined, too. Without a doubt, Shunsuke... Shunsuke's kindness had a huge hand in making me who I was today. Then I noticed his kindness wasn't directed solely at me. He was kind to everyone. And, the one Shunsuke truly loved... was surely... this person, huh? Kayo: "..." Shunsuke: "What's got you so fascinated?" Kayo: "Huh?" At some point or another, I had apparently started staring at Arie-sempai. Kayo: "Oh... I'm sorry... I was staring..." Koyuki: "No problem; it's not as if it hurts anything." I had been impolite and stared, and even then, it hadn't ruined Sempai's mood. Maybe she'd gotten used to being stared at? Unlike me, she may have quite the big heart. Koyuki: "Are you okay? You look a bit pale." Kayo: "D-Do I?" Koyuki: "Shunsuke-kun, why don't you take her home?" Shunsuke: "Huh, me?" Shunsuke was clearly at a loss. I knew he'd rather be with her than me, and I couldn't help but feel a prickle of pain in my chest. His confusion then seemed to disappear instantaneously, and was replaced with a smile. Shunsuke: "You're right. I'll take her home." Yes. Telling him my feelings could wait. Kayo: "...I-It's okay. I'm fine..." Shunsuke: "What are you holding back for? It's fine; come on." He grabbed my elbow and, with a bit of force, pulled me along. Kayo: "S-Seriously, I'm fine!" Shunsuke: "Don't fight me on this." Shunsuke: "Okay, Sempai, see you later!" Koyuki: "Yes, goodbye." Sempai left. Shunsuke's expression turned dismal as he watched her walk off. Definitely false bravado. Kayo: "...You're so stupid, Hashiguchi." I accidentally insulted him. Shunsuke: "What's that about?" Shunsuke: "...Hm? Ukutsu, are you crying?" Kayo: "O-Of course not. Idiot..." Don't cry, Kayo... You can't cry. Shunsuke was probably the one who wanted to cry. If I weren't here, he could have gone home with her. With his transfer impending, it would have been a precious time for him. Kayo: "Ooh..." Shunsuke: "Hey, are you really okay?" Kayo: "I-I'm... goof!" Shunsuke: "'Goof,' huh...?" Shunsuke: "Ahaha! You don't sound 'good' at all!" Kayo: "Sh-Shut uuup!" Ah, I'm hopeless. I really do love him. So much it hurts... But, still... I wasn't enough for him. I knew that plain as day. I'd figured that much out.
Angel: "Ah...!" The angel let out a cry of surprise. As Ukutsu burst into tears, the angel went stiff while staring at her back. Naruko: "What's wrong?" Angel: "Her heart... just..." Naruko: "Her heart?" Angel: "It fractured..." Tomoe: "Her heart fractured?" I didn't understand what she meant, but it would appear the unexpected could happen to angels, too. She was suddenly panicked. Naruko: "What do you mean her heart 'fractured'?" Angel: "Well..." The angel who was supposedly watching over Ukutsu brought us along with her, and had been watching from a short distance away. Although we had seen it from afar, I could tell she had been planning to confess to him. But, from what I had just seen, she wasn't able to. Ukutsu started crying before she got a chance and, according to the angel, her heart had apparently "fractured"... Angel: "When a human heart sustains a greater shock than it can bear, it fractures." Naruko: "You often hear about hearts 'breaking' or people being 'heartbroken'... Is it like that?" Angel: "Well, yes, but they really do physically fracture." Tomoe: "Physically?" The way she said it was like she meant the actual internal organ itself. Angel: "The two of you may not be able to see it..." Kayo: "Sorry! I'm going to go home alone after all!" Shunsuke: "Ah, Ukutsu?!" Ukutsu ran off, deaf to Hashiguchi's attempts to stop her. It appeared she really was crying as she raced away. Naruko: "Kayo..." Naruko: "Sorry, I'm gonna head over to where Kayo is." Nakizaki said and darted after her. Tomoe: "What's going on?" Angel: "Please wait a moment." The angel held her hand out over the ground where Ukutsu just stood. Tomoe: "Oh...?" The angel's palm was tinged in light. That light suddenly grew stronger... then disappeared. Angel: "This is it." The angel presented her outstretched palm to me. In it rested something that wasn't there before. Tomoe: "This is...?" Angel: "Kayo-san's fractured heart." Tomoe: "This is her heart?" It had a smooth surface, and resembled a precious stone. It was clad in a faint light which seemed to be flickering dimly. Maybe that was why it felt like it was alive and breathing, as if it were trembling in sorrow. Angel: "This is Kayo-san's fractured heart. It likely contains her feelings for Shunsuke-san, whom she just gave up on." Tomoe: "Her feelings for Hashiguchi... You're saying those 'broke' off?" Angel: "Yes." Tomoe: "What happens once the heart fractures?" Angel: "Kayo-san can..." Angel: "...no longer care for Shunsuke-san." When the angel said that, the shard in her hand seemed to tremble in sadness.
Naruko: "This is a shard of Kayo's heart..." Nakizaki timidly gazed at the tiny mass. Naruko: "Does that mean Kayo is no longer capable of loving Hashiguchi-kun?" Angel: "That depends on the extent it fractured... She could love him, but be incapable of showing any greater affection, or be unable to love him at all..." Love was love, but sometimes a person could end up no longer wishing to live happily or be in a relationship with their partner... It was largely dependent upon which part of the person's heart fractured, and how badly. Whichever the case, it was a condition in which a person had given up on loving someone else. Naruko: "So, Kayo isn't going to tell him how she feels anymore?" Angel: "It would be more accurate to say she 'cannot.' When your heart fractures, you cannot personally do anything to fix it." Naruko: "No way..." Naruko: "Isn't there some way to fix this?" Nakizaki asked. Something told me I knew what the angel's answer would be before I even heard it. Tomoe: "I'm guessing that would be the guitar?" The angel nodded. Angel: "We angels can return fractured heart shards to their owners by playing songs with our instruments." Angel: "In my case, my instrument is the guitar..." The strings of that guitar had snapped, so she could no longer play it. However, there _was_ an alternative... Naruko: "Ah! The bow!" Yes, Nakizaki remembered. Angel: "Yes, the other method is the bow. With an angel's power, you could form this heart shard into the shape of an arrow and return it to its owner using a red thread as a bowstring..." The angel turned to face me. Naruko: "Kirinokojima!" Nakizaki's eyes implored me. They were telling me to do it. Tomoe: "Why do I have to be a make-believe angel?!" Naruko: "Please! You have to help Kayo!" Naruko: "I know all too well that you don't want to get involved in this sort of thing, Kirinokojima. But, please, just this once!" Angel: "I am begging you as well." The angel bowed her head to me. Having an angel bow before me was unspeakably disgusting. Tomoe: "Sorry, but I can't do it." Naruko: "Kirinokojima!" Tomoe: "There is no way I can see returning that shard to Ukutsu as a good thing." Angel: "Why? This is her fractured heart. Is it not obvious that it should be returned to its owner?!" Tomoe: "Should it really? What will happen to Ukutsu if I return that shard?" Angel: "Well, she will regain her feelings for Shunsuke-san..." Tomoe: "And this time she'll confess her feelings for sure?" Tomoe: "Hashiguchi likes someone else. Won't she just get rejected even if she _does_ recover that shard or whatever and confess to him?" Tomoe: "If it means going through that sort of pain, isn't her heart better off fractured?" Naruko: "But..." Nakizaki was starting to have doubts about what we should do. I didn't believe what I was saying was wrong, and it appeared Nakizaki was starting to believe it, too. But... Angel: "I do not believe that." The angel denied my opinion head-on. Angel: "This heart shard belongs to her, and her alone. These are Kayo-san's very precious feelings for Shunsuke-san." Angel: "These shards are not something anyone can tamper with as they please. That is why they have to be returned to their owners." It wasn't as if I didn't get what the angel was advocating. But... Tomoe: "You can only do that because you're an angel." Angel: "Huh? What do you mean?" Tomoe: "Those feelings aren't supposed to be tampered with, but wouldn't me returning that shard mean I'm intentionally intervening?" Tomoe: "How would that be any different from me doing as I please with Ukutsu's feelings?" Angel: "Well..." Tomoe: "Returning that shard is something you can do because you're an angel." Tomoe: "Isn't me, a human, getting involved a different matter?" Why did I have to do that much? I wouldn't take any sort of responsibility for the outcome. If I were an angel, I might not need to give that responsibility any thought since I would probably live by different values than humans. But I was human, so that wouldn't work out. I would have to bear the responsibility of whatever resulted from returning that shard. Tomoe: "Are you telling me to do all that? Give me a break." Naruko: "Kirinokojima..." Angel: "Tomoe-san..." I had said from day one that I didn't want anything to do with people's love affairs. Why did I need to get involved in all of this? Just let me off the hook already...
After that, several days passed. In the end, the angel couldn't coerce me to return the shard. My feelings remained unchanged until finally, it was the day Hashiguchi was set to move. Kiyohito: "You've been pretty out of it lately, huh?" Tomoe: "It happens sometimes." Kiyohito: "Really? Well, cheer up!" Kiyohito was always like this, leading a life of ignorant bliss. On occasion, I found myself feeling jealous of the way he always took life at his own pace. Kiyohito: "Oh, Nakizaki is running again. Good luck!" Kiyohito looked down at the practice fields and sent her a supportive cheer. Down on those grounds was a sight I had grown all too used to seeing. Kayo: "Haa, haa, haa..." Ukutsu was running indifferently. It didn't seem like she was running to distract herself from anything else. She was just silently running as part of her training. Ever since that day, all Ukutsu did was run, almost robotically, with an expression devoid of emotion. Kayo: "Haa, haa, haa..." Naruko: "Hey, hey! Wait, Kayo!" Nakizaki was frantically trailing behind her. She, too, had been running after Ukutsu like that on a daily basis. She was almost like a playful puppy. Nakizaki certainly wasn't slow, but it was to be expected that she couldn't keep running at the same pace as someone from the Track and Field Club. Regardless, Nakizaki chased desperately after her as she ran the considerable perimeter of the field. Naruko: "Hashiguchi-kun is going to leave. Are you really okay not going and seeing him off?" She tried persuading Ukutsu like so, day after day. Since she had once given her advice, she likely intended to take responsibility until the very end. That was exactly the strong sense of responsibility you'd expect from Nakizaki. Kayo: "Haa, haa, haa..." Despite her apparent energy, the heart-fractured Ukutsu remained ignorant to her words, as if they hadn't gotten through to her at all. Naruko: "Come on! Are you really okay with things ending this way?!" Kayo: "...It doesn't matter. It's not like I'll never see him again for the rest of my life. We even held a going away party for him at club yesterday." All of Ukutsu's answers were stubbornly matter-of-fact. It was a curt and total reversal coming from someone who was so infatuated with Hashiguchi just days before. Naruko: "Hey! Is this really okay?!" Kayo: "It's neither good nor bad. There's nothing I can do about it whether I go or not." Naruko: "Jeez!" Irritated, Nakizaki stopped in place, her breathing ragged. Ukutsu didn't seem to notice and kept running forward at a steady pace. Nakizaki trudged away from the track. Kiyohito: "Why is she doing that every day?" Kiyohito didn't know the situation, so he must have been puzzled. Despite that, he seemed amused and watched the scene play out each day as Nakizaki chased after Ukutsu like her life depended on it, and showed no signs of growing bored of it. Tomoe: "It's probably a part of her giving relationship advice." Kiyohito: "Hm... I'm surprised she's going that far for her." Kiyohito: "Sure you don't want to help her out, Tomoe?" This was the first time he had ever asked me something like that. Tomoe: "Why me?" Kiyohito: "Nakizaki's in trouble. Aren't you two childhood friends?" Tomoe: "That has nothing to do with this." Kiyohito: "Except that it totally does." Tomoe: "It does not. Besides, if Ukutsu herself says she's fine, then she must be." Nobody could control how other people feel, nor did they have any right to do so. Only you can take responsibility for your own life. Kiyohito: "Hmm... Yeah, I guess I'm fine with it. It's fun to watch." Kiyohito: "Hey! Nakizaki! Don't give up!" Nakizaki responded to his joking cheer with a punching and kicking gesture. No matter what anyone said, I had no intention of getting involved in this. But... Tomoe: "That's what it means for a heart to 'fracture,' huh?" Nakizaki had gone to great lengths to help Ukutsu, yet she wasn't getting through to her at all anymore. It didn't look like Ukutsu's feelings would change now, no matter what Nakizaki said. Angel: "That is right." Before I knew it, the angel was at my side. Kiyohito was so engrossed with the sports grounds that he hadn't noticed. Angel: "When a human heart fractures over something, they can no longer wish for that thing of their own free will." Tomoe: "Seems like it." Angel: "Kayo-san has cast aside her feelings for Shunsuke-san. That means the thoughts and feelings she had for him, along with the happiness she longed for..." Angel: "She is no longer capable of having such wishes." Angel: "Absolutely incapable, unless this shard is returned to her." The angel held the heart shard in her hands. The mass gave off a weak tremble as it cast a frail light. ...Almost like it were crying. Tomoe: "I'll say this as many times as it takes, but it would be crueler to return it. My opinion won't change." Tomoe: "That's territory a human like me can't trespass upon any further." Suppose I tried to return that shard to Ukutsu. If I did, she would chase after Hashiguchi in an attempt to confess her feelings. But that was the extent of what the angelic being could guarantee. She couldn't guarantee the outcome of that confession. The angel didn't possess the power to shoot through the heart of Ukutsu's love interest and give birth to a mutually loving couple like out of a fairy tale. It was possible Hashiguchi could reject Ukutsu as a result. What would happen to Ukutsu then? With her fractured heart returned, she would muster her willpower and chase Hashiguchi. Would returning the shard truly be in Ukutsu's best interest, even if she was left traumatized by unrequited love? If returning Ukutsu's shard were to leave a massive wound in her heart, I couldn't bear that responsibility. If an angel did it, I guess that would be fine. Angels had their own value system, and you could probably even say they were just doing their jobs. An angel would undoubtedly consider such a deed "righteous." Could I, a human like Ukutsu who couldn't say with certainty that such a deed was "righteous," get away with performing the job of an angel? Was I allowed to be an angel's proxy? Girl: "I want to be an angel." I heard an innocent voice―a voice which came to me from the distant past. I wonder what she planned to do by becoming an angel? I doubted she had a clear answer. All she ever wanted was to be taken away to anywhere but that place... That was surely all. Kayo: "Kyah?!" The sound of that shriek forced me back to reality. Ukutsu collapsed to the ground. She must have fallen over. Kayo: "Ow... Ack..." Ukutsu huddled over and held her leg. Kiyohito: "She tripped. That's rare." Tomoe: "She must be overdoing it." I didn't know how much Ukutsu usually ran, but the amount of practice she'd put in these past few days was abnormal. As if she were running solely to punish herself. Kayo: "U-Ugh...!" Ukutsu stood up all the same. She showed such determination, it was almost like she would die if she were to stop running. Naruko: "Stop already! Your leg's cramped, isn't it?!" Nakizaki nestled up to her, looking concerned, but Ukutsu started clumsily running once more. Kiyohito: "Isn't that dangerous? Shouldn't we go stop her?" Tomoe: "..." Now I was annoyed. Why was I being forced to get involved with this? It was totally absurd. With that thought, I spontaneously started walking away. Kiyohito: "Oh, finally in the mood to go help?" Tomoe: "No, I'm going to go complain." Kiyohito: "Oh boy." Kiyohito: "There's no way Tomoe will be able to _just_ complain." Kiyohito: "Now then, guess I'll catch a nap in the nurse's office, then head home?"
Ukutsu applied pressure to her cramped leg as she sat there helpless, like a newborn fawn. Nakizaki tried to help her, but she refused. Naruko: "Oh, Kirinokojima. You say something, too!" Nakizaki said, once she noticed me. There _was_ something I planned to say even if she hadn't. Tomoe: "Ukutsu." When I called her name, she looked my way while still holding her leg. Tomoe: "Stop it already." Kayo: "I'm okay. I can handle this much..." Tomoe: "You're not okay at all. You're totally overworked." Kayo: "That's not true. There's no point to practicing if you don't push yourself to your limit." Tomoe: "Why are you trying to punish yourself so much?" Kayo: "'Why'? That's what practice is." Tomoe: "No, it isn't." I argued with conviction, in no uncertain terms. Tomoe: "I don't believe that someone who runs away from heartbreaking things is a weak person." Kayo: "...What are you talking about?" I continued staring at the blank-faced Ukutsu. Tomoe: "If it's something you can't help but be heartbroken over, then go ahead and run away. I won't say that's cowardly or shameful, and I won't let anyone else say so, either." Tomoe: "You can't bring yourself to run away from it at all though, can you? You're just tricking yourself out of your current suffering by replacing it with even greater pain." Kayo: "Wh-What do you mean...? I'm not really..." Tomoe: "There's no point in giving up if it doesn't make things easier. Are you sure you don't want to go see Hashiguchi?" When I spoke Hashiguchi's name, Ukutsu flinched and her eyes watered. Kayo: "What's with you? You're saying the same things as Naruko, Kirinokojima-kun... Don't make me keep saying it. Going to see him won't do any good." Tomoe: "You may say that, but..." Tomoe: "Huh..." Just as I was going to say something back, I was startled by the sight of Ukutsu's tears. Kayo: "Huh? Did I get sweat in my eyes?" She seemed surprised to see she was crying. Ukutsu casually wiped her eyes, then started running again in an attempt to hide it. Clumsily, with her legs still shaking. Tomoe: "What are you trying to accomplish by running so hard?! Isn't that what all of you are running for―to reach the goal?!" Ukutsu ran off. What did she have her eyes set on? Tomoe: "There's not even a goal! Where in the world are you planning on running to?!" Ukutsu was fading into the distance. My voice hadn't reached her heart at all. Angel: "It is no use, no matter what you say. There is nothing she can do to help it." The angel gazed sadly at Ukutsu's retreating figure as she staggered away. No matter how much I yelled, it wouldn't reach her. I knew that well. It was completely meaningless. Still, wasn't there even less point in what Ukutsu was doing? I couldn't take it anymore. Tomoe: "...Are you sure it's okay for me to return that?" Angel: "Huh?" Tomoe: "Only I can do it, right?" Angel: "You will do it?" Tomoe: "Just this once." Angel: "Th-Thank you so much!" I barely finished speaking before a bow―the bow I had always used―suddenly appeared in the angel's hands. Tomoe: "When did you..." Angel: "Now, hurry." She pushed the bow into my hands. Planning to get it over with before I changed my mind, huh? Talk about calculating. But, fine. I was already focused on my target, Kayo Ukutsu. Tomoe: "Where should I aim?" I requested an arrow with my right hand as I asked. Angel: "P-Please wait a second." The shard shined brightly in her hands. The light did not settle and only grew stronger. Tomoe: "...!" The light became so intense it burned my eyes. Angel: "Oh shard... Shard of affection... Take thine emotion's form..." A noise, much like the sound of your ears ringing, resounded in the vicinity. Then, the shard suddenly changed shape, molded like red-hot iron in the angel's hands. Tomoe: "Wha...?" Before my eyes, it transformed into a single arrow. Angel: "Her chest! Please aim for where her heart is!" The angel instructed as she handed over the arrow. Angel: "It was once part of the same heart, so if you hit close to it, it will naturally return to the original source." Tomoe: "Got it." Angel: "O-One more thing!" The angel touched the string affixed to the bow and the red thread appeared, twining around the existing string. And then, the red thread itself became the bowstring. Tomoe: "I see. We can't return the shard unless I use this?" Angel: "Now, go ahead!" The angel prompted me. Aiming for Ukutsu, I drew the bow. Although it was strung with an unusual red thread, it didn't particularly feel out of place. If it was like this, I could do it. Krk, krk, krk... The red thread let out a cry. For a moment, it crossed my mind that it might snap just like her guitar strings, but I finished forming my mental image first. The image of a hit. The image of this arrow, pulsating with a radiance which felt like life itself, returning to Kayo Ukutsu's heart. I quietly released the crying string. The arrow drew a gentle parabola and was absorbed into Kayo Ukutsu's chest without a sound. Kayo: "Ah...!" The arrow pierced Ukutsu's chest, and her whole body froze in place. The possibility that I had done something irreversible briefly crossed my mind: the inconceivable idea that I had just shot an arrow at a person. Had an angel just talked me into doing something terrible? That, too, only lasted an instant. Naruko: "Ah!" The arrow that had pierced her chest emitted a dazzling glow as it disappeared deep into her heart, leaving no scar, nor even a trace it was ever there. Kayo: "H-Huh? I... Did something just..." Released from her petrification, Ukutsu looked down at her own body in wonder. Tomoe: "Ukutsu!" I called out to her as she stood deathly still from the shock. Tomoe: "There's no time left!" Kayo: "Huh? Time?" Naruko: "Hashiguchi's train is going to leave!" Kayo: "Ah..." Clear dismay showed on Ukutsu's face. That was an expression someone who had given up could never make. Tomoe: "Go, Ukutsu!" Tomoe: "Run!" I waved my arms frantically, and a light suddenly burned brightly in her eyes. Kayo: "...Yeah!" By the time she answered, she was already running. Her speed was fearsome, as if she'd forgotten entirely about her cramped legs from moments before. Naruko: "Think she'll be okay?" Tomoe: "Who knows. The rest is up to her." I had returned the shard, and Ukutsu was running to meet Hashiguchi. I had no idea what Ukutsu was planning to do. Would she confess? Say goodbye to him once more to give herself some emotional closure? And even if she confessed, she might be rejected. But, that was something we could no longer meddle in. Angel: "Are you sure you do not want to see how it goes with your own eyes?" The angel eyed me closely. There was such vigor in her eyes that I could no longer look away. Angel: "Are you sure you do not want to see how it goes with your own eyes? What the shard you returned to her will bring about?" Tomoe: "...I can't take responsibility for it." Angel: "It is okay. I have faith." Just what did she have faith in? Her eyes looked steadily forward. No doubt it was baseless confidence. But... Tomoe: "If you're going to eat poison, you might as well lick the plate." Angel: "Yes!" This was something I'd done. I may as well see it through to the end.
Kayo: "Haa, haa, haa...!" I had run far too much. My knees were about to give way. It was a complete miracle my legs were even moving at all. Why had I been pushing myself so hard every day? Even I wasn't sure. The one thing I _was_ sure of, was that this wasn't the time to dwell on it. Kayo: "Haa, haa, haa...!" I wondered how much time I had left until his departure? I didn't have enough time to spare to check a clock. In that span, Shunsuke might leave. I simply put one foot in front of the other and prayed. Kayo: "Please... Let me be in time...!" Kayo: "Make it in time!" I ran down the hill with violent force. The slope put a terrible strain on my legs. I suppressed my fear of falling and fiercely descended the slope. ...The station! I could see the trolley station. From there, Shunsuke would get on a trolley and transfer to a limited express at the terminal station. I could see a queue of people at the station. Please, be there... Kayo: "...There he is!" I could see him in the middle of the line. I assumed the couple standing in front of him were his parents. Though it was only in passing, I had met his mom before. Kayo: "Shunsuke...!" I cried out. I was out of breath, my voice cracking. There was still enough distance that it didn't seem like my hoarse voice would reach. Kayo: "Shunsu..." Just then, a trolley passed by. Inbound for Inosato Station. Kayo: "W-Wait!" When you ride a trolley, it feels irritatingly slow, but it really was fast if you ran alongside it. My legs were already past their limits, too. It overtook me just like that, and kept putting distance between us. In the blink of an eye, the trolley pulled into Shunsuke's platform. The doors opened and the queue of passengers began to board. No, I won't make it in time...! Kayo: "Shunsuke―!" My voice... didn't reach him. Shunsuke's figure disappeared into the railcar. Kayo: "Shunsuke..." The trolley began to move. It was no use... In that moment, my legs relaxed. Shunsuke: "Hey, Ukutsu, you give up in the middle sometimes, don't you? You've been getting subtly slower right before you reach the finish line." Kayo: "That's not true. I've never gone easy on anyone in a race; not even once." Shunsuke: "And I say you have. It's not a matter of going easy or not. Your feelings are the problem." Shunsuke: "Don't look to your side. Don't think about anyone in front of you. Just stare your goal down and rush through it with all you've got." Shunsuke: "You're at your coolest when you look straight ahead and enjoy running." Kayo: "...I see. You're right!" My withered legs regained their vitality. Shunsuke's words always gave me strength. Kayo: "Shunsuke...!" With this newfound power, I kicked off the asphalt and chased after the-far off trolley. However, no matter how desperately I chased after it, it was disappearing further into the distance little by little. Even so, all I could do was run. All I could do was run through the here and now. I didn't think about what lay ahead of me, and focused only on running. Kayo: "Haa, haa, haa..." My heart felt like it would explode. My legs were like mere rods and had long since gone numb. It was a miracle I could even run at all. Kayo: "Shunsuke...!" No matter how desperately I chased, it got further and further away. If I were simply confessing my feelings, then maybe I didn't have to do it right now. I could call or email him later. Even a letter would work... ...Those sorts of "escapes" popped into my head. But... No! I had to tell him now! Before he disappeared from this town and from my life! I didn't want to give up on anything again. Why had I considered giving up on him for even a second? What did it matter who Shunsuke loved? Why did I think something that little meant I should stop liking him? My feelings weren't so weak that I could will myself to stop caring. There was no way I could give up. After all, it wasn't like I fell in love with him just for the heck of it. The first time we were in the same class together, back in third grade, I didn't think anything of him. He was just some guy who got carried away easily. I don't know what started it, but before I knew it, I'd fallen for him. Once I realized how I felt, those feelings became more intense by the day. So I hadn't fallen in love with him for no reason. It wasn't predestined, like out of some drama, and it hadn't happened out of the blue. There was nothing romantic about it. That's just how reality goes. But this love I never wished for, so far from those ideals, had fallen into my lap. Regardless of my will, it had become completely irreplaceable to me. These feelings were surely a gift of some sort. All the more reason I couldn't do as I pleased with them. I couldn't contain these feelings of love for Shunsuke. Kayo: "Shunsuke... Don't go...!" I couldn't stop myself from feeling that way. I bit my lip and turned those welling feelings into strength. Kayo: "I love you... I love you...!" I love you... so notice me... I want you... to notice how I feel...! Kayo: "Shunsuke..." My vision grew misty. The trolley Shunsuke was on looked like a blob. Its shape looked further and further away, like it were clad in a veil. Kayo: "Shunsukeeeeeeeeeee!" Thud...! Kayo: "Ah...!" For a moment I couldn't tell what had happened to me. The scenery spun around me over and over again until, in the next instant, I was looking up at the pure red sky with my back to the asphalt. Kayo: "Haa, haa, haa...!" My body was so hot, it was like I'd caught fire. Between my cramped legs and shattered lungs and heart, my entire body burned. Kayo: "Ow..." My ankle hurt when I tried to stand up. I might have twisted it when I fell. From my sprawled-out position on the ground, I could hear the sound of the trolley receding into the distance. That was the sound of Shunsuke moving far away. Kayo: "Shun...suke..." The asphalt on my back felt cold as ice. It felt as if that spot was snatching my body's heat away bit by bit. Kayo: "Haaaa..." I let out a heavy sigh. I had by no means given up, but I had gotten mysteriously calm. I did what I could. I ran as much as I could until I collapsed from exhaustion. Even if I stood back up, I doubted I could run anymore today. I ran so much, but ultimately failed to catch up to him. Kayo: "Shunsuke..." When I called his name, my heart panged with pain. An ember of passion was born in the chilly depths of my chest. Kayo: "Shunsuke..." I rolled over onto my stomach and put both of my hands on the cold asphalt. I mustered my feelings which had started to wither and tried to pick myself up when... Screeeeeeeeeeeeeech! I heard the train's emergency brake. I picked myself up and looked toward the sound. I could see the now pea-sized trolley stopped in place, nowhere near a station. Kayo: "...What?" It couldn't be... an accident? For a second I went pale. Kayo: "What about Shunsuke...?!" I eventually spurred my disobedient body to stand upright. I dragged my feet and walked toward the idle trolley. Kayo: "Shunsuke..." Be safe. Please. Something seemed strange. For an accident, there wasn't much of a commotion coming from the trolley. If there _was_ an accident, maybe it was just a tiny one? Kayo: "...Huh?" I could see something in its way. It was like a dark shadow. That silhouette was getting closer with incredible speed. ...It was a person. Someone was running. Shunsuke: "Ukutsu―!" Kayo: "...Huh?" I knew immediately. Shunsuke's voice. My beloved's voice. Shunsuke: "Ukutsu―!" Shunsuke ran toward me. Crying out my name, no less. Kayo: "Why...?" I didn't get it. What had happened? I stood there, dazed, when Shunsuke reached me at last. Kayo: "Wh-What are you doing...?" I went and said something stupid. Shunsuke: "Someone just kinda jumped out in front of us, so the train stopped." Kayo: "Huh? R-Really? So there wasn't an accident?" Shunsuke: "Nah. I don't know what happened exactly, but everything seems fine. But I thought I heard someone yelling, and when I looked, you were there." Kayo: "You heard my voice?" Shunsuke: "I had a feeling." Kayo: "R-Really...?" My voice reached him. Shunsuke: "So what are you doing collapsed in a place like this? You look awful." Kayo: "Well..." I nearly said, "I was just training," without thinking and quickly shut my mouth. What was I doing making excuses like that now? Kayo: "I came to see you off." Shunsuke: "Me? You could have done that at my farewell party yesterday, though." Kayo: "I-I could have, but...! There... was something I sort of forgot to tell you..." Shunsuke: "Something you forgot to tell me?" Kayo: "Well, um..." Th-This is my chance... right? But this is all too sudden... Shunsuke: "What? Say it." Kayo: "Y-Yeah... Uhh..." God... No, Lady Angel...! Just for now, please give me courage! Kayo: "I love you, Hashiguchi!"
Angel: "Ow ow ow!" Angel: "Please be a little more gentle~!" The angel protested with tears in her eyes. Was she really an angel? I was still very skeptical. Naruko: "Should I do it?" Tomoe: "It's okay." I flat-out refused and daubed disinfectant we'd stolen from the infirmary on the angel's wounded knee. She'd fallen and skinned it. Angel: "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! I am telling you it hurts!" Tomoe: "For an angel, you sure have no fortitude." Angel: "Haa, that hurt... That is angel abuse. You are so mean." Tomoe: "It's your fault for being so reckless." Naruko: "That's right. I can't believe you just jumped in front of a trolley." Angel: "But... My body just moved on its own." When we came onto the scene, Ukutsu had already fallen in the street and the trolley was already several hundred meters ahead. When she saw that, the angel suddenly soared into the sky, instantly bridged the gap between us and the train, and flew into its path. Tomoe: "I never expected you to stop the trolley by jumping in front of it." Angel: "That is all I could come up with at the spur of the moment." Even if we just wrote that off, she immediately fell and skinned her knee. What she'd done was reckless, and the result made her look like a total klutz. Naruko: "You really are an angel, aren't you?" Angel: "Haa, well, yes." Naruko: "Hm..." I knew Nakizaki had her own reservations on the subject. Despite her claims of being an angel, what she had done was no different from a human. Back then, if the train hadn't stopped RIGHT in front of her, what would have happened? An angel getting run over by a train would be totally unprecedented. Angel: "I am glad we managed to make it on time." The angel gave a brilliant smile in response, one that you wouldn't expect to see from someone who was nearly run over by a train. Tomoe: "So, did risking your life pay off?" Naruko: "That's right. What happened with those two?" Angel: "You both witnessed it, right? It was just as we saw." Tomoe: "Just as we saw..." As for what happened in front of us back then... Angel: "Fauuuuu..." Driver: "H-Hey! Are you okay?!" The trolley conductor nearly fell over as he rushed to her side. Angel: "Ah, not good!" The angel vanished before our very eyes. Driver: "Huh? What...? Wh-What was that just now...?" Angel: "Haa, I thought I was going to die." Naruko: "Huh? Can angels die?" Angel: "Well, if I were run over by a train while materialized, then I would get trounced." Angel: "Oh, see, please look! I am bleeding!" The angel showed off her scraped kneecap, then went limp. Tomoe: "Something that tiny will get better if you just give it a lick." Angel: "Huh~? It hurts~" Naruko: "So angels get hurt, too. How about that..." Nakizaki looked like she was experiencing vertigo as she rubbed her temple. The image she had of angels in her mind was probably shattered by now. Angel: "Aah, I am getting kind of dizzy. I am bad with blood..." It was astonishing how much of a crock she was. She hadn't managed to do a single thing with style. And yet... Tomoe: "Why did you try so hard?" She couldn't do anything significant, and yet she was totally rash and risked her life by jumping in front of a moving vehicle for a human. Despite her terrible execution, why did she go to such lengths? Angel: "Angels exist for the sake of humans. We love all humans." Angel: "We want as many people as possible to feel as much happiness as they can in order to make them smile. You know, just like they are..." I looked over at the angel's indication, and found Ukutsu and Hashiguchi smiling shyly at one another. Compared to before, when she was running around the track in an attempt to torment herself, Ukutsu's smile made her look like a completely different person. Naruko: "Did things go well for the two of them?" Angel: "Seems like it. Ah, look!" It appeared at nearly the same moment as she spoke. Something like a spider's thread faintly emerged between them. Naruko: "Huh? What? Is something there?" It was invisible to her eyes, but it slowly became more distinct, then finally, plain as day to me. I wasn't sure why, but that was... Tomoe: "The red thread?" A single, thin thread coiled around their fingers and joined them together. It was literally _the_ red thread. Angel: "Yes, it is the red thread. It bestows an eternal blessing upon those it bonds together. The red thread of fate..." Angel: "It is the same, whether used by that bow or my guitar." "An eternal blessing." Something huge had just been revealed. Still... Angels, heart shards, red threads... Now that I had confronted all of these mysterious things, it seemed like it might not all be a lie after all. Tomoe: "You did this?" Angel: "No..." Angel: "As I said before, us angels do not have that sort of power." Angel: "Those two have merely understood that they have feelings for one another." Angel: "All we can do is help them." Naruko: "But if Kayo had given up before, they never would have learned how they felt about each other." Angel: "Yes! That is correct!" The angel happily bent forward at Nakizaki's comment. Angel: "We take great pleasure in helping humans smile!" Naruko: "I-Is that so?" It wasn't surprising to see Nakizaki feeling a bit overwhelmed by her intensity. Naruko: "So... It went well?" Angel: "Yes!" Angel: "Ow ow ow... but, I truly am glad." The angel was smiling with tears in her eyes. Looking her over, she really was an abnormal girl and seemed to be in delight despite the pain. Tomoe: "You really are a weirdo." Angel: "Ow ow ow ow! P-Please be more gentle..." Naruko: "Oh, right. Come to think of it, what's your name?" Nakizaki abruptly asked. For her to ask her name meant she was acknowledging her existence. Something may have told her that we would be spending some time with her going forward. Angel: "Oh, I am sorry. Now that you mention it, I have not introduced myself yet." The angel formally turned to face us. Angel: "I am the angel Aine. Pleased to make your acquaintance." The angel called Aine bowed so deeply I could see her back. The feathers spewing from her back made me fully realize that this girl was, without a shadow of a doubt, a genuine angel. Naruko: "These feathers are really well made, huh?" Aine: "That is because they are real." Tomoe: "Ah..." ???: "Oh?" Not good...
Kayo: "I love you, Hashiguchi!" Shunsuke: "..." Shunsuke stared at me vacantly. When I saw that, I was instantly struck with regret. I yelled way too much. Couldn't I have been a little cuter about telling him how I felt? Shunsuke: "..." Look, he's completely shocked! Kayo: "U-Um..." Shunsuke: "...Haha." Kayo: "Huh?" Shunsuke: "Ahaha! What was that? A confession?" Kayo: "U-Uh..." He laughed! Laughed at my confession! Kayo: "What's with that? That hurts..." Shunsuke: "Huh? Oh, sorry, sorry. I didn't mean it like that..." Shunsuke: "I just thought it was like you." Kayo: "'Like me'... Is that a compliment, or are you making fun of me?" Shunsuke: "It's a compliment." Shunsuke smiled. Despite laughing at me, I felt like I could forgive him just from that single smile. Kayo: "What's with that? I don't know what sort of face to make now." Shunsuke: "Thank you." Kayo: "Thank you? Isn't there something else...?" Kayo: "Huh? 'Thank you'?" Shunsuke: "Yeah, I'm happy." Kayo: "Happy...?" What did that mean? Was it okay to say something that would lead me on so easily? Kayo: "I-Is it okay for you to say that? Didn't you say you liked Arie-san?" Shunsuke: "Oh, I was rejected." Kayo: "Huh? Rejected?" Shunsuke: "I guess I can't even call that being rejected. She didn't even let me confess..." Kayo: "What do you mean?" Shunsuke: "I thought I'd try confessing, but Koyuki-san must have guessed by how I was acting and gave me the slip..." Kayo: "Huh? Why would she do that? How mean." Shunsuke: "Nah, it's okay. Because Koyuki-san helped me realize something." Kayo: "Realize what?" Shunsuke: "That there was someone truly precious right beside me." Kayo: "Someone... truly precious...?" Shunsuke: "She was so close to me that I didn't notice her." Shunsuke: "But when I spotted you earlier, I realized it and came running. My body acted all on its own." Shunsuke: "I was happy." Kayo: "'Happy'..." Shunsuke: "So, basically... yeah." Shunsuke: "Apparently, I love you, too... Ukutsu." Kayo: "Huh? ...Love..." What was with this sudden development? He suddenly told me he loved me... even though I was the one who said it... Shunsuke: "Ah, crap! It looks like the trolley is moving! I've gotta go!" Kayo: "Huh? Hold on a second..." Shunsuke: "Are you okay?" Shunsuke looked at me with concern. Taking another look, I was in awful shape. I scraped myself all over, and was bleeding from my knees down. Kayo: "I-I'm fine. I'll go back and head straight to the infirmary." Shunsuke: "Really? I've gotta go, then." Kayo: "Oh, wait a second! What you said earlier..." What was happening? Was it okay for me to be overjoyed? I didn't know what I should do! Shunsuke: "Sorry, I'll email you! And call you! I'll send you my address!" Kayo: "Y-Yeah! I'll email and call you, too. Ah, your cell number is still the same, right?" Shunsuke: "Yeah, it's the same as it always has been." Shunsuke: "Okay, I'm really going! Take care!" Kayo: "Y-Yeah." It was hard to tell who started it, but we shook each other's hand. Shunsuke's was so warm. His warm hand parted from me, but I felt a connection between us like I'd never felt before. Was it just my imagination? Regardless of the distance about to be put between us, I didn't feel as alone as I thought I would. Besides, if it came down to it, I could just run to him. My heart was now ready and able to break into a sprint at any time.
???: "Hard to believe a human is an angel's proxy. What will happen to a human whose hands are stained by angelery?" ???: "Wouldn't they cease to be human?" ???: "Hmph." ???: "I wonder what will become of that human?"
Yuno: "Hello?" Mother: "It's your mother." Yuno: "I know. Do you need something? I'm still at school." In all honesty, I already knew what she wanted without asking. She'd been calling me almost daily about the same thing. Mother: "You know what. The marriage interview we talked about." I knew it. I let out a sigh without thinking. How many times had she brought up the marriage interview this year? Now that it was getting later in the year, the topic was becoming more and more frequent. Yuno: "I've said this over and over, but I have no intention of getting married yet." Mother: "You're still saying that? We've had this arrangement ever since you got your job." Mother: "In exchange for doing as you please in your twenties, you said you would settle down and come home when you turned thirty. This isn't what we talked about at all." Yuno: "Well..." It was true that I had made that sort of promise, but back then, turning 30 felt like it was way in the future. It didn't feel real at all. Besides, I thought I would find and marry a good man by the time I was 30... I figured things would work out on their own. Giving it some thought, things never went that smoothly in this world. I was the only child born into a line of well-established sake brewers, so my parents hoped that I would one day succeed them. That was the implication behind the promise I had made when I left home and came here, only to eventually return once I turned 30. The point being, the person I married would have to carry on my family's legacy. When I was young, I never gave it any serious thought. All I wanted was to leave home, and thought in terms of whatever was convenient for me at the time. In this day and age, there likely weren't many people who would want to take over a sake brewery. Which meant that I would inevitably get married to whomever they chose, which was my parents' plan all along. From where I stood, being told to up and marry some stranger was a huge problem. After all, I already had a boyfriend. Yuno: "Anyway, I'm not going to have the marriage interview. My mind is completely preoccupied with school stuff right now. We'll... discuss these family matters later." Yuno: "I'm still at work, so I'm hanging up now." Mother: "Ah, wait..." Yuno: "Bye." Mom continued talking but I hung up on her. With that, I suspected she wouldn't call again today. Yuno: "'My mind is preoccupied with school stuff.' Talk about a total lie." It felt like all I did lately was lie. Still having work to do was also a lie; all of my work was done for the day. The real reason I didn't want to hold the marriage interview was because I already had a boyfriend. I hadn't told Mom or Dad yet. I knew they wouldn't understand even if I did... I wonder how much longer I can get away with these excuses? Running away hadn't solved anything. Someday, I would have to make a decision. However... Yuno: "Ah, I need to go!" At present, I didn't think I could make a sound decision. I wonder if that made me an audacious woman? Yuno: "Wow, there are so many people here!" The concert had already started. It had been a while since I had come to one, but it seemed like there was a much larger crowd than last time. Yuno: "They've been amazing lately." I wonder if taking their shows on the road has been rough on them? Haruki-kun seemed pretty obsessed with the idea, so I couldn't really try to stop him. He said it was because the band originally got its start here. The crowd cheered when the song ended. Haruki: "Oh." Haruki-kun lifted his face and our eyes met. He smiled happily at me. That smile made my heart race more than it should for someone my age. Haruki: "A'right! One more round!" Haruki: "My Baby..." Yuno: "Ah, this song..." My heart tightened at the sound of that flowing melody. This was the tune Haruki-kun had crafted while thinking of me. Everyone was listening to that song with rapt attention. Haruki-kun's feelings for me were making lots of people happy. At times like this, I felt a small sense of superiority. The person who made and sang these lovely songs was _my_ boyfriend. Was I a bad woman for thinking that way? This much should be okay. I put up with a lot of other things, after all. Yes, it wasn't easy being a start-up musician's girlfriend. Especially with a relationship like ours... Band Member: "Good job!" Haruki: "Yeah, thanks!" Band Member: "'Kay Yuno-chan, take good care of Haruki." Yuno: "Oh, yes. You can count on me." After cleaning up, the band members went home. All that was left were Haruki-kun and me, just the two of us. It was always like this after his concerts. I wasn't so great at dealing with loud club music, but I definitely loved _this_ kind of outdoor setting. Especially when Haruki-kun and I saw everyone off. Yuno: "Oh, here's your coffee." I poured him a cup of coffee from the thermos I'd grabbed during my brief stop at home. Haruki-kun seemed to enjoy the coffee I made for him, so I always brought him some after his concerts. Haruki: "Thank you. Your coffee always tastes amazing after a concert." Yuno: "Hehe, thanks." It was something he always told me, but it made me happy no matter how many times he said it. I suddenly remembered the first time I made coffee for him. That was the first time Haruki-kun had stayed over at my place. It was immediately following that, to be specific... I was so embarrassed back then... Yuno: "..." Haruki: "What are you getting red for?" Yuno: "...Huh? W-Wah!" Yuno: "It's nothing!" Haruki: "You're strange, Yuno-san." Haruki-kun laughed. He called me "Yuno-san" since I was a little bit older. If you could call an eight-year difference "a little," anyway. A long time ago, Haruki-kun would refer to me as his teacher. Yes, he was my former student―a student from when I first started teaching. Haruki: "Did that cheer you up a bit?" Haruki-kun asked quietly. Yuno: "Huh? Cheer me up?" Haruki: "You've been kinda out of it lately, haven't you?" Yuno: "Ah... Y-Yeah..." Haruki-kun had noticed I was brooding. Ah, maybe... Yuno: "Did you play that song today because you were thinking about that?" Haruki-kun had made that song just for me. Haruki: "Yeah, I just had a feeling. Was I imagining things?" Yuno: "N-No... Thank you. It made me really happy." I truly _was_ happy. That he had actually noticed me, and then sung for me. Haruki: "Is it school?" Yuno: "Oh, yeah. Well, something like that." I nodded on reflex. There was no way I could tell him that my parents were pushing me into meeting someone for a marriage interview. Haruki-kun was kind, and saw me for who I was. But his point of view was always a little bit off. Maybe because he was a boy? Regardless, it made me plenty happy to know he was worried about me. I had to think that way. Yuno: "I'm okay, really. You really cheered me up." Haruki: "Did I? I'm glad, then." Haruki-kun smiled. He had always flashed me this boyish smile, ever since I first met him. How many years had passed since then? Just as his smile hadn't changed, neither had our relationship. And neither had Haruki-kun's relationship with me, with music, or the way we had coffee like this after his concerts... There was comfort in things staying the same, but they couldn't stay like this forever. I had started thinking that way once these marriage interviews started coming up. Haruki: "It's okay; things won't always be this way." Yuno: "Huh?" What a surprise. He made it sound like he'd read my mind. Haruki: "We're indies right now, but sooner or later we'll debut as professionals and be able to earn a living off our music..." Haruki: "If you want, you can retire from teaching once we do. I'll provide for us." Yuno: "..." Yuno: "Yeah, that's true." I nodded, with mixed feelings. Haruki-kun had been saying that since the beginning. I was glad to hear it then. No, I was _still_ happy to hear it. I loved his music, so I was pleased that it was getting the appreciation it deserved. I did hope his dream came true someday. But what would happen to us once that happens? Could I abandon my family to go with him? Or would that mark the end of our relationship? I did believe life had many crossroads, and I might have to face one in the near future... I may have felt so restless and insecure because I knew that was on the horizon. A time where I would have to make a final decision was coming. It felt as if it was becoming gradually more difficult to have dreams. Dreams were the flipside to reality. I had come to realize that. Haruki-kun was still young, so he might not understand how I felt just yet. That could be how he had been able to maintain that unchanging smile all this time. Haruki: "Well, shall we get going?" Yuno: "...Yeah." Would we be able to keep heading in the same direction, which had remained steady ever since we first met?
The rooftop door opened unexpectedly. The one who came up was the school nurse, Kojirou Tatsumiya-sensei. He had a pack of what looked like cigarettes in his hand. Kojirou: "Hm?" Aine: "Ah!" Aine froze when Kojirou-sensei saw her. Aine was still in her angel form. Naturally, her feathers were fully visible. Kojirou-sensei was walking toward us with his eyes focused on her back. Kojirou: "Hooh..." He got right up under her nose and stared intently at Aine's feathers. He nodded with admiration. Aine: "U-U-Um, these are..." Kojirou: "Cosplay?" Aine: "Huh?" Likely due to her surprise, the feathers on her back twitched. Kojirou: "Oh? They move, too? That's impressive." I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not as he admired the feathers on her back. To me, it looked like he was just pretending to be amused by them. In any case, this guy was a slippery character. Aine: "U-Uh..." Kojirou: "You're not a student at this academy, are you? She a friend of yours, Tomoe?" Tomoe: "Yeah, I guess." Sensei called me by my first name. He seemed to have taken a liking to me for some reason, and was one of the few teachers to speak to me often. Tomoe: "Sorry for bringing her up here without getting permission." There was no need to correct his misunderstanding. Better to just let it go over his head. Kojirou: "I guess it's all right. I don't want to be a pest, like some sort of teacher." I wanted to say, "but you _are_ a faculty member," but kept my mouth shut. No sense stirring up a hornet's nest. At any rate, he didn't exactly _act_ like a teacher. Kojirou: "Are you sure it's okay for you to be here right now? Shouldn't you be at your own school?" Kojirou-sensei's question was entirely reasonable. It would be normal for a girl of Aine's age (based on her appearance, at least) to be at school at this time of day. Aine: "Huh? Uh, well, about that..." Aine glanced my way, begging for help. For someone who was supposed to be an angel, she sure asked for help a lot. Why did I have to be the one to save her...? Granted, if her true identity was discovered, I would get asked a bunch of questions and it would become a real nuisance. Didn't look like I had any choice. Tomoe: "...There actually is a reason for this. She's a relative of mine, and I'm looking after her at my place for now." Without hesitation, I gave him the first adequate reason that I could come up with. When you lie, you should do it as confidently as possible. Kojirou: "Hm... I guess that explains it. You have relatives, too, Tomoe?" Tomoe: "Yeah, I guess." Sensei knew that I had lost my parents and was living alone. Aine: "I am his relative, Aine! Tomoe-oniichan always takes good care of me!" Tomoe: "Onii-chan?" Tomoe: "(Hey, don't get carried away.)" Aine: "(Huh? But...)" Aine: "(Do you not think it would be weird for me to call you 'Tomoe-san' if I am your relative?)" Tomoe: "(Maybe so, but...)" Of all the things she could have picked... It made my skin crawl. Kojirou: "I see, I see. So even Tomoe has a relative who calls him Onii-chan, huh?" Kojirou: "That gives me some peace of mind." Tomoe: "Peace of mind? You were worried about me?" Kojirou: "Of course. I may not look like it, but I'm still an instructor." He gave me a proud thumbs-up. Were there really school nurses who got such self-satisfied looks from worrying about their students? Kojirou: "Oh, but don't you live on your own, Tomoe? Will you be okay looking after her?" Tomoe: "Yes, I'll be completely fine." I had no basis for saying that, but answered with confidence. At times like this, you just had to be confident. That was important. Naruko: "D-Don't worry! I'm next door, too!" Having sensed the delicacy of the situation, Nakizaki jumped to the rescue. Kojirou: "Oh yeah, I guess you do. You seem levelheaded and reliable enough, Nakizaki." Naruko: "Yes, yes! People always depend on me! No need to worry about her, either!" Kojirou: "Hm, that's true. All right, sounds good to me." Kojirou-sensei accepted it all too easily. What a sketchy guy. I heard a student once came to him in the infirmary with an injured leg, and all he did was stick a bandage on it without performing a proper examination. It was later revealed the student actually fractured the bone. Way too sketchy. Regardless, he was popular with the students for some reason. Kojirou: "It'll be bad if you hang around the school in that outfit, though." Naruko: "Y-Yes, it would be." Kojirou: "Do you have a change of clothes?" Tomoe: "I'm sorry. There's a reason for that, too." I could play it off as having some explanation if put on the spot. Kojirou: "I see. That sounds like a problem." Kojirou: "...Oh, I know. Wait just a sec." Looking as if he had thought of something, Sensei left the rooftop. A short while later, he returned with our school's girls' uniform in hand. Kojirou: "I think this size will work." Aine: "Is it okay for me to wear this?" Kojirou: "It'd be trouble if you were to wander around in that getup." Aine: "Thank you so much! I will be sure to wear it!" Aine was overjoyed and immediately tried to undress. Naruko: "W-Wait a second! Don't undress here!" Aine: "Huh? I cannot?" Naruko: "Of course not! Come here, over here!" Aine: "Huh...?" Nakizaki dragged Aine off. Probably took her to a nearby vacant classroom or something. Even so... Tomoe: "You sure grabbed that uniform awfully fast, huh?" Did school nurses just happen to keep girls' uniforms in stock? Kojirou: "Yeah. I had it just in case." Despite his sleek attitude, it really was suspicious. There were rumors that this guy was up to no good, bringing girls to the infirmary and doing naughty things with them, but could they actually be true...? Aine: "Yay! How is it~?" Aine returned in awfully high spirits. She had changed into her uniform. Tomoe: "Hm..." I was a bit impressed. Her feathers and the halo over her head had vanished, and once she dressed like a human, she looked no different from the real thing. Naruko: "Don't just go 'hm'; say something." Tomoe: "Like what?" Kojirou: "Heheh. You really don't get how a lady's heart works, do you, Tomoe?" Tomoe: "A lady's heart?" So he said, but this wasn't a 'lady'; it was an angel. Not that I could tell him as much. Aine: "Does it... look bad on me?" For some reason, Aine looked like she was going to cry. Why did she look so sad? Tomoe: "Well... I think it suits you?" Aine: "Really?! Yay!" She was jumping for joy. Was it really something to get so happy about? Naruko: "Good for you, Aine-chan!" Aine: "Yes!" Tomoe: "..." Nakizaki joined in her delight. Why were they so happy about this? I guess I _really_ didn't understand a lady's heart. Aine: "Now I can come and go from this school as I please!" Aine was speaking total nonsense. Tomoe: "Huh? Of course you can't." Aine: "Huh? I cannot come here whenever I want if I wear this?" Aine looked seriously perplexed. Was she really planning to come here from now on? Naruko: "Listen, you can't attend school unless you follow the proper procedures and enroll." Aine: "Is that so? Then, I cannot come..." She looked disappointed. She really intended to come here? Why did an angel want to go to school? Kojirou: "What? Does this girl not go to school or something?" Naruko: "Oh, no, um..." Not good. He asked why she didn't go to school... Well, it wasn't compulsory education or anything, so it probably wouldn't be a problem if we insisted she didn't... Kojirou: "Is there a reason for that, too?" Tomoe: "Yeah, something like that." In this case, all I could do was be vague. He'd fill in the holes on his own. Kojirou: "Hmmm..." Kojirou-sensei folded his arms and thought. And then... Kojirou: "How about if she attends as long as she's at your place, Tomoe?" ...A proposal I never expected came flying out of his mouth. Tomoe: "...Huh?" I asked on reflex. I mean, it was like he was casually inviting someone into his own home. Aine: "Is it okay if I come here again?!" Kojirou: "I don't know how long you're going to be staying at Tomoe's house, but it'd be a problem for you if you didn't go to school in that time, wouldn't it?" Tomoe: "Won't it _also_ be a problem if you tell her she can attend that easily?" Kojirou: "Let's just call it 'hands-on learning.' There's no way she can formally enroll as a student, but it should be fine if she just studies with you." Tomoe: "Are you sure that's okay?" It didn't seem okay at all to me. Kojirou: "It'll be fine. I'll talk to the principal myself." Tomoe: "You think it'll go that smoothly?" Kojirou: "We've got a tradition of being big-hearted here." Tomoe: "Tradition..." That felt a little _too_ "big-hearted" to me. Aine: "I can go to school, too? Yay! Hooray!" Kojirou: "Oh, I did a good deed. Since I did something nice, I guess I'll have a smoke." Incidentally, he had a cigarette in his mouth―the sort intended to help quit smoking. Tomoe: "I guess you _are_ holding a cigarette. I thought you quit, Sensei?" It certainly looked like he'd come to the roof to smoke. Kojirou: "Are they really that bad for you? Exhaust fumes are probably way worse. Not smoking comes with considerable stress, too." Tomoe: "Sensei, if you keep looking for excuses to smoke then you won't quit for very long." Kojirou: "How about if I just smoke when I've done something good?" Tomoe: "That's not going to get you anywhere." If he thought something like this was enough to warrant smoking, then I suspected he'd be doing it full-time again soon. But still... Aine: "School, school~!" I couldn't believe Aine would be attending our school...
Aine: "I am going to school starting tomorrow! I am so happy~!" Aine was walking home with a spring in her step while still wearing the uniform she had borrowed. In the end, she'd gotten the principal's permission and would be attending our school starting tomorrow. It looked like short-term, emergency measures had been taken. There was a long-standing rumor that there were problems with our school's security, and this made me worried if our academy was actually all right. Tomoe: "More importantly, is it really okay?" Aine: "Is what okay?" Tomoe: "I was thinking, wouldn't it cause a lot of problems if they discovered your true identity?" There would be a huge commotion if people found out an angel had slipped in among us. Aine didn't seem like the type who could easily pass for a human, much less be crafty enough to trick someone successfully. Aine: "It will be okay! Nobody saw through me today, did they?" Tomoe: "You were just lucky." We were just dealing with Kojirou-sensei. There was no telling what would have happened with another faculty member or student. Aine: "I am telling you, it will be okay! Ah, I am looking forward to tomorrow!" Tomoe: "..." The more excited Aine got, the more worried I became. I also didn't understand why going to school was something to get so happy about. Naruko: "Why _do_ you want to go to school so badly? Because you like humans?" Nakizaki asked my own question for me. Aine: "That is part of it... but are there not lots of people with love troubles in schools?" Aine: "If so, I believe there will be many people I will be able to help." Naruko: "Yeah, there are lots of people with worries on their mind in our age group. Especially when it comes to love." Aine: "Right? Right?" Aine sounded so happy as she spoke, but something bugged me. Tomoe: "You said you want to help people, but has your guitar been fixed?" If I remembered right, she said angels could help people by singing songs aided by instruments which used the red threads of fate. But the strings of Aine's instrument were currently broken, making her guitar unusable. That's why I was recruited against my will today. Case in point, Aine shouldn't be able to do anything without her guitar. Aine: "That is why it will be more convenient if I attend school with you. Now I will be able to come get you right away, Onii-chan." Tomoe: "...On second thought, you're banned from calling me that." No way. I couldn't stand that nickname, nor did some unfamiliar creature like an angel have any right to call me by it. Aine: "Aw, then what should I call you?" Tomoe: "Anything is fine, as long as it's not 'Onii-chan.'" Aine: "Hm, then I will go the safe route and call you 'Tomoe-san'!" The way she said that made it sound like there was an unsafe choice available. Tomoe: "Actually, wait a second." Aine had said something inexcusable earlier, hadn't she? Aine: "Yes, what is it?" Aine looked back at me with wonder. Based on her expression, it didn't appear she was cooking up any malicious schemes. Which must mean she was being straightforward. Tomoe: "Why would you ever need to come get me? I'm not helping you anymore." Aine: "Huh?! Wh-Why?!" As I thought, she was truly surprised. Looks like she planned to make me do "that" again. Tomoe: "What do you mean, 'why?' I told you as much from the start. Why do I have to be your accomplice over and over again?" Aine: "Calling yourself an 'accomplice' is strange! We are not doing anything wrong." Tomoe: "It's wrong as far as I'm concerned." I shot her down in no uncertain terms. Aine had a quizzical look on her face. Aine: "Why is helping people with their love lives wrong? It does not make sense to me." Tomoe: "It's a difference in opinion. We can't exactly work together when we can't see eye to eye on this." Aine: "No way... That puts me in a tough spot!" Tomoe: "It puts me in a tough spot, too, you know." This conversation was never going to get us anywhere. Nothing she could do would ever help us reach an agreement on the subject. Aine: "Please say something as well, Naruko-san!" Aine looked to Nakizaki for help. Seemed she thought of Nakizaki as an ally. Naruko: "Hm, I'd like to, but..." Naruko: "Relying on Kirinokojima for everything doesn't feel right to me, either." Aine: "What...?" Nakizaki's pessimistic answer made Aine look like she was going to cry. Aine: "Why? Is it wrong to help those in need?" Naruko: "It's not like that." Tomoe: "There's nothing wrong with helping people, but humans shouldn't get involved. Angels should do their work on their own." Aine: "That _is_ how it should be done, but..." It was a sound argument. So sound that even Aine couldn't refute it. She simply gazed at Nakizaki, looking for help. Naruko: "Sorry, Aine-chan." Why did Nakizaki apologize? There was no need for it. Still, that seemed to have gotten Aine to give up on it as well. Aine: "No, I am the one who should be sorry. I will try to do the best I can on my own." Tomoe: "You do that." As long as I didn't get dragged into it, whatever she did was fine by me.
Aine: "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?!" Tomoe: "Wh-What's wrong?!" Naruko: "What, what, what?! A burglar?! Fire?! Aliens?!" Nakizaki had most likely heard Aine's scream, and her complexion had even changed color. Naruko: "What was that scream just now?" Tomoe: "I don't really know, either." Tomoe: "Aine, what's wrong?" Aine was frozen in place, her mouth gaping so wide it was like she'd dislocated her jaw. Naruko: "Aine-chan, you're drooling! What in the world is wrong?" Aine: "Th-Th-Th..." She seemed to have received quite a significant shock, and couldn't get the words out. Tomoe: "What is it?" She was pointing at her guitar. Naruko: "What's wrong with it?" Aine: "Th-Th-Th..." Tomoe: "Did you get possessed by a chicken or something?" Tomoe: "What in the world's wrong with the gui... Hm?" Upon closer inspection, something felt out of place. But I couldn't figure out _why_ it felt out of place. What could it― Tomoe: "...Ah!" I figured it out! This guitar... Naruko: "What is it?" Tomoe: "There's an extra string." Naruko: "Huh? A string?" Tomoe: "All of the strings but one snapped off, but at some point a second one appeared." Where there should have been only one guitar string, there were now two. I was pretty sure she said they couldn't be replaced since it required the red threads. And yet, there was an extra. Tomoe: "What's going on?" Aine: "I... I do not know. Why? How could more strings appear?" Tomoe: "How would I know?" Aine: "How..." Aine didn't seem to know why it had happened, either. If what she said was true, it shouldn't be possible for the strings to break _or_ reappear like this. Naruko: "Those strings are _the_ red threads, right? That's why you said there was no replacement..." Aine: "Yes, that should be the case..." Aine gazed at the guitar with an expression filled with disbelief and a tinge of fear. Naruko: "Wait, wasn't a red thread formed between Kayo and Hashiguchi-kun today? Where did that come from?" Aine: "Huh? Who knows? I had not thought about it all that much..." Tomoe: "What about it?" Naruko: "If a red thread can be born between two people, then maybe it isn't so strange that there's an extra red thread here." Tomoe: "Oh, that's how it works?" Naruko: "Maybe we can just say the guitar's red threads multiplied as a reward for bringing a couple together?" It was a pretty off-the-wall comment, but something told me she'd hit the nail on the head. Tomoe: "A reward, huh?" Naruko: "Yeah, a reward. Does that not work?" Aine: "A reward, is it? Hm..." Aine gave it some thought. The red threads had increased by one after bringing together a new couple. Could this be just a coincidence? It bothered me, but Aine didn't seem to know, either. Was there no way to confirm it? ???: "I was _juuust_ wondering what you were up to. So that's what's going on?" Tomoe: "Huh...?" A voice I had never heard before called out from who-knows-where. I looked around the room, but we were the only ones here. Naruko: "Hey, someone just..." Tomoe: "You heard it, too?" Naruko: "Yeah, it was a voice. You also heard it, Aine-chan?" Aine: "..." Naruko: "Aine-chan?" Aine: "That voice was..." Aine: "Erich-chan!" A light suddenly materialized around us when Aine cried out. Tomoe: "Oh..." Naruko: "Wh-What is this...?!" Light flooded the room, and we raised our arms to shield our eyes from its brilliance. The instant the light dissipated, three mysterious figures came into view. Tomoe: "Wha..." Naruko: "Wh-Who...?" I had no idea who they were, but... it was clear from their outfits that they were Aine's companions. In other words... Tomoe: "They're angels?" Aine: "Yes! My angel friends!" I felt kind of dizzy. Three more angels suddenly appeared. Aine: "Erich-chan, Menes-chan, and Licha-chan!" Aine called out their names with a smile spread across her face. Menes: "We hadn't seen you lately and were wondering where you went off to. You were here of all places?" Menes: "This looks like a pretty nice place!" For some reason, the oddly seductive angel was looking my way and licking her lips suggestively. Her obscene actions didn't seem angelic at all. Erich: "You think it looks nice? I'm not so sure. Seems kind of shabby to me." This one had a sharp tongue on her. She wasn't very angelic, either. Erich: "What do you think, Licha?" Licha: "..." The girl called Licha just stood there in a daze without so much as changing her expression and remained silent. Were all angels this strange? Aine: "Everyone, you are just in time!" Erich: "Looks like you're in trouble." Aine: "I am! Please look at this!" Aine showed them the guitar. Menes: "Yes, I know. Your guitar strings broke, right?" Aine: "That is right!" Erich: "How did _that_ happen? Red threads breaking is totally strange!" Aine: "It _is_ strange. That is why I am in trouble." Aine: "There is something even stranger than that..." Menes: "There's something stranger?" Aine: "If you look at it now, a string that should have been broken has come back anew..." Menes: "Huh? A broken string repaired itself?" Erich: "What the heck? Where'd that string come from?" Aine: "I do not know! What could be the meaning of this?" Menes: "It's hard to tell without more context. Please tell us the whole story, from start to finish." Prompted by the strangely erotic angel called Menes, Aine explained everything that had happened so far. Everything from when the strings snapped, about me lending a hand and joining a couple with the red thread, and the guitar strings multiplying... Erich: "What's with that? That's kooky!" The angel called Erich looked quite annoyed as she sulked. Menes: "Yes, that is unusual. Do you know anything, Licha?" Licha: "..." When asked, the angel called Licha pondered it, then leaned in and whispered something into Menes's ear. Menes: "Oh, you've heard of something like this before?" Aine: "Huh?! Really?!" Licha: "Mhm." Aine: "Wh-What sort of thing did you hear?!" Licha looked at Menes to answer in her place. Menes: "She says she's seen it in library books. Licha sure loves reading!" Aine: "Books, was it?" Menes: "They were apparently really old ones, but something just like that came up in them." Menes: "A red thread used on an angel's instrument _did_ break, but when a pair of lovers were joined together with the red thread via the process of angelery, it went back to normal." Aine: "When lovers were joined together..." Erich: "Hm, something like that happened? That matches up with your situation perfectly, so maybe it _is_ real?" Menes: "The red threads just increased by one?" Aine: "That is right." Erich: "Doesn't that mean the guitar will be back to normal if you join four more couples?" By joining one couple, one red thread had returned. We couldn't say this for sure yet, but it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine another string would reappear for every couple we helped. Menes: "Sounds reasonable... Don't you agree, Licha?" Licha: "Mhm." Licha nodded firmly. Seeing that, Aine's eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope. Aine: "So if I keep working hard to help humans like I have been, then my guitar will go back to normal!" Erich: "Sure sounds like it. Isn't that great?" Aine: "Yes!" Menes: "On that note, please take care of this girl for us a little longer." Menes flashed a bewitching smile at me. Tomoe: "Take care of her?" Menes: "Come on. She can't do anything on her own right now. She - needs - your - help... you know?" I wondered if there was any need for her to speak so seductively, but setting that aside... Put simply (although this was just an estimate), Aine would need to join at least four more couples together to restore her guitar. However, because Aine couldn't use her guitar or a bow, she had no means of completing her work as an angel on her own. In summary, the red threads of her guitar would never return without me lending her a hand. Tomoe: "Isn't there anything you can do as fellow angels? Like do it in Aine's place... for instance." I questioned the angels. With so many colleagues around, was there any need for a human like me to butt in? I held that faint hope in my heart. Erich: "That's probably impossible. If we used the shards, we'd be the ones to join them." Erich: "Angels can't act as proxies for other angels." My faint hope was crushed in an instant. Well, I figured as much. Otherwise they wouldn't have encouraged me to help her in the first place. Aine: "Just four more! That is all I am asking of you! Just four!" Aine: "Once my guitar is back to normal, I am sure I can make your love come true, too, Tomoe-san!" Tomoe: "I'm not interested in that sort of thing. I have no need for it." Aine: "Do not say thaaaat!" Aine clung to me desperately. Naruko: "Kirinokojima, why don't you help her? Aine-chan really looks like she's in a bind, and it's only four more times." Now even Nakizaki was saying it. She was a compassionate person, so she may have become attached after spending some time with Aine. Licha: "..." Aine: "..." Everyone was staring at me. The silent pressure cut through me like a knife. Tomoe: "...Haa." I let out a sigh. Tomoe: "Just to put it out there, I've got my own mindset, and I won't do anything that goes against it. I can't contradict my own values." Tomoe: "But, I guess I'll help out as much as I can within those bounds." Aine: "Huh?! Really?!" Tomoe: "You'll be here forever at the rate things are going. I want a nice, clean break from you angels and my old, quiet life back." Tomoe: "If it moves things along, I can help out a little." Aine: "Th-Thank you so much!" Tomoe: "In exchange, I have conditions. As soon as the guitar is back to normal, you need to leave." Aine: "Ah... My leaving is one of those conditions?" Tomoe: "Obviously. Were you planning to stay here forever?" Aine: "That is right... I am sorry for inconveniencing you." Aine looked like she was about to cry. Still, it was a reasonable condition. Angels and humans couldn't coexist indefinitely. This entire situation was abnormal for sure. Tomoe: "And, one more thing." Aine: "Huh? There is more? Wh-What could it be?" Tomoe: "From now on, practice the bow as much as possible. I'll teach you." Aine: "Huh?! You will teach me to use a bow and arrow?!" Tomoe: "I can't have you running back to me in tears if the strings snap again someday." Tomoe: "Also, if you become competent with a bow before we gather all of the strings, you're on your own from that point forward." Tomoe: "Heck, hurry up and make that happen." Aine: "I-I understand." Aine nodded meekly. Menes: "Okay, that settles it. We're witnesses, so no more weaseling your way out of it." Tomoe: "If I could have gotten out of it, I would have done so from the start." Menes: "Ehehe, that's true." Aine: "I will do my best! At bow and arrow practice, and with my angelic work! I will work hard to get my guitar strings back as soon as possible!" Aine: "With that said, I look forward to working with you from now on!" Aine bowed very deeply to me. Nakizaki and the other angels smiled as they watched the scene play out before them. Four more couples, huh? In essence, I had to offer up eight sacrifices for my freedom, then. Menes: "Okay, now that that's settled, let's go to sleep." Tomoe: "...Huh?" Menes: "Let's sleep together tonight to confirm our fellowship." Tomoe: "Uh, I don't get what you mean." Menes: "What's the harm? I have plenty of confidence in my abilities." Menes cuddled up to me provocatively. Squish~! She had a sensual touch that didn't seem befitting of an angel. No, it wasn't as if I knew how an angel should feel, so it may just be that they were like this to begin with. Tomoe: "Sorry, but I'm the type who sleeps alone." Menes: "Huh...?" Erich: "Ahaha! Menes got turned down!" Menes: "I-I wasn't turned down. How rude." Aine: "Tomoe-san must truly have no interest in love if he can dodge Menes-chan's advances without a second thought." Menes: "Oh my, you have no interest in love? ...Are you the frigid type?" Tomoe: "Don't describe it like that." Menes: "Hmm..." She stared at me seductively as a lewd smile spread across her lips. Menes: "Well then, you've put me in the mood to teach you exactly how magnificent love is, Tomoe-san." Tomoe: "I'm good, thanks." Menes: "Ehehe, that's fine for now. I'll take my time teaching you all sorts of things, in intricate detail." Menes: "I'm getting more and more excited. Ehehehe." Menes's voluptuous smile sent shivers down my back. What in the world did she plan to "teach" me...? Erich: "Okay, Aine! Keep it together, okay?" Aine: "Yes! Thank you so much for worrying about me, and going so far out of your way!" Erich: "Wh-What are you talking about? I wasn't worried about you or anything." Licha: "Nuh-uh." Licha shook her head side to side, almost as if she was denying everything Erich said. Menes: "Oh, Erich, the truth is you were worried about Aine the whole time. You're so dishonest." Menes: "Erich was the one who suggested we should check up on you in the first place." Erich: "I-I'm telling you, I didn't care! Come on, if we're finished here then let's get moving!" Erich turned away and vanished. Aine: "Ah... She really left us." Menes: "Please come to us if you run into any trouble. Erich is worried, too." Licha: "Mhm..." Aine: "...Yes! Thank you very much!" Menes: "Very well. See you, then!" Menes looked at me with amorous eyes one last time and disappeared, following after Erich. Licha: "..." Licha silently followed after them. Naruko: "Are they gone?" Aine: "Yes, they have left." Her friends(?) left, and Aine looked a bit lonely. But she immediately pulled herself together, and her expression filled with determination. Aine: "All right, I will do my best! I have got to hurry and restore my guitar!" Aine: "I want you to hear my song as well, Tomoe-san!" Tomoe: "I'm telling you, I really don't want to hear it." I could more or less see how things were going to play out, especially now that the possibility of fixing her guitar had presented itself. If we could just fix the guitar, then that would be the end of my cohabitation with this angel. I just felt sorry for the four more miserable couples I'd have to sacrifice...
The next day was Aine's first day of school. Aine: "Okay, I will be heading to the staff room now." On her "first day as a transfer student," Aine needed to greet and be escorted by her teacher to her new classroom. Tomoe: "Okay, but make sure no one finds out what you really are..." Aine: "Please leave it to me!" Hearing her say that didn't inspire much confidence. Naruko: "Do your best." Aine: "Yes! I will! I will make lots of friends!" She was senselessly excited. About making friends, no less. Was she really attending school to help people? Didn't she just want to play? I had real doubts about her. Aine: "Here I go!" Tomoe: "..." I guess all I can do is pray.
Yuno: "This is Aine Kirinokojima. Starting today, she will be joining our class and studying with us." Aine: "I-I am A-A-A-Aine K-Kirinoko-kojima! P-Pleased... to meet yooou!" The transfer student, Kirinokojima-san, introduced herself while stuttering greatly over her words. I could hear chuckles here and there from around the classroom. It was no use. If I weren't a teacher, I would likely be laughing, too. Be that as it may, it was rare for a transfer student to get this nervous. Yuno: "You don't need to be so nervous. You're all going to be friends from now on." Aine: "Oh, really? In that case, I will relax." Aine: "Smile, smile, smile~" Yuno: "I don't think relaxing and smiling are the same thing..." Yuno: "Anyway, that is quite an unusual name. There's a second-year boy with the same last name. Do you know him?" Aine: "Ah, that is my Onii-chan!" Yuno: "Oh, 'Onii-chan'? You're siblings?" Aine: "Ah, we are relatives! Just relatives! My mistake!" Yuno: "Wow, really? Relatives." I had heard she had some special circumstances for being here, but I was relieved that she seemed to be a cheerful, energetic girl. If she had a relative around, then it might be easier for her to open up at school, too. Yuno: "Okay, Kirinokojima-san..." Aine: "Oh, you may call me by my first name. My last name is quite a mouthful, after all." Yuno: "Really? Then... can I call you 'Aine-chan'?" Aine: "Yes, please do! In that case, I shall show my friendliness and call you by your first name as well, Sensei!" Yuno: "Huh? Uh... If possible, I wish you'd call me by my last name and use the 'sensei' honorific." Aine: "Is that so? Then I will! Uh..." Aine: "Okeyamachi-sensei-san!" Yuno: "You don't need to add 'san' after 'sensei,' okay?" She was cheerful and positive, but she was kind of off-kilter? Could this be that so-called "generation gap" at work? Next year, I'd hit the big 3-0 and be quite the fine, old lady myself... Aine: "Then, Okeyamachi-sensei! Where should I sit?" Yuno: "Ah, that's right. Um, which seat is free...?" Yuno: "The one furthest back by the window should be free. Please use that one." Aine: "Yes! Roger!" Aine-chan gave me an officer-like salute and skipped over to her seat―the empty seat next to Minamo Wakamatsu. Wakamatsu-san was a docile girl. Would she be okay? Aine: "I am Aine! Pleased to meet you!" Minamo: "..." Minamo: "...Huh?!" My, what could be the matter? Wakamatsu-san took one look at Aine-chan and got startled. Aine: "What is wrong?" Minamo: "A-A-A-Are you..." Aine: "Yes?" Minamo: "...an angel?" Aine: "Huh?!" An angel? Wakamatsu-san's baffling question got the entire classroom abuzz. Yuno: "Wakamatsu-san, what do you mean, 'angel'?" Minamo: "Ah..." Minamo: "N-Never mind! It is nothing..." Aine: "..." Frozen in place, Aine-chan sent Wakamatsu-san a shocked, wide-eyed stare. Did they know each other...? No, that couldn't be it. It certainly didn't look that way to me, anyway. Aine: "..." Yuno: "Aine-chan, aren't you going to sit down?" Aine: "Ah... Y-Yes, I will sit..." Minamo: "..." Aine: "..." Those two seemed awfully tense. Would they be okay?
With morning lessons now over, it was finally lunchtime. Tomoe: "..." Naruko: "You're worried about Aine-chan, aren't you?" What was Nakizaki so happy about? She walked over carrying her lunch with a huge smirk on her face. Tomoe: "Of course I am. It'll be a huge pain if she blows her cover." Kiyohito: "Hm? Whatcha talking about?" Tomoe: "Nothing." Kiyohito: "No way it's nothing. Don't leave me the odd man out." Kiyohito looked rather upset. He was pretty sensitive to being left out from the rest of his social circle. Tomoe: "...Someone we know just wound up transferring here, is all." I was reluctantly honest with him. He'd find out sooner or later, so I may as well tell him as much as I could. Kiyohito: "Oh, an acquaintance of yours transferred here?" Naruko: "More of a relative than an acquaintance, isn't she?" Nakizaki seemed to have caught on and went along with my story. Kiyohito: "A relative? You had relatives, Tomoe?" Tomoe: "A distant relative, apparently. I wasn't really aware of it, either." Kiyohito: "What year are they? Male? Female?" Tomoe: "A first-year, female." Kiyohito: "All right! Let's go see!" Kiyohito jumped to his feet. Everything he did was spur-of-the-moment, as usual. Tomoe: "Go see? You mean Aine?" Kiyohito: "Her name's Aine-chan? That sure gets my imagination going!" He was completely wired. Why did he get so excited over something like this? Kiyohito: "What are you sitting around for? Let's get going!" Tomoe: "...Why do I have to?" Kiyohito: "Come on, I don't know what Aine-chan looks like." Tomoe: "Not my problem. Go do whatever you want." Kiyohito: "Come on, you're bad at playing along. Do you know Aine-chan, Nakizaki?" Naruko: "Yeah, I guess." Kiyohito: "All right! Come with me, then!" Naruko: "Huh? I..." Kiyohito: "Hurry, hurry!" Naruko: "Aaah..." Kiyohito dragged Nakizaki out of the classroom and it instantly grew quiet the moment he left. Okay then, time for a quiet lunch... or so I thought. I couldn't find that lunch box Nakizaki brought earlier anywhere. Tomoe: "Did Nakizaki take it with her?" Oh well. May as well go kill some time alone on the roof. The roof was completely deserted. ...Wait. Tomoe: "...Hm?" I suddenly sensed a presence and looked up behind me. I thought I was alone, but someone _was_ there. Her long black hair fluttered in the wind. That was when I first realized it was a woman. It was as if she was looking far off into the distance. Probably somewhere far, far away. She had a mature air about her, and was most likely a third-year. She was a very pretty person. Hers was the sort of beauty instilled within globally famous sculptures, cultural gems such as Buddha statues, and the like. I was honestly enchanted. I was half-convinced another angel had appeared. No, I could intuitively sense she was human. Even so, I genuinely thought she was more angelic than Aine. My heart panged. It seemed as if she might leap from that spot at any moment. "I want to become an angel." I heard a voice. An innocent voice... ...One I had heard a long time ago. I seemed to have forgotten I was even looking up at that girl as I took a short stroll through some old memories. ???: "Ah..." I snapped back to reality when I heard her sudden reaction to my unexpected presence. Our eyes locked as we unintentionally stared at one another. Tomoe: "Ah..." All I could manage to get out was a foolish grunt. While I was stunned, the girl stared at me and quickly went wide-eyed. So much so that I wondered what could possibly be so surprising. ???: "Um, you're..." Her inexplicable surprise must have left her careless, as her entire body rocked and leaned forward. ???: "Ah...!" She immediately lost her balance and slipped off. I saw this coming, and dove to catch her. Tomoe: "Watch out!" ???: "Kyah!" Bam! Tomoe: "Ugh...!" Stylishly catching her was too much to hope for. I just barely managed to slip between her and the ground before we slammed into each other. ???: "Mm... Oh..." Tomoe: "Are you all right?" I asked, still pinned underneath her. ???: "Ah...!" ???: "I-I'm sorry!" She leapt off of me in a panic. ???: "A-Are you okay?!" Tomoe: "Yeah, I'm..." Throb! Tomoe: "Oh..." I tried to prop myself to my feet when pain coursed through my right wrist. ???: "Did I hurt you somewhere?" Tomoe: "No, I'm really all right." ???: "That won't do. Please stay still." She stopped me when I tried to stand up. For having such a gentle demeanor, she was surprisingly pushy. That made it difficult for me to say no. ???: "Your wrist? You twisted it, didn't you?" Tomoe: "Looks like it, but it's no big deal." ???: "You shouldn't neglect it. It could hurt worse later. Please keep it still for now." Tomoe: "Sure..." ???: "Oh, you also skinned yourself a little. Please wait a second. I have bandages." She continued doing as she pleased. Just as I thought, she was way pushier than she looked. Also, she had a somewhat calming scent. What was it? ...Incense? It was... a genuinely Japanese aroma. ???: "Okay, this will do for now." She pulled away. ???: "Be careful not to move it too much. Let's get you to the infirmary; I will escort you." Tomoe: "No, hey, um..." So much had happened so quickly that I couldn't keep up. Her face flushed bright red when she noticed how stupefied I was. ???: "I-I'm sorry. There I go again. Being so blunt when we've only just met..." Tomoe: "It's okay." ???: "And, I apologize. You got hurt because of me..." Tomoe: "Please don't worry about it. It's nothing, really." Tomoe: "More importantly, um..." Who was this girl? It wasn't like this place belonged to me or anything. It was part of the school building, so there was nothing unusual about someone else being here. This area _was_ off-limits, but this girl didn't look like the type to have strayed here on accident. ???: "Ah, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Yuri Hisaka. A third-year." Tomoe: "Yuri Hisaka-san..." So she _was_ a third-year. Tomoe: "What are you doing here, Hisaka-san? I'm pretty sure this place is off-limits." Yuri: "Well..." Hisaka-san looked at me nervously, with a tinge of shock dancing in her eyes. Yuri: "I thought if I came here, I might meet an angel..." This time _I_ was the one shocked by her comment. Tomoe: "An angel?" That word certainly came out of nowhere. When I saw how absorbed she was, I could tell that such a statement wasn't some random thought, but one she had resolved herself to say. Yuri: "Yes. Are you... an angel?" Tomoe: "Huh...?" What did she mean? Was it a metaphor, or some joke? Or... How should I answer that? It was so spur-of-the-moment, my brain wouldn't work. Tomoe: "Why would you ask me something like that?" Unable to answer, I asked a question instead. Yuri: "I saw it. Yesterday, you used a bow..." She left the rest unsaid. It was likely she didn't know how to put what she had seen into words. Now it all made sense to me. Tomoe: "Ah..." I wasn't very shaken, strangely enough. A part of me may have felt like I was just a spectator in yesterday's events. Knowing the reason behind it was actually refreshing. I see. So she had seen that yesterday? Yuri: "The girl who was with you had feathers and a halo. That... was an angel, wasn't it?" She was talking about Aine. Maybe I should just give up and answer her honestly? Tomoe: "...And if she were?" What in the world was this person trying to ask? What did she want to know? She even went out of her way to come to a place like this. Yuri: "Is there really an angel? If so... do you think she could become happy as well?" Tomoe: "Who are you talking about?" I could sense abnormal urgency in Hisaka-san's question. What sort of burdens did she bear? Tomoe: "...That girl is... an ang―" Just then, the door to the rooftop opened and I stopped mid-sentence. Aine peeked her head out from behind the opened door. Aine: "Tomoe-san, we have trouble~!" She cried out with a pitiful voice and a somewhat troubled expression. Tomoe: "What do you look so miserable for? Wasn't Nakizaki with you?" Aine: "There is no time for that. We have a big problem!" Tomoe: "What's with you? You're acting really weird. What happened?" Aine: "Actually..." Aine turned around and a girl I didn't recognize popped out from behind the door. Tomoe: "A friend?" Aine: "Ah, this is Minamo Wakamatsu-chan. She is in my class." Minamo: "Hello..." Tomoe: "Hello." She seemed to be the shy type, and was visibly nervous. Why had she come to a place like this? Aine: "Well then, this is difficult for me to say, but..." Tomoe: "Mhm?" Aine: "She found out that I am an angel." Aine declared what I had been hesitating to say without a second thought. Naturally, Hisaka-san heard her as well. Yuri: "An angel..." Aine: "...Huh? Wh-Who are you?" An idiotic look of surprise blossomed on her face. She hadn't noticed Hisaka-san? Tomoe: "Figures. Things turning out this way must've been fate." That was how two more people learned Aine's true identity.
The "humans who knew the angel's secret" gathered after school in the classroom. Naruko: "That's why she wasn't in the classroom during lunch break? I thought we might've gotten the wrong classroom or something." Nakizaki and Kiyohito seemed to have passed right by Aine on their way to her classroom. Kiyohito wasn't here, either, so he hadn't met her yet. Naruko: "Kiyohito was really disappointed." Tomoe: "Oh well. I'm sure he'll go see her again tomorrow." As long as he hadn't lost interest in Aine, anyway. It was hard to tell with Kiyohito since his interests could change at the drop of a hat. Naruko: "Are you sure it's okay not to tell him?" Tomoe: "It's Kiyohito we're talking about. There's nothing we can do about the ones who found out, but we should probably avoid intentionally adding more people to that list." Naruko: "You're right. It _is_ Kiyohito." It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but Kiyohito didn't always think things were as important as they actually were. His line of thinking was occasionally out of sync with the rest of the world, and it would definitely cause trouble for us if that led to loose lips. He wouldn't mean anything bad by it, but it was possible he'd blab about any secret he didn't personally find important. Naruko: "So, for now, only those of us here know about it." We looked at the newest additions to our little group. Two new faces. Minamo Wakamatsu, Aine's new classmate, and the third-year, Yuri Hisaka-san. The two of them had apparently been at the scene of the crime yesterday. Tomoe: "That was careless of us." It was my first time, so I was too preoccupied to pay attention to our surroundings. Besides, I had jumped to the conclusion that Aine would be able to do something about it with her angelic powers. Aine: "We will have to be careful from now on." Tomoe: "There isn't going to be a 'from now on.'" I firmly denied her confused comment. Aine: "You are being mean again..." Tomoe: "I'm not being mean." Aine: "No, no." Yuri: "U-Um..." Hisaka-san tried to be considerate of our quiet argument and modestly raised her hand. It appeared she had something to say, but she was acting like this was some sort of class meeting. Tomoe: "Go ahead." Yuri: "Kirinokojima-kun, you're, um... not an angel, are you?" Wakamatsu was staring hard at me from beside the rather inquisitive Hisaka-san. It felt like I'd turned into a panda at the zoo or something. Tomoe: "Luckily, I'm an ordinary human." Aine: "Why 'luckily'? You make it sound like being an angel would be bad." Tomoe: "If it sounds that way, that's probably how I meant it." Aine: "Oh... You _are_ mean." Yuri: "Um, but... Aine-san, you are an angel. Is that correct?" Hisaka-san asked in a low voice as she shyly looked at Aine. Aine: "_Luckily_, yes!" Aine accentuated the "luckily" in her answer. Tomoe: "Are you picking a fight with me?" Aine: "I am not..." Minamo: "I can't believe angels really exist." Wakamatsu said with feeling, practically to herself. She seemed to have made that statement without thinking, and hid her face in a fluster when she noticed everyone focusing on her. Minamo: "I-I mean, I didn't think angels really existed." Naruko: "You said it. It still doesn't feel real to me either, actually." Naruko: "Especially since she's no different from an ordinary girl when she takes this form..." This time it was Aine's turn to be stared at. Not that she seemed to mind. Yuri: "Um, what about your feathers and halo? I believe you had them yesterday..." Aine: "I am hiding them for now so that I will not be discovered." Minamo: "Wow, you can do that...?" Aine: "Well, I am an angel!" I didn't think that was much of an answer, but everyone seemed to have accepted it. Maybe it was because everyone had assumed it was only natural for angels to have mysterious powers? When in truth, they're so powerless they have to get the assistance of humans. Aine: "Um, this very angel has a request for all of you..." Aine gave Hisaka-san and Wakamatsu an unassuming glance, but both of their expressions turned tense all the same. They _did_ have an angel staring at them, after all. Aine: "I would like it if you kept the fact I am an angel a secret from anyone else. I am begging you!" She said before deeply bowing her head. Minamo: "What, is that all?" Wakamatsu murmured with relief. Hisaka-san seemed to be relieved as well. Aine: "You will not tell, then?" Yuri: "There's no reason for me to say anything, and I'm sure nobody would believe me if I did." Minamo: "Nobody would ever believe it unless they saw what happened for themselves." By which... she must have meant yesterday's work of an angel. Hisaka-san and Wakamatsu had formed a sense of unity through this special, shared experience, and both appeared to feel the same way about the situation. Yuri: "It's okay. I won't say a word, so please rest assured." Aine: "Really? I am saved!" Naruko: "Isn't that great?" Aine: "Yes!" Naruko: "What about you, Minamo-chan?" However, Wakamatsu faced my way without answering. Minamo: "First... What in the world was that yesterday?" Tomoe: "I don't know why you're asking me..." Wakamatsu's question was entirely natural. I glanced at Aine, pressing her for an answer. Aine: "We were returning a heart shard." Minamo: "A heart shard?" Aine gave an explanation regarding the "shards." That when people give up on something, their hearts fracture, and the shard is cast away. Also, that angels are able to return those shards to their owners. Minamo: "Hearts..." Yuri: "...fracture?" The two of them imagined it, and gently held their hands over their chests, almost like they felt pain in their hearts. Aine: "Yesterday, we returned one of those shards to a girl who had given up on love because her heart fractured." Yuri: "What happened to her?" Aine: "She was able to confess her feelings. It appears they were well conveyed." Yuri: "Ah... Is that so?" Despite being a total stranger, Hisaka-san looked visibly relieved by the news. She really did seem like a kind person. On the other hand, Wakamatsu looked less than amused. Minamo: "What, is that all angels do? They just return things people have lost?" Aine: "W-Well... I am sorry..." Aine hung her head, disheartened. Aine: "That is all angels can do. And yet, with my instrument broken right now, I cannot even do that much..." Yuri: "Instrument?" Aine: "Yes. Angels deliver fractured hearts back to their owners through song. Songs allow us to lighten people's spirits." Minamo: "Through song..." Wakamatsu's face turned thoughtful. "Song" must have tugged some sort of heartstring for her. Naruko: "Do you have a problem with songs?" Minamo: "N-No, not especially." Yuri: "You couldn't use your instrument, so you used a bow?" Aine: "Oh, yes. In truth, it would be fine if I could use one, but I'm poor with a bow and arrow." Yuri: "So that's why you did it yesterday?" Tomoe: "I was drafted." Minamo: "But why did things turn out that way? A human helping an angel..." Wakamatsu must have been having trouble speaking to an angel, and just kept directing her questions at me. Tomoe: "I'm not really sure why, either." I really didn't know. What twist of fate had caused all this to happen? Tomoe: "Anyway, she had to bother someone else as a last resort even though it's _her_ job to make people happy." Aine: "I-I am sorry..." Aine looked impressively unsettled, with both of her eyebrows drooping lower and lower. Yuri: "You're in a bind as well, aren't you, Angel-sama―no, Angel-san?" Hisaka-san looked at Aine, thought a little, then corrected herself. She probably didn't think she was worthy of calling her "sama." Aine: "That is right. Oh, but there is a chance my guitar can be fixed." Aine recounted last night's conversation. If their hypothesis was correct, joining that couple together had likely caused that single red thread to return to her guitar. Yuri: "Then... If you need four more, then you just have to mediate in four more couple's relationships?" Aine: "Most likely." Upon hearing that, Hisaka-san quietly thought it over. Then... Yuri: "If that's the case, I'll help as well. Would that be all right?" ...she unexpectedly asked. Naruko: "Help? An angel?" Yuri: "Yes. I don't know what I can do, and I have a little sister, so I won't always be available." Yuri: "Still, I want to help as much as possible. Can't I?" I hadn't expected a request like that. Nakizaki and I looked at one another. Yuri: "Please." Hisaka-san bowed her head. She... didn't appear to be joking. Her eyes were serious. Aine: "Um, why?" "Why" was right. I couldn't believe someone would willingly volunteer for something so bothersome. Yuri: "That's because, um..." Yuri: "If someone like me can do something for another person, I want to help." Tomoe: "..." I honestly thought, "Oh?" She seemed like a kind person, so that may not have been such a strange reason. "For another person..." I bet there were lots of whimsical people like that. Otherwise, volunteers would cease to exist. Still... Something about her comment made me feel uneasy. Aine: "Yuri-san..." Aine: "I understand! Please do, by all means!" Aine apparently hadn't sensed anything. She was frankly delighted, and gripped Hisaka-san's hand so zealously that her smile winced. Minamo: "If you bring together those guitar strings, you'll be able to sing again, right, Aine?" Aine: "Yes, that is right." Minamo: "...In that case, I'll help, too. I've got a gi― ...Er, part-time job, so I won't be able to help out all the time, though." Aine: "Really? I am so happy!" I was surprised this many whimsical people existed. Tomoe: "In that case, you don't really need me around with this many people helping you, do you?" Aine: "P-Please do not say that! You are the only one who can use a bow, Tomoe-san!" With regret, I thought to myself, "If only I couldn't do archery." Just then, the bell signaling the end of the school day echoed around us. Yuri: "Oh no. I'm running late." Hisaka-san quickly rose from her seat. Yuri: "I'm sorry, but I'll be excusing myself now. My sister is waiting." Naruko: "You have an appointment with your sister?" Yuri: "No... She's at home." Naruko: "At home?" Yuri: "I really am sorry. See you tomorrow." Hisaka-san impatiently explained before rushing out of the classroom. Naruko: "Maybe her sister is still little?" Tomoe: "Possibly." She probably wouldn't have been in such a rush otherwise. Naruko: "Okay, why don't the rest of us call it a day?" Hisaka-san's departure got everyone else in the mood to leave as well.
Yuno: "Huh? That day is..." October 31st. There was a red circle around that day on our calendar. It was our anniversary. We decided to celebrate it every year, and he had remembered it every year, including the last. And yet... Haruki: "Hm? Is there something special about the 31st?" Haruki-kun hadn't noticed. He'd forgotten. ...Maybe it was just in men's nature to forget these sorts of events. Yuno: "Uh-uh, it's okay. Do you have a concert that day?" Haruki: "Yeah. It was scheduled spur-of-the-moment, but it's looking like it'll be a big one for us. So, I was wondering if you'd like to come and watch, Yuno-san." Yuno: "Is something special happening at this concert?" Haruki: "Actually, there's this producer who's taken an interest in our band, and said he'd be going." Haruki: "If everything goes well, we might be able to go pro." Yuno: "Pro? Really?" What a huge surprise. It didn't sound like he'd be able to support us with his music right away, but making his professional debut would be a big step toward accomplishing his dream. Haruki: "It really is an amazing opportunity. It's also going to be our first big concert in a while. Some famous local bands will be there, too." Yuno: "Is that so?" I didn't know much about other bands. I wasn't great with those noisy music clubs, and seldom went to one. Generally speaking, Haruki-kun's band was the only one playing on the street, and I actually enjoyed it since they weren't too loud. Haruki: "So, if possible, do you think you could come watch us? You haven't been to a real concert in a long time, right?" Yuno: "Yeah, you may be right." Haruki: "It's been a while, so why not? I think I'll be able to try even harder than usual if you're watching me." Yuno: "Yeah, of course that's okay, but..." I nodded, but my expression must've given away how I actually felt. Haruki: "Do you have other plans?" Yuno: "No, I'm all set on that front. It's just..." I was originally supposed to spend some time alone with Haruki-kun... I would just have to deal with it if he had an important concert, but I did wonder if he had forgotten. Haruki: "There's an after-party following the concert, too. You might be uncomfortable around such a big crowd, though." Haruki: "Think it'll be too much for you?" Yuno: "No, it's not like that." I wasn't a huge fan of clubs, but I didn't mind going to them on occasion. But I couldn't deny how much it bugged me. Haruki-kun had forgotten all about our anniversary. We spent that time alone together every year, and he'd remembered it last year, too... ...But I guess I was getting too old to pout about such tiny things, huh? Yuno: "...Yeah, got it. I'll go see your concert that day, then." I was the way older one in this relationship, so I couldn't be selfish. This concert was going to bring Haruki-kun closer to his dream. An anniversary was nothing in comparison. It was enough for me as long as we celebrated it together, even if it wasn't on the exact day, and we would have another anniversary next year, too. Yuno: "..." Haruki-kun was sleeping soundly beside me, but I couldn't fall asleep. Yuno: "Next year, huh?" I'd be turning thirty next year, wouldn't I? What would I be doing at that time? Would there even be a "next year" for us then? Haruki-kun was making progress toward making a living off of his music. There was already talk of him making his pro debut, so the day his dream became reality might not be far off. In order to stay with Haruki-kun forever, I would have to abandon my family. "Abandon" was a terrible way to put it, but that's exactly what it was... Yuno: "Haa... What should I do?" That night, I dreamed. It was a dream about when I was little, playing in the sake brewery. The chief sake brewer got mad at me if I ran around, but with his consent as a chaperone, even a child like me was able to go inside. There was a unique scent inside of that dim warehouse. I knew the people from town all looked forward to the sake my dad's crew made. My heart raced since it was like I'd snuck into a secret factory that made treasures. I loved that place so much. That was why I wished I could stay there forever, with everything just like it was in the past. That was how I felt.
Kojirou-sensei helped with Aine's sudden enrollment, but there were still a few formalities that needed to be addressed despite her receiving the "hands-on learning" treatment. We came to school on our day off to finish getting her situated. Likely due to our school's easygoing nature, we got through the formalities without any trouble at all. I felt a little uneasy knowing the school had accepted a member of a non-human species without objection. Then, on the way home... Aine: "You do not understand how wonderful love is, Tomoe-san!" Aine mentioned that she had something important to discuss and brought me to this cafe, but it appeared she was just going to preach at me. Tomoe: "You're not very convincing with that banana in your hand." Aine: "The banana has nothing to do with it! I wonder why bananas are so delicious?" Tomoe: "You're getting off topic already." Aine: "Ah! You tricked me with that leading question!" Tomoe: "I didn't lead you on at all." Why would you bring a banana into a cafe in the first place? Tomoe: "And why _are_ we here? Surely you could have told me this at home?" Aine: "Cafes are a holy ground for couples. Look over here and over there, too!" Aine signaled with her eyes. True, both sets of customers looked like couples. Aine: "I want you to feel the aura of happiness that lovers give off, Tomoe-san." Tomoe: "..." Both couples were sharing intimate conversations. It was true they looked happy, but it all felt completely ephemeral to me. Tomoe: "Won't it just end badly for them? They all still look young, and don't seem like they're dating with marriage in mind." Tomoe: "Of course, even if they got married, divorce is commonplace nowadays. It could end badly even for those people." Aine: "Hmph... For someone acting as an angel's proxy, you are far too negative about love, Tomoe-san!" Aine: "It affects the lives of the people you help, so it will be problematic if you do not reconsider your notions of love!" Tomoe: "You're putting me in a rough position. This is just the way I am." Aine: "The way you think is too prejudiced. Please study a little more about love." Tomoe: "Is love something you can study?" Aine: "I _need_ you to study it. As such, I have asked Naruko-san to prepare reference books for you." Tomoe: "By ’reference books,' you mean those?" There was a stack of shoujo manga she had apparently borrowed from Nakizaki on the table. Nakizaki read shoujo manga too, huh? Aine: "How about this one?" Aine: "It is a touching story where two childhood friends, who after being separated and facing many challenges, finally get together again dozens of years later." Tomoe: "Childhood friends, huh? Nakizaki and I actually _are_ childhood friends. Do you think I could sympathize with a tall tale like that? Aine: "Is it not possible you and Naruko-san could wind up together as well?" Tomoe: "No, that won't happen." Aine: "How can you be so certain?" Tomoe: "Because Nakizaki and I are friends." Aine: "Friendship can blossom into love! A Copernican revolution in romance!" Tomoe: "You sure know some difficult words." Aine: "I read about it in this manga. It has been very informative!" Tomoe: "Manga knowledge, huh?" Aine: "As such, I am sure it will prove useful, so please read it. Or would you like me to read it aloud for you?" Tomoe: "No, that's embarrassing. Give me a break." Aine: "Really? What a shame." She _wanted_ to read it aloud? What an enthusiastic angel. Tomoe: "I'll at least read them, but it won't change my mind. Love doesn't make people happy." Aine: "And I ask again, how can you be so sure? You may wish to reconsider your line of thinking if you read these." Tomoe: "Impossible." It was futile. Some silly manga would never be enough to erase that experience from my mind. Aine: "Why are you so... Did something happen that made you lose your faith in love, Tomoe-san?" Tomoe: "It isn't something I'd tell you, Aine." Aine: "Aw..." That must have sounded cold. However, I was sure it would only put her in a lousy mood if she heard it. _Especially_ since Aine believed in love. Tomoe: "Fine, I'll read those books. That works for you, right?" Aine: "Oh, yes. Please do." Reading them wouldn't change anything, but it was fine by me as long it was enough to satisfy Aine. It was far better than digged up the past... That night, I scanned over all the manga Aine forced on me. But as I expected, each manga only glorified love, and I couldn't bring myself to accept any of it.
Tomoe: "Fuaaah... Ah." Naruko: "You sound tired. Couldn't sleep?" Tomoe: "Not at all." Naruko: "Why? Worried about something?" Tomoe: "If we're talking worries, that uninvited angel in my house comes to mind." Naruko: "Ah..." Naruko glimpsed up at the ceiling. Naruko: "Come to think of it, is Aine-chan still sleeping?" Tomoe: "Soundly. And thanks to that, I couldn't sleep at all." Naruko: "Huh? Why?" Aine: "Pii... Puu..." Aine: "Pii... Puu..." Aine: "...Bweh!" Aine: "Huh? My snoring is strange?" Aine: "Please stop the false accusations." Tomoe: "Take a good look at my face. Still think it's a false accusation?" Aine leaned in for a better look and stared closely. Aine: "You seem quite sleepy. Could you not sleep?" Tomoe: "Thanks to you." Aine: "Is that so? What a pity. Not being able to sleep must be harsh." Aine: "Oh, I see! That is why you are irritated!" Tomoe: "So angels get how rough it is to not be able to sleep, too?" Aine: "Of course we understand~ Angels love humans, so we are well studied on human matters." Aine: "Oh, then I will count sheep for you tonight. Counting sheep helps humans sleep better, yes?" Tomoe: "Yeah, that might be a good idea." She probably couldn't sleep while counting sheep, and if she didn't sleep, she wouldn't snore, either. Aine: "Please look forward to tonight, then." Naruko: "It sure is a luxury to have an angel count sheep for you." Aine: "You said it~" Tomoe: "..." I had a lot I wanted to say, but kept quiet. Aine: "Anyway, this is very delicious! You are a really good cook, Naruko-san~!" The angel had been sleeping soundly until moments ago, but now her appetite had suddenly gone into overdrive. Naruko: "I'm happy that you like it so much, but is it enough? I never thought you'd eat this much." Tomoe: "You don't need to fuss over her so much. She'll be fine if she runs out." Aine: "Yes, please do not fuss over me! I am fine with however much I get!" It seemed she planned to eat all she was given. Aine: "If only I had a banana for dessert!" Tomoe: "You're demanding dessert, too?" Naruko: "Still, even angels eat, huh?" Aine: "I would be fine even without eating, but I do love delicious things." Aine: "Munch, munch, munch." Tomoe: "Don't you think you're eating a little much if you'd be fine going without?" My mental image of angels was steadily falling apart. I'd love to show everyone who believes in angels just how much of a depraved pig she was being. Aine: "Ah, delicious! It is so delicious!" Aine: "Munch, munch, munch... pah!"
The blue sky was brilliantly bright. I was completely sleep deprived. Tomoe: "Fuaaah..." Aine: "Yawning again? You have been doing nothing but yawn since earlier. At this point it is practically harassment." Tomoe: "It's not like I'm doing it on purpose. I really am sleepy. Thanks to a certain someone." Aine: "I wish you would not try to blame this on others." It was completely Aine's fault, though. Naruko: "Why don't you just sleep in different rooms? You're a man and woman, after all." Tomoe: "Yeah. It's not like we don't have spare rooms." For whatever reason, Aine had wanted to sleep in my room with me. There were guest bedrooms she could sleep in, but she purposely laid out a futon on my floor. Aine: "But... Sleeping alone is scary..." Tomoe: "..." Aine: "Do you not get the feeling that you will see something you should not see when it is dark?" Tomoe: "The more you talk, the less angelic you seem to me, Aine." Aine: "I am just not used to your house yet... I-It is not that I am scared of ghosts or anything like that, okay?" Aine: "...Hm?" Aine: "Ah! It is Minamo-chan!" Aine immediately ran up to her. What a hyper angel. Aine: "Minamo-chan, good morning!" Minamo: "...Morning. You don't have to talk so loudly." Wakamatsu looked around herself with worry. She noticed several students glancing over at them and covered her face. She must have hated standing out. Naruko: "Morning, Minamo-chan." Tomoe: "Morning." Minamo: "...Good morning." She bowed even further with her face still covered. It must have been a pain in the neck to keep her head hung the whole time. Aine: "You do not look so well. Did you eat a proper meal?" Minamo: "...I do not eat in the mornings on principle." Aine: "Huh? You will not keep up your strength if you do not eat properly. Breakfast is important!" So asserted an angel who supposedly didn't even need to eat, despite having seconds this morning. Minamo: "Mind your own business. For that matter, stop talking so loudly. You're sticking out." Wakamatsu looked around her with annoyance. Tomoe: "Sorry, this girl's causing you trouble." Minamo: "No, it's okay..." Yuno: "Sounds like you're having fun over here~" Aine: "Hm?" Aine: "Ah, Yuno-chan-sensei-san!" Yuno: "Y-Yuno-chan-sensei-san...?" Yuno: "Th-That's quite an amusing name you've come up with. Didn't I say I'd prefer you call me by my surname with just 'sensei' attached?" Aine: "Oh, did you? Everyone called you 'Yuno-chan-sensei' so I thought it would be best if I called you that as well." Yuno: "D-Do they? Everyone called me that behind my back...?" Okeyamachi-sensei sure looked disappointed. She was our English teacher, so we knew her, too. She seemed to have a complex about her childish face, and might be thinking we were making light of her because of it. That wasn't why everyone called her 'chan,' though. They all simply genuinely adored her. Yuno: "I'll ask you one more time, but from now on, call me by my last name with 'sensei' attached if possible." Aine: "Is that so? Then, Okeyamachi-sensei! Good morning!" Yuno: "Yes, good morning." Yuno: "Good morning to you too, Wakamatsu-san." Minamo: "...Good morning." Yuno: "So, what were you all talking about?" Aine: "Yes! What did you eat for breakfast, Sensei?" Yuno: "Huh? That's what you were talking about? This morning, uh, I had bread, and..." Minamo: "...Sensei, we need to hurry or we will be late." Yuno: "Oh, yeah..." Yuno: "Then, let's have fun again today!" Aine: "Yes!" Minamo: "..." For fellow classmates, they were in surprisingly different spirits. Naruko: "I wonder if Aine-chan fits in with her class?" Tomoe: "I bet she sticks out." Minamo: "She does." Her classmate testified to it. Tomoe: "Knew it." It seemed the girl in question hadn't noticed it, though. Minamo: "..." Wakamatsu was still looking this way. Tomoe: "...Is something wrong?" Minamo: "...Ah, no, it's nothing..." Minamo: "..." Tomoe: "...?" It felt like she was glancing over at me an awful lot for it to be nothing. What could it be?
Kiyohito: "So this girl is Tomoe's little sister!" Kiyohito gave Aine a good looking-over, almost like she was some unusual animal. Aine: "Pleased to meet you!" It didn't look like it bothered her, though. Tomoe: "For your information, she isn't my sister. Just a distant, distant, _distant_ relative." Aine: "Why are you emphasizing 'distant' so much?" It was obviously because I didn't want to get any more involved than I already was, but it seemed angels didn't understand human subtleties. Kiyohito: "You're that distant? Your eyes match each other perfectly." Aine: "Huh? Is that so?" Aine: "Tomoe-san, he said we look alike!" Tomoe: "There's no way we do." Not only were we not blood related, we weren't even the same species. We couldn't possibly look alike. Kiyohito: "Still, I was relieved to hear there was someone blood-related to you, even if she's a distant relative. I thought you didn't have any family." Tomoe: "Yeah... That's true." _Is_ that how this would work out? With a family-less guy like me suddenly having a blood-relative? It was a lie, but now that I was made aware it, it put me in a strange mood. It was almost as if I'd made a new family member... ...How foolish. It was just a lie, and she wasn't even a human. It was no different from calling a pet your family. Kiyohito: "So, you're living together at Tomoe's house right now? Sounds like loads of fun~" Tomoe: "It's not fun at al―" Aine: "It is very fun!" Aine said enthusiastically, before I could answer. She really did look like she was having fun. Not that I had any idea _what_ was so fun about it. Kiyohito: "Nice! It's like camp or something―super fun!" Kiyohito: "Maybe I'll stay over with you guys sometime!" Aine: "Go right ahead! You are more than welcome!" Tomoe: "Don't decide that without asking, like it's your own place." Talk about arrogant. This angel was intruding all through my life. Naruko: "Are you doing okay in class?" Aine: "Yes! It is going swimmingly!" Aine: "During homeroom today, I gave love counseling to everyone in class again." Naruko: "Love counseling?" Aine: "Yes! Angelic love counseling!" Kiyohito: "Angelic? You, Aine-chan?" Aine: "Ye― Ah!" Aine must have realized she shouldn't answer and bit her tongue. What a troublesome angel. Tomoe: "It's just a name. It's normal to make love requests to angels in this town." Kiyohito: "Ah, you're right. Angelic love counseling, huh? Sounds nice!" Aine: "Yes! I am thinking of making posters or something as well and advertising it!" She was considering stuff like that...? I wish she'd keep this on the down-low. Kiyohito: "So that means you'll be giving relationship advice as well, Aine-chan?" Aine: "Yes! Would you like to join us, Kiyohito-san?" Kiyohito: "Ahaha, sure! I'll give you some relationship advice, too, Aine-chan! I _am_ a romance master, y'know." Aine: "Give me love counseling? I do not need anything like that." She _was_ an angel, after all. Kiyohito wasn't aware of that, however, and looked mystified. Kiyohito: "Hmm, you're weird, Aine-chan. That's fine, I guess..." Kiyohito shifted his eyes. Kiyohito: "Who are they?" Tomoe: "Ah..." Come to think of it, I hadn't introduced him yet. Naruko: "This is Yuri Hisaka-san, a third-year. And over here is Minamo Wakamatsu-chan, a first-year who wound up in the same class as Aine-chan." Minamo: "Hello..." Yuri: "Nice to meet you." Both of them greeted Kiyohito. Kiyohito: "Hello, hello! Welcome to the off-limits rooftop!" Minamo: "Huh? This place is off-limits?" Kiyohito: "It's totally fine. If the noisy one shows up, I'll drive him away for us." Yuri: "'Noisy one'?" Naruko: "There's this one annoying guy. He's awful!" Nakizaki grimaced amusingly hard. She really _did_ hate him a lot... He hadn't shown his face in a while, but he probably had a lot on his plate this time of year. Fine by me; it was more peaceful that way. Kiyohito: "So, what are your relationships with Tomoe?" Yuri: "Huh?" Naruko: "What do you mean, 'relationships with Kirinokojima?' That sounds kind of sketchy." Kiyohito: "Come on. You're all here because you're involved with Tomoe, right?" Kiyohito spun around and looked over the place. Kiyohito: "Isn't it the same for you two, Nakizaki and Aine-chan?" Naruko: "Yeah, I guess? That goes for you, too, Kiyohito." Kiyohito: "We're all jolly comrades of Tomoe's, huh?" Tomoe: "Don't decide that on your own." Minamo: "That's right. I'm not like that." Kiyohito: "Oh, really? Then why are you here?" Minamo: "That's because..." Wakamatsu looked my way with worry. Looking to me for help wasn't going to do her any good. Wakamatsu came here of her own free will. Aine: "They are both assisting with my angelic love counseling." Aine said in place of all of us who couldn't answer. Kiyohito: "Ah, the love counseling. Is that right?" Yuri: "Huh? Um, yes..." Aine: "We will all help out those who are struggling with love!" Kiyohito: "You sure are enthusiastic. But..." Kiyohito stared at Wakamatsu and Hisaka-san. Kiyohito: "...Well, I guess it's fine." He looked like he had something on his mind, but kept it to himself. I was sure he'd decided giving it more thought wouldn't be fun. Kiyohito's rule was to avoid anything less than amusing. Which begged the question, why was he friends with someone like me? Aine: "I wonder if we will get a visitor soon?" Aine was restless. It would seriously worry me if anyone came to this dodgy love counseling that easily. Kiyohito: "Isn't that someone right now?" Kiyohito pointed at the entrance to the roof. Yuno: "Huh?" Aine: "Ah, Sensei!" Standing there was the English teacher, Okeyamachi-sensei. Yuno: "Th-There are quite a few of you gathered here. Isn't this spot off-limits?" Aine: "Forget about that, Sensei! You came here for love counseling, did you not?!" Aine ignored her question, and her face lit up. Yuno: "Huh? Love counseling?" Apparently not, but Aine gleefully approached Sensei all the same. Aine: "It is okay, do not be embarrassed! Please try talking to me about it!" Yuno: "Love counseling... Oh, you _did_ mention that during homeroom, didn't you?" Yuno: "I'm not here for that. I happened to notice you, a transfer student, going up to the roof and came to see what was going on..." Aine: "Huh, is that so? Aww..." Aine became visibly less excited. Aine: "Haaaaa..." Yuno: "D-Don't be so disappointed." Aine: "Surely even you must have at least one worry, Sensei? Do you not? You are human." Yuno: "W-Well, yeah, it's not as if I don't have a worry or two, but..." Aine: "Of course you do! Then please try telling me! Go ahead!" Yuno: "Huh? No, it's not that big a deal..." Aine: "Go ahead!" Yuno: "U-Uh..." Kiyohito: "Sensei's not too thrilled about it, but it looks like Aine-chan caught her." Naruko: "She may not let her go until she talks." Yuno: "Huh? That's, um..." Aine: "Please count on us!" My condolences, Sensei.
Kiyohito: "Oh, there's quite a crowd!" Kiyohito looked amused. He always did love it when things were lively and fun. Looking past all the people, we could see what appeared to be the band. They seemed to be in the middle of setting up. Minamo: "Why did I get dragged along...?" Aine: "What are you saying? We all have to support Sensei's relationship!" Minamo: "Hisaka-sempai went home, too..." Hisaka-san went home, saying she couldn't be out late since she had a little sister. Minamo: "I pretty much hate music anyway." Kiyohito: "Wow, you hate music? Don't you feel lifeless without it?" Minamo: "Not at all." Wakamatsu turned away in a huff. She hated music that much? Not that I liked noisy things, either. Naruko: "So, is that your boyfriend, Sensei?" Nakizaki stood on tiptoe and looked to the other side of the gallery. Yuno: "Y-Yeah..." Sensei shyly nodded. It was apparently her boyfriend's band performing. He just so happened to be playing a concert on the street today, so we came to gawk. Aine's pushy love counseling had forced Okeyamachi-sensei to divulge her private life. She told us about how she was dating a musician, and that he'd be performing a gig today. At the time, it was like she was being interrogated by some secret police. Truly pitiful. Aine: "Which one, which one? Which person is it?" Aine stared at her curiously. She was a total, common groupie. This curiosity-satisfying behavior was unbecoming of an angel. Yuno: "Um, right in the middle..." Sensei nervously pointed. It was the guitarist in the center preparing the mics. Naruko: "Wow! He's cool~!" Aine: "He really is! Right, Minamo-chan?!" Minamo: "I'm not particularly interested." Wakamatsu kept her head down without even trying to look up at him. She was in quite a bad mood. Kiyohito: "Oh, sounds like it's about to start." Just then, cheers erupted from the crowd. It seemed the concert had begun. It was a low sound, the sort that felt like it shook you to your core. Kiyohito: "Hyuu! Not bad at all!" Kiyohito started moving his body to the rhythm. It was nothing but noise as far as I was concerned, but the crowd looked pretty excited about it. Naruko: "Wow, it's a pretty pro performance." Yuno: "Y-You think so?" Aine: "Yeah, yeah! This music is great!" Aine's smile was beaming. Aine had never mentioned it, but it occurred to me that she probably liked music since she played the guitar. Minamo: "..." Minamo: "Music is just..." Naruko: "Huh, Minamo-chan?" Minamo: "On second thought, I'm going home." Naruko: "Ah, Minamo-chan? ...She left." Aine: "Oh, Minamo-chan left? Should I go get her?" Tomoe: "Don't detain her by force. It's pitiful." Aine: "I wonder why she hates music so much? I love it, though..." Aine: "Mm, it is great! Now I feel like playing the guitar, too. It has been forever!" Yuno: "Oh, you play too, Aine-chan?" Aine: "Yes!" Aine: "However, it is a little too damaged for me to play at the moment..." Yuno: "Really? That's rough. Haruki-kun treats his guitar with great care, so I understand how you feel." Naruko: "Oh, you call him Haruki-kun." Yuno: "Ah..." Yuno: "Y-Yeah, I guess. I am the older one." Aine: "What does Haruki-kun call you, Sensei?" Yuno: "Uh... He calls me 'Yuno-san'..." Aine: "Wow~!" Naruko: "That's pretty nice!" Yuno: "Y-You think? I-I think it's normal..." Okeyamachi-sensei was blushing like crazy. I could tell just by looking at her that she really loved her boyfriend. Suddenly, the four red threads popped into my mind. Was I no longer in a position where I could say I was just a spectator in all this? Collecting the red threads meant I had to be involved in others' love affairs. However, Sensei didn't look like she had enough of a problem to warrant an angel's help. Kiyohito: "Sensei, let's get even more riled up and cheer for your boyfriend!" Yuno: "Huh? I-I really couldn't... I'm nearly thirty, you know." Kiyohito: "Age doesn't matter. Come on, let's dance!" Yuno: "Dance? Wai― Ah..." Kiyohito snagged her hand and started dancing. Menes: "Oh my, isn't this a nice band?" During the commotion, I heard a familiar voice. Naruko: "Hey, you're..." I wouldn't forget this pink aura. It was Aine's friend, Menes. Aine: "Ah! Menes-chan!" Aine stopped playing air guitar and broke into a smile. Menes: "You look like you're having a lot of fun." Aine: "Yes! I want us to hold a concert soon, too!" Tomoe: "What do you mean?" Menes: "My, didn't I tell you, Darling? We're in a band together." Tomoe: "A band?" Actually, it sounded like she said something inexcusable before that. Aine: "Now that you mention it, since when did Tomoe-san become your 'Darling'?" Tomoe: "What she said." Menes: "Since the last time we met!" Tomoe: "Don't decide that on your own." Naruko: "Maybe―or more like definitely―that girl has her sights set on you, Kirinokojima?" Tomoe: "Cut it out." She was more of an apparition than an angel. Aine: "I want to get my guitar fixed and play as soon as possible." Menes: "You said it. I've built up so much stress, I feel like I might do something naughty by accident." Tomoe: "Don't eye me up while you say that." Naruko: "What do you mean by 'something naughty'?" Tomoe: "Don't give it much thought." Menes: "So, there's some problem with that couple, right?" Menes's expression suddenly turned serious and stared at both the vocalist boyfriend and Sensei, who was dancing some peculiar dance with Kiyohito. Tomoe: "You can tell those two are lovers?" Menes: "Of course. I am an angel, you know." "I am an angel," wasn't a very convincing argument. At the very least, our angel didn't seem to be that perceptive. Menes: "Hm, this might be a chance for you to get a red thread." Aine: "Huh? It is? Are things going that poorly for those two?" Menes: "It looks that way to me. Particularly for the girlfriend." Aine: "Sensei?" Menes: "Maybe we should take a better look at her." The two angels stared at Okeyamachi-sensei. Sensei had grave enough worries that her relationship with her lover was at risk...? Onlooker: "Hey! Look at that..." Just then, I heard a collection of hushed voices. I looked, and a section of the people in the gallery were looking at Menes and whispering to each other. Menes's unseasonably light outfit had seemingly attracted some unwanted attention. Menes: "Ah, this is bad. I had better be going." Menes: "Aine, good luck." Aine: "Yes! I will do my best!" Menes smiled in response to Aine, then walked a few steps and vanished, as if melting into the crowd. Naruko: "Sensei and her boyfriend have some sort of problem?" Aine: "I do not know. I have less angelic experience than Menes-chan." Aine: "But if Menes-chan says so, then I am sure she is right." Aine looked Sensei's way with concern. Sensei had been released from Kiyohito's strange dance and was cheering on her singing boyfriend with a zealous gaze. Naruko: "They don't look like they're on such bad terms to me." Aine: "That is true." But it appeared they had some sort of problem, particularly on Sensei's end. Of course, love without its share of problems was a farfetched idea anyway. Love caused too much strife for that to ever be possible. Some time after the concert, all but a few members of the crowd had already left. I suspected the ones lingering were acquaintances and crazed fans. Female Fan: "That was super awesome! Give me a heads-up the next time you play!" Haruki: "Yeah, of course." Yuno: "..." Sensei was watching her lover talk to those fans from a safe distance. Naruko: "You're not going to go over, Sensei?" Yuno: "Oh, yeah... I didn't tell him I was going to come watch today." Kiyohito: "Do you really need to worry about stuff like that? You're lovers, aren't you?" Kiyohito: "Everyone loves a good surprise." Yuno: "I-I wonder? Just a little, then..." Sensei moved forward, but stopped mid-step. Naruko: "Is something the matter?" Yuno: "Yeah..." If you followed her gaze, it was clear why she hesitated. A young, remarkably pretty female fan had just spoken to her lover. Female Fan: "You were so cool today!" Haruki: "I'm glad. Thanks as always." Female Fan: "Uh-uh, don't worry about it. Here, take this!" The woman handed him a small paper bag. It seemed to contain some sort of food, or maybe sweets. Kiyohito: "Oh, not going?" Yuno: "Y-Yeah... It looks like he's talking with his fans, so I'll go visit him later." Naruko: "You're his girlfriend, so what's the harm?" Yuno: "That's true, but listen. He needs to treasure his fans." Naruko: "You're right. In his fans' eyes, seeing the girlfriend of the person she likes might be a real turn off." Yuno: "Yeah... Isn't that right...?" For someone claiming to be considerate of his fans, she looked pretty upset to me. It seemed there was some other, deeper reason for it. ...Not that it was any concern of mine. Female Fan: "Oh, no way~!" Naruko: "Still, they're pretty close, huh?" Kiyohito: "You can find those sorts in any band." Naruko: "Hmm, is that right?" Yuno: "..." Yuno: "I think I will head home for today." Kiyohito: "Oh, you sure you don't wanna see him?" Yuno: "Yeah, I can see him anytime. More importantly, are you all thirsty?"
Sensei invited us to go to a local cafe. Aine: "Hot coffee, rock!" Clerk: "Huh? 'Rock'?" Tomoe: "No, black." Ever since the concert, Aine wouldn't shut up about "rock" this or "rock" that. She was totally crazy about it. Aine: "Music will save the world! Fuck yeah!" Kiyohito: "You're totally nailing it!" Aine: "Shut up, fuck!" Tomoe: "Simmer down. I'm going to make you go without dinner." Aine: "Huh? A-Anything but that..." Aine: "I understand. I will never say 'rock' again for the rest of my life!" Aine instantly gave up on rock... which was actually pretty rockin'. Naruko: "Still, are you sure it was okay not to say anything to him?" Nakizaki asked, as if she just remembered. Yuno: "Yeah, it's fine, totally fine. I can see him anytime." Kiyohito: "It was a little bit of a shock, though, wasn't it?" Yuno: "Huh? Wh-What was?" Kiyohito's comment made Sensei's face go stiff. Kiyohito: "That fangirl earlier. She was being pretty flirty with your boyfriend. That couldn't have been very fun for you as his girlfriend." Yuno: "That was... It's not like that's enough to bother me..." I could instantly tell that she was lying. It sounded like she was extremely bothered by it, so it must have been hard for her to go speak to him. They were supposed to be lovers, but for whatever reason, Sensei seemed to be acting indifferently toward him. Aine: "So then, what did you want us to counsel you on, Sensei?" Tomoe: "That's right. You did want Aine's advice, didn't you?" Yuno: "Ah, that's..." Naruko: "Oh, could it be... Your boyfriend and that fangirl..." Kiyohito: "Oh, maybe they're having an affair?" Aine: "Whaaaaaat?! Sensei, he cheated on you?!" Aine's voice echoed through the establishment. Sensei panicked and whipped her head back and forth. Yuno: "N-No, no, no! Haruki-kun hasn't cheated on me... He may not look like it, but he's very honest." Aine: "Is that so? Then what did you want our advice for?" Yuno: "Well..." Just then, Sensei became hesitant. Yuno: "I can't really name a single thing... There are all sorts of reasons..." Sensei was mumbling. Her voice was gradually getting lower and more serious. Simply put, she felt so driven into a corner she couldn't put it into words? It hadn't looked that way, but she may have been under more pressure than any of us had assumed. Aine: "Sensei, please tell us anything you like." Yuno: "Y-Yeah..." She was still hesitating. Maybe she hadn't made up her mind yet? And then... Yuno: "Would you mind if I had a quick drink?" Aine: "Huh?" Yuno: "E-Excuse me! One beer!" Yuno: "So I'm saying, I'm gonna turn thirty next year..." She was completely smashed. She said she just needed "one drink" to work up some courage, but had just downed her fourth beer. Yuno: "I can't be selfish, can I~?" Yuno: "Puhaa!" Kiyohito: "Yuno-chan, you smell like booze~!" Yuno: "Shut up! Listen t'what I've got to say!" Sensei pointed straight at Nakizaki, just like during our lessons. Naruko: "I-I told you I'm listening. More importantly, Sensei, you shouldn't drink too much..." Yuno: "I'm an adult, so it's fine if I drink. C'mon, I'm gonna be thirty next year!" Naruko: "You're sure hung up on the number thirty." That probably just went to show how worried about it she was. Kiyohito: "There's nothing wrong with being thirty! Mature ladies are just fine in my book." Yuno: "Don't call me a 'mature lady'! I'm not a mature woman yet!" Yuno: "If I were, I obviously wouldn't go well with Haruki-kun..." Her tone dropped all at once. Looks like she really was worried about it. I guess that meant her worry was age related? Tomoe: "Is your age difference some sort of issue?" This conversation was going nowhere fast, so I stepped in to help move things along. Sensei didn't hesitate to follow my lead. Yuno: "That's right! Listen up!" It sounded like she _really_ wanted us to ask. I instantly regretted it. I knew I shouldn't have asked. Yuno: "You know, my parents keep telling me to hold a marriage interview!" Naruko: "A marriage interview? You, Sensei?" Yuno: "That's right! They're calling me every week now!" Kiyohito: "Wow, marriage interviews? You must have a pretty old-fashioned family if they're going on about stuff like that, huh?" Naruko: "Yeah, definitely." I'd heard about online dating sites, web-based relationships, and marriage agencies, but it was pretty unheard of for your own family to recommend marriage interviews nowadays. Maybe we just hadn't heard about it since we were young, and it was actually commonplace for older adults? But, Sensei was still plenty young, too. Yuno: "Well yeah, since my household's a long-standing brewery." Tomoe: "A brewery, like a sake brewery?" Yuno: "Yeah, thash why I'm tote-ly fine drinkin' sake!" Naruko: "You don't look that fine to me, though." Yuno: "And get this! I'm their one and only daughter and heir. So I've gotta take a husband and succeed 'em!" Tomoe: "Is that so...?" Aine: "So then, you will get married to Haruki-san!" Aine said that with an innocent smile. Naturally, Sensei's expression became dim. Yuno: "That won't work...! Haruki-kun's workin' hard on his music. Becoming a pro musician's his dream..." Yuno: "His dream, or maybe it's more like his goal..." What was the difference between a "dream" and a "goal"? Perhaps it implied a more realistic end point rather than a vague, ideal vision of the future? Just as much as Sensei's "marriage." Naruko: "He's really got his eyes on it, huh?" Yuno: "Yeah. He's serious... I hope he's able to reach his goal someday." Yuno: "He mentioned a famous producer'd be at his next concert! And that it'd depend on how that goes..." Kiyohito: "Oh, that's incredible! Will he make his big debut if that happens?" Yuno: "Who knows? That'd be great, though..." Sensei's worry had gradually come into focus. She had to take a husband and take over her family's sake brewery. That was what her parents were wishing and planning for, at least. However, Sensei had a lover. One whose dream was to become a musician. A musician and sake brewer likely weren't compatible professions. Kiyohito: "Just tell him you can be a singing, dancing sake brewer... I guess that wouldn't fly, huh?" Kiyohito's attempt at a joke wasn't very humorous. Yuno: "If I said that to my father, he'd murder me and Haruki-kun on the spot." She said, suddenly sobering up. He sounded like a scary father. Naruko: "Murder...? So... I take it he's a stern father?" Yuno: "Yup... He takes real pride in 'is work..." Yuno: "So like I said, if Haruki-kun were to marry me, he'd need to give up his dream of becomin' a musician..." Kiyohito: "Do you really need your parents' permission? If you love him, you should just do what you want and marry him." An opinion that befitted a free spirit like Kiyohito. Yuno: "I wish I could..." Sensei gulped down another beer. She had quite a few under her belt now. Aine: "Do you not want to get married, Sensei?" Sensei looked bothered by Aine's question. Yuno: "That's not it. I'm pretty sure I'd like to someday... Actually, it wouldn't bother me right now, either..." Yuno: "It's just... I got myself wonderin' what'd happen to my family's brewery if I didn't take it over?" Yuno: "You might think this makes me indecisive, but I don't want my family's brewery to disappear, either... It's a precious place to me." Kiyohito: "So you have to pick between your family or your lover? Sounds rough." Yuno: "It is..." Sensei looked discouraged as she sipped at her beer. Aine: "How does Haruki-san feel about it?" Yuno: "Well..." Sensei didn't know how to answer. Tomoe: "That's probably not the sort of thing you'd discuss with a lover." Aine: "Huh, is that so?" Yuno: "Yeah... It _is_ hard to talk about." That's probably what you'd call empathy. She couldn't exactly tell him she had to pick between him and her family... Aine: "This concerns both of you, so would you not agree that Haruki-san has a right to think about it? You should try talking it over..." Yuno: "No can do." This time, Sensei said it flat-out. Yuno: "If Haruki-kun knew about this... he'd wind up givin' up on becoming a musician for my sake. Then he'd prob-ly tell me to take over the brewery." Yuno: "Uh-uh, I'm _sure_ that's what he'd say. Hck!" She seemed convinced. This Haruki-san person must have been a nice guy, and also sounded like he had talent. People like that often suffered. They say good men die early deaths, but that's how it is. Yuno: "I love his music. I love the tunes he creates." Yuno: "That's why I want 'im to keep playin' his music. But..." She was standing in the way of that goal. Based on what we'd heard, I felt that Sensei's conflict had struck us straight through the heart. Likewise, everyone else was gradually saying less and less. They couldn't find the words to say. It wasn't anyone's fault, but sometimes there were situations you were helpless to change. Yuno: "If I could, I'd wanna be right by his side foreeeever and support his dream..." Yuno: "I want 'im to fulfill his dreams and be able to support himself on the music he loves so much." Yuno: "But..." She would only get in the way of his dream by staying with him. We all felt Sensei's struggle, and the mood grew heavy. Yuno: "Haruki-kun..." Sensei whispered her lover's name and fell onto the table. Just like that, she began snoozing away.
Naruko: "Do you think Sensei will be okay?" Tomoe: "She was sound asleep, so she'll probably be fine." We brought Sensei, who had gotten drunk and fell asleep, to her apartment. She didn't look absurdly hammered, so she was probably okay. Naruko: "Marriage sounds pretty difficult, huh? Is loving each other not enough?" Tomoe: "I guess not. Marriage can affect whole families sometimes, too." Naruko: "You're right. It's so complicated." There seemed to be all sorts of difficulties for couples with age gaps in particular, although it might be different if their ages were swapped. Aine: "As long as there is love, I am sure they can overcome it! That is rock n' roll!" Aine: "Ah, sans the 'rock'! Please do not take away my food!" Tomoe: "..." This angel sounded totally useless. Looks like we had a rocky road ahead. Tomoe: "Angels are supposed to step in when times get tough. Can't you do something?" Aine: "That is true... It would be great if I could..." Aine glanced at me with a lost look in her eyes. Aine: "What do you suppose angels do at times like this?" Tomoe: "Don't ask me." I pitied her for being such a flaky angel. Oh well. It wasn't like she could do anything to change that. Outsiders like us should stay out of it, and let those two handle this problem on their own.
Yuno: "Mm..." Yuno: "...Huh?" For a moment, I didn't know what was going on. This was my room, and I was lying on my bed. But I had no recollection of when I had gone to sleep. Yuno: "Haruki-kun...?" I looked around my room, but there was no one there, not even Haruki-kun. Still, it did not seem likely that I had made it home and gotten into bed by myself. Yuno: "Yesterday, I'm pretty sure..." I frantically pieced together what happened yesterday. If I wasn't mistaken, Kirinokojima-san had urged me to go see Haruki-kun's concert with her friends. We went to a cafe after the concert, they started counseling me for some reason, and I ordered a beer... Which reminded me, my head hurt a little. Yuno: "I didn't stop at just one, did I?" The rest of the night was a blank, but I could more or less guess what had happened. Especially since I didn't hold my alcohol well. I'd heard it was unusual for sake brewers not to be drinkers, but there were sake brewers' daughters that were weak to alcohol, too. Yuno: "Did those kids walk me home?" Yuno: "Ah, I'm not fit to be a teacher..." I couldn't believe I got drunk, blacked out, and had to be looked after by my students. If Mom and Dad found out about this, they'd tell me to resign from teaching right away, come home, and get married. Not that they weren't already... Yuno: "Maybe I should just do that for real already..." I had suddenly come around to that line of thinking. Was I getting even weaker than I thought? Yuno: "I've got to take a shower." Luckily it was still early. I would still make it to school in plenty of time even if I took a shower. Yuno: "Ah..." The phone. I checked and saw it was from home. Yuno: "It's Mom again." Fed up, I answered the phone. Yuno: "Hello, Mom? If you're calling to talk about marriage interviews first thing in the morning―" Mother: "It's not that. Your dad is..." Yuno: "Huh?"
Vice Principal: "Okeyamachi-sensei is out, so today's English lesson will be self-study." The vice principal informed us, and suddenly English period became self-study. Okeyamachi-sensei was apparently absent today. Given what just happened yesterday, I was worried. Naruko: "Sensei! Is Okeyamachi-sensei not well?" Nakizaki raised her hand and asked what I had been wondering. Vice Principal: "No, it seems her father is bedridden. She is going to visit her family today." Naruko: "Huh? Sensei's dad..." Nakizaki and Kiyohito looked at one another. Kiyohito: "That's some incredible timing." Tomoe: "It is." Okeyamachi-sensei was lost and very unsure of herself. Any tiny cue might tip the scales one way or the other in a significant way. Naruko: "I wonder if Sensei is okay?" Tomoe: "..." The thing called "fate" exists. Perhaps fate was whispering to Sensei, "pick this side." Or maybe fate was putting them through adversity to test their bonds of love? Mankind would never be able to tell which was the correct answer. In the end, fate merely toys with us all.
Yuno: "Haa..." I finally made it back. I was exhausted. It didn't look like Haruki-kun had come home yet. At this hour, he was surely still at work. There was a note on the table. "I'll be home as soon as I can." That's all that was written. Looks like I worried Haruki-kun too, huh? Yuno: "I'm just glad it was nothing serious." Luckily, Dad wasn't in too bad of a shape. All the same, given his age, it seemed we couldn't rest easy just yet. Nothing bad would come of it right away, but it could turn serious in the future if he kept overworking himself. Yuno: "Dad is getting older..." It had been a long time since I went home, so I hadn't seen him much, but I did get the feeling he had aged significantly since the last time we met. Despite being in a hospital bed, he acted tough and said, "It wasn't worth you coming all the way home over," but I couldn't sense his former strength in his voice or figure. Yuno: "Seeing him like that really takes its toll on you..." He _had_ always been working, and there was no denying he was showing various signs of aging. His hips were bad, and his heart didn't seem to be in great shape, either. His doctor even told us not to let him push himself too much. Yuno: "Maybe it's about time to make him take it easy..." Either way, it was time to give some real thought to the future. I took out the photo I had yet to take a good look at from the drawer I tossed it into. It was the marriage interview photo my mom had sent of her own accord. Yuno: "..." The man in the photo wasn't especially cool-looking, but seemed rugged, and his smile was sort of cute. He was three years older than me. Despite it being a photo for a marriage interview, he was smiling shyly and looked like a very generous person. Maybe it just felt like being generous would be his only redeeming quality? He seemed to give off that sort of impression from just his photo. He was diligent with his work and would surely treasure his family. If I married him, he looked like he would be a good husband and father. I suspected he was probably a totally different type from Haruki-kun. I was sure Haruki-kun would be a good husband and father, too, but family definitely wasn't everything to him. After all, he loved his work. Yuno: "...Marriage, huh?" I didn't know what I should do. I thought if I looked at the photo, I might come to some sort of decision, but I only doubted myself more. Yuno: "Haruki-kun..." Haruki: "Oh? You're home, Yuno-san?" Haruki-kun spoke to me from the entryway as if answering my whisper. Flustered, I hid the marriage interview photo in its original location. Haruki: "Ah, you came home. How was your dad?" That question was the first thing out of his mouth. He really must have been worried about me. Yuno: "Sorry to worry you, but he's okay." Haruki: "Wasn't he hospitalized, though?" Yuno: "Yeah. The doctors said he'll be hospitalized for a week or so. He _is_ getting older, but pulls out all the stops at work. He's overworking himself at his age." Haruki: "You _did_ say he lives for his work. But you can depend on people like that." Haruki-kun was taking a liking to Dad even though he had never met him. He seemed to like working types. He said the world of music was just like that, too. Haruki: "Are you sure you should have come back? You could've stayed for at least a night." Yuno: "I have work, too. Besides, Dad yelled at me not to go out of my way to come home over something this small." Albeit weakly, and with no intensity to speak of. Haruki: "I see. Sounds like he's doing well, then. I'm glad." Yuno: "Y-Yeah..." The way Haruki-kun got genuinely concerned, then overjoyed about his well-being made me feel a little guilty. Between the marriage interview, and trying to keep both Haruki-kun and my family... I was hiding so many things from him. Haruki: "That's great, then. Anyway, good work." Yuno: "Yeah..." Haruki: "You should go to bed early today. Oh, did you eat? Should I make something?" Yuno: "Uh-uh, I'm okay." Haruki-kun was kind. So kind it made me want to cry. I knew I wouldn't feel so lost if he were less kind, or a worse person. Then, I could go straight home and have the marriage interview. But, I couldn't. I wanted to be with this man forever. I love Haruki-kun... Haruki: "What's wrong?" Yuno: "Nothing..." I leaned against his chest as he gently called to me. He smelled of tobacco and sweat. But mysteriously, that made me feel relieved. Haruki: "Yuno-san?" Yuno: "Uh-uh, I'm fine, but let me stay this way a little while." Haruki: "That's fine, I guess..." Haruki-kun stayed silent and hugged me. I wanted to empty my mind, fall into his arms, and devote everything to him. But as much as I wished that I could, my family's sake brewery and my aging father popped into my mind. Yuno: "I'm sorry, Haruki-kun. Especially with your important concert coming right up." Haruki: "Don't worry about that. I'll be just fine." Yuno: "Good luck on your concert. I'll go cheer for you." Haruki: "Yeah. I'll put on such a great performance, it'll cheer you right up, Yuno-san." Yuno: "...Yeah. It would be nice if the producer takes a liking to you." Haruki: "Leave it to me. I'll definitely take hold of this chance." I loved this confident side of Haruki-kun. A side I didn't have. Haruki-kun would definitely be recognized. I could just feel it. And once he is, that's when I will... Haruki: "Yuno-san?" Yuno: "...Nothing. I'm sorry..." Haruki: "Why are you apologizing?" Yuno: "..." Although I couldn't answer him, Haruki-kun gave me a silent hug.
Yuno: "So loud..." On reflex, I plugged my ears with both hands. It had been a while since I'd been to a concert. The immense noise completely drowned out my quiet whisper. Loud concerts really weren't my sort of scene, so I planned to show up just as Haruki-kun's band went on, but it looked like they were running a little behind. I suppose they would be up after the next band or so? Yuno: "Maybe I'll head outside for a bit." I left the concert hall and let out a sigh of relief. When I turned into a hallway looking for a place to settle down, I spotted Haruki-kun in front of a door marked "Authorized Personnel Only." I gave up on trying to greet him since he was talking to someone. It was a man older than me. Could that be the producer? Haruki: "Thank you so much for coming here today. I promise it will not be a waste of your time." I was convinced that man was the producer from the way Haruki-kun was speaking to him. There was no way I could just leave. I backed off a bit and spied on how things were going. Haruki-kun looked to be brimming with confidence. Given how fearless he looked, he must've been feeling on point. The producer was looking at Haruki-kun promisingly. Producer: "Hahaha! I like your moxie. That's how you youngsters should be." Producer: "I'm looking forward to seeing you play today. Of course, my mind is mostly made up now that I've gotten a chance to meet and talk to you." Haruki: "How do you mean?" Producer: "I've personally got a high opinion of your band. No matter how today's concert turns out, I'm planning to go back and discuss putting your debut on our schedule." Haruki: "Seriously?" Producer: "Yes, of course." Yuno: "Wow..." I couldn't help but quietly exclaim. He just said Haruki-kun's band would debut! The corners of my eyes grew hot. I had seen how much work Haruki-kun had put into his music and band all this time, and above all else, I loved his music. The day all of their efforts would be rewarded had come at last. Haruki: "Thank you so much! We'll do our best!" Producer: "There _are_ still a few hurdles in the way. It's not a decision I can make personally." Haruki: "You mean, there are conditions?" Producer: "Do you have a girlfriend right now?" I felt shocked. After all, _I_ was his girlfriend. Did he have a problem with me? Haruki: "I do... What about it?" Producer: "Yeah, you're young, so that's only natural." Producer: "However, we can't have that going forward. I hold your music in high regard, but there's too much talent in this business to get by on skill alone." Producer: "We'll need a little extra push to get your name out there." Producer: "Those looks of yours are your strongest weapon. We'd have to be crazy not to take advantage of them." Haruki-kun's expression turned grim. Haruki: "So you're saying I will sell on my looks alone?" Haruki-kun didn't hide his disgust. He hated things like that. Producer: "I get how you feel, but no matter how good your music is, it's worthless unless we can work up some hype and push sales." The producer said coldly. The iciness of his comment showed just how unforgiving a world Haruki-kun had his eyes on. It made me feel like my stomach was knotting up. Producer: "Do you think music nobody listens to has any worth?" Producer: "It only has to be at first. Getting lots of people hooked on you is important, and to do that, we've got to make use of your looks." Producer: "Once the masses learn about you, they'll have no choice but to take an interest in your music. Don't you think?" Haruki: "Well, I guess..." No surprise, the producer was a smooth talker. It sounded like he would force Haruki-kun to agree. Producer: "We won't be able to make use of your looks effectively if you have a girlfriend." Producer: "The first condition to debut through our label is to break up with your current girlfriend." Yuno: "...Huh?" Haruki: "P-Please wait a second. That's..." Producer: "Yeah, I'm sure you disagree, but that's just how the world works." Producer: "You can't always get what you want. To gain something, you sometimes need to give something else up in exchange." Producer: "Aren't there things that shine all the brighter due to what you lost to get them? The bigger the sacrifice, the greater the reward." Haruki: "..." Haruki-kun sunk into silence, with a look of disapproval. Still, something told me what the producer was saying made a lot of sense. He may have been right. Thinking you'll get the world handed to you on a platter was a pipedream once you got to be my age. It was far more likely than not that you would have to give something up to gain anything in life. And the sacrifices you made to achieve your goals only gave them greater worth once you achieved them. Haruki: "I can't do it. Please, let's talk about this again, in depth, another time." Producer: "Yeah, let's talk it over until you come to terms with it. I'm sure that will help you understand the situation better." Haruki: "..." I staggered back into the concert hall. Yuno: "It's dependent on Haruki-kun and me breaking up..." As usual, my voice was washed away in the flood of sound. I couldn't believe that ultimatum was thrown into our faces in such a concrete form. Then again, on second thought... This _might_ make for a good excuse. As much as I wanted to support his music, I was well aware that I would only get in his way if I stuck around. Regardless, I hadn't taken the plunge yet since there was no guarantee he would be successful just because we broke up. But this was a sure thing. If I were to step aside, he could take a huge step toward making his dream come true. I would return home, have the marriage interview, and take over the family trade. My parents would be overjoyed, and I could protect my family's business that was so precious to me. Wouldn't that wrap everything up nicely? Everything except our relationship. A little time passed, and Haruki-kun's band appeared on stage. That conversation earlier had worried me, but Haruki-kun had set his feelings aside and put on an enthusiastic face. He was already a pro in that respect. Haruki-kun's passion must have been contagious, as a previously absent degree of expectation overtook the venue. Everyone was waiting with anticipation for Haruki-kun and his band up on stage. It looked like they were done preparing, and Haruki-kun grabbed the mic. Haruki: "Heaven's Gate." He said the song title, bluntly like always, and the concert started. Yuno: "..." There was an instant explosion of enthusiasm throughout the venue. Waves of sound slammed into me head-on. It felt like it might lift me up and send me flying backwards. It was a little scary, but once I let the music wash over me, I felt strangely comfortable. Yuno: "Haruki-kun, hang in there!" I spontaneously shouted. That cry, too, was instantly washed away in this tempest of noise. Haruki: "YEAH!!!" Haruki-kun yelled, and the cheering only grew louder. The sound was nearly violent. The crowd was dancing with all their hearts. They bobbed up and down, stamped their feet, and moved their bodies at random. I was the only one standing still in the crowd. Yuno: "..." The tune, the lyrics, his voice; they all shook my heart. Just then, my vision began to turn blurry, and tears fell from my eyes. Yuno: "Haruki-kun..." I really _did_ love his music. I loved seeing him singing up on stage, too. I realized all over again that I truly loved Haruki-kun's songs. I became a fan of his music from the very first time I heard it. That fact had become clear to me yet again. I wanted to go cheer him on; now, and forever. However, I was standing in the way of his goal. I had to be the one to distance myself from him... If I didn't, he could never fulfill his dream. Since I was the older one in this relationship... and because I wanted to support his dreams, I had to do this for him. Yes, that would be for the best. That would be best...
Haruki: "...Oh?" Yuno: "Yo." Haruki: "When you didn't come backstage like I asked, I figured you'd gone home." Yuno: "Yeah, sorry. Being in that crowd got me a little nauseated, so I rested some." Haruki: "I see. You're pretty bad with crowds, huh, Yuno-san?" Haruki: "But you went out of your way to wait for me at the station?" Yuno: "Yeah, I did. I wanted to tell you what I thought of your concert today, and had a little something to talk about." Haruki: "Something to talk about?" Yuno: "Yeah." I nodded with a smile. My smile seemed to give him the impression it wasn't anything serious. Haruki: "How was the concert?" Haruki-kun sounded curious for my impressions. It was clear from his expression that he had his own opinion, and was expecting a positive answer. Yuno: "Yeah, it was incredible! I was so moved, I cried." Haruki: "You cried?" Haruki: "Why did you cry? It wasn't a sappy song at all, was it?" Haruki-kun said with amusement. He looked like he was in a really good mood. Yuno: "It wasn't, but I was moved to tears when I got thinking about how amazing you are." Haruki: "Seriously~? Man, Yuno-san, you sure are a crybaby." Yuno: "Yeah, maybe I am." Haruki: "Come to think of it, you cried back when we first met, too." Yuno: "...Yeah." I was also reminded of the first time he and I met. It was back during my first year of teaching. I had my heart set on leaving home and becoming a teacher, but didn't know anything about how the world worked. That was the beginning of my harsh life as a member of society. Yuno: "Snf... hck, snf..." Due to my appearance, the students in class didn't see me as a teacher at all, and often wouldn't listen to what I had to say... I was upset after getting scolded by the vice principal, and was crying alone on the roof. Haruki: "Even teachers cry, huh?" I thought I was alone, but Haruki-kun was there. That was our first meeting, since he wasn't one of my students. Yuno: "Wh-Who are you? Isn't class still in session?" I felt like I had to scold him since I was an instructor, but the idea brought fear to my heart. Haruki: "I don't get English, though." He pouted while hugging his guitar. I found myself fascinated by his fair complexion, which was difficult to describe as either adolescent or adult. I felt awkward since I was crying... When I turned serious and wiped my tears away, he acted considerately by looking away. Haruki: "Well, I mean... Anyway, don't cry." After saying that, he quickly took out his guitar and sang to his own tune. It was a gentle ballad. Although I had never heard this melody before, it felt as if it was penetrating into the depths of my heart with ease. Those long fingers which moved unbelievably nimbly and skillfully, and that far-carrying singing voice... I became lost in his tune, and spontaneously broke out crying again before I knew it. I had been a fan of his ever since. A while after that, we became lovers, but the fact I was a fan of his music had never changed. Yuno: "I wound up giving you supplementary English lessons after that, huh?" Haruki: "Your teaching style helped me make sense of English a little at a time. Thanks to you, I was able to write songs in English, too." Haruki-kun smiled impishly. I loved this man's smile. "Loved." Now in past tense. That was how it needed to be. Which was why I couldn't be a crybaby anymore. Haruki: "Yuno-san..." When I looked up, Haruki-kun's face had drawn near. I could tell he wanted me. He always did after a concert. I hesitated a moment, but I couldn't refuse him. Yuno: "Mm..." We shared a deep kiss.
Yuno: "Mmm, haah, mm, Haruki-ku... mmaah..." When he stuck his tongue into my mouth, my body felt like it had gone numb. Haruki: "Yuno-san... it's okay, right?" Yuno: "...Yeah." Yuno: "Hah... aah, aah... Haruki-kun...!" I swung my hips with all my strength on top of him. Haruki-kun's penis rubbed up deeply inside of me. Haruki: "Oh, ah... you're kind of amazing today, Yuno-san." Yuno: "That's... aah... embarrassing..." I was embarrassed, but kept moving my hips. I wanted to make Haruki-kun feel even better, so... Yuno: "Ah! Haruki-kun, ah... does it feel good? Does it feel good inside of me?" Haruki: "U-Ugh... Yeah, ridiculously. You feel... ridiculously good inside, Yuno-san." Yuno: "Aha... I'm happy... I'll do... it more, then..." I quickly swung my hips back and forth. Gsssh, fwish, squoooosh... Yuno: "Aah! Mm, aah... The noise..." Haruki: "You're getting ridiculously wet down there, Yuno-san." Yuno: "No... Ah...!" Haruki: "It's gushing out down between my legs." Yuno: "Aaah! You're kidding..." Haruki: "I'm not kidding. My crotch is really sticky." Yuno: "Au... I-I'm sorry..." Haruki: "You don't have to apologize, you know. It feels good." Haruki: "And you're cute when you get all messy too, Yuno-san." Yuno: "'Cute'...? Aaah..." Squeeze... Haruki: "Ooh..." Haruki: "Your insides clenched when I called you that..." Yuno: "Oh no, aah! But..." Haruki: "You're so shy. Yuno-san, you're the cutest." Squeeze... Haruki: "Ukuu... See, you did it again." Yuno: "J-Jeez... Haruki-kun, you're teasing me, aren't you?" Haruki: "I'm not. Talking is part of making love too, right?" Haruki-kun whispered. I had definitely gotten turned on by that voice. Haruki: "Your pussy feels so good, Yuno-san." Yuno: "N-No..." I loved that voice. That voice, the same as when he sung, was whispering dirty things to me. That alone was sending chills through my body. Haruki: "Yuno-san, you've got a young face, but you're pretty pervy, huh?" Yuno: "A y-young face and... perviness, have nothing to do with each other..." Haruki: "I'm just saying, the contrast is nice." Yuno: "D-Don't look at my face like that... at how my face looks right now..." Haruki: "I love how you look during sex. You're cute all ruffled up." Yuno: "Th-That's enough..." My body reacted to his voice, making me burn hot inside, and my stomach spasm. Haruki: "Oh, kuu... you really, are amazing today. So tight..." Haruki: "Yuno-san, are you about to go on your period?" Yuno: "N-No... It just ended." Haruki: "It did? You're always pretty wild right before, though." Yuno: "Th-That's not true..." Haruki-kun knew everything about me. It was a given since we were living together. But he didn't know about my decision. There was no way he could. Haruki: "Did something happen?" However, it seemed likely he would figure it out. I was startled, yet happy, and also sad... because I had already made up my mind. Yuno: "It's nothing. Forget all that. You should move, too..." I rocked my hips to spur him on. Haruki: "Aah... I got... it!" Yuno: "Aaahhmmm!" Thump... There it was. He struck deep into my stomach. My canal was short, while Haruki-kun's penis was long. I really loved how it grinded and hit my depths. Yuno: "Aan, aan, hmmmm... Haruki-ku...n... it feels so, goo...ood, aaaah..." Haruki: "Yuno-san, you like it deep, huh? Right here?" Yuno: "Hyuuuu! I-I like it... right there... grind into me some more...!" Haruki: "Guuh, oh... you're so... tight..." Fwsssh, scmk, mmpch! Yuno: "Ah, aah... it feels good! Your dick... feels so good... Haruki-kun!" Haruki: "Your pussy... is insane... oh, ooh... Yuno-san!" Yuno: "Aah, aaaah... You're filling me, all up... Filling me, Haruki-kun...!" Yuno: "Mm, aah... Hyuu, oh, aannnnn!" It felt like Haruki-kun was gradually getting bigger and harder inside me. I could tell he would come soon, because he always did when we made love. Haruki: "Yuno-san... Oh..." Yuno: "Haruki-kun... Come..." Haruki: "Yeah, I'm coming... You too, Yuno-san...?" Yuno: "Mmm, aah! Yeah, me too...! I'm gonna come too! Ah! Together with you, Haruki-kun...! Mm!" I could tell we were nearing climax. The sensation of being connected to Haruki-kun grew stronger. We were being drawn so intensely together, so very connected, and yet... Haruki: "Ah, aah... Yuno-san... I'm coming!" Yuno: "Me too, I'm coming! Coming, coming, I'm gonna come...!" Yuno: "Aaaah... Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Haruki: "So, you said you had something to talk about? What was it?" A little while after we finished, Haruki-kun went and asked that. We had formed such a strong connection only moments sooner, but my feelings hadn't wavered. Yuno: "Yeah." Yuno: "...Let's break up." Those words slipped smoothly out of my mouth. Haruki-kun tilted his head curiously with a smile still on his face. He must not have comprehended what I'd said. Haruki: "Huh?" Yuno: "Let's break up." It looked like it finally got through to him the second time. His expression turned dark. Haruki: "What are you talking about? Jokes like that aren't funny." Yuno: "It isn't a joke. I'm being serious." Haruki: "Serious..." Haruki: "Where did this come from all of a sudden? You've never brought this up before." Yuno: "Which is why I'm doing it now." Haruki: "What's going on? This doesn't make sense!" Haruki-kun pouted. I couldn't let his expression make my heart flutter. Yuno: "You know, I'm going to have a marriage interview." Haruki: "...Huh?" Yuno: "A marriage interview. I saw his picture, and he seemed like a really good guy." I was a terrible liar, but I was managing, since that much was true. Haruki: "A marriage interview... What's with that?" He was mad, and looked pretty scary, but I loved that look on him, too... Yuno: "I've gotten sick of being a teacher, so I've been considering going home and taking over the family business." Haruki: "You... got sick of it? Is that all teaching meant to you?" Yuno: "That's right. You didn't notice?" That was a lie, but Haruki-kun looked like he was in disbelief. He must not have ever thought I would lie to him. I _am_ an adult, you know. Even I lie once in a while. Haruki-kun, you're too pure. Haruki: "So you're going to have a marriage interview, get married, and take over the family business? And you're okay with all that?" Hearing his shaking voice made my heart waver. It hurt, so very badly. Yuno: "...Yeah, I'm fine with it." Haruki: "Why... Why bring this up so suddenly?" Yuno: "Don't you know? I'm going to be thirty next year. There's nothing strange about me thinking about marriage." Yuno: "It's pretty overdue, in fact." Haruki: "That's why you're going to a marriage interview? In that case, marry me...!" Yuno: "That's impossible." My tone was so flat and cruel that I actually impressed myself. Yuno: "I mean, you're not financially stable at all, are you, Haruki-kun? I could never be happy married to a man like that." Haruki: "So... it's about money?" A touch of scorn crossed his face. My heart prickled with pain. ...But there was no longer any need to worry. After all, I didn't need to worry about being hated. I was doing this to _make_ him hate me. If he hated me, I could give up on him, too. Yuno: "That's right, money. Marriage and love are different." Yuno: "That's what adult women think. Maybe you don't understand since you're still a kid?" Haruki: "Urgh!" Haruki-kun's face flared red with rage. Overtaken with anger, he raised his arm furiously overhead. I prepared myself and squeezed my eyes shut. Yuno: "..." But the impact I'd prepared for never came, no matter how much time passed. Timidly, I opened my eyes. He was gritting his teeth sadly, his right arm still reared. Looking anguished, he lowered that trembling hand. Yuno: "It's okay if you want to hit me." That way would be easier. Haruki: "Why would I hit a woman?" Haruki: "Not to mention, the woman I love!" Haruki-kun turned his quivering back to me, and left without saying another word. I persevered and stood there until he was out of sight. I tried so hard not to cry, but the tears just kept spilling. I couldn't see Haruki-kun anymore... When that crossed my mind, I wanted to chase after him with tears in my eyes and apologize to him. To tell him everything I said was a lie. That I really did love him. That I wanted to be with him forever. But nothing would change that way. Couldn't change. For me, or for Haruki-kun. The second he was out of view, I fell to my knees and collapsed on the spot. That was how we broke up on the anniversary of the day we started dating.
Aine: "I wonder how Sensei is doing?" Aine asked with a sigh. Tomoe: "You mean Okeyamachi-sensei? What do you mean by that?" Aine: "You know, today was Haruki-san's concert." Tomoe: "Oh..." The concert that producer was coming to see? I'd heard that was today, but had forgotten. Tomoe: "Well, he only came to observe today, right? I doubt anything would come of it right away." Aine: "That is true. Still, I am sort of worried..." Tomoe: "Worried?" Aine: "Right around here..." Aine propped her hand against her own chest. Aine: "It is all mumbly." Tomoe: "What do you mean, 'mumbly'? You're not making sense." Aine: "Ja-pan-ese - hard, is - it - not?" Tomoe: "What's with the broken sentence?" Tomoe: "Well, we'll see her tomorrow at school. You can try and ask her then." She _was_ Aine's homeroom teacher, in any case. Aine: "You are right." She nodded, still looking worried, and picked up her guitar with the broken strings. Though it only had one string until recently, it now had two strings attached. Aine: "Haruki-san's band was great, was it not?" She fiddled with her guitar, looking like she wanted to play, too. Haruki-san's concert must have motivated her. For the first time, I briefly wondered what sort of song Aine would sing. Tomoe: "Yeah. I don't know much about his brand of music, but I think he did well." Something told me it wasn't just noise. It was loud, but by no means unpleasant, and seemed to reach people's hearts. Tomoe: "I understand why Okeyamachi-sensei wants to cheer him on." But it was for exactly that reason that she couldn't be with him anymore. Aine: "Yes..." Aine's less than merry reply must've meant that she understood. Aine: "What do you think we could do for her?" Tomoe: "Shouldn't an angel know that better than I would?" Aine: "You are right..." Aine fiddled with her inadequately strung guitar, looking irritated all the while.
Aine: "Fuaaaaah... Aah." Naruko: "You sure look sleepy, Aine-chan." Aine: "I am... I did not get much sleep yesterday." Tomoe: "Really? That explains why I slept so well." It was no wonder I thought it was a peaceful night. It was because I didn't hear that oddball snore of hers. Naruko: "So, you couldn't sleep? Did something happen?" Aine: "I was a little worried about Sensei." Naruko: "About Sensei?" Aine: "Yes. ...Ah." Aine: "Speak of the devil, it is Sensei!" Aine dashed off straight toward Okeyamachi-sensei. We followed after Aine and headed over to Sensei with her. Aine: "Sensei! Sensei!" Yuno: "Oh, Aine-chan. Morning." Aine: "Good morning!" Aine: "How did yesterday go? How was the concert?" Aine asked through gasps of air. Okeyamachi-sensei answered with a smile. Yuno: "Yeah, I broke up with my boyfriend." Aine: "...Huh? Broke up...?" Aine went stiff. We weren't sure how to respond right away, either. Naruko: "Broke up... What do you mean?" Yuno: "Just as I said. Haruki-kun and I said goodbye." Aine: "No way..." Aine was at a loss for words, but from the way she was acting, also seemed to have anticipated this possibility. Aine: "Why? Why did it turn out like this...?" Naruko: "Was it for your boyfriend's sake?" Yuno: "Yes... If I'm around, I'll be in his way." Okeyamachi-sensei answered, looking lonely. Yuno: "Don't look so worried. It's something I always thought might happen someday." Aine: "But..." Yuno: "You know, the producer who came yesterday apparently had a high opinion of Haruki-kun's band. He'll need to work hard at his music from now on." Tomoe: "So that's why you stepped aside?" Yuno: "..." Sensei smiled, but didn't answer. I must've nailed it. Aine: "Sensei, are you really okay with that?" Yuno: "It doesn't matter whether I am or not. I had no other choice." Aine: "B-But..." Aine: "Sharing joy in times of happiness, and sorrow in times of sadness... Is that not what it means to be lovers?!" Yuno: "I'm sorry; I wasn't able to. Sometimes lovers just can't manage that." Aine: "But...!" Yuno: "Sorry, but it's already done." Sensei lonesomely interrupted Aine. Aine: "Ah..." Aine stared at Sensei as though she'd realized something. Aine: "Sensei, could it be your heart fractured...?" Yuno: "Huh? My heart what?" Sensei tilted her head in confusion, unsure of what she meant. She didn't seem to be acting out of the ordinary if you asked me. Was it true, though? Had another heart, Sensei's heart, fractured? Yuno: "Ah, come on. If you don't hurry along, you'll be late. If you're late, I'll stand you in the hall and make you hold buckets." Sensei walked off with a cheerful smile. For someone with a so-called "fractured heart," nothing about how she was acting screamed "tragic" to me. Tomoe: "Is Sensei's heart really fractured?" Aine: "More than likely." Naruko: "But Sensei was smiling..." Aine: "Would you claim that people can't smile even when they are hurt?" I was startled by Aine's comment. Naruko: "Well..." Nakizaki definitely understood as well. She was right: humans were a species that could smile even if they were hurt. In fact, laughing might be all people had left when a wound dug too deeply. Aine: "We have to do something." Naruko: "'Something'... That, again?" The two of them looked at me. I instantly knew what they meant and let out a sigh. Aine: "You promised, yes? You said you would help out." Tomoe: "Yes, I did, but I never agreed to help with everything unconditionally." Aine: "Huh? What do you mean?" Tomoe: "As far as Sensei's fractured heart goes, shouldn't we give returning her shard some serious thought first?" Aine: "Some serious thought...?" Aine: "But if we do not return her shard, she will break up with Haruki-san for real! Are you okay with that?!" Tomoe: "I don't know what happened, but didn't she make this choice out of love for her partner? In that case, I respect her decision." Aine: "That is not true! You become helpless once your heart fractures!" Aine: "That is why we must do something ourselves." Tomoe: "I think you mean 'I,' not 'we.'" Aine: "B-But..." Tomoe: "Didn't I tell you? I can't go against my own values. This time, I'm going to respect how Sensei feels." Aine: "No way... You are the only one I can rely on, Tomoe-san..." Aine looked like she might cry, but I wasn't willing to alter another person's lifestyle choices. Sensei had a mind of her own, and had surely agonized over it plenty before making her decision. I had no right to try and change that.
Menes: "Her heart really _is_ fractured." Licha: "Mhm, mhm." Aine: "So I was right?" A meek expression crossed Aine's face as she heard Menes and the other angels' report. Though it didn't come as a surprise, Aine still looked like she was hurting at the thought of Sensei's heart being fractured. Erich: "It sounds like some things never change, huh, Aine? Still having trouble telling whether a person's heart is fractured?" Aine: "I can _somewhat_ tell..." Tomoe: "Wait a second. It's obvious to all of you?" All of them nodded unanimously to my question. Menes: "We _are_ angels, after all. We couldn't do our jobs otherwise." Licha: "Mhm, mhm." Erich: "Of course, angels have their own strengths and weaknesses, but Aine is something of a quack." Aine: "Auuu, I am sorry..." Our angel was apparently the only particularly unskilled member of the group. I'd gotten involved with quite a terrible angel. Actually, her ineptitude may have been why she got stuck needing a human's help in the first place. Menes: "Well, it _does_ sound like you were able to tell this time around, Aine. Maybe you're starting to show some growth?" Aine: "It would be great if that were true." Aine muttered as if praying from the heart.
Kojirou: "It seems it was true Yuno-chan just went through a break up." Kojirou-sensei informed us. Tomoe: "How do you know that?" I couldn't believe he went to the trouble of telling us when we didn't even ask. Kojirou: "Because Aine-chan begged me to ask her about it." Tomoe: "So it _was_ you..." Aine: "Yes, I thought getting another faculty member to ask her about it would be best." Aine: "It really _was_ true, then." Of course, that was well within expectations. Kojirou: "She looked lively as could be, though. Almost like nothing happened." Aine: "That is only on the outside! Since Sensei's heart is fractured..." Kojirou: "Her 'heart is fractured'?" Naruko: "Oh, it's nothing!" Nakizaki panicked and dodged the question, but Kojirou-sensei looked thoughtful. Kojirou: "Her heart 'fractured,' huh...? Doesn't the saying usually go that someone's heart is 'broken'?" Aine: "It is different. Her heart is not broken, it is fractured." Kojirou: "Hm... I guess putting it that way might be more fitting." Kojirou-sensei nodded in agreement. Kojirou: "The heart can't be snapped like some sort of stick. It's fairly common to feel like something that used to be there is missing when you chip away at someone's heart." Tomoe: "It is?" Kojirou: "Well, that's just my impression. Now and again, there are people who definitely look like they're 'missing something.'" Tomoe: "Is that so..." It would appear there were humans who could tell when others' hearts had fractured, even if they couldn't see it. There might actually be lots of people like that, and we just hadn't noticed. Naruko: "Huh?" Nakizaki noticed something and spoke up. Naruko: "Say, could that be..." Tomoe: "Ah..." Indeed, Okeyamachi-sensei's lover, Haruki-san, was standing there. Haruki: "Ah..." He spotted us and came closer. Haruki: "Hey, you're all students here, right? Sorry about this, but do you think you could call Yuno... Okeyamachi-sensei for me?" He greeted us like so. He seemed to have come to see Sensei. Haruki: "Uh, I'm not a suspicious guy or anything. I'm an acquaintance of hers. I'm an alumnus of this place, too." Tomoe: "Oh, we know about you." Haruki: "Huh?" Tomoe: "Can we talk to you for a bit?" Haruki: "Are you sure it's okay for me to be up here?" Tomoe: "Yeah, why not? You _are_ an alumnus." Haruki: "True enough." He suddenly smiled and gazed out at the scenery from the rooftop. Haruki: "It's been forever since I saw the view from here." Tomoe: "Did you come here often?" Haruki: "I used to skip class and come here to play guitar all the time. I was especially bad at English." Naruko: "English, you mean Yuno-chan-sensei's class?" Haruki: "Yuno-chan-sensei?" Haruki-san smiled. Haruki: "She's still getting called that, huh?" Tomoe: "Does that mean she's had that nickname for a long time?" Haruki: "Yeah. She's been getting called that since I went to school here." Haruki: "Yuno-san wasn't my English teacher, but she found me here cutting class, so I ended up taking supplementary lessons with her after that..." The rest went without saying. That had to be how they became closer and ended up dating. Tomoe: "Why did you come here today?" Haruki: "Yuno-san won't pick up when I call her. She might hate my guts by now, but I can't accept it." Haruki: "I know it's pathetic, but I couldn't just sit still, you know?" Aine: "It is not pathetic at all!" Aine suddenly said in a loud voice. Haruki-san was astonished, but Aine paid that no mind. Aine: "There is no shame in caring for another person! It is okay!" I didn't know what was "okay," but Aine was full of energy as she said it. He must have thought she was acting funny, and burst into laughter. Haruki: "Ahaha, thank you. You saying that is a bit of a lifesaver." He smiled and returned his eyes once more to the slightly hazy cityscape. Haruki: "Now that I'm here, all sorts of memories are flooding back." Haruki: "How I used to focus on playing the guitar so much, before I knew who I was, and all the time I spent here with Yuno-san..." Haruki: "They're both important to me. Irreplaceable, precious memories." Haruki: "Hard to believe it's gotten to the point where I need to weigh the pros and cons and choose between them." Naruko: "Choose between them? What do you mean?" Haruki: "Yesterday, my producer told me to." Haruki-san told us his story. That his band might be able to make their big debut, just like we'd heard from Okeyamachi-sensei. But there were apparently conditions, one of which was to break up with Sensei. Aine: "That is... so cruel!" Haruki: "Yeah, although I ended up not needing to decide. I got dumped." Tomoe: "Wasn't that Okeyamachi-sensei stepping aside for your sake?" Haruki: "Huh?" Haruki-san looked completely taken by surprise. He must not have thought of it that way. Haruki: "No, but... Yuno-san said she was going to hold a marriage interview." Tomoe: "A marriage interview?" Come to think of it, hadn't she mentioned the possibility of going home and getting married? Haruki: "I wonder: did being with me always weigh heavily on her mind? There's a big age gap between us, and I'm still not earning much of a living." Haruki: "Men really are lax, huh?" Haruki-san stared at his hands, as if he was trying to take hold of something. His palms gripped that empty space in vain. Aine: "That is not true! Men are affectionate!" Haruki: "That's a nice thought. If how much I loved her was all that mattered, I'm confident nobody could beat me." Haruki-san was smiling, but mostly out of contempt for himself. Such a sad smile. Tomoe: "You really love Okeyamachi-sensei, don't you?" This conversation had gotten that through to me plain as day. Haruki: "Still, there may be times love isn't enough on its own." Aine: "That is not―" Haruki-san interrupted Aine's comment with a lonesome smile. Haruki: "Maybe it's a good thing she dumped me, instead of the other way around." Haruki: "There's no way I could dump Yuno-san. On the other hand, I couldn't give up on an opportunity that's right under my nose either..." His face distorted with pain, but then he seemed to snap out of it and spun around. Haruki: "On second thought, I'll head home." Aine: "Huh?! You are not going to see Sensei?" Haruki: "I just can't do it. I know I'm a coward, but I've got no idea what to say to her right now." Haruki: "Sorry." Aine: "Ah, Haruki-san!" Aine: "He is leaving! We have to stop him!" Tomoe: "Stop him, and then what?" Aine: "Have him talk with Sensei one more time..." Tomoe: "So they'll talk, get back together, and he'll give up on his debut?" Aine: "Well... We could put our heads together to come up with a way to keep that from happening..." Aine made it sound easy, but that would be way too convenient to ever happen...
Minamo: "No way that's possible. Stepping aside was the right decision." Aine: "Huh―?! Why?!" Minamo: "Isn't it obvious? I don't know how big he's aiming, but if it really is his dream to live off his music then there's no way he can refuse that offer." Minamo: "Good breaks like that don't happen often. If he turns it down now, there's no telling when he'll get his next chance." Aine: "No way..." Naruko: "They do say 'Seize Lady Luck by the forelocks for she is bald at the back,' don't they?" Aine: "A goddess with only bangs is way too strange! What sort of hairdo does not have hair in the back?" Naruko: "Don't ask me. Tell that to Leonardo da Vinci." Aine: "But is it not strange?! If you don't have any hair in the back, you would be half bald!" Several old men with thinning hair shot us scary glares. Tomoe: "Keep your voice down." I reprimanded Aine in a low tone. Aine: "But..." Minamo: "Anyway, if he doesn't have enough resolve to break up with his girlfriend, then he'll never survive the world of show business." Aine: "Why are you saying such cruel things? Is it not a given that love is most important?" Minamo: "Everyone has their own philosophies about that. If you've got a problem with that, then don't bother calling on people for their opinion." Wakamatsu gave Aine a fed-up glare. Aine had called her here since she seemed familiar with the world of show business. According to Aine, Wakamatsu was apparently well versed about idols and the like. She didn't look it to me, though. Still, she actually showed up when asked, so she must have been a friendlier girl than she looked. Aine: "You are all so cold! Would it not bother you if they were to break up like this?!" Minamo: "Whether their relationship works out or not is none of my business." Aine: "S-So mean!" Naruko: "Does this mean them dating like they have been, or them breaking up and him making his debut are their only two options?" Minamo: "That's right. There's that saying, 'He who runs after two hares will catch neither.' Nobody is lucky enough to receive two blessings at once." Aine: "Do not just decide that is the case. Let us all try to think of a better way together!" Minamo: "Well, if I _had_ to make a suggestion, why not give up on the savage music business and have them take over Sensei's family business together?" Minamo: "Yeah, that settles it." Aine: "But then Haruki-san's dream would never come true..." Minamo: "There's no possible way to tidy everything up perfectly like that." Wakamatsu angrily said before standing up. Minamo: "That's how it is, so I'm going home." She said, then suddenly left for home. Aine: "Ah, Minamo-chan!' Aine: "She left without paying." Tomoe: "You were planning to make her pay?" Aine: "I don't have any money, though." Yeah, that was only natural. Which meant that this was all my treat. She was seriously more of a plague than an angel. Tomoe: "Anyway. Sensei's heart is fractured, right? Doesn't that mean it's pointless for us to discuss it?" Aine: "That is right! That is why we have to look for the shard quickly and return it to her!" Naruko: "Easy for you to say, but how exactly should we go about it?" Aine: "Well... If we all try our hardest―" Tomoe: "I'm not helping." I interrupted Aine and reminded her. Aine: "R-Right... I promise to search and come back with the shard!" Tomoe: "I don't care." Aine: "Aaaaw..." Naruko: "But... Do you think Sensei is okay?" Tomoe: "..." Yuno: "Oh, Mom? It's me." Yuno: "You see..."
Aine: "Big trouble, big trouble!" At break time, Aine suddenly barged into our classroom. Every classmate looked curiously over at us. Tomoe: "Don't come running into a senior classroom while making so much noise." Aine: "Th-This is no time to be saying that! I heard Sensei is moving!" Tomoe: "Moving? You made all that noise just to come tell me that?" Aine: "But that means she will be leaving the home she shares with Haruki-san..." Naruko: "Huh...?" Aine: "Haruki-san is apparently going to Tokyo, so Sensei is moving out of her current place..." Kiyohito: "Wow, so those two really did break up." Naruko: "I see..." Aine: "Are you really okay with leaving things this way?" Tomoe: "..." Yuno: "You didn't have to go out of your way to come help." Naruko: "Oh, but wouldn't it have been a lot of trouble doing it alone? We were free, so please don't worry about it." Yuno: "Really? Thanks." In truth, we hadn't actually come here to help her move. Aine dragged us here, refusing to let her go without a fight. By the time we got here, she was right in the middle of packing. We used helping her as a pretext. Naruko: "Um... I hear your boyfriend is going to Tokyo?" Yuno: "He isn't my boyfriend anymore, though." Sensei forced a smile. We didn't know how we were supposed to respond. Sensei sensed how we were feeling and smiled to put us at ease. Yuno: "That's right. He said he was going to Tokyo to pursue his music for real." Yuno: "To be a real musician, you really do need to get out of the countryside and move to the city. Once he's gone, this place will be way too big for me..." Yuno: "That's why I decided to move out." Naruko: "Is that right...?" Aine: "Are you really going to break up with Haruki-san, Sensei?" Yuno: "Yes. I'm planning to quit teaching and go back home next spring myself." Naruko: "Oh? You're going to quit teaching?" Yuno: "Yes. I'm going home to take over the family business." Kiyohito: "I hear you're gonna have a marriage interview and take on a husband?" Yuno: "Yeah. I'm getting to be that age. I can't keep walking in circles forever." Aine: "..." Kiyohito: "I guess an arranged marriage might feel refreshing after a few times around the block. Taking over the family business sounds pretty mature, too." Yuno: "Ehehe, doesn't it?" Sensei was laughing like it was nothing. Had she already gotten over it? Or was it that she couldn't help it because her heart was fractured? Kiyohito: "Is it okay if I carry out the luggage in the closet too? I won't turn up any underwear or anything?" Yuno: "Ahaha, it's fine. There's only old luggage in there." Kiyohito: "Then I'll bring it out~" Kiyohito dragged out several old-looking cardboard boxes. Yuno: "Wow, that's a pretty old box. I wonder what's inside?" Her interest seemingly aroused, Sensei tried opening the box. She pulled out an old minidisc. Come to think of it, the mini sound system in the room looked like it could play MDs. Kiyohito: "Sensei, you use MDs? That's a soon-to-be thirty-year-old for you!" Yuno: "Ah, you're mean! Some people still use MDs these days." Yuno: "I wonder what's on this one?" She put the MD in the unpacked player and pressed the play button. Yuno: "Oh, this..." It wasn't a high-quality recording like you'd expect from a CD. It sounded like it had been self-recorded. Next came a voice I remembered hearing recently. Naruko: "Is this your boyfriend's?" Naruko: "...Ah!" We looked Sensei's way, and everyone was at a loss for words. Sensei was crying her eyes out. Yuno: "Haruki-kun..." Naruko: "Sensei, are you okay...?" Nakizaki petted Sensei's back as she hunched over crying. Even then, Sensei wept and cried like a child. Yuno: "I wanted to be with Haruki-kun forever... but I was in the way of his dream...!" Aine: "Sensei..." Yuno: "I wanted to be with him forever...!" Despite being in front of her students, Sensei continued to sob for some time.
Kiyohito: "It's been a long time since I've seen an adult cry that hard." Kiyohito seemed oddly happy. Naruko: "Are you happy seeing a woman cry? That's gross." Kiyohito: "It's not like that. Being able to cry that hard without caring who sees shows just how much she loves him, right?" Kiyohito: "I think that's kinda cool." Naruko: "Well, I guess..." Seeing Kiyohito with such a satisfied smile was nearly enough to convince us, too. Naruko: "But doesn't that basically mean the two of them still have feelings for one another?" Naruko: "Not being able to be together despite loving each other so much is kind of terrible... You know?" Kiyohito: "Well, yeah." Tomoe: "Is it really so bad? Sometimes people might be happier going their separate ways." Naruko: "What do you mean? Why?" Tomoe: "Their love might be pure right now, but couldn't that change with time?" Tomoe: "If that's the alternative, it might be better if they break things off now while they still can." Kiyohito: "That sounds just like you, Tomoe." Naruko: "Still... Isn't that just too sad?" Kiyohito: "Yeah." That was just the way the world worked. Crushes and love were sad by their very nature. If you didn't like it, you would be better off never falling in love with anyone to begin with. Aine: "...I cannot accept it." Aine, who had been quiet until just then, spoke up with intensity. Aine: "Things cannot stay this way! We have to do something!" Naruko: "Something..." Aine: "Tomoe-san..." Tomoe: "..." I knew what she wanted from me. Something only I could do. But, I... But, I...
I recalled how Sensei looked as she cried earlier. That was love's true form. That which we call love doesn't bring people happiness. In fact, it brings nothing but sorrow. Okeyamachi-sensei was a shining example. Love like _that_ was better given up on. _Should_ be given up on. It would probably sting for a while, but she would feel better in time. Then, once her wounds healed, she should never get involved with anything resembling love ever again. Anyone who didn't wish to come to irrational harm should do the same. Yes, it made no sense whatsoever. Why did humans toy around with something so dangerous? Why... Aine: "Tomoe-san!" Tomoe: "...Just bring the shard here." Aine: "...Huh?! Will you return it to her if I do?!" Tomoe: "This time, and this time only." An image of Sensei crying popped back into my mind. It made me furious. Why did she have to cry like that? It wasn't like returning her shard would help her recover from her sorrow. If it were that simple, then it would be doing those tears a disservice. Those tears showed just how deeply she cared for Haruki-san. Sensei chose Haruki-san's future even if it meant hurting herself. It was a life-changing decision which we had absolutely no say in. Then, why was I still bothered by this? Something didn't feel right, just like Aine insisted. Sensei was in a lot of pain right now. I knew I said love only brings sorrow, but was it possible to make someone who cried that hard any more upset? As the saying goes, "If you eat poison, you may as well lick the plate." If love ended up making her suffer even worse, if it were truly _that_ malicious, I would renounce it for the rest of my life. I would eliminate that awful thing known as love from this world. I didn't know if I was capable of such a thing, but who knew what I could accomplish if I abetted an angel? Tomoe: "Anyway, the shard." Aine: "Yes! I will definitely find it and come back!" Aine assured me with a smile and immediately ran off. I knew she went looking for the shard, but did she have any leads? Kiyohito: "Say, what've you guys been talking about all this time? Something about a shard?" Tomoe: "Sorry, it's nothing." I had forgotten Kiyohito was here when I mentioned the shard. Kiyohito: "Hmm... Fine then. So you decided to lend Sensei a hand?" Tomoe: "I don't know if it will actually wind up helping her, though." What would change once I returned her shard? Would anything change at all? There was no way of telling, but I would watch over them until the very end. To see what sort of future they would choose next, and how they would fight against that irrational thing called "love."
Tomoe: "I just can't do it." Aine: "Tomoe-san...!" Aine looked like she would cry, but I just couldn't take that step. Tomoe: "What'll happen if I return Sensei's shard now? I'm sure it would clear things up between them if Haruki-san knew how Sensei really felt." Tomoe: "But what would happen to the two of them then?" Aine: "What do you mean? They will get back together, and then..." Tomoe: "And then, Haruki-san will feel torn apart, forced to choose between Sensei and his dreams, even though she already made a painful decision to try to keep that from happening." Tomoe: "I would be putting her efforts to waste." Aine: "Well..." Tomoe: "That's not all. Haruki-san's dream is finally in reach, but I could end up ruining it for him, too." Tomoe: "Do I have that privilege?" No. Not only did I not have that right, it would be terrible if I did. Aine: "B-But! There is no guarantee anything awful will happen." Aine: "It is completely possible they could reconcile their relationship, and work hard together to help Haruki-san achieve his dream..." Tomoe: "It probably _isn't_ impossible, but it isn't one hundred percent guaranteed, either. I can't take responsibility for what happens." Tomoe: "Nobody should be responsible for another person's life. People should take responsibility for themselves." I felt increasingly more certain of how I felt as I put my feelings into words. I didn't make the wrong choice. Naruko: "...Yeah, I understand what you mean." Nakizaki nodded in agreement as well. Aine: "B-But... Auuu..." It seemed Aine couldn't push the matter anymore, either. Maybe she finally had a small understanding of how I, a human, felt. Aine: "...I understand. I apologize for being unreasonable." Tomoe: "It's fine..." There was nothing any of us could do. A feeling of helplessness washed over us. This was why I didn't want to get involved in people's love lives. I knew it would turn out like this. Naruko: "All we can do is pray, huh?" Tomoe: "That's right." The least we could do was pray that everything would work out, and that life would treat them kindly. Aine: "Sensei, I am sorry..." Aine almost sounded like she was repenting as she spoke.
Tomoe: "..." I cleared my mind and drew the bow. No, my mind wasn't clear. I was waiting. Waiting for Aine to bring back Sensei's shard. What would happen to Sensei once I returned the shard? How would those two turn out? I focused on drawing my bow with that thought in mind. Those two cared for each other, so I was sure their relationship would go back to normal once she recovered her shard. How would their lives change once that happened? Would Sensei abandon her family to be with her boyfriend? Or would he abandon his music? Both choices meant one of them would lose something. They would have to decide how to proceed for themselves. That was more than we could meddle in. Love was stealing away something precious from the two of them. Would they choose love all the same? Would their decision put happiness within their reach? Or would the weight of their loss lead only to regret? Tomoe: "...!" I lost my composure, and the arrow missed its target badly. Tomoe: "..." In a corner of my heart, I began to hope that Aine might never come back. I wouldn't have to feel responsible for their future if she never brought back the shard. If only she couldn't find the shard... Just then, the floor creaked, and I sensed someone was there. I resigned myself, instantly knowing what that meant. When I turned around, Aine was standing there as expected. Where had she searched for it, and how? Her face and clothes were filthy with mud. Tomoe: "...You found it?" Aine: "Yes." Aine gave me a big nod. I got my breathing in check and drew the bow once more. This time, the arrow pierced through the dead center of the target. Tomoe: "...Let's go, then." Aine: "Yes!" It seemed this was both their... ...and my own fate. It was our day off, and I didn't notice anyone else up on the roof. Thanks to that, I could wield my bow without worrying about being seen. Aine: "Ah, she is here!" Aine looked below and shouted. I spotted that moving truck, with its famous logo, as well. Sensei was supposed to be on board. It was a city-to-city mover. Their route was fairly predictable since they generally didn't travel very far. Tomoe: "The shard." Aine: "Yes." Aine shaped Sensei's shard into an arrow. She held it preciously to her chest for a moment, then whispered something to it before handing it to me. Aine: "Please." Tomoe: "..." I took the arrow and nocked it immediately. Nothing special crossed my mind. Not one thought about what would happen to those two as a result of firing this arrow. I cleared my mind of such thoughts and focused on my target: Sensei's truck. Tomoe: "One shot, one life." The arrow flew at the truck in a huge, rainbow-shaped parabola, before sinking in right around the passenger's seat. Tomoe: "..." Aine: "D-Did you hit her?" Tomoe: "...Yeah." No matter how far away, I always felt the feedback.
Yuno: "Ah..." Mover: "Yes? Is something the matter?" Yuno: "...No." Although I denied it, a sudden feeling of discomfort lingered in my chest. Mover: "Are you feeling ill or something?" Yuno: "No, it's not that..." Yuno: "...Ah." It wasn't my imagination this time. I heard a sound. Music I used to love. Yuno: "Don't you hear anything?" Mover: "Huh? No, not particularly..." The mover didn't seem to hear anything, but I heard it clear as day. It was Haruki-kun's song. Yuno: "Um, I'm sorry. Please stop." I hopped out of the truck before it came to a complete stop. I listened carefully, but couldn't hear Haruki-kun's song anymore. Mover: "What's wrong? Feeling sick after all?" Yuno: "..." It wasn't audible, but I could hear it. I could tell. This melody didn't come from around me; it came from within. Mover: "Miss?" Yuno: "Um... Excuse me!" I didn't know how to explain it, so I ran off instead. Mover: "Huh? W-Wait...!" I ignored the mover's pleas to stop and just kept running. Producer: "You made a wise choice. You lot are going to sell like crazy." Haruki: "...I look forward to working with you." Producer: "You're young, so you'll make more girlfriends than you'll know what to do with. Once you're famous, crowds of women will flock to you." Haruki: "..." Haruki: "You're... wrong about that." Producer: "Hm?" Haruki: "...Never mind..." When I barged in, Haruki-san was busy talking to the producer from before. Just seeing Haruki-kun's face overwhelmed me with emotion. Yuno: "Haruki-kun..." Haruki: "Huh? ...Yuno-san?" My vision turned blurry the very second I saw Haruki-kun's face. Burning hot tears poured from my eyes. Haruki: "Y-Yuno-san...?" Yuno: "Haruki-kun... Aaahah..." Yuno: "Ugghuh... Waaah haah aaah!" It was hopeless. I lost control of my emotions. I looked like a total child when I cried like this. That producer looked at me with astonishment, but the tears wouldn't stop. Yuno: "I'm lonely without you, Haruki-kun! Haruki-kun... Haruki-kun...!" Yuno: "Waaaaah haaah aaaah...!" Producer: "Wh-What's going on?" Haruki: "Yuno-san..." Yuno: "Aaaahaahah... The truth is... I want to be with you forever...!" Haruki-kun stepped up to me as I sobbed. Then... He put that big hand of his on my head. Haruki: "I was lonely too. Looks like I'm hopeless without you, too, Yuno-san." Yuno: "Haruki-kun..." Yuno: "Ah..." Haruki-kun pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. Haruki: "I want you to be with me, too. I don't want you to go anywhere." I let those words fill my heart, and etched them onto it. Yuno: "Mhm... Mhm... Mhm..." I nodded again and again. My snot and tears just kept on flowing. Haruki: "Yuno-san, you don't have to worry about a thing." Yuno: "Mhm... Mhm... Mhm..." I nodded over and over as I rubbed my face, tears, snot and all, into his chest.
Aine: "We have a two-hour math period today, yes? How depressing..." Naruko: "Oh, I'm bad at math, too, so I get how you feel. Kirinokojima is..." Naruko: "Huh?" Nakizaki looked toward the school gate and stopped. Just as I started to wonder what was wrong, I spotted a familiar figure. It was Haruki-san. Haruki: "Ah, there you all are." He spotted our group and came over. I guess he'd been waiting for us. Tomoe: "What's wrong?" Haruki: "Oh, I figured I'd come say bye before I left. You know the saying, 'We all meet for a reason.'" Aine: "Ah..." Naruko: "Are you going to Tokyo already?" Haruki: "Oh, you knew? Yeah, today." He nodded then looked up at the building. Haruki: "That's why I figured I'd come take one last look at this place before I go." Yuno: "The second half of the statement expresses the location. Therefore, the relative pronoun in this case is..." Sensei was going about her lesson like always. She did, however, look somewhat grief-stricken as she wrote on the blackboard. Kiyohito: "He's finally heading out? Does Yuno-chan know her boyfriend is leaving today?" Tomoe: "Yeah, it does seem like he at least told her." But Sensei was here. She probably wasn't planning to see him off. Haruki-san also seemed aware of that. Kiyohito: "Tokyo, huh? Yeah, if he wants to go pro, he'll never get anywhere, stuck here in the boonies." Tomoe: "Is that how it works?" Kiyohito: "Traveling far away might be the best way for him to forget the woman who dumped him. Forgetting Yuno-chan might even be part of his plan." Tomoe: "..." Which meant our―or rather, my―decision not to return the shard may have caused all this. Not that anyone could say for sure whether returning the shard would have prevented this. Kiyohito: "But, y'know, is Yuno-chan sure she doesn't wanna go see him off?" Tomoe: "...Sensei's an adult. She can decide what to do for herself." Kiyohito: "Yeah~ She's got classes, too." Tomoe: "Yeah." Haruki-san's train would depart in another thirty minutes. She could just barely make it before his train left if she went now, but it would be too late if she waited until classes were over. The option of skipping class to say goodbye to her ex-boyfriend probably never occurred to her. Even so, from what I could see, she hadn't come to a final decision yet. How much attention she'd been paying to the clock this whole time proved it. Kiyohito: "Why don't you do something?" Tomoe: "What, exactly? Are you saying there's something I can do?" Kiyohito: "Can't you at least give her a push on the back?" Tomoe: "_Anyone_ could do that. Why does it have to be me?" Kiyohito: "Yeah, I guess that's true~" Kiyohito dropped it without a fuss. His laid-back attitude always made it hard for me to tell how he really felt. I honestly couldn't say if he was on board with this or not. Kiyohito: "But, you know..." See, there it was. Kiyohito: "Doesn't it take someone with real regrets to get through to others sometimes?" Tomoe: "Someone with real regrets... Are you talking about me?" Kiyohito: "...Who knows?" Kiyohito was being vague and evasive. Just then, the door flung wide open. Tomoe: "Huh? Aine?" Everyone in class looked over at her, Okeyamachi-sensei included. Yuno: "Aine-chan, what's wrong? Class is still in session, you know?" Aine: "Sensei, are you sure you do not want to go?" Yuno: "Huh? Go where...?" Aine: "To see Haruki-san!" Nobody in their right mind would barge into a class to say that. Still, nobody dared call her out on it. Aine was too passionate for anyone to speak up right now. Yuno: "We're in the middle of class. An instructor can't skip out on a lesson." Aine: "You will regret saying that! If you change your mind later, it will be too late!" Yuno: "That's easy enough to _say_..." Sensei must have realized she would regret it if she didn't go now, even if only a little. But she was being held back by common sense, both as a teacher and an adult. "It takes someone with real regrets to get through to others." What Kiyohito said earlier stuck in my mind. There couldn't be _that_ many things people could never truly recover from. As much as Sensei might regret her choice today, I doubted it would actually fall into that category. But... I was sure she would still suffer for it later. Tomoe: "Sensei." Sensei's eyes darted over to me as I stood up. Tomoe: "On second thought, please go." Yuno: "'Go'...?" Sensei's eyes opened wide in surprise. This must have been very unexpected for her. Yuno: "You too, Kirinokojima-kun? There's no way I can do that." Tomoe: "You can, but only if you leave this classroom right now." Yuno: "Like I said, that's..." Tomoe: "Today might be the last time you ever get to see Haruki-san." Yuno: "Huh?" Tomoe: "You never know when someone will disappear." Yuno: "Disappear..." Tomoe: "Nobody can say for sure that they'll still be on this planet tomorrow. Sometimes you lose people unexpectedly." Tomoe: "When that time comes, no matter how much you regret it, it'll be too late." Yuno: "Kirinokojima-kun..." Tomoe: "So if you've got something you want to say, you should say it while you have the chance. Otherwise..." Tomoe: "..." Unsurprisingly, I restrained myself from saying the rest. It was personal. But... Tomoe: "If you want to do something for him, or say something to him, you've got to do that while you're still able." Yuno: "But..." Yuno: "..." Sensei was still hesitant. She fell silent, then looked up at the clock. Twenty minutes left until his departure. If she didn't leave now, she wouldn't make it. One look at her eyes, and I could tell she was now fully aware of it. Sensei turned toward us. Yuno: "Um..." Yuno: "The remainder of the period will be self-study." With those parting words, Sensei ran out of the classroom, which promptly exploded with conversation. Naruko: "Everyone be quiet! It's self-study! Self-study!" When Nakizaki raised her voice, the room instantly quieted down. I expected no less from her. Tomoe: "Get back to class yourself, Aine." Aine: "Will Sensei be okay?" Tomoe: "She will. I'm sure of it."
Yuno: "I made it..." The taxi drove me here as fast as it could, leaving me with five minutes to spare. ...I came here in a daze, but what did I want to tell Haruki-kun? Did I want us to make up? ...No, it wasn't that. Then, why in the world did I... Haruki: "Crap, I barely made it!" Yuno: "Huh...?" I knew that voice was familiar. It really was Haruki-kun. It looked like he'd just arrived, and was running in a panic. Haruki: "...Ah." Haruki-kun noticed me. Yuno: "...H-Hello." Running into a boyfriend you dumped was awkward... We'd both made it to the platform with three minutes to departure. Three minutes may have felt like an eternity to us now. But in reality, it was incredibly short. Haruki: "I didn't think you'd come all the way here to see me off. What about class?" Yuno: "Y-Yeah, I just happened to have a free period." Haruki: "I see." I couldn't tell him I had abandoned my class to come here, so I lied at the very last second. The train had already arrived. All that was left for him was to get on board. However, I didn't know how to say goodbye. It was so hard for me to come up with _anything_ to say, it almost made me wonder what we used to talk about together. Haruki: "Um... Anyway, I'm going to work hard." Haruki: "We'll become such a popular band, you'll be able to hear our songs everywhere you go." Yuno: "Yeah, do your best. I'll be cheering for you." Haruki: "Thanks." Yuno: "I'll work hard too, and make some incredible sake." Haruki: "I'll definitely grab myself a glass somewhere." Yuno: "Yeah." There was nothing left for us to say, and now we were out of time. Haruki: "Um... Well, then..." Yuno: "Y-Yeah. Be well." Haruki: "You too." Yuno: "Yeah..." The train's warning whistle went off, almost like it was waiting to end our conversation. Haruki-kun got on board, then turned to look at me once more from the door. Haruki: "..." I felt my chest tighten when I saw his eyes getting watery. There was a prickle in my nose, and I felt like I would break into tears myself. Was this really the only way? Did we _have_ to say goodbye? Those thoughts spun through my head at this late hour. What if I got on, and we went to Tokyo together? That foolish thought came to mind. If only Haruki-kun pulled me by the hand. If he did that, I'd go with him... Haruki: "Okay then, I've really gotta go..." Nothing that foolish happened. We had already broken up. The whistle finished and the doors slid closed. The train started up. I remembered what Kirinokojima-kun said. This might be the last time we ever saw each other. There was something I had to tell Haruki-kun, no matter what... Yuno: "Haruki-kun!" Haruki: "Huh?" The door between us was now shut and locked. Still, Haruki-kun put his head against the glass to try and hear what I had to say. Yuno: "Thank you!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. With the train preparing to leave, an attendant called out over the intercom to step back. Yuno: "Thank you! You made me so happy!" The train began to move. Yuno: "I was so happy to be with you, Haruki-kun!" It seemed my voice had reached him, and Haruki-kun repeatedly nodded "uh-huh" on the other side of the door. He must have been saying something. His mouth was moving, but I couldn't hear him anymore. Yuno: "Thank you!" I yelled again as the train faded into the distance. I couldn't see Haruki-kun anymore. Tears quickly blurred my vision. Yuno: "Haruki-kun... Thank you..." All the things that had happened between us in this city seemed to flash before my eyes. Many of his expressions appeared there. My tears gushed harder and harder when I realized I wouldn't be able to see his face anymore. Yuno: "Ahaah... Ooooh... Aaaahaah..." I couldn't even say "thank you" anymore, not that it would reach him even if I could. All that came out now were sobs. But in the end, I was able to tell him. To tell him that I was happy. That I was so happy. Was that enough to leave me without regrets? No, I knew I would. _All_ breakups came with regret. And I would live with that regret in my heart forever. But I _would_ go on living...
Tomoe: "..." Kiyohito: "Hey, Tomoe." Tomoe: "Yeah?" Kiyohito: "I heard Yuno-chan got back with her boyfriend?" Tomoe: "Yeah..." Kiyohito sure was quick on the uptake. Sounded like he'd already heard the news. Aine: "I knew their bond of love was the real thing!" Aine looked overjoyed. It irritated me a little to see her so cheerful about it. Tomoe: "...But it sounds like Haruki-san gave up on becoming a musician." Aine: "Ah..." Aine's expression turned from merry to gloomy. Kiyohito: "Really? Didn't you say there was talk of him making his big debut?" Tomoe: "Apparently the band debuted without him." Naruko: "I heard Haruki-san decided to marry Sensei and take over her family's sake brewery instead." From what I'd gathered, they came to that decision as soon as the shard was returned. The idea of getting married without respecting Sensei's family's wishes did come up, but Haruki-san was against it. Tomoe: "Haruki-san said, 'I can play my music anywhere.'" Still, that was just as a hobby. His relationship with music would probably be significantly different from when it was his job. Wasn't that different from the music Haruki-san wanted to play...? Kiyohito: "Hm, I see. Well, that's life for ya." He made it sound like no big deal. True enough, a free-spirited guy like Kiyohito could probably accept anything life threw at him and still live true to himself. Not just anyone could lead as smooth a life as he could, though. Tomoe: "Do you really think this was for the best?" I felt like I had to say that. Kiyohito: "Whether it is or not, wasn't it their decision?" Tomoe: "..." It was and it wasn't, but I couldn't say that. Minamo: "What's wrong with it? The sake brewery has a much steadier income." Minamo: "In the music business, you can be on top of the world one minute, and down in the dumps the next." Naruko: "Is that how it works?" Minamo: "It is." Kiyohito: "Well it _is_ a popularity-driven industry. You seem pretty in the know about it, huh, Minamo-chan?" Minamo: "Not really... It's all common knowledge." Kiyohito: "Hm... Really?" Aine: "..." Aine: "...It will be okay. I know Sensei and Haruki-san will make it." Aine had nothing to base that on. Who could say for sure that it would be okay? Naruko: "Sensei apparently took today off and went to say hi to her family with Haruki-san." Naruko: "She said this is right around the season where they start planning new brews, so Haruki-san is going to watch and learn. Sounds like it was his suggestion." Kiyohito: "Man, it sounds like since he gave up his dream, he's gonna channel it into something new. There'd be no point otherwise if he doesn't make this a success." Naruko: "You said it." Tomoe: "All that's left is to pray, huh?" I hoped the future those two fought for would be bright. Kiyohito: "Oh? A school-wide broadcast?" I thought I'd heard music coming from somewhere. I guess it was the afternoon broadcast. It was a song I'd never heard before. Naruko: "Ah... That's the debut single from the band Haruki-san was in." Minamo: "Wow... Not bad, huh? Sounds like it'll be a hit." Naruko: "Yeah, really." However, Haruki-san was no longer in the band...
Haruki: "Ah, this is..." Haruki-kun spoke up in surprise. I heard it through the headphones we shared. I noticed it, too. We had just heard his band's debut single. Haruki: "This is on the air already?" He listened closely to their tune, his expression looking both happy and sad simultaneously. Yuno: "...It's a good song." In truth, I wanted to ask him if he regretted it, or if he thought it would've been better if he hadn't quit. But questions like those would only bother him if I asked. I knew he would smile at me kindly, and tell me there was no way he regretted it. Whether he actually felt that way or not. That was why I didn't ask. Yuno: "It's a good song. I'm sure it'll be popular." Haruki: "Yeah, it's a great song. I know it'll be a hit. It just _has_ to be." Although Haruki-kun smiled, I could tell he had lots of mixed feelings about it. I didn't know what I could say to Haruki-kun when he was like this, and raised my head to face him. Haruki: "It's okay. Now that I'm doing this, I'll make the best sake in Japan. Nobody's gonna leave me in the dust." Yuno: "Yeah." I grabbed his hand. We had to be happy. Had to be happy together. No, _I_ had to make him happy. Yuno: "Let's do our best." Haruki: "Yeah, let's do our best."
Fumiko: "Huh? Kogakura-kun? You mean Kogakura-kun from my class?" Misato: "Yeah, that's him! Please, introduce me to Kogakura-kun!" My best friend Misato had apparently fallen in love with Kogakura-kun. Still, I was surprised since she had approached me about it so suddenly. I had been friends with Misato since middle school. We got along well despite our differing personalities, and she was now my closest friend. And even though we'd been together for some time now, she'd never gushed to me about liking a boy like this before. Fumiko: "You're _sure_ it was Shougo Kogakura?" I immediately asked. I mean, Kogakura-kun was short, wasn't particularly cool, and often got carried away... It made me think, "Is this _really_ the sort of guy Misato would fall in love with at first sight?" Misato: "I'm absolutely positive! I made sure of it at the last game!" It seemed this all started at the basketball match this past Sunday. Misato went to cheer on a friend, and while she was there, she saw Kogakura-kun playing and fell in love with him at first sight. Fumiko: "Was Kogakura-kun impressive during the basketball match?" He was in the Basketball Club, but he was even tinier than me... and I was only 160cm tall. Misato was slightly taller than me, so she would probably look massive side by side with Kogakura-kun. You tend to imagine that all basketball players are tall, so I wondered if a short guy like him could really play that well. The only other person I knew in a Basketball Club was around 180cm tall as well... not that I'd actually met him in person. Misato: "He's tiny, but he _is_ impressive~ He was really cool!" Fumiko: "Hm, is he...?" It was hard for me to say since I'd never seen him play basketball firsthand. He mostly screwed around during PE lessons. He acted like a bit of a clown in class, sort of like an elementary schooler had grown up without maturing. To be fair, I did think he was a good guy considering he was courteous and nice to a girl like me. Anyway, Misato had _somehow_ fallen for him while he was playing basketball. Misato: "Please! Introduce me later!" Fumiko: "A-As much as I'd love to introduce you... I'm not all that close to him..." Misato: "All you have to do is put us in the same room together and say, 'She's my best friend.' You're classmates, right? Please!" Misato put both her hands together and begged. She wanted to meet Kogakura-kun that badly? If she had fallen for him that hard, I had to support her as her best friend. Fumiko: "Y-Yeah... I can handle that much." Misato: "Really? Thank you!" Fumiko: "So, when do you want to do it? Tomorrow?" Misato: "Ah, w-wait a minute! Let me lose two kilos or so before you introduce me!" Fumiko: "Huh? Two kilos? That won't make much of a difference if you're in your uniform―" Misato: "For a girl in love, two kilos may as well be a ton! It's all right! I'll definitely lose it! Give me ten days... no, just a week!" Fumiko: "Works for me, I guess..." Two kilos in a week? Misato wasn't that pudgy, so losing even two kilos sounded pretty difficult. I could probably pull it off in no time, though, since I was on the heftier side. I still couldn't believe Misato had fallen in love with Kogakura-kun. Love, huh? Getting to meet someone she loves... It made me kind of jealous. After all, I...
Fumiko: "Ah, here it comes..." An email from koga156-san. Getting an email from him was enough to make my heart race. Fumiko: "Let's see..." Hello! It's koga156. The movie you recommended the other day was really funny! I usually watch action movies, and haven't seen many love stories, but I guess they're nice once in a while. It's a little lonely watching DVDs at home alone, though. (^^;) My recommendation for you is The Last Rebound! It's a basketball movie, but some of the scenes are really intense, and it's got a touching story, so give it a shot! *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* Fumiko: "He's recommending a basketball movie? He really _must_ love it..." He was also in the Basketball Club, so he must have spent every day immersed in it. Fumiko: "He's 180cm tall, too. A whole twenty centimeters more than me." If he was too much taller, how would we kiss each other? Maybe with me looking up, standing on tiptoe? Fumiko: "...Wait, what am I thinking? I've gotta cut out these wild ideas." If I started daydreaming now, I wouldn't be able to stop. I shook my head and looked back at the screen. There was more to the email. Also, I might be jumping the gun on this, but why don't we meet up soon? Of course, we don't have to if you're against it, UMIKOF-san. Maybe you could at least send me a picture? I promise I won't do anything bad with it! We just get along so well that I want to learn more about you. I want to get to know you better. *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* Fumiko: "Meet...?" This turn of events... the moment I'd feared most had finally come. There was absolutely no way I could meet him. I mean... once I did, it would be all over. Since I... was ugly. I grabbed my hand mirror from the drawer and looked at myself. I hated mirrors, so I always kept it stowed away like this. A wench of a woman stared back at me in the mirror with a sour look. Ugly _and_ grouchy-looking... I was clearly beyond saving. Fumiko: "Maybe a smile will help..." Fumiko: "Ee..." Fumiko: "..." Instant regret. Smiling just made me _more_ ghastly. Beyond saving. Fumiko: "I knew it. There's no way I can meet him." I _wanted_ to meet him, but he'd totally stop emailing me if I did. Fumiko: "What should I do...?" Fumiko: "...Hm? There's an attachment." He attached what looked like an image to the email he sent. Upon a closer look, I noticed there was more to the message. It read: "I'm sure you'd feel unsafe meeting some guy you'd never seen before, so I sent along a picture." Which meant, this was his picture... Nervous, I clicked on the attached image with shaking hands. Fumiko: "...Huh?" When I saw his photo, I thought I must have opened the wrong file. But then, that couldn't be. I mean, I didn't even _have_ any pictures like this. Fumiko: "Why did a picture of Kogakura-kun pop up?" His photo was attached to the email. Which meant... Fumiko: "Huh? He's Kogakura-kun?" My classmate, and the person my best friend Misato fell in love with at first sight. The one I promised to introduce Misato to later. He was my email buddy, and the person I secretly had a crush on. Did that mean Kogakura-kun wanted to meet me? Fumiko: "No way..." Why did it turn out like this? All I wanted was to have some fun exchanging emails with him. I would have been satisfied with that. Why did this have to happen...?
Fumiko: "..." It was yet another depressing day. When I got to class this morning, I headed to my desk and took a seat without saying hello to anyone. I kept my head down as much as possible. If I did this, I wouldn't have to look anyone in the eye and, even if I somehow did, could avoid feeling awkward for not talking. Fumiko: "..." Yeah, right. Nobody was going to talk to a girl like me, much less look my way. It was still scary to face the fact nobody would ever look at me. Not that I wanted to be looked at, either. After all, I was ugly. If anyone _did_ look at me, I had to figure they were thinking stuff like, "what a cow" and, "I wish she'd go away already." Of course, I was probably being overly self-conscious. In truth, I bet nobody was looking at me, or even knew I existed. It didn't matter if I was here or not, as far as my class was concerned. Shougo: "Mornin'!" Kogakura-kun waltzed into the classroom lively as could be. He was the polar opposite of me, the type to greet everyone with enthusiasm every single morning. His class-clown antics always seemed childish to me until recently, but now... Feelings sure do change, huh? Now that I'd linked him to the guy I was talking to on the net, his clown-like behavior was actually kind of endearing. Shougo: "Yo, Douzaki!" Fumiko: "...G-Good morning. You seem well again today." Just talking with him made my heart pound. Kogakura-kun was my online crush, after all. I couldn't believe _this_ was how we'd meet face-to-face. ...No, I couldn't believe we would _ever_ meet at all. If not for Kogakura-kun, I doubted I'd ever talk in class. He was the only one who ever spoke to me like I was an ordinary person, just like everyone else. Why had I never realized how nice he could be until now? I regretted not noticing it sooner. Naturally, learning my online crush was Kogakura-kun didn't change how I felt about him. I... was in love with Kogakura-kun. But that was a secret I could never tell a soul. I was ugly, and that meant everything. I may not have felt any differently about him, but his feelings for me would surely change. He'd probably be disappointed if he found out I was the one he was emailing, and I knew he wouldn't want to speak to me anymore if I told him how I felt about him. Shougo: "You're always so quiet, Douzaki. Are you eating good breakfasts?" Fumiko: "Y-Yeah, I am. How about you, Kogakura-kun?" Shougo: "Of course! I had to eat up for training with the Basketball Club this morning, too." I now understood the meaning behind his screen name "koga156" too. "koga" was literally a part of his last name, and the number was his height in centimeters. He was 156cm tall, but he claimed to be closer to 180cm in his emails. I guess those were lies. Lies like that didn't bother me, though. I knew he wanted to show off a little. It made me happy to know he worried about his looks just like I did. Still, it was hilarious how much thought I'd given to how I would go about kissing a boy significantly taller than me. In reality, I would be the one looking down at him. Kogakura-kun would stand on tiptoe and I'd lean down a little... Wait, I can't daydream when he's right in front of me! Shougo: "What's wrong? Your face's red?" Fumiko: "I-It's nothing..." Talk about embarrassing... Fumiko: "Oh, morning training must be rough, huh?" Shougo: "Yeah~ But I do love basketball." Shougo: "Oh, I know. Let's play together sometime! It'll wake you right up!" Fumiko: "Huh? M-Me?" Wah, this was bad. My heart was throbbing like crazy. Getting to play basketball with him... But, I couldn't play basketball... Fumiko: "I don't even know the rules." Shougo: "I can teach you. It's not like we need to follow the rules super closely anyway." Fumiko: "..." Kogakura-kun was being so nice to me, and wasn't shy about it at all. ...But then, why would he be shy? He probably didn't think of me as a woman. Yeah, that must be it. Shougo: "Your face is red again. Do you have a fever or something?" Fumiko: "I-It's nothing... I'm just a little sleep-deprived." Would a lack of sleep turn your face red? I didn't even know what I was saying anymore. Shougo: "Oh, you didn't either? I'm a little sleep-deprived, too." Kogakura-kun rubbed his heavy eyes as he yawned. I obviously knew the reason for his lack of sleep. It was because he was up so late yesterday talking to me. All of our "talking" was through a messenger though, not over the phone or anything; he hadn't realized we were messaging each other yet. Our sleep deprivation was no coincidence, but that was for only me to know. My own little secret. Nobody knew that I loved him, either. It was a secret just for me. One that I would never tell anyone... The week would soon be up, and I would have to keep my promise to introduce Misato to Kogakura-kun if she lost the weight. The circumstances had completely changed from when I made that promise. What in the world should I do? Girl: "Douzaki-san, someone's here for you." Fumiko: "Huh?" A nearby girl told me, and when I looked, Misato was standing half-hidden behind the classroom door. Fumiko: "Ah..." Shougo: "Hm? A friend?" Fumiko: "Uh, y-yeah... From class C..." Shougo: "Wow, you had friends in other classes?" Shougo: "...Uh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that in a weird way..." Kogakura-kun panicked and added that on. That was a reasonable conclusion, so it didn't bother me. I mean, I didn't really have any friends... Misato: "..." Misato was looking over at me on pins and needles. Maybe it was because I was talking to Kogakura-kun? Fumiko: "Sorry, give me a sec..." Shougo: "Yeah, sorry for keeping you. Say hi to your friend for me." Fumiko: "Huh? Y-Yeah..." He was probably just being polite, but I was a bit startled as I hurried over to Misato. Misato: "What were you talking to Kogakura-kun about?" Misato asked me the second I walked out into the hall. Fumiko: "Nothing really..." Fumiko: "Oh, and he told me to say hi to you." Misato: "Huh? To me? Wh-Why?!" Amazing... Instant tension... Fumiko: "I-I guess it's because I said you were my friend? He told me to say hi to you." Misato: "H-He did? Kogakura-kun noticed me?" Fumiko: "W-Well, you _were_ looking over at us. He asked who you were, so I told him you were my friend..." Misato: "Y-You introduced me? Did you tell him my name?" Fumiko: "I-I didn't get that far..." Misato: "Why?! You should have told him while you were at it!" Fumiko: "S-Sorry... but, is your diet going okay?" Misato: "My name's got nothing to do with my weight." Fumiko: "Y-You're right. I'll mention it later, then." Misato: "This has kinda got my heart racing. He's going to learn my name!" Fumiko: "Ahaha..." Misato was smiling happily. She must really love him, huh? I see. She was serious about this...
Misato: "I'm surprised, though. Kogakura-kun's different from my usual type, you know?" Fumiko: "Yeah. Didn't you say any boyfriend of yours would have to be at least 180cm tall, Misato?" Misato: "Did I say something like that? I guess I was still pretty immature back then." Fumiko: "'Back then'? I think you said that recently..." Misato: "What do you want me to do about it? Things have changed. It was love at first sight." Fumiko: "Love at first sight, huh...?" Which meant she fell in love with him after seeing him play in a single match, right? I wondered if that meant my feelings for him were stronger? Fumiko: "..." Now I wanted to rebel just a little. Wanted to tell her, "The same goes for me." Not that thinking about it would do me any good... Kogakura-kun sure was a lucky guy, having Misato fall for him at first sight, whereas me falling for him was more of a disaster. Maybe it all evened out? Clerk: "Thank you for waiting. Here is your cake." An employee came to our table carrying a single cake, and set it in front of me. Fumiko: "Are you sure it's okay for me to eat this in front of you?" Misato: "D-Don't worry about me. Go for it." That might be what she said, but Misato was eyeing my cake greedily. We ate cake at this shop all the time, but naturally, Misato couldn't have any while on her diet. I was going to try and hold back for today, but Misato put up a front and ordered my share for me. Fumiko: "Are you _sure_ you don't want any?" Misato: "O-Of course! I mean, I'm on a diet." Misato squeezed her hand tightly and held back. Misato loved sweet things, and loved eating. She had tried going on diets several times before, but always gave in to temptation and experienced immediate setbacks. It looked like she was serious this time. It just showed how motivated she was about Kogakura-kun. Fumiko: "I'll help myself, then." I might have been just a little jealous. I turned a bit sadistic and scarfed down the cake in front of her. Misato: "A-Aaaahhhh..." Misato watched me eat with a stubborn look on her face, but I didn't care anymore. It was fine. I could have cake, and she could have Kogakura-kun. Fumiko: "So, how's the diet going?" Misato: "Just a little more. Just half a kilo to go." Fumiko: "A kilo and a half in four days, huh? That's a nice pace..." Misato: "Yeah, isn't it? At this rate, I'll definitely be able to do it in the week I promised!" Misato smiled happily, while I on the other hand felt depressed. The day I would have to introduce her to Kogakura-kun was drawing near. Misato meant it this time. There was no way she'd fall behind on her diet again. Misato: "Ah, I want to hurry up and meet him! What should I do if he doesn't like me?" Fumiko: "Knowing you... you'll be just fine." Not only was Misato adorable, her personality was a million times better than mine. If you stood us side by side, I bet ten out of ten guys would pick her over me. Misato: "Thanks, I've worked up the courage! All right! I'm going to rock this diet!" Fumiko: "..." Fumiko: "Okay, I'm gonna eat." Misato: "Aaah~! Don't flaunt it~!" Fumiko: "Munch, munch, munch." All I could do now was binge eat. I should just eat my fill, get nice and plump, explode, and disappear from this world... I just wanted to disappear...
Girl: "Thank you so very much. I feel kind of refreshed." Aine: "Really? That is great!" Aine: "Please come by again anytime!" Girl: "Yes!" Aine waved goodbye to a girl who seemed like a first-year. All I could do was see her off with a stare. Tomoe: "I can't believe how much interest this is generating." The previous girl came here for relationship advice, seemingly out of the blue, after hearing rumors about Aine's love counseling sessions. I was in awe that there were people gullible enough to ask for love advice from this suspicious, outlandish angel. Naruko: "She looked really happy when she left. That's fantastic, Aine-chan." Aine: "Yes!" Minamo: "They're really showing up in droves despite how cold it is." Wakamatsu may have been shivering as she said that, but she seemed to show up quite a bit, too. Kiyohito: "I love how this place doesn't _feel_ like a counseling room~ The sky's overhead, too." Kiyohito: "I bet coming here would put _anyone_ in a better mood." Yuri: "That is true. Mopey people often forget to look at the sky." Yuri: "Sometimes holding your head up high is enough to put you in a better mood." Aine: "Is that how it works?" Aine: "Does that mean this location is ideal for love counseling?!" Kiyohito: "Maybe! Not to mention, it's perfect if this is supposed to be 'Angelic Love Counseling,' since this is as close to the sky as it gets." Aine: "Oh, you are right! That _is_ perfect!" Tomoe: "We _are_ high up all right." The phrase, "Only idiots and smoke rise to great heights," came to mind. Anything that got people to come together over something as foolish as relationship troubles was probably a foolish idea in the first place. If I thought of it that way, this place _was_ perfect. I looked up. The clear winter sky was spread out as far as the eye could see. Tomoe: "A love counseling room closest to Heaven, huh?" Those words inadvertently left my mouth. Aine: "Ah, that is nice! I will take that for myself!" Tomoe: "Huh? Take what?" Aine: "'The Love Counseling Room Closest to Heaven.' I like it! Let us make that the name!" She was getting all excited for no reason. Tomoe: "Do as you please." Had she taken that much of a liking to it? I thought it was a pretty long-winded name. Aine: "Okay! From this moment on, this is 'The Love Counseling Room Closest to Heaven'!" ???: "What makes you think you have the authority to say that?" We heard a deep voice, one seemingly meant to create tension in people. This voice belonged to... Naruko: "There he is! The Student Council president!" It came as no surprise that Nakizaki showed the greatest reaction. That man stood at the end of her blatantly disgusted glare. Masahiko Fukue: This academy's Student Council president. He made a name for himself when he worked as the Student Council secretary during his first year with his elegant yet composed attitude. He had apparently won by a landslide in this year's election, too. He looked cool, had excellent grades, and was extremely athletic―someone with no real faults. If he did have one fatal flaw, it was that monolithic personality of his. Masahiko: "I am fairly certain this area was made off-limits." Fukue said while looking at me. For some reason, he seemed to strongly dislike me, and often made me out to be the bad guy. Naruko: "You just decided that all on your own!" Nakizaki yelled accusingly. The rooftop had only become off-limits very recently, ever since the new Student Council was established. Nakizaki believed that Fukue had it out for me, and had made that decision in order to harass me since I was always here. Of course, there was no denying that I was the one who originally caused it to become off-limits anyway. Masahiko: "I did not decide this on my own. It was the Student Council's decision." Naruko: "The Student Council isn't your personal property." Nakizaki snorted at him. These two were totally incompatible, and it seemed she hated him quite a bit because of it. Naruko: "That guy always harps on about some problem with my uniform, or other insignificant things. He's such a wuss." Nakizaki always talked that way about him. She could be pretty crude (but only when it had something to do with me), and was given frequent warnings about her attire. ???: "Now, now, please calm down." That was this year's Student Council secretary hesitantly forcing his way through, if I recalled. Naruko: "I _am_ calm." Masahiko: "Nose, fall back." Yes, Mizuki Nose... That was his name. Mizuki: "I am sorry..." Nose dejectedly, yet obediently, withdrew. He was a particularly submissive subordinate of Fukue's even amongst the other Student Council members, and always went along with whatever he was doing. Masahiko: "The rooftop has already been deemed off-limits. I will have you obey that rule." Fukue directed everything he said toward me, almost like he couldn't see anyone else. Tomoe: "..." Masahiko: "..." Why was he making me out to be the bad guy? Was it because of the accident that happened last year? Kiyohito: "Yeah, it's cold, so why don't we head inside? We can always come back later." Masahiko: "Don't come back!" Kiyohito: "Now, now. Don't be so angry." No matter who he was talking to, whether they were laughing or talking, Kiyohito never changed. Masahiko: "Anyway, I absolutely will not allow any sort of 'love counseling' here. Do it someplace else." Aine: "Aw, no way! If we do not do it here, then it will no longer be 'The Love Counseling Room Closest to Heaven'!" Masahiko: "That is none of the Student Council's concern. This conversation is over. Leave, immediately." We were, ultimately, driven out. Aine: "What was that about~? This is tyranny!" Aine: "He is disrespecting our independence as students! It is the collapse of democracy!" It sounded like this indignant angel was just throwing out random buzzwords she'd heard in passing. I'd had this image in my head that angels never got angry, but that was totally wrong. Yuri: "Are you on bad terms with that man?" A question pointed at me. Tomoe: "I've got no real issue with him, so his hate seems entirely one-sided." Minamo: "So even you have enemies, Sempai? How unexpected." Tomoe: "Is it?" I wasn't the type to be liked by people, nor was I very friendly, so I didn't think it was all that surprising. Minamo: "That Student Council president looks like a scary person." Tomoe: "Just as you see." Naruko: "Scary? More like an awful jerk! He's a wimp who grumbles about petty little things!" Tomoe: "There you go again." Kiyohito: "Ahaha. Nakizaki hates Fukue with a passion, huh?" Yuri: "But why was the rooftop made off-limits?" Minamo: "Come to think of it, you said it was the new Student Council president that made it off-limits. Which means it was fine before?" Naruko: "Well, yeah..." Nakizaki looked at me, as did Kiyohito. Minamo: "Did something happen with you, Sempai?" Yuri: "Come to think of it, there _was_ some sort of fuss involving the rooftop last year..." Tomoe: "..." Naruko: "Oh, the bell. Let's finish this conversation some other time." Nakizaki hurried everyone along. She was probably being considerate of me. Truly, it wasn't a conversation I would like to have voluntarily. Minamo: "Oh, so we can't use the roof anymore? Where are we going to meet up now on?" Kiyohito: "We can just ignore him. Meeting up on the roof won't be a problem!" Minamo: "Haa..." Tomoe: "I think it _will_ be a problem, actually." Not that we had anywhere else to go. I guess we were stuck here.
It had been one week since I offered Misato advice about Kogakura-kun, and she had managed to reach her weight goal. Fumiko: "Come on, don't be shy." Misato: "Please excuse me..." Misato went into the classroom looking slightly nervous. She had her sights set on Kogakura-kun's seat over by the window. Fumiko: "Kogakura-kun, do you have a minute?" Shougo: "Hm? What's up?" Fumiko: "Um... This is my friend, Misato Nishimachi-san." Misato timidly walked up beside me. Misato: "H-Hello~" Misato wasn't normally shy around strangers, yet was extremely nervous around him. Kogakura-kun really must have been special to her. Shougo: "O-Oh. Is she?" He looked puzzled at suddenly being introduced to my friend. Well, of course he was. None of this made any sense. Misato: "Y-You know..." But Misato boldly stepped forward. Misato: "Would you like to eat lunch with me?" Shougo: "Huh? Lunch?" Shougo: "Wow, this is delicious!" Kogakura-kun said while eating and admiring Misato's home cooking. I was kind of shocked myself. I couldn't believe she was such a good cook. Misato: "Really? I'm glad!" Misato sighed with relief. Misato: "(To be honest, my mom helped me out a lot.)" She awkwardly whispered so that only I could hear. Even if she had gotten help, it was still a fact that she'd made it. Misato, you're trying so hard... Shougo: "Nishimachi, you're a really good cook." Misato: "No I'm not. You glad you like it, though." Misato: "Oh, try this too. I'm confident in how it turned out." Shougo: "Let's see then." Fumiko: "..." Misato looked like she was having fun. Kogakura-kun didn't look all too dissatisfied either. These two were definitely a good match for each other. Misato: "Oh, what are you spacing out for?" Fumiko: "Huh? Oh, yeah, I was just..." Misato: "Come on, you try it too, Fumiko. It's a little burnt, but it's good." Fumiko: "Y-Yeah. I'll try a taste." Misato: "You eat up too, okay, Kogakura-kun? There's plenty." Shougo: "Yeah, I am! I feel kinda bad eating all this on you." Misato: "I'm glad you like it. I'll make it for you again sometime." Shougo: "Oh, s-sure..." Kogakura-kun looked kind of confused. He probably didn't know what Misato was after just yet. He glanced over at me repeatedly, almost as if he was asking for help. Shougo: "Oh, D-Douzaki, you eat too. Here." Fumiko: "Huh? Y-Yeah..." Misato: "That's right, Fumiko~ Let's all eat and have fun together!" Fumiko: "O-Okay..." Misato sure looked like she was having fun. It _would_ be fun, having the person you like eating the boxed lunch you made by hand. Misato: "Oh, you've got something stuck to your mouth, Kogakura-kun~" Shougo: "Huh? Oh, I do." Misato: "Ehehe, you're so childish~" Fumiko: "..."
Fumiko: "Haa..." I was kinda worn out, but... Fumiko: "I guess it was fun." Eating lunch today with Kogakura-kun and Misato was far more fun than I had expected. I liked both of them, and meals eaten with people you love tasted better than when you ate alone. But it _did_ hurt to see them getting along so well... Fumiko: "I guess Kogakura-kun prefers girls like Misato after all." He looked like he had a lot of fun talking to her. Not only was Misato cute, there's no way he could dislike a girl who made lunches for him. Shougo: "Hey! Douzaki!" Fumiko: "Huh...?" Kogakura-kun was running toward me. Just the sight of him made my heart pound so hard I couldn't breathe. What was the matter? Shougo: "Thank goodness, I caught up." Fumiko: "Wh-What's wrong?" Shougo: "Want to go home together?" Fumiko: "...Huh?" Fumiko: "..." Shougo: "Sorry to spring this on you." Fumiko: "N-Not at all..." Walking together with Kogakura-kun... Was this a dream? No, I didn't care if it _was_ a dream. If it were, I wished I would never wake up. Fumiko: "So then, uh...?" Shougo: "Oh, yeah. I had something to talk to you about." Fumiko: "Something to talk about? Wh-What?" What could he want to say? Don't tell me he was confessing his love...? No, that couldn't be it. I wonder if he found out I was his email buddy? I wonder what I should say if he did... Shougo: "It's about Nishimachi..." Fumiko: "...Huh? Misato?" I could feel my excitement dwindling the second she was mentioned. Fumiko... you're an awful woman. Fumiko: "O-Oh. It's about Misato? In that case, ask away." Shougo: "Yeah, you see... Nishimachi making that boxed lunch for me, um... did she mean that the way I _think_ she meant it?" He was being roundabout, but he was clearly curious what Misato thought about him. I guess anyone would take the hint after a stunt like that. What would he think if I were to tell him she liked him? He'd probably be happy. ...Even now, I was jealous. Fumiko: "...Yeah, that's right. Misato seems to like you." This was my way of talking some sense into myself. I said it as smoothly as possible. Now I could give up on Kogakura-kun. I _had_ to give up on him. Shougo: "I-I see..." Fumiko: "The truth is, she asked me to introduce her to you. She became interested in you after watching your basketball game." Shougo: "She went to my match? I'm happy for that, but..." Huh? Why did he look so bothered? Was he not happy Misato had feelings for him? Shougo: "You know, I'll just be blunt with you, Douzaki..." Fumiko: "Huh? Just with me?" It startled me when he said that. What in the world could it be...? Shougo: "I'm actually interested in another girl." Fumiko: "Huh? You're interested in someone else?" Shougo: "Yeah. This is kind of embarrassing for me to admit..." Fumiko: "Y-Yeah?" Shougo: "The truth is, I've got an email buddy." Fumiko: "Ah..." I had no idea what to say to that. After all, that was me... Shougo: "Right? Aren't I a spoilsport? Falling in love with an email buddy." Fumiko: "Th-That doesn't sound strange to me..." Fumiko: "...Huh? L-Love...?" Did that mean Kogakura-kun was in love with me? ...No, it didn't, it didn't! He didn't even know it was me. He said he wanted to "meet," but it was way too early to be talking about "love." Kogakura-kun didn't even know it was me, so I knew he was just saying that. Still, it got my heart racing. It was totally out of character for me, but I couldn't get the throbbing to stop. It was completely disgusting for an ugly girl like me to get so excited, and yet... Fumiko: "..." Shougo: "Don't pull away like that. It hurts." Fumiko: "N-No! That's not it..." Shougo: "What's not it?" Fumiko: "It's, um..." What would he do if I told him, right here and now, that _I_ was that girl? What sort of face would he make? I know it was because he wanted to talk, but he invited me to go home with him today, and told me about his email buddy that he'd probably never mentioned to anyone before now. If I told him, then just maybe... Fumiko: "...Oh, it's nothing. I don't know much about email buddies." ...I just couldn't do it. It was just too pitiful for his email buddy to be me. I was sure he would be disappointed. Shougo: "You don't email people or use the Internet much, Douzaki?" Fumiko: "Y-Yeah... Not much..." I lied to him. There was no way I could ever tell him who I was anymore. ...Not that I could from the start. Shougo: "I see. You might have a hard time imagining this then, but we really hit it off while sending messages back and forth online." Shougo: "I took a chance and emailed her asking if she'd like to meet up sometime, but she hasn't replied yet..." Kogakura-kun looked kind of lonely, and I couldn't help but feel guilty. Shougo: "Do you think she hates me?" Fumiko: "Th-That's not it. I'm positive that's not it." Shougo: "You think so?" Fumiko: "M-Most likely... I don't know for sure..." What the heck are you doing, Fumiko? If you say that, he'll just get super worried... Maybe this was regret? Shougo: "So, I just wanted to let you know I'm interested in someone. I can't look at Nishimachi that way right now." Shougo: "If that's what Nishimachi has in mind, do you think you could find some good way to break it to her for me?" Fumiko: "Huh? M-Me?" Shougo: "Wouldn't it be weird coming from me? It's not like she told me how she feels yet." Shougo: "I think she could avoid some heartbreak if I let her down easy now. So, please." Fumiko: "Th-That's easy for you to say... For me, that's just..." Shougo: "I'm begging you! I'll treat you to anything you want in exchange!" Fumiko: "That's... But... Oh..." Wh-Wh-Wh... What should I do...?
Fumiko: "Haa... I'm stuck..." I could never speak up in situations like that, and always ended up agreeing to help. Seriously, what should I do? Things had gotten more and more complicated... There was no way I could tell Misato. I didn't know what I should say. There was also Kogakura-kun's email. I couldn't ignore it forever... Fumiko: "I want to disappear already..." What could I do? If I tried to do something, I would probably just make things worse. It would be great if I had someone I could ask for advice... Fumiko: "I don't have any other friends..." Anyone else... Fumiko: "Ah..." All of a sudden, a simple, handwritten flier hanging from a telephone pole caught my eye. Fumiko: "Angelic love counseling?" Fumiko: "..." Sounded pretty suspicious... Fumiko: "Huh? This is a girl from our academy." It said to come to the rooftop, but wasn't that off-limits? Fumiko: "It sounds _totally_ suspicious..." Maybe I could ask the Internet for advice? Someone might answer. It was sad that no other ideas came to mind, though. Fumiko: "But the only friends I have to speak of are Misato, and just barely Kogakura-kun..." All the more reason I had to do something quick. I was losing the one place I felt like I belonged...
Aine: "We will be heading off now!" Naruko: "We'll meet at your place after." Tomoe: "Yeah. Take care of Aine." It seemed they were going shopping together. Aine wanted to see for herself what a supermarket's limited-time sale was like. Talk about strange tastes. Aine: "Then, let us depart!" Tomoe: "You're like a soldier departing for the battlefield." Aine: "That is what a limited-time sale is! Ah, Naruko-san, the time!" Naruko: "Oh, you're right. Okay, Kirinokojima, see ya later." The two of them ran off. Tomoe: "Why do women love shopping so much?" I thought of it as nothing but a bother. Tomoe: "Now then, guess I'll head home too." Minamo: "Ah..." Tomoe: "Oh?" It was Wakamatsu. Tomoe: "Are you headed home now too, Wakamatsu?" Minamo: "Yes. I can head straight home today." Tomoe: "Yeah? You make it sound like that's different from usual." Minamo: "Huh? N-No I'm not. I always head straight home..." She looked kind of panicked... Oh well. I wasn't planning on interrogating her over where she went after school. Tomoe: "Want to head home, then?" Minamo: "Huh? Together?" Tomoe: "We're both headed in the same direction, aren't we? If we both leave now, it's inevitable we'd go part of the way together." Minamo: "Well, you have a point. Okay..." Tomoe: "..." Minamo: "..." Tomoe: "..." Minamo: "..." Minamo: "U-Um!" Wakamatsu suddenly spoke up beside me. Tomoe: "What?" Minamo: "Why have you been quiet all this time?" Tomoe: "Why? ...Do we even have anything in common to talk about?" Minamo: "W-We don't, but... aren't you supposed to chit-chat when you walk home together? Be considerate." Minamo: "Don't men usually worry about stuff like that the most?" Tomoe: "Says who? There's nothing to talk about, so why force it?" Minamo: "..." Huh? I just said what I thought, but she went kind of speechless. Minamo: "Sempai, you really are strange." Tomoe: "Am I? The people you know might be the strange ones." Minamo: "...I can't deny that one." Oh, I wasn't expecting her to back off that easily. I wondered what sort of people she associated with? Minamo: "Sempai, have you heard an angel sing?" Tomoe: "Huh?" That seemed kind of sudden. After giving it some thought, I recalled what Aine had told us all before. About how angels ordinarily returned shards not with bows, but with song. Tomoe: "No, I've not. Aine can't sing while her instrument is broken." Minamo: "Is that so?" Tomoe: "Do you have an interest in angelic songs, Wakamatsu?" Minamo: "Oh... No, not especially." That was an awkward denial. I bet she actually was interested in them. Tomoe: "Come to think of it, I believe you said you hated music?" At least, I was pretty sure that's what she said that time we saw Haruki-san's band play in front of the station. Minamo: "...Yes. I hate it." Only someone with special feelings for music―whether appreciation or hatred―would speak that firmly about it. Tomoe: "Hating music is pretty unusual." Minamo: "Is it?" Tomoe: "There are people who hate karaoke and whatnot, but it's fairly unheard of for people to hate listening to it." Minamo: "That is true. Listening... and singing. I hate them both." Looks like it was hatred after all. Still, when I listened to her story, I suddenly thought... Tomoe: "But your voice is pretty, Wakamatsu." Minamo: "Huh? What are you saying out of the blue?" Tomoe: "It was a random thought. 'Say, she has a pretty voice.'" Minamo: "That's..." Minamo: "...Ah." Wakamatsu suddenly looked up at the sky. She appeared to be straining her ears. Tomoe: "Do you hear something?" Minamo: "Yes, something..." Minamo: "...A song?" Tomoe: "Huh? A song?" We were just in the middle of talking about music, so that came as a surprising coincidence. I couldn't hear anything, though. Tomoe: "You hear one?" Minamo: "Yes, I do." I squinted and looked in the direction she was focused on. I _could_ hear something faintly. Wakamatsu might have good ears. Minamo: "That way." Wakamatsu suddenly started running. Tomoe: "Oh, hey!" Tomoe: "...Guess I've got no choice." Wakamatsu rushed off to a park on the high ground. The observation deck in the park was a famous place to view the city from, but it was such a remote location that there was nobody to be found. Tomoe: "Ah..." No, there was. One young woman was gazing at the setting sun fading into dusk. Still, she didn't appear as though she had been singing. Tomoe: "It's not her, right?" Minamo: "Probably not, but I was sure..." Minamo: "Ah... It ended." She was looking around all over the place, but it appeared she could no longer hear it. Tomoe: "Ah..." The wistful woman started walking off. She gradually picked up the pace before breaking into a run. The way she acted reminded me of Ukutsu for some reason. The same Ukutsu who chased after the train Hashiguchi was riding. Suddenly, a flash of light descended. Tomoe: "Could that song have been..." Menes: "My, could it be that you heard?" Tomoe: "Yes..." She appeared before us, almost like a mirage. Minamo: "Huh? ...What's this?" Tomoe: "Oh, right. You didn't meet her back then, did you?" Wakamatsu headed home early at the time, so she never crossed paths with Menes before. Minamo: "Is this... another angel?" Menes: "My~ Isn't that a _fine_ way to refer to me..." Menes: "I'm an angel, just as you guessed. And who might _you_ be, Four-Eyes?" Minamo: "Grr..." Minamo: "Sempai, she's got kind of a bad personality for an angel, doesn't she?" Menes: "Yeah, I might seem that way to some bespectacled monkey with no sex appeal..." Menes: "...Huh?" Menes was taken aback, as if she had noticed something. She went, "Shhh" as she stared at something and came up close to Wakamatsu. Minamo: "Wh-What is it?" Menes: "This is..." Menes approached Wakamatsu while staring at her chest. She drew so close, the tip of her nose was practically touching, like a nearsighted person might do. Minamo: "Wh-What?" Menes: "..." Menes gently raised her hand, and then... ...poked her. Boing! Minamo: "Nyah?!" Tomoe: "..." Menes: "G...Ginormous..." Minamo: "Wh-Wh-Wh-What are you doing?!" Menes: "I can't believe you've got such a huge bust when you're just some four-eyed monkey! Mine are just barely bigger, but going by cup size, we're about equal." Tomoe: "What are you talking about?" Minamo: "Th-That's right! It's got nothing to do with you!" Wakamatsu grumbled as Menes gave her a cold stare. Menes: "I acknowledge you as my enemy." Minamo: "Huh?" Menes: "I had my eye on this man first. He's my Darling!" Tomoe: "And I said to cut it out with the 'Darling' stuff." Menes: "But isn't it nice~? Who cares what I call you?" Minamo: "It's not 'nice.' Sempai is telling you that it bothers him." Tomoe: "No, I didn't go that far." Minamo: "Please shut up, Sempai. Her type will take advantage of you if you're nice to them." Now Wakamatsu was ready to go to war with her right back. Were these two just natural enemies? Menes: "..." Menes stared hard at Wakamatsu. Menes: "Don't tell me you love Darling as well?" Minamo: "Huh? W-We're not like that..." Menes: "Suspicious..." Minamo: "W-We just met, so there's no way..." Wakamatsu glanced over at me. Her face was bright red, and continued to grow redder by the second. Tomoe: "Are you okay?" Minamo: "I-I'm okay. ...I-I'm going home." Tomoe: "Ah..." Tomoe: "She left without warning, huh?" Menes: "Darling, don't get tricked by those jugs, okay?" Tomoe: "I've got no idea what you're hinting at." Menes: "Darling, do you truly have no interest in women? Are you gay?" Tomoe: "I couldn't care less about any of that." Menes: "Well, if that's the way you're going to be, I suppose you won't be seduced by that four-eyes, either." Tomoe: "I told you, none of that matters to me. On that note, I'm also going home." Menes: "My, how cold." Why did everyone always get so worked up over that topic?
Aine: "Um... Do I do it like this?" Aine moved the mouse around awkwardly, causing the pointer to fly erratically across the screen. Aine: "Ah, ah, ah... Jeez! This machine is not listening to me at all!" Naruko: "It's pretty difficult at first, but you'll get the hang of it." Aine: "Urrrrkkkk!" She was getting quite irritated, and on the verge of snapping. Naruko: "Just try to remember the basics. You'll never be able to keep up in class if you can't figure out how to use a mouse." Aine had taken one of the computer classes at our academy for the first time today, but couldn't get anything done whatsoever. I didn't have my own computer, so Nakizaki had just brought over her laptop so Aine could get in some practice. Aine: "Um, I should just press on these words with lines underneath them, correct?" Naruko: "You got it. That's called a 'link.'" Naruko: "But don't click blindly, okay? There are dangerous links, too." Aine: "Um, okay, so when I bash on this confusing 'link' thingy..." Tomoe: "In one ear and out the other, huh?" A loading screen popped up for a while, and the next moment... PC: "Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!" ...there was a close-up of a woman with a ghostly white face, red eyes, accompanied by a blood-curdling scream. PC: "Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!" Aine: "Nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah?!" The woman's shriek blasted out of the speakers on loop, and Aine screamed back in shock. Aine: "A-A person with a scary face popped out! What is this?! Why did she come out?!" Aine: "Is this a curse?! Will I die?!" Naruko: "C-Calm down. I-I-It's okay!" Nakizaki sounded pretty scared herself. Did she have a hard time dealing with scary things, too? PC: "Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!" Aine/Naruko: "Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!" "Nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!" Total chaos. Naruko: "Y-You bastard―!" Nakizaki closed the browser with an angry cry. The screams finally disappeared, and the room went quiet. Naruko: "Haa... That was brutal." Aine: "Wh-Wh-Wh-What was that just now? What were they after?" Tomoe: "It's called a 'screamer.' The whole point is to scare you." Aine: "I-It has fun scaring me?!" Tomoe: "Don't ask me. But yeah, someone looking at this objectively might find it pretty amusing." Tomoe: "I just think it's noisy, personally." Aine: "I do not think it is amusing at all! It is scary! I have been cursed!" Naruko: "So angels are scared of ghosts and stuff, too?" Aine: "I-I am not scared... just a little surprised." Her voice was horribly quiet. Talk about a bad liar. She would try on occasion, and it always made me wonder about her as an angel. Aine: "Still, I have just gone through an Internet rite of passage. It is true that the Internet is a terrifying place." Naruko: "That's why I told you not to click any links you're unfamiliar with." Aine: "I am fine now! I will never trust people on the Internet until the end of days!" Aine: "Hmph, Internet, you fiend!" Her angelic heart had gone wild. Thou shalt beware the dark side of the net. Aine: "Is it okay to click this?" Naruko: "Yeah, that's fine." This time, Aine clicked the link with caution. She appeared to have opened a message board targeted at young men. Aine: "What is this? A bulletin board?" Tomoe: "Well, I guess it's like that? An Internet message board." Aine: "For everyone to post their worries?" Naruko: "Yeah, something like that." It was apparently a site to share your worries with one another. A rough look at it would suggest it was centered around people our own age, and had quite a few posts on it. Aine: "They talk about home life, friends, and love... That certainly is a lot of worries. There are plenty of people going through hardships, are there not?" Tomoe: "You'd probably have a harder time finding people _without_ worries. In real life, they probably just don't have anywhere to get it off their chest, or can't work up the courage." Naruko: "Yeah, maybe... Nobody knows who you are on the net, so it's easier to talk." Aine: "Is that so? Everyone is worrying so much..." Aine stared straight at me. Tomoe: "What's wrong?" Aine: "The truth is, you have worries as well, right, Tomoe-san? If so, then you should tell me..." Tomoe: "None in particular." Aine: "A-An immediate reply." Tomoe: "I don't have what I don't have." Aine: "Really? There is nothing?" Tomoe: "There's really nothing." Aine: "Is that right...? Haa..." Tomoe: "Why are you disappointed? You make it sound like it would be better if I _were_ worried about something." Aine: "That is not how I meant it..." Naruko: "I'm sure Aine-chan just wants to do something for you, Kirinokojima." Tomoe: "For me? Why?" Aine: "'Why?' ...That is a good question." Aine inclined her head with wonder. She was the one who brought it up, too... Naruko: "Isn't it unhealthy not to have even a single worry, though? Wouldn't that mean you don't have a single wish?" Tomoe: "I don't. There's nothing I particularly need _or_ want to do." Naruko: "That _is_ unhealthy! Herbivores aren't very popular, you know? Or maybe it's being caused by some hormone imbalance?" Nakizaki was deep in thought for whatever reason. There was no need for her to worry about other people so much. Tomoe: "This goes for you, too, Aine. I'm fine, so focus on all these other troubled people instead. You _are_ an angel, after all." Aine: "Of course, I will do that too. Let me see..." Aine looked back down at the computer screen. Aine: "Ah, love troubles. It looks like a love triangle." Naruko: "A love triangle, huh? Is it a big mess?" Aine: "Hm, it does not seem so. This person appears as though they have more or less given up..." Naruko: "Let me see, let me see." Nakizaki peeked at Aine's screen. I took a look myself, and saw it was a post by someone with the screen name UMIKOF. Naruko: "Oh, her email buddy wound up being a boy in her class, and her best friend fell for him, so she asked her for an introduction." Tomoe: "Hm..." "Hm," was all I could think to say. It sounded like a pretty complicated situation, but it _was_ just some stranger's problem. Aine: "It looks like they have not gotten any replies yet. Is it okay if I write one?" Tomoe: "Sure, but don't you have to register an account?" Aine: "Register? How do I do that?" Naruko: "Isn't there some sign-up link somewhere?" Aine: "A link? Um, then how about this questionable-looking one?" PC: "GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Aine: "Nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah?!" Naruko: "Wh-Why are you running into nothing but browser screamers?!" Aine: "Why are people with red eyes constantly popping up? The Internet is too scary!" Tomoe: "Then cut it out and go to sleep already." Naruko: "Haa... I've gotta get home and take a bath, too." Aine: "I-I will keep working at it! Is it okay if I borrow your PC a little longer?" Naruko: "It's an old one Dad doesn't use anymore, so sure. Try not to overexert yourself, okay?" Aine: "Yes! I will do it in moderation!" Or so she said, but she didn't take her eyes off the monitor. She looked about as frantic as someone attempting the bar exam for the tenth time. Tomoe: "Seriously, take it easy."
Tomoe: "Fuah..." Tomoe: "Uhh...?!" I was surprised by the ghoulish figure sitting in the room as I entered. Aine: "'Ggrks'... 'Go Google it, moron'..." Klak, klack, klak... Aine: "Go lurk another three years." Klak, klak, klak... Aine: "If I am the one-thousandth poster, the angel boom will arrive." Klak, klak, klak... Tomoe: "..." Tomoe: "Hey, what are you grumbling to yourself?" Aine: "Ack!" Aine: "G-G-Good morning! N-No, this is nothing..." Aine hid the computer screen. I moved her hand out of the way and took a peek at the screen. A famous, gigantic message board website was displayed in the browser. Tomoe: "You were at it all night?" It seemed like her net skills skyrocketed overnight, too. Aine: "Ahaha~ I kind of got into a trance. It appears it is true that the Internet is addicting..." Tomoe: "Fearsome, indeed." For it to turn an angel into a net junkie in a single night... Tomoe: "Come on, cut that out already and get ready to go to school." Aine: "Ah, just a little more! I am waiting for the OP to fall for my trolling. It will bug me, so just a little longer..." Tomoe: "Are you planning to keep this up forever? It never ends. Once Nakizaki comes, you'll have to give her computer back." Aine: "Huh~?! No way! If I lose this PC then I will not be able to see message boards anymore, will I?!" Aine: "If I cannot play on the Internet, then how can I go on living?!" Totally addicted, huh? That sure didn't take long... Tomoe: "Never mind, just hurry up and change." Aine: "Ah, please wait! There is a thread I am kind of interested in, so let me just check that before..." Tomoe: "Cut it out already." Snap! This was never going to end, so I tore out the laptop's battery. Aine: "Ah―!"
Aine: "You are horrible! A tyrant!" Tomoe: "How long are you going to keep saying that? You're being annoying." Aine: "But!" Aine was still complaining about what happened this morning well into the afternoon. She was totally addicted. The Internet truly was a fearsome thing. Naruko: "You really are horrible!" Tomoe: "Why are _you_ mad at me, Nakizaki?" Naruko: "I can't believe you ripped out the laptop's battery by force! What would I have done if you'd broken it?!" Tomoe: "Oh, that..." Tomoe: "My bad, but I really didn't know. It wasn't broken, so forgive me." You're apparently not supposed to suddenly remove a laptop's battery while it's on. I hardly used them, so this was news to me. Thankfully, it appeared to be in working order. Yuri: "It's bad to cut a computer's power?" Tomoe: "Oh, an ally. Who _would_ know that?" Yuri: "I've never used a computer before." Kiyohito: "Oh boy, that's unusual. Hard to believe there are two analog-only people in this tiny community." Aine: "I was one of them until just yesterday, too! But now I have entered the digital age, so let us study PCs together, Yuri-san!" Yuri: "No, I'm no good with those things... Besides, aren't they expensive?" Hisaka-san added, a bit cynically. Naruko: "The base models are actually pretty cheap these days, but using the net will probably cost you around five thousand yen a month." Yuri: "Five thousand yen?!" After an exaggerated show of surprise, Hisaka-san stared blankly into the distance, seemingly at a loss for words. Her household may have been as tight on money as mine. I was only getting by on what my parents left behind, so I knew how she felt. Kiyohito: "Still, I'm surprised you're hooked on the net, Aine-chan. Are you okay?" Aine: "Okay with what?" Kiyohito: "I've heard your brain'll melt if you use the net for more than four hours a day." Yet another one of Kiyohito's straight-faced lies. Aine: "Huh?! Wh-What is that about?!" Yuri: "It will melt?" Kiyohito: "It's caused by the monitor's electromagnetic waves. They make this soupy mess leak outta your nose. Haven't you heard stories about how people thought it was snot, but it was actually their brain?" Yuri: "Wow, scary..." Aine: "I-I have never seen any threads about that!" Kiyohito: "They're the latest results of a foreign scientific study, so maybe they just don't know yet? Aine-chan, how long were you online yesterday?" Aine: "U-Um..." Aine: "Naruko-san came over at 8PM last night and tutored me for around two hours, then I was on it from 11PM until 7AM..." Naruko: "You were at it that much?" Tomoe: "Your brain seriously _is_ going to melt." Kiyohito: "Which means you maybe went over ten hours?" Aine: "M-Maybe. Will I melt?" Kiyohito: "Never mind melting, that's pretty risky." Aine: "Huh? Wh-What is risky?" Kiyohito: "If you use the net more than ten hours a day, you'll be cursed." Aine: "Huuuuuh?!" First electromagnetic waves, now curses? The randomness of it all _should_ have betrayed its fallacy, but Aine was seriously trembling. Aine: "A c-c-curse... Th-Th-There is no way such a thing exists!" Kiyohito: "Anyone who's ever said that was spirited away." Aine: "Wh-What do you mean, 'spirited away'?! Wh-Wh-Where?!" Kiyohito: "Well... nobody's ever come back, so we don't know." Aine: "Heeeee?!" Aine's looked petrified. She believed every word. Kiyohito: "Huh? She stopped moving." Tomoe: "She's seriously frightened, so don't scare her too much." Kiyohito: "Ahaha. My bad, my bad. I thought I'd have some fun with her since she fell for it so easily." Yuri: "Oh, you were lying?" Kiyohito: "Lying? More like joking." Tomoe: "A _tactless_ joke. As for you, Aine, don't believe everything Kiyohito says so easily." Aine: "..." Naruko: "Are you seriously not moving? Aine-chan~?" Aine: "..." Tomoe: "She fainted." A human managed to terrorize an angel so badly she fainted? Maybe she was just too benevolent and friendly for her own good...? Fumiko: "Um..." Before we knew it, an unfamiliar girl suddenly appeared. She timidly walked over to us, stepping around Aine who stood there annihilated―or rather, fainted―in the same death pose as the famous warrior Benkei. Naruko: "Us?" Fumiko: "Um, who is Aine Kirinokojima-san...?" Aine: "Huh?!" Yuri: "Oh, she's revived." Kiyohito: "That's good." Aine: "That is me, but what is it?" Fumiko: "U-Um, is this the right place for that so-called, 'Angelic Love Counseling'?" Aine: "Oh, yes! Welcome!" Kiyohito: "Yeah! This 'Angelic Love Counseling' is a big hit." Aine: "That is because I made posters and put them up everywhere." It looked like her advertisements had some small effect. Hard to believe there were people who would really come to these counseling sessions despite how suspicious they were. From what I could see, she was the serious type with nothing flashy about her. Did this girl really have such terrible relationship issues that she was willing to rely on this questionable setup? Aine: "So, what sort of love troubles are you having?" Fumiko: "U-Uh, well..." She must have been nervous. She was having trouble opening up even when Aine asked her. Yuri: "You don't have to be so nervous. Please relax and tell us at your own pace." Hisaka-san spoke to her gently. Her voice had a calming effect on people, and the tense newcomer seemed to relax a bit. Hisaka-san was the more angelic one, huh? Fumiko: "Thank you very much..." She sighed in relief and opened her mouth, looking like she'd made up her mind. Fumiko: "The truth is, I fell in love with the same person as my best friend..." Aine: "You mean a love triangle, yes?" Fumiko: "That's right. On top of that, the boy in question is in the same class as me, but I found out he's actually my email buddy..." Naruko: "Huh?" Nakizaki tilted her head. I felt the same way. Yes, I felt like I'd heard this somewhere before. Aine: "Um... Is it possible you're... UMIKOF-san?" Fumiko: "Huh...?! H-How...?" Looks like we hit the bull's-eye. It appeared she had been the one who had made that post on the message board last night. Was this a coincidence, or was it fate...? Drawing in trouble like this just might be one of an angel's abilities.
Once school ended, we moved to a local cafe where we could talk in peace. It was getting way too cold to do our counseling sessions outside. Hisaka-san declined to join us and headed home, saying her little sister was waiting for her, but it looked more like she was worried about the contents of her wallet to me. According to Aine, Wakamatsu also went home right after classes ended. Whatever she was doing, she sounded quite busy, too. Fumiko: "Um... I'm Fumiko Douzaki..." She took a seat and shyly introduced herself. As it turned out, Douzaki _was_ the one who posted that query. Fumiko: "I never expected anyone from our school to read that post..." Douzaki-san was equally surprised. Talk about a huge coincidence. Aine: "I am surprised as well. I tried to respond to that post yesterday but could not figure out how to do so..." Tomoe: "Huh? Couldn't figure it out?" Aine: "That is right! When I tried, I was taken to this mysterious, gigantic message board for some reason, and before I knew it, I became completely addicted..." Tomoe: "Those things happen sometimes..." Aine: "That is what you wanted advice about, yes?" Fumiko: "Yes..." The girl told us her story from the beginning. To summarize, she had fallen for the same guy as her friend, whom turned out to be both her classmate and someone she had interacted with online. Worse, that boy was completely unaware of who she was, nor did her friend know they liked the same person. Douzaki was bottling it all up at the moment. Fumiko: "I was reluctant to tell any of this to strangers... but it was tough not being able to talk about it..." Aine: "Yes, that makes perfect sense. That must be how the barber who learned about the king's donkey ears felt in that one myth." Tomoe: "Isn't that a bit different?" Aine: "It is okay. We will gladly lend you our ears. Please talk to us about anything you like, as much as you like. Sometimes getting things off your chest is all it takes to make things easier." Fumiko: "You're right... I knew talking about it would help a little." Fumiko: "This still doesn't resolve anything, unfortunately..." Of course it didn't. It would've all worked out if the barber kept quiet about the king's ears, but Douzaki's problem couldn't be resolved with silence. Naruko: "The short version is, do you pick your own love, or your best friend's love?" Fumiko: "No, that would be way too ambitious... My love will never amount to anything..." Aine: "Huh? Why?" Fumiko: "Because... Even if I did, hypothetically, tell him how I feel, he would never feel the same way back." Douzaki laughed at herself. Aine: "Um, and why is that?" When Aine asked once more, Douzaki smiled, nearly in tears. Fumiko: "You should be able to tell with one look at me... but as you can see... I'm ugly." It was an exceptionally simple reason. Nobody knew what to say. Naruko: "Don't call yourself ugly..." Aine: "She is right! That is not true. You must not say such horrible things about yourself." Fumiko: "No, it's okay. You don't need to console me. I'm at peace with it." Fumiko: "I'm fully aware of how ugly I am." Douzaki said defiantly. Her looks had probably been a large source of grief for her ever since she was little. That was easy enough to imagine based on her attitude. Aine: "Looks are not that big of a deal, are they? Right, Tomoe-san?" Tomoe: "Are you sure? No matter what anyone says, people judge you on appearances first." I answered honestly, and Aine opened her eyes wide with surprise. Aine: "Huh? What are you saying?! That is not true!" Aine didn't seem to agree, but what could I do? I just told the truth. Fumiko: "So true... Say what you want, but everyone sees your face first. Boys don't pay any attention to ugly girls..." Aine: "Th-That is..." Fumiko: "I used to give boys in my class Valentine's chocolate back in elementary school. What do you think happened to that chocolate?" Aine: "Well, naturally, they were delighted and ate it?" Fumiko: "Not so much. They discretely threw it away after." Aine: "Huh?! That is horrible!" Fumiko: "I thought so too at first, but if you think about it, isn't it natural?" Fumiko: "Nobody wants chocolate from an ugly girl. A part of me wonders if it's better they didn't throw it away in front of me." Aine: "No way..." Douzaki was completely unfazed, while Aine, on the other hand, looked devastated by her tragic story. Nakizaki also looked heartbroken as she listened on. Even _I_ felt a dull pang in my chest hearing this. This Douzaki girl practically radiated negativity to those around her. Aine: "Please do not say such horrible things about yourself." Aine pleaded, already moved to tears. Fumiko: "It's my problem, so why are you the one crying? I knew it, cute people have such pure hearts. I'm ugly, so my heart is twisted..." This girl sure could rant an awful lot about herself. Aine: "Auuu..." It wasn't surprising that an angel couldn't speak in the face of all this negativity. Fumiko: "So there's no way he'll want to go out with me..." Tomoe: "What's the point in worrying about it, then?" Why did she even bother asking for our advice? If she'd given up, there was no reason for her to worry either, but she still came to Aine for advice. Fumiko: "Well..." Tomoe: "Doesn't being worried about it prove you haven't completely given up on him?" Fumiko: "..." Aine: "Fumiko-san?" Fumiko: "Um... The truth is... He told me he'd like to meet me sometime..." Aine: "Oh, he did?! That must mean he likes you!" Fumiko: "Are you sure about that...? Our conversations _do_ go surprisingly well, we have similar hobbies, and we get pretty excited chatting online, but..." Aine: "Oh! That sounds perfect!" Aine's sunny smile countered Douzaki's gloomy expression. Fumiko: "That's just because he doesn't know it's me. Once he learns who he's talking to, I'm positive he won't like me anymore." Aine: "Th-That is not true! You two are very compatible, right? It is what is on the inside that counts, not the outside!" Fumiko: "Like I said, you can stop saying that." Fumiko: "It's just like Kirinokojima-san said earlier. People go by appearances. He's correct." Aine: "W-Well... He is a moron!" Aine pointed at me. Aine: "You do not have to believe what this moron says!" Tomoe: "Hm, that's how you're going to be?" Tomoe: "Nakizaki, looks like we won't need dinner tonight." Naruko: "Huh? You sure? You too, Kirinokojima?" Tomoe: "It's nothing for me to go without a single meal." Aine: "Huuuuuh?! Hey, p-please, anything but that! I beg you, anything but my meal!" Aine didn't hesitate to get on her hands and knees. Douzaki stared in wonder. Fumiko: "Amazing... I've never seen a person with so little pride. Even an ugly girl like me wouldn't go this far." Tomoe: "Oh, but she's _not_ a person." Fumiko: "Huh?" Tomoe: "Oh, nothing." Naruko: "Um, so to summarize... You want to meet him, but won't since he'll reject you if you do." Naruko: "Once he does, your best friend will learn that you like the same person she does." Naruko: "And as a result, you don't know what to do next... Does that about sum it up?" Fumiko: "Yes. That basically covers it." Aine: "It is obvious that confessing how you feel would be best!" The angel drew that conclusion with ease. Tomoe: "You're always for that, Aine. Professing love is your guiding principle." Aine: "But... If you do not take that first step and tell him how you feel, you will never get anywhere." Fumiko: "'You will never get anywhere'... huh? Yes, you may be right." Aine: "Right?!" Fumiko: "But that 'first step' could be the beginning of the end. Everything could end in shambles if you confess your love." Fumiko: "Nothing will change by maintaining the status quo, but at the very least, nothing will come to an end, either..." Aine: "Y-You do not have to think so negatively..." Fumiko: "I'm ugly; that's just the way I work. My life hasn't been upbeat enough for me to think positively." Fumiko: "Even so... For someone so ugly, I'm surprisingly happy right now. He and I exchanged emails, and talked via messengers..." Fumiko: "He's actually very kind, so he's given me lots of praise and encouragement. I had never experienced anything like that until now..." Aine: "Then...!" Fumiko: "But if we meet in real life, and he learns that it's me that he's been talking to, that might also come to an end." Fumiko: "No, I'm sure it _will_ end." It was impossible for her to imagine a positive future. She had braced herself to live in a fickle world. But now, that fickle world had suddenly produced a cheerful daily life she never dreamed possible. The one and only place she could be happy right now was on the Internet. She was convinced that this was the apex of her life, and it would never get any better. Change was the last thing she wanted. No, she might want it deep down in her heart, but couldn't bring herself to reach for it. All of the dread she had experienced in her life prevented her from trying. Had her heart fractured, I wondered? ...No, I doubt she would have come to us for advice if it had. Still, it was a fact that she was deeply hurt. Fumiko: "I can't meet him. That has me thinking my best choice right now would be to back off and support my best friend..." Fumiko: "I still had some doubts... so I was hoping for a little push on the back." Naruko: "To give up on him?" Fumiko: "Yes..." She wanted us to give her that final push she needed to decide how she felt about him once and for all. ...Almost like she was saying, "I can't jump on my own, so please push me off this cliff and put me out of my misery." Aine: "Fumiko-san, are you truly okay with that?" There was no way Aine would ever encourage her to give up. But I could guess what was going through Douzaki's mind. If she were to confess, it would become clear to him that someone he cared about online was actually one of his classmates. There was no telling how he would feel about it, but it would definitely make it difficult for him to go out with the best friend of the girl who confessed to him. If he did, everyone would probably assume he dumped Douzaki for her prettier best friend... That had to be why she was so hesitant. Fumiko: "I won't meet him, or tell him how I feel." Fumiko: "That's got to be the most adult choice. I won't get that hurt if I do that, either." Douzaki showed a smile―the smile of someone who had given up. It only seemed natural to me that she had come back to the same decision she'd originally made on her own. Aine: "Are you sure you will not be hurt?" And yet, Aine questioned the conclusion Douzaki had reached. Fumiko: "Well... Yes, I would be lying if I said I wouldn't be hurt a little, but I think I'll be hurt the least that way." Fumiko: "It would leave the shallowest wound..." Fumiko: "It's better than revealing who I am and disappointing him. Ending it that way would cut me the deepest." Fumiko: "Which means giving up from the start is best. I'm used to giving up." Aine: "That is... very sad." Aine looked like she would cry. Fumiko: "...Please don't look so sad because of me. You'll make me feel guilty... It has nothing to do with you." Aine: "Nothing to do with me...? But... of course it..." Aine: "It has nothing to do with me~~~~!! Waaaaaaaah!!" Aine said something that didn't quite make sense before finally raising her voice and crying. Fumiko: "P-Please stop... If you cry like that you're going to make me miserable... If you cry that hard, then I'll..." Fumiko: "Eh, egu... Waaaaah!!" Finally, Douzaki burst out crying with her. Aine: "Uwaaaaaaaah!!" Fumiko: "Waaaaaaaah!!" Both of them shouted and cried in unison. Their cries sounded like exotic birds of the Amazon. The customers in the shop curiously looked over at us. It was quite the show. Naruko: "Aw, you two, don't cry~" Tomoe: "I knew this would happen..." Love is all pain, no gain. Aine: "Uwaaaaaaaah!!" Fumiko: "Waaaaaaaah!!"
Aine: "See you later, Fumiko-san!" Fumiko: "Good night, um... Aine-chan." They waved and said goodbye. Douzaki courteously waved to me as well before leaving. Naruko: "They sure got close quick." Tomoe: "You said it." Before we knew it, they were calling each other by their given names. After we got kicked out of the cafe for being too loud, those two kept on crying like babies in the nearby park. By the time they stopped crying, they had grown closer than you'd ever believe possible on their first meeting. Aine: "I believe crying together deepened our bond." Tomoe: "It got too deep way too fast." Naruko: "Are you sure that was really for the best, though?" In the end, Aine convinced her to confess. Douzaki looked oddly refreshed when she finished crying... Fumiko: "I'll just go for broke. I never should have been born, anyway. Everything is so hopeless, I may as well confess; I have nothing to lose!" Despite all her protests against confessing out of a desire not to get hurt, she came to that self-denying conclusion anyway. Aine: "I am sure it will be all right!" Tomoe: "Another baseless, 'it will be all right,' huh? Don't go crying to me if her heart fractures." Aine: "You are thinking negatively now, too, Tomoe-san! Fumiko-san is finally thinking positively, so please try to follow her example!" Tomoe: "This has nothing to do with me." Be that as it may, would Douzaki be all right? I had a bad feeling about all of this...
I was diving head-first into a crazy decision. Fumiko: "I can't believe I'm going to confess to Kogakura-kun..." I went to the counseling session with the intention of giving up, but things ended much, much differently. Of course, it wasn't too late for me to change my mind and give up. I may have said I would do it, but it wasn't like I'd be penalized if I didn't. I had no obligation to keep my promise... Giving up right here and now probably _was_ for the best. However, all I could think about was telling him how I felt. Not confessing didn't even occur to me as an option. This was the first time I'd ever realized just how much it hurt to keep my feelings locked up inside. Keeping my feelings to myself was far too painful. Fumiko: "It makes no difference whether I get rejected _or_ give up... I guess?" Online relationships couldn't last forever. If I kept refusing to meet him, he would get tired of me eventually. I doubted it was that far off, either. It might be the same if I put an end to it right now. Besides, there was the one-in-a-million chance he might say yes... Fumiko: "No way!" I dismissed my idiotic, fleeting hopes. Being hopeful would only make the damage that much greater. My feelings for him would never be rewarded. Besides, even if it did all work out, I'd be breaking my promise to Misato. Fumiko: "I'll just be happy if I'm able to tell him how I feel. My goal isn't to go out with him or anything, just to tell him how I feel." Or so I told myself. Expect nothing. Being able to confess was enough. Go get rejected, then root for Misato instead. Fumiko: "Misato is definitely a better match for Kogakura-kun. They'll go well together. I'm sure of it." ...No matter how hard I tried to convince myself, my chest still ached. No degree of logic would change the fact that I was going to be rejected for being ugly. Nothing I do can change anything, so who cares! Better to just be brave and get rejected! Fumiko: "...All right!" Having made up my mind completely, I shot an email at Kogakura-kun. Good evening. About what you said before, thank you for wanting to meet someone like me. I want to meet you too, koga156-san. You might be disappointed once we meet, though? Make sure you're prepared for that, okay? *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* I included a time and place for us to meet and hit send. Fumiko: "I-I sent it..." I couldn't take it back now. What should I do? My heart was racing so fast! Fumiko: "Wah! Th-There it is!" Kogakura-kun replied! I looked at the email, feeling so nervous I could cry. Thanks for saying you'll meet me. I'm super happy. There's absolutely no way I'll regret meeting you. The time and place are A-OK. I sent a picture, so you'll recognize me, right? I don't know what you look like, so be sure to find me. I'm looking forward to getting to meet you. *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* Fumiko: "'Absolutely no way I'll regret it'... huh?" He couldn't possibly know that for sure. The way he could throw around a word like "absolutely" so easily was childish of him. He was definitely going to be disappointed, but I could accept that. I was prepared for it. God knows I'd experienced enough disappointment in my life before this. Fumiko: "It'll absolutely be okay." Absolutely. Absolutely...
I was instantly filled with regret the second I arrived at our meeting place. Fumiko: "Why did I arrange for us to meet here of all places?" It was a prominent local dating spot, so naturally, there were tons of couples. So this was where I was going to get turned down, huh? That's going to sting a ton... Fumiko: "Maybe we should have met somewhere more plain? Like a hospital or graveyard." If we met up at a hospital, they could immediately care for my broken heart. That might be nice. Maybe they could fix up this face of mine a bit while they're at it. Fumiko: "Haa... My heart is racing. Way too much..." My chest was pounding like crazy. When was the last time my heart raced like this? Maybe not since I transferred here in middle school. It was Misato who saved me back then, wasn't it? It didn't look like Kogakura-kun had shown up yet. He still didn't know who I was, so he wouldn't take notice of me unless I found him first. Fumiko: "Hmmm..." Aine: "Fumiko-san!" BA DUMP――!!! My heart felt like it nearly jumped straight up and out of my mouth. Aine: "Oh, I am sorry. Did I surprise you?" Fumiko: "Oh, it's you... Aine-chan, huh? You came for me?" Aine: "Of course!" I contacted Aine-chan about today just in case. If I didn't let someone know, I probably would've run away before going through with it. Aine: "Has he not shown up yet?" Fumiko: "Yeah, not yet. There's another fifteen minutes before he's supposed to get here." Aine: "Are you nervous?" Fumiko: "I feel like my heart is gonna burst." I answered honestly. There was no point in acting tough in front of Aine-chan now. Fumiko: "I've never told a boy I like him before. Actually, this might be the first time I've ever met up with a boy out in town, too." Aine: "Is that so?" Fumiko: "I _am_ ugly, you know. There's no point in going out on dates with ugly girls, or hearing them say they like you." Until just recently, I was convinced of that. That's why I never gave confessing any serious thought. All that would accomplish is getting me mocked and laughed at. And yet, here I was, ready to give it a try. If I gave it some thought, it felt completely surreal. Fumiko: "I will give it everything I've got. After all... this could end up being my first _and_ last confession of love." Looking ahead, I doubted a hideous girl like me would get many more opportunities to confess my feelings. Aine: "Oh, that is true! If you become happy together, you will not need to confess to anyone ever again!" Fumiko: "Huh? No, that wasn't what I meant..." What a surprise. She came up with a positive reason that totally clashed with my line of thinking. That was a good point. If Kogakura-kun agreed to go out with me, and we stayed together forever, today really _might_ be the first and last time I confess to a boy. That idea had never crossed my mind before. Aine-chan was so incredibly positive, it felt like it had given me some courage. With all that going through my mind, I spotted the person I was waiting for across the plaza and coming my way. Fumiko: "H-He's here...!" Instant tension. My heart was gonna explode... Kogakura-kun was looking all around, without knowing it was me he was searching for, as he approached. On reflex, I hid behind the information board. Aine: "Why are you hiding?" Fumiko: "Nothing good can come of him finding me..." I had zero doubt he'd come running up to me with a big, friendly smile yelling "Douzaki!" if he spotted me, without knowing I was the one he was here to meet. I hadn't come here today as Fumiko Douzaki. If he started calling me by name, it would make it really hard to reveal who I really was. Shougo: "What a coincidence. Meeting someone?" Fumiko: "Y-Yeah... You too?" Shougo: "Oh, actually, I'm on a date." Fumiko: "A-Are you? ...Good luck." I could see myself saying something like that and running away. I had to be the one to call out to him, and tell him the truth without running away. Aine: "A-Ah! He is coming this way!" Fumiko: "Y-Yeah..." My heart was going to explode. Seriously, it might explode and kill me right here and now. Maybe that was another possibility? If that happened, I wouldn't need to reveal who I was, or get rejected by Kogakura-kun. Dying while I still had a sliver of hope might be a blessing. Unfortunately, my body was the one thing in good shape ever since I was a kid. Ugly, yet healthy. They do say "the beautiful die young," so the ugly might live shamelessly long lives? Aine: "Fumiko-san! H-He is here!" Fumiko: "Y-Yeah!!" I waited for the perfect moment. He passed right in front of me. I let him get a few steps ahead, then jumped out from my hiding spot. Fumiko: "K-Kogakura-kun!" Shougo: "Hm?" He stopped in place and turned around. Shougo: "Oh, if it isn't Douzaki. What a coincidence!" Kogakura-kun flashed me his usual, innocent smile. I knew it was no coincidence at all, and wasn't sure how to reply right away. Shougo: "Hm? What's wrong?" Fumiko: "O-Oh, nothing..." Shougo: "Really? Sorry then, but I'm meeting someone here." He gently lifted his hand to say goodbye and started to leave. I wanted to stop him, but couldn't speak. Aine: "(Fumiko-san!!)" I heard Aine-chan's voice. It broke me out of my stupor, and my voice returned. Fumiko: "K-Kogakura-kun!" My voice came out louder than was necessary. Surprised, he turned around once more. Shougo: "Wh-What's up?" Fumiko: "U-Um, you know, I..." Fumiko: "I was waiting for you, Kogakura-kun!" I said it like I meant it, but it came out so loud it made me look angry. Kogakura-kun looked more surprised by the minute. Shougo: "You were waiting for me? ...How did you know I'd be coming here?" Shougo: "Actually, I'm meeting someone, so..." Fumiko: "I-I'm the one you're meeting!" Shougo: "...Huh? What are you talking about?" Fumiko: "I'm trying to tell you...!" Fumiko: "I'm... UMIKOF..." I felt like I was going to burst into tears. I might have been too high-strung. My vision was getting blurry. Shougo: "...Huh?" He stared at me, looking momentarily baffled. Then... And then... He looked blatantly disappointed. Fumiko: "Ah..." It was only for a moment, and his expression immediately shifted from disappointed to a confused smile. Still, that disappointed face would be forever etched into my heart. Aine: "Ah...!" Shougo: "S-Seriously? It was you, Douzaki?" He smiled, but looked slightly bothered. Yeah, there was no other face he could make, was there? Fumiko: "Y-Yeah... I'm sorry..." I desperately forced a smile myself. Aw, what in the world was I expecting? I knew it would turn out this way. I knew he would be disappointed if we met in real life. I just _had_ to think it might work out with Kogakura-kun... I held out hope, even if it was just a little. I naturally never expected him to accept me. I never thought he'd fall in love with me. But knowing he was dissatisfied with me still hurt... I didn't want to see him look that way... He was the one person I never wanted to make that face. That quiet disappointment he showed hit me harder than it ever had when someone called me ugly, or berated me. Not to mention the way he tried to keep it from me, and plastered that forced smile on his face... It wasn't his fault. It was all mine. Because I was ugly. I caused this by getting full of myself, taking advantage of his kindness, meeting him, and daring to confess to him. Fumiko: "S-Sorry for deceiving you all this time... but... it's okay now." Shougo: "Huh? What's okay...?" Fumiko: "You must have been disappointed it was me, huh? You don't need to force yourself to hang out with me anymore..." Shougo: "Huh? No... What are you talking about?" Fumiko: "Listen, you know... Forget about me; there's Misato!" Shougo: "Huh? Nishimachi?" Fumiko: "Yes, Misato. She's a really nice girl." Shougo: "What are you bringing that up for, out of nowhere...?" Fumiko: "Hey, Misato is serious about you! You think she's cute too, don't you?" Shougo: "Huh?! W-Well, I guess..." He was confused, but didn't sound all that displeased, either. Boys really did like cute girls better. That much was obvious. ...At least, that's what I was trying to convince myself of. ...This was probably hopeless now. I couldn't stand here any longer. If I kept this up any longer... I was going to want to crawl into a hole and die. Fumiko: "That's all I came here to say. Nothing more." Fumiko: "I truly am sorry... for making it seem like I was tricking you all this time." I couldn't do it anymore... Fumiko: "See you...!" Shougo: "H-Hey?! Douzaki?!" I looked away from him and ran. Aine: "Fumiko-san!" I heard Aine-chan call to me, but I ignored her, too, and ran. I _knew_ it would turn out this way. I never should have expected anything. I would never wish for anything else the rest of my life. After all, I was ugly...
Tomoe: "I told you so." After meeting with that man, Douzaki apparently revealed who she was, then promptly ran away. Aine: "B-But, she has not gotten to tell him how she feels yet. All she told him was that she was whom he was emailing." Tomoe: "She may not have confessed, but it was pretty obvious what his answer would have been." Communication didn't always have to be verbal. Douzaki's intuition likely told her something of grave importance. Whatever she had sensed must have dashed her hopes completely. Aine: "I could not say for sure..." Tomoe: "Isn't the truth right here staring you in the face?" A small bundle―the heart shard Douzaki had dropped―sat on the table. The way it flickered almost made it look like it was breathing. Tomoe: "I can't believe an angel let someone's heart fracture right in front of her." I tore into her, immediately unsure of why I was being so aggressive. Was there any point in getting irritated? It wasn't like this affected me in any way. Why was I so angry, then? Aine: "Please do not be so mean... I am super, super, suuuper upset and feel super, suuuper sorry about it..." Tomoe: "Feel as sorry as you like, but it won't resolve anything." Aine: "Th-That is true, but..." Aine really did look depressed, and wasn't refuting my vicious comments. Blaming her wasn't going to help anything now, huh? Tomoe: "So, how is Douzaki holding up?" Aine: "I chased after her right away, but lost sight of her while picking up her shard... She will not answer when I call, either." Tomoe: "I see." The last thing you want to do when you feel really down is to talk to anyone. All you can do is lock yourself away in your own little world and hold your breath. That really is the best approach. Time is the best medicine. Although, busybodies do occasionally force themselves into your world during those dismal times. People had done that to me, at the very least. Aine: "Um... I am begging you! Please return this shard to Fumiko-san!" In fact, there was someone exactly like that right here. All I could do was sigh as Aine bowed down before me. Tomoe: "Do you think I'll blindly agree just because you got on your hands and knees?" Aine: "I-It is not like that..." Tomoe: "Kneeling before me has no effect. Anyone could do that. Look." I got down on my hands and knees on the spot. Aine: "Wh-What are you doing?!" Tomoe: "Like I said, this is nothing. Watch, I'll rub my forehead in while I'm at it." I rubbed my forehead against the floor. Aine: "W-Wah! Please stop! Why would you do such a thing?!" Tomoe: "My point is, if you think a simple gesture like this will get me to listen to whatever you have to say, you're horribly wrong." Aine: "I-I can put my forehead into it too! Look! Rub, rub, rub!" Tomoe: "So what? Am I not doing that already?" Aine: "I-I can take it even further! Look, I am rubbing my cheeks in, too! Rub, rub, rub~!" Tomoe: "I can do that, too! Rub, rub, rub!" Aine: "Me too! Rub, rub, rub, rub!" Naruko: "..." Naruko: "What the heck are you two doing?" Tomoe: "Ah..." Aine: "Oh, Naruko-san! I was groveling better than he was, right?!" Naruko: "Huh? What?"
Naruko: "Good grief. I was wondering what you were doing. I'm surprised you were doing it, too, Kirinokojima." Tomoe: "I'm ashamed of myself." She saw me in quite the disgraceful situation last night. This sort of took me back. How many years had it been since Nakizaki had seen me doing something so foolish? Maybe not since we were in elementary school? Yuri: "You two were kowtowing to each other?" Minamo: "What were you doing?" Tomoe: "I got caught up in the mood for some reason." Minamo: "Wow, you get carried away sometimes too, Sempai?" Was it really that surprising? Hisaka-san was nodding off to her side as well. Now that they mentioned it, I guess it _was_ pretty rare for me. Tomoe: "Maybe Aine's enthusiasm just had an effect on me." I felt a little depressed knowing I'd gotten carried away, but then, Hisaka-san held her white hand out in front of me. Tomoe: "Hm?" Yuri: "Um, have this." There was a single candy in her hand. It looked like she was giving it to me. ...Why candy? Tomoe: "Thanks..." It seemed wrong to refuse, so I took it. Yuri: "Eating sweets should cheer you up in a jiffy." Tomoe: "Right..." Was she trying to cheer me up? I gave it a taste, and there was no sweetness to speak of. It was so ridiculously sour it made me feel like I was shriveling up. Tomoe: "Plum?" Yuri: "Yes, plum. I got it super cheap while it was on a sale." She was smiling too sweetly and happily for me to spit it out now. Better hang in there and keep licking. Wait. Something told me I was going with the flow of those around me again... Naruko: "Say, have you changed a little, Kirinokojima?" Tomoe: "Huh? How so?" Naruko: "No, 'changed' isn't the right word... More like, you've kinda gone back to how you used to be." Tomoe: "I _was_ just acting stupid like some kid. Forget about it already." Naruko: "No, it's not like that... Well, whatever." Nakizaki got a grin on her face and stopped talking. What put her in such a good mood...? Naruko: "So, Douzaki-san's heart fractured, right?" Aine: "I am ashamed..." Aine cheerlessly drooped her shoulders. Tomoe: "Seriously." Aine: "Ah..." No response from Aine. She must still have felt discouraged. Of course, it wouldn't feel right if she cheered up that easily. Minamo: "Will you return the shard?" Naruko: "What'll you do?" Nakizaki knew that only I could return the shard. How did Nakizaki feel about it? I knew Aine would insist on returning it, but was that really for the best? Tomoe: "What will happen to Douzaki if I return the shard?" Aine: "Fumiko-san has not had a chance to tell Kogakura-kun that she loves him yet! She should tell him, and hear his answer!" Tomoe: "Is finding out how he feels that important?" Aine: "Of course it is! A confession does not end until you hear the other person's answer!" Yuri: "That's like the saying, 'A trip isn't over until you get home,' huh?" Tomoe: "But doesn't Douzaki already know the answer? Isn't that why her heart fractured in the first place?" Aine: "Well..." Aine: "Is it not possible that Fumiko-san misunderstood him?! She may have assumed it was hopeless on her own!" Tomoe: "You think so?" Intuition was nothing to sneer at. It was surprisingly accurate more often than not―women's intuition especially. Douzaki likely inferred his answer so clearly, it left no room for doubt. And that answer was upsetting enough to make her heart fracture. Was there any need to hear his answer all over again out loud? Minamo: "If she got the wrong idea, wouldn't he approach her about it or something?" Yuri: "You are right. If he wants to date her too, then I am sure he'd want to have another talk with her." Aine: "What if Kogakura-kun does not, then?" Tomoe: "It would mean his answer was the same as the one Douzaki sensed." Minamo: "Yeah." Tomoe: "If that's the case, we shouldn't force her to hear it again. The shock alone broke her heart. There's no sense forcing her to go through that again." Naruko: "That... Yeah, may be true..." Everyone was nodding. They must have all agreed with me. But... Aine: "Are you sure about that?" Aine was the only one who wouldn't accept it. Aine: "Even if his answer is just as Fumiko-san believes it to be, I still think she should confess and hear how he feels in his own words." Aine: "Would you not agree that is the only way Fumiko-san can take a new step forward?" Aine: "Besides, leaving her heart fractured would be unnatural!" Aine's lofty plea had real force behind it. Maybe she just seemed intense on the rare occasions she got serious since she was normally so foolish. Naruko: "Hm, you may have a point." Tomoe: "Whose side are you on, Nakizaki? You were nodding to my opinion earlier." Naruko: "Ahaha, it's complicated." Yuri: "It really is complicated. She may have avoided getting hurt if she hadn't done anything from the start." Hisaka-san hung her head, looking like she had a sour taste in her mouth. Yuri: "I believe I understand how this Douzaki-san person feels." Minamo: "But she's already done it, so it's too late. There's no use crying over spilled milk." Naruko: "Yeah." Minamo: "Say, you're an angel. Couldn't you do something to help her?" Wakamatsu's question made Aine look really remorseful. Aine: "Well... It would be nice if I could..." Minamo: "What the hell are angels for, then?" Wakamatsu's whisper made everyone go silent. Everyone here may have been thinking the same thing―Aine included. Naruko: "So, maybe the first thing we should do is figure out how he feels?" Aine: "Right? Is it not possible he was planning to tell her he loves her on his own?" Aine: "And yet Fumiko-san ran away before he could say it... for example." Tomoe: "Do stories that happy actually exist?" Aine: "But, but... If it _is_ true, you will return the shard, yes?" Tomoe: "Well... I'll think about it when the time comes." Aine: "Jeez! Why must you always be so mean?!" If he still had feelings for Douzaki, then yes, there would no longer be any reason to leave her heart fractured. But... The two of them would start dating once I returned the shard. Would love really bring them happiness? Couldn't you call her heart fracturing fated as well? Was that a less than ideal path for the two of them? Was it okay for me to change their fate? That was one conflict I was likely going to keep struggling with. Performing angelery really was a heavy burden for a human... for me.
Aine: "Um..." Aine peeked into Douzaki's classroom. The Kogakura boy she fell for should be in this same class, too. Tomoe: "Is she in there?" Aine: "Oh, Fumiko-san." Fumiko: "..." We found Douzaki first. Despite all that had happened to her yesterday, she still came to school like she was supposed to. Aine: "Kogakura-san is..." Aine: "Ah, he is here! That is him!" He was seated next to the window, which was a short distance from where Douzaki sat. Shougo: "..." He was sitting alone, occasionally glancing over at her. It looked like he'd become extremely conscious of her now that he'd learned she was his email buddy. In contrast, Douzaki was acting like he wasn't even there. This was conjecture, but it had probably been the total opposite up until yesterday. Douzaki worried about him, and he hadn't noticed it at all. That had changed in a single day? Aine: "Fumiko-san is on his mind, yes? Has he not fallen in love with her?" Tomoe: "It's not that simple. I'm sure this whole thing just has him uneasy." Aine: "You are always so negative, Tomoe-san. Fine! Let us try asking directly!" Aine: "Excuse me!" Aine greeted a boy nearby. Aine: "Could you call Kogakura-san for me?" Boy: "Kogakura, you mean Shougo?" Aine: "Yes, Shougo Kogakura-san. Oh, be discreet please. Discreet." Boy: "Huh?" Shougo: "I was so surprised! I couldn't believe my email buddy was a classmate." Even after calling him out so suddenly, he didn't so much as question us as he told us his story. He seemed like a mild-mannered, athletic guy, and was naturally friendly above all else. Those characteristics might have been what Douzaki was drawn to. Aine: "You like your email buddy UMIKOF-san, do you not?" Aine asked him bluntly. Even I couldn't be that shameless. Kogakura may have felt the same, and was forcing a smile. Shougo: "Well, a little. ...No, quite a bit, maybe?" Shougo: "Our conversations went well, and I got pretty excited when we messaged each other. Before I knew it, I had gotten to the point where she was always on my mind." Shougo: "That's why I said we should meet." After that, he gave a seemingly troubled smile. Shougo: "I really am unfair, aren't I? I didn't think looks mattered, but I was inwardly pretty hopeful." Shougo: "I didn't even realize it myself... No, maybe I pretended not to notice?" Shougo: "Thinking to myself, 'She's a nice girl, so she's _got_ to be cute. I don't have my hopes _too_ high, so it'll be fine as long as she's average.'" Tomoe: "But once you met her, she fell short of your expectations?" He looked even more distressed after I asked him that point-blank. Aine: "Th-That is a horribly mean way to put it!" Tomoe: "But that's how it is, right?" Shougo: "Yeah, that _is_ a pretty accurate summary. I'm the horrible one here." Shougo: "People tell me I'm a relatively good person all the time, and I didn't think I was that bad of a person either, but it turns out I wasn't that great of a guy after all." Kogakura's self-mocking smile proved how disappointed he was in himself. Bad people didn't make faces like this. Tomoe: "You're a plenty good guy, Kogakura. I may not know you very well, but I can tell that much." Shougo: "Really? But..." Tomoe: "Truly bad guys don't get disappointed at themselves." Aine: "Th-That is right! Truly bad people upload and paste links of faces with red eyes all over the Internet to scare me!" Shougo: "Screamers? I don't do things like that... but still..." Shougo: "I may have accidentally acted disappointed in front of Douzaki. Maybe she noticed?" Tomoe: "Ah..." So seeing how disappointed he was was what caused Douzaki's heart to fracture? I was sure it was quite a shock. So much, I couldn't put it into words. Shougo: "I hid it almost immediately, but I still may have hurt her." He drooped his shoulders as his face warped in pain. Even an objective third party like me could tell he truly regretted it. There was absolutely no way he was a bad person. Aine: "How exactly did you and Fumiko-san... Douzaki-san meet?" Aine asked with a kind voice. It was like she knocked on the locked door to a person's heart, and that person unwittingly opened that door in response. Shougo: "How...? Yeah, I was killing time surfing the net when I spotted one of her posts." The door opened, and Kogakura's feelings started to show through. Shougo: "She answered someone's call for help and addressed their worries with enthusiasm. They were a stranger to her, but she was so warm-hearted. After that, I just couldn't take my eyes off her..." Shougo: "After I watched for a while, I realized she never showed any weakness. Never talked about any of her own worries." Shougo: "That made me wonder, 'Maybe this girl is actually really delicate and frail?'" Once his feelings began to show, they just kept on coming. Shougo: "I've got a weak side myself, so I could just kind of tell." Shougo: "I'm, well... look at me. I'm a pipsqueak even though I'm on the basketball team. I always act like it doesn't bother me, but it actually bothers me a ton." Shougo: "It does, so I pretend it doesn't... It kind of felt like she was the same way." Shougo: "When I realized that, I left her a comment." And that was where their relationship started. He exchanged email addresses with her, started to talk via private messages, and grew more and more attracted to her. It was probably mutual... Shougo: "I started wanting to meet her quite a while ago, but couldn't bring myself to say it." Shougo: "It wasn't just Douzaki. I lied, too. I said I was in the Basketball Club, and that I was around 180cm tall." Shougo: "My height bothered me, so I wanted to be free of it at least on the net, where nobody could see me." Shougo: "Back then, I never thought I'd wind up wanting to meet her in real life." Shougo: "But once we met in person, she'd find out I was lying, right? That's why I was afraid, too. She sounded totally convinced I was tall." Aine: "But you still wanted to meet her regardless, yes?" Shougo: "...Yeah. My desire to meet her outweighed any fears I had, even if just a little." Shougo: "It was probably just a smidge. But once it got out, there was no stopping it." Shougo: "So..." He stopped mid-sentence. Was he overcome by emotion? Douzaki probably had no idea Kogakura felt this way when he asked to meet. That he felt so strongly when he said it. She hadn't told him how she felt properly, either. They hadn't gotten a chance to talk face-to-face. Shougo: "Why did I make a face like that when Douzaki came to the meeting place? It's true there's no use crying over spilled milk, huh?" Kogakura looked like he was going to burst into tears. Aine: "Do you still love Douzaki-san, Kogakura-san?" Aine asked kindly. His expression became that of a lost child. Shougo: "...I don't know. If I had to pick between liking and disliking her, I like her... But I'm not sure I want to date her..." Shougo: "How indecisive I'm being is totally unfair, isn't it?" Kogakura looked at Aine with a sad smile, but she slowly shook her head with a warm smile of her own. Aine: "That is not true. You are not unfair." There was a gentle ring to Aine's voice. Her words and smile which seemed like they would forgive any sin acted as both a cure and a poison. That moment made me feel like Aine was indeed an angel. A weight had likely been lifted from Kogakura's heart. Although slight, I could tell his expression was one of relief. Shougo: "But it's true that I hurt Douzaki. She hasn't made eye contact with me ever since..." Shougo: "What should I do?" Tomoe: "..."
Aine: "Kogakura-san is worried, too." Tomoe: "Yeah." Even though they had lied to each other, neither of them were bad people. They were just two good people in a lot of pain. Tomoe: "Will everyone be saved if I return Douzaki's shard?" Aine: "Well..." I knew there was no way Aine could know, but I had to ask someone. Tomoe: "There's no telling what will happen, is there?" Aine: "...Right." Tomoe: "Do you believe I should return the shard regardless, Aine?" I questioned her further. Aine thought about it a little, then nodded firmly. Aine: "Yes, I still do." Tomoe: "I see." Was it her angelic faith that allowed her to nod so readily? Our beliefs couldn't be further apart. I had always believed that love brings nothing but sorrow, so people should avoid having any involvement with it. But was that right? For some reason, I had begun to feel unsure. If I returned the shard to Douzaki, then she would recover her feelings for Kogakura. Would that bring Douzaki happiness? Would it make her suffer? Should I return the shard even _if_ it made her suffer? Was that for her own good? How would Kogakura feel about all this? Not to mention, Douzaki's best friend. Would she be better off if Douzaki's heart stayed fractured? Or maybe... What in the world would be for the best? What in the world would be for the best?
The one thing I could say for sure was that they hadn't had a chance to tell each other how they felt yet. They didn't hate each other, at the very least, so shouldn't I do something to help them see eye to eye again? Tomoe: "I understand. I just need to return the shard, right?" Aine: "...Yes." This was how things were going to turn out in the end? I couldn't help but feel like this angel had me in the palm of her hand...
Tomoe: "Wouldn't it be best if I didn't return the shard?" Aine: "Huh...? Why?" Aine assumed I'd agree to return the shard. She prodded me for answers, as if my decision was completely unexpected. Tomoe: "Kogakura said it too, right? That he didn't know if he'd date Douzaki or not." Tomoe: "I think he's a good guy, but whether or not he can accept all that Douzaki has to offer is a different story." Tomoe: "It's obviously important what a person is like on the inside, but people do have certain physical preferences, too." Tomoe: "The hard fact is, people have their own tastes beyond simply whether a person is cute or not. Isn't that obvious?" Aine: "Well, that is true, but..." Tomoe: "And yet, Kogakura is such a nice guy he feels bad that he can't accept how Douzaki looks, even though there's nothing really wrong with that." Aine: "That is why you will not return Fumiko-san's shard?" Tomoe: "That's right. Would Kogakura be able to come to a calm decision about how he feels if Douzaki were to confess again?" Tomoe: "He's so convinced that accepting how she looks is good and rejecting her is bad that he might pick the logically noble answer." Tomoe: "If he does that, won't Douzaki take his answer as pity?" Feelings weren't always conveyed in words. That was why I doubted they could be happy together unless Kogakura truly accepted Douzaki from the bottom of his heart. For that matter, just like it's difficult to take back pressing a wrong button, wouldn't it be difficult for them to start over after this? Tomoe: "There's no telling what will happen in the future, but isn't there something more important to those two right now than love?" Aine: "Something more important than love?" Tomoe: "Yes." Getting back to an ordinary life where they could be themselves. Didn't that need to come first? Tomoe: "Besides, Douzaki knows her best friend wants a deeper relationship with Kogakura, and promised to introduce her." Tomoe: "If she confessed her feelings now, she'd be breaking her promise." Aine: "That is true, but..." Tomoe: "If she broke her promise and put love first, it might put a rift between them. In the worst case, she might end up losing her crush _and_ her best friend." Aine: "What will we do, then?" Tomoe: "All we can do is watch over them." Aine: "You think so...?" Aine's shoulders drooped dejectedly. "Watch over" could also mean "believe in." All we could do was believe. Believe that humans weren't that weak. That was what we could, no, _should_ do for them. That was the feeling I got.