"Alright. You buckled in?"
"Mhmm."
I went to sleep straight after my shower as I didn't know exactly how early Kanon's mother wanted me awake. Luckily I did though considering it's 7am. Anna was the only one in the house that was still fast asleep.
Today we'll be looking at the school Anna attends. It's not too far away apparently, but sometimes Anna uses a bike to get to school. If I'm meant to be going with Anna then maybe I should also buy a bike? Although I have no idea how much a bike would cost.
"Are you sure the school will be open on a Sunday though?"
"Of course. Well, of course students aren't normally allowed, but there should be some teachers there."
She makes it sound like she's done this before.
"I called them and they said it's fine. Hehe, if we're lucky you could maybe even start as soon as tomorrow~"
She really seems adamant about me starting school as soon as possible. I appreciate her caring about me like this, but a part of me is a bit anxious about all of this. It's almost like she's treating me like her own daughter which I honestly could never accept. Sure my mother and father are dead, but that doesn't mean I need new parents.
"And here we are~"
"Eh?"
However, during my train of thought, we stop outside the school's gate, but it's a gate that I'm already familiar with. It's the same one that the man took me that one time. Back then I thought this was a university or some other kind of high level institute with how big this place is, but is this actually a high school?
"Something wrong?"
"Ah- no. Nothing."
Unlike with the man, this time I walked alongside Kanon's mother inside the school's premises. It feels like a barren wasteland, but I do see a few cars parked around the school. I guess those are the teachers?
Once we make it inside, Kanon's mother guides us straight to the principal's office. She sure knows her way around this place it seems.
"So this student would like to enrol here?"
"Yes."
"Alright. Then what is your name and your previous school you were attending?"
I proceed to give the details to the principal as Kanon's mother didn't know my previous school's name. However, after a few moments on his laptop.
"Hmm... It seems as though you're already enrolled here."
""What?""
Both me and Kanon's mother looks towards the principal in surprise.
"Yes, it seems she is due to start tomorrow."
And to top it off, it looks as though Kanon's mother was actually right about me starting tomorrow, although I think she meant it as a joke.
"Wait, Reina. You didn't know about this?"
"N-no?"
Could it be that man? He came here when he took me in. Did he actually enrol me here with my grandma's money? He didn't even tell me... Was he trying to get me in trouble for not attending or something?
"Just to confirm. You do have your uniform, right?"
"No."
"Ah~ Alright. Well you're already scheduled to begin studying here tomorrow, so I suggest you two go to the faculty room and get that uniform sorted out. Ah, but if you like, she could start the following week if that would be more comfortable?"
"Yes. Thank you very much. Would that be okay?"
"Of course. You two seemed surprised about it. I'm assuming you'll also need textbooks? The teachers at the faculty room can also help with that. I'll let them know right now."
"Thank you very much."
And so, we leave the principal's office just as fast as we came in, but I still can't believe that I'll actually be attending this school next week... How am I meant to do that with how big this place is? Isn't there meant to be a guide or something that shows me around?
Once we arrived at the faculty room, some of the teachers looked at me quite strangely, but I guess that's normal considering how I look; or more specifically my hair. I hope they don't have rules where i need to keep my hair a certain length...
Thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case, and once Kanon's mother told them about what we learnt, one of the teachers helped us with organizing my things for school, including my uniform. Despite Kanon's mother not needing to pay for my tuition, she did however need to pay for my text books and also the uniform. I know it would've been worse if she had to pay for the tuition as well, but I still feel bad having her go out of her way for me like this.
"Ahh~ Well, that went well!"
Once we walked out of the school, Kanon's mother smiled brightly as we walked back to the car.
"So I'll be starting the following week?"
"Yes! Fufu. But I never thought that you were about to start tomorrow."
"Yeah. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it."
"Was it your previous guardian's doing?"
"Probably..."
That's the only bad thing about this. I can only assume that in the school's files, my current guardian will be listed under "that" man's name. I thought I'd be done with him, but to think that I'll still have deal with him in someway.
"Well I put myself as your guardian, I hope you don't mind."
"Eh?"
"While you were getting your measurements done for your uniform, I spoke to a teacher and they helped sort it out."
Never mind... I was beginning to worry over nothing.
"Thank you."
"No problem. You'll be staying with us so it was quite straight forward. Although if or when you eventually want to leave, we'll have to sort that out, okay?"
"Okay."
To be honest, I only have one and a quarter years left of school. I may as well just stay with this family until graduation.
At the same time-
"You tried calling her phone again?"
"I can't really do that when I'm in a call with you, haha."
Sadly, Midori couldn't join me with today's search, but to be honest I'm fine with it. As much as I want to go out there and search house to house and stores that might look like they'd have stay-at-home workers, I really don't think I can handle all the failures again without Midori there with me.
"You said that you put your number in her phone as well, right?"
"Yeah."
"Haahhh~ Why can't she just turn on her phone~!"
"Probably 'cause she might think her phone's still missing..."
My decision to not leave a physical note for her is coming back to bite me. Sure there wasn't much in terms of paper there, but I could've at least found something. Now the only thing I'm really hoping for is that Reina discovers her phone in that box... That's if that man didn't lie about her taking her things and leaving.
"Well hey! Look on the bright side. You know she's safe at least, right? She's not living with that creepy man anymore, and when she does find her phone, she'll call you. I think that's a hell of a lot better than what we had before, right?"
"I guess... yeah."
"Mhmm! So smile, okay? We're close!"
"Heh."
I try and do as she says and smile, even if it's a bit pained. I really thought that my plan would succeed, but in the end this is what I'm left with. but Midori's right. We are in a better spot than before, I really should try and be more positive about this.
"...Thank you, Midori."
"Eh? Uh- I didn't do anything, ehe. You're the one that did something as crazy as staying at a strangers place!"
"Pfft, I know. But even still, I think I'd probably be a wreck without you."
"..."
"...Midori?"
"S-s-sorry! Uhm, a fly was buzzing around in my room, aha."
Is it just me or does Midori seem a bit off?
"Anyways~! I think my dad wants to take me out for dinner soon, so can we call later?"
"Sure."
"Sweet. Then talk to you later~"
"Nn. See ya."
We end the call there as I'm left staring at my phone screen, wondering what that might've been. But suddenly, I feel my phone vibrate as a messages comes through which appears to be from Yume.
Yume: "Something huge just happened! Can I call?!"
The way she worded it makes it seem serious. My fingers end up moving on, typing out a response.
Luna: "Sure."
It didn't take long for her to call as I quickly answered.
"Luna!"
Her voice pierces through the speaker of my phone, making me move my phone away from my ears a bit.
"Calm down. Won't your parents hear you? What's wrong?"
"Ah well they're out at the moment, taking Kai home. Ah!!"
She calms down for the first half of her sentence, only to then yell out once more upon mentioning Kai's name.
"Luna! This is bad!"
"What is?"
"Kai uhm... He asked me out today during our meetup. He came here to my house this time you see and he uhm... yeah."
My heart stops for a split second, but I quickly calm down. I really would've liked for Kai to not have gone through with this, but now that it's come to this, it'd probably be a good idea to finally talk to Nicole about this. But Midori said that she'd handle it so... I guess all I can really do is get information for her.
"Did you turn him down?"
"Of course! I mean sure if I knew he wasn't taken then I might've been open to the idea, but like you said, he's already got a girlfriend, right? Why would he just..."
Her voice trails off there, even breaking a little towards the end.
"-Like I was so happy when we reunited. We've known each other since we were little, so of course I'd be fond of him... But for him to do this to- Nicole, was it?"
"Nn."
"I just don't want to make things worse."
I respect Yume for calling me like this, but I think it would've been better for her to call Midori instead. But I suppose I'm the only one with Yume's number.
"Would you like me to get a hold of Nicole for you?"
"Yes please. I think it's wrong for her to not know what's going on."
So Yume thinks the same way as me regarding this... Midori seems to want to keep Nicole in the dark, which I understand why of course, but this has gone too far now.
"Alright. I'll get in touch with her."
"Thank you. Haaah~"
She breathes a sigh of relief as the tense atmosphere from earlier has quickly subsided.
"Oh, but how's it going with your search for Reina?"
"It's... not going as great as I hoped. But it could be worse."
We end up casually talking about my sister and other things until her parents return, where Yume would need to hang up from the call to not be found out.
"Hmmm."
But how to bring it up with Nicole. I know Midori said that she wanted to handle this, but if I tell her what Yume told me, there might be a chance that Midori might change up the story in order to soften the news to her. I guess I could message Midori first and then later I could send the news to Nicole as well depending on Midori's response... Ahhh~ For now let's just message Midori.
Meanwhile with Midori-
"Aaaaah~!"
After ending the call with Luna, I immediately buried my face back into the pillow. I didn't sound too weird, right? I might've screwed up near the end there, but it wasn't that bad, right?
"...MMMMMMHHH~!"
Nope! She totally thought I was weird! But it's not my fault! How can she just casually say those things like it's nothing? "I'd be a wreck without you?" Like, what does that mean? Also just the way she said "thank you..." It made my heart freeze for a moment. This is definitely strange, right?
Before I knew it, I was already pressing the call button for Nicole.
"Yo!"
"Nicole~!"
"Hey hey! What's with the energy? Did something happen?"
"Yes!"
"Okay okay, calm down. What happened?"
"I think I'm weird!"
"I know, we've already established that."
"Hey!"
"Pfft, alright. Just tell me what happened?"
I end up talking about the phone call I just had with Luna to Nicole, mainly focusing on the feelings on my end, but even as I recounted it all, my heart still felt like it was twisting around in all sorts of ways.
"Hmmm... Yup. You're definitely weird."
"Come on Nicole, please?"
"Hah~ Well it just sounds to me that you like her."
"Of course I like her!"
"Not in the normal way, haha. As in 'like' like her. I remember feeling a similar way to Kai before we started dating."
"Eh? But we're both girls?"
"So? It happens more than you think. I personally don't get it, but I've heard some stories with some of my other friends."
I remember Nicole and I joking about a topic like this before, but this feels like it's more serious than that. The way she's speaking now is a lot more direct.
"I'm..."
"Look. How would you feel if that- what's her name, started dating Luna."
"You mean Yume?"
"Yeah."
"I... don't think I'd like that."
I was about to deny it, but it's true that I was jealous back at the time as I was worried that Yume would take away my time with Luna. I didn't really think that it would be because of this though.
"Then what about Shin?"
"Definitely not!"
"Pfft. So you're more fine with Yume taking her?"
"No- but... I just don't think Luna feels the same way is all..."
Thinking about it, I don't think there's ever been an instance where Luna was embarrassed around me. There were a few times, but I never felt like maybe our feelings were aligned. It feels like it's always me being the one who's embarrassed.
"Then you just gotta sweep her off her feet."
"Eh?"
"Find her weak spots and gently slide your way inside those cracks."
"Why do you make that sound a little dirty?"
"Pfft! Well you could also do that-"
"Nicole!"
"Fine fine~ Well you get what I mean, right? Do things that would get her to see you in a different light. Didn't you say you were learning how to cook?"
"R-right?"
"Then why not cook her lunch for tomorrow? Exams are over so it's the perfect time to relax with situations like that."
"But I'm not nearly as good as Luna-"
"Doesn't matter~ Food always tastes better when it's cooked for someone else, that's what Kai says to me at least. Plus you can get your mom to help you as well."
Hearing her mention Kai distracts me for a brief moment, but I try and focus on what we're actually talking about.
"I'm at my dad's this week remember?"
"Ah~ Right... Well! Then good luck~!"
"Hah~"
Just what am I getting myself into now? I just began going with Nicole's plan with making Luna lunch, but where am I even meant to start? It's true that when Luna cooked for me that one time, it was truly delicious. Probably one of the best meals I've had in a long time. I want to believe Nicole about it being more tasty when it's cooked for you, but with how much I know about Luna, with how she's been living up until now... It makes sense that her cooking would be amazing.
"...Would my cooking really be okay?"
"Of course. If you like, I could come over to your place in the morning to taste test?"
"You'd do that?"
"Hey, this is a new era! I want to see what your first time cooking is like!"
"Fine~ I'll let dad know."
"Mhmm! I'll tell mom not to cook me breakfast tomorrow as well."
Great... not only am I going along with making Luna's lunch, but now I'm apparently making Nicole's breakfast on top of that? Maybe calling Nicole wasn't as a good idea like I thought.
"Hmm?"
Just then, I feel my phone vibrate against my ear as my heart stops upon seeing the message from Luna.
Luna: "Hey, I just got off a sudden call from Yume. She told me that Kai asked her out today at her place. She turned him down but I think it's time to let Nicole know, don't you think?"
"-Oi~ Midori~"
It was when Nicole's voice echoes from the speaker did my heart begin to beat normally again, pulling me back into reality. However the contents of that message from Luna still lingers in my head, making me wondering how to even respond.
"I uhm... Hey, Nicole."
"Hey, you sound quite serious all of a sudden. Did a cockroach come inside your room or something? Haha."
"No... Uhm."
I still can't wrap my head around this situation at all. I can't even make up words for what I'm about to say.
"…Nicole!"
"Yes?!"
"It's Kai."
That said... I somehow start talking...