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The Niijima sisters were busy women. Both had resolved to walk down a difficult path in life, each pursuing their respective perilous careers- Makoto putting her all into pursuing her dream of becoming a police commissioner, and Sae pushing against the system as a defence lawyer.
But both were well aware of the dangers of overwork, so no matter how hectic their work was that day- unless there was something on the level of a literal ticking time bomb ready to level Tokyo lying on their desks- they would at least take the time to eat lunch and give themselves a figurative moment to breathe.
On any day that allowed her to do so, Makoto would visit Haru’s café for lunch- and more importantly- to see her husband. Though on busier days she couldn’t in good conscience spend that much time away from her desk, so she’d simply grab something in the cafeteria for the day, or if she knew she’d be this busy ahead of time- she’d bring a bento Ren lovingly packed for her.
Today was a packed lunch day. Admittedly she was slightly embarrassed to be carrying around the little bento wrapped up in its blue floral cloth through this station full of no-nonsense police officers and officials; though not as embarrassed as when she’d open it up and reveal the rice shaped into Buchimaru’s face staring up at her.
The building in which Sae’s firm was based was but a short walk away from Tokyo PD, so on days like today where the café wasn’t in the cards, it wasn’t uncommon for the sisters to have lunch together, using what little time they had to catch up with eachother. Makoto ignored Sae’s little smirk at the Buchi-rice and would ask her about how work has been going, and making sure Sae maintained some degree of a social life- which thankfully she seemed to do so, even if she would try to keep details to herself.
Meanwhile Sae would always want to hear more about the family- particularly the details of the life of her beloved Niece. Sae never seemed interested in having any children of her own, but was happier about being an Aunt than she’d like to admit. It wasn’t often that she talked to Rin’s other Aunt- Futaba- but when she did the younger woman had said that the joy of being an Aunt was being able to enjoy all the fun of children without any of the actual responsibility, and indeed the fun of spoiling or gaslighting said child to make life difficult for the parents. Sae couldn’t honestly say she agreed with the latter half of that, but she couldn’t deny the first.
“Rin’s going to be starting high school soon, isn’t she?”
Makoto nodded, wiping away a piece of rice from her lip with her napkin.
“Yeah. Ha… time really flies, huh?”
“No kidding. The girl’s oh-so-close to becoming a woman.” Sae sighed wistfully, staring down into her cup of coffee- brewed by Ren, brought in a flask by Makoto, and somewhat reluctantly accepted by Sae. “You, me, and Ren all attended Shujin, I’d assume you’re planning a similar path for Rin?”
Makoto hummed to herself thoughtfully.
“We did bring up the idea but… to be honest Ren and I are a little reluctant.”
“Oh? Is it because of the controversies?”
“I mean… partially. Shujin is very much the place where I found myself, and found the resolve to follow the path I’ve chosen in life, but honestly that was all because of the people I met, I don’t feel I owe any of that growth to Shujin itself.”
“That’s true, with everything you’ve told me over the years it makes sense that you wouldn’t have the best associations with the place.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I do have a lot of fond memories of my final year there, and I acknowledge it’s unreasonable to still have negative feelings about the controversies. The whole Kamoshida incident really put a magnifying glass on the school and nothing really noteworthy or worrisome has happened in the twenty-odd years since. If Rin-chan wanted to go I would be totally okay with it.”
“Does she have much of an opinion on which school you choose?”
“Not especially, it’s hard to know what would be best for yourself- especially at that age; but you know how passionate she is about her acting. We knew that whatever school we chose there’d need to be a theatre club or something to that effect available to her. She’s already getting emotional at the thought of leaving the friends she made in her club in middle school.” Makoto seemed rather melancholic for a second, but quickly perked up again, smiling at Sae. “Ren’s actually taking her and Natsu to an open day at Kosei high as we speak.”
“Natsu’s going with them?”
“She’s going to be entering high school at the same time. Ryuji and Haru are going through much the same struggle as we are right now; so when Ren asked for the day off to visit Kosei, Haru asked if he could take Natsu along with them.”
“I see.” Sae nodded thoughtfully. “I can’t say I know an awful lot about Kosei, but I hear they’re quite the ‘artsy’ school, definitely more open to fostering ‘niche’ interests, it may be good for her.”
“Well that’s what we hope to find out. Me and Ren will talk about it when I get back this evening…”
Sae eyed her younger sister a while, staring somewhat listlessly down at her nearly-empty bento.
“You seem nervous.”
“Huh? N-no, not at all.”
“You’ve never been a very good liar Makoto.”
“I…” Makoto’s cheeks turned pink. “Alright yes, I’m nervous. What mother wouldn’t be when her only child is heading off into the unknown?”
Sae chuckled.
“It’s not as if she’s going to be boarding there, she’s not disappearing or anything, it’s just another school.”
“I know… but…”
“Come on, you know as well as I- Rin’s a strong girl, and not a baby anymore, she’s lasted this long without her ‘Mama’ and ‘Papa’ floating over her constantly.”
“I…” Makoto sighed. “Yeah I know I’m being silly, I just worry sometimes.”
“That’s because you’re a caring mother.” Sae rather enjoyed how Makoto blushed at the compliment. “I’m just saying- don’t let it get to you. We deal with enough stress in our lives already…”
“Yeah… thanks Sis.”
“Don’t mention it.”
The sisters kept eating in comfortable silence, it was still a busy day for the both of them, so they didn’t want to spend too much time chitchatting like this. But even so, Makoto couldn’t help but restlessly tap the edge of her bento with her chopsticks.
She mumbled to herself.
“Maybe I could have her take Morgana in her bag with her, to keep an eye on her…”
Sae sighed, shaking her head.
~ ~ ~
Ren couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty standing here now. He had known of Kosei for a long time now, it was the alma mater of a close friend and former comrade of his, and yet he had never even so much as asked about it.
Granted, back when Yusuke was attending they always had more pressing things to deal with aside from his academic career, and he never seemed bothered by the fact that no one ever asked, but still- it was nice to take an interest in the lives of your friends, but this was always something that got overlooked.
He had asked what the school was like before coming here today of course- better two decades late than never- though Yusuke didn’t really have much to say; Kosei seemed like a perfectly respectable establishment. It had Catholic founding, but it sounded like that side of things wasn’t especially emphasized; and the school prided itself on fostering and developing its students’ unique talents with a wide variety of courses to choose from, which made it sound ideal on paper at least.
Getting away from the… mixed memories of Shujin and its controversies was also a good thing, the closest thing Kosei had to a ‘scandal’ was the Principal pretending to be able to speak French only to later have his ‘deceit’ exposed in a spectacle described as “Well, it’s whatever, I guess…” by the students who witnessed it; it’s said the principal had quite the melodramatic reaction himself, even threatening to resign in disgrace.
He got better.
‘What was I thinking about?’ Ren remembered what he was doing here. He stood out in the courtyard alongside his daughter and her friend Natsu. They alongside a few other families had come in for a guided tour of the school.
Next to him stood Rin, holding his hand while scanning the building and the rather attractive grounds around them. She always made certain to maintain her air of grace and dignity- standing up straight and being mindful of how the faculty might perceive her- but Ren could see that spark of curiosity and excitement in her eyes. When her father was talking about the school with Yusuke she managed to overhear the fact that it had its own theatre on site, which immediately won the school her favor.
Ren of course had to remind her to temper her expectations. It was still just a high school after all, she could hardly expect something on par with the Budokan. Still, she had to come see it, and the surprisingly ornamental grounds around them gave her hope.
Natsu both looked and felt out of place, especially compared to Rin. Rin’s perfect posture, muted pink-and-white dress and lace-up sandals contrasted pretty heavily with Natsu’s slouch, ripped leggings and band-logo vest, and steel-toed boots. More than a few of the preppier-looking families gave her weird looks, she was more than happy to shoot back her own threatening glares to scare them off. She of course didn’t join in the little daisy chain the Niijimas were forming, she’d never publicly hold hands with her own father- let alone Ren. Just as well though, Ren would have felt more than a little awkward with it himself.
Ren realized he was getting lost in thought again, they were supposed to be listening to the vice principal lecturing them about the history of the school, but he hadn’t taken in a word of it, just one of those days. At least Rin seemed to be listening intently.
“…And now for the tour to begin proper, I’ll turn you all over to my colleague…” The vice principal turned to the well-built and well-dressed man approaching from her right. “I’d like to introduce everyone to the ‘Director of the arts’, Norio Miyake.”
“’Director of the arts’?” Ren thought aloud. “That’s a colorful title.”
Rin let out a muted chuckle.
The first thing the three noticed about this ‘director’ was his gaze. Ren would never say it aloud of course- but he was very familiar with the concept of ‘resting bitch face’ from knowing young Natsu all these years; but that concept was dwarfed by the unbelievably intense gaze he affixed upon all the families present- a few instinctively recoiling in fear. They had no idea what the disciplinary measures of this school were, but they started to doubt they even needed any if they had someone with this natural overwhelming presence here.
His glare of course met Natsu, and while his expression didn’t visibly shift any- she could just feel his disapproval. She sneered back at him; she couldn’t tell whether his glare really did intensify in that moment, or if it was just her imagination, but she cursed herself for letting fear overtake her for an instant and breaking eye-contact.
“Hm.” Miyake looked to Rin next, smiling politely at him seemingly undisturbed, unlike her father- whose grip on her hand subtly tightened. He nodded to the vice principal. “Thank you No-san. It is with great pride that I welcome you all to our academy. Both myself and vice principal No graduated from this establishment ourselves, so it holds great importance to the both of us. We intend to do everything we can to avoid having its great name besmirched; however if you prove yourselves worthy of enrolling, we can guarantee you will reach your fullest potential within these walls. Now come! I shall guide you all.”
They watched him and the vice principal turn around and head towards the front entrance, and one-by-one the families- somewhat apprehensively- followed them.
“I think I might hate it here.” Natsu groaned.
“He’s quite the intense type.” Ren laughed nervously, before patting her reassuringly on the shoulder, a gesture that managed to make her jump. “I wouldn’t worry too much, he’s probably just trying to scare everyone into behaving, I’ve known a few teachers like that.”
“I’m not like… scared of him.” Natsu turned to make sure no one could see her face. “That’d be ridiculous. I can already tell he’s gonna be a pain in the ass though…”
“He certainly seems passionate.” Rin nodded. “I want to know what the role of ‘Director of the arts’ entails, don’t you?”
“Not really… prolly just means he’s the one who yells at all the teachers who do art and music and shit, making them do all the work and whatever.”
“Did you not hear me?” Without anyone noticing, Miyake had managed to seemingly appear mere paces away from the trio, Natsu nearly jumping out of her skin and coming dangerously close to punching the man out of instinctual self-preservation. “I thought I told you to follow me, do I really need to leave your family behind this early in the process?”
Ren breathed a sigh of relief that Natsu managed to stop herself on following through with her premature self-defence. Not only would it have been bad to attack the faculty on the open day for obvious reasons, but even under his suit it was clear the man was carrying quite a lot of muscle, pair that with him being at least a half-foot taller than Ren and he thought that even Makoto might be outmatched by him in terms of strength.
Natsu- making sure she stayed just out of arms reach of the man- sneered at him.
“We were just about to follow you, can’t you just give us a second?”
“Now Natsu-chan…” Rin brought her hands together, smiling. “The misstep was ours, we could well have walked and talked, it’s rude to keep one’s host waiting after all.”
Miyake eyed her thoughtfully and nodded.
“So you understand then, that’s good. There may be hope for this one.”
“Thank you Sir.” It was debatable whether what was said was really a compliment or not, but Rin was more than happy to take it as one as she curtsied to him. “And I assure you that Natsu-chan only means well, so please do not judge her prematurely.”
“What the hell Rin?” Natsu looked at her confused a moment, then glared at Miyake a moment, before tutting and walking towards the entrance on her own.
“W-we better not let her leave us behind!” Ren forced a smile, hastily pulling his daughter along into the school proper, where they’d all be safer… hopefully at least.
~ ~ ~
The tour itself proceeded without incident; school technically wasn’t in session, but there were a few older students in uniform wandering around- either for extracurricular activities, studying for college entrance exams, or simply performing duties no doubt foisted upon them by school staff- but they all managed to stay out of the way of the tour.
For the most part it didn’t look all that different to Shujin; every Japanese highschool looked more or less interchangeable in Ren’s mind. They had a nicer courtyard at least; it looked more like a garden than the forgettable bare bones patches of grass and occasional bush from his Shujin days, which was nice- Natsu never seemed to inherit her mother’s green thumb, but she did at least appreciate plants aesthetically- even if she’d be reluctant to admit it out loud.
The hallways and classrooms were pleasant, but unremarkable. And as passionate as the director and vice principle appeared to be about their school, there wasn’t much they could say to make this kind of thing interesting. Even most of the parents were starting to look bored, Natsu looked about ready to blow her brains out, and Rin- who started this tour with a smile on her face and her pen and notebook in hand- was starting to seem impatient waiting to reach the part she actually cared about.
Things did get more interesting when they reached the art department, however. Kosei clearly took a lot of pride in the artists it had helped foster; several paintings and even a few sculptures were proudly displayed in the corridor. Those on display were of professional quality; this clearly wasn’t just a case where everyone’s class project was shown for a week or so, but instead a select few especially technical or evocative pieces were on a longer-term display. Even the families who perhaps didn’t consider themselves huge art buffs were quite taken by what they saw.
One in particular caught Ren’s eye, an abstract piece evoking a strong sense of nostalgia, though that was a fairly predictable response, given that he recognised it.
“Desire and hope?”
“Oho?” The vice principal’s brow raised, and she wasted no time in striding over to his side and looking up at him curiously. “You’re familiar with this piece then?”
Ren turned to the vice principal, but only saw his own daughter looking back at him at first. Ren was fairly tall for a Japanese man, especially noticeable once he dropped his habit of constantly slouching from his teens. Rin was of more-or-less average height for a 15-year-old girl, but even she was a full head taller than the vice principal. Combine this with her apparent lack of personal-space causing her to sidle up uncomfortably close to Ren, and he straight up managed to miss her for a second. When he did see her he took a small, cautious step away before responding.
“I happen to know the artist, Yusuke is a good friend of mine, so I’m surprised to see this here.”
She nodded.
“This has actually been here since shortly before I began working here. I’m told Kitagawa-san created this piece while he was enrolled here, and actually donated it a while after graduating.”
“Is that so? I’m surprised he let it go so easily.”
“I don’t think that’s the right way to look at it.” Miyake appeared on Ren’s other side (scaring the shit out of him in the process). “Art is no good locked away where none will ever see it, it is to be shared with others, and I’m sure he felt the same way. Myself and Kameko-san were actually classmates of his.”
“Kameko?”
“Me. Kameko No.” The vice principal raised her hand, looking clearly irritated. “I did give you- and everyone else- my name upon your arrival, I certainly hope that’s the only thing that you’ve failed to absorb while we’ve been talking to you today.”
Ren laughed nervously, despite her size she still managed to hold this slightly intimidating aura of authority, or maybe it was just the lingering fear of the huge man just behind him? Regardless, he felt it best to just move on asap.
“I’m Ren Niijima, it’s nice to meet you. So, classmates huh? Guess that means we’re all the same age then? Yusuke never really talked about his classmates.”
Kameko huffed.
“I’d be surprised if he did, he spent most of his time off in his own little world, only really interacting with the rest of us to try and rope us into a project of his.”
Ren smiled.
“Yeah that sounds like him. Still, clearly he thought fondly of the time he spent here if he donated a painting as important as this one.”
Kameko nodded.
“I should hope so. I cannot take pride in his case in particular of course, but it is with great pride that I do everything I can to maintain that spirit in our school.”
“Indeed.” Miyake glanced upwards, wistfully. “The current principal has been considering retirement, and No-san is being groomed to take his position when he does so.”
“Don’t say I’m ‘being groomed’, that gives a horrible impression.”
“That is the correct usage of that term.”
“Um, excuse me Miss No, is it?”
“Hm?” Kameko turned around to face Rin. “You must be this man’s daughter, am I right?”
“Mhm!” She grinned, curtsying. “Rin Niijima, it’s an honor to make your acquaintance.” She pointed to another painting, the one right next to Yusuke’s ‘Desire and hope’. “The plaque beneath this one says it’s one of your own works?”
Kameko stood proud and tall (as she was able), and nodded.
“Indeed. It’s a much more recent work of mine than Kitagawa’s, but I got permission to have this on display here, as I think it embodies the virtues I wish this establishment to bestow upon those who attend.”
Ren could tell from one look at his daughter’s face how much she admired this piece, he noticed even Natsu seemed to be scanning it intently- albeit from a greater distance, not wanting to risk being pulled into the conversation with a bunch of adults. The artwork depicted a female, angelic figure front and centre; emitting an intense, multi-colored light in all directions onto various environments that bordered the work: a damaged cityscape along the bottom and left side, and a desolate desert along the right, with a second source of similar light emanating from above her. The level of detail in the environment and the figure herself while maintaining an air of surrealism was certainly appealing. He liked it and could see why the girls were so taken as well. He did find it quite unusual how it was displayed in a school of all places though; he by no means had any problem with artistic nudity, and it wasn’t as if anything in the work was particularly explicit, but for it to get the okay to be hung here without complaint? It definitely spoke to the difference in values Kosei held compared to Shujin, or indeed the schools he attended all the way back in his Inaba days.
“It’s really quite something.” Rin brought her hands together excitedly. “It’s making me feel inspired just looking at it. Don’t you think so too Natsu-chan?”
“H-huh?!” Natsu was caught off guard having Rin’s overwhelming grin focused on her out of nowhere; fighting back a mild blush she averted her eyes. “I… I guess it’s kinda neat…”
Kameko’s curiosity was piqued.
“Would either of you happen to be artists yourselves?” Before Rin had a chance to answer Kameko shuffled right up to her, literally any closer and their bodies would have been touching. It wasn’t often Rin felt nervous, but having this woman’s wide, amber eyes staring up into hers with enormous intensity, as if piercing her through to her very soul, it put her on the back foot slightly. “Are you pursuing the divine?”
“The… I beg your pardon?”
The gaze seemed to grow even stronger.
“Do you seek to attain something beyond the realm of mortality, to trespass into that which is greater and take ahold of it as your own?”
“Um…” Rin looked up at her father, who looked about ready to leap to her rescue at a moment’s notice, and at Natsu who seemed especially freaked out, before finally smiling nervously down at the woman. “I don’t really know anything about drawing, if that’s what you mean. I prefer acting and singing and whatnot. Natsu prefers fighting.”
“The hell?” Natsu sneered at Rin. “No I don’t. You’re making me sound like some kinda thug.”
“Hm?” Rin tilted her head. “I mean you’re really good at kickboxing…”
“Oh that.” Natsu’s shoulders dropped. “I thought you meant… nevermind.”
“I see.” Kameko still hadn’t stopped staring. “So you two pursue divinity through the technique of the body rather than the hands and mind?”
“I… um…” Rin bit her lower lip. “I’m afraid I don’t understand; I do apologize.”
“Tch.” Kameko stepped away, sighing and mumbling to herself. “Too soon perhaps? They’re not yet aware…”
Rin discreetly leaned over to her father and whispered:
“Papa, is she insane?”
“Y—” Ren paused, and checked behind him to see if Miyake was watching him, he was- damn. “No of course not Rin, that’s very rude of you to say.”
“Ah. You’re right Papa, I should mind my tongue more.” She cleared her throat and turned back to the painting. “I may be ignorant of the more technical aspects of such work, but I can say this piece really speaks to me. The angel lady is so eye-catching.”
“Mm.” Miyake nodded. “Kameko-san’s works have always been eye-catching. Though part of it in this piece especially can be credited to the model.”
“Oh?”
“An old comrade of ours, I doubt many out there could hope to match her passion for art in all it forms. She didn’t follow us into our careers in education, instead she travels the world, pursuing her passions endlessly. Combining her energy with that of an experienced artist is almost guaranteed to create a masterpiece.”
“Ooo, I think I can see that here.” Rin grinned. “Also she has massive boobies, which is very cool.”
“Rin?!”
“The hell Rin?!”
Ren and Natsu cried out in almost-perfect unison.
“Oh? Did I overstep again?” Rin bowed apologetically to everyone present. “I do so apologize.”
Ren daren’t look at the faculty, nor the other families who were already likely annoyed at their group for essentially putting the whole tour on hold. It was time for another swift change in subject- he thought.
“So I’ve been told this school has its own theatre?”
A sharp intake of breath from Rin, followed by a huge grin and a high-pitched noise of excitement that one could possibly mistake as a whine could be heard.
Ren- forcing a nonchalant smile- continued.
“Is that included in the tour’s itinerary?”
“Mm.” Kameko nodded, seemingly unbothered by Rin’s… comments. “We can head over there momentarily.”
Rin started subtly (and perhaps involuntarily) bouncing in place, prompting a tired look from Natsu.
“You’re such a weirdo Rin…”
~ ~ ~
“Ahaa~” Rin ran across the stage teeming with excitement, her arms outspread. “Look Papa, look! This is so much better than just using the gymnasium!”
“It’s better than I thought it’d be.” Ren admired the room. It was on the smaller side of course, but it seemed to be a proper theatre. He was expecting just an auditorium at most, but it even had its own backstage area, a curtain between the stage and audience, and even a well-made cardboard background no doubt left over from a previous performance- in this case resembling a picturesque wooded area; clearly the art students were cooperating with the drama students.
As pretty as the room was, it was nothing compared to his daughter, gallivanting around overflowing with joy, unable to contain herself. It was rare to see her quite this happy- and she was a pretty cheerful girl to begin with, so that was saying something.
He looked to his right, at Natsu watching Rin frolic around the stage- no doubt already imagining herself performing to a full house- and laughed.
Natsu noticed him staring at her.
“…What?”
“You were smiling.”
“Eh?” She shot him a dirty look. “No I wasn’t.”
“You absolutely were, it’s just nice to see you genuinely happy.”
“Ugh…” She turned away, folding her arms. “Even if I was- which I wasn’t- why would you spoil it by pointing it out?”
“Ha… yeah I guess you’re right, that was mean of me.” Ren shrugged. “Teasing is too deeply ingrained in my DNA at this point.”
“Gross.”
Ren laughed, only to flinch when turning back to his daughter.
“Princess, what on earth are you doing?”
She didn’t look back at her father, she was too busy on her hands and knees, her head down to the ground, running her fingertips along the floor.
“Rin?”
She gave up, lifting her head back up and falling back onto her bottom, before pouting towards her father.
“There aren’t any trap doors…”
Ren sighed.
“Of course not, I did tell you to keep your expectations realistic. Not many schools have something like this at all.”
Rin whined.
“I know… It’s all still lovely I suppose… I’ll just have to make do without any traps…” She paused a while, before bending over again. “Or maybe I just missed them? The seams might be really well-hidden.”
“Seriously?” Natsu muttered, turning away- too embarrassed to keep watching. But in doing so noticed that she wasn’t the only would-be student watching Rin crawl around.
She saw a group of three of them talking amongst themselves.
“Did she really call her Dad ‘Papa’?”
“He called her ‘Princess’ too. Isn’t that a bit…?”
“She’s been talking pretty weird in general.
“And now she’s crawling around on the floor?”
“She’s such a weirdo…”
“EH?!” Natsu called out to them, startling them. She sauntered over to them, leaning over and glaring up at the trio. “Y’wanna say that again?”
“Huh?”
“Don’t ‘huh’ me! You were runnin’ your mouths just fine a minute ago.”
“Natsu!”
She turned around to see Ren staring at her, with a very firm expression. He didn’t need to say anything else, she got the message. Tutting, she took one last opportunity to sneer at the other teenagers, before walking back to Ren with her hands in her pockets. She didn’t look at him, instead just pretending to continue watching Rin’s fruitless search.
“Sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize.” Ren smiled. “I’m not reprimanding you at all, I get it; I’m just warning you not to take it further than was necessary, y’know?”
Natsu didn’t say anything, simply chewing on the inside of her cheek.
“Psshh…”
Off to the side, while vice principal No was discussing something with another set of parents, Miyake intently eyed Natsu.
“Hm.”
~ ~ ~
The tour had concluded, and the group found themselves by the shoe lockers, taking turns replacing their borrowed school slippers with their regular outdoor shoes.
The vice principal took the time to speak to each family unit individually, currently speaking with Rin and her father.
“So, I’m curious as to your impressions? I admit this I’ve only conducted a tour like this a few times, and I wish to know if I’ve helped portray our school in a positive light to you?”
“I have to come here!” Rin excitedly bounced in place. “The choice is obvious, right Papa?”
Ren was a strong-willed man, but he doubted he had what it took to say ‘no’ to his daughter when she looked at him like that. Thankfully, on this occasion he really felt he didn’t need to.
“We still have some other open days to attend.”
“Of course.” Kameko nodded. “Taking all your options into consideration is the sensible way to do things.”
“But I will say, Kosei’s definitely at the top of our list.”
Rin happily grabbed her father’s hand and shook it up and down excitedly.
“I will warn you Mr. Niijima…” Kameko’s brow furrowed. “Those two still need to pass entrance exams to be accepted into our school. I hope your daughters can live up to the standards expected of them.”
“I’m sure they can, I believe in them. But, only Rin is my daughter, Natsu’s parents couldn’t make it today because of work.”
“Hmm…” Kameko glanced over at her a moment. “I was wondering why there was no resemblance at all. Very well. I hope that your report to the girl’s parents will be a positive one.”
“Don’t worry about that.”
Meanwhile, not too far away from everyone else, Natsu leant against the wall. Knowing she couldn’t leave until Rin and her father had finished their discussion, and feeling no desire to mingle or push past the other families fumbling with their shoes, she just decided to wait out of everyone’s way.
“What’s your name?”
She jumped, for such a huge man this Norio Miyake was able to move remarkably stealthily, this was the second time she had nearly taken a swing at him out of reflex.
“Holy shit man…” She rested her hand on her chest, feeling her accelerated heartbeat. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Hmph.” Miyake looked down his nose at her. “You have not given your name.”
“What’s it to you?” She maintained her annoyed sneering for a few moments, enduring his intense, unamused glare, before tutting and giving up. “Natsu Sakamoto…”
“I see.” He nodded. “The other girl- Rin Niijima- mentioned that you pursue the art of kickboxing, is this true?”
“I mean… yeah?” Natsu slid her hands back into her pockets. “It’s not like Rin’s thing with plays and whatever. It’s not something I do as my ‘life’s calling’, I just started it cuz Rin’s mom wanted us to learn self-defence, and I was alright at it… and it’s good exercise I guess?”
“I see. So you don’t seek true mastery over it?”
“The hell you talkin’ about old man?”
“Martial arts are an art form as well. No-san seeks divinity through her art, I instead opt for ultimate refinement and mastery over our mortal forms. My paintings portray things as they are, I aim to perfect and refine it down to the last detail. I also took up boxing, to master my body, my entire body, and I aim to perfect and refine that too down to the last detail.”
Natsu leant back ever so slightly.
“How’d you manage to make boxing sound pervy?”
Miyake didn’t answer, instead opting to demonstrate his boxing prowess with a lightning-fast straight punch through the air. The punch wasn’t aimed even vaguely in Natsu’s direction, yet she could still physically feel the force behind it. He brought his hand back and clenched his fist hard enough to make an audible sound.
“It may not be part of the curriculum, but I do offer courses and training to those who desire it.” He stood upright, and faced her properly with his arms behind his back. “I see a fire in you; if properly refined and controlled it could be something incredible indeed.”
“…Uh-huh…”
“I cannot tell you what your life’s calling truly is, perhaps you may find it here though. Regardless, should you prove yourself worthy through the entrance exams, there will definitely be a place for you here, and a purpose. Should you so desire, I’ll teach you the ultimate art of refining your body.”
“…Y’know Rin’s mom is a cop? I could have you arrested for saying this kinda shit to me.”
“We’re ready to make our exit!” Rin trotted over to the conversation, tilting her head when she noticed her friend’s expression. “Is something the matter Natsu-chan?”
“Tch… nah.” Natsu shook her head. “This pervert is just inviting me to ‘train my body’.”
“That is not what what I meant and you know that, young fool.”
Kameko took notice of the exchange; groaning, she rushed over and stepped in-between her colleague and the girls.
“Don’t worry about him. He’s no pervert.”
“Thank you No-san.”
“He’s just a massive, moronic pain in the ass.”
“Unrefined fools, all of you.”
Rin took ahold of Natsu’s hand and pulled her along to the shoe lockers, seemingly happy to ignore all the drama unfolding, leave it to the adults.
“It’s pretty amazing here Natsu-chan!”
Natsu huffed.
“’Course you’d say that, weirdo.”
“Papa says we have to look at other schools too, but I’m sure it’s just a formality, I’m definitely gonna come here.” She grinned. “You’ll come too, right Natsu-chan?”
Natsu was a tough girl, but she doubted she had what it took to say ‘no’ to Rin when she had that characteristic grin of hers focused on her so intently. Thankfully on this occasion she really felt she didn’t need to.
“I mean… it’s not like I care which school I go to anyway…”