Hiiragi Household: 6:00 PM

"College exams, huh? Come to think of it, you're planning to get into University of Tokyo?"

Kagami nodded her assent, and the confidence raised a couple eyebrows. Her older sisters, mainly.

"Tokyo University? Good luck with that Kagami. It's really hard to get in.. I probably wasn't even halfway adequate.."

"Please, it's not really hard Inori. It's near impossible to get accepted! It wouldn't surprise me at all if they had under a hundred students with how high they set the bar. I don't know a single person who got accepted. Geez, I don't even know anybody who knows someone else that got in!"

Matsuri didn't hold back in speaking her mind. Inori frowned and went off on a lecture about respect and encouraging other people, especially her sisters. While they ventured off into their own little argument, Miki and her husband turned towards the main subject of the conversation.

"Best college in all of Japan? I'm proud of you Kagami.. Nothing but the best for my daughter!"

"Just make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. It's incredibly difficult to get into the school, and for good reason. Even if you do get accepted, you'll have to keep up with everything. It's possible that there you won't have any time to relax for an entire year."

A warm sense of pride sparked in her chest at the praise from her mother and father. There was no better feeling than being the best in the family- this was especially true for a girl who's lived with both her parents and three other sisters.

"Hey, Kagami?"

"Hmm? What's up?"

The wisps of pride in her chest was spirited away as she saw her younger sister's face. Normally Tsukasa was open like a book, and this was no exception. Kagami could see the visible worry written on the girl's face and swimming in her eyes.

"If you get accepted, you'll have to move away.. right?"

"Of course not! Look, Inori and Matsuri are still here."

Denial was her automatic reply. By logic, her sisters hadn't moved out of the house so that meant Kagami wouldn't either. In that sense, nothing would change.

Tsukasa's relief was shortlived; Their mother's hearing was keen, and her mind was sharper.

"That's because their colleges aren't in Tokyo. They're attending a local college. Did you forget?"

That caught her off guard.

Heck, it didn't just catch her off guard- surprise completely dominated her and took away her ability to do anything besides stare at Miki in shock. Her body wouldn't move, her voice was silenced. On top of that, her mother had just dumped a metaphorical bucket of freezing water onto her head. The logic section of her brain had completely iced over.

"I-I can just take the train!"

"Nearly three hours of commute, along with about a thousand yen every day?"

Kagami threw out suggestion after desperate suggestion, each one shot down by a quick and frustratingly logical reply. She felt panic rising in her chest with every shake of her mother's head. Hope was doing its best to escape the confines of her heart, and it was all she could do to stop herself from putting her head in her arms and give up. Fortunately, Tadao decided to step in just before his daughter said something irrational.

"Kagami, listen to me for a second. It's great that you actually want to stay with us. But you need to understand. Once you're out of high school, you're in control of your life now. You could do anything you wanted to do, and that includes staying here, moving out, going to college or deciding against it.

"I don't want you to feel bound by loyalty or attachment to your family. We all love you, even your two sisters over there. And I have no doubt that you love us too, but you need to think about your own future. This is your time to shine, Kagami! Go to college, get a degree, a good job, a house, maybe that special someone. We want the best for you, and we'll be with you every step of the way.

"Don't hold back, Kagami. Follow your heart! You can always visit us too, and it's not like college will last forever. Before you know it you'll be out of university and looking for work. You can come back and live with us, or get your own place to stay, or even go overseas and see what's going on over there."

Kagami listened intently, every word ringing clearly in her mind. She smiled and wiped at her eye nonchalantly.

/-/

Hiiragi Household: 6:45 PM

After the table had been cleared, the family dispersed to their own activities. A door opened, casting a ray of light into the dimmed hallway. Kagami stepped out of the bathroom, walking towards the door to her room. She knocked on the door opposite of her own and she heard Matsuri's muffled confirmation as the girl shuffled to take her turn in the shower.

Pushing open her door, she gently closed it before dropping onto her bed with a loud sigh.

Kagami was still thinking. Her mind was awhirl with thoughts of what was to come, and her heart was awash with a tidal wave of feelings. What should she be feeling right now? Melancholy.. enthusiasm.. unsatisfaction.. relief? For now she threw that to the side, and decided to look at things from a technical viewpoint.

"If I move out.."

She'd have to find somewhere to live, first of all: dormitories or apartments would work just fine. As for money, she would need to get a job. Buying her own food, supplies, and luxuries. Paying the rent.

"And there's the tuition too.." Kagami sighed. It wouldn't be easy to create a stable financial position for herself, but she was good at that sort of thing and it wouldn't take her too long.

"I could stay."

The thought seemed to conjure itself without her consent, and Kagami had to think about what it meant for a couple of seconds.

There was always the chance that she wouldn't get accepted. Or..

".. on purpose..?"

Tossing the idea aside, her focus turned away from what was in store and towards what she would lose.

"I'll be living alone.. No mom and dad, no Matsuri and Inori, no Tsukasa.."

Daunting, to say the least, would describe how the prospect of not having her family around her was. Although it was tiring at times, they were her blood relatives. Most people with normal lives can't throw that away easily.

"I wonder where Miyuki is going.."

Overseas, most likely. The pink-haired girl could probably get into any school or position she wanted. It wouldn't be surprising if her eyes were set on the horizon past Tokyo University, and she was aiming for a life in another continent. That practically ruled out any chance of Kagami and Miyuki being together.

"As annoying as she is, I think I'd miss Misao and Ayano.."

Her childhood friends that had been quickly abandoned not even a week into high school. To say that Kagami hadn't felt any guilt at the way she had left them would make her a liar. Just because her sister had met Konata and Miyuki shouldn't have been enough to get her to throw away her friends.

"Konata.."

Konata didn't matter.

At least, it should have been that way.

Kagami felt a strange sense of endearment to the tenacious otaku. While the bluenette was normally annoying and clingy and a complete pervert, there was something to be said about the fun and joy she brought along with her everywhere she went. It seemed like Konata was never down about anything, and that affected the people who she spent time with.

Without Konata, the group of friends that Kagami had now probably wouldn't have existed.

"If I go to college, that means leaving her behind."

Her heart fell and desire that had been present during dinner reappeared. She couldn't imagine how it would be like to not have the girl around all the time.

"Maybe if I force her to study, she'll be accepted too!"

The idea was dropped faster than it had appeared.

"She'll just copy off of me in college too.. And if we have different classes, she'll have to do her own work.. I can't make her do something she doesn't want to do just for my own sake."

Konata didn't seem like the college-type girl. She was a carefree spirit, and probably had a vague idea of where she wanted to go. It would obviously involve ludicrous amounts of free time and a lack of academics.

"I'll stay here, then."

She would have never thought of purposely forgoing college just for a friend.. What startled her the most wasn't the idea itself, but the fact that it seemed viable.

"I can live with my family, and my friends, and Konata! It's a good idea.. right?"

Sacrifice, by definition, would never be devoid of pain and loss. What was worth sacrificing more- The people she loved, or going to school for another four years?

"There's always other universities.. Ones that won't force me to leave all of this behind.."

Her soul was revitalized by the idea. After all, she could get a college education without having to leave the people who held a place in her heart.

"But this is what I've been working towards my entire life.."

Tokyo University had been her goal ever since the first time she had contemplated her future. What awaited attendants and graduates of the school was prestige, pride, and near guaranteed success in life. That was what she told herself every day.

"Prestige.. Pride.. Success.."

"Family.. Friends.. Konata.. ..?"

"What do I really want?"