(This fiction is based on the characters and settings created by Oyuki Konno)
The girl was walking down a darkened, gloomy path. It was pouring; however the girl with the banana curls felt dry. Where am I? What am I doing here? She thought as she stopped and looked around her. To the sides of her, she only saw impenetrable darkness. She turned around to go back, but the path behind her had disappeared. The girl started walking again, and after a few more steps she saw a girl kneeling in the middle of the pathway, soaked by the rain. As Touko got nearer the girl, she recognized the prostrate figure and started running toward the kneeling girl. "Yumi-sama, " she said as she knelt down beside the sobbing figure with her hair drawn up in pig-tails. "Who did this?" she asked the girl as she noticed the knife buried deep in Yumi's chest.
"You did." The pig tailed girl accused as she collapsed and Touko was left staring into Yumi's cold dead eyes.
Touko sat up in her bed with a start, her body dripping in a cold sweat. Just another dream, she thought, relieved. For the lat week, not a night has gone by when the girl hasn't been plagued by nightmares. The setting and circumstances vary, but in the end Touko is looking at Yumi's cold, dead eyes also knowing that she is responsible.
Touko sighed heavily and looked at the clock on her nightstand. Seeing the time she realized that she would not get anymore sleep tonight, so she got out of bed. Pulling on her robe she walked down the hall to the bathroom. Once there she started the shower and undressed. The girl got into the show and turned the water to cold. When she started shivering uncontrollably from the icy spray she thought, This is what Yumi-sama must have felt that rainy day. She turned off the water, wrapped her arms around herself, and let herself cry until no more tears came. She dried herself off, put on her robe and headed back to her room to get ready for school.
As she exited her house, Touko was surprised by the sight of a bright, red sports car in the driveway as well as the handsome man leaning up against it. "Why are you here Suguru?" the girl asked.
The young man answered smiling, " What kind of greeting is that Touko-chan. Can't I just drop by to offer my little cousin a ride to school?"
"Cut it, Suguru. You never 'just' do anything unless you are asked to or it stimulated your interest." Touko shot back. "What is it this time?"
Suguru opened the passenger door for his cousin and said, "Get in. Let's talk."
Touko sat in the car and waited for her cousin to get in, start the car, and begin driving. "What do you want to talk about?" She snapped.
"Your parents said you are eating like a bird, and not getting enough sleep. They are worried. What's wrong Touko-chan?" Suguru asked the younger girl.
"Nothing, Suguru. Just leave it alone." Touko said flatly and started out the window of the car.
"Touko-chan, please. I only want to help. If you don't want to tell me, then talk to Sa-chan, she's always concerned about you." Suguru pleaded
"I'm definitely not going to talk to Sachiko-sama or you for that matter, so drop the subject." Touko stated and ignored her cousin for the rest of the ride to Lillian.
The red car dropped Touko off in front of the school gates and drove off. The girl fixed her skirt and tie as she walked sedately down the entrance path toward Maria-sama.
Touko stopped and prayed at the statue. Willing herself into a better mood she walked down the pathway toward the Rose Mansion. It was still early so Touko decided to surprise the student council members by getting the room ready for the meeting.
She arrived at the mansion just as Kanako was entering. "Good day Kanako-san." she greeted the taller girl.
"Good day Touko-san." Kanako replied. Noticing the smaller girl's haggard appearance she added, "You look tired, is everything all right?"
Touko sighed, " I just had a little trouble sleeping last night." She told Kanako as they ascended the stairs to the meeting room. "I'll start the tea if you don't mind." Touko told her companion as the entered though the biscuit door.
"As you wish, " Kanako stated as she went and set up the table for the upcoming meeting.
Soon the girls were sitting, sipping tea. "Thank you for agreeing to help us, Touko-san." Kanako said trying to break the awkward silence between the two of them.
"It's the least I can do to try and make up for the trouble I caused everyone." Touko started. "Although I don't think things will ever bee the same between me and Yumi-sama. I've never seen her so angry before."
"She's not angry, Touko-san." Kanako volunteered. "She feels betrayed. The last few months have been hard on her. Maybe she just needs time to process things." The taller girl suggested.
Or maybe Yumi-sama instinctively knows that I was root cause of most of her troubles. Touko thought to herself sadly. Just then the door opened and the other three girls entered the room and found seats. Kanako got up and started serving tea to the newcomers.
"Touko, how nice of you to come this morning." Sachiko remarked as she sat down.
"I read over the story last night, and I came up with some ideas, so I thought I'd share them." Touko offered.
"By all means." Sachiko said and offered the floor to the younger girl. And so the meeting started. The five girls discussed Touko's ideas and also discussed possible sets and wardrobe ideas. They also talked about what clubs they could approach for help. They set a tentative rehearsal schedule pending approval of the Handeran Student Council. By the end of the meeting each girl had a list of tasks that they need to accomplish and agreed to meet again tomorrow after school to go over progress. The meeting broke up then and the three younger girls remained to clean up before heading to class.
The rest of the day passed quickly for Kanako. She used part of her lunch to secure the aid of the sewing club for the making of the costumes. So after her afternoon classes and cleaning duty, she made her way to the Rose Mansion to meet up with Sachiko for their "date".
"Where would you like to go, Sachiko-sama?" Kanako asked as they were walking toward the school gates.
"There was a cafe Yumi took me to once. How about I treat you to a cake set?" the older girl replied.
"That sounds great, but you must allow me to pay for my own, Sachiko-sama." Kanako responded.
Sachiko giggled at that comment, thinking how "Yumi-like" it was. "It is my right to indulge my granddaughter, so I cannot allow you to do that." She said sternly.
"As you wish, Sachiko-sama." the younger girl said smiling.
Giggling together, they both exited the the school grounds through the gates and headed toward the bus stop. Someone called out from behind them. "Sa-chan, what's this now, Yumi-chan isn't even gone a week, and already you are cheating on her." Suguru teased.
"Suguru, don't be silly. This is my granddaughter Hosokawa Kanako. Kanako-chan this is my cousin, Kashiwagi Suguru." Sachiko said introducing the two.
Kanako bowed, "Nice to me you Kashiwagi-san."
Suguru replied, "My pleasure Kanako-chan." Then looked at Sachiko. "Little Yumi-chan is an onee-sama now? When did this happen?" The older boy asked.
Sachiko replied, "Last week."
"Ah, that explains it." Suguru said.
"Explains what?" Sachiko asked puzzled.
"Why Touko-chan has been acting depressed. I was asked to look into it by her parents." Sachiko's cousin answered.
"Stay out of it, Suguru." Sachiko warned her cousin. "Touko-chan has to work this out for herself."
"Kanako-chan, " Sachiko said to the younger girl. "Let's go." She finished and turned to board the bus.
"Kanako-chan, " Suguru called out after the younger girl as she was climbing the steps of the bus. "You'd better take good care of my Yumi-chan."
The two girls sat next to each other, and Kanako turned to Sachiko puzzled. "is Kashiwagi-san Yumi-sama's boyfriend?"
Sachiko laughed upon hearing that. "No, he is my fiance. He just thinks he owns everything in my life. However he is rather fond of Yumi."
Kanako nodded as the bus trundled down the road.