CHAPTER 2 - Iron Heart

Summary: Otonoki is nothing more than just a playground for daughters of wealthy families. But even playgrounds have their own rules, and Nozomi feels like they have been made to keep her out.

Note: The more you know, the less you believe

Otonokizaka Private Academy - Iron Heart

Standing before her mirror, Nozomi stared at herself wearing Otonokizaka's school uniform. Thankfully, a set of the uniform had been included in the scholarship because purchasing these clothes would have plundered Nozomi's budget otherwise.

She picked at the hem of her classy, navy blue blazer, and traced the white contour on the lapels with her finger. Without doubt, her school uniform had to be the most premium piece of clothing she possessed.

But as she gave herself a once over in the mirror, she felt none of the pride she thought she would feel at wearing a uniform that almost every female student dreamed of wearing.

There was no middle school student who didn't fantasize at least once or twice about making it to Otonokizaka. With good reason; successfully graduating from there wouldn't just stand out in a résumé, but almost guarantee an entry to an elite university. Otonokizaka's reputation as an excellent college prep school didn't simply rely on its status, it had measurable factors of guaranteeing a student's sucess. One example would be their big budget that allowed them to hire the best teachers, who furthermore had to go through evaluations on their work methods each term to prove their competence. This ensured a high quality in education at all times.

But what enticed students even more than the educational quality was the prestige and status of attending Otonokizaka Private Academy. Managing to get into Otonokizaka as a commoner meant more than just receiving higher education; it meant social upgrading for the whole family. Attending Otonokizaka had as much prestige as attending Tokyo University or any other elite university. Being able to send their child there secured not only bragging rights, but almost the guarantee of being paid out richly later, when the child would transfer from Otonokizaka to an elite university to a top position in either the corporate world or the ministries and politics.

Nozomi had expected pride to swell up in her chest everytime she saw herself wearing Otonokizaka's trade mark outfit, but instead she felt nothing. Quite the opposite, wearing the uniform had become a burden whenever she was on her way to and from school; she could feel people's curious gazes on her, staring after her, scanning her outfit from shoulder to toe.

The reason why she felt uncomfortable wearing Otonokizaka's uniform was quite simple. She was no part of that world. She might have been wearing its exclusive school uniform and she might have been officially enrolled in Otonokizaka, but she didn't belong to that school. At this point, she felt like an unwelcome guest, and certainly was treated as such by most students there.

The moment Nozomi thought about what awaited her in Otonokizaka, she shivered, trying to suppress any more negative thoughts, but her brain didn't comply. Pictures of various snarling faces showed up, and among them, one was framed with golden hair.

Nozomi quickly shook her head. It was time to go now or she would be late for school.

Ayase Eli was her name, Nozomi later found out. The name of the blonde girl who seemed to have a scowl permanently etched on her face, with cold blue eyes staring unemotionally down at her as her harsh words brought Nozomi to tears.

Ever since their first unpleasant meeting, Nozomi was keen on staying out of Ayase's sight, avoiding any chances of possible confrontation. She only entered a classroom when she was sure that Ayase's back was turned to her or if her attention was focused elsewhere. And she never left a classroom before her.

Nico quickly realized the reason behind Nozomi's cautious behavior, but she didn't comment on it. She was of the same opinion that it was better for Nozomi to completely avoid Ayase. Instead, she taught Nozomi the unspoken rules of Otonokizaka and explained how the hierarchy inside there worked.

"The Iron Three?"

"Yeah, that's what they're called, and seems like you managed to bump heads with all of them in one day when I explicitly told you to avoid them." With her arms crossed behind her head, Nico stared up at the ceiling with a blank look, absently chewing on a straw that she had pulled out of her empty juice box. "Well, it's too late now anyway, so I better tell you everything before you make another mistake."

Nozomi refrained from defending herself, knowing that it would hit deaf ears anyway.

"The Iron Three got their name from the term 'Iron Triangle'. Know what that means?"

It didn't ring a bell, so Nozomi slowly shook her head.

"Well, it's not really something they would call themselves, so I didn't expect you to know." Nico picked the straw out of her mouth. "Let me ask you a comprehension question first. Who rules Japan?"

The answer came instantly. "The Prime Minister."

"Bzz," Nico imitated a buzzer sound, grinning when Nozomi's confident expression slipped into confusion. "I didn't ask who leads Japan politically. I asked who rules it, who actually has the power to change stuff and direct the course of our future."

Nozomi hesitantly tried again, "The National Diet? They select the Prime Minister and pass laws, they are the highest organ of state power according to the Constitu-"

"Bzz," Nico interrupted again. She let out a little laugh when she saw Nozomi's upset expression. "Well, you're not entirely wrong. But it's such a perfect textbook answer that it's boring again."

Using her straw to vaguely point in Nozomi's direction, Nico said with a shrug, "Well, I guess it's not really your fault for saying that politicians have the greatest power in ruling our country, because that's exactly what they're trying to make us believe." She crumpled the straw in her hand. "But if you really think about it, they're so weak compared to what other institutions can do."

Nozomi watched Nico sticking the straw back into the empty juice box, pushing until it completely disappeared inside.

"I'm pretty sure our world would be a fairer place if big businesses didn't have a say in what fairness means to them," Nico muttered, rubbing her tired eyes. "Like, literally everything would be different if there was no lobbyism. If the bill for minimum wage had gotten through years ago, my mom wouldn't have had to work three jobs to feed me when she was eighteen."

Holding her breath, Nozomi forced herself to stay natural, not wanting to let the new bit of information change anything about her behavior. It was the first time Nico mentioned anything of her past. Even though the story of how her mother started out as a poor, single parent was no secret, often retold when describing the course of her idol career, it still had something refreshing to hear it directly from a reliable source such as her daughter.

"Liars, all of them, so eager to promise change for the better whenever it's election time," Nico said, her voice getting more agitated, "but the moment they're chosen, they shut up. They take the bribe money from some big companies and just shut up. Every other public discussion is just for show."

With her elbows on the table now, Nico leaned forward, her eyes intensely staring into Nozomi's, who swallowed nervously.

"So I'll ask you again. Who really rules us?"

Nozomi couldn't hold the gaze and averted her eyes, offering unsurely, "Market-driven companies?"

Nico hummed. "You're getting better." She leaned back in her seat again. "It's not that easy of course. And this is where the Iron Triangle comes in." She held up three fingers. "We are ruled by three different factions, who share more common interests than you think. It's because they work so tightly together that they are unmatched in power and status. Hence the name 'Iron Triangle'."

Nico wiggled her pointer finger. "First, the political elite." Her middle finger flexed. "Then, the corporate elite. And third," her ring finger joined the other two, "the bureaucratic elite. They are the three factions that control us. Together, they are the Iron Triangle. You got it so far?"

Nozomi nodded, despite wondering how much of Nico's explanation was her own view.

Nico crossed her arms behind her head again, and let out a long sigh. "And the Iron Three represent this construction. The Sonodas belong to the political elite. Their roots go far back to the samurais. When you think of them, you think of status. Other families might be way richer, but they'll never reach the status of the Sonodas unless they can marry their way in."

After blowing a strand out of her hair, Nico added grumpily, "You might have noticed her popularity. For many families who only possess wealth but less status, it would definitely be an upgrade if they could marry their kid to Sonoda. Imagine all the benefits of having a politically relevant person in your household."

Nozomi lowered her gaze. "Their interest in her seemed genuine to me."

"I guess her looks help," Nico said with an eye roll. "But she's not that great. She's got several girls on her hook and she can't push them off because that will definitely have repercussions for her entire family. You see, there's just one tiny problem to being politically relevant: Someone has to give you that power first. And behind every powerful politician or party, there's a crap load of funds and sponsored money. And now guess who provides all that."

This time, Nozomi was sure that her answer was correct. "The corporate elite."

"Bingo," Nico said with a smirk. "Groupings of big companies give a few chosen politicians a high pedestal to stand on in exchange for favorable laws that benefit their business. And voila, we've got a perfect co-dependent system where everyone is a winner except for everyone who's not part of it. So like, 99% of our population."

Her voice dripped with sarcasm, indicating Nico's passive aggressive attitude towards the topic she had started herself. Nozomi wondered how long she had been waiting to tell someone her true thoughts, restricted by her environment where she couldn't criticize the people who were part of the 'system' that she detested.

"Now, next question, Nozomi, and I'm sure you'll get this one right too," Nico said with a lop-sided smile on her lips. "Which snob of the Iron Three belongs to the corporate elite?"

There was only the choice between Ayase and Nishikino left. Nozomi didn't know much about either of them, but she knew slightly more about the latter one.

"Nishikino?" she asked, remembering how the red-haired girl had claimed that half of Otonokizaka was owned by her family.

"Ding ding." Nico imitated the sound of a bell, nodding with a smirk. "See, I knew you had it in you."

Nozomi blushed, unsure why she felt so happy about a praise for something so minor. Maybe it was because Nico made the effort to include her in the conversation despite her knowing so little about it. She gave Nozomi the feeling that her answers mattered and that her participation was wanted. She was not just a silent listener to Nico.

"Nishikino..." A grimace appeared on Nico's face after muttering that name. "Arrogant, pretentious, obnoxious little brat..."

Nozomi had noticed before that Nico reacted especially sensitive to Nishikino. She didn't dare to ask, believing it was a topic for the future where their friendship was much more developed and allowed discussions of sore matters. Right now, she cherished her new friendship with Nico too much to risk losing it, despite her inner voice telling her that Nico wasn't the kind of person who would suddenly stop being friends with her.

"You met her yesterday, right?" Nico gestured to Nozomi, who nodded. "Spoiled ass. Thinks she owns everything just because her family name is plastered on almost everything. Compared to them, the Sonoda and Ayase family almost seem modest. Almost. Still could buy up our country though."

Nozomi quickly made the connection with the information she had acquired so far. "So the Nishikinos represent wealth while the Sonodas represent status?"

"That's right," Nico sighed. "Though the Nishikino family has been around for a while, they're still not really trusted. It's exactly because of their wealth that people have begun to fear them. Like, what do you even do with all that money? You probably think, something social to help people, right?"

The moment Nozomi tilted her head up for a nod, Nico shook hers. "Nope. You invest that money so you get even more at a later time. They've got so many shares in all kinds of stocks and funds that if they ever decide to move their assets around, it would definitely have an impact on the national stock price, maybe even internationally."

Nozomi could feel Nico getting more and more agitated, so she directed the conversation to a safer lane, asking something she had wanted to know ever since she was made aware of the social structure of the Iron Three. "What about Ayase? What do they represent?"

Nico blinked a few times, her mind needing a few seconds to catch up with the topic change while her emotions were still upset from talking about Nishikino. "You can answer that yourself now."

"The bureaucratic elite," Nozomi said, frowning in confusion. "It doesn't tell me much."

"You're not the first one to underestimate their power," Nico replied with a sigh. "You know those old men sitting in the ministries? That's the bureaucratic elite. They are the ones who call the shots on things that matter. Ayase's father is a senior bureaucrat there, he's got a network of loyal puppets beneath him and even his bosses don't have anything on him. Ministers change every year; before they know how to run this thing, they're gone. But Ayase, he's been there his whole life, he knows the system inside out."

From Nozomi's intrigued expression, Nico could tell that she wanted to know more about that particular family. "Wondering if Ayase got that attitude from her father?"

Nozomi ducked her head in embarrassment when her thoughts had been so easily read.

Nico chuckled. "She definitely did. Her father gets shit done, so does she. Why else would she bother to be the student council president?"

"Student council president..." Nozomi whispered. So she wasn't just a member. But Nozomi should have known that Ayase Eli was more of the leader type. "What do you mean by 'bother to be'?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Nico let out an empty laugh. "Look around you, you're literally surrounded by all types of future leaders. There's hardly anyone above them in terms of power, which is why they won't respect you if you're not at least around their level. If you or I were in the student council, we might as well be dirt beneath their shoes. No one is going to give a shit about us."

Nico flicked her finger against her empty juice box, sending it skidding across the table before it came to a stop just before the edge. Nozomi pushed it back into the middle so it wouldn't fall off.

"The only reason Ayase can still order most of the people here around is because her family is even more powerful with its positions in the government and its connections to the imperial family as well as to other elites like the Sonodas and Nishikinos. Do you get it now? They're all connected somehow. They all profit from each other."

"So the three of them are friends of convenience?"

"Probably," Nico muttered. "I mean, their parents have that relation, so why should they be different? The Sonodas provide a political voice for the Nishikinos and Ayase family. The Nishikinos fund everything the Sonodas and Ayases decide to do. And Ayase backs up and legitimizes every political and economic decision of theirs with his power as a respected bureaucrat. It's that easy."

Nico smiled weakly when Nozomi's eyes widened in shock. "And this is how we got a nice triangle of status, wealth and power. Isn't it great how well they complement each other?"

It was frightening, to say the least, Nozomi thought. A monopoly of such power should not exist.

"So in short," Nico concluded, "you want endless money? Go for Nishikino. You want absolute power? Go for Ayase. Or do you want the highest status? Well, Sonoda will be your choice then. Now I'm not saying that by possessing one of those traits, they lack the others. But those are their main attributes and they have more of that than the others."

She didn't want to think about it, but Nico's words made her naturally curious on what was most important to her. What would she choose? Wealth, status or power?

But didn't wealth automatically come with status or power? Was there anyone powerful or privileged without wealth? So money would not be her first choice as she was sure that she didn't need more than from a certain sum on. Whether multimillionaire or multibillionaire, all the needs she could possibly have would already be met with the former amount of wealth.

To have status and be respected would certainly have its benefits, but she also wanted her words to matter. She wanted to be heard and seen, she wanted her actions to have an impact. Power would give her the possibility to finally assert herself and shed her weak, insecure image.

The image of cold blue eyes staring down at her stopped her train of thoughts, and she quickly dismissed that idea. She wanted no part of that world.

"Scary," she mumbled, lowering her gaze.

"If you think about it, yeah," Nico agreed quietly. "But that's how it's always been. There's no real point in knowing this stuff because you can't change anything about it. But now that you are in Otonoki, you should at least have an idea of how shit works here so you don't get pulled right into it."

Nozomi shyly peered at Nico. "Thank you."

Nico waved her off. "You bought me a juice box, we're fine."

Smiling, Nozomi said, "The price you set is low."

"Only for you," Nico said with a shrug, and it warmed Nozomi's heart. "I usually charge 1,000 yen for every minute I have to talk and another 2,000 if it's relevant stuff. But I'm not planning to bankrupt you. Having you around is kinda nice."

Nozomi covered her cheeks and ducked her head.

Cute, Nico thought, grinning.

"Hey, Nico!"

Two hands covered her eyes from behind. "Guess who?" a light voice asked.

Nico sniffed. "Well, it's Rin talking, but I smell melon bread, so it's Honoka's hands."

"Aw," her friends groaned in disappointment, and the hands were taken off her eyes.

Nozomi instantly leaned back, eyeing the newcomers with an insecure look.

"Hi there!" the girl named Honoka enthusiastically waved at Nozomi. "I'm Kosaka Honoka! You're the new scholarship student, right? That's amazing! You must be like super smart to get in."

"And I'm Rin!" another girl brightly said, putting her hands on the table as she leaned forward, eagerly scanning Nozomi's face. "Whoa, you're super pretty."

"Oh?" Nozomi's face heated up. "Th-thank you."

"Hey, hey, what's your name?" Honoka excitedly teetered on her feet. Rin tilted her head. "Where do you come from? How do you know Nic- ouch!"

Both Honoka and Rin rubbed the back of their heads. Nico lowered her hands after giving them a light hit. "Calm down, both of you."

"Unfair," Rin complained, "why didn't you introduce her to us?"

Nico pinched the bridge of her nose. "Because I feared that exactly this was going to happen."

"What are you talking about," Honoka laughed, clapping against Nico's back. "Every friend of Nico's is our friend."

"That's right," Rin agreed with a bright grin. She curiously eyed Nozomi. "So what's your name?"

Sensing that those two were genuinely interested in her with no ulterior motive, Nozomi relaxed slightly. If they were Nico's friends, then they couldn't be that bad. "T-Tojo Nozomi."

"Nice to meet you, Nozomi," Rin and Honoka said cheerfully.

"Oi," Nico pulled at the back of their blazers so they wouldn't lean across the table and invade Nozomi's personal space further, seeing that the latter one was overwhelmed by the surplus of energy the two carried. "Where are Hanayo and Kotori?"

"Hm? They're right behind us..." Gesturing to thin air, Honoka trailed off. "...not. Huh?"

"But they were behind us a second ago!" Rin scratched her head.

"You probably ran off way too fast again, leaving them behind," Nico muttered, and her theory was proven right a second later when two more girls approached them, out of breath.

"Rin," the brown-haired one panted, holding her sides. "Don't run off...without us..."

"Sorry, Kayochin! It won't happen again."

"Oh, hi," the brown-haired girl shyly waved at Nozomi after noticing her. "I'm Hanayo."

"And I'm Kotori," the last girl introduced herself with a kind smile.

Despite knowing that all of them seemed to be good people and that they only meant well, Nozomi felt herself getting uncomfortable around so many new faces at once and becoming the center of attention.

"That's Nozomi," Nico jumped in when she noticed that Nozomi was too nervous to speak up. "And we were busy having a private talk, so shoo." She gestured with her hands to make her friends leave them alone again.

"Eh? Why?" Honoka protested as Nico pushed against her stomach. "We want to know more about Nozomi too!"

"Maybe some time later," Nico said through gritted teeth when Honoka didn't budge. "Kotori, a little help?"

Kotori linked her arm with Honoka's and gently pulled her away from the table. "Come on, let's sit over there."

Hanayo followed them, which automatically prompted Rin to bounce after them.

"Honestly," Nico sighed, crossing her arms. "Sorry. They have like no tact at all. I mean, they are good kids, but...still kids. I'm only talking about Honoka and Rin though. Kotori and Hanayo have more common sense."

"Thank you," Nozomi muttered, embarrassed that she had to be even protected from Nico's friends. She didn't mean to separate them. "I'm sorry. Lunch break is over soon, I can head back to class first and you can still-"

"What are you talking about," Nico furrowed her brows. "I've been putting up with them for the past two years, finally I can get a break from those idiots with a good reason."

Nozomi hid her smile behind her hand. She could tell that Nico cared about them a great deal and only said that to make Nozomi feel less guilty. "Thank you."

"Geez, stop saying that," Nico rubbed her neck in slight embarrassment, "what is this mushy feeling, I don't like it."

Laughing quietly, Nozomi's eyes noticed Nico's friends curiously looking over at them from across the room and abruptly turning away when they had been caught. "Are your friends from powerful families too?"

"What do you think?"

Nozomi slowly shook her head. "They seem...different."

"You mean carefree," Nico said. "It's because they hold no expectations, no burdens. Honoka and Hanayo belong to the new rich. There's no status they have to uphold, there's no power they have to preserve. Someone who can smile that freely doesn't carry any weight on their shoulders."

Nico's friends were laughing, joking and teasing each other, causing more noise than what was usual in the school restaurant. No other group of students was behaving like this, and the difference became clear when the rest was glaring at the table where the loud laughter was coming from.

"In some way, it's ironic."

Nozomi questioningly looked at Nico.

"Well, compared to the old rich, their status and power is so low, there's not much you can take from them to begin with." Nico snorted. "Let's say, they screwed up with the Iron Three. But they are so far beneath their league, there's no point for the Iron Three to go out of their way to ruin them. They don't hang out in the same circles, and crossing the lines would be too much trouble."

Nozomi noticed Honoka waving her way, and she suppressed a laugh when Honoka pulled a grimace and stuck out her tongue, then grabbed a fistful of her hair on both sides to imitate Nico's twintails.

Nico narrowed her eyes. "She's mocking me, isn't she."

"No?" Nozomi breathed out a giggle in a poor attempt to defend Honoka.

Nico abruptly turned around in her seat, and Honoka quickly let go of her hair, pretending to be listening to Kotori. "Hmpf."

"What about the other two?" Nozomi asked. Nico hadn't made Rin's and Kotori's place clear yet.

"Oh, those two are special cases," Nico turned back around after giving Honoka a warning glare. "Rin's a gold-winning national athlete so it's her own status that got her in. Her parents are better off than most people, but they can't really be considered as rich. It's enough to pay the tuition without becoming indebted I guess."

Intrigued, Nozomi watched Rin playing with Hanayo's hair despite the latter one's embarrassed protest. Her eyes moved over to Kotori, who also looked on with a gentle smile. Nozomi noticed that Kotori's sitting posture was straight and naturally elegant; her legs were closed and her hands were on her lap.

"And Kotori is another exception," Nico said, knowing why Nozomi's expression had gotten thoughtful. "Her family has been around for as long as those of the Iron Three. The Minamis were a scholar family that published a lot of books and won a lot of prizes, and they used all that money to build schools and research institutions. Otonoki is one of them. But that has been decades ago, now there are only like four people left who are related to the Minamis by blood. Kotori is the only Minami in the younger generation."

Nico propped her chin on her hand. "Everyone's wondering where their money is coming from now. They were scholars, not business people, and they made some bad investments that were all pulverized in the previous financial crises. Poof, gone."

Nozomi didn't know why, but she felt sorrow in her heart at this information. "What about their book sales?"

"Nah, not enough for a noble family. Their most recent books were written like thirty years ago. All the money that their earlier generations have earned must have run out by now. They've only got few patents on some unimportant stuff. " Nico thoughtfully tilted her head. "I often wonder about this, but it's not something you can just ask her, you know. Kotori's the sweetest girl around here, she's probably the only one from an old money family who kept her feet on the ground."

She did seem like it, Nozomi thought, watching the girl smiling kindly at her friends even when they weren't looking at her. She seemed to be genuinely happy in their presence.

A melodious bell ringing signaled the end of lunch break, and the sound of chairs being pushed back echoed throughout the room.

"Come on, let's go," Nico said, already standing. "The teachers here are actually strict if your name is irrelevant."

Nozomi quickly stood up. "But isn't your name known?"

A humorless laugh escaped Nico. "Known? Probably. Relevant? Meh." She walked ahead.

Frowning, Nozomi followed her, staring at the shorter girl's back. "But your mother is-"

"I know who my mother is," Nico said without looking back. "But I also know who she'll never be. Who we'll never be."

Falling silent, Nozomi trailed behind Nico without another word. As eager Nico had been to tell the life stories of others, as reserved was she about her own. Nozomi hoped that she would one day get to hear hers.

"Umi."

Umi's eyes darted to the side, seeing red hair appear next to her. "You're not wearing your tie."

Rolling her eyes, Maki matched her pace with Umi as they walked down the alley between the main school building and the school gates, heading outside. "Didn't feel like it. And stop sounding like Ayase."

Umi kept leisurely walking, her indifferent gaze pointed ahead. "What do you want."

"Actually," Maki paused for a yawn and stretched her arms, "just wanted to ask if you're down for a race? I don't feel like going straight home."

"I'm afraid I'll have to postpone that offer," Umi replied, genuinely sorry. "I am otherwise preoccupied this afternoon."

"Oh, I see," Maki said, smirking. "You're going on a 'not-date'."

When Umi stayed silent, Maki snorted in laughter. "I knew it! So which one is it? Ishikii? Mitsui? Sumitomo? Or Yasuda?"

"I don't see how that information helps you."

"So you are going out with one of them."

Umi sped up her pace and Maki had to considerably put more effort into making her walking not look like running. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Hey, I've got an idea."

"I doubt that I want to hear it," Umi said drily, but she had slowed down so Maki could walk besides her again.

"Let's make it a double date. Bring your girl to the race track."

There were many things Umi wanted to point out, but her first reaction was to say, "I do not have a 'girl'. And as far as I'm aware of, neither do you."

"Pff, Umi," Maki chuckled, punching against Umi's arm in amusement. "You're hilarious."

Umi frowned. "I do not see how."

Humming absently, Maki took out her phone and scrolled through her contact list. "No, not her..." Her thumb kept scrolling down. "...too clingy...just broke up...hates me...hates me too...would probably kill me...doesn't hate me as much, bingo. Now, watch and learn." Maki gestured to her phone and dialed the number she had chosen, giving Umi a meaningful look. "Hi there, it's me, I was just going to ask if – eh? Yeah? Wha-"

Maki quickly held the phone away from her ear, eyes widening when the furious shouting could still be heard at an arm length's distance.

Umi chuckled. "Thank you, I learned very much."

Maki turned off her phone. "Shut up."

Walking past the huge iron gates of Otonokizaka, they left the school grounds, and saw the familiar sight of black limousines parking in a row in front of the school with their drivers waiting outside for their respective passengers.

"Hm? Your car is not here," Maki remarked, having memorized each family's car and driver from seeing them everyday.

"Well-"

"Umi!" A girl was waving at her out of the window of her limousine.

"Yasuda, eh?" Maki said with a hum. "She's actually pretty decent. She's more your type than anybody else."

"How do you know my type," Umi raised an eyebrow.

Maki snorted. "Umi. I've known you for years now. Believe me, I know your type. It begins with 'K' and ends with 'otori'."

Tensing, Umi averted her gaze. "Excuse me, I have to leave now. Good day to you."

Maki's smirk went unseen when Umi turned her back on her and walked up to the limousine waiting for her. The driver opened the door for her and Umi joined Yasuda in the back seat.

"Ms Nishikino."

"Oh, hey," Maki greeted her own driver, giving him her school bag. "Do you mind if we stop by the race track today?"

"But Miss, your mother wishes to have you punctually at home before dinner."

"I know, it's okay. You won't be held responsible." Maki entered the limousine. "Please just drive me there."

"As you wish."

Nozomi was retrieving books from her locker when she noticed a tall shadow looming over her. She held her breath, feeling her heart sinking. She didn't want to turn around, knowing that nothing good awaited her. But she sooner or later would have to face whoever that was standing behind her, so she bit her lip and turned around.

Her eyes widened and she stumbled, her back hitting the lockers. Those cold blue eyes that were unblinkingly staring down at her could only belong to one person.

"Tojo," Ayase Eli whispered sharply, "Why so afraid?"

Nozomi didn't know what to answer, and just helplessly shook her head. "Please..."

"Please what?" Eli said, taking a step closer, and Nozomi wanted to be swallowed whole by the lockers behind her.

"Tell me, of what are you so afraid?" Eli whispered, eyes boring into Nozomi's. She placed a hand against the lockers, next to Nozomi's head, effectively trapping her. "Why is it that you can't look me in the eye?"

Nozomi silently begged for anyone to come and interrupt them, closing her eyes because she couldn't bear to look at a hostile face this close.

"Look at me!" Eli punched the lockers with her palm, startling Nozomi who let out a breathless gasp. Lips trembling, Nozomi tilted her head up, and her frightened gaze met Eli's eyes.

And as quick as the blonde had trapped her against the lockers, as quick had she distanced herself from her again.

For some reason, Eli was breathing heavily, and her piercing eyes had lost their edge, now wide open in shock. She turned her back to Nozomi. "Your locker is next to mine. I'd appreciate it if you could finish up soon." If Nozomi wasn't imagining things, then Eli's voice was shaking.

Nozomi quickly gathered everything she needed for today and shut her locker. She left not without glancing over her shoulder at Eli, whose stiff stance hadn't changed.

Nozomi didn't tell anyone about Eli's outburst, especially not Nico, as she was sure that it would only cause far more trouble than it was worth it. What Nozomi wanted to avoid the most was conflict of any kind, and since the blonde was ignoring her now after the incident, there would be no point in stirring up a mess. She was finally left in peace by Eli.

Even Maki didn't bother to harass her anymore, not sparing her a second glance whenever they passed in the hallways. As for Umi, Nozomi still couldn't believe that she was receiving an acknowledging nod whenever they saw each other, and she couldn't help but feel oddly triumphant. Someone with a status as high as Sonoda Umi was acknowledging her. It proved that it was not her fault that the other two of the Iron Three could barely accept her existence. There was nothing wrong with her.

Though her situation with the rest of her classmates wasn't ideal, she found comfort in the presence of Nico's friends who quickly became her friends too after the initial awkward stages, and meeting up with them during lunch break was something she looked forward to everyday; it was one of the few things that gave her enough strength to get out of bed every morning.

Attending Otonokizaka wasn't an improvement to her previous school experiences, but neither was it a change for the worse. Though she had become a bigger target for students with the tendencies to deride others, she also had more friends who readily defended her and had no qualms fighting back dirty. Especially Nico wasn't reserved about her choices of insult, always knowing where to strike so it would bleed the most. Nozomi truly feared that one day, Nico would suddenly end up missing, with her body found floating in a river days later.

Nozomi felt lucky to have found a small group to belong to in a world where she couldn't be more of an outsider. Despite their many differences, especially concerning financial backgrounds, Nozomi never felt inadequate around her new friends as they didn't care as much about spending money as the rest of the students in Otonokizaka. The activities they usually chose could be well enjoyed without having deep pockets, or any money at all. The only time Nozomi was reminded of their comfortable financial situation was whenever they ordered food, they didn't have to consider prices as much as Nozomi did.

She was slowly getting accustomed to Otonokizaka while at the same time, she knew she would never belong or fit in. Despite feeling more confident than on her first day, she still couldn't do much against the people who decided to mock her whenever she was alone. It never lasted long as they quickly lost interest in her when she didn't respond, but every time it happened, her confidence and feeling of self-worth shrunk back.

Nozomi could only bite her tongue and count the months to her graduation in those moments. Repeatedly telling herself that everything was just temporary sometimes alleviated the pain, but most of the time it didn't. She wanted things to be better now, not in a year. Though graduating from Otonokizaka would assure her a golden ticket to Tokyo University, the reward couldn't come soon enough, becoming a hazy goal in the distant future that couldn't motivate Nozomi in the presence.

In a rare moment of weakness, Nozomi almost wished to have never gotten the scholarship for Otonokizaka. Yes, she had found loyal and caring friends, but how long were they going to play the role of her protectors until they got tired of her? How long until they realized that there was nothing to gain from befriending Nozomi?

Nozomi hated herself for not being able to appreciate some things as they were, always fearing a dark side to everything that made her happy. Something with the power to move her heart also had the power to break it, which was why she couldn't turn off the subconscious fear of good things becoming bad.

Right now, she managed to hold her doubts in because it would only upset Nico if she ever found out about Nozomi's fears. But Nozomi couldn't help it, everything new and emotionally consuming terrified her.

And in Otonokizaka, everything was new and terrifying.

"Come in."

"Excuse me for intruding," Nozomi said quietly after entering the principal's office.

Just as nervous as the first time she had been inside this room that smelled of old books and polished wood, Nozomi focused on not stumbling her way to the chair opposite of Director Minami. But staying calm wasn't a light feat to do if she didn't know the reason she had been called here for.

"Please take a seat," the principal said, and gestured to the cushioned armchair opposite of her. Her mahogany desk was the only thing between them.

Even after sitting down, Nozomi could feel her legs trembling. Was she going to get kicked out after one month? Did Minami Senior realize that she had made the wrong decision by choosing Nozomi for the scholarship after the girl had failed to socialize with most of her environment?

"Ms Tojo," the chairwoman of Otonokizaka said quietly, folding her hands on her desk. "What do you think is the reason I called you here?"

Nozomi swallowed. "I'm sorry, I do not know."

"Hm," dark eyes thoughtfully peered at her. "You do not know or you do not want to acknowledge it?"

Nozomi gazed down at her lap.

Minami let out a low sigh. "Ms Tojo, it's come to my attention that you have difficulties integrating into Otonokizaka."

Nervously wringing with her hands, Nozomi shook her head, "It must be a misunderstanding."

"Oh? Then I must have imagined Ayase storming into my office and demanding you to be expelled for being incompatible with the rest of the student body."

Eyes widening in shock, Nozomi felt her face being drained of blood, and there was this inexplicable ache in her heart. Why did Eli go so far in an attempt to get rid of her after they had weeks of what Nozomi thought was an unspoken truce?

"There is no need to look this upset," Minami gently said after seeing Nozomi's reaction. "I do not share the same view as Ayase."

The cold fear, which had locked her body in a frozen stance seconds prior, slowly dissipated at those reassuring words. She was not going to be expelled.

"But I'm afraid I have to agree with Ayase's observance," the principal sighed. "I do not expect you to build life-long friendships with everyone in this school, but I had hoped for more participation in some school activities."

Nozomi unsurely gazed at her opposite. School activities?

"In other words," Minami elaborated, "I'd like it if you join a club or something in the administrative field."

"Administrative...field?" Nozomi repeated.

Minami smiled. "Yes. The student council could need a new vice president after the last one resigned."

Nozomi paled. "The...student council?"

"Don't you agree that this is a good opportunity to prove Ayase wrong?" Minami asked, smiling.

Nozomi had never felt this much horror at having to prove someone wrong before, so she couldn't agree that this was a good opportunity for anything. It was only a good opportunity for Eli to skin her and get rid of her for once and for all.

"Can I – can I join a school club instead?" Nozomi stuttered, a pleading tone in her shaking voice.

"Well," Minami paused, scanning Nozomi's begging expression. "If that is what you prefer, then I have no reason to object you. But if you are not a permanent member of a school club within two weeks, then I'm afraid I'll have to appoint you to the new vice president."

Nozomi felt it was too early to breathe out in relief. Two weeks could pass in the blink of an eye. "What happened to the last vice president?"

Minami thoughtfully looked to the side. "She didn't disclose any information on her reasons for resigning, so I'm afraid I can't offer you an answer. Even if I did know, that is something I cannot share. Your best bet would be to ask Ayase."

So it would forever remain a mystery, Nozomi thought. Pigs would be faster in gaining the ability to fly than Nozomi in gaining the desire to initiate a conversation with Ayase Eli.

When her friends learned of the ultimatum set by the principal, Kotori immediately offered to talk to her mother about changing her mind. But Nozomi knew that it was pointless, and neither did she want to cause trouble for Kotori.

Joining a club was easier said than done. Alone the thought of having to meet up with people after school who could barely tolerate her was enough for Nozomi to consider dropping out of school. None of her friends were in clubs either, they were otherwise preoccupied after school. Honoka usually went to her family's main shop to learn the secrets of making sweets, Nico had private dance and singing lessons, Kotori went after her hobby of sewing clothes and Hanayo simply refused to join any club activities that required her to move while Rin was already a professional athlete, traveling around the world for competitions, which made her miss school half of the time.

So Nozomi had no choice but to join a club where no familiar face was already in it.

No, she suddenly corrected herself. There was one club where she already knew someone.

"What is she doing here?"

"Who knows. But Sonoda won't let her stay, right?"

"Urgh, it better be a joke."

"Maybe she joined to get close to Sonoda."

"As if. She's so out of her league."

Wishing her ears weren't that sensitive, Nozomi pretended she didn't hear what the other members in the archery club were whispering as they waited for Sonoda Umi to appear in the archery range.

"Does it fit?"

Surprised, Nozomi looked up to find herself staring into soft amber eyes. "Y-yes, I think."

"It needs to sit comfortably so it doesn't restrict your movements, nor should it be too loose or it will get in the way," Umi explained. She scanned Nozomi's archery outfit with a fleeting look. "Your hakama will come off tied like this." She gestured to the blue cloth around Nozomi's waist and lowered her voice, her gentle eyes boring into Nozomi's, "May I?"

It took Nozomi a second to realize that Umi was asking for her permission to fix her hakama for her. She quickly nodded.

Getting down on one knee, Umi untied her hakama and tied it again with precise and fluid movements, and Nozomi would have felt embarrassed about their proximity if she didn't feel envious glares burning on the surface of her skin.

Standing up again, Umi nodded to herself in satisfaction at her work. "You are now ready." Turning to her members, she ordered, "Practice as usual while I give Tojo some instructions. Only call me when it's urgent."

"Yes!" was chorused back. Not happy about the situation but unable to complain, the members positioned themselves at the many parallel shooting lanes and began their practice.

"Have you ever held a bow before?" Umi asked, holding out a bow for Nozomi. Nozomi took it with a shake of her head.

"Then let's start from the beginning."

Umi showed her the basics of stance, grip and breathing. Nozomi quickly knew the theory inside out, but had difficulty implementing it in practice. Especially drawing the string far back proved to be an almost impossible task for someone without trained arm muscles. There was a force behind it that was unimaginable to someone looking on from the outside. The draw weight was exhausting Nozomi's strength, and after half an hour of practice, her right arm was beginning to shake. She accidentally released her arrow too early without having been able to take aim, and it got stuck in the grass after flying directly towards the ground.

Nozomi bit her lip in frustration. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Umi said calmly. "Try again."

Her arm muscles were protesting, there was no way she could shoot another arrow. She wanted to keep going, but her physical limits had already been reached. "I-I'm sorry, but I can't-"

"Then leave."

Shocked, Nozomi stared up at Umi, who crossed her arms. "I was under the impression that you joined our club with serious intentions. But if you are not willing to push your boundaries, then I will not push them for you. Leave if you have no desire to surpass your limits and become stronger."

Hearing the other members snickering at her, Nozomi clenched her fist and looked down. "I'm not going to leave."

"Look at me and say it again," Umi said. "I want to see conviction."

Nozomi took a deep breath and looked up, squinting at first because Umi's hard gaze was intimidating to say the least. She shortly closed her eyes before opening them again, staring back with the bravest expression she could muster up. "Please let me try again."

Umi's eyes softened. She nodded. "Get in position."

And Nozomi bit the insides of her cheeks as she pulled at the string, ignoring her protesting muscles, but her arms were beginning to shake again, impacting the precision of her aim.

Nozomi held her breath. She only had one thought when she focused her eyes on the target. She was not going to become the vice president under Ayase Eli.

She released the arrow and it hit the target even if on the outer circles. She did a little jump on her feet and turned to Umi with a happy grin, whose lips twitched once, hinting at an amused smile over Nozomi's excitement. "Again."

Feeling confident in her abilities now, Nozomi prepared herself for another shot, raising bow and a new arrow again. Taking a deep breath, she temporarily forgot about her sore muscles, and became negligent of technique and power limits. She abruptly pulled at the string in the wrong hand position, hearing Umi's alarmed "No!" before she felt it; the searing pain in her right wrist, shooting up her whole arm and numbing her right side.

Not even having the time to register what happened, Nozomi's mouth was open in a silent scream, and tears sprung to her eyes. All she knew was that the tiniest movement of her hand brought extreme pain, and she helplessly stared up at Umi, whose eyes were wide open in alarm.

"Follow me, Tojo," her voice had stayed calm despite her alert expression. To her members, who watched on with little sympathy, she ordered, "Keep practicing."

With tears blurring her vision, Nozomi stumbled after the outline of Umi's tall figure, keeping her sobs in. She didn't want to seem weaker than necessary in front of her.

"W-where are we going?" Nozomi asked with shaky breath.

"To someone who can help," Umi replied curtly. When she noticed that she had walked too far ahead of Nozomi, she shortly stopped to let the other catch up. "How much does it hurt?"

"I'm okay if I don't move it," Nozomi said quietly, stabilizing her right wrist with her left hand.

"You might be lucky if it's just a muscle strain," Umi replied, guiding them to an unfamiliar corner of Otonokizaka where Nozomi had never been before.

Standing in front of large double doors, Umi knocked three times before entering. "Excuse us for intruding."

Nozomi blinked, thinking that Umi must have gotten the wrong room because why would a white grand piano be inside the infirmary, and most importantly of all, why would Nishikino Maki be there?

"What...the hell," Maki muttered, standing up from her piano bench. "You know this room is not-"

"It's an emergency," Umi interrupted. "I need to make sure she didn't tear a muscle. I want you to take a look at it."

Both Maki and Nozomi stared at each other in disbelief.

"Maki, please," Umi said when Maki showed reluctance. "You know I don't trust anyone else to be as quick and precise in their judgment as you."

"Fine," Maki muttered. She pointed to an armchair nearby. "Sit down, Tojo."

Nozomi warily looked at Nishikino, then glanced at Umi for reassurance. Was she really in good hands with that harsh red-haired girl?

"She may not look like it," Umi said after seeing Nozomi's hesitance, "but she has an exceptional brain that has memorized at least one hundred procedures to various emergency situations. You will be in good care."

"I'll let the backhanded compliment slide if Tojo gets here right now," Maki growled impatiently.

Nozomi finally obeyed the command and sat down in one of the armchairs.

"Hold out your wrist," Maki muttered. She took Nozomi's right wrist and used two fingers to start pressing from the crook of the elbow down until Nozomi flinched in pain. "Pulled muscle. If it was torn, you would have cried sooner."

Umi's chest slowly heaved and sank in a silent sigh of relief.

"Don't move it, put some ice on it," Maki said, strolling back to the piano. "Will get better in a week, but wouldn't recommend exercising it until at least two weeks."

"Thank you," Nozomi said quietly, still in disbelief that Maki had helped her. How did she know all this?

"Yeah, yeah," Maki muttered dismissively. "You're just lucky that I owe Umi a lot of favors and this is the first time I've been useful."

"While that was not your true motivation, I still appreciate your help," Umi answered, and Nozomi could almost see an amused glint in her eyes.

Gritting her teeth, Maki hissed, "Get out now before I regret it."

Umi turned to Nozomi and offered her a hand to help her stand up. "We should get ice for your injury."

Feeling Maki's eyes on her, Nozomi accepted Umi's hand with her uninjured one and let herself be effortlessly pulled up. They walked out of the room not before hearing the intro of a melody that Maki had begun playing. Foreboding and dark, yet strangely harmonic and beautiful. Nozomi felt something in her gut twisting.

Umi closed the doors. "Excuse my friend's behavior. Her social conduct has always been one of her weaker points."

Nozomi suppressed a snort at the understatement, and quietly followed Umi on their way to the infirmary. The room was unoccupied, and Umi went straight for the fridge where the ice packs were kept cool, taking one of them to hand it over to Nozomi.

"Rest while I fetch your clothes," Umi said, turning to the door. "There is no point in practicing today anymore."

"Wait," Nozomi called out, louder than she had intended to. She subconsciously made herself smaller when Umi turned around to her, giving her a questioning look.

"W-what will happen to me after this?"

Umi furrowed her brows. "Excuse me?"

Nozomi swallowed. "Can I still join the archery club?"

And before Umi gave a reply, Nozomi already knew what the answer would be, seeing it in the apologetic look.

"I'm afraid I'm restricted by rules," Umi said quietly. "Your injury will require you to rest at least two weeks. We have a competition in four. Even without your current situation, four weeks are not enough time to train you until you reach a level where I can allow you to compete. If you do not qualify for competitions, then I cannot allow you to remain on my team. This rule was established to ensure the high quality of Otonokizaka school clubs at all times."

Umi might as well could have slapped her, that was how Nozomi felt, and her face showed it, which caused the taller girl to take a step closer to her in concern. "Tojo?"

"I'm," Nozomi's face paled. She was going to be vice president under someone as unpredictably aggressive and cold as Eli. "I understand..."

Sensing that there was more to than just disappointment at not being able to participate in archery competitions, Umi carefully looked at Nozomi. "If you allow me to, I might be able to help with whatever that seems to trouble you."

But Nozomi shook her head, that was something no one could help her with. And more importantly, she didn't want to be more in Umi's debt than she already was. "Thank you, but it is nothing."

Umi's expression didn't relax, but neither did she probe further on the topic that obviously made Nozomi so miserable. Instead, she announced, "If you excuse me, I will get your clothes now."

As Nozomi watched her leave, she felt her own hope leaving her body, letting behind a structure of tired muscles and aching bones. She stared at the ice pack resting on her right wrist.

"Cold," she whispered, lifting it up when her skin started to freeze. The icy shiver it sent down her spine felt oddly familiar, but the cause was different. She had only felt that way before when intense blue eyes had been gazing down at her.

Nozomi wondered if the ice pack was still warmer than Eli's heart.