Marriage

"If you could adopt any one of the kids, who would you pick?"

There was no hesitation in Minamo's answer, "Chiyo-chan."

"Eh?" Yukari exclaimed. The two were having after work drinks that no doubt Minamo was paying for, and Yukari had drunk only a couple of glasses at the moment. Minamo had around the same, and so the normal conversation – who was Minamo kidding, there were no normal conversations with Yukari – had drifted off to a random question and answer type of conversation.

"Chiyo-chan?" Yukari repeated, "But she isn't even in your homeroom class!"

"You never said it had to be a homeroom student!" Minamo argued. Yukari smirked and waggled her finger, in an slightly drunk manner.

"That's pretty low of you, Nyamo." Yukari replied, "Putting my homeroom student above your own. It's like you don't like any of your students!"

"Why are you so proud that she's in your homeroom?" Minamo said, "She's one of my Phys. Ed. students too!"

"Pah. That doesn't count for anything."

"It does!"

They both glared at each other for a bit, both not having enough energy to argue but not wanting to give in either. Instead of verbal attack, they had an unspoken starting competition. Yukari squinted her eyes as she tried not to blink and Minamo realised that she was against a true child and slumped in an uncaring defeat, her head buried in her arms.

"I asked her to marry me once." Minamo admitted, her voice muffled in the fabric of her shirt.

"Eh?" Yukari exclaimed. Minamo looked up, her hair looking dishevelled as she held up her chin with one hand. "What did she say?"

"She didn't say anything." Minamo said sincerely, remembering the confused expression on the young girl's face, "I think she thought I was joking."

She could cook for me everyday, and look after me, and make me lunch, and cook for me... Hell, if she could, she would swap Yukari for Chiyo-chan any day. Chiyo-chan would never try and sponge money off me for drinks. Or for food. Or come over my flat just to sleep...

Minamo glared at Yukari in this revelation on how irritating she was. Yukari didn't notice and drunk more sake.

"Huh." She said, holding the bottle in her hand, "You must be desperate Nyamo, if you asked Chiyo-chan to marry you."

Minamo swiped at her hand and took the sake from out of her grasp.

"Who would you adopt then?" She retorted, taking a swig from the bottle.

Yukari glared at Minamo in this revelation on how quick her reflexes were. Minamo didn't notice and drunk more sake.

"You're asking me to pick a favourite?" Yukari said in a tone of teacher superiority, "How unprofessional of you, Nyamo. I could never pick one student from all the unique specimens I have in my homeroom!"

You make them sound like frogs in a lab experiment...