Free Time Events: Kanae Tsukimura (Side C)

EVENT 1: Tsukimura-san is fascinated by my talent despite- or rather, because- of how humble it is.

Tsukimura-san eagerly asked me questions about working tech support. I educated her to the best of my ability since, as I put it at one point, answering questions was essentially my job.

"I'd like to ask you something, Tsukimura-san," I said. "Why are you so interested in my talent? I'm sure the talents of people like Sasaki-san or Azuki-san make for much more interesting conversations."

"Sayuri-chan told me about being a manga artist," Tsukimura-san said. "As for Azuki-san, while I do plan on speaking with her, too, I feel like I have some idea of what it's like to be an actress from reading celebrity gossip."

"I don't know about that," I said. "It would be a big opportunity to speak with an actress herself, and hear what she has to say without it being filtered through the media."

Tsukimura-san paused, seeming unconvinced. I wasn't sure whether she knew about how the tabloids and other publications were out to sell magazines, and weren't always above twisting the truth, but if she did, it was probably beside the point.

"Maybe," Tsukimura-san said, "but to answer your original question, I was actually the most interested in your talent because out of all the ones in this class, it's the simplest and humblest one."

"I guess that makes sense coming from the Ultimate Handmaiden," I said. "I suppose Asakura-san, the real Ultimate Tech Support, refused to talk with you?"

"He didn't refuse me outright," Tsukimura-san said, "but he gave terse or vague answers, and seemed to be avoiding most of my questions; I'd have preferred it if he'd politely said no. As far as I'm concerned, if you're willing to speak with me, you're more deserving of the title."

I smiled. Tsukimura-san didn't know anything about my family apart from my being Nagato-sensei's daughter, but she made her judgments based on what she observed herself, rather than what she heard from others.

"I see," I said. "Well, then please let me know if you want to know anything else about my job."

"Yes, ma'am," Tsukimura-san said. "I'll let you know if I think of any other questions."

I giggled softly as I agreed to answer questions for Tsukimura-san, unused to being shown the same respect I commonly showed to others.

EVENT 2: Tsukimura-san's job is a relatively humble profession that is of use to people. She hopes to repay her debt to the Himemiya family.

I answered some more of Tsukimura-san's questions about tech support. After we finished, I decided to return the favor and ask her about her talent.

"If you don't mind my asking, Tsukimura-san," I said, "what's it like to be a maid?"

Tsukimura-san paused to think for a moment.

"Let me put it this way, Nagato-san," Tsukimura-san said. "Are you expected to help out around the house?"

"I am," I said. "I have to make my bed and pick up after myself. My mom and I take turns with cooking, taking the trash out and other household chores. My mom handles shopping, laundry, and other tasks, but she tells me how to do them so I can do so by myself."

Tsukimura-san nodded approvingly. I was supposed to be calling Mom "Nagato-sensei" here, but since she wasn't around, and I was talking about her raising me, I was sure it was fine.

"As I got older, I realized how busy my mom was, as a teacher and a parent," I said, "and so I decided to pick up the slack in order to lighten her burden. There are still things that I can't do for myself, or for her, but I handle everything else."

"It sounds as though you understand what my job's all about," Tsukimura-san said. "The Himemiya home is too large for the family to take care of by itself, and requires a professional's touch. By taking care of the house, cooking meals and doing other duties, I, along with the rest of the staff, allow the master more time to run his business, the mistress more time to look after the children, and Himeno-sama and her siblings time to study and work."

I recalled one of my classmates at my old school who had to work part-time after school to help support her family, and couldn't join any clubs. She was lucky that our school let students take part-time jobs if they obtained permission, as well as that clubs weren't mandatory, but that was of little comfort to her. If she and Himemiya-san had switched places, Himemiya-san probably never would have become the Ultimate Archer.

"That's quite a nice service," I said, "but obviously one that not everyone can afford... especially not those providing that service."

Tsukimura-san sadly shook her head. In some ways, life was a zero-sum game, with many of the things we took for granted being made possible by others' sacrifices. Even Tsukimura-san, who gave her time and labor to the Himemiyas, was also a beneficiary of what others gave for people like her.

"Unfortunately, no," Tsukimura-san said, "but while the Himemiyas are incredibly wealthy, their assets aren't limited to money and property. They also wield significant influence, enabling them to obtain significant favors, and have a large network of well-connected associates. My family, who serves theirs in order to repay a generations-old debt, is one such example, even if we aren't the most powerful."

"So you're also working to pay off that debt, aren't you?" I said.

"I am," Tsukimura-san said, "both my family's debt and my personal debt to them for taking me in after my parents died. I may never be able to fully repay either, but I'll never give up on working towards those goals."

Tsukimura-san's feelings were familiar to me, since I owed everything to my mother. Of course, while I couldn't help but envy how she had something she was good at, not to mention a career lined up, surely she could do so much more with her life than simply serving the Himemiyas.

EVENT 3: Tsukimura-san's employers are relatively compassionate and understanding, but are her superiors, not her friends or family.

I did some roleplaying with Tsukimura-san, in which I pretended to be her maid, by following her orders and calling her "Kanae-sama."

"I'm amazed, Nagato-san," Tsukimura-san said. "You must get some difficult customers."

"Technically Kanae-sama, I'm not an actual tech support professional just yet," I said, "so I don't have any experience with that. The administration of Talent High School believed I had potential, though, which is why they granted me the title."

I'd heard that those who judged prospective Ultimates did so realizing that said individuals might not be at their peak just yet, and the purpose of schools like Talent High School and Hope's Peak was to help the students continue to grow.

"What about you?" I said. "Do your employers often make your job harder, like leaving difficult messes to clean up?"

Tsukimura-san laughed out loud and shook her head.

"Not at all," Tsukimura-san said. "The Himemiyas are very strict about teaching their children to pick up after themselves. By most people's standards, Himeno-sama is a a 'neat freak,' and she doesn't ask me to do anything she can do for herself."

"Do you think she's being considerate of you?" I said.

"I know that she is," Tsukimura-san said. "She feels bad if I work too hard, and wished I could join her on the archery team, rather than going straight home to clean. I know I couldn't keep up with her if I did, but I appreciated the invitation."

For a moment, I considered asking if Tsukimura-san ever wanted to hang out with friends after school, but her school probably didn't allow her to make stops on the way home. I'd gotten called into the office and questioned about stopping by Talent High School to meet up with Mom, so stopping by a diner or the mall with friends(if I had any) would have been out of the question.

"And what about the rest of the family?" I said.

Tsukimura-san sighed.

"It's... complicated," Tsukimura-san said. "The madam- Himeno-sama's mother- took me in because she was friends with my late mother, and tries to treat me like one of her children. However, Himeno-sama's father and siblings see me as just another servant. They treat me well, and expect their children to be polite to the staff, but don't consider me an equal."

So in other words, Tsukimura-san's foster family didn't consider her to be part of them. That didn't entirely sit well with me, but Tsukimura-san didn't seem to mind. Since she thought of herself as a Tsukimura, rather than a Himemiya, considering her willingness to carry on her ancestors' service to the Himemiyas, she was probably fine with being the Himemiya's employee rather than their adopted child.

"I think Nagato-sensei would probably do the same for you," I said. "She's not an elitist, but she does believe that certain social relationships- parent and child, teacher and student, and employer and employee, to name a few- are not and will never be equal. You'd have to call her 'mistress' and would probably have to call me 'Miss' or 'Chiyuri-sama,' but she wouldn't work you too hard or ask you to do anything unreasonable."

"You don't seem too happy about that, Chiyuri-sama," Tsukimura-san said, "I mean Nagato-san."

"I think it's reasonable for employers to treat their employees that way," I said. "If I was a servant like you, that's probably the most I'd expect from the family I worked for. Of course, if you worked for my family, or vice versa, I doubt we could ever be friends."

Tsukimura-san nodded somberly.

"I think 'not ever' is an exaggeration," Tsukimura-san said, "but I am glad that we were able to meet as classmates."

I could tell that Tsukimura-san was thinking about Himemiya-san when she said that. The two got along, but perhaps it might have been better if they could have grown up together as ordinary friends, rather than maid and mistress. But did Tsukimura-san really want to change anything about her life?

EVENT 4: Tsukimura-san doesn't have many ideas what she can or wants to do besides being a maid, but thinks her talent fits her career goals.

We talked about careers for a little while. Since Tsukimura-san's grades weren't all that good, she didn't have many options available.

"Out of curiosity, Nagato-san, does Nagato-sensei have any ideas as to what sort of job you should pursue?" Tsukimura-san said.

"Probably something more ambitious than tech support," I said. "She would be happy if I became a teacher like her."

"I'm a bit similar," Tsukimura-san said. "If my parents were alive, they would expect me to follow in their footsteps."

"I thought so," I said, "but do you want to?"

Tsukimura-san paused, thought for a moment, then shrugged.

"I... haven't really thought of it," Tsukimura-san said. "Then again, it's not as though I have a specific dream that my talent or family precludes me from pursuing. As a poor student whose prospects for higher education aren't very good, maybe my best option for a career is working as a maid. If nothing else, at least I have that choice."

I silently concurred. Some Ultimate talents were clearly more desirable than others, and some weren't meant to be long-term careers, but being the best at anything was something to be thankful for.

"What about Himemiya-san?" I said.

"Himeno-sama plans to do archery as long as possible," Tsukimura-san said, "but as an alternative career, she plans to work for some company as an office worker, starting as an entry level job and going as far as her ability takes her."

"She seems confident," I said. "Maybe it's because she achieved success as an archer, and believes she can do whatever she puts her mind to?"

"That's part of it," Tsukimura-san said, "but the main reason is that she wants to earn whatever she gets, rather than have it given to her. She once said that she's in debt to many people- her parents, myself and the other staff, her teachers, and many others, and that while she cannot fully repay those people who've helped her, she can be less dependent on them."

While I wanted to become an independent adult as soon as possible, the more I thought about what I'd have to do to achieve that status- get a job, a place to stay, enough money to pay my bills, and so on and so forth- the more intimidating the prospect seemed. Of course, even if I was able to support myself, there would be at least one tie connecting me to my mom- namely, the bond shared as family members. Perhaps my goal would be better termed "self-sufficiency," rather than "independence."

"So she recognizes that she'll always be a Himemiya, no matter where she goes or what she does," I said, "but what about you? Is part of the reason why you're fine with not being adopted into the Himemiya family because you still think of yourself as a Tsukimura?"

"That's true," Tsukimura-san said, "since I'm the only one left to carry on our legacy. If I get married, I'll probably have to take my husband's name, but I'll never forget my ties to the Tsukimuras or the Himemiyas."

I wondered how different my life would have been if I was the legitimate child of Shou and Yukari Mitamura, rather than as an illegitimate child. Regardless of how my life began or where it ended up, my life's course was influenced by my family, just like Tsukimura-san's was.

EVENT 5: Tsukimura-san may one day have to find her own path, but she'll always be true to her friends and family.

Tsukimura-san invited me over to her cabin, and we continued having me roleplay as a maid.

"You know, Nagato-san," Tsukimura-san said, "Himeno-sama once said that if she ever ended up as head of her family, the first thing she'd do is fire me."

"Excuse me?!" I said.

"That's how I reacted, too," Tsukimura-san said, "but then Himeno-sama explained her decision. First, she's never liked how she and I mistress and servant, and cannot consider ourselves equals. Second, she'd like to remove my dependency on the income I earn from her family, but she said that if I ever ran into trouble with money, she would help me out until I could get back on my feet. I appreciate the offer, even if I'd rather not impose on her."

I felt a little better about hearing that.

"That's good," I said, "but I imagine she'd feel lonely if you're no longer living with her."

"Yes, and so would I," Tsukimura-san said, "but both of us know that we're close enough that we won't necessarily drift apart if we're separated. It would be a bit of an adjustment, but we're sure we'll remain friends."

"I think so, too, Kanae-sama," I said. "I mean 'Tsukimura-san'."

Tsukimura-san giggled.

"There's no need to switch back to my last name, Chiyuri-chan," Tsukimura-san said, "although it'd be nice if you could drop the '-sama'. We're friends, aren't we?"

"If that's all right with you, Kanae-san," I said. "I'm glad you think so, too."

We shook hands. For much of my life, I wondered who would be willing to make the effort to reach out and befriend someone like me, an untalented girl who was born out of wedlock, but the answer was simple; not everyone judged people on their talents or their birth. Kanae-san was a rare friend, and both Himemiya-san and I were lucky to know her.

Author's Notes

It can be interesting to consider how Azuki and Chiyuri's perspectives on certain things can vary. While Azuki isn't fond of the Tsukimuras swearing fealty to the Himemiyas, Chiyuri's more accepting of it, possibly related to Azuki's mixed feelings about Chiyuri and Nagato-sensei sticking to a teacher-student relationship when class is in session.

The omake goes into Tsukimura and Himemiya's childhood. If Tsukimura's vocabulary in the narrative is a bit advanced for a four-year-old, it's because she's looking back on that memory as a teenager.

Omake

Tsukimura's POV

One time, when Himeno-sama and I were four years old, we hung out together. My responsibilities grew as I got older, but since I was only a child, I was merely expected to pick up after Himeno-sama, and address her with the utmost respect. Even back then, Himeno-sama understood that there was a gap between us, and didn't like it one bit.

"Hey, Kanae, Himeno's curious about something," Himeno-sama said. "Why do you have to call Himeno '-sama', while she can just call you 'Kanae'?"

"Because I'm your maid, Himeno-sama," I said, parroting back the words that Father and the other adults told me, "and part of my job is to show you respect."

"That's not fair," Himeno-sama said. "Maybe Himeno should call you 'Kanae-sama' too. That way we'd be equal, right?"

I chuckled. Father had bluntly told me that the Himemiyas, our benefactors, were better than us, and we had to be deferential to them. He'd made it clear that he wouldn't stand for me contradicting him, but nevertheless, Himeno-sama's naïve but kind refusal to accept that touched my heart.

"That's... not how it works," I said. "You call me 'Kanae' because you think I'm your friend, right?"

"Yes," Himeno-sama said. "It's what Himeno thinks, not something Himeno was told to do."

"I am glad to hear that," I said. "It may not be a gesture I'm able to reciprocate, but I'm truly glad for it."

Himeno-sama changed in many ways as she grew up, but while her understanding of human relationships changed, her most fervent belief- that we, two girls who'd grown up together and always gotten along, could be friends regardless of our social differences- stayed the same. The same went for my gratitude toward her, and I hoped that one day, I could wholeheartedly call her my friend.