Letter #3: Kanna
"Will you hurry? I want to get this done before dinner."
Sumire glared at Kanna. "Tell me what am I supposed to be doing in the attic?"
Kanna grinned. "You lost another bet, remember?"
Sumire did remember. She gritted her teeth and muttered under her breath. "How is a Top Star like me expected to know when the rain would stop?"
Kanna turned around and winked at Sumire. "Which is why you should never make bets with someone who does know." She turned around and continued climbing up the stairs to the attic. "I'd have thought you'd learned your lesson the last time. It seems you've forgotten about your wonderful experience as a dining hall attendant."
Sumire clenched her fist and resisted the urge to give her fellow Hanagumi a smack in the head. "Kanna-san, I haven't forgotten about that."
Kanna opened the door to the attic and sneezed as the dust flew up. "This place really does need to get cleaned up. I should have done it right after I stored Iris' box of toys in here."
Sumire waved her hand in front of her face to ward off the dust. She surveyed the large room. "So this is why you asked me to wear my practice outfit."
Kanna nodded. "Yep. I didn't want you to get your expensive kimonos all dirty from cleaning out the attic." She dropped the bucket and the mop on the floor. "Iris and Reni are coming up to help, too."
Sumire coughed. "If we want to finish cleaning this place by dinner, we need all the help we can get."
"You're right. I was up here about two weeks ago because Iris asked me to store her box and I noticed cobwebs." Kanna scratched her head. "It's gotten even more dirty from the last time."
Sumire's eyes widened at the mention of her most hated thing. "Co-- cobwebs? So there are spiders in here?" Sumire sputtered the words out as she frantically pointed out to the large space in front of her. "You know how much I hate spiders." She turned around and was about to go back downstairs when Kanna reached out and took hold of a sleeve.
"That's not an excuse. You lost the bet so you're here to help me. How can you be afraid of spiders? They're harmless."
Sumire turned around to face Kanna, with arms akimbo. "Hmmph! I could say the same about snakes, you know. But that's not going to stop you from being afraid. I could tell you there's a snake slithering close to your ankle right now and I'm sure you're going to panic."
A look of pure terror appeared on Kanna's face. "Ne-- near me? A sn-- snake? Sumire, tell me you're joking."
Sumire flipped her hair back and turned her nose in the air. "Of course I am. I would never stoop so low as to lie about that. I know how much you hate snakes."
"Hey you two! Iris and Reni are here!" Iris bounded up the stairs in a pair of trousers and a white shirt. She twirled around. "Reni lent me some of her clothes. Doesn't Iris look pretty in them?"
"It would have been unsuitable for Iris to attend to attic cleaning duties in her pretty dresses."
Iris nodded in agreement. "Dear Reni explained that Iris could move around more easily in a pair of trousers. Of course, Reni is always correct about these things."
Reni blushed at hearing Iris' statement. "Not always, Iris."
"Okay! Now that we're all here, let's us do our best and clean this place up." Kanna handed Reni and Iris a mop and a rag. She then walked over to open the windows.
"Hmm… looks like it's going to rain again. Do you want to make another bet, Sumire?"
"Yes, and this time, I will win." Sumire announced as she finished tying the kerchief around her head.
Iris giggled. "You said that when you made this bet, too."
She winked at Iris. "Well, if I keep saying it, I'm bound to be right sooner or later, right?"
The attic echoed with laughter, song, and friendly banter throughout the rest of the day. To Kanna's delight, they finished cleaning the attic long before dinner.
* * *
Yo, Taicho,
How are you? Are you eating well in France? Iris tells me the food is different and the portions are usually smaller there. Well, you better practice while you're there or I'm going to win our next eating contest.
I'm getting to be quite accurate in my weather predictions. Since the city is safe from any danger, I have more time to lie back and relax on the roof. Sumire lost another bet to me again. Don't worry, I didn't ask her to be the dining hall attendant again. Instead, she helped me clean out the attic. Reni and Iris helped, too.
Everyone is doing well. We still get sad sometimes when we remember that you're not here. I try my best to cheer people up by making curry. The first week after you left, we had curry for almost every meal -- the Hanagumi has fun preparing it, anyway, so we don't mind.
We've been preparing it less often now. That doesn't mean that we've forgotten about you -- that would never happen.
I will continue to make sure that the Hanagumi are in good spirits. I'm sure that's what you want.
Well, see you.
Kanna
~ next -- Letter #4: Orihime
* * *
Author's Notes:
- In one of the episodes of the TV series, Sumire and Kanna have a bet regarding a typhoon. Sumire lost the bet and had to wear a dining hall attendant's uniform and serve tea and rice to the others.
- Sumire's fear of spiders and Kanna's fear of snakes are both revealed in the Sakura Taisen 1 game.
- In the TV series, the Hanagumi prepare curry together for the first time to foster unity between the members.
