The next morning was a Saturday morning, and when Eriya and Naria woke up, they were in the same bed together, in their house.
"Ohhhh, my freakin' head," Naria said.
"You aren't the only one. What the hell happened last night? Ohhhh," Eriya replied, massaging her head.
"There was lots of alcohol. You and I were…kissing. I remember it."
"Did we do anything?"
"Enough to make me regret it. I love you, but not in that way, Eriya. I think we just may have become the most infamous people in school."
"If we were all tipsy like that, how did we get home?"
"Dwayne and Gareth, probably. They're nice guys."
"This is a terrible mistake I've made! What if I run for Student President and someone pulls out evidence of this?! How can I prove I was drunk at the time?"
"We're dead. This isn't funny."
Naria made coffee and turned on the TV. The local news was on, and she watched it as she waited for the coffee to brew.
"A young woman is now dead according to police sources. Hikari Daishiba, a student at Sakazaki College was driving along a road when she hit a bicyclist, causing her to skid and slamming into a telephone pole. Daishiba was a member of the women's fencing team and was a sophomore. Police believe she was drunk while the accident happened. The bicyclist is unhurt."
Naria was shocked. Hikari was her teammate, and other than Eriya, her best friend. Naria let out a noise that even her sister could hear over the noise of the shower.
"No, Kari," she said as if she was talking to her friend. "Why did you do that? You silly girl." She then felt a deluge of frustration. "Oh, the hell with it! Curses, can't anything go right for us? Soldiers of Enhanced Fortune, my ass! More like Losers of All Damn Bad Luck, for crying out loud! You want something to go right, you have to see to it yourself!"
"Naria, is that you?"
Naria tried to hide her tears and anger before her younger sister came in, but she failed.
"What's wrong, Naria?"
"Nothing."
"You can't lie to me! We tell each other everything."
"My friend Kari died last night."
"Wasn't she at the party?"
"Yes. And she got in her car and drove home, except she didn't get there."
"What happened?"
"She crashed into a telephone pole. They said she was drunk while she was driving."
"Oh, Naria—"
Naria hugged her big sister, knowing that she was hurting inside. She had no idea what to do besides that.
"What are you going to do?"
"Only one thing to do," Naria said.
"What's that?"
"Go to her funeral, and her graveside ceremony."
"You're too upset to do that!"
"It's the only way I'm going to get over it. I need to see her for one last time."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. But I don't know how I'm going to be able to work while upset."
"Cancel all of the swordfighting lessons. That way you won't have to."
"I still need to see her."
"In time, sister. In time."
