Bara no Scarlet
Chapter 20
Diversions
Anshii met Ayomi directly after the girl's last class and walked back to the dorm with her. She managed to get Ayomi talking about something that had happened in class, and reflected on how different Ayomi was from herself when she had been the Rose Bride. As the Rose Bride, Anthy hadn't had a chance to be her own self. She was End of the World's puppet, a doll that danced on the strings that Akio pulled.
But Ayomi… she seemed to have a will of her own, seemed to be almost… loyal to Akio. To an extent, it frightened Anshii, for this was a method of control that Anshii could not break. If Akio was established as a guardian and protector in Ayomi's mind, it would take a near act of treason on his part to sway the girl's opinion. And Akio wasn't stupid. He'd see through any attempt that Anshii made to try to undermine him.
She was going to have to play the game on his terms, and she didn't like it at all.
When they arrived at the dorm, Ayomi offered to make a snack for Anshii, and startled, Anshii agreed. As Ayomi slipped into the kitchen, Anshii's cellphone rang. She'd almost forgotten that she had purchased one before returning to Ohtori. She picked the ringing phone up off of her dresser and answered it.
"Anshii here…"
"Miss Himemiya, it's Seneka. We're having some difficulties with the gentleman who ordered the chinchillas. He wants to talk to you directly in regards to one of them, but he won't leave a message for us to give to you." Her assistant manager sounded flustered and tired.
"Is Mister Fujimoto there right now, Seneka?" Anshii asked, reaching down to the edge of the bed and pulling out her sneakers from underneath it.
"He's down at the end of the aisle… Chuchu, go get Mister Fujimoto please…" Seneka held the phone away from her mouth as she spoke to Chuchu on the other end.
Anshii smiled to herself and walked over to the closet to get her uniform out as she waited. She could hear the phone handed to her client, and his gruff hello was her cue to sound professional. "Ah, Mister Fujimoto. I'm sorry that I've been difficult to touch base with. How can I be of assistance?"
"Miss Himemiya, those chinchillas are the prize of my collection. You must tell me where they come from. I want two more for my daughter's birthday."
"All of my suppliers request to do business only through me, Mister Fujimoto. I can assure you that you cannot possibly get a better price for them without me. I can call and have two more sent to my main shop…" She paused and checked her watch. "By Friday. Is that fast enough for you?"
"Yes, ma'am. Friday will be perfect. The lightest gray they have?" He asked, eagerness tingeing his voice.
"The lightest they have," Anshii confirmed, moving back over to the bed with uniform in hand. "May I speak with Seneka please?"
As usual, he did not say farewell, simply handed the phone back to her assistant. "Seneka."
"Seneka… please set up an appointment for him to pick up the chinchillas on Friday afternoon, and then after he has left, call Megu-chan and tell her to send you two light gray chinchillas for Friday morning." Anshii sat down on the edge of the bed and regarded her uniform with mild reluctance.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm so sorry to have bothered you, but he was insistent."
"That's fine," Anshii replied. "Add twenty percent to the total for the rush order."
They exchanged greetings again, and Anshii hung up the cellphone and looked up as Ayomi came into the room with a tray. "Oh, goodness! You've outdone yourself, Ayomi."
There was tea and cookies on the tray, along with several selections of chocolates and chocolate-dipped fruits. Ayomi offered it to Anshii, who helped herself to several of the sweets as well as a cup of the tea. As Anshii tested the tea, Ayomi turned and set the tray on the table. "I used cantarella to flavor the tea… I hope like it."
Anshii froze mid-swallow. Cantarella? That was the name of the poison that I used when I… "That's interesting. It has a very mild flavor."
Ayomi turned back and smiled. "I'm glad you like it."
Is she trying to tell me something? Like I was when I said those words to Utena? Is she Utena in there, just unable to break the spell that Akio has cast? Anshii tasted the cookie and looked to Ayomi. "Did you use it in the cookies as well?"
Ayomi frowned. "No… I bought those at the store."
Anshii considered, eating in silence. She could swear that it was Utena, trying to tell her something. But what?