Note: This is set prior to the start of their second year, so Hikari hasn't transferred in yet.
Spring break is two months long. For Mahiru it's a precious opportunity to spend time with her family. All of them, including her youngest of siblings, are thrilled to have her home. The time they spend together goes by in a flash, and after what feels like just a few days Mahiru finds herself back in the Seisho dorms.
She returns a couple days prior to the semester starting, and is pleased to find her previous roommate has already arrived. It's less pleasing that the room looks like a tornado passed through. Empty soda cans and ramen cups line the windowsill and random articles of clothing are strewn all over the floor, but Mahiru lets it go for the moment. She greets Karen warmly as she tugs her suitcase around the small mountain of clothes that have settled near the door.
Said girl is splayed lazily on her bed, flat on her stomach with her arms shoved under a pillow. Her face is buried in said pillow, but she rolls onto her side to greet her friend. "Mahiru-chan! Okaeri!"
Karen's voice is as radiant as Mahiru remembers it, and the grin she receives with it sends her heart soaring. "Tadaima," Mahiru smiles softly. That's right, she's home.
Mahiru starts to unpack, and behind her she can hear Karen shuffle on her bed. She glances over her shoulder and sees the smaller teen is now in a sitting position. Her hair is puffing up cutely on one side from when she was laying down. "How's everything back home?"
"It's good." Mahiru pulls open a drawer and starts to move her clothes from the suitcase into the unit. She continues, "I helped out with the potatoes a bit. Oh! Kohaku started playing soccer this year, so I went to one of his games. He was so cute. Yuki went with me. I could tell she wanted to play sooo bad but she's still too young." Mahiru pauses. She's been speaking for a good thirty seconds now, it must be boring to listen to. She decides to flip the attention back to Karen. "How about with you?"
"They're doing great!" Karen fills her in that her family was a bit lonely without her, so they spent most of the break doing fun things together. "We went to a theme park and a zoo!" Karen motions with her arms, "Did you know that giraffes are like, really tall?" Karen stretches her right arm in the air as high as it can reach and continues without waiting for a response. "Even taller than this! We should go together sometime!"
Mahiru's ears tinge pink at the invitation. "I'd like that," she responds quietly. Her unpacking is all set, so she starts in on the mess still littered around her. "It sounds like you did a lot. Are you finished with the spring homework?"
"Nope." The bed springs creak, and when Karen speaks again her voice sounds closer than before. "No worries though, we still have time."
Mahiru can't really say she's surprised at the nonchalant answer. She rises from the floor with a sigh; cleaning will have to wait. "Karen-chan…" Mahiru turns to face the teen who's now standing only a few paces from her. "They're due in three days."
"Three days is plenty of time! Ahahaha," Karen rubs the back of her neck and her eyes shift to the floor. A second ticks by before she looks up again. "Sooooo, we'll start after dinner?"
"Now." Mahiru musters the sternest voice she can manage. Karen seems like she might say no; but after a second she relents and goes to her desk to get the schoolwork. Mahiru slides her chair over to sit by Karen, and even though they're doing schoolwork now, there's no place Mahiru would rather be.