Chapter 54: Disappointment.
"What the hell?" Shiho exclaimed, furious.
The news of Kuromorimine's defeat in her match against St. Gloriana that she was following on her radio (a Sony portable radio) made her lose the proverbial composure that others attributed to her.
"…Surprise outcome for this match, since everyone gave Kuromorimine academy as the sure winner of the match." A voice on the radio was explaining.
For a moment the woman was tempted to throw the radio against a wall, but she just switched it off and placed it on the table in front of her. She breathed deeply as she tried to calm down, only partially succeeding.
Kuso… It's already the second time that Kuromorimine is defeated! Maho will owe me a lot of explanation!
She thought, furious.
At the same time Ami Chono, a girl with short black hair and black eyes, was in a Tokyo cafe, sipping a cup of coffee. When she was done she put the cup down on the counter and turned to the bartender.
"Azusa, give me some croissants, please."
The bartender, who had long straight brown hair and green eyes, nodded.
"Hai, Chono-sama!"
"Me too, thank you!" A third female voice intervened.
Ami turned around, noticing in the doorway of the room a woman with long, straight brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a black cap, a red jacket over a white shirt, a black bow and a red skirt. Next to her stood a little girl with eyes and hair similar to hers, wearing a light summer dress of orange and yellow polka dots.
"Shimada-sama…" She said.
The newcomer gave her a friendly smile.
"Captain Chono…"
"Please, take a seat." The JGSDF officer invited her, pointing to her stool next to hers.
The woman, who was none other than Chiyo Shimada, a member of the sensha-do federation, nodded thanking her and sat down beside her right . The little girl instead was her daughter Alice her, and took a seat next to her left .
"What brings you here?" Ami asked.
"My daughter and I were having a walk, and we have to stop here to rest and eat something." Chiyo answered.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"But tell me about yourself, rather… Is there something troubling you? I see you sad."
Ami snorted. In fact, that day she looked funereal. She looked around to see if there were prying ears. Luckily for her there were few customers that day: a couple of students from nearby Fujimi High School, in green and white uniforms; a blonde with long wavy hair, blue eyes and a buxom physique (definitely a tourist); a couple in love (he with short black hair and eyes of the same color, she with long straight orange hair and eyes of the same color). They were seated at tables, not at the counter.
"It's about Nishizumi-sama." She said.
"Ah, Shiho… My old rival. What did she do?"
At that moment Azusa arrived and placed in front of them three trays filled with various types of brioches: Kürtőskalács* filled with chocolate, croissants, sugar donuts. She then she walked away, not wanting to disturb their conversation. Alice immediately started eating, while Ami replied to Chiyo:
"That woman let me down, Shimada-sama… She not only did she drive Miho to suicide, disinheriting her, but she doesn't show the slightest remorse."
Until recently she had looked at Shiho Nishizumi, master of the homonymous style, with eyes full of admiration. Her class, her elegance, her proud and serious demeanor and her past as a great captain of sensha-do had almost made the rank-and-file adore her. Then Miho's suicide, combined with her mother's petty attitude, had destroyed that admiration of hers. She took a donut and bit into it.
The smile of her interlocutor faded.
"It's the same for me, Captain… Treating in that way a daughter who, moreover, has committed a heroic deed by saving five of her companions from drowning. Kami-sama… Had my Alice done it, I would have praised her, rather than disinherit her!"
She shook her head.
"What an shameful mother…"
Ami nodded.
"Yeah…"
She let out a sigh.
"Miho was a good girl… And a good commander. She had proved it against the St. Gloriana and the Maginot. It pains me to know that she is now no longer with us."
Suddenly a thought flashed through her mind.
"Come to think of it, your daughter was on a trip with her team to Aokigahara, right?"
Chiyo nodded.
"Yes why?"
"Maybe she saw Miho…" Ami speculated, hopeful.
"We see…"
Having said this, the woman turned to her daughter.
"Alice, did you happen to see Miho over there?"
Alice shook her head.
"Īe, okāsan.** I have not seen her. We were in another area of the forest."
Ami, albeit disappointed, nodded.
"I understand…"
How stupid… Why do I keep deluding myself? Miho is dead now.
Chiyo, noticing her discomfort, said:
"Unfortunately, life is also made up of tragedies and failures, Captain..." She reminded her, then eating a croissant.
Ami nodded again.
"Hai, Shimada-sama."
Having said that, he resumed eating too.
*Typical Hungarian dessert.
*No, mother.