Did you really think we'd be doing the Northern War next? You fools. You utter buffoons. You get this instead. Introducing: Side-Stories!
Basically, I'm using this as an excuse to write shorter chapters that are meant to be more slice-of-life or transitionary between major plot points. Some full of shenanigans, others more drama-filled and a little more gloomy (This one falls into the latter category). Plus, it would be much better than just going from one plot point to the next with how CS3's structured, so I might as well have some fun with the down time.
April 11, S.1205 - Crossbell Military Police Academy
The first day of spring neared and so did a new school year for her. And it definitely felt new.
And she hated it.
"Military" Police Academy? Were her people a joke to them?
Juna's hands balled into fists and her palms bled as she dug her nails deeper and deeper. The academy was now under new management and she couldn't have been any more furious.
The former Board of Directors was ousted from their position, replaced with faces assigned by the imperial government. She couldn't even bother memorizing their features nor listening to their pompous speech during the opening ceremony.
So much has changed over the past few months.
The Crossbell Guardian Force was merged into the Imperial Army. Some rogue members went into hiding.
The SSS have scattered thanks to the Governor General. She was no exception, even as an honorary member.
The air around the city had a sense of oppression behind it. As if the entire place was imprisoned in an impenetrable steel cage.
Erebonia ruined her country.
He-who-shall-not-be-named ruined her life.
She hated it.
She hated Erebonians.
She hated him.
And now she wanted to show to the Empire- nay, all of Zemuria that a Crossbellan's pride is worth so much more than they realize. That they won't take any of this injustice lying down.
Leaving the auditorium left a sense of dread in Juna's stomach. The buildings, walls, facilities… they were all the same as they were. It still looked like the Crossbell Police Academy.
But it wasn't the same.
Nothing felt the same.
It was all wrong.
Because now, they were no longer the Crossbell Police Department. They were the Crossbell Military Police. Charged with defending not Crossbell, but the Empire from Calvard and keeping the peace with more… aggressive methods. It was all sickening.
By the time she got to class, her scowl deepened.
A beautiful woman stood by the podium. Her icy blue hair was like nothing Juna had ever witnessed before. It was neatly tied to a side ponytail with a black scrunchy and contrasted heavily with her piercing red eyes.
But the appearance of a pretty woman wasn't what made Juna upset. It was the fact that she recognized the gray uniform she wore and the woman who wore it.
"My name is Claire Rieveldt from the Railway Military Police. As of today, I shall be serving as a temporary instructor here at the Crossbell Military Police Academy. A pleasure to meet you all."
Murmurs and whispers traveled through the classroom.
"Wow, she's beautiful!"
"Isn't she the famous Icy Maiden?"
"From the RMP, yeah."
Juna scoffed.
She'd do her best to avoid her.
She didn't want anything to do with an Erebonian.
…
The voice inside her head was unusually quiet.
The first time she bumped into the major, it was in the middle of gun training.
She usually preferred tonfa training over gunfire - mainly due to its non-lethal nature - but in recent times, she felt she was lacking in practice with her sharpshooting skills. Her gunbreakers were rapid-fire in its gunner mode, so aiming was customarily a non-issue, but it wouldn't hurt to polish her skills a tad bit.
Even so, no matter how hard she concentrated, it felt like each shot missed by an arge. By the time she fired her final shot, she was totally and utterly defeated. She pulled off her noise-canceling headphones and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"Your posture could use work. You were so focused on pointing your gun forward that you couldn't direct it properly."
She turned around, exchanging glances with her new instructor.
"Cadet Juna Crawford, right? You're in my class."
She nodded wordlessly.
Claire scanned her over. Did she look weird? Being in the shooting range, Juna dressed herself a tad more appropriately, eschewing from wearing the usual academy uniform for a sporty undershirt, a cap, and protective goggles. Despite only being spring, the climate had gradually grown warmer.
"Is there… something bothering you, Juna?"
Juna was taken slightly aback. Did this woman think she could read her like a book when this was the first time they really spoke?
"No," she replied frankly. She did everything in her power to make sure she didn't come off as too harsh. "I'm just getting rusty, that's all."
"I… see. Would you like any advice? I'd be more than happy to help you in any way that I can. I am your instructor, after all."
Juna shot her an unamused glare but held back from spouting anything unnecessary. "I'm… fine. I think… I'm just having an off day. I'll come back another time."
Without waiting for a response, Juna returned her equipment and left the range.
May 7, S.1205 - East Street, Crossbell City
The second time Juna bumped into the major was at an antique bookstore in the back corners of East Street.
The weekend was approaching and she had finished her schoolwork ahead of time, a habit she wasn't usually accustomed to doing, but she made an exception just this once. The reason? She wanted to get some gifts.
Ken and Nana's birthday was soon approaching and she, being the best-est big sister she could be (their words, not hers), had to get something that would knock their socks off well ahead of time. With Ken, she could probably get away with just giving him an action figure from his - and only his, she must emphasize (No way she was gonna admit out loud that she enjoyed it too) - favorite superhero show.
Nana was a tad trickier. The little girl had basically convinced herself that she was more into mature things now and wasn't into the old stuffed animals she used to give her. "I want to be like you, Juna!" she would say on repeat. Maybe that was a good sign to give her an accessory that she would personally like.
Maybe she could give that necklace to her… She stopped wearing it ever since the occupation, after all.
So why was she in a bookstore? Toys and accessories weren't things usually associated with a vendor that typically dealt in literature. She was there to get something for herself, of course. It didn't hurt to treat yourself every once and a while.
…
Well, to speak the truth, it was to get her mind off things. All that reasoning behind what she wanted to get her siblings wasn't inaccurate - in fact, she was gonna do that anyway - but, there was one thing that they were both obsessed with. Something that Juna couldn't stand.
It was always the Ashen Chevalier this, the Ashen Chevalier that. The two became the biggest fans of Crossbell's worst nightmare practically overnight.
Apparently the two barely maintained consciousness the day he jumped in to destroy that Calvardian airship. Despite being knocked out of the car, the two were awake just long enough to witness the arrival of the Ashen Knight before slipping away to sleep. Part of her was glad that it happened that way since it prevented the two from witnessing the scene that occurred right after, but it still frustrated her.
So, as a result, she wanted to take some time to get into a good novel or perhaps nab a few volumes of old comic books. She could have imagined Yuri pushing her towards something that caught her interest. She really wished she was with her right now. Anything to get her mind off-
"Ah."
She found the woman perusing through the shelves of the store. She wasn't used to seeing Major Claire in such casual clothing. A green-blue miniskirt over a black turtleneck sweater with a fleece-lined bomber jacket to complete the look. She hadn't realized until a few minutes later that she had been staring… and that she had been caught in the act.
"Juna, it's nice to see you," Claire greeted. "I'm not in your way, am I?"
"N-No. You're good." The fewer words exchanged between the two, the better.
"Well, that's good," she smiled. "You're probably wondering why I'm here. It's not often you see your teachers outside of school."
She really didn't care, but it would've been rude to say that. She just nodded instead.
"A birthday is coming up. For someone…" She paused. Claire's face morphed through a variety of expressions; ranging from confusion to embarrassment to bashful. "Someone I really care about. He's been quite interested in historical fiction as of late, so I thought I'd get him something unique to read."
"Huh," Juna mumbled. "Guess we're in the same boat then."
"Oh, so you're also getting a birthday gift? Who's it for?"
Juna diverted her eyes. "It's…" she trailed off.
Claire's eyes shot out in realization. "Pardon me, I'm aware that it's none of my business. I apologize for prying."
"...It's fine. I was only here to do some window shopping. Nothing more."
Her shoulders slunk down. She didn't want to participate in this conversation any longer than she had to.
"...I see," Claire said softly. Perhaps she caught on to her unwillingness to make small talk. "Then I'll get out of your hair. Enjoy the rest of your day, Juna. I'll see you in class soon."
The major walked past her to make her purchase. Juna left the store without getting anything for herself.
June 4, S.1205 - Knox Forest
The third time wasn't a run-in. Instead, she thought about her during a group training exercise in the forest.
Over the past two months, the reformations of the academy that she loved so dearly changed everything that made her want to enroll in the first place. While they still learned the basic suppression techniques and the use of police tools, combat training became the norm to the point that it was drilled into their heads that it would be inevitable on the field.
Juna was no stranger to combat and it wasn't like fighting wasn't something she was against so long as it was within reason. No, what irritated her was how essential they made it sound. How fixated the new instructors and board directors wanted them to learn how to fight another person. They really wanted to put the "Military" in "Military Police".
She recalled how Randy told her once that he joined the Crossbell Guardian Force because of his desire to protect people instead of doing harm. He wanted to leave the lifestyle of a jaeger behind and yet, now, they were being told to do the complete opposite.
She knew that Erebonia was a militaristic nation, but this was ridiculous.
Realizing that her head wasn't in the right place, she decided to take a break by a tree.
"You okay, Juna?" one of her classmates asked, sitting by her side. "You've been killing it with these exercises lately, but don't push yourself too hard."
"...Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." She forced a smile. "Probably some adrenaline rush on my end."
"Ha, seems like it." Her classmate eyed the rest of the trainees… and the one leading them. "You know, Instructor Claire's not at all what I expected."
Juna raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I've heard that the RMP is a sect of the Imperial Army but only operates under the orders of the chancellor. You'd think people like that would be more - how do I put it? - uptight? Instructor Claire especially since she's a part of the Ironbloods."
"Iron...bloods?"
"You don't know? They're an elite group that was handpicked by Chancellor Osborne himself and follow his direct orders. She and the Governor General apparently are both Ironbloods."
Giliath Osborne, the Blood and Iron Chancellor.
She still remembered her meeting with him at Orchis Tower. His imposing aura and the dread-inducing questions he asked. And the fact that he… he knew about her relationship with… him.
It was like the man managed to peer deep into her soul with his piercing eyes and gleaned everything there was to know about her.
"And yet, Instructor Claire is so kind. She can immediately point out areas where we're lacking and give us advice on how to improve ourselves. It's like she can analyze things in an instant and act on them appropriately. This might only be a temporary gig for her, but she shows that she really cares."
...Was that how it seemed to them? Juna watched over her classmates. They all looked like they were working hard. A glow of determination shined in all of their eyes, taking Claire's instruction to heart and improving one step at a time.
They all looked stronger, even if the situation in Crossbell wasn't one they wanted.
Was it because they found a future in a world where they were considered Imperial citizens?
Or were they able to take advantage of the situation to carve out a better future for themselves?
If that was the case, then why? Why was she the only one that felt so hopeless? Why was she being left out?
She wanted to know these answers and yet the voice who was always inside her head wasn't there to reply.
July 11, S.1205 - Training Grounds
The fourth time was after a long day of classes.
It was functionally no different from any other school day. She came to class, took notes on the new material, and did her group exercises with her classmates. But today, something had been weighing on her heavily. In fact, she felt it on her shoulders for the past month.
She ignored any and all invitations from her classmates to spend the rest of the day doing their afterschool activities. She told her mother that she'd be coming home later than usual and wouldn't have time to play with Ken and Nana. She needed to let out some steam.
Juna pulled out a wooden practice dummy from the storage room and whaled away at it with the brunt force of her gunbreakers, channeling her frustration.
The sound of metal striking wood rang throughout the empty training ground.
BANG
BANG
BANG
Over and over, Juna slammed her weapons into the undeserving dummy.
No rhythm.
No form.
Only unbridled force and rage behind each of her attacks. Before long…
SNAP
Her finishing blow resulted in breaking the poor practice buddy in half. Her vision blurred as sweat seeped into her eyes and her breathing intensified.
She did not feel better.
"Looks like you did quite the number on the poor thing."
The cerulean-haired woman walked in with all the elegance and grace she was known for. She examined the mess that Juna had made and nearly laughed at the amount of splinters scattered around the floor.
"That was quite a lot of power behind that attack. Had this been a real person, you would've had to arrest yourself." Claire said, attempting to lighten the mood.
"...Instructor Rieveldt."
Claire frowned but continued on. "There must be something bothering you, right Juna? I've told you this before, but as your instructor, I want to be able to help you in any way I can." She offered out her hand.
"...ed your help," Juna mumbled.
"Excuse me?"
"I said, I don't need your help!"
Juna smacked Claire's hand out of the way, causing the woman to jolt back in response.
"You Erebonians have done nothing but mess up our country! The police division shouldn't be like a military! Our people shouldn't be robbed of their pride! And the real heroes of Crossbell should be the ones paraded in the streets!" Her mind wandered to a certain Asshat Chevalier. "Not that false fake!"
Her hands balled into fists, tightening with each passing second.
"You all just want to take advantage of the people around you! And you would know that better than anyone, wouldn't you, Miss Ironblood?!"
Claire visibly flinched at the name.
"You answer directly to the chancellor! He made Crossbell into his own little playpen! It's all his fault that Crossbell is what it is now! Him, the Governor General, and his precious Ashen Chevalier! So no, I don't need your help nor will I ever!"
"Juna."
"And another thing-"
"Juna."
Claire's voice was forceful and snappy, immediately calling her to attention. Juna was far from finished airing out her grievances, but even she felt compelled to stop and listen.
"Say what you will about Erebonians, His Excellency, or even me, but I will not tolerate any malign words to those who do not deserve them. Trust me when I say that you do not fully understand the extent of his situation."
Juna slunk back, feeling slightly ashamed but no less frustrated.
"I won't invalidate your feelings of frustration, nor will I sugarcoat it so you can try seeing it my way. But remember to take the time to analyze the full picture before making such swift judgments."
"...I guess it's easier to say that when you're looking down on us from on high."
"...Perhaps so."
Juna's fists relaxed, releasing their grip on themselves as she let her fingers droop down in defeat. She appreciated that Claire didn't want to play down how she felt. Her hometown was trapped inside a cage and its people were treated like lab rats. How else was she supposed to feel?
But to hear that from her - someone who answered to the chancellor - infuriated her.
"I-I'm sorry. I have to go."
Claire's features softened into a smile. Had Juna been more perceptive, she would've noticed a tinge of sadness underneath.
"I'll see you in class, Juna."
Juna ran as fast as her legs could take her.
She ignored greeting her mom back at the apartment and dashed past her siblings' desires to play. She aimed for one thing and one thing alone: a box she had hidden away in the deep recesses of her room.
She let out a quick farewell to her confused family and ran even faster. To any onlooker, it might have appeared that she had no destination in mind, but that was far from the truth. She went back to a place where she wanted to bury her memories. The place where it all began.
The harbor district.
Everything was dark. It was a bad day to stay out late, considering it was a school night, but Juna didn't care. She… She had to do this.
She faced the ocean and opened the box. Inside was a memento of better days: a silver necklace linking an ornate carnelia gem with a pink tint. Surrounding the heart were two wings made of black nohval and goldia septium. The birthday gift Rean got for her last year.
She took the piece of jewelry into her hands.
Wound up her arm.
And swung with all her might.
The sound of splashing - of an object piercing the surface of the cold ocean water - cried out in the distance. The deed was done.
So why?
Why did it feel like she accomplished nothing? Why did she still feel the weight in her hands?
She turned her tired gaze down to her hand and realized why.
The necklace remained in her hand.
Beads of sweat ran down her face as she went in for a second throw.
The necklace still remained in her hand.
Again and again, it was the same thing over and over. She'd swing her arm with all the force she could muster but the necklace went no farther than when she began.
Juna fell to her knees and sobbed, letting out all the tears she had been holding in since the beginning of the year. She clutched the necklace close to her chest, tightening her grip as time marched on.
Why?!
Why couldn't she just let go?!
After everything he did, why was it so hard to rid herself of his memory?
Her silent wails echoed in her mind, creating a cacophonous maelstrom of emotions she had bottled within herself.
Why was it so difficult? Why did he have to be so difficult?
Why did she have to be so difficult?
The only thing Juna wanted to do was throw away what was holding her down so she could fight back against those who would not allow Crossbellans their happiness. It should've been an easy task for her!
Just throw the damn necklace away!
"Are you sure you want to do that, dear?"
Juna's breathing steadied once she heard that voice. One that she hadn't heard in months, long since the occupation. She still felt choked up, but the voice soothed her very core.
"Y-Yuri?"
"It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Juna couldn't perceive the woman's form outside of her dreams. Though, thanks to her motherly presence, she could still feel the warmth of her touch as she held the weeping girl from behind.
"I'm so sorry for leaving you alone."
"W-Where did you go?"
"I didn't really understand it myself, but I think I know why." Her voice felt like a warm blanket on a frigid day. "But that doesn't matter right now. Things have been rough on your end, haven't they?"
"...More than you know."
"...Why don't you tell me another time? There are people waiting for you."
Even though Juna was unable to perceive Yuri's corporeal form, she could feel the woman leading her gaze towards the direction of the mainland. A little further in the distance, she could see two figures waiting silently for her.
"Mom…? Dad…?"
The two didn't say a word, only opening up their arms to her with smiles. She pulled herself up from the ground and ran to them, relishing their warm embrace. Her tear-stained eyes grew redder as she silently sobbed into their comforting bodies. Her parents exchanged concerned looks, but never let her go.
The three slowly walked home in a comfortable silence.
August 1, S.1205 - After School
It was difficult to look Instructor Rieveldt in the eye after her outburst last month.
It made concentrating in her class even more difficult than usual. It didn't seem like her grades were slipping, but she had trouble keeping up with her original pace. Yuri offered to listen to the material for her and give out the answers but it didn't take a genius to tell her why that was an unethical and just straight-up bad idea.
The woman just giggled at the response, much to Juna's annoyance.
Now that it was after school hours, she wanted to take the time to study and catch up. She had made plans with a few of her classmates to meet up at the library to go over the day's notes, but it seemed that the instructor had other plans in mind.
"Juna, can you stay after class for a bit?" Claire asked. "It won't take long."
She certainly deserved the title of Icy Maiden. Despite the calm and, quite honestly, warm tone she displayed, her words still managed to chill Juna to the bone.
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"
Juna motioned for her classmates to go on ahead, to which they reluctantly complied. She walked over to the podium where Instructor Rieveldt scanned over a multitude of papers, including overdue assignments and transfer forms from other students.
"I hope you aren't in trouble," Yuri said in a concerned tone.
"Don't worry, you're not in trouble."
"...Oh, she's good."
"What's the matter, Instructor Rieveldt? Did you need something from me?"
The cerulean-haired woman fell silent for a second, attempting to articulate her thoughts. It seemed like, as observant and knowledgeable as she was, even the Icy Maiden had trouble wording herself in a productive manner. Maybe it was due to the fact of their stations, rather than Claire's lack of skill in that specific department. From Juna's own experience, she knew that some people found her to be rather difficult to handle at times.
She heard innocent whistling in her head.
You could have stayed silent, you know.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
...Maybe you shouldn't have come back.
"Oh, you know you love me."
Whether Claire was able to bear witness to her mental conversation with Yuri or not was beyond her, but she showed no signs of being able to do so. Instead, she just spoke with a smile.
"I actually have something for you." She handed her a small goody bag with little matching tissue paper. "He told me that it was your birthday."
Ah, right. With the past few weeks looming over her head, she had forgotten all about it. Though she had to wonder why the major would bring herself to care. She hesitantly accepted the gift.
"Th-Thank you…" Juna rummaged through the tissue paper, only realizing that it had been used as wrapping for something else underneath a few seconds later. Removing the covering revealed a ravishing sight.
It was a small charm made of sapphirl septium in the shape of a heart; one that can be worn as a bracelet. It didn't look especially expensive, but the charm was designed in a way that looking into it was similar to looking through a kaleidoscope.
"Amazing… It's so pretty!" Juna said in awe. However, she shook herself out of her reverie. "B-But why though?"
"Think of it as an apology gift. It may not… It definitely isn't enough to sway you on your opinion of Erebonians nor will it bring back the Crossbell you know and love, but take it as a symbol that I'm ready to accept that vitriol. That whatever criticism you may have towards me or my country, I shall address everything you throw at me in stride."
"..."
Juna had no way of responding. How could she? Just a month ago, she literally slapped her instructor's helping hand away because she was frustrated! Now Claire wanted to apologize to her?!
"Is everything okay, Juna? Is it not to your liking? In that case, I can take it back-"
"N-No! It's fine, really! I just…" she sighed, "It just doesn't feel right. I should be the one apologizing to you. Just because the chancellor was the one behind Crossbell's annexation doesn't mean you had anything to do with it. It wasn't like you led the army to occupy the state. I'm sorry for making you guilty by association."
Claire's eyes widened for a brief moment before she let out a quiet sigh.
"There's nothing to apologize for. I meant it when I said that you're free to think whatever you want of me, the chancellor, or Erebonia as a whole." She looked away with a melancholic smile. "I'm not as guilt-free as you may think."
Juna shook her head.
"Even so, it was unfair of me to judge you so harshly. I guess… I guess I just have a lot of things I need to sort out. Ha, understatement of the century right there." She let out a small chuckle. "But hey, better late than never."
Claire giggled in response. "I suppose you're right. Well, I've kept you here long enough. I hope that your study group is productive."
"Thanks, I'll need it! Hate to say it, but I've really been behind. See you tomorrow, Instructor Claire!"
The girl waved her farewells and left the building, the act of finally referring to Claire by her first name not being lost on her. It was a small step, but one that she needed to take before carving her own path to the future. No matter what came her way, she had to persevere!
…
"Hang on, 'he' told her it was my birthday? Who's 'he'?"
She felt Yuri's spiritual body shrug.
October 21, S.1205 - Outside Morges' Bakery
"I'm jealous, Juna. You live right next door to a delicious bakery?"
It had been two months since she and Claire had made up on her birthday. As she studied and trained hard to make up for lost time, Juna took the time to learn more about Claire. Unfortunately, it seemed like the woman was more closed off than she thought. She had deliberately avoided talking about her family and home life and she knew that talking about her work would most likely upset Juna. Despite that, she was still a friendly soul to be around.
Perhaps it was strange for a student and a teacher to be in such a friendly relationship, but it was the best Juna had to go on to expand her worldview. Out of everything, Claire had been more than willing to properly explain the political situation in Erebonia and how everything had been a struggle for power between the nobles and commoners. Of course, she had prior knowledge to build off of, but Claire was able to explain it clearly and succinctly.
"We sure have. We've been coming here for years!"
She took a bite out of her sausage, egg, and cheese bagel, made especially for her by Oscar. He always knew her usual breakfast order and he always made it perfectly. Juna did her best to ignore the salivating woman that lived inside her head.
Claire's order was a tad less hearty than hers, only consisting of a variety of muffins and coffee. It was still early in the day, so maybe that was for the best for a busy woman like her.
"I trust everything's been going good on your end, Juna? Your exams are coming up soon, after all."
Juna froze. "I, uh, yeah! Yeah, I'm totally fine! Totally."
"You're not fine, are you?"
"You're not fine, are you?"
"Whaaaat? Noooo. I just… need time to relax is all! Yeah, all that studying doesn't do me any good if I try cramming it all in, right?"
Claire shot her a skeptical look. Juna was petrified.
"...Okay, I could hit the books a bit more. I'll ask if anyone wants to do another study group before then."
"Good."
"Do your best, Juna!"
...She never mentioned it to anyone, but having a conversation between three people with two of them not being able to interact at all was the weirdest thing Juna ever felt.
"But I'm surprised you were able to meet up with me, Instructor Claire. You're usually so busy."
"Well," she took a sip of her coffee, "I could only allocate a short amount of time in the morning for a break. I should be expecting a call any minute now."
"A call? A call for what?"
RING RING RING
"Speak of the devil. Excuse me for a moment, Juna." Claire reached into her pocket to pull out her ARCUS, flipped it open, and spoke into it - a function very similar to what the Enigmas could do. "This is Major Rieveldt speaking."
…
…
"Mhm. Yes, I understand. I'll head out immediately."
She closed her ARCUS and put it back into her pocket. With a tired hand over her forehead, she let out a hefty sigh.
"Something bad?" Juna asked.
"Something like that… I'm sorry, Juna, but I have to go."
"N-No, it's okay. I get that you're busy. Could I ask where you're going, though?"
Claire stood up from her chair, but took a moment to think of a response. She averted her eyes, desiring not to make eye contact with the pink-haired girl.
"I'm heading back to the mainland. It's urgent business."
"I… see." Juna looked down, gently pushing strands of hair on the sides of her face. She didn't know the implications of her sudden leave, but she had her suspicions. "See you later then?"
Claire nodded before she started heading off. However, after walking a few arge away from the table, she turned back around.
"Before I go… is there anything you want me to tell…" she paused, "Anything you want me to tell Rean? I… I know you two aren't on good terms right now, but… I want to do anything I can do to help."
Juna gripped tightly onto the hem of her skirt. She gritted her teeth as her knuckles gradually grew white. She had been trying to avoid the subject, but she knew she had to confront it sooner or later.
Juna knew that Rean and Claire were already acquainted. The two had spoken to each other on the day of the school festival, after all. It was only a matter of time before they brought him up in conversation.
What would Juna even want to say to him? The day he… "saved" her all the way back in March was still burned into her memory. And what she did to him afterward had no other explanation other than her impulsiveness taking control of her.
She even had the piles of letters Elise had sent her over the past few months that she didn't know what to do with. She'd read them over and over, each displaying a sense of understanding of her plight, and yet she struggled to come up with a response to any of them.
Perhaps she let her anger get a hold of her, but even after improving her relationship with Claire, she still found trouble forgiving Erebonia. That… That even included her friends. She knew that she was as irrational as she was impulsive. Even being on friendly terms with her Erebonian instructor didn't make any sense to her.
And yet, it would take more than a few months to forgive the oppressors that took away Crossbell's freedom.
She shook her head. "No, I have nothing to say to him."
The woman crossed her arms and wanted to speak, but ultimately gave in. Her sad smile waned even further. "Very well. I'll be on my way then."
Claire headed off.
Juna let out a long and tired sigh.
She took another bite of her bagel.
It had grown stale.
You ever look back on the things you've added to your writing and wonder if any of it was a good idea? Trust me when I say that I know how these new elements are gonna pay off, but they seem pretty slapdash at the moment.
I'm gonna be honest, this was a hard chapter to write. On top of my self-imposed less than 10k word limit, I always found it difficult to believe that Juna didn't resent Claire as well upon meeting her. As a result, I had so much trouble being able to depict that conflict as well as I wanted. Unfortunately, I think this ended up being one of my weaker chapters and it's not because of the length. Not really a good introduction to the Side-Story format, but at worst, it can just be a one-time experiment.
But ultimately, I felt that this was a necessary chapter. Not long enough to make it a main story chapter, but one I needed to write to set up future events. Thank you all for reading! The next chapter is currently in the works and I'm about to hit the one year anniversary of the story! Hopefully it'll be a doozy!
