Sorry for the delay on this update! With Kiseki Rarepair month coming and going, I really felt the need to write that new one-shot (shameless plug) and it ended up a lot longer than I anticipated. It was one thing after another, and so I only finished my final draft recently. Since I'm gonna be off work for a while, I hope I can write more, but I won't lie, I was a lot more productive with my writing when I was on my off-time at work than my off-time at home.
April 15, S.1206 - Homeroom
If there was anything Juna was grateful for, she was glad that she and Kurt were on (arguably) good terms after their whole rivalry back in the Keep. And, as if by design, she and Altina became roommates and learned quite a bit about each other over the course of two weeks. As standoff-ish she came off being during their first day, the girl was nothing short of sweet underneath that blank exterior. It almost felt like Juna had a new sibling.
Why was she mentioning this, though? Why, it was because she had to deal with a dickwad this morning where the only thing stopping her from knocking his skull in was the sound of the warning bell. It was still a long road before she could get fully acclimated to being in Erebonia again, but she was glad that she had some classmates she could reliably interact with without wanting to pop an artery.
And it certainly didn't help that her homeroom instructor pretended like they were complete strangers.
Whatever it was going through Rean's head, she appreciated that that attitude of his wasn't being translated to how he treated her in the classroom. He still made sure to grade her fairly and give her ample attention when it came to her studies. But something was going on to keep her at arm's length. It irritated her.
She hardly had any time to ruminate on that, however. Now that the curriculum was getting into the swing of things, the amount of work and lectures increased significantly. The sheer quantity of notes Juna took today amounted to nearly an entire notebook's full, even if you discounted the scratched out scribbles and doodles she put in the margins.
Because of that, it surprised no one when she slammed her head into the desk once homeroom started. She groaned against the grain of the wood, the vibration of her voice massaging her head in a not totally unpleasant way, but enough to remind her of her frustration.
"Juna, please at least try to act a little more refined. You are a lady, are you not?"
"I don't want to hear that from you." Her voice was muffled, but very much audible. "Didn't you literally inhale a whole stack of pancakes last week?"
"Incomparable. That was my way of showing that I enjoyed my meal."
"And this is my way of showing I'm pooped. Give me a break."
Kurt sighed at the banter, but he had to admit that he agreed with Juna. He was aware of the reputation that Thors garnered ever since its inception, but to actually face the schoolwork head-on was another beast altogether. He was just as tired and he knew that Altina must have felt the same.
"I see you're all getting along well." A new voice came in as the door to the classroom swung open. Rean walked into the room, still wearing his spectacles as if that made him look more professional.
"Is this really how it's gonna be for the entire year?" Juna groaned again. "The workload is way too much."
"Energy consumption was far greater than expected, admittedly. We have only just acclimated to the previous pace, so this new accelerated one doesn't sit well with me." Altina slumped into her chair, finally allowing the exhaustion to permeate through her body despite her earlier comment on Juna's behavior.
Rean's expression softened at the girl's response and he even let out a quiet chuckle. "Believe it or not, we're not even at that point yet. But with how diverse the array of subjects being taught here, we may have to expect the pace to go even faster."
Juna's eyes narrowed at the man. Putting his latter comment aside, it still baffled her how soft Rean was on Altina.
Not that Juna wanted to be suspicious of the young girl, but she did want to know just what sort of relationship they had.
However, she wasn't the only one she noticed he had gotten close to.
While their interactions were minimal, he spoke with the brunette in Military Finance rather casually. She could never hear what sorts of conversations the two shared, but it looked as if the two were already familiar with each other prior to the beginning of the school year.
But then there was that one girl.
The girl with mint-colored hair she met during orientation. At first, she came off as friendly and inviting. But since then, Juna has had no contact with her. More often than not, she spotted the girl hanging around Rean and talking to him on an… intimate level. She wanted to go up to them and demand answers, but she hadn't found the courage to come up to him ever since their exchange at the Keep.
These moments during homeroom and his lectures were the only times they were ever in the same vicinity anymore.
"That being said, there's something I need to explain to you all before the end of the day." Rean crossed his arms, staring down at the three of them. In spite of the tone, it didn't sound like it was anything too serious. But nevertheless, he wanted to make sure they listened. Kurt was the first to respond.
"Tomorrow's a free day, right?" he asked.
"Correct."
"Oh yeah, I remember them mentioning those in the school guide."
"How is it different from a normal day off?" Altina asked, tilting her head to the side.
A glint shined in Rean's eyes as if he eagerly anticipated to elucidate on the matter.
"Think of free days as normal school days, but without any classes. You can study, train, or pursue one of your hobbies, just like any other day off but the main exception is that the school facilities will remain open. If you get permission beforehand, you can even go visit Heimdallr for the day."
That was right. Juna somewhat recalled those parts of Rean's letters, the ones that mentioned how much he did every free day he got. Had they been normal rest days, then no way would he and his classmates been able to get away with what they did.
Reading those letters ushered in some sweet memories she reveled in a little over a year prior, only to be a bitter reminder of where they are right now.
"Of course, there's nothing stopping you from treating it like a normal rest day either. Plenty of students lazed about back when I was attending. You're completely free to do as you wish."
The way he explained the whole idea was rather refreshing. It was probably the most emotions Juna had seen in him since attending this school.
"That doesn't sound too bad either…" Altina mumbled.
"However," Rean's expression turned serious, "there is one mandatory task tomorrow."
With the way his eyes scrunched and his crossed arms tightened around each other, the tension in the room thickened tenfold.
Juna exchanged glances with her classmates, seeing both Kurt and Altina also feeling the pressure in the air.
"Sensing danger."
"W-What is it?"
"It can't be that bad, right?"
…
"You'll need to choose a club to join."
Juna instantly relaxed, feeling like she took the warning a bit too seriously. "That's it? Don't make it sound so dire!"
Rean didn't even flinch, another reminder that they still weren't exactly on communicating terms.
Thankfully—and Aidios bless his soul—Kurt decided to jump in before things got too awkward.
"I hadn't thought there would be clubs at a school that was only just founded."
"It was a requirement from the principal herself. She said as long as we're using the Thors name, student clubs are a must." Rean sighed, clearly used to Principal Le Guin's cavalier attitude by now. "You'll be allowed to apply for a club as long as you have at least two members. We'll also see about getting your club the proper equipment."
His expression grew dark again.
"Oh, and any students who don't join a club will be put on the student council, where they'll work directly under the principal. And take it from me, that's the last thing you want."
It felt as if a lightning bolt passed through the room. The mere thought of working under a woman that intense must already be exhausting for an instructor. But the idea of a student doing all that? Best to not even think about that.
"If you want any advice, you can ask any of the faculty members. We'll see what we can do."
The three of them let out a long breath that none of them realized they were holding in. Juna was too quick to judge there. Not like that was anything new.
"Other than that, we begin Soldat training at the end of the week. The training units just came in and you'll be joining the Combat Tactics students for basic maneuvering lessons. After that, we'll discuss the special lessons, the first of which will take place this weekend."
From the way he spoke, it was clear that he couldn't elaborate any further. Whether it was due to him being confidential or just not being told, Juna couldn't tell, but that wasn't important right now.
There was something else she needed to do.
After finishing the class's farewell greeting, Altina left alongside Kurt to discuss their possible club choices. Considering that the branch campus was only just founded, any and all clubs would have to be formed by the students themselves. It was likely they'd all have to collaborate with the other students to come up with something they'd all enjoy.
However, Juna elected to stay behind in the classroom under the guise of gathering the rest of her supplies. It wasn't a total lie, seeing as how disorganized she tended to be when it came to her notebooks and writing utensils, but it wasn't exactly the main intention either.
"Hey Rean."
His name used to come so naturally to her. A word that came as smooth as butter and was a part of her lexicon practically her entire life. But now… it felt strained. Like his name somehow caught itself in her throat and made it impossible to say it without struggle. It hurt.
But she had to press on.
She turned her gaze onto him, her emerald eyes displaying a fierce expression that refused to betray her nervousness.
In contrast, he returned her gaze with icy, emotionless eyes. The fuschia within his irises changed into a murky and cloudy violet that didn't take the time to analyze their surroundings. Rean most likely didn't mean to come off as hostile, but the way he acted gave off bad vibes. He felt cold, distant, and aloof. After a few seconds, he turned back to his original task: rummaging through papers to get ready for his meeting later that day.
"Is there something you need, Crawford?"
There it was. Calling her by her last name in such a detached manner was what hurt the most. Perhaps this was her punishment, blaming him for everything that happened in Crossbell. She should've known better! She knew she'd feel the same way if someone did that to her. It was unfair to him and now she had to face the consequences.
"We need to talk about… this whole thing."
He stopped, took one glance at her, and resumed eyeing the papers before he proceeded to stuff them into his bag.
He fell quiet for a second, closing his eyes as if he was processing her words. Juna knew that he knew what he wanted to say, but let him proceed. The twitching of his ears let her tipped her off on what he was doing. He wanted to make sure no one was nearby to listen.
"Didn't I already tell you?" He spoke up; his voice sullen. "It's best if we forget there was anything between us. We shouldn't interact any more than what is necessary. It would be an inconvenience to both of us if it got out that we knew each other beforehand."
Juna scowled. An "inconvenience", he says.
"And what about those other three? Altina and the other two from Military Finance. You don't seem to have a problem talking to them."
"That's different."
"'Different' how?"
"..." He looked to the side, forlornly.
"Rean." She stomped her foot, her voice sounding a bit more resolute. "Answer the question."
"With the situation as it is in Crossbell, I can't exactly pretend everything is alright, can I? And don't tell me you've already forgiven the man who annexed your country."
He said those words so nonchalantly, as if he bore no attention to how heavy they were to the both of them. Instead, he chose to ignore that weight and zip through them as fast as he did his bag.
"Rean…"
"Look." He gave her that cold, dead stare again but it was accompanied with an emotionless smile. Something about it gave Juna the sense that he wanted to show he cared, but couldn't quite do so. "I don't know why you suddenly decided to come here and attend Thors, but it's not my place to ask questions. I don't intend to get in the way of your school life nor do I bear you any grudges either."
"..."
"And to answer your other question… I owe those three a lot. Altina, Sandy, Musse. They helped me out a lot this past year. I'm only returning the favor."
"...I get it." Juna looked down sullenly, her attention suddenly coming down to the grains against the wooden table. Her fingers traced the surface in a desperate attempt to take her mind away from its current thoughts.
Rean gave her one last look. It wasn't cold this time, but it certainly wasn't warm either. Pity, perhaps?
"...I'm glad you understand. So please, for both our sakes, don't bring it up again. Be sure to enjoy your time here. You never know what you have until it's snatched away from you."
"..."
"...Well, I'm off. I have a meeting to attend. You should probably head out before it gets too dark."
Without another word or exchange of glances, Juna gathered her things and left the classroom.
"Gah! What the hell is wrong with him?!"
Juna crushed a can of juice she had purchased from a vending machine and hurled it right onto the stone walkway. Impressively enough, it managed to bounce to quite a high elevation before slamming back onto the ground a few arge away.
"Juna. You know it's not good to litter."
"I know, I know." Juna sighed. She got off the bench she had already settled herself into to pick up the can and throw it away in the appropriate bin. "There. You happy now, Mom?"
"Juna."
She let out another sigh. There was no way she was winning against this disembodied voice at all. Yuri 1 - Juna 0.
"It's just so annoying though! How can I apologize when the person I'm apologizing to won't let me?"
"I'm sure he has his reasons."
"Yeah, and that's what makes it even more frustrating!"
This time, it was Yuri's turn to sigh.
"I understand how you feel, Juna. I've had my own experiences with stubborn men before. You'll find an opportunity to get through to him some day."
"I sure damn hope so. At least I got a lot on my plate to keep my mind off." Juna sat back down on the bench, sprawling her body over the seating area. "All this school work is killing me. And we have to have clubs on top of that?"
The voice in her head giggled.
"Well I certainly sympathize. Don't expect me to carry you through all your assignments though."
"Noted."
Juna stretched her limbs, extending them until she could hear an audible pop. There was still plenty of daylight left before curfew so maybe it'd be a good idea to walk around town to see what sort of ideas she could brainstorm for her club. There was no way she was gonna work for the student council.
"HA!"
An exerted voice cried out from nearby. Accompanying it was a loud smacking noise not unlike two objects hitting each other with quite a bit of force. The sound kept repeating over and over rhythmically in response to the same voice, which also came in between each interval.
From the direction the sound came from, it appeared that it originated from the academy field. Out of curiosity, Juna decided to take a look. What she found was a girl, another student, playing some sort of… game?
Using the tool in her hand, the girl hit a small yellow ball that bounced between her and the wall of the fence. The back-and-forth volley between the two continued for a few times until the girl eventually missed, the ball rolling behind her.
She panted, letting out heavy breaths as she balanced her position by placing her hands on her knees. Her arms went slightly slack before reaching into a basket situated near her feet containing more of the yellow balls.
That was, at least until she spotted Juna.
"Oh!" The girl approached her, curiosity washing her exhaustion away. "Hello, there!"
Now that the girl was facing her, Juna finally got a better look at her. The girl's most notable features were her long, wavy platinum blonde hair. Complementing them were her mint blue eyes and red glasses that she wore over them. Her clothes were the same branch campus uniform for female students but adorned with a neatly tied green bow over her chest.
"Hey…" Juna awkwardly waved her hand in greeting. Even though two weeks had passed since starting the school year, she hadn't exactly found time to acquaint herself with the other students. Outside of Kurt and Altina, she really only met the punk from earlier that day and the green-haired girl that spoke with her when she first arrived.
"I recognize you. You're one of the students in Special Operations, right? The class being taught by the Ashen Chevalier?"
It still stung when she heard that title. "Uh… yeah?"
The girl put her hand over her mouth, letting out a slight gasp. "Oh you'll have to excuse me. I got a bit too excited. I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable."
Juna arched an eyebrow but eventually let the tension leave her body. She was just curious. The girl didn't bear her any ill will.
She shook her head. "Not at all. I'm Juna Crawford. Nice to meet you."
"Likewise. My name is Louise Resande."
"'Resande'? Can't say I've heard a surname like that before."
The girl beamed. "That's because my family and I are from Remiferia. But please, just call me 'Louise'. I was never good with formalities."
Juna laughed. "Guess that makes two of us! You can just call me 'Juna' too. Getting called by only my last name has been putting a bad taste in my mouth recently. …Or is it 'a bad feeling in my ear'? Gah, nevermind."
The two shared giggles, already becoming fast friends.
"So anyway, what are you doing, Louise? You've been hitting those balls back and forth, right? Using whatever that thing is."
"This?" Louise held out the tool in her hand. The grip looked rather similar to a hilt of a sword or one of the handlebars of a bike except made out of rubber. From it, a metal material protruded in two opposite directions and circled around to form a slightly lopsided oval. Within the oval was thick wiring crossing over each other in a similar manner as a food strainer but flat instead of the bowl shape and more spaced-out wires. "It's a tennis racquet. As the name implies, it's used for tennis."
"'Tennis'? Never heard of it."
"That's because it's still a relatively new sport that's only just now gaining popularity."
"And you… hit balls at walls? Are you trying to see how long you'll last before you miss?"
It wasn't so much a statement of callousness, but rather one that was nonplussed. So far, Juna had only seen Louise volley the ball at the fence after all.
The blonde laughed. "Not exactly. This is just how players practice solo. You go against each other in either one-on-one or team matches and you score points by having the ball land on the other side."
Suddenly, it clicked. "Ooh, I get it! So kinda like volleyball, right?"
"Exactly! Except in exchange for being able to hit the ball twice, you can let the ball bounce only once. In addition, the net separating the sides is much lower to the ground, so spiking the ball isn't exactly a thing."
"That sounds like it can be fun. Can I give it a whirl?"
Louise nodded vigorously, handing her the racquet. Without a field set up for them, they couldn't exactly play a proper match. As an alternative, they decided that Juna would do the same exercises Louise did to get her acquainted with the movements.
First she started with the serve. Louise gave her a brief demonstration from the upward toss of the ball to hitting it at the precise moment to send it flying. Juna's first attempt wasn't so graceful.
The next few attempts, she just barely made contact. It felt rather discouraging at first, but with a few more swings and cheering from Louise, she began hitting the ball rather consistently.
Once she got into the rhythm, Juna was soon able to serve and return the ball back to the wall. One moment, she'd hit the ball in the middle of its initial trajectory. Then it would make contact with the stone wall and bounce back. Afterwards she would step to the side and return fire.
HIT
BOUNCE
STEP
HIT
BOUNCE
STEP
There was no proper onomatopoeia to properly convey the sounds that played out with each movement but - if Juna had to describe it - it felt exhilarating. Each motion felt like a complex dance where she was the center star and the ball was her partner that served to make her shine even brighter. It kept continuing till the sky turned orange and sweat built up into her uniform.
"That's fantastic, Juna! You're doing great!"
"Look at me go! This is better than I thought!"
However, that moment of self-aggrandizing came to a swift end. Juna accidentally hit the ball on the edge of the racquet, causing the ball to fly off in an odd direction. Only that odd direction happened to be toward Louise and it approached at a rather alarming speed.
"Louise! Watch out!"
"Eep!" Louise shrieked and instinctively crossed her arms over her face to block the projectile. She wanted to make sure she saved her glasses at the very least.
However, moments passed.
And nothing made contact.
"Huh?"
The ball was no longer in her line of sight. Rather, it was hit farther away into the field and next to it was a long metal spear lodged into the tar.
"You ought to be a little more careful. It's always good to get training in, but it's reckless to think you won't get out of it without a few injuries."
Another girl approached them. She sported long blue hair and matching lavender eyes. Just like Louise, she also decorated her uniform with the addition of a lacy cravat, a red brooch, and a golden chain that tied them both together.
From the looks of things, she appeared to be a noble.
"Th-Thank you. You came at the nick of time."
The girl smiled. "Don't mention it. I just happened to be passing by when it occurred."
"That's one hell of an entrance." Juna commented. And she wasn't kidding. This chick literally threw a spear right at a small ball! "But still, thanks for that. I'm still trying to get used to this."
"Everyone starts from somewhere, so I understand." The girl paused, looked at the two of them, and nodded. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jessica Schleiden and I'm from Combat Tactics. A pleasure to meet you both."
In response, the two girls introduced themselves as well. Jessica's eyes widened slightly once hearing Juna was in Special Operations, but decided not to pry any deeper into it.
"With that aside, may I ask what exactly it is you're doing? I can't say I'm familiar with this sport."
Louise's eyes gleamed, once again excited that she got the opportunity to explain tennis to another newcomer.
"Would you like to try it out? I believe we have another racquet here somewhere."
"I appreciate the offer," she shot a glance at Juna, "but I really shouldn't. I'm a tad strapped for time."
"Why not?" Juna arched an eyebrow.
"I've been looking for people who would want to join a fencing club or something similar. While my specialty is spearmanship, it would help if I had a group to spar with rather than always practicing by myself."
"Oh… that's a shame." Louise said, downtrodden.
"Ugh, right. Clubs." Juna mumbled. She had completely forgotten. It wasn't that she was against the idea of clubs, but the fact that they were on such a strict deadline didn't help things.
She turned to Juna. "I was actually thinking of asking your classmate, Kurt Vander, to join as well."
Oh yeah. Kurt was a bit of a training nut so a sparring club would fit perfectly for him.
"I hope everything works for you, Jessica. However, if it doesn't, you'll have a place here in the Tennis Club! We'll welcome you with open arms!"
The baffled expression on Jessica's face was priceless. "Uhh, thanks, I suppose."
"Hold on, are you including me in this?" Juna asked, pointing to herself.
"Only if you're willing! If there's another club that catches your interest, then I won't stop you. You seem to be having fun earlier though, so I had thought that you might have wanted to join."
Juna twitched. Maybe she shouldn't underestimate this girl's deduction skills. Or maybe she should learn how to keep things under wraps.
"I'll… think about it. I want to see what else they have on offer before I make my final decision. You are right that this is fun though. I can only imagine what it's like against another person."
Louise nodded. "We should be able to get equipment from Principal Le Guin soon, but we'll have to make due with a makeshift court for now. Come try it out tomorrow and we'll see how it goes!"
Jessica's eyes darted between the two, shifting her glances periodically to analyze them. She nodded in approval and smiled.
"I'm glad that worked out between you two. I still have plans to make my sparring club, but I'll keep your offer in mind, Louise. I hope you two have a nice evening."
"You too, Jessica!"
"See ya later."
The three said their goodbyes, leaving only the original two still in the academy field.
However, the moment Jessica left their field of vision, Louise spoke up.
"Juna? Is something the matter?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You've been sorta scowling for quite a while."
"Have I?"
"Was there something about Jessica that made you uncomfortable?" Louise asked in a gentle voice.
Juna paused. This was technically the first time she had met Jessica. She felt no concrete animosity towards the girl, but something about her made her feel off.
"I don't think so…" Juna rummaged through her brain to come up with some sort of explanation. "Maybe I'm just tired. It's been a long day of lectures after all."
"You too? Then perhaps we should clean up here and head back. It'll get dark soon."
"Now that you mention it, I could seriously use a shower right about now…"
The two nodded at each other. They cleared the field of any stray balls and put the equipment back into the storeroom nearby, chatting all the while. To Juna's surprise, the storeroom already had a modest selection of equipment available, reminding her that the principal really wanted them to participate in extracurricular activities.
Once everything was put away, the two girls walked back to the dorm and basked in the glow of the receding sunlight.
The next day
Juna spent a majority of her morning exploring the campus to see what sorts of clubs the other students had on offer. While Louise's tennis club sounded like a good prospect, she wanted to at least see what her options were before fully committing.
Her first stop was the small garden on the side of the campus. There she spotted a girl and a certain instructor of Juna's who handed the girl a small package. Deciding it was best to wait until Rean left, Juna approached the girl. She realized it was one of the only students Rean had the decency to have an actual conversation with.
"Hey there." Juna said casually. Though she was ticked off about Rean's biased treatment, she knew it was best not to take it out on the poor girl.
"Oh, hello!" The girl looked up with a bright smile as she opened up the box's contents: a variety of gardening tools. "You're one of Instructor Rean's students, aren't you? I'm Sandy! Nice to meet you!"
"Uhhh…" Juna stepped back a bit, slightly taken aback from the girl's overly friendly nature. "Yeah, I-I am. Name's Juna."
"He was just here. Did you want to talk to him?"
"N-No. That's okay. I actually wanted to ask about what you're doing here. Are you starting a gardening club?"
Sandy giggled. "You know, Instructor Rean asked the same thing. But no, I'm actually starting a cooking club! I thought the garden here would be the perfect place to cultivate some good ingredients. Does that sound like something you're interested in? We already got a few members, so don't feel pressured to join."
It was an interesting enough proposition. Juna did enjoy cooking from time to time. Her mom taught her almost all of her recipes and she especially enjoyed baking. She could still imagine Ken and Nana's drooling mouths every time she had homemade pretzels in the oven.
However…
"Sorry, I think I'm gonna decline. Not that I'm not interested, but I wanna try something new."
"Totally understandable. I hope you find what you're looking for."
Juna's lips cracked a smile. As far she could tell, Sandy was a sweet soul. If she and Rean knew each other before all this, Juna could see why he would have trouble keeping her at a distance. However, a few questions still lingered.
"Putting that aside, I wanted to ask you something. I've noticed that you and Instructor… Schwarzer talk to each other outside of class pretty often. He barely even does that with us. How do you know him?"
Sandy's eyes widened.
"Oh! H-How do I know Instructor Rean? Uhhh… about that." She began fidgeting, fiddling with her tools to keep herself distracted. Was she… stalling? "He, uh, stopped by my village a few months back. That's when I met him and your classmate Altina." Her voice steadied as she started to get her story straight. "They both ended up saving the town from a huge monster that resided in a nearby canyon, so our entire town has been grateful to him ever since. Once I heard that he was going to be teaching here, I decided to come too!"
"Uh huh…" With the confidence of her voice back intact, Juna could only assume that Sandy was being sincere about her experiences with Rean. There was definitely more to the story, but she didn't want to pry.
"He stayed at my family's inn for a brief amount of time, so we got acquainted then. I'm honestly surprised he remembered me."
"Yeah, his memory is scarily accurate sometimes…" Juna mused. She briefly recalled the times he dug up embarrassing memories of hers whenever she was being rather overzealous with her demands. He held it over her head longer than any 15-year-old should.
"How do you… know that?" Sandy asked, tilting her head to the side.
Juna jolted up, only now realizing her mistake. "I-It's nothing! That's just, I mean, just what I hear from interviews! Yeah, I'm always surprised how much he's able to recall so perfectly."
Sandy stared at her blankly.
"Smooth, Juna."
Shut up. Nobody asked you.
"I… guess that makes sense. I remember him talking about things in extremely vivid detail. I don't read or listen to his interviews very much, but that does sound like him."
Juna inwardly let out a sigh of relief. That was a bit too close. While she did want to be on speaking terms with him again, it was probably not the best idea to tell the entire school that she and her homeroom instructor were childhood friends.
"Sorry for the awkward question. I was just curious; that's all."
"N-No problem! Happy to help. Though you should look for that club of yours soon or else you-know-what happens." Sandy slowly slid her finger across her neck, making an ominous creaking noise the entire way through.
"Y-Yeah, don't remind me…"
"Altina? What are you doing out here?"
Juna spotted the silver-haired girl leaning over the railing that overlooked the academy field. It looked like Louise had already set up her makeshift tennis court and had the equipment laid out to invite any onlookers into the club. However, the little rabbit had her eyes glazed over the view rather than taking it in.
"Oh. Hello, Juna."
Her voice was quiet, but Juna's keen ears picked up on minor bits of distress.
"Something bothering you?"
She nodded. "You could say that. I've been thinking about it since yesterday, but I've found no promising leads."
"'Promising leads'? What are you talking about?" Juna stepped back, fear creeping up into her face. "You're not investigating some deep, dark secret of the branch campus for the Intelligence Division, are you?"
The girl stared at Juna with a look more blank than an essay she procrastinated on (It was one time!) as a child.
"Juna, I know it might be, how do you say, 'rich' coming from me, but I believe you need to work on your comedy routine a tad more."
"...Everybody's a critic, I swear. All right, so what are you actually up to?"
Altina turned back to the field. "I'm working on the task that Instructor Rean assigned us yesterday. However, I fear that 'choosing a club' is proving to be a much more difficult mission than I could have anticipated."
Juna tapped her chin in thought.
She had to admit that she still didn't know the girl all that well. Being roommates for two weeks could only get someone so far. Altina's side of the room was rather barren, no signs of decor or furnishing that would indicate any personal preferences. As far as Juna was aware, Altina's only true passions in life are sweets and her dedication to her missions.
That made it far too difficult to narrow down her choices to any specific club.
However, as daunting as a task it might sound, no one should suffer the fate of being the principal's personal errand gofer.
"In that case, would you like some help? We can find a club you'd enjoy together."
Altina's eyes widened as she looked at Juna quizzically. "Are you sure? Instructor Rean told me I needed to decide on my own yesterday."
Of course he did. Always had to make her job harder for her, huh?
"Well, the final decision still should be yours, but it won't hurt to get another perspective on things, yeah? I know it's hard for me to choose things when I'm the only one thinking about it."
She paused, assessing the pink-haired girl's words. "I see. I understand what you mean. One point of view isn't always sufficient, so having another might give me another angle to analyze from. I accept your offer, Juna."
"I knew you'd see it my way!"
"However, have you chosen a club yet? I'd rather not impede on your own progress just to let you help with mine."
"Oh, that? Don't worry about it." Juna chuckled. "I was actually thinking of getting the grand tour myself so this way we can tackle both of our problems with one solution!"
Without hesitation, Juna grabbed onto Altina's arm and dragged her to their first destination. The younger girl found no windows of opportunity to object to the rough behavior her room/classmate had decided to take on and decided to let her do as she pleased.
It was almost like dealing with a second Millium, if a bit less energetic.
"Let's see… Next up is…"
Juna and Altina wandered around the clubhouse building, the secondary building outfitted with various commodities like shooting ranges, training rooms, and the cafeteria. It was also surprising to see a lounging area on the top floor with its own billiards table and all the other goods.
Their previous two stops took them to the tennis and cooking clubs again.
Louise was right next to them after all and she was more than enthusiastic at the prospect of a new member. The blonde girl demonstrated how the game worked and the athletic prowess it demanded, but it didn't seem to click with the young rabbit. It wasn't like Altina wasn't a little athletic - her being able to keep up with her and Kurt in the Keep was proof enough of that - but tennis called for more spontaneous thinking that Altina wasn't as used to.
Their next destination called for Sandy, who was still in the garden. This time she was joined by two other students tending the fields: the young blonde girl who assisted them during orientation and the weird-looking dude from Combat Tactics.
Like Juna, Altina also assumed that they were a club dedicated to gardening at first glance. However, once Sandy mentioned that they were a cooking club instead, she immediately blanched. She apologized, pushed Juna aside, and muttered under her breath about "not wanting to end up like Millium". Whatever that meant.
So that made the upcoming choice…
"Hello, you two."
A boy greeted them as they wandered through the hallway. On the table, he had a chessboard spread out and was in the process of placing the pieces in their proper places.
"Hello."
"Heya, Kurt. How's the club hunt going?"
He turned his attention back to the chessboard. "I just about finished, actually. Sidney and I are starting up the chess club."
"Chess?" It seemed fitting for Kurt. He was definitely smart, so of course he'd be well-versed in the game. However… "I thought you'd go for something more… sporty."
Kurt raised an eyebrow, staring at the girl as if she grew a second head. "Chess is a sport, Juna."
"Is it? Doesn't there need to be, I dunno, physical movement?"
Altina shook her head. "By the strictest definition, a sport requires some sort of physical exertion rather than just movement and provides entertainment in some way. In chess, that physical strain manifests from mental thought. In addition, there are several tournaments for the game, so it can be technically classified as a sport."
"Physical exertion from mental exertion?"
"Have you ever tried thinking so hard that your head starts to hurt?"
"What does that have to… Oh."
"Yeah."
"She's got you there." A certain voice inside her head said.
Juna shrugged. A jab at her intelligence aside, she was always open to learning new things. Didn't make her want to take a jab at the inside of her head back for the snarky comment any less though.
Kurt just chuckled, not minding the lack of knowledge. "To address your inquiry though, I did initially plan on starting some sort of club that would help me hone my swordsmanship. Fencing or the like, but I decided against it."
Juna made a mental note to give Jessica her sympathies. "Any reason why?"
"Instructor Schwarzer advised me to come up with a different route."
She stiffened.
"He did, did he?"
Kurt nodded, apparently not noticing her sudden change in demeanor. "Yesterday, he told me that there are merits to engaging in extracurriculars that aren't directly focused on improving my skills as a fighter. I can't say I'm completely convinced yet, but I'm willing to give it a try."
"That… sounds like something he'd say." Altina mused. "I believe he used an example of one of his friends?"
"How did you… Nevermind. I fear I have to get used to these deductions of yours."
"In that case, he must have been referring to Laura S. Arseid of the original Class VII. She was of the intermediate rank in the Arseid school prior to her enrollment at Thors. According to my database, she joined the swimming club when clubs were still a staple in the main campus's curriculum."
Juna remembered that name. Laura was one of Rean's friends back during his student days and a rival when it came to swordsmanship. The two hit it off rather well because she was certain no one among their shared friend group was able to keep up with Rean's whole sword talk back in the day.
"Arseid? If a practitioner of a school with their merit can find benefits of clubs, then I can't see why I can't do the same." Kurt shot the girl a smile. "Thank you, Altina. That makes me feel more accepting of the instructor's advice."
Altina silently nodded.
Wanting to divert the topic of discussion away from a certain man, Juna decided to get back to the original task at hand.
"Well, Altina? Does the chess club sound like a place you'd want to go? I'm sure your analytical skills would do wonderfully here."
"Oh, you're still looking for a club? Since we already have two members, you don't need to feel pressured. But we're more than willing to welcome you in, if you'd like."
Altina took a moment to herself to think. A brief moment of silence passed before she eventually shook her head.
"Unfortunately, I see no benefit for me to join the chess club. I could join in for a game or two, but I don't find much enjoyment in it."
Juna was taken slightly aback from the girl's blunt comment. "Sheesh, talk about harsh…"
However, Kurt brushed off the girl's comment. "Don't worry too much about it. It was difficult enough to convince Sidney to join, so I think I'd have trouble trying to keep you in as well."
"I apologize, Kurt."
"Again, no worries. I hope you find what you're looking for soon. In fact, there are two clubs right here on this floor that just got established. Maybe you should go check them out."
Juna and Altina exchanged glances as Kurt gestured to the two doors farther down the hallway. Each of them held up a sign that designated which club was housed where.
Perhaps they should give them a look.
"Hmm? Oh, it's you."
"Oh, you have got to be shi-"
They entered the first room and who else do they see other than the pompous asshole from yesterday with a book in hand and leaning against his folding chair with his right leg over his left and no care in the world. The blond dickwad grinned while his female companion broke out of a shivering stupor that she maintained since they entered the room.
"I'm surprised you decided to join the literature club, Ash Carbide." Altina interrupted, stopping the inevitable brawl the two were about to have. "You didn't come off as the type to me."
The asshole—er, Ash sighed. "That's what most folks think at first. You got your hobbies, I got mine. 'Sides, it's a good enough excuse to use whenever I need a nap."
Juna shot him an unimpressed glare. "Seriously? That's it?"
He returned the glare. "What's it to you?"
"Altina, perhaps we made a mistake. I don't think this is the club for either of us."
Juna went to grab Altina's arm and rush out of the room, only to be halted by a rather squeaky voice.
"W-Wait!"
They both turned to face the other occupant in the room.
"What's this?" Ash smirked. "Sounds like the princess is getting bolder."
"I-It's not like that! I-I just… er," the girl continued to stutter, but eventually came to a stop. She shook her head with as much vigor as she could muster and replaced it with resolve. "Even if you still end up declining, I want to at least show you what our club is about."
The two girls exchanged a quick glance, wordlessly asking for each other's opinion. They both shrugged, wanting to at least respect the girl's courage.
"Okay, fine. We can spare some time."
"Please enlighten us, Tatiana Gehrig."
Juna made a face of discomfort. Either Altina was far more up-to-date on the information flow or Juna really needed to make time to learn the names of her schoolmates.
Suddenly, Tatiana beamed as she fetched a few books off of the shelf nearby.
"We were thinking of specializing in book reviews of more niche stories and sending them into magazines and the newspaper to publicize them. There are novels that are of extremely high quality out there, but they always fall under the radar due to several factors like being part of a long running series or the author's relative anonymity. Reports like these should put those authors' names out there for the world to see!"
The books laid out on the table were all ones that Juna had never recognized before.
The Dragon Slayer, The Reaper's Cloth, and Luna and the Ancient Fairy.
She even eyed one volume from the ongoing Ys series.
"Oh! I remember reading these when I was younger!"
So they must be super old, right? Juna thought, hoping Yuri would hear.
"How rude! I didn't raise you to treat your elders so callously!"
Seriously? "Raised" me?
"These are all books that we've both read before, but they aren't very popular. We're hoping to boost the sales to promote new installments in the future with our reviews."
"Hey, that's pretty impressive! I think I've seen these books in stores before but I never bothered picking them up. They never really caught my eye."
Altina arched an eyebrow. "Do you read often, Juna?"
"I used to." Juna awkwardly chuckled. "I had a librarian acquaintance that gave me recommendations sometimes. Give me a book and I couldn't put it down! But then everything kinda got thrown outta whack once I started attending the police academy. Didn't have much time after that."
"What was the last book you remember reading, if you don't mind me asking?" Tatiana asked.
"Uhhh, I think it was…" She froze for a second, remembering the memory rather well. "Red Moon Rose."
Ash scoffed but it transitioned to a chuckle as he turned the page in his own reading material. "Sounds like even the foreigner is familiar with an imperial classic."
"A-Ash!"
"Do you work hard to be a jerk or does it come naturally to you?"
"I'll leave that to your imagination."
Juna sighed and promptly ignored him, not wanting to give him any more attention. She instead turned to Altina. "So what do you think now, Altina? Does the literature club sound like something you'd do?"
She shook her head. "I fear I have issues when I analyze things subjectively. If what we do here is anything like our arts classes with Principal Le Guin, then I see no reason to push myself even further outside of school."
"Oh, right. Yeah, you do struggle in that class, don't you?"
"We all got our strengths and weaknesses, little bunny. Don't take it too harshly."
Juna broke her previously made self-promise and sent an incredulous glare at Ash. Was he seriously going to be considerate towards Altina but condescending to her?
"Well, I guess our tour continues. Thanks for the insight, Tatiana." Juna said. "Hope everything works out for you."
"Th-Thank you!"
The next door felt like Juna went through a portal into a whole other country. The moment she walked inside, she was assaulted with a fragrance that soothed her body and cleared up her sinuses which she didn't even realize were slightly clogged up. The appearance of the room clearly had eastern influences with the tatami mats and screens displayed in every rege of the room.
"Why if it isn't Juna! It's been a while since we've gotten to speak." A cheery voice greeted them. It belonged to a girl who was sitting seiza style in front of a square-shaped cavity on the floor that contained a steaming teapot. With the tatami mats elevated above the floor, it didn't look like they dug a hole into it to create the cavity, but the appearance looked almost uncanny.
The girl, however, was what stood out the most to her.
"Hey… We haven't talked since, I want to say, orientation?"
"That's correct. Though I suppose that means I've never formally introduced myself, isn't it?"
"You're… Musse, right?" Meeting with the girl again jolted her memory to yesterday's conversation with Rean. If Juna had already known who Altina and Sandy were, then this girl should be Musse by process of elimination.
"Well that certainly helps things along, doesn't it?"
Altina gave Juna a quizzical look.
Then she shifted towards Musse.
And then back to Juna.
She ultimately shrugged, not knowing where to take the conversation from there. So instead, she brought up the whole reason why they were there in the first place.
"What club would this be?"
Musse's lips curled up in a contained excitement. She stood up, letting her feet finally breathe, and approached the two girls. "Welcome to the tea ceremony club room. Here, we study and practice the art of eastern tea ceremonies and apply their philosophies to our way of thinking."
"I… don't quite understand." Altina sounded slightly downtrodden.
Juna analyzed the room once more. Due to her childhood, she was no stranger to eastern culture. Despite the western architecture of the building, Musse and whoever she had as clubmates certainly did a good job at renovating the room for that eastern feel. It kinda reminded her of…
She violently shook her head.
There were better times to reminisce about that.
"I could try explaining it… but why don't I show you?"
Juna and Altina exchanged another glance and shrugged.
Where was the harm in trying?
"Thank you for your patronage." The mint-haired girl bowed. "It was an honor serving you."
Musse's smile illuminated the room with a soft glow; which was impressive considering that the day was still new and the sun's rays were still shining through the windows. The tea ceremony had to be a shortened affair for time, but even then it felt as if Juna had been relaxed for far longer than she intended.
The treats were sweet and the tea was sublime. There was no other way to fully describe the experience besides exceptional.
Juna had her mouth wide open and turned to see Altina in the same precarious situation. They were both blown away by Musse's performance.
"And that's the general gist of it! Though, if I went through the entire process, I doubt it would have impacted you nearly as much as it did here today."
"Seriously?" Juna asked with an arched brow. "Does it really make that much of a difference?"
"Tea ceremonies are, more often than not, hours long. I've practiced these parts at home but I'm admittedly rather sloppy in other areas."
"I see…" Altina mused to herself. "So tea ceremonies are rituals steeped in tradition that takes much mental practice to entertain and treat a guest. While I don't quite understand the practical uses, I can see that there are recreational benefits to learning such a technique."
"For now, that's the full extent of my knowledge. I plan to use this club to further expand my repertoire and create an even better experience for you all."
Juna shot her a smile. "That's good to hear, Musse. Thought I don't think the club itself is for either of us, I still look forward to the full thing."
"Your anticipation is appreciated. Putting that aside however," her grin turned into a mischievous smirk, "I believe you have some questions for me, Juna? Altina? Ones that aren't related to club activities."
The pink-haired girl blinked.
"Huh?"
Altina eyed the girl carefully, scanning her from head to toe for any anomalies. When she couldn't find anything out of place, she nodded. "You're quite perceptive. I did have a few, if you don't mind me asking."
"Then I shall answer to the best of my ability."
Juna gave Altina a questionable look, a look that the girl did not deign a response to. She had a few questions to ask the mysterious girl herself and she had an inkling as to the direction Altina would take her inquiries. She ultimately decided to sit back and let the intelligence agent work her magic.
"What is your relationship with Instructor Rean?"
The other two girls' eyes widened at the blunt query. Out of the millions of questions that she could've asked, she chose that one? For someone whose work was supposed to be under tight lips, she sure wore her intentions on her sleeve. On the other hand, Juna's ears burned with curiosity at the possible response. Rean and Musse have been far too familiar with each other to not raise any suspicion.
Who was this Musse character and how did she know Rean?
While slightly taken aback by the sudden query, Musse giggled as if she still anticipated it eventually. She exhaled a soft breath and eerily smiled.
"Heading straight into the fire, aren't we? I knew that you dealt in intelligence, but even this must be quite straightforward for you. Is there something different about this particular question that you felt the need to go for the throat?"
Altina didn't even flinch. "I've been tasked to maintain a close eye on him since the beginning of our partnership. If there are any possible dangers to his life - any at all - then I must know about them immediately and develop a countermeasure. I only ask you directly because it would be futile to do it in a roundabout way. And if this were any other situation, I would not hesitate to use Claiomh Solais to demand answers."
"Oh dear."
"Whoa, whoa, isn't that going a bit too far? This isn't an interrogation!"
Musse didn't bear any negative reaction however. She merely nodded and continued. "Well, I promise that the information isn't that valuable that you'd need to get violent over it. In fact, it's information that I'm more than happy to share!"
"I… see." Altina replied, clearly taken aback by the girl's honest response. "I suppose that makes things easier."
"And I'm sure Juna is more than curious herself."
Juna frowned. "Am not!"
That devilish smirk returned and the girl in question crossed her arms and turned away to scoff.
"This girl really knows how to push your buttons, dear." Yuri's disembodied laugh echoed through her head.
"No one asked for your opinion."
A mischievous giggle later, Musse began her story.
"It all started in September of last year. I heard word that Thors Military Academy was to host their last school festival the following month, so I decided to make time to visit."
Juna visibly froze. Did she just say…?
"And there, everything changed." Musse clasped her hands together as she dreamily looked into the distance. "The moment our eyes met, it felt as if time had stopped. Everybody in the world disappeared until it was only us. He was quite the gentleman, having escorted me through the entire festival grounds and all. He gave me his undivided attention as we had the most romantic date a girl could ask for~"
Juna really regretted taking another sip of tea.
"A-A date, you say?" She coughed, grabbing a napkin to wipe the mess she made. "Quite a way to meet our future instructor, isn't it?"
"You have no idea. I remember it like it was yesterday. We went for a blissful midday meal at the café. I ordered the pasta and he, the paella. When I told him I came from Ordis, he was interested in our food and I suggested it to him." She caressed her cheek and averted her eyes. "The look on his face when he took his first bite was so delightful that I couldn't help but want to compare it to what we have back home. So what came next really surprised me." Musse giggled. "He offered his spoon to me and fed it directly to my mouth~"
Cue her second spit-take of the day.
"Oh my. The way she speaks of him almost makes me want to blush."
Altina's eyes narrowed at the girl. "I can't help but feel that there are a few extra embellishments in your tale, Musse."
As if on cue, a faint red glow became visible on Musse's cheeks and was accompanied by a schoolgirl giggle that almost made Juna want to gag.
"Oh, I'm not finished yet~!"
The two stared at her, curious but confused beyond comprehension.
"Next we spent time at the shooting gallery. Though I know my way around a firearm, he still took the time to guide me as he caressed my body with his rugged hands. Soon enough, we took home the entire stand's fuzzy prizes and something a little extra fuzzy for our hearts~"
"Uh… huh." Juna could barely muster a response.
"Then we ended the date with an elegant dance on the moonlit night against the roaring flames of the bonfire. Just like that, our love ignited into a night of passion as we longingly gazed into each other's eyes. A beautiful rhapsody followed into a bombastic crescendo as we danced the night away as he chose no one but me to be his partner. Ahh, it was a night like none other and one I will never forget~"
Spit-take number three, right on cue.
Yuri huffed. "That boy really has no boundaries, does he?"
"H-Hold on! He danced with you?!"
Musse nodded. "I was quite impressed with how well he could move. He treated me as if I were a bride on the night of her wedding~"
"Again, I detect some hyperbole in your retelling."
"Au contraire! There was even a moment when he swept me off my feet and stole the entire show! All eyes were on us and then-"
"No, I mean I was there."
"...Oh."
Juna gawked at Altina, who showed no signs of being perturbed. Musse, on the other hand, slumped down, clearly disappointed that her story had been abruptly debunked.
"While I can't exactly refute the first few parts - and considering Instructor Rean's degenerative nature, I wouldn't put it past him - I clearly remember him dancing with a girl. It was right before our deployment to North Ambria and I decided to spy… to watch over him. I can only assume that girl was you, Musse."
"That's correct~!"
Neither girl deigned to comment on her slip of the tongue.
"Though I seem to recall you having longer hair then."
"I thought it would be a good change of pace to cut it. Wouldn't want it to get in the way when I'm joining a military academy, right?"
Altina raised an eyebrow as she analyzed the girl with a hawk-eyed stare. Musse showed no signs of backing down, only sitting still with an innocent smile on her face and playing with the curls of her hair. Occasionally Altina would shrug and give up on her analysis only to narrow her eyes in the girl's direction once more. Juna had no idea what was going on, but it felt as if she was watching a cold war between the world's greatest detective and the most deceptive con artist.
"...Very well. At least you've told me where you've met the instructor. That's all I wanted to know."
"Happy to be of service~!" Musse shifted her piercing eyes in Juna's direction. "Did you have anything you wanted to ask me, Juna?"
Juna froze.
There were a bevy of things she wanted to demand answers to, most of them about Rean unfortunately. She might have learned how the two became acquainted with each other, but nothing much beyond that.
Why were they so close? Juna wasn't always the sharpest tool in the shed, but even she could tell Musse was jazzing up her encounter with Rean to make it seem more interesting. Juna knew Rean better than… well, not better than anyone at this particular point, but better than most people!
…Her point was that he was never much of a romantic. If he ever came off as smooth, it was a total accident.
What she really wanted to know was what was the girl's fascination of Rean all about? Sure, the guy was a national hero in Erebonia, but Musse's admiration bordered on fanaticism. She basically worshiped the ground he walked on when she wasn't treating him like a lifelong friend. It was weird.
And those were only a few questions on her mind.
But those were all about Rean.
And even if she didn't like how he was treating her, she did at least agree that it wouldn't be a smart move to let the other students know that she and Rean once knew each other since they were kids. She'd have to tread carefully. Asking too much about him would draw in too many suspicious looks.
So she decided on asking something else that had been bothering her for a while.
"How did you know my name?" Juna let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "The day of orientation. When you came up to talk to me before the assembly, you called me by my name long before I ever told you. What was that about?"
The girl placed a finger onto her cheek as she rummaged through her mind to recall that day. "Ah, yes. I do remember that. But frankly, I can't give you a straight answer at the moment."
Juna nearly fell over at the disappointing response.
"Seriously?! You retold your whole date with Instructor Re- Schwarzer in excruciating detail but you can't just answer me with something as simple as that?!"
She merely shrugged. "Unfortunately, my hands are tied. That's considered classified."
"Why would that be classi-?! Ugh, nevermind. Whatever."
Altina took one last sip of her tea before placing the cup back on the tray near the basin.
"Well, I found that to be a fruitful conversation."
"I'm glad one of us did…"
"Again, thank you for your patronage." Musse bowed, putting her whole body into the act. "Please come again."
The youngest of the three stood up, stretching her legs as she wasn't used to sitting in such a foreign style. She nodded in gratitude towards Musse before turning back to Juna. "We should continue our search. I still haven't found a club yet."
"R-Right." Juna replied, getting up herself.
Altina started out the door with Juna right behind her tail. However, she felt a slight tug on her sleeve that prevented her from advancing. Before she could react, she felt a pair of arms cradle her waist and pull her back into the room with an unexpected amount of force. A soft whisper blew into her ear.
"I didn't want to say this with Altina around, but Elise talks quite a lot about you. It makes me somewhat jealous, your relationship with the Schwarzer siblings."
Had she still been drinking tea, that would've been the moment of her fourth spit-take.
"H-H-How did…?"
"Elise and I have been friends for some time. There are hardly any secrets between us and any that she does have, well, she doesn't do a very good job at hiding them."
Taking a brief moment to ignore her own shock, Juna sent her unspoken sympathies to her old friend.
"...So why are you telling me this now?" Juna asked. "Why didn't you say anything when Altina was still here? So you could hold it over my head? You looking for blackmail material?"
"Oh please, Juna. I wouldn't dream of it. I'm not that cruel." Musse let go of her grip, allowing the pink-haired girl to face her direction.
Juna stood silent, urging her to continue.
"If you want the honest truth, it's because I want to help you both. You two are friends, right?"
"...Used to be." It was then Juna realized she had been digging into her arm with her nails.
"Then all the more reason to help!"
"I just… I just don't get your angle though. How does this benefit you?"
A smile creeped onto Musse's features.
"Rean and Elise are my friends too. I realize things must've been complicated for your relationship with them to end up the way it did, so I don't blame you for how things turned out. Besides," Musse's enthusiasm was quickly replaced with a strange sullenness, "I… understand what it's like to have a strained relationship with someone you trust. Or 'trusted', anyway. It might be best to reconcile any animosity between the two of you before either of you do something you'd regret."
That comment gave Juna pause.
For a girl with all the confidence and charisma in the world, Musse looked almost… vulnerable in that moment.
But… she did have a point.
She needed—no, wanted to get on better terms with Rean. Too much had happened since their separation a year and a half ago, and it wasn't fair to him nor Elise if she allowed this situation to continue because she decided to throw a temper tantrum.
She'd do anything to be his friend again.
Even if that meant having to go through that stubborn attitude of his.
However…
"I don't see any issues in letting her help. Her personality aside, she does at least seem genuine in wanting to help you."
"I'm not sure if that's the problem, though. It's just…"
"You feel like you need to do this on your own?"
"...Yeah."
She could feel Yuri hum, gathering her own thoughts before responding. "But do you believe you could actually pull it off? That boy's got a bit of a thick skull on him. Reminds me of someone I used to know."
"Really…?" It was strange, considering that Yuri didn't talk about her past life that often. For some reason, she felt more comfortable commandeering Juna's life instead.
"It's not really that important. Just do what you have to do."
Juna let out a heavy sigh.
"Okay, Musse. You got yourself a deal."
The mint-haired girl's eyes sparkled, the previous melancholy practically vanished into thin air. "Do you mean it?"
"Yeah. It's clear that I can't do this alone. Every time I try to approach him, he brushes me off and pretends I'm just a stranger." Juna huffed, crossing her arms in frustration. "Not that I blame him, but it makes this whole 'making up' business a lot more difficult."
"Oh, I agree. I'll come up with a game plan and we'll go from there. Just don't expect it to be easy."
"Knowing Rean, nothing's ever easy."
The two girls shared a laugh.
Once their fits of giggles subsided, Juna held out a hand.
"It's a pleasure to be working with you, Musse."
Musse graciously accepted the offer.
"Likewise, Juna."
After perusing a few more clubs, Altina made the choice to join the swimming club. She felt defeated at first, not being able to swim the entire length of the pool, but Juna noticed that part of her felt like this was something she wanted to do rather than some sort of required assignment she was forced to do. That put a smile on Juna's face.
The two decided to split up from there, giving Altina time to adjust to her new clubmates. Juna, on the other hand, went back to the field to uphold her promise.
"Heya, Louise!" She waved her hand as she called to her new friend.
Just like the other day, Juna found her testing out the racquets. From the looks of things, she hadn't been able to attract any new members for her club. Once Louise heard her voice, she instantly perked up.
"Juna! Good to see you. How's the search going?"
Her eyes darted around, once again taking note of the lack of other people. "I feel like I should be asking you that. Are you doing okay?"
"Just fine. Better now, actually. Since you're here, I'm assuming you'll join?"
"Uh, yeah! When I was checking out the other clubs, I kept coming back to the notion that I wanted one that would make me move my body a whole ton."
Louise giggled. "That certainly sounds like you, Juna."
"...What's that supposed to mean?"
This conversation felt oddly familiar.
"Nothing, nothing. Just that you're more headstrong than most. That's not a bad thing."
Unconvinced, Juna grabbed a racquet from Louise's hand and a ball from a forming pile behind her. "Whatever, let's just get started. We got a long day ahead of us."
Juna served the ball, hitting in the direction of the wall. She attempted to re-familiarize herself to the rhythm she experienced yesterday, initiating that dance between herself and her target. Back and forth, back and forth the ball bounced. In no time flat, Juna got the hang of it once more.
Thanks to the lack of a proper court and net, returning a volley between herself and the wall was still the only way to practice. But now that she's gotten a taste, she couldn't wait to test herself against an actual opponent.
"Er, excuse me?" A new voice broke Juna out of her trance. She turned to its owner, allowing the tennis ball to leisurely roll past her legs.
A sheepish Jessica approached them. Her voice was strained and her breathing was heavy, indications that she had been running around all day. The streams of sweat coursing down her face corroborated that idea.
"Do you have room for one more?"
She spoke with a quiet demeanor, averting her eyes to hide her embarrassed blush illuminating her cheeks. For a few seconds, Jessica's strange behavior confounded Juna until she realized the reason behind her exhaustion.
"Couldn't find any club members, I take it?" Juna asked with a brief smirk. She didn't want to rub it in but once she found Kurt working the chess club, she could only feel sorry for her.
"Unfortunately not. Vander was interested, but he explained how he wanted to improve himself elsewhere. Advice he received from the Ashen- I mean, Instructor Schwarzer."
"Sorry to hear that, Jessica." Louise said. "But you're more than welcome to join the tennis club! If we were to get a fourth member, we could even practice doubles! Hold on, let me grab another racquet from the storeroom."
Once Louise left their sights, Juna took a moment to demonstrate the basics. This time, Jessica was paying careful attention to her movements and concentration, nodding at times to affirm her newfound appreciation for the sport. But after a slight bit, she asked her a question.
"Juna, seeing as how we're going to be clubmates, can I ask you something?"
"Uh, sure?" She continued her volley as she spoke. "Go ahead."
"Are you… fine with being in the same club as me?"
Juna stopped mid swing, letting the ball fly behind her and rolling away from their vicinity. It was an odd question to ask, considering that they had only met yesterday.
"What do you mean?"
"I recall the way you looked at me the other day. You seemed… uncomfortable. However, you do seem to be in higher spirits now."
"Oh, that?" Now that Jessica mentioned it, Louise did say that she was scowling before they left the field.
"You're from Crossbell, right? Forgive me if I'm being brazen, but given recent events, do you hold any sort of resentment towards Erebonians? Especially the nobility?"
Juna's eyes widened at the accusation. Well, it was a tad extreme to call it an "accusation", but she still took note of the implications of the question.
Did she resent Erebonians for what they did to Crossbell? No, of course not. Her conversation with Rosine on the day of their orientation reminded her of that obvious fact. She knew she could trust Uncle Teo, Aunt Lucia, and especially Elise at the very least. And until she heard the whole story from Rean, she would put her trust in him too.
But was there some lingering feeling within her that rejected those thoughts? Did some part of her feel it was convenient to push that blame onto the people of Erebonia?
She didn't lie when she confronted Rean about those corrupt politicians that had been stationed at Crossbell. They disrespected their culture, trampled on their rights, and spat in their faces all the while. She didn't see many Erebonians in the most positive of lights.
But that was the whole reason why Instructor Claire sent her to this school in the first place. To challenge her views and broaden her horizons from the perspective of another country, rather than one of an outsider looking in. She may have come to visit the empire in her childhood, but that wasn't nearly enough to learn how things worked on this side of the border.
Juna's lips curled upwards.
"Maybe a little," she admitted. "But I know that you didn't have anything to do with it. Sorry, I've just been going through some things."
"Anything you want to talk about then?"
"Ah, no. It's not too big a deal."
Jessica shot Juna a quizzical look, but backed away once she realized that curiosity almost subsumed her. "Apologies. I'm afraid I'm overstepping my boundaries. We hardly know each other, so it was presumptuous of me to assume I could lend my ears properly."
Juna's smile grew softer. "No, seriously, it's nothing for you to worry about right now." Her thoughts wandered back to Musse and her generous offer to help her out with her situation. "I think… I think I've got it handled for the time being."
"If you say so."
Not too long after did Louise join in for a full blown practice session. However, what she decided to withhold was that she had difficulties jumping back in once the conversation had reached a certain mood.
"And that should take care of everything."
Rean stretched his arms and groaned in relief after finishing Professor Schmidt's impromptu Keep trial. He found the day to be much more tiring than he originally anticipated. Most of his day consisted of patrolling the campus and helping out a few students with their club decisions. Even with him keeping his distance, Rean wanted to make sure that no one suffered the fate of being the principal's pack mule.
He looked to the two girls accompanying him as they mirrored his actions.
"That was crazy super-fun though! I don't think I'd ever get bored if I had one of those with me."
"Millium," Altina deadpanned, "Einhel Keep isn't meant to be a portable building."
Rean awkwardly laughed. The recent addition of the White Rabbit was unexpected, but far from unwelcome. It was a nice compensation in exchange for the news of the "special lessons" that they were meant to issue in the coming weekend. Even with the fact that his Class VII started their field studies during their first month, he didn't have nearly as much confidence with this group of students, much less the entire student body.
Granted, the way things were to be handled won't be the same as back then. With the faculty present to supervise, these field exercises shouldn't pose as much of a problem than what Rean and Towa had been worried about. Still, there was a gnawing feeling in the back of his head that refused to subside.
"Anyways, Altina," Rean started, hoping to get his mind off things. "I heard you chose a club. That's good to hear. I realized that you had difficulties choosing the other day, so I'm glad you managed to come to a decision."
"That's correct. I joined the swimming club with Leonora, Wayne, and Stark. Juna's assistance on the matter lowered the difficulty in choosing considerably."
Swimming, huh? So she would be following Laura's example, if that was the case. He recalled that Millium was rather skilled in swimming too. He'd never forget when she almost gave Jusis a heart attack when she jumped into the pool from the second floor balcony of the main campus gym. After that, she just went on swimming with about as much skill as Laura and Fie. Still, Altina never came off as athletic as her sister, so perhaps she chose it for self-improvement instead. Either way, he was glad she was finding room to grow.
Rean hesitated in responding, but cracked a small smile. "Did it now? It's good to hear that you're getting along with your classmates."
"Mmm." Altina mumbled in acknowledgement. "They're not so bad."
Millium shot Rean and Altina incredulous looks, both of which had slight different nuances between them. Rean wasn't able to discern the difference—he found it hard to discern anything concrete about Millium—so he decided to not pay it any mind.
"That's great, Tilly! I was afraid that you'd be that loner in school without any friends. You gave your big sister a major case of gray hairs, young lady!"
"...You're not much older than I am, Millium." Aw, she was pouting. "Putting that aside, I had a few questions for you, Instructor Rean."
"Uh, sure. Fire away."
Altina let out a deep breath, confusing him and piquing Millium's curiosity. The younger girl turned her full attention towards him, her expression morphing into a dark glare.
"You and Musse Egret have known each other prior to her enrollment here, correct?"
Rean was taken slightly aback from the question, but steeled himself. As far as he knew, the casual conversations he had with former St. Astraia student should have been discreet. However, when Juna confronted him about it yesterday, he had to assume that wasn't the case. It was best to come clean. He had no reason to hide this from Altina after all.
"Yeah. She and I met last year. During the school festival."
"Oh yeah!" Millium interjected. "I totally forgot that you had to do that yourself that year. I heard your whole thing was really fun! I wish I could've seen it."
Rean groaned. "I'm glad that you didn't… Anyway, were you wondering something about Musse, Altina?"
Her glare turned fiercer. Rean's nerves began to shake.
"Only one more question."
"Sure? What is it?"
"Is it true that the day you met, you had a 'romantic date' with her?"
"W-Wait, hold up-"
"You fed 'directly to her mouth'? You 'caressed her body with your rugged hands'?"
"Ooh, how spicy, Rean~"
"And then you 'ended the date with an elegant dance on the moonlit night against the roaring flames of the bonfire'?"
"...Is that how Musse described it?"
"Word for word."
"Of course she did."
A hearty chuckle came from ahead. Approaching them was a very familiar redhead that had a tendency to stick his nose in places it didn't belong. One moment was all it took to realize Rean would lose a significant amount of sleep tonight.
"You know," Lechter waved to them in a friendly manner, but Rean knew his intentions. Put that damn hand down. "I was gonna pick up Millium since we need to catch our train, but now you got me curious. This I gotta hear."
Oh dear Aidios, save him.
A wide smirk formed on Millium's lips. She rested her arms on her back with her elbows by her head, swaying back and forth with a fervor of curiosity and excitement.
"Sorry, Rean. Sounds like you're gonna have to deal with me just a little longer! I wanna hear allll about it!"
Rean sighed. "Lucky me…"
Imma be honest, I'm not too sure how well this chapter ended up. I started it right after I posted the previous one but I came back to it rather sporadically. It was the most editing I had to do since I ended up contradicting or repeating myself numerous times in this one single chapter. But now that I'm at this point, I'm rather comfortable with what I have and can continue from here.
It's fun writing a chapter in Juna's perspective, seeing as how I can make her more crass than Rean when reacting to any event unfolding. However, I realize that there are some hurdles I created myself that make it harder than it should be. Oh well, we're this far into it now, so I'll just have to work with what I got. Plus, I'm adding a new plot point that I'm sure a few people may not agree with, but damn it, I thought it was interesting.
Anyway, on a separate note, if there's anything I'm glad I got to touch upon this chapter is the fact that Musse is actually HELPING Juna on her quest to reconcile with her boy- *ahem* "friend". I'm sure a few of you were worried that I'd make this into a stereotypical love triangle thing, but this was the direction I wanted to take it! Though, that won't stop Musse from flirting from time to time. She cares though and that's what counts... I think.
