FILE 9 - Her Starlight Parade, Part 1
Previously on FILE 8, Aiya finally learned about the truth of the night from some people. But a new mystery arose as to who was the 'demon' user.
Wednesday, 9th February, 2023
5:50 AM, Otohime Mansion
"Rise and shine, master!" Kuro proclaimed with exaggerated enthusiasm, pulling open the curtains and letting the morning light blast into the room like a spotlight on a stage.
Tetsu, still cocooned in her blankets, squinted at the light and groaned, "Oh come on... Five more minutes, please."
"You know what they said, master." Kuro said, "The early bird gets the worm."
Tetsu, barely opening one eye, replied, "But I'm not a bird... I'm more like a bear in hibernation. Just five more minutes..."
Kuro, not missing a beat, said, "And you know what they say about bears in hibernation?"
Tetsu, half-asleep and barely coherent, muttered, "No, what?"
"That bears don't get worms," Kuro said with a smirk, "But they do get their beauty sleep. So let's get up before you turn into a permanent fixture on that bed."
Tetsu groaned and rolled overdramatically, "Alright, alright. Just don't turn me into a worm while you're at it."
Kuro chuckled, "Noted. But I can't guarantee the bed won't miss you."
With that, he gave her a gentle nudge, and Tetsu, still grumbling, finally dragged herself out of bed, ready to face the day or at least attempt to.
Kuro pulled out a long list, dramatically unfolding it as he said, "Master, may I remind you that we have a schedule to adhere to? You need to brush your teeth for 5 minutes, shower for 15 minutes, take photos for your morning for 10 minutes, and eat breakfast for 10 minutes. That's 45 minutes, just in time to catch the bus for 15 minutes and reach school at exactly 6:45 AM."
Tetsu groaned, "Ugh, who even decided on the photo?"
Kuro glanced at Tetsu as he spoke, "It was your idea, master."
"Really?" Tetsu flushed, "When did I say that?"
Kuro put on his best impression to mimic Tetsu with a hand gesture and voice, "Listen here, Kuro! I want you to take a photo of my face in the morning!"
"Remove that from the list..." Tetsu said as she slipped onto her slippers, "Now then."
"Got it, that's 10 minutes off the table," Kuro said, waving his list around. "In that case, what do you want to do with those precious 10 minutes?"
"First off, stop calling me master!" Tetsu snapped as she walked toward the door.
Kuro used his shadow strings to open the door for her. "Right, sorry, Master Tetsu," He said as he bowed. "By the way, we're losing 3 minutes just from me talking. My apologies."
"Second off," Tetsu said, "I'll use those 10 minutes-"
"Seven minutes," Kuro corrected her, "Okay, fine, seven minutes, to chat with my friends."
"I just don't want you to be late again," Kuro said earnestly, "Like last time."
"Kuro, I was late by exactly one minute," Tetsu said as she stepped into the bathroom. "Plus, you really need to figure out how to handle yourself first."
"But, Master, I'm here to serve you." Kuro protested.
"I know," Tetsu replied as she rinsed her mouth, "But you need to take care of yourself too. Otherwise, who will take care of me?"
Kuro sighed, "I suppose that's fair. But if I don't keep you on schedule, who will?"
"Don't use my spell on me, Kuro." Tetsu began to step into the shower. The noise of the shower being turned on can be heard.
"Right, sorry, Master," Kuro said, "But we still need to be at school on time."
"Ugh, can't I just bribe the entire school?" Tetsu called out, her voice echoing over the sound of the water, "School is dumb anyway."
"It'd take a lot of paperwork," Kuro said, glancing at a stack of papers on a nearby table, "and I know how much you hate paperwork."
"Sometimes I hate how accurate you are." Tetsu grumbled from behind the shower curtain.
"I'll be preparing breakfast." Kuro said, turning on his heel and heading to the kitchen.
"Alrighty." Tetsu's voice floated out through the steam, "Thanks, Kuro. Just don't turn breakfast into a three-act play or something."
Kuro chuckled, "Noted, Master Tetsu. I'll keep it brief. Promise."
As the sound of the shower continued, Kuro hummed to himself, preparing breakfast with a perfect balance of efficiency.
After Tetsu showered, she finally got dressed as she walked downstair. Kuro had prepared a well-balanced meal for her.
"First, Master Tetsu," Kuro said as he glanced over at the table along with his list, "You will need to get your vegetables, as well as some tea to start your morning. Not to mention you will need-"
"Alright, alright, I get it," Tetsu said, rolling her eyes as she plopped down into her chair. "Just let me enjoy my breakfast without the full-on instructional manual."
Kuro moved to drape a napkin around her neck. "And here's your napkin." He said.
Tetsu looked at him as she protested, "Kuro, I know how this works. I don't need you to help me with every single step!"
Kuro looked slightly hurt but quickly recovered, "Alright, sorry, Master Tetsu." He placed the napkin on her plate.
Tetsu couldn't help but chuckle, "You know, if you keep this up, I might start expecting you to feed me too."
Kuro chuckled a bit as he replied, "Only if you want me to, Master Tetsu. I can arrange a spoon-feeding schedule if necessary."
"I was joking!" Tetsu flushed, "But anyway..."
Tetsu draped her napkin around her neck as she took a bit of the avocado toast with smoked salmon, "Let's see here..."
"It's delicious!" Tetsu said happily as she continued to chomp down on it.
"Thank you, Master," Kuro said, looking pleased. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."
As Tetsu continued to enjoy her meal, Kuro couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction, knowing he'd managed to start her day off on a high note.
After eating, Kuro cleaned up the dishes, as Tetsu was typing on her phone, with 7 minutes to spare before she had to go to school.
"Say, do we have any Stand User in our class?" asked Tetsu.
"We do have Erika and Mariah," Kuro replied. "But in any other class, I don't remember."
"I hope you keep track of the Stand User list I gave you." Tetsu said.
"Don't worry, Master. It should be around here..." Kuro said, patting his pockets, "Uh..."
"Of course, you lost it..." Tetsu sighed as she shook her head.
Just then, Tetsu's phone buzzed with a new message. She glanced at the screen and saw a message from her classmate, Mariah Machi.
"What this?"
CHAT LOG
Mariah (Marrshmallow): Hey Tetsu, did you forget this?
Tetsu's eyes widened as she looked at the attached note, a photo of the missing Stand User List.
"Great, now we have to get it back from her…" Tetsu muttered, looking over at Kuro, who had stopped mid-wipe, staring at him with wide eyes.
"Uh, Master Tetsu," Kuro said, looking sheepish, "I might have misplaced it. I'm really sorry."
Tetsu smirked, "Well, at least Mariah found it. Let's just hope she's not planning to hold it for ransom or something."
Tetsu continued to type on her phone.
CHAT LOG
Tetsu (IronPrincess30): Yep.
Mariah (Marrshmallow): Ah, ic. I will give it to you, on 1 condition.
Tetsu (IronPrincess30): And wut is it?
Mariah (Marrshmallow): Meet me school.
"Great, she's holding it for ransom." Tetsu sighed as she said sarcastically, "Let's just get to school early."
With that, she walked briskly toward the door, Kuro following closely behind. Kuro responded, "Got it."
With a flourish, he used his Stand to send out black strings from his fingertips, which gracefully slid the door open for her.
Tetsu walked through with a nod, "Thanks, Kuro. Let's hope the rest of the day goes a bit smoother."
Kuro followed her out, a mix of determination and slight embarrassment on his face. "I'll make sure of it, Master Tetsu. No more lost lists today!"
Kuro took out keys from his pocket as he locked the door with a satisfying click, "And... we all set."
They both climbed into the car, with Kuro taking the driver's seat and Tetsu settling into the front passenger seat. Kuro adjusted the rearview mirror and started the engine, his expression now a blend of focus and readiness.
As they drove off, the morning sun cast a warm glow over the road, signaling the start of a new day.
However, as they were about to go to school, Kuro was pulled over.
He slid open his windshield. "How may I help you?" Kuro glanced over at the officer.
Tetsu sighed, recognizing the situation. This wasn't the first time they'd been pulled over, and it was always a bit sketchy since Kuro was only 16 and didn't have a driver's license.
"I need to see your ID." said the officer.
Kuro quickly reached into his school bag and pulled out an ID card, handing it to the officer. It was clear from the card's design that it was not an official driver's license.
The officer examined the ID card closely, glancing back and forth between the card and Kuro's face. There was a brief moment of tension as the officer's scrutiny intensified.
The officer said before handing back the card to Kuro. "Alright, you're good to go."
"Thank you." Kuro said as he took back the ID card.
Kuro took back the ID card with a relieved smile. "Thank you, officer."
As they continued their drive after being pulled over, Tetsu leaned back and said with a smirk, "You know, Kuro, one of these days, we might get caught with that fake ID."
Kuro, trying to keep the mood light, replied, "Well, if we do, I'm sure you'd just pay the fines and smile, Master Tetsu."
Tetsu raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And why's that?"
Kuro grinned and said, "Because you secretly enjoy having me as your butler so much, you'd consider it a small price to pay."
Tetsu's face flushed slightly as she turned away, "Nuh-uh. Ok fine, maybe."
Kuro chuckled, "See? Even you admit it."
Tetsu playfully said to him, "Keep your eyes on the road or we may crash, Kuro."
Kuro nodded with a grin, "Got it, Master Tetsu."
With that, they continued driving to school. There were no more hiccups.
"Okay, we're finally here..." Tetsu peeked out, looking both ways. "Just making sure..."
"Are you afraid that you'll crash into Aiya again?" Kuro chuckled.
"No, shut up!" Tetsu said angrily, "I'm just checking whether there would be an accident or not..."
"Okay, it seems fine," Tetsu said as she stepped out of the car. Suddenly, a student's bag was flung right into her face, causing her to stumble.
"Master!" Kuro rushed over to help her up.
"SORRY!" Aiya shouted, running towards Tetsu, her face a picture of panic.
"And this is why I've told you not to be so reckless, Aiya." Lobo said, walking up with a disapproving look.
Aiya shook Tetsu a bit, finally helping her wake up.
"Ugh…" Tetsu groaned, holding her head.
"I'm so sorry, Tetsu!" Aiya apologized, assisting her along with Kuro.
"You ought to be more careful, Aiya," Kuro said with a disappointed sigh, glancing at her.
"Sorry!" Aiya glanced at her watch and gasped. "We're late!"
She grabbed her bag and made a run toward the school.
"HEY! WAIT FOR ME!" Lobo followed suit, running after Aiya as they disappeared into the school building.
Tetsu, still rubbing her face, looked at Kuro and said, "Well, that was a way to start the day. Let's hope things settle down now."
Kuro nodded, a hint of amusement in his eyes, "Let's get to class, Master Tetsu. Hopefully, the rest of the day will be a bit less eventful."
6:50 AM, Class 5-B
Matsuda Akiyama, the homeroom teacher of Class 5-B, looked around the room and called out, "Kuro Kanjiro… Is Kuro Kanjiro here?"
When no one responded, he asked again, "Is Kuro Kanjiro here?"
Mariah Machi, a student with pink hair, raised her hand and said, "Mr. Akiyama, I don't think he's here yet, nor is Tetsu."
Matsuda Akiyama is an easygoing person and is considered the best teacher to talk to by most students.
"Right…" Matsuda said, making a note to cross their names off the list. Just then, Tetsu and Kuro burst into the room, slightly out of breath.
"Oh, you two are on time… barely," Matsuda said with a chuckle, putting down his list. "Now then, you two know what to do, right?"
Tetsu, still catching her breath, sighed, "Ugh, we know… Clean up after class because we're late."
"Yep!" Matsuda replied cheerfully. "Don't worry, it won't be much. Just a bit of tidying up, and you'll be all set."
Tetsu and Kuro exchanged glances, resigned but ready to tackle the task. Kuro gave a small nod, "Understood, Mr. Akiyama."
"Could this day get any worse..." Tetsu groaned as she sat down in her chair. Suddenly, she saw Mariah staring at her.
"Well... Frick."
CHARACTER INFO:
Name: Matsuda Akiyama
Birthdate: 19th October 1991
Likes: Bat and Coffee
Dislikes: Sleeping
As the new day set in for Tetsu and Kuro, Tetsu noticed the looming aura behind Mariah as she wondered what her request was.
TO BE CONTINUED IN
FILE 10 - Her Starlight Parade, Part 2