Author Notes
"So, um, hello XD. Yes, I know I disappeared for quite some time, but I'll be honest with you I just wasn't in the mood to finish this. But here we are, and the good news is that I'll be updating it in the coming days until the end. So, to the people who stuck around and really like it, enjoy!"
Any constructive review is really appreciated.
Declaimer: I don't own any characters from Little Witch Academia, I'm just doing this for fun.
Chapter XXI
Consilio et Conventu
"Akko?" the older woman asked while Akko smiled nervously behind her phone.
"Yes, Mom, it's me."
"Hello, dear, how are you? What's the reason for this call? Aren't you supposed to not use your phone at school?"
"Umm, yes, but I'm on vacation in London with a friend. I'm staying at her parents' house."
"London, huh. Well, I can't tell you much about it since I've never been, but they say it rains a lot, and the traffic is terrible."
"Hehehe, it hasn't rained so far. But the traffic part is true..."
After this last comment, a brief silence emerged, and a slight tension began to build.
"Akko? Sweetheart, are you okay? Can you hear me?" And as a good mother would, Haruko had immediately sensed that something was off with her daughter.
"Y-yes, Mom," Akko stuttered slightly.
"Dear, that didn't sound like you're okay. What's wrong? Are you bored at school? Do you miss Japan? Or did something bad happen?" the older woman asked, trying to uncover what was troubling the young girl.
"The thing is..." Akko struggled to get the words out, frustration slowly mounting.
"Atsuko, you don't call me at 3 AM from London just to chat. What's going on, sweetheart? Tell me, I'm your mother; I won't judge you for anything in the world."
"How did you...?"
"Akko, I know everything, especially when my little girl is alone in a foreign country," the older woman said, and Akko could swear it was true—her mother was fiercely protective of her only child.
"Now spit it out. Tell me what's really happening," Haruko demanded in an authoritative tone.
"Mom, I... I... I'm a lesbian." Bracing herself for the scream or the anger-filled reproach she expected to follow, Akko was met with something she never anticipated.
"And?" Haruko replied indifferently. "Is that all?"
Akko, stunned and vulnerable, answered her mother's second question:
"No, and I have a girlfriend right now." Akko, lowering her head, involuntarily tightened her grip on the phone in her right hand and once again waited for her mother to respond.
"Was that all you wanted to tell me?"
Now irritated, Akko raised her voice slightly and said,
"All? ALL? Mom, I'm a lesbian! Don't you think that's strange? Aren't you going to yell at me? Disown me? Treat me like a monster?" She huffed, only to hear her mother's calm reply
"Akko, I love you, no matter who you are, who you like, or what you do. You're my precious daughter, and there isn't a parent in the world who doesn't love their children."
"That last part is a lie," Akko whispered, though her mother, of course, heard it.
"Akko, don't say that. Please, tell me what's really going on."
Biting her lip, the girl continued
"Hannah, my girlfriend, her parents don't accept that she's with me."
"Oh… I see. Umm… and did you hear all of that directly from them?"
"No, Mom, we ran away from her house right after her parents argued with us a bit," Akko said, lifting her head and shifting to a more comfortable position in her chair.
"Wait a minute. What did you just say, Atsuko?" The tone had definitely changed, and Akko knew nothing good was coming. "You ran away?"
"Mom, pls," Akko said, holding the phone away from her ear.
"No 'pls.' How are you going to tell me you ran away? And why did you lie to me earlier, saying you were staying with her parents? Akko, you're 17 years old; you're still a child! You have no idea how dangerous a city like London can be!"
"Pff..." Akko huffed.
"Atsuko Kagari, where are you?"
"Mom..."
"W-h-e-r-e a-r-e y-o-u," Haruko said this time, in a tone that left no room for negotiation.
"In a hotel. It's called Hotel Hilton London Bankside," Akko responded, deciding she didn't want any more trouble that day.
"Fine. And how did you pay for it?"
"With the card Dad gave me, with all my savings, and my allowance."
"Okay," Haruko sighed before saying, "The money you used won't be refunded."
"Wh-what? Mommmm!"
"And you're going to call me every morning and night while you're there, as well as right before you go back to school. Understood?"
"Alright..." Akko said, resigned, knowing she'd dodged a bigger bullet. If things escalated, her mother was fully capable of immediately flying to London by any means necessary.
"And about your girlfriend, the only advice I can give you is to try talking to her parents again. I know it sounds weird and illogical, but, as I've always told you, if they truly love her, they'll accept her. And before you respond with something else, the first and only positive sign is that they didn't say anything like what you just told me."
"...Thanks, Mom. I'll try to talk to her about it, even though I don't think it's a good idea."
"Sweetheart, there's something you need to understand: you girls, more than anyone, need our support as parents," Haruko said, wrapping up the conversation. "Alright, Akko, I have to go. I need to pick up your father from work, and then we'll grab lunch together."
"Okay, Mom," Akko replied, processing all the advice her mother had just given her.
"And don't forget the calls, young lady."
"Haaaai."
Just before hanging up, Akko had one last question.
"Mom..."
"Yes?"
"Why weren't you surprised when I told you that?"
Haruko, fully understanding what she meant, responded:
"Umm, let's just say that your father and I had suspected it for quite some time. Also, you're not very good at hiding those yuri mangas. What were they called? 'Girlfriends' or something like that."
"Wait, WHAT?"
As she heard her mother's final burst of laughter, the tone signaling the end of the call echoed in her ear. Akko, now staring at the screen of the electronic device, decided that was enough for today. Standing up, she walked directly to the bedroom, where a soundly sleeping Hannah welcomed her with open arms. Closing her eyes, Akko waited for the dawn of a new day.
.
.
.
It was the morning of a new day, and Hannah had woken up in a good mood. She didn't know why, but being next to the person she loved most in the world had at least eased the whirlwind of emotions the previous day had left behind.
Detaching herself from Akko's arms, who was still sound asleep, she looked at the clock and realized it was already 11 a.m. They had missed the hotel breakfast. Taking the same towel she had used the night before, she headed to the bathroom to freshen up and prepare for whatever the day had in store for them.
When she came out of the bathroom, she saw a tangle of hair and human limbs sprawled across the bed, taking up all the space. Approaching, she sat on the right side and leaned down toward the small face peeking out from the brown mane. She kissed her forehead and said,
"Akko, wake up."
In response, she heard a groan and, through gritted teeth, a sleepy,
"Lotte, five more minutes."
Amused, Hannah leaned in again. This time, she uncovered the girl's face and, bringing her lips to her ear, nibbled on her earlobe.
"Hia!" Akko squealed, giving a small jump with her eyes wide open.
Hannah, letting out a small laugh, said to the confused Japanese girl,
"Good morning."
"Hannah?" Akko asked, bringing a hand to her ear to find the culprit.
"Hurry up. We already missed breakfast because of you, and I don't want the same to happen with lunch. I'm starving."
Akko, still processing what had just happened, looked her up and down. Seeing that she was already dressed and not in pajamas, she asked,
"Was it you?"
Hannah, feigning ignorance with a mischievous look, replied,
"What are you talking about, Akko?"
"Never mind," said Akko, who rebelliously flopped back down with a huff.
Hannah's eyes widened, and she grabbed a cushion from one of the chairs, throwing it hard at Akko's exposed rear.
"Pom!" went the impact, and Akko, clearly feeling it, grabbed her behind while muttering under her breath,
"You started it."
And so, a pillow-and-cushion war flooded the room. Neither gave any quarter. Each projectile flew from one side to the other. Akko, improvising, grabbed a towel from the nightstand and tied it around her head like a bandana, while Hannah tied a piece of fabric around her arm like a bracelet.
"Surrender, Atsuko!" shouted Hannah, hidden behind her fortress of chairs.
"Never, England!" responded Akko from her trench by the bed and nightstand.
"Knock, knock," suddenly came the sound from the room door. Both of them looked at each other in surprise, and Hannah, being the closest, went to see who was knocking.
"Yes? Who is it?" she asked before turning the doorknob.
"Room service," replied a feminine voice on the other side.
Hannah opened the door and, poking her head out, asked,
"What do you need?"
It was one of the hotel staff. With a smile, she said,
"I just wanted to let you know that lunch is ready. I stopped by earlier for breakfast, but since there was no response, I left. Would you like me to bring it to your room?"
Hannah glanced inside and, seeing the mess they had made, shook her head before answering,
"No, it's fine. We'll come down ourselves."
The staff member nodded, said goodbye, and continued on her way. Hannah closed the door and returned to the room.
"Who was it?" asked Akko, still with the towel on her head.
"Room service," Hannah replied, smiling as she saw Akko still wearing her 'bandana.' "They came to let us know that lunch is ready and offered to bring it up to us."
"And what did you say?" asked Akko, removing the towel.
"That nope, we'd head down to the dining room ourselves," Hannah replied as Akko nodded. Glancing around at the chaos and making a small grimace, she suggested, "Go get ready, Akko. In the meantime, I'll tidy up this mess."
Each focused on their task. Akko didn't take long in the bathroom, and Hannah did her best to organize the room. Once everything was ready, they headed out together to enjoy the day.
As a local, Hannah took Akko to some of London's most iconic spots for tourists and residents alike. Occasionally, they would stop to rest in quiet places, soaking in the peace that the city had to offer.
This is how the next two days passed—sightseeing and enjoying each other's company. The subject of Hannah's parents wasn't mentioned at all, and neither made an effort to bring it up. It wasn't until their final day at the hotel that something happened.
They were returning to the hotel, ice creams in hand, laughing and chuckling softly. As they approached the reception desk, the same woman who had attended to them days earlier called out—more specifically, to Akko.
"Miss Atsuko."
"Yes?" Akko replied, a little confused.
"Someone is waiting for you and your companion."
Both of them exchanged even more confused glances and followed the receptionist, who led them to the executive lounge. Upon entering the private area, they saw a girl seated in one of the chairs. Hannah froze and, with a final breath of nervousness, said,
"Sarah."