From Girl to Girl

September 22, 2023

Early in the morning, Hana was reading the newspaper at home before heading to school, sitting down with her father as a housemaid swept the floor in another room. As she flipped to another page and read the local obituaries, she saw the name of the boy who had died on the 17th. “Horikiri Toru…” Hana took a deep breath and set the newspaper down before finishing a bowl of cereal she had poured for herself and then sipping from a cup of tea. Despite her upper-class background, she preferred something simple such as cereal to eat in the morning as opposed to other more exquisite meals, especially when she was on a schedule as important as school. “Horikiri Toru, huh…”

Her father, who bore the same color hair as her and had just turned 38, asked her, “Did you know that boy?”

“Not before the 17th,” Hana replied to him. Her father knew all about her activities as a magical huntress, given that he himself worked for the Agency. “But seeing him alive in a picture feels so odd after what happened to him.”

“You were very torn up about this when you came home, Hana,” he said to her. “I’m surprised you went to school the next day. You could have taken a day off if you needed it. I know I don’t say stuff like that a lot, but I am being serious.”

“Taking a day off won’t do me any good,” she replied to her father. “Life has to go on in some capacity, and besides, I can’t miss classes if I want to go to Samejima High School.”

“I know, but when it comes to stuff like this, you could take a step back.” Her father then sipped from his oak cup of tea before setting it back down. “Besides, with your grades right now and our last name, you’re definitely making it into that school.” Baron Kazunori Samejima High School, named after a former admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy, was a prestigious high school in the area that was rather selective about who they let in, and while they would prefer students with high grades, they would also have a preference for students of a prestigious background, including ex-nobility such as Hana. “If your grandfather was still alive, he’d be proud of your accomplishments already.”

“I know he would,” Hana replied, thinking about her grandfather, who formerly held the title of the head of her family. “Which is why I can’t let him down.”

The housemaid, an older woman in her early fifties, then asked Hana’s father, “Do you need me to sweep anything else? This room is all done, Miyashita-sama.”

“No thank you,” Hana’s father replied to her. “You can do the kitchen once me and Hana are gone. Take a break in the meantime.”

The housemaid smiled and replied, “Thank you, Miyashita-sama.”

Hana then got up from the table and grabbed her bookbag from the floor. “I gotta head to school. Goodbye, Dad.”

“Bye, Hana,” he replied with a smile before Hana left the kitchen and began to head out of the house. After waiting for a bit, he turned to the house maid and said to her, “Yumi?”

“Yes, Miyashita-sama?”

“Now that everyone else is gone,” her father said to the older woman. “What do you want to do?”

“I knew you were in the mood for something when you said I could take a break,” Yumi, the housemaid, said to him. “Meet me in the bathroom in about ten minutes.”

As Yumi left to go to the main bathroom of the house, which was rather lavishly decorated and furnished like the rest of the building, Hana’s father looked around the kitchen and saw a clock on the wall, saying to himself, “I got about two hours to do whatever I want. That gives me more than enough time for what I need.”

…

Ruka was walking to school and passing by a crowded bus stop filled with numerous workers heading to their jobs. Because it was hot out, she carried her uniform jacket in her hands instead of wearing it, something she did not do often even though wearing the jacket was completely optional in the warmer months of the school year. As she walked by the bus stop, she felt her phone vibrate with a text from within a pocket of her jacket and stopped momentarily to pull it out, finding that it was a text from Hana.

HANA: u busy later after school?

RUKA: no whats up?

HANA: meet me @ keikyu-kurihama station again we have a meeting with some1

RUKA: ok what meeting?

HANA: this man could get us new weapons

RUKA: im interested. i broke my sword a few days ago and if i can get one sooner from him i will

As she sent this particular message to Hana, she began to feel like someone was looking at her and looked up, finding a man at the bus stop quickly looking away from her. Annoyed, she looked back down at her phone and texted Hana again just as she got another message from her

HANA: i heard about ur sword. I can lend you an extra of mine for now.

RUKA: you dont have to i can find something else to fight with

HANA: i insist. i have several swords

RUKA: ok fine

Ruka looked up again from her phone and once again saw the same man turning away from her. She sighed and again texted Hana, this time bringing it up.

RUKA: dude this one guy at the bus stop im @ was looking at me funny

HANA: sounds like a pervert

RUKA: if he tries anything i’ll beat his ass

HANA: u shouldnt always resort to fighting ur way out of things. be careful if others are around

RUKA: i know that but the thought is there

HANA: i get it

RUKA: i swear every time i wear something even a little form-fitting i’ll get someone staring @ me it fucking sucks sometimes

HANA: sorry that happens to you. i get why ur mad

Ruka said to herself quietly, “Why the Hell am I even opening up to her like this?” She was a bit confused as to why she seemed so open with someone she had just fought not so long ago. She looked down at her body and sighed, realizing why the man at the bus stop was staring at her and then moving on, walking down the road like nothing happened. “Well,” she then said again to herself just as she looked at her phone again upon getting another text from Hana. “It could have been a lot worse.”

HANA: i dont mean to pry into ur private life too much but have u dealt with that a lot before?

Ruka said to herself as she passed a small office supply store, “Screw it, I’ve said enough already that I can’t just refuse to answer at this point.”

RUKA: yeah ive dealt with boys staring @ my boobs before and not just boys what about u?

HANA: I mean mine arent as big as urs but i wouldnt be surprised if at least some stared i guess

RUKA: it sucks having them this big sometimes. i bought new bras just five months ago and i might need new ones already.

HANA: that’s unfortunate, kishio-san

After this, the texts stopped for a few minutes as Ruka continued her walk to school uninterrupted from then on. Once she got closer, Ruka saw the front gate of the school and said to herself, “Thank God…” She also noticed that Hana was standing outside and talking to Yoshiro.

Hana turned to her and waved with a polite smile on her face. “Good morning, Kishio-san.”

“Good morning, Miyashita. Same to you, Arikawa.”

Yoshiro turned to her and said with a neutral expression, “Good morning, Kishio.”

Hana then told Ruka, “I’m sorry you went through that.”

“It’s fine,” she insisted. “I deal with it in my own way.”

Yoshiro, confused, asked Hana, “What’s up with her?”

“It’s girl stuff,” Hana replied to him, assuring him with a pat on the shoulder that it was nothing too concerning. “She’s fine, if you’re concerned about her.”

Yoshiro replied, somewhat annoyed, “Alright.” He then asked Ruka to make sure, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Ruka nodded. “I’m fine.”

“Anyway,” Hana then said to both of them. “I know it’s been a rough few days, but I do want to say that even with that boy’s death, I’m proud of the work we’ve accomplished in those past few days. Kishio-san, I’m glad you and Fujimori-senpai took care of that Class Five while the rest of us were in class. Given it opened up a portal at the elementary school and managed to make it through, I was deeply concerned until I saw your names pop up. Once I saw that, I knew it would be taken care of.”

Hana’s warm smile and kind words as she approved of Ruka and Yoko’s actions caused Ruka to bow in response and thank her. “Thank you, Miyashita.”

Hana then turned to Yoshiro and told him, “By the way, I have a meeting with someone rather important coming up. He told me he can take one other person, and since you’re my second-in-command, I was thinking of taking you.”

Yoshiro replied to her, “What kind of important person are you talking about?”

“All I can say is that he’s very well-connected and could get us some very important things, such as new weapons.”

Yoshiro’s eyes widened with anticipation. “Woah… That sounds cool, Hana-chan!”

“I figured that with everything going on,” Hana explained to the two of them. “We could use new weapons. I know you need a new sword, Kishio-san, and I intend on getting one. In the meantime…” Hana then revealed the ring on her left hand and tapped it twice to spawn a katana in front of her, grabbing hold of it before it fell to the ground. “You can use this. It’s a spare katana.”

“I’m not used to Japanese swords,” Ruka replied as she took hold of the katana. “But I can make it work. I’m more used to European-style longswords.”

“I’ll be sure to get you the best I can find from this individual.”

Yoshiro was somewhat annoyed by the fact that Hana essentially gave Ruka a free sword, but did not express it, simply looking away instead. “I don’t get it,” he thought to himself. “She just gave her a sword almost completely unprompted. I truly don’t see what she finds to be so special in her. Sure, she’s a damn good fighter, I’ll give Kishio that, but it feels like she’s more trouble than it’s worth sometimes. Besides, Hana-chan is still better.”

…

“Have you decided on a high school you want to go to?”

Ruka looked at Hana as the two ate lunch together in the courtyard after the latter had asked the former. “You’re asking me?”

“I am,” Hana nodded. “I’ve already made my decision.”

“And that would be?”

“Saneshima Academyy,” Hana answered confidently. “My father and my grandfather both went there.”

“My father went there too,” Ruka replied. “Since our family was new money, he was the first to go.”

“Ah, new money…” Hana then asked her, “Have you thought of going there?”

Ruka sighed and explained to her, “My father’s family probably would try to sabotage me if I did. Well, at least, most of them would. My one uncle actually cares about me, but he got shunned for it.”

“I see…” Wanting to encourage her, Hana told Ruka, “Personally, I wouldn’t let them stop you. Go for it anyway. Have a backup, of course, but don’t lose sight of Saneshima High School.”

“The other thing is that I still don’t really know if I want to go to Saneshima High School. There are other options.”

“I know, but it would be nice if the whole team got into the same school. Fujimori-senpai is already preparing for it since she has less than half a year left as a junior high school student.”

“Well I don’t know if I’ll be still committed to the Fox Knights by then,” Ruka pointed out with a shrug.

“I think you will be. You are a valuable asset to our team, no matter what anyone else may say or think.” Hana, acknowledging that not everyone on the team saw her as such, told her, “Look, I know not everyone sees it that way, but I do, and that’s what’s the most important. Don’t give a damn about what anyone else thinks, Kishio-san.”

As Ruka nodded in response, a boy from the same grade as Yoko walked over to them. This young man, named Goro Yamanaka, bore black hair like Hana and had deep blue eyes while also being of above-average height. He said to the two girls, “Hey there.”

Hana replied with a friendly tone, “Oh, hello, Yamanaka-senpai.”

Curious about what they were up to, he asked them, “What are you two up to?”

Ruka looked at him and replied, somewhat confused about why he came over, “Uh, just talking…?”

“We’re just talking about what high school we want to go to,” Hana replied to him. “I already have plans to attend Samejima High School, and I’m trying to convince Kishio-san to do the same.”

“I’m planning to go there, actually,” Goro replied as he leaned against a nearby wall. “I’m studying my ass off to get in there. Maybe we’ll see each other.”

“Maybe we will.”

“I know Fujimori-san is planning to,” Goro added.

“Me too.”

Ruka then asked Goro, “Is your girlfriend trying to get in there too?”

“Her?” Goro then shrugged. “She wouldn’t have, even if we were still together.”

Hana replied, “You two broke up?”

“Afraid so,” Goro nodded. “I’m fine, though. It was more me than it was her.”

Ruka rolled her eyes, knowing Goro was looking at Hana while she did and thus could not see her doing so. It was clear that she was annoyed by his presence. Hana meanwhile continued to be cordial with him, telling him, “I’m sure you’ll find someone one day, Yamanaka-senpai.”

“Maybe one day,” he confidently replied before he began to head out. “Well, I gotta go back to my classroom. See you later, guys.”

Once he left the courtyard, Ruka told Hana, “I don’t understand how any girl would stay with him for long. How long did this relationship last?”

“I think like five months,” Hana calculated. “That’s his third girlfriend.”

“Third…” Ruka sighed. “God damn it. I feel like he’s gonna get worse when he gets to high school.”

“I definitely can see it. I just act natural and play nice around him.”

“I can’t really do that.” Ruka shrugged as she explained, “I don’t really like boys that blow through girls like that. Three girlfriends in a year sounds suspiciously high to me, and that’s just the girls we know of.” She then corrected herself with, “Actually, screw the boys part and the girls part. I can’t stand people who blow through relationships like that in general, boys or girls. I just can’t. That shit rubs me the wrong way.”

Hana looked up to the sky and told Ruka, “You know, it’s rumored around school he isn’t a virgin.”

“I would not be surprised one bit if he’s screwed at least one girl, if not multiple. That guy thinks with his dick more than he does with his actual brain.”

Hana theorized to Ruka, “I know we’re a bit young to do that sort of thing, but the odds that at least someone in this school has had sex are good… Hell, the odds someone who’s a second year like us has had sex aren’t zero, although I’d wager it’s more likely a third-year has already had it.”

Ruka nodded. “Yeah, I guess. It feels a bit weird to think about that shit, though.”

Hana then asked her, “Have you?”

Ruka, surprised she asked such a question, stammered out, “N- No…. I haven’t, uh…”

“There’s no shame if you’ve had sex with someone, Kishio-san.”

“I know,” she affirmed, somewhat annoyed by the question. “Have you?”

“No,” Hana said as she shook her head. “I’ve never found anyone to do that with, and besides, I’m too busy to have a boyfriend. Maybe one day, when I’m older.”

“I’m the same,” Ruka nodded, making sure to agree with Hana both verbally and physically. “I haven’t had it, and I haven’t found anyone I would do it with anyway.”

“Being a magical huntress doesn’t conduct itself well to having time to date boys, I guess.”

“Perhaps it doesn’t.” As the two of them got up from the bench they had been sitting at, Ruka told Hana, “I gotta head back to class.”

“Me too,” Hana replied. “I’ll give you more details about that meeting we talked about earlier soon.” As Ruka walked away, she began thinking about the question Hana had asked her about her virginity. She had told her no, but she hung onto the question in her head. Hana, meanwhile, wondered why Ruka had answered in the way she did as she walked away.

…

September 23, 2023

Hana and Yoshiro were meeting with the man the former had talked about the day before with the latter and Ruka in a well-furnished living room at a penthouse apartment, sitting at a mahogany table. The man they were meeting with, who appeared to be in his early forties and had a fully-shaved head, poured himself a glass of wine and told the two of them, “Welcome to my home.”

“It’s a pleasure to be here,” Hana replied to him. “You certainly have a nice apartment, Kawase-san.”

“Thank you,” replied Hideo Kawase, the aforementioned man before he took a sip of wine. He then looked over and saw two other girls standing in the kitchen. “Come on over here, ladies.”

“Yes, Hideo-sama,” replied one of the young women as they both walked over. Hana and Yoshiro noticed that both of them seemed to have rather empty expressions and were visibly tired.

Hana asked Hideo, “You have them call you Hideo-sama?”

Hideo replied to her with a suspicious expression, “Is that a problem?”

Hana assured him, “No, it’s not. I was just curious.”

“So,” Hideo then said, getting down to business. “Let’s talk about what we came here to do.”

“Indeed. Let’s do it.”

Yoshiro thought to himself as he looked at the two girls, both of whom now stood next to Hideo’s spot at the table, “These girls look young. Not quite our age, but maybe… Maybe later high school? Does this man have a thing for younger women? What kind of shit is this?” He seemed somewhat uncomfortable with the prospect in his head.

Meanwhile, Hana said to Hideo, “We are asking for better swords, both European and Japanese, as well as new guns, more ammunition, and more crossbow bolts. We’ve had some instances where the weapons we currently have didn’t do the job as well as they should have, and the newest member of our team lost her sword in a battle recently.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Hideo nodded. “The magical huntresses I’ve talked to and acquainted myself with in the past hated it when that happened.”

Hana asked him, “Can you make this happen for the Fox Knights?”

“I can very well make that happen, but it’ll cost you. I’ll have to talk to some of my suppliers to get a price first, but it’ll set you back a lot, especially if you’re requesting firearms.” Curious about the crossbow bolts, he asked her, “Who the Hell on your team uses a crossbow?”

“We have a girl who’s a year older than me who uses one,” Hana clarified. “She won’t upgrade her crossbow, though. She’s very attached to the one she has, but we can get her better bolts.”

“What for?”

“Well, she’s used the same one ever since she got recruited. I can see where she’s coming from, even if I don’t fully agree with it.”

Hideo then turned to the two girls next to him and told them, “One of you needs to go to my office and find that large red briefcase in there. Bring it out here to show our guests.”

“Yes, Hideo-sama,” replied one of the girls before she left to grab the item he needed from another room in the apartment.

Yoshiro asked Hideo, “How do you know those girls?”

“They help out around the apartment,” Hideo explained, clearly attempting to hide something from him. “They also help me with my particular line of work.”

“How old are they?”

Hana looked at Yoshiro with a concerned expression before Hideo replied, “Old enough to do what I need them to do. Don’t worry too much about it, kid.”

The one girl then returned with the briefcase and set it down on the table before opening it up, revealing a handgun and a bloodied plastic bag inside. Hideo pulled out the handgun and placed it on the table before then pulling out the bag, revealing by showing it to the duo that inside was a man’s hand. “You know, that gun took care of the man whose hand I’m holding. He was a real fucking piece of work, but he isn’t anymore.”

Yoshiro was disturbed and looked away, but Hana remained firm and undeterred. “How did you decide to cut off his hand?”

“Before I took care of him, one of my associates asked the man which hand he jerked off with. He said he used both, so I asked him which hand he used the most.”

“So his left hand?”

“Correct. You’re pretty smart for a girl of your age, you know.”

Yoshiro then got up from the table and took a deep breath, asking Hideo and Hana, “Is it okay if I step out and go to the bathroom real quick?”

“That’s fine,” Hideo assured him. “It’s right next to my office.”

“Thank you.”

As Yoshiro left to go to the bathroom, Hana told Hideo, “Don’t worry too much about him. He means well. He’s just a bit overwhelmed by all of this.”

“I can tell,” Hideo nodded. “He isn’t used to what outsiders would call the seedier side of hunting magical beasts.”

In the bathroom, Yoshiro wiped his face off with water to calm himself down. Indeed, as Hideo and Hana had theorized, he was overwhelmed by the meeting. “Fucking Hell,” he said to himself before taking a deep breath. “What am I getting myself into?” He then turned to the door leading back out to the main room of the apartment. “Hana-senpai… What did you get yourself into? Why did you go this route?”