33 - Days of Our Verdant Youth (3)

In the days following Kaya's unexpected visit (and admittedly bizarre proposal) my daily school routine remains more or less the same as always.

… Except for two notable differences.

Number One: Saya stops challenging me to a fight every day. Which means no more getting beat up. (Which is good.)

And Number Two: I start talking to Kaya a lot more.

After all, we need to discuss how we're going to, ahem—carry out her plan.

… Yes, that's right.

The ASSS accepted her proposal, and we're going through with it later this afternoon, after school's out.

In fact, we're discussing it right now, as we work together to put away the gym equipment after P.E. class. We volunteered together, so we can have an excuse to talk privately.

"—so don't worry any more about Onee-chan beating you up, okay Odd-kun? I made sure it won't happen again."

"(If all it took was you talking to her, why didn't you just do that earlier? …)"

"Hmm? Did you say something, Odd-kun?"

"N-No, nothing. Come on, let's get these back to the storage room," I say, pushing one end of the cart carrying the folded-up mats, Kaya pulling in front.

"I hope our plan works," says Kaya. "O-Onee-chan … she'll come rescue me, right? … Not that I deserve it …"

"Hey, don't say that," I say, trying to reassure her. (Man, Kaya has some serious self-esteem issues.) "It's a good plan, Kaya. It'll work."

"Y-you think so?"

"Of course!"

We push the cart into the storage room.

Kaya sits down on a stack of old gym mats, taking a load off.

I lean against the wall next to a rack of various balls.

"Is it tough," I ask, "being in the student council?"

She looks at her knees. "Nah. … Well, I mean, sometimes."

"Your sister runs you pretty ragged, it seems."

"… I dunno. Sometimes. I guess." She falls backward onto the mat with a THWACK, her body bouncing slightly.

Then we stay there for a bit, not saying anything else.

After a long time, Kaya sits back up. "We should probably get going to our next class, huh?"

"… Yeah."

We walk to the door, and I turn the handle, only to find—

"Eh?"

—that it won't budge.

I try it again. And again.

I pull, I push. I twist.

I slam my body into the door, nearly dislocating my shoulder.

Nothing.

"… So," I say, turning slowly to face Kaya. "You're not going to believe this, but …"

*

After ten minutes of banging on the door, the two of us yelling for help until our throats are sore, we fall to the floor, exhausted.

"Well—somebody's bound to come by before the end of school … Right?" I say.

But Kaya doesn't look very hopeful. "I'm sorry, Odd-kun. I always screw up like this. I-I'm lower than a water flea … Than a tardigrade …"

"Hey, stop that. It's not your fault. … I'm sure somebody will come by."

Another ten minutes go by.

Then another.

An hour.

"I can't believe this storage room is the one place in the entire school where we can't get a freakin' signal," I say, checking my phone for the nth time.

"Right!? And what kind of gym storage room locks exclusively from the outside!?"

Another hour goes by.

We've missed two classes now.

… We're getting kinda tired.

We end up spreading out a gym mat on the floor.

The two of us lie down, side by side, and stare at the ceiling while we wait.

… We don't really say anything. It's kinda awkward—especially since I don't think I've ever been this close to a girl before. At least, not like this. Lying down, so close that I can feel her warmth next to me. (Do elves just run hotter than humans or something?)

My arm accidentally brushes against hers.

I pull back. "S-sorry."

She shakes her head. "It's okay."

A long silence.

The sound of her light breathing, next to me.

Dust motes dancing in the sun beam above me.

Afternoon light slowly fading. Warm, soft. Orange.

Kaya suddenly sighs, heavily.

I turn to look at her. Her eyes are closed, hands clasped on her stomach.

"… It's a stupid plan, isn't it? Me being held hostage by ASSS."

"N-no, of course not," I say. "I think it's a really great plan! … Just, um—maybe walk me through your train of thought again? One more time?"

"Well—okay. Sure, yeah. I mean, it's no secret that Saya's been kind of a menace on campus. Going around, consolidating all these clubs under the student council. And the trouble she's caused for you guys, too … If I can just get her to see how unreasonable she's being … How far she's taken things … I've tried talking to her, but she just won't listen to me. So that's why—if I can make her see what extreme measures her actions have pushed the last remaining club at Parallax Academy to take: kidnapping the student council vice-president … holding me hostage … Maybe—just maybe—she'll snap out of it."

I take it all in. "… You love your sister, don't you, Kaya?"

She opens her eyes, turns to face me. "Yes! Very much so!"

I can feel her breath on my face.

It hits us both, at the same time, just how close our faces are right now.

Both of us flush red, turn our heads back to the ceiling.

As if to dispel the sudden awkwardness, Kaya searches for something to talk about. "Odd-kun … You and the other members of ASSS … Are you guys studying properly for the exit exams?"

I blink, caught off-guard by the question. "Yes. Yes, of course. It's the most important part of our school lives. We can't graduate without it."

Kaya sighs, somewhat wearily. "As I thought … Even a club like ASSS takes it seriously."

"(What do you mean, 'even'?)"

"My sister, you see … She's never been good at studying. I keep telling her she needs to take the exit exams. But she just puts it off. I think that's why she pours all her energy into all these different clubs. The thing about my sister is, as much as she loves winning—she absolutely can't stand losing. If there's a non-zero chance of her losing at something—well, then she just won't play."

Another long silence.

Kaya playfully slaps my arm. "… But Odd-kun, I'm surprised the ASSS is prepping for the exams. Aren't you guys supposed to be 'Slackers'?"

I chuckle, a bit embarrassed. "That's just a name. I mean—the point of ASSS is to enjoy our time at school, while we still can. And sometimes, that means studying for the exit exams together. Working hard can be fun sometimes, too."

"… Yeah," she says. "Yeah."

We don't really talk all that much, after that.

I watch the orange patch of light from the window slowly creep up the far wall, growing dimmer as the sun sets.

At some point, I hear faint, rhythmic snoring next to me.

… She's asleep.

I watch her for a bit. The slow rise and fall of her chest. Her ear twitches.

I don't know much about Kaya and Saya's life, before the Academy. The two of them are transfer students, who joined us halfway through the school year.

All I know is that the nation they came from, was—or is, I guess—at war with giant monstrosities called Terrors. And there's a rumor going around that they were both somehow involved with the military efforts. (Though to what extent, nobody really knows …)

Seems like both sisters have had a pretty rough life.

I turn my head back to the ceiling again.

… And close my eyes.

… And drift … off …

*

Click.

At the sound, my eyes shoot open.

I hear the door sliding open, and I sit up.

… It doesn't look like I've been out too long, as I can still see the slightest hint of purple and orange outside the window. The last of the day's light.

Actually, the more pressing issue right now is, the two people standing in the open doorway of the storage room.

Alex and Himacchi, of course.

We stare at each other for a while.

Beside me, I hear Kaya stir.

"… Nn? Odd-kun? What's happening?" she asks, drowsily, rubbing her eyes.

Alex: "…"

Himacchi: "…"

Kaya: "…"

Me: "… Hey, guys."

Alex and Himacchi just glare at me.

Me: "How'd you know we were in here?"

Himacchi, coldly: "We didn't."

Alex, in monotone: "You were late for club activities, so we thought we'd play basketball or something instead."

"… Oh."

After a few short eternities, Alex storms off, muttering: "Yeah, really—really happy for you two. Seriously. Congratulations."

Himacchi just walks away, not saying anything.

It takes me a while to convince them it was all a big misunderstanding.

*

The day finally comes, to execute Kaya's plan.

We've got Kaya all tied up, bound and gagged, in the ASSS club room. (We still don't know why Himacchi carries all that stuff with her—we're too afraid to ask.)

Alex has left a slightly menacing note in the student council room for Saya to find, calling for her to come for her sister in our club room.

(Himacchi: "Shouldn't we like, make demands or something?"

Alex: "What do we even ask for?"

H, without a beat, panting heavily: "Shorter skirts for the girl uniforms."

A: "That includes you, though."

H, tilting her head: "Your point being?"

Me: "You okay, Kaya? It's not too tight?"

Kaya, shaking her head: "Mm-mm.")

Now all we have to do is wait.

And so we wait.

After a while, we hear footsteps coming toward us. Not rushed, or panicked, as Kaya had probably hoped—but calm, steady, deliberate, as she strides down the hallway.

As expected of president Saya.

Our club room door slides open, with a sharp CRACK! as it hits the frame.

Saya scans the room, nostrils flared, arms crossed.

Her eyes linger on her younger sister, tied up in the chair in the middle of the room.

Then she turns her gaze to me—and just like that, everything we rehearsed is gone from my mind. … Man, she's intimidating.

We stay like that for a long time.

Eventually, Alex elbows me in the ribs. "(Psst. Dude. Come on. Get it together.)"

"(Oh, r-right …)" I clear my throat. "S-Saya! H-how good of you to join us!" I put my hands on my hips, to try and look imposing. "It's exactly as it looks. The After School Slackers Society has kidnapped—"

Saya cuts me off. "You, be quiet." She turns to Kaya. "… What is the meaning of this?"

Kaya squirms in her chair, unable to speak, her mouth taped shut.

Saya marches across the room to where Kaya is, and, with one swift motion, rips the tape off her mouth.

"Ow!" yelps Kaya.

"Hey, come on," I object, "That's a bit too—"

"SHUT. UP. I'm not talking to you. I'm having a discussion with my sister right now. … So, Kaya? What is this? I find you late for student council, and this is what you're doing instead? Goofing around with these lowlifes?"

(Alex: "'Lowlifes', she says …"

Himacchi: "Don't forget, 'degenerates'!"

Alex: "That's really just you …")

"It's n-not like that, Onee-chan," protests Kaya, "… I just wanted … I just wanted you to see … how far you've pushed things … taking over all the clubs like that. … Y-you're abusing your powers as the student council president!"

Saya scoffs. "I won all those clubs fair and square."

Kaya breaks out of her ropes, stands up. "That's not the point! You're just ignoring the exit exams! Putting it off, and focusing on these distractions instead! Everyone's doing their best to study—even the ASSS! We can't graduate without doing the exit exams. Don't you want to graduate?"

Saya doesn't say anything, just scowls.

"I know you're scared of failing," says Kaya. "B-but it's okay. I'll be there to help you."

Saya rolls her eyes. "Oh, so that's it? You think I'm scared? Well, I'm so glad to hear you've got me all figured out. I didn't know I had a little sister who can read my mind."

(I can't explain why, but I get a slight headache when Saya says that last part. … I do my best to ignore it.)

Saya turns her back on her sister, and heads for the door. "Come on, Kaya. Stop already with this foolishness. You're too good for these idiots. … Well—it's not like the ASSS will last much longer, anyway." She curls her lip. "… Not if I can help it."

"Onee-chan, if you're going to be like that," says Kaya, "… Then …"

She balls her fists.

"… Then I'll—…"

She takes a deep breath.

"—… THEN I QUIT THE STUDENT COUNCIL!"

Saya freezes.

She stands in the doorway, motionless.

Nobody speaks. Nobody moves.

Alex and I exchange uneasy looks.

It's so quiet I can even hear Himacchi's stink lines radiating from her body.

Then after a long time, without so much as a glance back, Saya mutters, coldly:

"… Do whatever you want."

And then she leaves the club room.