Road to Excursion

“Good morning, Ozaki-san,” Momo called, waving as Kasumi approached the station meeting spot. Kasumi didn’t return the wave. Her scowl could’ve wilted flowers, and her stomps could’ve cracked the concrete as she stormed up to Momo.

“What the hell did you do?” Kasumi demanded, stopping just shy of grabbing Momo’s dress collar.

“What do you mean?” Momo asked, genuinely confused, though not frightened by Kasumi’s anger.

“Don’t play dumb,” Kasumi demanded, grabbing the annoyingly comfortable fabric. The bright, sandy cloth was fashioned in a simple yet pleasant style. The skirt hung past her knees, and the sleeves puffed around her shoulders, fitting as well as any custom-made dress could.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” Momo said, smiling. “You said you didn't have any nice dresses, but I’m glad you went and bought one just for this.”

“I didn't buy this,” Kasumi said, throwing down the skirt that elegantly fluttered in the breeze. “When I went home, I ran into my neighbor cleaning out her closet. She’d found this dress, which she didn't remember buying, and thought it’d fit me perfectly despite us only meeting once. You expect me to believe that’s a coincidence?”

“Sounds more like a blessing,” Momo said with a genuine smile.

“Sounds like you set it up,” Kasumi accused. “We even match,” she added, pointing to Momo’s dress.

“You think so?” Momo asked, looking down at her simple navy blue dress. Though not the cleanest match, the similar styles did make it look as though the pair had coordinated their outfits. “I guess you could say that. If the wind blows just right, it might look like waves crashing on the shore or something.”

“Don’t blow me off. Tell me what you did,” Kasumi demanded.

“I didn’t do anything,” Momo insisted, placing heavy emphasis on the I.

“Well then, who did?”

“Instead of telling you who, why don’t I just introduce you?” Momo suggested, taking Kasumi’s hand. “Come on.” Kasumi ripped her hand from Momo’s, opting to walk a few steps behind her as they left the station. The pair walked through the streets, weaving through the Sunday crowds as Momo led them. The crowds thinned as they turned off the main road, but Kasumi never relaxed. She kept eyeing every corner, making mental notes of every street sign and turn, ensuring she could find her way back at a moment’s notice. At one intersection, Momo suddenly stopped, stepping back behind the corner and holding an arm out to stop Kasumi.

“What’s going on?!” She wanted to scream, but she stopped herself as Momo held a single finger to her lips.

“Shhh, he’ll see you,” she warned before peering around the corner. Kasumi did the same and carefully glanced down the street. It was empty, no cars and not even a stray cat in sight. The only figure was a boy about their age walking toward them.

“Is he the one who set up the dress?” Kasumi wondered, trying to get a better look at him. His clothes were formal, a dress shirt and tie that almost resembled a school uniform, save for the absence of a school emblem. His pace was brisk, but his mind was clearly elsewhere. His fingers tapped an invisible piano in the air. He took no notice of them as he turned the corner in front of them, heading down the same street. As soon as he turned, Momo looked back at Kasumi and motioned for her to follow. The pair skulked behind him for a moment, and Kasumi noticed the reason for his absent-mindedness. Earbud cords ran from his ears to his pocket, no doubt blasting music as he walked.

Momo wasted no time, striding up to him and yanking the earbuds out with a swift pull.

“HA!” she yelled, making the boy jump.

“Wha—?!” he yelped, leaping half a meter into the air before turning to look behind him. His feet tripped over themselves, and he landed flat on his butt. “Ahh, Momo!” he yelled, identifying the girl standing over him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Teaching you a lesson,” she said, holding up the earbud cord. “How many times do I have to tell you not to walk down the street with earbuds in? How are you supposed to hear a car coming?”

“Nobody drives on this street, so it doesn’t matter,” the boy argued, rising to his feet. “Besides, I’m performing today and need to practice; now give them back.”

“No,” Momo said, pulling the earbuds away and stashing them in her bag. “Knowing you, you’ve already had plenty of practice; any more and you’ll just freak yourself out.”

“Huh?” he asked, his face contorting into the look of a scolded yankii. “You wanna say that again?” Kasumi’s fists clenched; her mind raced for the route back if this boy, whoever he was, grew violent.

“Drop the act,” Momo sighed. “You’re making a poor first impression.”

“Who even is this?” Kasumi demanded, lowering her voice to bluff.

“Allow me to introduce you two,” Momo said, voice as vibrant as ever. “This is my classmate, Ozaki Kasumi,” she added, gesturing to Kasumi.

“Nice to meet you,” the boy said, face and posture returning to normal. It was almost frightening how seamlessly he swapped from delinquent to model student, faster than some people changed masks.

“And this,” Momo said, gesturing to the boy, “is Saitō Ichigo, my twin.”

“Nice to meet you,” Kasumi said, matching the boy’s polite tone.

“Introduce me as the older twin, why don’t you?” Ichigo asked, grinding his fist into his sister’s hair in a light noogie.

“By not even five minutes,” Momo teased, pulling her head from her brother’s fist.

“More than long enough to make me late,” Ichigo replied, turning back down the road. “Which you always do.”

“Don’t act like the mere sight of me doesn’t make your day,” Momo said, stepping off beside her brother. Kasumi followed behind the pair, eyeing their faces in profile. She could definitely tell they were siblings, with the same silky black hair and small noses. She wondered if they shared the same blue eyes, but didn’t dare sneak a glance at his. The idea that this boy had somehow orchestrated her getting this dress was made more unsettling by the fact that it fit so well.

“He’d have to have gotten my big three measurements at the very least, but how?” she wondered, folding her arms across herself as if the cloth didn’t cover her enough. When Momo noticed her confusion, she apologized, explaining that Ichigo had nothing to do with the dress. It was actually the “Big Man Upstairs” who’d arranged it. Just as Kasumi was about to ask who that was, they arrived at their destination.

The building looked new; its architecture was ordinary aside from the massive dome at the top that made it stand out like a pimple in the city skyline. On any other day, Kasumi would’ve walked past it. Clocking the dome as strange but otherwise unremarkable if not for the massive Eastern- and Western-style crosses that came together almost like a torii gate. There was a stone walkway to the door, flanked by a small fenced-off courtyard with a Madonna-and-Child statue in the center.

Neither drew Kasumi’s eyes as much as the woman sweeping near the front door. She wore a long black kimono that covered her from head to toe. Even her hair was hidden by a black hood attached to the kimono, and socks covered her feet, where wooden geta sandals made her appear taller than she was. A thick wooden cross hung from her neck to her sash; on its back was an icon of Theotokos, the Unburnt Bush. She had the air of an adult despite still being a high schooler. Momo and Ichigo made no special note of her, but she struck Kasumi as something from the uncanny valley. Her face and kimono were unmistakably Japanese, but the icon of the woman surrounded by fire and the oversized cross made Kasumi stop, confused. Momo seemed to notice her hesitation and grabbed Kasumi’s hand to pull her along. The touch ripped Kasumi from her trance, and she resumed her pace, freeing her hand from Momo’s grasp.

“Oh, good morning, Ichigo-kun and Momo-chan,” the woman called, waving as the group entered the gates.

“Good morning, Onee-sama,” the pair responded, Momo more enthusiastically than Ichigo.

“And who’s this?” the woman asked, turning her eyes to Kasumi. “My, my, Ichigo-kun, did you bring your girlfriend to hear you perform today?”

“Huh?!” Kasumi and Ichigo said in unison, as the woman covered her mouth to giggle.

“Onee-sama!” Momo called, stepping between Kasumi and the woman with a frown. “This is her first time here, don’t go scaring her with your weird fantasies of my brother getting a girlfriend.”

“Why’d you word it like that?” Ichigo asked, eyes shifting from the woman to his sister. “Aren’t I a victim, too?”

“Oh, please, Ozaki-san is out of your league,” Momo teased, stepping into the courtyard. “If anything, Onee-sama was flattering you.”

“What was that?” Ichigo asked, beginning a game of chase around the courtyard. As the pair circled the statue and simple décor, the woman stepped closer to Kasumi and watched them.

“Sorry if I came on too strong,” she said. “I should’ve at least introduced myself before making jokes. My name is Tachibana, Chinatsu.” She bowed, prompting Kasumi to give her own introduction.

“I’m Ozaki, Kasumi.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Ozaki-chan. Please feel free to call me Chi-chan, or Onee-san like those two, if you’d like.” She pointed the broom at the twins, who had switched places at some point as Momo chased Ichigo. “Have you ever been to a Mass before?”

“Mass?” Kasumi asked, having never heard the word before.

“I guess not. Momo-chan invited you, right?”

“Yes…” Kasumi said, unsure whether it had been an invitation or a threat.

“Well, just do as she does and you’ll be fine.” A bell gonged above them, prompting all four to look up. “Better get inside,” Chi-chan called, placing the broom near the door. “You still need to get changed, don’t you, Ichigo-kun?”

“Ahh, you made me late!” he yelled, breaking off from his sister and racing inside. Momo took a moment to catch her breath, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow as she approached Kasumi at the door.

“Let’s go,” she said, reaching out a hand to Kasumi, which Kasumi rejected, opting to walk in on her own.