The last bite of salmon melted in my mouth with a flavor that was salty and sweet at the same time. I closed the bentō box carefully, running my fingers over the varnished wood still warm.
Misaki stood up first. Her apple was now just a tiny core between her fingers.
—I'm sorry I can't stay with you —she said, lowering her gaze—. But I have to go. The swimming club is waiting for me.
—Don't worry —I replied, putting the bentō in my backpack—. It's better to eat with company. Right, Daisy?
Daisy nodded enthusiastically, her pink locks bouncing.
—Of course. If you'd like, join us anytime.
I smiled.
Misaki looked up. Her golden eyes blinked, as if the idea caught her by surprise.
—…Would that be alright?
Daisy and I looked at each other. A silent current of complicity passed between us.
—Yeah, right? —I said.
—Of course —Daisy answered.
I rested my interlaced hands on the table with a smirk. —It's always a pleasure to have a good view while eating~
Misaki froze.
—Ehhh… Did you really just say that, Sienna?
—It's not a lie, is it?
—Hahaha… —A soft, crystalline laugh escaped her lips—. I see. Then I'll join you more often.
She smiled.
But for some reason, her eyes shone brighter than her smile. As if behind that calm there was an ocean of emotions she didn't know or didn't want to express.
(Misaki… what are you hiding behind that look?)
We left the cafeteria. The hallway was quieter now, with most of the students still finishing lunch. Our footsteps echoed on the marble: tap… tap… tap-tap (mine limping slightly).
—Sienna —Daisy said, matching her pace to mine—, do you think you can do PE today?
—If there's a sport where I don't have to walk… maybe~
—I highly doubt that's PE…
—Hehe. I know a few that aren't.
"Daisy looked at me confused with obvious innocence".
—Uh… Do they really exist?
—Who knows~
Suddenly, I stopped. Something had just hit my brain like lightning.
—Daisy!
I turned her around and grabbed her by the shoulders.
—Ehhh!? W-what do you need to know so badly?
—If there's PE… there are also locker rooms!
—Well… of course there are. It's logical.
—So there's one for students and one for the teacher, right?
Daisy tilted her head, confused.
—Uh… no. There's one for the female students, one for the boys, and one for the female teachers.
—Perfect!!!
(Now I can complete that stupidity and not worry about the other six days!)
—Sienna…
Daisy was looking at me with wide eyes. Around us, a few girls had stopped to watch.
—C… calm down. And let's keep walking, okay?
I blinked. I looked around. Five, six girls were watching us with expressions ranging from curiosity to bewilderment.
—Ah… right. Sorry, Daisy. I got excited.
She shook her head, but an amused smile was forming on her lips.
—Don't worry, Sienna. You're always like this. Let's go.
(Bless you, Daisy. The only person in this world who accepts my weirdness without judging me.)
We entered classroom 2-B. The room was emptier than I expected; most hadn't come back from lunch yet. Daisy helped me sit down and was about to go to her own desk when a voice stopped us.
—Hey, princesses. Can you help me with something?
We both turned.
Leaning against the wall, arms crossed and a posture that defied any dress code, was a girl with straight reddish hair. Her jacket hung sloppily on her shoulders and her skirt was crooked, as if she'd put it on in the dark.……
I looked to the sides. Daisy did too.
There was no one else nearby.
—Damn… —The girl rolled her eyes—. I'm talking to you two.
—Oh… —I said, putting on an innocent expression—. What do you need from us?
—I need you to help me with something.
Daisy and I looked at each other. A spark of understanding crossed between us. Without a word, Daisy sat at the nearest desk, rummaged through her bag and pulled out a little white felt mustache that she placed under her nose with all the solemnity in the world.
—Do you need the help of our arcane knowledge? —she asked, joining her hands like a priestess.
I played along. I sat across from her, put my hands on the table and adopted a grave, mysterious tone.
—Do you need to know the forbidden secrets of this world?
Sigh.
The red-haired girl looked at us with a mix of exasperation and amusement.
—You two are dumbasses…
Paf!
Daisy and I high-fived in unison.
—And proud of it! —we exclaimed in chorus.
A short laugh escaped the girl's lips. She shook her head, but her eyes weren't as hard anymore.
—Anyway… I was wondering if you could help me with what was discussed this morning.
—This morning? —I asked, frowning.
Daisy gave me a soft elbow.
—Sienna, I think she's talking about video games.
—Oh… I don't know, I don't think I have consoles.
—What are you talking about? We play a lot at your house.
(Damn! I could've destressed playing and didn't! How many hours did I waste!?)
—Ahhh… Right. I forgot —I said, scratching the back of my neck with a forced smile.
The girl grabbed a chair from the desk next to her, dragged it with a "screeeeeech" and sat in front of us. Her green eyes had an almost feverish intensity.
—Yes. But not "that kind" of video games.
Mmm…
—That kind? —Daisy tilted her head—. Ah, you mean retro games? I have a lot of those, you know? Hehe.
She put her hands together near her chest, excited.
(Wow, Daisy looks so happy when she talks about her games.)
The red-haired girl blushed. The red crept up from her neck to her ears.
—No… not that kind —she murmured—. I mean those… where… you know… you can… touch…
She lowered her head. Her fingers fidgeted with the edge of her crooked skirt.
I watched her in silence for a moment. Her hunched posture, the blush, the poorly disguised desperation in her eyes…
(This girl is desperate.)
—Looks like you're after the Holy Grail, huh?
She nodded without lifting her head.
—Holy Grail? —Daisy looked at us alternately—. What's that, Sienna?
—A secret category.
—Secret!? Why didn't you tell me!?
I looked at her.
Then I turned my gaze forward.
—Don't ignore me… —Daisy shook my shoulder—. Hey!
—Anyway, my dear…
Daisy leaned in and whispered in my ear:
—Arisha…
—Right. My dear Arisha.
The girl —Arisha— looked at me with a furrowed brow.
—Did you seriously not know my na—?
—Leaving that aside —I interrupted with a smile—, I can help you with your request. But…
—But? —Arisha leaned forward, her eyes shining with intensity—. How much does it cost? Tell me the price!
She grabbed me by the shirt and pulled me toward her. Her face ended up just a few centimeters from mine.
—Hehehe… Calm down, Arisha.
Around us, the few girls who hadn't gone out for lunch were watching us with shameless curiosity.
—Okay, listen —I said, lowering my voice—. I can help you, but in exchange you'll owe me five favors.
—Five favors? —Arisha loosened her grip—. Why not, like, five thousand…?
Daisy and I stared at her.
—What would we even want more for? —Daisy asked, genuinely confused.
—Ah, right. My bad… —Arisha scratched her cheek, embarrassed—. What kind of favors?
—I don't know. I'd have to think about it.
—It won't be anything illegal, right? —Her eyes narrowed with distrust.
Heh… hehe…
Daisy and I let out a little laugh.
—Do you think we're capable of that? —I asked.
Arisha looked at Daisy.
—At least not from Daisy…
—Hey! How dare you doubt me? —I protested—. Look at her! She's a saint!
And without warning, I pinched her cheeks.
Her cheeks compressed under my fingers.
—S-Sienna… —she murmured with a distorted voice—. Calm down…
Whisper whisper. Some girls weren't even pretending to watch us anymore.
—Ah, right, I forgot… —I let go of Daisy and she adjusted her little white mustache.
—Anyway, Arisha, remember to come with me after class and we'll talk about it.
—Don't worry. I'll be there.
Paf!
Our hands met in a firm handshake.
—And… what will all that be? —Daisy asked, tilting her head.
—I'll tell you later, okay?
—Yaaay!
(Alright. One problem solved. Now only… all the others are left.)
The clock struck 14:30. The bell rang with its synthetic melody: ding-dong, ding-dong. Time for PE.
We gathered in the gym on the first floor, a huge room with a shiny parquet floor and large windows overlooking the track field. The smell of old sweat and disinfectant floated in the air.
But the teacher wasn't there.
—The teacher still hasn't arrived… —a voice murmured up front.
And then, like a vulture claiming carrion, Madeline stepped forward.
—So… I'll take command!
(Damn. Snot-hair and her entourage took authority.)
Hilda and Ellie flanked Madeline like two silent bodyguards. The scar on Hilda's jaw gleamed under the gym lights. Ellie adjusted her round glasses with a smile that boded nothing good.
—We'll do warm-up exercises —Madeline announced, with her class president voice—. So everyone, let's go to the showers.
A girl with short hair and freckles raised her hand. (That's Liz, the one who asked in history class.)
—Why the showers? Shouldn't we go to the locker room?
Madeline smiled. A rehearsed smile.
—According to the teacher, they're doing an inspection and no one is allowed in. So we'll go to the showers and then to the pool.
(Interesting… An inspection right now? Or is it a lie from Madeline to keep us under control?)
…Still, showers? Ah, right. We're all girls. No problem.
—Alright, Sienna —Daisy said, taking my arm—, let's go.
(It feels so good to have friends. If they were my old friends, they'd make fun of me as much as possible before helping me.)
We walked toward the showers on the first floor. The hallway smelled of chlorine and steam. The sound of running water reached us muffled through the white tiled walls.
The showers were a wide room with aquamarine tiles. Steam floated in the air like morning fog. Water fell in cascades from the ceiling sprinklers, creating a hypnotic rhythm: shhhh… shhhh… shhhh…
—Since I'm here… —I murmured, sitting on one of the wooden benches by the entrance—. I'll do recon.
—Recon? —Daisy looked at me strangely.
—Uh, Daisy… Now that I think about it, what's the age rating for dating sims? Those the teacher mentioned.
—Those games… —Daisy put a finger to her chin—. I think they were 36 years old.
—36 years old?!
(Damn! Now I understand Arisha's desperation. Waiting until 36 without being able to touch a romance game… That's state cruelty.)
—And… drinking beer?
—Beer? At 15, right?
(What kind of society is this? You can drink alcohol at 15 but you can't play a dating sim until you're 36. This world's priorities are completely backwards.)
—Well —I said, standing up carefully so as not to put weight on my ankle wrong—, I'll go do my recon~
—Good luck, Sienna —Daisy said goodbye, already wrapped in a towel.
I walked toward the back of the showers. The steam thickened with each step. The sound of water became enveloping: shhhh-shhhh-shhhh.
And then I saw her.
Water falling.
A red-haired girl —not Arisha, another with shorter hair— passed in front of me. Water ran down her shoulders, her collarbones, the mountains rising firm and bare under the warm cascade. Steam wrapped around her like a translucent veil. Her hips swayed with each step, like a salmon swimming upstream.
84-72-68.
My eyes focused automatically. (Damn instinct. Not even in another life does it go away.)
But then, at the back, against the tiled wall, I saw her.
A girl at least 1.72m tall. Water ran through her milk-white hair, forming streams over her toned back. Her hands slid over her scalp with slow, hypnotic movements. Steam danced around her like an aura.
My mouth fell open.
—Hey, Sienna… Why are you drooling?
Srp!
I wiped the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand.
—I'm in paradi—
—It's time for you to leave.
The voice hit me like a bucket of cold water.
Madeline was in front of me. Her emerald green hair dripped water, stuck to her sharp face. Her yellowish eyes bored into me. She wore a white towel around her body, but her posture was that of a queen looking at an intruder.
—Huh? —Daisy came closer, wrapping herself in her own towel—. Leave? What are you talking about, Madeline? Why would Sienna have to leave?
—For two reasons —Madeline replied, holding up two fingers—. For starters, she won't be able to do anything with her foot like that. And second… she has a strange look.
(Do I really look like that? Is it that obvious?)
—What strange lo—?
Paf!
Daisy planted herself in front of me, arms open like a human shield.
—And so what? That's just her. Her look might be like a dog seeing its food, but that's a plus. There's nothing strange about it.
(…Did she call me a dog?)
Madeline rolled her eyes.
—Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Just get out of here, Sienna.
—She doesn't have to—Daisy started.
I touched her shoulder.
—Don't worry, Daisy. It's better this way. I don't want trouble with Snot-hair.
Silence.
The water kept running: shhhh-shhhh. But in our corner of the showers, the air turned solid.
Madeline turned slowly. Her eyes were no longer yellowish. They were golden. And they burned.
—What the hell did you say?
Her hand rose toward my shoulder. Her fingers extended like claws.
(My whole life I've been preparing for this moment.)
The instant her fingers brushed my shoulder, my body moved on its own. Not forward. Not backward. To the side, but letting the momentum carry me.
My good foot slipped slightly on the wet tile. My body turned just enough for Madeline's touch to look like a shove.
And I fell.
Paf!
On my back. The impact echoed on the wet tile.
Whisper whisper.
—Look, the president is bullying Sienna again?
—Yeah, she's going too far. Poor thing. I didn't know she hated her that much.
—Poor Sienna…
(It worked.)
I put my hand to my mouth. My eyes welled up —thanks, lacrimal glands, for following orders— and my voice came out trembling, broken.
—I understand she hates me… but there's no need to go that far. Don't I have rights like everyone else? Can't I accompany my friend in class?
Dead silence.
All the girls in the showers were watching us. Some with towels half on. Others naked, water sliding down their bodies as their eyes went from me —on the floor, defenseless— to Madeline —standing, hand still extended—.
Madeline paled.
—No… You're wrong. It's not that…
I put my hand to my mouth, pretending to hold back a sob.
—Don't worry, girls… I'll go. Please, don't worry…
I stood up slowly, leaning on the tiled wall. Every movement was feigned agony. My ankle really hurt, but I exaggerated it just enough.
Limp, limp, limp.
All eyes followed me to the exit. All eyes, and then, like a pendulum, turned back to Madeline.
I closed the door behind me.
Click.
And in the silence of the empty hallway, I whispered to myself:
—You must not block a man's view…
(…Even if I'm not one anymore.)
The hallway was deserted. My steps echoed against the marble: tap… tap… tap… (limping, but steady). I walked close to the wall so as not to put too much weight on my foot.
—Anyway… let's go back to the classroom —I murmured.
But when I reached the end of the hallway, in front of the stairs going up to the second floor, my eyes caught something. Another hallway. Toward the gym.
(According to Daisy, the teachers' locker room was here, right? Opposite direction from the students'…)
I stood still. The hallway stretched before me, darker than the others, with fewer windows.
(Since we're here… I'll go see if I can complete the mission.)
I walked there. My steps were cautious, close to the floor. The air smelled of old wood and that silence that only exists in places no one visits.
The teachers' locker room door was dark wood, smaller than the students'. The gold plaque read: "FACULTY".
(I really don't expect to find an—)
Clap.
I stopped dead.
Clap… Clap… Clap…
Applause. Slow. Measured. As if someone was clapping with absolute calm.
—Who the hell is clappi—
And my eyes widened.
—…ng.
Holy shit.