June noticed something else, and shifted to look behind Ciel. “And what’s the deal with the kitchen!? What, did a hurricane come through here? And-!” Her eyes wandered to the living room, where they landed upon a record player. On the ground next to it, split in half, lay one of her favorite records. She rushed over. Each piece was scratched up beyond belief. “What- what did you do to my record!?” She glared at Ciel.

“W-w-well, I just um, I wanted to listen to some music! But it uh, broke...”

“How does it just snap in half? And seriously, what was with that weirdass magic trick earlier!? And also what did you do the kitchen!?!?”

“Ok, I can explain...”

June calmed down, and the two sat across from each other at the table. The table in June’s kitchen was always covered in junk and was way too small, so they sat on the floor at the coffee table. The food June brought home sat in the middle of the table, untouched.

“So um... I’m like, a god, I guess?” Ciel scratched the side of his face, refusing to meet June’s gaze. “My dad’s the Sun god, and my mom’s the Storm god. And basicallyyyy... I turned 170 recently, so I decided to have a party for myself you know? Everyone was off doing official business and I was bored to death, so I thought you know... it would be fun to break into my parents’ ambrosia liquor supply?

“After that, it’s a bit of a blur but I might’ve crashed my dad’s chariot into the Great Hall where they were holding their super important meeting... and then threw up in the Empress’s esteemed gardens when on the run from the guards... and then stole the Empress’s fancy towels to wipe up my face... and maybe threw a bunch of cursed artifacts and spirits back down to Earth because I thought it’d be funny...

“So, uh, yeah! Anyway! They banished me to Earth and assigned me a chosen mentor in order to ‘learn The Seven Virtues’ or whatever. And that mentor is you! Haha...”

“...The kitchen?” June asked.

“Oh, I was just trying to make some breakfast!”

“...This?” June set the pieces of the record on the table.

“Haha well I just um... I wanted to listen to music you see, but it wasn’t working, and those things are so flimsy you know, they really ought to be made with more structural integrity! It just snapped in my hands like nothing!”

June’s gaze was hidden, and she sat there expressionless.

“It’s not that huge of a deal right? It’ll be fine! You can just get a new one, right? And the kitchen, it can be cleaned! By... someone!”

June sighed, standing up. “I... have to go to work tomorrow morning. I need some time alone.”

“O-ok!” Ciel stammered as June left for her room.

↼⇁

Ah, mom, if you’re watching from heaven... what the hell do I do!? June pleaded in her mind. Fading daylight, filtered through the window blinds, spilt across her room. It was a bit of a mess. She was curled up in her unmade bed, and last week’s laundry still laid strewn about the carpeted floor.

This was the very last thing she needed in her life; yet another responsibility had fallen into her lap. Or, maybe more like a bundle of responsibilities shambling around in human form. She already had to go to school and to work for food, and now she had to what, teach this guy The Seven Virtues? Was that even possible? She did know quite a bit about them from her mom but, still, it was only a bit. She wasn’t necessarily the “teacher” type either. Why would the gods pick her? Why her of all people? It made no sense!

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Exhausted by the long day, she let her thoughts all fade away and passed out right there, in her jeans.

↼⇁

The next morning was a rush. June didn’t have the time to clean up Ciel’s mess, so she had toast, got dressed in her barista uniform, and left; she didn’t spare Ciel a word nor glance.

Ciel felt... strange. Oddly bad? But really, what had he done wrong? Ciel really didn’t get what the big deal was. They were simple mistakes!

But even though he knew it was fine, he couldn’t shake this off feeling. Perhaps he should do some research? And so, Ciel put on his most inconspicuous outfit (a white t-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes, all of which he had borrowed from June and her dad’s closet), and he set out to stalk– no, to research– June.

It was a beautiful day in the city; early autumn, so the trees looked as though their ends were dipped in sunlight. Soft yellows and oranges mingled with the spring greens, and a easygoing breeze rustled them playfully. A hint of future frosts hung in the air, but it was still rather warm. People from all directions went to and fro, crossing crosswalks and walking sidewalks. Somehow, even the traffic seemed to quiet down when the hanging windchimes jangled.

Ciel kept nervously glancing around, as though June would suddenly appear behind him again and start yelling at him for being a creep or something. But of course, that did not happen. Eventually, he relaxed a bit.

He came up on a small corner coffee shop, and he recognized it as the place June mentioned she worked at: “Corner Coffee and Tea.” A very creative name. He put his back to the wall of the building next to it– some random realtor’s office or something– and he glanced inside of the café. He could make out a distant June, talking with customers in an uncharacteristically cheerful manner. It was a bit unnerving.

A gangly blonde-haired boy with glasses walked up to June, and they struck up easy conversation. This must be that “Jack” guy June had mentioned before. Maybe if he asked him about June, he’d know what to do...

He waited for Jack to exit the shop, and then ambushed him then!

“Hey! Coconut-head! You’re Jack, right?”

Jack was startled, nearly spilling his steaming hot black coffee all over himself. “Coconut-head??? What? What is it? Wait... Are you that rich kid June found on the street? She mentioned you had white hair.”

“Yeah! That’s me!”

“What are you doing outside this shop? Wait, are you following her? Are you some kind of creep? Hang on.” Jack was already pulling out his phone, starting to dial 911.

“N-No no, no cops please! I just need some uh... help.” Ciel struggled with that last word.

Jack looked at him in a way which was decidedly not very friendly. “Ok... what is it?”

“She’s being really weird, she ignored me all morning! It’s honestly annoying, and I don’t know how to make her stop ignoring me!”

Jack felt taken aback by Ciel’s complete lack of awareness. “Are you kidding me? It’s your own fault she’s mad at you. Aren’t you the one she just told me who completely messed up her kitchen and broke her record?

“I don’t know what it’s like where you lived, maybe making a mess isn’t a big deal because you have maids to clean it up, and maybe breaking something isn’t a big deal because you’ve got rich parents to buy you 30 more, but it’s not that easy for people! June already has to work and pay for her own food on top of school, she certainly doesn’t need some random guy to babysit!” Jack took a moment to breathe. “So, respectfully, I honestly think you should just go back to your parents.” With that, Jack turned around and left.

Ciel didn’t really know what to make of all this. Maids? Babysit? Go back? He wish he could. But... he supposed it was his fault. It was hard to imagine a life like June’s, one where you couldn’t just get what you wanted like that; he couldn’t understand how it felt to be so attached to physical objects like June was. He couldn’t go back, but maybe he should just...

Sighing, Ciel knew what he had to do. He probably knew this whole time, but he didn’t want to admit it because well... he quite honestly didn’t want to leave. He liked June’s presence. He sighed and turned back to the apartment building.