Ketsueki extended her right hand as she was about to grab something from one of the plastic containers as both Sachi and Namida used magic to move all the tupperwares farther away. Ketsueki spread her arms and said. “Now that I’ve already given the containers away, neither of you don’t want to share.” Sachi started to place the lids back on her three tupperwares, she said. “As if you didn’t eat some of these while Reiki was in the middle of making them.” Namida’s hands blurred as the last three containers had the lid put on them as she put them in her pocket.
Namida said. “I did think of sharing some with you but decided against it.” She finished off the ice cream mochi while Sachi carefully spit the yatsuhashi revealing red bean paste and some chestnuts inside. Sachi said. “I need to start cutting costs to support those two living off me.” Ketsueki picked up her smartphone from the table, she said. “Have they once even thought about getting a job?” Namida took out a handkerchief from her pocket and used it to wipe her hands clean while Sachi let out a mocking chuckle.
Sachi said. “My mother never once held a job in her life, the so-called head of the family blew his entire inheritance through gambling.” Namida placed the handkerchief into her pocket, gently opened her laptop, and tapped the power button. She said. “How did he start gambling in the first place?” Sachi gently squeezed one of the halves of yatsuhashi as some of the red bean paste and chestnut filling oozed out, she said. “Cards, after that was horse racing. After losing half of it he tried to gain it back through more gambling and ended up broke. I already know the twenty thousand yen I gave him yesterday is already being used for pachinko.”
Ketsueki pressed the button on the side of her phone as the screen turned on, she said. “Isn’t gambling illegal in our country?” Namida was in the middle of typing on her laptop, she said. “Technically, but it doesn’t stop anyone from participating. I’m fairly sure some games that fall under the exception of monetary amusement.” Sachi was in the middle of chewing as she covered her mouth with her free hand and said. “Is pachinko one of them?” Namida thought for a bit, she said. “No, depending on how much you won. You get a ticket or a coupon you can exchange for money.”
She moved her gaze onto Sachi who ate the other half of the yatsuhashi, Namida continued. “The location where you can redeem it is either the back of the building or a walk down the street.” Namida moved her gaze back to the screen of her laptop as she went back to typing while Ketsueki let out a scoff and moved her gaze onto her friends, she said. “That’s all it takes to sidestep the law?” Sachi gulped down a mouthful of food and said. “You’d be surprised by the amount of laws being upheld.”
Ketsueki let out a long sigh as she paused for a moment and said. “... True… If someone rich commits a crime it won’t even hit the news.” Sachi took out a silk handkerchief from her pocket and used it to wipe her hands, she said. “On the other hand, if an average citizen does. It’ll be in every form of media for months.” She placed the silk handkerchief back in her pocket and picked up her phone lying on the table while Ketsueki moved her gaze back to her phone and started tapping on the screen,
She said. “Don’t forget the defamation rule that protects companies and gives them the legal right to sue anyone.” A moment of silence passed by as the room was filled with the sound of a keyboard typing, Namida said. “Either of you two have any plans to move abroad?” Sachi had a pondering look on her face while Ketsueki shook her head sideways. Ketsueki said. “I once had thought about living in another country, but that would require Shiro and Reiki learning a language fluent enough.”
Sachi turned her head to face Ketsueki and said. “Considering what Shiro went through, I think you made the right decision.” Namida stopped typing as she moved her gaze away from the laptop's screen and onto Ketsueki. Namida said. “How’s cottontail?” Ketsueki let out a chuckle and said. “Cottontail? Really? My little sister has a name, I’ll have you know.” Namida let out a laugh, she said. “Can you blame me? She’s as innocent as a bunny.” Sachi tapped on the screen of her phone a couple of times, she said. “I can’t deny that.” Ketsueki let out a chuckle as she placed her phone on the table.
She said. “It’s getting better, she’s going to school and her reaction to empty streets isn’t as bad.” Ketsueki thought. I once accidentally scared her by walking behind her though. Namida went back to typing on her keyboard and said. “What about clubs? You once told us she was in…” Her brows furrowed as she kept typing while Sachi was scrolling down her phone. Sachi said. “Monster research.” Ketsueki nodded as she grabbed her phone from the table and turned it on, she said. “The only one I kept picking despite what year I’m in.”
Sachi rolled her eyes and said. “I think you mean, the easiest way to get extra credits in college.” Namida used her index finger on the touchpad of the laptop, she said. “It’s been years and not a single new monster has been discovered. If they didn’t want students gaining extra credits for copy-pasting what’s on the books, they should’ve removed it.” Ketsueki tapped on the screen of her phone, she said. “For once, I’m with her. They should take that club down… After Shiro graduates from college first.” Sachi tapped on an image of a woman wearing the latest trend in fashion.
She said. “And what happens when a new monster just decides to pop out of nowhere?” Ketsueki let out a laugh and said. “I’m not interested unless it’s a unicorn or a phoenix… Add vampires to the list.” Namida gave her friend a side-eye, she said. “What are you five?” Sachi was scrolling down on her phone, she said. “I am curious to know how a pegasus would fly without using magic.” Ketsueki’s eyes lit up as she turned her head at Sachi. Ketsueki said. “Pegasus is good too.” Namida let out a sigh, she thought. Great, one of the rare conversations where I’m babysitting them…
Ketsueki tapped the side of her phone a couple of times with her index finger, she said. “Speaking of monster biology, I would love to dissect a chimera.” Namida used the shortcut key to open a new tab as she typed the word chimera on the search bar, she thought. … That thing looks ugly. Sachi tapped on a picture of a luxury handbag on her phone, she said. “Chimeras are already a thing, just not the same ones that breathe fire and have a serpent for a tail.”
She placed her phone on the table and continued. “How many hearts would it even have? Would they share a single heart or have three in total?” Namida used the shortcut key to create another tab, she thought. I might as well look up the others… The pegasus looks kinda cute… Ketsueki shook her head sideways, she said. “I’m not interested in man-made chimeras, they’re more likely to have one heart but a separate brain for each head.” Namida created another tab and looked up the word unicorn, she thought. … This is supposed to be a mythical creature? It’s a white horse with an ice cream cone glued to its head…
Sachi nodded and said. “I can see that being the more likely outcome, on a different note. Vampires?” She raised a brow at her friend while Ketsueki spread her arms while keeping her phone in her right hand. Ketsueki said. “What? I wanna see if they turn to ash when exposed to sunlight.” Namida opened another tab and typed the word phoenix, she thought. Immortal flame… Rumors say that its feathers can resurrect the deceased despite how long they’ve been dead… What a load of bullshit… Sachi had a look of understanding on her face while Ketsueki placed her phone on the table.
Sachi said. “Oh, I just thought you had a thing for them.” Ketsueki’s lips curled into a slight smile, she said. “No thanks, I have no interest in a person who's allergic to garlic.” Sachi let out a chuckle and said. “Over something as trivial as that?” Namida typed on her laptop, she thought. … In terms of genetics, depending on how prominent the vampire in their blood is. They could go into anaphylactic shock from homemade garlic oil alone… Ketsueki’s lips curled into a slight smile, she said. “Garlic bread will always be one of my guilty pleasures.”
Sachi gently tapped the table a couple of times, she said. “I completely forgot about garlic bread. In that case, vampires can take a hike.” Namida locked her fingers together as she stretched upwards while sitting on her chair, she said. “Is this where the topic of this conversation ends? Or do I have time to go out and buy some chocolate at the store?” Sachi used her thumb to swipe up as the picture of the handbag on her phone minimized as she went back to scrolling. She said. “We’re done, don’t worry about your pretty little head.”
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Ketsueki placed her hand on top of her phone that was resting on the table, she said. “What were we talking about before all of this?” Namida quickly closed the newly created tabs using the shortcut key, she said. “Gambling and how easy it is to sidestep laws.” Ketsueki used her index finger to draw half a circle on the screen of her phone, she said. “Oh yeah… Sachi, is that offer for delivery still on the table?” Namida was typing on her laptop as her gaze was glued to the screen.
She said. “All I want is a few bars of dark chocolate.” Ketsueki picked up her phone from the table and said. “Get me strawberry ice cream.” Sachi pressed the button on the bottom of the phone, she thought. … Some banana bread sounds good. Ketsueki remembered something as she turned her head to face Namida who was typing on her laptop. Ketsueki said. “Namida, before I forget. I’ll be borrowing the book you lent me for a bit longer.” Namida didn’t even move her gaze off the screen, she said. “Why? You haven’t started it?”
Ketsueki moved her gaze onto the screen of her phone and said. “I have a few chapters left but Reiki told me he wanted to read it.” Sachi was in the middle of ordering food on her phone, she said. “Isn’t the rating for ARK sixteen and above due to the graphic depictions?” Ketsueki was scrolling down her phone, she said. “It doesn’t depict sex so it gets a pass from me.” Sachi tapped an image of a mannequin that had a stylish scarf wrapped around its neck, she said. “Sex is a no but a man getting decapitated is fine.”
Namida was in the middle of typing, she said. “I’m fine with lending Reiki the book. Tell him to take his time with it.” Sachi and Ketsueki moved their gazes away from their phones and stared at her, Namida stopped typing as she noticed her friend giving her odd looks. Namida said. “What?” Ketsueki spoke with a hint of mocking in her tone, she said. “When I asked if I could borrow that book, you told me to return it before the weekend.” Namida nodded at her and said. “You don’t hear me or Sachi complaining about the no feet on the coffee table.”
Sachi’s brows furrowed as she stared at her friend, she said. “The last time you lent me something, I kept hearing about your bitching until I returned it.” Namida gently closed her laptop with her left hand and said. “I will tell my grandmother that you were the one who threw the rock into the koi pond.” Ketsueki turned her head to face Sachi with wide eyes. Ketsueki said. “That was you?! How did a rock end up in the bottom of the koi pond?!” Sachi cleared her throat and said. “She told me her mother took the magazine I lent her.”
Namida leaned on the backrest of her chair while Ketsueki had a judgemental look all over her face. Ketsueki said. “... You threw a rock at the koi pond over a fashion mag?...” Sachi placed her phone on the table and said. “ I did not throw the rock at the koi pond.” She pointed at Namida watching them with a smile on her face, Sachi continued. “I threw it at her, she dodged the rock just… Ended up in the pond.” Ketsueki still had a judgemental expression on her face.
She said. “A rock ended up in a pond over one of the hundreds if not thousands of magazines you’ve held in your hands...” Sachi gently slammed the table a couple of times, she said. “I haven't finished reading that magazine, ok?!” A moment of silence passed by as Namida opened her laptop as the screen automatically turned on, she said. “Sachi, did you already order?” Sachi picked up her phone from the table and said. “I already did, it’ll be here in twenty to thirty minutes.” Ketsueki was scrolling down her phone, she said. “Namida, why are you fine with Reiki taking his time?”
Namida hit enter and used her index finger on the touchpad of the laptop, she said. “I’m hoping he forgets to return it to me so that I can ask him to make me something.” Sachi kept her gaze on her phone, she said. “Your obsession with beer snacks is something I’ll never understand.” Namida gave her friend a side-eye glance and said. “It’s nowhere near as bad as your fixation on fashion.” Sachi felt the sting of her friend's words while Ketsueki stopped scrolling. Ketsueki thought. I need to tell Reiki that Namida wants the book back before the weekend.
________________________________________________________________________________
School Library
Reiki felt a cold breeze coming in from the two broken windows as he tried to create a string of mana with the palms of his hands. When his palms were three inches apart the mana string snapped as he let out a long sigh, he thought. It keeps separating around the three-inch mark… Reiki stood up from his seat and did some simple stretches, he continued his train of thought. I still have to buy those batteries for the flip phone… The door opened revealing a female wearing a white nurse gown.
She saw a kid doing stretches as her gaze had a hint of confusion as she kept stealing glances at the shattered windows, she said. “... The principal told me there are two injured here? One student and one teen?” Reiki pointed at one of the broken windows and said. “Both of them are near the window outside.” The nurse gave him a nod as she made her way to the window carefully making sure not to step over the shards on the ground. She reached one of the broken windows and carefully leaned toward it.
Reiki sat back down and pressed his palms that were faintly glowing light blue together while the nurse saw Kaito lying on the ground with one side of his face covered in dried blood. The nurse snapped her fingers as Kaito’s body was covered in a see-through bubble, she thought. He doesn’t look that injured-. Her gaze wandered onto Kaito’s ruined eye, the sclera was completely red while the veins were completely visible as there was some blood slowly seeping into the iris. She let out an audible gasp while Reiki broke another string of mana between his palms.
The nurse quickly turned her head away as she placed a hand on her heart and started to inhale and exhale rapidly, she thought. S-Stay calm, I studied years for this… She reluctantly turned her head to Kaito’s unconscious body in the bubble as it moved closer to the broken window so that the nurse could get a closer look. She reached out to Kaito’s head and moved some hair to the side that was partially covering the eye while the nurse didn’t notice Reiki watching her. Reiki’s head was turned sideways as she watched the nervous nurse.
He thought. Not used to gore, she’ll either get a new job in two years or gain an iron stomach. My money is on the former. The nurse’s hand phased through the bubble as she moved some of Kaito’s hair to the side and saw the part of the top lid of his eye missing, she thought. Deep breaths and do an analysis so I can pass it to the hospital… She felt her stomach churning from the injury and continued his train of thought. Floating iris, blunt force trauma, blood gathering in the area of the iris, and part of the top eyelid has been ripped off.
The nurse quickly moved her hand away as Kaito’s hair covered his injured eye, she thought. He’ll be lucky if it's even salvageable with surgery. Otherwise, his only option would be a high-grade potion… Reiki quickly turned his head away as both his palms were enveloped in a thin layer of mana, he created a string of mana between his palms while the nurse placed a hand on her stomach as she made her way to the other broken window. Reiki snuck a peek at Kaito who was still floating in the see-through bubble while the nurse created another one with Teiko in it.
The mana string between his palms snapped as he stared at the bubble, Reiki thought. She prevented bacteria from entering the wound from creating a bubble. The nurse inspected Teiko’s injuries as she let out a sigh of relief and thought. Other than a few bruises on his face there’s nothing wrong with him. She spun her index finger in circles a few times as the bubbles repositioned them to lie down in the air as they slowly made their way in the library through the broken windows. Reiki noticed a part of the bubble lightly graze a glass shard while the nurse pinched a bit of the bubble creating a thin string with it.
The nurse glanced at Reiki and thought. The principal told me to pretend that the kid in the library doesn’t exist… She glanced around the room and continued her train of thought. She also told me not to make eye contact with the bird here… She pinched the other bubble creating a thin see-through line of a string made out of a bubble and dragged both of them out of the library while Reiki watched both of them hit each other on her way out. Reiki thought. Buoyant, those two didn’t inside even move from the impact. The nurse pulled on the strings she pulled from the bubbles as they got tugged out of the room.
Reiki stood up from his seat and made his way to one of the broken windows, he stared at one of the shards that made contact with the bubble. Reiki used the tip of his index finger to touch the shard, he thought. It’s cold. He ran the tip of his index finger against the glass revealing a hint of condensation on it, Reiki continued his train of thought. That spell looks useful for moving injured bodies… Until a sniper puts their sights on you.
Reiki made his way to the table as he sat back down on one of the chairs, he said. “Ender, about excalibur.” He leaned on the backrest of the chair while his palms were covered in a thin layer of mana. Reiki pressed his palms against each other as Ender’s voice rang in his head. Ender said. [It’s not a holy sword, just because it was depicted as a sacred object doesn’t make it one. Aren’t you supposed to be a man of science and logic?]
The mana string formed between Reiki’s two palms snapped into two as it slowly dissipated, he thought. I am, anything related to the word fairytale made half of my brain go on autopilot… Should I call it early and go home? A streak of white went past the broken window as an albino crow appeared on the table, Cherry was in the middle of preening some of the feathers on her wing. Reiki reached out and gently rubbed the top of the bird's head and said. “How was your flight around the block?” Cherry flapped her wings as she let out a caw.
Reiki stood up from his seat, he said. “Glad to hear you enjoyed it, let’s go back home girl.”