Kaguya turned down the hallway leading to her room and after a moment sighed, seeing the man standing outside her dorm room. He was her father’s butler, and typically did most of his father’s deliveries as well. The elderly gentleman was nice enough, but she didn’t like the news he brought her ninety percent of the time.

“Hello, Raphael. What does my father send for me this time?” she asked, a little of her exasperation coloring her tone and causing him to smile a little grimly.

“Your father was delivered this today,” he said, handing her an envelope. The school’s stamp on the front of it gave away the fact that it was a challenge letter, and Kaguya’s stomach dropped as Raphael continued with the sentence she dreaded hearing. “He says that you will be having lunch with him at the manor on Saturday as well.”

“I understand, of course,” she murmured, tucking the envelope in her bag. “Thank you for delivering this. I hope my father is still treating you well.”

“Better than most of the drivers, at least. I’m still surprised Leon hasn’t left him given the abuse he has to listen to.”

Kaguya couldn’t help but smile fondly as she thought of Leon. When he first showed up, he had been nice and accommodating with her preteen wish for freedoms. At least, until her father called him to the office after one late trip into the nearby town that brought her home after dinner on a Sunday before she had to be taken back to the middle school’s campus dorm. She could hear him yelling even in her room, though she couldn’t understand the words. Unfortunately, he never took her out without her father’s approval after that.

“I’m sure he has his circumstances,” was all she said to the butler before she excused herself into her room and he left the dorm.

As soon as she was alone, Kaguya sighed more heavily and pulled the envelope out before opening it and reading the contents. Then she grabbed her phone and sent Souma a text.

> Kaguya: We weren’t watching an Ivan Michaelson were we?

> Souma: Nope, Not even on our radar.

“He must be one of Monica’s toys,” she mumbled as she dropped the letter on the desk and glanced at the calendar on her phone where the challenge was already posted for the school to see. She could already hear her father’s words, a full two days before the lunch would even arrive. I know you won’t disappoint me during the challenge, daughter.

She fell onto the bed and curled up facing the wall, her phone gripped in her hand as she considered calling Samantha instead of just texting her. If she could, she’d ask Samantha to meet her but it was a Thursday and the siblings played games every Thursday.

“I’m sure they wouldn’t mind,” Kaguya mumbled, rolling onto her back and staring at the ceiling instead with the phone-gripped hand on her stomach. Emmett was adorable and would probably get upset if Thea tried to push her out, which would make the girl hesitate and then agree with exasperation while Samantha just laughed and pulled her into a hug.

Kaguya would kill for that hug right now. Which was probably a bad thing to think, since she did have to kill in a few days whether she got a hug from Samantha or not.

After a moment longer, Kaguya groaned and then dialed up Samantha.

“Hey there, sexy lady,” Samantha purred low into the phone. Instantly Kaguya felt better, especially when she heard Thea in the background saying, “God, even your phone calls need to be in a private room. Gross!”

“I’m sorry for interrupting your game night.”

“You’re fine. We haven’t decided on a game just yet. Emmett is going through the collection since it’s his turn to pick tonight.” Kaguya smiled and rolled onto her side again. “What’s going on? Not that I don’t appreciate the phone call, because I love to hear your voice. But I don’t usually get the honor unless it’s in person.”

Kaguya hesitated, and she knew when Samantha picked up on it because her side of the line went completely quiet. “I got a challenge letter today, and I’m just a little anxious about it.”

“Because of what your dad will want?”

Kaguya frowned, letting the silence go for a moment before she asked quietly, “How do you know about that?”

“A shadow told me,” Samantha joked, hoping to lighten the conversation a little.

“I should have known,” Kaguya said with a sigh before shaking her head.

“So? Is your dad what’s got you anxious?”

“A little. I’m torn, because I know what he expects but I also know you don’t agree with it. And I don’t want you to be upset with me.”

Samantha hummed on the other side of the phone, and Kaguya felt her chest tighten. Then she was surprised, as she heard background voices again and then Samantha saying, “Hey, Thea, Emmett. You mind if I invite Kaguya to join us? She just got a challenge letter and could use the distraction.”

Even more surprising, she heard Thea’s voice quickly agree, though the tone was a little hesitant. “You guys are dating, so why wouldn’t she be welcome?”

“I mean, you’re still pretty upset about that,” Emmett pointed out a little quieter. Then he added, “But she isn’t lying that she’s welcome to join us.”

“Come out here, Kaguya,” Samantha said after the background went quiet again. Apparently Samantha had stepped outside earlier and poked her head back in to ask her siblings about inviting her. “Even my siblings are inviting you. We’ll play games and not think about the challenge tonight, and tomorrow you and I can figure that part out together. Okay?”

Kaguya wiped her eyes, which were leaking for some reason, and smiled as she sat up. “Okay. That sounds like a fun way to be distracted from this.”

“Of course, since you’ll get to spend the entire time sitting with me,” Samantha teased and got a chuckle out of the overly emotional girl she was talking to. “We’ll see you in about ten, right?”

“Yes, less if I can manage.”