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The youth of their spring were destroyed long before time itself. The feud between Haneoka and Hanasakigawa shook both schools. Order was a word that meant nothing in Hanasakigawa. Still, it was a word that summoned fear itself in students.
“It’s Hikawa! Hikawa's coming this way!”
“Let’s get out of here then. I ain’t messing with her today.”
The students were always loud. Far too loud for anyone’s liking. The self-proclaimed disciplinary committee member adjusted her armband, custom-made by a… friend. A close friend. Her fingers ran over the face mask she wore.
It was much the same reaction for everywhere she walked. She was the one of the few who upheld order in their ruined school. Sayo was even referred to as order itself in Hanasakigawa. That didn’t deter her from her duties. Any suspicious students loitering around after school hours would be dealt with immediately. Those kids running like their lives depend on it was nothing but utter ridiculousness. Sayo’s frown deepened. How could anyone tolerate such delinquency?
“Hikawa-san?”
Speak of the angel and she will descend. Soft-hearted and weak, this was Sayo’s- no, their Student Council President, Shirokane Rinko. She bowed politely. “Good afternoon… Are you making your rounds?” She asked.
Sayo nodded. She said no more on the matter. “Shirokane-san,” she called out, biting her tongue at how hoarse she sounded. “Do not overwork yourself with council work. It is late.”
Rinko’s eyes darted around, shifted cautiously. “I-I’ll be fine… don’t worry…” Such words could never have sounded less convincing. The light from the sun entered Rinko’s eyes at the sight of the armband. “...The same goes for you Hikawa-san… be careful… please?”
Another stiff nod, dismissive now that their business was done. “Excuse me then.” There was little point in staying any longer around that girl. Her ‘work’ was elsewhere right now, and she would have to leave now to make it to the meeting place. Sayo bit down on her tongue, stifling her swelling emotions.
Sayo strode through the quiet halls with very little in mind. Deal with this situation swiftly, then continue to do the same for everything until there was nothing left. That was her only duty in the aggressive world they lived in. It was her personal mantra. Another thought came to mind briefly. A jacket would have been nice for the weather as of late. Gray clouds and strong winds were common these days. Sayo forced herself to believe that she didn’t need it. Another thought occurred. Shirokane Rinko, the president chosen by the previous one after graduating.
Sayo wished to be that candidate instead.
She neared the archery club building. The anger that had been simmering was set to erupt at any moment in this interaction. One trigger, one word, that was all she needed.
She made her way behind the building and the rest was a blur.
Rinko hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Sayo since yesterday after school. It was incredibly concerning. She knew the girl often got herself into trouble for reasons unknown to her. There have been moments in the past where Sayo suddenly winces from some kind of pain, or how she flinches every time Rinko was just a little too close. A true mystery, front and back.
Despite this tough act, the serious and slightly intimidating girl was not as cold or savage as every student made her out to be. When Rinko was left with all the council work, Sayo would be the only one there to help her. If Rinko was being backed into a corner in a way-too-aggressive discussion, Sayo would appear out of nowhere and that alone would scare them off. It felt wrong to hide behind her, but well, she had little choice in that. She asked Sayo about it in the past, to which her response was muted.
That would change today though. Not only was Sayo suddenly absent, but so were five of their underclassmen and two from the kendo club as well. Rinko, well aware of the effects of the long-lasting feud between Haneoka and their school, knew that this was no coincidence. Hanasakigawa was falling apart from the inside out. Rinko needed to step up now more than ever.
“Rinko-chan?” Someone knocked on the door. Opening it revealed the ever-smiling Chisato and her friend Kanon. Just the people she was expecting. “Excuse me,” said the blonde, letting herself and her friend in. “Let’s get down to it, shall we? I have some work to do.” Chisato dismissively said, checking in with Kanon about her schedule.
Rinko met her cold aura with heated determination. “...I as well.”
Chisato was examining at her nails. “What do you wish to know?”
She bit her lip, seating herself back down at the front chair. “I want to know where Hikawa-san lives… tell me what you know.”
Their eyes widened at her request. “H-Her home?” Kanon flailed. “That’s really private information, so uh…”
Chisato looked up to her. Her stare hardened but the saccharine smile was all the same. “How adorable. I didn’t expect our president to be so nosy over her body-guard. Do you have any reason for that?”
Her legs were barely keeping her upper body up, but that was the last thing she needed to worry about now. Sayo was her priority. “Yes… I need to know the truth.”
Chisato was indifferent. “The truth? There are many truths in this world. Why, I could tell you the truth right now.” Kanon said nothing. She looked at the back of her friend sadly. “Tell me, what’s the difference between me telling you instead of Sayo-chan telling you?” A cold wind ran down her back. Rinko was at a loss.
“...No answer? Then, allow me to come up with one truth of my own.” Chisato laid a finger delicately on her mouth in mock thought. “Maybe you’re more stone cold than I thought and you want to punish her. Or, perhaps you’re so weak that you’ll pass her a note of warning.” Rinko allowed her to speak. “Oh? Don’t tell me you plan to run to the teachers? What good would that do in a world where you fight relying on only yourself?”
“Chisato-chan…”
The desk’s surface was slammed. Rinko was not scared. “What truth do you desire, Shirokane Rinko?”
She was not scared. She was not nervous. She wasn’t any of those things, because she had her answer. “I want the truth that lets me understand Hikawa-san better… that will be the only truth I want to hear.” The room grew silent once more. The atmosphere was unreadable.
The blonde took her hand off the desk and crossed her arms. “Kanon?” The blue-haired girl shot to attention. Chisato waved her hand.
“O-Oh! Yes!” She frantically searched her pockets until she found a small slip of paper. She ran over and handed it to Rinko. “T-This is her address.”
Rinko’s eyes lit up. “Go ahead.” Chisato’s ever-chilly smile warmed just a fraction. “Don’t let me hear tomorrow about how you may hurt her. Sayo-chan is too kind for her own good.”
Rinko looked back and forth between the two girls. “...Much can be said about you as well… Shirasagi-san.”
Not waiting for another beat, she took off into the halls and to the outside. The Hikawa household was her only destination. She didn’t care how strange she looked as a girl in uniform, running through the streets until her breath escaped her. This was important to her. Sayo was important.
The door stood before her, tall and surprisingly normal for the tense atmosphere. She knocked softly. No response. She knocked again, a little harder. Still nothing. “...Hikawa-san?” She knocked once more, much louder now.
It opened at last, revealing the mint-haired girl and quite the horrifying sight. Large wounds and bruises were littered around her face and there was a notable gash on her cheek. This was a rare sight in and of itself; Sayo without her face mask. Her body leaned against the door frame in a defeated and pained manner. “S-Shirokane-san? What are you doing here?”
“Y-your mask…” That was the best she could muster on the spot.
Sayo covered up the lower half of her face with her hand. “...It got ripped.”
That set her off. Sayo was hiding from her again. “Hikawa-san! What happened?” yelled Rinko. She was trying to head inside, but was blocked by the weakened Sayo.
“Don’t!” Sayo shouted, nearly falling onto her back as her schoolmate closed in. The area grew eerily quiet as Rinko looked up to her with watery eyes. “...Just go home.”
“No… I want answers.” Rinko mustered every ounce of courage she held in her body, from the tips of her fingertips and the ends of her toes. “Hikawa-san. I need to know.”
Sayo’s body shrunk into itself; hands tightened around her sleeves, legs stiffly in place but trembling, back hunched over. Rinko waited patiently for an answer. Sayo’s wounded lips moved urgently, but no sound came out. Some time passed and Sayo moved aside from the door. “...come in.”
“E-Excuse me then…” Rinko felt her heart grow wings as she stepped in and seated herself on the couch. Sayo made her way to the kitchen.
“Tea?”
“Yes please…” she trailed off, examining the living room. It was very quaint. The cool greens and turquoise lulled her sense of urgency. Only by a small portion, however. Sayo took a seat on her right, setting down the two cups. Rinko noticed how they matched; white stars against black on one and vice versa on the other. “I like your mugs…” She took a sip from the mug with the white background, “and the tea is also good.”
A rare smile appeared on her face. It was suave and charming, even with the angry red wounds marring it. “Thank you. Hina and I got them on our eighth birthday,” she also took a sip, one that was careful as to not press against the cuts or wounds.
“Hina? As in…” That was her twin sister.
She recognized the name from multiple rumors on Haneoka’s fearsome top student. Chisato was once involved with her, which stirred much controversy in the midst of the schools’ feud. Some say it was romantic, some say platonic. Either way, she knew where the Hikawas lived as a result but kept her lips sealed from many. Some broke tooth and nail trying to pry it out of her before giving up all together.
Sayo nodded. “...You want to know, don’t you? What’s been happening…”
“Absolutely. Hikawa-san…” Rinko set down her cup onto the counter. She shifted to sit closer to Sayo. “I’m begging you.”
The sip Sayo took seemed a little louder. She too, set down her cup. Her left hand began to blindly pat around. Rinko held it and Sayo began to speak. “There were… these girls who wanted to have a classroom for their so-called band. They were friendly with some people form the kendo club as well.”
Rinko’s grip tightened, she began to guess where this was going. She knew better than to interrupt though. Those five girls had been very demanding out of the school for their own purposes. No matter how much Rinko tried to support her arguments, they continued to approach her every week. Eventually, they roped in the kendo club. She recognized the three representatives from her old middle school. They were particularly… an angry crew that she was familiar with.
“Did you… did you hurt them?” Her voice dripped with disappointment. Sayo grew silent once more, and started to pull her hand away. Just before it could leave entirely, Rinko caught it. “Why them?” Nothing. “Hikawa-san… I want to know.”
Her teeth audibly gritted. “I heard that they were saying things about you. Not just that band, but those kendo students back when you were in middle school as well. We agreed to deal with the matter yesterday, but I didn’t think they would get those Haneoka bastards involved as well. They had connections with some and…” Sayo trailed off, knowing Rinko could connect the dots on her own. The idea of Sayo fighting against so many people was terrifying. “The in-fighting is worse than I imagine, though that may be my fault…”
“...Your fault?” Rinko was very much at a loss for words now.
The air was colder. Sayo’s hand was sweaty. “It’s not fair… it’s not fair that you get pushed around like a doormat when you work harder than everyone else. It’s not fair, listening to everyone talk to you so badly. I don’t want to hear any more of it, so I have to do something , but they never ever learn, okay? I have, I will and I can fight every student in this school but they don’t get it. None of them learn!”
The bite in her voice was almost feral. Rinko could barely choke out a sound as her shoulders were grabbed forcefully.
“It’s not fair! People like you let yourselves get knocked around and you don’t say a word. Always for others, always just letting people do whatever without saying anything like that will make everything just go away! What am I supposed to think? You go on like everything is okay when it’s not. You put yourself in a place where everyone can hurt you and you just stand there and take it? Think for yourself for once!”
Sayo was breathing heavily. She glared sharply, but it seemed like she was about to cry. Her head dropped and laid on Rinko’s chest. “...stop trying to do so much. I can’t stand it. Just let me do it.”
“Hikawa-san…” Rinko got her truth. This was Hikawa Sayo, bruised, beaten and crying into her chest. “Aren’t you… a hypocrite?”
“Huh?!” Her head shot up. Her eyes were bright red. Rinko wiped away her tears gently.
“You took on all this pain, even though I wanted you to let me in so badly…” She wondered how many fights Sayo had gotten in. She wondered how hurt Sayo was by this fight; what more pain was there than what she can already see? “I wanted the same thing from you that you wanted from me…”
“T-That’s… uhm, maybe you’re right…” stuttered Sayo. It was a sight to see the Order of Hanasakigawa so flustered.
Rinko pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m sorry… But, I want to grow stronger… I don’t want to jump into violence when I can fight in my own way…” She pulled back and brushed her fingers against Sayo’s bangs. “So, no more fighting our students, please.”
“B-But I-” A finger silenced her.
“I know that sometimes… we have no choice… The feud with Haneoka is still going on strong, everyone is scared… Until we can resolve this, can we make a promise?” Rinko held up her pinky. “I don’t want you to fight alone anymore… let’s fight together, okay?”
Sayo was taken aback, but not opposed to the proposal. She met pinky with pinky. “Together, we fight.”
“Shirokane-san!” Sayo strode in freely. Chisato and Misaki followed behind her. “We have an emergency.”
“W-What’s happening?”
Misaki stepped forward. “Haneoka and Hanasakigawa’s long feud will finally end. I discussed it with them earlier.”
Rinko shot up from her seat at the prospect. “Really? ...Thank goodness.”
“Not good. There’s one condition,” spoke Chisato. “Our top fighters must have one match. The loser will do whatever the winner wishes. Even… shutting down the school.”
Rinko fell back into her seat. “T-This can’t be…”
“We couldn’t reach an agreement otherwise…” Misaki gritted her teeth. “I’m sure if I try again though, with Michelle surely-”
“No, you’ve done well…” Rinko crossed her arms, looking down at her feet sadly. This was it. They had to fight. It was now or never.
“Do not worry, Shirokane-san,” Sayo said confidently. “I will be representing us. And I refuse to lose to them. I will absolutely win. And once Haneoka is under our control, there will be no more violence.” She reached her hand out to Rinko “Please, allow me.”
Rinko was taken by Sayo’s smiling face even when facing such risky odds. This was the person she put her faith in. She took her hand and nodded.
“I have something for you…” She reached into her skirt pocket and gave Sayo a face mask. Rinko stitched a bunny on it. It clashed with Sayo’s image, but in some way, it never suited her more.
“Thank you… I’ll think of you when I wear it.”
Rinko held her hand, to which Sayo returned. “Come back safe, okay?”
Sayo gripped the new mask tightly. “I will. Because, I’m not alone.”
Ako flipped to the last page. “And then the story is continued in Moca-chin’s version!”
The rest of Roselia were completely speechless. Their respective hot drinks grew cold already. The pile fries sat untouched. Lisa was the first to reboot. She patted the girl beside her awkwardly. “T-That was pretty intense… Moca really came up with this?”
“Parts of it were my idea, but Moca-chin and Onee-chan helped and added some other stuff!” Ako paused and skimmed through the story quickly. “I had the idea for the intro and the finale, and Moca-chin totally went all the way with everything else. It’s good that she knows how close Sayo and Rinrin are!”
The two girls were deathly silent the entire story. They were desperately avoiding eye contact, which was easier said than done as they sat right next to each other. Sayo’s mouth mimicked a fish. Good friends were… words that described them perfectly, yes. Nothing more.
Lisa’s cat-like smile never seemed so infuriating to Sayo. “Yeah, I wonder how she figured that out?” Lisa said, pointedly looking at Sayo.
Yukina was seated on the other side of Ako. She stared at the drawings Ako made. They were her personal additions with the written copy. “...This would make for some interesting lyrics actually.”
“Yay!” She threw her arms up. “What did you think, Rinrin?”
“I-It was cool...” Rinko muttered. She still wanted to be encouraging to Ako’s ideas, and it was indeed cool. Though, she was feeling a little self-conscious about her own portrayal, though that was nothing compared to her relationship with Sayo in that alternate universe.
Sayo was struggling for words. Her lexicon program was failing her. “T-There are some uh, problems in the story. Like how absent my parents were… well any adult really. And p-perhaps it was a little rushed in pacing…”
Yukina gave her two cents. “Where were Lisa, you and I? It was only Hanasakigawa students.”
Ako was outwardly frustrated. Yukina kept asking unnecessary questions the entire time, though Sayo couldn't blame her. “That’s the point! Moca-chin has the Haneoka side-plot and we wanted both schools to have stories.”
“Y-You’re continuing this?” Sayo stuttered out. Rinko let out a sound like a mouse.
Ako shrugged, collecting her papers together. “Who knows? It was just a fun one-shot idea we had!”
Lisa cut in. “A-Ahaha! I think it was pretty good. Though, what was the situation with Hina about?”
“Hmmm, dunno! Moca-chin probably talked about Hina-chin on the A-side!”
Yukina only seemed more confused. “How did Rinko know where Sayo lived?”
“Yukina-san! Didn’t you listen?”
“Yes, but I missed that,” she said with complete seriousness.
“Jeez, lemme read it again, okay?”
Lisa took one of the very cold fries while Sayo was still booting up. “Again huh? We’re gonna be here for a while.”
As Ako began flipping pages once again, Sayo’s eyes fell onto Rinko’s next to her. They became beet red simultaneously.
Sayo leaned in a safe distance. “I’m not that scary… right?” Her voice was lowered so as to not interrupt Ako’s retelling.
Rinko giggled and joined their hands together under the table. Sayo was confused as to what this meant, but she decided against questioning why lest her good frie- her Student Council President let go.