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Sayaka walked towards the student council meeting room, a box of homemade chocolates in her hands. The halls at Hyakkaou Academy was packed with students handing each other cards and gifts. It was Valentine's Day, and the President had summoned Sayaka unexpectedly. Nervous, but hopeful, she looked forward to giving the President the candy, knowing that Kirari loved her home-made confectionery.
Walking quickly as to not keep the President waiting, Sayaka wondered why she had been called upon. She knew the President's schedule in and out, and no meeting had been planned for today. Sayaka wasn't really a big believer in the concept of Valentine's Day, but she hoped that the President had secretly planned something for her, anxious for Kirari to acknowledge the bond between them. Also, Sayaka wasn't about to let a chance to show her affection for the President go to waste, which was why she had stayed up way too late perfecting her kitchen creations.
Upon reaching the door to the meeting room, Sayaka stopped for a second to check her appearance, always wanting to look her best around the President. Satisfied with her look, she knocked on the door three times.
She heard a voice from within and opened the door to find Kirari leading a meeting from her usual place at the head of the table, with three serious-looking adults Sayaka didn't recognize in attendance. Two of them stood up and bowed in greeting when she entered, while the third, an older looking man, barely glanced at her. Sayaka bowed back, a little confused. It wasn't unusual for the President to have meetings with vendors and contractors in school, but Sayaka always knew about these meetings beforehand, seeing as she was normally the one to schedule them.
“Ah, Sayaka. Right on time, as usual,” Kirari said with a sly smile, looking stunningly gorgeous, as always.
“Good afternoon, President, everyone.”
Sayaka walked up to Kirari, unsure of what to expect. The President loved to throw curve balls at her, and judging by the mischievous spark in her eyes, that was exactly what she was about to do.
“First, let me introduce you to our guests. This is Houbami Kido, the lawyer representing my clan.” Kirari indicated the sour, old man with a languid motion that seemed to annoy him. “This is Kitahama Inoue, my personal lawyer.”
She pointed to the middle-aged woman at her right, who smiled briefly at Sayaka.
“And finally, this is Ishida Kenta,” she said, nodding to the younger of the two men, sitting one seat down on Kirari's left, “a lawyer I have hired for you.”
“Nice to meet you,” Ishida said with a polite smile.
Sayaka looked at Kirari inquisitively, this was a curve ball indeed. Kirari smiled mysteriously at her.
“What's happening, President? Why have you hired a lawyer for me?”
“Ishida-san will represent you in this matter and take care of any future obligations that will ensue. Please sit down, Sayaka.”
Sayaka discreetly placed the little box of chocolates down on the table and sat down on the available seat in between the President and Ishida. She was the only one without any papers in front of her, and the presence of the three lawyers at the table made her wary. She hoped Kirari would tell her what this was about quickly. The President sat back in her chair, crossed her legs and touched her fingertips together.
“I have called this meeting today to make a change to my will and testament. And, as my lawyers have told me that this – let's say unusual – amendment should require your consent, I invited you as well, Sayaka.”
“Your... Your testament, President?”
Sayaka was shook. Was the President dying?
“Indeed,” Kirari continued. “Of course, being in my position, I've had one for years. This is simply an amendment, one the clan has told me that they will not bother to protest.”
The older man scoffed derisively. Kirari gave him a look and he silenced himself.
“So, the reason you are here, Sayaka, is that, in the event of my death,” Kirari said and paused a moment as Sayaka was getting visibly upset, “in the event of my death, I want you to give you my heart.”
Sayaka, teary-eyed, frowned in confusion. Kirari leaned her head on her hands, looking at Sayaka with high expectations.
“W-what?” Sayaka stammered out.
“Kitahama-san, can you explain the mechanics for me?” Kirari addressed her lawyer, not taking her eyes off Sayaka for a second.
“Of course, Momobami-sama,” the woman said with a curt nod. “When Momobami-sama passes, it is her wish that her heart be cut from her body, be placed in a jar of formaldehyde, and be given to you, Igarashi-san, for safekeeping until your own passing. It is then Momobami-sama's wish that her heart be cremated alongside you. We are here to gather your consent to this bequest, so that the clan can't be sued for any damage, mental or otherwise, that this affair may cause you in the future.”
The lawyer explained the matter in a clear and even voice, but Sayaka heard it as if through a wall, her body feeling numb. She stared at the President. The symbolism was not lost on her, only overshadowed by the absolutely gut wrenching circumstances the gift demanded.
“Y-your heart, President?”
“Yes. If you'll accept it, of course.”
Sayaka wasn't sure if the dizziness she felt was because of the prospect of being given the President's actual heart in a jar, or because the whole situation sent her into a tailspin over the President's mortality. She looked at the people around her to look for any signs of this being some sort of elaborate prank Kirari had set in motion. Sayaka wouldn't put it past her.
Ishida was giving her a half-smile to hearten her. Houbami stared off into the distance and looked like he had much better things to do with his time. Kitahama looked as professional as one could, given the weird task Kirari made her work on. If they were acting, they were doing it really well. Sayaka was expecting the Vice-President to jump out with a sign saying “Surprise!” at any moment, but there was no one but the five of them in the room.
Sayaka swallowed. This wasn't a joke.
She turned her eyes back to Kirari, who looked inscrutable, waiting for an answer. Sayaka could never turn her down, even if it meant acknowledging the gruesome fact that Kirari would one day die.
“I-I accept,” Sayaka said breathlessly. “I'll keep your heart, President. Of course I will.”
Kirari's eyes softened, and a genuine smile of satisfaction spread across her face for a few moments. The lawyers almost unnoticably shared a look between them while Kirari and Sayaka held each other's gaze. Kitahama cleared her throat to move the matters along.
“Now, Igarashi-san, these are some documents you will have to read through and sign. If you have any questions, you can of course ask Ishida-san to assist you.”
Sayaka didn't look at the documents that were handed to her over the table right away, but instead continued to look at Kirari, as if she might disappear if Sayaka took her eyes off of her. A sorrow welled up in her chest as she considered a future without Kirari in it.
“I won't let anything happen to you, President.” Sayaka sniffled. She was only barely holding herself together. “I don't know how I'll be able to live if you're...”
The man next to her butted in before Sayaka could finish her sentence.
“Ah, yes, you should know that we've already spoken with your parents, and they have agreed to implement the... special arrangements, should the need arise,” Ishida said with a soft voice. “We needed their signatures anyway, seeing as you are still a minor. That agreement will void unless you also agree to the arrangements, and we will of course follow up on this matter at a later date, after you have become a legal adult.”
Numb, Sayaka looked down at the three small stacks of paper and lifted them up with hands that felt like they had lost all of their power. The fact that they were bypassing her being a minor terrified her. Sayaka looked at the President for reassurance and found her leaning on her far hand, smiling gently at her.
“You are welcome to refuse, Sayaka,” she said. “Both now and... later. This isn't a binding agreement for you.”
“I won't refuse, President,” Sayaka whispered decisively, pain evident in her every feature.
She blinked hard, took a tissue out of her pocket and wiped her tears away before blowing her nose slightly. Sayaka then focused her attention of the legal documents in front of her, and read through them at her usual, impressive rate. Her work as Kirari's secretary had made her well-versed in similar types of documents, and she found them pretty straight forward. Having read through them all, she accepted a pen from her lawyer and signed and initialed the papers.
When she had finished her task, she looked at Kirari again. She looked positively delighted. It was a stark contrast to Sayaka, who had to bite her lip to stop it from quivering.
Ishida took one of the stacks of documents for himself and handed the other lawyers one each. They put them in their briefcases and wasted no time before rising from their seats. Kirari remained seated, and observed Houbami and Kitahama with a victorious expression. In Houbami's own words, they had thought her idea “ludicrous and insane.” She knew her secretary better.
“My lady,” they said with a bow and walked towards the door, Houbami a bit more briskly than the other.
Sayaka's lawyer stayed a moment longer to hand her his business card. Sayaka's hand was numb and shaking, and her powerless fingers dropped the card onto the table.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Momobami-sama, Igarashi-san.” He bowed and left them.
The door had barely closed before Sayaka broke down in tears. Kirari looked at her in thorough amusement, drinking in the sight of the crying girl.
“A-are you going to d-die, P-President?”
Kirari giggled a little.
“Oh, Sa-ya-ka. Aren't we all? You of all people should know that.”
That didn't soothe Sayaka one bit, but Kirari was just as glad, she loved to see her cry. She uncrossed her legs and stood up next to Sayaka, reaching a hand down to pull the younger girl up by her arm. Sayaka tried to hide her crying face, but Kirari would have none of that. She cupped Sayaka's face gently and turned it towards her.
“It's Valentine's Day, Sayaka. I thought I should give you a gift.”
Sayaka sniffled and picked up the small box on the table.
“Thank you, President. I only made you chocolates,” she said, feeling silly.
“Indeed you have, I was hoping you would.”
Kirari smirked while Sayaka looked at her with anguish. It made Kirari want to laugh with delight, Sayaka's expressions were just so delicious. She stopped herself, though. Sayaka was sure to stomp out of the room if she thought Kirari was teasing her right now. Instead, Kirari wiped away the tears with her thumbs and gazed into Sayaka's beautiful, purple eyes that looked up at her through tearful eyelashes.
“You know how one of the things I like the most about you, Sayaka, is how you're always so ruthlessly logical,” Kirari mused. “You're so detached from the fates of other people, observing the world through cold facts and numbers, no place for sympathy or sentimentality.”
There was a sparkle in Kirari's icy blue eyes and it gave Sayaka butterflies, even through her sadness.
“But the thing that tickles me the most,” Kirari continued, “is how I can make all of that fly out the window in an instant.”
They both knew it, Kirari was Sayaka's exception to everything. The girl cared little to less for other people, except for her. The President wasn't merely Sayaka's number one, she was her only one. It fascinated Kirari to no end. The fact that she would die, sooner or later, should be so obvious and insignificant to a girl such as Sayaka, yet it sent her into utter despair.
Kirari could see it in the sorrowful eyes before her. No one, not even herself, was as emotionally invested in Kirari's continued survival as Sayaka was.
It felt more than validating. In that moment, Kirari could have sworn that she felt loved.
Sayaka was still unable to stop the tears from falling down her cheeks, her mind clouded with the bleakness of a future without the President. She felt the need to ground herself and to hold the other girl close, perhaps forever. She sniffled, not daring to ask directly for the contact.
“If your heart really is mine,” she whispered, not trusting her own voice, “can I listen to it for a little while?”
Kirari smiled softly at her.
“Of course you can.”
“I'll go down to the nurse's office and borrow a stethoscope,” Sayaka said meekly and stepped back.
“Sayaka.” Kirari used her firm voice to indicate that Sayaka was being ridiculous, and grabbed her hand to stop her from leaving. “Come here.”
The President opened her arms. Sayaka understood the invitation and blushed. Shaking slightly, she tentatively moved in and wrapped her arms around her to hug her close. She pressed her ear to Kirari's chest, the steady rhythm of her heart soothing her. She closed her eyes and breathed in the President's intoxicating scent, wishing she could keep her safe until the end of time.
They stood like that for a few minutes, the embrace melting them together. Suddenly, Sayaka was overwhelmed by how tired she was, and she leaned too heavily on the President. Kirari moved back, pushed out of balance, and saw how tired Sayaka was.
“I'm sorry,” Sayaka said.
“Don't be. You need some sleep.”
Kirari took Sayaka's hand carefully and led her towards the seating arrangement by the windows.
Half an hour later, Ririka entered the meeting room and found Kirari laying on one of the sofas with Sayaka's sleeping form draped over her. The girl had fallen asleep listening to the beating of a heart that belonged to her, both literally and figuratively.
Kirari noticed her sister and held a finger up to her mouth to indicate that she must be silent. Ririka sat down on the sofa on the opposite side of the table, and studied them without a word. The masked girl was used to being quiet. Kirari seemed calm, and she was obviously enjoying the situation she was in. Ririka thought it odd, seeing her sister so still and content for once.
“She cried herself to sleep,” Kirari whispered carefully.
Ririka only stared blankly at her, not responding. She was only trying to be helpful when she suggested that Kirari should be more literal in her advances to Sayaka, seeing as the intricate symbolism of the tower her sister had built for her went over the secretary's head. Offering Sayaka her actual heart was not what Ririka had in mind, but when Kirari locked in on the idea, Ririka had been powerless to stop her.
“She accepted it.”
Ririka blinked, but found herself only mildly surprised. They were a strange pair, Kirari and her secretary, and their quirks weirdly suited each other. Ririka took off her mask and placed it on the table, not wanting the sparkle of the voice modulator to wake Sayaka.
“Congratulations, Rari,” she said quietly. “Did she cry herself to sleep because she was so happy?”
Kirari smiled as if she wanted to giggle, but not a sound escaped her.
“Some things got lost in the translation, I suppose,” she mused thoughtfully.
Kirari ran her fingers through Sayaka's untied hair, feeling the silky strands tickle her skin. Sayaka looked peaceful, even after crying so much. Her tears had soaked through the shirt beneath her face, and Kirari couldn't wait to see Sayaka's horrified expression when she found out that she had made a mess of her clothes. The girl just had such a good, expressive face, Kirari thought, it was one of the things she liked about her the most.
She caught Ririka eyeing the box of chocolates Sayaka had placed on the table, unintentionally out of Kirari's reach. She shot Ririka a warning look.
“Don't you dare. Sayaka made those for me.”
Ririka looked from the chocolates to Kirari, to Sayaka, knowing that her sister didn't want to disturb the sleeping girl. Blushing at her daring, she felt her lips curl and reached out for the box, brought it to her lap and opened it.
“Ririka, I'm serious,” Kirari whispered, unamused. “This is not your sister speaking right now, this is your clan leader. Put them back.”
Ririka theatrically put a chocolate in her mouth and widened her eyes to show how good they were. She ate a couple more, all the while taunting her sister, taking advantage of her being trapped under Sayaka' sleeping body.
“I'm going to kill you,” Kirari hissed.
Ririka was undeterred, the sisters threatened to kill each other every other week.
“Relax, I'm not going to eat all of them,” she whispered with a sly grin taken right out of Kirari's repertoire. She took a single chocolate out of the box and placed it on the table. “I'm sure you can find an interesting way to share this with Sayaka when she wakes up.”
With a wink, Ririka rose from her seat and brought the box and her mask with her, shoving another candy in her mouth as she walked away.
“I'm going to send the Honebamis after you,” Kirari hissed after her with a displeased glare she reserved only for her sister.
Ririka, mouth full of chocolate, took a blank paper from a desk and wrote on it in big letters, “WORTH IT” before she put her mask on again and left the room.
Kirari watched her leave and let the air slowly drain from her lungs, feeling the soft pressure of Sayaka's lithe body against her own, before breathing in again, reveling in the flowery scent of the sleeping girl. Sayaka's hand fell off the sofa from the movement. Kirari picked it up and held it gently so it wouldn't fall down again, drawing small circles over the knuckles with her thumb. She looks so peaceful, Kirari thought.
It was only right that her heart should be with Sayaka when the time comes. It belonged to her, after all. Only in Sayaka's hands would Kirari's heart be safe forever.
She stroked Sayaka's hair gently and felt at peace.