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Even if it was already the last month of the year and the city was reveling in a festive atmosphere, a school continues its activities until the winter break starts.
With a sigh, Misora prepared herself before she entered the classroom, a clipboard at hand. She knew she wanted this, but she can’t resist the festive spirit seeping in through her defenses. She actually can’t. Not with Aruru contacting her as soon as the first day of December came in. It was a hectic first week Misora doesn’t really want to relive. So, she already lost to that spirit a week ago.
The aforementioned blonde making her way into her place in front of her class was one of the things she knew that Aruru would think of doing. There should’ve been unconscious brakes in Aruru’s head, but maybe it all came loose when they got separated for a longer time than expected.
“Isn’t that Aruru Otsuki?”
“It is!”
“I didn’t know Kano-sensei called her for a surprise lesson.”
“Amazing!”
Now her students were making a ruckus, words of excitement and glee in their voices rather. Great. How does she even handle their disappointment later?
“You have adorable students, Misora! You should’ve made me come visit earlier!”
“No. I can’t risk them being roped into one of your ideas. And I haven’t had a single idea that you would fly right to Japan without a notice. Just wait for me outside.”
“What?! You’re punishing me when we just get to see each other again?!” The blonde resisted with little to no effort, planting her feet to the ground.
The red haired closed her eyes in defeat and took a step forward, her hand still on Aruru’s shoulder. Wary of the eyes of her students, she got a bit shy and forcefully pushed her outside the room. Aruru waved at Misora’s students with a bright smile on her face while being pushed out.
“Listen here Aruru, you can be anywhere else in school, just not here. I’ll go look for you after this class. It’s my last class for the day. Surely you can have fun on your own for now.” Her voice was a whisper and it was enough for the blonde to keep her words to herself.
Misora observed her features soften up that made her discern that the two of them have made a compromise. For now, at least. She’ll deal with whatever the blonde will throw at her later. She’s hoping that any risque whims of the blonde will not happen while they’ll still be in the school grounds. At the end of the day, she has to leave the school early.
She watched her figure disappear into the end of the hallway. She can finally calm herself, her heartbeat, her breathing, her composure as she walked back to the front of her students. She skipped looking at her student first and checked what topic they were on before understanding the mixed emotions of her students, mostly curiosity.
“If you wish to say something, just raise your hands.” She sighed.
To her surprise, most of her students raised their hands. Basing on the looks of their faces, they sure don’t want to continue their lesson for the day and ask about her friend who’s a successful stage actress. As much as she wants to share what she know about Aruru with her students, she has a lesson plan to follow to make sure that the students of the school will have a proper foundation to go back to when they’re hit with a roadblock.
“Put your hands down. I know what you want to talk about, ask her yourselves. We need to have this discussion.”
Sounds of disappointment reached her ears which made her shake her head. She continued the lesson where they left off, ignoring the way her students didn’t seem enthusiastic enough to learn about what happens behind the stage of stage performances.
As soon as the bell for dismissal rang, the students close to the door ran out after greeting the teacher goodbye. The rest followed suit. Presumably on the way to look for their teacher’s friend.
Misora chuckled at her students drive to get their questions answered. Though she doubts them in her mind that they would be able to find Aruru.
On the way to the teacher’s office, she fished out her phone and dialed her number. The call was immediately answered without the sound a single beep.
“Perfect timing, Misora. Why are your students attacking me with questions?”
Misora laughed at how fast the words came out of the blonde’s mouth.
“That’s what I told them to do since I was not answering their questions about you.”
“Can we go already? I am having fun answering your students for you, but I don’t want to tell them anymore than I have to. They have to find their own answers by themselves.”
“Aruru, you can always just coolly leave and they will watch you do so with admiration in their eyes. Or you can do a solo etude by yourself and see if any of them are interested in joining in with you or actually join in with you. I still have a bit of stuff to do in the teacher’s office. See you later.”
“Wait, Misora--”
She ended the call and knew exactly what face Aruru was making when she called her name in a frantic voice. All Misora can do for Aruru now is to speed her way through her last paperwork for the day and swoop her out of the school.
True to her words, Misora found Aruru. Only that there was the usual fire in her eyes when they’re doing etudes. She watched and listened closely as she stepped closer to the crowd of students, putting a finger over her lips when the students notice of her presence.
“Queen of Hearts! My name is Alice.”
“Alice?” Whispers of the name were shared between the crowd, no student had stepped in to join in.
“I think I’m lost… What is this place?’
Misora waited a few more seconds to see if any student had enough fire in them to act on the same standing as Aruru. With furrowed brows, she squeezed through the crowd and took Aruru’s hand in hers.
“Alice! The queen is a difficult fellow to understand. Follow me.”
“White Rabbit?! You came back?”
Misora doesn’t add any more lines and left the crowd of students stunned as the two of them ran with all their might. Both of them hearing nothing else but the pounding of their hearts and their breathing. It was a sound they were used to hearing, during a full rehearsal and on stage. A reminder of how they loved learning and applying all the things they learned in a culmination of acting on stage, an infinite number of times. It was an addicting feeling.
“How far are we running?”
“Until my place if you want.”
They stop for a breath in front of Misora’s house. Misora walked ahead, opened the door and gestured for the blonde to come in and get water.
“I might be asking too late, but where is your luggage?”
Aruru looked at her while drinking water, she only stared at Misora without giving her an answer for a few seconds before pointing to the large bag near the sofa.
“So that’s what happened…”
Another silence ensued until it was broken by a ringtone. Misora quickly picked out her phone and answered the call, forgetting to look at the name of the caller.
“Misora! See, I told you she’d pick up.”
“Turn on the video. I want to see her.”
“Can you guys not move too much? You’re squeezing me.”
Misora’s eyes widened in surprise, not expecting them to call at such a perfect timing. Even more so with Aruru in the same space as her. Knowing those three, the call would get long, so she handed the phone to Aruru after turning on the camera and left for the kitchen.
As soon as Aruru answered the call and waved at the camera, the blonde got her energy back just seeing the faces of the three on the screen. Misora smiled to herself just hearing that glorious sound again while she prepared some snacks for the both of them along with a warm chocolate drink.
Misora sat herself beside the blonde after leaving the snacks on the table. She could only peek at the screen to let herself be seen by the three and Aruru noticed this.
Aruru stood up from the sofa and sat in the space between Misora’s thighs, leaning back with a satisfied smile on her face. Misora doesn’t let out a word but the red tint on her cheeks were enough to make the three on the other side of the screen grin and smile.