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The architecture of Eden Academy looms large, intimidating in a way Jyuri isn't used to experiencing. A light breeze makes the skirt of the dress she's wearing brush gently against her legs. Around her, there's the chattering of hundreds of other families making their way into the school, all hopeful to snatch up one of the few spots for the incoming class. Her nerves are alight with a jerkiness that is unfamiliar and strange. She believes in Jitsuhito's test scores– those spoke for themselves just a few weeks ago– but her own performance is what has her so jittery.
This faux marriage between herself and Kigorou is just for convenience, but she does worry about her everything somehow ruining the future of Kigorou's child. Looking around her, she can only notice how all of the other mothers in this crowd are graceful figures, smiling easily at their children and husbands. In contrast, Jyuri feels like she holds onto Kigorou too tightly, holds herself too tensely.
'I know 200 ways to kill a person, but an examination is what has me nervous?' She thinks, letting out a sigh disguised as a low breath. A slight tug on her hand has her looking down, only to meet the startled gaze of her now son. Their grip on her hand tightens again and it brings a smile to her face.
"Don't worry, Jitsu-chan. You're going to do a great job," She says, hoping to assuage the kid's worries. The boy just stares up at her for a moment– sometimes, she wonders just how much the kid knows because their eyes are so intelligent – before Jitsu smiles softly.
"Mama will do great too!" He says, turning their attention forwards once more. Jyuri can only keep smiling, feeling lucky that such a cute kid is in her life now. To the other side of Jitsuhito, Kigorou walks with the purpose of a man going to war. Now that they've stepped under the large arch of the academy, she feels the same resolve settle on her shoulders.
"The examination will start as soon as we are on school grounds," Kigorou says mildly, as if that is not an insane thing to say about a school for children.
"Immediately? What– do they have nothing better to do than to stalk a bunch of families as they try to secure a good school for their kids?" Jyuri is incredulous, but Kigorou only looks resigned. He takes another sip of its tea, looking somewhere outside of the window. Like this, Jyuri knows to let him collect his thoughts, rather than interrupt.
"It's a school for the ultra-wealthy. Not only that, their standards are stricter than most realize. Furthermore, their staff is uniquely suited for gifted students," It sighs, looking towards her with a look she doesn't know how to decipher. It makes her eye twitch in annoyance. She hates when he does that. "We'll have to be ready for anything. Anything ."
Now, she realizes Kigorou really meant everything . After paying their respects to the founder of the school's statue, Kigorou had to dirty his suit to assist a child in the gutter. From his heart rate, Jyuri could tell he was fine, but Kigorou knew it was a test. The extra outfits they packed were clearly not some manic overthinking– It was right that they'd be needed.
Just a moment later, the ground shaking interrupts her thoughts. She doesn't hesitate before picking up Jitsuhito, settling them on her waist as she looks back. The crowd yelps and runs in a panic, but through the cacophony, she sees it. ' A stampede? Just what kind of crazy school is this?' Kigorou's grip on her wrist snaps her out of it, and they begin to run.
Behind her, the sounds of screaming children and animals are deafening. The running is no problem, even in these new heels. Instead, it's just the noise– and a building frustration over how ridiculous this school selection is turning out to be. Suddenly, Kigorou lets go of her and dashes in the opposite direction. Her startled shout doesn't even make it turn around and she's forced to look at where it's going.
"Help, please! Papa!" A boy lays right in the path of the stampede, his ankle swollen and throbbing an ugly red. Now near her, the boy's father looks back occasionally, but just keeps running. Another looks at the boy's tearful sobs, and Jyuri doesn't hesitate to tilt her foot slightly, just enough to catch the man's foot as he passes her. ' Should have watched your step better, huh? Fucker. '
As the man hits the ground hard, Kigorou scoops the boy up and deposits him safely to the side. However, just behind her husband, the leader of the stampede shows itself. A large bull runs along the brick path, muscles straining against its black and white skin. Its head shakes violently from side to side, possibly because it is so agitated with the noise and whatever caused the stampede in the first place. Jyuri looks over at Kigorou again, making eye contact with him. There's that look in his eyes again and she channels all the annoyance she feels building up into her feet as she dashes over and sets Jitsuhito down by him.
"Jitsuo-chan, stay next to papa, alright? Mama is going to do something," she smiles carefully, patting his head. Her son looks up at her, their expression an odd combination of horror and amusement, before it changes to something more serious as he nods. Kigorou moves in the corner of her vision, but she stops him with a sharp glare. " You. Stay put too."
She stands then, turning her sharp gaze to the bull. She just needs to stop the stampede, right? She can do that, without revealing herself as an assassin. As if she's lighter than a feather, she launches from the ground so the bull doesn't have a clear view of her. Like this, it's easy to twist her body and hit the approximate places where the bull's pressure points are. Her heels make a loud clack once she hits the ground again, followed by the crash of the bull, as its muscles freeze up. She straightens quickly, ignoring a new breeze at her legs because her skirt has ripped in two places. Jitsuhito and Kigorou are both staring at her, but she just pulls her hair down from her ponytail and shakes it out.
"Oh. You were just scared, weren't you?" Jitsu's voice suddenly rings out, much closer than he was just a second ago. She snaps her head in their direction, but the tension that builds up releases quickly. Her kid sits by the bull, patting the creature gently, calming it down immensely. Jyuri sighs then, making eye contact with Kigorou over Jitsuhito's head. ' Thank the heavens they packed 3rd outfits .'
**
Crying children. Crying parents. Soulless eyes and anxious mumbling. Families walk into that room, smiling and sure of their success. They walk out like dejected failures, and each time make Jyuri tense up further and further. Her nerves feel like they are crackling within her body, filling her with dread. That dark wooden door holds some kind of divine punishment behind it, she's sure.
"We have this," Kigorou speaks up suddenly, and her shoulders jump up in response before she can control her reaction. She looks over at him, and he is only adjusting its cufflinks, but it's obvious what he's doing. She hates that it's mediocre comfort actually works .
"Uzumaki family, we're ready for you," A kindly looking old man says from the now open door, making the three of them stand. As they walk into the room, there are three comfy-looking chairs set up for the family to sit in. Across from those chairs, the examiners sit on a large dark couch. One of them is the very elegant old man who greeted them after the stampede, which eases Jyuri slightly. At least, until she sees the second man currently seated beside him. ' What a pig ,' she can't help but think, barely managing to keep her lip from curling. He's an absolute slob, and he looks at her like some kind of lecher.
"Thank you all for coming today. Just as a starter question, what made you two decide to have little Jitsuhito attend Eden Academy?" The kind-looking old man completes the set of examiners, it seems, since he asks this question after sitting down. Jyuri looks over to Kigorou, since this is its question to answer.
"Eden Academy is, of course, a very prestigious place of learning. As you may have seen, Jyuri is my second wife. My first wife passed rather suddenly, due to illness, leaving Jitsuhito and I alone. Before her passing, she told me she wished our child could attend Eden. Personally, I agreed with her, as I know the instructors at Eden to be of the topmost quality," Kigorou paused for a moment, its voice wavering at the end there. Jyuri doesn't stop herself from reaching over to lay a hand over his, ' as a tactical move of course!' At the very least, two of the three examiners appear moved by Kigorou's admission.
"I understand, Mr. Uzumaki. Speaking of your second wife, how did the two of you meet?" The question brings a light flush to Jyuri's cheeks despite her best efforts to control her expression. Remembering that alleyway proposal and the weight of the grenade ring around her finger always makes her heart beat too fast in her chest.
"We met at the shop that does the uniforms for Eden, actually. I remember I just happened to be looking around, when I saw her across a counter. I was… immediately enchanted with her grace," If Jyuri didn't know Kigorou better, she almost thinks he sounds shy . However, she does know better, and she knows their marriage is only for convenience. Even if the idea that he really did find her graceful makes her heart feel like it's on fire.
"Ah, that's lovely!" The old man says, and Jyuri can tell he is being sincere. His eyes are kind, and betray a fondness for this kind of love story. The man beside him, however, only scowls deeper, his gaze set on Jyuri in a way that makes her skin crawl– and he hands itch for the blade hidden in her hidden garter.
"Yeah, yeah, what a sappy story. Anyway, 'Mrs.' Uzumaki, why did you decide to settle down with baggage, huh?" His voice is just as ugly as his face, with the way the question slaps her to full alertness. Even Kigorou seems to straighten up beside her, its eyes narrowing at him.
"Well, Mr. Swan, I'm unsure what such a tactless question has to do with our interview, but I shall answer anyway," She allows her hands to bunch into fists in her lap, so she doesn't glare at him so obviously. "I chose to settle down with Kigorou and Jitsuhito , in case you forgot their name, is because Kigorou has been nothing but a kind and virtuous man to me. Furthermore, Jitsuhito is a sweet and well-mannered child, who I feel lucky to have met every day since I had the honor of doing so." Once more, the other two seem satisfied with such an answer, but the pig just looks bored.
"Oh, really? Then, what kind of food do you usually cook?" The question is once again some kind of veiled jab and Jyuri barely holds back the urge to slice him into ribbons for even suggesting that she is somehow an unfit mother.
"Actually, I do not cook the majority of the time. Kigorou is a much more talented cook than I am, though I do make snacks throughout the day for when Jitsu-chan gets hungry. Instead, I handle the other household duties, once I am home from my job at city hall," Kigorou had his mouth open to answer, but Jyuri cut in before it said anything. Letting him answer this would feel like admitting defeat. Jyuri does not admit defeat, especially not to swine. She lets her eyes bore into the pig-man masquerading as a hallmaster, letting him squirm under her gaze until he finally coughs and moves on.
The interview is rocky, but they successfully switch to the part where it focuses on Jitsuhito. For a child who had been nervous going into the interview, he answers their questions so well. Jyuri can't help the swell of pride in her chest as she watches Jitsuhito answer their questions like he can read their minds. It goes so well, that Jyuri almost allows herself to think it'll be enough. However, the pig then opens his mouth.
"So, kiddo, I have to ask. Who do you like better, your new or old mommy?" The question sends a shard of ice through Jyuri immediately. She's up and at Jitsuhito's side before she can even think about it. It's for the first time that she lets the full force of her glare pierce through him.
"May we request another question?" Kigorou's barely controlled voice cuts through the tension like a knife. Looking over at it, Jyuri can see a darkness in his eyes that she isn't used to seeing. It makes her feel justified in being so angry.
"What? How can your brat hope to survive here if he can't even answer such a trivial question? No, they should answer clearly and honestly as to who they like better," Jyuri is beginning to see red, the longer he talks. She keeps a comforting hand on Jitsu-chan's shoulder, but allows herself to begin cracking the knuckles in her other hand.
"Trivial? What are you calling trivial? How dare you–" Their voices begin to layer on top of each other like some kind of toxic cake. She wants to hit this man, she wants him to hurt. She wants his blood to seep into this floor and be a reminder to anyone else who wants to say such insensitive things to her child–
A loud crunch cuts off their arguing and her thoughts. She looks over, and the wooden table that sat between the examiners and Kigorou is now splintered in multiple directions. The man himself is standing now, blood dripping from his fist in a clear indication of what just happened. However, despite what he's done, Kigorou looks unbearably nonchalant.
"Pardon me, there was a mosquito," It says, like that amount of force is totally acceptable for a bug. A second later, he is also beside Jitsuhito, picking him up and grabbing her wrist. The next thing she realizes, they are opening the door. The pig-man stands up then, face turning an ugly shade of red in his anger.
"We're not done here! How dare you act so disgracefully!" Kigorou barely turns his head to acknowledge him, which just seems to make him angrier.
"If anyone has acted disgracefully, it is you, Mr. Swan. Perhaps I was wrong to consider Eden Academy, if this is the kind of quality they allow in their educators. To bully a child, through no fault of their own, is not something I can ever be complicit in. Have a fine day, sirs, but my family will be leaving," and then, they are out the door. Even so, Kigorou does not let go of her wrist. In fact, its hand gradually moves to properly take hold of her hand. She can only look at their hands in an odd sort of awe, all words shocked from her system.
'Oh. Perhaps we can agree on some things.'
She thinks, as they make their way home from the disaster interview. The idea that they most likely failed will sink in later, but right now? She feels satisfied enough that they defended Jitsuhito.