❖ 1 ❖

Ren Sasahara set her school bag down at the side of the gashapon vending machine, peering over its contents intently.

“Ya heard of these ‘Gourmet Otters,' Nina?” she asked her best friend, stroking her chin.

“Can’t say I have! They’re really cute though!” Nina Collins grinned, taking a peek at the poster on the side of the machine. “I really like the one with the burger! Ooh, and the sweetie with a little bowl of ramen, too!”

“First ones I get of those two’re all yers, then,” Ren half-smiled, inserting a coin into the slot and turning the dial.

“Whoa, really?! Thanks Ren! If you can’t find dupes for yourself, though, I’ll hand ‘em back! You’re gonna want a full set, right?”

“I’ll get a full set, don’t you worry none,” Ren nodded and smiled to herself as a capsule popped out of the machine.

Ren cracked it open, sleepily appraising the toy inside.

“Oh, is that a piece of fried chicken?! Adorable! Ehehe, might have to go for some of these myself.”

“There’s…twelve of these little fellas, looks like?” Ren asked, double checking the poster for the toys. “Reckon I can get the whole set before class?”

“Hmm,” Nina checked her phone, while Ren popped another coin into the machine, gently smiling as she pulled out a capsule with an otter holding a parfait. “I dunno… Aki said there’d be a new student today, yeah?”

“Mm,” Ren grumbled, “yer right, I know, but…”

Ren bit her lip, eager to keep going for more, prompting a chuckle from Nina.

“OK! Five minute challenge! Grab as many as you can before we’ve gotta go!” Nina shouted, starting a timer on her phone.

“On it!” Ren nodded, lightly slapped her cheeks to clear away her fatigue, and slammed a coin in the slot.

Nearly twenty minutes and dozens of “Just one more try!”s later, both girls dashed up the hill to school as fast as they could.

Despite it all, Ren couldn’t help but grin broadly, looking over the full set of otters in her arms.

“We’re gonna be so so sooo late!” Nina cried, catching two extra otters that Ren tossed her way. “Ohhh, but they’re so cute! Just look at them, Ren! I-It’s OK for today! It was worth it!”

“Just keep runnin’, an’ we’ll get there right on time! Think of ‘em as a good luck charm. They’ll keep the water real calm for you today!” Ren yelled back, working extra hard to match Nina’s pace.

“Ehehe, yeah! I bet they will!” Nina grinned. “Nice to meet you, little buddies!”

Satisfied with her efforts, Ren carefully juggled the load in her arms as she slipped her bag off her shoulder and placed her new collection inside with a smile.

An’ if we’re late, I’ve got plenty of extra otters to smooth things over.

Luckily, though, the two of them made it to class just in time, with enough left over for Ren to carefully reposition the toy capsules lining her bag as she took out her things for the day.

She’d just finished, giving the bag an appreciative, you-all-take-care-now pat as her teacher and the new student walked into the classroom, and the other students instantly fell silent.

Until then, Ren hadn’t paid too much mind to the prospect of a new classmate. It wasn’t anything that had happened very often in a town as small as theirs and it was a weird time for it even if it did, but she simply chose not to concern herself with the idea all that much, doubting it would affect her much at all.

Looking at the girl standing in front of the classroom, though, Ren was more than a little dumbstruck by both the oddity of the occasion and the presence of the girl beside her teacher.

It just didn’t add up. It made no sense to her that a girl like that would be in a place like this.

“Class, I’d like you all to give a warm welcome to Kagura Zaizenji.”

Got it, I’m dreamin’.

But even in dreams, class didn’t stop for much of anything, so her teacher kept on speaking.

“She’s new to Kyushu, so any help you could give her would be greatly appreciated.”

Her teacher smiled and briefly looked in Ren’s direction. Still unsure of herself, all Ren could manage was a small nod, just enough to let her know that she was listening.

She glanced over at the new girl. Her hands rested firmly on her hips, and she had a smile every bit as wide and confident as you’d expect from someone so well off. She looked as if she was waiting for praise from the class, not willing to speak until everyone had told her how amazed they were by her.

Ren wasn’t going to play into it, but the rest of her class took the bait without a second thought.

“Oh wow! A Zaizenji! Ma’am, there’s an empty seat here! Can she sit next to me?!” an energetic girl on the other side of class shouted, sticking her hand up into the air.

“She’s so gorgeous! She can sit here instead, ma’am! I’ve got the only other empty spot in class!” another girl cried.

“No fair, how come they get to sit next to her?! Ma’am, we’ve gotta put it to a vote!”

“Who knew you all had this much school spirit inside you?” the teacher teased. “Do I need to spice up my lessons that badly? You should teach with me, Miss Zaizenji, the class seems thrilled to have you around.”

“Naturally! No matter where on Earth a Zaizenji may tread, they are sure to be met with adoration! Please, rest your feet, ma’am! I shall lead this class down the path of education!”

Ren wasn’t sure if she realized her teacher was joking or not. She took to the idea of teaching with an unreal amount of confidence.

“F-for now, maybe just take a seat by…”

Knowing there was no way to settle things diplomatically, she picked a coin up off her desk, assigned heads and tails to the open seats in class, then flipped it, caught it, and slapped it down on the desk.

“Miss Aihara by the window!” she declared, pointing her where she needed to go. She didn’t even try to silence the havoc that ensued, as a class full of students followed Kagura’s every step, bombarding her with questions before she could even leave the podium at the front of the room.

Only a few students remained in their seats, and much to Ren’s relief, her best friend was one of them.

Though that was mostly because Nina was so focused on her phone that she likely hadn’t noticed the new student’s arrival at all.

Ren leaned over and tapped her shoulder.

“One sec! I’m this close to catching a coelacanth! Just a liiiiiittle more…”

“Gotcha! Ehehe, see that Ren!” Nina beamed, pointing proudly at the cartoony fish on her screen. “That’s one of the hardest catches in the game!”

“Nice work, Nina. Yer close to a full encyclopedia now, yeah?” Ren gave her a half-smile. Watching her get so fired up was always a treat.

“Thanks! And yeah! I missed one of these the other day, so I really wanted to get this little guy! Er, uhhh...oh wait, big guy! Very big! Didn’t see his measurements at all, wow! Ehehe, the otters are already lending me a hand!”

She was happy for her, but Ren’s mind was still very firmly elsewhere.

“Y’see the new girl, Nina? Been here all of five minutes and she’s already causin’ a ruckus.”

“I did! She’s pretty, right?”

“Mm,” Ren nodded. She might not have fully understood the appeal of the girl, but she had to concede that Kagura was, in fact, beautiful. “But ya heard her name, right? Zaizenji.”

“What about it?”

“Ya’ve heard it before, I know it.”

“Have I? Hmmm…” Nina stroked her chin with her hand. Once the answer hit her, her eyes lit up. “I have! Like the toaster ovens!”

“Toaster ovens, aaand...?”

“And the cars! And the washing machines, and the office building that they put up in town last month, and the restaurants, and the… Oh wow, there’s a lotta Zaizenji out there, huh?” Nina looked almost dizzy. If she’d been standing up, Ren was sure she’d have lost her balance by now.

“More’n anyone can wrap their heads around, yup,” Ren nodded sagely. “An’ just in case yer wonderin’, that’s fer sure the same Zaizenji family that the new girl’s part of. I remember seein’ a picture of her way back when. Think her drills’ve grown a few inches, though.”

She looked over at Kagura, who seemed thrilled with all of the attention she was getting. Her ridiculously long, golden locks were elaborately styled into a pair of fluffy drills, each about as wide as her body.

“Well, cool! I hope she likes it here!”

“Yep. ‘Bout all anyone can hope for. But y’don’t think it’s strange that she’d show up in a place like this? She coulda gone to any school, but there she is, just a coupla seats away from me.”

“Hmmm, I don’t not think it’s strange, but I guess...y’know…”

“Hm?”

“Erica and I probably could’ve wound up anywhere too, y’know? You and I were born super far apart from each other, but now we’re right here, right next to each other!”

Nina smiled. She wasn’t wrong, per se. Both Ren and Nina had traveled quite a ways to end up in the small town they called home. Ren had moved to Kyushu from Tokyo as a young child, and Nina had come all the way from Australia with her older sister just a year later. As unlikely as their meeting was, they’d been inseparable for years.

Still, that same kind of coincidence didn’t satisfy Ren. A girl from a family that high and mighty? They wouldn’t make a place like this their home, not in a million years.

S’amazin’ enough as is that they even know this town exists. If it ain’t the lap o’ luxury, you’d figure they’d pretend it wasn’t there at all…

But here she was. The eldest daughter of the Zaizenji family, chatting away with her class.

“Guess so…”

Ren sighed. There was no point fussing about it.

“So, how big’s the coelacanth?”

Nina grinned, and the two turned their attention to the game she’d been playing. Zaizenji or no, this was how Ren wanted to spend her morning.

❖ ❖ ❖

“Alright, I’m off! Tell Aki I’ll cook with her tomorrow, Ren!”

“Mhmm. That sounds real good right about now… Make sure to catch some big ones, ya hear?”

“You know it!” Nina grinned, grabbing a sunhat from her locker and giving it a playful twirl before popping it on her head. “On a day this perfect, and with my new otter pals cheering me on, there’s no way my luck’ll be anything but great! That Coelacanth was a good omen, for sure!”

“Betcha can’t catch one of those in real life though.”

“They don’t live around here, but I’ll sure try!”

“That’s the spirit. I’ll check my recipe book when I get home. Find a good way to cook ‘em up.”

“Delish!” Nina chuckled. “See you tomorrow, Ren!”

And with that, Nina was off, dashing away in the direction of the pier.

“Have fun!” Ren called after her. “Tell Erica I’m cheerin’ her on, so she’d better be hittin’ the books!”

Nina spun around, gave a giddy thumbs up, then kept on running.

Ren, on the other hand, preferred a much slower pace. She always had. While she knew that she wasn’t born in this town, the cozy, laid-back lifestyle it offered was perfect for her, and she was proud to call it her home. She’d loved the trips she’d taken into bigger cities, of course, but she was glad that her daily life was largely devoid of anything resembling hustle or bustle.

And speaking of both, for as giddy as the class had been at the start of the day, it didn’t take long for everything to get back to normal at school. Ren hadn’t paid much mind to the Zaizenji’s haughty ambassador, but it seemed like even she couldn’t shake up the kind of place she’d taken root in all that much.

Hope she’s doin’ well. I dunno if people lost interest in her or what, but…

She thought back on lunch. Ren and Nina had a regular spot that they loved, one with, in Ren’s opinion, the nicest view in town. Today, as usual, they made their way over to it without a second thought. When she was leaving, though, Ren couldn’t help but turn her head back towards Kagura, idly wondering if she’d be surrounded by a flock of new friends.

Instead, she was alone, sitting at a desk and seemingly unsure of where to go or what to do. She didn’t even seem to have anything to eat. Meanwhile, most of the class had either filed outside or settled into their usual groups, chatting amongst themselves like nothing had happened.

It was a sad sight, but one that Ren didn’t put much stock in.

She’s gotta have somethin’ lined up. Girl like her’ll be just fine…

That was what she’d told herself at the time, but now that she was alone for the first time all day, she wasn’t so sure.

“Hrm…” she grunted, not sure what to do with the thought.

“I’ll figure somethin’ out.”

Satisfied, she nodded to herself and went on her way.

“Perfect day for fishin’, sure, but if ya could turn it down a degree or two, I’d be mighty grateful,” Ren muttered, gazing towards the sun for a moment. “Ohhh, I getcha. This yer way of tellin’ me to get a drink? Well, if yer makin’ an argument that strong, how can I say no?”

Ren chuckled to herself and slightly altered her course, heading for a vending machine in a nearby alley.

It was cool, shady, and far less quiet than usual.

“Well met, good sir! I, of course, need no introduction. I’m certain that you’re already well aware of who I am.”

Zaizenji’s here, huh? She’s got good taste in alleys, I’ll give her that...

“I’m here to partake of your finest beverage! I trust that you’re able to select one for me? Do take care, however! A Zaizenji’s tastes are as exacting as they are exquisite!”

Now, I ain’t an expert, and the heat’s gettin’ to me somethin’ fierce, so maybe I’m just dizzy...but that ain’t a person she’s talkin’ to, is it?

It was, in fact, a vending machine. And one that wasn’t terribly remarkable, either. You could see them on just about every street, and not a single one of them could have a conversation with you, even if you happened to be an heir to one of the world’s wealthiest families.

Got all the money in the world, an' they can’t even figure out how to work a vendin’ machine...

Kagura hadn’t seemed to notice Ren, so she just kept watching her for a while.

She’d gotten a general idea of Kagura’s looks in class, but now that she was alone, it was far easier for her to get a full read on the girl. She was fairly pale, at least compared to everyone Ren knew (herself included), and she had a cushy, not-quite-plump figure that was more rounded out around her hips than her chest. Still, the uniform she had on, likely a holdover of whatever fancy ladies’ academy she’d been to previously, was expertly tailored to her body, emphasizing her proportions in a way that commanded a great deal of attention.

Ren couldn’t help but think for a moment how she’d look if she could get a fancy, custom-tailored uniform just like it, but she had a hard time imagining it would do her much good to emphasize her tall, lanky frame quite the same way emphasizing Kagura’s bottom worked for her.

And, honestly? That was fine for Ren. She was more than content with slipping under the radar, taking things easy, and going at her own pace. Kagura Zaizenji, though, was clearly a woman that wanted to make every strength she had apparent from a glance. And, well, Ren had to admit that she did that pretty well. She and Nina had lowballed it when they called her pretty earlier in the day.

Kagura Zaizenji was no less than stunning.

Stunning, and likely extremely airheaded, if her current situation was anything to go by.

“Good sir, I do believe I requested a drink.”

The vending machine did what all vending machines do. It stood there, her plight falling on a total lack of ears, microphones, or anything else that might listen to her.

Save for Ren, of course. She heard her loud and clear.

She also saw the girl desperately trying to elicit any kind of response, positioning herself onto her tiptoes and craning her body around this way and that to try and trigger some kind of motion-sensing camera that simply didn’t exist in vending machines. At least, not any of the ones around here.

If that girl ain’t careful, I’m liable to see just ‘bout all there is to see of Kagura Zaizenji. Still, gotta hand it to whoever made white tights part’ve that uniform. Can’t say I’ve ever seen thighs much nicer than those…

Her admiration aside, Ren was glad when Kagura pulled herself back down, straightening her uniform before petitioning the machine again.

“Perhaps you didn’t hear me the first time! Very well, listen closely! I am Kagura Zaizenji of the esteemed Zaizenji family, and I-”

Ren walked over, popped a coin in the slot, and picked out a drink, which dropped down to the dispenser with a loud, satisfying clunk.

Kagura stared at Ren, too dumbfounded to do much else.

“Barley tea. Perfect for a day like this,” Ren said, with a sleepy smile.

“I-Indeed,” Kagura stammered, hands still planted on her hips from the lecture she was about to give the machine.

“Go ahead! I ain’t much for the stuff, so I’ll grab somethin’ else.”

“Then why, pray tell, did you order it?” Kagura asked, her tone somewhere between befuddlement and annoyance.

“Y’wanted a drink, right? So I ordered one for ya. Paid fer it myself ‘n everything,” Ren smiled, putting in another coin and ordering a second drink.

“I...suppose that’s true. I am rather parched…”

“In that case,” Ren reached down, grabbing both drinks and handing the tea to Kagura. “S’all yours. Most folks love barley tea, so I figured it’d suit even a Zaizenji’s refined palate.”

Ren smiled at Kagura. She worried the gesture might have seemed insincere, but Kagura seemed to have no such concerns.

“Indeed!” Kagura beamed. “Excellent decision making, Miss…?”

“Ren Sasahara.”

“Fine work, Ren Sasahara! I’m in your debt, and a Zaizenji never takes debts lightly! Rest assured, I shall repay your kindness a thousandfold!”

She smiled broadly as she twisted the cap off her drink and took a sip. Even an action as simple as that seemed to be carried with no small degree of grace when she was the one performing it.

“Mm,” Ren nodded. She didn’t care about anything like that. She just wanted to lend her classmate a hand.

If barley got you this fired up, maybe I shoulda grabbed ya a royal milk tea. I coulda said that you just give off a real royal vibe an’…

Nah, no way…

You are reading story Putting Down Roots at novel35.com

Ren blushed a little, embarrassed by her own thought, then pushed past it.

“New in town, huh? You gettin’ on well?”

“Indeed! This town is lucky, don’t you think, playing host to one as marvelous as myself!”

“Right, but it was always gonna like you. I guess I’m just wonderin’ if you like it.”

“I...hmmm…”

Kagura thought on how to phrase what she was about to say. Her long cowlick, the one messy part of her otherwise perfectly styled head of hair, stood at attention as soon as she figured it out.

“How’d you do-?”

Ren’s baffled question was quickly cut short.

“This town is, as Father put it, ‘idyllic, charming, and perfect for a dignified lady’! He was certain that I would do splendidly here, and I certainly wouldn’t disagree with Father’s words!”

Right, but I asked how you were feelin’ about it. Not yer pa.

She kept that one to herself. Ren felt like saying anything that could even seem a little disparaging toward her father would be a one way ticket out of Kagura’s good graces.

“Still, I must confess, there are aspects of this town that seem utterly bizarre! Not one student in my class had a personal attendant, and your vending machines seem incapable of understanding perfectly simple speech! To think, it required me to dirty my hands…”

“Hmm,” Ren hummed. “Think that one’s on you. Vendin’ machines don’t work like that anywhere. And nobody jus’ keeps a maid ‘on em.”

“They most certainly do! Why, at St. Rosaria, a young lady need only think her needs to have them all met posthaste, by maid, butler, and machine alike!”

Real fancy, huh? It ain’t like we’re in a podunk or nothin’, but y’aint gonna get that kinda treatment ‘round here…

Ren didn’t feel bad for her, per se, but she did idly wonder how someone so used to having everything handled for her would adjust to a town like this one. If she was already trying to have conversations with vending machines, well…

It didn’t bode well, Ren was perfectly aware of that.

“That yer old stompin’ ground?”

Kagura’s eyes widened at the phrasing, like she couldn’t bear to hear it referred to in such a base manner.

“I-It is the young ladies academy I previously attended, if that’s what you’re asking. The finest in the world!”

“An’ if yer with us now, what’s that make our school?”

“My presence does elevate its esteem a great deal, it’s true. But compared to St. Rosaria...”

“Guess we gotta talk to the principal, huh? Maybe we can bring in a coupla maids to clean the place up.”

“Ohhhhohohoho! A splendid idea, Ren Sasahara! We shall exceed even St. Rosaria in due time!”

Much as she wanted to keep her school as it was, Ren couldn’t help but smile a little at that. Kagura was nothing if not earnest, and Ren appreciated that.

The second Sis hears that laugh, she’ll ask fer yer hand in marriage. You sound like ya came straight from one of her books.

“Well look, Kagura, ‘til we get some maids in, I’d be happy to help ya figure things out around here. S’been my home fer most of my life, so I know it like the back of my hand. If I can getcha settled, it’d be a pleasure.”

“You are kind indeed, Ren Sasahara!” Kagura grinned, clearly thrilled by the offer. “Though I couldn’t possibly accept. I’m already indebted to you, and for that debt to grow even larger-”

“You can just pay me back two thousandfold or somethin’, right? Ain’t no trouble fer a Zaizenji.”

“It’s not a matter of being unable to pay, but, hmmm…”

“Well look, you don’t gotta decide right now. Take things at the pace that’s right fer you. All I’m askin’ is that you give it some thought.”

Kagura nodded. “Very well, if thought is what you ask of me, then a great deal of thought you shall receive!”

She declared that so proudly, as if she was promising far, far more than just turning over an offer in her head.

Rich folk throw that much weight behind everythin’ they do?

“Er, however...there is one question I need to ask of you for the time being, if you would be so kind.”

“Shoot.”

Kagura reached into her blazer’s front pocket, pulling out a small piece of paper with a written address.

Y’don’t have a driver? Some kinda maid to take ya home? Nothin’? Just a piece of paper with yer address?

It sure doesn’t look like yer roughin’ it, so what’s goin’ on?

“Could you tell me where this is? I-I’m certainly not lost, mind you. It wouldn’t do for a Zaizenji to get lost. It’s simply that-”

“Look yonder,” Ren interrupted her, pointing up toward a nearby hill. “Follow the street that way, cut through the shoppin’ district, take a left turn, then keep goin’ straight from there an’ you’ll make it without any trouble.”

Kagura’s eyes were glazed over, like she’d just heard something inconceivably complicated.

“Want me to walk you?”

“N-No! I couldn’t possibly accept after all the kindness you’ve already shown me.”

Her cowlick dropped, hanging down over her face.

How the heck…?

She seemed determined to go it alone. Were it not fairly close by, Ren wouldn’t have taken the chance to let her walk alone, but considering it would be a five-minute walk at the very most, she thought up a solution that would spare Kagura’s pride.

Ren pinned the piece of paper up against the wall, grabbed a pencil from her bag, and sketched a simple map on the back, handing it back to Kagura with a smile.

“See, that’s us right now. There’s yer rude vendin’ machine, and that’s the way you’ve gotta head. Think you can handle it?”

Kagura’s eyes brightened and her cowlick shot upright.

It’s like yer a dog or somethin’. Can’t hide how yer feelin’ when you’ve got that thing on yer head.

Heck, it’s pretty cute.

All told, it let Ren know that Kagura’s confidence was back in full force. Wherever she was going, she would most assuredly make it there without issue.

“Indeed I can! For there is nothing a Zaizenji cannot accomplish!”

“Tha’s the spirit,” Ren chuckled, patting her shoulder.

“Oh hey, before you go,” Ren called out, just as Kagura turned to leave, an idea springing to mind.

“Hm? Did something slip your mind?”

“Mm, it ain’t nothin’ major,” Ren nodded, rifling through her bag, “but do ya like crepes?”

“Indeed I do!” Kagura smiled.

“Gah, shoulda phrased that better. I ain’t givin’ you a crepe right now or nothin’, but that means that you and this little fella have somethin’ in common.”

Ren smiled, and handed Kagura one of the otters she’d collected that morning, happily holding a delicious-looking crepe.

“Oh? Are they an otter? How adorable!”

“Mhmm! Gave a couple to my friend Nina this mornin’, so I figured it might be nice fer you to have one too. A gift to welcome you to the neighborhood.”

Kagura’s eyes lit up as she looked at the otter with a delighted grin.

“Thank you very much, Ren Sasahara! I shall treat them well, I assure you!”

“That's real good to hear, Kagura,” Ren said, smiling softly. “Well then, I’m gonna make tracks myself. Got some real important stuff to check on. See ya tomorrow?”

“You most certainly will! I bid you adieu, Ren Sasahara! Once again, thank you for the drink, and for the delightful little otter as well!”

Ren chuckled, waving back lazily as she turned to leave.

“Bit of an airhead, but I think yer pretty alright, Kagura.”

Ren smiled as she made her way home. When she helped Kagura, a small part of her worried that their conversation would end more or less the instant she’d bought her a drink. That the very second Kagura said a word to her, it’d be nothing but dismissal that made it clear she wanted nothing to do with her.

But she didn’t get that. For as much as she thought they’d get on terribly, it was far easier to talk to her than she ever thought it would be. Honestly, it was even kind of fun. 

An unexpected detour, to be sure, but one that Ren was happy to have taken.

❖ ❖ ❖

“Things were lookin’ mighty fine out there today, if I don’t say so myself,” Ren mused, grinning as she cleaned away the dirt from an old, battered pair of work gloves. She ran over a list in her head as she dried them off, making sure she’d finished everything she needed to for the day. For as proud as she was of the work she’d put in, she was every bit as hungry, and the smell drifting in from downstairs wasn’t helping matters.

“Ren, dinner’s ready!”

“Be there in a sec, sis!”

Just the words I’ve been waitin’ to hear. Ain’t nothin’ like an honest afternoon’s work to give a girl an appetite.

Satisfied that everything had been taken care of, Ren headed to the kitchen, where Aki Sasahara—her older sister who just so happened to be the very same homeroom teacher that had introduced Kagura to a very excited class—was waiting for her.

“Whew,” Ren whistled, seeing the veritable feast laid out for the both of them, “ya that hungry, sis? Reckon this is pretty close to overkill.”

“I swear, your accent’s getting thicker by the day. It’s cute though! A real charm point. I should thank Natsumi sometime.”

“Yeah, an’ yers is thinner’n paper. Still hankerin’ fer the big city, sis?” Ren teased.

“Ahaha, no, no. Maybe you just picked up enough accent for the both of us. Sapped all of mine away.”

“Sounds about right,” Ren nodded sagely. “But still, lotta food tonight, don’tcha think?”

“Mm, it is, but I’m starving,” Aki chuckled.

“Yeah? Was somethin’ wrong with yer lunch? I didn’t have any trouble with mine, but maybe I’m just made of tougher stuff than you.”

“Oh yeah? If you’re that confident, I bet you’re really looking forward to PE tomorrow.”

Ren grumbled something she herself could barely hear, then started helping Aki move everything through to the dinner table.

“But no, lunch was fine. I just gave most of mine away. A student didn’t have anything to eat, so I ended up sharing with them.”

“Huh,” Ren cocked an eyebrow. “Kinda rare, yeah? Don’tcha normally just take ‘em to grab somethin’ at the school store when that happens?”

Aki nodded as the two of them sat down, her expression quickly turning concerned.

“I would have, but it was their first day and, well…”

“Kagura Zaizenji, huh?”

“The one and only!”

The two of them started on their food, the conversation not letting up for a second.

“I tried to tell her about the school store, but no matter how I tried to explain it, the poor girl seemed pretty confused. Plus, she was sitting all alone, so I sat down and ate with her instead. Made sure that she got her fill.”

Ren just nodded. Aki had always been incredibly kind to her students, so her going above and beyond with Kagura wasn’t too surprising.

“Can I ask you something, sis?”

“Go right ahead,” Ren nodded, smiling slightly once she saw her sister’s worried expression, hoping that it might make her feel a little better.

“You know that she’s…how should I put this?”

“Filthy rich?”

“When you’re right, you’re right,” Aki sighed. “Her family’s wealthier than everyone in this town combined, and even that’s underselling it. The lifestyle she’s led has been...well, about as far removed from what you and I are used to as possible.”

“Yep. Weird she’s even here, don’tcha think?”

“Extremely! She’s a student, and I intend to look out for her as much as I can, but I can’t deny that I was surprised to see her in the school’s registry. Her move over here was so abrupt, too. Transfer applications normally take weeks to process, but Kagura’s was wrapped up instantly. The school board is probably just trying to impress the richest family it’ll ever deal with, but…I dunno, the whole thing feels strange.”

“Huh…” Ren frowned, not really sure what to make of that.

“She’s out of her depth, to be honest. The school store’s one thing, but she was getting tripped up on just about everything. It’s not like she was treating everything like it was below her, but she couldn’t even begin to relate to any of it. The other students must’ve seen it, too. They flocked to her in the morning, but-”

“All of ‘em ran outta patience and interest by lunch.”

“You saw, huh?”

“Yep. Sure did…” Ren sighed. She wanted to believe that the sad sight she’d seen before heading to eat was an anomaly, but if it hadn’t been for Aki, she really would’ve stayed that way for the entire lunch period.

“So then, you probably know what I’m about to ask, right?”

“Sure do, but fire away anyway,” Ren nodded, half-smiling.

“Could you and Nina watch out for her? Just until she gets her bearings. I’m really worried about her, but there’s only so much I can do. I’ve spent all day wondering if she even made it home safely...”

“Well, you can put that worry to bed, at least. Gave her some real clear directions. Ain’t no way she’d mess ‘em up.”

“Oh? I thought you didn’t speak to her today. You and Nina seemed pretty disinterested.”

“Bumped into her on the way home. I’d say yer not gonna believe this, but you definitely will…”

Ren recounted her entire meeting with Kagura, and got the exact response she expected.

“Look, I’m proud of you for being so sweet, but…a vending machine?” Aki sighed.

“Yep. Barely seemed to understand how I ordered a drink fer her. She was real grateful, though. She ain’t a bad girl or nothin’, just outta her depth. Like you said.”

Aki nodded, though her concern quickly gave way to a teasing smirk.

Oh no, Sis…

“Sooooo,” Aki leaned over toward Ren. “What inspired you to help her out? Couldn’t help but notice how pretty she is?”

“Ain’t nothin’ like that!”

“No? I know you better than you think, Ren! Most days, if you saw something like that, you’d just tell yourself it wasn’t anything you should stick your nose in and walk right on by.”

“Most days, I wouldn’t see someone talkin’ to a vendin’ machine like a butler! Ain’t no way you can tell me how I’d act in that situation!”

“And the fact that she’s gorgeous is just a fun coincidence?”

“Barely even looked at her,” Ren grumbled, taking a huge bite of her food. “An’ even if I did, that’d be none’ve yer business.”

Aki giggled, leaning back in her chair.

“So you’re saying that you’ll happily look out for her?”

Ren sighed, knowing that there was no shaking whatever impression Aki now had of her.

“Ain’t like I was just gonna leave her all alone... I’ll talk to Nina about it first thing in the mornin’.”

“Thanks, Ren. That means a lot to me,” Aki smiled, her expression softening up a great deal. “Really though, knowing you’d look out for her even if I hadn’t asked is nice. You’re a sweetheart.”

“Just helpin’ out a classmate, is all.”

She’d already been a little nervous about how things might go with Kagura, so the additional pressure from her sister was a bit more than she’d wanted. Still, Ren considered herself a girl of her word, and she’d already told herself that she’d try and help out Kagura, so there was no way she intended to weasel out of a promise to her big sis.

Still...did Sis hafta kick up such a fuss over it? I swear, that girl could make a tomato blush...

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