Chapter Two: Girls With Dreams

April came and went in a blur.

The ordinary school life I’d had in mind, where I would keep my head down and study hard, had been ripped from my grasp. As it turned out, the promise of free tuition and living costs was too good to be true; Amanotsuka Academy was actually a school for training maids. Though it was originally founded as a school for well-off young ladies, the academy had added the Domestic Arts program later on so that maids who would serve the ladies could be educated alongside them.

The Domestic Arts program was the one I had passed the exam for and was now attending, while the young ladies were in the Societal Arts program. All my classmates were fully aware of the situation—for them, it had never felt like a cruel trick as it had for me.

Honestly, it had come as a major shock. Needless to say, I wasn’t about to give up on my dream. My normal studies just had to coexist with my new life spent learning how to be a maid.

Still, it wasn’t all bad. My education and living costs were still totally free, and the Domestic Arts students even got paid for serving the young ladies. Tough as it was to try and do two things at once, it only made me more determined to make it work.

That resolve stemmed, in large part, from getting to know one young lady in particular. Although my discomfort at referring to the Societal Arts students as “young ladies” had eventually fallen by the wayside, I was caught unawares the first time I met one of them. Himeko Amanotsuka had seemed so impressive that I couldn’t quite believe it.

As her surname might suggest, Himeko belonged to the family that had established the school. She was more than just a Societal Arts student. Alongside her studies, she was serving as the school’s deputy chairman of the board, and she was a member of the Sky Salon, the most prestigious salon in school. She wasn’t the kind of person I really had any right to have a casual chat with.

However, in a strange twist of fate, when we bumped into each other on the first day of school, our goals turned out to be pretty well aligned, and we ended up entering into the Golden Contract.

The unknown can be pretty scary. For a week or so, I was still very reluctant to work as Himeko’s Seraph—a maid exclusively contracted to her. Although I still hadn’t forgotten my real goal, I was getting pretty used to my new life serving Himeko.

After I met Himeko and became her Seraph, I made friends with Kirara, and we competed together in the Salon Struggle. It was a hectic month, and I met all kinds of other people as well. Before I knew it, May had arrived, and I’d started to feel at home at the academy.

In only two days, it would be Golden Week. We’d have several days of vacation in a row.

“Are you going home to visit your family, Kirara?”

The few minutes before homeroom started gave us time for a chat. Now that Kirara was a member of the Sky Salon, just like me, she’d become much easier to talk to. It had already gotten better when we spent a while learning table manners together, but now she’d basically lost any reason to be jealous of me.

“Maybe during summer vacation. We’re only getting four days off now, so it’s not really long enough. Besides, this is no time to be lazing around. I want Lady Kagura to make me into a Seraph as soon as humanly possible!”

“Fair enough. Do you know what you actually have to do to get there?”

“I wish. It would be easier if there was some way I could show off my skills, but Salon Struggles don’t come along every day. All I can do is keep my nose to the grindstone.” She put a hand on her chin and heaved a loud sigh. “How about you? Any plans?”

“I’m staying here, too. I don’t have the money for a trip home.”

“I guess we haven’t gotten our wages yet. Do you really not have enough for a train ticket, though?”

“Nope. My financial situation is really precarious.”

“Oh. Well, I don’t think you’re the only one in the Domestic Arts program.”

Domestic service was a pretty common occupation, so I wouldn’t have said it was the rule, but a lot of people went into it who came from less affluent backgrounds. This was all the more likely to apply to students of Amanotsuka Academy, where so much was provided for free. There were plenty of girls who came here hoping to end up serving a celebrity-caliber lady, but just as many came here for purely financial reasons.

I had other reasons for not going home, but Kirara didn’t ask any more questions, maybe because she was worried about prying.

Hmm, I wonder if Himeko will be staying here as well? She could go home, but it seems like she might have some reason not to. Come to think of it, I’ve never really asked her about her home life—not that I’ve really said much about mine, either.

While I was wondering about this, our homeroom teacher arrived, ready to start. “Good morning, class!”

Ms. Hiyori was a kind teacher who was never seen without a smile. She didn’t even mind when students called her “Ms. H.” It was clear at a glance that she was a lady from a good background; her demeanor and the accessories she wore made her fine upbringing readily apparent. I’d heard she was a former student of Amanotsuka Academy, and I could definitely believe that. She was still in her early twenties, so a lot of the students looked up to her as an older sister figure.

“I have a very important announcement for you.”

Her relaxed tone didn’t make it sound all that significant, but she did have an unusually serious expression.

“By now, you should all be getting used to life at the academy, so after Golden Week, we’ll really get down to business.”

Gasps and murmurs broke out across the classroom.

“I’m sure you’ve all been eagerly awaiting your chance to start serving the Societal Arts students for real by being assigned to them for room duties.”

This went without saying, but the goal of every Domestic Arts student was to get a job working in the household of one of the Societal Arts students. However, just studying at the school wouldn’t provide enough opportunities to meet the young ladies and get to know them well enough for them to start handing out exclusive contracts. Also, while the ladies could trust that anyone who studied here was going to be a superior maid, that didn’t mean they’d hire just anyone. Sometimes, even a servant who did everything flawlessly was still a person they didn’t quite get along with—or they could find they preferred a maid who made them comfortable, with everything else taking second place.

That was what the room duties were for. They provided opportunities for maids and ladies to meet and maybe find they had an affinity for each other. Every student who didn’t already have an exclusive contract would be put on a monthly rotation of temporary contracts to personally take care of one Societal Arts student at a time. Then, if the lady found she really liked the maid, she might take her on as a Seraph or Exousia.

For most Domestic Arts students, it was a chance to make their mark, so they were eager to jump in. Thankfully, it made no difference to me since I already had an exclusive contract with Himeko. I could imagine it being quite an ordeal if I didn’t, especially since I never even wanted to be a maid in the first place. Every single month they’d be switching to a new lady and having to learn all the ins and outs of working for her in particular. If they weren’t compatible with their potential mistress, the strain could end up getting to them and having adverse effects on their school work. If their work got sloppy, it could potentially put the young lady in a bad mood, which would impact their grades, maybe even enough to lead to expulsion.

With all that in mind, I started feeling really lucky to be Himeko’s Seraph. She took my needs into consideration and even helped me out with my studies. In essence, she was the ideal mistress.

“In a few minutes, I’ll give you a questionnaire to fill out to help us decide which student to send where. Try to think about what kind of maid you’re aiming to be.”

I hadn’t realized they’d be taking the students’ wishes into account to a certain degree. It did make sense since there wasn’t much point in sending a future kitchen maid to serve someone who was looking for a lady’s maid. Sure, it could happen to be a perfect match, but it was more likely to be a waste of time. It was nice that the school took all that into account.

“Now, before I give you all the questionnaire, I’d like to select the head maid.”

Head maid? What’s that?

“As you all know, the head maid serves as a coordinator for all the other maids. During your room duties, you’re likely to have all sorts of questions and concerns. Some of them might be sensitive topics you’d rather not discuss with a teacher. In those cases, the one you can turn to for support is the head maid. She’ll act as a bridge between the teachers and students, providing help and advice to ensure you can carry out your duties smoothly.”

Huh, that sounds like a tough job. I definitely have no interest in doing that.

“There’s no fixed duration for the head maid role. However, the head maid is chosen from students who don’t yet have a Seraph or Exousia contract. The idea is that if the student assigned to be head maid does receive a contract at some point, she then passes the title to someone else. However, even if she remains uncontracted, the idea isn’t for her to keep the title for the entire school year—I plan to select a replacement about halfway through. That said, the students most likely to be picked also tend to be given contracts rather quickly, so I’d be surprised if anyone stays in the role for more than three months or so.”

Ms. Hiyori grinned as she spoke.

That means me and Kirara won’t get picked. Phew! I patted my chest in relief.

“The decision is up to the teacher, and I’d like to ask the student who has the highest grades out of those who don’t have a contract yet. If the person I’ve chosen would strongly prefer not to do it, then I’d ask her to let me know. I understand that it can be a heavy burden, so I don’t intend to force anybody. Now, without further ado...”

She looked around the classroom until her eyes fell on one particular student.

“Sara, I’d like to ask you to be our first head maid this year. Are you all right with that?”

“Yes, that sounds jolly good,” said Sara, rising from her seat. There was no hesitation in her voice whatsoever.

Sara had blonde hair that shone with a golden luster, clear blue eyes, and a shapely face with a straight nose. The slightly odd phrases she used sometimes were a sign that she was a rarity in the Domestic Arts program: an exchange student from Britain. Her hair fanned outward slightly at the bottom, while a braid hung down behind each ear, tied with ribbons that appeared to have small cherry blossom petals attached. There was a hardness to her gaze that made her seem slightly unapproachable, so I hadn’t actually spoken to her yet, but I knew she’d excelled in all our classes so far.

“Sara’s new to Japan, so I’m sure there are still ways in which she’s not quite used to our country’s customs and the systems specific to Amanotsuka Academy. I’m hoping this will be a good opportunity for her to gain a deeper understanding of both. You should all feel free to go to her with any problems you might have. At the same time, if there’s anything Sara doesn’t understand, I hope you’ll all be kind enough to help her. Is that clear?”

She swept her gaze across the room, eliciting a chorus of “Yes, Ms. Hiyori.” Among the voices, I could hear more than a few that were filled with relief at not being picked themselves. I couldn’t blame them. Any job with “head” at the start of it sounded like something I’d rather avoid.

“Now, I do have one additional request,” the teacher continued. “Misaki? Kirara?”

I jumped at being suddenly called on. Kirara’s head whipped up reflexively as well. “Yes, Ms. Hiyori!” we responded.

“Both of you already have contracts with a mistress, which is rare this early in the school year. Not only that, but your mistresses are the illustrious Himeko Amanotsuka and Kagura Mikage.”

In an instant, all eyes in the room were focused squarely on us. This wasn’t too uncommon these days—it had started when I became Himeko’s Seraph—but I still wasn’t exactly comfortable with it.

“That’s fantastic, and a great opportunity, I think. I’d like the two of you to show Sara how you work. It would be really helpful for Sara if you can give her a close look at what kind of student becomes a Seraph or an Exousia, and what a salon is like. That kind of knowledge will make it easier for her to carry out her head maid duties.”

“Oh, uhm, sure.”

I was a little uncomfortable agreeing to this. Just because I was a Seraph didn’t mean I was doing anything all that special. All I really had to do was stay close to Himeko and do my best to play the part.

How I work? What does that even mean? I know from the outside it probably looks like I’m some amazing prodigy for being chosen by Himeko in my first year, but it actually had nothing to do with my abilities. I guess everyone must think I’m a really good maid who lives up to Himeko’s high standards or something.

In a hushed voice, I asked Kirara, “What do we do?”

Unlike me, Kirara definitely did have the kind of domestic service skills that an Exousia could be proud of. I was wondering if it might be possible for her to show Sara enough work for the two of us. Either way, bringing her along to the Sky Salon would require Lady Kagura’s permission.

Whispering, I rushed to try and point all this out. Kirara replied, “I’m sure it’ll be fine! I see what you mean, though.”

She wore a look of pride on her face. Since becoming Lady Kagura’s Exousia, Kirara had started to come across as a little more self-confident than before.

Kirara stood and said to the teacher, “We can’t decide that on our own, I’m afraid. We’ll have to go and ask Lady Kagura.”

“Yes, indeed. I’m sure she’ll be happy to agree.” Ms. Hiyori nodded, apparently quite satisfied by Kirara’s exemplary response. “Sara, please wait until you hear back from Misaki and Kirara about this. Kagura will probably give permission, so when she does, try to look at this as a chance to learn from the best.”

“Yes, that will be absolutely fine.” She turned to us. “How do you do?”

Sara then bowed at an angle so precise that it wouldn’t have been out of place in an etiquette textbook.

I replied hastily, “Uhm, fine. Nice to meet you too. I’m sure we can all learn from each other.”

Where the stare of her striking blue eyes left me fraught with nerves, Kirara showed an easygoing smile. “Can’t wait!”

“Now, here’s the questionnaire for you all. When you’re filling it out, think hard about what kind of maid you’re aiming to be.”

I was handed one even though I didn’t really need to write anything on it since I was a Seraph already. Still, looking at it made me acutely aware once again that I was at a school specifically for training maids.

✤

It had become a regular occurrence for our classmates to gather around me after classes were finished for the day. Mostly, they would pile on questions about Himeko and the Sky Salon, or beg to know more about the other celestials. For these girls, who were anxious for the opportunity to meet fine ladies they could serve, every crumb of information was like gold dust.

Now that Kirara was Lady Kagura’s Exousia, all their fervent attention was pivoting toward her instead.

“What’s Lady Kagura like as a mistress? People say she’s really strict. Is it true?”

“Did you have your debut already? Did you get to meet a whole bunch of ladies? I’m so jealous!”

“Has Lady Kagura said anything about wanting more maids? Do you think she’d give me a chance?”

Knowing how Kirara was, I expected her to mostly shut them down, but usually she gave surprisingly straight answers to their questions. Maybe she was just that eager to talk about Lady Kagura.

I tried to give whatever answers I reasonably could, too. After all, now that room duties were starting, there’d inevitably be fewer and fewer of them, since the other girls would start getting contracts of their own. For now, though, we still attracted a crowd of classmates.

Suddenly, Kirara stood up and gasped, putting a stop to their conversation. Putting her hands together, she said, “Sorry, everybody! We have to head out now. We’re supposed to take Sara to the Sky Salon today. Misaki, let’s get going.”

During our lunch break, we’d taken the time to tell Lady Kagura about the teacher’s request from that morning. We’d successfully gotten permission, which had not necessarily been guaranteed. Each salon was essentially its own private world. Often, entry was strictly forbidden to outsiders unless they were an invited guest explicitly given permission by the head of the salon. When we’d visited the other salons for our debut, we’d probably have been turned away at the door if Lady Inaho hadn’t been with us. Being a member of one salon seemed to provide a bit of leeway to go back and forth between the different ones, which was why it was so important to show our faces and make an impression.

This was a special case, with a particular reason for seeking permission, so Lady Kagura had agreed. However, the Kokonoe sisters had been clear about what would happen if there weren’t a good reason.

“Don’t bring anyone along just because they’re curious and itching to take a peek.”

“If you do, we’ll punish you by making you wear an apron and nothing else.”

I looked around the classroom but I couldn’t see Sara sitting anywhere. “I’m ready to go when you are, but where’s Sara?”

“Over here! Tally-ho!”

There it was again—her unusual way of speaking. When I turned in the direction of her voice, she was already waiting in the corridor, ready to go. We hurriedly grabbed our school bags and followed her.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to keep you waiting,” I said.

“You could have said something,” Kirara muttered.

“Well, my goal today is not to participate, but to observe.” True to her word, she was staring intently at us.

After a moment, I said, “You know, it’s kind of unnerving, being looked at like that.”

Kirara had clearly had enough. “Stop talking nonsense and let’s just go.”

“Certainly!” Sara chirped.

We headed to the old school building, which housed the Sky Salon. Along the way, we explained where the salon was and how to use the elevator that led there.

✤

When we entered the Sky Salon, Himeko and Lady Kagura were already waiting.

“This is Sara, the one I mentioned,” said Kirara first of all.

Lady Kagura turned to Sara. “Welcome! I’m the head of the salon, Kagura Mikage.”

“I’m frightfully grateful to be allowed in. I’ve heard the Sky Salon puts all the others to shame. I’m thrilled to meet you, Lady Kagura.”

“Don’t even mention it. You can relax and feel right at home here. For now, why not have a cup of tea? I know you’re here to observe, but the Sky Salon’s not that big, so you should be able to get a good view of the whole place even if you’re sitting comfortably. If you have any questions at all, I’m happy to answer.”

“Oh, I’m happy to stand. No need to pay me any mind. Act as though I’m not even here.”

“Honestly, it’s no trouble. Today you’re our guest, that’s all. Sure, you may be a Domestic Arts student, but it would still be rude to leave you standing. I couldn’t live with myself.”

After a pause, Sara said, “Very well. Much obliged, then. I will have a spot of tea, if you don’t mind.”

She didn’t refuse a second time, but her whole attitude was pretty impressive. Sara wasn’t even slightly timid. She stood her ground and replied calmly and politely. Her ladylike demeanor would no doubt be a credit to anyone she stood beside as a lady’s maid.

As urged by Lady Kagura, Sara found a seat and introduced herself to the Sky Salon members sitting nearby. Today, the celestials hadn’t spread out to their favorite places in the room, but had gathered around the central table instead. It looked like this was intentional; they had known we were bringing Sara, and they wanted to welcome her.

A selection of sweets had been laid out, and the tea was ready to be served. With Sara sitting down, a miniature banquet began in her honor. Kirara and I put our aprons on and took over the role of serving everybody, hoping to make a good impression on her. Recently, I’d honed my tea-brewing technique, so it was a chance to show my stuff. Kirara hadn’t even needed to be taught; she’d been determined to be a maid for so long that this kind of task was second nature to her. I couldn’t let her leave me in the dust.

I did have one advantage: I’d been there slightly longer. Kirara hadn’t had time to learn everyone’s tastes and preferences yet. I found myself giving her various tidbits of advice as we set about serving the tea.

Meanwhile, Sara smiled and had a pleasant chat with Lady Kagura and the others. If not for her Domestic Arts uniform, this would have looked like a tea party between ladies of equal status.

The Societal Arts program had quite a few exchange students, but it was pretty strange to see a girl like Sara, who had grown up abroad and came across as someone with a good background, studying to be a maid.

It could be that she wants to get married and be a homemaker, but I don’t think it’s quite the right program for that. With any luck, all this will bring us closer together and I’ll get a chance to ask her sometime.

Eventually, Himeko said, “You should sit down as well, Misaki. The food’s going to run out otherwise.”

“All right.”

We’d already served everyone a second cup of tea by now, so our duties were mostly finished. I took Himeko up on her offer and let myself relax.

I’ve done a pretty great job today, if I do so say so myself! I didn’t trip and spill any tea, and I didn’t mix up any of the ladies’ special orders. Kirara also did a great job considering it’s only her second day officially working at the Sky Salon. I don’t think she made a single mistake. Hopefully Sara will say something like, “Jolly good, both of you!”

Himeko grabbed a cookie and lifted it up to my mouth. “Here you go, Misaki.”

The others made derisive comments sometimes, calling it “feeding time at the zoo,” but Himeko seemed to have a thing for feeding me sweets. Ever since she gave me donuts this way on my first visit to the Sky Salon, she’d apparently developed a liking for it. Telling her how embarrassing it was did nothing to make her stop, so I’d given up and let her have her way. She never did it anywhere outside of the salon and her own dorm room, so it wasn’t a big deal.

“Sara’s from Britain, isn’t she?” Himeko asked me.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“No wonder she knows so much about being a maid.”

“What do you mean? Is there something special about Britain?”

“It’s the birthplace of maids. Ever since the profession was formally established in the Victorian era, they’ve become more and more polished. Sara seems to have been studying very hard, so I’m sure her skills are excellent.”

“Wow. The birthplace of maids, huh?” That did explain her incredible grades.

“That reminds me, Misaki. I want you to stay over tonight.”

“Sure, got it.”

Himeko was often inviting me to stay in her room. This was because taking care of her overnight or during days off came with bonus pay. Knowing that I was in a tough situation financially, Himeko had promised to take good care of me. We’d also agreed that in exchange for my services, she’d help out with my studies, so it was win-win.

At first, it had felt like I was imposing on her by staying over so often, but she didn’t seem bothered at all. In fact, she always seemed thrilled to have me there, since it let her pretend we lived together. Lately, I’d stopped trying to fight it and just accepted her kindness, which meant I was now staying the night about a third of the time.

Ding, dong! Ding, dong!

The bell rang to warn us that it was time to leave. Of course, since Amanotsuka Academy was a boarding school, no one had to actually leave school grounds, so most people didn’t react to the bell with any particular hurry. Teachers would go around to check and send people back to their rooms, but even that would be a little while. This was just a warning to start getting ready to move.

Incidentally, the Societal Arts students could even stay out later if they applied for permission. I had even heard that they threw late-night balls on campus sometimes. Here in the Sky Salon, the ladies tended to take their time wrapping up even after the bell rang.

“Kirara, Misaki, why don’t you take Sara back to the dorm with you?” said Lady Kagura.

“Okay!” we both replied at once. We set about getting our things together.

I really gave it my all today. I wonder what Sara thought? Even if she does come from the birthplace of maids, it’s not like she has a contract yet. In terms of real-life maid experience, I’m technically still one step ahead. I bet she can teach me a lot, but maybe she can even learn something from me, too!

Before leaving, I stepped over to Himeko. “I’ll head to your room when I’m done.”

“Great! I’ll be waiting.”

She waved goodbye, and we left the Sky Salon.

Kirara, Sara, and I made our way back to Chambord House. Unable to hold back any longer, I decided to ask, “What did you think? Did you pick up any pointers?”

There was no denying I’d gotten a little bit conceited. I thought my performance was worthy of a perfect score. However, the next words out of Sara’s mouth threw cold water all over me.

“I was frightfully disappointed. The standards in Japan seem far worse than I expected.”

I balked. “What?”

“Oh, I don’t mean to lump every maid in together, of course. Certainly, though, you two first years are hopelessly lacking in the requisite skills.”

With a look of anger, Kirara demanded, “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean just what I said.”

I turned to face Sara. “Did we, uhm, do something wrong?”

The old school building stood tall in the distance behind her. Just a few minutes earlier, we’d been at its highest point, with the best view across the campus, doing work that might not have been perfect but was definitely good enough in my opinion.

“There was nothing you didn’t do wrong.”

I groaned. “We did that bad a job of serving tea?”

All my earlier confidence had vanished into thin air. I just stared at Sara like a lost little puppy.

“It runs deeper than that. Frankly, I was gobsmacked at what a mess it was. There’s no way Kirara deserves to be a Seraph based on that shocking performance.”

Flaring up even more, Kirara drew right up to Sara’s face. “You better watch what you say!”

“Wait!” Panicking, I grabbed Kirara from behind and pulled her back. “Kirara only just became an Exousia, and there were special circumstances. It’s not like she’s going to become a Seraph right now anyway.”

“I am well aware. We all saw Kirara’s performance in the dining hall. In my eyes, it’s not especially relevant, however. If Lady Kagura were satisfied with Kirara’s skills and found they met her standards, she’d make her a Seraph regardless of all else.”

“Oh, uhm, I guess.”

The reason Lady Kagura had given for not promoting Kirara straight to Seraph was that it would help prevent copycats.

But was that because the act itself—begging to be her Seraph—was something anyone could copy? Hypothetically, if Kirara’s skills had stood out, and Lady Kagura had been able to say she had decided based on Kirara’s skills rather than her actions, maybe she would have been able to make her into a Seraph right away. Anyone who lacked those skills wouldn’t have been able to copy that, so there would’ve been no problem, right?

We were still first years, though, and right at the start of our studies. Being that good would have been a pretty tall order. In that light, what Sara was saying made sense.

“No need to worry,” said Sara. “Now that I’m head maid, I can give you some tips, and then Kirara will be a Seraph in no time. First, I’ll outline all the mistakes you made.”

“Don’t bother,” said Kirara in what sounded almost like a growl.

“I beg your pardon?”

“I’m telling you not to bother. I don’t need you to teach me anything. I’m going to become a Seraph all on my own.”

“Are you capable of that?”

“Yes!”

“And when do you suppose you’ll achieve this feat?”

“Soon! Right away! Just you wait, I’ll be a Seraph before you know it—and I’ll make sure you know it!”

“Capital! I can’t wait.”

“Hmph. Let’s go, Misaki.”

She grabbed my hand and sped off with me in tow.

“Kirara, hold on a sec! Are you sure you should be talking like that?”

“I don’t care. If someone treats me like she just did, I’m not going to just roll over and ask for more. I don’t need her!”

Her anger didn’t abate for the rest of the walk. All the way back to our room, she was grumbling to herself in a harsh whisper.

When we got back to the room, she began to vent her anger by taking it out on her pillow. “Ugh, how annoying!”

I was taken aback.

“Who does she think she is? She’s just jealous because she doesn’t have a contract yet!”

The pillow she was clutching to her chest took a sharp blow to the side and folded in half.

“I didn’t get that impression,” I replied.

From the look she’d had in her eyes, I’d have guessed Sara was genuinely disappointed. That was surprising in its own way, but still, she hadn’t struck me as jealous.

Kirara looked over at me.

“What are you doing, anyway?” she asked in a slightly barbed tone.

“Oh, you know, just getting ready. Himeko asked me to stay over again.”

Flustered, I used my arms to block her view of the bag I was busy cramming full of my overnight gear. I’d already stayed with Himeko plenty of times by now, so Kirara should have been used to seeing this, but it seemed to provoke her every time. Now that Sara had put her in a bad mood, it was only going to be worse.

“Of course, how could I forget? Everything’s going great for Misaki, isn’t it? You’re a Seraph already, so you get the privilege of staying the night with your mistress.”

“Don’t take this out on me, okay? I’m planning to ask Himeko if she saw anything wrong with our work.”

“Tell me what you think, Misaki. Did we do anything wrong?”

“I have no idea. I thought I did a good job, but Sara sounded pretty convinced. Either way, if there are ways I can improve, I should try and do that, right? If we’re not going to ask Sara about it, that means we have to find out on our own.”

“Well, yeah. I guess you have a point.”

“Anyway, I’m heading out.”

I gathered up my things as quickly as I could. I could see in Kirara’s eyes that if I stayed any longer, her complaints would just run in an endless loop. Grasping my bags, I ran out of the room, eager to escape.

✤

Droplets of water glided down Himeko’s silky smooth skin. They slid from the small hollow in the center of her collarbone to the divet between her ample breasts, proceeding ever downward. Pausing only for a moment to linger in her little belly button, the beads rolled past her abdomen.

With her hair treatment finished, I wrapped up her long hair in a towel, revealing the nape of her neck, an area of her pale skin usually hidden from everyone’s eyes. If I were a vampire, this sight, so bewitching and so vulnerable, would have been too much for me to resist. Seeing parts of Himeko’s body that no one ever could except me had an enchanting effect every single time.

“So, you wanted to know if there was anything you and Kirara did wrong?”

“Uhm, right! Yes!”

I’d been so drawn in by Himeko’s bare neck that her voice took me by surprise. Although I’d gotten used to sharing a bath with Himeko, her naked body still rendered me breathless. I couldn’t believe she had such an impressive figure when we were only one school year apart. It made me feel self-conscious about my own lack of curves, but even so, seeing her beautiful body was enough of a feast for the eyes to make up for it.

“Hmm. I’m trying to think of any mistakes you made, but I’m struggling. It all seemed fine to me.”

“Really?”

When we’d reached Himeko’s room, I’d tried to broach the subject right away, but she had told me she needed some time to consider it and wanted to have a bath first. Now I was just finishing up the process of washing her hair, same as always. By this point, I didn’t think there was any reason Himeko would lie to spare my feelings, so it was a relief to hear her say that straight out.

“I can’t really comment on Miss Hoshino, of course. That’s up to Kagura, and she might feel differently.” After setting out that proviso, she continued, “There are people who think that there’s only one kind of master-servant relationship and they all have to fit that mold. The thing is, that’s only a one-size-fits-all solution. It might be sufficient for a maid being hired by the day, but it’s nothing like our relationship.

“You’ve entered into the Golden Contract and become a Seraph, so what matters is that you serve in a way that aligns with your mistress and her needs. From the outside, people might think it looks overly permissive, but a maid only has to satisfy her mistress—me, in your case—and no one else. There’s no single answer for the ideal master-servant relationship, because every master, or mistress, is different. That’s what it boils down to.”

“Yeah, I see what you mean.”

“We agreed on the contract because it was mutually beneficial for both of us. I have no intention of making any strict demands that don’t fit with that. In fact, I’m grateful to you for going along with my self-indulgent wishes to do things like take baths together. I’m not going to start complaining.”

Wait, hold on a moment.

I felt a sudden pang of anguish as I realized what she wasn’t saying.

Sure, Himeko might be satisfied with me, but that’s because she isn’t expecting much. There are probably still lots of things I should be doing that I’m not, and Sara picked up on that. Things that any elite maid should be able to do are totally outside of my expertise.

Why do I feel so frustrated by this? It’s not like I’m aiming to be a maid in the first place. My contract with Himeko is only for a year, anyway. She doesn’t want to turn me into a real maid and doesn’t demand that I give her a high level of service. Still, I can’t just leave things like this.

I felt ashamed of myself for quietly singing my own praises and thinking I’d already learned so much. At my current standard, I wasn’t worthy of calling myself Himeko’s Seraph. Even if I didn’t want to be a maid for the rest of my life, I couldn’t slack off. The key to a bright future was putting everything I could into the task I had at hand—I was sure of that.

While I’m at this school, I have to study to be a maid regardless. I want Himeko to genuinely be glad she made me her Seraph, not just because I’m good enough as a compromise, but because she honestly believes it.

Seeing that I was lost in my thoughts, Himeko gently cocked her head to one side. “What’s wrong, Misaki?”

“Nothing!”

I’d made a secret vow to myself. I was determined now to become a Seraph Himeko could truly be proud of and no one could deny was good enough.

“Himeko, if there’s anything you want me to do, or anything I shouldn’t do, please tell me, okay?”

“Huh? Yes, sure thing.”

I decided to keep my decision to myself. Declaring to Himeko that I suddenly wanted to be an amazing Seraph would probably just cause her angst.

She continued, “In that case, I have a request for you already.”

“Tell me!”

“Will you wash my body for me?”

“Absolutely!”

With a respectful nod, I picked up the sponge and soap.

“What’s gotten into you? Normally it’s less ‘Absolutely!’ and more ‘I suppose so.’”

“Really? I’ve always been happy to help with this.”

I took her hand and gently rubbed it with the foamy sponge. Before, I’d always thought of it as just getting her clean, but today I was scrubbing her body with both affection and determination.

“I feel like you’re being gentler than usual, too.”

Her cheeks flushed and she closed her eyes, enraptured. Washing her was something anyone could do, but evoking this expression could only be done by the one who was always by her side: her Seraph. Just this slight change in my attitude had been enough to increase Himeko’s pleasure many times over. It was a challenge, but if I couldn’t achieve this in all facets, I didn’t deserve to be her Seraph.

“Let me thank you by washing you!”

“Oh, no, you don’t have to do that.”

Whether it was to thank me or otherwise, Himeko deciding to scrub me in return was another everyday occurrence. This probably wasn’t the normal way young ladies treated their maids.

“Yes, I do. I’ve finally learned the exact right amount of pressure to apply. Now I have to make sure every nook and cranny of you is squeaky clean.”

I feel like my mistress is a bit of an oddball. Becoming the kind of Seraph who can please her properly could be tricky.

✤

The next morning, I went straight from Himeko’s room to the main school building. When I got to the classroom, Kirara was sitting there, still burning with rage. She wore a sour expression and consciously avoided looking in Sara’s direction.

Trying to talk to Kirara when she’s like this feels pretty risky, but I have to tell her what Himeko said and what conclusion I came to. Here goes nothing!

I steeled my courage and said, “Good morning, Kirara.”

She took a breath, then replied with a fairly normal greeting. “Hey. Morning.” It seemed like she wasn’t about to take out her anger on me, at least. “Well? What did Lady Himeko say?”

Stowing my bag away, I took my own seat and turned my upper body to face Kirara so I could talk to her more easily. “That there was nothing wrong with anything we did.”

“I knew it! It was just plain jealousy.”

From her self-satisfied tone, she clearly felt vindicated. She looked ready to leap straight out of her seat and confront Sara, so I hurriedly continued.

“Only, I started thinking there might be a difference between not doing anything wrong and actually being a good maid.”

“What are you talking about?”

I explained everything that had occurred to me when I spoke with Himeko—how even the level that was enough to satisfy Himeko could look inadequate from Sara’s point of view, and how this was totally reasonable.

“What about Lady Kagura, though? She didn’t give me any grief. I doubt she’d be all right with ‘just good enough,’ you know?”

“Well, you’ve only just started working at the Sky Salon, so she’s probably still letting you settle in. When I joined, I was treated like a guest to begin with. It took some time before I really started being taught how to serve properly. She must know it’s too soon for us to have learned that kind of thing in class, either.”

Kirara tilted her head, apparently unconvinced. “Really? You think that’s how she sees it?”

“Besides, Himeko and Lady Kagura saying we’re good enough isn’t all that matters. I think there was more we could have done and didn’t. If we can figure out what that is, we can fix the mistakes Sara was talking about, and you’ll definitely be good enough to be made into a Seraph.”

“Maybe you’re right. How are we going to figure it out, though? I really don’t want to ask her.” She jerked her chin in Sara’s direction.

“I do wonder what Sara was planning to tell us, but I don’t think we should go down that route anyway. After all, we have exclusive contracts with our mistresses. Instead of getting an outsider to tell us what to do, we have to find the right way to please them on our own.”

“Listen to you being all gung-ho.” She cast a mocking glance my way. “I didn’t think you even wanted to be a maid.”

“I don’t, but that’s a separate matter. Whatever my long-term goals are, I’m here in the Domestic Arts program and working as Himeko’s Seraph, so I can’t slack off when it comes to my maid studies. I have to spend three years working hard at this and learning everything I can. That’s what I’ve decided.”

After keeping this plan secret from Himeko, I declared it out loud to Kirara. I was certain that she and I would be able to keep pushing each other to go further from now until graduation.

“Sounds like a good attitude. Let’s exceed our mistresses’ expectations and try to surprise them with what we can do! Rubbing Sara’s nose in it along the way, of course.”

“Right!”

We nodded to one another and firmly clasped each other’s hands. Kirara joining the Sky Salon had turned out to be surprisingly motivating for me.

✤

We racked our brains to figure out how we might have messed up, but by the time school was over for the day, we hadn’t come up with anything. I was still turning it over and over again in my mind when we arrived at the Sky Salon.

Ultimately, all we could really do there was serve tea. Learning to prepare it in the exact way that Himeko liked and presenting it with elegance and grace was no mean feat, so there hadn’t been time for much else. Now it was second nature, which was an achievement.

In a corner on our own, Kirara and I tried to formulate our strategy.

“After all that, nothing’s coming to mind,” I said. “I keep thinking about it, but I’m totally drawing a blank.”

“Me too, but we have to keep at it! It’s too soon to give up!”

I glanced around, hoping to find some hint by looking at the other girls who were there, but given that all anyone really did at the Sky Salon was chat and drink tea, the maids’ duties weren’t all that varied. If room duties were included, there would probably have been plenty of extra things we could have done, but Sara hadn’t seen us doing that. She’d judged purely based on our work in the Sky Salon and told us in no uncertain terms that it didn’t measure up. That meant there was a way for us to improve what we did here in the salon. No doubt she’d spot a whole host of other problems if she saw me and Himeko in private.

I was still deep in thought when Lady Kagura arrived a little late, flanked by the Kokonoe sisters. She clapped her hands twice to get the room’s attention. “Could you all gather round, please?”

Everyone assembled around the central table.

“Sorry to interrupt while you’re all relaxing. I’d just like to check in about whether you have plans for Golden Week. If not, I’d love it if you’d join me.”

In a fatigued tone, the twins added remarks of their own.

“For the same thing as always.”

“Yup. The very same.”

What are they talking about? What does she always do?

Seeing me frown in confusion, Himeko, who was sitting next to me, began to offer an explanation. “When you had your debut the other day, you went and delivered a message to Minako, right?”

“Oh yeah, I remember. About the volleyball practice tournament.”

“Exactly,” said Lady Kagura, picking up on my whispering. “Tomorrow, various schools from the area will be playing a set of practice games at a local athletics center, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’d love it if you would all join me to cheer on our team.”

She looked around at everyone, her eyes sparkling.

Why is she so eager to go to a practice tournament? Is she that big of a volleyball fan?

Lady Inaho piped up with, “I can’t, I’m afraid. I have to head back home tomorrow morning to help out my folks. Haruka’s coming with me, so she won’t be able to either.”

Similarly, Lady Sumire said, “Mihaya and I will have to bow out as well. My father’s been insisting I go home. He’s probably planning to take me to some party or other.”

She sighed wearily, and Mihaya gently stroked her head like she was comforting a child.

“Thanks, Mihaya. Sorry to be a pain, but I hope you don’t mind coming with me.”

“It’s all right, milady. I’ll help you find a suitable moment to sneak away.”

“Hehe. Perfect!”

She leaned against Mihaya for comfort. Immediately, a warm and fuzzy atmosphere emanated from the two of them. This pair of girls was often said to be a soothing sight, and it was true. Just seeing them in sweet harmony with one another was enough to make me feel rejuvenated.

Lady Saeko’s eyes narrowed, an audacious smile spreading across her face. “I’ll join you. I have to assess the goods, after all. The last time I saw her play was spring break, so I hope she’s improved since then.”

Holding her head high, Lady Kagura replied proudly, “Minako’s always improving, of course! She’s already playing at a world-class level. All she needs is our support and she’ll be able to take on anyone.”

“Then I can’t wait to see. Matsuri, you’ll be joining me, of course.”

“Eek! Very well, mistress. Allow me to accompany you.”

Her whole body trembling, Matsuri nodded with such force that I worried she might hurt her neck.

Admittedly, Lady Saeko is a terrifying person, but isn’t Matsuri overreacting a little? She is a Seraph, even if she is kind of a timid one. You would think she’d be used to her mistress by now. Unless Lady Saeko is only pretending to treat her well in the Sky Salon, and once they get back to her room, her inner tyrant breaks free?!

It was all too easy to picture this. I found myself trembling as well.

As if reading my thoughts, Lady Saeko turned to me with an unnaturally bewitching smile. “Oh my, Misaki, you appear to be shaking. What’s wrong? I hope you’re not imagining anything untoward.”

“Erm, no, of course not! But I am wondering what you meant by ‘assess the goods.’”

Her gaze almost felt as though it was coiling around me, like a snake about to strike. Desperate to avoid being eaten, I tried changing the subject.

She replied, “I’m talking about Minako. Perhaps it’s better if I let Kagura explain.”

“Yes, I suppose,” Lady Kagura agreed. “It’s about time the first years heard about it.” After that introduction, she coughed to clear her throat. “After I graduate, I’m planning to start a business as a sporting goods manufacturer.”

My eyes widened; this was not what I’d expected to hear. “Gosh. You sound passionate about this.”

“Yes! I want to get set up as soon as I can—hopefully before I finish college. I’ve already decided on the name: Kagurality. Our slogan will be ‘Kagurality: Taking Sports Beyond Reality.’ I want to convey a sense of going beyond the real world into the realm of supernatural performance.”

It sounded like this was a play on the spiritual nature of her name.

She continued, “As a new competitor on the market, the biggest worry is whether the products are appealing or not. The best way to draw in new customers is to have a real athlete wear them and show them off. I’m planning to sign all kinds of athletes to promotional contracts, of course, but the first step—the first person I want to sign—is Minako.”

Lady Kagura held up her hands in front of her, balled into tight fists.

“Minako is going to be competing on the world stage soon, I guarantee it. When she’s gained international fame as Japan’s star attacker, I want her to be wearing my company’s clothes.”

Her eyes were sparkling even more brightly this time, like a maiden who was madly in love. I was certain that she was picturing Minako playing before a roaring crowd on an international stage.

At this point, Lady Saeko jumped in. “I’m counting on Lady Kagura starting a successful business, and I’m prepared to give her all the funds she needs. However, I do have to be certain that she’s not making a mistake, so I must take the time to assess her chosen representative. Of course, knowing Minako, I don’t expect there to be any problems. Volleyball is fairly high-profile in Japan, so as long as she continues along her current path, I’m sure she’ll be representing the country in a few short years.”

Lady Saeko was the daughter of the president of Houjou Bank. It looked like she was already dealing with the family business and had started working toward Lady Kagura’s dream. Starting a company was a total mystery to me; I was sure I’d never do anything like that in my entire life.

At that point, I spoke up. “Wait, if you’re saying you want to sign her, does that mean she hasn’t agreed yet?”

Her shoulders sagging, Lady Kagura lowered her hands and rested them on the table. “I’m afraid not.”

Thinking about it, when I met Lady Minako during my debut, Lady Inaho said their relationship was a little strained, but it didn’t seem like Lady Minako hated Lady Kagura or anything. This would explain the situation.

“But I’m not giving in!” she declared, lifting her head and thrusting her fist into the air. “I will win her over! To do that, I can never let up. I have to keep showing her I mean business. If I can make her see just how serious I am, how badly I want her, I know I’ll get her on my side!”

Hmm, it does sound like there’s no downside for Lady Minako. For her, it must be pretty gratifying as an athlete for someone to have so much faith in her abilities. I guess it would be different if she wasn’t planning to go pro.

“That’s why I want to show my support whenever I can, practice tournament or otherwise. Does it all make sense now?”

“Yes,” I replied, nodding earnestly.

“That only leaves you, Himeko.”

“Sure, I’ll join you. I don’t have any plans to go back home, and I’ve been looking forward to watching Minako play.”

So Himeko’s staying here over the break. That’s a relief for me.

I’d hardly ever heard Himeko talk about her family. Actually, I’d basically never heard her touch on that topic at all. I could tell it was a bit of a touchy subject, so I hadn’t made any attempt to pry, but I was curious.

“How about you, Misaki?” Himeko asked.

“I’ll come too!”

“Ooh, glad to hear it.”

I had no plans to go home either. More accurately, I didn’t have anywhere to go back to. My mom had racked up debts that had led to us losing the house, and although she had somehow managed to pay them off, we still didn’t have anywhere to live.

I’d started attending Amanotsuka Academy at just the right time; my basic necessities were taken care of, at least. As for my mom, she’d told me she was staying at a friend’s house, but neither of us had cell phones, so we hadn’t been in touch since I’d left.

Still, she knows where I am. I assume she’ll contact me if anything important happens,

My mom had never been all that great in the life skills department, so my childhood had been pretty tough. I’d spent my life looking at her and thinking, Whatever I do, I cannot end up like her. It made me determined to study hard and make something of myself.

“So, it looks like Saeko, Himeko, and their Seraphs will be joining us. Kirara, if you don’t have any other plans, I want you to come as well.”

“Certainly,” said Kirara in reply.

Lady Kagura hadn’t asked Kirara if she wanted to come or not. Presumably, she was looking at Kirara as her servant, someone who should be aligning her own interests with those of her mistress without question.

“I’m planning to set out at around noon tomorrow. It would be great if you could eat lunch beforehand. Oh, and one more thing. Kirara?”

“Yes, milady?”

“Tomorrow evening, when we’ve finished supporting Minako, the Ayakas and I will be returning home to my family. I’d like you to join me.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind?”

Kirara’s voice was a mixture of surprise and confusion. Exousias were only contracted for work on the school grounds; it was pretty much unheard of for their mistresses to take them home. That was reserved only for Seraphs.

In other words, Lady Kagura is treating Kirara just like a Seraph. What would Sara say if she saw that, I wonder?

“I know it’s short notice, but if you’re going to be working in my household in the future, I think you might as well meet everyone. Besides, as my maid, it’s only natural that you’d come with me.”

“Understood. Thank you!”

Kirara bowed her head repeatedly, full of joy.

It looks like all that’s left is the title itself. I hope she gets made into a Seraph soon!

✤

The following morning, Himeko and I said goodbye to the celestials who were heading home, then we ate a light lunch before making our way to the school gate. I hadn’t left the school grounds since I’d started living in the dorm, so this was actually my first time ever seeing the front gate up close. The chaos of my first day was starting to feel like a fond memory.

Once everyone was assembled, it was just a matter of setting out.

“I guess we’re not walking, right?” I asked Himeko.

“Hehe. You of all people should know how long it takes to get to the train station on foot.” Evidently, she was thinking back to my arrival as well, unable to hold back a chuckle.

“Come on, you don’t have to bring that up.”

“But it was hilarious! The way you just appeared in front of me, with your skirt all messed up and your forehead all sweaty! And how you climbed over the fence! Teeheehee!”

She seemed to be really caught up in the memory. She looked back at me and burst into laughter for real.

How rude! I was desperate, that’s all. I didn’t know what else to do.

As Himeko continued unabated, Lady Kagura frowned at her suspiciously. “What are you laughing about? Anyway, the car’s here.”

Then, Himeko calmed down at last. “Sorry, I remembered something funny, that’s all. Misaki, as you can see, we’re going by car.”

She looked out toward the waiting area in front of the gate, where a car was now pulling up. When I saw it, I let out a frenzied gasp. There before our eyes was a pitch black car with an elongated frame of the kind you normally only see in TV shows about rich people. I’d never seen one in real life.

It’s called a “limo,” right?

“Wow, so they really exist,” I said, expressing my genuine reaction.

Lady Saeko turned to me with a puzzled look. “I thought even normal people used cars sometimes to go to parties and such.”

“Well, yeah, normal cars, but it’s not like normal people are going to parties every day. You know that, right?”

“Of course. I just wanted to tease you a little, since you were making such an adorably dopey face.”

Lady Saeko poked my cheek with her index finger.

Well, whatever. I’m poor enough that I’m never going to have much to do with parties or limos.

“Now, let’s get going,” said Lady Kagura. “Everyone get in.”

At her urging, we each got inside the car. What I saw caused me to gasp again, even louder this time. The back seat was more or less normal, but stretching from there to the driver’s seat was a sofa long enough to seat six people. In front of that was a cabinet holding all manner of drinks. The inside of the roof was decorated with lights that resembled a starry sky. A normal person could never have expected to ride in a car like this.

If Himeko and the others can look at this and not think anything of it, they really do live in a different world.

“You don’t really keep a car like this at the academy, do you?” I asked.

Himeko sat down on the long sofa, so I joined her. Lady Kagura beckoned Kirara over to the back seat, while the Kokonoe twins, apparently leaving their mistress entirely in Kirara’s hands, took up position in the middle of the car and immediately grabbed drinks for themselves. Matsuri sat down at the frontmost end of the sofa, balancing with her bottom only halfway on the seat. It looked like she was trying to maximize the space for someone else—that someone being Lady Saeko, of course, who made good use of it.

“It’s my family’s car,” Lady Kagura replied. “I have it at my beck and call for any journeys I need to take.”

She spoke between sips of tea. Where did that come from? Did Kirara serve it to her?

“I’ll use it to go home this evening as well, so I asked for it to be driven here slightly early. However, if I didn’t have this available, I’d have asked the school to arrange a car for me and have it brought to the front gate. That’s an option as well.”

I should have gotten used to this by now, but none of my ideas about how the world worked applied here at the academy. What kind of a world has high school girls who can ask their school to have a car driven up to the gate for them?! Well, this one, I guess.

“From what Himeko said, it sounds like we’re going to the station, though. Why not go all the way to the venue if you have your own car and driver on hand?”

Lady Kagura gazed out of the window and into the distance. “I can’t do that. It goes back to when I had just become taken with Minako and went to watch her compete for the first time. I took the limo, just like today, but had the driver take me all the way to the opposing team’s school. That attracted a lot of attention, unfortunately. Minako told me to behave in a way that looked more normal, and that if I couldn’t do that, I wasn’t allowed to come at all.”

As she recalled this, Lady Kagura hung her head.

That sounds about right. If you take a car like this to a normal school, it’ll cause a commotion for sure.

“Since then, I’ve tried to use public transport as much as possible. Minako said it’s fine to take the limo to the station, but no farther.”

After listening to our exchange, the Kokonoe sisters shared their thoughts with exasperated expressions.

“How ridiculous, making such a fuss about a simple limousine. Commoners are so difficult to deal with.”

“They’re lucky we didn’t show up in a private helicopter. That would have shown them.”

“You are kidding, aren’t you?” I asked.

“Did that sound like a joke?”

“You do realize there’s a whole side of society where our point of view is normal and yours is abnormal, right, Misaki?”

With mischievous smiles, they brought their hands to their mouths and began to laugh in high-pitched voices. “Ohohohoho!”

Part of me wanted to cling on to my belief that they were just being silly, but the idea of a private helicopter didn’t seem too far outside the realm of reason, and that was the worrying part.

As that conversation went on, we made our way toward the station. I hardly felt any vibrations at all, nor did much sound filter in from the outside world.

When we arrived, the crowds had quite a reaction to the sight of the limo. I could understand why Lady Minako had told Lady Kagura not to come to her games unless she left it behind. The car stood out enough on its own, let alone with the added detail of Amanotsuka Academy students getting out of it—a group of absurdly high-class girls accompanied by their own personal maids.

What was an everyday sight on campus really stood out in town. Maids were common enough, but they tended to take off their aprons and headpieces when they went out. We, on the other hand, were still dressed in our full Sky Salon maid gear.

Lady Kagura and the other Societal Arts students may have been used to basking in the attention, but I wasn’t the only Domestic Arts student whose face was burning with embarrassment.

I tried to look at the floor and avoid anyone’s gaze, but Himeko took my hand and pulled me along. “Let’s go, Misaki.”

“I’m too embarrassed!” I cried, clinging to her back.

“You just need to get accustomed to it. It’s not like you’re wearing anything you need to be embarrassed about. You look adorable, so hold your head up high. Curling up into a ball like that is what’ll make people wonder if something’s up.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

As we walked, the people in front of us rapidly drew back to make way. Being treated that way and seeing it as normal would have to mean either being so used to it that you could ignore it or having extreme force of will. Naturally, neither of those applied to me. I did stop trying to hide behind Himeko, but lifting my head up and acting natural was way beyond me.

When we were inside the station, I wondered if Himeko and the other ladies would queue up in front of a ticket machine, but instead, Lady Kagura went alone to the service window. After a quick chat with a clerk, she returned with a bundle of tickets and handed them out one by one.

“Here you go. They’re return tickets, so don’t lose them.”

“Oh! Thank you!” I replied when she passed one to me.

I really hadn’t expected her to buy the tickets herself, so this was all quite a surprise. It was tough to picture Lady Kagura as someone who traveled around by train.

Although, if she’s not allowed to go to Lady Minako’s games otherwise, she must have done it quite a bit.

Suddenly, I felt the Kokonoe sisters’ voices buzzing in my ears, one on each side.

“Rich girls do have some idea how the world works, you know. They’re not total shut-ins who’ve never had to take a train before.”

“Not to mention that this train route has a partnership with Amanotsuka Academy. If you have a card, you can essentially ride for free.”

Is that the same card all the Societal Arts students have with a certain number of points on them? Those cards sound really handy.

“There can’t be that many students going off campus, though, right?”

Given how many stores there were in the dorms, it hardly seemed necessary.

“Au contraire,” replied one of the sisters. “If you want to buy clothes or books, there’s not that big a selection available on campus.”

“Plus, the options for having fun are a bit limited. If you want to see a movie, for example, that means going outside. There are plenty of students who like doing that kind of thing.”

“Oh, right. Fair enough.”

“Are you saying you don’t have any interest in all that?” they said, their voices in perfect unison.

So what if I don’t? It’s not like I have any money in the first place, and I don’t need any clothes beyond the bare necessities. Until now, it’s never even occurred to me that I might have a reason to head into town. You don’t have to rub it in while syncing up your voices so ominously!

The twins each took one of my arms in theirs.

“Now, let’s get going. The train’s just arriving.”

“Heh, maybe when you get paid, even you’ll want to go shopping once in a while.”

“When the time comes, we’ll have to give you a guided tour!”

“Yes, sure, if you want to,” I replied listlessly as they dragged me along like an alien creature they’d captured.

This early in the afternoon, the passenger car was pretty much empty, so everyone could sit down. Our destination was four stops away. That was where we’d apparently find the athletics center, where various schools from the area would be meeting to play in a practice tournament. We were set to arrive just in time for the games to start, after the teams had spent the morning on a joint training session.

We spent the journey discussing all this and arrived before I knew it. The athletics center was so close to the station that it was practically connected. This must be really handy in bad weather. You can go straight there without getting soaked.

As soon as we entered the venue, Lady Kagura immediately started looking for Lady Minako.

“It’s not quite one o’clock yet, so she’s probably still on her lunch break.”

Her many trips here had given her a very clear overview, it seemed. She made a beeline straight for the second floor and opened a door connecting to the audience seating area.

“Ah, there she is!”

Having found her target, Lady Kagura briskly strode over. It looked like the volleyball club had finished their lunch and were having some kind of huddle to talk strategy.

“Minako, I’m here!” Lady Kagura announced cheerfully.

With a little smile of her own, Lady Minako turned around. At the same moment, about half of her teammates stood up.

“You’ve brought a big crowd today. Looks like Himeko and Saeko came along. Not to mention the new first years—Misaki and Kirara, right?”

How nice that she remembers us!

“Yes, ma’am! We’ll be here cheering you on!” I replied.

“You can do it!” Kirara added.

In response, Lady Minako laughed and gently waved a hand in the air. “It’s just a silly practice tournament. I don’t need that much firing up.”

Lady Kagura interrupted, her voice full of fervor. “What kind of an attitude is that? A game is a game, and I want you to win!”

“Don’t worry, I’m still going to win. That goes without saying. My plan is to play well enough that you can all just sit back and relax in the stands.”

She lightly patted Lady Kagura’s shoulder in reassurance.

Wow, she’s confident. I’ll bet it’s not just bluster, though. Based on what Lady Kagura said yesterday, Lady Minako’s good enough to go beyond even the national level. She could take on the world. A local tournament like this should be a piece of cake.

“I can’t wait to see it,” said Lady Kagura, taking Lady Minako’s hands and gripping them forcefully. “Best of luck to all of you!”

When she looked at the other players nearby, the ones who were ready and waiting in their uniforms responded with an enthusiastic fist pump. By contrast, the ones who had stood up when we arrived all had incredibly nervous looks on their faces. Looking properly, they all appeared to be first and second years, with an air about them that suggested they were Domestic Arts students.

That was when it hit me.

Oh yeah. Lady Kagura turned up with a group of other celestials in tow, and Himeko’s the deputy chairman on top of that. Even Societal Arts students would be daunted if suddenly confronted with luminaries like this.

No wonder they were nervous. For a first-year Domestic Arts student, it must have been like meeting a celebrity they’d always admired from afar. While Lady Kagura and Lady Minako had a pleasant chat, Himeko and Lady Saeko offered some words of encouragement to the rest of the team, but I wasn’t sure if any of it actually sank in.

Well, the ones in uniforms must be geared up and ready to play already, so it’s probably fine, right?

It turned out that Amanotsuka Academy’s volleyball club was even better than I’d expected. Honestly, knowing that it was just a club at a school for fancy young ladies, I was only half convinced they would win despite what I’d heard about Lady Minako’s skills.

However, the team was overwhelmingly superior to the others, and they racked up win after win. Even to an amateur like me, it was clear they were a step or two beyond the other schools. Still, while everyone on the team was playing at a high level, Lady Minako still stood head and shoulders above the rest. She bent and curved her whole body like a bow, slamming the ball into her opponents’ court over and over again.

She really is in a class of her own. I understood why Lady Kagura was so enamored with her. I found myself lost in the moment, exhilarated as I watched the games with my hands balled into fists.

In the end, Amanotsuka Academy won every single game they played and the overall tournament. It was an impressive result, and even after it was finished, I couldn’t contain my excitement over the whole thing. “That was incredible!”

Himeko agreed, “Wasn’t it just? They must have worked really hard during spring break.”

“Of course!” said Lady Kagura. “For Minako, that was just a warm-up!”

“I’m glad to see she’s still on course and only getting better,” remarked Lady Saeko, sounding satisfied.

Lady Kagura stopped for a moment and said, “I need to go and talk to Minako quickly. Could you go on ahead and wait for me?”

She hurried down the stairs to the first floor, her footsteps so light that it was like she was walking on air, going to meet a lover.

Just as she’d requested, we gathered our things and headed to the exit, ready to leave as soon as she got back.

Along the way, I brought up something that had been bothering me. “The only thing I don’t get is why Lady Minako hasn’t accepted Lady Kagura’s proposal. They seem to get along really well, and Lady Kagura should be able to offer a very good deal.”

I’d mulled it over repeatedly, but I still couldn’t think of a good reason.

However, Himeko gave a straightforward reply. “Minako already has a sponsor. One she chose herself.”

“Oh, really? Doesn’t that mean Lady Kagura’s cause is hopeless, then? It won’t matter how many times she asks.”

“I don’t know if I’d say that.”

Overhearing our conversation, Kirara drew a little closer. “Uhm, do you mind if I listen in as well?”

“Not at all!” Himeko replied. Then she continued, “You see, the sponsor Minako has an agreement with is a sports retailer from her hometown. That store has helped her out a lot since she was a child. Apparently, even now she goes there to buy all her equipment. She owes a lot to the owners, and that’s why she’s turned Kagura down. She says that if she goes pro, she wants to play under the banner of that particular store.”

“Hmm. Sounds complicated.”

So is this the “politeness and obligation” that Lady Inaho was talking about?

“It is. It’s not my place to say anything, though. All I can do is wait and see what happens. Personally, though, I agree that she should accept Kagura’s sponsorship. If she’s going to play professionally and aim to compete on a global level, she’ll need a suitable training environment, and that’s impossible without money and good personnel. Kagura can provide all that.”

“I see what you mean.”

So Himeko’s saying she thinks there’s room to negotiate, since Lady Kagura’s rival here isn’t a full-fledged sporting goods manufacturer with major financial backing.

Kirara remained silent, but put a finger to her chin, perhaps thinking along the same lines.

It wasn’t long before Lady Kagura returned. “Sorry for the delay!”

Lady Minako was with her. She stepped outside to join us with a spring in her step.

“Did you leave the rest of the team behind?” asked Himeko.

With a wink, Lady Minako replied, “They let me leave without them. I figure since you came here to support me, I’d better show you the proper hospitality.”

“Huh,” said Lady Saeko. “Is that what you were doing with Kagura just now?”

Lady Minako’s cheeks flushed bright red. “No, no, no. The first years just told me they’d finish packing up themselves, so I should head off with Kagura. They were really insistent.”

Lady Saeko smiled, her eyes twinkling. “Sounds like this year’s new recruits are well trained already.”

“Anyway, I’ll be traveling with you.”

We set off, with Lady Minako as part of the group now. Since she hadn’t lost a single game, the walk back to the station was filled with lively chatter. Lady Minako gave an outline of what had happened in each match from her point of view, so I listened intently as she described who the players to watch out for were at each school and what techniques they used to combat each team’s particular strengths. Sadly, when the conversation turned to a detailed tactical analysis, I became totally lost.

Even when we reached the platform, Lady Kagura carried on an animated discussion with Lady Minako all on her own. Even after we had boarded the train and were well underway, the two of them kept going.

It was evening now, which meant the train was busier than before. This time, there were too many students and office workers on their way home for all of us to sit down. However, even though most of the seats were filled, our car wasn’t overly crowded. The route to Amanotsuka Academy took us away from the town, so it made sense that there wouldn’t be too many people going that way.

Surrounded by the commuters, Lady Kagura and Lady Minako stood by the window and kept talking in hushed voices. Meanwhile, I stood next to Himeko and held on to one of the straps hanging from above as we conversed about nothing in particular.

When we were close to the first stop and the train started to decelerate, the whole carriage suddenly shook. I heard a dainty cry of panic, and when I looked over to see where it had come from, Lady Kagura had collapsed into Lady Minako’s arms.

“I never knew you had such poor balance, Kagura!”

Despite her light mocking, Lady Minako supported Lady Kagura’s body and drew it in closer, ensuring that no matter what, she definitely wouldn’t fall again. This nonchalant kindness was pretty impressive to witness.

“Quiet, you,” Lady Kagura muttered in reply. Although her face turned red, she gently grabbed Lady Minako’s waist with her right hand. It looked like she’d be pretty secure even if the train shook again.

They really do seem to get along well. It’s such a shame that she can’t accept the sponsorship offer.

The train reached the next station and the doors opened, but no one got out. In the moments before we started moving again, I whispered into Himeko’s ear, “Do you want to hold onto me as well?”

It hadn’t escaped my notice that Himeko had lost her footing slightly as well just now.

“No need. You might not think it, but I’ve had plenty of experience with riding the train! In fact, I’ve done it several—gah!”

She was mid-sentence when the doors closed and the train started speeding toward the next station. The shock of that made Himeko immediately stumble. Since I’d seen this coming, I had already put an arm around her and had no problem keeping her steady.

“Yup, looks like you’re real experienced.” The chance to throw Himeko’s words back in her face was too much to resist.

“Forget it, okay?” Although she pouted, she let me hold her without trying to resist.

It sounded like she was going to say “several times,” which suggests few enough that you could count them on one hand. Why bother pretending to be more experienced than really she is? There’s no need for that.

She looked down at the floor, probably a little embarrassed. Her long, silky hair hung down and brushed against my nose. The scent I was used to from our baths tickled my nostrils, and it was awfully pleasant.

Suddenly, the Kokonoe sisters, who had apparently been watching us and Lady Kagura, interrupted in a fed-up tone.

“Ugh, come on.”

“Do you have to act like that?”

“I won’t say where it’s coming from, but it stinks of lovey-dovey sweetness in here.”

“Have you never heard of the expression ‘get a room’?”

Even if they didn’t say so directly, it was pretty clear they were talking about us. But what’s this about “lovey-dovey sweetness”?

“I’m just holding her,” I said in a hesitant voice. “What’s wrong with that?”

“Oh, so she knows she’s doing it.”

“I just wish she thought about how everyone else feels being forced to watch!”

I groaned. What do they want from me? It’s not like we can sit down, so this is going to happen one way or another. I don’t know if this is really part of a maid’s duties or not, I’d rather protect her from danger if I can.

Lady Minako, meanwhile, looked slightly uncomfortable and let out a strained laugh. However, she showed no sign of letting Lady Kagura go.

“Kirara, maybe she needs to hear it from you,” said one of the twins.

“You’d better tell them not to go too far and run afoul of the rules,” said the other.

The rules? What are they talking about?”

Kirara looked very unsure how to react. “No, I, uhm...”

Then the sisters closed in on her from both sides.

“Could it be that you want someone to hold you as well?”

“Well, desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess.”

No sooner did Kirara cry, “What?” than the Kokonoe twins smothered her between them so tightly that all she could do was emit a muffled moan.

“Ohohohoho!”

Their high-pitched laughter echoed throughout the car. All in all, their behavior did far more to disturb the other passengers than ours had. It seemed like in the end, teasing Kirara might have been their main goal. If she hadn’t been there, though, I would’ve certainly been their target.

Sorry, Kirara, but you’re the one who chose to be Lady Kagura’s Seraph. You may have doomed yourself to a life of this, I’m afraid.

The only one of the mistresses I hadn’t seen in a while was Lady Saeko. When I looked around, I saw she’d found a seat at some point and was now perched elegantly on her own. Naturally, Matsuri was forced to stay standing.

✤

From Amanotsuka Academy’s front gate, we had a sweeping view of the town, which was bathed in the reddish glow of the setting sun. It was a magical sight, and it had me feeling somehow sentimental.

“Thanks again for coming to support me,” said Lady Minako to everyone present, stretching her body as she spoke. She explained that she’d visit the club room quickly and then go straight back to the dorm, so it looked like it was time for the group to split up.

Lady Kagura asked her, “What are your plans for Golden Week? If you’re not busy, you’re welcome to come home with me.”

“Sorry! I have practice every day.”

“Ah yeah, of course. No worries, then.”

She let out a small sigh of resignation. She’d evidently been hoping to spend more of the break with Lady Minako, but for a sports club, “vacation” and “extra practice” basically went hand in hand. I’d heard that athletes never really stopped until the day they retired—definitely not a life I envisioned for myself!

“I mean, we do have a few members heading home. Golden Week is the last chance we really have to let our hair down. As soon as it ends, it’s full steam ahead with training for the summer tournament. Practice gets way tougher after this, so if they’re going to visit their families, it’s kind of now or never.”

Wow, I can’t believe they have to start practicing even harder. They’re so good already!

“Maybe we can start practice in the afternoon tomorrow, though, since we won’t have as many members as usual.”

“That will be nice,” said Lady Kagura, but hearing that did nothing to lighten her expression. No surprise, since a half-day vacation didn’t help them spend more time together. It had to be a full day off to count. “Before you go, though, can I ask you about my offer? Are you still not willing to accept it?”

That was the question Lady Kagura had been holding in all day. She’d probably decided not to bother Lady Minako with it to let her keep her head in the game. In all the time spent cheering her on today, Lady Kagura had never shown even the slightest hint that she was thinking about this topic.

“I’m sorry, I just can’t. You know I already have a sponsor. It’s too late for me to switch now.”

“Oh, I see. Still, I’m not prepared to give up. I’ll keep trying to convince you until you change your mind.”

“It makes me happy that you care so much about me,” said Lady Minako before scooping up a portion of Lady Kagura’s loosely curled hair and softly pressing her lips to it. “And you’re going home right away?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then I’ll look forward to seeing you again after the break.”

With that, Lady Minako waved goodbye, then turned and walked away. Lady Kagura watched her leave with a forlorn expression.

Moments later, though, her mood lightened up considerably. “Oh well. That’s that for now.” It sounded like she’d gone through this many times before. She clapped her hands twice as if to start hurrying her maids along. “Now, we need to start getting ready to go. Kirara, can you gather your things?”

Stretching as they walked, the Kokonoe sisters began to set out.

Lady Saeko and Matsuri would apparently be staying at the academy. I’d better ask Himeko what she’s planning on doing over the next few days. If I had to guess, she’ll ask me to stay over every single night.

The only one who didn’t move an inch was Kirara. With a troubled expression, she stared at Lady Minako in the distance.

Curious, Lady Kagura asked, “What’s wrong?”

Kirara slowly turned around. Her face was a picture of resolve, as though she’d made some kind of firm decision. “Lady Kagura, would you mind if I stayed behind?”

“What for? Do you have something to take care of on campus?”

Looking quite puzzled, Lady Kagura rested her elbow in her hand and tilted her head slightly. Being invited to visit her family should have been the highest of honors, so refusing it would be unthinkable without a really good reason.

Kirara bowed her head deeply before her mistress. “Would it be all right if I tried persuading Lady Minako? I don’t know if it’ll work, but if I can change her mind even a little, I want to make the effort.”

Lady Kagura fell silent for a moment.

“Please!” Kirara insisted, bowing her head again.

After a few more moments, Lady Kagura finally acquiesced. “Very well. Please, go right ahead. As of now, the outlook is rather bleak, as I’m sure you’ve seen. If I don’t obtain Minako’s agreement soon, it’ll interfere with my plans for the future. Maybe a fresh approach is just what we need.”

“Thank you, milady!”

“Minako seems to have a soft spot for first and second years. She cares a lot about what they have to say, so it could be that you’ll succeed where I’ve failed. All right then. During the vacation, I’ll leave Minako up to you. If you do find some kind of success, I’ll make you into a Seraph.”

“Understood!” Kirara chirped, full of enthusiasm. Clearly, Lady Kagura had picked up on just how eager she was to be promoted as soon as possible.

“If there’s anything urgent, please call me right away.” She scribbled her phone number on a page of her student planner, then ripped it out and handed it to Kirara. “Hopefully I can look forward to hearing some good news!”

“I promise I won’t disappoint you!”

With a goodbye to Kirara, Lady Kagura took the Kokonoe sisters back to her dorm to get ready for their journey.

A fire burned in Kirara’s eyes. With clenched fists, she declared, “I will do this. I’ll convince her no matter what.” She turned to me. “Misaki, I want your help, too. Do you mind sticking with me over the next few days?”

“I don’t know,” I replied, looking at Himeko. If there was something I could do to help, then I wanted to, of course, but I couldn’t do a thing without Himeko’s agreement.

In response to my gaze, Himeko gave a light nod. “I don’t mind. Feel free to help Miss Hoshino. I’m sure she has a plan in mind. In exchange, you’ll have to take extra good care of me, though!”

“Got it!”

✤

The next day, Kirara and I donned sportswear instead of aprons and headed for the gymnasium. It was a little after midday, nearly time for the volleyball club to start practicing.

I followed after Kirara, quite apprehensive. “Are we really doing this?”

It was a reckless plan, that was for sure, but all I could do was follow Kirara’s lead.

“Yes! Yes, we are!”

I should have guessed this from the way she’d looked while asking Lady Kagura, but Kirara was more athletically inclined than I’d expected. Her plan had turned out to be very simple indeed. It boiled down to “challenge her to a volleyball game and ask her to hear our pleas if we win.”

“Do you really think Lady Minako will agree to that?”

“I’m pretty confident she’ll agree to play us, at least. Athletes never back down in the face of a challenge. If it’s a volleyball game, all the more reason for her to agree. Why would she say no?”

That sounds like wishful thinking to me, but I don’t know. Maybe she’s right.

“All that’s left is finding the right conditions to make it a fair fight for us.”

This definitely wasn’t the kind of plan Lady Kagura would have attempted. Sending the Kokonoe sisters out to fight a battle or contest on her behalf was something she might have done, but the sisters would never have competed in anything where the odds were so heavily stacked against them. They only liked to win in style when they were sure they had the advantage. That was my impression, at least.

“Here goes,” muttered Kirara, opening the door to the gym.

I groaned faintly, but it was too late to turn back now.

Steeling our resolve, we peered in. Practice hadn’t started yet; there was only a smattering of members in the room, with Lady Minako herself nowhere in sight.

“I guess we’re a little early,” I said.

“Looks like it. Hopefully they won’t mind us waiting here.”

“Yeah.”

We stepped inside and stood against a nearby wall. It didn’t take long for one of the players to approach us.

“Good day. Can I help you with anything? You’re the new members of the Sky Salon, aren’t you?”

The way she spoke suggested she was probably a Societal Arts student. The volleyball club had their own uniform with specific shirts and sneakers, which made it tough to tell what year and program the players were in.

“We have a favor we’d like to ask of Lady Minako,” Kirara replied politely. Apparently she’d also deemed this girl to be a Societal Arts student.

“Oh, I see. It’ll be a little longer until the third years arrive, I’m afraid.”

That must mean she’s a first year or a second year.

“That’s all right. Do you mind if we wait here for the time being?”

“Not at all! You’re more than welcome.” The girl smiled, her teeth gleaming.

I decided to ask the question that had been bugging me since we walked in. “So, what is it you’re all doing in here, exactly?”

“What do you mean? We’re getting things ready for practice, of course. Getting the balls out, hanging the nets, cleaning the floor, and so on.”

“Right. I see.” I suddenly felt like I’d heard something really important.

“If the third years arrive and we don’t have everything set up, they’ll be rather annoyed.”

“Oh!” A light bulb flashed in my mind. I’d made a connection that hadn’t occurred to me before.

“Something the matter?” the girl asked.

“No, everything’s fine. Thank you so much!”

“I’m not sure I’ve done anything worthy of thanking me for, but never mind. It won’t be long before Minako arrives, so feel free to wait.”

“Sure! We’ll do that.” I bowed deeply to her, grateful for her help. That’s it! I’ve figured it out!

Once she had gone back across the room, Kirara whispered, “Misaki, what’s up with you?”

“It’s about what Sara told us. I’m starting to get it.”

“What about what Sara told us?”

The moment Sara’s name escaped my lips, Kirara’s face had hardened into a grimace. Any mention of Sara was enough to set off a strong reaction. I think if she hears what I have to say, she’ll agree with me, though.

“Kirara, who do you think gets everything ready in the Sky Salon?”

“You’ve been showing me the ropes, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, when it comes to making tea and stuff, but I mean before that. Who cleans the tablecloths and lays them out? Who vacuums the floor and waters the flowers? Who tidies everything up when everyone leaves? That’s what I’m wondering.”

“I mean, it has to be someone from the Sky Salon.”

“Exactly. It’s someone, but we don’t know who. Shouldn’t it actually be us? The first years?”

“Maybe. Hey, I’ve only been going to the Sky Salon for a couple of days, but you’ve been a member for like a month now. How come you don’t know?”

“Erk! Well, you know, joining the salon was something that just kind of happened. I’ve had my hands so full with serving Himeko that I could barely think about anything else, so it just didn’t occur to me!”

I blurted out every excuse I could think of. It’s not my fault that no one told me to do it. I was busy with my own things. Still, it’s pretty embarrassing that this is the first time I’ve ever considered it.

Kirara furrowed her brow and, sighing, pressed a finger to her forehead. “You have a point, though. We probably should be the ones doing those jobs. Let’s take them over starting from tomorrow. No, from today. Someone’ll probably still be going to the Sky Salon today, right?”

“Himeko told me she has a meeting until around three, but she plans to go there after that.” To carry out her duties as the deputy chairman of the board, Himeko had to show her face in meetings with grown-ups. She was only one year older than me, but she had a lot on her shoulders. “She said to come by and tell her how things went today. I wonder what Lady Saeko will do? She might go there for tea about the same time as Himeko.”

“Then we’d better settle things with Lady Minako ASAP.”

“And what exactly do you plan to settle with me?”

Just as Kirara was vigorously slamming a fist into the palm of her hand, Lady Minako appeared beside us. Behind her were more students, presumably third years like her.

“Lady Minako, I hereby—”

But Kirara’s attempt to immediately throw down the gauntlet was interrupted when the players who had been getting the gym ready all stopped what they were doing and came over to greet the new arrivals in a cacophonous huddle. Their welcoming cries were so loud that I felt my ears ringing. I was a little terrified, even.

The wind went out of Kirara’s sails a bit now that she’d lost her moment. I heard a strangled groan from her.

A single drop of cold sweat rolled down my cheek. Athletic types are scary! Hold on, though. Maybe it doesn’t need to be this extreme, but it must be nice to arrive to such a warm welcome. Looking back, I think I’ve almost always gone to the Sky Salon when Himeko was already there. After class, I’m always surrounded by classmates asking questions, which makes me a little late every day. That’s another thing I can work on.

“Sorry about that,” said Lady Minako, looking completely unruffled; she was evidently used to this reception. “I’ve taught them to always project their voices, whether they’re saying hello or otherwise. Anyway, what can I help you with?”

After taking a moment to regain her bearings, Kirara faced Lady Minako and replied, “Right. Basically, we have a favor to ask you.”

“What is it? Don’t tell me you two are here to ask me to accept Kagura’s proposal as well.”

“We are, actually, but there’s more to it. If we can beat you, Lady Minako, then—”

“Ah, I see. So it’s like that, is it?” A smile appeared on her face. She looked both intrigued and amused. “Why not? I’m game. What kind of a contest do you have in mind?”

“Volleyball, of course.”

Well, that’s the first step taken care of. Kirara was right about her not backing down from a challenge, at least.

“Oh my. Are you sure? It feels pretty unlikely that I’d lose. Have you even played volleyball before?”

“Sure, in gym class in middle school.”

“Same here!” I added, thrusting my hand into the air.

Lady Minako’s expression turned to one of deep confusion. “You saw me playing yesterday and thought, ‘Yes, I can compete with that’?”

It went without saying that amateurs like us could never hope to compete with her, especially on a level playing field. That would have been an insurmountable hurdle.

Kirara looked up at her and spoke with intensity. “It makes sense given the stakes. If we manage to beat you despite the tough odds, you’ll have no choice but to graciously accept Lady Kagura’s offer.”

“I suppose so... but if you manage to beat me, shouldn’t you be the ones doing a promotional deal with Kagura?”

The words caught in Kirara’s throat.

She has a point there. It might be rude to say so, but if she loses to us of all people, there wouldn’t be much point in seeking her as a spokesperson.

“Never mind that. I’m happy to give you two a chance. We can find some way to give you a handicap. Let’s say we’ll have a two-on-two match, taking turns to serve, and to win, my team has to get to twenty-one points, and yours has to get to... hmm, five sounds about right. On top of that, if any of your attacks score a point, they count double. Or did you have something else in mind as a way to defeat me?”

“No, that sounds fine,” Kirara answered without hesitation. They were probably even better than the conditions she’d been dreaming up.

On the surface, these rules did put us at an advantage. However, with an opponent skilled enough to play at an international level, scoring even one point was likely to be a major challenge.

“Misaki, we have to win this no matter what.”

I swallowed hard. “Uhm, yeah. Got it.”

The showdown started right away. While the other members of the volleyball club stood and watched, Kirara and I entered the court and readied ourselves, our faces filled with grim determination—“grim” being the operative word, since I quickly began to feel like I was about to be struck down by the Grim Reaper.

Lady Minako’s team went first. When she held the ball ready, her eyes held none of her usual upbeat cheer. They were the eyes of a fighter, pure and intense. I swallowed hard. She’s doing this for real.

For a few brief moments before she began, I held on to some vague hope that if we could just get our hands on the ball, somehow we’d be able to score.

She threw it into the air with a slightly forward motion. Then, she ran up, crouched down for a moment, and sprang high up in the air.

Once she had served that ball, I couldn’t imagine ever managing to touch it. I tried to fight off my nerves and stand tall, but it was hopeless.

“She really means business,” I muttered.

This was a jump serve—something we hadn’t even seen from her in the tournament. When an attacker like her unleashed such a powerful serve, the ball became more than just a ball. It turned into a lethal weapon.

Now the ball, visibly squashed by the force of her strike, was hurtling toward me. I can’t hit that! I can’t put my hands anywhere near it!

With a whistling sound, the ball flew past, missing my face by mere inches. My body hadn’t reacted quickly enough to even try hitting it.

A shiver ran down my spine. If it had struck me in the face, I’d have died without a shadow of a doubt.

“Rats, I knew it. My control is all over the place lately.” Lady Minako stuck her tongue out and sounded a little embarrassed.

“Huh?” was all I could manage in reply.

“That ball was out just now. You get a point.”

I hadn’t even noticed where the ball had landed, but apparently it had been out of bounds.

Kirara commented, “Well done, Misaki! Now we’re one point ahead.”

“What? Don’t praise me for that! Lady Minako, are you saying you didn’t have control over that serve just now?”

“Yup. It’s something I’m working on, though.” She sounded incredibly calm considering the terrifying implications of what she was saying.

“Doesn’t that mean you had no idea where the ball would go?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“But... I... If I’d been one step to the right, it was on course to hit me square in the face!”

“Hmm, I guess.”

I screamed internally and felt my blood run cold. “You can’t do that! That kind of serve is not allowed! No way!”

Despite the game already being underway, I furiously insisted on a rule change. Maybe it was cowardly, but my life was on the line here!

“All right. I’ll serve normally from now on.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. At least she’s willing to listen to reason.

“Anyway, it’s your turn to serve now.”

Oh, I guess it is. What do we do, though? I barely even know how to hit the ball properly.

“Kirara, can you do it?” I asked.

“Sure.”

She took the ball from me, held it up, then performed an underhand serve. This method wasn’t very forceful, but had a high rate of success, in theory.

“Huh, no spin on your serve.” While saying this, Lady Minako intercepted the ball with ease. She passed to her teammate, who set it into the air. The one who hit it next was Lady Minako, of course.

All my hair stood on end. That jump serve just now hadn’t been her full strength after all. It had also flown in a light parabolic arc from beyond the end of her court, yet had still managed to come at us with such force and speed. Now, all that power was driving straight toward us, readying a close-range strike. The intensity of it was far beyond anything I could have imagined.

Lady Minako’s body coiled like a spring and rebounded. She bent over in the air, warping like a bow. Her sharp gaze was aiming somewhere—but where? I wanted to run away, but I couldn’t bring myself to move. Maybe not moving had been the right choice, though. The instant she made contact with the ball, I could have sworn I saw a flash of light. A split second later, a thunderclap resounded as the volleyball, more a cannonball now, zoomed into the space between me and Kirara and landed with a deafening smack.

“Eeeek!”

My knees rattled. I’m going to die. I’m never getting out of this alive. Anyone who can hit a ball like that is superhuman!

I looked at Kirara. Her face was pale as well.

“Kirara, what are we doing here? There’s no way we can win this.”

She grunted in a mix of fear and frustration. “No, it’s not that bad. They just scored a single point, that’s all. The real battle starts now.”

As much as I admired her for being able to feign confidence even after what we’d just seen, it didn’t change the facts.

A smile on her face, Lady Minako asked, “You sure you want to keep going? Why not just give up?”

“Give up? Never!” scoffed Kirara. “It’s your serve, right?”

I sighed. Giving up felt like the better option by far.

“You’ve got some guts, I’ll give you that. How about joining the team?”

“If it’ll get you to accept Lady Kagura’s offer, I’d do it gladly,” Kirara replied.

She laughed. “That’s not a deal I’m willing to make, I’m afraid.”

After flatly rejecting Kirara’s suggestion, Lady Minako readied herself. This time, she didn’t go for a jump serve, but a normal forward serve. She also hit the ball relatively lightly. This feels like one we might be able to hit back!

Remembering what I’d learned in gym class, I put one of my hands on top of the other and stretched my arms out in front of me. I managed to aim correctly and send the ball over in Kirara’s direction.

She tossed it and shouted, “Misaki!”

Since there were only two of us, the final attack inevitably fell to me. Now I just have to execute a magnificent attack just like Lady Minako! Wait, hold on. How in the world am I going to manage this?

Looking up at the net, the idea of jumping high enough felt absolutely impossible.

“Misaki, what are you doing?!”

Kirara’s voice was fierce as I gave up on jumping and spiking. The most I could manage was returning it to the opponents’ court.

“I just can’t jump high enough! My hands’ll never go above the net!”

I figured I could probably have gotten just high enough for my fingertips to go over the net, but that wouldn’t have been enough to spike the ball.

The net in my middle school gym class must have been lower. Is this regulation height for real games?

Kirara glared at the net and let out a growl.

Intercepting the ball with ease, Lady Minako said, “How are you going to win if you can’t even attack?” Meanwhile, she took up an offensive posture. It looked like we’d be facing the cannonball once again.

“All we can do is play defensively and hope for a missed serve on the opponents’ team,” Kirara remarked.

This wasn’t a bad strategy. More to the point, it was the only possible strategy. However, just intercepting Lady Minako’s attacks was a dizzying hurdle to overcome.

Lady Minako leapt into the air. “Now, where shall I aim next?”

It was like wings had sprouted from her back, only they weren’t those of an angel, but those of a devil.

With a short breath, she thrust her arm downward. Please, please, please don’t go anywhere near me! Then, as if my prayers had been answered, it flew toward Kirara.

There was a thwack, and Kirara let out a strange yelp. She had reacted to Lady Minako’s attack by extending only her left arm and hitting the ball with it. However, the ball had flown off in a random direction and Kirara was now crouched on the floor, clutching her hand.

Lady Minako slipped under the net and sped over to her. “Are you all right?!”

“Yes, I’m fine!” Even so, Kirara’s voice wavered and her face screwed up in pain.

“I never thought you’d stick your hand out like that. Can someone go and get the cold spray?” She glanced around, prompting one of the players watching to rush off. Turning back to Kirara, she said, “We’d better stop this now, I guess.”

“No, I can manage!”

She was handed the cold spray and applied it to Kirara’s left arm as she rebuked her. “Don’t put on a brave face. If you use a dangerous technique like that, there’s a risk of breaking your bones. How could I ever look Kagura in the face again if I seriously injured either of you? Or was that the plan? Are you trying to make me feel guilty so I’ll agree to Kagura’s demands?!”

“Of course not!”

“Then stop this, please. You must realize you’re not going to beat me at volleyball of all things.”

Kirara grimaced. There was no denying it; this had been a complete washout for us. There was nothing about our serves, our attacks, or any other aspects of our technique that suggested we had the slightest hope of winning.

At last, Kirara admitted defeat. “Okay, you win this time. Don’t think that means we’re giving up on beating you, though! Also, we never said what would happen if you won. Your prize is a free pass to visit the Sky Salon whenever you want. I’ll make sure Lady Kagura is aware of it, so please come by anytime. I’ll serve you tea and delicious snacks.”

“That sounds like another win for Kagura,” Lady Minako said, smiling wryly. Still, she nodded. “All right, then. I accept.”

✤

“So much for that,” I grumbled as we left the gym behind us and made our way to the Sky Salon.

“The odds were always going to be slim. I managed to convince her to visit the Sky Salon, and that’s enough for now.”

“Was that your goal all along?”

“I mean, winning would have been even better, of course.”

Huh. She’s more of a schemer than she looks.

She continued, “I have another plan in mind. The real plan’s going to need Lady Himeko’s help though, I reckon, so let’s get to the salon as quick as we can and get it all set up.”

“Right!”

We rode the familiar antique elevator from the top floor of the former school building to the highest point of the tower rising up from there. When we got out of the elevator, the lack of people gave it a very different aura than usual. You could have heard a pin drop.

However, it looked like it wasn’t completely empty, since the door to the salon was slightly ajar.

“I wonder who’s here,” I said. There’s still some time before Himeko’s supposed to arrive. Does that mean it’s Lady Saeko?

“Let’s go in and find out.”

“Yeah.”

I opened the door a bit more. From inside, I could hear what sounded like someone humming, along with a sound akin to a running shower. The source of these noises soon became clear: it was Matsuri, Lady Saeko’s Seraph, who was watering the plants alone in the Sky Salon.

Since she was facing away, I tried to get her attention by saying, “Hi, Matsuri!”

The shriek she let out was enough to make me feel sorry for her. Clearly, I’d nearly given her a heart attack. The tin watering can tumbled from her hand and hit the floor with a loud clatter.

Her whole body trembled as she turned around. “Erm, wh-what is it?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Oh, hello there, Misaki and Kirara. I didn’t realize it was you.” She seemed to calm down as she picked up the watering can again.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“Me? Just doing my daily duties. Cleaning, watering, and so on.”

Just like I thought. Matsuri’s been doing exactly what we haven’t.

I glanced at Kirara, giving her a signal with my eyes. Then, at the same time, we said, “We’re sorry, Matsuri.”

“Huh? For what? Did I do something wrong?” For some reason, she looked very suspicious, darting her head back and forth.

“No, not at all,” I replied. “We’re the ones who did something wrong.”

Kirara added, “We’re apologizing for making you take care of all this on your own and not even realizing you were doing it.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “My, is that all? It’s nice of you to worry about me, but this is my job. You can focus entirely on serving your own mistresses.”

“No way,” I said.

Beside me, Kirara shook her head. “We can’t force you to take care of it all on your own.”

“From now on, we’re going to help you.

“Oh! No, I’m not just trying to be polite, I promise you!” Her body language made her look suspicious again. It was like she was panicking about something.

That was when someone else walked over from the other side of the salon, presumably having heard us chatting. “Matsuri, is someone here?”

It wasn’t Himeko. That meant it could only be one other person.

Matsuri placed both hands on her cheeks, exclaiming, “Oh my, oh my, oh my!” It looked like she was in shock again; the watering can crashed to the floor once more.

“Oh, shut up. What are you doing, anyway?”

“Nothing, Lady Saeko! Nothing at all! I promise!”

Yes, it was none other than her mistress, Lady Saeko. At that moment, she spotted us. “Oh, if it isn’t the first-year duo. How did it go with Minako? Did she agree yet?”

“No, it was a total bust,” said Kirara, hanging her head.

“What a shame. Now, Matsuri, what about you? If you can’t water the plants properly, I might have to punish you.” She flourished her right hand threateningly.

“Eeeeek!”

As she let out a shriek, Matsuri covered her bottom with both hands. Is that how Lady Saeko punishes her? With a spanking?

I felt compelled to step in. “No, you’ve got it all wrong. This is my fault. I startled her when we came in, then we interrupted her to apologize.”

“Apologize? For what?”

“We didn’t know that Matsuri did all the cleaning on her own. We were saying she could leave it to us from now on.”

“Oh, if that’s all it is, you can stop worrying,” said Lady Saeko, echoing what Matsuri had just told us. “It’s her job. You don’t need to help.”

“Why not?”

“I guess I should tell you the background. Let’s go over there for now and chat over a cup of tea.” With a tilt of the head, she gestured toward the private space where she always sat. “Matsuri, serve them both drinks.”

“Yes, milady.”

“We can make our own,” I interjected.

“We don’t want to hold up Matsuri if she’s got work to do,” Kirara agreed.

Instead of giving a clear answer, Lady Saeko grinned and said, “Tell me, first years. Which do you think you should prioritize? Accepting my invitation or helping out Matsuri?”

We both yelped. There was no choice at all there. Feeling like a lamb being led to the slaughter, I obediently followed her, as did Kirara.

Matsuri served the tea, and there were ultimately four cups laid out on the table; Lady Saeko insisted that Matsuri sit down as well.

She began, “You see, Matsuri’s family had a spectacular business failure and racked up a large amount of debt. That happened at exactly the same time as I was looking for an obedient sla— uh, servant. I proposed that Matsuri could come to Amanotsuka Academy and work for me under an exclusive contract, and in exchange, their debts would be forgiven.”

Wait, what was that word she almost said? It sounded weirdly ominous.

“Matsuri agreed to this, which is why she’s now my Seraph. She still has to work off the debts, but I do have the power to speed things along. If there’s anything I can do to set Matsuri free even a day earlier than planned, I want to do it, which is why I’m letting her take on all sorts of extra tasks and deducting corresponding amounts from the total.”

Lady Saeko put on a face of deep compassion and benevolence, but it was clearly an act.

“Her cleaning duties in the salon are part of that, so if you step in and try to help, it’ll only make things worse for her. Got it?”

“Oh.” I hadn’t expected this kind of reason.

“It still feels lazy for us to not even lift a finger, though,” said Kirara.

In response, Lade Saeko heaved a powerful sigh. “I guess it’s nice that our new recruits are so diligent.” She lifted the cup to her mouth and emptied it in one big sip. “Well, if you’re that insistent, I don’t mind you helping out.”

“Really? Thank you!”

“When Matsuri and I graduate, someone will have to take over, and it might as well be you. It wouldn’t hurt for you to start learning the ropes already.”

“Yay!” Kirara and I cheered, both clapping our hands in front of us.

Being this excited about cleaning must mean this school is really getting to me. Still, what matters is that it should make Sara rethink her opinion a little.

“Matsuri, from now on I want you to start teaching these two how to do everything. Based on how successfully you teach them, I’ll reduce your family’s debts accordingly.”

“Understood, milady,” Matsuri replied meekly.

We’d better really make an effort or Matsuri might get in trouble, huh?

Then Kirara said, “Lady Saeko, I have a question for you, if that’s okay.”

Lady Saeko fixed her gaze on Kirara. “Go right ahead.”

“Do you know the location of the store Lady Minako has her sponsorship deal with?”

Lady Saeko raised an eyebrow. “Why do you want to know that?”

“I want to try negotiating with them. Maybe they’ll agree to let Lady Kagura take over.”

She was thinking about this all along? All part of the plan, I guess.

“Hmm.” Lady Saeko bore a rarely seen look of indecision on her face. “I do know where it is, but I’m not sure if it’s my place to tell you.”

I wondered if there was some specific reason she couldn’t say. After a moment’s pondering, Lady Saeko turned to me.

“Is Himeko planning on coming here today?”

“Yes, she should be here soon.” It was after three already, so her meeting was probably over.

“Then I’ll discuss it with her first.”

After saying so, she ordered Matsuri to bring more tea. We didn’t have to wait much longer before Himeko arrived.

“Good day,” came her voice from the entrance.

I rushed over to greet her. “Good day, milady. I’ll make tea for you right away, so please sit down and relax.”

Himeko giggled slightly at my change in attitude. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to give you the welcome you deserve.”

“I don’t know, hearing you call me ‘milady’ feels a little awkward, but it is kind of novel.”

This, too, was a change for me. I always just called her “Himeko,” which was overfamiliar for a servant. It was possible Sara had picked up on that.

“I’m actually thinking of switching to calling you ‘Lady Himeko’ from now on.”

“Well, it is a shame not to be given such a lovely title, but honestly, I really like the way you just use my name on its own. Don’t you think it lets us feel closer to one another?”

“Really? But I’m a maid, and you’re my mistress.”

“Surely our relationship isn’t just that of a mistress and maid?”

She pulled me closer to her and gently stroked my head. I see what she means, but this kind of treatment makes me feel like a pet. Not that I’m complaining about her stroking me! I like it!

“I see your point, though. How about this. In public, when others might hear, you call me ‘Lady Himeko,’ but otherwise you keep doing what you’ve been doing.”

“I’m a little worried I’ll get mixed up, but sure. Let’s give that a try.”

“Hehe. One more little pleasure in life!”

With light footsteps, Himeko started to walk farther inside the salon.

“Oh, Himeko, that reminds me!”

“Yes?”

“Would you mind going and talking to Lady Saeko? She’s in her usual spot. There’s something she needs to discuss with you.”

“I wonder what it could be. Anyway, of course. I’ll head right over.”

“Thank you so much!”

Once she was on her way, I hurried to get her tea ready.

Oops, maybe I was supposed to show her to her seat and only then make the tea.

The more I thought about my maid duties, the more I realized how much I still had to learn. That said, the points I’d picked up on today were a big step forward. Little by little, I was putting in the work and leveling up my skills.

Once we were all seated around the table, Himeko prompted, “So, what is it you wanted to discuss?”

“Basically, Kirara wants to know more about the store that sponsors Minako.”

“Right, I can see the issue.” Himeko gave a small nod and then raised her teacup to her lips. After a sip, she frowned and said, “What to do, what to do?” Clearly, this was not an easy decision for her either.

Bucking up my courage, I asked, “Is there some reason you can’t tell us?”

“It’s not that we can’t tell you, but I don’t know how Minako would feel about it.”

“Exactly,” Lady Saeko agreed, leaning far back in her chair and gazing up at the ceiling. “You see, Minako specifically told Kagura not to go and visit the store.”

“Why not?” Kirara asked.

Himeko took another sip of tea, then smiled. “I imagine she doesn’t want Kagura to start negotiating with them instead of her. However, if she did do that, there’s a high chance they’d accept her proposal, which would allow Minako to agree as well.”

Lady Saeko sat back up. “Which makes this an excellent chance. If Kagura were here, she’d no doubt put a stop to it. She doesn’t want to do anything that will make Minako think less of her.”

“Miss Hoshino, has Kagura given you any details about the store?”

“No, not at all,” Kirara replied, shaking her head.

“Then it’s fine for us to tell you, right?” said Lady Saeko. “We can blame Kagura for not saying anything beforehand when she had plenty of opportunity to do so. I’m still a little scared to tell you myself, but if Himeko lets it slip, I don’t think Kagura or Minako will say anything.”

“So you want to use me as a scapegoat?” Although there was a rebuke in Himeko’s tone, her expression was one of amusement.

Lady Saeko offered an impish look. “Rather than wasting time with this unproductive back and forth, why don’t we seize the moment and go for it?” It seemed she was totally on our side here and was trying to lead Himeko into temptation.

After another moment’s wavering, Himeko finally gave in. “All right, then. I’ll take it upon myself to tell you.”

“I knew you’d pull through for us,” said Lady Saeko teasingly. “Such a fine deputy chairman, always thinking about her students!”

“Keep your flattery to yourself,” Himeko replied with a huff.

✤

On the third day of Golden Week, Kirara and I set off bright and early to visit the store in question. This time, we took the bus to the station, then traveled for forty minutes on a shaking train. I was glad it wasn’t an insanely long trip outside the area, at least.

Now that we’d gotten help from Himeko and Lady Saeko, and Himeko had even loaned me her special card so I could travel without paying, we really needed to get some results. If it all worked out, not only would Lady Kagura become Lady Minako’s sponsor, but Kirara would be promoted to Seraph. There was a lot riding on this; we had to do everything we could.

We got off at the station closest to the store, checked the map, then set off to find it. Around twenty minutes later, we arrived. The store with the sign reading “Yasui Sporting Goods” was definitely not a large retailer; it was clear at a glance that it was basically a mom-and-pop shop. The goods on display were from a variety of brands. I had the feeling they’d laid out whatever seemed likely to sell the best.

With some trepidation, we stepped through the door. It looked like they’d only just opened, and there were no other customers inside. For us, that was ideal, since it meant we could talk without getting in the way of their business.

Kirara took the lead, making a beeline for the lady sitting behind the cash register. “Uhm, excuse me.”

“Hello there. Are you looking for anything in particular?” The sales clerk, who appeared to be in her mid-thirties, looked up. “Oh, those uniforms! You must go to Amanotsuka Academy.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

We hadn’t donned our aprons today, so our black uniforms were on display. The more elaborate Societal Arts uniform would have stood out even more, making our school immediately obvious to all around, but she’d recognized us from the Domestic Arts uniform.

“Hehe. Students from your school come by here a lot, actually.”

One of those must be Lady Minako. Maybe the other club members buy things here as well.

Drawing a little closer, Kirara said, “That’s actually what we wanted to talk about. Is the boss here?”

“The boss? You must mean my dad.” It seemed she was the owner’s daughter. “He’s not here today, I’m afraid. He went on an early morning fishing trip.”

“Aah. I see.” Kirara’s shoulders slumped.

“Maybe I can help?”

“Yeah, maybe. It’s about Lady Minako.”

“Oh, really? If it has to do with Minako, I’m probably the one to talk to after all.”

“That’s great!”

“Glad to hear it. Please go ahead, then. Tell me what’s going on with Minako.”

Although still a bit wary of Kirara’s sudden intensity, the woman introduced herself as Tomoko and invited us into a room in the back of the store, where we explained what was going on. Afterward, she wore an amused smile.

“Hmm, I see! So that’s what this is all about. It all sounds fine to me, though. I accept.”

“Really? That quickly?”

That was so easy that it was almost anticlimactic. It did make the volleyball showdown feel a little pointless, but maybe luck was finally on our side.

“Minako’s told me a lot about Kagura. She didn’t say a single word about this sponsorship business, silly girl. But she did boast a lot about how much Kagura supported her—how she came to every game and always praised her to the skies.”

“Gosh,” I remarked. Sounds like Lady Minako’s really glad to have Lady Kagura in her corner.

“I wish she’d said something about Kagura’s ambitions. My sponsorship of Minako goes back around seven years, and it was a personal thing between me and her. I’d give her a discount on shoes, and in return, she’d promote our store. She’s the kind of girl who sticks to her word, which isn’t a bad trait, but she can be way too rigid about it.”

I couldn’t help laughing. Trust someone who’s known her since she was a little girl to be brutally honest.

Tomoko kept going and going, telling us stories about embarrassing moments from Lady Minako’s childhood. I started wondering if we should really be hearing all this.

Just then, a voice called Tomoko’s name from the shop floor. I gasped, recognizing it immediately.

Kirara’s face froze. “This could be bad.”

“Maybe her ears were burning,” said Tomoko, rising to her feet. Evidently, she had also realized who it was right away. In a loud voice, she called out, “Minako, I’m in the back! Can you come here?”

I reacted in a mild panic. “What? But, Tomoko—”

Lady Minako did just as asked. The moment she saw us, she froze. “Misaki? Kirara? What are you doing here?”

Not letting a moment pass before she stopped in, Kirara turned to her and bowed deeply, her hands on the floor. “Allow me to apologize. I knew that you’d forbidden Lady Kagura from coming here, but after learning where this store was, I couldn’t hold myself back.”

Some of the key details were missing in this explanation, but I could imagine they wouldn’t have mattered from Lady Minako’s point of view.

“Did Kagura tell you to do this?”

“No, it was my own personal decision. Lady Kagura doesn’t even know I’m here.”

“Then someone else from the Sky Salon must have told you, right?”

Kirara and I both remained silent.

“Well, Kagura was the only one I told not to come, and it’s not like the store’s name and location are a secret or anything. I should have foreseen this after your visit to the volleyball club yesterday.” She hung her head, looking dejected.

“What are you whining about?” asked Tomoko, beckoning her to sit down. “You should have just told me Kagura wanted to sponsor you. It sounds perfect. What’s not to like about a contract with her?”

“Well...”

“Well?”

“I couldn’t tell you because I knew you’d tell me to go for it.”

“Obviously! So what’s the problem?” She laughed broadly, slapping Lady Minako on the back.

“Do you realize how much you’ve done for me? You’ve been there ever since I was a little kid. I’m too grateful to just turn my back on you. In fact, that’s what drives me to be the best. One day, I want to be playing on the world stage, proudly bearing the banner of your store!”

Tomoko bluntly shot down this notion. “You know that’s never gonna happen, right? Maybe at a high school level your skill is all that counts, but if you’re aiming bigger than that, environmental factors matter every bit as much. The best we can give you are ready-made goods that come straight off the shelf. We can’t give you made-to-measure shoes or specialized training facilities. Besides, what happens after you graduate? I don’t know if you’ll go to college or start job hunting, but either way, in a few short years you’ll be out in the wider world. You’ll probably join a company’s team, right? It won’t be up to you to decide who’s sponsoring you. You won’t be able to keep using us forever.”

“I guess you’re right.” In the face of Tomoko’s sound argument, Lady Minako had no recourse to fight back.

“I think you’ve done more than enough for us, anyway. First of all, you’ve increased our sales by buying plenty of things here yourself, but you’ve also spread the word about us and increased our popularity a little. Students from Amanotsuka Academy are always coming here. I really don’t think you need to worry about us anymore. Just do what’s right for you. We won’t go out of business without you.”

“But...”

Lady Minako was still not ready to concede despite not having a leg to stand on. She must have known it would turn out like this if Lady Kagura came and spoke to them directly, which was why she’d forbidden it.

“I know! Why don’t you bring Kagura here to meet me?”

“What?”

“I want to see her with my own eyes and judge if she’s worthy of stealing you away. If I decide I’m happy to leave you in her hands, you’ll switch over to her.”

“No, I don’t want you to do that!”

“Why not?”

“Because I know for sure you’ll tell me to go ahead with it!”

“Maybe, maybe not. Who knows? She might not measure up after all.”

“I seriously doubt that.”

“Anyway, it’s an order from your sponsor.”

“What?”

Since Lady Minako still wouldn’t agree, Tomoko had brought out the big guns. “I said it’s an order. As your sponsor, I demand that you bring Kagura to me. If you don’t, I’ll drop my sponsorship of you. Then you’ll be a free agent.”

Wow, Tomoko’s not messing around. She’s put Lady Minako in a situation where whatever she chooses, all roads lead to Lady Kagura.

“But—”

“Once you’re released from our agreement, you can either continue rejecting Kagura’s offer even though you don’t have an alternative, or you can hope I’ll be kind enough to accept you back once you come crawling. It’s up to you whether you want to take that gamble.”

Lady Minako groaned. Sad as it was for her, she really had no choice here at all.

Once we were outside the store, Kirara and I both lowered our heads. “We’re sorry, Lady Minako.”

We’d hit her with a surprise attack, and it had been all too effective. I was fully expecting us to face her wrath.

Instead, she mostly looked drained of all energy. “Don’t worry about it. No need to bow and scrape. You two didn’t do anything wrong. I knew it would end up like this eventually; you just sped things along. When do you think I’ll be able to bring Kagura here?”

“I’ll contact her as soon I get home. She might be available as early as tomorrow.” Kirara still sounded slightly apologetic as she spoke.

“Got it. In that case, let me know as soon as you can.”

“Will do.”

“Oh no! I forgot I actually came here to buy things. You two go on ahead.”

With that, Lady Minako disappeared into the store again in a flash.

✤

As soon as we got back to the academy, Kirara called the phone number Lady Kagura had given her. Lady Kagura did scold her a little, but she was glad to hear about the outcome, and the upshot was that she decided to head straight back to school. She was back by evening with the Kokonoe sisters in tow, and she immediately made plans with Lady Minako. They agreed to visit Yasui Sporting Goods the following morning—and that both Kirara and I would join them.

And so, one chaotic day came to an end, and the next one began. We arrived at the store again, this time with Lady Kagura and the twins.

“Well done, Kirara. Now I just need to make a good enough impression on Tomoko.”

“Yes, milady.”

Lady Kagura looked more buoyant than I’d ever seen her before. Lady Minako, meanwhile, wore a conflicted expression and didn’t say a single word. I still wasn’t sure how to feel about the situation. Were things looking good or bad?

Ignoring the weighty atmosphere, Lady Kagura stepped inside the store and called out, “Hello?”

“Come in! I’ve been waiting for you. You must be Kagura.”

“I am indeed. I’m terribly sorry that my maid ambushed you like that. I’m grateful that you not only saw fit to forgive her, but were kind enough to show her such a warm welcome.”

“Honestly, no need to stand on ceremony! I guess being formal’s all part and parcel of going to your school. Anyway, come into the back and we can talk properly.”

Tomoko ushered us all into the same room we’d entered the day before.

“So, you’re planning to start your own sporting goods company? That’s incredible for someone your age.”

“I see you’ve heard a lot about me.”

“Yes, Minako’s always singing your praises!”

“Tomoko, stop!” Lady Minako exclaimed, finally breaking her silence. She glared and turned red with embarrassment.

“Pipe down, Minako. It’s going to be okay.”

Clearly, Tomoko was the one with all the initiative in this situation. She began an animated conversation with Lady Kagura, not allowing Lady Minako to interrupt at all. Lady Kagura gave an impassioned plea where she expressed how much she believed in both her own dream and Lady Minako’s fabulous abilities.

Tomoko listened attentively, then suddenly said, “Now that I think about it, don’t I know you from somewhere?”

“Ohoho, well, it wouldn’t be all that unusual for an ordinary person to have heard of a person like me.”

“That’s not what I mean. I’ve seen you before, a really long time ago. I’d recognize those curls anywhere. Were you on TV as a kid or something?”

“Ah, I see! Yes, well remembered.”

Lady Kagura closed her eyes as if lost in a pleasant memory. Tomoko had apparently hit the nail on the head. Was Lady Kagura a famous TV star or something?

“It’s a long time ago now, but I used to be really into golf. You might have seen me back then.”

“That’s it!” cried Tomoko, clapping her hands together. “I remember now! There was a young golf prodigy on TV all the time. Her name was definitely Kagura.”

Wow, I never knew Lady Kagura had that kind of a past!.

“You were wiping the floor with the grown-up players, but then you just disappeared all of a sudden. What happened? Did you quit? If you’d kept going, you might not have been on Minako’s level as a sports player, but you could have competed internationally for sure.”

“Hohoho, well, a lot of things happened.” She looked away as if hiding something.

Then the Kokonoe sisters filled the silence left by Lady Kagura, both speaking in an impish tone.

“We’ll tell you all about it.”

“There’s a very interesting reason, we can promise you!”

“Both of you, quiet!” said their mistress. “Stop this right now.”

They showed no sign of obeying, however.

“What’s the big deal?”

“You don’t need to hide it.”

They approached from behind and restrained her arms, then went right on talking. As usual, the twins weren’t overly concerned about showing respect to their mistress.

“It must have been when Lady Kagura was about seven years old.”

“She’d been playing golf for about two years and was starting to bask in the glory of being called a prodigy.”

So she started when she was five?! They just said it like it was nothing!

“To challenge herself and improve her own skills, she declared that she would learn how to hit a perfect shot in any possible situation.”

“That was why she decided to practice hitting a shot through the narrow gap between some trees. We tried to stop her, but she ignored us.”

I have a bad feeling about whatever they’re going to say next.

“Ayakas, I demand that you stop!” Lady Kagura exclaimed.

This made no impact on them at all, however. “Nope, sorry,” they both said at once.

They continued as before, speaking in turn.

“Anyway, I’m sure you can imagine what happened.”

“It did not go well.”

“If she’d missed and that was all, it would have been fine.”

“But the ball ricocheted off the branches...”

“And struck her in her left eye.”

“It didn’t blind her, but her vision in that eye was weakened significantly. It meant she couldn’t hit a golf ball properly anymore. She had no choice but to retire.”

Oof, so that’s what happened. Sounds awful. That must be why she always covers her left eye with her bangs.

“Well, now you know,” Lady Kagura admitted with a sigh. “It didn’t make sense to continue when my depth perception was so poor, so I decided to walk another path instead. I don’t have any lingering regrets. It happened because I was willing to push myself, so I accept the outcome. However, I do still have an attachment to sports, which is why I want to give world-class athletes the support they deserve.”

“And that’s why you want to run a sporting goods manufacturer?” Tomoko asked.

“Exactly. I couldn’t achieve my dream, but I figure I can give a boost to others and help them reach the height of their potential.”

“That sounds great. Minako, are you listening? If she’s this serious about it, there’s no reason for me to stand in her way. I’m entirely comfortable letting you go.”

“Do you mean that?”

“Yes. Kagura, I’m entrusting Minako to you. Do everything you can to help her reach the big leagues and beyond.”

“I wouldn’t do anything less.”

The two of them exchanged a firm handshake.

Glad to see a happy outcome. Now Kirara can be a Seraph as well.

“Come on, Minako, say something,” said Tomoko.

She frowned. “Well, I still haven’t decided if I want Kagura to sponsor me.”

“What’s left to think about? It’s all done and dusted!”

“But—”

Lady Kagura interrupted, “Minako, is there something you don’t like about the company I’m planning? I’m going to become the world’s leading competitor in this field. If you join my team, I promise you won’t regret it.”

“Even so,” Minako began, “I feel like I can’t just tell you, ‘Thanks, glad to be part of the team.’ Not after I’ve put it off this long.”

She’s blushing! I get it. She feels awkward about accepting the offer after refusing it all this time.

“You don’t need to say that. I’d be happy enough with ‘Fine, I’ll switch over to Kagura.’ In fact, I’d be over the moon.” Lady Kagura clasped her hands together and bowed. “Please, Minako. Help me achieve my dream.”

“You really don’t need to start begging like that,” said Minako, putting a stop to it immediately by wrapping her arms around Lady Kagura and lifting her up. “Are you sure you want me, though? Like, really? Me?”

“It has to be you, Minako. It couldn’t be anyone else. From the moment I first saw you, I knew you were the one for me.”

They both fell silent for a time, gazing fixedly into each other’s eyes.

“All right, then,” Lady Minako murmured, finally giving in. “I’ll help you achieve your dream. No matter what, I’ll compete on the world stage and let everyone know who was there for me—who gave me the support I needed to get there.”

✤

Lady Kagura’s two years of heartfelt pleas had finally worked. Of course, without downplaying Lady Kagura’s extreme passion and never-say-die spirit, Kirara had been the real MVP in all this.

The last day of Golden Week arrived. Everyone who had gone to visit their families came back to the academy, which meant the Sky Salon was bursting with life again. A warm light filtered in through the windows as the first hints of summer began to appear.

Kirara stood before Lady Kagura with a nervous expression.

“You’ve done very good work, Kirara. You broke through a barrier that I couldn’t after trying for ages and ages. I have no qualms whatsoever about calling you my Seraph.”

Lady Kagura presented her with the golden school badge.

“Thank you!”

Falling to her knees, Kirara thanked her mistress just like a knight swearing fealty. All the other members of the Sky Salon watched as a new Seraph entered the world.