Chapter Six: Fighting for a Dream

“Please! Let me be your Seraph!”

It was lunchtime on a bright and sunny Tuesday. Just as she’d warned me, Kirara was bowing down before Lady Kagura. I felt my stomach tighten.

All eyes in the room fell on Kirara. Even though it theoretically had nothing to do with me, I couldn’t hold back my growing sense of unease.

She told me to act the same as I did yesterday, but that was already pretty tough! I was sweating profusely and couldn’t even look at her. The urge to run was overpowering, but I was Himeko’s Seraph, so I had no choice but to stay.

Lady Kagura continued to steadfastly ignore her, as did the other Sky Salon members and the rest of the Societal Arts students. Even the teachers present didn’t say a word to her.

Is it really okay for a Domestic Arts student to be doing this? It feels like it could spiral into a bigger problem.

Himeko, too, acted as if Kirara weren’t even there. Instead, she started suggesting plans for that afternoon while gracefully eating her lunch. “Misaki, why don’t we go shopping again after school?”

I screamed internally. Don’t you realize Kirara’s going to take that suggestion as a personal affront?! Himeko couldn’t have known, but letting Kirara see us having a nice cordial master-servant relationship was only going to rile her up even more.

Still, I couldn’t exactly turn down her invitation. “Uh, yes, sure. Let’s do that.”

Cold sweat enveloped me as I joylessly crammed food into my mouth. What was probably a very delicious meal somehow tasted of absolutely nothing. I was certain I was the most tense and agitated student out of everyone in the whole dining hall.

Something has to happen soon, right? This’ll have to be resolved somehow.

Unfortunately for me, things carried on in this same vein the next day and the day after.

✤

　“Please!”

On Wednesday and Thursday, Kirara bowed before Lady Kagura again. Both times, Lady Kagura neither spoke to her nor even looked in her direction.

Not to be deterred, Kirara continued her pleading. I sort of admired her willpower and the honesty of her approach. If I’d been so thoroughly ignored, I’d have backed down pretty quickly.

Actually, I’d never have been able to do anything this over-the-top in the first place.

Even though this was a daily occurrence now and I was slowly getting used to it, the extreme stress I felt in the pit of my stomach never abated.

Today I can hardly even swallow my food. If it keeps going like this, I feel like I’m going to get a stomach ulcer.

For Kirara’s sake and mine, there needed to be some kind of progress, and soon. Despite Kirara telling me not to get involved, I was quickly reaching my limit. Kirara might get angry with me if I take action, but I have to prioritize my own health!

Thus, I decided that after school that day, I’d talk to Lady Kagura at the Sky Salon and find out what she was really thinking.

“Uhm, Lady Kagura, do you have a minute?”

“Certainly. What is it?” After taking a sip of the tea I had served her, she turned to me, brushing her hand through her loose golden curls.

Phew. I’d been worried she might give me the silent treatment just like Kirara, even if that was an entirely baseless fear.

This was the first time I’d ever spoken to Lady Kagura directly. Not only was she a third-year student, but she was a young lady in the Societal Arts program, and the head of the Sky Salon. All of that made her a little intimidating.

Her bangs covered her left eye in a way that came across as quite ethereal, and her right eye, vivid green, pierced through me. I felt my nerves grow more frayed than ever.

Still, there was no turning back. The only way to change the situation was to act. No more standing on the sidelines and watching.

Lucky for me, the Kokonoe sisters were nowhere in sight. The other salon members were also elsewhere, since everyone had their own favorite places to sit. It was a golden opportunity to talk to Lady Kagura one-on-one.

Here goes nothing! I gathered up all my courage. “It’s about Kirara. I’m wondering if I could ask you what you intend to do.”

“Kirara?”

She doesn’t even know her name? No, that doesn’t matter! I have to keep going! “You know, the girl who’s been asking you to let her be your Seraph every day in the dining hall.” I imitated Kirara’s gestures in a fervent effort to make her remember.

“Aha,” said Lady Kagura, nodding. “Yes, I know who you mean.”

That’s a relief. At least she acknowledges Kirara’s existence.

“What about her?” she asked.

“Well, that’s sort of my question. You’re not going to just keep ignoring her forever, are you? I think Kirara’s going to keep going until you respond.”

“Yes, she’s very dedicated to her cause. I respect that. I’m actually quite intrigued to see how long she can keep it up for.”

“What?!” If that’s the way it goes, I’ll get an ulcer for sure!

“I’m only kidding,” said Lady Kagura with a chuckle. “Do you happen to know her?”

“Uh, yes, that’s right. She’s in my class, and we’re roommates. That means I know her pretty well—and trust me, she’s an excellent student! Her grades are good, she knows everything about the school, and she’s way, way better at domestic work than I am!”

Lady Kagura had shown some kind of interest, so I took the opportunity to sing Kirara’s praises.

“She’s also the one who told me all about Seraphs and the customs of the academy.”

“I see. I can’t help wondering, then, why she’d do a thing like this.”

“Urk.” This entirely accurate comment made the words catch in my throat. Is it better to tell her the truth? I don’t want to say the wrong thing and make things worse for Kirara, but I can’t start lying either. My mind whirred at full speed as I tried to find a way to improve Lady Kagura’s impression, even if only slightly. “Well, you see, Kirara is—”

But I was interrupted.

“Kirara Hoshino, first-year Domestic Arts.”

“Her grades are among the best in her year. Her practical skills are excellent as well.”

Behind me, I heard two voices so identical it was like I was hearing in stereo. They were voices I knew well. I immediately put myself on guard.

Lady Kagura spoke to the pair behind me. “Oh, have you finished with your research?”

“Yes,” they said in unison, one voice by my left ear and one by my right.

I knew without even turning around that the Kokonoe sisters were there. An ominous feeling came over me.

“For someone behaving so outrageously, she’s actually pretty normal.” Again their voices were perfectly aligned, with not a single syllable out of sync. They were so close, I could feel their breath on my cheeks.

“Uhm, excuse me, Ayakas?”

The two sisters were both called Ayaka. Since they were twins, their appearances were almost identical as well. The only way to tell them apart was by the different ribbons they wore. I couldn’t decide if it was convenient or just plain confusing that you could address both of them at the same time just by saying “Ayakas.”

“Yes?” they replied.

I felt a weight on my shoulders as they put their arms around me and leaned on me. It was as though I was about to be crushed, but I held out. I had to ask them about the information they’d just reported to Lady Kagura. “You’ve been researching Kirara?”

Instead of answering my question, they gave a snort of laughter and said, “Is that how you greet students who’re older than you?”

“Eek!” A chill ran down my spine. What was I supposed to say? “Uh, good day?”

“Exactly,” replied one of the sisters. “Good day, Misaki.”

“Well done!” said the other.

I know manners are important, but this is a bit much. “I’m not a little kid. Just because I said ‘good day’ doesn’t mean you have to literally stroke my head!”

“Oh my. Would you rather we stroked your bottom?”

“Or your meager little bosom?”

“No! None of the above, if you don’t mind!”

And do you have to be so rude? My bosom may be meager compared to yours, but it’s still within the realms of normality!

Their hands began to fondle me all over just as they’d said. In a panic, I shook them off and got away from their fiendish fingers.

This was why it always set alarm bells ringing in my head as soon as the Kokonoe twins were anywhere nearby.

“What a shame,” they said in unison.

“Honestly! If you don’t cut this out, I’m telling Himeko!”

“So what? She’d allow it for sure.”

I groaned. They were probably right, so there wasn’t much I could say to that. “Let’s get back to the point, okay? Have you been researching Kirara?”

“We have, indeed.” They both nodded at the same time.

Lady Kagura set down her now empty teacup and slid it to one side along with its saucer. “On my orders.”

Does that mean she’s developed an interest in Kirara?

The sisters held out some pieces of paper in front of them. Lady Kagura glanced over them, nodding. “Kirara Hoshino, first-year Domestic Arts. Both her parents are caregivers, and after watching them work from a young age, Kirara decided she wanted to do a job that involves helping people. She was very good at helping out with the cooking, cleaning, and laundry, and in middle school she learned about domestic service when she did job shadowing. Since then, becoming a maid has been her dream.”

She paused for a moment.

“I suppose being a lady’s maid must have appealed to her since it looked more glamorous than being a caregiver. After that, she set her sights on attending Amanotsuka Academy and focused hard on studying to pass the exam. She has a highly earnest personality and is hard on both herself and others. Her hope was to become a Seraph before anyone else, so Misaki Hotaru beating her to it made her intensely jealous.” She looked at me and giggled. “It’s all starting to make sense.”

When did they manage to find out all that?

“She must have found it simply outrageous that you were chosen to be a Seraph purely based on Himeko’s whim rather than earning it with your skills.”

I pouted. “Well, excuse me for being so unskilled.” I’d never had any intention of becoming a maid in the first place, so obviously I didn’t have any of the requisite training.

“I’m not suggesting it was a good thing or a bad thing. It was Himeko’s decision, so it’s her business. She must have seen something in you that she needed. Knowing what I know about the circumstances, it does come across as an odd sort of master-servant relationship, but—oh, Kirara Hoshino must also know about the details of how you were offered the Golden Contract, right? She’s not like the other students who think it was arranged before you joined the school.”

“Yeah. When I got to the dorm, she hounded me for answers, so I told her everything. That was before I’d had any chance to get my story straight with Himeko.”

“Right. And her jealousy and impatience are what led her to act out like this.”

“I suppose so.”

“She doesn’t want you to leave her behind. That’s why being my Seraph is so important to her.”

Lady Kagura smoothly flipped through the remaining pages of the report. When she was done, she put it down on the table.

“Does that mean you’re going to make her your Seraph after all?” I asked. Her tone was more positive than I’d expected, so I couldn’t help saying something.

My hopes were quickly dashed, however, as she took on a strict tone. “I’m afraid not. As it stands, I definitely can’t make her my Seraph.”

I knew it couldn’t be that easy.

The twins cut in with some criticism.

“It’s clear that she has a lot of faith in her own abilities...”

“...but begging to be a Seraph is going too far.”

Desperately, I tried to defend her. “You’ve got it all wrong. Kirara’s not being arrogant. She knows she’s not supposed to be doing this, but she’s so determined to be Lady Kagura’s Seraph that she feels she has no other choice.”

I can tell that Lady Kagura has some interest in Kirara. That much is certain. There must be something I can do to nudge her feelings just a little bit further in that direction.

Lady Kagura looked straight at me. “I can’t say I have anything against recruiting a new Seraph, especially one who’s such an outstanding individual. I’m also impressed with her sheer determination in staying the course even though I’ve completely ignored her. I tend to like that kind of person.”

“Really? You do?”

“The fact remains, though, that I can’t accept her request.”

“Why?”

Lady Kagura definitely had a positive view of Kirara, so why couldn’t she accept her as a Seraph?

The Kokonoe twins answered instead of their mistress.

“That’s easy.”

“It’s because she broke an unwritten rule.”

“An unwritten rule? You mean that the maids aren’t supposed to ask to be made a Seraph? It’s always meant to come from the mistress’ side?”

“Exactly. Asking to be made a Seraph is utterly shameless behavior.”

“How could anyone who acts that disgracefully in front of so many people ever be a Seraph?”

I looked down. “Oh no. Is there really no way around that?”

“Not at present,” said Lady Kagura coldly. “The rule itself isn’t set in stone, so I don’t blame her for breaking it. In fact, I admire her audacity. Even so, I definitely can’t make that girl my Seraph. Have you figured out why?”

“No, not really.” She’s made it clear that the rule breaking itself isn’t the problem. What other problem could there be?

“What do you think will happen if someone begs and pleads like that, and I accept their request? If it becomes widely known that getting on your hands and knees before me is enough to become my Seraph?”

Suddenly it hit me. I clapped my hands together. “There’ll be copycats!”

She nodded. “There will, indeed. Even if I don’t mind, just setting this one example will lead to someone doing the same thing down the line, with someone else as the target. I won’t be able to pretend that’s not my fault.”

I get it now. She’s thinking about the future. What I don’t understand is why she’s just ignoring Kirara. If she really wants to make sure no one else ever does this again, wouldn’t it better give a clear rejection? The fact that she hasn’t done that suggests that Kirara might still be in with a chance.

“Uhm, so you’re saying you want to try and do it in a way that puts off any potential copycats?”

“Hehe, that’s right. Instead of just accepting her, I have to give her some sort of test to see if she’s worthy of being my Seraph.”

Of course.

“Do you have any suggestions, Misaki? It would have to be a way of proving that she’s good enough that everyone would accept without anyone wanting to follow in her footsteps.”

“Oh, I’m not sure. You’ve kind of put me on the spot.”

Everyone in the whole school knew what Kirara had done. Unless the plan was really good, it was basically guaranteed that other students would try doing the same thing.

She turned to look at the twins, who were clearing away her tea. “What about you, Ayakas? Any ideas?”

They both looked at her and put a hand on their cheeks in an identical motion. “Let’s see.”

After a moment, one of them said, “Maybe we could attach really harsh conditions to it.”

“Make an all-or-nothing challenge,” said the other.

“Yes, then everyone would accept it, whether she passed or failed.”

I gulped. A chance was a chance, but it sounded like they were about to put up some really high hurdles in front of poor Kirara.

The twins faced one another and grinned menacingly.

“And we know just how we can test her.”

“Yes, there’s a perfect opportunity coming up.”

Eek, I don’t like the look on their faces. Whatever they’re thinking of, it’s going to be really mean.

Lady Kagura appeared to be used to them taking on this tone; her face showed no reaction to it at all as she continued. “Now that is intriguing.”

“According to our information, she’ll be coming today.”

“Yes, and that little pipsqueak is planning on throwing down the gauntlet.”

Pipsqueak? Gauntlet?

“That makes sense. The waiting period must be over by now. She can finally try again.”

I didn’t know what Lady Kagura and the twins were talking about, but it seemed to be someone or something that they could use to test Kirara.

Even if I didn’t grasp what was going on, Lady Kagura certainly did. With a nod, she said, “Very well. Making use of her next attempt sounds ideal.”

“We have a plan in mind for what kind of test it should be and what kind of conditions it should have.”

“It’ll let you judge Kirara Hoshino in full detail and prove to everyone that she’s worthy—or unworthy.”

The Kokonoe sisters pressed their palms together as if they were each resting their hands on a mirror. Both of them murmured, “How exciting!”

Meanwhile, I was still totally lost. Whatever they were talking about, it sounded like quite a big deal. “What is it? Who’s throwing down what gauntlet?”

The twins looked out through the window and smiled as if they had spotted someone.

“You won’t have to wait too long.”

“The pipsqueak is already on her way.”

I went over to the window as well and gazed out. A group of girls was just entering the former school building.

“There’s Himeko, and... that’s the student council president, right?” Those were the only ones I recognized. Behind them were two more I’d never seen before. “Are those other two girls going to come and do something?”

Lady Kagura closed her eyes and sighed quietly. “They certainly are. Now, let’s just wait for them to make their way up here.”

✤

The elevator that went up to the Sky Salon stopped with a ding, and the doors slowly opened. The four girls I’d just seen stepped out—two girls I knew and two I still didn’t, no matter how hard I racked my brain.

One of them was a Societal Arts student. As per the twins’ unflattering nickname, she was not very tall. I wouldn’t have batted an eyelid if someone had told me she was in elementary school. However, her red ribbon told me she was a second year, just like Himeko, although it looked so large on her that it almost covered her entire chest. Her hair was the color of an orange tabby cat, with curled locks hanging down at front and frilly ribbons tying it into pigtails.

What stood out most of all, though, was the tiara on her head.

Kirara had told me that tiaras had a special significance here. They could only be worn by the head of a salon. With its charming design of interlinked hearts, the tiara shone brilliantly at a 45-degree angle on her head.

The remaining girl was a Domestic Arts student. In contrast to the petite young lady, she was so statuesque that she could have been a model. There was a distinct air of dignity in the way she stood behind the lady with eyes cast down at the floor. Her bangs were partially clipped to the side with a hairpin, while her long hair was neatly braided at the back.

The design of the apron and headpiece she wore was different from mine. I assumed it was the specific design for a different salon. A purple ribbon on her chest marked her out as a third-year student, and a shining golden badge showed that she was a Seraph. I didn’t even need to ask to know that she was in the service of the shorter girl.

It was the first time I’d ever seen the head of another salon, but she had the same kind of aura about her as Lady Kagura. I started to feel nervous. What is she planning to do?

Himeko peeled off from the group and walked over to me. Smiling, she gently stroked my pigtails. “Sorry I’m late, Misaki.”

“Who are these other people you came with?”

“Allow me to explain,” came a reply from the student council president, Rika Yasuki—or as she was better known, Lady Angelica. I’d intended to ask in a whisper, but apparently she’d heard anyway. “Kagura, could you please gather everyone together?”

“Certainly. Ayakas, if you don’t mind.”

On her command, the Kokonoe twins started approaching the various members of the Sky Salon and asking them to come over.

“Should I help as well?” I asked Himeko.

“No need for that. You can just stay next to me.”

“All right.”

At times like these, I still didn’t know what the protocol was. All I really knew was that I was Himeko’s Seraph, even if only in a stand-in sense, and that I was the Sky Salon’s newest member. Based on that, my understanding was that I was meant to put even more work in than the older students. In this instance, though, it seemed I didn’t need to do a thing.

Before the twins even managed to ask everyone, the other members all saw something was happening and gathered of their own accord.

“It looks like everyone’s here,” said Angelica, sweeping her eyes across the assembled group. “Then I’ll begin. I’m sure you’ve realized already, but I’ll give an introduction, as is customary.” She coughed to clear her throat. “On this day, April 24th, the Sky Salon has been challenged to a Salon Struggle.”

A Salon Struggle? What’s that?

Gesturing to the petite young lady behind her, Angelica said, “The challenger is Asuka Nekoyashi, head of the Paradise Palace.”

Lady Asuka stepped forward, puffed up with pride. “Prepare yourself, Kagura Mikage! This time I swear to you, I will take over the Sky Salon!” She pointed a finger at Lady Kagura to accompany this declaration of war.

In response, Lady Kagura smiled boldly. “Heh. You never learn, do you? No matter how many times you challenge me, the Sky Salon will never, ever be yours. I hope you’re looking forward to being put firmly in your place.”

The Kokonoe sisters joined in with their mistress.

“That’s right. Why don’t you get on your knees now before you start crying?”

“This is the third time now. What kind of a masochist keeps doing the same thing over and over when they know it results in them getting soundly beaten?”

Wow, all three of them are laying it on a little thick. Even the twins, and they’re supposed to be maids!

I couldn’t help asking Himeko, “Is it all right for them to act like that?”

Even though they had strong personalities to say the least, I’d assumed they could only behave the way they did within the confines of the Sky Salon. I thought it was an exception because they were among friends, essentially.

For Seraphs to behave this way to a member of another salon—a lady of the Societal Arts program, no less—felt like playing with fire.

And they think they have a right to criticize Kirara?

But apparently this was fine. Offhandedly, Himeko replied, “The Ayakas are a special case.”

A special case? What does that mean? I’ve thought all along that the way they carry themselves feels totally different from the other Domestic Arts students, but why are they allowed to be this aggressive?

Lady Angelica stepped in with a mildly reproachful comment. “I’d prefer it if the two of you toned your inflammatory remarks.” At last, the sparks that were flying started to dissipate. “Anyway, that’s the situation. Please check and sign the application form on behalf of the Sky Salon, then decide on a date and time and a suitable format for the contest.”

“Certainly,” said Lady Kagura. She took the piece of paper presented to her, glanced over it, and signed. “We’ll send word about the format tomorrow.”

“Excellent,” replied Lady Angelica, checking the signature and stowing the form away.

With that, it seemed the “Salon Struggle,” whatever that was, had been confirmed.

Lady Asuka took on a belligerent tone again. “This time the Sky Salon is definitely, definitely going to be mine! Do you hear me?! Mine!” She looked at her Seraph and started walking back to the elevator. “Let’s go, Mei.”

So that girl is named Mei, I noted.

“Thank you for having us,” said Mei with all the decorum I’d expect of a maid. Her cool temperament was refreshing after her mistress’ fiery outburst.

I wondered where the ladylike aura I’d sensed from Lady Asuka had disappeared to. Mei was the one who seemed more like a lady.

When both of them were gone, the Sky Salon members convened around the table in the center.

Looking at the twins, Lady Kagura began, “Now then, this is an entirely expected development, but it sounded as though you two had a plan for how to use the Salon Struggle to test Kirara Hoshino. Isn’t that right?”

The malicious smile appeared on both their faces again. Together they said, “We certainly do. A very, very good plan!”

The look in their eyes made me decidedly uneasy. I hope whatever they have in mind isn’t too horrible. What even is a “Salon Struggle,” anyway?

Unable to contain myself any longer, I put my hand up. “Uhm, I don’t suppose I could ask a quick question?”

In a teacher-like fashion, Lady Kagura gestured to me and said, “Go right ahead.”

This was a relief. “Would you mind telling me what a Salon Struggle is?”

“Of course, you wouldn’t know. We use the word ‘struggle’ in the sense of a contest, or a battle for supremacy.”

“A battle for supremacy?”

“Yes. The way the salons work is that the members pay a fee for access, but the amount isn’t predetermined. Whoever pays the most earns the right to use the salon. Sounds simple, right? The problem is, that leads to a small number of people having a monopoly over the salons. To ensure everyone has a fair chance to get access to the salon they want, there’s a system in place that provides some balance. We call that the Salon Struggle.”

“Oh, that is interesting.”

“Of course, it’s only for people who can’t get in by normal means, so there are a lot of limitations. First of all, you can only initiate a Salon Struggle once every three months—and, if you lose, it’ll be six months before you can challenge the same salon again. Also, the date, time, and type of contest are all decided by the current owners of the salon being challenged.”

“Really? Doesn’t that mean you can rig the odds in your favor?”

“More or less. Like I said, it’s for people who can’t get into the salon through normal means, so there’s no need to give them too much of an advantage. The end result is that not too many people go around challenging salons to Salon Struggles.”

She continued and explained a few other specific rules, but my main takeaway was that for the person issuing the challenge, the chances of success were pretty low. Still, for the Societal Arts students, membership of a famous salon seemed to have a great deal of prestige attached to it. I could see why someone would try their luck even if it was a losing battle.

“Do you understand now?” she concluded.

“Yes. Thank you very much.”

“Then let’s get down to business. As mentioned, I’d like to use this contest as an opportunity to test Kirara Hoshino. Does anyone have any objections?”

The ladies all confirmed that they did not. With that out of the way, she continued.

“As far as the contest itself goes, the Ayakas have an idea in mind, so I’d like them to explain it to everyone. Ayakas?”

“Certainly,” said the Kokonoe twins, standing up. Then they began, taking turns to speak.

“Allow us to explain.”

“You see, it’s essentially a battle of table manners.”

“We’ll give a set number of points to each participant and deduct points for every mistake.”

“By observing their table manners, we’ll easily be able to judge each participant’s level of skill.”

“Based on that, we can find out for sure whether the girl is worthy of being Lady Kagura’s Seraph.”

As always, their words flowed in such harmony with one another that it was impressive to watch.

Lady Kagura nodded in approval. “I see what you mean. Eating dinner at the same table is always a good way to judge someone’s character.”

The twins went on.

“And, instead of just giving Kirara Hoshino a chance to prove herself, we’ll put the entire fate of the Sky Salon on her shoulders.”

“Furthermore, if she’s deemed unworthy of being a Seraph, her own neck will be on the chopping block. She’ll have to leave the school.”

I shot up. “What?! That’s not fair!”

That’s far too high a price to pay. Just because she dared to ask to be a Seraph doesn’t mean you have to drive her into a corner like that!

The twins glared at me coldly and said, “Sit down, Misaki.”

“It obviously has to be this way,” added one.

“It’s the only way to put off any copycats for good,” insisted the other.

Feebly, I muttered, “I suppose.” Unable to object, I sat down.

“Now, to represent the Paradise Palace, we’ll have Lady Asuka and Mei take part.”

“And for the Sky Salon, we’ll send Lady Kagura, Kirara Hoshino, and...”

For some reason, both of the twins looked at me. No, they can’t be serious.

“Misaki!” they finished in perfect unison.

“Why me?!”

“You’re the one who said you wanted to do something to help your friend,” said one of the sisters.

“It’s time to walk the walk,” said the other.

“Oh, yeah, I suppose you’re right.”

Have I just made things ten times worse? All I wanted was to help Kirara become a Seraph so we could do it together. The idea of us both working in the Sky Salon sounded like so much fun. How did it end up with the fate of the salon hanging in the balance, with me taking the blame if it all goes wrong?

“Can’t I just pretend that never happened?”

“Certainly not,” they replied.

“I didn’t think so.” I hung my head.

Himeko turned to me. “Don’t give up, Misaki. I’ll help you prepare for it.”

I clung to her, beginning to sob. “Himeko, what am I going to do?!”

“There there.”

The one saving grace was that I knew Lady Kagura and the Kokonoe twins had no desire to lose the Sky Salon. They’d be the ones suffering if this went badly, so they had to believe we had a strong chance of winning.

Lady Kagura addressed Lady Angelica and said, “Anyway, tomorrow we’ll inform you and Asuka about the precise details of the contest. As for Kirara Hoshino, I’ll tell her about this myself.”

✤

Then came Friday lunchtime. As soon as Lady Kagura sat down, Kirara made a beeline for her, ready to beg her once again.

Even though everyone was getting used to this sight by now, they all stared anyway. The Domestic Arts students eyed Kirara and held their breath.

It was still stressful for me to watch, but this time my stomach wasn’t aching from the tension as it had yesterday. I knew this would be the very last time before a whole new reason to panic reared its head.

I stood at attention next to Himeko and waited for Kirara to get there. Sitting down was unthinkable at this key moment where both my life and Kirara’s were about to be turned upside-down.

Kirara stopped in front of Lady Kagura and their eyes met for a moment. Although she seemed momentarily surprised at the latter’s slightly different attitude than usual, she quickly lowered her gaze. She no doubt intended to bow down as far as she could go, just as she had yesterday and the day before that—but this time Lady Kagura made the first move.

“Kirara Hoshino.”

Kirara jumped at the sound of her name. Clearly she hadn’t expected to get a response.

Ignoring this, Lady Kagura continued, “I’m going to give you a chance.”

In an instant, the air was abuzz with whispers from the students.

“Has Lady Kagura taken mercy on her?”

“No way! Lady Kagura of all people would never forgive this kind of outrage!”

“Maybe she’s going to make some impossible demand and force her to back down?”

Everyone watched with bated breath to see what would happen.

Her eyes glistening, Kirara replied, “Are you serious?”

Figures she’d ask that first. The shock of Lady Kagura finally speaking to her, and giving her good news to boot, must be a lot to deal with.

“You might have heard that the Sky Salon was challenged to a Salon Struggle by the Paradise Palace yesterday.”

“Yes, I have,” she replied nervously.

The news about the Salon Struggle had spread like wildfire. It seemed all the students living on campus were desperate for any excitement in their lives, regardless of which program they belonged to. The fact that the one being challenged was the Sky Salon, which every single student longed to be a part of, only made it a bigger source of gossip.

“I’d like you to participate in the Salon Struggle.”

“Me?”

“Yes. I’ll use this to determine whether you’re worthy of becoming my Seraph or not.”

The murmurings all around us grew even louder.

“If you want to be my Seraph, you must at least have the skills required to defend my relaxation spot. Are you strong enough to carry the fate of the Sky Salon on your shoulders?”

Kirara looked straight ahead and answered without hesitation, “I am.” Nothing filled her voice now but fierce determination.

“Excellent. In that case, there’s just one more thing.”

I gulped. She was about to reveal the most crucial detail of all. This would require Kirara to be fully committed—no half-measures.

“If I deem you unworthy of becoming my Seraph, you will leave the academy.”

Kirara’s breath caught in her throat. Even for her, this was too much for an immediate reply. It was too high a price to pay if she lost. At least, that would’ve been the normal way to look at it.

But Kirara quickly brushed all her doubt aside and plainly declared, “All right. I accept the conditions.”

Hearing this, Lady Kagura nodded with satisfaction. “Just the answer I was hoping for. In that case, please come to the Sky Salon after school today for a full explanation of the contest itself. Misaki, show her the way.”

“Okay,” I replied.

With Kirara plowing on ahead, I had to mentally prepare myself as well. The stress that had threatened to give me a stomach ulcer may have dissipated, but now my stomach ached for a whole different reason.

✤

After school, I brought Kirara to the Sky Salon with me as promised and found Himeko and Lady Kagura already seated at the table in the middle, with the Kokonoe sisters standing in position behind Lady Kagura as usual. Also present were Lady Angelica, Lady Asuka, and Mei.

“You made it!” chirped Himeko.

“Good to see you,” said Lady Kagura. “I look forward to competing alongside you in the Salon Struggle.”

Being greeted by these illustrious figures made Kirara visibly tense. I was used to spending time in the Sky Salon by now, and I’d come to the school not even knowing or caring about it, but Kirara’s reaction was actually the more expected one. After all, Himeko was Amanotsuka Academy’s deputy chairman, and Lady Kagura was the head of the Sky Salon, the most esteemed of the school’s many salons. To the Domestic Arts students, these two girls were practically gods.

“Erm, thank you for showing me such a warm welcome. I’ll do everything I can to meet your expectations and put all my effort into winning the contest.”

She deeply bowed in a manner so awkward that you could practically hear a creaking sound, as if she were a robot in need of an oil change.

Lady Kagura smiled wryly at this. “You don’t need to be so stiff. Anyway, sit down.”

“Uh, yes, certainly. Sorry.”

Who is this meek little kitten and what has she done with Kirara?!

“You too, Misaki.”

“Right! Sitting!”

Not that I’m in any position to judge her. Just thinking about having to take part in the Salon Struggle made me seize up. I sat down next to Kirara and let out a soft sigh.

Seeing that everyone was present, the Kokonoe twins produced a whiteboard out of who knows where. In unison, they said, “Now that all the participants are here, we’ll start the presentation.”

It looked as though the older sister, the one with the music notes on her ribbons, was going to lead the proceedings, while the younger sister with the flowers was in charge of writing on the board.

“First, the nature of the contest,” began Music Ayaka. “It’s going to be a battle of table manners.”

“Table manners?” Lady Asuka blurted out.

“Yes. Good table manners are an essential for any lady—especially one who wants to rule the Sky Salon. Think of it as a test to see if you’re worthy of such an honor.”

Overnight, the twins’ approach to Lady Asuka had changed to one that was pretty calm and courteous. Did Lady Angelica’s quick reprimand really make that much of an impact, or are they able to switch their politeness on and off depending on the situation?

“Fine,” Lady Asuka scoffed. “I don’t care what kind of challenge it is.”

Whether she cared or not, she didn’t have a choice. All the conditions of the contest were up to our team to decide, so she had to go along with this.

Music Ayaka laughed with a hint of derision and said, “How nice that you’re so enthusiastic.” It was perfectly clear that she’d say a lot more if she wasn’t forcing herself to be polite. “Now, before we move on to the specifics, there’s something we’d like your agreement on, Lady Asuka.”

“Tell me.”

“From your side, we’re planning to have two participants—you and Mei—but we would like to have three.”

“Huh? Two against three? Doesn’t that put us at a huge disadvantage?!”

Lady Asuka’s question was totally reasonable. Sure, we got to decide the rules, but that didn’t mean we could set up an obviously unfair fight.

“Don’t you worry. It could actually end up being more of a disadvantage for us.”

Lady Asuka frowned, puzzled.

“The entrants we’re putting forward are Lady Kagura, Misaki, and the girl who’s been the talk of the school this past week, Kirara Hoshino.”

When Music Ayaka gestured toward her, Kirara lowered her head robotically again. Looks like she’s still a bundle of nerves.

“Wow, so you made her your Seraph after all.”

“Not yet,” answered Lady Kagura, jumping in. “We’re involving her in this so I can decide whether to accept her request. That means we need your agreement to let us include someone who’s not a member of the salon.”

Lady Asuka’s voice grew more intense. “That’s fine. I don’t care. Just as long as you’re not saddling us with conditions that make it impossible for us to win. That’s all that counts.” She was clearly determined to have at least some chance of victory.

“I’ll get to that soon,” said Music Ayaka. “First we’ll finish explaining how it’s going to work. For now, just trust me that it’s not too big a handicap. Anyway, the contest is going to be focused around French cuisine. We’ll serve a meal made up of eight courses: hors d’oeuvre, soupe, poisson, sorbet, entrée, salade, entremets, and café.”

As Music Ayaka listed all these, Flower Ayaka wrote them all down on the whiteboard. Looking at it, I wanted to bury my face in my hands.

Sure, I know what hors d’oeuvre means, and soupe sounds familiar, but poisson? Entrée? Entremets? I don’t get any of that!

French food was a total mystery to me. I felt my spirits sinking.

“Before we serve each course, Lady Kagura and Lady Asuka will draw randomly to decide which dish we’ll present out of several possibilities, each of which has to be eaten in a specific way. Some will be more complicated to eat than others, and who knows, maybe we’ll throw in a few wildcards from the world of Japanese or Italian cuisine. If luck is on your side, you’ll only get easy dishes. Of course, you’ll have no way of knowing in advance which dishes are going to turn up. We’re trying to test Kirara Hoshino as well, so hopefully you’ll believe us when we say we won’t give the game away. Is everything clear so far?”

Lady Asuka gave a haughty nod. “Yes, that’s all fine and dandy. No complaints from me.”

“Then let’s move on to the scoring system. Each participant will be given a set number of points at the start and will lose points for every mistake.”

“Right, okay.”

“We’re thinking of having Lady Kagura, Lady Asuka, and Mei start with fifteen points each, while Misaki and Kirara start with ten points.”

“Wait, what? Hold on a second. That means our team gets thirty points and yours gets thirty-five! Why do you get to have five extra points right from the start?!”

It’s true. That’s how the numbers add up.

“Gosh, we go to such lengths to make it a fair fight, and you still don’t understand.”

Lady Asuka stood up and banged her fist on the table. “Of course I don’t understand!”

In response, Music Ayaka shook her head. “I’ll try to explain, all right? If you add up the points our three participants get at the start, you’re right that we’re at an advantage—but what happens when points start getting subtracted? We have three people who can lose points all at once. Imagine if everyone makes the same mistake. Your team loses two points and ours loses three. Not to mention that an especially serious error will mean losing even more points. That five-point advantage from the start won’t last for long. Plus, your side has Mei, an outstanding Seraph, whereas we’re entering two first-year students with no experience at all. They barely know the first thing about table manners, so they’ll have to start cramming to have any hope of winning. All in all, I’d say the advantage is on your side.”

Lady Asuka frowned. “Hmm.”

When she puts it that way, it really doesn’t sound like much of a benefit for us. I have literally no clue about table manners. Still, Lady Asuka doesn’t look ready to accept it just yet. Maybe she has some mental barrier to accepting anything she’s told by one of the Ayakas. No surprise there, given the way they’ve been mocking her.

“What do you think, Mei?”

“Let me see,” said Mei, putting a hand on her cheek and thinking for a moment. “The initial difference in points does worry me a little, but if we can believe Ayaka’s explanation, it doesn’t sound too bad. If the Kokonoe sisters were taking part, I’d expect a flawless performance, but with these two first-years, there’ll be a few more ups and downs. I think we’ve got a good chance, definitely.”

Mei looked over and scrutinized me and Kirara. At least, that was my guess as to what she was doing; she always had her eyes almost entirely closed, so it was hard to be completely sure why she was looking at us.

Then she posed a question to Music Ayaka. “You said an especially serious error will mean losing even more points. How many, exactly?”

“Good question. If they really break a taboo, we’re thinking of a three-point loss.”

“Which would mean if both of the first-years make the same mistake, and neither of us do, that alone could be enough to decide the match.”

“That’s right.”

“Hey, that’s pretty good!” shouted Lady Asuka, her tone doing a complete reversal from a minute earlier. “Me and Mei have perfect table manners, so obviously we won’t make a single mistake. Isn’t that right, Mei?”

“Yes, milady.” She bowed her head respectfully.

It looks like Lady Asuka has a lot of faith in Mei.

“Do you accept the terms, then?”

Lady Asuka nodded, a picture of self-satisfaction. “Bring it on.”

“Excellent. That just leaves the time and place. We’re thinking this Monday after school at Erisu’s École Kitchen. We’ll supply the chef, so we’ll only need to borrow the restaurant itself.”

“Huh? Where’s that?”

Music Ayaka tilted her head in confusion. “I thought you would have known.”

Erisu’s École Kitchen was a cozy little European-style restaurant in the forest behind François House, the Societal Arts students’ dorm. With its Provence-style exterior, it gave the illusion of having wandered into a remote French village. It was a lovely place, but it just wasn’t very popular for some reason. Whenever I’d been there, there were no more than two or three groups occupying the tables. It seemed that maybe word about it hadn’t spread very far—that it was a secret known only by a select few.

The only reason I knew about it was because Himeko was quite a fan. She’d apparently gone there frequently before we met, and she’d taken me there several times now. To me, it didn’t seem so surprising that Lady Asuka wasn’t familiar with it.

“Mei, have you heard of it?”

“Well, yes, actually,” said Mei with an awkward look. She leaned over and whispered into Lady Asuka’s ear.

Suddenly, Lady Asuka cried out in shock. “What?! Erisu owns a restaurant?! I had no idea!”

“Yes.”

It sounded like the owner was someone Lady Asuka knew. If she knew the owner but didn’t know about the restaurant, that spoke volumes about its popularity.

“Is the location clear enough?” asked Music Ayaka.

Nodding her head vigorously, Lady Asuka said, “Yes, all clear now. Thanks.”

With the discussion all wrapped up, Lady Angelica stood. “Then it’s settled. The Salon Struggle will be held after school on Monday at Erisu’s École Kitchen. I look forward to a solid effort from both sides.”

✤

After Lady Angelica and Lady Asuka left, we had a meeting among ourselves. One thing was clear above all else: if Kirara and I didn’t learn all we could about table manners, and fast, we had no hope of winning.

“We only have the weekend, so it’s best if someone teaches you. Two days should be plenty, though.”

It was all well and good for Lady Kagura to say that, but to me, two days sounded like no time at all. How was I supposed to learn everything in only two days? It sounded tougher than any test I’d ever studied for.

That was when the Kokonoe twins chimed in.

“We could teach them, but it would be better to ask someone else.”

“We might accidentally spill the beans about what’s coming up in the contest.”

I’m surprised they’re so focused on keeping it all aboveboard. I guess we can’t expect any little hints from them. Darn, that would have made life easier.

I couldn’t help feeling slightly cheated. All the rules had been decided by our team, so they could have been set up so that we would never lose. Why was I being put in such a tough position?

“I’m wondering if we could ask Lady Himeko to do the honors.”

“That’s a good idea. The point is to test Kirara as well, so it wouldn’t make much sense for Lady Kagura to be the one teaching her.”

Lady Kagura nodded at the sisters. “I see what you mean.” Then she turned to Himeko and asked, “Would you be okay with that?”

“Absolutely. Leave it to me.” A look of glee appeared on Himeko’s face. “I’m going to be a strict teacher, so you two had better be prepared!”

“Right! Preparing!” I replied hurriedly.

“I’m eager to learn,” said Kirara.

There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. All we could do now was accept whatever was coming our way.

✤

Our special training started that same day. Going straight to a restaurant to practice would have been too sudden, though, so first it was time for some reading.

Himeko took us into a private study room at François House and sat us down in front of a tome entitled The Fundamentals of Dining Etiquette. Apparently, this was to be our textbook.

Incidentally, Himeko had pulled out the stops with her look. Her white blouse, short navy-blue skirt, and glasses worn just for show gave her a sexy teacher vibe. Occasionally, she did things like gently lifting up the glasses by the rims. She was really getting into the spirit of it.

“Today we’ll start with the basics before we move on to the practical side of things tomorrow. I’ll have a table reserved for us at Erisu’s so we can do a mock exam.”

“Okay,” we responded.

“Now, do you know how to hold a knife and fork?”

A knife and fork? Hmm. Western cutlery was not something I was used to. I tried holding up an imaginary knife and fork in the air in front of me, but I had no idea what to do other than gripping them with my fists. How in the world am I supposed to beat anyone in a battle of table manners like this?!

Kirara replied with, “Hold the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right, with your index fingers along the back.”

“Correct!”

Oh, I see! “You’re so good at this, Kirara.”

“How can you not know that? It’s common knowledge.”

My honest admiration was met with a cold glare from Kirara, but honestly, I couldn’t blame myself for not knowing this when I’d never needed to do it before.

All I need is a pair of chopsticks and I can eat anything. That’s my theory, and I’m sticking to it! Even if I did only just come up with it.

Himeko smiled in a teacherly manner. “Everyone’s got to start somewhere. There’s nothing wrong with being a beginner.”

I could cry. Himeko’s such a nice teacher. If the Kokonoe twins were teaching us, they’d have gotten annoyed with me for sure.

“Tomorrow I’ll be able to teach you properly using the real thing, so for today, just imagine holding them.”

Himeko raised her hands to about chest height and held an invisible knife and fork. This came so naturally to her that I could almost see the cutlery in her hands.

That’s the refinement of a proper lady. I heaved a sigh without meaning to.

“Now you do the same.”

Both Kirara and I followed Himeko’s example and tried to look elegant, but we inevitably looked stiff and clumsy instead.

“Focus on your posture first of all. The trick is to hold them straight out in front, then turn them slightly inward. Always keep the blade of the knife facing down. Hold the food in place with your fork, then gently cut it with your knife. If you keep them both at those same angles the whole time, it’ll look nice and neat.”

I tried this, and it seemed to go okay with the imaginary versions, at least.

“Whatever you do, do it with beauty and grace. That’s the motto you should stick to. Apart from that, it’s just a case of remembering the unbreakable rules.”

She rattled off a series of these. Don’t make noise with your cutlery. Always cut starting from the left-hand side. Never use the zig-zag method. And so on and so forth.

“So many rules! I don’t know if I can cope with this.” Having all this crammed into my head at once was getting me all tangled up.

“It only feels that way at first. You’ll get used to it soon enough. Besides, it’s better to learn it now than before you go out into the world. It could be embarrassing later on if you don’t know how to use Western cutlery.”

“That’s true.”

Regardless of my current exploits as a maid, this definitely seemed like something that would come in handy in my adult life.

“Anyway, with all that in mind, I’ll start teaching you some of the specific details you’ll need to learn for the contest. Let’s start with the hors d’oeuvre. The general idea is to cut them up into mouthful-sized pieces, but you must use the outermost knife and fork on the table. You’ll need to watch out if they serve canapes or caviar, though. It’s fine to pick up canapes with your hands. Caviar should be eaten with a spoon, but if you’re served crackers to go with them, it’s best to put the caviar on the crackers and eat them together.”

What are canapes? That reminds me, I still don’t know what “entrée” or “entremets” are. If she doesn’t explain all that, I’ll never be able to keep up.

I had a long road ahead of me.

✤

“I am exhausted.”

Once Himeko’s crash course in table manners was over for the day, we headed back to our dorm and I immediately collapsed onto my bed. We’d been at it for roughly three hours. The more she’d told us, the more I’d started to feel like every spare inch of my brain was taken up by table manner trivia.

This was new and uncomfortable territory for me. I was drained both physically and mentally, and I was close to my limit.

Next to me, Kirara muttered to herself as she went over the day’s lessons.

“Try to eat soup without making any noise. When it comes to salad, never pick up the dish. Eat with a knife and fork, layering thin items together.”

With her hands, she practiced cutting up imaginary food in front of her. If nothing else, we’ve improved our pantomime skills today.

“Have you really remembered all that?”

“With a fish meunière, start by peeling off the fin, then—no, not yet, but I plan to have it all locked into my brain before I go to sleep.”

She stopped moving her hands just to answer me, but her air knife immediately started moving again.

I guess she really has to give it everything she’s got, given what’s at stake for her. I should probably do the same. If I end up being responsible for us having to hand over the Sky Salon, and for Kirara having to leave the academy, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.

Well, here goes!

I got up off the bed and faced Kirara. “Let me join you.”

“What’s this? Are you a model student all of a sudden?”

“I just can’t let them beat us. This is no time to be lazing around.” I picked up my own air knife and air fork and held them at the appropriate angles. “With meunière, you slit the fish with a knife along the backbone, then lift up the nearest fillet and put it closer to you on the plate. Right?”

“Yeah. First you separate and eat that, then you start on the other side. Then you use a knife and fork to remove the bones.”

“And turning the whole fish over is a major no-no.”

“Lady Himeko said the same about any meat with bones in it. If there’s a finger bowl provided, then it’s okay to eat it with your hands, but it’s better to use a knife and fork if at all possible.”

Table manners are pretty complicated, but as long as I’m not on my own, I can work at this. Maybe it’ll even be a chance to develop a closer bond with Kirara. That would be nice.

Until it was time for bed, we went over every single little detail we’d learned that day and practiced it all as thoroughly as we could.

✤

The next day, Himeko took us to the very place where we’d soon be competing: Erisu’s École Kitchen.

“So, today we’re going to get some practical experience at a real restaurant.”

“Right!” said the two of us.

The plastered outer walls were a tranquil beige, while the roof tiles were orange. Opening the antique wooden door and stepping inside was like being transported to the Middle Ages.

Despite how charming it was, though, there were still no other patrons besides us. I didn’t think it was because Himeko had reserved the whole place. Either it wasn’t that popular or it was too unknown to have much of a reputation. Even outside of mealtimes, I’d still have expected there to be a few people chatting over a cup of tea. Maybe it was somehow not as good as it seemed to me—but then why would Himeko be such a fan?

Speaking of Himeko, she was the picture of schoolteacher sophistication again today. Her slender legs, extending from below her tight skirt, were absolutely dazzling.

She must like that look. I have to say, with her figure, adding that extra touch of maturity makes my heart race a little, even though we’re both girls.

“I’ve asked them to prepare the kinds of things that are likely to come up in the contest based on what I know about the Ayakas. Let’s go through them all and try to master them.”

“Yeah!”

Today I was feeling motivated. I was determined to give it my all, for the sake of Kirara and the Sky Salon.

“Then let’s make a start.” She turned and said, “Can you present the first dish, please?”

“Coming right up!”

The one who replied was the restaurant’s chef. Like all the other staff here, she was a Domestic Arts student. There was nothing unusual about that; almost all the students working at the stores and other establishments on campus were students from the Domestic Arts program working part-time. This included the various stores in François House, from those selling groceries to those offering fancy lingerie. Working a part-time job outside school grounds was against the rules, but this was a good way to earn some extra cash, and there were plenty of places hiring.

It also provided more chances to meet Societal Arts students and get to know them. Apparently, it was fairly common for a lady to get to know someone through their part-time job and then make them into her Seraph or Exousia.

“Here you go!”

In a flash, the first dish was presented before us. I looked at it and groaned. It was something a lot of people had heard of but had never tried, myself included.

“Escargots à la bourguignonne,” said Himeko.

Snails, in other words. Already we were being served something I hadn’t reckoned with. There was some kind of green liquid pooled in the shells, which didn’t exactly look appetizing. To each their own, sure, but to me that sauce made the dish look kind of moldy.

That didn’t mean I wasn’t going to eat it, of course. I just had a strong urge to complain to no one in particular. It was like I’d been forced to do a crazy food tasting challenge.

Even Kirara looked totally lost, since this hadn’t come up in our practice. “How are we supposed to eat this?”

“You have special tongs. Use those with your left hand to hold the shell, then use the fork in your right hand to take the meat inside and pull it out.”

“Oh, I see.”

It didn’t sound too complicated now that she’d explained it.

“As for the sauce left inside the shell, you can either put it on some bread if you’ve been served any, or else just drink it. Although it doesn’t look like it appeals to you all that much, Misaki.”

I laughed awkwardly. Busted, I guess.

“It’s just butter mixed with finely chopped parsley and garlic, you know. In any case, as long as you can eat the meat itself without making a mess, the sauce doesn’t matter. The worst thing of all would be to go for the sauce and end up spilling it.”

Having started with something so unexpected, our training soon began to feel like a war zone, with cacophonous metallic clinking sounds, cherry tomatoes rolling away from us, and soup spilling everywhere.

I puffed and panted, gasping for breath. It’s only eating. Why do I feel like I’ve run a marathon?

Himeko sighed in frustration. “Kirara’s improved a great deal, but you’re still a bit lacking, Misaki.”

“I’m trying. I can’t help being clumsy.”

Honestly, I never thought it would be this tough in real life. It all felt so much easier when I was practicing with Kirara last night.

“Maybe you just don’t know how to use the right amount of force. How about I give you a more hands-on lesson?”

“Huh?”

She stood behind me and placed her hands on top of mine.

“With cherry tomatoes, keep them in place with your knife like this, then insert your fork at an angle. If you’re eating anything firm like this, don’t apply too much pressure. Gently move your knife back and forth to cut through it little by little.”

“Oh, uh, okay.”

I’d never noticed this before, but Himeko’s pale fingers were so smooth and slender. Now her hands were on mine, manipulating me like a puppet. When she taught me like this, it was like all the struggles I’d been facing so far had never existed. I could cut up the tomatoes with no difficulty whatsoever.

“Don’t lose focus until it’s safely in your mouth. If you drop it along the way, you’re guaranteed to lose points.”

She moved my left hand, bringing the piece of tomato closer to my lips. As she fed it to me, I felt a sense of awe deep in my soul. This comes so naturally to a real lady like her. I wonder if I’ll ever be as good as her.

“Now, let’s keep going. No time to waste. The more you practice, the more you’ll improve—and your rising confidence will lead to better results. Let’s make good use of every second we have.”

“Right!”

The remainder of our Saturday and Sunday was filled to the brim with training. The end result was that I felt pretty optimistic about our chances. I believed that whatever came our way, we’d be able to cope with it. Hopefully.