Bonus Story: No Rest for the Wicked

Bonus Story: No Rest for the Wicked

Bonus Story:

No Rest for the Wicked

T WO TSUWABUKI STUDENTS FOUND THEMSELVES AS drops in the Kalmia Mall crowds. Albeit, Yanami Anna and Himemiya Karen made for rather eye-catching drops. After securing drinks from the Yamayasu juice bar, they found a couple of spots at the counter by the window.

Yanami watched station-goers come and go for a few seconds before holding up her cup. “Here’s to hard work. Cheers.”

“Cheers!”

They drank. The mellow sweetness lifted the fatigue from Yanami’s body.

Karen eyed Yanami’s luggage, sipping on her avocado milk. “That’s a lot of chocolate, Anna. Do you have that many people to give to?”

“My mom asked me to pick up some for her coworkers.”

“Oh, yeah, she works at city hall, doesn’t she?”

Yanami nodded and siphoned her matcha banana smoothie until it was just about gone. “Plus, I had to get stuff for the lit club. Where’d I put it? No, not that. That one’s for me.”

“Anna,” Karen gently interrupted. “I’ve been meaning to say something.”

Her cheery friend paused her investigation and looked up. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”

“You just bought inari, right? The, um…”

“From Tsuboya. That’s my Karen-chan. Girl knows how to pick ’em.”

“That’s okay. You can put it away. I was just going to say, well, you remember how you tried to eat it right there at the check-out?”

“It’s nice and bite-sized. Good for when you’re on the go. I forced myself to only get six takoyaki earlier, so I was a wee bit peckish.” The smile Yanami wore as she held that package of inari shone brighter than the sun.

Karen put a hand on her shoulder, her expression sober. “What I’m trying to say is, we’re girls, Anna.”

“Uh, duh. What’s your point?”

She breathed deep and stared directly into Yanami’s eyes. “Listen to me closely. Girls do not—I repeat, girls do not walk around Kalmia eating inari.”

Yanami blinked. “But we had takoyaki downstairs just now. How’s that different?”

“Well, first of all, takoyaki is a snack. Inari isn’t.”

“How is it not?” She cocked her head in genuine confusion.

Karen put her face in her palm. “No. You’re right. You’re right, Anna.”

“Whatcha so sad for? Here. Have some chocolate.

“Later. Wait, didn’t you say that was for Valentine’s Day? Why did you just open it?”

“Uh, good question.” Yanami considered the consequences of her actions for the briefest of moments before beaming wide. “Eh, this was for the lit club anyway. No harm done. Want one?” She simply shook her head, then hung it low. “What’s wrong? Tummy ache?”

“No. No, Anna, I’m sorry. I was just about to say something I definitely should not have.”

“What? About me?”

Ever hungry was Karen’s friend. But she was still her friend. Appetite and all.

She clenched her fists. “Anna. Let’s bake!”

“Like, chocolate?” Yanami muttered back, sufficiently distracted enough to look away from the treats calling her name then and there.

“Exactly. We’ll have a femininity training camp. I live alone, so we could do it whenever. I’ve been talking about wanting to have a girls’ night anyway, remember?”

“Chocolate camp, huh? Sounds fun. Saturday good?”

“Perfect!”

“We can bake up some treats and stuff ourselves while watching movies. It’ll be chill.”

“Good grief, Anna, how are we going to give the chocolate to anyone if we eat it—” Karen suddenly gasped.

“What?”

“I…just remembered,” she said slowly, twiddling her thumbs. “I-I don’t think Saturday night will, um, work.”

All semblance of emotion instantaneously vacated Yanami’s expression. “Message received.”

Karen waved her hands in a panic. “It’s not what you think! I’ve just been planning to, er…study! I’ve been planning to study that night for a while now! We’re gonna be up all night going over finals, gosh!”

“He’s spending the night, huh?”

“Um!”

Yanami offered the gentlest of smiles, then turned her gaze outward.

Handmade chocolate. There was an idea. Maybe she could even get one over on a certain someone who needed regular reminding of her womanly charms.

She sipped until her straw choked, threw back some ice, then bit.

Kill ’em with femininity.