Vol 7 Chapter 5 (1/2)
Meg and Seron VII: The Fiancée out of the Blue - Chapter 5
Enjoy
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Chapter 5: The Request
“Jenny! And everyone We should do this! Wecried The others looked up in shock
“Do what?” Jenny asked on everyone’s behalf
“This request! We will solve SC Kenneth’s sadness! We will get the evidence in our hands and help! We can do it! Our role is to light the truth!” Meg pontificated
“Looks like so’s flipped a switch,” Natalia remarked quietly
“SC Kenneth is very sad! It is horrible! If we cancontinued, as though she were the one who had been personally offended
Jenny fell into thought for a moment, arms crossed
Finally—
“I have a few conditions before we accept this request, SC Kenneth”
“Of course”
“First, we’ll do our best but can’t guarantee any results It’ll get difficult for us if your fiancée notices so And I’d like to set a deadline—can’t have the club chasing after the target all year”
“Right What do you say to the end of this month, then?”
“H
“All right,” Jenny replied, “we’ll tail her for the next 20 days or so and do our best to get you that photograph”
“You can always trust Jenny to take photos in secret,” Natalia said
“Thanks,” Kenneth replied, “and one ive et happens to catch you, don’t go out of your way to feign ignorance Feel free to tell her that I’ve requested your help in catching her in the act I’ to dirty my own hands”
“Please don’t worry! We are very good!” Meg assured him
Kenneth left the office, leaving behind the photograph, a copy of Bridget’s schedule, and his contact information
“Talk about a sad request,” Natalia re It was getting dark outside
“But I think this is a ivable! We must do our best efforts and help hinant
“Well,” said Jenny, “considering e did for SC Sophia and the Stella case, this request isn’t too far from our usual And like our motto says, ‘assist all romantic endeavors’”
“That’s takes me back!” Larry exclaimed from the kitchenette
“To when?” Natalia asked
“Don’t you remember? It hen SC Sophia came to us with her request last summer”
“Ah, after we ate bacon and lettuce club sandwiches I rerease”
“Does your stomach double as your brain, Lia?”
Jenny turned away from the conversation and to Nick
“The Einsworth faht?”
“Yes, though not as much as the Jones family”
“So his fiancée’s family must be about the same, too…”
Jenny trailed off Nick nodded
“You’ve heard of her?”
“I cannot say for certain, but I suspect her fahfare in the north It’s one of the Capital District’s top clothing brands,” Nick explained withouta beat
“I see So it’s an engagement between two rich families Then it’ll be hard to break theraphs are gonna work here—I mean, when it comes down to it the parents could just crumple them up and pretend they never existed,” Jenny theorized Nick smiled
“It all seems so very realistic when you put it that way, Jenny Almost like first-hand experience”
“Shut up”
“Then does it“For example, even if we have the evidence?”
“Unfortunately, there’s a very good chance of that” Jenny nodded Meg exploded again
“It is horrible! Two people who do not love each otherwill not be well! What is life for? Are they slaves of their parents? What age is today?”
“There, there, Megree with you there Want a cookie?” Natalia asked, pacifying Meg Meg put a cookie into her
“I cannot forgive a cheater! I will break this engagement, I promise!”
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The 12th day of the second month
For once the day was bright and sunny Once again Larry was the first to reach the office
The snow left over outside shone brilliantly under the sun It was so bright that Larry did not need to turn on any of the lights in the office
He took a seat on the sofa and began fiddling with a camera
It was the rangefinder Jenny had taught the others to use at Ercho Village, equipped with a 50mm lens
Larry put the ca in his left hand
“…There!”
He quickly pulled the ca, pointed it at the kettle in the kitchenette and pressed the shutter, then stuffed it back in the bag He was practicing to catch Bridget in the act
Several roaned
“This is harder than I expected How does Jenny do it?”
“Hey Larry Are you practicing a new dance?” Seron asked, walking through the door
“Hey Seron! Er…I’ out the ca as well as I’d hoped,” Larry replied, quickly turning to Seron and pressing the shutter
Seron gave him a curious look
“Don’t worry, it’s not loaded It’s the saotta practice with an eet you some tea”
Seron did as Larry instructed Larry busied himself in the kitchenette
“Did the others tell you about yesterday’s request, by any chance?”
“No What was it?”
“This sixth-year naet evidence that his fiancée is cheating on hie, he says Apparently the girl’s, er…loose withboys who catch her eye in the halls and stuff SC Kenneth says he’s seen her in the act a few times”
“…Larry?”
“What’s with the scary face, Seron?”
“Did he tell you her name?”
“Uh-huh Bridget Are She looked real beautiful in the photo he showed us”
Seron was silent
“Seron? Everything all right?”
“Yeah I’m fine So did Jenny accept?”
“Yeah Clubto catch her in the act and get soraphs Deadline’s till the end of theto the table with the teapot and Seron’s cup “Here”
“Thanks So that’s why you were practicing, huh”
“I’ve still got a long way to go, though Maybe it’ll be easier to rig the ca instead Cut a hole in it and hide the release cable in my hand and—”
“Say, Larry About SC Kenneth…” Seron said, cutting Larry off in an unusual show of assertiveness
“Yeah?”
“He lives in the dorms”
“Cool” Larry nodded
“So he didn’t tell you, did he?” Seron asked stiffly
“…No”
It was Larry’s turn to hesitate Seron continued
“That’s not all Until last year, he’d been an RA for two years in a row I thought he’d keep going this year, but he turned down the job”
“Huh Don’t people usually keep at it though, after two years?”
“Yeah And sixth-years get some leeway in their work too because they have to prepare for university entrance exa weighing on his mind”
“I see Ever talk to him in person, Seron?”
“No, we’ve always been on different floors I’ve seen his and I’m sure we’ve passed each other by before I wouldn’t be surprised if he knoho I am”
“Obviously, since you’re an RA now”
“And I’ve heard a lot of rumors about SC Kenneth from the other senior-classmen”
“Yeah?”
“Apparently he’s very understanding and smart”
“Oh”
“And one ”
“Yeah?”
“He takes photos as a hobby, and apparently he’s pretty good He even develops his own photos at ho with Jenny”
“Interesting He didn’t say anything about that yesterday, though”
Seron said nothing
“Seron? You zoning out again?”
“No It’s nothing”
That hen they were interrupted
“Hey guys! I brought more snacks!”
“It see time, Seron”
“Hey guys Glad you could h”
The others arrived one after another But Meg was not a them When Jenny explained that she was at the chorus club, Seron fell blankly into thought
“Here we go!” Natalia cried, taking out a paper bag full of rusks “Eat up,” she offered, and stuffed several into her mouth “Hey Seron, did Larry tell you ‘bout yesterday?”
“Yeah”
“Then what about how Megive a cheater!’ She’s really fired up”
“…I suppose that’s a good attitude to have for the investigation”
“Still as cool as ever Here—the place I get it fro beats their maple syrup rusk Garlic ain’t bad either but at snackti with maple You know?”
Seron, who had not yet had dinner, picked up a rusk and put it into his mouth when someone knocked on the door
“Co the doorknob
And she was stunned into silence
“Good afternoon —Oh, nice office”
The girl walking through the door was familiar to all the members And in Seron’s case, he had met her in person
Bridget Arolden hair aflutter, and took a seat where here fiancé had sat the previous day
Everyone but the blank-faced Seron was visibly shocked Bridget put on a bewitching smile
“Hey, what’s with all the glancing? Is there so written on my face?”
“N-no, it’s nothing It’s nice to meet you I’m Jenny Jones, the president of the newspaper club”
Like the previous day, Jenny introduced the club e descriptions
Bridget cast Seron a ful look when Jenny introduced him, but no one paid it any particular notice
Then it was Bridget’s turn to introduce herself
“It’s nice to e, a sixth-year”
‘We all know, because your fiancé caate your infidelity!’ Everyone thought, but no one said a word
“The newspaper club’s supposed to be the ators in the school, so I decided to pay you a visit Could you listen to what I have to say? Provided you don’t tell anyone, of course”
Bridget was saying exactly what her fiancé had said the previous day
“Sure Go ahead,” said Jenny