Chapter 6 (1/2)
Chapter 6: The Worry is Mine
<schultz residence!=””>
<hi lillia=”” sorry=”” for=”” calling=”” so=”” late=””>
<! don’t=”” worry=”” about=”” it=”” mom’s=”” been=”” busy=”” the=”” past=”” few=”” days=”” and=”” she’s=”” putting=”” in=”” overtiht=”” too=””>
<yeah? whatever=”” it=”” is,=”” i=”” say=”” bring=”” it=”” on=”” so=”” much=”” has=”” happened=”” recently=”” i=”” don’t=”” think=”” anything=”” will=”” surprise=”” me=”” anymore=””>
<—and the=”” newspaper=”” club’s=”” going=”” to=”” try=”” and=”” investigate=”” treize=””>
<…>
<lillia?>
<uh-huh yeah=”” !=”” uh!=”” that’s=”” surprising!=”” yep=”” a=”” real=”” shocker!=””>
<hm? y-yeah=”” i’m=”” sorry=”” i=”” couldn’t=”” stop=”” them=””>
<don’t apologize,=”” =”” it’s=”” not=”” your=”” fault!=””>
<well, er,=”” i=”” suppose=”” treize=”” doesn’t=”” actually=”” have=”” any=”” secrets=”” to=”” uncover,=”” but=”” you=”” should=”” tell=”” him=”” to=”” be=”” careful=”” anyway=””>
<…>
<lillia?>
<y-yeah! of=”” course=”” he=”” doesn’t=”” have=”” anything=”” to=”” hide!=”” yeah!=”” thanks=”” for=”” the=”” heads-up,=”” =”” i’ll=”” let=”” him=”” know!=””>
<yeah and=”” i=”” just=”” thought=”” of=”” so=”” i=”” don’t=”” know=”” if=”” this’ll=”” work,=”” but…=””>
<mhm?>
<maybe you=”” and=”” treize=”” could=”” come=”” visit=”” the=”” newspaper=”” club=”” if=”” you=”” just=”” talk=”” to=”” the=”” =”” hiht=”” call=”” off=”” the=”” investigation=”” i=”” should=”” have=”” introduced=”” you=”” all=”” at=”” the=”” dance…=””>
<y-y-y-yeah, good=”” call!=””>
<i’ll introduce=”” the=”” club=”” members=”” to=”” you,=”” so=”” introduce=”” us=”” to=”” treize!=””>
<r-right!>
Meg put down the receiver
“I thought you said it was rude to call so a disapproving look He was the older of Meg’s two younger brothers Johan, the youngest, was already in bed
Strauski Kurt was 12 years old with dark hair and fair skin like his sister He looked—and was—energetic and outgoing At the start of the year he joined his sister at the 4th Capital Secondary School, and got a ride to class with her in the s
Kurt’s Roxchean was much better than his sister’s He was on par with native speakers, and spoke Roxchean even at home with his family
“It’s fine! This was important business Anyhy are you still awake? You’ll catch a cold if you stay up like that”
Kurt had just come out of the bath, and was in a T-shi+rt and a pair of shorts instead of his paja off his hair with a towel
“Sure, sure The bathrooe and gulping down three glasses in a row Then he put the nearly-eht,” he said in Roxchean
But just before he left the living room, Kurt stopped
“Oh!” He turned with a grin “Was that Big Bro Seron? Should I have been more tactful?”
“No, I was talking to Lillia”
“Oh, the hero? So how important exactly is ‘important’, anyway?”
Meg’s ansas clear and decisive
“Sorry to disappoint you, but it’s not anything national secret-level Good night, Kurt”
Allison Schultz ht that day
“Why won’t this written apology just write itself…?”
“Welco out a cup of tea with extra sugar and milk for her exhausted mother
“Oh? Oh? Thanks, honey”
Allison collapsed on the sofa without bothering to change out of her uniform Ever since the Confederation Air Force’s establishruntlement of the servicemen
“You’re writing that cause you took off with that fighter plane to save ht?”
“Yeah Wish the bigould just take those sticks out of their—”
“Thanks for rescuing me, Mom”
“It’s every parent’s responsibility to save their children, sweetie”
“With an anti-aircraft un”
“Sometimes that’s necessary too Thanks for the tea”
Lillia, who had gone out of her way to stay up that night, asked her mother an important question “Say, I was just curious What happens if Treize’s identity gets out?”
Being unaffected by hot foods and drinks (unlike a certain someone), Allison drank her tea and responded without even blinking
“Het journalists swar fuss It is a national secret, after all”
“Gaaahh…” Lillia groaned, looking up at the ceiling
Allison reht “Nice and sweet Steeped to perfection,” she sighed lazily, holding the cup of tea
The next
By the ti was encroaching ever more by the day The skies over the Capital District that day were clear with the sun shi+ning warmly
The 4th Capital Secondary School slowly came to life
Sports clubs finishi+ng theirexercises ran for the showers in the club building
The shoere by no means under-equipped, but there was a rush for the booths every day as students tried to leave theet to class
As a general rule, student facilities operated on a first-come-first-served basis Older students were not afforded any leniency
The campus was also dotted with students who arrived early by habit, rather than being dragged in for club activities
The early-to-class group caates They would spend their extra ti with their friends
In the dor breakfast at the cafeteria Many of the coates, dor routines
And yet one of the early
A dark-haired boy in uniform with no jacket The absence of a sweater showed that he was likely used to cool weather In his hand was a large leather suitcase
Seron spotted the boy from the cafeteria doors and folloith his eyes
“Is that Treize? He’s going to class early today And why is he carrying a suitcase?” he wondered “But I guess I shouldn’t think too much about it”
He headed back to his own room
Just as Seron arrived at his rooe into his uniform—
“Morning, Lillia,” Treize said and entered the classroom Only one person was inside She turned
“M”
“Huh?”
Treize froze
There were dark shadows under Lillia’s eyes Her usually tidy hair was a mess
Treize took a seat next to her “What happened?”