c6 (1/2)

After Story #6 by Suzuki Suzu

“Hiya~ Oh, whoa?”

“Huh? Was there some meeting planned for today?”

Upon setting foot inside bar HOMRA, Yata Misaki’s eyes widened in surprise, while Kamamoto Rikio felt the need to pose a wondering question, because all the members of Homura’s core lineup were present.

Akagi and Bandou were sitting on the couch, Chitose and Dewa took a seat at the counter, Eric was peering into his smartphone, while Fujis.h.i.+ma was fiddling with a 8mm camera. All of them took a turn to greet the two newcomers.

It was rare for all of these members to a.s.semble together like this, since all of them had what’s called a life now.

“No, it’s not like today’s special or anything, we just all happened to drop by at the same time,” Akagi explained with a bashful smile, and the others nodded in affirmation.

Hearing that made Yata happy for some reason. It looked like Homura was still alive, even after ‘that incident’.

“I see, I see! Well, make yourselves at home then!”

“Idiot. This place ain’t yours to say such things.” That annoyed rebuff came from the bar’s rightful owner, Kusanagi Izumo, who was behind the counter, busy with some preparations.

“Right!” Yata returned enthusiastically and, taking a seat on a stool by the counter, surveyed the room once more. “Anna’s on the second floor?”

“Out at the moment.”

“Ehhh?!” Yata was about to question if she was going to be alright on her own but held his tongue in time.

It wasn’t about her safety anymore, as now at last there was no one who would cause her harm. Even if someone harbored a malicious intent towards her, she was the full-fledged Red King. There was no doubt she could fend for herself.

Yata’s mouth twisted with displeasure, as he struck his temples with his fists.

Kusanagi, holding a lit cigarette in one hand, smirked. “What, are you worried? You’re so overprotective, Yata-chan.”

“N-No, I’m not! It’s just that, um, I thought she might be not used to it, so…”

Now that he thought about it, ever since he had met Anna and till now, she hardly ever went outside on her own. She was the type to prefer to be indoors to begin with, and when she did go outside, it was usually her tagging along with someone.

Kusanagi gave an exasperated shoulder shrug at Yata, who was lost in his worries about Anna. “It will be a problem if she doesn’t get used to it. Starting next spring, she’s going to be a middle school student.”

Anna, a middle school student…

He knew about it, but the fact still left Yata speechless and deep in troubled thought.

There was hardly anyone else in Homura who had a life as bitter and b.u.mpy as Anna. Due to all kinds of reasons having to do with the Slate, she had to live a life without school being part of it. Although Kusanagi and the others home-schooled her, it was a tough task to imagine her blending with other children and commuting to school.

And yet, in just a few months that image was going to become reality.

With the destruction of the Slate, the obstacle to going to school for Anna had disappeared as well. Kusanagi pulled some strings, and Anna got accepted into a middle school in the neighborhood; Anna herself didn’t really express any objection to that either.

But still…

“…Anna as a middle school student, huh…” The words, falling out of Yata’s mouths without his conscious intention, rang almost deafeningly throughout the quiet bar.

Startled, Yata came back to his senses and surveyed his surroundings, only to find the others having the exact same expression on their faces as his own. Some were facing down, seemingly deep in thought, others had an outright worried look twisting their features as they talked to each other in uneasy whispers.

“Anna as…”

“A middle school student…?”

“I-Is she gonna be alright?”

“Why wouldn’t she be?”

“Well, because, you know…”

“She never went to school before.”

“Can she adapt?”

“Can she make friends?”

“Anna’s really conspicuous, if you think about it.”