The Carnelian Sparrow

Chapter 6

An energetic young teacher’s waving followed Hanako as she left his office, a heavy sigh escaping as she started to walk away. She wouldn’t get very far before another familiar voice caught her attention. “Yo, Hanako!”

Hanako turned, a calm, neutral expression on her face. “Hello, Shinju.”

“Hey, what’re ya doin’ over on this side of the school? Pretty far from the exit, right? You’re usually one of the first students out of here.” Shinju started walking beside Hanako, the two making their way down to the exit.

“I… well, um, promise me you will not laugh, but…” Hanako hesitated with a little sigh. “I’ve… joined the Fencing Club.”

Shinju stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide. “Whoa, really? I never figured you for the sporty type! Hey, if this is for the paper, you know I can cover all the athletic clubs just fine, right?”

“Ah, no, um… it’s… well, my current therapist thought it… might help lift my mood, if I were more… physically active.” Hanako, as always, lamented what she saw as poor excuses and even poorer lies, but as usual, Shinju hadn’t seen through them. How could she, Hanako thought? Shinju didn’t know anything about Magical Girls.

“Ah, yeah, that makes sense to me. I guess it’s not too different than ‘Haku telling me to go make friends. Tripped and fell into a rock band!”

Hanako chuckled just a little, almost under her breath. “I… I suppose it’s not too far from… why I did this, then.”

They reached the doors leading out from the school, making their way outside. Hanako paused, taking a deep breath of air, closing her eyes. She appeared rather tranquil in this moment, a fact Shinju had noticed. “Heh. Seem like you’re in good spirits today, after all.”

“Mm. I… I guess I am,” Hanako admitted, a tiny, almost unnoticeable smile lighting her face. It was true. Hanako felt better today than she had in a long time. For once, despite the tumultuous nature of her life now, she felt content. She had friends, something she couldn’t say too terribly long ago, and she had a purpose, something that gave her life meaning.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a camouflaged military vehicle pulling up beside them on the road. Shinju immediately made for the passenger-side door, waving to Hanako as she got in. Hanako had never seen Kohaku in person before, let alone gotten the chance to meet her, but every story Shinju told of her made her sound like someone nice enough. At least, for someone climbing the ranks in the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

As Shinju and her sister pulled away, Hanako began walking down the road towards her apartment building. She lived in a tall, skyscraper-like complex in the Amakusa district. It was convenient for her father’s work, as it cut down the commute entirely down to a short walk. He would often joke that it took more time to get out of the building than into his office.

Hanako’s calm, peaceful lack of thoughts were interrupted as she bumped into someone on the sidewalk. A tall, lanky girl, at least a head taller than Hanako stood before her. Straight, yet dissheveled, dark hair hung from her head. Hanako recognized her uniform right away, though the girl was wearing a short, black leather jacket over it. “Ah! U-Um… I’m sorry. E-Excuse me…”

As she tried to walk around her, the girl held out an arm to stop her. “And just where the hell do you think you’re going?” From this angle, Hanako could see a wet spot on the front of her jacket, a small stain bleeding onto the uniform itself. On the ground, a half-empty soda can, the rest of its contents spilling onto the sidewalk.

Looking up into the stranger’s cold, nearly lifeless eyes, Hanako felt a shiver run down her spine. She often had the sense that Yui would be a bully to her from the first time they had met, but Yui’s eyes were alive and even a little gentle, depending on the day. Yui’s voice was brutish, but through her bluntness, Hanako had felt a desire to at least help those around her, to the extent that they wouldn’t be a burden to her or themselves, anyway.

But this girl was different. In her hard, sour expression, Hanako saw only malice and hostility. She would back away, looking down again. “I… I said I was sorry. Um… I-I’ll… get out of your way now.”

“Oh? Just gonna spill my drink all over my jacket and walk off like nothing ever happened?” Before Hanako could get away, she felt herself pulled by the collar of her uniform and dragged closer. A sinister grin lit the girl’s face. “If just saying sorry took out stains like that, I wouldn’t be so bothered. But unfortunately, we live in reality. So you’re going to have to make this right.”

“A… Are you… trying to get money out of me, or something? I… I’m not a bank. Besides… th-this was… an accident.” Hanako was struggling a little, trying to pull away, but the girl’s grip was locked tight.

A few loose strands of dark hair came down across the girl’s left eye, and her smile faded. “Unbelievable. First you ruin my jacket. Next, you half admit to it, but then you call me an extortionist. The absolute nerve of freshmen these days.”

Hanako pulled herself free, jumping back a bit. For a moment, her sense of dread compelled her to transform and fight, but logic took over right away. This girl might be a bully, Hanako thought, and though she certainly gave off the impression of a cold, heartless beast, it didn’t mean she was one. Not one that Hanako had made a contract to fight, anyway.

Besides, Hanako’s mother had taught her how to deal with situations like these before. As she analyzed her surroundings, she noticed a name on the jacket. Her heart sunk as she realized that this was a custom article, but the name stood out more than anything else. “…I’m sorry, Rui Tomatsu.”

The girl, Rui, stared at Hanako, incredulous, not making the connection to the name on her jacket. “You know me, kid? You think you know me?” Her right hand curled into a fist, and she hooked it swiftly towards Hanako’s head.

Hanako just barely ducked under the punch, and instead of jumping back, she instead leaned into the motion. Rolling around Rui’s side, she quickly made her way behind her. For a moment, from this position, Hanako considered countering the attack, but thought better of it once again. Instead, she used her chance to gain some distance, stopping a few meters behind her.

“…Everyone knows, Tomatsu,” Hanako said, a bit more maliciously than she intended. “Everyone knows… that it was you who broke that window.”

Rui wheeled around in an instant, but Hanako had vanished from sight. Her eyes were wide, wild with anger, and now with nowhere to place the rage. “Tch. Damn kid. …I’ll get you yet. Just you wait and see. All of you. Every last one of you fucking bastards are gonna pay this time.”

Hanako had managed to duck into a bush, and with Rui’s confusion, managed to slip from one hiding place to another along the road. By the time Rui would calm down, Hanako would be long gone, having used the blind spots in Rui’s rage to slip away. This worked for now, but Hanako knew that it wouldn’t work a second time. And she still had to go to school with this girl. What was the point of saying that, Hanako thought? What did she have to gain by tipping her hand, or provoking someone like this? Over something so small, no less.

Time passed, and distance would follow. There wasn’t any sign of Rui following behind her, and the rest of Hanako’s walk was uneventful. Slowing her pace and relaxing a bit, she pushed open the doors leading to the lobby of her apartment building, though she looked over her shoulders before stepping inside. A short elevator ride later, and Hanako was home once again.

“…I’m home.” Hanako quietly announced herself as she walked through her front door. Despite how small she made her presence, one of two familiar voices called out in reply.

“Welcome home, Hanako.” It was her father’s voice this time. He was working from home, and since he answered, it meant that her mother was working late tonight.

Ren Sasaki worked for a large technology company, one that had its hands in many smaller corporations around the world, and was slowly growing into an entity that could shift the very direction of electronic devices and communications. Ren himself wasn’t too important in his position, but he was climbing the corporate ladder quickly enough to provide more than enough for his family His was also not the only source of income in Hanako’s family. His wife, Katsumi, was equally successful in her own field. Between the two of them, Hanako had everything anyone could ever ask for.

“…Is Mother running late… tonight?” Hanako carefully removed her shoes, leaving them by the door before making her way into her living room proper. A vaulted ceiling hung above the room, a large window on one side overlooking Mitakihara City’s skyline with a hallway leading to the rest of the apartment on the other. Opposite the window sat a cozy kitchen, though more than spacious enough for multiple people to cook without tripping over one another.

“Yeah. Shouldn’t be too long now, though. She said she’s picking up dinner on the way back. Why not go relax for a bit?” Ren’s voice was deep, yet soothing and quiet. He sat on a pearl white sofa, which faced a large television mounted on the opposite wall, perpendicular to the window. The television, much like Hanako’s, was currently turned off. In Ren’s lap, a laptop, one in which he worked frequently. Hanako’s mother often joked that it was surgically attached to him.

He wore a brown, checkered shirt, and was still wearing his beige slacks, despite lounging around at home. Ren would always dress for work, even when working from home. He often said it kept him focused.

“…I think I will. Thank you, Father.” Hanako gave a polite bow towards Ren, who waved off somewhat sheepishly at the formality, and she quietly slipped down the hallway towards her bedroom.

No sooner than Hanako plopped down onto her bed did her phone light up, buzzing in her pocket. She took it out, staring for a moment at the screen. [“hanako. any updates?”] The message was from Koharu.

Hanako wasn’t able to reply, however, as she heard a knock on her door, followed by another quiet, soothing voice, higher than the first. “Hanako, dear? Your father told me you just got home.”

The source of the voice was obvious by the tone alone. “Y… Yes, Mother. I’m home.” She sat up, anticipating her door opening.

Sure enough, it did, and in the doorway stood Katsumi Sasaki, clad in a jet black three piece suit. Her chestnut colored hair was tidy, held in a tight bun on the back of her head. She hadn’t even had time to remove her scarlet tie, and even though she looked like she just ran home, she still carried herself like a consummate professional.

A gentle smile was resting on her face, and she made her way into Hanako’s room, sitting beside her on the corner of her bed. “How was your day, dear?”

“Oh, um… i-it was fine, Mother.” Hanako’s tone was a little unusual this time. Every day, Hanako would answer completely neutrally, but today she had hesitated. After all, she joined a more physically active and demanding club. She couldn’t very well hide this from her mother. She looked up to her far too much to lie, and Hanako was far too easy to read to get away with it. But something like this was a vast and sudden departure from the status quo that Hanako was caught off guard by how this news would be received. “I… I joined the Fencing Club today.”

As expected, her mother’s eyes widened in surprise. She knew this was far too much, too fast, but the reaction she got wasn’t quite what Hanako expected. “That’s great! The doctors often say that physical activity would help lift your spirits. I wasn’t sure you were ever going to take their advice. Ah, but why fencing, exactly?”

“W-Well… I’m not really suited to running, or anything… high impact. Fencing felt like… like a good compromise. It’s active, but…” Hanako naturally trailed off. If Yui’s tendency to come up with a good answer from nowhere was rubbing off on her, it wasn’t doing it effectively enough just yet.

Her mother, however, simply nodded. “I understand, I think. It’s a great start. You’ll be using your mental strength as much as your physical strength. You’re still pretty small, but this gives you a bit of an advantage. Swift movements are more important than powerful ones.”

“How… do you know so much about fencing, Mother?” Hanako was a little taken aback by her mother’s words on the subject. “Did you…?”

“Oh, no dear, not at all. But it’s come up in cases from time to time. It pays to have basic knowledge about a wide variety of topics.” Katsumi Sasaki was arguably the single most successful defense attorney that Mitakihara had ever seen. More than once did she receive offers from her colleagues to go into private practice, but she refused the offer each and every time. She was a public defender, and she believed that everyone deserved fair and just representation, regardless of financial status.

Katsumi was driven by an unshakeable sense of justice, and she had always hoped that this passion had passed down to her daughter. While Hanako’s condition was often difficult, Katsumi never faltered in her patience. When she needed to be close, she was there. When Hanako needed space, Katsumi would give it gladly, despite her natural worry. While Hanako’s progress was slow, her mother was comforted by the fact that Hanako never lashed out, nor did she blame anyone, including herself for her circumstances. Perhaps, she thought, she really was instilling the proper morals into her daughter after all.

If Hanako wanted anything, Katsumi would provide it. Not because she wanted to spoil her daughter, or lead her into a life of luxury, but because Hanako seldom asked for anything she didn’t directly need, such as school supplies. The television and console were the lone extravagance that Hanako had ever asked for, and even then, she had barely touched them. It was the advice of a long-distance friend of Hanako’s that pushed for the gaming device in the first place, but Hanako hadn’t brought the girl up in awhile, and Katsumi knew better than to push, in case there was an unpleasant, or even traumatic incident behind it.

“I… I see.” Hanako was staring up blankly at the ceiling. She was quiet for a long moment before speaking up again. “…How was your day, Mother?”

“Oh, uneventful. Just preparing for some simple, low-profile cases for once.” Katsumi gave a little chuckle before standing up. “I brought home a variety of treats from the bakery, and I daresay your father and I will have trouble finishing them on our own. It’s not the healthiest of dinners, but indulgence every now and then isn’t the end of the world, right?”

Hanako sat up, only to remember that she had received a text from Koharu before her mother came in to check on her. “Th-that sounds great, Mother. I… I’ll be along shortly.”

“Take your time, Hanako.” Giving Hanako a little pat on the shoulder and another gentle, reassuring smile, Katsumi left her room, closing the door behind her.

Hanako wasted little time in replying to Koharu. [“I encountered Rui. Things are more complicated than we realized.”]

Almost an instant after Hanako sent her message, her phone buzzed once more. [“call me.”]

The front door to a small, older house opened with a creak. Behind it, a middle-aged woman stood, somewhat apprehensive for a brief moment before she recognized the person who knocked. “Oh, Yui. Do come in, won’t you? Alice told me you would be coming by today after school.”

Yui gave a large grin towards Alice’s mother, bowing her head just a bit before slipping inside, gently kicking her shoes off near the door. “Thanks, Mama Rinju. Oooh… makin’ tea, huh? Lemme guess. Uh… Chamomile?”

Marian Rinju chuckled softly. “Sorry dear, Earl Grey.”

“Shoot. Ah well, I’ll get it right next time.” Yui never could place what type of tea was brewing just by its scent, but the little guessing game often helped build rapport between Yui and Alice’s mother, and it almost never failed to start a nice conversation. Yui would take a seat at the small, wooden table in the kitchen, at Marian’s invitation. Marian followed close behind, then poured out four cups of tea. This was normal for Yui. Marian would pour one for herself, one for Yui, one for Alice, and then one for Esther, though she seldom joined them for Yui’s visits.

Esther and Yui had only met briefly over the years. The two were civil, seemingly getting along well enough, but didn’t really have a lot in common. The day after Yui made her wish, Esther had joined them for tea. Afterwards, Esther had invited Yui to their backyard, and challenged her to a friendly spar.

It wasn’t often that Yui lost a fight, especially to another Magical Girl. But Esther was in a league of her own. Yui had no shame in admitting her loss, even to Alice. In a way, Yui thought, it established a clear pecking order, at least as far as everyone else was concerned. Alice looked up to her sister more than Yui, and Yui wasn’t bothered by this.

Overall, Yui and Esther maintained a healthy, respectful distance from one another. Neither seemed to mind the other’s company, yet neither side made any effort to bridge the gap and establish a proper friendship. Unspoken as it was, the rule seemed to be to not upset Alice by causing tension between her two most cherished people, even if they had no reason to dislike one another.

Esther was more composed, a little more proper than Alice, but she wasn’t stuck up enough to look down on anyone. Even as a Magical Girl, Esther had, at one point, been Kyubey’s go-to backup if a newly contracted girl had lost her way on a hunt. Esther never seemed to mind this role, either. But after the incident with her father, Esther had become more distant. Yui, naturally, understood this, and she didn’t stick her nose into her senior’s business.

Yui would sip her tea, with Marian sitting across from her, as if trying to read her youngest daughter’s closest friend. Yui was used to this, as it happened with every visit ever since Tomozaku’s arrest. She was never sure if Marian was trying to see if Yui intended to try and date Alice, and she was even less sure if that was something Marian was trying to encourage or dissuade. The gaze lasted only a few moments, and soon, Marian was sipping her own tea.

“So how is school, Yui?” Marian’s tone was compassionate and motherly, but an undertone of scrutiny was always present in her voice.

“Ah, y'know… year’s still pretty fresh, so my grades are okay. Better than last years’,” Yui added quickly, anticipating Marian’s follow-up. “But no clubs or anything. The band’s taken up most of my free time.”

Marian chuckled, setting her cup down. “I see. From what I hear, you lot are making a good deal of progress.”

“Hey hey, 'bout time someone had some faith in us! See, this is why you’re my favorite parent, Mama Rinju.” As Marian beamed, Yui continued. “But yeah. We’re gettin’ there. It’s slow going, but we’re getting there.”

“Do you have a name for your first album, then?”

“In Euphoria Clad.” Alice’s timid voice called from the stairs in the hallway, small footsteps following before she poked her head in around the corner. “I came up with it, and no one shot it down.” She then sat down right beside Yui, sipping her own tea.

“Oh? I like it, dear.” Marian’s smile was wide and warm. “I’ll buy your first t-shirt.”

Yui scoffed. “As if we would make you pay for it! Mama Rinju gets the VIP treatment forever.” Alice and Marian both chuckled. A few quiet, pleasant minutes of light conversation and tea would follow. The room went quiet, however, when another set of footsteps descended from the stairs. A head of neat, blonde hair wrapped in a ponytail peered into the kitchen from the living room. First gazing upon her sister, then her mother, then the visitor.

Alice bounded from her seat, throwing her arms around Esther’s waist, a sheepish, childlike expression on her face. Marian simply smiled, and Yui showed no outward reaction, sipping from her tea again. Eventually, Alice let go of her sister after receiving a pat on the head, blushing a bit as she sat back beside Yui.

Esther herself had a neutral expression, save for the tiniest of smiles at Alice’s affection. She sat down, taking a sip of her tea before turning her head slightly to glance towards her mother. “Earl Grey? What’s the occasion?”

“There’s not an occasion, Esther. I just felt like it, that’s all. Sometimes, we all deserve the nicer things in life just for their own sake.”

Shrugging just a bit, Esther didn’t ask any further, instead turning back to face Alice. “Need any help with anything? Any major projects, or maybe homework you’re stuck on?”

“N… No, I’m fine.” Alice’s voice was lowered, nervously kicking her legs a bit under the table. “I finished my homework right after I got home.”

“Whoa, seriously? I still need to start mine.” Yui rubbed the back of her head, avoiding Marian’s frown.

“You don’t want to fall behind this early in the year, Yui.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Yui finished her cup with a contented sigh. “I’ll get started when I get home.” The rest of the impromptu tea party was quiet, a little awkward. Yui and Esther were cordial, yet seemingly avoiding talking directly to one another. Neither Alice nor Marian seemed to notice. Eventually, two more empty cups were set down on the table. Yui did not take a refill.

Alice stretched her arms, setting her half-finished cup down on the table. “Mom, need help with the dishes?”

“Well! What kind of alien came down to replace my daughter, hmm?” Marian chuckled, though relented as soon as Alice shrunk back into her chair. “Since you’re offering, I can’t really say no, can I?”

“I guess I oughtta get going, too. I don’t wanna fall behind…” Yui’s dread was heavy, if not exaggerated. She stood up, stretching her arms as well and turned to leave the kitchen. “Call me later, alright babe?” Marian chuckled at this, while Alice blushed. Esther stood up soon after, still stoic as always.

Yui made her way to the door, slipping back into her shoes and stepped outside. She didn’t get more than a few steps away from the house before a hand came to rest on her shoulder.

“…Thanks for watching over Alice while I was gone this week.” It was Esther’s voice, and Yui turned slowly to face her. Again, Esther showed no outward expression, and she was keeping her voice down, perhaps to make sure Alice didn’t hear her. “But, I’ll handle things from here, okay?”

Yui matched Esther’s poker face before responding, “I’m not sure I get what'cha mean, Esther. Mind dumbin’ it down for me?”

“There’s an idiom along the lines of 'too many cooks will spoil the broth’. Alice doesn’t need two Magical Girls in her life, just to keep the Incubators away. It’s overkill, no?”

Yui’s voice lowered as her eyes narrowed. “Yeah? She sure did while you were out at wherever-the-hell you were all week. If I weren’t around, she would’ve made the dive for sure.”

“Don’t you lecture me about what my sister may or may not have done in my absence,” Esther hissed. “Where I was and what I was doing is none of your business.”

“Sure it is. I don’t like seein’ my best friend hurtin’ because the other most important person in her life just up and vanishes right before her abusive dad’s trial’s about to go down.”

Esther took a more pointed step closer to Yui, her hand balled into a fist. “You would do well to stay out of my family’s affairs, Yui. You’re already in way over your head. So do us all a favor and back off, okay?”

Yui didn’t budge. “If you’re gonna go around all threatening-like, you might wanna be more direct about it. C'mon, just spit it out and save us both the time.”

“Fine, then.” Esther’s gray eyes flashed a bit as she stared into Yui’s violet eyes. “…Stay the fuck away from my sister, and my family. If you know what’s good for you, you insolent punk.” With that, Esther turned with a flick of her ponytail, making her way back inside, the door to her house closing quietly behind her.

~END OF ACT 0~