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Chapter Text

Kira enjoys being challenged.

It’s inevitable. People love tilting the status quo to let the water of hope be poured in their favor and Kira does appreciate the courage. It’s just how humans are: ambitious.

Kira knows what’s worth her while. A woman like her doesn’t have time to indulge in silly games, after all. She does things with a plan laid out neatly in her head. Step by step. Like clockwork. She loves it that way.

So when she’s given the news about a newbie, transferring mid-term, Kira feels her plan shifting a little. She didn’t have the time to prepare for it, catching her off-guard. It’s not her to miss. She takes pride in being ahead. She hates leaving things to chance.

People fail trusting fate.

“I’m Kira. Student Council President.” Kira introduces herself. Not missing a beat. She regards the woman before her with a look that doesn’t really show much. Kira masters control; one of the many things she’s good at.

“I’m Yumeko.”

Kira knows. Of course, she does. There’s nothing special about Yumeko Kawamoto. She has a smile on her face that Kira can only assume as a facade to appear bold. Her bangs, cut sloppily, curtains her face. Her necktie, different from what students are usually given, is barely tied, dangling around her neck like an accessory. Her skirt is short… too short that Kira can only imagine what one wrong bend can entail. Yumeko obviously didn’t take the time to read the handbook.

“For you,” Yumeko’s voice is a whisper as she hands Kira a small box wrapped in fancy gold. A blue ribbon keeps it together. An irony. “Student Council President Kira-san.”

Kira masks her hesitation as she reaches for the box. Yumeko still has a smile on her face; too sweet for someone who had just taken a step on an unfamiliar territory. 

Kira feels bad for her.

St. Dominic is not a place for kindness. It eats naivety. It tramples on innocence. It barrels on dreams. 

A system Kira built brick by brick. Proudly so.

Yumeko doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into.

Or she does. 

Kira clenches her fist. The leaderboard lights up menacingly; a reminder that Kira has taken Yumeko too lightly. Kira is not one to underestimate. She just has her way to separate weaklings from fighters.

She can admit, however, when she gets too ahead of herself. 

Mary Davis is too many spots lower than where she was before she dumbly dared the newbie to a challenge. The weight of the Student Council’s black blazer hangs on her shoulder. She screams, defeated.

Kira doesn’t say anything; only watches from above like a God. Her blue lipstick is a dark contrast against her pale skin. 

Yumeko grins from ear to ear, unapologetic for having kicked someone out of status. Two men stand by her side like towers; protecting. 

Ryan and Michael.

Kira can only roll her eyes. A day in and Yumeko is already forming a troupe with two of the most notorious losers God has ever created.

It’s hilarious if not a little infuriating. 

“A seat on the table.”

Yumeko drawls, hands behind her back in a careful stance, regarding Kira with a flickering gaze.

“Yes. A seat with us.”

Kira knows how to intimidate. Another thing her father has demanded she learns before she could even write her own name. She has a full deck and she plays her cards well.

“Hmm…” Yumeko hums.

Kira fights the urge to tap her heels on the ground: a habit she can’t really outgrow. Her council stands behind her like dogs to an owner. “It’s a special offer meant only for you.” 

Yumeko’s eyes twinkle. “Does that make me special too?”

Kira’s forehead creases. Not the response she was expecting at all. She bites the inside of her cheek; patience wearing thin. “I guess you can say that.”

It’s all Yumeko needed. She grins; one that makes Kira’s lip twitch. 

“I appreciate the offer, Kira.” Yumeko then says and Kira mentally lets out a sigh of relief. “But I prefer to explore first. See what’s there for me, you know?” And air catches in her throat.

Kira clenches her fist, jaw tightening in an attempt to hold the little control she has left. She has never been rejected. The bitterness of it quickly settles on her tongue and she grunts in distaste.

The audacity of this woman.

“Sure.” Kira says, however. “I guess being special really doesn’t mean much, yeah?”

Yumeko lifts her brow, holding back a smile. “I guess it doesn’t.” She agrees.

Kira turns on her heels, leaving the scene before she can even have the thought of maybe burning it to the ground. She curses under her breath.

Yumeko’s dorm room is far from what Kira had imagined.

Kira has been given enough proof to assume that Yumeko lives life messily. Unlike Kira who thrives in order, Yumeko finds fun in chaos. They are two sides of the coin. Kira wants to play her part strategically. Losing is not something she takes lightly or at all so she digs.

Books fill Yumeko’s bed, leaving little to no space for her to sleep on. Interesting, Kira thinks to herself. A bookworm: seems very unlikely for someone with Yumeko’s energy.

There are frames on the table; empty other than a single one that holds a photo of an elderly couple. Yumeko’s parents, maybe.

She’s pure Japanese, it seems. Kira thought she’s part trouble.

Kira hears the door creak but she doesn’t react. She waited for it. Yumeko’s surprise is apparent in the way she jumps at the sight of the council’s President.

“President Kira-san.”

There’s that honorific again. Kira dislikes it: hates the way Yumeko says it like a rehearsed song. On beat. Kira turns around, heels loud against the floorboard.

“There you are.”

Yumeko tilts her head, lost: a refreshing view from how she confidently carries herself. Kira hums to herself.

“Am I in trouble?” Yumeko asks, voice sounding so genuinely concerned that Kira would have bought it if not for the faint glint of mischief in her eyes.

“No. Not really.” Or yet. “I’m just doing an inspection. Council thing.” Kira lies.

Yumeko’s gaze flickers. She closes the door behind her, trapping the noise of the hallway away. Kira watches how fast the younger girl’s mood shifts. It’s almost impressive.

“Well,” Yumeko leans in, just close enough to take Kira’s breath out of her lungs. The proximity catching her off-guard. “Did I pass?”

Kira takes a step back, legs wobbling a little. She blinks. Yumeko only giggles, knowing full well what she has done. 

Kira gulps, filling her chest with much needed oxygen- and courage. She holds Yumeko’s stare. “You’re a little bit of a slob for my standards.”

Yumeko’s nose scrunches. And for a brief second, Kira finds her cute. “I just love to read.” She reasons.

Kira really doesn’t give a damn. “You have a lot of overdue books in that pile, Kawamoto. Dori really doesn’t like late returns.”

Yumeko shifts from one foot to another, puckering her lips. “I will return it soon.”

“Now. Return it now.” Kira insists.

“Are you worried Dori would do something to me?”

Kira rolls her eyes with a scoff. “She can kill you for all I care.” She says, sounding so unnecessarily defensive. 

Yumeko giggles and Kira notices two dimples appearing on both sides of her lips. Yumeko must have noticed the sudden pause because she smiles wider, her eyes now straight as a line, disappearing.

“Are you worried for me, Kira-san.”

“Stop calling me that.” 

“Call you what?” Yumeko dares. “Kira-san?” 

Kira balls her fist. Her patience is being challenged once again and she has no idea why, for the love of her, she keeps putting herself in this situation.

“Would you rather I call you something else?” Yumeko teases. “Ma’am? Madame? Lady Kira?” She recites. “Or perhaps you’d like something more personal? Babe? Baby? Lov-“

“Kira is fine!” Kira cuts off. Her voice is sharp. 

Yumeko doesn’t back away. She never did. “Okay, Kira.” She finally says. “Your wish is my command.”

Kira exits the room with big strides. Yumeko’s laugh echoes in the otherwise empty hallways of their floor. Kira can still hear her heartbeat in her chest. It’s raging. Too fast for how badly she tried to keep her cool.

Yumeko is a force. An obnoxious one at that. And she knows how to get into Kira’s nerves and she does it well. 

Too well.

It’s faint but Kira takes notice.

Yumeko’s eyes glisten like she’s restraining herself from any reaction which is technically the point of the game. Her lips are on a thin line, and the hold she has on the card in her hand is tight; the paper crumpling. 

“Are they dead?” Suki asks, provoking: talking about Yumeko’s parents. “Bet it’s your fault.”

Kira only knows enough. Yumeko has little to no information about her life. Other than the picture on her table, her parents are non-existent in Yumeko’s record. It must be why this topic seems to throw her off.

Yumeko’s heart rate goes up. A little higher and she’d lose the game. Kira should be glad. It’s what she was after, in the first place; to humble Yumeko, to put her in her place. Kira, however, feels uneasy. 

Yumeko doesn’t say anything- doesn’t even try to. She sits there, unmoving: face red and lips quivering. Seconds pass. Too slow for something so unsettling. Then the timer pings.

Yumeko breathes out, visibly shaking from where Kira is watching. She made it through without going beyond the heart rate limit. None of Suki’s previous opponents have made it this far. 

Kira is impressed.

“You did well.”

Kira gives credit where credit is due. She’s vain but she acknowledges effort. Yumeko is a headache but Kira can compliment her for trying hard. And so she does.

Yumeko stands beside her, quiet. Kira lets her.

“Suki does it to everyone.” Kira states like it’s meant to be something: like it would make Yumeko feel better. “It’s more transactional than personal.”

“You didn’t ask.” Yumeko finally breaks her silence. “You saw the photo on my table. You saw my records. But you never asked.”

Kira shrugs, “It’s none of my business.”

“I just thought you like making everything your business.”

Kira looks at Yumeko, curious. The new girl’s eyes are puffy like she has been crying. Kira wants to feel snarky; say some words that hurt to make a point because she normally would. 

“Would you rather I asked?”

Yumeko purses her lips, looking away. “It would have made you seem caring.”

Kira rolls her eyes. “And why would I care, right?” Kira feels. It may not seem like it but she knows joy, sadness, grudge- pain. She cares. A little too much for her own good even. 

She was just taught to conceal it.

“Do you know how much electricity this room has consumed since you got here?”

Yumeko jumps, closing the book she was reading quickly. She looks around and sees Kira hovering. 

The President has her signature blue lipstick on but instead of her hair being kept by a headband, her hair falls on her shoulders. Yumeko eyes the fringes covering Kira’s sight like a protective layer. Kira lifts a brow.

Yumeko looks away.

“You act like you pay for it yourself.” Yumeko retorts, going back to reading.

Kira doesn’t move. “No. But I do the paperworks explaining why.”

Yumeko smirks. “Bet you hate the title now, huh.”

Kira doesn’t respond. She watches. Yumeko is reading through yearbooks. Tons of them. “And here I thought you were studying.”

“I am studying.”

“What? History?”

Yumeko closes the book again and huffs. She faces Kira, her ears red. Obviously annoyed. “Where was this energy when I was trying to start a conversation with you before?”

Kira fails to hide the smile on her face. “Bet you know how it feels now, huh.” She says, mimicking Yumeko’s previous line.

Kira expected Yumeko to back down, to tell her to go, which Kira would have done anyway because she really didn’t have a business being in there. 

“If you wanted to see me, you could have just said so.”

Kira makes a face. “Too much reading makes you delusional.” She says, backing away. Her guard threatened. She exits the library in a rush which didn’t really help her situation but at least she’s far from Yumeko’s suggestive eyes.

Yumeko laughs, voice loud in the vast silence of the library. “It was nice seeing you too, Kira.”

If there’s one thing Kira has learned through the time she spent as St. Dominic’s Student Council President, it’s the fact that she has a team that she can never trust her life with.

Sure, she has Riri but even Riri would find dealing with this group exasperating. 

Kira should not be surprised. It’s not like everyone had submitted resumés for their seats. They didn’t. They were born for it: with it.

So Kira deals with it the best way she can. 

“Decline Dori’s challenge.” If Kira can’t pluck the root, she’ll wait by the tree.

The tree, however, is just as draining. Yumeko stares at her like she’s grown another head. “Why would I?”

That’s a fair question. “She’s not after winning. She only wants to break your bones.” And that’s true.

Yumeko waves a hand at her. “You’re so dramatic.”

“I’m not being dramatic. Dori can and will kill you.”

Kira really should just let Dori be. Who cares if she has to bury a body, anyway? It’s not the council’s first ride. She’s done it before. She can always do it again.

“Your concern is adorable, Kira but I can handle myself.”

Kira palms her face, tired.  “Fine. Die if you must.”

Yumeko only giggles, that dimpled smile flashing yet again. 

Kira forces herself to watch. She can’t wrap her head around it. Yumeko infuriates her just as much as she amazes her. It’s a confusing combination. Of all the games Yumeko could have picked, she landed on Duel . A battle for first blood. Literally. The crazy part is, Yumeko doesn’t look worried: not when Dori swings a sword close enough to cut her bangs clean. 

Yumeko only lets out a devilish grin, highly entertained. 

Kira has learned to expect less from Yumeko not because Yumeko doesn’t meet them but because the younger girl always goes beyond what Kira would have thought her to be.

Yumeko wins the fight. Dori groans loudly as she holds her nose, blood dripping from how Yumeko just punched it.

Yumeko glances at her from a distance. Kira could only assume she’s gloating and Kira gives her the privilege to.

Yumeko can indeed handle herself.

“I will win as Gala Queen. I always do.”

Kira doesn’t really understand the need to share that. Maybe to make a point. Maybe to send a message. Or maybe she just wants to get into Yumeko’s nerves.

Yumeko holds Kira’s hand tight, giving away a small smile. “I don’t doubt you will.”

That catches Kira by surprise like many other things Yumeko would randomly just say for the fun of it. “Then why bother coming here? With that excuse of a man, no less.”

If people don’t know them, this distance could have been mistaken as intimacy. Music plays in the background. Kira has her hold firm on Yumeko’s waisy. She has her fingers pressed against Yumeko’s warm ones. Their bodies touch as they sway along the soft hum of the stereo.

“You sound very jealous right now.” Yumeko teases.

Kira doesn’t bite. “You wish.”

Yumeko pulls away, extending her arm so Kira can spin her around. She takes a turn: the hem of her gown bouncing as her back presses against Kira’s chest. “Right. That would be silly.” Yumeko says, voice barely audible from how loud the music is. “It’s you who I’m dancing with, anyway.”

Yumeko spins again, steps away from Kira. Their hands kept contact even with the distance and Kira allowed her gaze to linger, to stare a little too long. 

Kira would never admit it out loud but Yumeko is gorgeous- breath-takingly gorgeous. 

“You flatter me.” Kira finds her voice.

Yumeko shrugs, “I just say what’s expected of me.”

Right. 

Of course.

Chapter Text

Kira is not usually like this: pitiful.

Her father taught her that to rule is to be detached. A leader can care but they can’t be soft. Something Kira never really understood before. 

Until today.

Yumeko pushes a cart around, students call for her: demanding she does what she’s told. It’s the rule. To be a housepet is to be humiliated. Kira can argue that Yumeko was served what she deserved but it did not make Kira feel less… disturbed.

Vulnerability is a complicated thing.

Kira doesn’t really like it.

“Leave her alone.” Kira’s voice is loud, almost booming. 

Yumeko is kneeling on the ground, Chad and Dori are standing before her, instructing something for Yumeko to follow: lick a mess on the floor that they made themselves.

Kira’s head throbs just thinking about it.

“Kira.” The duo takes a step back, careful.

Kira doesn’t say a word. She walks closer to where the commotion is taking place and looks down on the still kneeling girl. 

Kira regards Yumeko, trying to figure out what goes on her mind. Yumeko shows no remorse: proud of what has brought her to where she is now. Kira is certain that Yumeko would argue that she’s been fair and she’s paying the price of her choices. There’s nothing to feel bad about fairness.

Kira thinks she’s stupid.

“Stand, Yumeko.” Kira demands with furrowed brows.

Yumeko’s stare flutters, obeying. She stays quiet but the grin on her face is telling.

Kira ignores her, giving her attention to the student council members witnessing the situation unfold. “From now on, you are never to take orders from anyone in the student council.” Kira declares, eyes on Chad and Dori.

Yumeko only lifts a brow. 

Kira doesn’t even understand herself. Rules have been set long before Yumeko has arrived; rules that everyone in St. Dominic has learned to abide by.

“Anyone who does otherwise will answer to me.” 

Kira can’t begin to understand how easy it was for her to shift the rules. Maybe she’s become pitiful. Or maybe she’s grown soft; the very thing her father told her not to be. 

“You didn’t have to do that.” 

In the solace of the library where Yumeko frequents, Kira hears the younger girl. Yumeko still has the housepet ID on, a loud reminder of what bad choices can bring you.

Kira’s bad choices brought her here. No- she walked herself in, handing herself on a plate for Yumeko to feast on. Kira leans on the shelf, a few steps away from where Yumeko is seated, another yearbook in hand.

“Don’t flatter yourself so much.” Kira’s voice lacks conviction. “It meant nothing.”

Yumeko smiles as she flips through pages. “Thank you, still.”

Kira feels a rush of heat in her chest. As though it’s the first time someone has genuinely thanked her for doing something good. “You're welcome.” She says softly.

There’s brief silence.

Kira shouldn’t be here. She has work to do: paperworks to sign, meetings to attend. But among all the other things that Kira can’t fully comprehend is the gnawing feeling of not wanting Yumeko to be alone. Loneliness is a friend to Kira and it can be mean.

“My parents are legacy, you know?” Yumeko breaks the silence, keeping her eyes on her book. “They were from St. Dominic.” Yumeko sighs. “They left me when I was 6 and I haven’t seen them since.”

Kira waits for the younger girl to continue.

“My caretaker said they promised to return.” Yumeko laughs bitterly. “And yet, years later, I still don’t know where they are or if they are alive. I read through these yearbooks hoping it would give me information about them- to find them.”

Kira can’t say she relates to it. After all, her parents are well. But she’s familiar with the feeling of longing: that painful desperation of wanting to be seen and be held.

Kira’s parents are alive but never around. Kira can see their shadows but barely feel them.

Yumeko and her are alike in that sense. 

Lonely.

“They talk about it.”

Riri’s voice is low, standing just behind Kira. Riri always makes sure her presence is known. She’s Kira’s voice of reason. Kira can’t admit it out loud but her sister, more often than not, holds her together.

Power is a scary concept and Kira would have lost herself trying to handle it.

“Let them talk.”

“Yumeko…” Riri drawls, careful. “…is she to be guarded?”

Kira’s heart skips a beat. She doesn’t even have an answer to that. She doesn’t have an answer to anything. “I don’t know.”

Riri nods. “She’s special.” The younger Timurov mutters. 

“She is.” Kira says honestly. 

“To you?”

Kira lets out a shaky breath. She lets the question hang in the air. Vulnerability really is a complicated thing. 

The room is heavy with tension.

Kira tries her best to appear cool. With her hand under the table, she hides her trembling. 

Arkadi Timurov is a scary man even for his own daughters.

Kira’s leg shakes, heels tapping on the floor with a rhythm she hopes could help her calm down.

Why is her father here?

“Still top of the game, huh?”

Kira stays still, watching the old man scan the leaderboard: hands in his pockets. Kira bites the inside of her cheek, tasting blood but feeling nothing.

“This girl…” Arkadi starts, “…does she give you trouble?”

Yumeko’s name flashes on the screen- with Kira’s name. Another stupid bet the school has decided to waste money on. Kira can feel her palm sweating

“No, Papa.” She manages to say, voice cracking.

Arkadi is never really the type to be easily impressed or convinced. He’s everything Kira’s been training to be. And Kira wishes she’s doing it by choice. She’s not. 

“Your council tells me otherwise.” Kira may be the council President but she’s just a child in her father’s eyes.

“They don’t know what they’re talking about.”

Arkadi hums. “I want to meet this girl.” Kira’s father announces. 

“Papa-”

“She’s your friend, no?”

Yumeko is far from being a friend. “She is.” But far from being a stranger too.

“You’re inviting me where?”

Kira doesn’t want to repeat herself again. The thought of having to invite Yumeko someplace Kira considers her solace is already tragic enough, repeating it is just putting salt on the wound.

“Our Dacha.” Kira answers still, however. “Resthouse.” She clarifies.

Yumeko tilts her head, grinning a little too wide for Kira’s liking. “What happened to coffee dates?”

Kira frowns. “This is not a date.”

“Debatable.”

Kira hates being put in a position she didn’t even ask for. “It’s not.”

Yumeko shrugs, playing the game too well. “I’d say yes…” She drawls. “But only if you ask nicely.”

“I’m asking nicely!”

“Tone, please.” Yumeko holds a hand up, shaking her head in a feigned disappointment.

Kira is baffled. “You’re annoying, you know that?”

Yumeko nods, unapologetic. “An annoying girl you need to impress Daddy.” Yumeko singsongs.

Kira huffs, ears burning from both shame and anger. She grits her teeth then with a heavy voice, she asks. “Will you go out with me this weekend?”

Yumeko scrunches her nose, dissatisfied. “Who are you talking to?”

“Yumeko-”

“Again, Kira.” Yumeko dares.

Kira bites her lower lip, frustrated. She breathes in and out, closing her eyes briefly. To clear her mind? No. To find courage? Maybe.

“Will you go out with me this weekend, Yumeko?” Kira asks again, losing the edginess. She lets her gaze meet Yumeko’s and sees how the younger girl’s lips twitch to a smile.

Yumeko stands, walking closer to where Kira is. With her hands behind her back like she normally would, she leans in, taking in Kira’s space. She beams. “I will, Kira-san.”

Kira doesn’t retaliate. There’s no point in playing a game she wouldn’t win.

Not when she’s barely even trying.

Chapter Text

The Timurov estate is vast. 

Intimidatingly so. 

It’s a never ending stretch of land. It’s not surprising at all. If anything, it’s to be expected. Kira grew up surrounded by wealth. Her father taught her to be proud of the luxury she was born with: passed on from one generation to another.

She was raised to carry on her family’s legacy and she’s expected to hold just as much drive. After all, a Timurov is only meant to do great things. 

“Cheer up, Kira. You act like I dragged you here.” And Kira, surely, is doing great so far.

“It certainly does feel like it.” Kira responds without throwing a look at the younger girl.

Yumeko stands beside her closely like a child afraid to get lost. Her curious eyes wander around the place, full of questions and amusement. “This is just a resthouse?” Yumeko asks. 

Kira shrugs as though she’s been asked the same thing before. “One of the many.” She answers casually.

Yumeko scrunches her nose and a part of Kira wanted to know if that was at all impressive for the younger girl. “Rich people are beyond me.”

Kira has a response on the tip of her tongue: a snarky remark to piss Yumeko off. She decides against it, however. This weekend, Yumeko is her lifeline and she needs her… pleased?

Kira should have said no to the idea, really. She could have easily let her father assume she handled Yumeko on her own like how she handles everything else. It would have saved her from this trouble.

But no.

Now, standing in a place she’s never been to since she started learning how to talk, she could only hope that Yumeko behaves herself. 

“Yumeko,” 

Arkadi Timurov, the man of the moment, struts in, catching everyone’s attention like he knows he has always belonged there. Authority is a crazy thing and it’s apparent in how Kira feels her body stiffen just by hearing her father’s voice. 

The old man stops before them. He eyes Kira and by extension, Riri who has never left Kira’s side with a look that Kira can only assume as confusion. Damn. Even Kira is confused.

The old man shakes Yumeko’s hand, a small practiced smile on his face. “Didn’t expect you to be here.”

Kira fights the urge to roll her eyes.

Yumeko only smiles, small but polite. “Your daughter invited me, Sir. It would be rude to decline.”

Arkadi only hums, acknowledging the point. “So you are friends with my daughters, huh?”

“Yes, Papa.” Kira answers for Yumeko, a little too abruptly for her own good.

Arkadi only nods and Kira knows he doesn’t really care. He never did. He waves his hand in dismissal before excusing himself to do errands.

Kira exhales, letting out a shaky breath she didn’t know she was holding. She should have said no, really. Now, she has the rest of the weekend to suffer. She can already feel exasperation creeping in.

Kira finds herself seated at the dining table later that night.

Yumeko is beside her, quiet. She has been since that introduction to Kira’s Dad. The President wants to ask her why but she’s too preoccupied, trying to survive the night. 

And also, it would make her seem worried. Kira can’t give Yumeko that satisfaction.

There’s an abundant amount of food on the table. Maids and guards are all over the huge dining room. The plates and utensils are expensive enough to free every house pet from their misery. It’s a clear display of wealth- of power.

“Yumeko,” Arkadi’s voice echoes around the space and his two daughters automatically flinch.

Kira swallows a lump in her throat, hands trembling from where they’re hidden under the table.

Yumeko doesn’t respond. Not verbally. She regards the head of the house with a look, expecting an inquiry.

“Your parents…” Kira’s father starts. “What do they do?”

Yumeko’s spoon scrapes the plate accidentally, possibly leaving a mark none of the maids wouldn’t be able to remove. 

Yumeko clears her throat, “They are business people.” She lies. 

“Of course, they are. But in what field?” Arkadi continues to ask, fishing for more. Kira knows this. Her father is calculating the threat in Yumeko. 

“Electronics, Sir.” Yumeko answers, the lie slipping out a little too perfectly.

Arkadi makes a face of amusement but Kira can’t tell if he’s impressed. “That’s nice. Who are they? Do I know them?” And Kira’s father never stops talking, it seems.

“You don’t, Papa.” Kira answers for Yumeko, jaw clenched. “Their family’s business is in Asia.” She joins in the lie.

Kira has never been one to enjoy family time. She barely has a functional family, anyway. It’s what makes her hate gatherings like this. It’s a pathetic excuse for her father to intimidate people, to send a message.

It makes her feel a little sick. She has always hated how her father would make her feel less of a child and more of an asset. 

Now, an adult, Kira still carries the same burden her younger self did- even heavier.

“You’ll be staying here.” Kira opens the door to one of the rooms. “It’s just a few rooms away from mine. I’m down the hall.”

Yumeko walks in, regarding the place with an unreadable expression. Kira follows her, letting the door close on them with a soft thud.

“Can’t I just stay with you?” Yumeko inquires without looking at Kira.

“What gave you the impression that you can?”

Yumeko turns on her heels, facing the President with a shrug. “Nothing. I was just being sentimental.” 

Kira scoffs. “You’re never sentimental.”

“You wound me.” Yumeko retorts, feigning disappointment. 

Kira feels a little bad. She watches Yumeko drag her luggage onto the bed, opening it without much care. Seeing the familiar mess in it makes Kira smile out of her own accord. Realizing it, she quickly looks away.

“You’ll be fine.” She tells Yumeko. “We have helpers around the house 24/7. They were instructed to answer to you.”

Yumeko only nods, still looking defeated. Kira mentally holds her head in her hand.

“You can’t stay in my room, Yumeko.” 

“Says who?” Yumeko challenges. “Your father? He doesn’t seem to give a damn.” That hurts Kira a bit. Of course, it’s with Yumeko to observe things. “Also, this is not the date I had in mind.”

“You shouldn’t be thinking about a date at all.”

Yumeko purses her lips, disapproving. “You’re not very romantic.”

Oh. Kira is. And making sure Yumeko is always in her place is all the romance Kira ever cares about.

“Settle in. There’s a buzzer on the headboard for when you need me which I would appreciate you not using.”

Yumeko lifts a brow, “Buzzer? What happened to asking each other’s phone number?”

Kira ignores Yumeko, walking to where the door is as she grasps on the little patience she has left. Kira is not easy to annoy. She actually takes pride in that. Aside from the fact that nobody really is worth her time- let alone her attention. 

Yumeko, however, is just on another level. Kira badly wants to skin her alive.

The sound is difficult to ignore.

It comes with a vibration that’s just driving Kira’s senses to the edge. A sick reminder that a few rooms from her, she’s keeping her biggest threat- comfortably. She shouldn’t have told Yumeko about the buzzer. Kira should have just left her to fend for herself and hopefully die.

A mistake that Kira is now paying the price for.

“What, Yumeko?” She asks through the intercom: another thing that her family wasted money for.

Yumeko doesn’t talk. Not right away. She huffs before clearing her throat as if she’s being forced to do whatever it is she’s doing.

“I need water.” She finally says.

Kira shakes her head, hissing. “You call for the helper, Yumeko. Not me.” Then she presses a button to end the conversation.

Until the buzzer pings again, louder. Kira feels as though she’s being punished. “Yumeko, for fuck’s sake.” 

“Water, please.”

“Call for the damn help-”

“I don’t like being alone, Kira.” Yumeko finally confesses, voice harsher than she intended it to be.

The rest of the student council often tells her that she’s a force; something you don’t wish to be on you on your worst day. She’s calculative and cruel. She’s unapologetically vain. Kira is a thinker, an intelligent one at that but somehow, that very moment, she lets herself talk without much thought. 

“You’ve been alone your entire life.” 

Kira regrets it just as fast. It was meant to be funny- playful. Kira has said worse things. This one doesn’t even come close. It doesn’t make the guilt less gnawing however. She doesn’t feel bad for what she said. She feels bad to whom the words were said to.

Silence ensues after. Too long. 

Yumeko doesn’t respond- doesn’t return the energy like she normally would- doesn’t answer back with just as much fire. She remains quiet. Kira hears her sigh and the intercom then beeps, leaving Kira to her own thoughts.

So she stands, pulling her robe to herself: a glass of water in her hand. 

The hallway is eerily quiet and cold: unfamiliar. Kira’s footsteps echo in the darkness. She can’t remember the last time she walked on this trail by herself during the night. She had Riri to walk with her before, making sure she has someone to hold onto when the darkness gets too much- too scary.

Kira wets her lips, trying to gather her courage as she walks further only to pause just before Yumeko’s closed door. Kira hesitates, hand pausing just as she tries to knock. She would have let things be. It’s not her to be remorseful but she feels it, anyway.

Kira knocks. Once; hearing nothing on the other side of the door. Then she does it again. Silence continues for a few more seconds until Kira hears sound: feet padding the carpeted floor.

The door opens a little but Kira doesn’t see Yumeko. She hears her walk away instead. Kira thinks this time- hard. She counts in her head before she pushes, letting air get caught in her throat.

Yumeko is sitting on the bed, back facing Kira as she stands by the door. A single lamp keeps the room illuminated and the sound of the air conditioner humming fills the air.

“I got your water.” Kira hates how soft her voice sounds. She hates it even more that Yumeko seems to pretend not to hear.

She closes the door behind her and with careful strides, she makes it close to the bed. She places the glass of water by the bedside table.

Yumeko doesn’t react- doesn’t even bother to look up.

Kira closes her eyes, clearing her throat. The bed dips as she sits, close enough to hear Yumeko breathe but far enough to touch her.  

“I’m sorry.” Kira finally says which is more than she would if the situation was different. She’s heard someone say that she’s grown soft- for Yumeko at least and she used to shut them off. Now, however, even if she says otherwise, her actions just prove her wrong each time. 

Yumeko finally looks at her, long hair curtaining her face as she hugs her knees. She looks small. “You weren’t wrong.”

Kira sighs, feeling even more guilty. “I shouldn’t have said it. I was out of line.” 

Yumeko nods. “You don’t often apologize, do you?” She asks.

Kira lets out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “Is it that obvious?”

Yumeko rests her chin on her knees, a smile tugging on her lips. “You’re shaking.” She states.

Kira is indeed shaking. Her fingers are trembling as she desperately holds her robe in place. They sit through the silence together. It’s awkward but not uncomfortable. If anything, Kira likes it.

“Thank you for a while ago.” Yumeko says after a moment. “For lying for me.”

Kira only hums. “It’s nothing.”

“Your father seems like a very difficult man to impress.”

“He is.” Kira agrees. 

Yumeko looks Kira in the eye, “No wonder you’re so hot-headed.”

Kira rolls her eyes, humored. “You just get on my nerves a little too easily.” She says.

Yumeko chuckles, eyes stretching to a crescent. “That’s my charm.”

Kira doesn’t disagree. As she had previously said, she can give credit where credit is due. And Yumeko really knows how to charm her way effortlessly in Kira’s life. She doesn’t even have to try. 

Kira breathes out, feeling a little chilly from the breeze of the air-conditioner and how Yumeko stares just a little too deep- like she’s stripping her bare.

“Do you want to stay in my room?” Kira asks out of nowhere.

Yumeko jumps, mood shifting quickly. She grins like a kid, rambling about fixing her stuff although Kira doubts Yumeko even knows how to keep her things neat. Kira watches her, allowing a smile to paint her face.

The breeze is cold but heat creeps into Kira’s chest- settling in.

Kira planned this thing ahead.

Only now did she realize that she was trying to fish for a good impression. It irks her a bit but she’d live with it. Yumeko takes forever to get ready.

Kira stands by the door, all prepared, and the younger girl is still inside Kira’s room, rambling about wanting to look good.

It’s silly. Kira thinks she looks okay enough. Must be why when Yumeko walked out of the door, Kira barely stopped herself from ogling.

“How do I look?” Yumeko asks, beaming a little too brightly.

Kira feels her mouth go dry. Oh wow. “You look okay.”

Yumeko pouts, obviously expecting something else. “Would it kill you to be honest?”

It probably won’t but Kira wants to be sure. “I’m honest.”

Yumeko is barely even covered. She likes to flaunt. Kira thinks it’s because Yumeko knows it gets to her. She’s the council President but never once did she reprimand Yumeko for a skirt worn too high up or a blouse unbuttoned too low. 

She lets it be: kind of enjoys it too. Kira has a problem, she’s been told. But she’s just a girl and even a multi-talented girl like her gets too… distracted.

Yumeko is dressed for the occasion; long tight pants, a black suit on top of a high-collared blouse which is just buttoned enough to not seem scandalous (typical Yumeko) and high-boots. She’s very equestrian. Kira can give her that.

“For someone who thinks I look okay, you ogle a lot.” Yumeko teases, wiggling her brows.

Kira blushes, looking a way a little too late. She clears her throat, trying to regain her composure. “You’re so full of yourself.” Kira scoffs, failing to sound annoyed.

Yumeko only bounces, leaning close to Kira with a smile that could leave the sun jobless. “The way you look at me makes it hard not to be.”

Kira doesn’t move: doesn’t back away. She stands there with Yumeko breathing in her space. She could have retaliated. She could have said something to hurt Yumeko just enough for her to be left alone for the rest of the day or if she’s lucky, for the rest of the weekend but after last night, Kira knows better than to try.

So she stands, unmoving.

Until she hears footsteps. “Kira, are you ready?”

Riri appears out of nowhere. Yumeko turns around to where the younger Timurov is standing- watching and she lets out a polite smile. “Riri-san.”

Kira blinks, breathing out the air that had her chest nearly combust. That was close. So close. A second longer and Kira would have let her careful thinking die at the back of her mind; forgotten. She counts in her head. 

“Yeah, we’re ready.” Yumeko answers Riri’s question with enthusiasm- too much actually.

Kira meets Riri’s gaze knowingly. She doesn’t have to say anything, doesn’t have to explain. They have a bond that goes beyond words. Riri knows.