“Hey, why don’t we pull a fortune?” Ichika asked the two.
“Fortunes, huh. Letting the gods of Japan judge my fate...”
“Laura, you should really be a bit less credulous about what Klarissa tells you.”
As they chatted, Houki appeared, dressed in a kimono at her aunt’s insistence.
“Oh, Houki! Great, I didn’t know if you’d be wearing one too!” A smile spread across Ichika’s face, and Houki’s heart fluttered in response.
“I guess. I didn’t really care either way, but my aunt thought it was important.”
“Really, it was the right idea. Can I get your picture?”
“Hmm? Oh, sure.” She was a little surprised at how enthusiastic he was.
“All right, just Houki for the first one.”
Snap went the shutter. Twice more, too, once for all three girls together and once for Houki and Ichika.
“.........”
“What’s wrong, Houki? If you don’t get closer to him I can’t fit you both in the frame.”
“Mm...” Houki’s embarrassment came to the forefront during their picture together. Whatever her other duties today were, she was still a girl. Ichika, instead, took the lead, and as he wrapped an arm around her Charl pressed the shutter release.
“There we go... Houki?”
“Er, ah... Oh, nothing...” She hid her face, not wanting anyone to see her blush, as Ichika took her hand and led her to where fortunes were being told.
“All right, no putting yours back and going for something better. Hear me, Laura?”
“W-Where on Earth did you get that idea from?”
“By you suddenly not being able to look me in the eye.” The young part-time miko watched her like a hawk. Ichika was less flanked by beautiful women, more completely encircled by them. And being the elite of IS Academy, they were as famous in their own right as they were eye-catching.
“Look at the harem Orimura Ichika’s got.”
“Ssh! They’ll hear you.”
“I can’t believe he’s just leading them all on like that.”
“What a pig.”
Ichika sighed, “You know I can hear you, right?”
Anyway, though, it was time for fortunes. Ichika reached straight for his. Chifuyu had taught him to be decisive.
“Ooh, ‘Great Luck’! What about you, Charl?”
“‘Good Luck’. Sounds pretty dull. Laura?” she replied.
“‘Some Luck’. Is that better or worse than just ‘A Little Luck’?”
Ichika and Charlotte shrugged.
“Guess I should pull another one, then.”
“C’mon, Laura! You’re not supposed to do that!” Charlotte scrambled to keep her from pulling not just one more, but a whole bundle.
“How about you, Houki?”
“M-Me?” Houki slid her fortune up her sleeve. “I got ‘A Little Luck’.”
“Huh. Anyway, now you’re supposed to tie them on a tree.”
They wandered off toward the tree. But Houki’s expression was clouded. Her fortune, reading ‘Big Trouble,’ hung in her hand like a lead weight.
✦ ✦ ✦
The second day of the new year. Chifuyu and Ichika were, again, relaxing in their living room.
“Mmmm. Last year was a mess. I hope we can just relax now.”
“I hear you, Chifuyu. Oh, hey, how many mochi balls do you want?”
“Two’s fine.” She was watching the international news. “‘Luxembourg princess arrives in Japan’, huh.”
For just a moment, her eyes hardened. There were few other people in the world who realized the significance of that—and Tabane was one of them.
Luxembourg, a small principality in Europe. A country nestled atop a sprawling cave system. The cave system was the only source of time crystals, the raw material for IS cores. She must be pulling strings to get an IS force into the country, completely above board. But why now? The more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. What’s she up to?
As she mulled it over, Ichika brought her a bowl of rice cake soup. “Here you go.”
“Ooh.” She took a deep breath of its aroma, savoring the traditional holiday meal, before stretching out one of the mochi balls and taking a bite. “This is good.”
“Thanks.”
“You should have some too.”
“Sure. Lemme clean up the kitchen first.”
He quickly washed up, but just as he was about to start cooking his own bowl, the doorbell rang.
“I wonder who that is? It’s strange to have unannounced visitors so soon after the holidays,” Chifuyu voiced her thoughts aloud.
“I’ll get it.” Hanging up his apron, Ichika went to open the front door, and there he found—
“Happy new year, Ichika!”
“I’m sure you’re thrilled to see me so soon.”
Cecilia and Ling, in kimono. Ichika’s jaw dropped at the sight.
“Who helped you two put those on? They’re perfect.”
“The lady at the store did.”
“Oh, I just put mine on myself.”
That’s a total lie, Cecilia’s glare screamed. And she was right. Ling hadn’t just had it put on where she bought it, they’d done her hair too. Ichika was a bit taken aback by their new hairstyles.
“I should get a picture of this.” He was really getting into the idea of a holiday photo album. “Can you line up together for me?”
Cecilia shot a quick glance at Ling.
You know what this means, right.
Of course. He’s not even thinking about getting photos with us.
Very well, then. Time for plan B.
Got it. Here I go!
This took barely a second and a half. What a team; such good friends.
“Actually, why don’t I get a picture with you, Ichika? Ling, can you do the honors?”
“Hey, wait, no matter how you look at it I should be first! Cecilia, if you’d be so kind?”
Lightning flew between them. This took barely half a second. What fickle friends.
“Ling! I should be first!”
“Cecilia! I should be first!”
The two girls growled at each other, and almost came to blows before a hanetsuki paddle was thrust between them.
“It’s an ancient tradition that disagreements between women be settled through sport. So now! For New Year’s! That’s how you’re going to solve it!” Chifuyu had appeared from the kitchen, a bottle of sake in her other hand.
“Well, that certainly makes sense.”
“You’re gonna have to walk home covered in ink!”
Each girl gripped her paddle, eager for the chance to prove her own prowess.
“You do realize I’m quite familiar with this game?”
“Pssh! They used to call me the Paddle Fairy! I don’t care how good you are, there’s no way you can compare!”
And thus, the match began. At first, Cecilia played almost like it was a tennis match, but as time went on she began to pick up more and more of Ling’s tricks.
“No fair, Cecilia!”
“All’s fair in love and war. And— There!”
“Ugh, dammit!”
As they talked trash back and forth, Ichika managed to snap a picture of them enjoying themselves.