✤
After being forced out of the Sky Salon, I went looking for someone.
Naturally, this someone was Matsuri. While pushing me into the elevator, Lady Saeko had told me, “Go and check on Matsuri for me.” I would have gone to find her anyway, but it made me happy to know that Lady Saeko really did care about her (former) Seraph’s feelings.
Whatever she claims, I can tell that she needs Matsuri.
“Now, where would she be?” I wondered aloud. “Wait! She’s right there!”
I’d barely even started looking when I spotted her. She was sitting in a corner of a flower bed near the entrance to the former school building that housed the Sky Salon. She was clutching her legs and staring down at the ground, hidden among the abundant plant life. It almost looked like there was a dark cloud hanging over her.
I rushed over, shocked by just how downcast she was. “Matsuri!”
Weakly, she raised her head and turned toward me. “Oh, Misaki. It’s you.”
The beaming face she’d worn mere minutes ago was nowhere to be seen. She had dark circles under her eyes, and her cheeks looked more hollow and sunken than usual.
“It’s all right,” I said, albeit hesitantly. “Lady Saeko needs you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Uhm, I’m pretty sure.”
I didn’t know what Lady Saeko had in mind, so I didn’t want to say anything too committal. Giving her false hope could definitely be a problem. I sat down beside her, figuring that the most important thing for now was to give her some peace of mind.
“So try to calm down, okay?”
She tightly grasped my hands and looked at me imploringly with tears in her eyes. “What did Lady Saeko say after I left?”
I could feel her trembling. Telling the truth when she was in that state felt like a risky idea. How can I tell her that her mistress has no intention of taking her on as a Seraph again?
“Oh, erm, well...”
While I was panicking over what I could even say, Matsuri put me out of my misery.
“She didn’t say anything at all, did she? She doesn’t need me anymore.”
The floodgates finally opened. She collapsed into my lap, wailing.
“Lady Saeko is worried about you. She asked me specifically to go and check on you. I’m sure that you’re totally important to her. No doubt about it.” She didn’t respond, so I underlined it again. “It’s true! I promise!”
I stroked her head. That much is certain, so why can’t she just be honest about it? I don’t understand the need for all this awkwardness.
If it were me, I’d... Suddenly, I paused. What would I do if it were me? One thing’s for sure: someday, Himeko will tell me she wants to say goodbye. What’ll I do then? Will I be able to keep it together? I mean, it’s what we’ve been planning from the start, so there’s no reason to get upset...right? Why do I feel a painful stirring in my heart all of a sudden?
Matsuri looked up at me from my lap. “Misaki, are you all right?”
“Yes, everything’s fine. There’s nothing for you to worry about. We’ll convince Lady Saeko to take you back for sure. She definitely still needs you. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.”
“Don’t trouble yourself, please. I don’t want to cause you and the others all that extra work.”
Wiping away her tears, Matsuri sat up. Her face looked swollen; she was clearly suffering a great deal.
“You’re part of the Sky Salon, just like us. We wouldn’t abandon you. There’s still so much I want to learn from you, Matsuri. It would be more troubling if you suddenly weren’t there anymore.”
“Thank you. That’s nice to hear.”
She forced a smile. I doubt she’s even taking in half of what I’m saying.
“Just to make sure, you do want to keep serving Lady Saeko, right?”
“Of course. Being anyone else’s Seraph is unthinkable.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
That meant Matsuri needed Lady Saeko too. We had to figure this out somehow.
“Matsuri, how would you feel about staying over in my dorm room tonight? Kirara and my other roommates are all gone for the summer, so there’ll be no one else there. It’s a rare opportunity, and then we can chat a bit more. How about it?”
“I wouldn’t mind, but aren’t you staying with Lady Himeko at the moment?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll get her permission. The bigger worry would be leaving you on your own right now.”
She made a whimpering sound. “I’m supposed to be the experienced one with everything under control. What kind of example am I setting if you’re the one fussing over me?”
“It’s all good. I’m sure I’ll be running to you for help again before long.”
To be honest, it felt like I was doing nothing but depending on the other Sky Salon maids. I wasn’t going to pass up this chance to return the favor a little.
“In that case, I’ll take you up on your offer. If I did stay on my own, it’s not like I’d be doing anything important. I can’t go back to Lady Saeko’s room either.”
“It doesn’t have to just be today. You can stay all summer if you need to. Anyway, erm, let’s head there for now.”
I was sensing that negative aura from Matsuri again, so I hurriedly stood up and took her hand.
“Wait, you have a shift at Erisu’s this afternoon, right? Maybe you should take the day off. I can go and tell them if you want.”
Given her current state, I really didn’t think she should be working.
“No, I’ll go to work. I’ve made a commitment, so I need to stick to it. I’d be breaking a promise otherwise. Besides, they don’t know that Lady Saeko has canceled my Seraph contract yet. If I skip my shift, it’ll damage her reputation.”
“Oh. I see.”
Breaking a promise, huh? I can see how it would be important to avoid that.
I just never expected that keeping a promise could cause someone so much pain.
✦ ✦ ✦
✤
We went back to my room for a little while first. We talked over a cup of tea, and she seemed to relax a bit. She was able to smile, if weakly. The idea of her going to her shift no longer seemed too worrying.
At noon, I said goodbye to Matsuri. Then I decided I’d go and check in with Himeko, and afterward go and buy the things I’d need when Matsuri was staying over.
Since it was better for me not to go up to the Sky Salon right now, I did the same as Matsuri had and waited outside the building. Himeko came down almost instantly; I was amazed, thinking for a moment that we were deeply in sync in some kind of telepathic way.
She soon shattered that illusion. “I saw you coming through the window so I headed down to meet you. Saeko’s still upstairs, so it seemed best not to make you come up.”
“Fair enough,” I replied with a touch of disappointment. “Still, it was nice of you to do that. I was planning to wait here until you happened to be leaving.”
“Either way, let’s not linger here. It’s too hot out.”
She squinted up at the sky and blocked out the sunlight with her hand. There wasn’t a single cloud up there, and the sun’s rays were oppressive. Is it possible for the weather to be so good that it actually makes you feel worse?
Himeko took my hand and started walking. “We probably shouldn’t go to Erisu’s, I suppose. Why don’t we go to one of the other restaurants on campus?”
“Sounds good.”
Grasping her hand in return, I realized just how comforting I found it to have a mistress who held my hand.