"I'm back." I closed the umbrella and handed it to the door maid. She smiled, bowed, and left with the umbrella.
"How was your walk, Rika-sama?" Azumi asked.
"It was alright, Azumi. I think I met our neighbors." I said. "The ones that live in the traditional Japanese home."
"Ah, the Haninozuka family," Azumi said knowingly.
"Yes." I replied, nodding.
"Rika!"
Oh dear. It was sis. I smiled. "Yes, nee-san? Is there something I can help you with?"
"Where's my makeup set?" she demanded angrily. She had long black hair, usually kept down, and she was tall. Much taller than me which is so unfair. She was dressed in a simple frilly pink skirt and a brown hoodie. My sister had no fashion sense. She tried to wear cute and pretty things but somehow they just turned out... wrong.
"I don't know where they are, nee-san. Did you ask a maid?" I replied in a very calm and dignified manner. At least, that's my point of view. I headed towards the marble staircase.
"W-Well, no. Not really. I thought you'd know," she said, following closely behind me. She's so not ladylike at all. I scoffed very quietly so Kimiko wouldn't hear.
"Ask Azumi." I said, entering my room and closing the door in her face.
"Rika, that is really rude!" She shouted childishly before stomping away. I chuckled. Kimiko is so ridiculous. I can hardly believe she's already twenty.
In my room, I went to my bookshelf. I used to have a ton of video games to play and a ton of manga to read. After middle school, yup. They got chucked out along with all my sweatpants, jeans, t-shirts, shorts, and everything my parents considered "unladylike." All my manga! All of it! Every single volume! I was so appalled. To this day, I still hold that grudge against them. It's one thing to throw out clothes, but manga? No. No way in hell does that just happen. And my video games!
My parents stocked up my bookshelf with "educational" and "proper books for a young lady like yourself." I've gone through numerous books about history, science, and arts. It's the reason why I don't ever have to study for those subjects. Math is a breeze for me too. And English? I got that down in middle school thanks to Akane.
So class has always been easy for me. At that stupid boarding school, I read every single book at their library. Unless it was so boring that I just couldn't continue.
This time, I picked out a book on knitting. I'd been trying to learn how to knit recently but to no avail. I settled down on my huge bed to read.
"Rika!" My door flew open to reveal Kimiko.
"What now?" I asked. She huffed at me angrily. She was probably hoping to find me doing something "bad" so she could tattle on me. Like what did she expect? For me to be secretly reading manga or playing video games? Or beating up some punching bag? My parents took away all my martial arts equipment and my treadmill after middle school. Seriously. I lost everything after that. Ah, they're such jerks.
