The Youngest Briar

◦ 8 ◦

┌── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──┐

- Operation Strix -

"I don't mind taking the fall. After all, every shining pillar needs a shadow to support it"

└── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──┘

..

Chapter 3 ; Scene 2 - Friendship Scheme

----

Yiro read the newspaper as Anya finished up getting her height measured. The two adults were talking to the tailor to help get the children's uniforms in order, so even when Yiro could somewhat keep himself entertained with the paper, he still stole glances at the window every few moments. His interest peaked when he over heard the familiar tailor talking about the social gap between alumni-Eden parents and scholarship-based Eden student parents.

When he noticed how frightened his sister looked, he quickly jumped off his chair and rushed to hold her hand. She looked at him, her hands shaking as she gulped down her fear and continued listening in. The lady smiled apologetically "I didn't mean to scare you dear" she said, giving Anya a pat on the head before continuing her talk with the parents.

As they were walking through the streets, Anya was seen holding her fathers' leg, her minds boggled with paranoia and fear as she replayed what the lady had told her. Yiro on the other hand, was more concerned about his attending to Eden, would he finally make friends like he talked about with Mike? Most of his mundane questions helped in calming the little esper's mind. As Anya was still a bit worried, Loid suggested eating out, maybe wanting to use food as a way to ease the younger child.

Yiro purposely ignored the weird writing on the pork for his father's meal, he was too busy basking in eating luxuriously, his mind quickly wandering off to how he would look in a uniform. He saw the uniform on display and frankly, he liked it, the design was sleek and showed prestige, although, he wouldn't tell Anya that. Who knows how her fear might peak if told the uniform could be the key suspect in being kidnapped.

Unbeknownst to him, the telepath had dropped the fork she was holding, her eyes tearing up as she stopped herself from crying. She appreciated how he didn't want to tell her but at the same time, she still knew what he was thinking so the effect remained. All while this was happening, Loid was busy dreading the debriefing he'd have to go through and Yor was blissfully eating her meal.

.

The ringing of the phone had alerted the family, Loid was quick to pick it up as Anya rushed with her big brother in hand as she listened in to her father's thoughts. Her hands sprawled up as she smiled "uniforms done?" she asked, Loid nodded as he asked Yor to pick them up, excusing himself as he had work. Yiro rubbed his eyes, he was watching Anya's spy show with her but his brain went haywire, he wasn't all that amused by all the nonsensical action. It felt a bit random at times, but considering his sister loved it, he kept his mouth shut and slowly appreciated it.

"Alrighty! Shall we start heading out?"

Yor said, clapping her hands gleefully as the two nodded, both excited to go out, for two different reasons. Anya was ecstatic to try on her uniform while Yiro was more excited to get fresh air, he hadn't been really been stuck inside the apartment for too long, he was just feeling dramatic. So off they went, with each hand holding a child, Yor was left to have her bag slung across her torso so it wouldn't slip from her shoulders. Instead of her handbag, she brought a bag with a longer strap.

.

Yiro continued clapping along as Anya repeatedly asked if she was cute, Yor happily and genuinely agreeing and hyping her up. After ten times, the tailor had practically told them to head out, Anya still wearing her uniform as her brother opted to change out of it. With a quick suggestion from Yor, the three had ended up in the park where Yiro was happily playing with the dogs nearby as Anya showed her cuteness off.