Finding My Way

Chapter 17

A few days after the ball, I find myself in town with Yori. We wanted to get off campus for a bit and decided to do a little clothes shopping for the summer. Well, that and run an errand for my father. Perks of being the headmaster's daughter.

At the last shop, I'd picked out a new bathing suit, thinking I might want to swim in the pool some this summer. It was a little more risqué than I was used to, but Yori peer-pressured me into it. "After all," she pointed out. "What's the point of having a toned body if you don't show it off?" With my training for being on the Disciplinary Committee, I was in the best shape of my life.

Now, Yori is trying on a summer dress. The pale blue color suited her extremely well. I decide to tease her, "Going to show off to Hanabusa with that?"

She's gotten so easy to tease! She blushes furiously red and replies, "I'll have you know, I was planning on wearing this on vacation with my family." Yori looks at her reflection and combs through her hair. "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to wear this one day that he might see."

"Yori!" I'm amazed at my friend's growing boldness. "Have you heard anything from him?"

She looks back at me and frowns a little. "No..." she says. "Should I have?"

Oh no. I wasn't trying to make her sad. "Probably not! No! I don't think so!" I scramble for words and probably making it worse. I sort through my thoughts a little more before replying.

"Hanabusa seems to really care for you," I say. "He asked me about you nonstop for a semester, after all. That's not going to just go away."

Yori walks back into the dressing room and starts changing. I'm waiting nearby, so I hear her say, "Yeah, you're probably right, Yuki. It's only been a few days."

Then a wicked glint lights in her eyes. "Just wait until Kaname sees you in that bikini!"

We tease each other a little bit more as Yori buys her dress and we head back out. It's about time for us to head back to the academy.

We start to walk along the road that will lead us there. Out of nowhere, I feel something pulling at my sleeve. I turn around and see a little boy gripping my sleeve. He's wiping away tears with his other hand.

"Mama?" he says through his tears. "Where is Mama?"

I turn around and face him. "Are you lost?" I ask. "Did you get separated from her?"

He nods through sobs. "Uh huh. Please take me to my mom."

"Yori, I'm going to take him." I say, looking at Yori. "Can you go on ahead?"

"Are you sure you'll be okay alone?" she asks.

"Sure!" I say to her cheerfully. "Okay, let's go," I say to the little boy.

***

Rima sat impatiently while Senri finished getting ready. He seemed to be having trouble with his tie. Or he was just procrastinating. She couldn't quite tell this time. Senri had been a little off lately. Ever since that ball.

"Senri, are you ready yet?" she asked, munching on a Pocky stick.

"This is all so annoying," he said, straightening his tie. "I hate these stuffy gatherings filled with boring grown-ups."

"Well, it can't be avoided," Rima said. She handed a Pocky up to him. "Just put up with it for a little while." He leaned over and took the biscuit in his mouth.

Truth of the matter was, he knew that his granduncle would be there to pester his about his "family duties." He didn't much care for the Shiki name, as he wasn't a true Shiki. Sure, his mother was, but he never knew his father and nor had his parents been married. But his granduncle didn't have an heir of his own, so he expected Senri to fulfill that role.