Despite her question being widespread, she turned only to Hana-chan. The flower's face went scarlet…as did mine.

“Eh…”

“Ahh….”

We both stared at one another…

 

 

I recalled that time when Hana-chan and I first went to school together. That night she and I shared a bath together...Other than being in the onsen together not long ago, that was the only time that Hana-chan and I bathed at home together. I don't regret it because we became closer because of it...but admitting that aloud was...

 

 

“Oh my god! Pseudo sisters bathing together?! It really happened?! Feeling each other's body as one? Hey, I read a manga like that-“

 

 

I rushed over and pushed Mae-chan. I recalled her giving me that image before over the phone when I first came back home from the hospital. But now was not the time for that!

“Y-You bathe with Koda-san, Madoka-chan?!”

Yuko-chan looked at me like I grew three heads and none of them had glasses on.

“Oh, so you bathed with your Onee-san, Hana-chan?! You never told me that! I thought I was your best friend!”

“Y-You don’t understand, Sora-chan! Onee-chan asked me to and we got closer that day!”

“Eh? It was me who asked you, Hana-chan?!”

I tried to play it off. It was 100% me who did that day. I remembered how strange it was asking her!

“Yes, it was! Don’t act like it wasn’t, Onee-chan!”

Suddenly, Hana-chan tackled me to the floor. We rolled about on the English girl’s carpet as we lightly wacked one another on the head.

“I-I only asked you because you were so standoffish, Hana-chan!”

I confessed, bonking her on the head lightly.

“I-I only agreed because I wanted to get to know you better, Onee-chan!”

 

 

She confessed also as she bonked me over the head too. Despite us in this useless battle, we were confessing our feelings for one another. Well, that was a bad way to put it, but we were being honest, telling each other that we wanted to get to know one another better.

“I-I had fun, Onee-chan!”

“Ahh…I had fun too, Hana-chan!”

My chest was ridiculously hot because of this. It didn’t help that Hana-chan was on top of me during the majority of this war either.

“Gosh, they really are sisters!”

Sora-san cried before falling on the floor in a fit of laughter.

“Alright you two, that’s enough!”

Mae-chan came over and pulled Hana-chan off of me. There she was, being held by my childhood friend, dangling her small body.

“Wow, you’re super light, Hana-chan!”

“Eeh, put me down, Mae-san!”

My little sister struggled. As I searched the faces of Sophia-san and Yuko-chan, they both had a slight smile on them too. We were…having fun together, weren’t we? Something that I haven’t been able to do in a long time.

Before, my feelings for Mari-san would assault me at every waking moment. Thankfully, I’ve been able to push those things aside for the time being and enjoy my time with the friends I care for.

After settling down, we continued our study session for a little while longer. When that was over, we all decided it was best to take another break. Sophia-san stood up, walked over to her bed, and face-planted into the sheets.

 

 

“Ahhhhhgggggggg! School sucks!”

“You’re actually doing really well, Conchi-san.”

“What, did you think I was an idiot, Madoka-san?!”

She scorned as she rolled her small body towards me.

“Ah…C-Conway-san…”

Sophia-san glanced at Yuko-chan who had her hand raised.

“What?”

She replied, bluntly.

“Ah…D-Do you mind…If I use your restroom?”

That’s when Sophia-san sat up and pointed to the doorway.

“Oh, not at all. It’s right down the steps, next to the kitchen.”

A boom of wind hit the window, causing the mouse to leap up. She looked around nervously. Yuko-chan didn’t seem to like the weather at all. Like it was her mortal enemy, she feared it whenever things got loud.

“I’ll come with you, Yuko-chan.”

I suggested as I took to my feet. There would be no way I’d leave this timid ghost alone when she’s like this.

“O-Oh, okay…Madoka-san.”

As we exited the room, we shut the door right as Sophia-san was calling out Hana-chan.

“H-Hey, Hana-san! What are you looking at over there?”

“Eh? It’s just a dumb manga, Conway-san!”

I hope she wasn’t planning to bully my little sister while I was gone. If anything happened to my little sister, I swore I’d throw Conchi-san out a window into the ravaging storm.

“Ah…thank you for coming with me, M-Madoka-chan.”

Yuko-chan confessed.

“I noticed you don’t like the loud noises of the storm. I figured it'd be best if I came too.”

Yuko-chan put her head down as we walked together.

“…I figured…Thank you, Madoka-chan.”

As we went down the steps, the dinner caught my nose. It seemed to be the case for Yuko-chan as well,  as she lifted her head up and sniffed like a cute puppy. We made our way to the kitchen, witnessing a strange sight. Holding a knife with two hands, she confidently cut away a bundle of vegetables. The sight was strange, but it seemed as though she was used to it by now. After a sigh, she turned over to us.

 

 

“Oh, I didn’t see you two there.”

Simpson-san set the knife down and sat in her seat. She looked a tad exhausted.

“S-Sorry…to bother you. I just wanted to use the bathroom.”

“Oh, it’s right down that hall over there, the last door.”

The ghost rushed in without another word. She vanished behind the door, leaving me and the detective alone together.

“Thank you for working so hard for us…ah…is there…anyway I can help?”

I didn’t know what to say when we were alone. She looked worn out, and I felt bad that we were all imposing on her like this. However, I knew I had to be mindful of my words around her. The last thing I needed was for her to start interrogating me again.

“No, it’s fine. I enjoy doing this, Nakagawa-san.”

She genuinely looked as though that was true. This person, Simpson Eleanor seemed to be the kind that wore what she thought on her face. Like there wasn’t any reason for her to wear a mask.

“Now, I have a question for you, Nakagawa-san.”

“Oh, what could it be?”

She giggled before tilting her head.

“Those cookies we had earlier…have you had them before?”

I leaned back, thinking about her question. What a strange thing to ask, especially when she told us it was a family recipe.

“Ah…I don’t think so.”

“Oh, I guess it just didn’t impress you.”

She sighed.

“My old friend loves them. I still give her a bundle of them every now and then.”

That’s when those icy blue eyes froze once again.

“It’s just everyone else was overjoyed by them…but you. Well, better luck next time?”

As strange as the question was, she dropped it immediately. Why did it feel as though I just dodged a bullet though? So, I sat at the table, waiting for Yuko-chan to finish up. But then…

It hit me where I tasted those cookies before.

The day I was crying over Mari-san…and Taylor-sensei offered me cookies and hot chocolate…I didn’t taste the hot chocolate…but I did have the cookies.

 

 

“Ahhh….”

“Hm, what’s with that look on your face, Nakagawa-san?”

That’s it…Simpson-san was trying to connect me with Taylor-sensei…in such a skillful way. I had to do my best to remove my surprise, so I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“D-Do you always cut vegetables with two hands, Simpson-san?”

“Sadly, it’s the only way I can put enough pressure onto the objects after I take my medication.”

She groaned. It seemed like she was doing her best despite her disabilities. I felt bad asking that question, so I immediately bowed my head.

“S-Sorry for being rude.”

“No, it just sounds like you're curious. I’m glad Sophia met someone as nice as you.”

With a rub of her neck, she confessed.

“…I think it’s nice that she found someone like you, you know?”

I was curious why she blurted this out.

“What do you mean?”

She turned back to me and nodded.

“Sophia’s been through a lot, Nakagawa-san. She might act out and seem high maintenance at times, but that’s only because she’s been through a lot.”

She searched my eyes.

“When I saw the way you two act together, it reminded me that Sophia is a teenage girl first…and an heir to the family business second.”

With that, she stood up and began adding spices to the meal. It looked as though we were having a soup of some kind. I wasn’t sure what it was at first as she mixed it. The smell was remarkable. I would say that she could even rival Mari-san with how good it smelled.

“Hey…I’ll be direct with you.”

Her tone darkened as she turned back to me.

“…How well do you know, Taylor Linda, your school nurse?”

 

 

My heart began racing. Now was the time I had to keep face. Not only to express myself clearly when telling the truth but…when knowing when to avoid the truth too.

“I met her a few days before the Cultural Festival. I didn’t find out they were sisters until then.”

“…I see. So, you don’t speak to her on the regular?”

“No, I don’t. I’ve only seen her a few times.”

“I see.”

With that, she dropped it, finally.

“Sorry for the questions. I just want to know more about my little Sophia’s life, you know?”

That was one way to put it. I’m sure eventually she’s going to question Mae-chan and the like in a similar manner. As Sophia-san said, she’s a gatekeeper to keeping them apart for a reason.

“I-I’m back.”

That’s when her delicate voice came in, whisking me away from the devil at hand.

“Oh, good then. Tell Sophia and your friends that dinner is about to start.”

I was lucky…that I didn’t say anything more about those cookies. It was then I realized how dangerous the woman named Simpson Eleanor truly was.

She waved at the two of us as she walked back over to the food. So, Yuko-chan and I walked up the steps. We made it back to Conchi-san’s room and once we opened the door, the shark, flower, and redhead were fixated on a game. Mae-chan was lying on the bed, flipped upside down reading a manga with her feet on the wall…her feet on the wall!

“Mae-chan! What the heck are you doing to Conchi-san’s room?!”

She jolted before flipping around.

“Mado-chan! You don’t understand! It’s not what you think!”

I tugged on her cheeks. Finally, victory was mine!

“Oh, Mihara-san! Would you like to play this game with us?!”

Sora-san nearly shouted at the mouse, causing her to run next to me.

“Ohhh… ah…I-I-I’m not good at video games.”

“Is the food almost ready?”

Sophia-san questioned as I heard them pause the game. With a nod I confirmed.

Yeah, Simpson-san wanted me to tell everyone.”

Mae-chan jumped up, pushing me away as she did.

“Nice! C’mon everyone! Let’s eat!”

Sora-san, likely getting overly excited too, rushed out, followed by Mae-chan. Those two were like two dogs playing together constantly. Destructive but super fun to watch. So, the girls paused their game as we all made our way down the steps. Simpson watched as we all took our seats.

I sat on the side of the table. Sophia-san sat next to me on the left, closest to the end. Yuko-chan jumped for the chance to steal the seat on the right of me. As expected, Yuko-chan wanted that seat no matter what. It was super adorable, and I had no problems about that either. 

Mae-chan sat across from me along with my little sister and Sora-san. Simpson made herself comfortable at the end of the table.

“Wow, this looks amazing!”

Sora-san rightfully cried as she looked at the meal in front of us. It was pasta fettuccine with garlic bread, salad, and tomatoes sliced on top. The chicken was the protein. Not only that, but we also had a flavorful soup on the side, and for our drinks, cold tea that was freshly brewed. No doubt, I felt a little spoiled today.

“Eat up, everyone.”

“Thanks for the meal!”

We all cried before we began chomping away. The taste was just as I expected, out of this world. I wondered how she learned how to cook this way. But then she did tell us her father was a professional cook at a 4-star restaurant somewhere in London. I could only imagine the cost of this food at a dinner table.

“Nakagawa-san…”

Simpson-san called me out.

“Yes?”

I noticed that Sophia-san likes to sit next to you, doesn’t she?

“Huh?”

Suddenly, she questioned. Everyone else was having their own side conversation so this became a conversation between the three of us.

 

 

“Oh, what are you getting at, Eleanor?”

The shark cried as she spun her fork to grab the pasta. 

“Well, in the car you sat right next to Sophia, Nakagawa-san. During your study session, there you were, next to Nakagawa-san. And now even at dinner here’s the same thing.”

She put a finger in the air.

“And not only that, but you also met Watanabe-san first in this group, Sophia-san. Nakagawa-san came later... I guess you two just clicked, didn’t you?”

“Firstly, it’s all a coincidence, secondly, how rude! All of them are my friends, Eleanor!”

She declared, biting away at her pasta.

“Oh, I’m not denying that Sophia! You all seem to be like great company. I just noticed that Sophia-san might have a bit of a favorite when it comes to you, Nakagawa-san.”

She’s dangerous…putting those pieces together she singled me out already…I wondered how I should approach my next choice of words.

“What are you getting at, Eleanor?”

Conchi-san jumped in first. Despite her rushing to defend me, I doubt that was the best course of action right now. So instead of saying anything, I let it all play out first.

“I’m just saying that my Sophia might have found another best friend.”

Why was she emphasizing that? But instead of thinking too much, I jumped on it.

“I consider Sophia a best friend.”

I blurted out…on purpose though. With a lift of my hand on my chest I confessed.

“Sophia helped me through a rough time that I would rather not speak about, Simpson-san. Don’t you think that’s a little insensitive of you to pry into this?”

She leaned back. I was a bit taken aback by my own words too, but they needed to be said. I had to put a wall of some kind up for this nosy woman who wanted to unlock all my secrets. It was only our first meeting…and she was wearing me down slowly.

“Oh…Sorry, I didn’t mean to be that way, Nakagawa-san.”

Backing down it seemed, she smiled brightly.

“No, that’s fine. Sophia-san is a really nice person. She’s helping my childhood friend with her difficulties too.”

I added, looking back at Mae-chan who was chatting away with Hana-chan and Sora-san. Yuko-chan, who was peacefully eating her meal, caught my eye as well.

“I became better friends with Yuko-chan mainly because of her too. Sophia-san…is a best friend in every sense of the word to me.”

“…How sweet.”

She concluded as she began eating away. As I watched her occasionally, she would struggle at times to pick up her food. Other times she’d be simply fine. Certainly, this made me wonder…

If her job is to keep Sophia-san and Taylor-sensei apart…what would happen if she failed? My mind raced back to that night I chatted with my partner. Taylor-sensei mentioned that she doesn’t blame her for cutting her contact with Sophia-san. She said…that Simpson-san needs this job.

If I somehow got them together and her parents found out…would I be jeopardizing her job?

As I ate my meal, the flood of emotions was making me question a bit more. I still intended on letting my partner talk with the person she loves though. But I think I had a new perspective on how them being together would affect others besides them.

 

Taylor-sensei said she was willing to hurt anyone to love Sophia-san…

This only showed me… how them loving one another could have an adverse effect on someone’s life. In this case, someone who is struggling to live already…Someone like Simpson Eleanor….