“What crime is it to fail in one’s duties?”
Hearing the chilling voice from the other end of the phone, Rie bit her lip tightly, trying to staunch the welling tears, yet her voice inevitably trembled. She could only endure.
“There will be no next time, Igarashi Rie. Our family has guarded this seal for centuries; any misstep is a desecration of the Igarashi family crest!” The other party’s tone grew increasingly volatile.
Rie remained silent, stoically bearing the reprimand.
“Do you understand?!” A voice like a superior officer berating a subordinate echoed from the phone.
“Yes…” Rie gritted her teeth, uttering a soft word.
“Show some spirit!” The voice on the phone bellowed.
“Yes!” Rie forced the word out through gritted teeth, her voice rising slightly.
Then, only the dial tone remained.
Rie slammed the phone down, then slammed her fist onto the table. Her right hand bore fresh marks.
****
“Young Miss, the Master’s travels are also part of his work. The economic resources provided solely by this town are insufficient for us to suppress the seal; he also needs to expand our ventures outside…”
Rie involuntarily cut off the elderly butler.
“What a joke?! Our operations in this town have long since moved from losses to breaking even! Why would we need to acquire new ventures outside?! All he cares about is that number in his bank account!” Rie finally lifted her head, her eyes brimming with tears of injustice, as she declared venomously.
“Young Miss, maintaining the seal also requires many resources. The Master also needs to seek methods to thoroughly perfect the seal,” the butler continued calmly.
Rie slammed her hand on the table, her image as a refined young lady having completely shattered in that moment.
“Maintaining the seal requires many resources?! Is that what Father taught you to say? Besides you and me, who else even knows this seal exists? Who needs so many resources to maintain a seal? These are all just excuses!”
Rie’s near-breakdown scream silenced the butler.
The elderly butler knew himself that what he had just said were, at their core, indeed mere excuses.
The burden on Rie’s shoulders was, in truth, far too heavy.
“This is not a problem I can solve. I refuse to believe he doesn’t know! The seal is already this fragile; how can he possibly believe today will be like any other day?!”
With that declaration, Rie quickly walked back into her room, slamming the door shut.
Unlike the antique and elegant decor of the living room, Rie’s own room was unexpectedly girlish. The room was predominantly pink, with posters of a popular Tokyo girl group adorning the walls, and many trendy, cute plush dolls scattered across the bed.
She looked at her desk, where a slightly yellowed old photograph rested in a wooden frame. It was a picture from her first trip to Tokyo when she was less than ten years old. Little Rie and the Tokyo Skytree, seemingly touching the clouds, were captured in a single photograph from a peculiar angle.
She had never reached the summit of the Skytree, but even if she could touch it, she likely wouldn’t reach the sky.
Yet, if she went to Tokyo, perhaps she could escape the troubles of this small town.
What a pity this small town lacked a Shinkansen (TL Note: Japanese bullet train) line to Tokyo.
Rie lay on her desk, tears streaming from her eyes, dampening her collar. Outside, the night was deep, yet the lights still shone brightly.
She opened her phone. The vexations of the real world could, to some extent, offer a slight reprieve in the virtual one. She sought out any new news from Tokyo—be it gossip, new toys, or merchandise; she needed something to help her escape this small town. Even if her body couldn’t escape, her mind had to, if only for a brief while…
[Igarashi-senpai, this is today’s dinner!]
The chat bubble suddenly lit up. Beside the avatar, a small red dot blinked, signaling a message from Shion.
A photo was attached. Shion, Ayane, Sakuya, Shigure, and Nanami were seated around a dining table, eating pizza. Shion, still holding a slice, appeared caught off guard by the photo, a few drops of cream still clinging to her lips, making her look like an endearingly clumsy girl.
[It’s a bit of a shame Igarashi-senpai couldn’t come today, so I took a picture for you.]
[Thank you so much for tutoring me in English for this exam, Igarashi-senpai. If I had taken the exam a few weeks ago, I wouldn’t have even been able to write the essay.]
[Next time we have lunch together, I’ll make you my specialty sweets! If there’s anything you’d like to eat, you can tell me in advance! I’m a really good cook!]
The message concluded with a cute cat-lifting-its-head emoji.
Rie’s eyes remained red, yet a long-absent smile graced her lips.
“Shion, are you all still at the restaurant?” Rie sent a message.
“Still here, why?” Shion quickly replied.
Rie’s lips curved upward slightly, “Have you all eaten your fill?”
“Uh… not really. This restaurant isn’t cheap…” Shion’s reply carried a hint of embarrassment. Her stomach was still rumbling; sharing a single pizza among everyone earlier still hadn’t been enough…
Suddenly, a waiter, smiling warmly, presented several exquisite, high-class dishes.
Nanami’s mouth instantly watered, while Ayane, Shigure, and Sakuya watched the waiter’s movements with incredulity.
“You… you ordered?” The girls exchanged bewildered glances.