Saitou Saya's Perspective
"Hm? What am I missing?"
The crackle of the morning breakfast being made drove me to come in early today. There at the stove was my loving Onee-chan and her…terrible cooking.
"Oh, Saya-chan! You're awake already? I thought you'd sleep a bit longer knowing you are staying at school late for the Cultural Day tomorrow."
"It was a long night, but the event should go off without a hitch. And no, I didn't need the extra sleep!"
I pumped my fist but my stomach instantly as I turned to look at the toast-colored eggs in the pan. It was mornings like these that I wonder why Risa Onee-chan doesn't just hire a cook. She was in a wonderful apron provided by the Hamasaki Inn and Bath. It was bright with red patterns and looked incredible as my Onee-chan swung her butt from side to side. I sat at the table, awaiting my…less than ideal breakfast.
"Saya-chan! I even made lunch for you too, so don't forget to take it like last time."
"Yes, Onee-chan."
I avoided one day of her meal…I don't have the heart to tell her that she…needs work or to stay out of the kitchen. It's not like I'm any good at cooking either. Usually, when she's gone, I order take-out or warm-up convenient store bentos. It's probably why I have such a…round tummy.
"Here you go! Eat up and grow big and strong."
Risa teased as she let my plate down. What stared at me was nearly burnt eggs and rice. When I put my spoon in the dry rice, it cracked and screamed as if it was warning me that death was near my doorstep. I could see the spirit of the afterlife warning me as I put the concoction in my mouth.
"So, what do you think?!"
I chewed…and chewed…It felt like I was biting away at a gummy texture all the way through. When I noticed her eyes on me…the eyes of a pleading woman who wants to be the perfect housewife…I said the first thing that came to mind when I swallowed.
"You improved!"
Earning a beam brighter than any angel from heaven could give.
"Hehe, I'll keep at it then. Too bad I don't have time to make myself a plate. I'm running late for work today, and since the car's out of commission, I'll have to take the train."
"You be safe, alright, Onee-chan?"
With her briefcase in hand, she nodded sharply.
"Will do!"
Something in my gut was pulling at me, so I jumped up from the table.
"Here, let me give you a reading."
I cried as a way to get away from my meal. The smell was starting to bother me, and I didn't want my loving Onee-chan to have to witness me turning my nose to her meal.
"Oh! I almost forgot about my daily reading. How silly of me."
My Onee-chan pumped her fist.
"Me being a Capricorn, born on the 17th, the television told me to watch my surroundings closely and discover new things."
I grabbed her hand, doing my best to make sure she wouldn't fly away with excitement. When I touched her palm…the softness reminded me that Risa Onee-chan…was just like any woman who'd want to fall in love, get married, and have a wonderful life. How…I wished that for her.
"Hm…I'm getting something. It's strong…almost…like fate is going to swing its rope and take you along with it."
"Ohh…what else, what else?!"
"Shh, quiet, Onee-chan."
I hushed her. All she did was giggle. Risa always got this way when I tried to contact the spirits for her. It only fed to my will to make sure I grant her the happiest of days.
"Something is telling me…that soon…you'll meet the one who truly loves you. Today…make sure…you keep an open heart."
"An open heart?"
It was going to be a cold morning, and with my Onee-chan's car broken right now, she'd have to commute to work via train. Maybe giving her a bit of excitement will help warm her up. Tenderly, I held her palm to my cheek.
"Be careful out there. I'll see you when you get home, Risa."
"You too, Saya. Is your friend from the art club picking you up again?"
I nodded. Usually, my friend from the Fine Arts Club would come by and we'd leave together. I didn't want to break tradition and go with my sister today, though.
"Bye-bye!"
She cried as she walked out the door.
"Oh, and don't forget to take your lunch with you."
"Okay, Onee-chan!"
She shut the door. Here I sat in this large…now empty home. I checked the refrigerator and found the bento box she was talking about. It stared at me…ominously.
"I wonder what's for lunch?"
My stomach turned…but Onee-chan made it, and I didn't want to upset her. So, I put it in my bag. After washing my face, I took off to the door. When I turned around, nobody was there. This large home, too big for two sisters to live in alone, echoed as I made my way to the door.
"Goodbye."
I said to the spirits of the halls as I walked outside.
"Saya-senpai!"
With short bright hair in two pigtails and a pep in her step, Takade Saki-chan rushed from the other side of the street. Being a year younger than me, a 1st year of Jinda High School, she had the energy and spunk to back it up. When she made it over she took my hand.
"We're going to be late! Sorry, I woke up, and my alarm was still going for the last hour."
"It's alright. I'm always willing to let you get more sleep than usual."
Together we walked to the train. Saki-chan, or Takade Saki, was a girl I met earlier this year. She joined the club at the start of the year and has been a very loyal member ever since. She was even super excited about my idea for the cultural festival and helped design the setup.
"So, what's my job again at the festival?"
"Oh, you and Yuko-chan will be in the back making the sound effects for the show."
She slumped her shoulders.
"Is that all you want us to do? I mean…you're the one up in the front that's giving all the readings. It feels only right that we do more."
I thought about Yuko-chan being in the front of the stage. She'd freak out if the wrong person asked her a question. And I didn't want her to be the only one in the back making strange noises. That…felt a bit depressing. So, I asked Saki-chan to help her with it.
"I would rather stand next to Saya-senpai and help you out!"
She cried to the heavens. Saki-chan was like this. She'd get overzealous over the smallest things. It reflected in her art style too. She was too sporadic for her own good at times, and it took a helping hand to calm her down and guide her.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine. The spirits will stand beside me and help me guide all the people to their rightful path!"
I pumped my fist as we walked along the path. All Saki-chan did was slump her shoulders.
"You're…so oblivious to my advances that it hurts, Saya-senpai."
"Oh, what do you mean?"
All she did was blush as she turned to the side.
"Whatever."
She complained as we made our way to school. Like the puppy dog she is, she bounced beside me. Her cheeks puffed as her butt wagged and that always made my heart warm. Like my personal familiar I can play with until my heart's content.
"Will you be in the club room at lunch, Saya-senpai?"
"Yeah, I have nowhere else to go. Plus, I need to make sure the crystal ball is working correctly. It's been flickering lately."
The cheat crystal ball we got has a strange shortage in it. I would have brought a brand new one, but I needed this particular one. The seller mentioned that the previous owner put a spell on it. That's just what I needed to make sure all my readings went off without a hitch.
"Senpai, you have a self-satisfied look on your face. What are you thinking about?"
"Saki-chan!"
In the distance, one of her classmates called her out. They waved with an overly expressive swing on their arms.
"Oh my gosh, she's so embarrassing! I told her not to act that way when I'm around, SenpaI!"
Timidly, she turned back to me. But before I could reply, she was off. She met with that overly expressive girl. Before she left, she turned around and shouted.
"See you later, Senpai!"
Together, they made their way down the 1st year's hallway.
"Oh, morning Saya-san."
When one clubmate left, the other filtered right in. The ash-haired giant towered over me as I turned to her. Eyes seemingly tired, she must have been running late if she came in after me.
"You look tired, Yuko-chan. But you did great work last night. Thanks for staying here with me"
"O-Oh…I didn't do much, Saya-san."
I made a ball shape with my hands, trying to emphasize her artistic skills. Even though I was the Fine Arts Club leader, I'm not very good at art. That wasn't the reason why I took the head of the club in the first place. Sensei told me if I took the job as the club leader, I could use the club room for rituals every now and then. So, here I am as the club leader of the Fine Arts Club.
"That cute cat with the crystal ball in its hands is wonderful! I bet all the girls are going to go crazy over it. We're going to have a waiting line of customers."
I leapt in the air with excitement. Not only did she create that cute display, but the crystal ball she used was designed off of a long-lost tribe in ancient Rome. They were known to have many unspeakable powers, and this crystal ball was their keep's sake. So, I asked my talented Yuko-chan to make it for me.
"I bet we're going to make a bunch of money by the powers of the crystal ball in the cat's paw!"
I pounded my fist into my palm, causing Yuko-chan to jump. The poor thing had bags under her eyes.
"Eh, d-don't startle me like that. I'm…still tired from all the work last night...Saya-san"
"Oh…sorry, Yuko-chan. Well, we should get to class before we're late."
As we walked, I could see the poor thing with her head low. But she appeared to be in deep thought. So, I nudged her shoulder.
"Is everything alright?"
"Oh…yeah I'm fine. Ah…I was wondering…"
She sighed.
"H-How long is my shift? A-Am I able to leave…when it's over?"
I never thought about that. Saki-chan was willing to stay the entire day. Her excuse was "I have no plans other than helping Saya-senpai." That's super sweet of her but I doubt her friends would like it if she didn't enjoy the festival with them too.
"How about around noon should be a good time to end your shift? Do you like that idea, Yuko-chan?"
"Noon…okay…I'll have to find…her and tell her."
She mumbled to herself. All I could think was she was talking about her friend. Likely the girl she wanted to give that picture of those red carnations to. Thank goodness I stopped her from doing that else she'd probably ruin her relationship without even realizing it.
I groaned. Even though Yuko-chan pouted for weeks to no end…I wanted to help her from making a blunder. I couldn't imagine one of my good friends being heartbroken like that.
"Well, try not to sleep in class, and get a lot of rest tonight. Tomorrow is the Cultural Festival, and we need you to make all the sound effects with Saki-chan."
Yuko-chan slumped her shoulders so far down I was afraid she'd hit the floor.
"W-Why…do I have to make weird sounds?"
"It's not just you, Saki-chan is also."
"T-That doesn't…make it better Saya-san. Saki-san…would do anything for you. I-I mean…she…like you, you know?"
"Yeah, I know."
I shrugged my shoulders. In a seeming surprise, the giant turned to me in bewilderment. With my hand on my hip, I nodded.
"She's definitely a familiar of mine. Of course, she'd like me."
Saki-chan was the perfect familiar too. She's loyal to no end, peppy, and always ready to go. Once, she even lied in the middle of the floor as I put a ring of spices around her. I was trying my best to summon any demon that day in our club room. Sadly, it didn't work but she stayed there for 2 hours until our club's Sensei walked in and kicked us out.
"…Saya-san…do you realize…that Saki-san…"
Instead of finishing her sentence, she just sighed with exhaustion. The poor girl.
"Well, enough about Saki-chan, Yuko-chan. Thankfully our preparations are done. All that's left is for us to make this a wonderful day. So, good luck!"
To conclude our alliance, I held her pinky, and she held mine. Yuko-chan had little to no confidence, and that was apparent. But when she puts her mind to it, she's a super hard worker. Even though our club only has 3 people and around 5 ghost members who never show up…I think we have the best club in the school.
Yuko-chan and Saki-chan are dear to me…