WONDERLAND

ten. "missed opportunities."

It's been a long time since Mahiru felt like this. It's not a feeling of helplessness or anxiety. Ah, wait, no. Mahiru has a name.

Procrastination. Or, something like it. The feeling of knowing what you need to do but unsure of how to go at it. Which is the lesser of two evils, Mahiru?  

Crossing her legs, Mahiru leans against the windowsill of Amami's mansion and looks at the flickering lights outside. What do I do? She tips her head back until the back her skull touches the hardwood. 

Souma wouldn't do— Too passionate, too much, Amami, who liked it when things went her way would break him. Or at least toss him out the door. And that wouldn't do.

Tadoroko? Perhaps. But Mahiru didn't have confidence in the first years' skill nor her own passionate speeches about friendship

Her phone buzzes. Raising an eyebrow, she glances down only to see an unfamiliar number. Mahiru narrows her eyes. No one should have this number, her telephone company wasn't allowed, under any circumstance to provide that information. Neither was Shizumi—

Ah. Saiba. That idiot.

Or not, the more rational part of her brain supplies. Just a wrong number.

With that thought, she tips her head back again and closes her eyes, blessed with silence. However, three minutes later, her phone begins to ring again. The cycle continues for three times before Mahiru clicks her tongue irritably and sits up, before getting up to get her phone. 

It's only when she touches the cool glass of her phone that she takes a breath. Giving the lit screen a glare that lowered the room temperature at least ten degrees, she slides the green phone icon to accept the call.

"Hello?" she says in English, hoping to discourage the caller with the use of a foreign language. 

"Mahiru?" the voice that answers is amused. 

Ah, but he knows how to speak English. English, French, Italian, Japanese. The languages required of a prominent family son and the language of a culture that so heavily inspired French cuisine.

"Eishi," she sighs. "What do you want?" 

There's a muffled breath that comes through the speaker, as if he opened his mouth to say something before choosing not to say it. "How are you?" he asks lightly instead. "You disappeared entirely from campus after the festival."

Mahiru smiles, appalled, sharp breath escaping from her nose. "When have I ever been anything less than okay, Eishi?" she challenges. And in the back of her mind, she remembers Eishi— Eishi,  not Tsukasa, who'd been gentle and kind. Who'd lulled her to sleep with his hushed breath and the feel of soft, elegant hands carding through her hair as she curled up on his lap.  

"I don't want to fight," he says gently. "Is it really so wrong to want to... Just talk with you? You were a good friend, before..."

She scoffs. "Friend? When did you become so emotionally responsible, Eishi?"

Silence. Mahiru almost thinks he's hung up when he speaks again.

"Let me make up to you, Mai," he says. "Just... Something. Anything. Let me help you. Is that okay?" There's a tremor at the edge of his voice, a nervousness and a shyness that endeared him to her. "You don't have to respond right now. Just, uh, text this number, okay? Bye, Mahiru."

For a minute, Mahiru stands there, barefoot against the cold wood of the old house, frozen. Before bursting out into a laugh. Breaking out of his shell... Ha, wasn't that funny. Eishi—

And then a cold shock washes over her. And she laughs at her own stupidity. 

Stupid girl. He fooled you all over again. When will you learn? That's right. Just as Eishi existed, so did Tsukasa. Tsukasa, selfish, driven, cunning— What better pawn to have than the sponsor of the opposing force? 

And an idea crosses her mind. She gets up, leaves the warmth of her bed and the illusion that he still? That he still cares? Or did he care at all in the first place? 

Well, fine, two can play at that game. He is the First Seat after all.

She swipes through the contacts of her phone — the time reads 1:30 AM — Amato Kai. She taps it, he picks up on the first ring. "Ojou-sama, what is it that you need?"

Her Central informant — ruthless and cunning, hot-blooded youth with his apathy for everything and anything. It'd been pathetically easy to get Eizen to notice him, with their similarly cruel methods. 

"Make preparations," she tells him. "Find anything we can use against Eizen, or anything we can use to get Eizen. The First Seat will depart for Fukue, tell Polar Star Dormitories to take the chance and challenge Central." 

"Understood."

"One more thing—" she says, before she can stop herself.

"Yes?"

"I want you to leave Kobayashi to me."

"Of course." 

Oh Mahiru, stupid, so stupid. This makes empires fall in your world, girl. Don't forget that. 

Mahiru sends Tsukasa a text—

Fukue, Gunma Prefecture. Come tomorrow, I'll see you at the train station.

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