The Golden Pear [YA - Featured]

♫~Notes 78~♫

She made triangles with her fingers, positioning them above her head, and then she curled her fists, licking her wrist an inch above her skin. Dirt didn't taste edible after all.

"A cat?"

She jumped with a big smile, indicating he got it right. Then she stood, making a big O above her body.

"Is that a tree?"

Rigaku scored another point in his wordless communication.

She then mimicked the cat looking down and hissing.

"Was it stuck on the tree?"

She gave him double thumbs up.

"Now, I see, you climbed the tree to free the cat."

She nodded, small pangs of guilt nibbling inside her brain. She hated liars, but she was only fibbing. Her promise to Ueno was real.

'She needs her time to figure out what she wants to do.'

"Alright, I'll call the rest you are alright."

'What?' Her big eyes dug into his.

A big blush raced across his face, spreading like a desert. "It's... Well... When you didn't arrive. We got worried, so we searched for you."

Her head hung a bit lower.

"It's not your fault! Isn't it normal to help your friends?"

Her head snapped upward the moment the call connected. Both Kagetsu's and Aiyoku's voice appeared as he made a group call. In a few minutes, they gathered, using the most from the ten minutes they had left from lunch break.

The brothers didn't eat, getting restless once she didn't return, and Kagetsu blamed himself for taking her bag to carry, where she left her phone. If he didn't do that, they could contact her easier. Sometimes, being a gentleman had bad timing.

Munching on sandwiches, a thought rushed through Freya's mind. 'Right the pear... I need to pass it. I'm sure they are waiting.' At the same wave of sadness washed over her with a fury of a tsunami. 'Would they leave?'

"Freya-chan? Are you really alright?" Aiyoku asked her.

The eyes of the brothers watched her with honest concerns. Only then, she noticed a stray tear, sliding down her cheek. She waved her hand, ensuring them she was okay, but their hearts knew the truth.

Before the clock ticked the last minute of the lunch break, she wrote down her message.

"I would like to pass the Golden Pear after the final tests. Is that okay?"

Kagetsu blinked, his brain crunching the words one by one. "Aha." He sighed, that stupid pear slipping off his mind completely.

"Of course." Rigaku adjusted his glasses.

"No problem here."

\\_(''>_<'')_//

After the next lesson, where their home-room teacher talked about the Summer Fest, they had time to decide what stand or booth they wanted to do. This was a tradition since reopening this school to show the student's hard work, imagination and to let them relax a bit before the final tests.

In all honesty, the Summer Fest was a hectic event for all students. Preparing the place, thinking about menus in the cafe, preparing simple meals, or just making decorations took a toll on their body and mind. However, in the end, they filled with the feeling of accomplishment and perhaps formed a new friendship.

A few students approached the Greek Gods with a request to join their group as each class could have three projects. Girls begged to have Aiyoku in their team as that would boost their Cat Coffee Cafe. Boys asked Kagetsu for taking part in their showcase of martial arts and sports with Rigaku giving commendatory about used moves.

Freya didn't notice when they refused, but they stared at her until she noticed them.

She looked at them lost.

"I'm that interested in this Summer Fest," Rigaku started. "But if you would have an idea, I would like to help you."

"Me too."

"Me four!" Kagetsu gave her victory sign, skipping a number but adding the pun.

The girl gasped at first, lost what to say, or in her case, to write. She opened her English notebook and wrote, "I don't know, I didn't participate the last time!"

"I see."

"Well, we visited a few of them." Aiyoku caught his chin. "There were cafes, funny photo booths, food stalls with fried food, selling hand-made masks and small souvenirs, and some classes had lectures."

Kagetsu licked his lips, remembering the food he tried.

"I was thinking we may try something a bit more original than a cafe or food stall."

They looked at Rigaku.

"Right." The youngest brother crossed his arms. "How about Cosplay photos?"

"You have a Cosplay?"

"No."

"Neither we can provide costumes. We don't know who would visit."

Kagetsu sighed. It looked good in his head.

"But I agree photo-booth is a good idea."

"Right!" Aiyoku snapped his fingers. "We can borrow backgrounds from Drama Club."

"Won't they be used for their own stall? Sakura-san mentioned reenacting famous scenes."

"I see."

"Well, they may not need all of them. Let's ask them."

"Good idea, Ri, but what type of photos we want to make?" Kagetsu rested his head on his crossed hands he laid on the back of his chair.

"We can always find small games people can try. How about a lotto? Or pin the tail? Kagetsu pinned it to one student last time."

"I was blindfolded!" The youngest brother defended himself, embarrassed as that poor guy couldn't sit properly for three days.

Freya giggled and listened to them. They had sparkling ideas while an image formed in her mind, she scribbled into her notebook. Nothing strictly educational. As Rigaku said, people are going there to have fun, not to listen to lectures.

Kagetsu pointed there would be enough food stalls. Last time, he didn't try everything, and he was feeling sick the next day. The same went for the cafe. If Aiyoku was part of it, the customers would come to droll over him and not because of the great drinks and snacks.

"That's a perfect idea."

"Totally!"

"Let's get on with it."

They stopped talking, and Freya continued to draw without realizing it. It took her a few minutes to lift her head. Turning her head left and right, she blinked. Aiyoku pointed at her picture, she covered with a big blush.