Back in their apartment, a few minutes before the midnight came, Freya couldn't sleep. The stress should be gone with Kagetsu awaken and fine. The doctor said Kagetsu could go home after the weekend if his tests show positive results.
Turning on her other side for a few seconds, she got up with a sigh. Looking around, she heard her friends' breathing.
'At least somebody can sleep peacefully.'
Crawling out of her sleeping bag, she headed into the kitchen.
'Perhaps a glass of water can help me.'
Using her fingers to slowly navigate and finding a switch above the working desk, she turned it on. The light blinded her despite shielding her eyes.
Washing all sleepiness from her eyes, she filled one glass, and then she checked in the hall if the light didn't stretch into the living room. Finding that not, she returned, sitting behind the table.
'Why do I feel so down too?' The water in her mouth refreshed her, but it couldn't help with her mood. 'Am I worried about my history test?'
Her eyes trailed to a wall calendar where Rigaku marked all important dates. Getting closer, her fingers trailed one date after another. The next Monday was the day to start preparing for the Festival.
All students were excused from school, and usually, most of the teachers were preparing for the tests. None of the years had the same ones, so cheating was hard, but every year some students tried.
'The first day has mathematics and history tests.' She bit her lip. She believed herself in the first one, but even with Rigaku's help, she feared history. Thankfully, she didn't need to study it in the third grade where students could focus on their strongest subjects.
'Which one I would choose?'
Definitely not mathematics despite she was good.
'I should go for English. That's my strongest subject. I like reading older books too.' Her eyes narrowed as she pondered about a sudden idea. 'Maybe I could become a translator and use my bilingual heritage to allow Japanese literature—'
She didn't finish the sentence as a muffled sneeze caught her off guard. She spun around, catching only a glimpse of movement by the door frame. Cold sweat covered her at first before she realized no stranger could enter.
She waited, and then Rigaku's head emerged from behind the wall with an apologetic expression. The sad imaginative puppy ears grew a smile on her face, and she pointed toward the glass of water on the table.
"H-Hai, Arigatou," the boy stuttered, pushing up his glasses. He definitely didn't count on being caught red-handed. He entered and sat by the table as Freya put in front of him the glass.
"Are the tests making you nervous?" he asked after a brief silence.
Freya nodded but also shrugged her shoulders. It was probably one of the reasons.
"You don't need to worry, you are doing great. I can adjust my history notes if those—"
She shook her head. 'Those are fine, but...' her eyes noticed a normal pear in the fruit basket next to an apple. 'I wonder...'
Her heartbeat jumped up, signaling she hit the gold mine. She stood up, taking the pear, and resumed her place.
She pointed her herself.
"I... as in you."
Then she put the pear away, pointed at Rigaku, taking the pear back before she made an air question mark.
"Pear towards you and question?" Rigaku needed a bit of time to piece the puzzle pieces as his brain needed time to warm up. "Are you asking why we gave you the pear?"
She nodded.
He tilted his head away, clenching his fingers. She didn't need his words to guess. He didn't know how to phrase his answer nor the answer itself. She understood it in her heart, but perhaps she needed to hear it aloud.
"That's... You see... At that time..." he started to mutter, each word quieter and quieter than the previous one. "Sumimasen," he whispered. "I—"
He pushed his glasses up, and his finger got under the bridge, and as Rigaku pulled it back, he catapulted his glasses. His eyes shot open as the world turned into a strange mix of growing blurs.
Doing his best to catch it, he propelled it into the air instead until it landed just outside of his reach. Letting out a hissing breath, he laid his head on the table.
"Crab..." he muttered, but he soon lifted his eyes as Freya spurted with laughter, muffling her voice under clasped fingers.
Her laughter infected him in the next second, making each other laugh for longer. Now, Rigaku really needed a glass of water since his stomach hurt.
"Arigatou."
She waved it away as if she wasn't glad she helped. Why he had to thank or apologize for every little thing? Perhaps it was his personality? Or he noted how a simple thank you brought smiles?
Freya always went on lunch with them, and she couldn't miss how the women by the counter smiled at him, wishing him a good day. A few thank you from him opened their hearts. The same went for his brothers, and she could swear Kagetsu got the best for his meal as he always crowed like a small kid, licking his entire face.
'I guess it doesn't matter why they picked me. That's in the past.'
"Freya-chan."
Her head perked up, her eyes locking onto the blush that took over Rigaku's face.
"I... when we were looking for the pear holder, we have met many women and girls. My brothers were curious about whom to pick too. We talked about it as our Father didn't give us explicit instructions."
He pushed back the glasses he put back on, but this time he was careful.
"It didn't seem the holder had to be someone special, but I felt nothing from any of the possible candidates. They were kind of plain. My brothers followed me, trusting my judgment, but they got nervous."
She nodded, surprised how much thought went into picking the girl.
"While it looked we are free to pick anybody, I didn't want to turn to the first girl we saw. I hoped to meet somebody who would spark something inside me. We walked around the city until I noticed you by the river bank.
"You sat there all alone, and your hair shone in the setting sun. At that moment, I knew I wanted for you to be the holder, even if for a short time."
Freya gave him an awkward smile as that short time turned into months by now. He returned it with the same amusement.
"Once we saw your face, I was sure you would pick"—his voice staggered as if he tried to bite a word from his sentence—"one of us for obvious reasons."
Her hand raced to her face, feeling the burned skin, and Rigaku looked away, ashamed.
"So, we presented our gifts as our Father asked us. Yes, I know the presentation was rather... embarrassing, but it seemed it would make our gifts more appealing."
The girl giggled a bit, remembering the rose as if Aiyoku was from an Otome dating game. And all that Kagetsu needed was ripping his clothes as he posed to make him a perfect replica of the shonen character.
"To be honest, I didn't expect you to throw the pear into the river. It... astonished me... and while I didn't admit it... it impressed me. Despite losing the pear, I suspected it's not needed as it was supposed to be only a symbol."
Freya stiffed her yawn. Now the sleep stopped by? Just when his story was getting interesting.
"Father ensured us to not mind the pear and get your decision. So, we... did a small background check... just getting your name and school place, so we could transfer. I'm glad we are in the same grade.
"And then the pear returned to you repeatedly. Even after you have thrown it at me. It left me puzzled, and I tried to get some information from Father. But it seems he may not have them."
She tilted her head.
"I know, it's confusing. And the nagging feeling keeps returning like a boomerang I can't break." He bit onto his lip. "You have said you will give the pear after tests, right?"
She nodded.
"I know my silly theory about penalty scared you, and... I have nothing new except for more questions." He entwined his fingers, clenching them. "And I know I shouldn't be saying this, but I've made my mind. Could you onegai shimasu give the pear to..."
Freya's eyes shot open. For one brother to ask her to give the pear to somebody else was unimaginable. In the original story, the goddesses fought over it to the bitter end.
The girl answered him with a thumb up, and this time the yawn escaped her.
"Sumimasen, you must be sleepy. Let's go to sleep."
Rigaku helped her back, switching off the light. Crawling back into their cool bags, they shivered before the dreamland opened its gate for them.