Nevertheless, she didn’t feel like Rion was making fun of them. He felt the same way she did – that it would be great if all of them could just get along.

So why had things turned out this way?

‘Ureshino,’ Rion said emphatically.

Ureshino, silent till now, refused to look at Rion.

‘What’s wrong with going back to school?’ a curt voice suddenly said. It was Aki. ‘You should go to school. Why not? No one here is that interested. Do whatever you like.’

Ureshino didn’t reply to Rion. Without a word, he slipped past Rion and left the Game Room. Nobody stopped him.

The room was suddenly quiet, until Fuka finally broke the silence. ‘Hey,’ she said to Rion, looking at his watch. ‘You’re already living abroad alone, at your age? Does that mean you were scouted by your school, or by a coach or something?’

‘Nah. The coach for my team in Japan wrote a recommendation letter, but that’s about it. My parents picked the school.’

‘What’s the time difference with Hawaii?’

‘Nineteen hours.’ A tired smile finally appeared on Rion’s face. The clock on the wall showed four.

‘So it’s nine now. Dinner’s over and soon it’ll be lights out.’

‘Is that yesterday? Or today?’

‘Yesterday. Hawaii’s nearly one whole day behind.’ With that, the room fell silent again. ‘I’m going back too,’ he said. ‘Sorry I didn’t tell you.’

He hadn’t done anything, yet he still apologized.

FOR A WHILE, THEY ALL behaved as though the incident with Ureshino hadn’t happened.

Yet Ureshino’s anger had most definitely introduced a fissure in the normally tranquil castle.

A taboo had been broken. And this had brought a certain tension into the peaceful atmosphere.

A week passed, and Kokoro had grown used to Subaru’s dyed hair and ear piercing, when another shock rocked the castle.

This time it was Aki who appeared with her hair dyed.

II: Second Semester: Things Fall into Place

II

SECOND SEMESTER: THINGS FALL INTO PLACE

September

SUMMER BREAK WAS OVER, and schools were reopening across the country.

Not that the incident with Ureshino was behind it, but since then, Aki had again stopped coming to the castle. And the day she did turn up, her hair was dark red.

Subaru had gone for more of a dark blond look, but Aki had chosen red.

‘I did it!’ Aki laughed when she noticed Kokoro staring. ‘Do you want to try it too, Kokoro? I found a really great hair dye. Shall I show you?’

‘No. I’m good,’ Kokoro said.