Mystery from Another World

Part 14: Todoroki

 After talking to Todoroki, Momo felt more mentally prepared to tackle the whole class issue, but she couldn't come up with a better solution than his suggestion to leave it alone. No one seemed like they were mad at her, but they were tense, Jiro especially (Momo did not realize that was because she might be the most worried).

She resolutely knocked on Jiro's door. 

Jiro opened it. "Oh...hi..." She frowned uncertainly. 

Momo talked fast when she was nervous. "I just wanted to say I know I've been acting strange lately, and I didn't want to give the impression I was neglecting my friends, or that I didn't want to spend time with them, but-"

"Slow down." Jiro held up one hand.

Momo drew a deep breath. "I understand I've spent a lot of time around new people and not my classmates lately, and I'm sorry if I was neglecting my friends and responsibilities." 

Pause.

Jiro tilted her head.

"Please," she said. "Fine, you're sorry. I'm sorry I was such a jerk. Both of us are pathetic. Can we call it even?"

Momo smiled in relief. "Of course...though I think you had a reason to be upset."

"I can't tell you who to hang out with." Jiro shrugged. "I thought about it, and I figured you had to have a good reason. You think things through."

"I do." Momo looked down, collecting her thoughts. "And I hope it's all right if I continue to study these new people. I don't want to waste any opportunity to learn from someone, and I'm still convinced there's a lot more to them than meets the eye." 

Jiro shrugged. "Just don't let them change you, okay?" 

"They aren't trying to..." Momo paused. Were they?

"You sure about that?" Jiro zeroed in on her doubt.

"I'm not certain giving advice is anything more than what our teachers do every day. Shouldn't we consider all points of view?" she replied carefully 

"Well, we signed up for our teachers' 'advice'," Jiro huffed. "Not some--person's we don't know. That's different. But fine, let's figure them out, but as a team this time. Deal?" 

"All right, deal," Momo agreed. That seemed like a good plan.

["The Light in Me"--Brandon Heath]

They heard something coming from Shine's room then.

"Singing?" Jiro said, outside Shine's door. 

Momo tugged her hair. "Yes, one of her hobbies, I guess."

"Okay, it's kind of weird you know that."

"I've taken time to learn." Momo shrugged.

She decided not to mention how often she saw Shine singing while polishing her sword. Jiro probably wouldn't like that picture.

Jiro listened another minute; music always interested her. "She's...Christian, right?"

"You've seen the Bible she has, and she's referred to it," Momo shrugged.

"Yeah, but like, super casually. I almost didn't notice." Jiro shrugged back. "I guess that's a clue. Christians are weird. We have some next door. They have crosses everywhere and corny quotes on the wall."