"Hold up! Sorry I'm late, just a moment!"
The rather bored-looking student at the desk stopped her efforts at packing said desk up, turned to glance down the pier, and sighed as she saw the last-minute arrival sprinting towards her.
"You're lucky you know," the girl said in a monotone voice and sat back down on the small and rather uncomfortable chair. "Another minute and we would have sailed away without you."
"Yes, I know. Terribly sorry," the new arrival answered, and gave a short nodding bow in apology. "Please excuse my tardiness. I forgot to set my alarm clock and Dad had to shake me awake. You know, I never got the hang of these early mornings, and almost always end up having to rush to get to school on time, so it really was just pure dumb luck that I managed to-"
"Name and student ID, please," the girl interrupted, very obviously not having the slightest interest in the story and just wanting to get things packed up.
"Right! Of course!" the new girl nodded, handing over her student ID. Or at least, the one Yuzu had made for the occasion. "Here you go! Again, so sorry," she continued with a small smile.
"Name and class?" the girl behind the desk said shortly and with great boredom, barely glancing up at her.
"Oh... yeah..." the new arrival mumbled, and paused for a second. "Yu-..." She let her voice die down and shook her head before starting again. "Yutori Arakaki, Class 2-C
The girl at the desk glanced up at her for a short moment, and then back down to the picture on the student ID. The girl before her, with her bronze orange hair flowing halfway down her back, was certainly the same as the one in the photo, but something just seemed slightly off. Something she couldn't put her finger on.
"One moment," she sighed, and reached over to the stack of folders beside her, beginning to dig through them in search for the list of students in class 2-C "I just gotta check something..." she muttered.
"Although," the redhead added with a small smile, only just betraying a hint of confident superiority, "I think you might have an easier time finding me under the name 'Rooibos'."
"R-rebus?" the girl asked, uncertain.
"Rooibos," the redhead corrected, her smile still very much beaming. "Gunner, 3rd class."
"So... you're..." the girl said slowly as she tried putting everything together, glancing down at the Student ID in her hand once more, "with the tea garden?"
"Precisely," the redhead beamed, a small shake of her head added to the smile. "I hope there are no issues?"
"I... uhh... well..." the girl stuttered. "I don't think I've ever heard of a Miss Rooibos..." she said in a voice that only died down further with every syllable she uttered. "I... I think I need to make a call to check... I'm really sorry..."
"Oh, please, don't be," the redhead replied with an understanding wave of her hands that simultaneously conveyed the lack of patience she had left for the hold-up. "In fact," she continued, and fished out a cellphone from her pocket, "allow me to save you the trouble. I'll simply give Lady Darjeeling a call. She will vouch for me in no time. If anything, she'll probably wonder why I'm late for our meeting more than anything else." She began to dial in a number on the keypad and lifted the phone to her ear, before looking back at the girl by the desk with concern. "I'm terribly sorry, what did you say your name was?"
"I'm... I'm sorry?"
"Your name," the redhead repeated. "I'm sure Lady Darjeeling will ask why I'm late, and I wish to know your name so I can tell her of our conversation"
YOU ARE READING
Dein Weg ist Mein Weg
FanfictionA terrible accident. A school on the brink of closing. A team with an impossible goal. The tale of a disgraced daughter from a great family, and a reluctant return to the sport she abandoned. It's a story you've been told before, but never like this...
