an alternate universe where sayaka isn't so lucky in her fall from the tower of doors.
content warnings: death, depression, language, suicide attempt, substance abuse
Listen to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkVkLhV9Hjw
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
𝒌𝒂𝒆𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒖𝒅𝒂
I was simply sitting in the councilroom, typing furiously on my laptop. I was engaged in various matters ranging from compiling gambling donations and watching for the 3 million yen I was being wire-transferred from a victorious gamble. Yumemite, a fellow councilmember and second-year, was listening to K-pop and bopping her head in her seat.
What a trivial task. I sighed, adjusting my glasses. All the others were idiots, what was I to do about that?
The only other person in the room was the President, sitting at the head of the table. Her fingers clasped and her chin was resting on the tops of her hands. Besides that, she was doing nothing else, just gazing off into space.
That was when I saw it occur. The completely out-of-character, odd thing that Kirari Momobami did.
The President calmly reached into her bag and pulled out a small flask. It was bronze, and the thing reeked of alcohol. Opening it quickly, she downed it in a few gulps, tilting her head back in the process.
I gaped openly, fingers freezing on the keyboard. The President inhaling such amounts of alcohol? In school? What the hell was that woman thinking?
"Miss President, I don't think-"
She looked up. That was when my pupils involuntarily constricted in shock. Her eyes were empty and hollow, dull without their usual life and charisma. 'Sayaka's death has done a toll on her...' I observed.
I cleared my throat. "Ahem," I attempted. "President, I don't think you should be drinking that much on school hours."
The braid-haired girl set down the flask calmly, the clinking sound resonated throughout the silent room. Yumemite plucked out an earbud and glanced at her.
"You're fired."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"I said you're fired, Kaede." She repeated, calm as a placid lake.
"W-what are you even talking about, I just-" Both Yumemite and I did double takes.
"You're fired." She slammed her hands onto the table, standing up. Her chair scraped against the floor, and her voice struggled to keep in an even tone. Now, Yumemite had both earbuds out and a bewildered expression upon her face.
"President, I made a comment about your drinking, why is-"
"Did you not hear me?" She pointed at her head, eyes wild. The calm, unbothered tone she usually possessed was now gone. Unadulterated anger laced the edges of her voice, tainting her words like poison. "Get out of my sight or I'll make you a damn housepet!" Her voice cracked on the last syllable.
I shut my laptop. I was not going to work for an alcohol-crazed, mentally unstable person. "Fine." I, as well, struggled to keep my voice even.
"Fuku-kaicho."
The platinum-haired young woman turned around. I sighed. I did not usually interact with Kirari Momobami's twin sister, as we had nothing in common and the girl was usually silent; but I knew I needed to tell her about her sibling.
"Yes?" Her voice reverberated through her mask. All the councilmembers found it eerie how she always wore the infernal thing, also how it distorted her voice so much.
I sighed. "I need to inform you about the President, something is going on with her."
"She told me she fired you. What is there to talk about?" She replied curtly.
"She's drinking." I could tell her facade softened beneath the mask. She shifted her weight to fully face me. I knew I had her attention. "She's going downhill, saying things she doesn't mean, and I think we both know why."
"I know you're saying this because you want to be back on the council, Manyuda." She interrupted. "If you think this is your way of attempting to win me ov-"
"That's not what I'm doing." I adjusted my glasses. "I wouldn't stoop to something that low, Vice President."
We both stayed silent for a few moments. She was contemplating the weight of my words. If what I was saying was true, then Ririka Momobami had neglected to pay attention to her sister's depressive spiral. The girl was more incompetent than I had thought.
"If what you're saying is true..." the woman sighed, "I.... will do something about it." She spun on her heel and walked away.
