Big Book of Writing

Golden Slippers (Setsusora, SDRA2)

Sora was always used to things suddenly happening. It was hard not to ignore that fact when she had a girlfriend as eccentric as Setsuka.

Some days, Setsuka would arrive with coupons to a restaurant, or she would bring Sora with her to an attraction she heard about. Other days, Setsuka would just pick Sora up and carry her somewhere to cuddle. Either way, Sora was alright with this. Her days with Setsuka were lots of fun.

So when Setsuka opened the door with the most delighted smile on her face, Sora got ready to be taken somewhere. "Did you get the mail?" she asked, knowing fully well that it was probably the cause of this now.

"Yep, and guess what I found!" Setsuka put the mail on a nearby table, but she picked up one flyer and brought it to show the white-haired girl. "This looks like a public ball, and it's for charity too! We should attend!"

"A ball? You mean, the kind that appears in fairy tales?" Sora repeated, taking the flyer from Setsuka.

"Yeah! How cool is that?!" the billiards player exclaimed. "Do you still have your gown from graduation, Ra-ra?"

"Of course I do, it still fits me. I suppose it wouldn't be bad to go, especially if the ball's for charity. Let me find my wallet for the entry fee," Sora agreed, and she stood up to look for her purse. Setsuka looked like she was practically vibrating in place at the idea of a ball.

***

A few hours later, it was evening when Setsuka's car finally came to a stop. "We're here!" she announced, and stepped out of the car. Setsuka was wearing a red and black dress that she had bought for prom at Hope's Peak, and she had taped a large red bow to the clip securing her odd hairstyle.

"How did I manage to walk in these heels when we were graduating?" Sora complained as she left the car. Her dress was blue, and the design was reminiscent of an ocean wave. She closed the door as Setsuka locked the car, and the women began to walk together to the building nearby.

The ball was being held in an empty building that used to be a mail factory, but was now prettied up for this event. When they arrived at the door, a man in a suit was there to greet the guests with a smile and collect their entry fees. Sora quietly gave the man their fees, wrote down their names, and hurried Setsuka in to stop her from making too much conversation.

The inside of the building looked much bigger than what the outside seemed like. Red ribbons decorated the walls and railings, and golden carpets were placed on the stairs leading to the main area. The railings, stairs, and floor were a rich brown wood, polished enough to sparkle.

Sora and Setsuka walked up the stairs and entered the main area, where a lot of other couples were scattered throughout the room. "Wow...it's really fancy here," Sora marvelled, walking further into the room with Setsuka by her side.

"Ra-ra, check it out! They've got a buffet and free drinks!" Setsuka pointed out, grabbing Sora's attention. While the food on the table looked delicious, Sora was skeptical about the drinks.

"No drinking until after we dance together, okay?" Sora insisted, and she slipped her hand into Setsuka's as she looked over to the dance floor.

"Ooh, is Ra-ra eager to get started? The music isn't even playing, you know?" the other girl teased. "Let's have a meal first and wait for the music to start, then Big Sis will dance with you."

Sora was amused at how Setsuka suddenly sounded more responsible than she was, as if she wasn't the one to start a silly statement. Despite this, Sora had a feeling that she'd need to keep an eye on Setsuka later if she did end up drinking.

Before she could go to the buffet, the music suddenly began to start. Sora was surprised by the sudden music and whirled around, spotting the guests starting to move to the dance floor. Had they arrived so late that the ball was starting now?! Before she could ask Setsuka that question, the billiards player pulled her hand and brought her onto the dance floor.

"I think these people are waltzing, right? Let's do that too!" Setsuka decided. "Um, does my hand go on your shoulder, or...?"

"Only if you're leading the dance. We hold our hands up together on one side, and the one not leading the dance has their hand on the other's hip," Sora explained, watching as Setsuka chuckled with a sheepish smile. "Since I remember how to waltz, I suppose it's fair that I lead?"

"Can't argue with that," the other girl joked as she put her hand on Sora's hip. Sora smiled as she placed her hand on Setsuka's shoulder, and the two interlocked their fingers with their free hands.

Following the rhythm of the song, the two girls moved across the floor together as they waltzed together. The ballroom turned into a sea of red and beige as they focused on each other more than their surroundings. Out of everyone here, the only one Sora could look at was Setsuka.

Setsuka was a carefree 'big sister' who hid her insecurity with an upbeat personality, but she had shared her secrets and troubles with Sora long ago. Sora was happy to let Setsuka lean on her, while the billiards player kept the mood lifted and supported everyone. Even now, despite how silly Setsuka could act, Sora always saw her as a dependable person.

As the song began to come to an end, the two women stopped their dance. "That was fun," Sora remarked, looking around at the other couples. She brought her gaze back to Setsuka and began to smile. "Thank you for bringing me here tonight."

"Aw, you're such a charmer, you know that?" Setsuka replied, and she brushed Sora's hair to the side to kiss her forehead. "How about we hit the buffet until the next song comes?" she suggested as she pulled back.

"Sounds like a good plan," Sora agreed, and they both went to the buffet together. Sora grabbed herself a plate to put some basashi on it, while Setsuka found herself a glass to pour some alcohol into. 

The white-haired girl only chuckled as Setsuka began drinking a bit, and she loaded her plate with food before sitting down by a window. She kept an eye on her girlfriend between bites, who looked like she was having the time of her life. Even with her new 'job', Sora thought that the taste was delicious.

After a few minutes, Sora finished her plate and considered going back for seconds. But as she stood up, she could hear the sound of sirens slowly growing louder. She turned around and looked out the window, and she was shocked by the sight of police cars starting to arrive at the building.

"Oh god, this isn't good," she muttered, and left her plate to find her girlfriend. Setsuka was trying to get a refill of her drink, but was stopped when Sora grabbed her arm. "Come on, we gotta go," she told her, and began pulling her out of the ballroom. They went down the set of stairs, and noticed that the man collecting fees at the door had disappeared.

"Let's see if there's a back door," Setsuka suggested, and they went to the back of the building to look. Luckily, there was an emergency exit, so the two of them quickly left without running into trouble. 

They went back around the building to get to the parking lot, but by then, the police were already at the front door. Not wanting to get involved with whatever the hell was going on there, Sora drove herself and her tipsy girlfriend back home.

***

The next day, Sora sat in her pyjamas on her bed, reading a book all the while. Setsuka came in with a cup of coffee for her as she was checking her phone. "Hey, wanna know why the police showed up last night?"

"Hm? Why'd they appear?" Sora asked, looking up from her book.

"The whole thing was a scam because the host was evading taxes, so he was committing charity fraud so he could get out of that. The police came because it was a raid, and the guy taking money at the door got arrested," Setsuka explained.

Sora blinked in surprise, having not expected that response. "Well, if the police have our names from the door, then we'll get our money back soon," she chuckled. She went back to reading her book as Setsuka sat down beside her, throwing an arm over her shoulder sand pulling her closer.