Love in the Times of the Crescent Moon

Chapter 24

"Dad, please!"
"I'm not going to let my daughter lecture me about my love life."
Kit snorted. "Unlike you, at least I have a love life."
"If you don't stop, I'll immediately revoke my approval of yours," her father threatened, and Kit shook her head, resigning.
"I just wanted to say that it wouldn't bother me. You know, I get the feeling you use me as an excuse to avoid meeting someone new, but I don't want that anymore. It's time, Dad."
Her father dropped onto the sofa, burying his head in his hands. When he lifted it again, his expression was deeply sad.
"What if we're all gone in three months?"
Kit shrugged gently, giving him a soft smile, and rested her head on his arm.
"I don't know," she replied, "but maybe that's just an excuse, too. I think, if these really are our last months, we need to live them to the fullest."
He looked down at her, skeptical. "Let's agree to live within certain boundaries."
"That's a start."

The next morning, Kit woke to frosty windows and white powdery snow outside. She sprang up, bundled herself in warm clothes, and ran outside, where her father was already shoveling the path.
"Good morning, Dad."
She kissed his cheek.
"Good morning, my angel."
"Can I help?"
"I'm almost done, but you can set the breakfast table if you like."
"Will do."
In a few big strides, Kit was back in the hallway, kicking off her boots carelessly, and took out two bowls from the cupboard.
"Are you smiling?" she asked in surprise when her father joined her at the table.
"You're acting like I never smile," he replied, feigning offense.
"A Christmas miracle," she teased, giggling.
"If you're so cheeky, you'll eat dinner alone tonight," he said, avoiding her gaze.
"What...Dad, do you have a date?" Kit cried, suddenly sure it was true. "You're going out with Irina...sensei," she added quickly for formality's sake.
"It's just dinner. It's not the first time..."
"Oh, Dad! I can't believe it! I'm so happy for you two!"
"You're not going to tell everyone, are you?"
Kit shook her head energetically. "Of course not. Can I tell Karma?"
"I already can't stand hearing that name," Karasuma sighed.
"You'll have to get used to it. Besides, I know you like him," she said confidently, and then excused herself. "I'll walk today."
"Does this also have something to do with him?"
"Maybe. Eat my breakfast, I'll grab something on the way. Love you, Dad."
She waved once more and headed out the door, typing a message to Karma, who joined her a few minutes later.
"Did you order the snow?" he asked, extending a hand as it became covered in white flakes.
"Of course," she replied, "we have our Christmas dance this weekend. Just two days away."
Karma wrinkled his nose. "I guess I can't get out of it, but I have a procedural question."
Kit looked at him, waiting.
"Since it's a class-only event, I'm not sure if I should formally ask you to go with me."
She thought about it seriously; they were all supposed to arrive separately to avoid awkwardness. But it might be her first and last chance to be formally asked to a dance.
"Why don't you give it a try?"
"As you wish."
Suddenly, Karma knelt theatrically on one knee, holding his hands out. Kit saw people stop around them, and her cheeks turned bright red.
"Karma," she whispered.
"Kit," he replied loudly enough for everyone to hear, "would you accompany me to our Christmas dance?"
All she could do was nod; his grand gesture had left her speechless, and she didn't want to draw more attention.
It took her a while to settle enough to appreciate his display. For now, she linked her arm with his, strolling up the hill to the school. With a blissful smile and flushed cheeks, she glanced at Karma and felt all the more content with her decision to enjoy the time they had - to the fullest.
"What?" asked Karma, apparently bemused by her gaze.
"Impeccable," Kit replied approvingly. "I doubt I'll ever get another invitation that memorable."
"I should hope so. What are you doing this afternoon?"
"Oh," Kit said mysteriously, "I have something special planned. I'm going dress shopping for the dance and need someone to come with me - a female someone."
Karma raised his eyebrows with interest. "And who might you have in mind?"
Kit started to answer, then hesitated, choosing her words carefully. She'd thought this through, but speaking the reality aloud was harder.
"Well, normally that'd be a mother's job, I guess, but that's not possible in my case." She broke off briefly, letting Karma take her hand. "So, I thought maybe...Irina might go with me. She has a great eye for dresses, even if she sometimes goes overboard. But recently, she's gotten much better about that. She certainly knows how to make an impression."
Karma's mouth twitched with amusement. "She definitely does. I suppose I should take a cue from you and stop calling her Bitchsensei, but that'll be hard."
"You should," Kit agreed. "I have a strong feeling she'll be spending more time with us at home."
"Oh, really?"
She nodded meaningfully. "Dad just told me I'll be on my own for dinner tonight, and he doesn't have any work appointments."
"About time," Karma replied nonchalantly.
"My thoughts exactly."

After school, Irina didn't go back to her small apartment as usual but accompanied Kit to a formalwear boutique. Surrounded by elegance, it felt different than usual - probably due to Karasuma's daughter. Kit had actually asked Irina for help choosing a dress for the Christmas dance.It shouldn't have been a big deal; Irina had chosen hundreds, if not thousands, of beautiful dresses that had always achieved the desired effect. She knew colors, styles, how to make an impact. But she'd never chosen a dress with such emotions involved. Her first thought, when Kit asked for her help, was how honored she felt. She'd been touched but masked it with a professional demeanor."What color were you thinking?" Irina asked, watching Kit wander through the racks of evening dresses with an admiring gaze."I don't know," Kit replied cautiously. "They're all beautiful. What would suit me?""Well, you're more of a delicate, fair type. Earth tones or rosy shades would work, but a caramel tone to match your eyes would be perfect."Irina turned to the rack of pink dresses, chuckling."This one would please your father.""That looks like something a nun would wear.""Yes, quite right. I've recently learned not to put all my feminine charms on display," Irina said, catching Kit's amused look as she hung the dress back up. "How about this one? It would look stunning on you."Kit inspected the dress in Irina's hands, and they decided to take it to the dressing room. With two more dresses draped over her arm, Kit finally disappeared behind a thick red velvet curtain."Irina...Sensei?" Kit asked as she changed."Need help?" Irina asked from her seat in an equally plush red armchair on the other side of the curtain."No, no. I just wondered if you know what you'll be wearing tonight?""So, he told you," Irina inferred, her heart pounding.It was strange to be here with the daughter of the man she'd be going out with that evening. She'd tried all morning to distract herself. It wasn't their first date, if she counted the dinner on the Okinawa islands, but it was the first time he had explicitly asked her out."Yes," came Kit's brief reply from the dressing room. "How do you feel about it?""Sorry, what?" Irina asked in surprise, looking up to see Kit standing in front of her in a milky white dress that made her look like a fairy.Irina realized she'd never seen Kit with her hair down. Now it cascaded over her shoulders like liquid honey, her only covering being the dress's delicate straps. She looked enchanting, and for a fleeting moment, Irina thought of how much she'd wanted to be seen as enchanting at Kit's age - not just as hot or sexy, as that had been her job and survival skill. She'd missed out on being enchanting. Maybe, someday not too far off, someone would see her that way."You look enchanting," she finally voiced, with a mix of wistfulness and genuine warmth.Kit's face lit up. "Then this will be my dress. Shall we celebrate with a hot cocoa?"Irina felt as young as she'd never felt in her actual youth. Chatting, she strolled through town with Kit, letting her show her a tucked-away café and a popular bookstore, and listened intently as Kit talked about her father's reading tastes."Dad used to read a lot, even if you wouldn't necessarily think so. He's interested in Japanese history, but also in traditions from other countries. We traveled a lot back then, sometimes not by choice, but often because Dad was so fascinated by other cultures.""Really?"Irina's gaze wandered along the shelves while Kit lingered in the corner with the latest novels."And you probably read less about history?" Irina guessed."At the moment, I'm mostly reading what Korosensei has prepared for us. We're just about to take our exams," Kit replied, with a hint of regret in her eyes."Don't worry about it. You probably wouldn't have much time to read anyway, seeing as you're writing your own love story, aren't you?"Kit blushed. "Thank you for telling my father about that day at the hospital. I think it really influenced his opinion on it.""You're welcome. Surprisingly, I haven't lost my ability to tell real emotions from fake ones. Amazing, given the circumstances..."Kit giggled, then grew serious. "I'm glad. I want Dad to be happy again. He really deserves it.""Yes, he does," Irina agreed, now musing over what she might wear for the evening.