A Firefly's Glow

Chapter Five: Part Two

The car door slowly swung open, and the freshness of the spring breeze blew through my hair.

“Hotaru-sama, we have arrived.” Megane’s polite welcoming introduced. “Please watch your step.”

I slowly stepped onto the spotless pavement. “Megane-san, is this hairstyle really necessary?” I asked, pulling on a bundle of the auburn hair that hung against my face.

“Yes, Hotaru-sama. Proper hair construction is necessary here at the elite Seika Academy.”

My hair had been parted across my forehead with a small bundle wrapped in a thin ribbon. I wouldn’t mind the hairstyle if I was staring at it from a photograph. Though since I was the one wearing the style, it ached my scalp and tugged uncomfortably.

Around my shoulders was a black, buttoned blazer. The thin ribbon that was knotted around my collar was tied tightly, and the boots that were shoved onto my feet were pinching my toes. I liked the uniform much more when I was holding it with my hands—not wearing it.

“My shoes are hurting my feet.” I timidly murmured, wriggling my toes painfully behind my boots.

“The uniform was thirty-thousand yen (*$300) in total, Hotaru-sama. If your toes are hurting you, it is possibly because you have strangely abnormal toes.”

“My toes are not abnormal,” I protested through gritted teeth. If my toes were truly abnormal, I'd have seven of them on one foot. I was pretty sure my feet had five toes each.

I lifted the light briefcase that I clutched in my hands. It was made of soft leather with the characters “Fujioka” engraved in a golden emblem across the edges. This briefcase was much, much lighter than the bag I always flung over my shoulders. However, I missed the bag I always held. I had dropped it into my apartment in the last few minutes before I was kidnapped, so the bag was no longer in my possession.

I remembered the bag I held. It had thin holes that were inconvenient if I were to store something heavy. I knew someday, that bag was going to fall apart. But I would never find out because that very bag is lying on the floor of my abandoned apartment, where I knew I would probably never see it again.

This particular briefcase had no holes. It was spotless, firm, and very shiny.

It was formal.

I freely swung the briefcase forward and backward. Though I did miss my old bag, I could never swing my bag addictively like I could with this briefcase.

I turned my gaze towards my surroundings and my jaw fell open.

A white building towered over the courtyard before it. The large windows layered into two stories glittered in the bright sunlight. Surrounding the courtyard were tall, blossoming cherry trees. Their pink petals scattered across the pavement along with the breeze. The thin blades of grass swayed along with the wind.

“Welcome to the elite and exclusive Seika Academy,” Megane introduced, extending a hand towards the towering doors ahead. “Academy of the super-rich and beautiful.”

As Megane swung open the flawlessly polished doors, I slowly stepped foot into the building.

I laid eyes on the large chandelier that hung from the domed ceiling. Lights reflected off of the perfectly chiseled glass and glistened in bright colors. A wide staircase sat against the wall that led to the balconied second story. I could hear faint tunes of classical violins echoing off the towering walls of the interior.

Students were scattered throughout the room wearing identical uniforms. Several pairs of eyes roamed towards me, and I heard murmurs slide through the room.