The Disconsolate Maiden

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Naomi, Totoko, and Homura all exited the school as the final bell rang for the day, announcing their dismissal. Though Homura was still shaken up over her mother's death, she attempted to put on her happy face as she strolled along with her peers.

"Hey," Naomi said, running ahead a ways then turned around, her pink hair whipping around her face. "Do you want to go to the Cat Cafe today?"

"Th-The Cat Cafe?" Homura repeated, not having realized she no longer exactly had a reason to go straight home, even though they were school rules. "I-I..."

"She has her mother to care for, you moron," Totoko snorted, still jealous over the fact that Naomi was basically an idol now, and she herself wasn't. "She'll never go with you."

"A-Actually," Homura turned around and looked at the small clock just outside of the school. "I could go today, if we work on our homework, that is. My mother..." Homura paused a moment, causing both Naomi and Totoko to form puzzled expression on their face.

"What about your mother?" Naomi asked, twirling a strand of her hair around her index finger, swinging her school bag back and fourth with her free hand.

"She's...she's doing much better now!" Homura smiled as she walked up to Naomi, Totoko following her a little ways behind.

"Can I come?" Totoko asked. They were innocent words, a perfectly normal question, yet something about her tone of voice said otherwise.

Naomi let out a quiet hiss, shaking her head.

"No. No idiots allowed," she replied, smirking at Totoko.

"What are you seven? This isn't primary school. A simple yes or no would suffice," Totoko snapped before she stormed off in the other direction.

"Jeez," Naomi said, letting out a long sigh before she grabbed Homura's hand, literally dragging her down the street. Clutching her hand tightly, Naomi cursed Totoko under her breath for several minutes. They were such great friends.

Just the previous week, Naomi and Totoko had been siding up against Homura, and now Totoko was literally kicked out just for existing. Not that her existence meant anything to anyone. She was the exact definition of a brat.

"Why am I doing this..." Homura thought to herself, walking along with Naomi. Knowing Naomi, she probably thought of this outing as a date. But deep down, Homura knew she could never love this girl. She couldn't.

She had several logical reasons, but she didn't want to happen to make Naomi upset like she had just a few days ago.

Firstly, her father would be absolutely against it. Actually, he was probably more against her having a boyfriend, considering the things they could do. But being a sweet, innocent girl, Homura would never dream of doing such things. Then, Homura's heart didn't belong to Naomi. But she wasn't sure who exactly it did belong to.

"You're so quiet," Naomi said, laughing a little, breaking Homura from her thoughts. Letting go of the girl's hand, Naomi pushed open the cafe door, a rush of cold air meeting Homura's face.

It's like spring had just vanished off of the face of the earth, welcoming winter with open arms as they walked inside. One would have thought the cafe would have been warmer, considering it was a cat cafe that took care of living animals.

"Isn't this place beautiful!" Naomi exclaimed, her eyes wide with amazement, taking Homura's hand in hers once more.

"Yes! Very," Homura said, hoping to not crush Naomi's happiness. It was the exact same cafe she had visited with Jyushimatsu on Saturday. After all, Naomi had been wanting to bring her to a special cafe for as long as Homura could remember. Though, this certainly wasn't a new cat cafe. It had been open since she was a little girl.

"Come on, don't just stand there," Naomi urged as they approached the counter.

A little girl hopped up on the small stool behind the cash register, a soft smile on her face.

"What can I get for you?" she asked, staring Homura and Naomi in the eyes.

"Aren't you a little kid?" Naomi asked, raising her eyebrows.

Homura ignored her "friend's" rude words and looked up at the menu hanging above the little girl.

"I'd like the mint chocolate chip cookies!" Homura said, pointing up at the menu to where the pastel green cookies were.

"Really?!" the little girl exclaimed, hopping off her stool, running back into the kitchen area where her mother was- perhaps.

"Jeez," Naomi spat, pulling a couple hundred yen out of her coin purse from her school bag. "That girl has too much energy. Why isn't she in school? Or at home?"

"Why aren't we at home then?" Homura asked right back at Naomi, accidentally shutting her up.

"Right," Naomi sighed, turning as she smiled at her brown haired 'friend'.

When the little girl returned, the lady whom Homura had seen on Saturday followed her, smiling just as warmly as one could. No wonder she appeared to love Jyushimatsu. They were both like little rays of sunshine.

"You'd like the mint chocolate chip cookies?" the lady asked, punching in a few numbers on her cash register. "And what about you, Naomi? The usual tea and biscuits?"

Naomi nodded her head, glaring slightly at the little girl who was standing next to her mother.

"Naomi likes picking fights, doesn't she..?" Homura thought to herself, completely stunned. "She's really not the nice angel she tries to be around the teachers."

"Homura," the lady suddenly said, calling the quiet girl by her name as she leaned over the counter, handing Homura a small plate of cookies. "How is your mother?"

"H-How do you know...?" Homura stammered.

The lady just smiled, shaking her head a little. "Jyushimatsu told me how ill your mother is. I was just wondering if she made it or not."

"S-She..." Homura sighed painfully, the stake digging even deeper into her heart. "She didn't make it."

Naomi's mouth gaped open, having no idea Homura's mother had even died.

"She died?!" Naomi gasped, throwing herself at Homura, hugging her. Yet, her hugs were nothing like Jyushimatsu's hugs. His hugs were filled with innocence and pure love, not having a care in the world about anyone else. Yet Homura could sense a sort of jealousy within Naomi's hug. But, she wasn't sure. What even could one learn from a hug?

"I'm sorry to hear that," the lady said with a sigh. "But I take it she's doing much better now, isn't she?"

Homura nodded her head, ignoring Naomi.

"She's finally with the planned one again," Homura replied simply before she turned around, making her way towards a small booth for two. Naomi followed her anxiously from behind.