Unplanned Return [Hiatus]

8th

Shinku and Éclair stopped as they cornered the small dog at a far edge of the schoolyard and glared at it with worry. They both had noticed the dog out of the corner of their eyes as they finished the obstacle course, getting exactly the same time on it, and chased after it immediately thinking about how familiar it was. And it was indeed familiar.
"T-Tatsumaki!" Éclair said in shock as the dog sat down and waved a paw at them, the piece of paper in its mouth hanging there and shaking in a light breeze.
Shinku knelt down in front of Tatsumaki and took the letter from his mouth, opening it deftly.
"Let's see what this says then."
Dearest loving hero,
This is Ricotta and there's a few things that have been odd since you left. As you left, we noticed that Éclair had disappeared as well, and we cannot find her anywhere! Is she in your world somehow? The princess is losing it with worry about Éclairs whereabouts so even if she isn't in your world could you look around to be sure?
I know I should've sent a request like this sooner but for some reason we could not send Tatsumaki through the portal to your world until now.
Could you reply quickly so we can calm down the princess?
Shinku handed the note to Éclair, who quickly read it over and sighed. "How much is this going to put us back, Shinku?"
Shinku shrugged. "I don't know, we'll have to ask my mum. What do we do with Tatsumaki in the meantime?"
"I guess we'll have to send a letter back telling them what's going on, so until we write it I guess he'll stay here right?"
Shinku nodded and looked at Tatsumaki with a smile. "Can you run to my place and wait there for us? We'll be there as soon as class is over and then we'll start writing a reply, okay?"
Tatsumaki let out a short and happy bark before scampering away into the bushes and out of sight.
" . . . should I assume that was a yes?" Shinku asked.
"I would guess so. Let's head back, class ends soon, right?"
"Yep, though I want to give the obstacle course another shot. I can't have you keeping me with a tie!"
"Oh, we'll see about that!"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sherry dried her hands with a small towel and tied it to the apron on her waist as she stepped out onto the back porch. The moon was merely a sliver in the sky but illuminated the yard marvellously. Looking around she could easily see Éclair in the back corner of the yard, carefully painting the acidic paste on the circular marble slap that would eventually become their portal home. Walking silently over and standing just behind Éclair, Sherry could see the many lines of chalk across the slab, and the few etched areas sunken down cleanly. "You're doing pretty good!"
Éclair flinched and looked back to find Sherry standing above her. "I- I didn't hear you, sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry for. I was trying to not disturb you. Done for the night?"
"Yes, I can't do anymore or, well you know."
"Yes, you don't want to over etch or it'll ruin it. Have you written a reply to the note your little doggy friend brought you?"
Éclair shook her head. "Shinku is writing it, so that I could do this."
"Probably a good idea. There is something I'd like to ask you, Miss Martinozzi." Sherry said as she knelt down beside Éclair in front of the marble slab.
"What about?"
"I'd like you to tell me what happened for the three days he was in Flonyard before the two of you came back together!"
Éclair tensed up as she immediately remembered everything that had happened that night. The demon, his confession, her confession, her feelings. The more she thought about it the more tense she became. "N- nothing happened. Why would you think that? "Éclair stuttered in her reply.
Sherry smiled. "He was quite depressed when we left the iron athletics tournament, and with good reason. But when he returned with you he was completely over it. With something as serious as losing to a cheater he would not turn around so fast. I'd like to know what happened."
"As I said noth- you knew he lost to a cheater?"
Sherry smiled. "Yes, but I could do nothing to prove it. And I had to react as I was expected to in a public place. Also, I know something happened because you're blushing. Could you tell me please, Miss Martinozzi?"
Éclair fidgeted as she knelt beside Sherry before she let out a small nod. "Okay." And she told her. She told her of how she went around questioning everyone, she told her of Valerie helping her discern Shinku's location and of the demon that attacked Shinku, and she told her of everything she and Shinku said, in detail. As she finished she could not help but fidget more at everything she just said, her face flushed red with embarrassment
Sherry sat there and nodded to herself, her eyes closed as she processed all the information Éclair had said. "So you pulled him up and out of his slump all on your own, then?"
"I- I guess so, not like I wanted to or anything but I just-,"
"Thank you" Sherry said as she turned and bowed her head to Éclair catching her completely by surprise.
"Wha-?"
"I don't believe he could have pulled him out of the slump, and you having done it was very good for him so, thank you.
Éclair was speechless as she tried to think of something to say but could not.
"I'll also thank you for explaining to him just how many girls thought of him!" Sherry said with a smile. "But don't you think something was off about everything?"
Éclair suddenly lost all of her tense felling and felt very confused. "What do you mean?"
"Just from the short time I've known you I can tell you would not be the sort of girl to just confess to someone like you say you did, and Shinku's reaction seems oddly forward for him as well."
Éclair was silent for a second before nodding in realization. " You're right. The more I think about it, it does seem kind of off, maybe the forest did something to us, or the lack of-."
"Well, regardless of what it was you confessed and he gave his feelings in kind, so are the two of you going out then?"
Éclair's face turned beet red in an instant. " What- no no no no no we're not going out or, it's just that, he hasn't even said anything since, or he, and I'm not-," Sherry let out a laugh that caused Éclair to stop her confused mangling of language.
"Well, if you aren't going out I'd be prepared, Shinku may be unbelievably dense at times, but I'm sure he remembers that moment in the forest as well as you do and will act on it in time."
"What moment?"
"The moment when you both kissed!" Sherry said her voice almost giddy.
"Eh, I – I doubt it, he hasn't said anything or even had a look like he thinks about it so-."
"So you haven't noticed him looking at you out the corner of his eyes every few minutes then?
"No, I- what?"
"Guess not," Sherry said as she stood up and turned toward the house. "Shinku takes after his father in many ways, including his capability to surprise. Good night, Miss Martinozzi."
Éclair watched in confusion as Sherry walked into the house and out of sight, being even more confused than she was at the beginning of their conversation. With a shake of her head, Éclair stood up and headed inside herself, the entire conversation had tired her out more than any war.
+  -           
Éclair slowly opened her eyes and sat up, rubbing them both with her hands. She looked at the small clock that hung on the wall, but had to rub her eyes again before she could tell what it said.
9:27
She looked at the clock and blinked her eyes a couple times before the realization kicked in. Throwing off the covers and leaping out of the bed Éclair grabbed her uniform off the knob of the closet door and quickly changed out of her sleepwear and into her uniform.
Despite her initial worry over going to Shinku's school, in the last two days she had quite enjoyed it, and was now even looking forward to it, hoping to learn more about his and Rebecca's world. And now she was late, on her third day.
With a sigh, Éclair tightened the tie around her neck and made sure her uniform was in order, then left the room. Nearly flying down the stairs Éclair turned to find Miss Izumi walking out of the kitchen with her usual bright smile covering her face. "Oh, good morning, Miss Martinozzi. Did you sleep well?"
"Too well!" Éclair replied with haste as she stepped over to the couch and grabbed the bag sitting against its back. "I overslept, and Shinku didn't say anything!"
Miss Izumi looked at Éclair for only a second, before bursting into laughter that made Éclair suddenly unsure about what was going on. "I, I guess Shinku forgot to tell you. Go look in the backyard, okay? I'll let him explain it to you while I make you two some brunch."
Éclair looked on as Miss Izumi walked back into the kitchen with a smile on her face, and was completely confused. Shaking her head, Éclair put down her bag and stepped through the kitchen to the back door and opened it, peering out into the backyard. Wearing shorts, a t-shirt and nothing else was Shinku, in the middle of the grass of the backyard doing push up handstands on one hand with a big smile on his face, looking like he had no intention of doing anything else.
Éclair looked at this for one second, and then could not contain herself. "Hero!"
Shinku opened his eyes to see Éclair and then waved his free hand. "Good morning, Éclair. Sleep well?"
Éclair walked out from the doorway toward Shinku, scowling at him the entire way. "Too well. Shouldn't we get going to school?"
Shinku looked at Éclair and shook his head. "Becky told you, right? We have school from Monday to Friday, and todays Saturday."
Éclairs face began to pale slightly as the words hit her. "Wait, how many days are in a week here?"
". . . Seven. We don't have school on Saturday and Sunday, just from Monday to Friday." Hearing this Éclairs face paled even more, enough that Shinku noticed. "Wait, did you think our weeks had only five days?"
Éclair nodded, her face suddenly starting to redden from embarrassment.
"Oh, um well you can take it easy then. We don't have school today." Shinku said as he finished up his hand stands and flipped onto his feet.
"Brunch is almost ready, you two!" Miss Izumi called from the open kitchen window.
"You might want to change out of your uniform before lunch, Éclair." Shinku suggested with a smile, forcing Éclair to blush slightly from embarrassment and look away.
"I- I'll go do that!" Éclair replied she ran to the house and slipped inside, not giving Shinku a chance to say anything else. A few minutes later Éclair came back down the stairs to find Shinku sitting at the kitchen table, his mother placing two identical plates on the table, with some kind of black sandwich on them.
"Ah, just in time. Brunch is ready, so eat up!" Miss Izumi said as Éclair came into the room and sat down at the table.
Éclair picked up the sandwich, surprised by how hard it was, and by how well it was staying together. A bite later she smiled. "What is this, it's good!"
"Oh, it's grilled cheese!" Shinku said before taking another bite of his, small dark brown and black crumbs falling onto the plate below.
Éclair looked at the sandwich for a second before plunging her teeth into it with even greater speed. A few minute later as both Éclair and Shinku finished, Miss Izumi turned around and leant against the sink. "So, have any plans for the day, you two?"
"Well, if you're okay with it, Éclair," Shinku said as he looked to Éclair, wiping some crumbs off of his lips with a napkin, "I was thinking of showing you the city."
"I see no problem with that, as long as Éclair wants too." Miss Izumi said with a smile as she looked to Éclair.
Éclair swallowed hard and nodded. "I do want to see the city . . . though I'm wondering if I should change my clothes." Éclair said as she looked at the green shorts and grey sleeveless tank top she was now wearing.
"You're just strolling through town, it'll be fine." Miss Izumi said with a smile as Shinku got up from his seat, and Éclair almost right way after him. "Just make sure you don't go anywhere unsafe, okay?"
"Okay," Shinku said with a nod as he put his plate in the sink and went into the living to grab his shoes, followed behind by Éclair, who still looked unsure about just leaving the dishes instead of washing them right away.
"Alright, we'll be back later!" Shinku called a moment later as he and Éclair left through the front door, leaving Sherry alone in the kitchen.
As she turned and began washing the dishes while humming to herself the phone began to ring. Stepping away from the sink and drying her hands on her apron Sherry picked up the phone. "Hello, Izumo household how can I- . . . . . . . . . . yes . . . . . . . . . . yes she's doing it rather well . . . . . . . what? What do you mean . . . . But that's . . . . . . . alright. . . . . . I trust you will find out who they are? Good, thank you for informing me. . . . . . Yes I'll keep a lookout. . . . Yes thank you. . . . Good bye, Robert. Keep me informed if you can." Sherry finished as she hung up the phone and looked out the kitchen window. "This could get bad. I'll need to keep an eye out."