Lesson Learned

You're the perfect brother

Mitsuko sunk her face deeper into the pillow as the sun creeped out from a crack in her curtain.

The winter break was here, they were meant to be plotting an assassination...

She closed her eyes tight, bringing her knees up to her chin under the covers.

There was a knock at the door. "Mitsuko?" It was mom. "Can I come in?"

Mitsuko grimaced, lifting her head up from the covers. "...Yeah."

Mom came in a few seconds later, frowning when she saw her. "Sweetie, it nearly eleven," she said, walking over to the bed. "You can't sleep all day."

"I'm not..." she mumbled into her cover as her mom sat down.

"Are you sick?" Mom touched her forehead briefly. "It's not like you to sleep in."

"I'm fine." Mitsuko quickly sat up, resting her back against the headboard. "It's winter break, mom. I'm allowed to take it easy."

Mom's frown deepened. "Of course. It's just not like you, that's all." She looked at her questionably. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," she replied, pushing away the covers to get out of bed. "I just wanna relax, that's all."

"...I see." Mom stood up, looking unconvinced. "Well, you can't spend the whole day cooped up in your room." She walked to the window to open the curtains. "I've already told Gakushuu he isn't to study until he's helped me decorate the Christmas tree—you're welcome to join."

Mitsuko scratched her side and shrugged. "Think I'll pass..."

"Well, you need to do something," mom insisted, sighing. "If you don't have any plans for the day then you can help decorate," she told her sternly before heading to the door. "But you can't stay in bed all day..." Something sad flashed across her face as her hand rested on the door. "It's not healthy..."

Mitsuko grimaced, watching her mom leave. "Fine..." She picked her phone off the desk and looked through her contacts until she came to Bitch-sensei's name. "Not like I have anything better to do anyway..."

***

Bitch-sensei was glaring at the neat rows of ties in the store while Mitsuko sighed and leaned against a pillar.

The store was crowded with the festive shoppers trying to get last minutes gifts since there were only three days left until Christmas day. So, of course, Bitch-sensei chose now to panic-buy and get Mr Karasuma a gift after what she imagined was weeks of not making up her mind.

Mitsuko sighed and stretched, tempted to remove her coat since the heat from the store was starting to get too much. She groaned and narrowed her eyes at her teacher's grey fur coat; how could the woman stand to wear that inside for so long?!

She hadn't expected them to spend twenty minutes staring at a bunch of ties!

"Will you just pick one already?" Mitsuko said irritably.

Bitch-sensei looked over her shoulder and glared. "Shut up! You're meant to be helping!"

"I am." She pushed herself off the pillar. "If we stay here any longer we'll overheat and die."

Bitch-sensei scoffed, shaking her head. "I'm early done." She picked up a pale silk tie which was tinted a metallic blue. "...Do you think he'd like this?"

Mitsuko raised an eyebrow when the teacher/assassin's voice shifted to something shyer and unsure. "Ugh." She rolled her eyes and stepped closer, looking at the tie she was holding up. "...It would suit him. He looked nice in blue before."