Behind Shion's Graduation: The Banchou Gang Leadership Battle and the Taste of Salt - The self-proclaimed leader's composure and the takoyaki that hit the mark

The early-afternoon light drifted slowly across the hilly residential district on the west side of Mistrea City. In Shion's living room, Cerberus lay curled in a patch of sun that had shifted to the window. The black fur caught the light and showed faintly brown in places. For a medium-sized dog, she seemed convinced she was a small one—she'd made herself as tiny as possible, tucking her nose against her own tail. Upstairs in her room, Shion traced her finger along the Othello board on her desk. The board was neatly cleared. The black and white discs sat in their cases beside it, untouched. One more day until the showdown. Ten o'clock tomorrow morning, to be exact. At the rental space "Sanjou" in the Akatsuki shopping arcade, they would finally settle a leadership feud three years in the making. (Of course Shion's going to win.) Shion took out a single black disc and flicked it with her thumb. It spun, wobbled, and gave a small hop on the board. The soft click echoed through the quiet room. "...Shion is an adult, so she's perfectly composed." She said it out loud. In the empty room, her own voice sounded strangely loud. Shion put the disc back in its case and let her weight sink into the chair's backrest. She looked up at the ceiling. White ceiling. The same ordinary ceiling as always. (But why did those two pick Othello, of all things?) She replayed Ayame's message in her head. *The event is Othello. Shion's strong suit.* Calling it her strong suit herself felt a little embarrassing, but the truth was Shion was good at Othello. She'd hardly ever lost to Aqua or Ayame. (Don't tell me they actually think they can win? Ba~ka.) Shion let out a small laugh. But behind that laugh, another thought pushed its way up. (If Shion wins, the leader's seat is hers. And then, even after graduation, the Banchou Gang belongs to Shion.) No—that wasn't it. Shion shook her head. (Even after Shion graduates, the Banchou Gang goes on forever. The leader's seat stays open, even once Shion is gone.) That was the one thing she'd already decided. She opened her desk drawer. Deep in the back lay a small cloth pouch. From it she drew three badges—metal, each engraved with a manji mark. The proof of leadership that Shion had secretly made. (When should I give these to them?) After the showdown? Or after the graduation live? She still couldn't decide. She closed her fist around the badges, and the cold of the metal spread through her palm. Just then, her mother's voice came flying up from downstairs. "Shion! Aqua-chan's here!" Startled, Shion hurriedly tucked the badges back into the pouch and shut the drawer. (Aqua? Why?) Her heart sped up, just a little. What could she want the day before the showdown? Surely she hadn't come to scout out their strategy. No—Aqua wasn't the type to pull something that calculating. Shion stood and opened her door. "Hey—what are you doing here?!" She raised her voice and headed down the stairs. Minato Aqua stood in the entryway. Light-blue twin tails, a white ribbon. Her blue eyes blinked up at Shion. She was about four foot eleven—just a hair taller than Shion's own four foot nine. Those two inches of difference were always, somehow, mildly infuriating. In her right hand Aqua held a small paper bag. Probably sweets inside. "Yahoo, Shion! Aqua's here! The leader herself, in person!" She puffed out her chest, beaming. Shion stood on the step of the entryway and looked down at Aqua—as if to close those two inches, even a little. "Oh my. And what does the great leader want?" "Isn't it obvious! I came to show off my last bit of composure before tomorrow's showdown!" Aqua held up the paper bag and swung it back and forth. "I brought sweets! I'm gonna make Shion let her guard down with these!" "Ba~ka. Like Shion would ever let her guard down over a few sweets." Shion laughed as she unlocked the door. Aqua kicked off her shoes and stepped inside. "Thanks for having me!" Her voice was as energetic as ever, and Cerberus looked up from the living room. --- Once shown into the living room, Aqua plopped herself down on the sofa. Cerberus trotted over, tail wagging, and pressed her nose against Aqua's leg. "Whoa, Cerberus, long time no see! Have you been good?" Aqua said, ruffling the dog's head. Cerberus squinted happily and rubbed her face against Aqua's hand. In the kitchen, Shion was brewing tea. "So—what did you really come here for? Don't tell me you actually came all this way just to bribe me with sweets." "Huh? I really did just bring sweets, you know? And I came to see your face!" Aqua said it with a perfectly innocent look. Shion set two teacups on a tray and carried them back to the living room. She placed one in front of Aqua. Steam curled up from it. "Hmm. The leader has time to spare, I see." "The leader is busy! But she's got time to come see Shion, obviously!" Aqua wrapped both hands around the cup and blew on it, puffing her cheeks. Shion sat across from her and took a sip from her own cup. Hot. Her tongue tingled a little. "...Don't oversleep tomorrow, okay?" Aqua said it while still staring into her cup. "Like Shion would ever oversleep. If I actually try, ten in the morning is nothing." "Ohh, is that so. If Shion actually tries." "What's with that tone?!" "I mean, Shion was two hours late to a stream just the other day!" "That was—that was a grown-up circumstance, that's what that was!" "Grown-ups oversleep over grown-up circumstances?" "Oh, be quiet! Shion is an adult, so she'll wake up properly tomorrow!" Shion shot back, thoroughly riled. Aqua was laughing, clearly enjoying herself. The sound of it rang lightly through the living room. But Shion had noticed. Aqua's laugh was just a little higher than usual. The normal Aqua would have laughed louder, sillier, more full-throated. Today, somehow, the edges of her laughter seemed to tremble. (...Something's off with her.) Shion set down her cup and looked hard at Aqua's face. "You seem kind of down. What's wrong?" "Huh? Down? Aqua? No way!" Aqua waved both hands vigorously. "The leader is always full of energy!" "Hmm. If you say so." Shion looked away. But somewhere deep in her chest, a small snag remained. (Well—maybe she's just nervous about tomorrow's showdown.) She decided to believe that. --- Just then, her mother poked her head out from the kitchen. "Oh, Aqua-chan. You came at just the right time. I was thinking of making takoyaki. Would you stay and eat with us?" Shion's mother had her gray hair—the same shade as Shion's—gathered in a bun, and her gentle yellow eyes crinkled. She wore an apron, and in her hand was a bag of takoyaki flour. "Wait, really?! Yes, please! Aqua loves takoyaki!" Aqua's face lit up in an instant. "Wonderful. Then wait just a little longer, okay?" Her mother went back to the kitchen. Shion leaned against the back of the sofa and crossed her legs. "You didn't come here just for the takoyaki, did you?" "I-I didn't! I brought sweets, didn't I!" Aqua pointed at the paper bag. "Yeah, yeah. You're going to lose tomorrow anyway, so why don't you eat some of Shion's family's takoyaki while you can and make some memories." "I'm not going to lose! Aqua is the leader!" Aqua leaned forward off the sofa. "You just call yourself that. Neither Shion nor Ayame has ever acknowledged it." "Shut up! Aqua is the leader! I've been saying it for three whole years, so it's basically a fact by now!" "What do you mean, basically a fact?" Shion laughed. Aqua puffed out her cheeks and drained her teacup in one gulp. "Aah, seriously! Tomorrow I'm gonna beat Shion at Othello and become the official leader!" "You think you can beat Shion at Othello? Ba~ka." Shion declared it with total confidence. Aqua was, for a moment, at a loss for words. Then she gave a small laugh. "...Shion really is good at Othello, after all." Her voice had suddenly gone quiet. Shion looked at her face. Aqua was still cradling her cup in both hands, staring fixedly at the tea inside. Her light-blue bangs had fallen just slightly across her face. (Huh. She really is acting strange.) Something in Shion's chest gave a small, sharp ache. --- The smell of cooking takoyaki drifted into the living room. The sweet scent of sauce, the green of aonori, the savory aroma of bonito flakes. Cerberus's nose twitched, and she stared fixedly toward the kitchen. Her tail swayed slowly back and forth. "Ahh, that smells amazing! Mom, you're so good at this!" Aqua's voice came out bright and lively. "Oh, thank you. You always eat so happily, Aqua-chan, it makes it worth cooking." Her mother carried in a large platter of takoyaki. Steam billowed off the freshly cooked balls. Their surfaces were golden-brown, the sauce glistening. "Thanks for the food!" Aqua split her chopsticks and went straight for the biggest one. "Hey—the biggest one is Shion's!" "First come, first served!" Aqua popped the takoyaki into her mouth. "Hot! So good!" She laughed, fanning her mouth with her hand. Shion took one too, blew on it to cool it, and ate. Crisp on the outside, molten inside, the octopus giving a pleasant bite. "Delicious. Mom, you really outdid yourself." "Right? Takoyaki is the one thing I'm confident about." Her mother smiled happily. The three of them gathered around the takoyaki. Cerberus waited at their feet for scraps. "Those two really do get along these days, don't they, all things considered." Her mother said it while flipping another takoyaki. "Huh? We don't get along! Aqua is the leader, and Shion is—well, a member!" Aqua said it after swallowing her takoyaki. "Who's a member? Shion is going to be the true leader." "The leader is Aqua!" "Self-proclaimed." "It's not self-proclaimed!" "All right, all right. You two settle it at tomorrow's match." Her mother laughed and topped off both their cups. Aqua put another takoyaki in her mouth. "...I'm not giving up the leader's seat." Her voice had suddenly turned serious. Shion looked at her face. Aqua was chewing her takoyaki, staring fixedly at a single point on the platter. "You're really lonely, aren't you." Her mother said it quietly. Aqua's hand stopped. The living room went silent for a moment. Only the steam from the takoyaki kept curling upward. "...Huh?" Aqua's voice came out hoarse. "You're lonely that Shion is graduating, aren't you. You don't want to be apart from her, Aqua-chan." Aqua's blue eyes went wide. Shion sat frozen, chopsticks still in hand. (Mom, what are you saying?) She thought it, but she couldn't get the words out. Aqua's face was turning red, visibly, by the second. "Th-that's not... true! Aqua isn't lonely or anything...!" Aqua set down her chopsticks. "Is that so? That's how it looks to me. You've seemed a little off your game today, Aqua-chan." "I'm fine! Aqua is always fine!" Aqua forced a smile. But that smile looked like it might crumble at any moment. Shion put a takoyaki in her mouth. She couldn't really taste it. --- When they'd finished the takoyaki, Aqua suddenly stood up. "...Aqua's going to head home. It's an early start tomorrow." "Huh, you're leaving already?" "Yeah. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's showdown." Aqua said it while looking Shion in the eye. Her eyes looked a little wet. (Is she crying?) Shion felt her heart clench tight. "...Shion's looking forward to it too." Shion said it with the best smile she could manage. Aqua gave a small nod. "Well then—see you tomorrow." "Yes. Don't oversleep on your way here." "That's my line." Aqua smiled, just a little, one last time. At the entryway, Aqua put on her shoes. "Come again, Aqua-chan. Bring Ayame-chan with you next time." "I will. Thank you for everything. The takoyaki was delicious." Aqua bowed politely. "Mom, thanks for the tea." "You're welcome. Get h

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Episode 2

Name: Behind Shion's Graduation: The Banchou Gang Leadership Battle and the Taste of Salt
Author: Novelia

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