The Garden & Its Gardener (2)

After taking out the trash outside, Hana was actually going to go back to her room again. But just as she was about to open the door, she suddenly saw Ruri appear from the direction of the stairs. So she raised her hand to wave—which, sadly, was completely ignored.

Familiar with that situation, Hana just sighed lightly at the sight. If Fio always bothers her too much, Ruri and Rei oppositely often ignore her. Though Ruri at least didn't do it on purpose. Seeing her still wearing her uniform and carrying a bag of files like that, her mind must be wandering all over the place right now.

"Ruri, you just got back now?" Hana spoke again when Ruri was really near. But because she still didn't answer, Hana decided she needed to just block her way.

"Um? Oh, Hana." Replied Ruri who finally raised her head. "You're already back?"

"Of course I am. It's past 11." She replied. "Where are you from?"

"Garden, of course. Where else?"

"Until this late? You don't usually come home later than Rei."

"You saw him?"Asked Ruri back. "I've been calling him all day, but his phone seemed to be dead or something."

"That, mm, maybe he turned it off to avoid my calls too…" Hana suddenly answered with a bitter tone. "But why are you looking for him too? Do you need something? What files are those anyway?"

"...Nothing. You won't understand anyway."

Looking somehow angry, Hana pulled Ruri's hand and just kidnapped her inside her room. "You haven't eaten yet have you? I still have some fried chicken." She said.

Ruri pursed her lips uncomfortably, but the whole universe knows she couldn't stop Hana at that point. Rei and Fio might just burn her hand if they really didn't want to. But Ruri is not a devil like them.

So rather than fight back, Ruri just followed her along and sat quietly while reading back her files when Hana was warming up her food.

"Those are files for magic potions, right?" Said Hana who finally recognized it. "Are you making some difficult potions?"

"Something like that? More like I was still looking for the recipe."

"A potion for what?"

"A potion for a kid who can see magical energy. You know, it smokes her vision." Ruri replied. "I gave her a breaker potion earlier, but it didn't work because she couldn't even use any magic in the first place."

Stopping her hand, Hana turned her head completely. "Student with magic problem? Wait, did you go to Hazel's division today?" Asked Hana and Ruri nodded. "Did you meet her then? The new member?"

"Right, Alisa. I didn't know you put a new member there." Replied Ruri. "Did Rei really allow that? I thought he didn't like that idea."

"..."

"...Or did he not?" Ruri asked again, but Hana still didn't answer her.

"Shit. You didn't even tell him??" Ruri said loudly. "He probably couldn't choke you. But at least he would want to do it."

"I mean, Hazel does need a new member, so…" Hana tried to reply. "And technically I gave her another option if she wanted to join another division. But she just coincidentally chose Hazel's!"

"Sure. Rei's gonna believe that."

Hana started to put on a bitter face again, but then Ruri realized something else again. "Wait, but if he didn't know, why did you fight with him today? That he even turned off his phone just to ignore your calls."

"We just, I don't know. I actually forgot." Hana said abruptly.

"You two really fight over anything, you know." Replied Ruri lightly. "Compared to Fio, I feel like Rei fights more often with you."

"You mean I'm more annoying than Fio?" Hana asked sadly.

"..." Slightly regretting her comment, Ruri fell silent for a moment. "I mean, you just care too much about everything." Ruri finally said again. "And strangely you always try to involve Rei for that."

Getting sadder, Hana put Ruri's food on the table with pouty lips. "I mean, he's the one who never cares about anything." She said whiningly, although Ruri just shrugged her shoulders and started eating--not noticing that Hana was actually still contemplating about saying something again.

She wasn't sure if she should ask her, but Hana finally did it anyway after letting Ruri chew a few bites. "So… What do you think about her?"

"Who?"

"Alisa."

"I don't know. She's nice. Why?" Ruri just answered lightly. But after she realize Hana looked a little too serious, she felt the need to repeat her question. "Why? Really?"

"Nothing! Just tell me what you think about her."

"Tell you what? I only met her for like an hour." Said Ruri. But Hana still looked at her desperately, so she tried to think again for a bit. "I told you, she's just nice. Cute too. Really cute, in fact."

"I already know that much. Something else." Demand Hana. "Something I can argue to Rei when he finds out about this later."

"...Shouldn't you've already prepared those things in advance?" Said Ruri suspiciously. "Like, why did you put her there in the first place? Don't tell me just because she's cute?"

"Of course not." Hana answered firmly. "I do have my reasons for picking her. But I just need some additions…"

"Hh…" Ruri sighed again. She couldn't actually think of anything. But when she saw her files, she suddenly remembered something.

"Well, she might be smart I guess. Attentive too." Ruri finally said. "I used a bit of my fire earlier, which was barely visible. Yet she noticed it somehow."

Processing that information, Hana thought for a bit. "I know, right? I noticed that too at the sensus last week." She replied agreeing. "She was sensitive enough to actually realize that we were analyzing her magic character."

"Okay. What else?" Asked Hana intriguingly.

Ruri chewed her chicken again to think. And after a few, she came up with another one. "She's… Careful? Or maybe more like, delicate?"

"Her magic?"

"No. Just her way of doing things." Answered Ruri. "She helped me a little with potion earlier, and her hand didn't tremble even one bit."

"Also, she barely made any noise, not even a drop sound." She added. "I remember that because Rei was like that too. Though he gives more creepy vibes to it."

"..."

"Done, right? Now let me eat in peace." Ruri said again.

But Hana suddenly muttered by herself. "...That's it."

"Hm?"

"That's it, Ruri! You're a genius!"

"I am, but… What're you talking about?"