Chapter 1.1
"Where is it?" Kizuna burrowed through her belongings around her bedroom as she hastily threw things to the side as she tried looking for something among the mess. After a few moments, she had finally found her hairpin that her mother gave her last year on her birthday she slotted the flower hairpin into her bright pink hair that hung down to her shoulders.
Standing up she brushed down her white one-piece dress with black frills and ribbon that was tied under the collar of her dress. Realizing that she was late, she jumped on top of the edge of her bed rolling her black tights up her legs tying the tops of them with white string ribbons. Kizuna rushed down the stairs into her kitchen to see her mother cooking breakfast.
Her reddish-pink hair tied in a ponytail hanging down her back over the thin cream coloured sweater almost reaching her jeans, "Oh Kizuna, you're awake?" Kizuna's mother rathered surprised that her daughter had woken up all by herself considering she had to wake her up for many years.
"Hi, Mom..." Kizuna sitting down at the table only realized then that her father wasn't home "...where's dad?"
"He had a last-minute call to work" Kizuna's mother answered.
A cute look of shock appeared on Kizuna's face, "B-But he promised to be there today"
"I know dear, but you know how it is with his work..." she went back to her cooking "...after all he is an officer in the JSDF after all so he has certain responsibilities to uphold"
Kizuna sat there pouting to herself, "I know, but it still annoys me when he suddenly gets called into work like that"
Her mother laughed a bit as she noticed that the pancakes had just finished being cooked on the stove. With the morning sun shining through the blinders it lit up the adjoining living room and kitchen, the standard wooden table and chairs along with the white worktops of the kitchen made a nice blend to the two red sofas and the television attached to the wall.
"Here you go, dear, your favourite..." placing a plate of pancakes on the table before Kizuna "...pancakes, I think you'll need it considering that you're started at the Magical Knight Academy today" she finished with a kind smile.
"Thanks, Mom," Kizuna picked up a bottle of maple syrup squirting it over the pancakes "...that reminds me, what was it like for you on your first day?" she asked intrigued to find out more about her mother's time at the academy she'll soon be attending.
Her mother sat down opposite looking away rather embarrassed for a moment, "I may have...gotten into a fight on my first day if my memory serves me correctly"
Kizuna almost choked on her pancake, "W-What really?" she couldn't imagine her mother being a trouble maker at the academy she had only ever known her to be kind and sweet since growing up over the years.
"I must admit, I was quite the trouble maker when I was at the academy, but it was also because of that experience where I learned a few important lessons while growing up" her mother seemed to be rather proud of that despite all the other stuff. Kizuna looked up at the clock hanging on the wall only to realize she was running late to the opening ceremony.
"Oh no, I'm going to miss the train!" she quickly swallowed down the remainder of her pancakes also choking again she quickly drunk down her glass of juice before rushing off to the front door "Thanks for breakfast Mom!"
As she reached the front she slipped on her black school shoes, Kizuna almost rushed out the front door before her mother called out to her from behind. "Don't forget AHRA Case dear" she shouted.
Kizuna rushed back indoors still panicking about missing the train, she burrowed through the coats hanging atop the pegs to find a hard leather case hanging by its strap amongst the coats. Kizuna wrapped the strap around her chest diagonally pressing down between her petite breasts. "Thanks again, I'll see you later..." before she closed door she shouted out to her mother "...say Hi to Dad for me!"
"Okay Kizuna, have a good day!" Kizuna's mother replied.
Kizuna ran full speed to the train station it would take her some to reach the station, but when she did she glanced up at the overhanging clock saying 7:25 am. Seeing the time Kizuna squeezed her way through the morning crowd, I only five minutes before the train leaves! Kizuna thought as she continued panicking about missing the train.
Once she reached the platform for her train, she saw the guard checking for the sliding doors whether they were clear or not. Without thinking, she ran for the nearest set of doors stumbling over her feet she whelped while falling forward luckily missing the small gap between the train and the platform. Landing in a heap on the floor she groaned in pain as she hit her forehead against the floor leaving a bright red mark as she rubbed it gently.
"Are you okay?"
Kizuna looked up seeing another girl in the same academy uniform as herself, as she looked up she saw the girls' beautiful golden-brown hair styled in a braid and her kind emerald green eyes. The mysterious girl that Kizuna had never seen before held her hand out her expression generally concerned.
"Oh, yeah just being a bit clumsy..." Kizuna grabbed hold of the girls' hand the latter pulling her Kizuna up to her feet "...don't worry about it I'm fine" Kizuna laughed embarrassed by what had just happened.
"That's good..." the girl smiled, her cheeks suddenly blushed "...pardon me! I didn't introduce myself!" the girl bowed before Kizuna "I'm Aiko Hiyomoto"
"Kizuna Hiraoka" she too bowed the two stood up straight.
"Are you by any chance going to the Magical Knight Academy in Tokyo?" Aiko asked.
Kizuna nodded, "Yeah, I'm a freshman this year"
Aiko's eyes lit up with joy, "Same here, maybe we'll be in the same class as well!" without thinking, Aiko grabbed both of Kizuna's hands the latter blushing by the sudden action. Aiko only realized a few seconds later what she was doing, "Oh, S-Sorry I got a bit carried away" she giggled.
"No, it's fine, I'm sort of use to such things because of my mother" Kizuna explained.
Aiko smiled sweetly in response, she then looked around them spotting some empty seats on the train grabbing Kizuna's hand she pulled her along with her, the latter startled by the sudden tug on her arm and then being dragged across the train. The two of them sat down upon the new blue velvets covered seats, as she thought about it Kizuna remembered after the last Higanbana attack the authorities repaired and replaced many of the trains that had been damaged during the attack.
As she looked around at the grey ash flooring and stainless white walls her daydreaming was interrupted by Aiko. "Sorry about dragging you over here, in all honesty, I was sort of anxious to go to the academy by myself hoping I'd run into another student..." she smiled thinking on that moment "...and what do you know I run into you" she finished.
Kizuna's gaze drifted off centring on a booklet poking through the slits of Aiko's AHRA Case, "What's that?" she asked intrigued.
"Ah!" Aiko covered it up with her long-sleeved arms "It's nothing really!"
"Huh?" Kizuna responded perplexed "What's wrong?"
Aiko glanced at Kizuna a few times before sighing clearly embarrassed, "Well you already know about it..." she opened up her AHRA Case briefly pulling out a booklet "...I'm sort of a geek when it comes to Ume Knights" she timidly shows Kizuna only for the latter to realize then and there that it was, in fact, a magazine about Ume Knights.
Kizuna smiled cheerfully as if had just discovered something amazing, "Cool! I had no idea the new issue was already out!". This surprised Aiko expecting Kizuna to laugh at her for the unusual hobby that she had.
"I have to tell my Mom to get me the new issue" Kizuna muttered to herself as she taps her chin with her index finger.
"You don't find it weird?" Aiko asked hesitantly.
Kizuna looked at Aiko somewhat perplexed, "Why would I think that? To be honest, the only thing I ever cared about growing up was the Ume Knight's, after all, my Mom was one before she had me" she laughed embarrassingly.
"Your Mom used to be an Ume Knight?" Aiko intrigued.
Kizuna nodded, "Yeah, she'd always talk about the fun times she had at the Tokyo, Magical Knight Academy and the missions she used to go on..." her mind then wandered to her father for a moment "...my Dad would sometimes get a little jealous that the two of us had so much in common, but he was also really happy for the both of us" she finished feeling a little bit guilty that she and her father didn't have more in common, but she still loved him very much regardless.
"I would love to meet your Mom sometime..." Aiko looked very eager "...maybe she used to know some of the old Ace's from before!"
Kizuna laughed, "I'm sure she does"
Changing the subject Aiko lifted up the magazine, "Anyway, did you know that this month's edition has profiles on the finalists of the Sakura Blossom Tournament from spring?"
Kizuna couldn't help but look bewildered by such news, "Really?! You're so lucky to have that issue" she pouted slightly.
In response, Aiko smiled gently, "Then let's check it out together while we wait for the train to get to Tokyo?". Kizuna nodded vigorously agreeing with Aiko's proposal without another word the two of them opened up the magazine eagerly looking for information on the finalists of the Sakura Blossom Tournament considering the fact that all of them will be a freshman at every Japanese Magic Knight Academy in the country.