Chapter 3: Jealousy
"Someone said they saw you out with one of the guards last night," Anetka told Kagemiya as the six of them walked out of school the next day. "Is that true?"
"It was after dark when my business at the castle was finished, so Dilan-san offered to walk me home," Kagemiya replied.
"Dilan walked you home last night?!" Miku exclaimed. "I'm so jealous!"
"Are you going there again today?" Lea asked.
"Yeah," Kagemiya said. "Why do you ask?"
"What have they got you doing?" She'd never told them.
"I look after Ienzo while everyone else is busy. Sometimes I clean."
"He is so lucky."
"I wouldn't call being an orphan lucky."
"Well no, but...oh, you know what I mean."
"I don't think we do," Myde teased.
"There you go again," Isa chided.
She was studying in the library with Ienzo when he asked, "Do you like school?"
"It's okay," she replied.
"What's it like?"
Kagemiya realized that Ienzo was home-schooled. "Well, there are about twenty-five of us to a classroom, and we have a different teacher for each area of study. Sometimes it's interesting but other times it isn't whether you're good at it or not."
"Are you good at it?"
"My grades are decent, but there's still a lot to learn." She wondered if Ienzo was as envious of them as Lea was of him. They continued studying into the early evening. Kagemiya didn't notice until Ienzo was falling asleep in his book. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's past your bedtime."
"Five more minutes," he mumbled.
"No, we'd better not."
"Can you carry me?"
Reluctantly, she carried him back to his room and put him to bed. She looked at him lying there peacefully, holding his teddy bear. "You really are cute, you know that?"
"My mom used to say that," he answered drowsily. "I really miss her and my dad."
"I know you do. I'm sorry. Everyone's doing their best for you."
"Yeah...I'm happy..." He yawned and drifted off to sleep. Smiling, she brushed his forelock out of his eyes.
Chapter 4: Last Day
As Xehanort settled in as Ansem's new apprentice, the work load was eased and Kagemiya wasn't needed as often to watch Ienzo. One day, Ienzo had a surprise for her. "Kage-san! Look!" He ran up to greet her excitedly.
"Wow, your collar is closed and you're wearing the same tie as Even-san and Ansem-sama."
"Yeah. I'm officially an apprentice now."
"That's great! Congratulations!" She knelt down so they could hug. Then she pushed his hair away from his eye but he quickly put it back.
"Why do you keep doing that?" he asked, annoyed. Just because he'd been falling asleep didn't mean he hadn't been conscious of her doing it before.
"Sometimes it's nice to see your whole face."
Ienzo blushed slightly at the compliment. "Your uniform's different too," he said, trying to change the subject.
"Yup. I'm in high school now."
"So it's different from the one you attended before?"
"Yes." Kagemiya continued to gaze at the boy in front of her, who looked like a miniature adult. "Oh, I'm so proud of you," she gushed. Ienzo looked down and was silent for a moment. "Is that weird for me to say?"
Ienzo looked back up at her and grinned. "No. I'm proud of you too. Good work."
Xehanort walked up behind him. "Ienzo, Even's going to start without you if you don't come back inside."
"Tell him to wait! I'll be right there!" Ienzo turned back to Kagemiya. "I wanted to see you one last time. That's why I asked you over, but I have to go now."
"I understand. You don't need a babysitter anymore. But you can still call me over anytime you want to see me as a friend like this, okay?" She extended her pinkie finger. "Promise?"
Ienzo hesitated before hooking his finger in hers. "Promise." They said their goodbyes and Ienzo ran back inside. Kagemiya waved before walking away.
Then she stopped hearing from them entirely...
...and soon after that, the whole world fell into darkness.
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