The garden had become much quieter.
Seia had stopped speaking in prophecies.
For now.
Which Ritsuka appreciated.
The third Tea Party member was enjoying her tea.
The guards remained at a respectful distance.
And Nagisa herself took another sip from her cup.
Then she looked at him.
"I have to say, your attendance at Trinity is rather ironic."
Ritsuka blinked.
"Ironic?"
Nagisa nodded.
"Your surname, of course."
Ritsuka immediately knew where this was going.
"...Morningstar."
Nagisa smiled.
"Indeed."
She poured tea into his cup.
The tea smelled surprisingly good.
"You're aware of the meaning?"
Ritsuka nodded.
"More or less."
Nagisa placed the teapot down.
"The Morningstar has been associated with many things throughout history."
"Stars."
"Correct."
"Morning."
"Also correct."
Nagisa smiled.
Then waited.
Ritsuka sighed.
"And Lucifer."
Nagisa looked pleased.
"Lucifer."
The third Tea Party member immediately looked uncomfortable.
Seia looked interested.
Which was somehow worse.
Nagisa folded her hands.
"Imagine my surprise when Trinity receives a transfer student named Ritsuka Regulus Morning Star."
Ritsuka took a sip of tea.
"It sounds worse when you say the whole thing."
"It truly does."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
The conversation remained completely polite.
Which somehow made it funnier.
Nagisa continued.
"Then we discovered you were Sensei's son."
"That part usually helps."
"Usually."
Ritsuka narrowed his eyes.
"Usually?"
Nagisa hid a smile behind her teacup.
"Trinity is a religious academy."
"Yes, I noticed."
"The churches gave it away?"
"The giant angel statues."
"Fair."
Nagisa set her cup down.
"So imagine explaining to some students that Sensei's son is named after the Morning Star."
Ritsuka stared.
"...How bad was it?"
Nagisa immediately answered.
"Hanako thought it was hilarious."
"Of course she did."
"Koharu nearly had a breakdown."
"Of course she did."
"The theology club has been arguing for two days."
Ritsuka put his cup down.
"What?"
"The theology club."
"What are they arguing about?"
Nagisa smiled.
"Whether your name is symbolic, ironic, prophetic, or coincidental."
Ritsuka buried his face in one hand.
"I hate this school."
"No you don't."
"No, I don't."
That earned a small laugh from Nagisa.
The third Tea Party member looked shocked.
Not because of the joke.
But because Nagisa almost never laughed that naturally during official meetings.
Seia quietly observed both of them.
Her expression remained unreadable.
Which usually meant she was thinking something dangerous.
Nagisa looked at Ritsuka.
"Personally, I find it amusing."
"Only amusing?"
"For now."
"That answer worries me."
"It should."
Ritsuka sighed.
Then pointed at her.
"You know, you're enjoying this far too much."
Nagisa smiled.
"Perhaps."
"That's a yes."
"Perhaps."
"That's still a yes."
Nagisa took another sip of tea.
Victory achieved.
Meanwhile Seia suddenly spoke.
"The Morning Star sits within the garden."
Everyone froze.
Nagisa closed her eyes.
The third Tea Party member closed her eyes.
Ritsuka closed his eyes.
Seia continued.
"The fox watches."
"No."
"The bird watches."
"No."
"The queen watches."
Nagisa immediately pointed at Seia.
"Do not start."
Seia looked innocent.
"I said nothing."
"You absolutely said something."
Ritsuka nodded.
"She definitely said something."
For the first time all meeting...
Nagisa and Ritsuka were in complete agreement.
And Seia looked entirely too pleased about it.
Nagisa set her teacup down.
"But I do have to ask something."
Ritsuka looked up.
"What is it?"
Nagisa folded her hands neatly on the table.
"What is Sensei's full name?"
Ritsuka blinked.
Then looked around the table.
"You don't know?"
Nagisa shook her head.
The others did the same.
Ritsuka stared for a moment.
Then realized they were serious.
"Wait. Nobody knows?"
"Not his full name."
"We know Sensei."
"We know his reputation."
"We know his achievements."
Nagisa tilted her head.
"But not his full name."
Ritsuka suddenly remembered that most of Kivotos barely knew anything about his father outside of "Sensei."
That was actually kind of weird now that he thought about it.
"Oh."
He leaned back slightly.
"Alexander Orion Morning Star."
The table went quiet.
Nagisa blinked.
"Alexander?"
"Yeah."
The name sounded completely normal to him.
To the Trinity students?
Not so much.
Ritsuka shrugged.
"I'm half Japanese and half American."
Nagisa nodded.
"That explains the Alexander part."
"Usually does."
The third Tea Party member looked thoughtful.
"It does fit him."
Ritsuka snorted.
"Really?"
"Surprisingly."
"Most people say he looks more like an Orion."
Nagisa paused.
Then looked at him.
"An Orion?"
Ritsuka immediately realized how strange that sentence sounded.
"Family thing."
Nagisa waited.
Ritsuka sighed.
"My father's side likes star names."
"Star names?"
"Middle names specifically."
Nagisa thought for a moment.
"Orion."
"Yes."
"Regulus."
"Yes."
"Morning Star."
"Yes."
Nagisa slowly nodded.
"I see."
"No you don't."
"No, I don't."
That got another laugh out of her.
Seia suddenly spoke.
"The hunter."
Everyone turned toward her.
Seia was looking at the sky again.
"The king."
She looked at Ritsuka.
"The lion."
Then she looked somewhere else entirely.
"The star that guides."
Silence.
Nagisa sighed.
"There she goes again."
Ritsuka pointed.
"Does she come with subtitles?"
"No."
"Can we get subtitles?"
"No."
"Can we buy them?"
"No."
Seia looked genuinely confused.
"I am speaking clearly."
The entire table stared at her.
Nagisa took a sip of tea.
The third Tea Party member took a sip of tea.
Ritsuka took a sip of tea.
Nobody believed her.
Nagisa eventually set her cup down again.
"Still, it is interesting."
"What is?"
"The fact that your family keeps that tradition."
Ritsuka shrugged.
"It's been around for generations."
"That old?"
"Apparently."
Nagisa smiled.
"A family of stars."
Ritsuka nodded.
"A family of stars."
For a brief moment, the conversation became surprisingly normal.
No politics.
No prophecies.
No hidden meanings.
Just tea.
Then Seia spoke again.
"The stars gather."
Ritsuka immediately put his cup down.
"No."
Nagisa buried her face in her hand.
The third Tea Party member started laughing.
And Seia looked completely innocent. Which, by this point, was the most suspicious thing about her.
Once that was over, Ritsuka finally returned home.
The moment he opened the door, he was greeted by the familiar sight of Mika sprawled across the couch.
She looked up from her phone.
"You're back."
"Barely."
Mika immediately sat up.
"That bad?"
Ritsuka dropped onto the couch beside her.
"Interesting."
Mika narrowed her eyes.
"That's not a good sign."
"It never is."
Mika laughed.
"Fair."
One of her wings shifted slightly before wrapping around his shoulders.
The motion was casual.
Comfortable.
Like she'd done it a hundred times before.
"Want me to get you something to drink?"
Ritsuka leaned back.
"Yeah."
"Tea?"
He immediately pointed at her.
"No."
Mika blinked.
"No?"
"I have consumed enough tea today to qualify as a British citizen."
Mika burst out laughing.
"What happened?"
"Nagisa happened."
"Ah."
"Then Seia happened."
"Oh."
"Then Seia started talking."
"Oh no."
"Exactly."
Mika nearly fell off the couch laughing.
Ritsuka looked offended.
"You knew."
"Of course I knew."
"You sent me in there."
"Of course I did."
"You betrayed me."
Mika wiped a tear from her eye.
"It was funny."
"It was not."
"It was very funny."
Ritsuka groaned.
Mika eventually stood up.
"Fine."
She headed toward the kitchen.
"No tea."
"Thank you."
A few minutes later she returned with two cold drinks.
She handed one over before taking a seat beside him.
"So."
"So."
"What did Nagisa think?"
Ritsuka took a sip.
"I think she enjoys watching me suffer."
"That's normal."
"That's normal?"
"That's normal."
Ritsuka looked horrified.
Mika nodded confidently.
"Trinity politics."
"Your school scares me."
"My school scares me."
"Fair."
For a moment, both sat in comfortable silence.
The sun was beginning to set outside.
The apartment was quiet.
No streams.
No student councils.
No prophecies.
No exploding schools.
Just a peaceful evening.
Then Mika spoke.
"So."
Ritsuka immediately became suspicious.
"What?"
"Did Nagisa call you cute?"
Silence.
Ritsuka slowly lowered his drink.
"Mika."
"That's a yes."
"Mika."
"That's definitely a yes."
"Mika."
Mika was already laughing.
Ritsuka sighed.
Ritsuka looked at Mika.
"I learned one thing about both Gehenna and Trinity."
Mika leaned closer, both wings wrapping around him until he was practically trapped in a feathery cocoon.
"What's that?"
Ritsuka looked at her.
"Depends."
Mika raised an eyebrow.
"Depends on what?"
"Whether you'll like the answer."
Mika rolled her eyes.
"You're impossible."
Ritsuka smirked.
"And yet you're still here."
Mika stared at him for a second.
Then leaned in.
Ritsuka met her halfway.
Their kiss was brief.
Comfortable.
The kind that felt natural rather than dramatic.
When they pulled apart, Mika still had a small smile on her face.
"Depends on what you're about to say."
Ritsuka chuckled.
"They're the same."
Mika blinked.
Then blinked again.
"...Excuse me?"
"Gehenna and Trinity."
"No."
"They are."
"No."
"They are."
Mika pointed at him.
"One school worships order."
"And?"
"The other school worships chaos."
"And?"
"Those are literally opposites!"
Ritsuka shook his head.
"Nope."
Mika narrowed her eyes.
"Explain."
"Gehenna is honest."
"About?"
"Being insane."
Mika snorted.
"Fair."
"And Trinity pretends it isn't."
Mika immediately burst out laughing.
Ritsuka pointed.
"See?"
"That doesn't prove anything."
"Hanako."
"...Fair."
"Koharu."
"...Fair."
"Seia."
Mika buried her face in her hands.
"Okay, that's incredibly fair."
"And Nagisa runs political negotiations over tea."
Mika looked up.
"That's just Trinity."
"Exactly."
"That's not a defense of your argument."
"It is in my head."
Mika groaned.
"You spent one afternoon there."
"And I have evidence."
"You have anecdotes."
"I have Hanako."
"That's still not evidence."
"It is more evidence than I should have gotten in a single day."
Mika laughed so hard one of her wings twitched.
Ritsuka leaned back into the couch.
"Gehenna students say they're crazy."
"Because they are."
"Trinity students say they're civilized."
"They are."
"And then Hanako appears."
Mika immediately lost the argument.
Not because Ritsuka was right.
But because she couldn't stop laughing long enough to come up with a counterargument.
Eventually she rested her head against his shoulder.
"You know."
"Hm?"
"You're adapting to Kivotos surprisingly fast."
"I don't know if that's a compliment."
"It's not."
"Thought so."
The room fell quiet for a moment.
Comfortable.
Peaceful.
Then Mika looked up at him.
"So what's your final verdict?"
Ritsuka didn't even hesitate.
"Millennium is still the craziest."
Mika immediately nodded.
"Millennium is definitely the craziest."
"The science school nearly exploded."
"Twice."
"I was there for one day."
"It was a very long day."
And somehow, despite everything that had happened since arriving in Kivotos, this was the most normal part of Ritsuka's day.
Just sitting at home.
Arguing with Mika.
And realizing that Trinity and Gehenna might hate each other...
But they were a lot more alike than either side would ever admit.
The apartment settled into a comfortable silence.
For once, neither of them had somewhere to be.
No school.
No student councils.
No political meetings disguised as tea parties.
Just the two of them.
Mika was still leaning against him.
Ritsuka was beginning to suspect she simply enjoyed stealing his personal space.
Not that he minded.
Too much.
Mika suddenly spoke.
"You know."
"Hm?"
"You've been here less than a week."
"Yeah."
"You already know Hina."
"Somehow."
"You know Kanna."
"She's scary."
"Fair."
"You know Aru."
"She's trying her best."
"That's the nicest way I've ever heard someone describe Problem Solver 68."
Ritsuka chuckled.
Mika continued.
"You've met Nagisa."
"Yes."
"You've met Seia."
"I survived."
"Barely."
"And apparently Mash knows you."
At that, Ritsuka paused.
Mika immediately noticed.
"Oh?"
"Oh?"
"That sounded important."
"It wasn't."
"It was."
"It wasn't."
Mika narrowed her eyes.
"You got that look."
"What look?"
"The look."
"That doesn't explain anything."
"The look you get when you're about to lie."
Ritsuka looked away.
Mika immediately pointed.
"See!"
"I didn't even say anything!"
"You looked away!"
"That proves nothing!"
"It proves everything!"
Ritsuka sighed.
"Mash was just a friend."
Mika stared.
Then stared harder.
Then somehow stared even harder.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Mika."
"You fought a gang for her."
"I fought a gang because they were bothering students."
"There it is."
"There what is?"
"The hero complex."
Ritsuka groaned.
Mika laughed.
"You really are Sensei's son."
"I don't know if that's a compliment anymore."
"It is."
"Sometimes."
Mika smiled.
Then her phone vibrated.
She glanced at it.
Immediately sat up.
"Oh."
Ritsuka noticed.
"What?"
Mika looked at the message.
Then at him.
Then back at the message.
"Mika."
"Oh this is funny."
"Mika."
"Oh this is really funny."
Ritsuka already knew he wasn't going to like this.
"What happened?"
Mika turned the phone around.
The sender was Nagisa.
Ritsuka's soul immediately left his body.
"What did she say?"
Mika read it aloud.
"'How close is Mr. Morning Star to Miss Kyrielight?'"
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Ritsuka slowly covered his face.
"Mika."
"Yes?"
"Do not answer that."
Mika was already typing.
"Mika."
"It's too late."
"Mika."
"Way too late."
"Mika."
The message sent.
Ritsuka stared at the ceiling.
"I understand now."
"Understand what?"
"Why Gehenna and Trinity keep fighting."
Mika blinked.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
Ritsuka pointed at her phone.
"Because you people are all terrible."
Mika laughed so hard she nearly dropped it.
A few seconds later another message arrived.
She looked at it.
Then immediately burst out laughing again.
Ritsuka groaned.
"What now?"
Mika showed him the screen.
Nagisa: "I see."
Nagisa: "Interesting."
Ritsuka looked horrified.
"No."
Mika was still laughing.
"Oh yes."
Somewhere in Trinity, Nagisa took another sip of tea.
And somewhere else entirely, Seia sneezed.
Then smiled.
"The board moves."
Nobody was around to hear her.
Which was probably for the best.
To be continue
Hope people like this Ch here and give me power stones and enjoy