Patchwork

Yui Sagara is more than a troublemaker; she's a petty criminal. Her mannerisms are vulgar, she's impulsive, and she has a habit of picking fights with her betters. She'd also proven herself to be an entirely lackluster student when she was held back in the prior year. To say that Takako had misgivings about her attendance would be an understatement. The few times the two had interacted had not gone, and Takako found the girl's presence, let alone sharing homeroom, to be an insult. She'd chosen her path and showed little intention to change despite the underserved opportunity she was given. And yet, the image of her in Takako's head doesn't quite seem to match with the girl scratching behind the ear of a certain pink fox.

This girl is more gentle than anything in her recollection, not just in her actions but in her appearance. Lipstick, blush, eyeliner, a pair of earrings; none of these fall in line with what she expects of the brutish delinquent who she can't even remember wearing the school's uniform properly.

"I see you've become acquainted with Seiko. She's picky about who she associates with."

Yui's eyes flick over to glance at Takako before she withdraws her hand and stands up from her crouched position. She thought the fox was suspiciously well-groomed, but she hadn't guessed that it belonged to her. The opinion she'd formed of Takako wasn't any more kind, and the princess didn't seem to have changed at all from their brief time together. She was like Hailey and the others, but in some ways worse. She'd made sure to tell Yui exactly what she thought of her, and even now, there seemed to be a hint of disappointment that her precious pet was being friendly with someone so far beneath it.

So, she doesn't think twice about walking away as fast as possible with only a grumble to acknowledge she'd been spoken to. She made it to her second year; it wasn't worth it to lose everything over someone like this. Someone who could probably have her thrown out and only didn't because someone like Yui wasn't worth that much of her time.

"We're not done speaking."

Takako grabs at Yui, but the white-haired girl whips around and swats her hand away. "What the hell do you want!?" She snaps. They both glare at each other, Yui cursing herself as something cold and heavy settles in her stomach. She knew from experience that things were about to get worse. Then, Takako's eyes soften, and she crosses her arms.

"I want to know if you have experience with pets. You were handling Seiko quite naturally, after all."

"...Yeah."

"As I thought. A cat, correct?"

Her gaze travels to Yui's earrings. Following her eyes, Yui's hands shoot up to cover her ears. Of course, she's the first to notice. It felt a little good to have someone notice, but her dread only grows. Takako hadn't commented on how they looked — she hadn't said anything about the delinquent's appearance so far — yet Yui couldn't shake the feeling that the girl only noticed because of who was wearing them. Her lips curl into a snarl.

"What's it matter, huh!?"

She barks the words out like a challenge, and Takako's eyes narrow as she seems to consider meeting it. Words begin to take shape in her mind, ready to chastise Yui for still acting like a thug, but they don't make it past her lips. With a sigh, she turns her attention to Seiko and moves to embrace the fox. The proud creature feigns disinterest at first but lets out an approving squeal as it settles in its master's arms.

"It doesn't. You piqued my curiosity, but I don't mean to waste your time with inane questions." Even if part of her did want to know how far this apparent change extended, there was a better way to find out and a way to solve another problem while doing so. Still carrying Seiko, Takako comes near to Yui again. "As I said, Seiko doesn't let anyone handle her. Yet, I cannot always be tending to her, and I won't trouble Granny. It would be convenient if you would play with her occasionally."

"Thought you weren't gonna ask stupid questions. Think I don't have better shit to do than look after your pet?" There's a tinge of annoyance in her voice. Thinking she'd jump at the chance to be her servant was almost just as bad. "And if you think you can buy me, forget it."

"I'm not going to beg, and neither will she — do you expect her to ask permission to visit you? I only want to ensure she's cared for when she does."

Yui grits her teeth as her nails dig into her palms. Everything about Takako and this situation gets under the delinquent's skin, from how she talks to how she looks at her. Now, she's telling her what's going to happen and expecting her to accept it. Worse than a servant, she's like a tool to be used as needed and forgotten about when not. Even so, there's a gentleness that creeps into Takako's voice when she speaks of her pet. As uncompromising as she is, worry for the fox manages to find its way to the surface of her icy exterior.

The delinquent takes a breath and lets the anger wash away. If it were her shopping around for someone to keep an eye on Ako, there was a list of numbers in her phone, and she was sure at least one of them would make time for her. But, for whatever reason, the same didn't seem to be true for the girl in front of her. She's apparently the only one Takako can depend on for this, and she was tired of letting the people who needed her down.

Her hand slips under Seiko's chin, and elated yips follow. "Fine. What do I need to know?"

It's subtle, but shock manifests within Takako. Her eyes widen slightly, and she almost wants to ask something to the effect of, "Really?" but instead begins to divulge information about Seiko's care as the fox and Yui continue to familiarize themselves with each other. Their compatibility didn't seem to be a fluke, and she isn't sure what that means.