"You say you saw a girl in my basement?" Ms. Hanagaki took a bite out of a Winnie the Pooh shaped cookie, scratching at her chin with contemplation. "Sometimes teens will swing by here as a dare, perhaps you saw one of them messing around here again." She took a look between the two girls and pushed the tray closer to them, but neither touched the container holding green tinted cookies.

"Random kids break into your house regularly?" Lucia asked.

"Quite often, yes." Another bite. "I've tried changing locks but they always find ways to break in anyhow. I've thought about investing in better methods for security such as an alarm system or cameras…but those just aren't in my budget, by the time I'd have enough saved up my hair would start to gray."

Sieglinde let a droplet of bitter fluid glide down her finger. She contemplated that possibility, just some dumb kids going to a cabin for fun after school, playing a prank on a whim…It's not too far fetched. But, is breaking into someone's private property really that much fun for older kids? Besides, Lin also saw that girl at school, it has to be someone from town…someone who may have recently moved here…someone close to their age, maybe even in the same grade.

"I can tell from your expression that you're not convinced, Neapolitan."

"Well…It's just…I've seen that girl before, I think. Near the school." Also from somewhere else, from another time. Sieglinde couldn't remember when that was exactly so she didn't mention that bit. It could really just be that her concussion was influencing her memory.

"Hmm…is that so…Well, we won't reach any conclusion just sitting around here and chatting about it. Let's focus on something more important right now."

"…More important than someone breaking in and having access to your basement?"

Yumeko finished eating the entire tray of cookies by herself, as the two girls were not feeling particularly hungry nor in the mood for sweets…especially ones that looked so old and moldy. She put the tray away and rummaged through the cupboards for something else. Lucia hoped it was not another treat that looked like it was produced before she was born.

Instead, their teacher brought over a large journal with a tricolor pattern. The journal had streaks of pale yellow, syrup brown and soft pink.

"I've noticed you two have not been interested in school, not just my classes but in general. You-" Yumeko pointed towards Lin, "-because you have a problem with being sociable, not just among your peers but also to your elders. As for you on the other hand-" Now she pointed towards Luc, "-You are plain and simple just not interested in the subjects taught at school. I've heard you're more artistically involved, a fan of theater?"

"Y- Yes." Lucia answered.

Yumeko opened up the book and flipped through the pages, showing how each page was blank. Although the journal was old, it seemed to have never been used. "From now on, for the rest of the year, I'd like you to fill out these pages with personal studies. This is the punishment I've decided on."

Sieglinde took the book, as her teacher had been dangling it in front of her face. "Personal studies…?"

"Every single page needs to be filled out by the end of the school year…Ah, of course it doesn't have to be words alone." She stood up and searched through the cupboards again. This time she picked out a digital camera that she dangled in front of Lucia. "You can use the printers at school if you don't have any at home."

A journal and a digital camera. Those were their punishments. This is what they've been stressing over for several days.

"I really don't understand." Lucia said while fiddling with the camera, it was also unused and covered with a ton of dust. "You're asking us to keep a diary together essentially?"

"Sort of, usually a diary isn't later read by someone else in order to grade it at the end."

"Wh- What?! This is gonna count for our grade?!"

"Yes, if you fail this punishment, then it doesn't matter how well you do on tests, you'll fail the year and be forced to repeat."

"You…You can't just do that!" Sieglinde argued.

"I can and I will, I'm your teacher." Yumeko argued back. "You didn't want to fill out one paper because you felt it was unfair, so I'm giving you a task that'll help you in the long run."

The two girls were livid, trying to somehow change the woman's mind. That it was ludicrous to give them such a specific and long punishment. That it was absolutely ridiculous to have them fail if they don't fill out every page of this very, very large journal…but nothing they could say would change Yumeko's mind.

Her mind is set on this, there's no ifs ands or buts in this world that could change anything now.

"…Will we still have to do good on actual tests to pass? Or like…can we only focus on this and-" Lucia began to ask with hope, but was quickly shot down.

"Of course you'll still have to study and keep up your regular grades as well."

"Dang it."

"Are we at least free to choose whatever we want to write about? Or do we have to do a bunch essays?" Sieglinde asked.

"Not at all. You can write about how you feel, what you've done that day…You can write about absolutely anything. Just don't forget, It is going to be seen by me later. Really all I expect from you is proper grammar and legible hand writing."

That was somewhat of a relief. They won't have to study or check for facts or anything, they legitimately could just use this as a shared diary. The only thing they have to keep in mind is to not be too comfortable with it as otherwise Ms. Hanagaki would know their deepest darkest secrets. The journal in total held about 300 pages. It was a lot, but as stated before they could also just fill the pages with pictures. So if there's ever a slow day or days where they don't want to write about anything, they could make a bunch of duo selfies for filler.

Sieglinde let out a sigh. "Fine, we'll do this."

"I know that. There was no room for refusal in the first place, Neapolitan."

"…"

"Now then, it's starting to get late. I'll drive you two home…Ah, before I forget, one last thing."

A shiver went down the girls' spines, Ms. Yumeko looked at them like how she usually would whenever she caught someone eating in class.

"Lucia, I'd like to talk with your mother sometime, but she hasn't been answering my calls. Could you ask her to come by?"