When Mizuki first came to our home, I didn't hate her.

I pitied her.

She was my age, but she was the exact opposite of me. Where Misao and I were dark-haired and dark-eyed, Mizuki shone like the sun. Even grief, confusion and dull mourning clothes that didn't fit quite right couldn't dampen her light.

Mizuki had lost her entire family when their chauffeur sent the car careening over the edge of a cliff. It was an accident, a terrible accident, one which ony Mizuki had survived. I believed that my father wasn't too happy with that, but it was only an instinct. Back then, I was just as young as Mizuki was, but not as naive. Never as naive.

So of course, I didn't know anything. Apparently.

I tapped my fork lightly against the table, knowing that my mother's hawk eyes had spotted me, and that she would swoop at any moment. But no, Misao was more important right now. She was happy at the moment, but not for long - talking about herself and her wonderful new catch "Katsuki-kun" was effective, but wouldn't last long.

My fork danced silver between my fingers as Mizuki poked her head through the kitchen door.

'Ohayo gozaimasu,' she said, smiling, 'Okaa-sama, Misao-san, Mio-san.'

No one turned as she greeted us all by name, but Mizuki remained unfazed. A real jewel - bright, hard and unreadable. Something about her made me want to shiver; that constant cheerfulness was not only annoying, but unnatural. It made me feel as if someone had just slapped me across the face.

You're jealous.

I set my fork down primly, loosening some of the tension in Mother's shoulders. Mizuki set down the delicate porcelain set and started to pour tea. Misao kept on talking as if Mizuki were air, or a servant. One day, this would all come back and stab us in the back. After all, Mizuki was a Hongo too, our dear cousin, and we were treating her as a real-life Cinderella.

'Excuse me,' I muttered, pushing my chair back. Mother pinned me with her eyes, but I countered with a malicious, thin slice of a smile and left the table.

That's right... that day...

It was the day that everything was set into motion.

***

At school, we had a new homeroom teacher, tall, young and a new topic of gossip. I swept the long curtain of my hair slightly out of my eyes, so I could take in the room. There was a bubble of space around me, even though students had desks there. Mizuki hadn't arrived yet, but she had a few chores and a long walk to school besides.

There it is again. A pang of guilt, tinged with the green of envy. Pity, much like that first day.

Mizuki rushed into the class, interrupting my train of thought. A practiced, well-worn frown slid into place on my face as she greeted, and was greeted by, a whole friendly chorus of voices. No matter who she was in the Hongo manor, Mizuki was queen in our school.

The new teacher caught our attention skillfully. On the chalkboard, in bold, confident , was the name Tachibana Katsuki. In my mind, I put Misao's Katsuki and this Katsuki together, then tossed the thought aside. Even if it was so, it was only coincidence.

Mizuki turned away from her friends, and our eyes locked briefly. Dark and light, good and evil.

I believe in fate now.

Nothing significant here, you think. I know you did - I can see it right there, in your eyes. They say eyes are windows to the soul, and I can read you as plain as the nose on your face. Eyes are like pictures; they are worth a thousand words.

In a way, you are right. Nothing much significant happened that day. But there's a reason why I always remembered it.

It was the day Mizuki and Katsuki first met.