Tea, Cakes, and Purple Lies

"Oh, I noticed earlier, but don't you have the latest Maple yet?" April asked June, making the girl visibly uneasy.

"Huh, yeah…" she replied, before taking a bite of the purple cake April recommended to them.

"Again?! I understood you last time when you said there wasn't much difference between the Maple 13 and 14, and even forgave you when you didn't buy the 15, but the 16 is out, you know!"

"Huh?! Al-Already?!"

"I told you to follow the news! Even Helena has bought it already!"

"I haven't bought it," replied Helena. "My father wants me to switch to Maple, but I am—"

"Yeah, yeah, team Gynoid, yeah," cut April, making a dismissive hand move. "You are just like a peasant sometimes, you know? Why would you use Gynoid when Maple exists? Don't tell me you are secretly one of those leeches like that Io girl?"

"..."

"Don't be stupid," replied Helena, rising from her seat. "While I could have easily gotten a scholarship, I paid my fees in full just like you did. Also, why hide behind…"

The girl stopped, taking a deep breath.

"Never mind. I am leaving."

"You are going already? You didn't finish your cake!"

"I have to go to cram school now. You can eat the rest if you want. I am not really fond of your twisted sense of humor."

With those words, Helena left the shop, leaving her two friends behind her.

"Sigh Such a party pooper. She's too serious sometimes, don't you think, month sister?" asked April.

"Well, if she has to go, she has to go, right?" replied June, happy that the smartphone matter was dropped.

"What are you talking about?! Doesn't her friend come first?! If she wants to be a doctor that much, then she just has to ask her parents to find her a spot, that's it, right?"

"I… I am not sure if it works like that. Besides, she is doing that because of her father, isn't she? I am not sure he—"

"Damn."

June's heart dropped. Did she go too far? Maybe she should have only agreed and let it go?

Thankfully, it wasn't at her that the blonde-haired girl furrowed her eyebrows; it was at her phone.

"Big news, that Io girl survived. She is just in a coma."

"Huh… Isn't that… great though?" tried June. "That way, you don't end up being a murderer, right?"

The girl stared with cold eyes. "Oh, please, what nonsense are you going on about now? That girl merely tried to kill herself using the toilet on the third floor. I've got nothing to do with this, right?"

"... Right."

She leaned closer. "And even if I had anything to do with that, wouldn't you agree that I was merely getting rid of a parasite to humanity? I don't see agro-industrial structures getting sued for killing insects. Don't you agree?"

"W-Well, yes, but…"

April took June's hand, which made her shiver.

"Month sister, I get what you mean, you know? Even if a human is scum, their life is more valuable than insects. I get you, I get you," she said, nodding gravely. "But should we feel sad if scum decided—on their own mind you—to clean the world of their presence? I, for one, think we should actually be happy with such a development. What do you think, month sister?"

"... Yeah… it is fine if she dies on her own… Would make the economy a bit more… healthy."

A satisfied smile appeared on April's lips. She pulled her chair closer to June's and held her shoulders.

"You see, that's why I like you, month sister. Not only are we born in each other's corresponding months' names, but you always see things my way. You are even smarter than I—I would never have thought of tying a rock to her neck so that the school totally believes that she really tried to drown herself in that overflowing toilet."

She leaned even closer, enough to whisper into June's ear.

"I like that about you."

June shivered but didn't try to get away, trying not to upset April. Finally, the blonde girl let go of her and returned to her cake.

"Do you know what I don't like, month sister? False alarms. False joys and anything false."

She took a short pause before continuing.

"Do you know what this cake is called? It is called Purple Io." She pointed at the half-eaten cake. "See? The color is almost reminiscent of that leech's pink hair. A fitting cake to celebrate that thing's demise, don't you think?"

"... Yeah."

"Sigh But now I don't feel like celebrating anymore," replied April, slumping on the table. "Hey, won't you pay for all of us? I am feeling a bit down. Don't want to see my account go down too."

"E-Eh? Paying?"

What a moment to ask something like that. She didn't even have enough money to pay for a taxi home. But she couldn't say that to April; she couldn't let her know she was a penniless scholarship student just like that Io Atols she despised so much. She had to find an excuse.

Wait, didn't she talk about that Maple 16? Yes, she could use the need to buy it as an excuse!

"Huh… Well, I… I actually wanted to buy—"

"Just joking!" said April, laughing a little. "You should see your face! Did you see a ghost or something?!"

"Hahaha… ha… You… You got me there."

"Hey, what did you think? I am a woman of my word!"

"That is true!" replied June, her laugh more relaxed. She dodged a bullet here.

"Speaking of which, I looked into the company your mother works at and couldn't find any… May Thompson? That's her name, right?"

Again, June froze completely. April was scrolling on her screen, a list of employees from her mother's former company.

"See? There's nothing at 'M'. I checked 'T' too, just to be sure, but it seems she isn't there. Strange, right?"

She was still using her slightly childish and curious tone, but June's heart was beating out of her chest. What could she do? What could she say? She needed to say something, anything!

"Huh, maybe it's an… old list?" she asked.

"I don't think so. I asked for the most recent one," the girl replied.

"Then… maybe it is an error?"

"Don't think a serious company would make that kind of error, but…" She turned to June with a smile. "Yeah, it must be that!"

"Y-Yeah, well, you know, even the greatest companies make errors, you know?"

"Hm, yeah," replied April, getting up.

She slowly walked up until she stood right a few meters away from the door.

"But." Her voice lowered, "You haven't followed any trends lately. Even that nerd Helena is more trendy than you now."

"W-Well—"

"Buy that phone before Monday, will you? I wouldn't want my month sister to tarnish my reputation by acting like a poor leech."

April turned to June with a bright smile on her face.

"If you don't, then you have to treat us to the priciest cake on the menu, okay?! Anyway, see you Monday! Ah, don't worry, I already paid for everything!"

April waved happily, exiting the shop and leaving June sitting alone, three unfinished cakes in front of her.