Nobody spoke for what felt like an eternity.
I watched Daichi's face cycle through several different emotions—surprise, understanding, and what looked like dawning horror as the implications hit him.
"Vice Captain... of Iron Crown," he said slowly, like he was testing how the words sounded. "The guild I'm joining tomorrow."
Yui winced. "Sorry. I should have mentioned that earlier."
"Your sister is Akira Sakui?" Rina asked, her strategic mind clearly working through connections. "The researcher who developed half the tactical coordination protocols we studied at the Academy?"
"That's her," Yui confirmed miserably. "Brilliant, respected, influential, and absolutely convinced that I'm going to get myself killed if I join any guild."
"But she doesn't tell you she's protecting you," Satoru observed with his usual directness. "She tells you you're not good enough."
"Because admitting she's protecting me would mean admitting the work is actually dangerous," Yui replied, years of frustration leaking into her voice. "This way, she can block my recruitment while maintaining that she's just being realistic about my capabilities."
Kenji leaned back in his chair, letting out a low whistle. "That explains everything. Every time you get close to recruitment..."
"Somehow there are always last-minute concerns about my readiness," Yui finished bitterly. "Coincidentally, these concerns usually surface right after guild leadership consults with Iron Crown about candidate evaluations."
"That's not a coincidence," Daichi said grimly. "That's systematic interference."
"And now you're going to be working directly under her," Yui added, looking at him with something that might have been sympathy. "Good luck with that. She's very... thorough about ensuring people meet her standards."
Daichi appeared to be having an existential crisis about his guild placement.
"Look," I said, leaning forward, "your sister might think she's protecting you, but she's basically sabotaging your entire future. That's not protection—that's control."
Yui's combative expression returned immediately. "Easy for you to say, Mr. 'I-Got-Conscripted-By-The-Weird-Guild.' At least you have a guild placement."
"A placement I didn't ask for with a captain who declared me a member without my consent," I shot back. "That's not exactly a normal career path either."
"At least it's a career path!"
"Both of you stop," Rina interrupted before we could start another full argument. "Yui, you're dealing with institutional barriers that have nothing to do with your actual qualifications. That's not your fault."
"Knowing that doesn't change anything," Yui said, slumping in her chair. "Every guild in the region respects Iron Crown's input on candidate evaluations. As long as my sister has influence, I'm never getting recruited through normal channels."
"What if," Mina said suddenly, her small voice cutting through the adult conversation, "your sister is scared?"
Everyone turned to look at her.
"Scared of what, sweetheart?" Yui asked gently.
"Of losing you," Mina said with seven-year-old wisdom. "Sometimes when people are really scared of losing someone they love, they do mean things to keep them safe. Even if it makes the person sad."
The table went quiet as everyone absorbed that observation.
"She's probably seen what guild work can do to people," Satoru added thoughtfully. "Vice Captains deal with casualty reports, mission failures, members who don't come home. That kind of exposure could make anyone overprotective."
"But that doesn't give her the right to destroy my dreams," Yui said, though her voice had lost some of its earlier anger.
"No," Rina agreed. "It doesn't. But understanding her motivations might help you figure out how to address the situation."
"Or how to work around it," I suggested. "There has to be some guild that operates outside Iron Crown's political influence."
Before Yui could respond, a shadow fell across our table.
"Excuse me," said a voice that made Yui go absolutely rigid. "I'm looking for someone, and I was told they might be in this area."
I looked up to see a woman in Iron Crown colors standing beside our table. She was probably in her mid-twenties, with the same brown hair as Yui but styled in a more severe arrangement. Her bearing radiated the kind of professional authority that came with high-ranking guild positions.
"Akira," Yui whispered, and I realized we were looking at the Vice Captain herself.
"Yui," Akira Sakui replied, her voice carefully neutral. "I've been looking for you. The Academy staff said you'd left the grounds."
"I was just... getting some air," Yui said, clearly struggling to maintain composure. "With some friends."
Akira's analytical gaze swept over our group, taking in details with the efficiency of someone trained to assess tactical situations. When her eyes reached Daichi, they paused.
"You're Daichi Yamamoto," she said. "Iron Crown's newest recruit."
"Yes, ma'am," Daichi replied, sitting up straighter despite himself.
"I look forward to working with you," Akira continued, then her attention returned to Yui. "We need to talk. About your future plans."
"I don't have any future plans," Yui said quietly. "As you've made very clear."
Something flickered across Akira's expression—too fast to identify, but it might have been pain.
"Yui—"
"Actually," Rina interrupted with the kind of polite firmness that somehow commanded attention, "we were just finishing our meal and heading back to the Academy. Yui was going to help us with some last-minute preparation activities."
It was a complete fabrication, but Rina delivered it with such conviction that even I almost believed it.
Akira studied Rina with new interest. "And you are?"
"Rina Matsuda. Silver Moon Guild recruitment." Rina's tone carried just enough professional respect to be polite without being deferent.
"Silver Moon," Akira repeated thoughtfully. "Strategic operations. They chose well."
She turned back to Yui, and I could see the internal struggle playing out across her face. Whatever she'd come here to say, the presence of witnesses was clearly complicating her plans.
"We'll talk later," she said finally. "At the Academy."
"I'll be there," Yui replied, though her voice suggested she'd rather be anywhere else.
As Akira walked away, Yui slumped forward like someone had just removed a heavy weight from her shoulders.
"That was her," she said unnecessarily. "My loving, protective sister."
"She looked..." Kenji paused, apparently searching for diplomatic phrasing.
"Intense," Satoru finished. "Very focused, very controlled."
"Very everything that I'm apparently not," Yui muttered.
"She also looked worried," Mina observed with the perceptiveness that never failed to surprise me. "Like she was scared about something."
"Probably scared I'm going to embarrass the family name by dying in some stupid training accident," Yui said bitterly.
"Or scared she's losing her little sister to a world she can't control," Rina suggested gently.
"Either way," I said, standing up, "we should probably get out of here before she decides to come back with backup."
"Backup?" Yui looked confused.
"Your sister strikes me as the type who doesn't give up easily," I explained. "If she wants to have a serious conversation with you, she's probably going to keep trying until she gets it."
"He's right," Rina agreed, already gathering her things. "We should head back to the Academy through a less direct route."
What followed was possibly the most ridiculous stealth mission in the history of guild candidate operations.
Rina led us through Mori Central's back streets with the precision of a military operation, while Satoru provided tactical commentary on optimal routes for avoiding detection. Kenji kept watch for Iron Crown colors, and Daichi looked increasingly concerned about his future working relationship with his new Vice Captain.
Yui, meanwhile, seemed caught between gratitude and disbelief that five people she'd met through a collision were now actively helping her avoid family confrontation.
"This is insane," she said as we ducked behind a market stall to avoid what Kenji swore was another Iron Crown uniform. "You barely know me, and you're treating this like some kind of rescue mission."
"That's what friends do," Mina said matter-of-factly. "They help each other when things get scary."
"Friends," Yui repeated, like she was testing the word. "I haven't had many of those."
"Wonder why," I muttered, earning a glare that had significantly less heat than usual.
"Because people are intimidated by my sister's position," she replied. "It's hard to make normal connections when everyone knows your family member outranks them."
"Well, our family members are a village librarian and an elder," I pointed out. "Pretty sure we don't outrank anyone."
"And my mountain kingdom family are all craftsmen and farmers," Daichi added. "No political influence whatsoever."
"My family runs a small trading business," Rina said. "Definitely no guild connections."
"Village blacksmith family," Kenji contributed.
Satoru was quiet for a moment. "My parents are dead," he said simply. "No political connections to worry about there."
The casual way he said it made the words hit even harder.
Yui looked around our group with something that might have been wonder. "None of you are worried about political complications from associating with me?"
"What complications?" I asked. "We're all going to different guilds anyway."
"Besides," Rina added with a small smile, "someone who's willing to sprint through city streets to make recruitment meetings probably has the kind of determination we can all respect."
By the time we made it back to the Academy grounds, the afternoon sun was setting and the reality of tomorrow's departures was starting to hit everyone.
"So," Yui said as we reached the dormitory buildings, "this is where we all go our separate ways."
"For now," Kenji corrected. "Guild members cross paths more often than you'd think. Especially when missions require inter-guild cooperation."
"Plus," I added, "if you ever figure out a way around your sister's recruitment blocking, you know where to find me. Broken Chain apparently takes anyone desperate enough to join them."
"That's a terrible recruitment pitch," Yui pointed out.
"But probably accurate," Daichi said with the first smile he'd managed since learning about his future working relationship.
"I'll write to everyone," Rina promised, pulling out what looked like a pre-prepared list of contact information. "Silver Moon has excellent communication networks. We can stay in touch even across guild assignments."
"I'd like that," Yui said quietly. "Today... this has been the first time in months that I've felt like maybe I can find a way to join a real guild somehow."
"You will," Mina said with absolute certainty. "Maybe not the way you planned, but you'll find a proper guild that recognizes your talent."
"A respectable one," Yui added firmly. "I'm not giving up on my standards just because my sister makes things difficult."
As we prepared to part ways for the evening—and possibly for months, depending on guild assignments—I found myself looking at Yui with something approaching understanding.
Whatever happened with her sister, whatever path her future took, she'd proven today that underneath all the combative energy and desperate determination was someone worth knowing.
Even if she did think I was an idiot who blocked pedestrian walkways.
"See you tomorrow morning?" she asked as we reached the point where paths diverged toward different dormitory sections.
"Guild pickup is early," I warned. "Broken Chain apparently doesn't believe in civilized departure times."
"I'll be there," she promised. "Someone should witness your conscription into the most dysfunctional organization in the region."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"Don't mention it. What are friends for?"
As I watched her walk toward the guest accommodations Rina had arranged, I realized that despite everything—the collision, the arguments, the family drama, the impossible sister situation—I was genuinely glad we'd met.
Tomorrow, I'd begin my new life as a member of Broken Chain Guild.
But tonight, I was content knowing that somewhere in this complicated world, I'd made a friend who understood what it felt like to fight for dreams that seemed just out of reach.
Even if she was probably going to keep arguing with me about everything for the foreseeable future.