Kayama Esumi: Art Archives

"I apologize for the wait. Here are the documents you requested."

With a heavy thud, a massive stack of papers was dropped onto the desk. Honme Kio’s face twisted at the unexpected volume, while Esumi let out an amused chuckle. Otaru Cheri, who had carried the heavy documents all the way from the Trinity Cathedral, had beads of sweat on her forehead. She caught her breath, having walked as fast as she could to deliver them.

"Thank you, Otaru. I didn't expect there to be this much, but you did a wonderful job bringing it all here. Good work."

"Not at all, Master. A bit of heavy lifting is nothing if it helps you."

Esumi offered her words of gratitude across the desk. Cheri smiled and bowed deeply to her master. Beside her, Kio stared suspiciously at the paperwork, turning to Esumi with a hesitant voice.

"Esumi-san. What on earth is this mind-boggling mountain of documents she just brought in?"

Esumi looked out the window toward the Trinity Cathedral in the distance.

"These are the archives containing records and information on every single piece of artwork preserved by the Trinity Cathedral over its long history."

"A compilation of everything up until now?! ...W-wait a moment. Esumi-san, do you actually understand how many years have passed since the Cathedral was built when you say that?"

"Of course. Considering that, we might actually be lucky it's only this much."

"This is not an amount we can finish in a single day!"

Kio raised her voice in sheer disbelief, which was entirely fair. While Cheri, being taller and sturdier than the other two, had carried it without much trouble, the sheer volume of information was daunting. Simply skimming through every single page would take an eternity. If they were to scatter these documents across the art room, they could easily cover every inch of the floor. It was no wonder Kio’s expression soured the moment she saw the pile.

"Master," Cheri added. "When I received these materials from the Sisterhood, I explained the situation to my friend, Wakaba Hinata. She was just as shocked as Kio. Hinata is only a first-year like us, but she is already famous among the Sisters as a workaholic. For someone like her to be astounded by the sheer volume means it is truly massive. Isn't it a bit impossible for just the three of us to verify all of this?"

"Even so, once the Art Club officially resumes its activities, we’ll be completely tied up with paperwork and reorganization. We won't have time to look through these archives then, and we certainly can't ask the new members to help with this..." Esumi explained.

"You say that, but what exactly do you want to achieve by requesting these documents from the Sisterhood in the first place, Esumi-san? I was only called here today to help with administrative work before the club restarts. I haven't heard a single detail about what the actual job entails," Kio grumbled, her wings fluttering with irritation.

Esumi offered a wry smile. "My apologies. I didn't explain it well enough." She then began to lay out the details.

"First, there are two main reasons we requested these past records from the Sisterhood. The first is that while the Art Club will be prioritizing requests from the Tea Party once we resume, it has also been decided that we will be accepting production requests from the Sisterhood."

"From the Sisterhood? That is quite surprising for an organization so focused on charity work," Kio remarked.

"The Cathedral has changed quite a bit recently due to structural repairs and renovations in the older sectors. It seems they want to encourage more students, not just devotees, to visit freely, so they decided to actively display works of art. Normally, they would purchase pieces from famous outside artists. However, once it was officially announced that I would be leading the Art Club as President, they requested that we take on the commissions instead. It will be a wonderful experience for the members, and since the Sisterhood is an organization that keeps its distance from politics, I figured we might as well accept."

"Ah, so that's how it is. It's true that commissioning and procuring artwork—which usually involves expensive transactions—is no simple task. On the other hand, if the pieces come from the Art Club led by you and us, it solves the issues of reputation, procurement, and even any troubleshooting. They certainly thought this through," Kio admitted, though she narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

"But what does that have to do with these archives?"

The moment Kio raised her question, Esumi held up two fingers, indicating she was about to explain the second reason. Kio crossed her arms with a sigh, while Cheri remained at attention, hands behind her back.

"While the Sisterhood engages in charity, they are fundamentally an organization deeply devoted to God. Even if we accept a request at their behest, we can't just make something safe and generic. We need to know what themes were used in the past, what emotions they wanted to evoke in people, and how the current Sisterhood is evolving compared to before. To understand their direction, I went out of my way to request this massive amount of reference material."

"I see! As expected of Master. Both the Cathedral and the Sisterhood have a very long history within Trinity, so shifts in ideology and activities are bound to happen. If we can grasp those trends and flows, we can instantly determine the theme whenever similar requests come up in the future," Cheri said proudly.

Kio sighed. "I heard you were Esumi-san's direct disciple, but you're more like an absolute agreement bot... Well, the explanation makes sense, even if it is simple." Still, facing a mountain of paperwork that could practically be called a landmark, Kio let out a deep, despairing sigh.

"Haa... Well, since it's decided, let's get to work. By the way, Cheri-san, did the Sisterhood give you any specific warnings regarding how to handle these materials?"

"No, nothing specific from the Sisterhood. If anything, they just told me to handle them with extreme care because some of the documents are incredibly old."

"Hmm... In that case, we must proceed with the utmost care and precision."

"Kio is right," Esumi agreed. "Even though we received special permission, these are confidential records held by the Sisterhood. We must keep them under strict management while we have them so nothing leaks to the outside. In fact, it might be best to have someone from the Sisterhood present to oversee it..."

"That is an excellent idea," Kio said. "Though we can't exactly ask an upperclassman Sister to come. Since the Art Club is restarting with a fresh leadership team, we should invite a Sister around our own age. We can use this opportunity to build a bond over time. Cheri-san, could we perhaps ask your friend, the Sister you mentioned earlier, to get involved right away?"

Cheri shook her head apologetically, shattering Kio's expectations.

"Hinata is currently overwhelmed with her own duties, so it would likely be impossible. She is in charge of inventory management at the Cathedral, so she doesn't have the luxury of visiting the Art Club. In fact, since you were the one who uniquely selected us first-years for the Vice-President roles, Master, perhaps you have someone in mind who would fit this situation?"

"Oh? Do you, Esumi-san?" Kio asked, her curious eyes turning toward Esumi.

Esumi let out a wry laugh. "Actually, I do... Though I didn't think I would ever see her again."

Kio knit her brows slightly at the mysterious remark, but she chose not to pry into Esumi's vast network or personal feelings. Shifting her focus, she replied, "Well then, please contact her right away."

1-2

"I never imagined I would see you again, Esumi-san. Has it been a few months since our last encounter, when I embarrassingly served as your art model for a sketch? I am glad to see you are well."

With a polite, deep bow, a beautiful voice offered the greeting. It belonged to Utazumi Sakurako, the promising young figure of the Sisterhood.

Welcoming her into the clubroom, Esumi gave a small nod. "It's been a while, Utazumi. Sorry for calling you out when you must be busy with the Cathedral renovations. These are vital documents I borrowed from the Sisterhood, so I wanted to be prepared just in case anything happens."

"I have already heard about your circumstances from the senior Sisters, Esumi-san. I understand these archives compiling the Cathedral's artwork are essential for your creative endeavors. If a novice Sister like me can be of any assistance, I would be delighted to lend a hand."

"I see... You don't have to be quite so enthusiastic, but you're as serious as always, aren't you?" Esumi remarked.

While thinking to herself that Sakurako was exactly the kind of intensely earnest character who frequently caused misunderstandings around her, Esumi spread out several documents on the desk. Sakurako looked at the displayed records and let out a sigh that was a mix of awe and slight intimidation.

"So these are the archives detailing every piece of artwork managed by the Trinity Cathedral... Incredible. I had no idea the Sisterhood possessed so many works."

"Even though your activities are based at the Cathedral, is this your first time seeing these archives, Utazumi?"

"Yes. My main responsibilities involve counseling students, cleaning the Cathedral, and handling administrative tasks for the Sisterhood. The back-end work like inventory management and preservation is handled by others. Furthermore, the records you have spread across the desk are from several decades ago. Normally, these are precious documents strictly prohibited from being taken outside. I had heard of their existence, but this is my first time seeing the actual pieces."

"Then we really do need to handle them with care."

Despite her words, to someone with Esumi's bottomless love for art, the pages before her were a treasure trove detailing undisclosed masterpieces. To an art geek like Esumi, this was practically a holy scripture. It was like unearthing an antique encyclopedia from the depths of an ancient library, revealing obsolete writing styles and text layouts. It was only natural for her blood to stir.

"By the way, what kind of punishment would the Sisterhood hand down if these documents were torn or lost?" Esumi asked.

"P-punishment?! Um... let me see. Honestly, the Sisterhood only recently became proactive about displaying and managing artwork, so clear rules regarding damages haven't been established yet. However, if these ancient documents were to be lost or damaged... I imagine you would have to make amends through financial restitution or extensive volunteer work."

"I see... Restitution. I wonder how much I can afford."

"A-are you planning your work under the assumption that you will be penalized?!"

As Sakurako began to panic, shifting anxiously in her chair, Esumi smiled. "It's a joke." It was a conversation rather bad for a novice Sister's heart.

"But it's true that we carried these out of the Cathedral with special permission. Utazumi, if you see any issues with my actions or how we handle the documents, please don't hesitate to call me out."

"I understand. Given the expectations from you and everyone else, and since I am here representing the Sisterhood, I will fulfill my duty flawlessly."

Sakurako offered a faint smile. Esumi could sense her determination from the flow of the conversation, but she silently noted that depending on who was looking, Sakurako's expression could easily invite unnecessary misunderstandings.

1-3

"Those two seem to get along rather well," Kio observed.

"It's a perfectly normal sight when it comes to Master. Is there a problem?" Cheri shot back defensively.

"Why are you always so angry with me...?" Kio sighed.

While Esumi and Sakurako continued their endless conversation, Cheri and Kio were already combing through the archives in a corner of the spacious art room, whispering to avoid being overheard.

"Setting that aside, that Sister is quite a celebrity. Her name comes up often among the Sanctus branch. Impeccable ability and popularity... they even say she's a future leader candidate for the Sisterhood. Esumi-san certainly has connections in unexpected places."

Kio had stacked numerous documents on a table normally reserved for art supplies. While carefully checking them one by one, her eyes frequently strayed toward Sakurako. Was it curiosity, or was she trying to determine if this person posed a threat as a potential adversary to the Sanctus branch? Cheri, working alongside her, shrugged at her behavior.

"Utazumi Sakurako. Despite being a first-year like us, she has already gathered immense popularity within the Sisterhood and possesses outstanding leadership qualities. However, rumors whisper that she is willing to manipulate others and use any means necessary to achieve her goals. Because of that, she is secretly flagged as a blacklist candidate by the Filias branch."

"A blacklist candidate... And yet you can stay so calm while someone with such rumors is talking so closely with Esumi-san?"

"Do you really think Master would be easily deceived by someone of that caliber?"

"I was a fool to ask you." Kio thought to herself with an exasperated expression that Cheri was the absolute definition of a rabid fan. This classmate of the same age harbored an almost religious devotion to Esumi. It was a wonder she could function as her primary disciple, and Kio was thoroughly amazed.

"Well, I wouldn't take those rumors about Sakurako-san at face value. Despite her appearance, she seems to be a serious, hardworking person who carries a heavy burden."

"How can you know that, Kio, when you only met her for the first time today?" Cheri questioned.

"Because of these eyes." Removing her monocle with the eyepatch attachment, Kio revealed her other eye to Cheri.

"Now that you mention it, you always hide your left eye, Kio. Is there a reason?"

"Since birth, the visual acuity in my left eye has been unusually high... or rather, how should I put it? When I look at a target with this left eye, I can perceive their aura."

"E-eh? Aura?"

As Cheri stared blankly in confusion, Kio put a hand to her mouth and laughed.

"That face... Fufu, how comical."

"Of course I'd look like this. Suddenly claiming you can see 'auras' makes no sense at all... Since when did you become a psychic, Kio?"

"Forgive me, that was a bit too brief an explanation. Let's see... to be more precise, I can see the target's emotions as colors."

Cheri glared at Kio with her arms crossed, looking even more confused and thoroughly unimpressed. She clearly thought she was being mocked. When a cool-headed beauty like Cheri took such a stance, it looked remarkably striking, but the memory of her blank stare was still fresh. Keeping her smile, Kio explained further.

"You are familiar with the term synesthesia, aren't you, Cheri-san?"

"Yes, vaguely... It's when a single stimulus automatically triggers a completely different sensory pathway, right?"

"Exactly. Some people perceive colors when reading words, or sense distinct shapes from smells and tastes. There are many types of synesthesia. In my case, this left eye acts as the trigger that activates it."

Cheri quietly exhaled as she stared at the girl's mismatched eyes. "Is that heterochromia caused by it too?"

"Well, it pleases me if you think of it that way. Truthfully, I don't know the full details myself... But looking with my right eye is perfectly normal. See? If I hide my left eye like this, I have no idea what emotions you are harboring right now."

Covering her left eye with the patch once more, Kio waved her hand playfully.

"Adapting to this ability was quite an ordeal. After all, the emotions of others are laid completely bare to me. Despite my appearance, I was a rather famous young lady back in my hometown. Eventually, I grew sick of constantly dealing with people who approached me while hiding their ulterior motives and hostility. They could fake their attitude, but they couldn't deceive this left eye. That's why I started using the eyepatch, to avoid exposing both eyes in public as much as possible."

"That sounds like a very exhausting way to live," Cheri remarked softly.

"You're quite right. But these eyes were born as a part of my body. If I simply rejected the ability, I could never live in harmony with myself. So, I spent a long time searching for something that could put this left eye to good use... Eventually, after living through meaningless days, I was invited to a party where I happened to lay eyes on a single statue."

Before she knew it, Cheri had completely lost track of Esumi and Sakurako's conversation across the room. She stared intently at Kio's face, listening to every word.

"The statue depicted a great historical figure who had achieved great merits in that district. It had a powerful, imposing pose, and the facial expression was incredibly stern. Yet, the color reflected in my left eye was yellow."

"Yellow... in art, that is the color signifying joy and ecstasy."

"Yes. Even though the expression was as fierce as if facing a mortal enemy, the color radiating from the sculpture was pure joy. At that moment, I realized what I wanted to do. I wanted to use these eyes to create works with my own hands that replicated the emotions dwelling within an object. You could say that was the moment I was born as a sculptor."

Kio gently stroked her eyepatch with her dominant hand. Cheri watched the gesture in silence.

"The rest of the story is exactly as I explained when we first met. I poured my passion into living as a sculptor, continuously creating pieces until I was taken in as the Sanctus branch's resident artist. Ironically, the Sanctus branch happens to attract many individuals with exceptional eyes. An eccentric like me wasn't unusual at all over there."

"That might be true for your side, but it's different for me... Does Master know about this?" Cheri asked.

"When she personally scouted me to become the Art Club's Vice-President, I told her everything. Come to think of it, Esumi-san accepted it quite readily."

"Did you take off your eyepatch then?"

"Yes. It was a request from Esumi-san, after all... Back then, her color was... Fufu, I wonder what color it was."

Kio clearly remembered it vividly, but she feigned ignorance to tease her classmate. Disappointed at being denied the answer, Cheri cast her gaze back down to the materials in front of her, acting as if she had lost all interest.

"Regardless, it's a relief to understand your bizarre mystery. I always thought that left eye of yours was rather eerie."

"You certainly don't mince words. I feel like I can guess your color even without using my left eye."

"I'm sure you can. It's almost certainly purple. My color, that is."

"My, what a coincidence. I was thinking the exact same thing."

For a brief second, the two exchanged looks and shared a knowing smile. They belonged to the rival Sanctus and Filias branches. Even if they were fellow artists refining their crafts under the Esumi they respected, there were boundaries they couldn't cross.

"By the way, regarding that left eye... next time Nagisa-sama and Master are together, please look at them and tell me what colors they radiate. Absolutely ensure you do."

"Cheri-san, my left eye is not a tool for your human observation hobbies."

"If you do, I will sell you high-grade stone materials obtained through my family's business at an absolute discount."

"Very well, we have a deal."

Despite their differences, it was undeniable that they shared a strange compatibility.

Incidentally, their little observation plot was discovered by Esumi immediately afterward and promptly banned.