"Whatchu doin', Taira-kun?"
"Gwah!! You scared me, Minamoto-san!! Please do not sneak up behind people like that..."
"Sorry-sorry; anyway, what are ya readin'?"
Beneath the veneer of regality, lied a surprisingly playful girl. That unfortunately made her pretty unpopular in the group - everyone is expected to grow up at this point; but I suppose her sheltered life as a well-off person leads to such mindsets.
I'm sure she'll mature eventually in this tumultuous environment.
"I'm reading encyclopedia. That has been... Always a hobby of mine."
"Hmm... I like reading too, you know?"
"Really? What books?"
"Fairytales!"
... I spoke too soon.
"Fairy... Tales...?"
"Oh! Not from our own bibliography - European kind! My grandma is from foreign lands, so she would often read me fairytales from overseas."
"Well, it's not like I *haven't* heard of them, but... Really? Aren't these things made for children?"
"No they're not!... Well, not fully - believe it or not."
Huh?
"Fairy tales originate from oral traditions and they were meant to be cautionary tales for adults. You know how "Little Red Riding Hood" was supposed to be a cautionary tale for women to be vary of predatory men? Here's that. They were then preserved and toned down for children, as that way they would learn the morals way earlier."
"Well, I see your point. Now, what's your favourite fairy tale?"
"W-Well!... It's less of a fairytale, moreso an actual children's story: it's a duology really. 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There'."
"..."
"H-Hey! Despite them being written by Lewis Caroll for his real Alice Lidell - it is still an interesting, almost rebellious read. It's a story without morals, and can be more described as journey through the odd land. And... Isn't how the real life is? Sometimes things that we go through aren't bound by morals we teach ourselves from them."
"Hm..."
"Come on, fairy tales are fun! Don't underestimate something just because they're made for a lower man. There's still profoundness being made."
"I suppose."
Still, we need to grow up.
This world won't be merciful to those who lag behind.