Chapter Text
An
Akito, Touya told me that Mizuki was staying over at your place
You should've told me too (⸅⸟⸄)(⸅⸟⸄)(⸅⸟⸄)(⸅⸟⸄)
It was late at night
An
I'm telling Dad about this (⸅⸟⸄) do you know how worried I was???
How is Mizuki doing rn btw?
Whar are you, 5?
Anyways, Ena took care of Akiyama.
So ask her if you want to know how Akiyama is doing
Though I bought some ion drinks and jelly for them.
An
How kind of you! (ᗒᗨᗕ)
Well, what are friends for. See you at school then.
🎨
"....Ena! Ena!"
A voice called her name, paired with a shake to her body. Ena's morning always began like this, someone pulling her up from the abyss. But today, something was off.
"Akito...?" Ena mumbled, still half-asleep. Did you always sound like that?
"No! It's me! Mizuki!"
The voice, deeper than usual, rough around the edges, sent a jolt through Ena’s half-awake brain.
Ena's eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the sight before her. Mizuki.
Their hair was slightly disheveled, their face tinted pink, and their lips parted as they looked at her with nervous urgency. But all Ena could focus on was their voice.
Your voice... Sleep-roughened, husky from the morning and from being sick. Mizuki sounded so cool and adorable at the same time, making Ena feel all sorts of emotions she couldn’t quite put into words.
"Mizuki, what time is it?" Ena asked, rubbing her eyes. The question slipped out instinctively, as it was the same one she asked Akito every morning.
"Uh.. 7:30." There was something in Mizuki’s tone, it was soft, affectionate, and completely unlike the usual gruff “Get up already” she got from Akito.
What she would give to replace Akito with Mizuki... Every 7 am Mizuki would come into Ena's room and wake her up. And she would give them morning kisses as a rewa-
Wait. 7:30?!
Ena's brows furrowed. “7:30…? Akito usually wakes me up at 7. Did he come over?”
Mizuki stiffened. “N-No! He didn’t. I think… I think he didn’t want to wake you up. Yeah.” They stuttered, avoiding her gaze.
That didn’t make any sense. Akito never skipped waking her up. But Ena let it slide, she was far too caught up on something else.
Mizuki looked so darn cute in the morning. Their hair was a mess, their face was still a bit flushed, and the way they were practically buried under the blankets, Ena could stare at Mizuki forever.
But then, Ena noticed somethnig else. Mizuki did look a little too pink. And Ena wasn’t talking about their hair.
A flicker of concern replaced Ena's previous thoughts. Are you still running a fever?
Without hesitation, she placed a hand against their forehead.
“Eep-!” Mizuki squeaked, stiffening under her touch.
"...Mizuki, I did this yesterday." Ena deadpanned.
Seriously, what was that reaction for?
Thankfully, their temperature was noticeably lower than before. That was a relief. Though she’d double-check with a thermometer later, it was clear Mizuki was doing way better.
“Mizuki, your fever seems to have gone down. Are you feeling better?” Ena asked, unable to hide the joy in her voice.
Mizuki blinked, as if just now noticing it too. “Now that you mention it… My throat feels less sore, and my head doesn’t feel as fuzzy anymore. It's not like I'm fully back to normal, but yeah I'm definitely feeling better!”
Ena couldn't help but smile. Mizuki was feeling better, and Ena did her best to make it happen.
Mizuki must have noticed her smile because suddenly, they smirked.
“Enanan’s Love-Love power killed all the germs, it seems~”
Ena’s brain short-circuited. Mizuki was back to their usual antics. The energy, the teasing—it was all back.
And Ena, for her part, was stunlocked.
"Hehe, It's just that you're so cute when you get flustered like this~" Mizuki giggled, clearly way too pleased with themselves.
"Well you're c-cute always!" Ena stammered back. It wasn't the best counterattack, but Mizuki turned red as a tomato.
Ena learned that day that Mizuki was a glass cannon. Something that she will never forget.
🎀
As Mizuki stepped out of Ena’s room, ready to start the day, they were stopped by a familiar voice.
"Akiyama-san?" It was Ena's mother.
Mizuki stiffened, they were horrified. And considering that Akito had busted them earlier, Mizuki braced for the worst. But thankfully, her expression was warm, not accusatory. Whatever she wanted to discuss, it wasn't about their relationship with her daughter.
At first, Mizuki was horrified, considering that Mizuki was just busted by Lil'Bro. Thankfully, what Ena's mother wanted to discuss wasn't Mizuki's relationship with their daughter.
"So, Akiyama-san, are you feeling better?"
"Ah, yes! Thanks to everyone."
She smiled. "Hehe, I’m glad I could help Ena’s friend."
Friend.
"I..." Mizuki hesitated. Their heart thumped. Should I tell her? Tell her that we-
Ena's mother tilted her head. The gesture was exactly the same as what Ena would do when she was waiting for someone to continue their words.
"I…" Mizuki swallowed. "I was wondering what was for breakfast… Sorry."
In the end, Mizuki decided to postpone it. Not that Mizuki wanted to run away, but they wanted to tie all loose ends before they could tell Ena's parents what Mizuki thought of their daughter.
Ena’s mother didn’t seem to mind. "Oh, I made some udon. It should be easy to digest."
Mizuki blinked. Even now, the kindness of this household caught them off guard. Not just Ena, not just Akito, but everyone here was so considerate.
"Ah, by the way, Akito asked me to give you this when you woke up." Ena’s mother handed Mizuki a plastic bag. Inside were ion drinks and a jelly pack, exactly the kind of thing someone recovering from a cold needed.
Mizuki stared at the contents.
"He actually went and bought these?" Ena scoffed. "How come I have to nag him a hundred times just to get him to buy anything for me?"
Mizuki chuckled, shaking their head. "You should be grateful he buys them for you in the end."
Mizuki could never get tired of the Shinonome siblings bickering with each other. It reminded them of her own sister, Yuuki, in that they were nothing like the two. Mizuki looked up to Yuuki, and Yuuki was always warm and kind towards Mizuki. Would their relationship be like the Shinonome siblings if their age gap was smaller?
They didn’t dwell on it for long. Soon, they sat down at the table with Ena and her mother, the aroma of the udon filling the air.
As Mizuki took a bite, they noticed something. It wasn’t too hot. Lukewarm. Just right.
Mizuki knew this wasn’t a coincidence. Ena’s mother had been considerate of their sensitive tongue. A small detail, but it made something in Mizuki’s chest tighten.
Mizuki had only been in this house for half a day at most, but it felt like they had lived here for years. It all made the lukewarm Udon taste very, very warm in a special way.
But Mizuki couldn't stay here forever. Each second they lingered was another chance of spreading their illness.
Thus, despite protests from Ena, it was decided that Mizuki would go to the hospital before noon, then back to their own house.
The time until then was filled with talking about the recent trends, what cafes they should go next, so on and so forth.
When the time came for Mizuki to head out, a part of them wasn't quite ready to leave yet.
As Mizuki adjusted their cardigan, a deep, unfamiliar voice spoke from behind.
"You’re Ena’s friend, correct?"
Mizuki nearly jumped. They turned to see a tall, distinguished man watching them with a calm yet piercing gaze. Ena’s father.
Mizuki had been to one of his exhibitions before, but this was the first time they were meeting the famous painter Shinonome Shinei in person. And instantly, Mizuki could feel it. An aura, a quiet dignity that set him apart from the average person.
"I-uh… N-Nice to meet you! My name is Akiyama Mizuki…" They fumbled through their introduction, unsure whether to bow, shake hands, or just stand there awkwardly. But from the look in Ena’s father’s eyes, it was clear that he already knew who they were.
"I hope you slept well," he said smoothly. "If it’s alright with you, I’ll drive you to the hospital."
Mizuki blinked. What?
"E-Eh… I…" They glanced at Ena for guidance, but before they could respond...
"Since when did you start offering rides?" Ena interjected, arms crossed.
Her father remained unfazed. "Since I heard why Akiyama-san was staying over. The hospital is on the way to my atelier anyway. If you're free, Ena, tag along. I could use some help organizing things."
"Hey! I'm not your maid or anything!" Ena protested, arms crossed.
Mizuki had heard that her relationship with her father had improved, but they knew some bitterness still lingered. After all, Ena had spent years resenting how he dismissed her passion for art.
"I was thinking of giving you some art lessons, but if you're busy, that’s fine."
Ena blinked, caught off guard. Mizuki was in shock as well. This guy was just bad at phrasing things, wasn’t he?
"Hah? F-Fine, I’ll tag along," she stammered, quickly looking away. "I don’t want to leave Mizuki alone with you anyway." Classic tsundere move.
Mizuki stifled a chuckle and politely thanked Ena’s father before following him to the car. Ena slid into the backseat beside Mizuki, and soon, the quiet hum of the engine filled the space.
As they pulled onto the road, the radio crackled to life, but the atmosphere was thick with an awkward silence.
Mizuki couldn't think of how to talk with Ena, a rare occasion, but considering that her father was right there, it couldn't be helped.
It was when Mizuki was resorting to counting prime numbers when Ena's father broke the silence.
"What do you think of Ena's paintings?" The older artist asked.
"H-Hey! Don't just ask them that out of the blue!" The younger artist protested.
Mizuki glanced at her. She looked uneasy. Mizuki understood why.
They thought back to all the times Ena had struggled with her art, how frustrated she had been when she failed to place in that competition, how hard she pushed herself when she rejoined her art class. How she never gave up despite that, Her dedication, her passion, it was something Mizuki had always admired.
At first, Mizuki hesitated. How was someone like them, who knew nothing about art, supposed to answer a famous painter like Shinonome Shinei? But when they opened their mouth, the words came easily.
"Um… I love them, to be honest," Mizuki admitted. "I don’t know much about technique, but when I look at her paintings, I can really feel what she’s trying to say. The pain, the warmth, the determination… all of it. She tries so hard when she draws, and you can see that in her work." A pause, then Mizuki continued.
"I admire her, a lot." Mizuki glanced at Ena. Her expression was unreadable.
Her father, for his part, simply muttered, "I see." He pressed down on the accelerator as they passed a green light, the cityscape blurring slightly around them.
"M-Mizuki just said all that, and all you have is ‘I see’?" Ena huffed, crossing her arms again.
Mizuki, honestly, was just relieved that Ena’s father didn’t press for more. But after a pause, he did continue.
"... I had my own struggles," he said. "There was a time when I felt like the world was against me. But looking back, I realize now that I wasn’t alone. There were people who supported me, even when I didn’t notice it at the time."
His voice was steady, calm, but there was a weight to his words, as if he were speaking from experience.
"An artist must face themselves. But having someone who supports you during that process, it's very imporatnt." He glanced briefly in the rearview mirror. "What I’m saying, Ena, is that you should take care of that person as well as you can."
"I-I knew that already!" Ena stammered, looking away. As for Mizuki, something about Ena’s father’s words hit close to home.
Just like Ena had supported them when they were stuck in the abyss, Mizuki wanted to be the one standing beside her. To be her support when she was struggling. They clenched their fists slightly, reaffirming that resolve.
Mizuki couldn’t see Ena’s father’s face from where they sat, but somehow… they had a feeling that the older artist was smiling.
The car ride didn’t last much longer. Before Mizuki knew it, they had arrived at the hospital.
As Mizuki unbuckled their seatbelt and turned to thank Ena’s father, Ena suddenly spoke up, stopping them just before they could leave.
"Mizuki..." Ena hesitated for a second before looking them in the eye. "Thanks. For earlier. For everything."
Mizuki felt warmth bloom in their chest. "Yeah, well, I was just saying what I was thinking."
Ena gave a small, lopsided smile. "That made me really happy, you know? Oh. Come visit me again when you’re feeling better."
"I will." Mizuki chuckled, then added softly, "Thank you for being by my side." Ena’s ears turned pink.
"Oh, and tell Lil’ Bro thanks for me," Mizuki added as they stepped out of the car. They finished fastening their mask before waving as the vehicle pulled away.
Mizuki hoped that the next time they visited the Shinonomes, it would be not as a sick friend, but as the lover of their daughter.