Chapter Text
Fauna thought she was excited for university. And she is! Don’t misconstrue it; the young lady is absolutely thrilled to be entering the first stage of her adult life. The chance to leave her home and see what’s been hidden away from her for so long? The chance to finally socialize with peers her age in an environment unweighed by abstract standards and implied expectations? The chance to be wholly and unapologetically herself without having to worry if she’s using the right cutlery, talking demurely, or laughing too loudly?
She’s thrilled. Ecstatic, even. Over the moon.
But as she looks across at her dear friend whose face is practically glued against the car window, Fauna begins to doubt that she’s as excited as her.
“Mumei?” Fauna calls her companion’s name with barely contained mirth. The brunette is almost vibrating in her seat, honey colored eyes scanning the street outside frantically. “Are you perhaps excited?”
Mumei doesn’t respond immediately, attention still glued to the world outside. A part of Fauna wants to suggest opening the window to let her friend get a better view, but the other part of her screams that it’s a terrible idea; knowing the brunette, there’s a non-zero chance that she would launch herself in her exhilaration. With a light huff, the green haired girl taps on her friend’s shoulder, finally breaking the girl from her stupor.
“Oh, sorry!” Mumei sheepishly apologizes, eyes darting between Fauna and the window. “I’m just so thrilled! We’re going to be on campus soon, and Kronii’s getting closer with each minute. I can barely contain myself!”
As if to accentuate her point, the brunette glues herself back to the window, finally having used the last of her self control. Fauna debates on reminding her friend that the chance of randomly seeing Kronii on the street during one of the busiest weeks of the school year was almost nil, but she refrains.
“You know, you’ve mentioned this ‘Kronii’ often when we were in the academy, but a part of me still wonders if she even exists,” Fauna jokes, though it was a half-hearted attempt at best.
She’s never actually met Kronii, but with how frequently Mumei had talked about her, Fauna felt like she didn’t need to. In fact, the green haired girl is almost sure that she could recite everything she knows about the stranger perfectly: tall, a bit roguish, long blue hair, wise beyond her years, an expert in the city.
(In the back of her mind, echoes of Mumei’s previous descriptions about how Kronii has “the most gorgeous blue eyes on the planet” and a voice that “sounded like the best parts of a cello” float around. She doesn’t really know what that last comment means, but she attributes it to the brunette’s deep infatuation with the girl.)
Fauna had first heard about the situation from her elder brother. He had regaled her with the gossip that was circling around their parents’ social sphere; the Nanashi heiress had been caught sneaking out of her house one evening, and as punishment, security was tightened to an extreme degree. All the wealthy socialites in the area had been talking about it for days, rumors and allegations spreading around like wildfire. It was only inevitable that the Ceres household would catch wind of it.
She didn’t believe it at first. Mumei, her best friend since childhood, sneaking out? And not telling her? Fauna had laughed the story off at first, dismissing it as one of her elder brother’s tall tales.
But as she walked into the academy the next day, it was quickly made apparent that it was the truth. For the first time since elementary school, Mumei had arrived on campus by car. If she wasn’t participating in extracurriculars or after school duties, she was forced to leave immediately and flocked by security. Hell, Fauna couldn’t even come by her house without asking the head maid for permission. The brunette was under lock and key, and it was all because of her escapade.
It was unusual. While Fauna was used to following and entertaining Mumei’s whims, she had never known the girl to act so brashly. The Nanashi name held significant weight; whatever the sole child did would reflect on her family. It was a double edged sword that the brunette carried carefully, always mindful of the damage it could potentially bring to herself and her parents if she ever acted poorly.
(“So why did you do it?” Fauna had questioned one day, her curiosity finally getting to her. The two were in a classroom after the school day, stuck with organizing handouts for some event that the green haired girl didn’t care for. Mumei looked at her in slight surprise, though it quickly changed into confusion as she processed her friend’s words. “Why did you sneak out?”
“Oh, you heard about it?” Mumei gave a half laugh. Fauna could feel her heart constrict with emotion. The brunette was usually chipper and energetic, a force to be reckoned with, indomitable and steadfast. Since her punishment, there was an obvious change in her demeanor; while Fauna wouldn’t say her friend was depressed, it was clear that the usual light in her had darkened a smidge.
“Surely you must have had a good reason?” Fauna chose her words carefully, mindful to not make it sound like she was scolding her friend. She figured Mumei had received enough of that already.
“Hmm, I wonder?” Mumei laughed as she stapled papers, though this one had a bit more soul than the previous.
“Was it worth it?”
The absence of sound from papers moving made Fauna look up.
For the first time in months, Mumei smiled genuinely, bright and full of glee.
“Absolutely.” The brunette looked away, turning to face the window, though it was clear that she was recalling a memory rather than peering at the scenery outside. “I met the most wonderful person, though I’m not sure if we’ll ever meet again.”
“Tell me about it.”)
“Do you think we’ll get to see her at orientation?” Mumei questions, breaking Fauna out of her recollections. “Imagine we end up in the same group! Or better yet, she lives right by us, and she’s only a walk away. We could hang out whenever we want to!”
“Mumei, the university is rather large. It’d be quite a feat if we manage to run into her on the first day of a three day long orientation,” Fauna patiently reminds her. “Not to mention, there’s five dorm buildings on campus.”
A pang of guilt strikes Fauna’s heart when she sees Mumei visibly deflate in her seat.
“I think I let the excitement get the best of me,” the brunette acquiesces. “But the thought is nice…”
It’s not that Fauna wanted her best friend to be unhappy, but she felt like she had a sense of duty to protect the girl. She knows that Mumei only chose Howard Lowell because it would increase her chances of meeting Kronii again; she knows that Mumei had spent a year relentlessly studying and playing the part of the perfect daughter to appease her parents; she knows, more than anyone else, that this was the brunette’s one chance to finally be free. It was an admirable dedication that Fauna couldn’t help but be proud of.
But.
Fauna didn’t trust Kronii one bit.
Was that so unfair of her to say? Mumei had only known the girl for a day and had subsequently spent the next year working herself to the bone in order to meet her again. The brunette had mentioned something about a “pinky promise”, claiming that if she didn’t uphold her end of it, Kronii would cut her finger off.
How barbaric, Fauna thinks to herself as Mumei continues to peer out the window. There was simply no possible way that Kronii was an average citizen. Her best friend was the Nanashi heiress; she was sheltered for the majority of her life and constantly surrounded by people who wanted to use her for clout and resources. While Fauna had a similar upbringing, it wasn’t as extreme as her friend’s.
For Mumei to be so swayed by a single individual (again, in only a day!) reeked of trouble. Kronii must be a swindler or something of the sort; that was the only logical conclusion that Fauna could come to. For one person to hold so much influence over her dear friend was almost unheard of, and Fauna would be damned if she let Mumei be taken advantage of.
For now, however, she let her mind focus on the upcoming day.
It’s not like they would meet Kronii anyways.
- -
Moving in wasn’t as bad as Kronii thought it would be. Her parents had helped her settle into the dorms (and cried embarrassingly loudly when it was time to go), her roommate (a short redhead named Baelz) was pretty cool, and there was no weird black mold that the movies and stories from the internet had warned her about. All in all, things were looking pretty good.
That said, she was still pretty nervous.
She lays on her bed, fiddling with the ring on her pinky finger as she stares at the ceiling. Baelz is in a similar position, the two idly passing time before their orientation begins.
“Got the jitters?” the redhead asks, lifting herself up to stare at her roommate.
Kronii sighs. “A bit. I’m dreading having to socialize with people for five hours today.”
A laugh reminiscent of a teakettle fills the air. “It won’t be that bad! ‘Sides, you’ll at least have me around. If anything, I can do most of the socializing, and you can stand there and look pretty.” Kronii huffs in amusement, already feeling slightly better. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask. Does that ring mean anything? We’ve been here for a week, and I haven’t seen you take it off besides to shower and sleep.”
“Oh, this?” The blue haired girl lifts her pinky in the air to showcase the piece of jewelry. It wasn’t the most extravagant ring, but it was one that Kronii had let herself splurge on: a slightly dull silver that was beginning to wear after a year, the band took form in an intricately carved feather. “It’s a reminder.”
“A reminder?”
“I made a promise last year to meet up with someone again.” Kronii admires the ring as she speaks, a distant look in her eye. “Around the same time, I promised myself that I would make it here no matter what. I got the ring to remind me of my goals.”
Baelz whistles, eyes beginning to squint with mischief. “So…it’s a promise ring?”
“...yes?” Kronii responds in confusion.
“You got yourself a girlfriend?” her roommate smirks, eyeing the metal band.
Kronii shoots up from bed, heat threatening to flood her face. “Wha— no! It’s a ring that has sentimental value to it!”
“Well yes, that’s what promise rings are,” Baelz guffaws as Kronii continues to sputter. Words seem to escape the blue haired girl as she tries (and fails) to explain the situation before she ultimately gives up, shooting a venomous glare at the redhead. “Alright, alright, I’ll stop. But you made it here, so I’m assuming that you’ve met up with this mysterious girl already?”
“No, actually,” Kronii laments as she flops back down to the bed. “I haven’t seen her since the day we met.”
“What?!” Baelz cries incredulously, hands gripping the railing of her bed. “A whole year of silence, and you’re still holding on to that promise?”
(“We’ll see each other again! We pinky promised!”)
“Yeah.” Sighing as she gets up, Kronii hops down from her bed, preparing to leave for the two’s orientation. Baelz mirrors her actions, scrambling down as fast as she can. “There’s circumstances behind why, but I have faith we’ll meet.”
She opens the door, waiting for Baelz to trail behind her. When she doesn’t hear the redhead follow, Kronii turns around, finding her roommate staring at her incredulously yet again.
“Dude,” Baelz begins, deathly serious. “This is how romcoms start. Are you sure you don’t like this girl?”
And once more, Kronii finds that words are incapable of leaving her mouth as the heat finally succeeds in crawling onto her face, a light blush adorning her ears and cheeks.
“Get the hell out of the room before I kill you,” she settles on saying, ignoring the way her roommate cackles on her way out.
“I didn’t hear you say no!” Baelz teases as she turns back to look at the taller girl. Kronii doesn’t grace her with a response, instead opting to kick the shorter girl as the two begin the trek to the designated orientation meetup.
Well, she already knows about the ring. She’ll figure the rest out without me saying anything, Kronii reasons with herself, ignoring the way her heart skips a beat at the thought.
- -
Orientation was every bit as tiring as Kronii thought it would be.
It wasn’t even just the socializing aspect that had Kronii drained (though it did play a big part). Her class schedule was already packed with the maximum number of units, leading to her having classes from 8am to 7pm three days a week. Upperclassmen, in a show of good grace, had repeatedly told the incoming freshman horror stories of campus life and how to avoid them (which Kronii was grateful for, but the stories definitely didn’t help with her rising nervousness).
Worse yet, the university itself was built on hills, making the walks from one building to another a torturous experience that had her mentally promising to utilize the campus gym membership.
(Though the hills did spark some joy in the skater who had wisely brought her board with her when she moved in.)
“I’m gonna die,” Kronii mournfully whispers in the air as she lies in the grass, covering her face with her arms. A new presence settles next to her, the sound of clothes rustling alerting her. With slight hope, the blue haired student uncovers her face, hoping to catch a peek of brown hair and honey eyes.
“Do you need someone to perform CPR on you?” the girl sitting next to her asks, a crooked grin on her face.
While she does have brown hair, it’s a few shades too dark with splotches of sandy blonde sprinkled in. Where Kronii had been hoping for a ponytail, the girl next to her has her hair tied up in messy pigtails. Sporting an orange and white windbreaker, jeans with holes at the knees (which Kronii knows is from falls rather than stylistic design), and sneakers with doodles scribbled on, the tired student already knows what the other girl is before she says anything.
“You skate?” Kronii asks, ignoring the question. She’s met with another crooked smile that’s all sharp teeth and unrestrained joy.
“Am I being stereotyped on the first day?” the girl laughs loudly. Kronii rolls her eyes but can’t find it in herself to be annoyed. “What gave it away? Don’t tell me it was the pants, it’ll hurt my feelings.”
“It was the pants.” The girl clutches at her chest dramatically, an exaggerated pain stricken look on her face. She falls next to Kronii, moaning in despair. “You don’t get those kinds of holes by design. Unless you’re really clumsy, chances are you just bomb most of your tricks.”
“I’m offended! Here I am, out of the goodness of my heart, offering you mouth to mouth, and you’re here insulting me. I’m wounded. Devastated. I’ll never recover.”
Sapphire eyes roll once more. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
The girl lays on her side, elbow on the ground and propped up as she uses her palm to support her face. “I can tell you think I ride a skateboard, so you’re half wrong.” At Kronii’s questioning look, pink eyes squint with glee as she shoots a peace sign. “If it has wheels, chances are I’ll know how to operate it. Judging by the way you know so much, I’ll take a gander and say you have a board.”
“Who the hell says ‘gander’?” Kronii replies with amusement.
“Gigi Murin, at your service.” She sits up, legs splayed open as she sticks her hand out for Kronii to take. “I noticed you during orientation and figured I’d shoot my shot.”
“Ouro Kronii.” The skater takes Gigi’s hand, giving it a firm shake.
“Unfortunately for you, she’s taken,” Baelz’s voice appears from behind, the redhead appearing moments later. “I’m Bae. And before you ask, no it’s not me. I’m the roommate.”
The three settle into easy conversation afterwards. Kronii was amazed at the way Gigi had managed to become comfortable so quickly, but there was something magnetic about the girl. Talking wasn’t as hard as the skater thought it would be: the three flowed from one topic to the next, finding out the energetic girl lived on their floor just a few doors down. Though Kronii never thought herself to be the social type (still doesn’t if she’s being completely honest), Baelz and Gigi make her think that maybe Kiara was right when she would scold her for not going out enough.
That being said, Kronii’s not actively participating in the conversation. She’ll throw in the occasional quip here and there, but she’s more than content to listen to the two talk. Her energy is still rather low from the long day they’ve had. The skater settles comfortably on the floor, backpack behind her head as a makeshift pillow, as she watches other orientation groups walk by.
She’s always enjoyed people watching. Seeing how other people interact with the world, guessing what conversations they may be having, and observing different reactions to the same situations was always interesting. Kiara had teased her about it during their shifts at the smoothie shop, but Kronii never paid it any mind; while she wasn’t too fond of interacting with others, there was some merit in seeing how people acted.
The orientation group that passes by her has the usual suspects: freshmen just like her who were a mixture of excitement, anxiousness, and boredom. Most are listening to the upperclassmen that guides them, but there’s one in particular that catches Kronii’s eye.
She’s stunning. Long, green hair that looks well maintained and neatly styled in a braid. A flowing white dress that’s fashionable yet perfectly suited for the hotter weather. Golden eyes that rival the sun’s intensity and happen to be staring directly at her in a harsh glare.
Wait, what?
Kronii rubs at her eyes. She blinks once, twice, and looks again. And yep, she’s totally glaring at me. Why is she glaring at me?
She watches as the green haired beauty whispers something to a companion next to her, a shorter brunette with her hair down. Kronii doesn’t pay it much mind, head still trying to wrap around the fact that a complete stranger was shooting daggers at her for no reason at all. In her silent confusion, the skater doesn’t notice Gigi and Baelz stop their conversation, the duo observing the passing group with her.
“Oo, someone caught your fancy?” Baelz teases, nudging Kronii with her shoulder.
“Is that chick glaring at you?” Gigi questions, pink eyes glued to the green haired student. The smallest of the trio sends an energetic wave, laughing brightly when the other woman crinkles her nose in distaste. “Oh yea, she definitely doesn’t like us.”
“Making enemies before the first day? Mighty impressive, Kro.”
“Bug off, I don’t even know who she is,” Kronii retaliates, sitting up to get a better view. “Besides, it looks like she’s pointing us out to her friend.”
Baelz puts a hand over her eyes, squinting. “You mean that brunette?”
“Yeah, the one that’s–”
Kronii never finishes her sentence as the wind is suddenly knocked out of her.
For the first time in over a year, honey colored eyes meet sapphire.
Baelz and Gigi look at her in confusion, noting the way their new friend has stiffened. The other girls release slight noises of surprise when Kronii bolts up, standing in place as she stares directly at the aforementioned brunette. The girl in question has the same shell shocked expression on her face, frozen in place and slowly being left behind from her group. Before the two can get out of their stupor, the green haired student tugs at her friend, urging her to catch up and leaving the trio on the field.
It’s with reluctance do the pair tear their gazes away.
Kronii flops back on the grass, heaving a heavy sigh.
“...mind telling us what that was about?” Baelz questions, amusement coloring her words.
The skater fidgets with her ring, eyes closed as she recalls her promise.
“I think…I wanna skate.”
- -
By the time Mumei runs back to the grassy area, Kronii is nowhere to be seen. She almost groans in frustration before stopping herself, recalling how her etiquette teacher reprimanded her that the action was “unladylike”. After a moment and remembering that said teacher was nowhere in sight, the brunette releases a loud noise of frustration as she stomps her foot.
“Mumei?” Fauna appears from behind, putting a hand on her friend’s shoulder. Honey colored eyes look at her with clear sadness, the shorter girl pouting. “What’s wrong?”
“She isn’t here anymore!” Mumei cries out, knocking her forehead on Fauna’s shoulder. The taller girl pats her back in consolation. “She was right here, and I missed her!”
“There, there. It’s alright.” Another whine, another slight bonk of a forehead. “If it’s bothering you that much, maybe we can walk around to try and find her? Surely it can’t be that hard if we’ve managed to spot her once.”
Mumei brightens at the suggestion, hurriedly grabbing Fauna’s hand to wander around the campus in search of a blue haired skater.
But unfortunately, it is that hard.
The sun slowly set in the sky as the two settled on a nearby bench on a hill overlooking the campus. The adventure had ultimately led to nothing; they frequented popular spots, went inside various buildings, hell, they even visited other dorms, all to be met with no results. The pair had almost scoured the entirety of their campus and had produced nothing to show for it. Frustration and despair rang clear on Mumei’s features, but the brunette had no choice but to accept the failure.
“There’s a chance we’ll see her another day,” Fauna attempts to console her again. Mumei only shrugs, demeanor glum as she sullenly kicks her feet.
“Maybe I was trying too hard,” Mumei comments as she rises. “Maybe the universe is telling me that I’m going to meet her when the time is right, or when the stars are aligned.”
“Perhaps so.”
The heiresses begin the descent, mindful of their steps as the hill steadily grows steeper. Idly, Mumei wonders if Kronii had brought her skateboard, thinking that the skater would enjoy the natural paths. She also wonders if the sound of wheels on the bumpy concrete is a figment of her imagination, a hallucination caused by her missing the skater, when the sound grows louder as frantic voices cry out behind them.
“Watch out!”
“Gigi, abort! Abort!”
Mumei and Fauna turn around, but it’s a moment too late. Coming towards them at dangerous speeds is a girl with messy pigtails on rollerskates, barreling down the hill much too fast to stop. Mumei freezes; her mind working faster than her body can, she can only watch as the shorter girl comes closer and closer, their impact almost sure to happen.
Only, it never does.
She’s tugged away by a strong arm, falling into a much larger body as the two almost topple onto the ground. Distantly, she hears the skater tumble and fall, landing on the grass with a groan. Peering to the side, she sees Fauna rush over to the other girl, frantically checking her for injuries as a redhead runs towards them with a harsh laugh and frantic apologies pouring from her mouth.
“Jesus, Gigi, you almost killed her,” Mumei’s savior reprimands, tightening her grip around the brunette for a moment. The voice is deep, a bit rough, and oh so familiar. The beating of Mumei’s heart accelerates, almost to a dizzying degree, as she remains still. “I told you that it was a bad idea.”
“Yeah, but it was a sick one!” Gigi yells back. The smaller girl winces as Fauna wipes her knees with a handkerchief, blood soaking through the cloth. As she tries to scurry away, insisting that she’s fine, Fauna politely smacks her lightly on the arm. Reluctantly, Gigi stays still.
“Doofus.” With a sigh, the taller woman separates herself from Mumei, holding her at a distance while still looking at her friend. “Sorry about her, she’s kind of an idiot. You okay?”
For the second time that day, honey meets sapphire.
Mumei sees the way Kronii loses her breath, the taller woman taking a sharp inhale at the sight of her. Sapphire eyes widen in surprise as the skater opens and closes her mouth, obviously wanting to say something but unsure of exactly what to say. A mixture of emotions filter through her face in rapid succession. After a moment, the taller woman closes her mouth after she huffs a breath, face settling on a small smile.
“We really have to stop meeting like this,” Kronii says softly, affection soaked in every word. Mumei almost wants to cry with the joy that floods her system.
“Hi Kronii.” The brunette takes a step forward, tugging on the skater’s arm.
“Hi Mumei,” Kronii replies, pulling the shorter girl back in for a fierce hug.
Mumei doesn’t know how long the two spend holding each other, but for however long it was, it wasn’t enough. A whole year spent in silence, hoping and waiting for the opportunity to meet again. A whole year spent fantasizing about how it would be like once the two saw each other, all the stories they would tell. A whole year plagued by doubts, never really knowing if they would see each other or if that was truly their one fateful meeting. A whole year spent holding onto a promise.
Maybe the stars were aligned.
“So…” a voice interrupts, the unidentified redhead coming into view. “Is this your girlfriend?”
Kronii hurriedly pushes Mumei away from her, face dusted a light pink as she glares at her friend. The brunette whines at the loss of contact, arms open once again and hands grabby as she beckons Kronii to come back into her arms. Sapphire eyes switch between the pouting heiress and her friend (who now sports a shit-eating grin) before hesitantly pulling Mumei back into her arms, chin resting on her head.
“She’s not my girlfriend, Bae,” Kronii finally responds, eyes icy. Though the impact of the glare is significantly weakened when Mumei nuzzles her face into the taller woman.
Bae eyes the two. “Right. Got it. But she is the girl who you wear the ring for, right?”
Mumei looks up at Kronii questioningly, but the taller woman only mumbles, “Don’t worry about it.”
“As touching as this reunion is,” Fauna interjects, coughing into her hand pointedly. “I do believe your friend requires some assistance in getting back to her dorm.” She motions towards Gigi, the shorter girl sending a toothy smile despite being bruised and slightly bloodied.
“Alright, let’s get you back home,” Kronii sighs as she disentangles herself from Mumei for the last time, preparing to carry the smallest of the group. Before she can let go fully, the brunette grabs her arm yet again, eyes pleading. “Yes, Mumei?”
“Your number. I need your number,” she responds with uncharacteristic determination, words fierce. “Give it now, please.”
After contacts are exchanged, the brunette watches as Kronii effortlessly heaves Gigi onto her back. Bae carries a skateboard and rollerskates with her as the trio prepare to set off, animated conversation between the three of them.
“Where are you guys heading?” Mumei rushes to catch up, standing close to Kronii’s side. Fauna hesitantly follows after, keeping a respectful distance from the other three.
“We all live in the ‘Lowell’ dorm,” Gigi responds, swinging her feet. Honey eyes widen in surprise as golden ones close in resignation.
“We do too!” Mumei shouts, excitement palpable as the group makes it down the hill.
“What a co-winky-dink,” Bae teases, nudging Fauna who clearly grimaces at the contact. “Maybe we’ll see each other more often than you guys think. Imagine if we live on the same floor.”
“The chances of that happening are astronomically low,” Fauna grits out.
The chances were low, but they weren’t zero.
Mumei could hardly believe her luck. She didn’t want to hold too much hope when they entered the elevator, all five of them going to the same floor. She didn’t want to be too excited when Kronii and Bae drop Gigi only three doors down from her and Fauna. But she couldn’t help but squeal the tiniest bit when she saw the duo return to their side, sharing confused looks as they stare at the names on the door next to them.
“There’s no fucking way,” Bae wheezes out, banging her fist on the wall.
“Why do I bother opening my mouth,” Fauna sighs, leaving to enter the shared room without another word. Bae returns to her respective suite, patting Kronii on the shoulder as she leaves the two alone.
“Neighbors, huh?” Kronii jests as looks at the “Mumei and Fauna” hanging right next to the “Kronii and Baelz” sign outside their doors. “How come I didn’t see you guys earlier this week?”
“We actually just moved in today,” Mumei replies easily, bouncing on the soles of her feet. “Father and mother had some urgent business to attend to, and they insisted on having me help them out. Learning the ropes for the family business and all.”
“Sounds rough.” Kronii leans against her door, sapphire eyes glued onto the brunette. “But I’m glad you’re here. Seems like I don’t have to cut off your pinky after all.”
Mumei giggles. “Ah, speaking of pinkies…” She gestures with her eyes towards Kronii’s hand, the silver of the ring glinting under the fluorescent lights. “You weren’t wearing that when we first met. Am I right to assume this has something to do with what Bae mentioned earlier?”
The cool facade that Kronii has slowly melts, the skater awkwardly scratching her cheek as she thinks about what to say. “Maybe. Maybe not.” At Mumei’s pointed look, she relents. “Okay, yeah. I started wearing it as a reminder of my promise to make it to this university. And…maybe as a reminder of my promise to you.”
“Hmm,” Mumei hums, a teasing lilt in the sound. She reaches for Kronii’s hand, grateful that the skater doesn’t retract as she expects the ring. With a slight nod, she lets it go, a smile playing on her lips. “I suppose since that promise has been fulfilled, you won’t be wearing it anymore?”
“Ah, I wouldn’t say that. I’ve actually grown kind of attached to it, so I don’t think I’ll be taking it off any time soon.”
“So you want a reminder of me everywhere you go?”
Kronii sputters, any form of coolness now fully dissipated. “I-–!” She takes a breath, rubbing her cheeks with her hand. “Were you always this forward? I seem to remember you being a bit more—”
“Hesitant?” Mumei asks as she takes a step forward, watching Kronii take a step back. “Clueless?” Another step forward, another back. “Naive?” Another step forward, but this time, Kronii’s backed against the wall. She stares at the shorter girl with uncertainty, face blooming into a brilliant pink. “A year is a long time, Kronii. I’ve had so much time to think about what I want.”
“And what is it?” Kronii asks, voice barely above a whisper. “What do you want?”
Honey eyes look at the skater up and down, a tantalizing smirk on the heiress’ face. She dares to take another half step towards the taller woman. Kronii holds her breath, eyes wide as Mumei’s face steadily grows closer.
“I wonder?” With that, Mumei backs away, a devilish smirk on her face. She doesn’t miss the way Kronii sighs in relief, laughing silently to herself. “Treat me kindly this time around too, Kronii.”
“With the way you get yourself in trouble, I don’t know if I have any other choice.”
The two open their respective doors, ready to settle in for the night.
“Good night, Kronii.”
“Good night, Mumei.”
Once inside her dorm, Mumei’s met with the sight of her best friend staring at her, green eyebrow quirked. “Was it everything you wanted?”
“And more,” she sighs dreamily. Suddenly, she straightens up, rushing out and frantically knocking on her neighbors’ door. Bae opens the door warily before calling out to Kronii, the taller woman coming to the entrance looking perplexed.
“Did you forget something Mumei?” she asks, not minding the sudden interruption.
Without a word, Mumei tugs on Kronii’s shirt, pulling her down as she leans up on the tips of her toes. She presses a quick kiss to the skater’s cheek, pulling back with slightly flushed cheeks and a bashful smile.
“I wanted to thank you for saving me again. Good night for real this time.”
She hurries to her dorm, closing the door behind her and pressing her back against it. She slides down, covering her face with her hands, as Fauna stares at her in confusion. From outside, she can hear a faint conversation between the other roommates.
“You sure she’s not your girlfriend?” Baelz’s muffled voice asks.
“Shut up. I’m going to bed.”
“Mumei?” Fauna asks, fanning her friend with her hands. “Are you alright?”
The heiress smiles, wide and bright. “I’ve never been better, actually.”