Chapter Text
“Okay, I can… I can do this!” Imu hyped herself up, despite being incredibly nervous.
“I’m just… Making sure, that’s all! It’s fine! It’s totally okay for me to be stalking my two girlfriends! I’m just worried!” Imu repeated her reasoning over and over to try to convince herself that it really was okay.
“I mean, the past few months have been amazing, no one can argue with that! They’re always so loving to me and we always have so much fun! When I’m with Kuriko, when I’m with Kokomi, when I’m with both, whenever! It’s so perfect, I can barely believe it’s actually real, haha!” Imu forced a laugh.
“I’m just worried, that’s all! ‘Cause, ‘cause in the last two weeks, they’ve been acting weird! They’re cancelling last minute, they don’t have explanations for why they’re late, they’re going on a secret date today without telling me- But, but, it’s not that I’m worried about something dumb like them wanting to break up with me! We agreed any of us can totally go on dates without the third! I’m just, um,” Imu opened up a list on her phone.
“They could be hiding an illness, or they could be hiding something embarrassing thinking I’ll judge them, or they could be in debt, or they could be… hiding superpowers? Did I seriously write that down?” She quickly erased it.
“Anyway! It’s fine! They could have plenty of good reasons to be hiding stuff from me! I’m just making sure they’re okay!” Imu put her phone away and took a deep breath before exiting from the alley. After some searching, she quickly found Teruhashi and Kuriko.
They were walking hand in hand. Since it was the end of winter, it was still a little chilly, so they each dressed pretty warm. Kuriko’s plain beige coat complimented her pink hair, while Teruhashi was wearing a stylish oversized flannel jacket with a pink sweater underneath.
On the other hand, Imu didn’t want to stand out. Even though it hurt, she picked out the most generic outfit she could find in her closet. She ended up choosing something a little too light, so she was quietly rubbing her hands together to try to keep warm.
Imu tried to blend into the crowd as much as she could and started tailing them.
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Despite walking together in silence, Kuriko and Teruhashi never felt uncomfortable with each other. Maybe in the beginning of their relationship, sure. But Teruhashi learned how to read Kuriko without making her talk, and Kuriko learned how to talk to Teruhashi in a way that wasn’t exhausting. Both of them learned to enjoy the silence, knowing it wasn’t an awkward one, but a comfortable one. So they walked quietly together. Hand in hand, fingers interlaced.
“Hey, Kuriko~” Teruhashi broke the silence and turned to Kuriko with a smile.
“Yes, Kokomi?” Kuriko answered without turning to her.
“Think the people around us know we’re dating?” Teruhashi looked around at the large crowd. A lot of people were at the shopping district they went to, and as usual, many of them were staring at Teruhashi in awe.
“Probably not,” Kuriko answered simply. “It’s pretty normal for two girls to hold hands platonically.”
Teruhashi pouted. “That makes me a little sad. We love each other just like any other couple! But people won’t see that..”
“Personally, I prefer it this way. Otherwise I’d have to deal with death stares from just about everyone here.” Kuriko smiled. “Since, after all, everyone loves you, Kokomi.”
“Oh, shush!” Teruhashi laughed and playfully nudged Kuriko. “I’m sure everyone is way more jealous of me, since I get to be with you!”
“We both know that’s not true. Even if I am pretty, which is debatable, no one is anywhere near your level, Kokomi. I’ve seen your morning routine. Not everyone has the determination to go through all that every day.” Kuriko’s sincere tone caused Teruhashi to blush lightly.
“It’s not debatable! You’re super pretty! Take that back!” Teruhashi scolded Kuriko. “But, yeah. I’m proud of how I look. No use hiding anything from you, is there? Hehe!” Teruhashi giggled cheerfully.
“Speaking of which,” Kuriko lowered her voice. “You’ve noticed her, too, right?”
“Mhm. She’s not super subtle about it,” Teruhashi matched Kuriko’s volume.
“I suppose this means we have to end it today.” Kuriko sighed. “No more sneaking around.”
“But we still have no idea what to get for Imu’s birthday!” Teruhashi complained, frustrated.
“We’ve been searching for weeks. If we don’t find something today, we’re going to hurt her.” Kuriko tightened her grip on Teruhashi’s hand. “Come on, Kokomi. She’s even stalking us. We both know what that must be like for her.”
“Fine…” Teruhashi sighed. “So where do we start?”
“Let’s start somewhere weird. We can’t let her figure out we’re searching for a birthday gift.” Kuriko scanned her surroundings before landing on a target. “Pharmacy?”
“No way!” Teruhashi waved the idea off. “This is still a date, even if it’s to find a gift! I’m not gonna let you ruin it with some weird idea!” She pointed at the nearest fast food joint. ”Let’s just get some food! No way she’s gonna think we’re getting her a gift from a burger place.”
“I thought you didn’t like that kind of food.”
Teruhashi rolled her eyes as she pulled Kuriko into the store. “Stop teasing me! If I want to eat junk with my girlfriend, I can!”
Well, this isn’t my favorite kind of place to eat at, but that’s fine. Kuriko thought to herself while following Teruhashi to a booth. If Imu gets discouraged from following us, then it’s worth it.
Kuriko listened to Imu’s thoughts. She was watching them enter the store from within the crowd she was hiding in. Huh? They’re just eating? But if that’s all it is, then… Why would they hide it from me? Do they think I’ll judge them for eating unhealthy food? No, but we eat sweets together all the time… Maybe it’s because it’s fast food?
Imu waited a minute after they entered the shop, and then entered herself, as discreetly as possible. She sat down in the booth right next to them. I’ll listen to what they’re talking about… Just to make sure…
Good grief. Kuriko eyed Teruhashi, who gave her a knowing look. At least Kokomi seems to be aware that she’s here, too. Guess we’ll have to be secretive while we talk. Kuriko made her order of a cheeseburger and apple pie, while Teruhashi ordered a plate of chicken wings and a small salad. Kuriko looked at her, unimpressed. “That’s what you call junk food? It’s not even that unhealthy.”
“Gimme a break! I don’t have the appetite you do!” Teruhashi stuck her tongue out.
“Alright, alright.” Kuriko sipped on the water their waitress brought them. “What do you want to do after this, then?”
“Um…” Teruhashi thought for a bit. “Could we… maybe go to a toy shop? I lost my favorite stuffy, and I need help choosing a new one to replace it…”
“Fine by me.” Well, this is subtle enough, I suppose. “I need to go to an electronics store. There’s a couple things I need to get for my room.”
“Ah, and since we’ll be tired after all that walking around, why don’t we finish up at a tea house?” Teruhashi suggested, with a hint of pride at her quick thinking in her voice.
Kuriko couldn’t help but light up a bit at the mention of sweets. “Sounds like a plan.”
Imu listened to them intently. Are they really just… Running errands? What the heck? I don’t get it… None of that sounds like stuff they need to hide from me! Did they really just not want to tell me about their date? But, but why- Imu’s thought process was interrupted by a waiter approaching her. She realized she couldn’t talk out loud or else Kuriko and Teruhashi would hear her, so she just pointed at the things she wanted from the menu wordlessly.
Good. It seemed to have worked. She should stop following us now. Kuriko took another sip from her glass of water.
But once the waiter was gone, Imu continued. U-unless… What they’re hiding is so serious, they don’t want to talk about it in public… I guess I’ll just have to follow them the rest of the day! Just to, um, see if they go anywhere special or weird!
Kuriko sighed. Good grief…
The rest of their lunch passed by uneventfully. Kuriko and Teruhashi just ate and talked about random things, trying to enjoy the moment rather than stress over Imu. And Imu quickly gave up on listening to them through their chewing as well as her own. So she ate silently while thinking of possible things they could be hiding from her.
When they all finally left, Kuriko and Teruhashi resumed walking around hand in hand, while Imu resumed her previous stalking position (which didn’t allow her to hear anything).
On their way to the toy shop, they passed by a jewelry store. Kuriko pointed at it and said, “What about something from here?”
Teruhashi looked at the rings on display and turned pink before turning away. “I, um, don’t think I’m ready for that kind of commitment yet!”
Far behind them, Imu sighed in relief. At least they didn’t go to the jewelry store… I don’t know WHAT I would’ve thought if they did…
Kuriko rolled her eyes. That’s not what I meant, but nevermind. I suppose we have enough places to go already.
“Alright, here we are!” Kokomi exclaimed when they found the toy shop. While they entered, Imu stayed outside, realizing she couldn’t hide nearly as well inside as she did in the burger shop.
“So what ideas did you have?” Kuriko turned to Kokomi. “I’m not very good with this cutesy stuff.”
“That’s surprising, coming from a cutie!” Teruhashi said, playfully. But before Kuriko could react, Teruhashi quickly continued talking. “Imu likes cats, right?”
“I think so, yeah.”
“So, what if we get her a cat toy?”
Kuriko stared at her with a blank expression. “...Like… some colorful feathers on a stick?”
“No!” Teruhashi tried her best to look annoyed while stifling a laugh. “Like, a cute little furry kitty that she can snuggle with at night! Like…” Teruhashi looked through the shelf before picking a fuzzy toy kitten with light blue and purple fur. “This!”
“Looks a bit small for a joint gift. But if you want that to be your gift to her, that would probably work. I doubt she’d really believe such a cute gift came from me, anyway.” Not to mention the color. Everything about this screams that it came from Kokomi.
“Great! I’ll get her this, then!” Teruhashi beamed, satisfied. Upon seeing this, the cashier made a familiar sound and immediately offered a massive discount.
“I’m sure she’s going to love it.” I’m sure you think you’re being very subtle, Kokomi, hiding a different stuffy for me behind your back. Well, I’ll let you have the satisfaction.
Instead of wrapping it, they put the toy in a simple bag so Imu doesn’t suspect it being a gift. Then, they left the store and headed to the next one.
“What did you have in mind, Kuriko?” Teruhashi asked with a smile once they got to the store.
“I’m not sure. Sure, I could give her a new TV or something…”
“You could? Are you richer than I realized?” Teruhashi looked at Kuriko, surprised.
“...But that seems a bit impersonal,” Kuriko continued, ignoring Teruhashi. “I want to get her something that’s a good gift for her specifically, not just a good thing for anyone to have. And something that feels like it would come from me.”
“Those are pretty tough requirements…”
“And yet you fulfilled them with your gift. I won’t let you one-up me, Kokomi.”
Teruhashi chuckled. “How about this, then? It definitely looks like it would come from you!” She pointed at a Shoe-licker-kun.
“Absolutely not. I’d rather pretend that it stopped existing shortly after its invention.”
Kuriko walked around the store, only giving quick glances at most items before deciding they’re weren't good enough. Salesmen tried to approach them, but they were quickly shooed away by Teruhashi, knowing Kuriko didn't want to be disturbed.
“...Hey, what are these?” Kuriko stopped. She picked up a string of small light bulbs. When she turned them on, they started glowing a dim, light pink.
“They’re fairy lights! I have some at home!” Teruhashi happily explained. “You can use them to decorate your room! They give off a magical feel, don’t they?”
“They are pretty…” Kuriko continued looking at them, seemingly mesmerized. “Think they’d make for a good gift?”
“Hmm…” Teruhashi considered it. “Well, it’s a bit of a strange gift for a birthday, but I’m sure Imu would love them! They match your hair, so… It kinda feels like if they were in my room, they’d remind me of you, y’know?”
Kuriko sighed. “Well, it’s the best idea I got. I’ll take it.”
“Lovely! Imu’s gonna be so happy!” Teruhashi exclaimed. Thank god… She didn’t land on a gift that was way more expensive than mine…
I’m not that tactless, Kokomi. Kuriko paid for the strand of fairy lights before they exited the store. Well, Imu seems to still be waiting for us to go to a weird location, so I’d say this was a success. “Are we still going to the tea house?”
“Sure! I know a really good one nearby I know you’ll love!”
Kuriko looked up at the sky, seeing the darkening clouds above them. “...I hope it doesn’t rain.”
“It’s fine, let’s just sit inside! Besides, I brought an umbrella! Let’s just go!” Teruhashi excitedly pulled Kuriko by her hand.
After a minute of walking, they entered the tea house. The sugary smell coming from the kitchen made Kuriko smile. Imu was going to enter after them, but this tea house didn’t have booths, only regular tables. So she stayed outside, waiting, shaking slightly in the cold weather.
I’m worried about her, but… I can’t do anything. Maybe this will get her to stop following us. They sat down at a table by a window. “So, when are we going to give her the gifts?”
“The cherry blossoms are in full bloom, right? Let’s have a picnic sometime soon, we can give it to her then!” Teruhashi suggested happily.
“That does sound nice. We could bring sweets and eat under the trees…” The thought made Kuriko smile.
“Ah, if we’re already here, why don’t we buy her a cake? This place makes super good cakes! I think strawberry’s her favorite, so let’s get her strawberry shortcake!”
Kuriko nodded. “Good idea. Let’s split the cost and make that our joint gift.”
After ordering and getting the cake, tea and a heap of coffee jelly, Teruhashi sighed, satisfied. “I’m proud of us! We got really good gifts, and Imu probably doesn’t know anything!”
“Yeah. We did good. I hope Imu likes all of it.”
“She’s gonna love it, I guarantee it! I can hardly wait to give it to her!” Teruhashi happily took a bite of her own coffee jelly.
As they were eating, drops of water started hitting the window. More and more came down, the rain increasing in intensity.
Teruhashi looked outside. “Good thing we brought umbrellas, huh?”
“Yeah…” Kuriko looked worried.
“What is it? Did you forget yours? Don’t worry, I’ll walk you home~”
“No, it’s…” Kuriko pointed outside the window. “I think she forgot one.”
Teruhashi squinted at what Kuriko was pointing at. She could just barely make out a dark figure out in the rain, shivering, with no umbrella. She jumped up from her chair. “Oh my god, Imu! We have to help her!”
“But we can’t reveal that we know she’s there-”
“This is more important than that!” Teruhashi interrupted Kuriko. “Forget making things a surprise, we can’t just ignore her! She needs help right now!”
Kuriko thought for a moment, and then nodded and got up. “Let’s go.”
They quickly paid at the counter, put the cake in a box, took out their umbrellas and ran outside. “Imu!” Teruhashi shouted as they got closer.
“K-Kokomi?” Imu was shivering so much, she was stuttering. “W-w-what a c-coincidence-”
“Forget all that, just get under!” Teruhashi ran to Imu and hugged her tightly, warming her up and forcing her to be under her umbrella. Kuriko followed, walking slowly with her bags, careful not to get them wet.
“K-Kokomi… Kuriko…” Imu mumbled while she was buried in Teruhashi’s arms. “I-I’m sorry… I’m sorry for f-f-following you…”
“It’s okay, Imu… It’s okay…” Teruhashi stroked Imu’s hair.
Kuriko stood by as they were hugging. She smiled. “We knew the whole time. We just didn’t want to ruin the surprise.”
“S-Surprise?” Imu stopped hugging Teruhashi and looked at Kuriko, confused.
“Yeah!” Teruhashi gave Imu her umbrella and joined Kuriko under hers. “Happy birthday, Imu!”
“B-Birthday?” Imu blushed. “B-but my birthday isn’t for another few weeks…”
“Well, we wanted it to be a surprise, so we decided to shop for gifts early.” Kuriko explained as she pulled out the two gifts from the bag, giving Teruhashi the gift she picked out. “I’m sorry for being so secretive about it, but…” Kuriko gave Imu the bag of fairy lights with a soft smile. “Happy birthday, Imu.”
“Yeah, happy birthday!” Teruhashi excitedly gave Imu the stuffed kitten.
Imu was at a loss for words. She started tearing up. “T-thank you… So much… I love it… I love you… I’m sorry for thinking you’re hiding something from me…”
“Hehe, well, we’re sorry for being secretive about it!” Teruhashi giggled.
“You two are the best… I love you so much…” Imu smiled shakely.
“We love you too, Imu.” Kuriko smiled.
The throuple walked out of the shopping center hand in hand. While no one was looking, Kuriko quickly pointed at the sky and shot a small beam of energy, causing the clouds to clear.
“Wow, look!” Teruhashi pointed at the sky, where a colorful rainbow formed. Each of them was glad to be with the other two. All three looking at the beautiful sight together after a happy reunion made for a magical moment.
Imu laughed lightheartedly. “Could this moment be any more perfect?”
“Well… We do have this cake…” Kuriko took the cake box out of the bag. “And the cherry blossoms are in full bloom right now. It’s a little late, but I’m sure with Kokomi by our side, we won’t have any trouble finding a good spot.”
Teruhashi looked at Kuriko, surprised. “Really? Right now?”
Kuriko shrugged. “Sure, why not? If Imu wants to, that is.”
They both turned to Imu for her answer. Imu smiled from ear to ear, tears of happiness in her eyes.
“Of course!”