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Mikan was surprised. No, no, that wasn't a strong enough word to describe how she was feeling. More like... shocked? Blown away? Flabbergasted? There were no words in the English language that could describe the level of confused and taken aback that she was at the moment.
To explain the situation, it was easier to start from the beginning.
That morning, Mikan had arrived at school as usual. She took her outdoor shoes off and opened her small locker to grab her indoor shoes when she noticed a small paper tucked inside. It was a small note, folded in half with her name on the outside. The 'i' even had a small heart as the dot... how cute. Her cheeks were already pink from receiving the note, but when she read the contents... she became bright red. Nothing could have prepared her for what was written.
hi. i don't know if this is creepy or weird or something, but whatever. i really really like you... a lot. but i don't think you could ever feel the same way about me. i need to tell you how i feel, it's burning my chest to just keep it a secret. i'll be waiting on the rooftop after club activities.
There was no signature, nothing at all to indicate who this could have been. And so, Mikan knew she had to go and meet whoever it was.
After school, Mikan had headed up to the roof and stood near the edge, leaning on the railing and looking out at the sky. The sun was beginning to set, the sky a beautiful array of pinks, yellows, and oranges. Mikan smiled softly, thinking to herself about how stunning it was.
The door to the roof creaked as it opened, filling Mikan's heart with anxiety as she turned to see who it was.
...HIyoko? What was she doing there?
Hiyoko made her way over to Mikan, fidgeting with her hands nervously and unable to make eye contact with Mikan, "Hey..." she greeted the taller girl, finally getting the guts to look her in the eyes.
"Hi." Mikan nodded slightly, "What are you doing here?"
"I..." Hiyoko took a deep breath, "I was the one who put the note in your locker. Mikan, I... I really like you. I know I'm always a terrible person to you. I call you names, put you down, and just make you feel like a horrible person. The truth is, I was scared. I didn't want you finding out my feelings because I didn't want you to hate me."
Mikan's cheeks heated up, blushing a dark shade of pink, "You... like me?"
Hiyoko nodded.
Mikan's mind went blank. How... was she meant to react? Her heart was beating wildly. What was this feeling?
Looking back down to the ground, Hiyoko had a frown on her face, "I knew this would happen. Now you think I'm gross because I'm a girl who likes another girl..."
No, no. That wasn't it at all. It didn't matter if Hiyoko liked a girl. What mattered was that she... she liked Mikan. She had feelings for the girl she pretended to hate. The truth was... Mikan had always like Hiyoko. She always admired how carefree and unworried she seems. She was never afraid to be herself, and that was why Mikan stuck around her despite the terrible names she was called.
Mikan took a step closer to Mikan and hugged her, arms wrapped tightly around her, "... I like you too Hiyoko.
Hiding her face in Mikan's chest, Hiyoko hugged Mikan tightly, not wanting to let go. She had been so scared of rejection, so scared that Mikan would hate her. But... Mikan liked her too. She felt tears prick her eyes, body shaking as she began to cry. She cried and cried for minutes that felt like hours, not wanting to let go of Mikan, afraid that if she did, she would lose her. She felt like a terrible person. She wanted to take back all the mean things she had said to Mikan. She just wanted to be able to hold her hand, to cling onto her and call her sweet pet names.
Mikan ran a hand through Hiyoko's hair, getting her to look up at her with tearful eyes. She knew that she needed to reassure the shorter girl that she wasn't upset, that she really did like Hiyoko. Words wouldn't be enough to express her feelings.
With a soft smile, Mikan leaned down and kissed Hiyoko.
Fireworks.