Archive of Our Own

Tsugumi glanced at the clock. 8:45. She still had a few more minutes before Sayo arrived. She sighed, setting down the bowls she had just finished hauling to the counter. Making breakfast together had sounded like a fun idea when she suggested it, but now that it was actually happening she just felt nervous. It didn't help that her phone wouldn't stop buzzing. The frequency of the texts indicated they were probably from the Afterglow group chat, but she still felt the need to check each time to make sure it wasn't Sayo cancelling, or arriving early, or anything else that would change her plans.

Finally tired of the constant vibrating, she picked up the phone and opened the group chat.

Tsugumi smiled and rolled her eyes slightly. Her friends were, at times, incredibly dramatic. But the familiarity of their banter eased her nerves somewhat. She began typing out a response.

Tsugumi put her phone down on the counter with slightly more force than was necessary. Her heart was thumping wildly. She knew her friends were just teasing her, but the fact that they saw through her so easily made her anxious. What if Sayo had realized her feelings too? What if she was weirded out and decided to cancel? What if she was with Roselia right now, telling them all about weirdo Tsugumi who tried to ask her on a breakfast date-

Her panicked thoughts were interrupted by the buzz of her phone. Singular buzz. That meant it was probably Sayo. Swallowing her nerves, she picked the phone back up.

Tsugumi's pulse raced. On her way there... Did that mean she was already on her way? A glance at the clock confirmed that was probably the case.

Taking a deep breath, Tsugumi tried to settle her nerves. She could do this. Step one, make crepes with Sayo. Step two, replace one of the crepes with the special one she had prepared beforehand. Step three... Well, that all depended on Sayo. She was beginning to regret the decision not to tell the rest of Afterglow about her plan. Sure, their teasing would make her even more nervous, but they usually had words of encouragement as well. She sighed. No use thinking about that now. Especially since her doorbell just rang. Leaving the phone on the counter, she smoothed down her apron and opened the door to greet Sayo.

"Good morning." Sayo said with a smile. She held up a small bag. "I know you said you had enough ingredients, but I couldn't resist picking up a couple of more decorative things on my way here. I thought it'd be fun to come up with decorating ideas."

Tsugumi beamed. "That does sound like fun! Come in!" she said, stepping aside to give Sayo room. "I laid out the ingredients so we can cut to the fun part. I hope you don't mind!" What she didn't say was that the real reason she had set up beforehand was so that Sayo would have no reason to look in the fridge - where the special crepe lay in waiting.

"That was a good idea. Thanks." Sayo said, setting her bag down on the counter. From it she pulled out two containers of assorted sprinkles and a can of... pink whipped cream?

"Is that-" Tsugumi began.

"Pink whipped cream?" Sayo finished. "Yeah. Isn't it strange? I mean, I suppose it's just food coloring, but it does give it a cute look, doesn't it?"

Not as cute as you., Tsugumi's brain auto-completed, making her heart jump. Gah! She needed to stay focused, or she'd ruin the whole plan. "Yes, it's super cute! It'll look great on top of the ice cream." she said, smiling. "Should we get started then?

The actual process of making the crepes was rather uneventful. A couple times, Tsugumi's hand would brush Sayo's as they both reached for the same ingredient and Tsugumi had to look away to hide her blush. Despite that, and the occasional buzzes from her phone (presumably Afterglow), she managed to keep up her act for the most part.

After making ten crepes (certainly enough for them both to eat and leave some for Afterglow), it was time to begin decorating. Sayo's crepes were looking very elegant, with carefully placed strawberry and peach slices lining the sides and condensed milk dribbled over with intense precision.

"Wow, Sayo! Your crepes look like they came from a cafe!" Tsugumi said, beaming. Sayo smiled back. "Thank you. Yours are looking very nice too." she said. Tsugumi's crepes had been more or less themed after the Afterglow members - kiwi and ice cream for Moca, Sayo's whipped cream and strawberries for Himari, cherries and dark chocolate for Tomoe, and chocolate syrup with bright sprinkles for Ran. Of course, the real star of the show was the crepe hidden in the fridge - but first she needed to distract Sayo for a minute.

"I guess we should start cleaning up a bit... Sayo, would you mind getting the wet wipes from the entry hall?" Tsugumi asked. As soon as Sayo turned away, she moved towards the fridge and carefully took out her pre-made crepe. Making sure that all the decorations and the all-important sign were still intact, she placed it in the center of the kitchen table. Her heart was beating wildly, but it was too late to back out now. Tsugumi had to admit, she was really proud of how it came out. Two peach slices carefully arranged in the center in the shape of a heart, bordered by half chocolate chips, half blueberries. Garnished with ice cream and whipped cream, all there was to do now was hope Sayo liked it.

"Tsugumi? I couldn't find the wipes, but -" Sayo trailed off as she saw the crepe on the table. "Where did that come from?"

Tsugumi blushed. "Um. It's for you!" she said lamely. "Just... read it."

Sayo plucked the note from the center of the elaborate confection. "Sayo," she began to read out loud. "I know this might seem strange - we only recently became close, and I still don't know how much of a friend you consider me. But to me, you're someone really special." Sayo paused and looked towards Tsugumi inquisitively. Embarrassed, Tsugumi just gestured at her to keep reading.

"There's lots of things we don't have in common. You're cool and collected, and I'm plain and nervous." Sayo continued. "You like doing things precisely, while I'm more likely to improvise. But it's these things that make us different that help us be such good friends, I think. After all, opposites attract. But it's not just our friendship that makes me like you. I like how dedicated you are. I like the way you smile when you get something right. I like the way your eyes light up when you lose yourself in something you love. And I like spending time with you. So, as nerve-wracking as this is, I just have to ask: would you be my opposite?" Sayo raised her eyebrows, then squinted. "Parentheses... Girlfriend?!"

She looked up towards Tsugumi, who was blushing furiously. "Um..." Tsugumi began. "I know it's strange. You don't have to say yes, of course! What I mean is-"

"I'd like that." Sayo interrupted.

"I- What?" Tsugumi said.

"You're right, Tsugumi. We are different, in a lot of ways. But that is why we like being around each other. It's refreshing, isn't it?" Sayo said, smiling. "That's also why I would love to be your girlfriend."

Tsugumi paused, then beamed from ear to ear. "Phew! That's such a relief. I was so nervous! Aah, I need to sit down." she said, laughing slightly as she sat at the table next to Sayo. "I guess we're girlfriends now then!"

"I guess we are. I think Lisa will be very pleased - I think she's been trying to set us up." Sayo replied with a laugh.

"Same goes for Afterglow! They were teasing me about it just this morning..." Tsugumi said, giggling.

"Our friends can be overwhelming sometimes, can't they? I guess it just makes me appreciate the calm of being with you all the more." Sayo said.

"Stop!! You can't say things like that so soon, I'll get embarrassed..." Tsugumi said, blushing. Sayo just laughed. "Alright, alright. I suppose we should get to cleaning up this mess - for real, this time." She got up from her seat and offered her hand to Tsugumi. With a smile, Tsugumi took it.