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"Good morning, Danchou's big sister! I'm Kisaragi Momo! We've met before! The truth is! I want to date your sister! And I would like your permission to do so!"
Talking to a gravestone first thing in the morning might not be considered conventional, but Kisaragi Momo likes to do things properly. And if that means talking to her crush's dead sister, well, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.
"I brought a resume with me! Um! You know my brother! And I'm his sister! Well, I mean, duh, but like... Wait, does that even help?"
The gravestone doesn't respond. Momo can only assume the worst.
"Um! You see, Danchou is someone really important to me! She.. Well, I don't know if you already know this, but she found me when I was alone, and she brought me into the Dan, and it's thanks to her that I'm having fun with everyone every day now, and I really love her for it, but there's more to it than that! Danchou is amazing and always so cool no matter what, and she can do anything but she always takes care of everyone and she does an awesome job at it! She can cook, and she keeps everyone in line, and did you know? She's sooo pretty! And so cool! Did I already say that?"
Still no answer. Momo decides she has no choice but to keep talking.
"Anyway! I think Danchou is the best. And I would be so honored to be her girlfriend, and it would mean the world to me if I had your blessing."
Momo ducks her head and bows deeply. She thinks her words have come across well, but she still can't help worrying.
Momo-chan! You have my permission to date Tsubomi. Good luck! I believe in you!
Words in the wind? Has Ayano really reached out from beyond the grave to grant Momo her blessing? Or maybe that had just been Momo's imagination.
"Ah... Danchou's big sis? Sorry, could you run that by me again? I think the connection might be bad here."
Make Tsubomi happy! I'll be watching over you both!
Well, if that doesn't make things official, Momo doesn't know what would.
"Rad!"
/
"Oho~ so what I'm understanding here is that you want to date our dear Danchou - nay, our sweet, adorable sister?"
Momo would rather not have to deal with Kano, but she made a promise to herself to do things right and she'll be damned if she doesn't stay true to it.
"That's so cute! I'm sure Kido will be happy to hear it. Don't you think it's great, Kano?"
At least Seto is better about it.
"I feel it is only proper to ask for your permission regarding this situation," Momo says as formerly as she can. "You know of my qualifications as member number five. If you have any objections, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Seto laughs a little awkwardly. "Uh, you don't need to prove yourself or anything for this, you know-."
"Show me you're worthy of dating my sister!" Kano stands up and spreads his arms dramatically. "As a big brother, I cannot hand my dear Tsubomi-chan over to just anyone, you understand."
Momo leaps to her feet in response. "Very well! I will duel for Danchou's hand and lay my life on the line. What would you have me do?"
"Fight me!"
"Bring it!"
Seto drags Kano back into his chair. "Momo, you'll always have our support. Just let us know if there's anything we can do to help you out in the future." He smiles warmly, and Momo almost relaxes, but he suddenly fixes her with a serious gleam in his eyes. "But if you hurt her in any way..." he warns.
Momo stands tall and salutes. "I would never! I swear to you, I will always put Danchou first! More than anything, she is always the most important!"
Seto and Kano exchange a look, a bright grin of pride that looks real even on Kano's face, and Momo knows she's in the clear for real.
"Make us proud, member number five." Kano bumps a fist against her shoulder.
/
Shintaro is the one Momo has the most reservations about, but hiding such important facts from a family member is wrong, and besides, if things actually work out with Kido it would be really awkward having Shintaro find out from anyone else (especially Kano, the horror)
"Onii-chan! I have something important to tell you!"
"Ugh..."
From the start, Shintaro isn't willing to make it easy. Regardless, Momo decides she just has to go for it.
"I'm gonna ask out Danchou!"
Shintaro spits out his soda.
"Like, today! I'm gonna do it!"
"You're gonna what?"
"Ask her out!"
"For real?"
"For real!"
"Oh, thank god, I was so worried you were into that Hibiya kid."
"What."
Shintaro nods sagely, ignoring the disgusting mixture of saliva and soda in front of him. "If you had told me you were gonna ask out Hibiya, I might've cried," he says seriously.
Momo makes a face. "You're so lame, Onii-chan."
"Anyway." Shintaro pointedly ignores her. "Kido. Asking out. That's cool. I guess. Have fun. Break a leg. Or whatever." A pause. "Yeah."
A brother's support is always good to have. Momo figures that's probably as close to it as she's gonna get.
/
Now all that's left is actually asking.
Somehow this is much scarier than requesting permission.
"Danchou!"
"Yeah?"
"... Your hoodie is really cool! Keep up the good work!"
"... Thanks?"
Momo tries to find a good time to ask, she really does, be it during shopping, a mission, or whatever, but no matter what she never seems to find the right moment. The moment when they're actually having a moment, and she can be super smooth and cool just like Danchou and Danchou will be so blown away she'll have no choice to accept and they can live happily ever after and maybe get a cat because Danchou likes cats and cats are cute just like Danchou and Momo just really wants to ask Kido out it's kind of painful at this point really.
"You'd better ask her before you actually do turn into an old lady," Hibiya tells her helpfully.
When she demands how he found out he replies that the sexual tension is too obvious to ignore, and she dutifully smacks the back of his head.
How Shintaro ever though that she'd be interested in Hibiya is beyond her.
But in any case, Hibiya has a point. It's already been two days since Momo received permission from Ayano, Seto, and Kano, and no progress has been made. At this rate, it's only an insult to Kido's family!
So Momo gathers the courage and goes forth to conquer.
/
"Danchou! What's the plan for today?"
Kido is washing the dishes after breakfast. She turns her head a little to look at Momo briefly before continuing her scrubbing. "Nothing's really going on, I guess," she answers. "Why? Do you have something in mind?"
"Let's see a movie together!"
Not exactly what Momo had planned, but the words came out anyway so she supposes she'll have to go with it.
"Sure. What do you want to see?"
She agreed! Momo mentally fist pumps.
"Whatever you want to see, Danchou! But let's make it just the two of us! Like a date! But it's not really a date! I guess! Since! We're! Notactuallydating!"
Kido turns off the sink faucet and peers at Momo in concern and just a hint of confusion. Momo finds, to her horror, that she cannot stop the word vomit.
"Unless you wanna be dating? 'Cause that'd be cool. I mean! Pshh. Pshhhhh. Pshhhhhhhhhhhhh. We don't, like, have to date if you don't want to, I guess. Totes. But it's not like I've always thought you're super cool and amazing and I already asked your siblings for permission and Onii-chan told me to go for it kinda and I really like you if that's not obvious by now but I mean heyy we don't have to see a movie if you don't want to actually come to think of it do you think we should get a dishwasher that'd be useful I think but that's just my opinion just like what if we started dating and-."
"Kisaragi." Kido interrupts because Momo's face has become blue from lack of oxygen and it is slightly worrying. "Stop. Breathe."
Momo obliges.
"Now. You're asking me to see a movie with you?"
Momo nods.
"As in a date?"
She nods again.
Kido wipes her hands dry. Scratches the back of her head. Shoves her hands in her hoodie's front pocket.
"So. You're asking me out on a date," she clarifies again.
Momo nods more vigorously.
"Like a date date."
"Like a date date," Momo confirms.
Kido shifts a little bit and scratches her head again. It's only then that Momo notices the tinge of red on her leader's cheeks and the way Kido is avoiding looking at her. Rejection? No, but even Kido would be more direct about it. Wouldn't she? Wouldn't she?
"Danchou!" Momo blurts out. "We don't have to if you don't want to. I'm sorry if I made things weird!"
Kido holds up a hand. "No. No, that's not it. Don't worry about it, Kisaragi."
She leaves it at that. Momo waits. Kido coughs awkwardly. Scuffs the floor with her foot.
"Um. That'd be cool," she says.
Momo's heart almost stops.
"The movie. And the date thing. Er. That is. Dating you. Would be cool." Kido's face is bright red at this point, and she purposely keeps her gaze to the floor. "If that's... still cool with you," she adds lowly.
Momo has to contain herself from tackling Kido to the floor.
"That's cool with me," she affirms. "That's definitely cool with me! Really cool! The coolest! Just like you, Danchou!"
"I, uh... I mean..."
Kido is stumbling over her words, but in Momo's eyes it only makes her all the more endearing.
"Danchou! Please let me be your girlfriend!"
/
Kido had looked like she was about to collapse, so Momo had led her to the couch. The gang's leader now sits there crouched over her legs with her hood pulled up. She might have completely vanished from sight had their knees not been touching.
It's adorable, but Momo refrains from saying so.
"Kisaragi. You look pretty happy about this."
"Well, Danchou agreed to go on a date with me, and she hasn't said no to letting me be her girlfriend, so there isn't much to be sad about," Momo chirps in response.
Kido's eyes soften, just a bit, and Momo grins.
"You've been thinking about this for a while," Kido states.
"Maybe a bit," Momo replies innocently.
"You even asked the others for permission?"
"Just the first leader and your brothers."
"You went that far, huh..." Kido sits up and scratches her cheek, gaze dropping to the floor once more. "You want to be my girlfriend?"
"Nothing would make me happier."
"You say pretty embarrassing things, Kisaragi."
"Is that a yes?"
Kido is blushing furiously again, but she nods once. It's small but precise, and this time Momo does tackle her in a hug.
"Danchou, you're the best!"
They both fall into the couch, and Kido makes a noise of surprise, and Momo beams at her and starts babbling about how scared she'd been to ask and how awkward she'd been worried she was coming off as and how happy she is right now because wow Kido had actually agreed and wow this was so amazing.
And Kido looks at her and can't help smiling back because even if the whole ordeal had been so embarrassing she could've died, right now she has probably the cutest girl in the world grinning at her and talking to her. Hell, right now she has probably the cutest girl in the world as her girlfriend.
And that's pretty cool.