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Mikan Tsumiki always took her time in closing up the nurses office before she returned to her dorm for the evening. She genuinely didn’t mind spending that extra forty-five minutes to ensure the beds had clean sheets, to take inventory of the medicine for the head nurse, and giving the surfaces a good cleaning. It was a good chance for Mikan to be alone for the only time in her day before going to bed. She considered it her happy place, a chance to hide in her own little world before she leaves it and inevitably ruin somebody’s day just with her mere existence. For the teenager it was her time to forget about all of the mental strain in her life and just focus on passionate busywork. It was also a great time for her to catch up on her medical malpractice horror stories from her favorite pod-cast. As she was finishing up tiding the last of the beds her focus was on the grim retelling of a botched lobotomy from 1910 through her headphones. Just as the podcast was getting good and gory, the jarring ding of her text message tone cut through, scaring the poor girl. Mikan nervously pulled her phone out of her apron, afraid to see another anonymous abuser or even worse her mother. To the nurse’s relief it was no bully, instead her dear friend Ibuki Mioda.
The Ultimate Musician was as loud as she is caring, and Mikan has witnessed the rocker crack glass with her yell. Ibuki and her had actually been texting with increasing frequency over the past few weeks. The early bird nurse had been staying up late into the night on her phone, not that the tired girl minded. Mikan enjoyed letting Ibuki speak her mind at any hour of the day, even if the timid girl let her control the conversation more often than not. Lately, Mioda was the only person Mikan didn’t think of herself as a bother to. The musician never shyed away from initiating conversation with her, and Ibuki can be a good listener when she can keep her own mouth shut. With all of this in mind, it left Mikan more than a little puzzled when all Mioda texted her was “Hey Mika-chan are you still in the nurses office?” Normally her messages were littered with emoticons and more rambling, so reading Mioda being this straight-forward was suspicious. Mikan fumbled with her phone as she replied.
“Yes I am, I should be out soon though. Why do you ask?” Mikan kept her phone in her hand as she waited to for a response, her heart rate jumping as she saw that Mioda was typing.
“<3 :) <3” Was all Ibuki replied with, leaving Mikan more confused than scared, something those close to Tsumiki would call “progress”. Mikan didn’t know how to reply to that so she turned her pod-cast back on, figuring she’ll see her hyperactive friend sooner rather than later.
Mikan was too focused on deciphering Ibuki’s message to notice the door open behind her, her pod-cast blocking the clanking of wooden shoes that crept into the office. She didn’t hear her name getting called out either with her earphones still in. What did break Mikan’s focus was the loud shrill voice belonging to her classmate Hiyoko Saionji yelling at the top of her lungs,
“Earth to Mikannnnn?! Are you even fucking pay attention?” The vertically challenged blond didn’t hide the annoyance in her tone, being even more annoyed after Mikan jumped several inches in the air as she screamed in fear, clearly caught off guard by Saionji’s entrance. Mikan was at least quick to catch her breath.
“E-e-excuse me Hiyoko, b-but what are you doing h-here. Are you h-hurt?”
“No Mikan…” Hiyoko suddenly flashed a menacing smile and pulled out a pair of salon scissors she was hiding. “I’m here to give you a haircut.” The blond knew she was acting ridiculous right now, but she didn’t have the words for Mikan as to why she was doing this right now. Why ruin a good surprise? Besides Mahiru would be pissed if she blabbered on their friend right now.
Tears already began to well up in Mikan’s eyes after hearing Hiyoko’s vocal intentions, the nurse finding herself unable to move. It had been awhile since her mom had cut up her hair last, mostly thanks to living on campus now. Despite this her hair was as choppy as ever, Mikan being too scared to attempt to fix her hair herself. Mikan sobbed from the memories of her mother’s cruelty playing out in her mind.
“O-okay. You can do w-whatever you want to m-me if you’ll f-forgive me.”
Mikan placed an emphasis on “me” as she cried, Hiyoko sighing as she rolled her eyes at Mikan’s outburst but otherwise not speaking. The short girl grabbed Mikan by the arm and guided her to the bathroom as the taller girl sniffled, closing the door behind them. Mikan kept her head down as the Ultimate Dancer circled around her, grabbing strands of Mikan’s hair a lot gently than she had before. In fact, despite the fact that Saionji had forced her into the bathroom to give an ambush haircut the blond had not as much as insult Mikan during any of this so far. Her silence was plenty suspicious after years of constant verbal abuse, making Mikan’s poor heart all the more anxious.
She wasn’t going to speak up and risk ruining the silence however, so the nurse just continued to whimper softly and slink down further in shame, the whimpers turning into audible cries once she felt strands of her hair get cut. Black hair fell down on the floor in front of Mikan, but now she sat shaking less in fear of irking Hiyoko and more for personal safety, not wanting to get cut by the scissors. The tiny blond placed both of her hands on the nurses head to keep her head straight, asking the timid girl to stay still with a level of gentleness not given to any of her classmates not named Mahiru.
Saionji huffed, dropping the scissors to her side. At least all she had to do was even out Mikan’s improbably choppy hair and nothing more. But she needed Mikan to stop shaking if she was going to do everything in her power to not mess this up.
“Please calm down Mikan, I just need you to trust me for a minute and stop shaking so I don’t screw this up.” Hiyoko knew being as transparent as possible was her best bet, a sight unfamiliar to Mikan. The words “trust me” stuck out to the nurse. What has the dancer done in the past four years to garner trust in the first place? Mikan was certain her hair was already butchered more than it already was, methodical deep breaths turning into a single deep sigh of defeat. It was hard but she calmed her nerves enough to follow Hiyoko’s instructions and stayed still. The dancer whispered thanks as she begins chopping off more.
Mikan was too scared to adjust her gaze from her hair on the ground. The girl’s anxiety was increasing by the second despite appearing calmer on the surface. What horrible fate was becoming of her hair the nurse asked herself, her imagination running rampant as she could only guess what cruel haircut Hiyoko was giving her. She thought back at the student in the class below theirs, the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader with his distinguishable pompadour. The mere thought of Mikan having to wear such a style forced a small cry out of her.
“All done!” The unusually perky dancer exclaimed, stepping back from a still crying Mikan to admire her work. Tsumiki’s hair had gone from going as far as her back to being cut down more uniform to about eight inches now. Hiyoko couldn’t believe herself but she had to admit she thought Mikan looked good with her hair short, her own personal bias totally not getting in the way. The nurse still wouldn’t move a muscle, her whimpering returning as dread filled the nurse’s heart.
“Grab my hand and stand up.” Hiyoko demanded, her usual forceful nature returning if only for a moment. The nurse blindly waved her hand until she met the dancer’s then slowly picked herself up from the floor, her eyes still closed as she avoided looking in the mirror. Hiyoko huffed, but not before she turned the taller girl around so she actually faced the bathroom mirror.
“You can open your eyes now” Hiyoko sounded nervous, the dancer hoping that the nurse would appreciate the change. She didn’t want to make things worse. Mikan gulped as she complied, slowly opening her eyes to assess the damage. However, once Mikan saw herself she couldn’t help but let out a surprised gasp. She almost didn’t recognize herself at first, her free form strands of hair being evened out into a drastically shorter bob-cut, the more she looked at herself the more she began to quickly accept it. The voice inside her that would normally be berating herself was muffled, that very moment being the first time Mikan Tsumiki looked at herself and couldn’t put herself down.
The nurse turned around back to Hiyoko, now being her turn to stare daggers to the floor as her face was blush with embarrassment. Mikan had a million different questions for the girl who did nothing but berate her until now. Hiyoko finally looked back up at her before she could ask anything however.
“I’m sorry for the way I’ve treated you in the past.” Hiyoko forced out, her pangs of guilt becoming increasingly overwhelming. “I know a single act won’t make up for the fact I’ve been a grade A bitch to you for years, but I hope this can at least start us patching things over.” Hiyoko was beyond embarrassed at this point. She meant every word, but she decided to leave out the fact that Ibuki had asked her to “prepare Mikan” in the first place, even if the haircut was Saionji’s idea alone.
Mikan couldn’t believe her ears at any of this. She couldn’t remember the last time anybody had apologized to her, the nurse being far too used to being the one to have to beg for forgiveness. She definitely couldn’t believe Hiyoko of all people being the one to break that trend. While the shorter girl had been undeniably cruel to her in the past, after seeing what she had done to her hair and hearing the Ultimate Traditional Dancer tremble out an apology Mikan found herself in a forgiving mood, quickly wrapping the kimono-clad girl in an awkward hug. Hiyoko hesitantly reciprocated but held on as she was relieved that Mikan was quick to accept her apology.
The hug was approaching dangerous levels of awkward when a soft knock on the bathroom door broke the silence. “Oh thank the lord” Hiyoko thought to herself, wigging herself out of the taller girl’s embrace to open the door. Just as the blond suspected in stepped the Ultimate Photographer, Mahiru Koizumi. The tomboy had already changed out of her school uniform, dressed in a simple flannel shirt and sweatpants. She still wore her camera around her neck, but in her hands held a black tote bag, it’s edgy design being unfitting to Mahiru. Mikan had looked back at the open door and saw the bag in the redhead’s hands, recognizing it as Ibuki’s as she kept that observation to herself. The nurse was too surprised to see Koizumi in the first place to say anything.
Mahiru found herself checking out Mikan, more so at the nurse’s cute new haircut.
“I love your haircut!” Mahiru beemed, Mikan looking down in embarrassment as a small part of her believed the photographer was just being polite despite her sincere tone.
“Thanks Mahiru-chan, who knows maybe I should be the Ultimate Hairdresser instead.” Hiyoko butted in, ecstatic at the secondhand compliment she received from her best friend.
Mahiru rolled her eyes playfully, “You did great Hiyoko, I knew I could trust you for this.” Mikan took a look at Mahiru, then caught her reflection back in the mirror. It was at this moment she realized Hiyoko had just given her almost the same haircut as the redheaded photographer. Mikan giggled to herself, before her laughter became less and less subtle. Kazumi and Saionji looked at one another puzzled, neither wanting to burst the nurse’s bubble.
“What’s so funny?” Mahiru asked
“Ohhh, it’s n-nothing.” Mikan managed to say after a moment. Mahiru didn’t want to stall anymore than they already have so she pulled out a small neon blue make-up bag from the bigger tote bag, grabbing a blush pallet and brush.
“Could you sit down for me please, the haircut was only half of the job.” Mahiru couldn’t shake off her usual bossy tone, but she managed a mostly gentle look which kept Mikan calm as she obeyed her friend. Mikan kept her eyes closed as she felt different brushes all around her face.
Mahiru kept herself quiet as she did Mikan’s makeup, not wanting to overdo it and go for a more subtle approach, making sure to pick colors that matched the dress that was still hidden in the tote bag. Mahiru couldn’t deny she wasn’t the most thrilled in being asked to do someone’s makeup, not being one to wear much herself but for Ibuki she couldn’t say no.
“Mikan’s already gorgeous as is but don’t be afraid to doll her up” Mahiru remembering what Ibuki said when she proposed her proposition. “Ibuki wants our first date to be one for the books!” The rockers enthusiasm and confidence had it’s charm, even if Mahiru had her fears in how this whole thing would work out. Seeing how Mikan wasn’t a sobbing mess right now was a good sign at the very least. Right now the nurse still kept her eyes closed as Mahiru put a small amount of eyeliner on, finding herself a lot more relaxed than she normally would be in this situation. Mahiru made a mental note to do thank Hiyoko in her own way later for keeping her word and not taking the opportunity to abuse Mikan yet again, the short blond sitting in the corner fully distracted by her phone.
Five minutes had passed before Mahiru declared herself to be done. She was happy with her end result, not being to resist the thought of Mikan looking very pretty right now.
“Open your eyes and tell me what you think!” Mahiru said with a lot more cheer. Mikan followed and for the second time in an hour she couldn’t recognize the person that stared back at her in the mirror. Her face was covered in red blush and her eyes both had smooth wings of eyeliner. Her lips were vibrantly red as well, the final result being something Mikan could never do on her own as it she found herself actually admiring herself. At this point the nurse wanted to cry out of appreciation, but didn’t want to ruin the work her friend had done on her. She did however show this appreciation in the form of a strong hug, one that the redhead was a lot more willing to return than the blond before her.
Now, if only Mikan could figure out why her friends were doing this for her in the first place. “I-I appriciate all that you guys have done for m-me but…” Mikan paused in what Hiyoko could swear was intentionally dramatic fashion. “Why though?” Hiyoko spoke up before anyone else could.
“Because Mikan, you got yourself a date tonight.” Hiyoko was so matter of fact when she reveled the truth, a truth that sent the nurse into further shock. “Who would want a date a pathetic, good for nothing loser like me?” Mikan thought to herself, a name coming to mind to the nurse but surely she wouldn’t be interested in her like that, right?
The nurse’s eyes darted back to the black tote bag, “I assume my outfit is in t-there?” Mikan asked as she pointed at the bag. Mahiru chuckled as she handed it to the dark haired girl. “You’re picking up on this fast, why don’t you see for yourself?” Mikan pulled out a strapless red and white dress, one the nurse could never see herself actually going out in. She put the dress up to her body and saw the bottom only went down to her bandaged thighs, something that definitely bothered the nurse. A quick glance at the now empty tote bag verified that her only other option would be meeting this mystery date in her school uniform, a thought she quickly dismissed as she caved in and opted to at least try the dress on.
Mikan saw in the mirror that Hiyoko and Mahiru were making their way out the door now, as if reading the nurses mind in her decision to change. It didn’t take the nurse long to change out of her uniform and into the dress, a dress that left less to the imagination than Mikan wanted but it did fit her comfortably otherwise. Mikan was looking at herself with the full mirror on the door, turning around and getting a good glance at herself from as many angles as she could. Her only complaint was the fact she still had to wear her simple black slip-ons but she knew beggars couldn’t be choosers, being far too grateful for her friends for the footwear to actually matter. Mikan Tsumiki was confident in herself for the first time in her life, even if her confidence melted at the thought of seeing who the mystery date is, even if she was forming a pretty good idea at who would be responsible for this, the idea preventing Mikan from chickening out.
Mikan opened the bathroom door, feeling like a butterfly emerging from her cocoon. Hiyoko audibly gasped when seeing her friend, unable to believe the same person before her was Mikan. Pride began to wash over the dancer, who felt good in knowing she helped Mikan look like a model. Mahiru playfully hollered at Mikan, who blushed with embarrassment. A quick click fell into nurse’s ears before realizing Mahiru had snapped a picture, one likely of her. The photographer was quick to assure her “You’re going to love this picture, trust me.” Mikan was far from a fan of candid's but Mahiru had earned her complete trust by this point.
“So, where is this mystery date of mine?” Mikan asked, Hiyoko wanting to point out how the nurse said a full sentence without stuttering but kept her mouth shut. “You’ll meet them in the dining hall back in the dorms.” Mahiru reveled as she pulled out her phone, seeing that she was right on schedule. “In fact if you leave now they should be all set up for you.” The level of effort being done for her affection made Mikan worry just a little bit, her self-deprecation wanting to convince her that she wasn’t worth any of this. It was a voice Mikan was continuing to ignore.
The nurse was nearly shaking in anticipation in where her day was going, her excitement making her almost forget about the fact she was closing down the nurse’s office before Hiyoko walked in. Almost being the key word, Mikan grabbing her keys and handing them to Mahiru.
“I-if you don’t mind could you two finish c-closing up for me just this once?” Mikan peeked into the bathroom and saw that her hair was still covering the floor, “And sweeping up the b-bathroom before the head nurse sees that and k-kills me.”
“Of course!” Mahiru laughed “Now don’t be late, it’ll be rude to keep them waiting too long”.
The red and white clad nurse almost skipped out the door, but not before she turned back and gave a quick hug to her friends, thanking them for the barrage of kindness they’ve shown her.
It didn’t take Mikan too long before she reached the dining hall back in the dorms, her trek across Hope’s Peak campus not taking her more than five minutes. She kept moving forward despite her legs nearly giving out from under her any time she passed another student, the compliment on her dress by that energetic swimmer girl from the younger class almost stopping the nurse dead in her tracks. Her unfamiliarity to positive attention aside, Mikan was far too determined to meet this mystery man. “Or likely woman” the nurse concluded to herself.
Once Mikan got to the main entrance to the dining hall, the sight of her pink-haired classmate Kazuichi Souda leaning on the closed door was one that all but confirmed who she’ll be meeting at the other end of that door, to the nurse’s delight. The Ultimate Mechanic bored look shattered once he saw his classmate. A gasp of “Oh crap she’s here already” and even less graceful banging on the door making Mikan laugh softly to herself as she approached the boy.
“Good a-afternoon, Souda-san” Mikan maintained a strong level of politeness to Kazuichi, even if the boy was currently checking out the nurse in an act of non existent subtleness. Mikan wanted to be flattered, even if she was uncomfortable by guessing what the boy was thinking about her.
“Wow.” Souda dumbfounded exclaimed. “You look great Mikan, love the new hair-do.”
“T-thanks, it wasn’t m-my idea to g-get it.” Mikan mumbled, the response leaving the boy with no idea how to respond. Mikan tried to peek inside the dining hall through the tiny window in the door behind Kazuichi, who noticed and blocked said window with his hands. The nurse couldn’t make out anything out the ordinary from her limited view, furthering her intrigue. The door Souda was guarding opened up after a few tense seconds, her friend Hajime Hinata from the Reserve Course and her giant of a classmate Nekomaru Nidai emerging from the dining hall.
“Good to see you, Tsumiki” Hajime greeted, before surprise took over the brunette. “Huh, I thought she was kidding when she was going to cut your hair” Hajime said to himself, before getting back to his normal speaking voice. “I like that haircut on you by the way.” Nekomaru gave an aproving thumbs up, “I agree with Hinata!” The Ultimate Team Manager exclaimed with his usual boisterous tone. Embarrassment washed over the nurse again, but she didn’t get this far to faint now.
“Y-you’re both too kind.” Mikan again peeked into the dining hall, taking note on how the lights had been shut off. Perhaps it was for a grand dramatic revel? That would be very in character for the suspected mystery date. Hajime gestured towards the door, the nurse needing nothing more to get the reveal over with.
The nurse stepped into the darkened hall, Mikan taking careful steps forward as she attempted to brace herself for whatever was to happen next. As the nurse slowly walked further into the hall, dim LED lights filled the nurse’s vision. Ropes of light hugged the entire walls, likely put up with the help of Hajime and Nekomaru. As Mikan stared at the mood setting light she failed to see the table right in front of her, the nurse falling onto the table top and ending up on her back, her legs completely in the air.
“I loveeeee the view Mika-chan, but maybe we can save that for later tonight?” A distinct loud voice suggested. Mikan opened her eyes and looked in front of her, the owner of the voice was none other than the Ultimate Musician Ibuki Mioda. The musician smiled brightly as she walked closer to Mikan, herself clad in a black and blue dress that matched the girl’s energetic personality. The nurse was smitten at the reveal of her friend, mentally breathing a sigh of relief in knowing she was correct all along. Then the implications of everything hit the poor nurse like a hammer to the head.
“I love your haircut! The shorter look suits you well.” Ibuki complimented, breaking the ice by softly touching Mikan’s newly cut hair. “I didn’t think Hiyoko was serious when she offered to do that but hey it ended up working out in the end!” Ibuki answered one of Mikan’s questions before she could even ask it, the nurse making a mental note thank the short blond again later.
Mikan finally realized she was in a rather revealing pose to Ibuki’s amusement, quickly sitting up on the table top as her face turned several different shades of red. The normally confident Ibuki matched the nurse in her blush, trying to find the words she prepared all week to tell Mikan. She noticed the lack of surprise in her eyes, a look that also told her she was happy to see Ibuki right now even if she was embarrassed.
“You… figured out I was the mystery date before you got here didn’t you” Ibuki asked.
“I-I don’t know what I would have done if it wasn’t you if I-I’m being honest.” The nurse took Ibuki’s hand and smiled “I’m happy it’s you, Ibuki-chan.”
The musician kissed Mikan’s hand softly before grabbing the timid girl bridal fashion. Mikan gasped in surprise, but she could only softly laugh as she didn’t fight Ibuki. Over by the curtain-covered large window stood a lone table adorned in white tablecloth and a candle and flowers neatly placed in the center. Mikan was gently dropped onto a seat as Ibuki sat down across from her date.
“I hope you enjoy the swankiest restaurant in all of Hope’s Peak!” Ibuki boasted “I-I wanted to take you somewhere off campus but unfortunately Ibuki’s a little on the broke side right now.” Ibuki rubbed her head, her confident demeanor dropping for a second. Mikan sighed dreamily “It’s p-perfect Ibuki.” Those words returned the rocker back to her peppy self, happy to see her crush happy.
“I can’t believe you got the dining hall reserved though”
“Only for an hour, after that dinner’s being served on schedule.” The nurse was impressed the musician got the dining hall to themselves at all in the first place. Ibuki then jolted out of her seat, waltzing over to the kitchen shutter and opening in it, revealing the dining staff hard at work making the school provided meals for the night. The musician disappeared into the kitchen only to reappear holding two plates, both being some kind of curry dish.
“I hope my date can handle her spiceeessss” Ibuki sang as she placed the food down to her unfazed date. Mikan was honestly far too hungry to really care about the heat, her hunger hitting her like a freight train once the smell of the curry reached her nostrils. Mikan couldn’t help but applaud herself on how she’s stayed calm through today, she was on her first ever date with a friend she long assumed would never see her in any light other than friendly. Said friend had set up a dainty yet sweet dinner for her, and Mikan felt guilty as all she could think about was kissing Ibuki right now even if her nerves kept her from preforming such a forward act.
The two sat under the LED light and ate their curry while Ibuki rambled on about how Hajime and Nekomaru helped her set up all of the lights and how she hoped the Headmaster would let her keep said lights up before switching tangents to one of Headmaster Kirigiri himself. Mikan enjoyed listening to Ibuki talk about anything and everything, the musician clearly enjoying hearing herself talk despite her whiplash inducing lack of attention span. It was one of the many traits about Mioda that charmed the nurse. Mikan felt like she could just sit and listen to her for hours, no matter where the two found themselves.
The atmosphere of the room helped further sooth the normally nervous nurse. The LED lights kept the dining hall barely visible enough to see around oneself without constantly bumping into the tables or chairs. Without any other student around, the room was as quiet as one with Ibuki Mioda in it could be. It was easy for Mikan to relax herself for once, enjoying her meal and the company of her longtime friend turned date.
Both girls had gotten so enveloped in their time together neither noticed when the dining halls doors opened and several of their classmates began to pour in for dinner, the large curtain that covered the wall-sized window was opened to reveal a vibrant orange sky, one quickly turning to the darkness of night time. The main lights however were kept off, the students appreciating the relaxed lighting in the often sterile hall. Normally Mioda loved being around a lot of people but tonight, all she wanted was the company of her date. She didn’t want to create a big scene for Mikan, the last thing she wanted to do was putting the nurse in a spotlight she was not comfortable with. “That can wait until she’s actually my girlfriend” Ibuki thought to herself.
“Well look at how the time went!” Ibuki leaned in closer to Mikan. “Want to go outside, maybe get some fresh air?” Tsumiki couldn’t resist the offer, the idea of getting away from the ever growing crowd sounding appealing to the meekly mannered nurse. The two girls stood up and walked their empty plates over to the dish area, and happily stepped out of the cafeteria hand in hand. He teenagers strolled slowly through the halls of the dorms, Ibuki taking charge as she guided her date out the front doors and returning the cool early autumn air outside. The sky had turned from vibrant orange to a pure cloud-less black, the moon hanging half crescent onto the peaceful night below.
The nurse couldn’t take her eyes off her vibrant date, her mind still reeling from the reality of the situation. She had gotten comfortable with the fact that she was in the middle of her first ever date, the fact that she was with another woman coming as no surprise to Mikan herself. She was having the time of her life, the red clad girl only thinking of one thing to put the cherry on top of the night. She really wanted to kiss Ibuki Mioda right now, the feeling of her lips being the only thing her mind craved. As the events of the day flashed back in her mind, Mikan decided she was going to take the first step now. In a move of many firsts, Mikan was able to power through her frenzied butterflies as she boldly yet gently grabbed the musicians cheeks and pulled her into a sudden kiss, a surprised yelp breaking out the usually dominate girl before quickly accepting it.
Time stopped completely as the girls stood in the middle of the outdoor walkway, their lips locked in everlasting passion. Despite her mind begging for more, Mikan’s body begged for air as she pulled away, choosing to ignore the cheesy grin and adorable blush plastered on Ibuki’s face as they continued to hold on to one another.
“Can’t say I expected that, not that Ibuki is one to complain about getting kissed by a pretty girl.” A wave of relief soothed the nurse, instead replaced with the warmth of being in Ibuki’s arms. Everything was happening so fast for Mikan that the girl could hardly keep track of every word said, time itself being irrelevant. The girls still stood in each others arms on the sidewalk, and for a moment Mikan was truly at peace, and she had Ibuki to thank for that. The nurse met her eyes with the musician’s, sweet smiles enveloping each girls face.
“I’m having a great time tonight, Ibuki.” Another kiss closed the already small gap between the girls before Ibuki gently broke the kiss.
“We can make every day like this, if you would want that Mika-chan.” Sincerity oozed out of Ibuki’s every word, finally finding the courage to formally ask Tsumiki out. The vibrant girl was still reeling that Mikan kissed her first, all but sealing the deal that it was now or never to ask her. The nurse didn’t voice a response, another deep kiss answering the question well enough. The two girls remained in each others embrace for a minute before finally breaking free, Ibuki grabbing Mikan by her hand as they walked back towards the dorm.
“Are we going to tell our classmates we’re d-dating now?” Mikan asked, her nerves taking hold as she didn’t know how socially tolerate her class was. Ibuki understood her concerns, but that didn’t stop the musician from laughing to herself. She didn’t know how she could thank all of her friends for their help in setting this day up, their support inspiring the musician to make her feelings towards her longtime friend known.
“I can assure you, everyone’s got our back Mika-Chan.” Ibuki stopped to caress Mikan’s cheek, reassuring the girl that she had nothing to worry about. Ibuki’s touch was more than enough to calm the girl down, melting into her hand before Ibuki continued back to the building.
Tsumiki doesn’t know what to expect next. She doesn’t know if this relationship will actually work out, if she’ll be able to be the best partner she could be for Mioda. There’s the chance that she’ll just prove to Ibuki that she really is nothing more than a useless crybaby, the chance of getting set up for soul crushing heartbreak. Normally this uncertainty would cause nothing but dread and despair for the nurse, but all of her fears were overpowered by the comfort Ibuki brings. Even when the girls met in middle school in what seems like a lifetime ago, Ibuki was one of the few people in Mikan’s cold and distant world that made her belong, that she wasn’t alone.
As long as Mikan Tsumiki had Ibuiki Mioda by her side, she knew they could conquer anything life threw at them. Mikan couldn’t remember a day she smiled as often as she did, the idea of an actual future with each other being a newfound beacon of hope for the meek girl.