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Mukuro Ikusaba sat alone in the corner of the boba shop. Two cups were on her table, and she kept looking over towards the door, leg bouncing nervously. She was supposed to meet with an old… friend wasn’t quite the word. The circumstances between her and Mikan Tsumiki were complicated. They went to the same high school was maybe the nicest she could put it, but though that was definitely an oversimplification, she didn’t want to start digging into their overlapping trauma more than she had to for this. It was already impossible to fully avoid. Mukuro hadn’t seen Mikan since she graduated. Or rather, since she cut off contact with… her sister.
Mukuro had felt perhaps a bit betrayed at first, though she didn’t recognize it until years after when she finally followed Mikan’s example. But she knew there was no reason to be upset at Mikan. She was trying to keep herself safe. Since then, Mukuro has gotten a lot of help and tried very hard to improve. To release herself from her sister’s influence. She wasn’t surprised to hear that Mikan was doing the same, but she was surprised when Mikan contacted her. Apparently, their mutual friend Peko had given her Mukuro’s phone number, and they spoke sparingly over a couple of days before Mikan had abruptly asked to meet in person.
So Mukuro was nervous. She wasn’t upset at Mikan. She had moved past Junko as much as she possibly could at this point. But she was nervous more than anything that Mikan was upset with her for not doing more back then. Despite the thought not being entirely logical, it kept creeping into the back of her mind. The seconds ticked away at an agonizing pace and Mukuro continued watching the door.
After a time that was all at once too short and too long, the door opened with a soft ring of a bell. Mikan Tsumiki walked in, looking around, and Mukuro waved her over before she could think. The first thing Mukuro noted was that Mikan looked a lot better than the last time she saw her. Her hair that had been cut so haphazardly when they were younger was now much neater and shorter, resting just above her shoulders. She didn’t quite hold herself with confidence, but without the same anxious and hunched-over stance. Even her eyes were brighter and more focused, though she did look away nervously as she approached.
Mukuro could only stand the awkward silence for a few seconds. “Strawberry?” She said quickly, holding out the boba cup that wasn’t her own.
Mikan blinked, and seconds felt like minutes felt like hours. Then she smiled, moving to sit down. “That’s my favorite. H-how did you know?” She asked, taking her cup.
“I remembered that was your favorite in high school. I did check with Ibuki though, in case your tastes changed.” Mukuro spoke quietly, idly twirling around the straw in her own boba. “Sorry if that’s weird.”
“N-no, it’s fine!” Mikan said a bit frantically. “You didn’t have to get it for me though. I can pay you back!”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s the least I can do.” She said, glancing away and sipping some of her own boba.
Another short bout of silence. Mikan broke it this time. “I see your favorite is still matcha?”
“Yup. I’m surprised you remembered.”
“Well, mostly I remember thinking you were so weird for liking grass boba.” Mikan stuck her tongue out a bit. “Bluhh. N-no offense.”
Mukuro laughed a bit, caught off guard by Mikan’s bluntness, even if it was undercut a bit at the end. It was a pleasant surprise, though. She shrugged. “It’s good. Not my fault I have good taste.” Mikan giggled, and Mukuro smiled. Alright. This was going well. “I was surprised you contacted me. What prompted that?”
Mikan’s giggle faded, and Mukuro tensed immediately. Crap, was that a bad thing to ask? Was it too soon to ask?
But Mikan’s smile remained, even if it was smaller. “I just… It’s been a w-while. I wanted t-to see you. I… I m-missed you.”
Mukuro let out a relieved sigh despite herself. “I missed you too.” She admitted, swirling around the boba balls at the bottom of her cup with her straw. And then another admission, quieter this time. “I never got rid of your phone number. I’ve wanted to contact you myself but I didn’t know when would be a good time. Didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
Mikan looked at her for a few seconds before giggling again. “Y-you know, if I can admit something, I never got rid of y-your phone number either.”
Mukuro looked up, surprised. “I thought you said Peko gave it to you?”
“I know, I just d-didn’t want you to think I was weird.”
Mukuro chuckled. “Maybe it is weird.” She said, a hint of fondness in her voice.
They fell into silence again, but this time it was more comfortable. They quietly sipped their boba, until eventually, some semblance of guilt started creeping into Mukuro’s subconscious. “Hey, Mikan?”
“Yes?”
“I’m… I’m s-”
“W-wait!” Mikan interrupted quickly, surprising Mukuro. The nurse flushed in embarrassment, tugging a bit at her hair. “S-Er, I mean...” She took a deep breath, then met Mukuro’s eyes with a soft smile. “I know. Me too.”
Mukuro blinked, silent for a moment. Then finally, she nodded, matching Mikan’s smile. The guilt and anxiety melted away, and for the first time since Mikan first contacted her, she truly relaxed. And across the table, Mikan did as well.