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"Hoshimachi-senpai! I've always admired you! Please go out with me!"
Suisei's heart beats at a steady and slow pace.
The girl in front of her bows her head at a perfect right angle, her chestnut fringe hiding her face from view. All things considered, quite cute. A girl who, just based on her appearance, was like an adorable side character that the player would get attached to, or however Miko would have put it if she saw her.
She crosses her arms, then holds her chin between her thumb and index finger. Suisei needs a moment to think this through. "Hmm…"
A breeze blows behind the girl, causing her checkered skirt to flutter slightly and Suisei's long hair to wave in the air like blue ribbons, never mind the actual ribbon used to tie her side tail.
Behind the school, there is nothing but them.
Oh, right, and she's never met this girl in her life. That's her answer then.
"Sorry, but it's a no. Hardly know you anyways."
Her body shakes before standing up straight. Tears well up in the corners of her eyes, her sniffles echoing into the air between.
"Is there really no chance? You don't wanna try?" She demands. "Are you already seeing someone?"
Suisei blinks, dumbfounded. "Huh?"
"Oh gosh, you two are always together… I-Is it Sakura--"
"Woah, woah! Calm down!" She pulls the brakes on this conversation before it derails into no-man's land. "Let me explain my point…"
Her pleading puppy eyes are awfully cute, but aside from that, Suisei holds no other thoughts towards this stranger. Awful bold of her to confess when they haven't even talked before, though Suisei's not completely taken aback.
"Look," Suisei scratches the back of her head, combing for any tangled strands, "you seem nice, but I ain't interested, period. Nothing else to it."
"I-I see…"
She wipes at her eyes with the sleeves of her white-collar shirt. They grow damp and heavy from all the waterworks shed. Well, now Suisei just feels bad.
"I mean you're plenty cute, don't get me wrong!" She adds. "You can probably find someone else that's nice."
The girl keeps crying.
A droplet of sweat rolls down her cheek. Suisei loosens her tie and tugs at her collar before fishing out a baby blue handkerchief from her pockets.
"C'mon! Have some confidence! I think you got a cute face!" At the end, a wink is added to sweeten the deal.
She offers the cloth to the sobbing girl, who hesitantly takes it from her.
"T-Thank you, Senpai…" She lightly dabs her cheek with it.
A light bulb flickers in Suisei's head and she drapes an arm around her shoulders. "Hey hey! Just 'cuz I can't date you doesn't mean we can't be friends, right? What do you say?!"
"Eh?"
The tears stop abruptly. Her lips stop quivering and she forms a thin line with her mouth.
Suisei rambles on. "Hm? Don't you wanna be friends and play games and stuff? I can introduce you to my group! They might be a bit shy at first, but once they warm up it'll be like you were always one of us! Trust me."
She says nothing and silently pushes the handkerchief back to Suisei. The girl slightly nudges her away and shakes her head.
"I don't think we can. Sorry, Hoshimachi-senpai."
Oh, so it's like that…
Suisei closes her eyes, tilts her head back, and crosses her arms. "I see."
"I've gotta go now," the girl hurriedly says and her footsteps grow distant from her.
"'Kay, see ya."
Suisei opens her eyes, then absently waves at her retreating back. When she's far enough away, she kicks a tiny pebble at the wall of the school. The bounce-back is hardly satisfying to her. She kicks the pebble again. The small pathetic little thing actually gets some air, rebounds off the wall again, and flies into the bushes, out of sight.
Good riddance…
"I don't need a love like that."
BZZT BZZT
Suisei jumps five feet into the air before she fumbles for her phone. The caller ID alone is enough to bring back a pep in her step as she starts skipping out from behind the school.
"Hey! It's Mikochi!" She shouts without restraint. "Already at Fuu-tan's house? I'm on the way!"
"Uh, no, we've been waiting at the gates forever."
The eye-roll is evident in her tone, which only makes Suisei more eager to amp up her antics.
"Ehhh? You all waited for me, like, no way~" Her voice is forced to jump up to the highest octaves she can reach without coughing. "Don't you guys like me too much?"
"Pft, shut up and move those legs, dummy. Noel's buying the snacks for today."
"Oh! Roger that!"
She's about to hang up, but then--
"Sui-chan!"
"Hey, it's Sui-chan!"
"Stop it! That's my phone!--"
--it turns out that she doesn't have to — the call ends as abruptly as it started.
With an eye-roll of her own, Suisei pockets her phone and continues skipping her way to the front of the school. And just for kicks, she makes her motions a bit springy for style points.
There's no judge to keep track of those scores, so Suisei rewards herself with a lunge towards Miko once a certain pink antenna comes into view, ruffling her hair until her ahoge looks flat against her head.
Miko is screeching insults at her, Flare and Polka tease her for breaking another girl's heart, Noel is just trying to figure out what Suisei wants from the convenience store but she keeps laughing too hard to answer.
Who needs a love like that, when she has this?
"Hoshimachi! What the hell?! "
Fourth, third and second place groan below the winner's podium and victory has never tasted sweeter to Suisei.
"Mwahahaha! Bow down to your MariPa winner and newly crowned Games' Club President! Grovel at my feet, peasants!" She puts her feet on the low table, looking down upon the competition with a razor-sharp, toothy smile.
"H-How could we lose like this!" Flare sobs, lowering her head. She punches her soft carpet with a clenched, trembling fist. "On my home turf at that! The world is doomed!"
"Boss… it can't end like this!" Polka shouts in a similar fashion, directing it to the crying heavens (the ceiling of Flare's bedroom). "We've brought this club up from the roots — we can't lose now!"
"Polpol… it's too late…" Miko groans while clutching her sides, falling over like a withered petal. "We've used up every ounce of strength… the power of friendship won't work anymore!"
Suisei continues to laugh maniacally. Man, did she love being the villain in these bits… lets her cut loose a bit, within reason, of course. She wasn't gonna turn psychopath on her friends (yet).
But suddenly, a silver knight in a shining ironed uniform comes crashing through the door.
"Lover of beef bowls! Stomach of steel! The great devil! Cure Noel-- er, Ranger White?!"
Regardless of her title, Noel assumed a flexing pose while carrying two plastic bags on her biceps. The air in the room stills, causing a slight flush to rise to her cheeks.
"S-Say something!"
Polka falls onto her back, hands behind her head. "Isn't this the PreCure bit?"
"Is PreCure always this dramatic?" Flare shoots a question back. Polka shrugs at her.
Suisei finally takes her foot off the table. She recalls the dozens of episodes she's watched since her childhood. "Some of them are, yeah, but I totally thought I was the giant dragon or monster in Sentai shows."
Miko rolls onto her stomach. "But you're always a monster--"
Suisei pushes her heel into the middle of Miko's back.
"Owowowowie!"
"I'll show you what a monster can do!"
"Uwaah! Forgib me! I'm shorry!" Miko blubbers in hysterics.
Satisfied with the pain she dealt, Suisei lifts her foot off and lets Miko get up. She tries to rub the spot with her hands but struggles to reach it. Polka leans over to assist her, eliciting a cry of gratitude from the baby.
Suisei shakes her head at the sight before heading over to Noel still at the door. "Let me help with that."
Relief is apparent on her face. Noel drops her arms and Suisei takes one bag away. They plop it down on the table and dig out the various chip bags, boxes of pocky flavors, Miko's taiyaki, and a rainbow of juice bottles.
"Let's take a picture!" Miko shouts suddenly, crawling over to the pile of bags off to the side.
"What is with you and pictures?" Polka questions, inching over to help Suisei and Noel with organizing the loot.
Suisei shrugs. "Probably to post and get comments from Sora-chan or Haachama, if I had to bet."
"A-Am not!"
She smirks "Sounds like I was right to bet on that."
"Shaddap!"
Miko slaps her shoulder, only making Suisei laugh harder at her tantrum equivalent to that of a preschooler. Her puffy cheeks look less threatening than a blowfish, and her hits barely hurt. All Suisei can do is giggle at it all to elicit more of those silly reactions.
"Wanna join this game, Noel?" Flare calls from the TV. The next round is all set up for them.
"Yay!" Noel jumps for joy and immediately sits down beside Flare. She places a box of strawberry pocky between them.
Flare smiles and pushes her controller into Noel's hands. She starts to get up. "Then I'll sit out this round--"
Noel hugs-- no, grapples Flare's tan leg to keep her from escaping. "Why?! I wanna play with you, Flare!"
"Ahh, normies." Polka rubs her palms together rapidly before clapping once, then quickly pulls her hands away from each other. "Boom."
"Normies explode!" Suisei chants.
"Explode!" Miko joins her.
The room does blow up, but more an explosion of laughter. Wrappers and bottles crinkle, Miko gets the picture she wants to post, Suisei and Polka are doing commentary on the battle between Noel and Flare, and the jingle of the game's upbeat OST keeps the air light.
Suisei lies down on her back with an easy smile. Bottle in hand, she spreads out on the carpet with her limbs fanned out. She doesn't particularly care about how she looks in this state, since everyone is too high on energy to notice, including herself.
"You only got apple juice," Miko pokes her side, so her relaxation doesn't last long. "Going on a diet or something?"
Her eye twitches and she smacks her prodding finger away. "Excuse me, but I've got dinner later, so I'm saving my appetite--"
Wait, oh no.
"Sui-chan?"
Oh no.
"Crap! I'm the one making dinner tonight!" Suisei scrambles to her feet and slings her bag over her back.
"Pfft, you idiot! You're so stupid!"
"Can it!" She glances at her phone to check the time. Her sister wouldn't be home yet, but very soon she will be. "Gotta go then. See you guys later!"
A chorus of "good-bye"s and "good luck"s chime out as she runs out the door.
"Noel! I entrust my legacy to you!"
Her last proclamation earns her one last blood-curdling scream before she darts out of the house.
The sky turns orange as she runs home. It's the same color as the heat that warms her heart.
There's a pink letter in her bag pockets. She hadn't noticed until she dumped out all of her things.
Suisei opens it and blue galaxies widen.
[ Behind the school, after the bell rings, don't keep me waiting ]
The bell rings after the longest day of school in Suisei's life. Mainly because she just wants to go home and sleep already. Her sister made her stay up late watching some movie; an overly dramatic retelling of love at first sight and then turning into some lovey dovey couple.
It was incredibly boring. She yawns for the nth time today.
As she walks towards the gates, Suisei suddenly stops and groans.
"Right… another one…"
She slaps her cheeks, then turns on her heel. It's just one confession, she tells herself. Suisei can listen to this, reject them, then go home and sleep — a straightforward way to get through the day, since there was no meet-up today.
With another yawn, Suisei turns the corner and adjusts her bag--
"Hoshimachi."
The world stops spinning.
Like the letter, the sender is pink, from the ends of her hair to the hue on her cheeks. And how can she mistake that pink antenna for anyone else?
She swings her hands behind her back, then rocks on her heels to the rhythm of Suisei's breathing. "You're late."
But, it can't be, no way.
The dots connect but Suisei immediately trashes it, for the image it paints is beyond her understanding. It's too ridiculous, too out there, too… unbelievable.
It must be a joke.
"H-Hey! Mikochi!" She shouts to block out the sound of her heart hammering in her ears, "Funny coincidence, huh?"
Miko squares her shoulders. Her brow is slightly furrowed as she faces Suisei down. The tinge of pink to her cheeks darken and spread to her ears.
She's really committing to the joke, huh?
Suisei walks up to Miko with long and slow strides. "I'm here 'cuz someone wanted to meet with me. See anyone here? Or maybe I got here too early, haha--"
"I love you."
Oh.
Suisei's heart detaches from its veins.
Blue meets determined greens and Suisei is forced to face the reality in front of her. There's no averting her eyes, no convenient interruptions of Cure Noel, no hidden Polka appearances or Flare to watch over them or sudden messages from her sister.
She's completely paralyzed — she can't escape.
Suisei knows Miko likes to play up her reactions. When Miko is sad over a lack of taiyaki, she'll bawl her eyes out like a baby without a bottle. When Miko gets punched in a game, she'll pull out the rocket launcher. When Miko loses in chess, she'll slam the table and pieces will fly into the air.
There's never a dull moment around Miko. It's all for jokes. It's all for a good laugh. It's why Miko is a great friend to have around, despite their bickering. She can mess around with her and vice versa they never seriously hurt each other's feelings.
But this isn't that — Miko isn't joking.
"Oh."
She hovers her hand over her mouth. Her breathing quickens.
"E-Eh?"
"You heard me, dummy. Don't make me repeat it."
It's an expression she's never seen before. This face is nothing like the starstruck ones Miko has when she talks about Haachama or Sora, which only adds to her confusion. Her vision swirls and she can't concentrate on anything anymore.
Miko is her friend, isn't she?
So, why?
Awkward silence falls and Suisei desperately wants to fill it. She barfs out the first things she can think of.
"I-I… uhm, I dunno about this…"
Miko's arms drop to her sides. She plays with the paws of her pink cardigan. "Is that a 'no'?"
"No!" Even Suisei is shocked at her volume. "A-As in a 'no!' to saying it's a 'no', not that it's a, 'yes I am rejecting you' kind of 'no'… y'know?"
She can't think properly. Nothing feels real, not even what's in front of her. Suisei wants to go home and sleep and maybe then, just maybe, she can wake up from this dream.
"Sui-chan?"
Miko calls her name. It's nearly enough to ground her, but this situation is too… incomprehensible. It's beyond anything Suisei expected from Miko.
She needs time to process this.
"Crap, uh…" she takes a calming breath, "just, let me think about it, okay?"
And like magic, the blush completely disappears from Miko's face. Her timid expression melts into a bright and blinding smile.
"Okay then, I can wait."
This is the Miko she's used to seeing. This is the Miko she's always known. So why did Miko confess to her?
Suisei ruminates on that as she walks home alone, without the jovial banter of Miko, Polka, Flare and Noel to distract her.
She lies down in bed and stares up at the white ceiling.
"Loves me, huh…"
Despite being exhausted the whole day, she doesn't fall asleep.
"Oh, morning Sui-chan!"
The first person to greet her as she walks into the class is Miko, with a beaming smile and an energetic wave. She naturally finds her hand rising to wave back before hesitating and shoving it back into her skirt pockets.
Miko loves her.
Suisei shuffles between the desks and takes her seat to the left of Miko. "Hey."
As Suisei places her bag to the side of the desk, she notices Miko leaning in. Like, way too close. She reels back for breathing room.
"We're meeting today at my place, right?"
Suisei tilts her head. "Huh? Really?"
"Yeah? You weren't online, but we talked about last night."
Curious, she grabs her phone and checks the group chat. Sure enough, the other four went on to talk for nearly four hours before agreeing to meet up at Miko's place today. Suisei is, of course, absent from this conversation; she was too busy trying to sleep at that time.
"Ah, cool."
"So, you're coming, right?" Miko pleads with big round greens.
Miko loves her. This girl is in love with her.
Suisei stiffly turns her head away. Unable to control the expression on her face, she refuses to let Miko see whatever is showing.
She's been to Miko's house before, multiple times in fact. But… going her house now is--
"Uhm, can't. Sorry."
--she can't do it.
"Ah." A deflated reaction never hurt her so much. "Okay then. I'll let everyone else know."
The ambiance of desks and chairs being shuffled around does little for the silence that falls between them again. Suisei strums her fingers on the surface of the desk. It adds to the noise around her and blocks out the fact that their conversation died just as it started.
"D-Did you study for the quiz later?" Miko tries to revive it.
"Not really."
"Same! Oh man, I'm gonna flunk it, hahaha!"
"Hang in there."
It's a futile attempt.
Suisei leans back into her seat. It creaks slightly, adding to the sounds in the classroom. She knows that she said she would think about… that, but trying while Miko is around would reduce her thoughts to nothing more than a broken record, stuck repeating the same phrase until she grows sick of it and stops the song.
"Sora-chan~! Morning!"
"Good morning you two!"
Suisei snaps out of her head and greets Sora with a lax wave. "Yahoo~"
As Sora takes her seat in front of Miko, Suisei digs out her earbuds and plays whatever song comes up on her shuffle. In the corner of the night sky, her stars watch Miko and Sora converse with blinding white, pearly smiles.
Miko adores Sora — they've known each other since the beginning of their first year.
"This is a bit sudden, but Hoshimachi-san will be joining us starting today."
She bowed deeply. Whispers of the new transfer kid spread like wildfire, but Suisei didn't pay any attention to it.
"Please take the empty seat next to Sakura Miko."
A girl with a pink antenna on her head raised a shy hand. Suisei carefully squeezed through the rows of desks and sat down.
She felt curious greens on her that left as the lesson started and the girl named Sora was called upon to read an English poem aloud.
Yet, Miko confessed to Suisei instead.
The next day, P.E. rolls around and Suisei wants to slap herself. "Where the heck is it?"
"Forgot something?" Azki suddenly appears at her side.
This is a pink she can breathe easily around and she takes full advantage of that with a deep sigh.
"Yeah, left my water bottle behind somewhere, stupid thing--"
"Sui-chan! I got it!"
An excited squeak immediately sets her on edge. Suisei whips her head around to see Miko's pink antenna bouncing towards her, blue bottle in hand.
"You left it on your desk, dummy!" Miko snickers and leers at her. "So much for that great memory you brag about! Pukushukushu!"
"Hush you," Suisei takes it from her and takes a modest sip. She leans against the wall and watches the play in the middle of the gym.
Beside her, Miko hops over to Azki, and the two high-five each other with both hands before sitting down.
"You and Sui-chan get along well, huh?"
Miko loves her.
"Ehh~ You think so?" She purses her lips up. "We're just classmates. Acquaintances at best."
"But you're in that Games Club together, right?"
"Yeah, but I didn't join because of her. "
Suisei continues to watch the volleyball game but lends an ear to their idle conversation.
"Really? I heard you two joined at the same time though?" Azki sounds genuinely confused.
Suisei doesn't blame her; even Suisei doesn't quite believe how it turned out.
"That's… honestly it was a really weird coincidence. We didn't talk that much back then." Miko explains.
She leaves out the fact that they did have a few talks before that event, but Suisei supposes that mentioning those conversations wouldn't help Miko's point right now.
Azki hums thoughtfully. "But it feels like you two are joined at the hip. That's pretty amazing."
"Don't worry Azu-chan! I love you more than stupid Sui-chan!"
Suisei tilts her head to the side and sees Miko capturing Azki into a tight hug. "Woah?! Eheh, thank you, Mikochi!"
She's as clingy as ever, but… Miko said that she loves Suisei.
Everyone was able to choose their partners. Friend groups got together immediately and this left Suisei all on her own, though she wasn't offended; this was bound to happen.
"Ah, Hoshimachi… you can join Sakura's group."
She does just that. As Suisei walks up to them, no one seems to know how to talk to her.
Suisei starts by looking at Miko. "You sit next to me, right?"
"Y-Yeah! First time we're talking, huh? Hope we can get along! Heheh…"
They all sit against the wall, waiting for their turn. Suisei catches a certain pink antenna bouncing back and forth as Miko looks between her and the game.
"Any good at hitting a ball?" Suisei asks. "Well, you look like you can take a blow to the face and walk away fine. Definitely the type to be out first."
"H-Huh?! What the heck?!" Miko shoves her a bit. "Believe it or not, I'm kinda decent at dodgeball! I'll mop the floor with everyone, including you!"
"But, we're playing volleyball."
"Ah… huh? Really?"
Suisei bursts into the biggest fit of laughter she's had since transferring into the school. She and Miko are scolded mercilessly, but Suisei couldn't bring herself to care at that time.
Because… she just wanted to be better friends with Miko--
"Hoshimachi! Oi!"
A baby hand slaps her leg, jostling her out of her thoughts. She looks down to see Miko, clenching her teeth while tilting her head towards the gym floor.
"Look alive, Hoshimachi! Join your group for the game!"
With a stumble in her step, Suisei drops her water bottle and walks up to the net. Sora and Roboco nod to her as she heads to the backline and slicks her bangs back.
"Let's do this…"
With a serve from the opposing team, Suisei breaks out into a run around the court. Her focus remains solely on the ball in the air and deflecting it the best she can. The bounce she puts into each movement makes her break into heavy sweats, but she doesn't particularly mind it; it's proof of her efforts.
The exertion, the adrenaline, the taste of victory motivating her every motion--
"Get 'em, Hoshimachi!"
Miko is cheering her on. It's the same Miko who's always cheered her on, and the same Miko who said she loves her…
Suisei fumbles on her own two goddamn feet with the grace of an elephant on a tightrope. She manages to steady herself before face-planting into the ground, but then she looks up and sees the ball heading right for her--
"Sui-chan!"
WHAM
Black, then white, then the gym ceiling lights. Her head is forced to crane back as a bounce pad for the ball, then it ricochets off the wall behind her and then across the net. With everyone left in shock at how she ate that hit, the ball lands within the lines.
Suisei wants to shout in victory, but her face is in too much pain to muster anything more than a groan. Hands cover her face instinctively and her eyes squeeze shut from the sting spreading over her face from her nose.
The clamoring of all the girls in the room plus that pain makes her head spin and disorients her. Everything feels like too much, and all Suisei wants to do is to get out of here.
"Sui-chan!"
Miko is calling her.
"You're bleeding!"
Miko tells her as she wipes her nose and smears red across her upper lip. She can feel a bruise forming on the bridge of her nose.
"C'mon! I'll take you to the nurse's office!"
Miko insists and grabs her arm.
"S-Sui-chan? You're making a scary face…"
Miko loves her.
"Sui-chan--"
But, they were always friends.
"I'll go by myself."
She can feel Miko's confusion on her, but Suisei refuses to look at it directly, not trusting her own self-control right now.
The crowd that had gathered around her clears as she walks towards the doors. It was as if she really were a monster to fear, with no hero to save them.
With the way that Miko looked with tears in her eyes and the blood on her hand, Suisei supposes that's an accurate comparison.
Miko is down in the courtyard with Marine and Korone. The three of them are happily eating the fruit sandwiches from Korone's bag, occasionally stealing bites from each other. A dollop of cream falls on Miko's skirt and the two scold her for being so clumsy while helping her with the mess.
Suisei watches it all from the rooftop. She slurps down the rest of her apple juice through the straw in one go. There's not even a moment to savor the taste of the last drops.
A glare hits her in a way that induces a tear to form. Suisei winces and she rubs her eye roughly, careful not to bat off the band-aid on her nose bridge.
She doesn't remember the sun being this bright last year.
There's never anyone on the roof. She doesn't mind it like this.
Suisei has a clear view of the courtyard's greens and all the little cliques in the school from here. There's the group of four from the other class all playing on old handhelds, the pair from her class sitting together under a tree, and five of her juniors in one big cluster.
Eventually, she grows bored of the sight and slinks back. Suisei lies down on the roof and relishes in the warmth of the floor alone, underneath the big blue sky.
The door opens.
"H-Hoshimachi?"
A pink antenna bounces.
Then again, maybe she's not used to it anymore.
Realizing the mess is worse than they thought, Miko, Korone, and Marine leave the courtyard and head inside. Suisei presumes that they're heading to the bathroom to clean up.
She turns around and leans against the railings. Looking to the sky, Suisei slides down until she's seated on the roof. The sun's rays beating down on the dark floor makes it warm to the touch, yet the spring breeze is cool on her nape.
Miko loves her--
She crushes the carton and throws it over the railing.
Suisei doesn't want to think about anything on nice days like these.
Unfortunately, the door to the roof busts down with a slam. A blue and red sneaker pokes out before three figures roll onto the scene.
"Polka, you there? I'm here! Cure Polpol!" Her red track suit tied around her waist flaps like a cape.
Flare does some strange hand motions before pointing at Suisei with her index and middle finger pressed together. "I'll burn all the fresh greenery! Cure Flare!"
"Lover of beef bowls! Stomach of steel! The great devil! Cure Noel!" And like last time they played, Noel flexes both of her biceps.
In synch, the three pose with their left arms raised with a thumbs up.
"Shiranui Games Club! On the scene!"
Suisei narrows her eyes. "But it's just the three--"
"Exactly! It's been the three of us for three days!" Polka proclaims to the blue sky.
"Technically two, but today is the third day," Flare adds.
"My point stands!"
"C'mon… you don't need me there." Guilt ebbs in her stomach. She swallows thickly and forces her next words. "What about Mikochi--"
"She doesn't wanna hang out either."
"Eh?"
The guilt consumes her whole. Suisei doesn't let it show, or well, tries to. Her blue galaxies widen as Polka stomps towards her. Joy and playfulness were absent in her orbs. It's a side of Polka that slightly scares her.
"You rejected Mikochi, didn't you?"
She inhales sharply and bites her lip. Noel and Flare watch with concern, yet say nothing.
So they knew. They all knew Miko loves her.
Suisei sighs and crosses her arms. "I didn't. I need time to think."
"What do you need to think about?" Noel approaches with a soft tone. "Isn't it mutual?"
She grips at her hoodie sleeves, nails threatening to tear through the polyester. The wind is cold on her skin, so Suisei turns towards the door and walks away--
"Sui-chan."
Flare grabs her by the wrist and yanks her back. Suisei doesn't look back at them.
"What?"
"You aren't thinking… you're running."
"Running?" Her scoff is haughty and loud. "Tell me what I'm supposed to do when the person I thought was my friend has feelings for me?"
"That's…"
She starts laughing. It's low and is used purely to fill the silence. Suisei cranes her head back to face them with a toothy smile.
"Look, it's gonna be awkward now with me and Mikochi together, isn't it? Just leave me out of it and Mikochi can come back, then you all can keep playing together--"
"I don't wanna!"
Polka pulls Suisei out of Flare's grip by shoving her out of the way. She yanks at Suisei's shirt collar. Suisei grunts in pain and is ready to push back but…
"If it's not all five of us, then I don't wanna play!"
Polka cries through gritted teeth.
"I don't wanna lose this group!"
The sunlight is bright in her eyes again. Suisei can't wipe the tears away like this. "Me neither, okay?! Do you think I want to?!"
Polka shakes her roughly. "Then make up with Mikochi already! Stop running!"
Something throbs in Suisei's veins. She doesn't like it. She wants to leave, now.
"Oi, Polka," both of her fists clench tightly, "I don't wanna do this--"
"You two, stop it!"
Before Suisei could put up another fight, Noel separates the two of them with one strong push. Suisei simply falls to the ground and lies there, whereas Polka manages to stay on her two feet.
She doesn't get up. Suisei lies there, under the blue sky and the worried gazes of her friends.
Flare kneels down at her side. Her skirt is a bit frayed and her hands are slightly scraped, but her ambers are warm and open-minded.
"I thought we were just friends. Just close friends, partners even." Suisei mumbles. She isn't sure if it's coherent at all to them, but Noel's tender brushing of her hair keeps her going. "That's all we were, no more, no less… but I was wrong."
"Is that a bad thing?" Polka asks, still standing tall.
The Miko she's known has been her friend first and foremost, never someone who had a romantic interest in her. How much of it was just the opposite, Suisei will never know. She's scared to find out.
"She confessed… whether or not I accept, I'll lose her as a friend." A hiccup escapes her throat, one that leads into a shaky inhale. "I don't want a love like that… I don't want Mikochi's love to be like that…"
She doesn't want their friendship to be a lie.
She refuses to let these two years to mean nothing.
She doesn't want Miko's love for her to be shallow.
"Love isn't that easy, but it isn't that complicated either." Flare shakes her head at Suisei but still smiles. "Aren't you underestimating Miko-senpai's feelings for you?"
"Eh?" Her body begins to adjust to the intense rays of the sun.
Polka sighs and sits down in front of Suisei. "Look, I get that she's pushing you a biiit too hard, but it's kinda proof that Mikochi loves you for you, not just as someone to date and stuff."
"It's always been you two. Where you go, she goes. If she's there, then so are you," Noel explains. "Even now, she's still trying to reach out to you. Isn't that what's important?"
"But…" Suisei can't believe it. There's a block that's keeping her from accepting this.
A part of her wants to believe, however.
Because… to her, Mikochi is--
Suisei sits up and wipes away her stray tears with her sleeves. Noel stops her before they become damp and heavy and she accepts the handkerchief from Flare.
Polka tucks her knees in and rocks back and forth. "And y'know, even if things go south for you two, something like that is never ever gonna break up our club, alright? We're made of tougher stuff than that!"
A weight lifts off Suisei's shoulders and she sits up a bit straighter.
"Right… of course."
Under the blue skies, bathing in the warmth of the sun's rays, surrounded by her friends, Suisei lets out a sudden, hysterical laugh.
[ Behind the school after the bell, I'm waiting ]
Suisei twirls a lock of her blue ribbony hair, leaning against the school wall. She kicks away a pebble at her feet and watches it fly into a patch of bushes.
Did every girl that confess to her wait this long? Longer? Maybe she should be nicer to them if it happens again? That, or show up earlier. Or just earlier than the other party, 'cuz that sounds funny if--
"Hoshimachi?"
Oh god.
Suisei clears five feet off the ground and lands flat on the soles of her shoes.
She'd recognize that pink antennae anywhere, let alone her baby-like voice, rounded face, and greens of leaves in the sun. It's the girl she's become so familiar with these two years, and the same one she wants to keep at her side forevermore.
"Mikochi…"
Suisei squares her shoulders and then clears her throat a few times.
"I-I… you… I have an answer for you…"
Miko stiffens, her ahoge perking up attentively as she trots forward. It's a cute kind of nervousness that Suisei has never seen before, and she's glad that they're together in that feeling.
"You're late… dummy."
Suisei smirks. "You're calling the person you confessed to a dummy? What a charmer."
Miko's cattish smile both irritates and relieves her. "As if you're any better? If you made all the girls that confessed wait on you, you'd nab yourself a group of haters in the school."
She shrugs. "I had a lot on my mind, not that you seemed to notice"
Though Suisei threw a playful jab, Miko's head lowers. "I'm sorry for bothering you. I know you were thinking about it but I--"
She covers her mouth with both of her hands as she hides behind her pink fringe. Suisei immediately closes the distance between them. When she lays a hand on Miko's cheek, her heart aches at how fast the tears are falling.
"I still wanted to be friends… even if it's a no. I still wanna play games together with Polpol and Fuu-tan and Noel and you…" Suisei cups it with care and Miko's upward gaze is teary and pleading. "Is that no good? Are we not friends anymore?"
Her heart beats at a rapid pace. It's painful, but calming, somehow reaffirming as well.
She can't shy away — no more running.
"Mikochi," Suisei ruffles her pink hair. The sensation of her soft locks makes it easy to lose herself in the depths of her feelings. "I want to be with you, as friends, as partners…"
Suisei's hand drops from Miko's hair to her cheek and downwards. It trails down her arm, then finally to her hand. They interlock and Suisei does the same with her other hand.
"And as lovers."
Miko's greens become round and full of light.
Suisei wants this.
"I wanna stick by you, wherever you go."
She wants Miko.
She wants the Miko she met on her first day of school, the Miko she talked to when she was forced into her group, the Miko who found her on the roof, the Miko who joined the club with her, the Miko who confessed, the Miko standing here right now…
It's so greedy, but Suisei wants every part of her.
And Miko offers herself, diving into Suisei's arms, or taking Suisei into her arms — it's hard to tell.
"I can't believe it… finally…"
She scoffs and pats her back. "You're telling me."
"I love you, Sui-chan."
"I love you too."
They pull back to face each other. There's only them behind the school.
Silence falls as Miko tucks a strand behind her ear, staring up at Suisei with waiting eyes. She doesn't hesitate anymore, immediately reaching her hands up to Miko's shoulders. The two lean in slowly as the afternoon sun shines down on them.
Miko looks so cute like this--
BZZT BZZT
They rip apart like magnets of the same poles.
Suisei and Miko pull out their phones in unison and are greeted with very loud screams of:
"Congratulations!"
In fact, it's so loud, it's like they were right there with them.
Suisei immediately turns to the bushes and lo-and-behold, it's them, all applauding with big innocent grins.
"You three…" She grumbles.
"What the heck guys?!" Miko screeches. "You were supposed to wait at the front gates for us!"
"Ehh? But you guys would take forever~" Polka says, scratching her nose.
"Polka's idea!" Flare suddenly asserts, causing Polka to whip her head at her with utter shock. "She's buying the snacks today!"
"Oh right! We're going to my place today!" Miko exclaims, ahoge bouncing with the breeze. "Yay! Finally another game night!"
"Yes, finally, revenge!" Polka marches away with large strides like the leader of a parade. "Now let's get going you normies! It's on me tonight, I-I guess?!"
"Normies explode!" Flare throws her hands up in the air as she walks behind Polka.
"E-Explode!" Noel follows her lead.
Suisei and Miko look at each other with dumbfounded expressions. She shrugs and Miko does the same. "Let's go then."
Miko giggles at her. "Together?"
Suisei wants to hear it again later, over and over again.
She joins their hands together. "Us two, together."