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The sun was setting to let the night go out. Aizawa Mint just finished her dance lesson and was about to head home, but decided to make a detour to one of her friend's house. When she was identified in front of the gate, the doors opened. On the main door, a girl slowly peeked out to check already who that was, her eyes beaming at the sight of the blue bird.
"Mint, you came!" The youngest of the Okou, Mitsuko, was happy to see her.
"You homeschooled freak definitely felt it happening, huh?"
The brunette eyerolled. "Just say you wanted to see me on a whim instead of putting the blame on me." She avoided her gaze for a few seconds before muttering a little "Nice to see you too."
"What was that," Mint smirked in her direction. She gained a growl from her friend.
"Ugh, just come in before I regret." She held the door open for her.
The walk to the break room was all but silent. They quickly caught up on some formalities; about Mint's parents and brother and how their company is faring (both well), how Yui was doing (she was absent this evening), and if Mint's little dog was feeling better after the health scare (he was!). Once the head butler gave the last of the snacks and tea, their conversation very quickly turned more private, with no witnesses.
"Next week, huh…," Mitsuko silently noted.
"Yeah, next week. Aren't you excited? I know the lot of you worked a lot on the project."
Mitsuko's eyes perked up from her tea. "Of course I am. I promise you it will be a frank success."
"Is it your dumb psychic power telling you this?" She mocked her gently.
"Do you see my cards with me," the brunette replied to her with a little smile. "I'm just being optimistic for once, Mint-hime."
"I thought you would quit with the hime part, you're annoying."
Mitsuko giggled at her suffering. "Just don't act like a little…," she stopped herself with a big smile. She was not picking any insult to throw at her, she was just letting it sink.
"Okay, ma'am I-have-a," she started and got cut abruptly.
"Shush!" The brunette avoided her gaze, her cheeks slowly turning red. She knew what she was alluding to, and this was not the time.
"Oh, by the way," Mint quickly went out of her gremlin mode, "did you get any news from Ushiromiya? She barely passes by the café lately."
"Soph is doing well, don't worry. Right now she's the one working the hardest so she could be our eyes and ears in America as a transfer student," she replied after a sip of her tea. "Her grades aren't that bad, but I swear last time I heard her English it got weirder than back then in America, and that scares me."
"Don't worry, she'll relearn it easier, and also you have no place in talking crap about her English grade, Yui told me you slept almost all through History she doesn't know how you even succeed in that private class."
"Aw, come on, Udagawa-sensei has such a soothing voice."
"More soothing than Ryou's?"
Mitsuko closed her eyes, not even bothering with the question. She knew she wouldn't let that go.
"You've been on my case a lot lately, Mint. I thought we were celebrating the official launch of the project."
"Yeah but it's a bit frustrating to see your friends being even worried about it!" Mint complained with a glare. "Akasaka, Ushiromiya, even Ryou is a little bit stressed but he won't even admit it, and you," she added with a glare.
Mitsuko avoided her gaze. "I'm not worried."
"Cut the drama and don't lie," she ordered her.
The brunette rolled her eyes. "I'm not worried about the outcome. I already said, the launch will be a success. Yui-nee also told you so."
Upon seeing Mint's concerned glare, which was rare, she continued. "I'm worried about everything between the start and the end of the project." When the project will start, Sophia will be gone, and Yui will have to limit her visits to the café for safety reasons. Mitsuko and Yui's parents would have no problem as they're overseas, but that would be lonely here for a while.
And she won't see her as much.
"Your gay is showing." Mint deadpanned.
"At least not as fast as whenever someone brings up your beloved idol," Mitsuko frowned.
"What, you're no better when you talk about your beloved photograph," Mint spat back. "Or Ushiromiya for that matter." She smirked.
"I regret telling you I was swinging both ways."
"Does it really matter? Point is don't worry about us, I mean, I can visit you whenever I'm completely free, and if you're that of a lonely loser, you could go to school too– I mean, I know how uncomfortable you are with it but still, better that that, I don't know, forcing you out to go see Ryou at the café."
A little smirk appeared on Mint's face as soon as she saw her friend's face turn red. "Wait, what, no, that is not possible in any way, I am not ready to see him yet, I don't even know where the base of operation is and it is better for me not to see him!"
"Not with that attitude, it sure isn't." She gently held her shoulders before turning her gaze to the windows. She kept her eyes there while she could hear her friend wonder about school while muttering.
Mint was as worried as the little brunette and yet... Only future would know how everything will go.