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"Hey, come here." Giggling, Suisei parts the leaves to reveal a crowd gathered, backs thankfully turned towards them. "Someone's holding a wedding, I think."
"Scoot over, I can't see," Miko hisses, trying to get a good look through the dense leaves of the bush they're hiding in. Suisei stifles another laugh and obligingly makes room, her eyes bright with mirth.
"Congratulations!" "We wish you happiness!"
Suisei chances a peek at Miko to see her staring with fascination at the bride, dressed in delicate white with the brilliant colors of her bouquet clutched close to her chest. The bride's face is glowing with joy; Suisei wonders if she'll ever feel that much happiness.
"Thank you, everyone! I promise I'll be happy!"
"Happiness…?" Miko seems deep in thought. Sunlight filtering through the bush sends dappled light playing across her serious face.
"Do you know what that is, Mikochi?" Suisei teases, poking her forehead gently. Miko scowls at her and pokes her back; Suisei promptly pokes her again, which turns into a short scuffle that sends the bush rustling suspiciously.
"Anyways, what were you going to say about happiness, Mikochi?" Suisei asks, her smile oddly genuine.
"What does 'being happy' mean? Like that bride was saying?"
Suisei rests her chin on her tucked-up knees, humming thoughtfully instead of teasing like Miko'd expected her to. It's an almost comical juxtaposition to the leaves stuck at odd angles in her tangled hair.
"I feel super warm inside when I hug onee-chan… isn't 'happiness' something like that?" Suisei hugs her knees more tightly, picturing Miko in that floating white veil. "Or maybe you need to wear that white dress in order to get happiness."
"I think… I want to wear it. Someday." Miko's eyes are lowered. "Hm…"
"Middle school's too young to get married, Mi~ko~chi." The syllables of the nickname are so comfortable, so familiar on Suisei's tongue, lilting and enunciated in just the right way to grate on Miko's nerves slightly.
"I know that!" A soft punch hits her arm, and Suisei feigns hurt, clutching her arm and falling into Miko with laughter as warm as the summer heat haze ringing around her. The distinctive sound of bells echoes through the air, and they fall silent.
"I wonder how it feels…" Miko gazes at the ground, as if trying to imagine her own wedding day.
Suisei smiles, eyes soft. "For me, the time spent with you is the most fun thing. So that's happiness for me, I guess."
"Eh?! Me too!" Miko's answering smile is so bright that Suisei needs to look away. "Talking with you is so fun, Sui-chan. So that means I'm happy when I'm with you, right?"
Suisei holds up a pinky, a childish assurance of honesty. "Let's be best friends forever, all right?"
"It's a promise!"
The cloth blurs into a haze of white in her eyes.
"Ah, all done." Suisei winces as she gingerly stretches her aching fingers and looks over her work, remembering two linked pinkies and a childhood promise likely forgotten a decade ago by the other end. "Mikochi's wedding dress, the cutest in the world!"
Her desk has never been as messy as it is right now, piled with white cloth and design sketches, and she needs to practically dig to find her phone in order to notify Miko. The response comes within seconds, Miko's delight infectious even through the emotionless tone of text messages. Suisei holds the dress up before her, gazing over ruffles and delicate lace with bleak eyes.
"Mikochi's getting married, huh…?"
"I'm sorry to call you out here so early, Sui-chan!" Miko presses her hands together apologetically, snapping Suisei out of the daze she's been in all morning.
This is really it.
Things got serious so suddenly that it made her dizzy. Makes her dizzy, still, just thinking about it.
"It's okay. I was really looking forward to making Mikochi look beautiful." Suisei smiles weakly and wants to kick herself; her best friend is getting married and she can't even put up a convincing smile.
Today… Miko will marry someone else. And Suisei, despite all that she wishes had taken place, will give everything to make sure that Miko does not have even the slightest worry today.
"Mikochi, you look so happy," Suisei says softly, praying that her voice isn't shaking as she pulls the comb through Miko's long hair.
"Yeah, I really am." Despite all these years, the reflection of Miko's smile hasn't changed at all, an expression that makes Suisei want to drag the heavy, trembling corners of her mouth up into a matching one.
She lowers her eyes. Miko's fingers are tapping on the arm of the chair anxiously; Suisei knows she needs to give Miko her best compliments today. So be it. Miko's happiness will have to be her happiness.
Makeup, hair, clothing. It must take at least an hour, but it feels too fast for Suisei to process.
"Congratulations on getting married, Mikochi." Suisei lets her hands rest on Miko's shoulders one last time, watching Miko's wide eyes in the mirror. "You look beautiful."
"...zing…"
"What?"
"This is amazing, Sui-chan…"
Suisei has barely enough time to choke out a "Huh?" before Miko barrels into her in all those layers of beautiful white cloth and wraps her arms tightly around Suisei's shoulders.
"It's so cute… I'm so happy…" Miko squeezes her tightly, her voice edged with a sob that has Suisei fearing she'll ruin her makeup. "And when I can't give anything back to you…! I'm so glad we're friends, Sui-chan!"
And the times that Suisei cursed the fact that they were friends…
It's enough to stay by Miko's side and listen to her laugh. She wasn't expecting anything in return.
Suisei wraps her arms around Miko, mindful of her dress, and squeezes back.
"...yeah. I'm… also glad that we're friends, Mikochi."
She must have been waiting for this moment, somewhere in her bleeding heart.
Suisei smiles and finds the expression comes easier than it did before. "I'm happy right now, too."